Today comes the news that Andrei Kostitsyn signs a one-year contract with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL.
Perhaps he's the first of many to sign come tomorrow, but his signing represents a little disappointment for the Habs organization.
Showing posts with label Chelios. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chelios. Show all posts
Friday, September 14, 2012
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A Personal Hockey Heritage
Calgary 1986-89
When people think of hockey heritage and heritage rivalries, they might not instantly jump to Calgary vs. Montreal. Most Montrealers would probably cite at least 5 other rivalries they deem to have more heritage. Calgarians are likely in the same boat.
But for this Montreal fan, there couldn't have been a more fitting choice for a Heritage Classic match-up than Calgary vs. Montreal. To me, this was the ultimate rivalry. Montreal is where I grew up. Calgary and the Flames set my hockey dreams alight.
The First Cup
Nearly every hockey fan has a first Stanley Cup playoffs tournament of note in their treasured memories. I was born in the 1970s, but moved to Canada when I was very young. Montreal was a Stanley Cup champion when we arrived, but this was all very alien to me. I probably vaguely knew of ice, but it hadn't been part of my winters till then.
After briefly living within touching distance of the Forum's back exit, my childhood in Montreal for a while consisted of school and playing on the street. Because we lived a stone's throw from a pool, swimming became the big sport. Because of our own heritage, soccer was to be the other pursuit.
1986 was the first playoffs I remember clearly in my house. The excitement at school and in the neighbourhood must have been building for this once oblivious child to take notice of something other than the upcoming Commonwealth Games swim meet. Though not vivid memories, I see snippets of games, I know Gainey and Robinson and Naslund were images from the time. I remember Patrick Roy being the only thing my friends would talk about at school. Even though it seemed a very easy time to grow up without the Canadiens (I think the 1970s must have made many fans more blase about the whole thing), May 1986 was the first spark of interest for hockey in a young mind.
Because the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in Calgary that year, I even got a Canadiens sweater out of it. In a move that I understand much more with time, our swim team coaches made the Canadiens sweater our team uniform for the important under-10 swimming competition in Toronto that June. Oh, how the 19-year starved Torontonians must have loved the gesture. Probably expecting their chance to return the favour to come very soon.
Calgary Olympics
If hockey had eluded me before 1986, sports as spectacle had not. The 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles had me rapt. Canada, my country, so gracefully poaching medals left and right. Alex Baumann and Victor Davis, of course, being pivotal figures in all swimmers thoughts from that era.
4 years is a long time to wait for a child. So, when I discovered that 6 months before those Seoul Olympics, that couldn't come soon enough, Canada would be hosting a different set of Olympics, I jumped in feet first. I got the Petro Canada and Post Office gear and scheduled my entire two weeks. I was going to watch the entire event if I could. I probably nearly did. From Pirmin Zurbriggen to that final hockey game, I watched and watched.
If Calgary in 1986 had provided the spark and the sweater, then Calgary 1988 had begun to provide an education in the game of hockey and a basis for something to come. I loved Canada and cheered for Sean Burke, Andy Moog and the guys, but one couldn't help but be fascinated with Larionov, Makarov and Krutov. The Canadiens and Oilers won the NHL trophies, but this showed the young fan a whole world of players who didn't even compete for that one.
1988-89 Season
If I think about how perfect stories are reconciled in the imagination, the 1988-89 season comes to mind. The Canadiens were a good team in 1986, but they had surprised a bit, they certainly came from nowhere into my consciousness. The Flames too had accepted Steve Smith's help to make that final. 1988-89 was different.
Chelios, Roy, Robinson, Naslund, Smith and Richer were battling all season long with far-off rivals Loob, Mullen, Nieuwendyk, MacDonald and Vernon. There were two teams that season. Montreal won the East by a clear 23 points, Calgary cleared the Campbell Conference by 26 points.
The struggle for the President's trophy throughout that year was the most important hockey contest I had come across to date. Because we had moved to Canada, our family didn't really have a notion that regular seasons are unimportant, so scoreboard watching, particularly through the winter and spring of 1989 was tremendously exciting. Back then, of course, things were a bit more romantic.
Because there was no internet and very few people had TSN yet, results from the Western timezones were typically unearthed in the morning newspapers. I can remember raiding my local depanneurs with some frequency to steal a glance at Calgary scores, the exotic boxscores and the standings. Montreal went 14-3-3 over the last stretch to really pour on the pressure. But Calgary put it away impressively with an 8-1-0 run in the final nine. A win less would have been a tie break win, one more loss and tie, Montreal would have received the President's trophy. Those were some riveting boxscores, I can tell you.
And then with only the slight blip of Calgary:Vancouver, both teams swooped into the final as teams do in perfectly written seasons. The Vezina, Norris and Selke trophy laureats would face the storming offense where Doug Gilmour
0-1, 1-1, 2-1(!), 2-2, 2-3, 2-4 and it was done. Despite curfews getting in the way, i watched these where I could. Part of me expected all to go as planned and the good guys to claim victory. The villain with the red moustache was an image I couldn't shake for a long time.
This season and this final, grueling months of anticipation, celebration and work was the first of its kind for me. Hockey may not have been the sport that lived in my imagination before. it was now.
The rest is history
While Calgary may not be the Canadiens most important rivals anymore. For a few short (and pivotal) seasons, the Flames were. The city of Calgary, being the locale for a Stanley Cup victory, a mesmerizing Olympic hockey tournament and a pivotal Game 5 (among other important wins that year) was the second home of my hockey imagination.
For years after, I'd consider the possibility of the pure final (Calgary vs. Montreal) in all predictions and dealings with hockey pools. Probably right up until 1993 with the big 10-man trade and the ensuing playoffs. I knew these were the two best teams of an era, and the stats even back that up.
That's why for me that alumni game (with plenty of characters and villains from that very era) will be very exciting. The game itself will be. This rivalry just works that way.
But for this Montreal fan, there couldn't have been a more fitting choice for a Heritage Classic match-up than Calgary vs. Montreal. To me, this was the ultimate rivalry. Montreal is where I grew up. Calgary and the Flames set my hockey dreams alight.
The First Cup
Nearly every hockey fan has a first Stanley Cup playoffs tournament of note in their treasured memories. I was born in the 1970s, but moved to Canada when I was very young. Montreal was a Stanley Cup champion when we arrived, but this was all very alien to me. I probably vaguely knew of ice, but it hadn't been part of my winters till then.
After briefly living within touching distance of the Forum's back exit, my childhood in Montreal for a while consisted of school and playing on the street. Because we lived a stone's throw from a pool, swimming became the big sport. Because of our own heritage, soccer was to be the other pursuit.
1986 was the first playoffs I remember clearly in my house. The excitement at school and in the neighbourhood must have been building for this once oblivious child to take notice of something other than the upcoming Commonwealth Games swim meet. Though not vivid memories, I see snippets of games, I know Gainey and Robinson and Naslund were images from the time. I remember Patrick Roy being the only thing my friends would talk about at school. Even though it seemed a very easy time to grow up without the Canadiens (I think the 1970s must have made many fans more blase about the whole thing), May 1986 was the first spark of interest for hockey in a young mind.
Because the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in Calgary that year, I even got a Canadiens sweater out of it. In a move that I understand much more with time, our swim team coaches made the Canadiens sweater our team uniform for the important under-10 swimming competition in Toronto that June. Oh, how the 19-year starved Torontonians must have loved the gesture. Probably expecting their chance to return the favour to come very soon.
Calgary Olympics
If hockey had eluded me before 1986, sports as spectacle had not. The 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles had me rapt. Canada, my country, so gracefully poaching medals left and right. Alex Baumann and Victor Davis, of course, being pivotal figures in all swimmers thoughts from that era.
4 years is a long time to wait for a child. So, when I discovered that 6 months before those Seoul Olympics, that couldn't come soon enough, Canada would be hosting a different set of Olympics, I jumped in feet first. I got the Petro Canada and Post Office gear and scheduled my entire two weeks. I was going to watch the entire event if I could. I probably nearly did. From Pirmin Zurbriggen to that final hockey game, I watched and watched.
If Calgary in 1986 had provided the spark and the sweater, then Calgary 1988 had begun to provide an education in the game of hockey and a basis for something to come. I loved Canada and cheered for Sean Burke, Andy Moog and the guys, but one couldn't help but be fascinated with Larionov, Makarov and Krutov. The Canadiens and Oilers won the NHL trophies, but this showed the young fan a whole world of players who didn't even compete for that one.
1988-89 Season
If I think about how perfect stories are reconciled in the imagination, the 1988-89 season comes to mind. The Canadiens were a good team in 1986, but they had surprised a bit, they certainly came from nowhere into my consciousness. The Flames too had accepted Steve Smith's help to make that final. 1988-89 was different.
Chelios, Roy, Robinson, Naslund, Smith and Richer were battling all season long with far-off rivals Loob, Mullen, Nieuwendyk, MacDonald and Vernon. There were two teams that season. Montreal won the East by a clear 23 points, Calgary cleared the Campbell Conference by 26 points.
The struggle for the President's trophy throughout that year was the most important hockey contest I had come across to date. Because we had moved to Canada, our family didn't really have a notion that regular seasons are unimportant, so scoreboard watching, particularly through the winter and spring of 1989 was tremendously exciting. Back then, of course, things were a bit more romantic.
Because there was no internet and very few people had TSN yet, results from the Western timezones were typically unearthed in the morning newspapers. I can remember raiding my local depanneurs with some frequency to steal a glance at Calgary scores, the exotic boxscores and the standings. Montreal went 14-3-3 over the last stretch to really pour on the pressure. But Calgary put it away impressively with an 8-1-0 run in the final nine. A win less would have been a tie break win, one more loss and tie, Montreal would have received the President's trophy. Those were some riveting boxscores, I can tell you.
And then with only the slight blip of Calgary:Vancouver, both teams swooped into the final as teams do in perfectly written seasons. The Vezina, Norris and Selke trophy laureats would face the storming offense where Doug Gilmour
0-1, 1-1, 2-1(!), 2-2, 2-3, 2-4 and it was done. Despite curfews getting in the way, i watched these where I could. Part of me expected all to go as planned and the good guys to claim victory. The villain with the red moustache was an image I couldn't shake for a long time.
