Have the Canadiens Learned a New System?

Oh, it's so tempting to jump on the immediate wagon of "told you sos". This is a favourite sport of Habs fans and bloggers. After years of being told we'd need a career to compare two players, the issue is now resolved for the majority that they have seen a few results go their way.

Gomez's New Gig

When you pay a guy league minimum, you can get creative with the ways in which he can find use for your team. (Thanks for the tip Ian Vitro)

Subban Cleverly Retained

Great news right? Subban is signed.

That really is the beginning and end of it. Signed now, for two years. Good.

Habs Week 1 in Review

After allowing the inauspicious start of first goal allowed on first shot to national rival on the big return to hockey on national TV, the Habs have really rebounded. Barring the rest of that mostly unwatchable game, the team has been an exciting combination of speed and efficiency, of system and flair.

For posterity, I am going to provide a short review of the week and what traces it left in the subjective and objective records.

Just Stop

The Habs are 2-1, not 22-10.

If you want to hold Therrien's corontation. Stop.

Subban Accomplished Nothing? Let's See

I understand the emotions of a new hockey season, and I can relate to those that are upset about a certain 23 year-old turning down perfectly good money to play a game on ice.

But in the past day, the rhetoric has taken a turn for the worse. The reaction to Subban's verbose response to Stubbs' question: "why aren't you signed yet?" Some of the media and talking heads on RDS in particular have come out in force to detract from PK Subban and make the claim that the little guy hasn't accomplished anything yet.

Quite.

Pick the Dome for Game #2

The dome is now in your hands. pick the players that you thought would best represent the Canadiens for their efforts in the game. Results will be shared in the upcoming days.

Thanks for the votes. Polling now closed.

Game 1 in Review: Low Quality Hockey On The NHL's Return

Thanks to everyone who responded by picking players for the dome. I think it went very well. It's not the dome I would have chosen, but I think we knew that would be the case after 5 years of arguing about these picks.

I won't be doing recaps after every game (sometimes, I'll group them in a weekly recap), but this being the first game, I'm making the exception.

Lions in Winter Game Coverage

After running this site for nearly 6 years, the time has come to make some choices.

I've recently told you about decisions I've taken to continue the site, and alluded to the changes this would require. Because we're all grown up now, the posters at this site have responsibilities that weren't a problem in other seasons. But we adapt.

How To Pay Subban

You know, working out what one has to pay a player really isn't as complicated as some make it seem. While I''m sure PK Subban may have rolled the dice with comparisons to Karlsson, he and his agent are smart enough to give up that trick early.

But PK knows his range well. It's a range that has clearly been set by the salaries given to players in the current team make up.

The Last Remnant of the Gomez Trade

OK, so we don't need to shed another tear for Scott Gomez, the league and players' association that were stubborn and stupid enough to squander a whole half season, have grasped their rush of common sense to make a very common sense fix to the Gomez problem (and for others like him: Redden).

Instead of having to sit for this season, they have made a scheme whereby a player can be bought out now and released from all the clauses that tie the buyout to health, etc. For the team and the salary cap, the effects are the same. The sole purpose of this new move is to be kinder to players like Gomez.

What To Make of Gomez

My first reaction to the news of Gomez's early morning meeting with the principal was one of slight disgust.

Told to stay home? This was not the way to treat a player under contract. This was not the team that we tout as being class of all known teams.

Montreal Press Get It Right

I give the Montreal press corps a hard ride sometimes, so it's in my mind that I should pay them compliments when I see their good work.

I am not all that enamoured by the tempest they have created by making Markov's last game in the KHL a big issue. But compared to how it could have gone, they did some positively textbook journalism.

Canadiens Lockout Grades

Usually about this time of year, Lions in Winter takes a look at the first 41 games of the season and tries to assign some relative grades to the team members to express how we think they are doing.

Obviously, we have been without NHL hockey, but that doesn't mean we don't have opinions about how the Habs have done in this unusual circumstance. In the spirit of the season, we plan to keep the tradition going and hand out grades to each member of the big club for their lockout activities.

Lockout: Part 2: Will Paying Fans Play Their Cards Now?

In this lockout of owners vs. players, or most often owners vs. other owners, the silent (even disenfranchised) party has been the fans.

Yet when all is said and done, all that money they were arguing over is 100% dependent on fans forking it over for the greedy buggers to share out.

The Buyout Two:The Case of Scott Gomez

Yesterday's big hoopla from the NHL-NHLPA marathon stare down was the suggestion that each team in the league will now be permitted to buy out two contracts with amnesty against the usual buyout conditions.

Sure, there are lots of questions, and we know not of the strings attached, but let's ignore that for a second and assume this will be as easy as it could be. Which player(s) would/should/could the Canadiens use this privilege to strike from the books in 2013 and beyond?

Happy New Year

Hello readers and friends. I wanted to wish you all a very Happy 2013.

With a fiscal cliff averted, the year may get a little better for us hockey fans if a deal can be reached between the two sides in the NHL labour dispute. As Habs fans, i think we have to hope for play, as a random draw might rob the team of their solid chance at another high pick this year.