The Montreal Canadiens are still in the running for the biggest impact trade of 2013.
It wasn't the one yesterday, though if you'd told me in mid-slumber that they got that guy Drew-something from LA for picks, I might have thought otherwise. The trade that still stands is the one that brought in Michael Ryder for a second go-around with his goal every other game and 14 points in 15.
And it shouldn't surprise that a classic player for player trade be in the running for such a nod. One has to give a lot to get a lot. And Erik Cole was a lot.
Showing posts with label Canucks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Canucks. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Game #69
Montreal Takes It To The Cream Of The West
Details
Date: 10/03/2012
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Vancouver
Win: 4-1
Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (L)
Habs goalscorers: Geoffrion, Cole (2), Subban
Opposition goalscorers: Kesler
Play of the game
Tough call in this one, but I am going to have to go with Geoffrion's goal. Not only was it a tying goal, it was also a good goal put together by two players that mean a lot to this organization (Blake and Leblanc). The goal was a Geoffrion's first as a Hab since 1964; let's hope we don't have to wait another 48 years for the next. Think Blake will still be with us in 2060?
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Erik Cole - Game Puck
Erik played a fantastic game and seems very intent on making sure we don't draft any forwards that would immediately drop him down the depth-chart. That, and he must have some serious passion and pride. His two goals tonight were both hard-working goals and they put him at 25, oh so close to the 30 mark (the high in his career).
Max Pacioretty
Patches kept it rolling tonight with 2 more points. I believe that with 13 games left he will hit 35-30-65 which is something that even the most opptomistic weren't always saying. I find as the games and weeks have gone by he looks more and more like a complete NHL player. His play is giving me a lot more hope for next year than I had just a month ago.
Blake Geoffrion
Why not? He did what his Dad couldn't do and that is score a goal as a Hab. That is not a shot at his Dad, but just praise for Blake because of what he could mean to this team. Imagine how excited Edmonton fans would be if Gretzky's Great-Grandson were to play for them in the 2060's or Detroit's if the Lidstrom name came back 70 odd years into the future. I think that Blake was a good move by this team and I was happy to see him pot his first. Besides that, I felt that he played quite well as there were a couple of other chances too.
Defencemen
Andrei Markov
He looked out of place at times and unsure of himself, but I still felt that he played quite well (and, I need someone new to write about). What he hasn't lost is his offensive vision and his incredible skills of keeping the puck in at the point. Tonight was just the first game in a long road back to being our best defender and best overall player and I think he did well considering everything. My hope is that his utilization and confidence increase over the next 13 games so that we can all have a summer where he doesn't have to be the unknown that he has become during recent off-seasons.
PK Subban
I hate to say it as PK has been fantastic for a lot of the year and above what one would expect for all of it, but, don't you think that if he played and shot like he did tonight a little more often from October to February we may be talking about playoffs and not lottery? Again, however, his play has me more excited for next year than wondering what could have been in this one.
Goaltender
Carey Price
If Cole only scores one the game-puck is Carey's. That doesn't mean that he played any worse, just that Cole really stepped it up. Price was very, very solid tonight and totally outplayed the often shaky Luongo. I would assume that Carey will be playing for Canada in a few weeks at World's and think that it will be good for him to get back to playing behind a solid, winning team.
Comments
I was hoping for the loss tonight, but still found myself happy with the goals and with Markov's return. Ideally, I suppose we play an exciting game, but lose something like 4-5 in regulation. That way we get what we want and still get some entertainment. We still have 13 games to lose, however, so I am hoping that we'll get back on track against desperater teams. Tonight was indeed an exciting hockey game and, standings aside, I think we played well and showed that we can be a decent team. I am done thinking abut the Fall and what could have been, though. My sights are firmly set on the draft and on a return to the playoffs as soon as next year.
It was fabulous to see Markov back, but no one could have been more happy than he is. I am sure that he wants nothing more than 14 wins and a trip to the playoffs as I am sure he feels bad for his teammates and fans for being out so long (although, it was not at all his fault). It was nice to see an assist from him too, on the 5-on-3; a PP that he bumped Kaberle off of. People are talking about him taking it easy and skipping World's (if selected) because of the risk to his knee. I, however, believe that if it is healed then it is healed and, if so, he is no more of an injury risk than any other player. So, I hope that he plays a lot down the stretch and does go to World's as I feel a happy, healthy, game-ready Markov is the exact thing this team has been missing and is the main thing that we should be excited about come October.
Thursday, December 08, 2011
Game #29
One More Slips Through Habs's Hands
Details
Date: 08/12/2011
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Montreal
Loss: 3-4 (SO)
Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (W)
Habs goalscorers: St. Denis, Diaz, Cole
Opposition goalscorers: Raymond, Hodgson (1, SO), Salo
Play of the game
The play of the game was going to be the Cole goal, that is until we got to OT. In my head it was then going to be the winner or a fantastic save. When neither of those happened I went back to the one play that made us look our best. Cole did very well at the blue-line to block a shot. The puck bounced favourably for him and he was off towards Luongo with Pacioretty on a 2-on-1. Cole made the right choice and Luongo guessed wrong. The goal gave us the dreaded 3-0 lead.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei tied for the lead in shots and in hits tonight and that didn't come as a shock. He made things happen in the offensive zone and, unfortunately for him, ends the night with a -1 rating and no points. When he uses his size, strength and shot, as he did tonight, he is easily one of our best all-around players.
Erik Cole - Game Puck
Speed, size and more speed was Erik's game tonight. His goal was the pay-off for playing that way throughout the first two periods, for making the Canuck defence question themselves. He almost cost us the game in OT with a horrible giveaway, but Price bailed him out with a fantastic save and saved him game-puck honours.
David Desharnais
Desharnais didn't pick up any points or have a great night in the face-off circle, but did a fine job in other categories. He centred our best line and contributed to quite a few of Cole and Pacioretty's chances. He also ended up being one of only three forwards (Cole, Camms) to improve their +/- tonight.
Defencemen
Raphael Diaz
Scored a goal and logged huge minutes again. I was also pretty impressed with his confidence at both ends. His play and that of Emelin's vs. that of Weber's has me liking the playing-pro-in-Europe route quite a bit. Where else can you get 25 year-olds who are ready to play top-4 minutes?
Alexei Emelin
I would have liked to have Gorges in here, but in the end I couldn't get over him being on the ice for two third period goals against. So, I went with Emelin, the obvious (how crazy is that?) choice. He logged close to 24 minutes, led the game in hits (tied with Kostitsyn) and is becoming the one Hab that you don't want to be skating in on with some speed.
Goaltender
Carey Price
I have Carey in, but it was close. I know that it isn't his fault that we always lose our leads, it is the team's. It would be great if we had a goalie who could hold-off the nightly third-period bombardment, but it shouldn't be expected. Price would have a lot more wins with a better team in front of him, but there are goalies, few as they are, who would have this team winning. He made some fabulous saves to even give us the chance at one point and then a couple in OT that gave us the chance for a shootout (or, realistically, a chance to win in OT). I would, however, have Budaj in for the shootout. I don't now how good or bad Peter is in the shootout, but I know that 9 goals on 17 shots (38th of 45 goalies) isn't good; I would give change a chance.
Comments
If you didn't see this game, but you saw the San Jose one, I think that you're good. The Habs couldn't hold their lead, sat back and gave it too little too late. The upsetting part is that when we are playing well (as we did in the first 40 minutes) we can keep up with any team, we can beat any team. We are too content, however, once we have the lead to see if we can hold on. Why anyone in their right mind would think that a defensive shell would be the best way to win or tie a period is beyond me. It seems pretty obvious that if we kept playing to score we could be winning games by more than 1 goal (generally the result when wins actually happen). This is the reason that so many of our games go to OT and so many of our other losses or other wins are by 1-goal margins. We allow the other team to catch-up, if they want, all the while being good enough ourselves to catch-up and keep a game close when we don't have the lead. Tonight's game is frustrating because it is one point lost. A point that we all know how we could have gotten, a point that the players know how to get, a point that the coaches should know how to get, but won't just do it. Until we change our gameplan it will always be a 50/50 toss-up. The playoff hope will remain alive, however, (not any old team can stay with Vancouver), but won't be a certainty (not any old team can keep it so close with Columbus).
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Canucks Video Day:
Watch Habs, Lightning
The Vancouver Canucks, the team we have entrusted to spare us from endless braying of the mindless Bruites, have been abysmal of late. It seems their goalie can't make a save and their envy-of-the-league offence can't crack the two-man crew Boston has assembled.
Before this gets too desperate and we need to call on the spirit of Kovalev to undo the black andgold yellow, some sage advice for the former Canadiens coach we all liked better anyway.
Get yourself some video of the Bruins playoff losses
The Canadiens will be more than happy to oblige, I'm sure, plus if you didn't know it's public access now, and you can probably afford the NHL Centre Ice package.
Tim Thomas must appear to be unbeatable right now, but he has weaknesses. Watch a Canadiens game (the Habs scored in every game despite lacking 6 good forwards), watch the Lightning play Tim Thomas to a pedestrian 0.916. Heck watch Toronto figure out the old man in their last three regular season meetings.
Tim Thomas thrives on first stops. First stops from lousy positions. His team ushers players to these places knowing that Tim will make the save. He's good at the rest too, but he has his dislikes:
1) Cross-ice passes
Because he flops rather than shifts across ice, he relies on percentages on cross ice rather than eyesight or other skill. The Canadiens worked the cross-ice pass to near-perfection when they figured it out, even getting a goal from the stingiest goalie in the final two minutes of a game that should have ended in regulation.
2) Low shots
Games 1 and 2 of the playoffs put Thomas's deficiencies into neon light for all to see. With the Habs low shots were rebounds. Always.
3) Patience on the PP
Thomas may be riding an astounding 0.936 for the playoffs, but he's not otherworldly when on the PK. His 0.877 there is Roberto Luongo/Corey Schneider level and behind such luminaries as Ray Emery and Brian Boucher. He's saved his team's bacon a few times, but when it's been PK time, often Boston took a loss. Still, a goal is not a given and patience can allow the team to wait for opportunities to exploit weaknesses 1) and 2).
