Glad to see you aboard. I’ve wondered just how you would fare in the NHL in the big league. You’re a talented young hockey player and not only that, you are also quite intelligent.

Hope tonights Game goes well for you.

Let’s be consistent

In California for 3 games against the Ducks, the Sharks and the Kings. And there is no Pacioretty in the lineup due to the 3 game suspension that was given after the Penguins game.

My wish list for this road trip is simple. Consistency.

I would look for this all across the board. From the line combinations to the intensity on the ice (and please, let’s be intense!) I’d like to see this team fire away at the opposing team’s goaltender. Keep it simple, far away from the pressure cooker of the hometown crowd (probably good for both Leblanc and Budaj), it’s an opportunity for these guys to make the simple plays and build some confidence.

Will it be easy? I doubt it. In today’s NHL, I doubt there is truely an easy stretch on the schedule. But this is a chance to get some of the positive energy that a young guy can bring to a team, playing his first game.

None of these 3 teams they will face are having stellar seasons…. but sometimes it seems to be harder to win against a struggling team.

So tonight and the next 2. Let’s not go the way of the yo-yo….. let’s be intense…. consistent.

(Please) Win!

Go Habs!

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To start, I would really like to say that I’m all optimistic and all is well. But I’m not sure that’s the case. At the same time, I really don’t think anyone should go so far as through the season down the tubes after 5 whole games.

1-3-1 start, are we done yet?

No, we’re not. We can go back many many years and look at several examples of teams who struggled out of the gates not only to land in the playoffs but some also did quite well. Anyone remember how terrible the Penguins were a few years back when they hit the half way point of a season out of the playoffs only to finish strong and win the cup??

Sure you do!

I’m not saying the Habs are going to win the cup this year. In fact, for the last 15 years or so, my gut points to Detroit as the winner. My point is it’s a long season and much can change, a quarter of the way, half way through. You get the point. However one thing is for certain. If the Canadiens do want to hit the playoffs…. well, gotta win some real soon.

But, not time to throw ‘em under the bus.

Max Pacioretty, Thank You!

Max Pacioretty is looking good out there. He seems to find the puck in front of him a lot and I like the fact that he’s shooting alot of shots on goal. The combination of Andrei Kostitsyn, David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty have looked really good out there. At times they don’t just look good but seem to dominate their opponents.

David Desharnais is a player that I enjoy watching. Going into corners and coming out with the puck against much bigger guys. Just always hustling, giving his all.

Alexei Emelin getting adjusted

At first Emelin would sometimes look out of place. The more he’s played I think he’s adjusting. One thing I do like about him is that he hits and at times hits hard. Komisarek used to give the Habs that kind of presence on defense and though Emelin is not as big he is more mobile. He seems to have good vision with some of his passing.

To start camp and the regular season it just seems to me that it’s an adjustment as the game is fast pace.

Erik Cole, we need you

When Cole was signed I thought “great, a bigger player who has a decent shot and will not only hang around the net but crash the net”. I figured that his presence in front of the net would bear fruits with some of our quick skating play makers. (Think Plekanec, Cammalleri, Gomez, Gionta)

But I’ve yet to see it. For some reason, Erik looks a little out of sync.

We need you Erik. I believe bro.

PK Subban needs to find D

One thing about Subban is that he can excite the crowd like no other. The man can skate circles around anyone and has some serious puck handling ability.

Problem is that when he’s tried to do too much and be “out there” with “carte blanch” creativity…. it’s cost the Habs in terms of goals.

The plus/minus stat is not an exact science, but for 5 on 5 play when you’re a -5, 5 games in the season then you’ve got problems.

We need you PK. But if I was coach, I’d ask you to tone it down a notch and make sure the risks aren’t too high.

Diaz and Eller

Watching Diaz last night I thought he looked good out there. He can skate, he can move the puck, he’s got a good shot and seems to have pretty good vision. Loved the patience he showed on his goal last night.

