Elliooooooooott! Habs 5 Sens 4 (SO)

Trying to right this ship, at least in the backend...

I only managed to catch the game from the 3rd period onwards and then got the rest off Express as I was out for a lovely dinner amongst some rather annoying relatives of my mother (ie. my aunt and uncle) so my take on the game is rather thin... My dinner was good though, save for those annoying relatives. Grr...

You aren't helping that save percentage...
- Fan favourite and gritty, fearsome prospect Greg Stewart got to play tonight. He picked up an assist on D'Agostini's goal and did some excellent yeoman's work along the boards and generally annoyed the oppositioin in the checking line. As he grows I see him as our farm-grown Kostopoulos, except he wins more fights.
- Actually I can say all lines are clicking relatively well. Kovy's line is feeding off Patches (what a kid!), Lang and the brothers still going strong with AK46 becoming more and more that power forward Carbo was talking about, Lapierre's line still the same hardworking core.
- Defense is ok but I get queasy as I see Breezer paired with Cube...
- That piece of the wall Komo hit was padded right? God that could have been a broken arm in the making...
- Heater is a 50 goal scorer. He was ZombieHeater for the first part and rose from the dead in the 3rd, but Jaro needs to learn to deal with those kinds of play like Carey does. (See, Gorges is covering the other two well enough so all you need to do is take care of the shooter, but not while on your knees...at least not when you're shorter than Price).
- Bet he wants that second Heatley goal back.
- Could say the same for Elliott on Kostopoulos' goal.
- Markov is the General by how he controls the tempo of the game like a certain defensman of Habs yore, but sometimes I fear he thinks way too much when on the powerplay.
- ZOMG AK46 ninja scores: 5 goals, 5 games in a row
- Lang had two assists tonight: more points! Now he leads the team with points (36). So ya, fuck you Mats.
- Kovy in the John Tavares spot on the powerplay: bing!
- Bob Cole is pro-anything else when it comes to games that include the Habs. Sounded like we killed his dog whenever something good from the Habs happened, even wondering why the Habs fans that invaded were OleOleOle-ing in a one-goal game. (Memo to Cole: we Ole anytime). I mean this is the guy who actually said "The goalie stopped it! How come?!" when Price stopped Shane Doan on a sure goal earlier this year. RDS may get all giddy over Latendresse, but they give credit where it's due and are equally excited over any other team's brilliant play.
- Jaro in shootouts is usually more 50/50 than anything in that he just seems to hope they all miss, but good save on Alfie.
- Kovy is the magical beastie. Getting ready for the All Star Game eh?
- I think we should send Fruit Punch to the ASG next year for the skills competition alone. Who'd have thunk it! And it was a different move from the first one too. So that's 2 for 2.

In conclusion: I had chicken stuffed with goat cheese in an apple cranberry sauce, and it was good. This game was also good. Sens wanted a point, and they got one. Habs wanted two and a win, and they got one. Carey come and plaaaaaaaaaaaaaay...!



While I was eating:
- WOOT! Bruins lost to the Caps 2-1
- WOOT! Carolina lost to Buffalo 3-1
- WOOT! Tampa Bay lost to the Panthers 4-3
- WOOT! Price really wants to be in that All-Star Game and might just make it. Hey, I won't stop him. Doing so may depress him as he looked depressed about the idea of maybe missing it. A happy Price makes a happy Canadiens team!
- Um...Atlanta scored 7 goals to crush Nashville who only managed 2? Jaro best be ready if Price doesn't play Tuesday.
- Pens traded Sabu (along with some other things) for Garon. Now they have that ex-Habs goalie curse as a secret weapon for when we play them next. Crap!

Bulldogs 6, Rags 3

Wait, oh. There are still some Habs left standing! You know, considering the 1A line is entirely on the shelf, our star goalie is nursing a mysterious lower body injury that he played with while in Florida, and a bus load of kids (though I don't really consider Chipper a kid) are holding the fort... somehow the Canadiens are 23-10-6 with 52 points and now second in the division (or fourth in the East). And it's good to stay there because I'm SICK OF SEEING BOSTON IN THE PLAYOFFS! ARGH! Really, I want to see someone else for a change... Actually if the playoffs started tomorrow, we'd be playing the Rangers. Dunno what to make of that though as I'm seriously starting to think King Henrik Lundqvist really hates playing us.