This season and this final, grueling months of anticipation, celebration and work was the first of its kind for me. Hockey may not have been the sport that lived in my imagination before. it was now.
The rest is history
While Calgary may not be the Canadiens most important rivals anymore. For a few short (and pivotal) seasons, the Flames were. The city of Calgary, being the locale for a Stanley Cup victory, a mesmerizing Olympic hockey tournament and a pivotal Game 5 (among other important wins that year) was the second home of my hockey imagination.
For years after, I'd consider the possibility of the pure final (Calgary vs. Montreal) in all predictions and dealings with hockey pools. Probably right up until 1993 with the big 10-man trade and the ensuing playoffs. I knew these were the two best teams of an era, and the stats even back that up.
That's why for me that alumni game (with plenty of characters and villains from that very era) will be very exciting. The game itself will be. This rivalry just works that way.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Canadiens As All-Stars
Montreal Canadiens have figured prominently since the modern NHL All-Star Game began in 1947. In the early years, when the game was a contest between the league stars and the Stanley Cup Champions (wow, I wonder how they could create more interest in the modern All-Star game?), it was the Canadiens as a team 8 times from 1953 to 1967.
1968 was the last using this format, as expansion meant the league had twice as many players to choose from.
Since the 1969 game (the first after expansion), the game has been staged 36 times (this year being the 37th edition). And since that time, there have been 96 players associated with the Canadiens taking part in the game proper and 100 taking part in the weekend. PK Subban, with his replacement selection will be the 101st Montreal Canadien to take part in the modern All-Star Game -- a game taking place in the very symmetrical 101st Montreal Canadiens season.
The most times in the Habs sweater
96 times since 1969 players have represented the Montreal Canadiens.
The most players the Canadiens ever sent to a post-expansion All-Star game was 7 in 1978, when Ken Dryden was accompanied by Serge Savard and Larry Robinson, together with forwards Lafleur, Shutt, Cournoyer and Gainey. Nobody probably batted an eye at the time because the Habs were setting points records, piling up Cups and sending at least 6 to the All-Star game every year anyway.
The most times that any one player has represented the Habs since expansion is Larry Robinson. The standard he set of 9 games looks virtually untouchable, especially when one considers the next closest are no great slouches: Patrick Roy (6), Guy Lafleur (5), Yvan Cournoyer (5) and Ken Dryden (5). Carey price is on the right path, with two selections at this early stage. But 8 more to surpass Robinson is asking a Hall of Fame career from him.
The most appearances by a Canadiens alum
If we count games where a Habs alum skated, regardless of which team he was on, the numbers change. In all, Former, Present and Future Habs have played in 246 games (96 Present, 95 Former, 55 Future).
The players of note here are Patrick Roy and Chris Chelios. Both appeared in 11 All-Star contests over their careers. Robinson is next, with 10 (he had one honourary skate around with the Kings). They're followed by two players at 7 (Mark Recchi and Denis Savard) and a big group at 6.
The most consecutive appearances
There's a lot to be said for consistency. Consistent selection to the All-Star game is Hall of Fame stuff.
The most consecutive selections to a post-expansion game by a former, present or future Hab was 8. Chelios achieved this from 1990 to 1998. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, 7 of these appearances came after the famous trade to Chicago.
The most consecutive appearances by a player at the time he was with the Habs was 5 selections. This was done by Patrick Roy and Guy Lafleur.
All-Star traded away
It happens, to get you have to give. Chelios is mentioned above. But one hops that in trading an All-Star calibre player, one might at least just it at the tail end of a career.
The most All-Star seasons after leaving the Habs is a dubious record which is held by Chris Chelios at 9. You'd be wrong in thinking that Roy was next. His 5 were painful to watch, but Carol Vadnais and Tony Esposito both had 6 All-Star appearances after leaving Montreal.
At least Patrick also had some All-star years in Montreal. Neither Vadnais or Esposito did. Nor did John Leclair or Red Berenson, who each went to the All-Star game 5 times after leaving Montreal.
Bringing in an All-Star
Getting stars in the yes, it's happened to us all. We all dream up trades. Some people make a website empire out of it.
The perils of trading an All-Star can be balanced with getting an All-Star, if timed just right. Players who later became Habs dressed in 55 All-Star games since 1968.
The best acquisition here has to be Frank Mahovlich. He appeared in the first two post-expansion All-Star games as a Red Wing before being brought in to Montreal. Following that acquisition, he suited up for 4 more games, all consecutive from 1971-74. The next best is possibly Mark Recchi, who was three times an All-Star in Montreal before Rejean Houle discharged him for the sake of profit margins.
Other than Recchi, only Kirk Muller, Pierre Turgeon, Denis Savard and Alexei Kovalev ever replicated their All-Star form after being brought in to help the Habs.
Aging vets
At the last Stanley Cup parade, I had Gary Leeman sign his hockey card. As if to show his teammates that he once wore All-Star colours, he passed that card around the whole float to show his 51-goal season.
Unfortunately for Habs fans, Leeman wasn't the only star to ever be brought in after his All-Star days were behind him. 19 players in all fit this bill. There's still time for some (Hamrlik and Gomez among them).
Prospects lost
In the expansion era, losing prospects was an inevitability. Losing All-Stars too. But what's the excuse for GMs now? Ribeiro, Streit and Robidas are all recent alums that have gone onto recognition in other towns.
Years of shame
Someone was commenting the other day on Dadonov as the only Florida player at this weekend. They have no representation in the game itself. The Habs came mighty close this year too, with price the lone Canadien at the game proper.
Twice, though, 2001 and 2003, the Habs sent no one at all to the All-Star game. At least, Koivu was selected in 2003. 2001 was just a horrid year to be a fan of this team.
1968 was the last using this format, as expansion meant the league had twice as many players to choose from.
Since the 1969 game (the first after expansion), the game has been staged 36 times (this year being the 37th edition). And since that time, there have been 96 players associated with the Canadiens taking part in the game proper and 100 taking part in the weekend. PK Subban, with his replacement selection will be the 101st Montreal Canadien to take part in the modern All-Star Game -- a game taking place in the very symmetrical 101st Montreal Canadiens season.
The most times in the Habs sweater
96 times since 1969 players have represented the Montreal Canadiens.
The most players the Canadiens ever sent to a post-expansion All-Star game was 7 in 1978, when Ken Dryden was accompanied by Serge Savard and Larry Robinson, together with forwards Lafleur, Shutt, Cournoyer and Gainey. Nobody probably batted an eye at the time because the Habs were setting points records, piling up Cups and sending at least 6 to the All-Star game every year anyway.
The most times that any one player has represented the Habs since expansion is Larry Robinson. The standard he set of 9 games looks virtually untouchable, especially when one considers the next closest are no great slouches: Patrick Roy (6), Guy Lafleur (5), Yvan Cournoyer (5) and Ken Dryden (5). Carey price is on the right path, with two selections at this early stage. But 8 more to surpass Robinson is asking a Hall of Fame career from him.
The most appearances by a Canadiens alum
If we count games where a Habs alum skated, regardless of which team he was on, the numbers change. In all, Former, Present and Future Habs have played in 246 games (96 Present, 95 Former, 55 Future).
The players of note here are Patrick Roy and Chris Chelios. Both appeared in 11 All-Star contests over their careers. Robinson is next, with 10 (he had one honourary skate around with the Kings). They're followed by two players at 7 (Mark Recchi and Denis Savard) and a big group at 6.
The most consecutive appearances
There's a lot to be said for consistency. Consistent selection to the All-Star game is Hall of Fame stuff.
The most consecutive selections to a post-expansion game by a former, present or future Hab was 8. Chelios achieved this from 1990 to 1998. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, 7 of these appearances came after the famous trade to Chicago.
The most consecutive appearances by a player at the time he was with the Habs was 5 selections. This was done by Patrick Roy and Guy Lafleur.
All-Star traded away
It happens, to get you have to give. Chelios is mentioned above. But one hops that in trading an All-Star calibre player, one might at least just it at the tail end of a career.
The most All-Star seasons after leaving the Habs is a dubious record which is held by Chris Chelios at 9. You'd be wrong in thinking that Roy was next. His 5 were painful to watch, but Carol Vadnais and Tony Esposito both had 6 All-Star appearances after leaving Montreal.
At least Patrick also had some All-star years in Montreal. Neither Vadnais or Esposito did. Nor did John Leclair or Red Berenson, who each went to the All-Star game 5 times after leaving Montreal.
Bringing in an All-Star
Getting stars in the yes, it's happened to us all. We all dream up trades. Some people make a website empire out of it.
The perils of trading an All-Star can be balanced with getting an All-Star, if timed just right. Players who later became Habs dressed in 55 All-Star games since 1968.
The best acquisition here has to be Frank Mahovlich. He appeared in the first two post-expansion All-Star games as a Red Wing before being brought in to Montreal. Following that acquisition, he suited up for 4 more games, all consecutive from 1971-74. The next best is possibly Mark Recchi, who was three times an All-Star in Montreal before Rejean Houle discharged him for the sake of profit margins.
Other than Recchi, only Kirk Muller, Pierre Turgeon, Denis Savard and Alexei Kovalev ever replicated their All-Star form after being brought in to help the Habs.
Aging vets
At the last Stanley Cup parade, I had Gary Leeman sign his hockey card. As if to show his teammates that he once wore All-Star colours, he passed that card around the whole float to show his 51-goal season.
Unfortunately for Habs fans, Leeman wasn't the only star to ever be brought in after his All-Star days were behind him. 19 players in all fit this bill. There's still time for some (Hamrlik and Gomez among them).
Prospects lost
In the expansion era, losing prospects was an inevitability. Losing All-Stars too. But what's the excuse for GMs now? Ribeiro, Streit and Robidas are all recent alums that have gone onto recognition in other towns.
Years of shame
Someone was commenting the other day on Dadonov as the only Florida player at this weekend. They have no representation in the game itself. The Habs came mighty close this year too, with price the lone Canadien at the game proper.
Twice, though, 2001 and 2003, the Habs sent no one at all to the All-Star game. At least, Koivu was selected in 2003. 2001 was just a horrid year to be a fan of this team.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Top 100 Habs By Decade:
5. 1979-1989
In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial next Friday, we at Lions in Winter have been doing what we like best – making lists. As a precursor to publishing the definitive LIW top 100, we will be counting down the decades from least successful to most successful and naming our LIW top 10 players for the ten-year span. You should expect a few each day for the next few days.
