The Problem With Us

Now that Cammalleri is gone without filling Habs fans appetite for complaining, we have turned our attentions elsewhere.

The unfortunate recipient of the majority of our attentions of late has been PK Subban.

I actually wrote what I thought was a nice piece on why Subban should be suspended but not traded yesterday. Alas, it was lost when I idiotically pressed backspace to set my browser back a page. For some reason it wasn't autosaved at all. Anyway, the gist was he made a dirty hit (at least one) near the boards that was penalized but not harshly enough for my liking. But that this by no means affects his standing as a core member of the team going forward in my eyes. I think I actually noted he was THE core member.

So I wrote it, but you've read the same elsewhere. Let's move on.

Once again my fascination with the team and its players is matched by my fascination with those of us who follow. Incidentally, it was PK who brought this to the fore, this time with a quote:

“I have a great relationship with Randy and I’d hate for you guys to ruin that,” Subban said “I’m a young guy and I need to be coached and that’s what he’s doing. Coaches and players are never going to agree on all things but at the end of the day, I’m 22 years old and so it doesn’t matter what I think. He’s the coach.

“You can’t be messing up drills,” Subban said of the incident Tuesday. “One of the drills I screwed up and he let me know about it. That’s a part of the game. I don’t think that’s a big deal.

“He’s going to tear a strip off me again this year, maybe a couple of times, but if we’re going to make a deal out of it every time, that’s not beneficial to our team,” added Subban. ‘I’m not the only young guy here. He does it for the other young guys. And he doesn’t for the veterans too.”

Fascinating quote really. It cuts as sharply to the bone as one of his sharp defensive end turns (which incidentally I can't perform myself, as Tobalev will attest).

Subban is right you know. Coaches do yell at players all the time. My coaches often yelled at me, shunned me, scowled. Of course they also praised, explained and coached. But this isn't a treatise on coaching methods. It's about observers of that.

What about a coach yelling at a player is newsworthy?

In Subban's mind, the answer is nothing at all. But that's not how the Montreal media work. Subban is part of a running story line right now and this fits into that very nicely. The story goes that the coaches are unhappy with Subban and that his place on a pedestal (again assumed) is no longer available to him. Indeed, from that we must extrapolate that his place on the team is no longer safe. For some more sensational yarnspinners, he's being offered actively around the league.

Subban of course is right. To the coach, this is not news. To the player this is not news. It could only constitute news to those unfamiliar with the workings of a hockey team. Or perhaps those that need pieces to fit a budding narrative.

I liked how he handled the microphones here. Even if he was misquoted by typo "And he doesn’t for the veterans too".


Us vs. them

The other fascinating things about Subban's quote is the way it opens: "I have a great relationship with Randy and I’d hate for you guys to ruin that..."

What did the receivers of this quote think Subban meant by ruining it? Perhaps they might have thought he meant publishing stories about being yelled at in practice? That seems to be in keeping with the rest of his thought.

So precisely what he hoped might not happen is what indeed did happen. This story is on every outlet. Including (and this is important) this one.

Important. I have been reading it. You have been reading it. I just wrote about it and you are reading about it again now. When Subban said "you guys" we shouldn't feel exempt from the statement the way Pat Hickey obviously feels himself exempt from being tarred with the media brush.

We, bloggers, readers, media, fans. We are all part of this ridiculous machine that takes power from its own momentum. It is fascinating and fun to watch and comment on. But you know what? It's nowhere near as fun as a playoff win, or a graduation from from a playoff round.

I think it's high time we take a serious look in the mirror here. While it's fun for armchair GMs to contemplate their power over a team, we must admit that on all evidence the power we wield is mostly disruptive. A positve report on a player or a surprise inclusion in a dome is not news, but a player missing a practice, a bit of hard coaching is.

In reality, the Canadiens and PK wouldn't seek a separation unless there was a real problem lurking under the surface. But real problems might have been patched before, whereas as now under the constant watch of twitter, there's little room to breathe let alone let off the necessary amounts of steam.