Well this is easier said than done, isn't it? Because in order to get a cross-ice pass in, or take a good low shot, one has to first beat Chara.
But Chara has his weakness too, you know. Being punched being one of them, of course (good show Kesler).
A rational person might see 6'9" and come up with the idea that the only way to beat Chara is with someone who can match his size and physicality.
This is wrong. He is so much bigger than anything most teams can throw at him, and so conservative and efficient in movement that this actually plays into his hands.
Take the opposite approach. Go small. Small as can be. Cammalleri was the player of the first round despite Chara's protestations. Gionta gave Zdeno fits at times with hits to the knees. Who led the Lightning against Thomas in their series? St. Louis.
Obviously part of the advantage these players have on a guy like Chara is speed, and more importantly maneuverability. I am not so intimately aware of the Canucks line-up, but as long as you don't ask Higgins, find a shifty player to turn Chara inside out a few times, hit him low and bingo, the vast advantage he usually gives his team is diminished.
From there the Canucks can start to pick on judgment-sink and uber-hypocrite Andrew Ference and his band of journeymen.
I'm not saying this is a guaranteed recipe for success. But when one can't see the forest for the trees (or tree-sized skaters) then one sometimes has to be told obvious little things like these. Vancouver has been poor against the Bru9ins largely because they haven't adapted their game to reflect Bruins weakness. No time to waste in seeing that happens now.
Down the Bruins.
Before this gets too desperate and we need to call on the spirit of Kovalev to undo the black and
Get yourself some video of the Bruins playoff losses
The Canadiens will be more than happy to oblige, I'm sure, plus if you didn't know it's public access now, and you can probably afford the NHL Centre Ice package.
Tim Thomas must appear to be unbeatable right now, but he has weaknesses. Watch a Canadiens game (the Habs scored in every game despite lacking 6 good forwards), watch the Lightning play Tim Thomas to a pedestrian 0.916. Heck watch Toronto figure out the old man in their last three regular season meetings.
Tim Thomas thrives on first stops. First stops from lousy positions. His team ushers players to these places knowing that Tim will make the save. He's good at the rest too, but he has his dislikes:
1) Cross-ice passes
Because he flops rather than shifts across ice, he relies on percentages on cross ice rather than eyesight or other skill. The Canadiens worked the cross-ice pass to near-perfection when they figured it out, even getting a goal from the stingiest goalie in the final two minutes of a game that should have ended in regulation.
2) Low shots
Games 1 and 2 of the playoffs put Thomas's deficiencies into neon light for all to see. With the Habs low shots were rebounds. Always.
3) Patience on the PP
Thomas may be riding an astounding 0.936 for the playoffs, but he's not otherworldly when on the PK. His 0.877 there is Roberto Luongo/Corey Schneider level and behind such luminaries as Ray Emery and Brian Boucher. He's saved his team's bacon a few times, but when it's been PK time, often Boston took a loss. Still, a goal is not a given and patience can allow the team to wait for opportunities to exploit weaknesses 1) and 2).
Well this is easier said than done, isn't it? Because in order to get a cross-ice pass in, or take a good low shot, one has to first beat Chara.
But Chara has his weakness too, you know. Being punched being one of them, of course (good show Kesler).
A rational person might see 6'9" and come up with the idea that the only way to beat Chara is with someone who can match his size and physicality.
This is wrong. He is so much bigger than anything most teams can throw at him, and so conservative and efficient in movement that this actually plays into his hands.
Take the opposite approach. Go small. Small as can be. Cammalleri was the player of the first round despite Chara's protestations. Gionta gave Zdeno fits at times with hits to the knees. Who led the Lightning against Thomas in their series? St. Louis.
Obviously part of the advantage these players have on a guy like Chara is speed, and more importantly maneuverability. I am not so intimately aware of the Canucks line-up, but as long as you don't ask Higgins, find a shifty player to turn Chara inside out a few times, hit him low and bingo, the vast advantage he usually gives his team is diminished.
From there the Canucks can start to pick on judgment-sink and uber-hypocrite Andrew Ference and his band of journeymen.
I'm not saying this is a guaranteed recipe for success. But when one can't see the forest for the trees (or tree-sized skaters) then one sometimes has to be told obvious little things like these. Vancouver has been poor against the Bru9ins largely because they haven't adapted their game to reflect Bruins weakness. No time to waste in seeing that happens now.
Down the Bruins.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
When It's Good To Be Hated
According to the extensive research of one more "professional" reporter, the Canucks are the NHL's most hated team. The evidence as it stacks up (3 NHL players, if you can call Krys Barch that, and one team exec) is irrefutable enough to make the national newspaper -- but they're no tabloid, right?
The interest of the article is clear for Canadiens fans. yet again a dirty team is using the press to make their opponents at a particular time seem the villains. Boston has their lines all written out from the Canadiens series. Diving = despicable. Breaking necks = unfortunate part of the game. Of course it also helps that no one even asks them to show the discrepancies in diving between their team and the other.
So let's take the thesis that the Canucks are hated (never crossed my mind before, but let's). Is it possible that this position they are in is actually enviable?
Dave Bolland (hero) dislikes the Canucks. As he should, because they just eliminated his team. Dave Bolland plays hard hockey and talks and scores important goals. He is admired around the league. Sounds like a certain reporters description of a Canuck. Wonder if Dave Bolland had many fans on the Canucks team he eliminated last season. Of course, this reporter wasn't interested in "Blackhawks most hated" back then.
Then there's the hits. I hate the hits too. But let's not pretend this is something confined to the Canucks. The Bruins are some of the dirtiest hitters around, and don't get off the hook from me just because they claim Halpern dived and Pacioretty was acting so he could get time off to watch a movie. The Blackhawks are no angels either. Nor any NHL team. The hitting situation has to be weeded out of the game, but it won't end with Aaron Rome and Raffi Torres.
Finally the rats. Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre. These guys are despised across the league. Whether they are mocking, diving, declining a fight or biting, it's unanimous from the multitude of sources interviewed for this premier piece of reporting that they are viewed with disdain.
But consider for a minute that both players are two games away from winning a Stanley Cup. Consider Burrows has 9 playoff goals, 7 at even strength, 2 game winners, including a very important one in this series.
Perhaps Krys Barch, who had this to say of Max Lapierre “I don’t know if he has an ounce of man in him, I’d be embarrassed to be his father.” should reflect on his own abysmal playoff record (AHL and NHL) when he criticises a player that has been a factor for teams going to Conference final and Stanley Cup final in consecutive years.
Envy and hatred aren't far apart. And in my experience hatred wanes when indifference starts to enter the equation (see Maple Leafs, Toronto). In my opinion, to be the most hated team in the NHL, with a maximum of 4 games left till summer is probably the precise position you would want to be in.
I just can't wait until Ryan Whitney, Mike Richards and the two-faced Boston media pipe up about the Habs and PK Subban in this way.
The interest of the article is clear for Canadiens fans. yet again a dirty team is using the press to make their opponents at a particular time seem the villains. Boston has their lines all written out from the Canadiens series. Diving = despicable. Breaking necks = unfortunate part of the game. Of course it also helps that no one even asks them to show the discrepancies in diving between their team and the other.
So let's take the thesis that the Canucks are hated (never crossed my mind before, but let's). Is it possible that this position they are in is actually enviable?
Dave Bolland (hero) dislikes the Canucks. As he should, because they just eliminated his team. Dave Bolland plays hard hockey and talks and scores important goals. He is admired around the league. Sounds like a certain reporters description of a Canuck. Wonder if Dave Bolland had many fans on the Canucks team he eliminated last season. Of course, this reporter wasn't interested in "Blackhawks most hated" back then.
Then there's the hits. I hate the hits too. But let's not pretend this is something confined to the Canucks. The Bruins are some of the dirtiest hitters around, and don't get off the hook from me just because they claim Halpern dived and Pacioretty was acting so he could get time off to watch a movie. The Blackhawks are no angels either. Nor any NHL team. The hitting situation has to be weeded out of the game, but it won't end with Aaron Rome and Raffi Torres.
Finally the rats. Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre. These guys are despised across the league. Whether they are mocking, diving, declining a fight or biting, it's unanimous from the multitude of sources interviewed for this premier piece of reporting that they are viewed with disdain.
But consider for a minute that both players are two games away from winning a Stanley Cup. Consider Burrows has 9 playoff goals, 7 at even strength, 2 game winners, including a very important one in this series.
Perhaps Krys Barch, who had this to say of Max Lapierre “I don’t know if he has an ounce of man in him, I’d be embarrassed to be his father.” should reflect on his own abysmal playoff record (AHL and NHL) when he criticises a player that has been a factor for teams going to Conference final and Stanley Cup final in consecutive years.
Envy and hatred aren't far apart. And in my experience hatred wanes when indifference starts to enter the equation (see Maple Leafs, Toronto). In my opinion, to be the most hated team in the NHL, with a maximum of 4 games left till summer is probably the precise position you would want to be in.
I just can't wait until Ryan Whitney, Mike Richards and the two-faced Boston media pipe up about the Habs and PK Subban in this way.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Game #61
Fantastic Game On The Coast; Habs Back On Track?
Details
Date: 22/2/2011
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Vancouver
Win 3-2Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (L)
Habs goalscorers: Desharnais, Gionta, Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: H. Sedin, Samuelsson
Play of the game
That third goal, the winner, was one of the most crucial plays that we have made in the past few weeks, maybe of the whole season. The goal took the game to 3-1 and helped to kill Vancouver's attack for enough time. started with a great fore-check by Kostitsyn who won his battle and the puck. Eller then received the puck, but quickly got it back to Andrei who unleashed a quick shot through Lou.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Andrei Kostitsyn - Game Puck
That was a great game from Andrei who played very, very well all night. I thought that it all started with player-management in his case and was happy to see him getting regular time on the PP. Instead of Pou, Desh or Moen, Kostitsyn was given a regular go on the man-advantage. I think that he took that vote of confidence and decided to express himself on his line, in particular with Eller. This is Andrei's type of game, fast and full of chances. The Calgary game was everything that he (and the Habs in general) is not as it was slow and near-impossible to get into a rhythm.
