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!

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!

Obviously when we see a hit like we did last night where Pacioretty hit the “turnbuckle” (as some people refer to it) we’ll have a period of shock… and immediately, emotions flare up. That’s normal.

I watch alot of NHL Hockey, not just the Habs, and I have NO appetite in seeing these types of injuries. That’s not to say that I don’t understand that accidents happen and will continue to happen and that is unfortunate, however I believe there are quite a few of these head injuries that can be avoided…. and discouraged (by the NHL and NHLPA) if you will.

So let me clarify what my thoughts are and for the record I do understand that there is a fine line because this is a contact sport. But let’s not let this become an excuse to sit on the fence until someone actually dies as a result of an injury. I believe we should be more intelligent than that.

Accidental injuries

The game of hockey will never be free of injuries. I completely agree with those who say that there is a risk to playing this sport at very competitive levels. It’s a contact sport and there will be completely accidental collisions along the boards, in the corners and at center ice.

We’ve seen all kinds of injuries where a hand may jam in the boards when a player takes a hit and can result in a broken finger, hand, wrist, arm….. these are those types of injuries where the player receiving contact usually has the puck, gets hit and collides in the boards in some unbalanced manor.

That will always happen.

Avoidable, questionable injuries

There are many injuries that I believe can be avoided, such as a bulk of recent head injuries, but these injuries can only be avoided if the players are drawn clearer lines on what constitutes proper contact.

A message should be sent to players so that they are encouraged to lay off a hit when an opposing player is in a vulnerable position. This can be equated to a boxer in the heat of the moment starting to swing a hook or jab when the bell goes off and quickly attempts to pull back. Sometimes it happens… but I’ve seen boxers pull back and not nail their intended target. I marvel at how many boxers and UFC fighters have utmost respect for their opponents, even in the heat of the battle. (Notice I did say “Many”)

Also should be noted that often times a team starts “running” at the other team when a game is out of hand…. and it’s sometimes to the point where it’s predictable.  I felt like there would be some “gooning” last night. And there were other such comments on Twitter. Sometimes, you can easily predict it.

Check out these comments literally a minute before the Pacioretty injury and just after:

@GamePointsRadio “Sadly, I feel like we’re going to see a #Canadiens player get run at in a dirty manner in the third.”
http://twitter.com/GamePointsRadio/status/45305280426283008

And then… @GamePointsRadio “@yves_on_habs and we just saw it”
http://twitter.com/GamePointsRadio/status/45306548116914176

Ultimately, I think that there should be heavy incentive put on players and possibly on the teams whom they play for to layoff hits where their targets are in a vulnerable position. Hockey is a sport about putting a puck in the net.

Proving intent to injure is in some cases like asking someone to prove the existence or non-existence of God. Doesn’t necessarily make sense.

A results based system for dealing with head shots, blind side hits….etc…. seems more intelligent then the current approach.

After all, I’d say 99.9% of high sticking minors and majors are accidental right? There is no intent to put your stick through someone’s teeth. So why not the same kind of clarity on hits.

It would force players to exercise due diligence in hitting practices the very same as they’re already expected to be careful with their sticks around opposing players.

Excuses

“Guys are so big, the game is so fast”, “It happens so fast”….

I understand it’s a fast paced game and guys are big and strong. But let’s flip that thinking around just a little for a sec.

If players know it’s fast paced and people can get hurt as a result, it’s all the more reason why they should take care with their actions on the ice. Like, for example, easing off a guy a bit because you suspect he could be in a vulnerable position.

I don’t mean this topic to be on Chara because it’s not. The example has played itself out with countless examples of Cooke, Richards…etc. The list is getting long.

In Chara’s case. Yes, he’s big and he’s strong. That gives him a certain advantage in certain aspects of the game. But it should also be made clear that those attributes put a certain amount of responsibility on his shoulders for his actions on the ice… just like in society. Making him tall wouldn’t excuse a high stick on a guy like Desharnais does it? I didn’t think so. His height, size, strength or speed would make no difference in that call.