Though this celebration has inevitably lost some steam due to relentless marketing and pre-game ceremonies for all of living memory, it would be a shame to let it pass unnoticed just because Mr. Gillett wanted to cash in before he cashed out.
5 decades to go and we start to get pretty interesting. If I know my readers, I'd say there are a few who get pretty romantic about some of the upcoming decades – the 1980s being no exception.
The 1980s were a funny time. At one end, you had the clear wane of stars and a dynasty from the 1970s, with retirements and general slowing of production across the board. However, at the other end of the 1980s you have the 1985-1993 period, which as dynasties go is much more silent and forgotten than that of the 1960s. 3 Cup finals (2 in the 1980s) and the 2nd best overall record by a hair to the Calgary Flames.
The list of ten players reflects these two realities with 70s players who fared better but didn't make the grade for that team and (super)stars who were born in the 1980s.
[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – so Patrick Roy fans, don't get too ruffled]
10. Doug Jarvis (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Strong defensive forward and big contributor to 1970s success. He won Selke after leaving Montreal.
9. Pierre Mondou (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
A solid offensive contributor who lived in the shadows of some true greats.
8. Doug Risebrough (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
A valuable contributor to the 1970s dynasty, he was still a very valuable member of the team that tried to showdown the Islanders and Oilers.
7. Rod Langway (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
A prodigal talent with the Montreal Canadiens. One wonders what might have been.
6. Pierre Larouche (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Exceptional goalscoring talent who made a brief stop in Montreal.
5. Mario Tremblay (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
A youngster from the dynasty years who came into his own in a leadership role during the 1980s. Only a career-ending injury stopped him from lifting one more Cup.
4. Bobby Smith (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
A big-game player with a talent for passing and scoring. Led the line for the Habs in the late 1980s.
3. Chris Chelios (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
The new anchor of the Habs blueline really came into his own in his last few years in Montreal.
2. Mats Naslund (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
The Canadiens first European superstar and last 100-point scorer.
1. Guy Carbonneau (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
Carbonneau, in retrospect, inherited the torch passed from one great Quebecois star to the next for 50 years. His defensive forward tag often clouds the fact that he was a fine scorer who knew how to show people what clutch play meant more than most. The second face of the forgotten mini dynasty of late 1980s and early 1990s.
* Awards: AS= N = Norris; FS = Frank Selke; LB = Lady Byng; All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; SC = Stanley Cup.
Though this celebration has inevitably lost some steam due to relentless marketing and pre-game ceremonies for all of living memory, it would be a shame to let it pass unnoticed just because Mr. Gillett wanted to cash in before he cashed out.
1979-1989
5 decades to go and we start to get pretty interesting. If I know my readers, I'd say there are a few who get pretty romantic about some of the upcoming decades – the 1980s being no exception.
The 1980s were a funny time. At one end, you had the clear wane of stars and a dynasty from the 1970s, with retirements and general slowing of production across the board. However, at the other end of the 1980s you have the 1985-1993 period, which as dynasties go is much more silent and forgotten than that of the 1960s. 3 Cup finals (2 in the 1980s) and the 2nd best overall record by a hair to the Calgary Flames.
The list of ten players reflects these two realities with 70s players who fared better but didn't make the grade for that team and (super)stars who were born in the 1980s.
[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – so Patrick Roy fans, don't get too ruffled]
10. Doug Jarvis (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1975-82 | 560 | 91 | 154 | 245 | +105 | 13 | |
| Decade best (Season) | 1981-82 | 80 | 20 | 28 | 48 | +34 | 4 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1976-82 | 72 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 1 | 4 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1979-80 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 |
Strong defensive forward and big contributor to 1970s success. He won Selke after leaving Montreal.
9. Pierre Mondou (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1977-85 | 548 | 194 | 262 | 456 | +215 | 25 | |
| Decade best (Season) | 1981-82 | 73 | 35 | 33 | 68 | +18 | 4 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1977-85 | 69 | 17 | 28 | 45 | (+11) | 2 | 3 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1983-84 | 14 | 6 | 3 | 9 | +8 | 1 |
A solid offensive contributor who lived in the shadows of some true greats.
8. Doug Risebrough (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1974-82 | 493 | 117 | 185 | 302 | +158 | 19 | |
| Decade best (Season) | 1981-82 | 59 | 15 | 18 | 33 | +23 | 2 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1975-82 | 74 | 11 | 20 | 31 | 2 | 4 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1981-82 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
A valuable contributor to the 1970s dynasty, he was still a very valuable member of the team that tried to showdown the Islanders and Oilers.
7. Rod Langway (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1978-82 | 268 | 26 | 101 | 127 | +160 | 4 | AS, HOF |
| Decade best (Season) | 1981-82 | 66 | 5 | 34 | 39 | +66 | 1 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1979-82 | 26 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 0 | SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1979-80 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 |
A prodigal talent with the Montreal Canadiens. One wonders what might have been.
6. Pierre Larouche (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1977-82 | 236 | 110 | 126 | 236 | +81 | 10 | |
| Decade best (Season) | 1979-80 | 73 | 50 | 41 | 91 | +36 | 7 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1978-81 | 22 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 2 | 2 SC | |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1979-80 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 0 |
Exceptional goalscoring talent who made a brief stop in Montreal.
5. Mario Tremblay (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1974-86 | 852 | 258 | 326 | 584 | +184 | 36 | |
| Decade best (Season) | 1981-82 | 80 | 33 | 40 | 73 | +24 | 4 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1975-85 | 101 | 20 | 29 | 49 | (+5) | 4 | 4 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1979-80 | 10 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
A youngster from the dynasty years who came into his own in a leadership role during the 1980s. Only a career-ending injury stopped him from lifting one more Cup.
4. Bobby Smith (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1983-90 | 505 | 172 | 310 | 482 | +34 | 30 | AS |
| Decade best (Season) | 1985-86 | 79 | 31 | 55 | 86 | +10 | 7 | |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1984-90 | 107 | 38 | 46 | 84 | -1 | 6 | SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1988-89 | 21 | 11 | 8 | 19 | +1 | 1 |
A big-game player with a talent for passing and scoring. Led the line for the Habs in the late 1980s.
3. Chris Chelios (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1983-90 | 402 | 72 | 237 | 309 | +74 | 14 | N, AS |
| Decade best (Season) | 1988-89 | 80 | 15 | 58 | 73 | +35 | 6 | N, AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1984-90 | 98 | 16 | 52 | 68 | +8 | 2 | SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1988-89 | 21 | 4 | 15 | 19 | +2 | 2 |
The new anchor of the Habs blueline really came into his own in his last few years in Montreal.
2. Mats Naslund (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1982-90 | 617 | 243 | 369 | 612 | +120 | 34 | LB, AS |
| Decade best (Season) | 1985-86 | 80 | 43 | 67 | 110 | +11 | 7 | AS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1983-90 | 97 | 34 | 57 | 91 | +5 | 9 | SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1986-87 | 17 | 7 | 15 | 22 | -1 | 3 |
The Canadiens first European superstar and last 100-point scorer.
1. Guy Carbonneau (Top 100 all-time, Profile)
| Years(s) | GP | G | A | Pts | +/- | GWG | Awards* | |
| Habs career (Season) | 1980-94 | 912 | 221 | 326 | 547 | +158 | 33 | 3 FS |
| Decade best (Season) | 1988-89 | 79 | 26 | 30 | 56 | +37 | 10 | FS |
| Habs career (Playoffs) | 1983-94 | 161 | 30 | 43 | 173 | +3 | 6 | 2 SC |
| Decade best (Playoffs) | 1985-86 | 20 | 7 | 5 | 12 | +9 | 1 | SC |
Carbonneau, in retrospect, inherited the torch passed from one great Quebecois star to the next for 50 years. His defensive forward tag often clouds the fact that he was a fine scorer who knew how to show people what clutch play meant more than most. The second face of the forgotten mini dynasty of late 1980s and early 1990s.
* Awards: AS= N = Norris; FS = Frank Selke; LB = Lady Byng; All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; SC = Stanley Cup.
Thursday, November 05, 2009
Replacing Markov
Cheat Sheet For A Procrastinating GM
Yesterday we had quite a discussion and it became clear that we can all agree on one thing: we're not happy. We can't agree on anything else.
In the collective vent, it came to light that many (myself included) were not very happy with Gainey's performance this season, specifically since the fall of Markov. My sentiment was that he should have done something to replace the best player on the team, who he knew would be out for 50 games. Others thought that was unreasonable for some reason.
Towards the end of the conversation, MathMan laid down what I took to be a challenge when he said:
He was talking in response, of course to my plea that Gainey could have done more than sign the available French Canadian UFA on D. To be absolutely fair, I did ask Gainey to think outside the box, claimed that's why he was paid millions and then came up with something like: "Why didn't he keep Dandenault?"
Not very out of the box, I'll admit. So with the challenge down. And despite the fact I have to do it for free, I'll put some effort into the out-of-the-box thinking for Gainey. Maybe he can give me a ten minutes of his wage or something...
Poach a Russian
Specifically, Emelin?
They wouldn't hesitate to do it to us, there's no transfer agreement. What's the problem?
It might finally show the KHL that the NHL means business.
Not, perhaps the best idea from outside the box...
Pay a transfer fee for a European or a Russian
On a more serious note, why not ignore the fact there's no transfer agreement in the strictest sense and come to an agreement team-to-team with a partner in Sweden or Russia. All that money being saved from Andrei Markov is only being mothballed otherwise.
How about $500,000 to Frolunda for Christian Backman? A few rubles for Valentenko?
These transfers happen all the time between Euro leagues and it's normal operating procedure. Just because the NHL is backwards in its thinking doesn't mean the Habs should be.
Bettman would be angry, but would he have recourse? Probably. Maybe shelf this idea?
Chris Chelios
This is no longer an out of the box idea, this is a press-reported strategy. Chelios, even at 47 would probably offer a lot more savvy than #47 ever could. And he'd probably be able to last a game, as he's likely more fit than all 6 of our current group.