3 games in Lars Eller doesn’t have a goal and coming off injury, this is his training camp. But he’s looking good out there. Seems strong on the puck, can pass….. give him a bit and he’ll find the back of the net and get some assists.

I’m sure someone out there is still bitter about the Halak trade but so far the trade isn’t as one sided as some believed. Halak has been far from stellar in St Louis and the way Eller looks as a 22 year old NHLer in his 2nd second season makes me think we’ve got a good player on our hands.

We’re 5 games in. Bring on the Pens!

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I remember watching this game and when the N.Y. Rangers were up 3-0, 4-0…. 5-0!!! I was demoralized. I was going to turn off the game but I generally always watch every game start to finish no matter what. On this night I did and I went from demoralized to amazed.

It seemed as though “it all went right” for the Rangers for the first half of the game and it just totally switched.

I figured Michael Ryder looked like he could have scored 10 goals in that second half. It was amazing to watch. I also remember that Kovalev goal where he falls to the ice with legs in the air. (Check out Scott Gomez playing for NY)

Classic moment in NHL hockey and a historic game. Coming back from a 5-0 deficit is no light task.

You remember this one?

Watching this video, my memories and even emotions come back…. pretty neat.

What do you remember most about this one?

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I know there’s been tons of talk this off-season about everything…. wide spread panic about trades, silly media leaks about striking goaltenders… strong scrutiny at pre-season play.

Well, the regular season is almost upon us. With that I thought I’d share one aspect of the Montreal Canadiens play that I believe NEEDS to be improved. It’s a stat that you hear about in the regular season but doesn’t get a whole lot of attention otherwise.

It doesn’t give you a big “crash/bang/boom”…. isn’t spectacular like that Kovalchuk contract. But, it slowly sinks a team.

Shots against.

The shots the opponents manage to get through the defense and unto the Habs net. This has been a stat that has been haunting the Canadiens for far too many years.

Here are the shots against stats for the last 10 years!

1999-2000 – 27.6 – 10th in the league
2000-2001 – 28.0 – 19th in the league
2001-2002 – 31.7 – 27th in the league
2002-2003 – 32.7 – 29th in the league
2003-2004 – 28.6 – 19th in the league
2005-2006 – 30.6 – 21st in the league
2006-2007 – 32.7 – 28th in the league
2007-2008 – 31.6 – 26th in the league
2008-2009 – 31.7 – 24th in the league
2009-2010 – 32.1 – 26th in the league

You can easily see that for the last ten years the Canadiens haven’t been very good in this respect. God forbid, there were comparisons to playing the same type of game as the Detroit Red Wings just last year and the couple of years prior…. “puck possession”.

Watching the pre-season game tonight I did notice that the Sabres got 37 shots on goal against Alex Auld. I don’t really think it’s a huge deal, because of course it is pre-season and there were still many guys in the lineup who will start the year in Hamilton.

However, seeing guys like Spacek give up the puck several times in a few of these pre-season games the way he did, sloppy pass, pivoting the wrong way or looking slow on the puck…. it concerns me a little. For a vet. Although, maybe it’ll take him a while to get it going and not having Markov and Hamrlik to start the season leaves some big holes to fill.

Once the Gill/Gorges tandem (if they are paired up of course) are playing together regularly I believe they’ll be an effective presense on defense. When Gill can block those passing lanes and block shots… he’s quite effective. Last year’s playoffs were a great example.

One “role” I’d love to see on the defense is a big strong mean type player. Someone who would surely clear most traffic in front of Carey Price and/or Alex Auld. I had always been hopeful Ryan O’Byrne would eventually fill that role but with passing years I’m not sure that will materialize. I don’t think it’s really in his makeup. And that’s not a knock on Ryan.

In this pre-season I’ve found Alex Henry brought much of that mean/tough play around the net. Crunching people on the boards…. flattening them in front of the net. Throwing the gloves if needed…. coming to a team mates aid….. Not sure there’s a spot for Alex, but from what I’ve seen, I’d give him a shot somehow.

