Well, I will be off to Montreal tomorrow afternoon because I have tickets for Saturday night against the New Jersey Devils. It should be good to see Brodeur, I don't know if he is scheduled to break any records if he wins or gets a shut out but I hope the Habs blow him out of the water.
So far I like what I see with Gainey behind the bench. The team is playing harder and they are finishing their checks every time. By the sounds of it, Carbo had trouble communicating properly with the players which could have played a role in the teams lack of motivation and ultimately, the players giving up on the coach.
The potential is there for the Canadiens and when I turn the games on I feel that they are going to play well, I don't get that feeling I had earlier where it seemed like they might not score any goals!
Totally pumped for the U2 music pumping through the speakers at the game and the cheer of the crowd when we score.
Showing posts with label Carbonneau. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carbonneau. Show all posts
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Monday, March 9, 2009
Carbonneau Fired!!!!!!!!!!
It is official, Guy Carbonneau has been fired by the Montreal Canadiens and Bob Gainey will be taking control of the coaching duties.
There are a number of theories as to why the firing happened but my guess is that it will never be public knowledge. Some of the rumours stem from the Kovalev situation, the Price situation, and the idea that Gainey needs to make the playoffs or might find himself out of a job in the summer.
I think this move is a shocker and I did like Carbo. However, as I have mentioned before, I did not like the way he managed ice time for players, especially because he had trouble changing his game plan when they were down by a goal with minutes left or something similar to that. Gainey and Carbo were friends and Gainey said earlier this year that the best thing he did as a GM was hire Carbo. Is it possible that something like Kovalev drove a spike between the two and things became too severe to proceed? I do not know. However, I do know that the offence has struggled for most of the year and hopefully this will really get the boys moving and scoring goals. After all, last year they were the highest scoring team in the NHL last year.
One of the issues was possibly that Carey Price was not playing up to his potential and Carbonneau was unable to get him going. There is no question that Price has struggled. Does Price need a different coach to get him going. What about a coach like Patrick Roy? Is Gainey considering St. Patrick as a potential coach? That would be pretty wild, Patrick Roy is my favorite player of all time.
I don't know what to say right now about this decision because I really liked Carbonneau. But as always, I have faith in Bob Gainey so we are going to have to hope that this is a good move.
There are a number of theories as to why the firing happened but my guess is that it will never be public knowledge. Some of the rumours stem from the Kovalev situation, the Price situation, and the idea that Gainey needs to make the playoffs or might find himself out of a job in the summer.
I think this move is a shocker and I did like Carbo. However, as I have mentioned before, I did not like the way he managed ice time for players, especially because he had trouble changing his game plan when they were down by a goal with minutes left or something similar to that. Gainey and Carbo were friends and Gainey said earlier this year that the best thing he did as a GM was hire Carbo. Is it possible that something like Kovalev drove a spike between the two and things became too severe to proceed? I do not know. However, I do know that the offence has struggled for most of the year and hopefully this will really get the boys moving and scoring goals. After all, last year they were the highest scoring team in the NHL last year.
One of the issues was possibly that Carey Price was not playing up to his potential and Carbonneau was unable to get him going. There is no question that Price has struggled. Does Price need a different coach to get him going. What about a coach like Patrick Roy? Is Gainey considering St. Patrick as a potential coach? That would be pretty wild, Patrick Roy is my favorite player of all time.
I don't know what to say right now about this decision because I really liked Carbonneau. But as always, I have faith in Bob Gainey so we are going to have to hope that this is a good move.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Trade Deadline Came and Went
Well another trade deadline has come and gone and Montreal and Bob Gainey specifically has made no changes. Montreal was reportedly linked to a number of players such as Bill Guerin and Olli Jokinen, but these players went else where.
I trust Gainey that he made the decisions based on future and present requirements and that in the long run, it will be best for the team. It would have been nice to see a big center come in and fill the role that Robert Lang had but it didn't happen and I will not cry over it.
Remember last year when Gainey traded Huet and most people were like 'huh'. Well, that worked out just fine. The other thing to keep in mind is that he did improve the team with Schneider, it just didn't happen on trade deadline day.
Tonight Montreal will be playing against a Sabres team that is missing the number one goalie and will be missing another player because of trades so lets hope that the team can rally together and get Price a win and get him rolling.
Look for Price to play with an edge to make sure Carbonneau thinks twice about play Halak when he is healthy.
I trust Gainey that he made the decisions based on future and present requirements and that in the long run, it will be best for the team. It would have been nice to see a big center come in and fill the role that Robert Lang had but it didn't happen and I will not cry over it.
Remember last year when Gainey traded Huet and most people were like 'huh'. Well, that worked out just fine. The other thing to keep in mind is that he did improve the team with Schneider, it just didn't happen on trade deadline day.