He's playing in Chicago now with the AHL Wolves and is doing a pretty decent job of it. Unlike all the options listed to now, he's the only one to have played on a defending Stanley Cuo champion team last year.
Unsigned UFAs
We've tried this route once, and look where it got us right? But imagine this time, we don't take the RDS suggestion and look for a player who actually plays defence.
I mentioned Dandenault, who we know isn't great, but also know is better than the cross-crease pass every other time he touches the puck. Greg DeVries isn't signed, probably because of his 2008-09, but has had some decent efforts in past years, including 2007-08, so might not be terrible. He's also not 5'9", but 6'3" and could probably handle a much diminished role.
Waiver pick up
The day after Markov's tendon was bisected, the Thrashers picked up Christoph Schubert off waivers. Since that time only one defenceman has been exposed (Randy Jones), but he was claimed by the LA Kings.
Randy Jones is nothing special either, but let's face it, at this point we're talking about replacing some pretty unspecial people on the blue line. 6'2", 205 lbs and NHL experience on a better team than ours, that's something. There's no telling if he would have helped, but then we'll never know if we sit here satisfied with the status quo.
People go through waivers all the time. We've had Begin off waivers, Beauchemin was lost off waivers. Most recently we claimed Metroploit off waivers – there are worthwhile players to be had. I'm sure Gainey's on it, though.
Andre Benoit
We haven't mentioned him at all, but Bob Gainey signed Andre Benoit from Sweden in the spring to play for the Bulldogs. He's not an old man, but already has a lot more experience than say Weber or Subban and has played very well for two seasons in Europe in pro leagues there.
He wouldn't be a much better option than Bergeron, but he may be. Bulldogs fans?
A forward on D
Our problem is a forward stuck in a defenceman's contract. Maybe the solution is a defenceman stuck in a forward's body.
You asked for outside the box, you got it. Chipchura has been an off and on pretty good performer this season. Most nights he's been invisible, which is an improvement on a sometimes painful 4th line. At times, he's been quite good on the puck.
But even with all that, let's be honest, he's never really looked like scoring a goal. Perhaps with better linemates he'd have some points by now, but even a generous soul wouldn't be allocating him more than a couple. In short, Chipchura as a forward isn't really working out for us. He's just not a great asset to the team. And this blogger can't see how he holds off Ben Maxwell, if the younger centre shows any improvement at all this season.
So defence?
I say why not? He has some skills that I'd value in a defender – some decent puck control, a decent basic sideways pass and legs that might appreciate waiting around a bit on a shift. I don't know how he skates in reverse or whether he can rap a puck off the glass first before sending it into the stands, but he's in the NHL, so he might be able to put something together there.
Obviously rolling out this move is a practice only experiment for a few weeks. But he really wouldn't have to be that good to stand in as a 7th for us right now. If things clicked, he might overtake MAB in a week or two.
If not him, how about Pacioretty? Goodness knows it wouldn't cost us a single goal for.
A trade?
OK, I'll admit, most of those are bit wacky, and were I not going through an exercise, I'd have scrapped them long ago. The real option is, and probably always was: trade.
The minute Markov went down was the minute I thought Gainey should have been working a trade. A lot of people assume that I intend to replace like with like here, something in the ilk of Brian Campbell, but really I don't. In fact, I think a 3rd defender to help alleviate the pressure on the top 4 would be fine.
I'll get into trouble if I go through too many scenarios, but one I'd explore if I were GM would be the possibility of acquiring Aaron Ward from the Hurricanes. They need a change, we need a defence first defenceman. He's not the answer to the world's problems, but you can ask Boston if they're happy about opting for Derek Morris instead. He's adequate and has been for a long time. He makes mistakes, but also makes sound plays once in a while. In short, he's now a 3/4 Dman.
Beyond Ward there are many candidates if Gainey frees the grip on the "prospects". Having seen a few camps now, I don't see why anyone but Subban and maybe Weber shouldn't be up for discussion. If someone thinks Ben Maxwell is worth a defender, it's a great blessing for us, as the chance of him blossoming into something we'll regret losing is pretty minimal at this point (he once score 28 goals in junior!).
Thinking outside the box on the trade front is really what Gainey needs to be doing at this point. If you want to know what I mean, it's something like this:
– When the Wild lose Sykora and Bouchard, they need scoring
– Fletcher scours the league and homes in on Chuck Kobasew, 2-time 20 goal man for the Bruins in 2 years
– He completes the trade for Kobasew in return for Craig Weller (minor league, non-scorer), the rights to Alex Fallstrom (a 2009 4th round pick) and a 2011 2nd round pick
It's just an example of how you can get something (a new 20 goalscorer) for pretty much nothing if you find the right partner and the right trade. It's been a month, time for Gainey to unearth one of these soon.
Those are the possibilities as I see them. I wonder what you crazy guys can come up with...
In the collective vent, it came to light that many (myself included) were not very happy with Gainey's performance this season, specifically since the fall of Markov. My sentiment was that he should have done something to replace the best player on the team, who he knew would be out for 50 games. Others thought that was unreasonable for some reason.
Towards the end of the conversation, MathMan laid down what I took to be a challenge when he said:
It's easy to say "think outside the box", but without some inkling as to what that thinking would entail, it's a pretty empty demand. And allow me to doubt very much that Philly would have made a move by now if Pronger went down... for fear of crippling their cap situation even more.
He was talking in response, of course to my plea that Gainey could have done more than sign the available French Canadian UFA on D. To be absolutely fair, I did ask Gainey to think outside the box, claimed that's why he was paid millions and then came up with something like: "Why didn't he keep Dandenault?"
Not very out of the box, I'll admit. So with the challenge down. And despite the fact I have to do it for free, I'll put some effort into the out-of-the-box thinking for Gainey. Maybe he can give me a ten minutes of his wage or something...
Poach a Russian
Specifically, Emelin?
They wouldn't hesitate to do it to us, there's no transfer agreement. What's the problem?
It might finally show the KHL that the NHL means business.
Not, perhaps the best idea from outside the box...
Pay a transfer fee for a European or a Russian
On a more serious note, why not ignore the fact there's no transfer agreement in the strictest sense and come to an agreement team-to-team with a partner in Sweden or Russia. All that money being saved from Andrei Markov is only being mothballed otherwise.
How about $500,000 to Frolunda for Christian Backman? A few rubles for Valentenko?
These transfers happen all the time between Euro leagues and it's normal operating procedure. Just because the NHL is backwards in its thinking doesn't mean the Habs should be.
Bettman would be angry, but would he have recourse? Probably. Maybe shelf this idea?
Chris Chelios
This is no longer an out of the box idea, this is a press-reported strategy. Chelios, even at 47 would probably offer a lot more savvy than #47 ever could. And he'd probably be able to last a game, as he's likely more fit than all 6 of our current group.
He's playing in Chicago now with the AHL Wolves and is doing a pretty decent job of it. Unlike all the options listed to now, he's the only one to have played on a defending Stanley Cuo champion team last year.
Unsigned UFAs
We've tried this route once, and look where it got us right? But imagine this time, we don't take the RDS suggestion and look for a player who actually plays defence.
I mentioned Dandenault, who we know isn't great, but also know is better than the cross-crease pass every other time he touches the puck. Greg DeVries isn't signed, probably because of his 2008-09, but has had some decent efforts in past years, including 2007-08, so might not be terrible. He's also not 5'9", but 6'3" and could probably handle a much diminished role.
Waiver pick up
The day after Markov's tendon was bisected, the Thrashers picked up Christoph Schubert off waivers. Since that time only one defenceman has been exposed (Randy Jones), but he was claimed by the LA Kings.
Randy Jones is nothing special either, but let's face it, at this point we're talking about replacing some pretty unspecial people on the blue line. 6'2", 205 lbs and NHL experience on a better team than ours, that's something. There's no telling if he would have helped, but then we'll never know if we sit here satisfied with the status quo.
People go through waivers all the time. We've had Begin off waivers, Beauchemin was lost off waivers. Most recently we claimed Metroploit off waivers – there are worthwhile players to be had. I'm sure Gainey's on it, though.
Andre Benoit
We haven't mentioned him at all, but Bob Gainey signed Andre Benoit from Sweden in the spring to play for the Bulldogs. He's not an old man, but already has a lot more experience than say Weber or Subban and has played very well for two seasons in Europe in pro leagues there.
He wouldn't be a much better option than Bergeron, but he may be. Bulldogs fans?
A forward on D
Our problem is a forward stuck in a defenceman's contract. Maybe the solution is a defenceman stuck in a forward's body.
You asked for outside the box, you got it. Chipchura has been an off and on pretty good performer this season. Most nights he's been invisible, which is an improvement on a sometimes painful 4th line. At times, he's been quite good on the puck.
But even with all that, let's be honest, he's never really looked like scoring a goal. Perhaps with better linemates he'd have some points by now, but even a generous soul wouldn't be allocating him more than a couple. In short, Chipchura as a forward isn't really working out for us. He's just not a great asset to the team. And this blogger can't see how he holds off Ben Maxwell, if the younger centre shows any improvement at all this season.
So defence?
I say why not? He has some skills that I'd value in a defender – some decent puck control, a decent basic sideways pass and legs that might appreciate waiting around a bit on a shift. I don't know how he skates in reverse or whether he can rap a puck off the glass first before sending it into the stands, but he's in the NHL, so he might be able to put something together there.
Obviously rolling out this move is a practice only experiment for a few weeks. But he really wouldn't have to be that good to stand in as a 7th for us right now. If things clicked, he might overtake MAB in a week or two.
If not him, how about Pacioretty? Goodness knows it wouldn't cost us a single goal for.
A trade?
OK, I'll admit, most of those are bit wacky, and were I not going through an exercise, I'd have scrapped them long ago. The real option is, and probably always was: trade.
The minute Markov went down was the minute I thought Gainey should have been working a trade. A lot of people assume that I intend to replace like with like here, something in the ilk of Brian Campbell, but really I don't. In fact, I think a 3rd defender to help alleviate the pressure on the top 4 would be fine.
I'll get into trouble if I go through too many scenarios, but one I'd explore if I were GM would be the possibility of acquiring Aaron Ward from the Hurricanes. They need a change, we need a defence first defenceman. He's not the answer to the world's problems, but you can ask Boston if they're happy about opting for Derek Morris instead. He's adequate and has been for a long time. He makes mistakes, but also makes sound plays once in a while. In short, he's now a 3/4 Dman.