If we are putting the team in a position of weakness, we only hurt our own hopes. If we are brining scorn on the city by lapping up this common, yet widely unreported, BS, then we deserve the reputation we are breeding.

Good on PK for putting it so eloquently. He may yet coach us to the slick hockey savvy population we hold as image for ourselves.

The New Lion in Winter

Another season, another year dear readers.

Like the Habs, Lions in Winter has changed a lot since the spring of 2007. No more posts about Kovalev (well not daily ones anyway), less arguments about goalies. Like the Habs, LIW needs to keep refreshing its lineup to keep up with the demands of new seasons.

Over the summer, with the site ticking over, we got to thinking about how we could manage to cover the Canadiens in the way that loyal readers have come to expect (and enjoy?). I feel that in blogging as with hockey, a veteran will find most success in admitting to the changes that are happening (where’d that speed go?), develop the skills that remain more fully and find those to help fill the skill gap. The veteran bloggers here all have increasing demands on time as we progress to different stages of life and the hours that were once spent developing ideas for posts seem fewer and farther between. As you know, we added the unforgiving and insightful views of Ian Vitro last season, but the task, even for three still looked daunting.

And so the decision. Allow the blog to follow the inevitable path of change or do something about it. We all decided to do something about it.

It sounded easy enough.

With that the LIW scouting department opened up a search for the elusive power blogger. Someone with strong writing, insight and enough energy to mesh tightly with some gritty veterans. It was during this search that I started following one of the new up-and-comers onto the Habs blogging scene – Big T on the Habs.

After reading a lot of sense from June on, I knew I had found the prospect LIW was after when his late July rendering on the Josh Gorges situation came online. It was at once an answer to those who brayed about the stinginess of the contract and a thoughtful compliment to Gorges. If this contract had gone to arbitration, this was the case you’d have wanted to present.

After getting over the panicky feeling that I needed to contact him that day, lest lose the chance to collaborate to another site’s GM, I consulted with the LIW braintrust. From there, the wheels were set in motion and an agreement to collaborate between Big T and LIW was reached.

At LIW we are very excited at the prospect of the new season with a new team. I am certain that all you readers will thoroughly enjoy the chance to get into the head of Big T.


Without further ado, I give you Big T. I asked him a few questions to help get you acquainted. I also recommend reading his back-catalogue at Big T on the Habs:

Why are you a Habs fan?

I've always believed that unless you're guided to cheer for a certain team, you usually end up cheering for the team that wins the first game you watch. The first game I watched on TV that I really remembered ended in a 3-3 tie between our beloved Habs and yes, the enemy Boston Bruins and I'll surprise you by saying that for almost a full year, I cheered for both the Bruins and Habs almost equally. I was too young to understand the rivalry or its history and didn't realize that cheering for both Adams division rivals couldn't be maintained long-term.

Needless to say, I realized my grave error in judgment and quickly understood just how much hatred one can have for those that wear the black and YELLOW (yes, I said yellow not gold). I now hate the Bruins more than any of our rivals (including the Leafs whose futility over the last decade has helped them slip to a close second).


What makes you want to blog about the Habs?

Amongst my friends I was always the one with a more analytical mindset and more often than not the voice of reason during heated debates regarding our beloved Habs. I've always enjoyed writing and when my profession took me away from that and shifted me more towards numbers, I figured writing a blog would be the perfect outlet to share my thoughts with the easily excitable but extremely astute Habs fans.



So join me in welcoming our newest teammate and your newest debating partner. You can look forward to some new pieces from him the next few days.

Islanders Preview

In the wacky world where Leafs and Canadiens lead Penguins and Capitals, where Devils and Sabres forget their gains of a season past, it's perhaps not surprising that the AHL entry in the East, the NY Islanders, are off to a good start.

Here's what LIW has to say about them:


Key match-ups

Canadiens PK and Islanders PP
The Habs have squirmed out of trouble and gained points this year through a combination of timely scoring and timely defence. Nothing has been more timely than their PK which ranks second in the league at over 90%. The Islanders have the 5th ranked PP at 26.2% and have used it to get their wins. James Wisniewski may or may not get 90+ points this year, but he currently has 8 in 6 games thanks to PP action.