We have some puck moving D-men out there. When Markov comes back, he’ll bring the high skill that he’s shown for years as one of Montreal’s secret weapons. PK Subban will also have the year to develop and improv his skills. There’s some “shut down” guys, at least paired together in the playoffs last year, Gorges and Gill were incredible.

The one element that I believe would help a bit is a big mean guy who will make you hate playing against him. Hurt you in front of the net, crush you in the corner kind of guy. I’m not really saying this guy should be “a fighter”, but just a really gritty presence that makes it hard to live around the net.

Tonight, Habs got caught with their backs turned to the puck in front of their net a few times. Let’s hope that when the full lineup is in that it gets tightened up a bit.

So let’s eliminate some of those shots on goal!

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It will surely be a fun event. The game is scheduled to be played in Calgary on February 20th.

Here’s a short video clip on the upcoming game courtesy of Sportsnet.

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RDS reports that the Habs have re-signed David Desharnais to a 1 year, 2 way deal.

Desharnais’s agent mentions in the article that David preferred to avoid arbitration and wants to prove his worth on the ice. In this age of big business in sports…. and all the big money…. it’s completely respectable to me that Desharnais made that choice.

In fact, another player (not a Habs player) who settled for a smaller contract just last year (I believe it was last season) was Manny Malhotra. He pretty much went in and worked really hard…. put his focus on playing hockey as best he could and this year he signed a 3 year 2.5 million dollar deal.

Not sure that Desharnais will follow that exact path but I think he’s got a shot at sneaking in and taking some ice time this season. Seeing him play last year I can’t help but think a bit about Gionta and Martin St Louis. Not just because Desharnais is 5’7, I mean yeah that’s part of the comparison but the other part is that Desharnais was all hustle.

I look forward to seeing him a little more this year.

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It’s official. Dominic Moore and Glen Metropolit will not be offered new contracts.

I can say that I was a fan of Metropolit from the time he came to Montreal. And really, who could forget that first game?

He’s put on waivers by his team at the time, the Philadelphia Flyers, only to be picked up by Bob Gainey’s (at the time) Montreal Canadiens. What made this unforgettable is that Metro had to face his former team that day.

I remember watching that game and how it was mentioned…. later on I remember hearing about the adversity he faced in his youth and also beating the odds to play in the NHL.

The word that followed Glen around was that he was loved by all his team mates. Metro played some great hockey in Montreal and I will miss seeing him in the Habs uni. Some GM out there will certainly get a good role player by picking up Metropolit.

I also remember Domini Moore coming over… as Gauthier’s first move giving up a 2nd round draft pick (2011)…. a price I figured was quite high.

But really Moore made me a believer. He worked hard in Montreal, playing a his role on the Habs 2010 playoff run and playing it well. I really thought Moore was a keeper. If it weren’t for the cap being so tight I’m sure Moore would have gotten an offer to stay in Montreal.

His spot will stay open for a younger player to make his way up from the minors I’m sure.

To both Glen and Dominic, I wish you the very best.

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They also preview tonight’s Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers game 7.

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Sometimes I enjoy looking at statistics, like who’s winning the scoring race…. or seeing Jaroslav Halak on top of save % thus far.

I’m writing this not as a statistician or wanting to figure out formulas…. I’m writing this because when I’ve looked at certain stats as a fan, I was always struck with a first impression about the stat.

I thought I’d look at the plus/minus stat a little bit to see how teams these playoffs were shaping up and look at a few years past. Over several games the plus/minus stat can show in a general way how a team performs 5 on 5 and can also give a hint at which players are better offensively/defensively. Obviously it doesn’t give a true look at your best defensive or offensive player, because the stat itself is a bit of a balance between the goals scored while your on the ice for and against your team. So a higher scoring player may end up with a higher plus/minus stat then a better defensive player in some cases.

Basically, it’s a glimpse of how the team is doing 5 on 5 while each player is on the ice.

