Habs win, Bulldogs win

I plunked down $60 and ended up a few feet from the glass at the Bulldogs-Crunch game. Two tickets, $60, near the line of fire of all the pucks. Actually one puck deflected off the top of the glass, through the netting and off some little kid's head. Oh he was fine, he got a puck and was super happy about it.

My phone kept me up to date with the Habs game. And they were kind enough to put it on the jumbotron between periods.

Go Team Blunden!

Preseason observations from my comfy chair

Dear executive staff and managers of the Montreal Canadiens,

I'm writing my affirmation of Jarred Tinordi and Greg "The General" Pateryn. Get those boys apartments, permanent mailing addresses, housemaids, pet watchers, personal cooks, and anything else they need to make their lives comfortable here. It would be a crime if the season started and Frankie Bou Bou or my favourite Raphael Diaz or Douglas Murray had roster spots ahead of these fantastic young players. You would be doing a disservice to your club not having these two on permanently! Sure you would be biting the proverbial bullet on their respective contracts, but think of the money you'd save on those cheap young players.

I would also like to refer Michael Bournival to start the fourth line and to keep Mike Blunden up as your extra. A fourth line of Bournival-White-Prust would be equal to the winning formula so beautifully executed by the Chicago Blackhawks in their recent Stanley Cup run. And when Prust rovers up to the other lines, Blunden can step in. The combinations exude grit and energy with offensive capabilities and defensive prowess. So much more useful than wasting a seat to the standard face puncher. And as much as I love Travis Moen or George Parros, the future is now.

Play the kids. You won't regret it. Also get that other group to observe what this group was doing right on the penalty kill. I dare say, more PK on the PK maybe? Quite the revelation eh? Only took you a year to figure that out. Just like eradicating that god awful diamond formation.

Sincerely,
N31

Call him small, Bournival will CRUSH YOU.

ATTENTION EVERYONE part 2!

CAREY PRICE FOREVER! Well, OK, six more years. But in hockey terms that's forever. Proceed to triple low five the person next to you. Hey pro goalie dudes, explain to us what Carey Price is please.

Price is one of the best damn goalies in the universe. You guys want me to explain the "CP31 Speed Bubble" I always talk about? I'm bored. The CP31 Speed Bubble is a trait that only he displays. It's a mental awareness in which he moves at his own speed and his own pace regardless of the speed or the pace of the play around him. Regardless of what happens around him, he always moves and flows at HIS pace. So there you go. Price lives in a speed bubble, and this is why he looks so even-keeled, moves so effortlessly. He's almost always unfazed.

Fans often get disgruntled because he'll look passive or "lazy" at times, but that comes with the territory of the CP31 Speed Bubble. Deal. Price reads and processes plays with calm precision, moves similarly. So positionally structured & economical, he could play until he's 45. -- Justin Goldman (the Goalie Guild)

Translation: Price is the goalie equivalent of the Matrix, and WE GOT HIM! So fuck off the reservation, McGuire.

What else did GMMB get us? Some familiar faces and some better bottom-six rugged dudes to make life a little more comfy for the top-six guys.

Who's back?
- Travis TOUCHDOWN Moen for four more years!
- Alexei Emelin for two more years! BOOM!
- Brendon Nash for another year! Now don't get destroyed in fucking training camp again please.
- Petteri Nokelainen for another year! But there's a big chance he gets waived early. Again.
- Michael Blunden is back even though he didn't get the qualifying offer.
- Cedric the Entertainer Desjardins is back for Hamilton after, well, realizing our other goalies still kind of suck.
- FrankieBou is back! Proving that he does indeed have a life clause that stipulates he can only play with either the Habs or the Preds.

Who's new?
- Brandon Prust for four years! Will help block the shots with Gorges.
- Colby "Closet Habs Fan" Armstrong for a year! And he's still getting paid by the Leafs so BONUS!

You can stop dreaming about Jagr. Either he signs for a reasonable price already or he stops using Montreal as leverage for other deals. Anyway, the dude is 40. I doubt he wants to really play for this team...

Habs 4, Rangers 1: Two and a half men

Admit it. When the Rangers rolled into town today and Budaj was starting we all pretty much hoped and prayed for the best. And while I can't say he was excellant--frankly downright frightening--he did the job and the team clamped down big time in front of him. (Also helped that the Rangers kept missing). Total team effort tonight! This is what we want to see.

Naturally some nights it works, some nights it doesn't. Then again, Lundqvist really tends to suck at the Bell Centre. Maybe it's the smoked meat...

One line was nuts tonight. We've come to call them the "two and half men" line of Cole-DD-Patches. Final tally: 2 goals 1 assist for Patches, 1 goal 2 assists for Desharnais, 3 assists for Cole. They killed the Rangers, even when they were hobbling around from hurting themselves. Next in line was Gomez and Blunden. Who knew these two would be such a pair? And later as Moen was taken out from a bad collision, the new line of Bourque-Pleky-AK46 was starting to find some chemistery. Later Eller filled in and made it a nice multi-combo. (Yes Eller and AK46 were benched early, but no harm no foul. They came out strong in the 3rd, especially Eller).

Speaking of our new boy, all I can say is impressive. His speed, size, nifty hands, some grit... I swear he had more hits in this game alone than Cammy had all year. Could have had a goal or two but Lundqvist really had to pull a rabbit out of his hat to prevent it. Basically, we may have another Cole!

Unfortunately for Bourque, the Capitals are next. It would appear that Troy Brouwer would like to have some words with him...unless of course he tries to hit Eller again, and misses again, and injures himself again.

Rangers' 7th straight loss at the Bell Centre. Of course the Habs face a hell of a hill to climb. Feels a bit like Sisyphus.