Bulldogs 4, Phantoms 1: Play more games here please

We're sorry but your win is in another arena.

Well, if Nigel Dawes was looking to help me ease that sadness of seeing #19 on another player, he succeeded! Scoring the opening goal off a superb setup by Engqvist, looks like the Bulldogs have some scoring energy back since the Habs have picked and plundered their roster clean. For one, I've never seen Engqvist pull the moves he was pulling last night. The usually quiet defensive forward was busting out all kinds of moves to get the puck on a shaky Johan Backlund all night that perhaps it wasn't such a bad thing moving Maxwell and giving Engqvist that #1 center role.

Dawes probably would have had a hat trick, that's how much he was flying around the net.

The BabyFlyers defend like the Maple Leafs with their hooking, holding, and general interference except they actually got called on most of them WITH ONE REF WATCHING THE GAME. Would have been a blowout if the Bulldogs powerplay were capable of generating more than one goal (and a very funny Palushaj happy dance). My brother says games at the Bell Centre are detrimental to Mathieu Carle because he tries to show off too much. Haha... Truth is, the Dogs were more offensive on the penalty kill than on the powerplay, an obvious side-effect from removing Weber.

Hey Habs fans! While you whine and bitch about not having big guys who will go to the net and cause mass distractions, do yourselves a favor and watch Conboy. He was up there, just outside the line, getting squeezed into Backlund by a Phantom defender and generally pissing people off. Also throwing hits. If he had some more muscle, he'd be a mack truck.

As the roster is low on the scorers, Jimmy Bonneau and Ian Schultz got some ice time. Bonneau gave some little Phantom he was fighting the noogies and Schultz was pissed a guy elbowed him in the face and wouldn't fight him so he threw a HUGE hit on some other guy who had the puck. Probably the best way to retaliate is by throwing a big, angry hit on some innocent defenceman who ends up paying for something his partner did. Phantoms got pretty quiet after that.

My other boy, JT Wyman scored. Palushaj went all out for that empty netter. QuebecPleks (Olivier Fortier) had 2 assists and was so much fun to watch... One day I think he'll truly be the heir to Pleky's position. And what else can I say about Avtsin? He's so young and so slick...if he pans out the way we hope he does, he'll be a wonderful player for the Habs.

I wish the Bulldogs would play here more often.

The Devil You Know: Habs 1, Devils 2 (OT)

Pure trap hockey, if you can deal with this sort of stuff. One trap (the more exciting Habs one) trying to overcome the other trap (the choking Devils one). And though the puck was bouncing like a bouncy ball, and I'm sure he'd love that one that dribbled through him in the second to tie it back (hey, it was a damn good shot), the team needs to thank Carey Price for bringing them to overtime and giving them that one point.

Because people annoy me, I will take a stand
- First period was all Habs, second was a toss up, third was all Devils. But neither teams could convert on their powerplays (until the overtime thing).
- Matt D'Agostini! His family was watching, and he scores the first goal. If anyone else on the team had paid attention and copied his move, we'd have had 3 more goals like that because I saw Clemmer juggle the exact same rebound to the exact same area with the exact same opening ready.
- My brother on D'ag: I knew it! He's got a family member named Vinny! (His dad).
- Clemmer reads the play well enough and is definitely making a case to steal Weekes' job. But right now he's doing a good enough job to keep the Devils alive.
- Powerplay just couldn't do anything though they had a very good chance on the second wave in the first but Clemmer had the final word on it.
- Price earns this first star for sure. As the game waned on, I think the team just gradually got annoyed with how the Devils were playing and really couldn't do much in the 3rd.
- When the Habs did hold the offensive zone, they were absolutely incredible even if the puck had a tendency to trickle out to...no one.
- Kovy gets called for tripping with 30 seconds left and that was a very weak call. I mean, really. They don't call the early holdings Kovy had to deal with but he puts his stick down to hit the puck forward along the boards and a player falls over it, and he's off.
- Devils defense consists of holding, hooking, and general choking.
- Super Pleky! He was just everywhere doing everything! He just never ceases to amaze me.
- Laraque almost did a backhander that cashed in. Almost!
- We had some casualties that added to the problems. Dandy blocked a shot with his foot and was off for a bit, but he came back near the end. Markov caught a puck with his face in the 3rd and ran off the ice. With him gone, victory would have been very hard to grab and the powerplays completely fell apart.
- Price took a shot off the mask that stunned him for a few seconds but thankfully he's ok!
- Guh Breezer. He's really slow these days eh? But what the hell was with that giveaway that nearly opened the scoring for the Devils?! Even Rhino wouldn't think to pass to an opponent skating into the slot!
- Price's only home ice regulation loss came after he relieved Halak in that Ducks game. Pretty amazing. And the last time we faced the Devils, it was his second shutout of his rookie year. Looks like he's back to facing his sweater number in shots eh?
- Koivu has now passed one of my favourites, Mats Naslund, in points (613) for his assist on D'ag's goal.
- We need some help on the powerplay. I know Weber isn't ready defensively but he could maybe help. I do know if we bring Belle up he may not be able to be sent down without passing waivers so you'd have to hope if he does come up that he does well enough to stay. (At least, I think that's how it would work with him but I'm not sure as the waivers crap is so confusing). On the plus side, he's extremely fast and would be an improvement over a certain slow man we have back there, and he can't be any worse! But the guys just gotta shoot! And they need more guys near the net. I do believe Laraque was standing out there on a few powerplay attempts, actually.
- This is the type of game I think Sergei would have been helpful in. He had a lot of points against New Jersey last year in terms of assists, afterall. He just seems to have a knack for finding those lanes or finding the open man. But ya live and learn eh.