I thought I’d write a little blurb on this because I read a great article on the Corsi stat over at Lions in Winter. The article’s name is “Putting the Corsi in it’s place“. It’s a great read.

So every time I used to look at a team’s plus minus I had an impression it was (or should) be telling me who was the better team. Or who was the “winner”. Not necessarily so. At least in my opinion.

In regular season I believe a team can be lucky. In the playoffs I think the better team will win. I could open a can of worms with that statement for sure. But this is what I mean. I don’t mean by better team that it has the most skilled players (sometimes it may, sometimes it may not)…. simply put I think in the playoffs the team that will play “together” being opportunistic within a strategy to exploit their opponent’s weaknesses end up being the better team. 4,5,6,7 games in a row against the same team, you get to know the players habits, the team’s strengths and weaknesses quite well… you get to know how your opponent’s coaches  will try to counter your moves.

Luck disappears. Heart, work ethic, will to win, coach ability… these things begin to matter much more then 1 regular season game. It is quite different.

Here’s what the Habs stats focused on the plus/minus look like thus far.

Habs stats after 11 games in 2010 playoffs

Looking at these stats a couple of things come to mind right off the bat.

Hal Gill

I’m not at all surprised that Hal Gill is at +4 at 5 on 5. He’s been clogging up the shooting and passing lanes…. using his long reach to frustrate opponents so far.

Marc-Andre Bergeron

I’m not at all surprised that MA Bergeron is currently at -10 while 5 on 5. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s seen Bergeron give up the puck on occasion. He also has a hard time to defense bigger forwards as they tend to bump him off the puck easily.

Where he is quite valuable is on the power play where he gets a fair bit of playing time.

Mike Cammalleri

I’m a bit surprised at his -3 but at first sight my impulse is to think “He’s scored 8 goals so opponents have scored 11 during that ice time” (without taking into consideration the assists)… well, not quite. That’s a small example of where things get a little murky. Cammalleri scored 3 of his goals on the power play, so that brings the numbers to his scoring 5 goals at 5 on 5 and opponents scored 8 during that ice time…. then again, with his 5 assists, how many of those points where on power play goals?

Stats can be fun. Ultimately the ones that count the most are the score at the end of the game, and the win/loss number during the series.

Then of course, it’s just plain numbers. Who were they paired with…etc.

Now for fun, let’s add in the plus/minus stats for both the Penguins and Capitals.

Washington Capitals

Capitals stats after 7 games in 2010 playoffs

Against the Washington Capitals I “feel” as though I’m looking at the team that won the series, or the “better” team. It certainly is reflective at a team’s strength at 5 on 5.

And again, just looking at the plus/minus in mind it gives me that impression. But what it doesn’t tell me is who won a game. It doesn’t tell me which team got penalized the most, which team were better on the penalty kill, which team had the best scoring opportunities…etc.

To be quite honest, looking at the plus/minus stats for the Capitals, I’m not surprised at all. They were the top scoring team in the league this year.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins stats after 10 games in 2010 playoffs

When I look at the Penguins plus/minus numbers one thing does kind of surprise me. The thing that surprises me is Jordan Staal’s plus/minus number.

He lead the team this season with +19, and now is at the bottom with -5 in the playoffs. Staal is also regarded as a good defensive player.

I hadn’t watched all of the Ottawa/Pittsburgh series and I haven’t (and am not going to) dig into his pairings in that series.

I’m just surprised.

2008-2009 playoffs

2008-2009 playoff plus/minus leaders

The plus/minus leaders in 2008-2009 leave me with the impression that Detroit should have won… and I’m sure some will argue they should have…. as people do about any series.

I still like statistics and I really enjoy the work done over at En Attendant les Nordiques.

Today I try to go past that “first impression” that I get from certain statistics.

Like I mentioned earlier… 2 things ultimately matter. The score at the end of the game and the win/loss number in a series.

And there’s a slogan that I’ve kind of grown fond of. “Good teams find a way to win”.