Let’s look at it another way. In modern society, let’s say you get into fights every now and then… .you get bruised up, maybe one night you get an assault charge. Then one night you go out and fight…. and the guy dies as a result of his injuries. It happens. And guess what…. you didn’t intend to kill him. But you get punished.

Because for some reason some aspects of the sports officiating are “results” based, and others we tend to get lost in the jumbled world of intention. No one cares about intention with a high stick.

A person has to be aware of his or her surroundings and potentially dangerous outcomes. We deal with close calls, concentration and split second thinking often enough in busy traffic. It’s about responsibility.

Fighting

For the record, I wanted to write a short comment that I’m not one of the people who would or will rally against banning all fighting in the NHL. If 2 guys want to square off… so be it. It can certainly sway the emotion and momentum of a game.

So…..

Trying to determine intent is more like chasing the wind. There has to be a system where it is “results based” just as it is with high sticking.

Time for players to take more responsibility. Yeah, it’s fast, they’re big. But a soldier understands he’s carrying a loaded weapon and the responsibility that comes with it.

Being reckless has consequences.

Hockey is a sport about putting a puck in the net. Not crippling other hockey players.

Are we gonna do something or nothing? What’s the excuse now?

What are your thoughts? I’d love to read them.

Photo by RicLaf, on Flickr

With all that all-star game “fun” out of the way it’s back to the grind… back to the final push towards the end of year funneling process. Playoff time!

But before we get to the playoff funneling process…. there’s another step or hill to climb.

Trade deadline day.

Now I have to admit that I do enjoy this time of year… when it’s quite apparent that (more) literally every game counts and GMs start getting in tactical positions to improve their team for the playoffs. Mind you, while some moves are made it’s always debatable if they’ve actually improved their team or not. Not every move, but some moves aren’t always looking as good on the ice as they did on paper.

This year the Canadiens are in a more favorable position then they were last year and if they manage to stay away from any more major injuries I suspect they’ll make it in the playoffs.

Trade deadline day… I expect to be watching closely, not just the habs, but the entire NHL to see just how the season ending “trading frenzy” turns out. And I’m thinking that this year I’d like to see one move in particular.

One criticism that has always been made has been the lack of size up front in the Habs lineup. They’ve got lot’s of speed and puck moving ability but they’ve always lacked “the power forward”. It’s true that Pacioretty’s recent arrival gives them a bit of a bigger more physical body up front and this year since coming up he does look like he belongs but I wouldn’t expect that he’ll ever turn out to be the type of power forward I’d like to see.

We’ve heard several people in medias and blogs, twitter and facebook…. talk about getting that “big center”. In fact… not so long ago the rumor that wouldn’t die was “Lecavalier is coming to Montreal!”. Anyone remember that? And please, let’s not start that again…. enough.

While the big center would be a great thing to land in Montreal, I’m starting to think I’d be very happy landing a big winger. My first preference would be a really big strong guy with good hands and a real mean streak….. but I’m gonna drop one of those characteristics and suggest who I would try.

Dustin Penner.

I’m sure some of you have heard this scenario and some may agree or disagree. But he fits in my eyes. Really big and strong and does have decent hands to put the puck in the net. The only thing I wouldn’t say he has is that real mean streak. But I can live with that.

Having a guy like Penner live in front of opposing goaltenders would open up a bit more room offensively for smaller line mates to move more freely.

What do you think? Not those Lecavalier rumors again please…

I have to start by saying that I actually missed the first period… I know, I know… how could I do such a thing.

Actually, it was my daughter’s Christmas concert.

Despite the 3 game slide that saw Montreal loose against the Red Wings, Leafs and Flyers I was pretty positive going into last night. A Bruins vs Habs matchup is always a worth while affair and a match up that I will certainly never tire from.

A couple of things that I’ll note.

Max Pacioretty. I fully realize that we’ve just seen 2 games from him this year in Montreal but I’m really liking what I’m seeing.

Past seasons, Max had alot of expectation on his shoulders and it seemed as though in so many games he kind of looked as though he just wasn’t quite there. He seemed to get bumped off the puck often and almost seemed as though he was a boy among men at times.