In conclusion: It's a trap! What else can I say? Playing the Devils is like betting on which side the coin will flip to. Next!

Bulldogs!
As I wrote this, Captain Chipper scored on the Grand Rapids Griffins, right inside the far goal post, interrupting their play-by-play guy on his advertising call. So it's 3rd period and 5-2 for the Dogs. Chris Chelios is playing with the Griffins right now (conditioning stint, he'll be back in the NHL soon now that his leg is healed). Desjardins is in nets, as Denis has been struggling lately. Chelios gave Pacioretty his autograph as he ran into him in a Starbucks near the hotel they were staying. I miss Chelios... would rather have that old man as our token veteran on defense than Breezer, that's for sure.

Chipper scored 2 goals and got the first start of their night. Desharnais was the second star and had the game winning goal that gave them the lead they didn't relinquish. Aubin and White scored the other two goals. Five goals and ten assists in total! And this with old man Chelios on the ice. Good job, boys!

Hockey Weekend!

"Drop the space helmet for a cow, Doctor, and look! The Habs won!"

Well, I'm all hockeyed out. Saturday was my final ticket in my Victory Pack where the Habs beat the Sabres 3-2. (Which means I get another pair of free tickets, so one more game for me)! And Sunday I checked out the Hamilton Bulldogs, who unfortunately lost to the Baby-Sens 5-3 (though 4 of those goals were on the powerplay). Off to point-form impressions!

Saturday
- Boo me once, fine. But boo me later, PISS OFF! Really, guys. Stop booing O'Byrne. Give the kid a break. I was one of the many fans with actual brains to try and drown out the boos with cheers. He wasn't even playing that night anyway.
- Teams scored off defensive errors. Higgins did the first which led to a nifty through-the-legs mind trick via Vanek.
- Fruit Punch finally doesn't shoot at the net during a 2-on-1 and instead waits, then passes to Begin and BINGO it's in. At least he's learning.
- Two of Sergei's penalties were extremely suspect. Especially the first one. Just his luck to get picked on for the phantom hooking/slashing call.
- First time I ever saw a hooking penalty shared by both teams. Creative interpretation.
- Mmm Andrei Kostitsyn gobbling his own rebounds and dunking cookies.
- Kovy can stickhandle his way into my heart all night. He was driving the Sabres up the wall.
- Kovy was also giving them fits with this year's clinic on how to forecheck and annoy the piss out of them.
- Kovy doesn't dump pucks on line changes and people should know this already. So when he's holding the zone for 2 minutes, get your ass into position 'cause you're making him look bad when he swings the puck to the blue line and no one is there.
- Dandy on defense got bored and went all Bobby Orr. Too bad he didn't score. But it was still fun to watch.
- Anyone else on the Sabres that score other than Vanek? Nope.
- Though that Spacek guy was one fast bugger. Habs had his number though.
- Rivet? Boo! Gorges? YAY!
- I feel sorry for Lalime sometimes.
- We had powerplays?
- The Captain and Markov dancing for goals again.
- Thank god there was no shootout. And people, quit running into Price!

Sunday
- Weber is scary with that shot. I think players blocking it cross their heart and pray their armor holds, while goalies just duck and hope he misses. Two goals tonight! And the Swiss flag was raised proudly by a few fans.
- Pacioretty goes to the net! Why can't we do that? What a smart kid though. I think he's been watching Kovy's DVD. What stickhandling! And a beautiful shorthanded goal. Straight off a face off and he's down the ice, dodging everyone for a driveby backhander.
- Baby-Sens learn to dive early.
- Baby-Sens appear to live and breathe off the powerplay.
- Baby-Sens still play better than the regular Sens. What's up with that?
- Chipchura as captain is like a burgeoning Brendan Morrow. He's got the power, and the bite, and ain't afraid to tell anyone he's not happy with them. He'll also drop the gloves, and almost did tonight when someone hit him from behind after the whistle.
- Holy shit Shawn Belle is fast. Also has a scary shot.
- Erm Cody Bass trying to get Yannick Weber to fight after a clean hit? Excuse me while I scratch my head on that one. "Roughing" penalty for both, looked more like 2 minutes for hugging.
- Desharnais is so tiny it's too cute, but he plays like a monster.
- The more fights Stewart wins, the more people don't want to fight him. And Flynn was right there next to him too.
- Not much Denis could do on half those powerplay goals except hope someone on defense is watching the guy hiding behind him.
- Wished the Habs would get fans on the ice for contest shots...