First period in a snowstorm
I nearly spun my car into a snowbank as The King passed the puck to Pacioretty who then passed the puck to Kovy parked in front of a rather empty net. Thanks, King! Kovy says, "Good pass".

Meanwhile some douche crosschecks Markov behind Halak and some Rag scores. No penalty, but whatever. I say whatever because Hammer cranks it at The King from the center line who pops the puck right at Gui! for a super shot over his shoulder. It's 2-1 and the Rags had the better chances but Halak's got a golden glove. Well, it's better than his rebound control.

The MSG siren sounds like my dryer buzzer and the place has about as much ambience as my late-grandmother's front hall in that old Cote St-Luc highrise appartment of her's. The Rangers chant is rather lame too. Kovy also says the ice is like skating on a potato field.

Second period, Callahan scores but no one seems to really care. The 3rd and 4th line are up to their old tricks. Sergei does a nice open ice hit without his hip. Patches also dumps a Rag into the Habs bench. Andrei, however, fans on a puck that would have been a goal. The second chance he gets his stick explodes.

Penalties finally get called. None for the Habs yet. Yes Lang was HOOKED, the stick was up his fucking armpit. Yes Gomez holds the stick right in front of the ref. Quit looking so bewildered, Renney... Habs finally get two powerplay goals. January's quota is now filled.

Habs get called near the end of the game. First a roughing between Cube and some other guy twice his height. Lang tiptoes around a Staal into the O-zone and roofs one on The King. Game ends with a 6-on-3 for the Rags after they pull that log in nets, still nothing. Some Rag thinks he scores but it was his stick that hit Halak's bottle not the puck. Lang then plucks it from the pileup on his goalie and gets himself a hat that fits on his mass of hair.

That's the 4th hat trick for the Habs. Fuck you, Mats. I like the hairy Czech better. And he DROVE here the day after he got traded. Now that's what I call enthusiasm.

Also Lang totally jumped Kovy on the team points because of that. First Hab to reach 30. (Kovy's on 29).

Halak faced about 38 shots. Warming up for Toronto tomorrow who usually launch a good 40 something. Anyway, he looked better than those last two efforts so I'm really happy for the guy.

And how about Patches? He loses his stick because a Rag stomps on it, but continues his fight along the boards for the puck with his feet! Dear Bob, can we keep him? Please?

Conclusion: A nice team effort tonight. Anyone notice Lundqvist and Breezer look kind of similar?

Umm...? Habs 6 Panthers 5 (SO)

Carbo can't look. THERE'S SOMETHING ON THE WING!

Well, that was an episode of the Twilight Zone. I have absolutely no idea what the fuck happened. I do know that somehow the boys got through it with 2 points.

We should be glad for a win because this could very well be the 06-07 season:
- First game note: I hate 2pm games.
- The second period was apparently very good. It looked very good to me. I missed the whole first period because I was away putting together furniture. The third period would have been good except...
- I know Jaro is struggling right now. I know his teammates know he's struggling right now. They look very nervous in front of him. Right now my brother devised a formula for Jaro efficiency/team happiness: The distance of the puck from Jaro inadvertly describes how good he is/how happy team is.
- The Kostitsyns with Lang is a good pairing. I wish Benoit Brunet would shut the fuck up though. Sergei makes a few errors, but does a lot more good than Breezer on defense and he's not even a defenseman.
- Pacioretty has a natural attractions to head for the net. Wish more people would have that kind of magnetism.
- Kostopoulos finally gets a goal after some hard crease work and has a look on his face like he missed the train.
- Pacioretty says hello to Zed with a CRUSHING check. Love the kid. (Oh, and hello Zed!)
- Gui! is playing very solid hockey right now.
- If Kovy's posts would have been goals he'd be leading the league.
- Lang's ringer went in. It was loud, and it was good.
- Andrei also ringed one in that went in. I think every time Anderson heard the ping and cheer he just died a little inside.
- Chipchura for captain!
- Jaro prays to his posts every morning.
- Some guys in the crowd did the Carey Pose when Lang scored.
- The way Pleky juggles the puck he'd be an excellent basketball player.
- Young refs make weak calls but whatever. At least their mics worked.
- At least we get free wings.

