Habs Looking Great

Well, what can I say. I have been embarrased to write anything lately because we were on such a terrible stretch that there was nothing nice to say at all about the Canadiens. Fortunately, they seem to be coming out of the slump and getting into a grove at the optimal time in the season.

With a few games left in the season, it is looking very promissing that they will be playing in the post season again this year and hopefully they do not end up with New Jersey as their opponent. I would prefer the Bruins or the Capitals, just not the Devils.

When Gainey put Kovalev, Tanguay and Koviu together, a spark seemed to turn into a flame and the team just put it in high gear. The best thing about it was that it was the entire team who picked it up. Komisarek was having trouble earlier and seems to have gotten out of his funk. Schenider started being smarter and Markov stepped it up a notch as well. And of course, the most important piece is the goal tending and that seems to be improving as well. I expect Price to be healthy for Monday nights game in which we almost lock up the playoff birth.

What can I say about Kovalev? Well, when Kovalev is hot, he is hot. He scored last night against the Leafs, on the power play, the same way he scored on the powerplay last year. I don't know about the rest of you, but when Kovalev is out of the linup, the offence is horrific. I know some will disagree, but I am really hoping they sign him for next year as he is a piece of the puzzle that will be very difficult to replace.

But don't forget, there are still many who believe a trade is already in place to bring in big Vinny Lecavalier from Tampa before the no trade clause kicks in. I am not keeping my fingers crossed, but, who knows, we will have to wait and see.

I have so much to say right now that I will have to post more later today or tomorrow. This is the best time of year!

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.

Habs Show Signs of Life in Dallas

The third period is halfway over in Dallas and Montreal is getting chances. This game is exciting, Tanguay, Koivu, and Andrei Kostitsyn are clicking well and Kovalev shot the puck (and scored).

The team is playing good defence and they are actually playing a tough but smart game. They are not backing down but not doing anything stupid to end up in the box.

I guess being on the bubble to make the playoffs is starting to sink in and hopefully the team can finish the game strong and build from this.

Only time will tell but hopefully in the next 20 minutes we are celebrating a victory.

Habs Lose a Snoozer

Montreal's game last night against the Atlanta Thrashers was a boring game to watch and left me with a bad feeling that Montreal can't seem to score goals.

It was nice to see Tanguay back in the line up and he was banging away showing no signs of hesitation which is important after coming back from an injury. He passed the puck very well and made the line with Higgins and Koivu much stronger.

Price was the bright spot on a dismal game because he came up big time after time and kept the game close from beginning to end. The offence really let Price down.

It was nice to see some toughness finally from a team that has always been considered soft and that they tend not to stick up for each other, like when Kovalev got rocked in Buffalo. Ryan O'Byrne laid the beats down on some poor thrasher.

Lets hope the Habs find their offence or else it is going to be a struggle just to get into the playoffs.

Habs Blown out in Buffalo

After a very promissing start against the Buffalo Sabres and some unlucky bounces, the Habs got lit up by some costly mistakes.

The game started out very well, Montreal had 18 shots in the first 15 minutes of the game and then gave up a quick crapper and then another costly mistake gave the Sabres a 2-0 lead and then the game fell apart.

This game would have gone completely differently if Kovalev would have potted one early on his two good chances or if they would have put one in the net in the early period power plays. However, they couldn't get one and the wheels fell off the tracks quickly after that.

Thank goodness Tanguay should be back soon because Koivu's line has been unproductive as of late. They need to get more lines firing or else there will be very little hope in the playoffs, if they make it.

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!

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.

This Season is Going to Rock

Well, after a long long off season, or so it seemed, the NHL season is set to begin again on Saturday. How will the Canadiens do this year? I predict that they will finish in the top 3 in the Eastern Conference and after that, the playoffs will depend on the performance of Carey Price.

We have all seen a goalie win a game or even a series and Price has the skills to do that for the Canadiens. Montreal's offence should be stronger this year with the additions of Tanguay and Lang. It would have been nice to see Sundin as a Canadien but Gainey could not afford to wait any longer on him as this team is full of unrestricted free agents and this year he wants to make a run for it. Look for some minor tinkering through the season if the requirement comes because the Canadiens have a lot of young talent to use as trade bait.