Beyond Ward there are many candidates if Gainey frees the grip on the "prospects". Having seen a few camps now, I don't see why anyone but Subban and maybe Weber shouldn't be up for discussion. If someone thinks Ben Maxwell is worth a defender, it's a great blessing for us, as the chance of him blossoming into something we'll regret losing is pretty minimal at this point (he once score 28 goals in junior!).
Thinking outside the box on the trade front is really what Gainey needs to be doing at this point. If you want to know what I mean, it's something like this:
– When the Wild lose Sykora and Bouchard, they need scoring
– Fletcher scours the league and homes in on Chuck Kobasew, 2-time 20 goal man for the Bruins in 2 years
– He completes the trade for Kobasew in return for Craig Weller (minor league, non-scorer), the rights to Alex Fallstrom (a 2009 4th round pick) and a 2011 2nd round pick
It's just an example of how you can get something (a new 20 goalscorer) for pretty much nothing if you find the right partner and the right trade. It's been a month, time for Gainey to unearth one of these soon.
Those are the possibilities as I see them. I wonder what you crazy guys can come up with...
Friday, July 17, 2009
Do The Canadiens Need A Captain?
RDS asked the question, not me.
It's certainly a worthy question. I wondered what people other than Jason Pominville and Guillaume Latndresse might think. I thought you could all chip in here.
As for me, I think there should be a captain. I'll tell you why.
The Canadiens have had a captain for nearly 100 seasons
I'm not usually squeamish about throwing traditions that I think are passe out the window. I think removing the red line was a good thing. I think making players wear helmets was a great idea. I'd be willing to dispatch many others.
The tradition of the Montreal Canadiens dressing a captain, however, is not one of them. Since 1909, the Canadiens have had a team captain and that is the way I think it should continue for the next century.
[The one exception here were the 79 games that Saku Koivu missed while undergoing chemotherapy. That season, no player took Saku's "C" and the team took to the ice with assistant captains alone. This of course represented a very special circumstance, and was meant as an honour to Saku Koivu, not as a slight to the players carrying the team without him.]
For me as a fan, the role of captain represents an honour bestowed on a special player on the team – made even more special when it is a selection by team vote. Neither the fact that it is hard, nor that much of the team has changed should affect this fact at all.
A simple vote
All this debate about who should be named the captain of the Montreal Canadiens is a bit inane considering the players have chosen the captains for donkey's years and should continue to do so this fall.
I think the vote should take place at the very end of training camp so new players have a chance to integrate and all the players have a chance to get to know each other and experience the game dynamic together. Once Septamber 30th comes around, there is no reason why the coach couldn't call all his wards together for a ballot. It shouldn't take longer than a few minutes. And I don't think counting 23 votes or sewing a "C" and two "A"s onto some shirts should really be considered obstacle either.
Alternating captaincy
The vote is great because it gives the players the chance to represent who they feel their leader is, whether off or on the ice. Democracy has been well served in the past with fine leaders chosen over the years. It's the way we got the Carbo-Chelios combination following the exit of Bob Gainey in 1989.
There's nothing wrong with an alternating captaincy in my opinion, but I feel the process should be one step. Rather than asking the players if they want to choose a captain or not in one poll and then naming "C" or just "A"s in a second; I would hold the captain vote. If 2 players end in dead heat, then alternate. If it's three, alternate again. There's no limit.
The reason I see this way as optimal is that it forces people to choose. Given one choice who they feel would lead and represent them.
Andrei Markov
The popular choice for captain these days is Andrei Markov. It's hardly surprising, he's both our best and our longest serving Hab at the moment. Quite rightly, however, people doubt that he would want to be a point-man for the press as well as for the PP. And so – the debate.
A couple of days ago, I put up a poll that asked people to step out of their own skin and think like a quiet Russian would think for a minute. I asked: "If you were a Andrei Markov, who would you nominate to be captain (can't nominate yourself)?". The options I gave to punters were Scott Gomez, Roman Hamrlik, Maxim Lapierre, Georges Laraque, Other or uttering a profanity (presumably about the lack of choice).
The reason I think this question is pertinent is because the captain, if selected at all, will be probably be chosen by a vote among players. All players, new or long-time, young or old will get a chance to nominate and vote.
When I've done this kind of thing in the past on teams I've been on, there have often been players like Andrei Markov. Players that stand out as the clear choice, but ultimately decline the offer to take on the role. What's interesting, though, is that these players are still leaders. More pertinent here is that often the player they nominate to be put up for the vote does very well. This isn't so surprising since players of Markov's kin garner massive respect on a team and their opinion on all debates, captain or not matter.
While the LIW has spoken to now, I think we're better at being ourselves than being a smooth-skating Russian star. I think for example that if there is a vote, Andrei Markov might decline and if he does might have an interest in nominating an alternative. Much as I applaud the effort to step into his shoes, I very much doubt that he will choose Maxim Lapierre. My guess is that he'd lean to a veteran and one with some stature in the NHL. I'd think it'd be down to Hamrlik, Gomez or possibly Gionta in his mind.
French Canadian options
As a frequent participant in the Koivu language debates over the years, it would be foolish to overlook the possibility that RDS is hoping for a French Canadian choice as captain. To be honest, if I was working for an all-French language sports TV channel, I'd be pulling for that possibility myself. I'd want to have proper length interviews with the captain as opposed to those stunted translated affairs where player and reporter are left wanting for time. I'd be hoping that the media face of the players was someone I could interview better than those pesky CJAD guys. It'd give me the edge as a reporter.
But this season of all seasons was the wrong one to be looking for a new captain as far as RDS may be concerned. For one thing, Gainey has just ruthlessly cleaned out all Quebecois vets and has left the team with 3 French-speaking players.
Whereas last season you could have seen Begin, Bouillon, Tanguay or even Dandenault as feasible options. Realistically, this year it's Maxim Lapierre or Guillaume Latendresse. Both are young and very very short on experience at the highest level. It's not inconceivable that they'd be captains, just that the timing doesn't seem right.
Still, I wouldn't totally overlook this important issue. The media is ubiquitous and RDS especially with their exclusive rights can stir it up if they're unhappy. If the chance arises, it might not be a bad idea to see how Lapierre or Latendresse does with an "A". I just don't see the "C" coming their way from a player vote.
As an aside here, wouldn't it be an idea for the Canadiens to try and have their captain whoever it may be to at least start saying Merci and De rien for interviews. If there's one thing I know about Montreal it's that a little effort goes a long way in the PR department.
The rest of the summer
Of course we're all jumping the gun on this issue a bit. What we all forget is that a lot can happen from today until that first evening in October. Players can be signed, players can be traded.
I don't see how we'll end up with Simon Gagne as our captain, but on June 29th no one saw Gomez on the horizon either.
That's why this decision will drag on and that's why we'll debate until that time – starting now.
So, whaddya think? Do the Habs need a captain this season?
It's certainly a worthy question. I wondered what people other than Jason Pominville and Guillaume Latndresse might think. I thought you could all chip in here.
As for me, I think there should be a captain. I'll tell you why.
The Canadiens have had a captain for nearly 100 seasons
I'm not usually squeamish about throwing traditions that I think are passe out the window. I think removing the red line was a good thing. I think making players wear helmets was a great idea. I'd be willing to dispatch many others.
The tradition of the Montreal Canadiens dressing a captain, however, is not one of them. Since 1909, the Canadiens have had a team captain and that is the way I think it should continue for the next century.
[The one exception here were the 79 games that Saku Koivu missed while undergoing chemotherapy. That season, no player took Saku's "C" and the team took to the ice with assistant captains alone. This of course represented a very special circumstance, and was meant as an honour to Saku Koivu, not as a slight to the players carrying the team without him.]
For me as a fan, the role of captain represents an honour bestowed on a special player on the team – made even more special when it is a selection by team vote. Neither the fact that it is hard, nor that much of the team has changed should affect this fact at all.
A simple vote
All this debate about who should be named the captain of the Montreal Canadiens is a bit inane considering the players have chosen the captains for donkey's years and should continue to do so this fall.
I think the vote should take place at the very end of training camp so new players have a chance to integrate and all the players have a chance to get to know each other and experience the game dynamic together. Once Septamber 30th comes around, there is no reason why the coach couldn't call all his wards together for a ballot. It shouldn't take longer than a few minutes. And I don't think counting 23 votes or sewing a "C" and two "A"s onto some shirts should really be considered obstacle either.
Alternating captaincy
The vote is great because it gives the players the chance to represent who they feel their leader is, whether off or on the ice. Democracy has been well served in the past with fine leaders chosen over the years. It's the way we got the Carbo-Chelios combination following the exit of Bob Gainey in 1989.
There's nothing wrong with an alternating captaincy in my opinion, but I feel the process should be one step. Rather than asking the players if they want to choose a captain or not in one poll and then naming "C" or just "A"s in a second; I would hold the captain vote. If 2 players end in dead heat, then alternate. If it's three, alternate again. There's no limit.
The reason I see this way as optimal is that it forces people to choose. Given one choice who they feel would lead and represent them.
Andrei Markov
The popular choice for captain these days is Andrei Markov. It's hardly surprising, he's both our best and our longest serving Hab at the moment. Quite rightly, however, people doubt that he would want to be a point-man for the press as well as for the PP. And so – the debate.
A couple of days ago, I put up a poll that asked people to step out of their own skin and think like a quiet Russian would think for a minute. I asked: "If you were a Andrei Markov, who would you nominate to be captain (can't nominate yourself)?". The options I gave to punters were Scott Gomez, Roman Hamrlik, Maxim Lapierre, Georges Laraque, Other or uttering a profanity (presumably about the lack of choice).
The reason I think this question is pertinent is because the captain, if selected at all, will be probably be chosen by a vote among players. All players, new or long-time, young or old will get a chance to nominate and vote.
When I've done this kind of thing in the past on teams I've been on, there have often been players like Andrei Markov. Players that stand out as the clear choice, but ultimately decline the offer to take on the role. What's interesting, though, is that these players are still leaders. More pertinent here is that often the player they nominate to be put up for the vote does very well. This isn't so surprising since players of Markov's kin garner massive respect on a team and their opinion on all debates, captain or not matter.