In conclusion: Well take it from Begin, they know they're playing like crap half the time, they know they're making mistakes, and they'll settle down to watch and talk about it and build off it. At least they know what's going on. I'm still lost. At least Guy knows. Guy is smart. But with all the injuries and having an entire key line on the shelf, things could be worse but it's not. So three cheers for who's standing and three cheers for the Bulldogs. I just wished PK Subban were playing with the CH right now...

Remember the Bollocks: Habs 2, Divers 3 (OT)

No matter how hard a team tries, the outcome is usually the same with the Whalicanes. And the Habs deserve their point at least, because they played the game as careful as they could and as hard as they would be allowed considering every breath on a Whalicane results in a penalty or a no-goal. My brother observed it as it was in the early part of the game and into the middle of the second period: that the guys were too afraid to battle on the boards early on because every time they did they knew they would be called for something. (Caught a few times in later board battles a few 'Canes trying to pretend something that wasn't happening). Of what I did see, Pleky and Max's penalties were accurate. I know the one early on with Komo was a total dive, though.

Once upon a time, Mike Van Ryn said when he was in Florida that apparently if you brush up along side Brind'Amour, you'll get called for something. But every tripping they do is "accidental" and how a team's goal is waved off on a delayed penalty I don't know, because how does one put the puck in the net on a rebound off the goalie when they are not in control of said puck? And in overtime as Markov is trying to work while his stick is being held for a good 10 seconds with no call on it, only to have the Whalicanes later jump on Price and the loose puck that trickled behind him to the post a few moments later. Habs should have been on a powerplay there. Weaker calls were given yesterday in overtime, but this was absolutely blatant and in full view of the ref and where the puck was. I'm glad the crowd threw their cups and various trash on the rink after the game was over. The camera showed a nice shot of flying beer.

If any good came from this:
- D'Agostini!
- Tanguay the gentleman on D'Agostini's goal.
- Lang. Yes, screw you Mats.
- Price, like fine wine, will get better with age and got better as the game rolled on. I mean, not a bad showing for a guy who just came back from a long few weeks off. And (from the sound of it) I totally know the kind of injury he had as I've done the same to myself a few times just standing around my room and turning around too fast while the rest of me doesnt turn. (My dad has a problem with answering phones right away). Needless to say, it was hard to walk for a day or two, and then a little strained for a bit more.
- The hussle and awesomness of Lapierre's line when he's got Latendresse and Kostopoulos around him.
- Laraque the Rock and his big body, an absolutely immovable object.
- Kovy and his magic and how well Sergei is playing with him. And how hard he tried to help Pleky snap his zombie complex. (A little tap on the legs after a golden chance that completely failed, among other constant attempts to get him something, anything).
- Maxwell has pretty good hussle too, and seems to just be concentrating on his defensive game right now.
- WE NEVER HAVE TO SEE THESE DROOGS AGAIN UNTIL NEXT SEASON!



And to all of you, this one point could have been worse, so happy holidays. Keep healthy, keep safe, keep warm, and GO HABS GO!

SNOW! Habs 4, Flames1

We can't stop here, this is bat country!

A rare appearance by the Calgary Flames?! Oh yes. But they brought a snowstorm with them. So while the Bell Center looked empty for half the game, the place was sold out by people stuck in traffic thanks to our city being retarded with their snow removal. What's a matter... the contract not start yet? I couldn't even get into my driveway. In fact, I listened to half the first period and the beginning half of the 2nd while inching my way home in the snow/sleet/traffic, passing many a stalled or spun-out car or truck. And people were complaining about the snowtire law... Bunch of wankers. You'd think people would know how to handle winter by now? We only get it every year.