After ripping up the AHL, he looks confident. He’s skating very well, since I can’t say I’ve seen both complete games I can say from what I’ve seen, he’s really improved on his passing and also seems to finish his checks much better. The confidence seems to be there and it’s looking as though he could be a good complement to Gionta and Gomez.

Mike Cammalleri… always love watching him play…. that shot that he has is nothing but a laser. But dropping the gloves? I have to admit when he first dropped them…. I was thinking “Oh no”. My first reaction was to think “Please God… don’t let him hurt hist wrists. But it all turned out ok.

Then there was Mike Milbury’s wonderful comments about the Habs being a bunch of cockroaches. I almost laughed. Almost. Now I certainly do realize that in sports commentary it’s also about entertainment but please. Milbury seems to show the same disrespect in his comments as his accusations of the Habs play. Nice try Mike. Just remember Mike, you were no angel.

I was a little surprised at the Boston Herald’s article today as well. I guess they don’t like the Canadiens there.

So the “despicable and dirty little hockey team that loves to dish out nasty cheap shots, often from behind, often after the whistle” team from Montreal (that was a quote from the Boston Herald article) will move on to face the Avalanche on Sunday night.

Cheers.

So the Canadiens recalled Max Pacioretty as of late.

I found it a tad confusing to be honest as they brought up Desharnais only to send him back just as quick.

Both Pacioretty and Desharnais are ripping it up in the AHL. I really felt for Desharnais to be sent back down without getting a game. I listened to Tony Marinaro on The Team990 this morning and agreed with him, it would have been a good idea to have Desharnais play against Toronto. See how he’d play against a physical opponent. I personally believe he would have been fine.

Back to Pacioretty, he’s also just as deserving of the call up. Max has 17 goals and 15 assists for 32 points…  in 27 games. Not to shabby at all.

Early on it was hoped he’d develop into “that power forward” that we’ve needed in Montreal for some time. Last season it was my impression he went all but forgotten. Wasn’t as much chatter about him. I remember seeing him getting knocked off the puck quite a bit and it just didn’t seem like he was ready.

Is this his year?

Giving him a prominent role in the AHL and having play many minutes may turn out to be a very prudent move. Hearing him speak today, he seems much more confident. I believe he’s maturing.

This is where I’m hoping he’s used in a similar role to what he’s being used with the Bulldogs.

Put him on the top 2 lines. Make him play with some offensive talent and maybe put him along side some of your teams’ leadership. Pairing him with any of Gionta, Cammalleri, Plekanec…. give him a shot and be patient. He’s got some confidence, now help him learn a bit more from the guys you ultimately want him to play with.

Having him on the 3rd or 4th line would be, in my opinion, a wasted opportunity.

And had Desharnais dressed up, I would have liked to see him in a top 2 line role vs the Leafs.

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.




So in reference to how good the team is so far? I believe they’re right on pace where they should be, in fact maybe they are even a little better then what I would have predicted being 11-11-0 in the first 22 games of the year with all the changes and without their best player (Andrei Markov)…. and other key injuries.

Listening to Montreal’s talk radio, The Team 990 (which I am a regular listener) I’ve really enjoyed what Randy Tieman has been saying… he’s said something to the effect that it’s just to hard to say how good this team is or can be with all the significant injuries.

I still take the position that this team’s core is better then where we finished last season. So many people last year had voiced the opinion that the team needed a major change in direction. Well, the team’s direction was changed brining in a younger core and so far I don’t think they’ve been pushed around quite as much as they used to despite some of these guys being smaller. Moving forward there is something to build on.

I do believe that it would have been much better to get picks or prospects for some of the players who were let go… but it didn’t happen that way and Gainey opted to try and make a playoff run. Much debate could be made over it being the right or wrong decision. Personally I don’t think it would have gone well to trade everyone and give up on the playoff race at the deadline while they were still positioned to be a playoff team.

There are some real positives coming together for the Canadiens.

Carey Price has been playing with that fire. He’s looking as confident as we all hoped that he would be.