Tomas Plekanec
He was finally back with one of his regular wingers in a real game and I thought that he looked really good. He used Mike well and Halpern managed to keep up too. He was dynamite on the PK and led the team in shots. I wonder when the Habs last iced a line with 3 successive numbers (13/14/15) on it was? With all the retirements and players using random big numbers I would guess that is has been some time.
Brian Gionta
Early on he played like a true leader as he was all over the ice. That all paid off for him and the Habs when he scored his 22nd just 7 minutes in. I think that he and Gomez can certainly work for us and I would rather that happen now than at the beginning of the season. If they can gear up for the stretch and do well and lead the team then I would deem their seasons success as I could care a less about how many points a player gets in October/November when the team is winning.
Defencemen
Hal Gill
That was playoff Gill, that was the Gill that we longed for last week when he was out. Can you believe that he played 26+ (most of any Hab) and was that good? He is so good on the PK and is the definition of calm and steady in his own end. There was a fantastic dive at the end of the game to get an icing call and I think that that won us the game as it forced Vancouver to keep tired players on the ice with no rest as there was no time-out left.
Roman Hamrlik
Subban was good, but Hammer was better. He, like Gill, led this group all night. What Hal was able to do on the PK, Roman did on the PP. He was sharp throughout and reacted just as a leader should after a tough few games. Knowing that he can play this well against the league's best and fastest is very reassuring.
Goaltender
Carey Price
Carey's teammates did very well to get him a two-goal lead and, so it was he who repaid them big time. After out-shooting the Canucks 14-1 in the first 10 minutes things changed fast. Over the last 50 minutes they took it to us to the tune of 38-11. Price fought his way through traffic on a lot of shots to do what he had to to keep the puck out of the net. Vancouver came close, but certainly can't be used to having so many quality chances turned aside.
Comments
I had a feeling all day that we were going to win this game. I didn't think that last week, but after Edmonton and Calgary I was feeling very good about it. That feeling came from the fact that things like this happen all of the time in the NHL. When things look their worst teams often do something totally unexpected. It was doom and gloom after the past two games, so one can only hope that the nay-sayers will take it easy for a second and get behind this team once again. I mean, they have been on the band-wagon before, I am sure they'll be ready to re-board right away.
We started this game in fantastic fashion and must have totally surprised Vancouver. Our quick start bought us a lead and ended up costing them their time-out (a move that would prove crucial for us later on). The 'nucks did wake up though and it was pretty much all them for the remainder of the game. We took penalties, but not stupid ones really, just desperation, we-can't-keep-up ones. A very timely Kostitsyn goal saved us this game as everyone could see what was about to happen.
This win doesn't mean we won't lose again. It doesn't mean that we won't lose to bad teams again (so, expect some de-boarding of the wagon in the next few weeks). It does, however, remind the team and fans that we do have a good team that is capable of doing good things. We have a lot of good players and when things line up (as is the case with every team in the NHL) we can win some games. When things don't go well or, believe it or not, the other team plays well we may lose (even if we are trying to win). The Habs maybe didn't deserve this win, but who cares about that? There are no playoff spots for teams that deserve to be there, only spots for those who get the points. We needed some points on this trip and I am happy that the players did what they had to to make that a reality.
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Game # 15
Price Turns The Tables On Quebec Goalie With A Shutout Of His Own
Details
Date: 9/11/2010
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Montreal
Win: 2-0
Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (L)
Habs goalscorers: Markov, Hamrlik
Opposition goalscorers: None
Play of the game
A Montrealer comes to town and its a shutout. Not exactly a new script. Yet the play of the game is not a play that sustained a shutout, but the play that broke the other one that loomed.
The play was a collection of good plays, as goals often are, culminating in the simplest of put ins. The breakout pass to Cammalleri, his wonderful vision to find Plekanec, Pleks great control and then patience to open the defence, Gionta to the net, and Markov to the net for a goal. Complex parts, simply beautiful. And no shutout.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeTomas Plekanec
Probably the best skater on either team this night. He controlled play when he was on, he found his way into chances on occasions, he killed penalties thoughtfully, 4 takeaways, he impressed this guy who can barely lift a puck by clearing the rink, and he played the most important part in that goal.
Benoit Pouliot
This game took quite a resolve from the Canadiens players. The discipline to backcheck was key to keeping the Canucks shots peripheral until near the end of the game. The dedication to the forecheck meant Carey Price had long rests at times. For me, Pouliot and his line did a great job on the forecheck. I choose Ben here because I really noticed his jump whenever he was on. Desire to win the puck isn't recorded on the scoresheet, but his play to barge through defender and boards to win a puck early in the first won him a rare dome.
Jeff Halpern
When he was signed, the idea was that he would give Plekanec a bit of a rest. Well, perhaps that hasn't happened yet, but that's not due to any lack of penalty killing prowess. Of the defensive plays tonight, the PK was first and foremost and in pressuring the Canucks point men, Halpern was foremost. His play the rest of the time, in the same vein as Pouliot, was also impressive.
Defencemen
Jaroslav Spacek
Spacek and Hamrlik played a blinder on the Sedins. Two of the hottest scorers of last season and this one were held to 2 shots between them. And despite RDS going on and on to the contrary, they did not look the Canucks biggest threat to me. Spacek again had his slips, but on the whole showed why he is the professional choice for the defence with a credible shielding of Price.
Roman Hamrlik
A blinder, as I mentioned. Hamrlik was my best defender on the evening. When Carey was in need of some calm, it seemed that more often than not, Roman had the puck on his stick. This game, he took the responsibility for it and it showed. The post would not be complete without mention of his pinpoint goal which was provided in glorious juxtaposition with our goalscorers off-kilter aim.
Goaltender
Carey Price - Game Puck
Tobalev must think I'm going soft. All my reports seem to end with a Price Game Puck. This game will look like a stunner for Price in the future, trust me. When all memory of first and second periods are gone and all we have are stats, it will be pulled up as an example of being hung out to dry. Not quite so. Yet that doesn't mean Price wasn't stellar. The thing is, he didn't do it with highlight saves, he did it with synced up play. ON a night where the team did very well together at many elements, Carey fit right in. He let up rebounds when his defenders were near and he didn't when they weren't. He let the puck out when the team was in swing and held it when they needed a break. Just a well thought out effort from what has been a maturing young goalie.
Comments
Beating the Canucks is nothing to sneeze at. Shutting them out is impressive. The game had elements to draw lots of encouragement from: the no-nonsense PK, the even strength balance of play, the play of Carey Price who put to bed a VCR bugaboo (7-1 last time, remember?). But as Habs fans we live to fret, and there's material there for that too. Gomez didn't score (though he did unleash 3 or 4 magnificent unclaimed passes), the 4-minute PP was pathetic, Kostitsyn's early season momentum is being sapped, Lapierre still sucked the life out his linemates and other nitpicking.
It's the luxury of winning that leads to concern over these little things. You know what though? Like that future take on this shutout, all the events of this game will be forgotten but the two points when new stories emerge. Joel Bouchard summed it up nicely when asked about Jacques Martin's concerns: "Would he be concerned about starting Eller given Halak's depart canon?" Well, no he won't, because what he cares about is winning, and he showed it by essentially benching Eller despite him looking great. Winning is what matters to the coach, it should be what matters to the team and its fans. Take this luxury of winning and enjoy it, someone will slump during a losing streak, we can all complain then.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Game #57
Halak One-Ups Luongo In Exciting Habs Win
Details
Date: 02/02/10
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Montreal
Loss: 3-2
Habs Goalie: Halak (W)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (L)
Habs goalscorers: S. Kostitsyn, Lapierre, Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Samuelsson, Kesler
Play of the game
Within the first 2 minutes of the game Halak made two rounds of two saves that set the tone and likely kept us in it. Vancouver came out flying and could have been up 2-0 and should have at least been up 1-0, but Jaro was outstanding as he denied the Canucks' high flying offence. 3 minutes after that the Habs would go up and would never really look back. There were great goals tonight and some even better saves later on, but to be that sharp, that early sends a message to both teams that we meant business.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome
Forwards
Tomas Plekanec
Pleks is now on to a new set of wingers entirely and, you know what, I think he is going to be OK. That, in part, is due to the fact that his wingers are indeed playing well, but also because he has picked up his game of late; especially tonight. Tonight he scored a goal, was +2, played over 21 minutes, took a game-high 7 shots (1/4 our total) and was a very impressive 17-8 on face-offs. I would say that it looks like he is willing to do his part while his wingers are out.
Sergei Kostitsyn
Another strong game for Sergei and more reason to be grateful that we didn't trade him in the Fall. I feel that he has been pretty decent all year for us, so it surprises me when I think that his 2 points tonight account for 1/3 of his season total. Luckily we don't needlessly focus on points here and, therefore, one can point to his strong play on the third line before Christmas as proof that this is the right league for him. It is nice, however, to be able to call upon a winger of his skill when needed because, as he showed tonight, he can play with the big boys.
Benoit Pouliot
Taking Pouliot away from Gomez and Gionta was actually a good move for the team when I think about it. Ideally he'd still be on that line, but when you are running low on options you have to get creative and that is exactly what Martin has done. Luckily that means that we can still ice two decent lines in each game. It seems that Ben happens to find his way onto our best line and I have to think that he is the reason for that. He is a very good player who is strong around the net and, like he showed tonight with his 2 assists, can pass the puck quite well.
Defencemen
Andrei Markov
Markov played the type of game in his own end that I need to see more often than I have been doing. I have always considered him a top-5 defender in this league (whole package) and a big part of that was thanks to his defence. I am happy, therefore, that tonight he was +2 and that he wasn't on the ice for any goals against. Like always he made his partner better (O'Byrne) which allowed us to put out 2 quality pairings. He wasn't at his best offensively, but, even though he didn't have a point, his presence on the ice certainly helped on those 2 goals.