Oh the points!
- The very hairy Czech, Robert Lang, must have heard whispers of an unhairy Swede and responded with a 3 point night that included two very needed and proven goals.
- Shoot da puck, score da goal!
- Kovy's one-handed pass behind the net produces more than just a show. He's so sneaky.
- D'Agostini going nani nani fufu as he blocks a shot and dekes the hell out of Kipper for another unassisted goal in his pocket. Well, looks like he'll be the victim for this years rookie dinner.
- SERGEI IS BACK and looking as pissed off as ever. He was great, especially on the PK.
- Tanguay assisting on those flying pucks and just itching to give his old coach a wave.
- Refs are blind. Very blind.
- Why can't Markov do the same slapshot on the powerplay? But all the thanks should go to Kovy for screening Kipper.
- So Markov makes a play to stop Phaneuf who inadvertedly falls over him by turning to get around him and makes it look like kneeing and the Flames try to beat up on Markov. He eventually comes out of the pile with his sweater around his hands and his armor over his head. Back on the bench, Sergei was laughing at him.
- Iginla trying to bait Breezer into a fight at the end and got nothing but a ribbing from the Habs bench. No respect for your elders!
- The look on Price's face as one injured player after another walked by him was that of "OH MY GOD".
- Dandy broke him arm yet finished his shift, without a stick and parked in position in front of Halak to make a defensive play.
- The last thing Higgins needs is a shoulder injury dammit!
- Flames got plenty of good chances and despite the constant flailing in front of Jaro, the rest of the Habs managed to beat them off the puck.
- Ooooo giveaways!
- Sorry, Flames, but this isn't the Rangers.
- Price messing around with Halak after the win.
- Hey wow, we play these guys again in February.

Conclusion: more games like this and the armchair GMs could maybe STFU. And the guy still hasn't come to clean my driveway...

Mini-Soapbox
Who cares about the All-Star Game. It's a place for the players to just relax and have some fun! But I don't get it when people vote for injured players, especially those who have been injured since the beginning of the season. So...I don't get it. I stopped voting for Brendan Morrow the day he went down and concentrated on some Oilers player to go with my Mikko Koivu. At least write in someone that's playing!

Habs 6 Rags 2, free wings the 2nd night in a row, and I can finally go back to the forums without being overly annoyed!

When the Canadiens show up, they show up. Finally, for the first time this season all 4 lines were scoring and everyone was doing their job. Case in point, the 2nd Rangers goal was a result of someone unable to catch their man. But you're allowed a mistake or two when you play the way they did tonight.

Happy 99th Birthday
- Original 6 salut to the Rangers and the ghosts must have been happy to hear the old Forum singer back. Hope they bring him back for future games, like the playoffs and such. His voice is just AMAZING and I do miss the old version of our anthem.
- Love the old sweaters and LOVE LOVE LOVE Price's retro-styled gear. Also noticed he's wearing the Team Roper helmet. Wonder what happened to his Garth Brooks one...
- People will say the Rags played to a shootout last night against the Penguinos. People will say they were tired. I honestly didn't see anything different from when I caught earlier Rangers games, really... The "we were tired" excuse was supposed to be Boston's reaction that one night when they KOed Les Habitants 6-1.
- 3 goals in the first, 1 in the second, two in the third and Tom Renney looked like he wanted to throw up.
- Habs trap system is great. It's almost like an offensive game of chess. They push and push and patiently wait and then explode.
- This was maybe the least amount of shots Price faced in his life? Held the Rags to only 19 SOG and they could only score on a screen powerplay deflection and a textbook rush after someone failed to cover their man while coming back late after a fall. Other than that, he was always in position, even catching a backhander from Breezer.
- The fourth line continues to burn true to the fact that all four lines are offensive threats as much as they are defensive one. Laraque got 2 points on assists! Lapierre a goal and assist! Begin a goal and assist!
- Lundqvist totally didn't know what happened when Tanguay scored. Neither did the rest of his team.
- Tom Kostopoulos is flashing the moves the more he plays with Super Pleky and Tanguay.
- AK46 flying in and landing on his backside for the opening goal is textbook Kovalev.
- Gordie Howe Hat Trick for Fruit Punch!
- Powerplay would have worked on a goalie that wasn't Lundqvist. He was doing all he could for his team but they just weren't interested.
- Kovalev is a presence no matter what he's doing, but people have to realize he's trying more to set up his linemates with chances and it worked well enough tonight.
- Dandy's fine back on defense. He was, afterall, a defenseman. Breezer is just terrible lately on the powerplay though as he can barely hold the blue line and can barely skate after the puck that slips by him... But I'm not as worried with these guys as I am when Rhino's out there.
- I do believe D'Agostini is staying. Another goal, and an assist.
- I'm missing Sergei! Hopefully seeing these few good games will inspire him to join the attack.
- Lang's 900th game, Hammers 1,100th game.
- Captain Koivu versus Captain Gomez. Gomez whacked Koivu in the head at the faceoff, and Koivu ran after him basically saying to man-up instead of continuing with his cheapshots. Koivu with the takedown and they both go off for roughing. Lapierre was already in the box and went on yapping at Gomez next door who went on immitating him. Then Koivu told Lapierre to drop it and he did. When the Captain speaks, everyone listens!
- Coach Komo now 3-0!
- Habs victory glomp on Price was like a playoff win. I love these guys!

