Posts Tagged ‘Bob Gainey’

100th anniversary ceremonies

Last night was a magical night for Montreal Canadiens fans. I thought they would have some special surprises planned but I couldn’t have guessed how it would have unfolded.

I watched RDS for many hours before the game and was impressed from the beginning. I thought it was just great.

When they dimmed the lights in the Bell Center I almost felt goose bumps all over.. I knew something pretty neat was gonna take place.

Then… when the pucks were dumped on the ice and I saw Patrick Roy walking on the ice in full gear…. I was in awe. It was awesome. Seeing all those guys jump on the ice brought back alot of memories. One guy I hadn’t noticed walk on the ice was Mats Naslund… later when he was introduced I was so pleased to see him there. He was one of my favorite players in his time in Montreal.

I won’t try to name every player that skated with the alumni… but let’s just say I thought it was very classy and very cool for the die hard Canadiens fans. Many of those guys I hadn’t seen in their playing days but like some of you (I’m sure) I’ve read about them and have seen their statistics over and over again. I’m not just really a fan of the Montreal Canadiens I’ve seen on the ice….. I’m a fan of the Montreal Canadiens rich history as much as I am the current team they ice year after year.
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My evaluation is still…

As I mentioned yesterday in the post titled “Has the season self-destructed??” I think it’s been pretty hard to clearly evaluate just how good this team is.

There has been some raunchy performances on the one hand. On the other hand there have been some great performances where they’ve been in the game or have won.

Last night against the Washington Capitals were one such game were I wasn’t filled with optimism before hand but afterwards I certainly was.

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We’ve got a couple of Giants

Watching the Canadiens vs the Rangers last night was a treat. It went through all the emotions…. from elation and excitement to uncertainty and slight fear (well ok… maybe no fear… right?). But when the chips were down the Habs managed to come back from 2 goals down (twice they were down by 2 goals) and eventually win the game.

I saw what I began to see ever since these hit the ice in training camp. A play hard attitude, never back down, desire to win…..

But from what I’ve heard from some tv analysts and some writers, you’d swear that this “experiment” of Bob Gainey’s would surely flop. The theme of of some game highlights and video replays have referred to some of them as “the smurf line”…. their physical stature is often referred to…. Even before CBC broke to commercial just before the game was about to start there was a mention of how many inches the Gomez-Cammalleri-Gionta line gave up to their opponents.
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Sergei Kostitsyn – Will he stay or will he go?

I remember when we first saw Sergei in Montreal during the first batch of pre-season games 3 years ago. In that pre-season stint, I was impressed and I remember Carbo saying how it was hard to send him to Hamilton.

We didn’t have to wait long and Sergei was called up to play in Montreal.

Fast forward a few years and here we are.

Sergei Kostitsyn had a place on this roster. There is no doubt. But there’s been this kind of cloud hovering above him since last season.

Last year all the media (well not ALL the media, but some media certainly) were finding new issues every couple of weeks…. Kostitsyn’s name was mentioned along with the word “party”…. and then later on he and brother Andrei were thought to be involved with some shady figures in Montreal (along with Hamrlik).

Sergei had been demoted after all that stuff came about… but even before that the Habs team were sinking fast. I’m not sure if half the team just stopped playing for Carbo or what…. but there had been whispers of attitude problems.
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What’s with all the fuss at 2-5??

Listening to some stuff going on you’d swear it was February and the team was looking like they were going to miss the playoffs.

Not sure why but it almost seems to me that expectation is always so high. When the “new” guys were being signed, I didn’t expect a whole lot to happen during those days… but I must admit that after the summer was over I did feel a certain optimism. There were new players with both offensive and defensive skill.

Going into tonight the Canadiens have lost 5 straight and perhaps it feels a little worse because they started out with 2 wins in a row.

But let me ask a couple of questions…
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Pre-game thoughts: Montreal Canadiens vs Florida Panthers – First pre-season game

We’re just a few hours away from the first pre-season game for the Montreal Canadiens this season! For some of you, if you’re anything like me, it’s been a long time coming. Since the last playoff game back in the spring I’ve been thinking about these first pre-season games.