In conclusions: Woo! I'm one satisfied customer with this weekend.

"We played like dogs" Habs 3, Leafs 6

Should be Carbo's paperwork after tonight.

I'm tired of refs bailing players. I'm tired of seeing teams play for "who can draw more penalties" over "who can play hockey". I'm also tired of seeing our supposed best defenseman stare at a puck and let it go by him instead of keeping it in the offensive zone. And Grabs, you face Sergei next time and he'll wipe that smile off your face. Nice of him to jab Price in jock with his stick there. Three out of five calls for Leafs running their tally on goalie interfence, in a row, that my brother was wondering what the coach told them to do. Crash the net or crash the netminder?

Well one thing I predicted, Price faced 41 shots (Toskala face 20) and it was a miracle he managed to keep that many out considering the deadwood for defense he had tonight and the mass traffic sitting in his face. Passes flubbed! Shots fanned! A zillion powerplays to kill! We're rusty after 5 days off, and missing Hammer on defense is a bad thing. Breezer does 2 rights and 5 wrongs in under 5 seconds. O'Byrne needs some retooling with the Bulldogs. I'm not sure what's worse, his skating or his brainfarts. Higgins tries too hard and ends up missing completely or miss-playing completely. Kovy can hold puck possesion but there's only so long he can hold it if his linemates aren't getting in to position. But these guys are on a team that shouldn't be out hussled by the Leafs.

I think the dark clouds moved in when Kostopoulos was thrown out for his hit on Van Ryn. Frankly Van Ryn made his life miserable for himself. Junior NHLers do that, not 10 year veterans. He saw TK coming in a straight line, ready and lining him up for his check. The puck follows the boards to his feet and instead of playing it around the net, he bends over and takes the hit up the ass. Bravo idiot, see you in hospital. And Don Cherry can crow all he wants. Just put in no-touch icing already and maybe I can get the Belleville Bulls on TV? I'd rather watch the OHL if the NHL is going to continue down it's path to being the LameHL.

No more days off for the Habs. That includes Sunday, probably. (Carbo looked angry enough to make them work tomorrow). Get cracking! Otherwise I'm expecting to see a few Bulldogs soon. I mean you Chips and D'agostini. Maybe we can also trade a defenseman prospect to Dallas and take Jancevski...

Speaking of the Bulldogs: At least they beat the Baby-Leafs. Captain Chips with 2 goals, oddly enough he got the first and the last goal of the game. Patches with 2 assists. D'agostini, Stewart, and Glumac get 1 a piece. Dogs win 5-2!

Swedes Play Hockey in Giant Golf Balls

I know this isn't about the Habs but it was a lazy Sunday and I had nothing else to do but flip channels. Oh, I did some laundry actually. That's always good to do. Anyway, the Sens and Pens were playing overseas in what looked like a giant golf ball or a crashed Death Star and I thought "Hey! It's hockey! I don't like either team but Fleury is a funny guy so maybe I'll watch it and drink some tea."

Ya, um... Hartsburg? Is that your new tactic to getting the Sens to play hard by having everyone all over the place? Whatever works for you, man.

Also noticed Therrien has the Pens playing just like he had the Canadiens play. In other words: badly. Have fun with Fedotenko and Satan.

In other news:
The Hamilton Bulldogs beat the Toronto Marlies and won the Iceberg Cup from some preseason mini tournament thing, and Desharnais got MVP. And for the record, I really hope the Habs give this little guy a serious look one day. He may be small but he's damn good!

2 minutes for awesome

Seriously? I work at EA and didn't even know about the Centennial Team Special, where you get to play as a collective all-star of Habs Legends, including Dryden in nets who will lean on his stick when he's got nothing to do! I also find it funny (or depressing?) that he comments on how surprised they were to find out how many people were playing goalie online instead of being on offense...

The big question is: when's the Wii version coming out? Come on, guys! Is 2K the only one who will give us full-motion fighting, hooking, Flyers-goon hockey?

Regardless, colour me impressed. I've got points left in my account so I'll definitely nab a copy. (Little brother has the 360). Also like how there's a full AHL license in there. Let's go Bulldogs!