Conclusion: This has been a full sixty minutes!

Bulldogs!
Well the Dogs have lost their 3rd straight since Dag came up to play, but it isn't like they're struggling. A 5-4 loss to the Milwaukee Admirals is just a hard fought battle that could have gone either way. Captain Chipper and Patches got 2 assists, Mike Glumac got two goals, Ryan Russel with another goal, and Dan Jancevski got his first goal of the season (and another in the books for assists). Maxwell, Desharnais, and Stewart got assists as well.

Habs 5, Orange Crushed 3

I normally do play-by-play chat on a few forums with fellow fans, so here's a recap to a rollercoaster of an evening.

1st Period
- The Habs came out sleepwalking, almost like they were skating with cement blocks. Once again, Carey Price was left out on his own while his defense flatfooted and his offense couldn't get onside.
- There were about 26 faceoffs, half of them icing...
- Four penalties on each side, including a 5-on-3 for the Flyers.
- Downie looked rather subdued. Probably floating on painkillers.
- Komisaurus left his calling card on Cote. They proceed to go after him the rest of the night. (Hey, I told him to Big Bird their ass, guess he heard).
- Kovaleve: 1 post
- Shots 8-14 in favor of the Flyers. Price says he ain't afraid of no Phantoms.

2nd Period
- Andrei Kostitsyn hits a man, gets the puck, shoots from near the blue line, and scores. Goal number 1 for the game and for the older brother this season!
- Carter takes advantage of a sleeping Markov and Komisaurus and sneaks one by Price.
- Lang takes a hooking penalty, Richards hits a fast one from afar by Price. Never saw it coming.
- Lapierre and Downie start hugging, but I think Downie's knee is buging him 'cause they don't do much...
- Price throws another in the bin for the Save of the Year as he robs an open net with his glove. It rivals Nabby's in that 4OT playoff game against the Stars. In other words, it was amazing! (If this were TSN, we'd all be deaf by McGuire).
- Habs continue sleeping with weak passes. Someone needs to tell them that Price can only do so much...
- Lang: 1 post
- Shots are 18-23 Flyers. Tussle at the end that doesn't go anywhere.

3rd Period
- Right at the start, Kovalev remembers he's the star of the show, dangles the Flyers and feeds Hammer a goal. (Goal number 2 for the usually stay-at-home defenseman!) It's tied and the fans have gone quiet.
- Almost immediately, Gui! gets hit in the face (ignored by the refs) and then parks himself infront of Biron where Komisaurus slaps one over his head. Now 3-2 Habs and the fans have just died.
- Penalty for Sergei almost right after, Kostopoulos shows me why he rocks on the PK.
- Kostopoulos almost scores but is knocked off before it connects
- Knuble is a knob, flubs all his shots and passes.
- It's like a whole new team came out to play in the 3rd so either Carbo threatened them with a trade to Toronto or tickets to Celine Dion, or Price said he was gonna switch with Denis for the year.
- 4-on-4 hockey and Lang score a lovely one. Now 4-2 and the fans are zombies.
- Price gets stuck after making a save with a rebound that lands right in front of Gagné, who beats Gorges to it, and it's 4-3, fans live again.
- Kovalev checks the new kid, and Italian defenceman. I've actually fallen for this kid. He's good! (And it's hard to impress me when you play for the Flyers). His name is Luca Sbisa and he's 18 years old. Keep that name in mind...
- Is Biron really the same height as Price? He looks smaller in nets...
- With the Flyers net empty, Habs force in on the attack. Bégin shoots first, misses, gets the puck back, is checked from behind so he spins and dumps it in the net without looking. It's 5-3 and the fans have been crushed.
- The game ends and Hartnell leaves a calling card on Kostopoulos (or Gui!, I couldn't tell since they were next to each other). Take a loss like a man and go to your bench! It's players like him that make me hate the Flyers because they do have some good players, but these constant douches always ruin it. Gui! also tackled Lupul (who was suddenly dancing with him) under his weight, just to hold him down so he won't do anything.