Here are a few pre-game and really “pre-season” thoughts.
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2009/2010 and the new Georges Laraque

When I had heard that Gainey had signed Georges Laraque to a 3 year deal last year, I was thrilled.

I had seen the Montreal Canadiens get pushed around a bit too much for my liking and I was sure that Laraque would provide some of the much needed toughness that was plaguing the team the few previous years.

But last season was a disappointment for Laraque, something I’m sure he’s aiming at making better this year.
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The Hockey News interview with Mike Cammalleri and some thoughts on the new team

I just watched the video of The Hockey News interview with Mike Cammalleri. The interview is 6 minutes and 57 seconds long.

When I first loaded the page up, I thought that Cammalleri looked good in the vintage Montreal Canadiens uniform.

I thought Cammalleri was a good move for sure…. but the more I watch youtube clips, saw him on OTR on TSN…. and with this interview I gotta say I like the Mike Cammalleri signing more and more.

Cammalleri seems to be well spoken and from what I heard he said some pretty interesting things about the new lineup. When asked about the identity of the new Montreal Canadiens lineup he, as well as Ken Campbell, weren’t too shure on what the identity was but as their conversation went Campbell talked about Bob Gainey acquiring guys who are hard workers and who have experience winning… and some playing together.

Then Cammalleri said they may have touched on what the identity of the team is actually going to be. I thought something similar as I learned a little more about these guys. They’re starting to look more like a team who shows up every night and plays hard.

Not to take anything away from last year’s lineup (and some prior years) but that wasn’t quite their reputation. Alex Kovalev certainly hasn’t been known as a player who would bring it every night and the team in general last year had such a major meltdown that they would just stop competing.

I think Cammalleri is just the kind of guy who we should have in Montreal. He wants to compete… he wants to win… he knows how hard the city can be…. he really seems to appreciate and respect the hockey tradition…. and he understands the pressure of playing amidst a rabid hockey fan base and the “occasional” love-hate relationships that some fans have with their players.

Here’s the link to the video:
One-on-One with Habs sniper Mike Cammalleri

Scott Gomez – Welcome!

Scott Gomez, when I first heard of that trade, I’ll say that I really didn’t like the deal. Not at all.

A clarification on Kovalev

Yesterday, I had written an email to PJ Stock over at the Team990 about Kovalev being in Ottawa. And as I’m not writer, I think I came out sounding a bit harsh.

Basically, I’ve always loved Kovalev in Montreal. I would have gladly taken him back.

I’m actually a bit sad to see him go… and according to reports, he did want to stay in Montreal… and Gainey did want him back. A lack of communication it seems.

Now, one thing that I don’t understand is that while people have been to the streets in Montreal prior to his (Kovalev) signing in Ottawa, in attempts to convince Bob Gainey to sign him, is that while he was a member of the Canadiens, I would often hear and read comments by people calling him the best player on the face of the earth… and other comments calling him a bum.

The opposite ends of the spectrum.

We all know that Kovalev is likely one of the very top skilled forwards in the world. I don’t think there is any doubt. But, consistency has dogged him.

Mind you, last year has been called a disappoint… but it was far better then the 2007-2008 season. Statiscally, I don’t think it was that bad a year. Since the whole team seemed to go down the drain at the mid-way point. People just see what talents he has and believe (or expect) that he should carry the team… be the offensive leader.

And while some people were calling to put the “C” on Kovalev in Montreal. I’m not so sure. In a way, if he would have signed, it certainly would have been major motivation for him. In another way, I would put the “C” on someone who brings it every night without a doubt… someone who buys into the system the team is playing… etc.

Kovalev might indeed have been a good captain and player in Montreal for the proposed 2 years / 10 Million. But, we’ll never know.

Alex, once again. Have a great year in Ottawa. Loved your time in Montreal and I will keep watching you play for Ottawa. But I hope you understand, I gotta cheer against you when you’re playing against Montreal….

No hard feelings right??