Ryan O'Byrne
Ryan played the type of hockey tonight that we were promised in the pre-season. He used his size, skated well and got in the front of shots. He complemented Markov very well and I thought the two made a better pair than any of Ryan's previous twosomes. Martin rewarded this strong play, which included team-highs in both hits (4) and blocked-shots (4), with increased ice-time (21:48) and responsibility.
Goaltender
Jarsolav Halak - Game Puck
Not sure where we would have been without Jaro tonight, but I am not sure that I want to think of that. You can't always say 'if it wasn't for our goalie' because the goalie is part of this team too and that is one of our strengths that we should be allowed to bank on. People who say that our team is bad, apart from the 'tenders', are failing to include them in the team. Our team is what it is and if we have a goalie who can win us games in which we are out-shot by 20 shots then so be it. Halak was, once again, his usual, spectacular, solid self and he was able to help the Habs win a game that many didn't think we would. He now has 15 wins (15-10), his GAA is on the good side of 2.50 and his Save% is creeping up to .930 range (3rd in the league). (An interesting stat is that the 4 best save percentages in the league belong to 4 Olympic starters from countries that could make more noise than expected - USA, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia).
Comments
Now, the Habs may have been out-shot and a bit outplayed, but when you can beat one of the best goalies in the league 3 times and get world-class goaltending from yours it could be argued that it was us who we outplayed them. Whatever we decide to call it, however, this game marked a massive improvement over our games from last week. We skated hard tonight, went to the front of the net, didn't simply wait for PP opportunities and actually created many, many chances. The Canucks, for their part, also played some exciting hockey which made this game one of the best to watch of the season. Granted Vancouver play an open, fast style, and perhaps that is how we got through so often, but at least we adapted to this and bettered them at it. Many teams don't have the skill to keep up with a team like that and, so, it was a nice surprise, given all our injuries, that we were able to do just that. The next few weeks promise to be long, but if we keep working hard and we keep getting all-star goaltending anything, just anything is possible. If we choose not to compete and to play a slow, dump-in style then we'll continue to lose to the Florida and Tampas of this league. The fact that we played well tonight is what makes the season so exciting and so frustrating all at the same time.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Game #4
Up Tonight, Bowling; Habs Revert To February
Details
Date: 7/10/09
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Vancouver
Loss: 1-7
Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (W)
Habs goalscorers: A Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: Kesler, Raymond, Bernier, H Sedin (2), Samuelsson, Burrows
Play of the game
Not a pretty game to watch. On the flip side, the Canadiens kept it really simple for those of us who must choose a play of the game -- how considerate. The candidates on the night were a few shots directed at Luongo's net with purpose. The ultimate winner was the goal. Off a faceoff, the play was a relatively simple one. The key, however, was Andrei Kostitsyn making the space for himself rather than finding the boards or the end of the rink. His turn followed by a quick wrister on net was about as good as it got on this night.
Dome hockey team
The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the domeForwards
Mike Cammalleri - Game Puck
On this night, Cammalleri did all that we would ever asked him to do. He skated, he shot the puck and he looked dangerous on the ice. Since he wasn't around for the 7-1 drubbings last season, Mike stood out for his play once the game was beyond reach. Instead of giving up on the affair, he kept going and seemed determined to salvage a shred of something, anything from the game. The top line was the best line all night, and Mike was the best on it for me.
Guillaume Latendresse
Apart from the goal, there was really one other moment in the running for the play of the game. It was the moment where Gui brought the puck around the net, looked poised to give the quick shot but instead waited patiently until he gained his opening right in the slot. On a night of scrambling, this moment of patience and poise is something to applaud. In general, I thought Guillaume made the best of a bad situation, being that he was trying to create real offensive chances on a line that thinks you get points for holding the puck on the backboards. There were several occasions to look up and take notice during the game from Guillaume, only further enhancing the case for him to usurp Pacioretty. Oh, and the goal was scored when Martin succumbed to the idea of taking the youngster off in place of Latendresse with Plekanec and Kostitsyn.
Andrei Kostitsyn
No, Kostitsyn didn't have memorable defensive moments, no he wasn't everywhere. But let's not get confused here. We want Andrei Kostitsyn to score and to concentrate on scoring. He scored. Apart from that moment, he certainly had his faults. However, if being overly generous with the puck after a strong carry wasn't one of them (again), we'd all be raving about him as a bright (OK, slighly less dim) light in this game, I think.
Defencemen
Josh Gorges
Remember last year when Josh Gorges quietly took the mantle of third most reliable defenceman on the team? Well, if things continue this way and Markov's tendon is slow to heal, Josh will take the place at the head of this group before long. There were some true horrors on D last night, not least among them the PK, but Josh largely kept his hands clean. He seems to manage it by keeping it simple -- something the others might do well to watch.
Paul Mara
To make a point, I almost put Markov in the dome after this one. It really is getting distressing how defencemen are chosen by how they limited errors, as opposed to actually exerting a positive effect on the games. I feel like a teacher with a class full of C students, thirsting for just one student who cared about learning. Oh, to be Jacques Martin with this crew. Paul Mara, of the three remaining possibilities (Gill and Weber were disastrous all around) seemed to be the most palatable in the end. Though he was on for goals against, he was also the one who ultimately passed to our best goalscorer for the goal and put in some good PP time. Plus, as a 5th D, he actually put in the kind of effort one might expect on a slightly off night.
Goaltender
Jaroslav Halak
Speaking of distressing: second game in a row with the goalie who didn't really play? Not good. Jaro isn't in because he made 3 saves, as you know, he's in because he wasn't in for the blood and gore. Would it have gone differently with him in goal? Perhaps not, but you can't think it would have been much worse. Sure, there was one great glove save, but Carey had 3 or 4 opportunities to make one of those amazing reflex efforts. To take but one is not very satisfying for the observer. And while he continues to position himself well to be hit, the contingencies he makes for what might happen after the puck strikes him are not anything I would show a peewee team. In the end, perhaps this was the game Carey should have played in February, as he ironically turned in the 52 minutes he missed last season in Vancouver with a stunning replica of his form at the time. I look forward to a new script submission for 2009-10, from either goalie at this point.
Comments
Just as a win is a win, a loss is a loss. At this point in the season it is disappointing to sit through such a disengaging spectacle, however it's not that unexpected. If there are positives to be taken from this game they must be unearthed from the steaming pile of manure the team heaped on top of them. I feel there are some.
First, if anyone needed a reminder that the practices shouldn't end when training camp does, this game might help. The defencemen must surely have some impetus now to actually start learning that system everyone seems to be talking about.
Second, Carey Price was at his best last season after he practiced. After a summer of convincing himself nothing was wrong, perhaps a flashback to February might get him a little more keyed up about working with new coach Groulx. After all, even if he didn't let in 7 goals, his game needed work this fall.
And, finally, Martin was shown what happened last season and more. He was given examples of why Max is PacioNotReady and why Moen, Mara and Gill might have dispatched from their previous teams without fuss. He was given a lesson in how long time between the scoring line passes when you stack it with all your hope. He was shown that he'll have to rely on a very strict system in Markov's absence, since innate talent for doing anything in the home end is severely lacking. Up until now, he's had a bit of a honeymoon, but as a 4-day break approaches before the home opener, this game provided stark reminder that seeing how things pan out (Carbo-style) won't work this time around.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Denis Out, Sanford In
Desjardins Bumped To 4th In Queue
It must be quite a laugh for Bob Gainey and former Panthers GM Jacques Martin. While Bob is scooping up his 8th new addition to the organization through free agency – their chief playoff rival from last spring has done nothing other than take one step sideways (signing Scott Clemmenson to replace Craig Anderson) and four steps back (signing Leopold as a replacement for Bouwmeester, whose rights they acquired in that late June trade).
Yesterday, it was Gainey's turn to make a sideways move by signing Curtis Sanford of the Vancouver Canucks/Manitoba Moose to take the place that Marc Denis occupied last winter.
Curtis Sanford
In Curtis Sanford, the Canadiens have acquired a third-string goalie with good credentials for the position. Over his long and convoluted career, Sanford has scaled as high as starter (St. Louis, 2005-06), but generally settles in somewhere between great AHL starter and adequate NHL back-up.
Sportsnet says of his strengths:
And, weaknesses:
On looking at his stats, one thing is clear. It seems than when he plays against AHL calibre shooters he can be an excellent goalie, but struggles at the NHL level. Even the difference between Peoria 2003-04 to 2004-05 (when young NHLers roamed the AHL ice) was marked, with a drop of 2% in saves made. The fact that he ranges from slightly just below the standard you'd hope for in the NHL to all-star in the AHL gives proof to the fact that there are more good goalies around than shooters in the two leagues.
No doubt it hasn't escaped many pundits that Gainey has yet again this off-season replaced a French Canadian with an outsider. But if you stick to their mantra "a talent egale, on prendra le Quebecois", Gainey may win a debate on it. While Marc Denis has not put up an NHL record anyone would want to hold up since before the lockout, Sanford had 2005-06 in St. Louis and, to some extent, last year in Vancouver. Even in the AHL, Sanford has outclassed his rival (last year's numbers: 1.73, 0.936 vs. 2.46, 0.920).
It seems that like many of the moves from this off-season, it will have to be regarded as a minor upgrade at the same position.
Trade ripples
The predictable summer rumour merchants jumped right on this signing – just as they do with every Montreal, Toronto, New York or Philadelphia transaction. Hockeybuzz suggests that the move frees up Halak for a trade. Not only that, but a trade that would ring the Canadiens another top centre (Patrick Marleau) and unblock the Heatley logjam all at once.
It's a lot to read into the signing of a Manitoba Moose employee. Plus, it's been said before when Marc Denis was signed.
Personally, I wouldn't say that this signing does free up Jaroslav Halak to be traded – not after Carey's forays into blunderland. I certainly don't think that it gives Gainey the impetus to go out there and actively offer Jaro around.