While the LIW has spoken to now, I think we're better at being ourselves than being a smooth-skating Russian star. I think for example that if there is a vote, Andrei Markov might decline and if he does might have an interest in nominating an alternative. Much as I applaud the effort to step into his shoes, I very much doubt that he will choose Maxim Lapierre. My guess is that he'd lean to a veteran and one with some stature in the NHL. I'd think it'd be down to Hamrlik, Gomez or possibly Gionta in his mind.
French Canadian options
As a frequent participant in the Koivu language debates over the years, it would be foolish to overlook the possibility that RDS is hoping for a French Canadian choice as captain. To be honest, if I was working for an all-French language sports TV channel, I'd be pulling for that possibility myself. I'd want to have proper length interviews with the captain as opposed to those stunted translated affairs where player and reporter are left wanting for time. I'd be hoping that the media face of the players was someone I could interview better than those pesky CJAD guys. It'd give me the edge as a reporter.
But this season of all seasons was the wrong one to be looking for a new captain as far as RDS may be concerned. For one thing, Gainey has just ruthlessly cleaned out all Quebecois vets and has left the team with 3 French-speaking players.
Whereas last season you could have seen Begin, Bouillon, Tanguay or even Dandenault as feasible options. Realistically, this year it's Maxim Lapierre or Guillaume Latendresse. Both are young and very very short on experience at the highest level. It's not inconceivable that they'd be captains, just that the timing doesn't seem right.
Still, I wouldn't totally overlook this important issue. The media is ubiquitous and RDS especially with their exclusive rights can stir it up if they're unhappy. If the chance arises, it might not be a bad idea to see how Lapierre or Latendresse does with an "A". I just don't see the "C" coming their way from a player vote.
As an aside here, wouldn't it be an idea for the Canadiens to try and have their captain whoever it may be to at least start saying Merci and De rien for interviews. If there's one thing I know about Montreal it's that a little effort goes a long way in the PR department.
The rest of the summer
Of course we're all jumping the gun on this issue a bit. What we all forget is that a lot can happen from today until that first evening in October. Players can be signed, players can be traded.
I don't see how we'll end up with Simon Gagne as our captain, but on June 29th no one saw Gomez on the horizon either.
That's why this decision will drag on and that's why we'll debate until that time – starting now.
So, whaddya think? Do the Habs need a captain this season?
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Sharks Reinstate Claude Lemieux
Wilson: "Thinking How To Mess Up The Season Is Hard"
Thinking of ways to keep people interested while winning streaks drag on is the burden of the San Jose Sharks. Unaccustomed to actually starting well as finishing well, the Sharks have found their minds wandering to keep themselves occupied. Their most recent move cannot be described any other way:
Claude Lemieux should add an interesting piece to an already interesting team – one that already has two elite centres and Jeremy Roenick.
But is there anything beyond an interesting story here? Can Claude Lemieux help this team be better – in the playoffs that is.
One would have to think that was Doug Wilson's actual logic. But can we really attribute logic to a man who invites a 43-year-old, 5.5 years into retirement, to come back and play for his stacked team? Can we really say that Doug Wilson is doing anything other than rolling the dice? After all, he built a team he hopes will win the Cup around Joe Thornton (not to mention Patrick Marleau).
I get the thinking too:
My players = All chokers
Claude Lemieux = Has always found ways to win (even Conn Smythes!)
Despite that, in my humble opinion, Claude Lemieux will not help the Sharks. You can't expect a reclamation project like him to come in and turn a team's stomachs around. Nor could you expect him to fare very well in the new faster NHL. He didn't help Phoenix at the end of his real playing days, did he? His effectiveness was spent more than 9 years ago.
If anything, with Thornton and Roenick already crowding the dressing room; I think he's a personality too far. What's more, some poor youngster who could be learning the ways of winning will now be relegated back down so Claude can exorcise his whim.
I wish Claude all the best, but I'm infinitely glad we didn't sign him. Normally, I'm the first to criticise Bob Gainey for canny manouevres he missed out on. But this is not a canny manoeuvre in my book, and I wholeheartedly disagree with JT's fanciful take on the matter:
And, what is it about the late 80s Habs that just won't retire. Chelios, Richer and his repeated attempts at comebacks and now this. If Larry Robinson wants back in, we have a gaping place open for him at 6th defenceman...
The NHL-leading Sharks recalled the four-time Cup winner Monday from their minor league affiliate in Worcester, Mass. Lemieux practiced in San Jose, and he's likely to play Tuesday night against Vancouver in the Sharks' final game before the All-Star break.
Claude Lemieux should add an interesting piece to an already interesting team – one that already has two elite centres and Jeremy Roenick.
But is there anything beyond an interesting story here? Can Claude Lemieux help this team be better – in the playoffs that is.
One would have to think that was Doug Wilson's actual logic. But can we really attribute logic to a man who invites a 43-year-old, 5.5 years into retirement, to come back and play for his stacked team? Can we really say that Doug Wilson is doing anything other than rolling the dice? After all, he built a team he hopes will win the Cup around Joe Thornton (not to mention Patrick Marleau).
I get the thinking too:
My players = All chokers
Claude Lemieux = Has always found ways to win (even Conn Smythes!)
Despite that, in my humble opinion, Claude Lemieux will not help the Sharks. You can't expect a reclamation project like him to come in and turn a team's stomachs around. Nor could you expect him to fare very well in the new faster NHL. He didn't help Phoenix at the end of his real playing days, did he? His effectiveness was spent more than 9 years ago.
If anything, with Thornton and Roenick already crowding the dressing room; I think he's a personality too far. What's more, some poor youngster who could be learning the ways of winning will now be relegated back down so Claude can exorcise his whim.
I wish Claude all the best, but I'm infinitely glad we didn't sign him. Normally, I'm the first to criticise Bob Gainey for canny manouevres he missed out on. But this is not a canny manoeuvre in my book, and I wholeheartedly disagree with JT's fanciful take on the matter:
If Gainey passed over Lemieux without at least considering making him an offer, I worry the Habs GM is too conservative or unimaginative to give his team a leg up on the other teams scrabbling to be the best...
And, what is it about the late 80s Habs that just won't retire. Chelios, Richer and his repeated attempts at comebacks and now this. If Larry Robinson wants back in, we have a gaping place open for him at 6th defenceman...
Friday, February 22, 2008
To Trade or Not to Trade
The Habs have just one more game to play before the trade deadline. That game is against Columbus on Saturday night - a team that just did us a huge favour by beating Ottawa. The busiest man in town over the next 4 days may very well be Bob Gainey. Not only is he going to be in the spotlight come trade day, but, on the 23rd, he will also become the 14th (or 16th - still unknown) player in Habs history to have his number raised to the roof. It will no doubt be a hectic few days for one of the most well respected men in hockey.
We have all heard the rumours that we are involved in talks for absolutely every player in the NHL. If you ever visit Eklund's site you will have noticed that in order to bring in readers (especially readers from big markets like Montreal) the Habs are involved in a new rumour daily. This genius has a great system for announcing a trade - he reads it on TSN then quickly posts it on his site. He claims to be an insider with a lot of knowledge about hockey, but if you read his site you would realize that he is not close to being that at all. The Habs of course have not made a trade every day this year and wouldn't you know it haven't made a deal since last February. This doesn't mean some of the stuff on his site won't come true, because after all he has posted every possible trade that could be made so if one does go down I am sure he can find some sort of reference to it - likely posted in August.
Habs fans, thanks to too many unfounded rumours, are a bit too excited this time around about the prospect of us landing a big name player. People are having a hard time seeing that we have 75 points, that we are 1 point out of first and that we are having our best season in years. In typical Montreal fashion the mob wants more, more, more. Ryder only has 12 goals, but we have 75 points - trade him. Koivu isn't following up a career year with another career year - trade him. Higgins scored most of his goals in the first half - trade him. Kovalev is and always was my favorite player, I never booed him - un-tradeable. Unfortunately Habs fans are like kids in a way - they always want something new and exciting, they can't remember anything beyond a month ago and they will more often than not do what everyone else is doing; whether that means booing certain people or getting off one bandwagon and onto another.
We have to be extremely careful with what we hope for and we should all realize that in order to get someone good at this stage in the year you are going to have to give something up, something big. Most fans can't understand why a package of Dandenault, Smolinski, Ryder and Brisebois wouldn't be enough for Hossa, I mean it's 4 for 1 why wouldn't Atlanta do it? If getting a big name player is going to cost us a star or a potential star then it is something we should think long and hard about. We don't want to fall into the trap of trading away our future just because we think this is the year. Teams like Atlanta, Toronto and Edmonton have all made deadline deals in the past few years that were intended to make them better. It may have made them slightly better than they would have been in that year's playoffs, but beyond that we all know what happened to those teams. Smart teams are teams like Detroit and Ottawa who stick with their guys and stick with a plan, even if it takes years, occasionally making minor adjustments.
Not all trades are bad of course and sometimes there can actually be 2 winners in a trade. The last time we won the cup we sacrificed players like Courtnall, Chelios, Corson and my all-time favorite Skrudland to get the missing pieces - Damphousse, Savard, Leaman and Bellows. So it is tough to say - trade or not. At least 18 teams make deals at the end that think give them a shot, but at the end of the day there can only be one winner, thus only one GM can look like a genius. I would probably chalk all of that up to luck rather than strategy as the 'missing piece' is often not what you think it is. Last year it wasn't Tkachuk, Comrie, Guerin, it may just have been Brad May.
Whether the Habs land Hossa, Jokinen, Sundin or Tanguay or stay absolutely still may make no difference at all. If we are going to have to give some of the future for to gain a bit in the now then it is a very risky game to play. We have the makings of a great team with great chemistry, not just for this year, but for many years to come. Any deal that we make now could be one-step forward for 2008 and 2-steps back in our overall development. We have been putting this team together for 15 years now and I think that we finally have the team that we all had hoped for. With a little patience and trust in Bob then I am sure we will come out of next Tuesday's deadline bonanza with a team that will not only be competitive this year, but will indeed challenge for the cup in the very near future - and, that may very well mean no moves at all.