There has been some “Price haters” voicing there opinions that he should be traded… that in my opinion is all rubbish. To be honest at his age there are not many goaltenders who boast the numbers that he does. He’s comparable to a young Roy, Brodeur and Luongo. If anyone out there is expecting him to play like a seasoned St-Patrick 2 or three years in… then either you must not know that Patrick himself didn’t play perfectly in goal and had some real stinkers. But as he aged, he became a real game changer.

Price has all of that potential. He can be our game changer and has already started to look like a game changer in the short time we’ve had him in the CH.

Tomas Plekanec is also a guy who last year was named in virtually every trade rumour.. this summer was more of the same. He took alot of heat. I questioned openly what his future with the team was.

Well, Tomas has answered the phone…. he’s been the best player in a Habs uniform night in and night out. He’s playing with more bite.. he’s skating hard, making some great passes and creating many scoring chances. He’s even looked really good on the PK.

Andrei Kostitsyn seems to be improving his play and Max Pacioretty seems to be getting it together also. 2 guys who will certainly be asked to step it up with the recent injury to Brian Gionta. They started slow and maybe that’s just what it is… an adjustment to the new coaching staff and system.

It’s always disappointing to see the team you’re passionate about not win and play some bad games… but this is part of the growing pains of having a vastly new lineup… and the normal regular season pain of having multiple key players out with injury.

I look at this as an opportunity for some guys to be put in the position to step up and see what they’re made of. It’s really not all doom and gloom guys. We’ve got some real nice positives in the mix.

It’s a long season, last year Pittsburgh was out of a playoff position after 50+ games played. If your team can hang around, be healthy and peek at the right time.. it can make for a great finish.

The constant injuries and lack luster play has certainly been tugging away at the optimism I had coming into the season. A quarter of the way through it’s still pretty hard to read exactly who this team is. But although it is hard to discern it’s not really something that can be faulted on management.

I’m not saying that there haven’t been moves (or “non-moves”) made in the last few years that I think were bad in hindsight leading up to today… but what I am saying is that one can’t honestly measure just how good this team is

We’ve been without our best player and other players who were keyed in as integral parts of this team.

When compared to last year’s team and the “core” that the Habs had prior to this season it still speaks loudly to me that this group is 10-11-0 after 21 games… without Markov… and other pieces of the puzzle also out.

There’s a great article on the numbers without Markov over at Lions in Winter… check it out.

There’s been quite a bit of doom and gloom from what I’ve been hearing in regards to the season and the talk about a “rebuild” has begun. Honestly, I think we’ve just begun “the rebuild”.

The face of the team has changed and some 1 year deals were handed out… I think there’s a further evaluation currently underway…. as there probably always is during an NHL season.

And about this quick face lift… I’m not sure if anyone thought that this “was it”.. that the changes were done. I didn’t think that. I thought this season would be a transition year from the start.

A new core moving forward younger on average and further evaluation on who would be kept and who would be traded away. At least that’s what I assumed.

Right out of the gate, it’s been hard to see who this team is. They’ve played without their best player… without whom they have played terribly in previous seasons.. yet they are now just below .500.

Were some games totally lack luster performances??

Yes!

But I’m not all doomsday yet about this season. If this core could get into the playoffs without key players and have them in the playoffs… then who knows.

However, where I honestly do start to think in almost doomsday terms for this season is with the recent injury of Brian Gionta who is tied as the top scorer on the team with 8 goals.

The way the supporting cast has been playing on the team, Latendress, Lapierre, Andrei Kostitsyn, Pacioretty…. I’m just not sure. I’d like to think that they’ll somehow find a way to step up. If it was all just some kind of 20 game slump for these guys then we’d still be in decent shape but without some solid secondary scoring coming VERY soon… (like tonight!!!!) then I’m not sure we’ll hang in there.

Tonight Ryan O’Byrne comes back into the mix which may help the defense a bit. He’s not the savior but if he manages to provide some grit in front of our net it will be an improvement.