I do think, however, that it removes the restraint that was previously there. Where there was no depth before (sorry Cedrick), the addition of Curtis Sanford does mean organizations won't fall down if an NHL-level goaltender is traded and someone has to move up. It means that while this isn't the signal that a trade is inevitably around the corner.
If anything, I think it plugs what was the major hole in the hole organization for now and is a sign that Montreal can now listen seriously to offers about nearly all of its roster (barring Markov). That in itself is important because you always want to be in a position to be the team that benefits from the crazed Florida GM coming knocking.
Yesterday, it was Gainey's turn to make a sideways move by signing Curtis Sanford of the Vancouver Canucks/Manitoba Moose to take the place that Marc Denis occupied last winter.
Curtis Sanford
In Curtis Sanford, the Canadiens have acquired a third-string goalie with good credentials for the position. Over his long and convoluted career, Sanford has scaled as high as starter (St. Louis, 2005-06), but generally settles in somewhere between great AHL starter and adequate NHL back-up.
Sportsnet says of his strengths:
Has a tremendous attitude and the perfect demeanor for the backup role at the NHL level. Is capable of making big saves at key moments of a hockey game.
And, weaknesses:
Is somewhat small for the goaltending position, and tends to get beaten upstairs with relative frequency. Isn't durable enough to be an NHL starter.
On looking at his stats, one thing is clear. It seems than when he plays against AHL calibre shooters he can be an excellent goalie, but struggles at the NHL level. Even the difference between Peoria 2003-04 to 2004-05 (when young NHLers roamed the AHL ice) was marked, with a drop of 2% in saves made. The fact that he ranges from slightly just below the standard you'd hope for in the NHL to all-star in the AHL gives proof to the fact that there are more good goalies around than shooters in the two leagues.
No doubt it hasn't escaped many pundits that Gainey has yet again this off-season replaced a French Canadian with an outsider. But if you stick to their mantra "a talent egale, on prendra le Quebecois", Gainey may win a debate on it. While Marc Denis has not put up an NHL record anyone would want to hold up since before the lockout, Sanford had 2005-06 in St. Louis and, to some extent, last year in Vancouver. Even in the AHL, Sanford has outclassed his rival (last year's numbers: 1.73, 0.936 vs. 2.46, 0.920).
It seems that like many of the moves from this off-season, it will have to be regarded as a minor upgrade at the same position.
Trade ripples
The predictable summer rumour merchants jumped right on this signing – just as they do with every Montreal, Toronto, New York or Philadelphia transaction. Hockeybuzz suggests that the move frees up Halak for a trade. Not only that, but a trade that would ring the Canadiens another top centre (Patrick Marleau) and unblock the Heatley logjam all at once.
It's a lot to read into the signing of a Manitoba Moose employee. Plus, it's been said before when Marc Denis was signed.
Personally, I wouldn't say that this signing does free up Jaroslav Halak to be traded – not after Carey's forays into blunderland. I certainly don't think that it gives Gainey the impetus to go out there and actively offer Jaro around.
I do think, however, that it removes the restraint that was previously there. Where there was no depth before (sorry Cedrick), the addition of Curtis Sanford does mean organizations won't fall down if an NHL-level goaltender is traded and someone has to move up. It means that while this isn't the signal that a trade is inevitably around the corner.
If anything, I think it plugs what was the major hole in the hole organization for now and is a sign that Montreal can now listen seriously to offers about nearly all of its roster (barring Markov). That in itself is important because you always want to be in a position to be the team that benefits from the crazed Florida GM coming knocking.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Price For Luongo?
A chance at some fun.
Vancouver's not happy with their goalie either. Mike Boone link's to this article from CanWest, which suggests, among other things, trading Luongo for a goalie like (not specifically) Carey Price.
If I was Gainey, I would do this trade. Heck, I'd trade any young goalie (Varlamov, Fleury, Ward) for this guy.
My reasoning is this:
1) Yes, it's true that:
However, you have to look at how many franchise goaltenders there even are. Given how few there are, I have a feeling that having someone as good as Luongo (provided you're not as organizationally pathetic as Florida) is probably enough to make the playoffs. He did get 9 shutouts this year (9 wins on his won, that is).
2) We already have Andrei Markov (Vancouver do not). He is signed for two more years and is at his prime. Markov in front of Luongo is better than he is in front of most. Heck, Komisarek might be decent again. Hamrlik would be more reliable. Gorges would probably thrive in an environment where he could afford to slip.
3) Having a franchise goalie fall in your lap is probably better than developing one. Developing a franchise goalie can be painful. He must get starts. He must learn lots. And what you get at the end is probably one contract at his zenith. Sign a guy at his zenith and you get the same thing without the learning. Where's the downside? It costs more, but there's value in being assured at one position like that.
Markov is our core, and he will be for 2 more years (possibly at most). Developing Price for 2/3 more years if it comes off burns those years after which point we have no guarantee of a top-notch defender.
What's more, our prospects are coming up duds, and we'd be lucky to pull a Markov out of the hat there. Fischer might never play a game, let alone be the big dream defender we thought he could be. McDonagh likely won't anchor a team like Chelios, despite the comparisons. That's our best depth, don't even ask about forwards...
Getting a top goalie in now, with Markov, would change our window of contention again. We should (health permtting) be in the game for the deep playoffs again. On top of that, it might actually help the UFA negotiations. Current Habs UFAs might be turned on by the move. League free agents might take notice too.
Chance of this being a straight up trade...
You'd have to think it's very very low. This is a Patrick Roy (not quite) for Jocelyn Thibault deal. Are trades like that made twice?
The chance of either team trading either guy is already miniscule, straight up would be highly unusual. I don't really see many packages sweetening this trade partnership either. It's sheer fantasy really, but is good fun for news-starved fans in the off season.
Vancouver's not happy with their goalie either. Mike Boone link's to this article from CanWest, which suggests, among other things, trading Luongo for a goalie like (not specifically) Carey Price.
If I was Gainey, I would do this trade. Heck, I'd trade any young goalie (Varlamov, Fleury, Ward) for this guy.
My reasoning is this:
1) Yes, it's true that:
"The winning goaltenders of the Stanley Cup since the last time a "franchise" goaltender - Martin Brodeur in 2003 - backstopped the victorious team have been Khabibulin, Ward, Jean-Sébastien Giguère and Osgood, who has won two Cups already and could make it three this spring. Among the losing finalists' goalies have been Dwayne Roloson and Ray Emery."
However, you have to look at how many franchise goaltenders there even are. Given how few there are, I have a feeling that having someone as good as Luongo (provided you're not as organizationally pathetic as Florida) is probably enough to make the playoffs. He did get 9 shutouts this year (9 wins on his won, that is).
2) We already have Andrei Markov (Vancouver do not). He is signed for two more years and is at his prime. Markov in front of Luongo is better than he is in front of most. Heck, Komisarek might be decent again. Hamrlik would be more reliable. Gorges would probably thrive in an environment where he could afford to slip.
3) Having a franchise goalie fall in your lap is probably better than developing one. Developing a franchise goalie can be painful. He must get starts. He must learn lots. And what you get at the end is probably one contract at his zenith. Sign a guy at his zenith and you get the same thing without the learning. Where's the downside? It costs more, but there's value in being assured at one position like that.
Markov is our core, and he will be for 2 more years (possibly at most). Developing Price for 2/3 more years if it comes off burns those years after which point we have no guarantee of a top-notch defender.
What's more, our prospects are coming up duds, and we'd be lucky to pull a Markov out of the hat there. Fischer might never play a game, let alone be the big dream defender we thought he could be. McDonagh likely won't anchor a team like Chelios, despite the comparisons. That's our best depth, don't even ask about forwards...
Getting a top goalie in now, with Markov, would change our window of contention again. We should (health permtting) be in the game for the deep playoffs again. On top of that, it might actually help the UFA negotiations. Current Habs UFAs might be turned on by the move. League free agents might take notice too.
Chance of this being a straight up trade...
You'd have to think it's very very low. This is a Patrick Roy (not quite) for Jocelyn Thibault deal. Are trades like that made twice?
The chance of either team trading either guy is already miniscule, straight up would be highly unusual. I don't really see many packages sweetening this trade partnership either. It's sheer fantasy really, but is good fun for news-starved fans in the off season.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Saturday's Sweet Win
Earlier this season, I expressed my almost complete indifference to the current Leafs. I noted there was little to hate about Kaberle, Toskala, Blake, Stajan and Antropov. They are faceless players to me. I can't say I lamented the loss of a despised rival, but I admit it did feel odd.
Ever since Brian Burke has returned I have reason to abhor again. Perhaps it's because I was taught at a very young age that being a braggart was one of the worst things you could do, that winning with grace was just as important as shaking the hand of the winner after a loss.
During our long and thorough beating of the Leafs on Saturday, I found some time to relish beating Brian Burke the GM.
Is there a man in hockey more smug and full of himself than Brian Burke?
To my mind, the answer is no. The guy just can't resist an opportunity to brag. In that regard he seems peerless among NHL GMs. Funny given that his achievements over more than a decade have been matched and surpassed by so many.
Public apology
The impetus for this article for me came mid last week. Brian Burke stood in front of his media hangers on and apologised for the Leafs missing the playoffs:
Did you catch that his teams have been in the playoffs for seven straight years? That was relevant...
Has an apology ever been more disingenuous. Burke should be apologising for not being able to coax his coach and team into losing more, not for missing the playoffs. He did everything in he could conceive in his brilliant little mind to miss the playoffs, didn't he?
1) He traded two of his top scorers at the trade deadline for draft picks
2) He tried to trade anyone else with any value too
3) He did nothing prior to the deadline to bolster a roster that looked on track to miss the playoffs by an even wider margin
Damien Cox says it well when he describes it thus:
So why the sob story now? Why blame the goaltending?
Maybe just because he is full of it. Probably nothing more. It certainly wouldn't suit his self-styled genius tag to take the blame himself, would it?
