Habs 3, Islanders 6: Heads directly up your asses

You know all those plays that would have ended Sunday's game in favour of the Bruins had they managed to connect a few tap-in passes and picked the cornersor didn't ring off the symphony of posts? Well, the Islanders gave the Habs ample tape footage to illustrate this.

Turnovers, own goals, lost coverage...completely discombobulated chaotic defensive zone. It's like a pack of headless chickens running amok around their own net. And the cherry on top? DOUBLE screening their goalie while completely ignoring the man opened to the left waiting for them to perfectly block the shot to his stick. They got lucky against the Bruins, their luck ran out against the Islanders.

Puffing your chest out and saying "don't worry be happy we're still in first" only goes so far. If Therrien doesn't fix this sloppy play in their own zone they'll have to rely completely on luck and a difficult to perform powerplay. (Sure PK got that goal and all, but did you see what they did leading up to it? Putrid).

Can someone please explain to me how they manage so easily to screen and tip shots by their own goalie but seem absolutely incapable of doing it on the other end? Can you stop playing goalie and let the goalie play goalie? Case in point, after a terrible tip shot off Pacioretty's stick where Price makes the save on the changed trajectory, someone digs the puck out of the corner for Pacioretty to get out except he's stickless 'cause it broke, so the puck goes back to the point for a shot on net that's going right to Price's gut when....! Bouillon can't handle the guy heading for the net, and in his infinite wisdom of panic throws his stick out and perfectly tips the shot over Price into the net. Thanks for coming, Cube. Gold star.

By the way, Ryder? You suck. Go back to Dallas.

Of course we can explain what happened today in one simple term: SCOTT GOMEZ SCORE A GOAL. This, right after Mike Milbury defended the honour of the Montreal Canadiens to the troglodytes on Boston radio. Yes, World. You have officially tipped your axis.

Oh yea. Happy 20,000th goal Habs. I'm sure Gionta gives a damn about it now that he's in the history books without two points.

The Brooklyn Islanders

Sad. But now you can officially mothball that dump on Long Island as the Islanders take their skates to the new Barclays Center. Pretty sure the tattoo parlor will just move across the street.

Do me a favour? Burn those shit grey-dayglo-orange third jerseys please.

I am however miffed that you announced this NOW instead of negotiating with the NHLPA to actually PLAY in that new rink...

Archway to the Blues: fare thee well Jaro

Firstly I'd like to express my thanks to Jaroslav Halak for all the good work he's done here. I was hoping he would stick around for at least another year or two but it was pretty clear money was going to be a problem... I wish him good luck, assuming of course the Blues are able to work out a deal with him. Also from all my time watching HGTV, I think you'll be able to find a lovely home maybe by the water for really cheap. It's a (mostly) pretty looking city. I've always wanted to visit, if just to see the majestic arch...

Secondly, well, colour me genuinely impressed with Pierre Gauthier right now.

Although now we are left with one NHL able goalie (Price--assuming no one snatches him away from us with an offer sheet that can't be matched like the Lightning did with Boucher), one possible NHL goalie future (Mayer--and that's a big possible maybe as he's barely ready for the AHL fulltime), and one AHL goalie who was greatly protected by the best hockey system I've ever seen (Desjardins--and he is not NHL ready). It's the depth chart abyss I mentioned before, and I'll remain concerned about it until I see who they sign over the summer or draft for way later. (Psst Turco? C'mon buddy, take a discount and make me proud).

Keep freaking out over Jaro being traded to the Blues for Lars Eller and Ian Schultz all you want, but the moment I heard who the Blues gave up I plotzed. Holy shit are the Blues INSANE?!

It's a win-win for both teams. Habs finally find themselves with a great prospect at the center who's over 6-feet and a pugnacious Calgary Hitman I really really liked (think about former-Hitman Ryan White but with a bit of Scott Hartnell only less of a douchebag). But in terms of futures the loss of Eller and Schultz is a big one for the Blues. Yes they finally get themselves a legitimate goalie who will need to work overtime in a very tough Western conference division on a team that consistently has consistency problems (just like the Habs only they face the Hawks and Wings 6 times a year), but this is Dagger for Palushaj territory once again.

Of course when you deal with players like Eller, Schultz, and even Jaro, you are always taking a gamble. Habs fans, you need to all calm down, stop thinking with your idiotic adulation that had you bowing to him over every routine save, put away the rediculous stop sign shirts (does he even get anything out of those and the license plate t-shirts at all?), and start thinking with your logical brains about what this brings to the team for the future. Young, healthy big-type players you've been crowing about for weeks/months/years now. You got exactly what you've been hoping for.

And no, the Blues were NOT going to send back TJ Oshie or David Perron so quit your dreaming.

Now Alan Walsh will probably direct his tweets towards Big Ben Bishop and Jake Allen. My condolences to those poor young goalies...

Round 3 Game 5: The end

This is all I'm going to say for tonight.

Group hug.

They tried. They really tried. In the end, they couldn't do it on the backs of Gomez and Gio alone.

Here's to next season and hopefully a non-idiocy filled summer. May Pierre Gauthier not screw this team up.

Go Habs.

Go Bulldogs.