Monday thoughts

Nothing is worse than a dark, rainy Monday made worse by a couple of lackluster efforts on ice by our Habs. Where has the October team gone? The team that flew around the ice with reckless abandon. The team that defended smartly. And though they couldn't score a powerplay goal, they had some chances, and were just missing a little something that with a bit more time allowed to gel could have started working. The 5-on-5 was pretty hot with Pleky's line and the occasional pitch by Halpern's.

November. Do I need to quote Guns'n'Roses?

'Cause nothin' lasts forever
And we both know hearts can change
And it's hard to hold a candle
In the cold November rain

Other than goaltending and the PhD line, everything seems to have turned upside down. To help fix Giomez, Martin breaks up the stellar top line of AK46-Pleky-Cammy completely disregarding how much those three are attached. The ever misplaced rotating winger to go with Giomez failed, and while Moen has no business up there and it worked in the playoffs when the team needed to kick some Capital ass (plus the two goals scored), we've now sacrificed an important piece of the team in order to fix another. However the wrong WINGER was used. AK46 and Plekanec are like peanute butter and nutella: so smooth, so delicious. When the Habs revamped their team, there was a short term case of success between Giomez and Cammy, and they only found the chemistry between him and Plekanec when injuries separated him from his new buddies. Now Andrei is out there spending more time trying to get the puck where Plekanec would be dishing it for him, or hitting, and it's affected his scoring since Gomez isn't digging in the way Plekanec was. True lately he's gotten better, but now Andrei is spending more time trying to find his tendencies and finds himself out of position for Gomez. New winger to the line? Lapierre, who claims he'll crash and bang the way he set up Dominic Moore for many key goals but I'll see it when I believe PlayoffLapierre has returned...

Habs didn't trade for Lars Eller to be a winger. Either be consistent and keep him in his position, or do the kid a favor and send him to Hamilton so he can BE that large center we want him to be. Frankly, if Engqvist doesn't turn into our own Jordan Staal, develop a bit of defensive two-way ability on Lars and he could be that guy (work on his faceoffs is a plus).

Lately the fourth line has been absolutely useless, and now Dustin Boyd is on waivers to see if anyone can find him useful. Your fourth line needs a role. It brings grit, energy, and should be defensively responsible while forechecking hard. Ryan White is a guy that can do this. His energy is infectious and would boost the team. He's also capable of penalty kill. Combine him with Moen and Pyatt. Make a plan!

My problem is, learn who your players are, don't handcuff them, let them play, and make a plan that works for the better of your team. NO ONE WILL HATE YOU IF YOU SHOW YOU MEAN BUSINESS!

So never mind the darkness
We still can find a way
'Cause nothin' lasts forever
Even cold November rain

The defence gives me a headache. Hamr's a slow stiff pylon. Gill is struggling and blocking Price's view more than shots. Spacek picked himself up a little bit, then gave the puck away and couldn't get it out of the zone for 5 minutes. PK's busy babysitting a flatfooted veteran rather than flying and saving Picard's rear (as much as Picard has problems, he didn't hinder PK too much). The old guys need to suck it up and take a break so O'Byrne can DO HIS JOB which is being physical and clearing the crease because frankly how is this guy supposed to become the player we want him to be if he's always out of practice?! Markov's...not back yet.

So what do you do? For one, stop rolling the old guys so much. Sit your guys down and re-evaluate your pairings. Markov and Komisarek were a good pair, so was Markov and Mara, and Markov with O'Byrne. Even the few times he played with Hal Gill were good because no one really notices Gill's ability to knock the puck forward. Hell Markov with Spacek worked when it was used last season for a bit. Hamr and O'Byrne were also an excellent pair, for the days Spacek needs a nap. Hamr with PK is also OK, but PK was better with Picard shockingly enough. I guess it was their youthfulness. Gorges can go with anyone, honestly.

When people were thinking up their early team questions my top question was managing the defence because of their age and slowness. Right now I'm terrified every time an opposing forward crosses the blue line and our old guys are looking gassed already. Pretty soon, Price will get zero support and will find himself completely overwhelmed, and the idiots will come out of the woodwork with their stats and their "oh ho ho you traded the wrong goalie" shit.

