A Montreal Canadiens fan blog
Posts tagged Saku Koivu
Remember the Habs biggest comeback in history?
Jul 26th
This is one of the reasons I love hockey. I mean, this kind of thing doesn’t happen every night. But, on any given night, you can be down a couple of goals…. and your team can catch fire. It can, and sometimes does, change fast.
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?
Saku Koivu returns to Montreal
Jan 22nd
Tonight is the big game. Well, in one sense it is. In fact if you’ve been a fan of the Montreal Canadiens anytime in the last decade then you’re familiar with longtime captain Saku Koivu.
Koivu, during his tenure in Montreal, was one of my all time favorite players. In fact, back when Saku officially became a free agent, I wrote an article with my personal goodbye to him titled “To Saku Koivu“.
I can tell you that I’ve cheered the former Habs captain on for so many years that it will be hard not to cheer him on against the very team he once lead. Koivu had been an inspiration on many levels. Coming back from a few major injuries, a battle with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and a certain disrespect that I don’t believe he deserved as long time captain of the team. I know some might argue otherwise but I could never understand the hounding he took from certain media outlets because he couldn’t speak french.
I thought I’d share some info sent to me by Matthew Ross, host of Game Points on the Team990 (which happens to be one of my favorite sports channels… that’s my plug! haha) on some recent polling going on for Saku Koivu’s return to Montreal:
Will Saku Koivu (ANA) score a goal?
Yes +325 ( or 13/4)
No -450 ( or 2/9)
Will Saku Koivu (ANA) record a point?
Yes +140 (or 7/5)
No -170 (or 10/17)
Will Saku Koivu (ANA) be the first star of the Game?
Yes -150 (or 2/3)
No +110 (or 11/10)
There’s been quite a bit of stuff written about Koivu’s return to Montreal. I really enjoyed this article by Dave Stubbs of the Gazette titled “Emotional return for Captain K“.
I’m really hoping that Koivu gets a warm response from the crowd. Through his long tenure as captain he was the source of much emotion, but inspirational like coming back from his battle with cancer, or battling back from a near career ending eye injury…. or from his critics that continued to pound at him in papers and radio/TV talk shows that he should speak french.
Saku, I truly hope you get an incredible welcome tonight. You deserve it.
Player comparison – Koivu vs Moore
Aug 3rd
Since I got hooked in reading some forums over at the Montreal Canadiens website I got into some discussions.
I participated a bit more in the “Should Koivu’s number be retired” article I wrote earlier.
I did a little comparison just for fun. The reason for this comparison was that I’ve seen some people state that Saku Koivu’s performance over his career was “sub par”. So I’ve compared him to the great Dickie Moore.
Here’s the comparison as I wrote it in the forum’s thread.
I’m still trying to figure out why some people are thinking Saku was “sub par”.
I’ll trespass into the nostalgic for fun and lets compare 2 players and where they rank in the history of the Montreal Canadiens.
Saku Koivu totals – playing in the dark ages
Games played : 792 – 19th all time
Goals scored : 191 – 27th all time
Assists : 450 – 6th all time
Points : 641 – 10th all time
Career point per game : 0.80Dickie Moore totals – playing in a golden age
Games played : 654 – 28th all time
Goals scored : 254 – 14th all time
Assists : 340 – 16th all time
Points : 594 – 13th all time
Career point per game : 0.90The point of this is to compare Koivu to a legendary Habs player who had his number retired keeping in mind who Dickie Moore had to play with..
Some of Dickie Moore’s team mates?
Rocket Richard, Elmer Lach, Bernard Geoffrion, Doug Harvey, Émile Bouchard,Jean Béliveau, Henri Richard, Ralph Backstrom, Bobby RousseauThose were some of Dickie Moore’s team mates for many years.
Who could we compare to those players that played with Koivu for the last 13 years.
Not many.Saku’s point per game is just below Moores average. I’ll bet a dollar if Koivu would have had a Rocket and a Belliveau or an Elmer Lach… his average would be a bit higher.
I honestly can’t understand how some people have stated that Saku’s performance has been sub par. Because in the history of the habs, his numbers speak quite the opposite.
If you don’t like him. That’s ok.
But please acknowledge what he’s accomplished without the team that our many greats have had.
How do you see Koivu’s career in Montreal historically? Think he deserves a look?
The page has turned – Let’s look forward
Jul 9th
Yesterday was a day I won’t forget for a while. Sure, for some sentimental reasons… but for some “hockey” “team guy” reasons too.
Today, I’m focusing on looking forward and I’m gonna make an effort to find out a bit more about the players who will be playing with the Montreal Canadiens this upcoming season and presumably the next several years.
I’m still optimistic.
I’ve also decided, that I’m gonna try to write as much as I can. I really enjoy “everything Habs”. I’ve been a fan forever… and pending some disastrous event… I will be for a lifetime.
Saku is now in the hallway of Habs history.