Tonight Montreal will be playing against a Sabres team that is missing the number one goalie and will be missing another player because of trades so lets hope that the team can rally together and get Price a win and get him rolling.
Look for Price to play with an edge to make sure Carbonneau thinks twice about play Halak when he is healthy.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Trades Deadline
Hi There!
Unfortunately I have been extremely busy lately and have not had a chance to post anything but I am planning on making more time for this. I have been learning how to be a father, which is a great experience, and also trying to get my new website going which is a free online, movie organizer. You should check it out at http://www.mymovieorganizer.com.
Anyhow, what can I say about the Canadiens. They went through an absolutely horrific slump and seem to have come out of it with 4 wins a row and big reason for these wins is the power play which is ticking along at over 40% since the trade that brought back Schneider. I remember him the first time around and he has got some spunk back and is really turning around a dismal powerplay unit.
As for the insanely talented and streaky Kovalev, I was nervous that he was going to be gone, but he took his break in stride and has come back with fire and is showing why he could potentially be the most talented in the league. With out Kovalev, Montreal is not going any where in the playoffs so it is essential to keep him going or else the season is over.
Carey Price has also been an interesting player this year and I think he needs his confidence back and then he will prove everyone that he is every bit as good as our expectations and that he will bring Montreal a stanley cup. I think that Halak has been a great backup in Price's struggles but unfortunately I do not see a lot of trade market for Halak so I don't expect him to go anywhere, but then again, no one thought that Huet was going to get traded last year.
Andrei Kostitsyn is growing and is really using his quick release wrist shot, which is a canon and can be deadly from anywhere inside the blue line. I think Andrei has 50 goal potential.
One thing this season that I have been dissapointed with is Carbo's line changing. He seems to have difficulty adjusting his lines for different situations. When Kostpolous is out on the ice with 1.5 minutes left to go in a game and we are trailing by 1 goal, I don't like it. We need a goal, put out an offensive unit. Shake things up, throw out a combination of guys to go for it.
Anyhow, things are looking up in Hab land and I still think that they can make a run in the playoffs with the current squad. Don't expect Gainey to sell the farm to pick up a rental player!
Unfortunately I have been extremely busy lately and have not had a chance to post anything but I am planning on making more time for this. I have been learning how to be a father, which is a great experience, and also trying to get my new website going which is a free online, movie organizer. You should check it out at http://www.mymovieorganizer.com.
Anyhow, what can I say about the Canadiens. They went through an absolutely horrific slump and seem to have come out of it with 4 wins a row and big reason for these wins is the power play which is ticking along at over 40% since the trade that brought back Schneider. I remember him the first time around and he has got some spunk back and is really turning around a dismal powerplay unit.
As for the insanely talented and streaky Kovalev, I was nervous that he was going to be gone, but he took his break in stride and has come back with fire and is showing why he could potentially be the most talented in the league. With out Kovalev, Montreal is not going any where in the playoffs so it is essential to keep him going or else the season is over.
Carey Price has also been an interesting player this year and I think he needs his confidence back and then he will prove everyone that he is every bit as good as our expectations and that he will bring Montreal a stanley cup. I think that Halak has been a great backup in Price's struggles but unfortunately I do not see a lot of trade market for Halak so I don't expect him to go anywhere, but then again, no one thought that Huet was going to get traded last year.
Andrei Kostitsyn is growing and is really using his quick release wrist shot, which is a canon and can be deadly from anywhere inside the blue line. I think Andrei has 50 goal potential.
One thing this season that I have been dissapointed with is Carbo's line changing. He seems to have difficulty adjusting his lines for different situations. When Kostpolous is out on the ice with 1.5 minutes left to go in a game and we are trailing by 1 goal, I don't like it. We need a goal, put out an offensive unit. Shake things up, throw out a combination of guys to go for it.
Anyhow, things are looking up in Hab land and I still think that they can make a run in the playoffs with the current squad. Don't expect Gainey to sell the farm to pick up a rental player!
Monday, November 17, 2008
Habs Coming out of the Slump?
It has been a tough couple of games for the Canadiens has they have lost their scoring punch. Coach Guy decided to shake up the lines against the Blues in an attempt to get some more offence. With the line of Tanguay, Koivu, and Kovalev as the top line, they generated some offence but failed to bury the puck when necessary.
The real slump for the Canadiens as of late has been a power play that hasn't scored a goal in a number of games, I think it might even be four games now. It will be interesting to see what happens next game with the lines to see if Guy leaves them in the adjusted format, re-adjusts them again, or goes back to the lines that scored the most goals in the 2007/2008 season.
On a side note, my wife and I have a new baby girl and she will 'hopefully' one day be one of the Montreal faithful. Last night was her first Canadiens win and the goal scored on Saturday night by Tanguay was the first goal she saw. Obviously she wasn't exactly aware of what was going on but I am hoping it will plant some roots for the little one. And don't you worry, she already has a fully stocked closet of Canadien's outfits.