It's real tough to watch. Are you getting sick of seeing Price out there alone? I sure am. But are our coaches really doing what's best for this team? Of course, the boys could wake up suddenly and play their hearts out against the Canucks (who were on a terrible slide during a long road trip the last time they visited the Bell Center but aren't on such a slide this time), the Bruins (who trap), the Hurricanes (who are unpredictable), the Flyers twice (who are a pain in the ass), the Predators (Western trap 101), the Leafs (who may need to break a loosing streak by then), the Kings (who are hot), the Thrashers (who are confusing), and the Sabres NOT at home.

So if you want to love me
Then darlin' don't refrain
Or I'll just end up walkin'
In the cold November rain

Habs 3, Islanders 4 (SO): SOS Guy Boucher

Well, usually you don't win hockey games when you only manage 5 shots against the Islanders in the first period.

The game was rather flatlined until Biron gave up a weak one to Pleky and I had no idea they scored. Gio showed us that even though he's shorter than Luc Gelinas, 3 guys can't stop him from crashing the rebound on the PP. And Lapierre? That was Lapierre?!

But the Islanders struck fast in their own way. If it were Price, you'd be hearing calls about doing drugs and smoking dope and a weaksauce glove hand. But it's Jaro, so everyone is cool with it.

My hamster was more entertaining. I was cuddling him and he was trying to eat the buttons off my new shirt. Whenever he encounters something new he tries to eat it. I was eating garlic parmesan crackers with humus and must have transfered the food smell to his hut when I was fixing it. He immediately tried eating the hut, which is kind of hard to do considering it's porcelain. And nothing is cuter than watching him nibble cheese. He loooooves cheese! (Added some cod oil for vitamins since he wasn't interested in the crackers with cod oil).

And I've said this before but I'll say it again: I DO NOT ENJOY GOING TO A SHOOTOUT WITH THE ISLANDERS! Their young forwards are too crafty. Usually you just hope they miss. Not tonight. Jaro wasn't at his best. Also if you think the Whalercanes will happily roll over and die, then excuse me while I laugh. It depends on what mood they're in, and frankly they just destroyed the Lightning. Don't get me started about the last game of the year against the Leafs (MARKOV BETTER NOT PLAY).

It would also help if Hamr would stop being a PYLON.

The Habs could have clinched tonight. If they really wanted to, it really didn't show...

Smashing records

As the Bulldogs sit pretty on the top of their Division and casually destroyed last year's leader the Manitoba Moose today 6-2 (is that what happens when you lose Jason Krog?) they're also casually smashing records.

By smashing the Moose, they now have 112 points which smashes the franchise record for most points earned in a season. David Desharnais' 3-point game (goal and two assists) broke the record last set by Jason Chimera for points by a Bulldogs player in a single season with 78 points. The win had Cedrick tie the most wins by a goalie record at 28 (tied with Yann Danis). Yannick Weber's 2 goals now gives him 23 for a career, which ties him with Andrei Benoit for the franchise record of all-time goals by a Bulldogs defenceman.

Oh and HUNTER BISHOP scored. Glorious day!

Here's another kicker: The Bulldogs have now tied the franchise record for fewest regulation losses in a season as they have only suffered defeat 16 times (they have 3 games left to play this season so they either smashed it or will tie it). No idea how many shootout/OT losses they have but I don't think it's that much. The shootout is different in the AHL.

Can you imagine what Guy Boucher could do with the Habs? With Price and Jaro in nets. With the lineup we have. The name of the game is "attack attack attack". None of this score one and stand around til the end. Sure the Bulldogs have their own brainfarts, but less so than the Habs do. Also if you notice the pattern, the majority of their goals are built on speed, effort, crashing the net, and being aware to find space behind defenders. They got the D pitching in in a major way as well, and not just firing blanks from the blue line. On Weber's 2nd goal tonight, he looked like a right-winger flying down the side and rifled it over the shoulder of the netminder. It was a 3-on-2 as well.

For one, if Boucher coached the Habs, it wouldn't have taken nearly 70 games to figure out how to win...