Since the end of the Habs playoff run there have been many changes and to me it feels like a kind of sequel to last summer…. however not in the same mesure we saw last season.

Jaroslav Halak is long gone to his new job with the St Louis Blues and it still seems as though some fans will hold on to that one for the months to come.

New arrivals Lars Eller and Ian Schultz, who came over in that Halak trade, will be at the Habs development camp from the 6th of July until the 9th. Yeah…. camp starts today!!

On July 1st, I had been hopeful that Gauthier would be able to sign Ellis…. but it didn’t happen. And one can’t really blame Ellis as in Tampa he’ll certain get his shot at being number 1.

On on the goalie front I believe this does mark a year of change… as Price will be the Habs number 1 goaltender going into this season. He had been etched in at number 1 before, but still being so young…. behind both Huet and then behind Halak who caught fire, he had some time to taste the NHL pressure cooker…. taste the pressure, the good times and the hard times.

I think Price did some maturing last season while Halak was getting all the playing time judging by how he seem cool with the media.

No big UFA signings this year…. and I wouldn’t have expected it. I saw some people were forever hopeful that somehow the salary cap would be forgotten and we’d end up with a Kovalchuck… but really. That’s a demand for the miraculous.

I’m hoping to get back to blogging alot in coming days. It’s a busy time for me and days, weeks are flying by….

As for the Habs development camp… here’s the list of players attending!
Name 2009-10 team
AVTSIN, Alexander Dynamo Moscow (Russia)
BRISEBOIS, François Colgate (ECAC)
BRUNELLE, Jonathan Drummondville (QMJHL)
CONBOY, Andrew Hamilton (AHL)
ELLER, Lars Peoria (AHL)
ELLIS, Morgan Cape Breton (QMJHL)
ENGQVIST, Andreas Djurgarden (Sweden)
GALLAGHER, Brendan Vancouver (WHL)
KLUBERTANZ, Kyle Djurgarden (Sweden)
MacMILLAN, Mark Alberni (BCHL)
MAXWELL, Benjamin Hamilton (AHL)
MAYER, Robert Hamilton (AHL)
PALUSHAJ, Aaron Hamilton (AHL)
PATERYN, Greg Michigan (CCHA)
QUATTROCCHI, Joseph Fort McMurray (AJHL)
SCHULTZ, Ian Calgary (WHL)
St-DENIS, Frédéric Hamilton (AHL)
SUBBAN, P.K. Hamilton (AHL)
TINORDI, Jarred USA U-18 (USHL)
WEBER, Yannick Hamilton (AHL)
WESTIN, John Modo (Sweden)
WHITE, Ryan Hamilton (AHL)

First off, I’d like to say congrats to the Philadelphia Flyers on their win and the trip to the finals. It stings a bit because the Habs were battling as a team so well.

But credit to the Flyers and Peter Laviolette for the way they played the Canadiens. I thought they played a very different game plan then the Penguins and Capitals did.

The big difference was that they didn’t seem to concentrate so much on “scoring goals”.. or how to beat Halak. They collapsed defensively much better then both the Pens and Caps. They played a better defensive game against the Canadiens.

And they battled hard for loose pucks in front of their net.

Canadiens had the early momentum tonight by scoring that early goal…. but when Richards came out with a break while Halak came out…. there was a costly defensive error… Hamrlik hits into Halak…. they struggle to get up…. Richard scores.

Momentum shifted.

Playoffs, much more so then the regular season, are games of momentum, confidence, work ethic… belief….

Again, congrats to the Flyers.

I’m very satisfied with how the Canadiens battled to make it to the 3rd round. Would have loved to see them win the series?? YES!!

Win it all?? YES!!

But I’m not and have never been a “wagon jumper”. I’m looking forward to seeing if there are signings made, draft day, and “UFA season”.

My interest never dies.

The year was 1993 and the day was the 14th of May 1993. It happened to be a friday night (just like tonight) and it was also my birthday (as it was today).

I had been watching the Montreal Canadiens season coming into the playoffs and was glued to most of those games just as I am today with Habs games.

Had just seen the the Quebec Nordiques win the 2 first games of their series vs the Habs and then the improbable comback of 4 straight wins vs Quebec.

Then there was the Canadiens – Sabres series that saw the Canadiens make short work of Buffalo in 4 games with the last 3 in OT. Lot’s of OTs that year.

While that Habs – Sabres series was raging on… there was another series that really had my eye. It was of course the Mighty Pittsburgh Penguins of that time with Mario Lemieux at the helm.