Toronto still in awe of the myth
From what I've been reading recently on Burke, it seems like his blustering and boasting has been paying dividends, at least in Toronto. That Cup victory (courtesy of Bryan Murray and Rob Niedermayer) seems not to have lost its shine yet.
His stint in Anaheim can generously be viewed as fleeting success. The other extreme view is that he came in, took advantage of some nice work by his predecessors, had some fun and left behind a pretty big managerial mess. Incidentally, his other team – the Ducks, with the core we were to believe should be coveted by the world and its sister could very well miss the playoffs too (though Burke probably won't take blame for that either if they do).
Even if you look at his years in Vancouver, which obviously did wonders for his ego boost, the team ultimately just played out the top of the cycle that the team had been slumping years to attain. They had some good regular seasons on the backs of Naslund and Bertuzzi (both inherited) but only played in 7 playoff games beyond Round 1 – one might remind Burkie of that the next time he spews his 7 straight season malarkey. His record there is epitomised by the goalies he needed to get, couldn't get and ultimately blamed as he did at this latest press conference. This Vancouver fan (Wetcoaster – post 5) gives a better recap than I could. I have to say, it doesn't really read like the egomaniac would want it to.
In another summary back in November (in a column that has apparently been purged from Fox archives), Al Strachan put to paper what all of us who have been cynics on Burke for a while have been thinking:
Ultimately, Toronto fans must now be in shock. They resigned themselves to a season of losing to do the rebuilding properly – to avoid the round-about that is 7th to 10th to 7th to 10th in the NHL. They now find themselves right back on the round-about. They definitely will not have the playoffs, they most likely won't get a top draft pick either.
If I was a Leafs fan, I would be irate. I certainly would not have taken the bluster from the loudest GM in the room. Coming in to rebuild, he has made a hash of losing, tossed players away for draft picks and dressed it up with a lie about the way he feels about the whole disaster.
I might feel sorry for the fans, if it weren't for Burke maybe I would. As it is, to be able to go to Toronto and claim two points when we needed them most and further humiliate the GM's GM, what could be sweeter?
Ever since Brian Burke has returned I have reason to abhor again. Perhaps it's because I was taught at a very young age that being a braggart was one of the worst things you could do, that winning with grace was just as important as shaking the hand of the winner after a loss.
During our long and thorough beating of the Leafs on Saturday, I found some time to relish beating Brian Burke the GM.
Is there a man in hockey more smug and full of himself than Brian Burke?
To my mind, the answer is no. The guy just can't resist an opportunity to brag. In that regard he seems peerless among NHL GMs. Funny given that his achievements over more than a decade have been matched and surpassed by so many.
Public apology
The impetus for this article for me came mid last week. Brian Burke stood in front of his media hangers on and apologised for the Leafs missing the playoffs:
"Today is a sombre day here. We were eliminated from the playoffs. This is a day that represents failure. I'm not happy. My teams have been in the playoffs for seven straight years. … It burns my butt. If I don't seem like I'm in a great mood, I'm not."
Did you catch that his teams have been in the playoffs for seven straight years? That was relevant...
Has an apology ever been more disingenuous. Burke should be apologising for not being able to coax his coach and team into losing more, not for missing the playoffs. He did everything in he could conceive in his brilliant little mind to miss the playoffs, didn't he?
1) He traded two of his top scorers at the trade deadline for draft picks
2) He tried to trade anyone else with any value too
3) He did nothing prior to the deadline to bolster a roster that looked on track to miss the playoffs by an even wider margin
Damien Cox says it well when he describes it thus:
Burke offered many reasons for missing the playoffs this season, but he left out the part that he traded away the team’s two best forwards for draft picks a month ago because it was the right thing to do even if it meant making the team less competitive in the short-term.
So why the sob story now? Why blame the goaltending?
Maybe just because he is full of it. Probably nothing more. It certainly wouldn't suit his self-styled genius tag to take the blame himself, would it?
Toronto still in awe of the myth
From what I've been reading recently on Burke, it seems like his blustering and boasting has been paying dividends, at least in Toronto. That Cup victory (courtesy of Bryan Murray and Rob Niedermayer) seems not to have lost its shine yet.
His stint in Anaheim can generously be viewed as fleeting success. The other extreme view is that he came in, took advantage of some nice work by his predecessors, had some fun and left behind a pretty big managerial mess. Incidentally, his other team – the Ducks, with the core we were to believe should be coveted by the world and its sister could very well miss the playoffs too (though Burke probably won't take blame for that either if they do).
Even if you look at his years in Vancouver, which obviously did wonders for his ego boost, the team ultimately just played out the top of the cycle that the team had been slumping years to attain. They had some good regular seasons on the backs of Naslund and Bertuzzi (both inherited) but only played in 7 playoff games beyond Round 1 – one might remind Burkie of that the next time he spews his 7 straight season malarkey. His record there is epitomised by the goalies he needed to get, couldn't get and ultimately blamed as he did at this latest press conference. This Vancouver fan (Wetcoaster – post 5) gives a better recap than I could. I have to say, it doesn't really read like the egomaniac would want it to.
In another summary back in November (in a column that has apparently been purged from Fox archives), Al Strachan put to paper what all of us who have been cynics on Burke for a while have been thinking:
[Brian Burke] started off as GM of the Hartford Whalers, a team that had just made the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons. Once Burke got there, they missed.
But he was much better in Vancouver. There, he won a playoff round. Granted it took six seasons to do so, but geniuses can’t be held to the same standards as everyone else. In those six seasons, he missed the playoffs twice and went out in the first round three times.
Ultimately, Toronto fans must now be in shock. They resigned themselves to a season of losing to do the rebuilding properly – to avoid the round-about that is 7th to 10th to 7th to 10th in the NHL. They now find themselves right back on the round-about. They definitely will not have the playoffs, they most likely won't get a top draft pick either.
If I was a Leafs fan, I would be irate. I certainly would not have taken the bluster from the loudest GM in the room. Coming in to rebuild, he has made a hash of losing, tossed players away for draft picks and dressed it up with a lie about the way he feels about the whole disaster.
I might feel sorry for the fans, if it weren't for Burke maybe I would. As it is, to be able to go to Toronto and claim two points when we needed them most and further humiliate the GM's GM, what could be sweeter?
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Playoff Picture Starting To Clear
As we know there's only one way to be sure of playoff participation, and that is to win games. However, a lot of teams will make the playoffs (even those who haven't clinched yet) by losing the majority of the rest of their games. It is a function of who plays who, and even with three point games, teams coming from behind can only catch up so much.
The Flyers are a good example. They currently have 92, and two teams outside the playoff picture could by simple arithmetic overtake them. However, because that would mean the Panthers and the Sabres beating other playoff contenders, and the existing possibility that the 4 teams currently behind them could still lose games as well, it means the Flyers would still have a 32% chance of making the playoffs if they lost all their remaining games. The Hurricanes, with a mere 91 points would have a 28% chance of making the post-season without a further win, and 92 points for them would solidify their position at 49% or so (a toss up).
Predictive models like the one I have been tracking at Sports Club Stats start to come into their own with 5-10 games left, it is where their predictive modelling becomes more reliable and just before the point where we can work it all out in our heads anyway. In any case, they are nothing more than good fun as we all know that 94% of making the playoffs two weeks out if the chance is 0% once the final game is played.
From the Canadiens point of view, it has been interesting the past few days, and indeed weeks. The team currently has an 82.4% chance of making the playoffs (if you prefer to weight games by home ice and previous record, goal differential and all that) 0r a slightly lower 80.8% if you're like me and prefer to believe that 50/50 is closer to the truth at this wacky time of year.
Yesterday's games were pretty tame as far as us scoreboard watchers are concerned. The Leafs win did nothing to improve our chances at making the playoffs (statistically speaking – presumably if we overtake the Flyers we're guaranteed in anyway); the Penguins win over the Devils decreased our chances by a fraction and the Thrashers OT win over Buffalo pushed our likely participation up by less than 1%.
Tonight's games are more interesting, however. Obviously our own game is a big one. A win would push our odds to 9/10 scenarios, whereas a point-less loss would drop us to around 7/10. A lone point would hurt, not help the cause from the odds-makers perspective, but would only affect a 2.5% drop. The Rangers also play and could help us out by losing to the Hurricanes to the tune of a few percent.
Friday's another interesting day (as they all will be until the end of the season now) with the Panthers and Sabres in action.
Cheering the Thrashers on
As you know, Kovalchuk and the Thrashers have done us a few favours recently. For one thing, they bowed down and lost. For another, they've beaten the Sabres twice in a month and the Rangers once as well.
Well our second favourite team will could be playing the second biggest role in determining our playoff fate as they have two of their remaining 5 games against the Florida Panthers. To give you an idea of their importance, a win tomorrow over Florida would help our chances three times more than a single point form us this evening, giving us a 6% bump. If Atlanta were to pull off the sweep (tomahawk chops going?), then Florida would probably need to beat two or three of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, all on decent tears themselves.
Perhaps it's time to get a Ted Turner TNN package to try and get some Atlanta hockey on your sets.
And don't assume it will be a bore watching this revitalised team. Since the Thrashers lost to the Blackhawks on February 11th, the team has actually picked it up mightily going 14-6-1 to bring home the season. Not only that, Kovalchuk is on a rampant tear scoring his 30th goal over the 37-game stretch since the midpoint. Though the odds don't pick it up because of the dismal first half, the Thrashers actually look one of the more likely teams to get wins in the last week and a half of the season...
Canucks in?