By trade deadline if we’re not in the playoff race then the obvious question will arise as to which player has trade value and what deals can be made. Although many are suggesting these scenarios now, 21 games in the season.

This kind of brings up another subject… what is expected of the organization? What is considered a success?

I would like the Habs to win the cup. Honestly.

But I don’t expect them to.

What is a successful franchise in terms of results? Maybe I’ll jot some of my thoughts down and write about it.

In 3 years, all the ducks fell in a row… the team finished 1st in the east and were ousted of the playoffs… they start the following season strong… injuries dominate.. barely make the playoffs.. lots of drama… mass disappointment.

This year most people would have said big changes needed to be made… big changes were made… key injuries to the Habs again (as many other teams in the NHL)… and disappointment has turned into “let’s blow it up”.

I’m not convinced that it’s time to talk about blowing up the team. I believe it’s time to look at who to drop and who we can add (and how we can add them).

That’s my $0.02 for now.

With the home opener a few days away it would seem likely that the Canadiens will likely call up the recently signed Marc-Andre Bergeron.

There was a time that I looked at the defensive core and thought to myself that it could look promising. It really seems like it was long ago but in reality we’re talking a couple of weeks. Back in the days when the anticipation for that first game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team that was gonna intimidate and push us around.

Today I’m slightly confused. I’ll explain myself a bit further on my confusion… but first about Bergeron.

What do we expect from Bergeron??

Have you asked yourself that question? I have been.

We’ve seen how the wheel turns, how fans and media alike will look at a team, look at their talents and assess if the team “will do” or “should do” well. And further… if a player will do or should do well.

And as this wheel turns something happens. Expectations are built. Expectations are forged on many factors and some of these factors include the talent that we see in some of our players… on their past performances…etc.

What do I expect from Bergeron?

Can he replace Markov in this lineup?? NO!!!!!!

But I think Bergegon will definately help the team. In my mind he’s got 3 things that the defense has been lacking a bit.

1. He’s a pretty good skater. He should be able to get up and down the ice fairly well….
2. He’s a decent passer. Marc-Andre should be able to move the puck quickly to his forwards on the attack. Markov was the team quarterback in this respect.
3. He’s got a big shot. I expect to see Bergeron on the power play… they’ll try to set him up for the slapper. Hopefully the team will be able to lure a few more penalties out of their opponents in the coming games.

Now on my confusion….

It just seems to me that there’s alot of “koolaid” out there… alot of hype at times about our prospects. I watch media reports on TV, I listen to talk radio and I read stuff on the internet and it seems like some of our young guys have been built up as being ready to have an important role on this team.

I’ll start by saying that I drank some of this “koolaid”… and I want to step back… step back and take another look with no hype.

There are 3 players who have played in the first 5 Canadiens games who I will mention because they all made a similar impression. All of these players could use more seasoning or are still learning what it takes to be in the NHL. In no way is this even intended to be critical of these guys because they’re talented young players.

All of Max Pacioretty, Matt D’Agostini and Yannick Weber made an impact right away when they came in last year. I believe they showed great talent, potential and a glimpse of the players they can be in the Canadiens lineup.

But all these guys are young. They all have little experience playing in the NHL (D’Agostini currently has the most with 57 games under his belt) and in their development it’s altogether understandable that they will probably play in Hamilton and get more experience.

Part of the problem that I see is that some people have already pegged them in pretty significant roles on the team. Now there’s nothing wrong with it if it works out, but if it doesn’t work out then what???

Who steps in to take their spots?

Do you or can you even send them back to Hamilton?

There’s also another guy… Sergei Kostitsyn, who was pegged as a regular in the lineup. Didn’t quite work out that way and if he indeed has some maturing to do, then Hamilton with Guy Boucher is a good place for him to be…. all skills aside.

What am I getting at?? I don’t believe we’re deep enough up front. And on defense being without Markov and O’Byrne has been a problem…. and has thinned our depth on the backend.

BUT…. I believe that this upcoming series of games at home will be benificial and we’ll hopefully see some things get ironed out. Tighter defensive team play….etc.

That’s it!!! That’s my rant for today!