I watched as much of that series as I could and on the night of the 14th of May 1993 I was having a little party. While the party was happenin’ there was a TV all fired up with that game 7 NY Islanders vs Pittsburgh Penguins. I and a few friends watched closely….. while some other people were practicing their social skills….

The hope was that somehow the NY Islanders would take the Pens out. And for the whole series it seemed to me an improbability. After all, the Mighty Penguins had finished the season with the league best 119 points while the Isles had squeeked in with 87 points. That was also back in the day of the 84 game regular season.

But somehow the Isles had kept it close and the series was in it’s 7th game…. all without their star Pierre Turgeon. I learned something really important during that series. Never count out a team in the playoffs until the series is OVER. That simple. A team that plays together and plays hard until the end always has a chance. Both the Habs and the Flyers of 2010 have shown us that.

I remember the youngster Darius Kasparaitis checking hard and was on Mario and company every chance he got (Darius would later play for the Pens). He was completely frustrating Mario and co. And I remember Ray Ferraro was lights out that series.

In the end, that game that night of the 14th went to Overtime! And then in the OT the miracle happened. A fellow by the name of David Volek scored the winning goal at 5:16 of the OT. It was pandemonium at my little party. That completely made my night and was one of the best birthday presents I’d had. One of the fondest birthdays in my memory actually.

Why? Because looking at the teams still in the mix I would much rather have had my Habs play the Isles then the Pens. And it seemed to be a year that the stars had aligned for Montreal. That’s the feeling I got watching that year. Unlikely heros, unlikely wins….

And then of course the Habs went on to beat the Islanders and the Kings to win their 24th Stanley cup.

In no way is this to compare with the run the Habs are having this year. Different players, different era…. still though, impessive show of team play and heart by the 2010 Habs! Loving this and looking forward to the Habs – Flyers series.

But this time of year, the 14th, my birthday, I always remember that Isles – Pens series… cheering for Ray Ferraro…etc.

The other night, the 12th of may 2010 really reminded me of that time so many years ago when the Habs were on that historic playoff run.

I just wanted to write a few words here to you who so choose to riot and loot downtown Montreal whenever the Habs win or loose. I’ve noticed that it doesn’t seem to matter to you folk whether it’s a win or a loss… just seems that you’re filled with fervor to get out there and break stuff.

You see… in life people tend to generalize and associate. It’s happened again and again throughout human history and for a wide variety of reasons it will continue to happen. Sometimes when these generalized associations happen you get lumped into a category or into an idea by the person or group of people doing the associating.

Get it?

So yesterday on CNN Rick Sanchez’s show they showed and he talked about your looting and your seeming love of wrecking your own downtown businesses.

Rick Sanchez refers to the fans here… “they”… etc.
Click here to see the footage

The point of this is not to criticize Rick Sanchez. Not at all. He’s reporting what he’s seeing in the everyday news media fashion we see.

What the point here is folks, is I’ve been associated with you looters. Because I’m a fan of one of the most storied franchises in sports history. Le CH. Les Canadiens. The Habs. The Montreal Canadiens.

I don’t really care for being associated with you folks who go out and loot your own downtown community whether your team looses or wins. You make every honest, passionate Habs fan look bad.

A friend of mine, Josh who happens to be a Leaf’s fan and does a great job in video work, made this little parody NHL commercial because of what he saw.

Thanks for the video Josh!

So in the end, I just wanted to say that by you’re actions you’ve made some of us look like you did by association in some people’s minds and in the media.

And you acted like shitheads.

Support your team. Support your community and your local businesses. Don’t destroy them.

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.

The Canadiens face the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Bell Center in Montreal tonight… and might I take this time to welcome Sidney and his crew to the most intense hockey crowd in the world.

Here’s a few reasons why I think the Canadiens deserve a little credit and why they can win.

Besides the fact that shutting down the Capitals offense for 3 consecutive games and taking them in 7 games surely wasn’t any luck or bad luck. This time of year is about “want”, “desire”, “hunger”…. you better believe it.

Don’t count anyone out until they’re out.

1 – Jaroslav Halak

I don’t really need to say much here. He’s been great in these playoffs and maybe that in itself is an understatement.

One question that I’ve heard some people say is “how long can he keep it up?“… that question came up a couple of games into the Washington series and to some extent hasn’t went away. It’s not really a fluke that he’s playing well. At least I don’t think it is. For us Habs fans who watch every (or just about) game then you’ve seen this guy play some great goaltending prior to the playoffs.