I see big strides for Plekanec and the Kostitsyn brothers. Last year they all came out and showed big promise and I expect this year will be another great leap. Kovalev appears to be at camp quicker and just as determined as last year so we will just have to wait and see which Kovalev takes the ice.

However, with all the additions of players and the advancement of others through maturity, this team will only go as far as Price. Price is a year older, a year more mature, and has experience in the playoffs with all the emotions that go with it. Price went very high in many hockey pools this year which can only mean that most people are expecting great things from Price.

The season is about to begin and Habs fans are in for a ride.

On a different note, I read that the Canadiens will be introducing a new Goal Song this year. Some song by Quebec natives Simple Plan. I am not sure I am on board with this but I have not heard the song yet. More to come later.

Sundin Sets Timeline

Well, with big Mats setting a time frame for late July or early August, us Habs fans will soon know if we are the Habs, or the HabNots. I am still confident that Sundin will come to his senses and realize that Vancouver isn't going anywhere, the Leafs will suck just like every other year, and that he doesn't need money, so his chances of winning a cup, and playing in the post season, are greatly increased if he decides to play with the Canadiens.

Gainey has assembled a team that has youth, and would benefit tremendously from a seasoned veteran with a strong work ethic. Can you imagine a powerplay with Sundin, Kovalev, and one of the Kostitsyn's? Talk about talent and power. When was the last time Sundin had a guy like Kovalev to play with on the wing?

The Habs and Sundin are a perfect fit and if he does sign, Montreal will definitely be battling it out for top in the Eastern Conference again. Lets all hope and pray, and wait, till Magical Mats makes up his mind.

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.

Achievers???

Well, with a 3-1 lead on the Boston Bruins, it is safe to say that we are looking good and in a good position to move on to the next round. However, the team needs to play better as they are not playing up to the potential of the Canadiens.

The Smolinski line is playing great, and even better than they should. Carey Price is playing better than anyone could expect. He made some stops in game 4 that were unreal. Not to mention, he still hasn't appeared to ever have to regain his confidence and composure because he never seems to lose it. There is no doubt that Price is one of the reasons, if not the main reason, that we are up in the series.

The Plekanec and Kovalev line however is really not playing that well. It is true that they are playing against the top defensive unit of the Bruins but they need to find ways to be better, quicker, and smarter. They need to contribute on the scoreboard or else this playoff run is not going to last. Lets hope that tomorrow nights game puts this line back on the scoreboard and gives them something to build off for the upcoming games.

Kovalev puts on a Clinic

Well, if there was any doubt that Alex Kovalev was not a top notch player in the NHL, he sure showed last night that those doubts are unwarranted. Not only did he get two goals and an assist, he made Chara look foolish on both of his goals. Chara, the 8 foot ogre, was virtually useless on both plays as Kovalev's quickness and speed exploited Chara's size and slowness.

The other thing that we need to look at when considering Kovalev's season is his impact on the other players. Look at Plekanec, look at Kostitsyn, both of those guys are talented, but Kovalev makes them better.

Alex is playing with fire in his eyes this season and he is being rewarded for it. Not to mention, those of you who remember Kovalev in the playoffs two years ago. When he was dominant at times. How is he going to step it up for the playoffs this year? He is already dominating most games. All I can say is, watch out, he is going to light some fireworks come playoff time.

Where Are All these Goals Coming From?

It is halfway through the game tonight and Montreal is winning 3-0. The thing that I can't seem to figure out is where are all these goals coming from? Previous versions of the Canadiens have always lacked offence and have gotten by on strong defence, not strong offence.

I think most of it is coming from the system. Draft picks such as Higgins, Plekanec, the Kostitsyns, and Markov are delivering on a regular basis. Veterans such as Koivu, Kovalev, and Hamrlik are also showing why they deserve to be leaders for this young team.

When I look at the goals for in the conference stats, you can see that Montreal is not having too much trouble putting the puck in the net although if you look at the point leaders, you don't see any Canadiens near the top. This is directly related to the fact that the Habs put out a balance offence game in and game out which makes it difficult for any team to shut down the first line becase the second line is just as dangerous.