Improbability doesn’t mean impossibility.

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I’m not sure how to express it… but I’ll just say that this game 7 was intense! Very intense.

My wonderful little girl (Emily, aged 6) wanted to watch part of the game with me. So we cuddle up and watched some of the first period together. She asked me some questions about the 2 teams. After a little bit she wanted to lie down and before I knew it, she was asleep.

I’d also like to mention that there was a great live chat tonight and thanks to Steven Hindle (@StevenHindle , Capitals coverage) for inviting me to join in.

I was watching the game intensely. The Capitals seemed to push quite a bit to start the game. And in the second period, I was kind of surprised at how flat they came out. At one point I remember thinking that the Capitals must have thought they were on a penalty kill because the Habs players were skating around their zone at will with the puck.

They soon realized they weren’t on the penalty kill… and pressure on Halak and the team’s defense resumed once again.

I’ve been so impressed with a few players in general.

Hal Gill

Again… Gainey took some heat for this signing. From media commentators to fans. I remember PJ Stock on Team 990 talking about Hal Gill being a great locker room guy and how he would fill an important role on this team. I also remember PJ saying that Gill was a shut down man in the playoffs for Pittsburgh’s cup run. PJ took some heat from callers and co-hosts for that.

But Hal Gill has answered the bell. And maybe Gill is made for this time of year somehow. So many times when an attacking Capitals forward would come in Hal would either be positioned to take his man out of the play with his body or he’d be in a spot where he could use his long reach and take the puck away with his stick.

He blocked about a million shots in that series. Really Mr Gill, you played one heck of a series and you deserve a huge word of thanks from this fan.

Josh Gorges

Josh Gorges is still a young defenseman and if we go back a few years the trade in which we acquired him in was scrutinized….. but I guess you can’t make everyone happy as a GM. Sometimes, no one is happy anyways.

Gorges, paired with Gill, has really looked good. Josh keeps doing the simple things. Clearing pucks off the boards to his forwards… always positioning his body against attacking forwards to take them out of the attack.. or not going into a panic when an Ovechkin or a Semin was at him on offense…. panic means the simple plays usually go out the door. But Gorges has really looked good out there.

Gorges is turning into a leader on this team.

Jaroslav Halak
don’t think enough can be said about Halak’s play. Here’s a guy who’s been an underdog before. A 271st 9th round draft pick who’s always believed in himself and how’s never given up. Anyone think he asked Alex if he was nervous while they were shaking hands??

This season his positioning and movement through the crease has been superb. The commentators keep saying it over and over again… and it’s so true.

You’re not gonna score many goals on him if the puck is going low. He extends himself very well to cover the bottom of the net and is quick to jump on the puck.

Something I hear in game commentary that I don’t really agree with. Some of the guys on TSN were saying that he stepped it up, that he knew he had to put the team on his shoulders to win this game seven…etc.

II enjoyed the coverage. I really did. But, I think that Jaro just went to play. Sure he knew he’d have to play a hell of a game…. after all the entire team and coaching staff knew they were facing the league’s best offense with Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals. I just don’t think I’d blow it up that much. He a hard worker. I think he went into the series wanting to do his absolute best. Because I honestly believe that’s how he shows up every game.

Very entertaining series

This was a superb series. And I’m not just saying this because the Habs won, although it does make it special obviously, I’m saying this because in pretty much every game I saw I was on the edge of my seat. Game 4 I only saw a bit of on a wide screen TV while I was playing a gig (playing drums).

PK Subban looked pretty good out there. A couple of times though I will admit he made me a little bit nervous. Once when he tried a little between the legs pass in game 6. You just don’t want to get to cute in the playoffs.

But everytime PK would start skating with the puck from his own end I just thought he’d make it right to Washington’s net everytime. Subban has a great skating stride. He’s fast and mobile on his feet, he can handle and move the puck. He’s got a ton of energy and enthusiasm.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to sleep…. but I gotta try now.

Go Habs Go!!

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