He’s had nothing handed to him since coming to North America and has earned every bit of his ice time. I’d say he’s a pretty confident guy in what he does… he’s won my confidence…. I’d also suggest his teammates are quite confident in him too…

2. Hal Gill and Josh Gorges

Hal Gill and Josh Gorges have been superb during these playoffs. For a team that was generally really bad at 5 on 5 hockey during the season, all of a sudden the team is playing some pretty good defense.

Yes, there are alot of shots on goal. But many of them are taken from the outside and the Gorges – Gill pairing have done a fabulous job on the penalty kills. When it comes to the playoffs I’m not sure there’s any luck involved. There’s a strategy, a game plan… guys have their jobs…. and try to do it.

Gill and Gorges do many simple things well. They also show some patience instead of panic. Nice simple plays off the boards to clear a puck…. bumping a guy off the puck (you don’t have to decapitate people)…. sticks and bodies clogging passing and shooting lanes.

3. The big guys

While I’m sure many “experts” in the hockey world from parents to coaches to (fill in the blank) may have thought or even told these guys that they’re too small to succeed as pro hockey players they’ve always defied the odds. Luckily they’ve never believed that they’re too small…. which is something that many “experts” were saying when these guys were signed. I think some people questioned these guys because they wouldn’t be effective in the playoffs.

Well. Sorry.

Ever see Brian Gionta go in the corners? Against guys 7 inches (and more) taller then him? Yeah, he gets banged around. But he comes out with the puck his fair share of the time. And won’t back down. The crazy bugger even goes in front of the net and scores goals!! Imagine!!

And so does Mike Cammalleri!!

Seriously, Gionta’s got great hands, a great shot… and Mike Cammalleri is an artist with the puck. Yeah I know, we had another guy here a little while ago that they called the artist and in all fairness I enjoyed his time with the Habs. But Cammalleri’s got heart. He WANTS to win. You can tell.

That “want” to win and work ethic coupled with a magnificent shot…. makes Cammalleri a player you want to have playing on your team.

Maybe these 2 guys should be given a little more credit by the “experts”. Although in fairness to the experts, they often do acknowledge their skill and hockey IQ.

4. PK Subban

He’s thrown in the fire and looks like he belongs. He skates, handles the puck, shoots, hits….. and gets “mini Bobby Orr” comparisons already.

Youthful enthusiasm and energy coupled with skill can certainly help energize a team.

On several occasions PK has made the right pass or made a little stutter step to back off a defender. Subban is showing that he’s got a ton of hockey smarts to go along with all that raw skill.

All those simple plays (like the stutter step) show patience, poise and give the Habs offensive chances as well as defensive stops. The last thing you want is your guys to panic out there… that’s where you have turn overs. Subban looks at home in the firestorm.

Welcome PK. The crowd is already chanting your name buddy!

5. A few sayings that you hear this time of year

– Good teams find a way to win
– Defense wins championships
– Don’t underestimate the heart of a champion
(We’ve got a crew of guys who’ve won or come very close before)

Habs have a shot at winning tonight! Better believe it!

Go Habs Go!

I found an article and thought it quite interesting. The writer of this article claims that the Caps eventually lost the series because of that goal that was not allowed. In fact, looking at the picture within the very article I’m drawn to Knuble’s skate positioned just in the crease… and if any of you saw the replay last night his skate did in fact go into the crease and obstruct the goaltender’s ability to move.

Knuble is quoted in the article as saying:

“That’s a violation that hasn’t been called all year,”

Well, unfortunately he’s partly right. I’ve seen many goals scored where a team was running the net. I remember one goal in particular where Price was basically pushed into the net while trying to grab the puck…. the puck sliding in with him. I think it may actually have been Ovechkin who had scored that goal. But because it wasn’t called everytime doesn’t mean it wasn’t the right call.

The Canadiens won 3 of 4 games in Washington. And they just as easily could have won game 2 were it not for a meltdown.

Here’s another interesting quote by the author of the article “Brad Watson is the referee who murdered the Caps’ playoff chances”.

With all due respect, I totally disagree. Blaming the referee like that is a cop out.

I’ve watched alot of hockey this year. I’ve missed very few Habs games and I’ve watched hours of other teams playing. There are calls in every game that are questionable. Just think back to game 6… 3 diving calls? Really? A little absurd. But, in the heat of the action the referees try to keep the control of the game… they don’t want things to get out of hand. And you’ll get a bad call.

But I still think that call on the goal was the right one. They showed the replays, they repeated what the rule states. There you have it.

Now, check out what the Capital’s owner Ted Leonsis had to say.. I’m sure he watched those same games that I and the writer of the aforementioned article watched.