Subban and Tavares
A cocky rookie and a cocky sophomore. Apparently they're even best friends and having dinner together pre-game. With Markov out, Subban has been a key and will continue to be an important piece of the Habs tonight. With all the Islanders injuries, Tavares is even more prominent than PK on his team and looks to continue to impress tonight. Look for PK to offer his usual feistiness and make a point of putting friendship aside as he attempts to steal the spotlight.


Gionta and Mottau
All the hype about finding a winger for Gionta and Gomez could be ended with a good performance (by that I mean stats, stats, stats) from none other than Gionta and Gomez. There aren't many worse defensive brigades than on Long Island. Gionta knows this, he knows how to get the media off his back and he knows Mike Mottau as the -11 defender on the mostly positive +/- 2007-08 Devils. Step around him, push him aside and put this media story to bed Captain.


Media and Bloggers
The Islanders love their bloggers. The Montreal media is uptight and uppity at the sight of outsiders. Though they probably won't meet tonight in Montreal, the access at the Nassau Colisseum later in the week means they might. Should be fun.


Momentum

Andrei Kostitsyn believes in hard work. Carey Price no longer craves exorcism. The momentum on the Habs is squarely moving in the right direction. They look like a team that can finally get ready for games against beatable opponents and the first period should be theirs.


Islanders the Habs covet

John Tavares
He's the kind of player that can make the difference between running with the pack every year and cruising into the playoffs, a special offensive talent. The Canadiens, and everyone else, crave these sorts of players.

Dwayne Roloson
A back-up you're not afraid to use.


Habs the Islanders covet

Scott Gomez
An American who can help them attain the salary floor. What's not to like?

Josh Gorges
A cheap defender who can actually defend. They're not as common as one thinks. If they were Radek Martinek wouldn't have had a career.


Impact of this result

This is a game for points and not much else. I can't see a lasting rivalry coming between these two teams, as the Islanders will find a way to make their way back to disarray by the offseason.

Puck Daddy Habs Hits

Another season preview for you (mercifully briefer than mine), this time from Puck Daddy.

There are many reasons to go and give it a quick read. For one thing, Puck Daddy knows his hockey:

"Barring an epic failure in Gainey's reassembling this team, the Habs are still better than the Senators, Sabres (though it's close) and Leafs, but not as good as the Bruins."

and he knows Montreal:

(On "progress" made):"From statistic regression in players like Tomas Plekanec to the sophomore washout of Carey Price"

In fact, he's so familiar that he's even privy to the unspoken guidelines imposed by all Montreal media this fall for writing about Habs goaltending. Though his mention of Jaroslav Halak probably triples the amount of ink spilled on the goalie this September:

Jaroslav Halak remains with Montreal, either as a safety net for the goaltending position or trade bait as a pending RFA.

Greg still managed to make sure the requisite 99.4% about Price margin was hit.

Another good reason to visit Puck Daddy's preview is because you'll find it's another place to get a fix of old fashioned LIW optimism. Greg asked me to contribute a line or two for the preview. Better than my take, which you all know anyway, are the wildly optimistic Dennis Kane:

"What to expect from this year's Canadiens? I expect lots. I expect Carey Price to have grown mentally five years over the summer..."

and the responses of the other bloggers. I want to get an address for Don Draper's blog, because he's summed up my feelings in more ways than one:

"Well, that's just it. The whole safer cigarette thing is over. No more doctors. No more testimonials. No more cough free, soothes your T-zone, low tar, low nicotine, filter tip, nothing. All I have is a crush proof box and a Montreal goalie with a 3.11 goals against average in the playoffs."

But don't stop there.

While we're praising the guy, Puck Daddy had another piece I wanted to send you to, just this very week. The article was entitled: The Habs/Leafs wedding: Matrimonial bliss or an unholy union?

A lot to ponder in that one. I know for certain that if I had ever suggested I wear a Canadiens sweater on my wedding day, I wouldn't now even have a wife to speak of.

Price Update

For anyone who's inetersted, they're giving away these cool glasses to anyone who gets their comment published on hockeybuzz.com.