We have all heard the rumours that we are involved in talks for absolutely every player in the NHL. If you ever visit Eklund's site you will have noticed that in order to bring in readers (especially readers from big markets like Montreal) the Habs are involved in a new rumour daily. This genius has a great system for announcing a trade - he reads it on TSN then quickly posts it on his site. He claims to be an insider with a lot of knowledge about hockey, but if you read his site you would realize that he is not close to being that at all. The Habs of course have not made a trade every day this year and wouldn't you know it haven't made a deal since last February. This doesn't mean some of the stuff on his site won't come true, because after all he has posted every possible trade that could be made so if one does go down I am sure he can find some sort of reference to it - likely posted in August.
Habs fans, thanks to too many unfounded rumours, are a bit too excited this time around about the prospect of us landing a big name player. People are having a hard time seeing that we have 75 points, that we are 1 point out of first and that we are having our best season in years. In typical Montreal fashion the mob wants more, more, more. Ryder only has 12 goals, but we have 75 points - trade him. Koivu isn't following up a career year with another career year - trade him. Higgins scored most of his goals in the first half - trade him. Kovalev is and always was my favorite player, I never booed him - un-tradeable. Unfortunately Habs fans are like kids in a way - they always want something new and exciting, they can't remember anything beyond a month ago and they will more often than not do what everyone else is doing; whether that means booing certain people or getting off one bandwagon and onto another.
We have to be extremely careful with what we hope for and we should all realize that in order to get someone good at this stage in the year you are going to have to give something up, something big. Most fans can't understand why a package of Dandenault, Smolinski, Ryder and Brisebois wouldn't be enough for Hossa, I mean it's 4 for 1 why wouldn't Atlanta do it? If getting a big name player is going to cost us a star or a potential star then it is something we should think long and hard about. We don't want to fall into the trap of trading away our future just because we think this is the year. Teams like Atlanta, Toronto and Edmonton have all made deadline deals in the past few years that were intended to make them better. It may have made them slightly better than they would have been in that year's playoffs, but beyond that we all know what happened to those teams. Smart teams are teams like Detroit and Ottawa who stick with their guys and stick with a plan, even if it takes years, occasionally making minor adjustments.
Not all trades are bad of course and sometimes there can actually be 2 winners in a trade. The last time we won the cup we sacrificed players like Courtnall, Chelios, Corson and my all-time favorite Skrudland to get the missing pieces - Damphousse, Savard, Leaman and Bellows. So it is tough to say - trade or not. At least 18 teams make deals at the end that think give them a shot, but at the end of the day there can only be one winner, thus only one GM can look like a genius. I would probably chalk all of that up to luck rather than strategy as the 'missing piece' is often not what you think it is. Last year it wasn't Tkachuk, Comrie, Guerin, it may just have been Brad May.
Whether the Habs land Hossa, Jokinen, Sundin or Tanguay or stay absolutely still may make no difference at all. If we are going to have to give some of the future for to gain a bit in the now then it is a very risky game to play. We have the makings of a great team with great chemistry, not just for this year, but for many years to come. Any deal that we make now could be one-step forward for 2008 and 2-steps back in our overall development. We have been putting this team together for 15 years now and I think that we finally have the team that we all had hoped for. With a little patience and trust in Bob then I am sure we will come out of next Tuesday's deadline bonanza with a team that will not only be competitive this year, but will indeed challenge for the cup in the very near future - and, that may very well mean no moves at all.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Injuries and Call-Ups: Montreal Canadiens December 3 - December 9
The week that was
Gordie Howe, Chris Chelios, no Leafs, no Sabres.
The week started all wrong for the Habs didn’t it?
The biggest ovation for a player of an opposing team? We’re still in Montreal aren’t we? Beliveau was there wasn’t he? Other Canadiens?
Honouring the 81st anniversary of anything was always going to be strange. Luckily a real live rivalry awaited and provided us the only game we will keep in our memories from this December week.
Well, we’ve now well and truly entered a little slump. But come on, there’s no more reason to believe this will last than the delusion that we would pace the Senators to second in the East (with a fourth seed of course).
Thinking back to February of last year, it seemed like that slump was unstoppable too. Well, they turned it around and just about did the impossible. This year, the coaches told them to get their slump in early. In fact, it wouldn’t be such a bad plan, seeing as how the team can only really play well when there is some concrete reason to (i.e., you’ll miss the playoffs if you lose).
Still, we did get 2 points and prevent the now fourth place Bruins from moving very far ahead of us (1 point). It reflects the level nature of the league when a horrible week is 1-2, and the worst record over ten games (ours) is 3-6-1.
Not as many positives this week, even though I’m trying. Gainey making that move was positive, so was benching Brisebois. Playing 8 defensemen on Saturday was a big step backwards though.
With so few positives, I will take this time to mention things that worry me about last week and the past few weeks:
- Koivu. Still playing well, still chipping in some points, but not been a game breaker. He can be. I think we need him to be.
- Higgins. I think he may have gotten a bit carried away with his early success. 30 goals before 40 Chris.
- Markov. Same as Koivu. While his PP passing is still extraordinary, it was always his defense that impressed me most in the past. Not so recently.
- Those 3 guys are on the website opening page – ergo, they are the faces of the team, the players that represent what the Habs can be at their best. We need a turnaround from those three. Most of the rest are followers and will obligingly follow.
- Not giving Halak a start. Price looks average at best, and still needs to be pushed. Halak needs a little boost that an NHL start could provide. A solution is right there. Hopefully whoever it is can overlook pride and see it…
- A schedule that offers no easy ways back to winning.
In some ways having a week to put behind you is easier than one where you need to conserve some parts of what you were doing. Hopefully yesterday’s workouts were a re-invention of sorts.
I hope the coaches have had a look at what they are doing and recognised their own flaws. Their systems look like they need tweaking to me.
Quote of the week
On the art of giving a quote with no insight whatsoever (Higgins):
Coming off a week where the coach's best idea for manufacturing a win was 8 defensemen (again)...
... what might Rejean Houle do?
Call Mario Tremblay and ask for advice.
... what might Sam Pollock do?
Visit the dressing room. Play the players a tape of those boos at the Bell Centre.
The week upcoming
I didn't see less than 3 points, that was until after the first few minutes of the Detroit game. With confidence at a seasonal low, we need to make sure that we are ready to try and win when the Southeast division comes calling (that's next week). This week we've got a team we can struggle with, a team we like to play and a crapshoot. The time for 3 points has passed. Come on, show some pride and pull in the majority this week guys.
Tuesday night: Tampa Bay Lightning at the Bell Centre.
Tampa has four really good players. OK, now we know that, let's use all our defensive forward expertise to take those guys out of the game and play their AHL affiliate. Hopefully, the big 4 will carry their good play into tonight and be ready for a change from posting points for a day. This seriously is the game to win. After the loss on Saturday, I think points are mandatory from this one.
Bolts to watch: Vincent Lecavalier and Jason Ward – we get to see how far our group of forwards have yet to go and how far they have come all in one line-up. Lecavalier is the best player in the league right now (barring maybe Lidstrom) and Ward is someone hanging onto an NHL job with a team that can't afford anyone better.
Thursday night: Philadelphia Flyers at the Wachovia Center.
The Flyers are a funny group. They seem to be built for beating certain teams. Take the Hurricanes, they have beaten them 3 times already. Other teams give them too much to handle. Based on the last game, the Canadiens could be one team that gives them too much to handle. If the Habs can prepare well and come to the game to win, then they should be able to demonstrate why the Flyers team-building technique is flawed.
Flyers to watch: Mike Richards and Daniel Briere – if the Flyers have scored goals this year, it is greatly thanks to these two. Briere is on pace for yet another good season and Richards is really breaking out offensively. Both are proving me wrong. Luckily the duds like Umberger and Hartnell balance that out.
Saturday night: Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre.
Best and worse case scenario with the scheduling here. If we win the first 2 games of the week, I don't want the Leafs to play for the third. If we win 0 (can't happen...) or 1, then the Leafs is a game the players will play for. We need a low-key Saturday night sometime (oh, it's next week).
Leafs to watch: Mats Sundin and Vesa Toskala – getting old, but I would be betraying this space if I ignored the impact mats Sundin has on these games, as for Toskala, he has been improving his play of late, and it has turned into Leafs wins. Even in those 5-4 games, goalies always seem to play an important part in Leafs-Habs games.
News from the Habswagon
AP December 09 2007 – Thousands of fans descended on Windsor station today for the first time in weeks. No sooner had they come, they were gone. People had come to lift up the tracks as the train was cancelled for lack of passengers. It was cold work for the former fans, but they managed to keep themselves warm by burning multiple No. 31 jerseys.
[The subjective look at the week that was and the week ahead in Montreal Canadiens Week is supplemented by the objective analysis following every fifth game]
Gordie Howe, Chris Chelios, no Leafs, no Sabres.
The week started all wrong for the Habs didn’t it?
The biggest ovation for a player of an opposing team? We’re still in Montreal aren’t we? Beliveau was there wasn’t he? Other Canadiens?
Honouring the 81st anniversary of anything was always going to be strange. Luckily a real live rivalry awaited and provided us the only game we will keep in our memories from this December week.
Well, we’ve now well and truly entered a little slump. But come on, there’s no more reason to believe this will last than the delusion that we would pace the Senators to second in the East (with a fourth seed of course).
Thinking back to February of last year, it seemed like that slump was unstoppable too. Well, they turned it around and just about did the impossible. This year, the coaches told them to get their slump in early. In fact, it wouldn’t be such a bad plan, seeing as how the team can only really play well when there is some concrete reason to (i.e., you’ll miss the playoffs if you lose).
Still, we did get 2 points and prevent the now fourth place Bruins from moving very far ahead of us (1 point). It reflects the level nature of the league when a horrible week is 1-2, and the worst record over ten games (ours) is 3-6-1.
Not as many positives this week, even though I’m trying. Gainey making that move was positive, so was benching Brisebois. Playing 8 defensemen on Saturday was a big step backwards though.
With so few positives, I will take this time to mention things that worry me about last week and the past few weeks:
- Koivu. Still playing well, still chipping in some points, but not been a game breaker. He can be. I think we need him to be.
- Higgins. I think he may have gotten a bit carried away with his early success. 30 goals before 40 Chris.
- Markov. Same as Koivu. While his PP passing is still extraordinary, it was always his defense that impressed me most in the past. Not so recently.