“They played committed hockey, they sacrificed, and they out worked us. I have never seen better D and more blocked shots in a playoff series. I think they blocked as many shots as we took last night. Another stat I had never seen before.” – Ted Leonsis

“They took advantage of breaks and they scored on their power play opportunities. We didn’t.” – Ted Leonsis

For anyone who would like to read Mr Leonsis’s article, please do so by clicking here.

When it boils down to it, the Habs just seemed to want it that much more. They worked very hard at clogging passing and shooting lanes…. and really ramped up their penalty killing. I think the Capitals were really taken by surprise. And it’s been said before…. championships are won with defense…..

I think the author is quite correct when he says that “it’s a bitter pill to swallow” for the Capitals. But it’s much deeper then that one call in that one game.

The Canadiens did what they needed to do in order to win. Not in 1 game, not by chance or by luck…. but over 7 games they chased the puck in the corners, made simple plays to move the puck out of their zone, blocked too many shots to count, clogged the shooting and passing lanes….

Bottom line, I think Mr Leonsis’s evaluation was a bit more true then the author of the following article. After all, the Montreal Canadiens did win a 7 game series against the league’s best offensive team. I think they deserve a little credit….. don’t you?

A response to: The goal that should have been: Caps loss a fraud

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!!

After the way the season went with injuries and then the line juggling in the lineup…. the seeming lack of simple coaching moves like taking a time out… I’m almost amazed at how the Canadiens have looked after 6 games against the mighty Washington Capitals.

Coming into this series I had no doubt in my mind that the Capitals could be beaten. I’m not gonna tell you I would have bet on it at the time but I certainly did believe they could be beat.

Washington’s biggest weakness is their defense.

They finished off the season with a 2.77 goals against average which ranked them 16th in the league. While they boast being a powerhouse offensive team you’ll often hear something about winning in the playoffs. Defense.

The New Jersey Devils would choke their opponents not so long ago… the Detroit Red Wings were also masters at controlling the puck.

The Canadiens were not a good defensive team this season. They were right at the bottom at 5 on 5 hockey. They did however spend a huge chunk of the season without key players. Markov, Gionta, Cammalleri, Gill…

The team struggled along and made the playoffs. In these playoffs they pretty much have their lineup as it was projected at the start of the year…. with a few minor tweeks here and there of course. So they’ve finally got their skilled puck moving players running on all gears… they’ve got their defensive players running on all gears. They’ve got a goaltender who’s gained a heck of alot of confidence.

What could this team have accomplished had there been a fraction of the injuries?

The team is playing some defense around the net. It was very frustrating watching teams falling all over Price and Halak this season. Now in these playoffs you’ve had O’Byrne logging some ice along side Markov…. a big physical d-man who is clearing more room in front of Jaro… and one of the greatest puck moving defensemen in the game today in Andrei Markov to move the puck out.

You’ve also got Stanley Cup champion Hal Gill who played a huge role in the Penguins Cup run… as a shut down guy. Hal Gill has been great. He’s used his long reach perfectly, his body is somehow always in the opponent’s way or he chokes up passing and shooting lanes with that long reach.

Josh Gorges, who’s been Gill’s partner in crime, seems to be playing some of the best hockey in his young career as well. What I’ve really enjoyed is how both Gorges and Gill have shown patience, trust in one another and they’ve made simple plays to move the puck out of the zone when needed. You don’t need to do anything fancy to win hockey games. Something I’ve also noticed is that although Gill doesn’t throw huge punishing hits, he uses his big body well enough that he can bump someone off the puck without having to throw the big hit.

You don’t have to kill someone against the boards to get the puck away from them. As long as your team gains possession, that’s all that matters.

So we’re gonna witness a game 7 in a series where most people had written the Habs off early.

Well done guys!

Go Habs Go!

I really can’t wait for tonight’s game. I’m not sure if I should be pessimistic or optimistic to be honest… but, I’m currently leaning more towards the optimistic voice in me.

In recent years, I’ve decided to try and be the most optimistic person I can be. This way, I won’t prematurely close any doors that may be open.

The Washington Capitals can be beat. There is no doubt in my mind. However, the team that’s gonna beat them need to be disciplined. No bad penalties. And they need to play solid defense as a team…. as a unit. Which is something the Canadiens haven’t always done well this season but they have for stretches in this series.

Give the Washington Capitals an inch and they run you over.

Here’s a few quick links I enjoyed this morning.

Eyes on the Prize
Hal the angry caller (via Team990)

HABS Inside/Out
Habs hopes hinged on Halak

Ya! The Habs Rule!
Emotional maturity still a problem for Habs Price