The Sports Club Stats website has Vancouver in in all scenarios. The NHL website does not give them the clinch. Out of pure curiosity, I looked into it. I thought you'd enjoy what I found – I think I figured out a way Vancouver could miss the playoffs (it's not surprising it comes out as a zero with 50 million runs):
1) Naturally, Vancouver must lose all their games, they must also take a major goal differential hit to make things more manageable for the trackers – 93 points (0-6-0)
2) St. Louis must win all their games and recover their goal differential to overtake Vancouver – 93 points (5-0-0)
3) Nashville (Vancouver has the tie break) must win all their games too – 94 points (5-0-0)
4) Columbus who will have lost 2 of their remaining 5 to St. Louis and Nashville must pick up OT points in one or both and win 2 of their next three; or just win their other 3 – 93+ points (min 2-2-1)
5) Anaheim need 4 wins and an OTL from 5 (obviously not letting Vancouver get a point in the process) – 94+ points (min 4-0-1)
6) Chicago, now with at least 3 losses from their last 6 from Nashville and Columbus must take a point from Detroit or one of the Columbus games over 3 games – 94+ points (min 0-5-1)
7) Finally, Calgary must get at least a point from their remaining games – 94+ points (min 0-4-2)
The point that should be conceded to celebrating Canucks fans is the fact that even if they lose and all these things happen, because they drew St. Louis in the season series, the Blues going making up the 34 goal gap in goal differential is the biggest stretch of this entire theory. And that's even if you don't look at who plays or goaltends on these teams...
Happy hockey and scoreboard gazing.
Go Habs Go. (And Thrashers too)
The Flyers are a good example. They currently have 92, and two teams outside the playoff picture could by simple arithmetic overtake them. However, because that would mean the Panthers and the Sabres beating other playoff contenders, and the existing possibility that the 4 teams currently behind them could still lose games as well, it means the Flyers would still have a 32% chance of making the playoffs if they lost all their remaining games. The Hurricanes, with a mere 91 points would have a 28% chance of making the post-season without a further win, and 92 points for them would solidify their position at 49% or so (a toss up).
Predictive models like the one I have been tracking at Sports Club Stats start to come into their own with 5-10 games left, it is where their predictive modelling becomes more reliable and just before the point where we can work it all out in our heads anyway. In any case, they are nothing more than good fun as we all know that 94% of making the playoffs two weeks out if the chance is 0% once the final game is played.
From the Canadiens point of view, it has been interesting the past few days, and indeed weeks. The team currently has an 82.4% chance of making the playoffs (if you prefer to weight games by home ice and previous record, goal differential and all that) 0r a slightly lower 80.8% if you're like me and prefer to believe that 50/50 is closer to the truth at this wacky time of year.
Yesterday's games were pretty tame as far as us scoreboard watchers are concerned. The Leafs win did nothing to improve our chances at making the playoffs (statistically speaking – presumably if we overtake the Flyers we're guaranteed in anyway); the Penguins win over the Devils decreased our chances by a fraction and the Thrashers OT win over Buffalo pushed our likely participation up by less than 1%.
Tonight's games are more interesting, however. Obviously our own game is a big one. A win would push our odds to 9/10 scenarios, whereas a point-less loss would drop us to around 7/10. A lone point would hurt, not help the cause from the odds-makers perspective, but would only affect a 2.5% drop. The Rangers also play and could help us out by losing to the Hurricanes to the tune of a few percent.
Friday's another interesting day (as they all will be until the end of the season now) with the Panthers and Sabres in action.
Cheering the Thrashers on
As you know, Kovalchuk and the Thrashers have done us a few favours recently. For one thing, they bowed down and lost. For another, they've beaten the Sabres twice in a month and the Rangers once as well.
Well our second favourite team will could be playing the second biggest role in determining our playoff fate as they have two of their remaining 5 games against the Florida Panthers. To give you an idea of their importance, a win tomorrow over Florida would help our chances three times more than a single point form us this evening, giving us a 6% bump. If Atlanta were to pull off the sweep (tomahawk chops going?), then Florida would probably need to beat two or three of Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington, all on decent tears themselves.
Perhaps it's time to get a Ted Turner TNN package to try and get some Atlanta hockey on your sets.
And don't assume it will be a bore watching this revitalised team. Since the Thrashers lost to the Blackhawks on February 11th, the team has actually picked it up mightily going 14-6-1 to bring home the season. Not only that, Kovalchuk is on a rampant tear scoring his 30th goal over the 37-game stretch since the midpoint. Though the odds don't pick it up because of the dismal first half, the Thrashers actually look one of the more likely teams to get wins in the last week and a half of the season...
Canucks in?
The Sports Club Stats website has Vancouver in in all scenarios. The NHL website does not give them the clinch. Out of pure curiosity, I looked into it. I thought you'd enjoy what I found – I think I figured out a way Vancouver could miss the playoffs (it's not surprising it comes out as a zero with 50 million runs):
1) Naturally, Vancouver must lose all their games, they must also take a major goal differential hit to make things more manageable for the trackers – 93 points (0-6-0)
2) St. Louis must win all their games and recover their goal differential to overtake Vancouver – 93 points (5-0-0)
3) Nashville (Vancouver has the tie break) must win all their games too – 94 points (5-0-0)
4) Columbus who will have lost 2 of their remaining 5 to St. Louis and Nashville must pick up OT points in one or both and win 2 of their next three; or just win their other 3 – 93+ points (min 2-2-1)
5) Anaheim need 4 wins and an OTL from 5 (obviously not letting Vancouver get a point in the process) – 94+ points (min 4-0-1)
6) Chicago, now with at least 3 losses from their last 6 from Nashville and Columbus must take a point from Detroit or one of the Columbus games over 3 games – 94+ points (min 0-5-1)
7) Finally, Calgary must get at least a point from their remaining games – 94+ points (min 0-4-2)
The point that should be conceded to celebrating Canucks fans is the fact that even if they lose and all these things happen, because they drew St. Louis in the season series, the Blues going making up the 34 goal gap in goal differential is the biggest stretch of this entire theory. And that's even if you don't look at who plays or goaltends on these teams...
Happy hockey and scoreboard gazing.
Go Habs Go. (And Thrashers too)
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Game #61
Halak Shines in a Shutout Win
The Canadiens Game in Review
Date: Tuesday February 24th, 2009
Opponent: Vancouver Canucks
Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Team Stripes
Final Score: 3-0 - Win
Date: Tuesday February 24th, 2009
Opponent: Vancouver Canucks
Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Team Stripes
Final Score: 3-0 - Win
Habs starting goalie: Jaroslav Halak (W)
Opposition starting goalie: Roberto Luongo (L)
Habs goalscorers: Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Markov, Maxim Lapierre
Opposition goalscorers: None
Play of the game
The play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...
Late in the first we were down 2 men for a full 2 minutes. The splendid penalty-killing that took place during that time was capped off by the best penalty-killer with a fantastic play. Just as the first penalty was ending Saku, with a dive, broke up a pass at the blue-line to get the puck out. His second effort was to spring the suddenly penalty-box-free Plekanec, his third effort was to subtly trip Vancouver's best chance at catching the speedy centre. In alone Tomas went and he didn't disappoint; a perfectly placed shot gave the Habs an unexpected first intermission lead.
Game puck
Trophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...
Jaroslav Halak
Jaro not only played his best game of the season, but I don't think we have seen a goaltending performance this strong since March or April of last year. He was absolutely dominant as he stopped all 34 shots that came his way. He didn't have it easy tonight, however, as a lot of those shots were quality scoring chances which required some truly fantastic saves. I haven't been so confident in our goaltending in a long time and those sentiments seemed to be echoed by Carbo, the players, Halak himself and the Bell Centre fans as everyone, from 1-0 up, seemed to believe this was Jaro's night.
Dome hockey team
We're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...
Forwards
Saku Koivu
Saku played quite possibly his best game of the year and had it not been for an above solid goaltending performance he would have run away with the game-puck. Instead he led the forwards in a major way. His assist was truly world-class especially considering it came at the end of a very tiring shift. That assist also gave him 623 career points to move him into a tie for 10th all time in Habs scoring. Oh, did I mention that he was far and away our best penalty killer and that he won 10 of his 13 face-offs.
Mathieu Dandenault
This may seem like an odd pick and I actually had to think about this one for a while, but I couldn't deny Mat this honour. On his very first shift of the game he came out with blazing speed and was knocking people around all over the place. I felt that the energy he brought in those first five minutes energized not only his team, but all those in the building too. He, for me, was a huge reason why we were able to witness a truly fantastic game. He only came back on the ice 12 more times, but he was very energetic and active during each and every presence.
Tomas Plekanec
Pleks just isn't stopping! It was another great game for Tomas tonight as he scored on a breakaway and made an unbelievable pass to Markov on our second goal. He, like Saku, also had a strong night face-off wise going 11-6. I was very happy to see him flying all over the ice as he distributed the puck so well to his wingers. That didn't, however, stop him from getting chances of his own as he shot a team-high 5 times on Luongo.
Defencemen
Andrei Markov
Andrei played a very strong game at both ends of the ice. He was particularly effective on the PP as that is where he notched his 8th of the year. The way he is working the puck around from the left point is reminiscent of last year when he played alongside Streit. A hot Markov inevitably means a hot PP.
Roman Hamrlik
Most of our defencemen played pretty well tonight, but I thought Hammer stood out above the 4 others for his strong defensive play. He and Komi worked well tonight which was a relief after seeing so many bad games from Mike. If they can keep this up then we are in much better shape than we were a week ago. Roman did good work on the PK tonight as he logged close to 4 minutes. Offensively he was quiet, but did manage to pick up an assist on Lapierre's empty-netter.
Goaltender
Jaroslav Halak
I was very happy with what I saw tonight from Jaro. He was quick, focused and so in charge. He was oozing confidence all night and I think this one performance may have been the best medicine for our ailing team. When he needed to hold the puck he did, but also realized when it was smarter to play it. When he handled the puck he did so with care and competence which meant he was never scrambling to make up for his mistake. When he was challenged by Vancouver he was there with big saves upon big saves. He played like a #1 tonight, so let's go, leave him in nets and let's see where he'll take us.