They make the goalie you are watching look the spitting image of Patrick Roy.


In his blog entitled: Habs add Insult to Injury in Toronto...Is Carey Price the Best?, a blogger all hopped up on a win over the 14th place Leafs wrote this:

Overtime and a shootout were enough to prove that Carey Price was more than just the MVP in this one. The Leafs were coming off an embarrassing loss against Phoenix. You know they wanted to rebound, shut the media up, and do it against the one team they usually have success against. But Carey Price was also coming off a loss, and you saw him play last night...does he seem like the type of guy who loses straight games? Let me ask you this: When the game was on the line, with Jason Blake taking that last shot, did you even have a shred of doubt Carey would save it? He made 42 saves look as easy as the ones he made in the shootout. All this talk about Patrick Roy is hard to deal with, but the facts remain that they are similar in more ways than they can imagine.

It's not in the attitude, the mannerisms, or even the style. It's the confidence of not even having to put up the best numbers to be the best. Carey Price through nine games this year has a modest 2.71 gaa, and a .916 SA. He has no shutouts. Yet even you Leaf fans must admit you haven't seen anything quite like him since St. Patrick was playing against you in Maple Leaf Gardens. No disrespect to Brodeur, or Kiprusoff, or Luongo, but Price has something about him that makes you feel like he's just not beatable. I'm not trying to blow this out of proportion nine games into his NHL career, but if you think I'm this confident about him, imagine how his teammates feel. Imagine how his opposition feels. Imagine how Cristobal Huet feels, as he is the leading vote-getter among goalies up for All-star honors in the East, yet he knows this kid is better than he'll ever be. I'll leave the conversation on this final note: Patrick Roy's best season in the NHL was his second to last, where he put up a 1.94 gaa, and a .925 SA. The numbers never really mattered with Patrick, what mattered was he always made you feel like you would win, and that's how Carey Price makes you feel.

(Sorry I had to put the whole quote in, as I kept trying to cut but couldn't believe what I was reading)

Can I put this bit again:

It's the confidence of not even having to put up the best numbers to be the best.

Well, how could I argue with that? Good thing Carey was confident Kovalev and Kostitsyn would both score in the shootout when he let in that late goal. I guess he was just having a bit of fun with us all.


I don't want to be too much of a downer. I like Carey Price. I like that he is on our team and not another team. I like that he appears to be confident. I like that he is a whole lot more down to earth than some of the people watching him. I like how he dismisses talk of being the next Patrick Roy without argument. I even like his mask.

But aren't some of us getting just a little carried away (see exhibit A, above)?

If I have to ignore the stats as I've been told, then can't I at least judge whether Price gives the team some unworldly advantage to win. Let's see:

Game 1: Won by a single goal, played very well
Game 2: Lost to the league's best, played well
Game 3: Won in a shootout, played extremely well in the shootout, not as well in the game
Game 4: Lost in a shootout
Game 5: Won a tight game, played very well
Game 6: Won in OT
Game 7: Won, but let in 4 goals. The team gets credit for this win with 7 goals I think
Game 8: Lost in regulation, let in some abnormal goals
Game 9: Won in a shootout

For someone who sounds like they should have their hall of fame waiting period waived, these 9 games don't seem to match the story. In Patrick Roy's time, when we had the arcane tradition of tie games, Carey would be looking at a 4-2-3 record (11 points from 9 games).

So, I'm not going to get too carried away just yet. I will not call for Cristobal Huet to be traded. I am going to sit back, relish the 2 points and look forward to watching Price develop into a reliable NHL goalie.

I won't be able to say I told you so down the road, but I really only care about one thing in hockey: the Habs winning... (the Cup).

Welcoming with open arms

Everyone is excited as I am, I can tell, to welcome a new blogger to the site.


With all my trips, business and pleasure, Lions in Winter needs another reliable member to keep the stories ticking.

Tobalev, as he is known to Habs fans in Montreal, will take on the all-important post-game duties. I hope you all welcome him too and give him plenty of comments if he goes too far on his analyses.

GHG.