Montreal needs to find it's goal scoring touch if they want to show the world that they are the class of the Eastern Conference and a legitimate contender for the Cup.
The real slump for the Canadiens as of late has been a power play that hasn't scored a goal in a number of games, I think it might even be four games now. It will be interesting to see what happens next game with the lines to see if Guy leaves them in the adjusted format, re-adjusts them again, or goes back to the lines that scored the most goals in the 2007/2008 season.
On a side note, my wife and I have a new baby girl and she will 'hopefully' one day be one of the Montreal faithful. Last night was her first Canadiens win and the goal scored on Saturday night by Tanguay was the first goal she saw. Obviously she wasn't exactly aware of what was going on but I am hoping it will plant some roots for the little one. And don't you worry, she already has a fully stocked closet of Canadien's outfits.
Montreal needs to find it's goal scoring touch if they want to show the world that they are the class of the Eastern Conference and a legitimate contender for the Cup.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Game 3 - Monday Night
Well, I have to admit, playing the Phillidelphia Flyer's is not as scary to watch as the Boston Bruins. Although the series is tied 1-1, they don't create a lot of chances that make you twist in your seat and think, wow, that was close. There was never a moment in either game, until the fourth goal in game 2, where I thought we wouldn't be able to score.
The forwards are fast and Phillidelphia is relatively slow, especially with big ogre's like Hatcher. We generated lots of chances on Biron but Biron won that game for the Flyers.
With game 3 going tonight in Philly, you can expect a really hard fought game. The corners are going to be well patrolled and expect to see some big hits. Montreal has really stepped up in the toughness category and has really impressed me with their ability to finish off checks. We have come to expect that from guys like Boullion and Komisarek but the whole team is now in on the action. Hamrlik, the Kostitsyn brothers, even Streit, are trying to punish the opposition.
Kovalev has been hot and cold. Game 2 I thought he dominated most of his shifts but had a couple shaky ones. I expect to see Carbonneau putting him on both the first and second line to switch things up and try and throw off Stevens and the Flyers. For the most part, he generated a number of chances when changing things up with Kovalev.
Plekanec needs to play better. He hasn't played poorly, but this is the NHL playoffs and he needs to generate more offense. Price has been uncharacteristically inconsistent and I expect him to improve on his game...
Well, enough of the mumbo jumbo, it's playoff time and game time is 7:00pm est.
The forwards are fast and Phillidelphia is relatively slow, especially with big ogre's like Hatcher. We generated lots of chances on Biron but Biron won that game for the Flyers.
With game 3 going tonight in Philly, you can expect a really hard fought game. The corners are going to be well patrolled and expect to see some big hits. Montreal has really stepped up in the toughness category and has really impressed me with their ability to finish off checks. We have come to expect that from guys like Boullion and Komisarek but the whole team is now in on the action. Hamrlik, the Kostitsyn brothers, even Streit, are trying to punish the opposition.
Kovalev has been hot and cold. Game 2 I thought he dominated most of his shifts but had a couple shaky ones. I expect to see Carbonneau putting him on both the first and second line to switch things up and try and throw off Stevens and the Flyers. For the most part, he generated a number of chances when changing things up with Kovalev.
Plekanec needs to play better. He hasn't played poorly, but this is the NHL playoffs and he needs to generate more offense. Price has been uncharacteristically inconsistent and I expect him to improve on his game...
Well, enough of the mumbo jumbo, it's playoff time and game time is 7:00pm est.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Kovalev and Carbonneau Make Amends??
It was reported on SportsNet that Alex Kovalev and Coach Carbonneau have had a discussion and worked out there differences. Is this to promote Kovalev's trade value for the off season so Bob can get as much as possible? Or is this an attempt to promote a healthy atmosphere for next season?
No one will deny that Kovalev had an off year last year, not even Kovalev himself. However, this does not mean that Kovalev's better days are behind him and that he can't contribute to the Habs next season. Anyone who watches any games in which Kovalev plays has likely seen both sides of him. One side being seen as lazy, and the other side being the most talented player on the ice. It seems to be a mystery as to why some shifts/games he is playing with all his talent while other games he seems to be 3rd line material at best.
The simple fact that the Habs need more scoring should ensure that Kovalev stays in Montreal for next season. The Habs need to take the chance on him because for the 4.5 million dollars his contract is worth per year, it is unlikely that they can fill his *potential* with another forward for that kind of money. Do you recall the playoffs last year when Kovalev was playing with a fire under his ass? The guy is sometimes touted as the most highly talented guy in the NHL. I think this is a fair gamble for the Habs to take and I think that Carbo has accepted some of the blame for the problems that Kovalev had.
Put him on the top two lines and Kovalev will put up points this year. If he stays healthy and is playing on the top two lines, I expect Kovalev to put up 70 points next year.
Only time will tell...
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