Bonus: No one got hurt. Markov blocked a shot by that Sbisa kid right on the hand though, so we HOPE nothing is broken... Komisaurus got hit in the nose with Markov's stick during an interference call.

Stars of the evening: 1 Andrei Kostitsyn, 2 Jeff Carter, 3 Carey Price.
Total shots: 27-32 Flyers!

Free wings at Cage aux Sports! Good comeback, boys. That third period reminded me why I love you. Just don't do that first/second ever again. (Ya, right).

And on a "kill your day" note...
Ranger's 2007 first round pick, Alexei Cherepanov has died of a heart attack after colliding with his teammate, Jaromir Jagr, while on a line change. It's a complete tragedy. He was only 19 years old. The Rangers won their game tonight against the Devils in his memory with a final score of 4-1. My deepest condolences to his family and friends, to Jagr (who was very close to the young man) and the Rangers.

"You can join my line anytime," says Lang to Sergei and TK

Well, no he didn't say that. But he could have.

The first game of the 100th season just ended in a 2-1 shootout victory by the Buffaslugs (or Buffabolts as my brother calls them...Seriously, get that old sweater back please). The 3rd line with Sergei Kostitsyn and Tom Kostopoulos winging Robert Lang was the best of the evening from that terrible first period onward. Langer pots goal numero uno for the Habs and for his career as a Hab and nets himself the 3rd star of the night, so...ya, too bad for you Mats! Many chances in a 4-on-4 overtime in favor of Les Boys, but second star of the evening Ryan Miiiiiiiiiiller (as I'm sure Jeanneret was yelling his face off) was sharp. Also, when I see Kovy check someone off the puck during a PK and create a scoring chance, I just smile. Overall not a bad game despite the team working off the rust, Koivu looking totally out of whack, and the officials being idiots for the most part (especially on that Gui! penalty right when Markov scored...ROBBED by a ref for a player falling by himself). However, Carey Price gets the first star of the evening and rightfully so after being shot at 36 times and only letting in one goal. Nice to know there is no problem there. (Not that I ever thought there would be a problem there). I'll forgive Komisaurus for falling and ultimately causing that one goal. Just don't do it tomorrow buddy. *wink*

And speaking of tomorrow, good ol' Jaro is supposed to be playing. Bring your party hat, kid. Leafs usually pelt 40 or more towards our goal. And god knows how hyper they're going to be after beating the Wings on their banner-raising night. Hey, for the record, I never doubt any team. Even the Leafs. (I'm actually hoping they squeak into the playoffs just so we can maybe see a rinkindled proper Habs-Leafs rivalry. So long as we come out of it on top, of course).

Remember folks, this could have been worse.
Just ask Joey Mac. (Actually why is Joey Mac in nets instead of DP? Hip problems again?) Coach Gordon's debut was spoiled by King Spoiler himself, Martin Brodeur. Well, no it wasn't that bad, 2-1 Devils. Streit got a point for an assist. Actually tonight I was missing you on that powerplay, my fine Swiss friend... (Calling Lieutenant Weber, I expect you to be up here in December. Be ready.)

Over in New York, the Rags won...again. Stop it. It's not funny anymore. They beat Chicago 4-2 and RDS showed a clip of Huet cursing the skies as the puck ran right through him. It looked oddly familiar. (His new mask looks kind of cool though).

Actually, seems it wasn't the night for former Habs goalies. Capitals lost 7-4 against Atlanta, and Theo was pulled in the 2nd period in his regular season debut. For the record, he gave up 4 of those. Florida losts 6-4 against the Hurricanes, where Vokoun only made 18 saves.

And it could have been even worse, folks
Former goalie Clint Malarchuk shot himself in the chin "by accident", but an investigation in the matter calls it suspicious. They aren't really buying that gun going off by itself thing and think instead of shooting rabbits, he was trying to kill himself after arguing with the wife and drinking while taking his meds. I'll just leave it at that, the guy has been through enough already. Instead of remembering him bleeding to near-death on the ice, I'll remember him from that Good Friday Brawl between the Nordiques and the Habs where he danced a bit with Sevigny. Those were the days...