If this scoring keeps up, watch out for the playoffs because these boys mean business.

Competing in the Spring?

While the Canadiens head into the All Star break, it seems like they might escape their typical collapse after the new year. The team is playing as well as ever and Michael Ryder, the highly unproductive goal scorer, is playing better and bounces are starting to go his way.

The other things that are really great to see is the play of Plekanec, Kovalev, and Kostitsyn. This line is putting pucks in the net left, right, and center. Kovalev is playing with the talent he has, Plekanec is scoring and showing real potential, while the young Kostitsyn seems to be finding some real goal scoring prowess and some excellent offensive skills.

Huet is going to be able to play comfortably in the net with Price back in Hamilton. The pressure is off and he can focus on playing hockey and winning games.

Points wise, they are close to second place in the east, which if they can continue on the same pace, will give them a decent seeding in the playoffs and allow for a good match up.

However, we can talk all we want, but there is still half a season to go and the east is as close as ever, so they need to focus on each game and hopefully come playoffs, we will get some magic.

Kovalev, Short Side Top Corner

Well, the Habs/Bruins game is entering the third period tonight and Kovalev has scored one of his patented goals. How many times this season have we seen Kovalev pick up the puck along the boards and fire the puck into the top of the net? It seems as though the other NHL teams have no way to defend against it.

This season has been a big improvement for Kovy. He is playing with much more energy and generating chances everytime he is on the ice. Furthermore, his energy and enthusiasm seems to be contageous and the whole team is playing harder than in the past. Lets hope we can keep this play up and end up in the playoffs because we all know that Alex can really step up his game come the big show.

Well, it is 3-2 now so this third period should be a treat...

Habs Win!!! Komisarek Scores in OT

The Habs beat the Leafs tonight 4-3. My prediction was 4-2 but 4-3 is pretty close. Komisarek had a great game and finished off with an overtime break away goal to win the game.

Kovalev had an outstanding game along with Kosty and Pleks. Price played a great game with 40 shots although the top line with Koivu, Higgins, and Ryder was mostly ineffective. The Canadiens will need productivity from this line going into the all star break to ensure that the playoffs are reached.

Time to make fun of all those Leaf fans you know!!

Vinny Lecavalier to the Habs?

Stanley Cup Underdog?

After watching last nights game against the Flyers, I went to bed with a feeling that the Habs could possibly be one of the most under rated teams in the NHL. The game against the flyers, who are doing pretty well, was domination. The game was not even close.

Kovalev scored on of his famous goals. He scored the exact same goal against the Thrashers. He is hot, he is playing well, and he is playing well defensively. Hopefully Ryder finds his stride because Koivu and Higgins are playing great and generating tons of offence.

There are not too many people who predict a team like the Canadiens to make any noise in the playoffs but who gave Edmonton a chance two years ago? The Habs are built for speed and smart defence. They try hard and they are playing with confidence. Those are most important when the playoffs come around.

They simply need to keep trying hard and don't let there great start end up like last season where they fell apart after Christmas. But this team is different than last year, they are older, more responsible, and are being led by a coach who has a little bit more experience.

Next spring should be exciting.

Yashin a Hab???

The latest word coming out of the speculators is that Alexei Yashin is interested in playing in Montreal along side fellow Russian Alex Kovalev. I am not sure what to make of this. I have despised Yashin ever since the whole fiasco that occurred in Ottawa.

However, I sat and thought about this one. What I have realized is that Yashin could be an asset to the Canadiens if the money is right. The right price for the Canadiens is no more than 2-3 million a season for no more than two years. The key is that Gainey can not get locked into a contract for a player who has had a history of being trouble in the locker room and being lazy on the ice. If it doesn't work out, Gainey would have to find someone to take him off his hands which will be much easier if he has a manageable contract.

Will Yashin take a much smaller salary than he is used to? Well I guess that depends on how much he wants to play in Montreal.

Whether you agree or disagree that Gainey should consider Yashin as that big center to support Kovalev you can't deny that his potential point production is attractive for a guy who puts up just under a point per game and could be part of a dynamic punch with the other big Russian.

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...