Eye-Openers
In this new section we are going to try and shed some light on certain plays or events that would otherwise go unnoticed
Outshot 34-17 this could have been a whole different story for Montreal. We, however, got a goaltending performance that not only shaped tonight's game, but will hopefully give us some sort of momentum heading into the last 21 games. Patrice Brisebois played hero twice and villain twice tonight in what was a pretty typical performance for the near 1000 game-man. His first act of heroism was when he got hit in the face, a play that led to a 5-minute PP. The Habs were up 1-0 and had a chance to do some serious damage as their PP was going to work. Soon into it, however, Brisebois sent a soft, blind pass along the blue-line which was easily picked off by Henrik Sedin. There at the other end, with the save of the game, was Halak to shut the door. Soon after we scored on that same PP to go up 2-0; a world of difference to 1-1. That one save and countless others kept the Habs in the game when quite possibly they shouldn't have been. His play allowed us to go to the other end on odd-man rushes and to try risky plays as in the back of our minds we always knew he would be there - and indeed he was. It was refreshing to see the effect of a strong goalie tonight and it was even more refreshing to see the effect that that had on his team. I haven't seen the Habs just go out and play their own games in a while as they are usually concerned about what their teammates weren't going to do for them. Tonight Halak did the work, what the others did, in his (and my) mind, was simply a bonus.
Overall CommentsWe needed a win as we are in what will be a bitter fight right until the end. I liked how the whole team, the coaches and the fans reacted tonight. Right from the start of the game there was an energy in the air that had me believing that, win or lose, we had left the streak behind us. Of course if you lose too often with that feeling in your minds it will soon disappear. So, I think the players realized it is one thing to believe that everything will be alright and another to actually make sure that it is. Vancouver played a good game, but didn't seem prepared for what was quite a penalty-filled game. As we all remember last week, when we played in BC, the refs put away their whistles. Well, tonight was Eastern Conference rules night as the penalties just kept coming. The Habs, a suddenly strong special-team type of group, dominated as they went 1/7 on the PP and 6/6 on the PK. Those results, coupled with great goaltending is the reason we are 2 points farther ahead than we were this morning. This game was a good start to the week, but we must keep it going. A trip to Philly on Friday will be an ideal opportunity to get a big road win against a team we desperately need to beat.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Game #57
Outnumbered Habs Come Up Short Again
The Canadiens Game in Review
Date: Friday February 15th, 2009
Opponent: Vancouver Canucks
Venue: General Motors Place, Vancouver, BC
Team Stripes
Score: 2 - 4 Loss
Date: Friday February 15th, 2009
Opponent: Vancouver Canucks
Venue: General Motors Place, Vancouver, BC
Team Stripes
Score: 2 - 4 Loss
Habs starting goalie: Jaroslav Halak (L), Carey Price
Opposition starting goalie: Roberto Luongo (W)
Habs goalscorers: Saku Koivu, Andrei Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: Daniel Sedin, Alexander Edler, Henrik Sedin, Ryan Kesler
Play of the gameThe play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...
The game was not an encouraging end to our worries. But a couple of plays midway through the second allayed some fears about goalies having the guts to keep their eyes open when people shoot from close in. The play of the game was Jaroslav Halak's save on Mats Sundin to keep the game 2-1. Just minutes after a beautiful pad save on the hot Burrows, Halak outdid himself here by squaring to Sundin's high shot and absolutely robbing a goal with a rapier quick glove hand. Unfortunately, the third odd-man break in as many minutes buried us 50 seconds later.
Game puckTrophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...
Christopher Higgins
This game was a visible turning point for a few of the players, and most notably among them for me was Chris Higgins. To be fair to Chris, he has been much better since returning from injury than he was in October and November - and the unfortunate results from the team should not obscure that. Tonight he was the fastest Hab on probably the most threatening line (OK duo, ADD coach Carbo only kept his original brilliant combo together for 6 minutes or so). Chris out-skates, out-muscles and out-thinks defenders. It's a shame that the in-game switches didn't include a) adding him to the top line or b) providing him another NHL-calibre winger.
Dome hockey teamWe're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...
Forwards
Saku Koivu
Great goal from Saku to start with. And it goes without saying that he worked harder than anyone. His defensive game was also markedly improved tonight as he was one of the better forwards in tracking back. However, that and the fact he had to deal with the disjointed play of Kovalev and Kostopoulos - who like to skate in the same track - made the play in the offensive zone more laborious than it needed to be. Carbonneau is guilty of wasting Saku as an asset - which is perhaps becoming his most persistent crime.
Andrei Kostitsyn
Benoit Brunet can cry all he wants about consistency from Andrei. However, for all his expertise in areas of battles along the boards and sitting on the bench when games are on the line - Brunet knows little if anything about creating goals from nothing without reliance on luck. While they asked Andrei to be more consistent yet again - scored for the second game in a row. In addition, he was the only player who beat a Vancouver defender one-on-one all night. He gets in the dome because he is simply the most difficult forward to defend against from our group and perhaps the only one at the moment that would have me thinking twice as an opposition coach.
Christopher Higgins
He really does deserve that A back, you know. If Komisarek is the poster boy for personal gain (looking to translate hits into contract dollars), Higgins is playing himself into a million dollar deal by obeying the coaches and doing everything for the team first. His talent is being squandered by Carbonneau as well, but Chris makes the best of what he's given, even when it's Dandenault. I think Plekanec makes a natural partner with Chris, and we should see how that can develop for the two of them.
Defencemen
Andrei Markov
Markov was -3, but you see I picked the dome based on what I saw, not based on what the stats said. There'd be an argument for taking him out if he the odd-man rushes that were scored while he was on were the only ones the Canadiens allowed all game, but alas they were not. I thought the first goal was well-defended given the outnumbered situation, and even Gorges was unlucky there. The second goal was a quick PP for Vancouver for a phantom penalty that the refs will never have to account for. And the third goal against was simply brilliant stuff from the Sedins. The rest of the game, you see, Markov was the best defender. More calm, less stupid passes. He missed a lot of breakaway makers, but at least he was trying.
Josh Gorges
Call this an indictment of the rest. Hamrlik did not impress me. It pretty much comes to that. Josh played OK. He like Markov was a pretty big minus, but you couldn't fault the way he played the odd-man rushes. The real reason he makes it is because, despite his and Hamrlik's mediocrity, the three others were poor. How Komisarek and Bouillon could be paired together (ever) is a mystery, but those two massive saves came when they were on the ice. Those were two of the worst defensive plays of the entire game. Brisebois for his part is only doing what he can. He simply cannot compete consistently with attackers and sooner or later every game he gets burned. Of course, the Breezer had his moments and a classic assist, but he matched with some shockingly weak physical battles that I just don't want in a dome, thank you.
Goaltender
Jaroslav Halak
He made several spectacular saves to keep the game alive far longer than it should have been for the Habs. He played like an NHL goalie behind an AHL team with ECHL tactical development and deployment. To put Carey Price in nets may have been nice for the fans of Vancouver; but it was another massive slap in the face for Halak (how many more can he take). The anointed one had a brilliant 8 minutes after Vancouver stopped caring, making 1 save on 1 shot. Any bets on which would have moved faster on Sundin's shot: Jaroslav's glove or Carey's head to look behind him?
Eye-Openers
In this new section we are going to try and shed some light on certain plays or events that would otherwise go unnoticed
I made many notes for this portion tonight. Odd-man rushes, goaltending, sabotaging your own lines, etc. I landed on referees as the topic of choice with the spinny wheel.
When it comes to referees, this section could just have easily have been named: eye closers. Are you going to tell me that the Vancouver Canucks did not commit a single infraction this game? Are you going to tell me that Bob Gainey and his NHL rules revamp was a success?
This game was a farce. The refereeing was such a drastic departure from most of our games that it looked like a different sport. Then to justify their salaries they did make a few calls, all of which must have happened 50 or 60 other times in the game. I suppose they just wanted to make sure they were inconsistent within the context of the game, as well as the context of the season.
I know this is going to upset some of you, but I'll say it anyway. Given this game was nothing new and refereeing is a shambles pretty much night in, night out, shouldn't the coaches get some kind of strategy together to determine how much our team can cheat? We are being out-cheated so consistently, it is laughable. And, as you know, if you're not cheating: you're not trying hard enough.
I'm not asking for the Habs to do anything dangerous, or even unsportsmanlike. But someone has to teach these rookies to hold like veterans, dive like Jarome Iginla, obstruct like Zdeno Chara. The alternatives from the Canadiens are blatant infractions or cleaner than thou - both of which are loser's games. We need subtle infractions, a little less all-out effort to stay on our feet, more skating into peoples' paths. In games like this one, we were wholly outplayed in this regard by the Canucks who got a better read on the refs early. In other games we get penalised ten times before we understand the reffing standard has changed from the night before.
Intelligent cheating, it's all I ask for. Carbonneau should know how, he was among the best.
Overall Comments
It's hard to read this loss. Was it a loss in a new win-loss-win-loss-loss-win-win pattern? Or was it the beginning of a new losing streak?
We let in another 4 goals, but this time was decidedly different - the goalie actually played well. We played shoddy D, but we know how to overcome that - we've only had 4 guys playing well at any point all season.
I think there's something of a turning point in this one. For one thing, the odd-man rushes, while frustrating can be fixed. Even a peewee coach can tell a group of three forwards not to over-commit like they did all night. For another thing, there were some good signs. The forwards in the dome, for example, all played well up front. The team didn't give up when down by 2. Plekanec is coming back, and for all his faults is miles better than the guy who steps in for him - plus he makes two strong offensive lines possible (not to mention defensive recoveries with his speed). Halak played amazingly well, which should reassure the team, and strangely I think Price will draw from that and his yawn-inducing 8 minutes to at least make a few stops next time.
The progress for me is that the problems, while still present are the ones our simple-minded coaching staff should be able to deal with. Things like players coasting to the bench, taking the route behind the net after the puck is lost, passes to the middle by the third forward when all three are committed. There was no way to coach out of bad goaltending, giving up when the lead has been widened.
I think get us back to the East where referees, for the most part, call penalties; where defences play like our own; and 4 teams are trying to win Tavares, not the Presdient's trophy, and we should find a way out of the hole.
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