- Those 3 guys are on the website opening page – ergo, they are the faces of the team, the players that represent what the Habs can be at their best. We need a turnaround from those three. Most of the rest are followers and will obligingly follow.
- Not giving Halak a start. Price looks average at best, and still needs to be pushed. Halak needs a little boost that an NHL start could provide. A solution is right there. Hopefully whoever it is can overlook pride and see it…
- A schedule that offers no easy ways back to winning.
In some ways having a week to put behind you is easier than one where you need to conserve some parts of what you were doing. Hopefully yesterday’s workouts were a re-invention of sorts.
I hope the coaches have had a look at what they are doing and recognised their own flaws. Their systems look like they need tweaking to me.
Quote of the week
On the art of giving a quote with no insight whatsoever (Higgins):
""We played a simple, effective game on the road and then we come home and it goes to shit."
Coming off a week where the coach's best idea for manufacturing a win was 8 defensemen (again)...
... what might Rejean Houle do?Call Mario Tremblay and ask for advice.
... what might Sam Pollock do?Visit the dressing room. Play the players a tape of those boos at the Bell Centre.
The week upcoming
I didn't see less than 3 points, that was until after the first few minutes of the Detroit game. With confidence at a seasonal low, we need to make sure that we are ready to try and win when the Southeast division comes calling (that's next week). This week we've got a team we can struggle with, a team we like to play and a crapshoot. The time for 3 points has passed. Come on, show some pride and pull in the majority this week guys.
Tuesday night: Tampa Bay Lightning at the Bell Centre.
Tampa has four really good players. OK, now we know that, let's use all our defensive forward expertise to take those guys out of the game and play their AHL affiliate. Hopefully, the big 4 will carry their good play into tonight and be ready for a change from posting points for a day. This seriously is the game to win. After the loss on Saturday, I think points are mandatory from this one.
Bolts to watch: Vincent Lecavalier and Jason Ward – we get to see how far our group of forwards have yet to go and how far they have come all in one line-up. Lecavalier is the best player in the league right now (barring maybe Lidstrom) and Ward is someone hanging onto an NHL job with a team that can't afford anyone better.
Thursday night: Philadelphia Flyers at the Wachovia Center.
The Flyers are a funny group. They seem to be built for beating certain teams. Take the Hurricanes, they have beaten them 3 times already. Other teams give them too much to handle. Based on the last game, the Canadiens could be one team that gives them too much to handle. If the Habs can prepare well and come to the game to win, then they should be able to demonstrate why the Flyers team-building technique is flawed.
Flyers to watch: Mike Richards and Daniel Briere – if the Flyers have scored goals this year, it is greatly thanks to these two. Briere is on pace for yet another good season and Richards is really breaking out offensively. Both are proving me wrong. Luckily the duds like Umberger and Hartnell balance that out.
Saturday night: Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre.
Best and worse case scenario with the scheduling here. If we win the first 2 games of the week, I don't want the Leafs to play for the third. If we win 0 (can't happen...) or 1, then the Leafs is a game the players will play for. We need a low-key Saturday night sometime (oh, it's next week).
Leafs to watch: Mats Sundin and Vesa Toskala – getting old, but I would be betraying this space if I ignored the impact mats Sundin has on these games, as for Toskala, he has been improving his play of late, and it has turned into Leafs wins. Even in those 5-4 games, goalies always seem to play an important part in Leafs-Habs games.
News from the HabswagonAP December 09 2007 – Thousands of fans descended on Windsor station today for the first time in weeks. No sooner had they come, they were gone. People had come to lift up the tracks as the train was cancelled for lack of passengers. It was cold work for the former fans, but they managed to keep themselves warm by burning multiple No. 31 jerseys.
[The subjective look at the week that was and the week ahead in Montreal Canadiens Week is supplemented by the objective analysis following every fifth game]
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
Game# 27
The Canadiens Game in Review
Date: Tuesday December 4th, 2007
Opponent: Detroit Red Wings
Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Team Stripes
Final Score: 1-4 - Loss
Habs starting goalie: Carey Price (L)
Opposition starting goalie: Dominik Hasek (W)
Habs goalscorers: Christopher Higgins,
Opposition goalscorers: Pavel Datsyuk (2), Niklas Kronvall, Henrik Zetterberg
2007/08 first
There's a first time for everything, so they say. What they didn't tell you is that every game, something happens for the first time, you just have to look harder in March...
1st Game on the roster for Halak this year
Play of the game
The play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...
Tonight Detroit provided the highlights and I don't really feel like describing any of theirgoals. My favorite play came towards the end of the game and was by Dandenault. Mathieu, playing his former team must have some lingering regrets within him about no longer being with the best team in the league, but that didn't stop him from playing with a lot of heart for his current team.
Koivu was in a little scuffle with Samuelsson towards the end of the third when out of nowhere Dandenault came to Saku's aid. I am sure that the Finn would have loved to have continued feuding with the Swede, but Mat put a stop to that. Dandenault came flying in, jumped in the air and tackled Samuelsson down. To me this showed heart, it showed good team loyalty and showed us that the Habs, despite some bad games, haven't lost their fight.
Game puck
Trophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...
Saku Koivu
Saku always gets up for big games whether it be at the Olympics, in the playoffs or in the regular season against the league's best. Tonight he played a very strong game in Detroit's end and had a very nice assist on Higgins' goal. He was involved in a few altercations which is always a good sign for Koivu - we all know how great of a leader he is off the ice, tonight he was a great leader on it.
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
Alexei Kovalev
- One of the few Habs that could match the skill of the Red Wings tonight. Detroit obviously has a great team, but if you look closely they are also carrying a lot of dead weight; Downey, Drake, Cleary, Ellis etc. Alex was able to exploit the Red Wings' weaknesses tonight and actually drew a few penalties which is always a great play
Andrei Kostitsyn
- Along with Kovalev and Plekanec Andrei was a threat for the Habs tonight. We definitely didn't have too many shots on net, but the chances were there. Kostitsyn showed off his very quick release tonight with a couple of very good shots, but Hasek was up to the test
Saku Koivu
- Good game for the skipper despite the loss. Streit and Higgins were his linemates for most of the game until Mark commited an error in the defensive zone that led to Detroit's second goal - the game-winner. After that point Koivu's line changed with every shift. I'm sure Saku is like me - I don't care who Koivu plays with, just let it last more than 1 period at a time
Defencemen
Mike Komisarek
- It was a quiet game from Mike tonight, which for a defenceman is a good thing. He has now been paired with Hamrlik for a few games which may be beacsue of Markov's injury. Unfortunately for Andrei that leaves him with Brisebois so look for his +/- to plumet. Some good hits for Komi with some solid defensive-end play, ended up +1
Roman Hamrlik
- Roman and Komi were the only two + players for us tonight. This partnership looks very good, but shows again that the Habs need a 4th top 4 D-man to play in the top two pairings - if only we had, I don't know, a player who is the captain of his country's team, who may have beaten Canada...Hammer played more than any other Hab, looked good in both ends
Goaltender
Jaroslav Halak
- I don't just want to get in the habit of putting the back-up in here if we lose, but tonight I think it is the right call. Halak was called up because Price was sick, then all of a sudden Huet gets retroactively injured, so Price is back in. Halak has a great home record and has nothing to lose at this point. I feel that a start for Jaro would have been the right thing tonight. Price didn't play horrible, but he didn't play that well either. He continues to look very ordinary so far in his career making me wonder if his stock is maybe falling? If we ever want to improve this team it will have to be via trades and if you trade while your player's stock is low you get ripped off. (Theodore - Aebischer, Riberio - Niniimaa). At some point something has to give bewteen these 3 keepers, now is Halak's chance to show if we actually have a problem
Eyes on Kovalev
Did he flit and float? Someone ought to keep track...
Alex played his usual game tonight, very much the game you would expect from him at this point in the season. This game was very fast as Detroit set the tempo early and Kovalev was one of the few forwards who could match the cadence. He came very close to tying it up on the PP, but missed the net, but again at least the chances were there.
Kovalev's Assessment - Good
Overall Comments
The game was fast, was fun and believe it or not was close. Until the end of the second I really thought the Habs would find a way to win. The bad thing is that the Habs just can't seem to come from behind this year. Last year throughout the early part of the year you could count on them coming back to force OT and then generally going on to win, but we aren't so fortunate this year. Scoring the first goal seems to be the way to go about it these days, back to way it was before the lock-out. The good news is there are usually more penalties called in the 1st than in the other periods, so scoring 1st, on the PP, should be doable for us.
Tonight's game started with a nice tribute to the Red Wings-Canadiens rivarly. I couldn't help but feel a bit of pride seeing Chelios, a former Hab captain, out there on the carpet with his ex-co-captain Guy Carbonneau. The Chelios-Savard trade obviously had a good short term gain for the Habs as Denis was a key ingredient for our '93 cup win. Just imagine, though, had we traded someone else for Savard and kept Chelios. If Chris was still with the Habs he would most certainly still be the captain making it 19 seasons as the skipper. How many more cups may we have won? Think of all the years where our defence was a right shambles (Laflamme, Traverse, Dirk, Baron, Popovic etc.), now imagine Chelios there to guide the way. I believe that he could have become a legend in the same mould as Harvey, Robinson or even Beliveau. It was great to see him in Montreal, even better to see him still playing, well done Chris! It was also nice to see former McGill Redmen captain Mike Babcock back in town. He was wearing McGill tie for the game which I found quite interesting. You would have thought, though, that a local boy might at least let us get one point!
The Canadiens had the effort tonight, but seem like they need some help out there. With the recent struggles of Ryder, Koivu, Smolinski etc. we area always leaving it to the same 2 or 3 guys each game. I would suggest calling up O'Byrne or Cote to play wing, afterall aren't defencemen the best wingers? You would have to think that that is what Carbo is thinking, or is it juts getting that hard to justify having Breezer in the lineup? How about Recchi or Selanne - both have had great success with Saku and both could probably be snatched up for a fair price. If we continue to play around the .500 mark over the next few weeks we have no need to worry, but if we drop below that then I think that it may be time for a re-shuffle. Like Topham said - stay in the mix right until March and give ourselves a legitimate shot at the playoffs, I think we all knew that 4th overall was a little beyond us.
Date: Tuesday December 4th, 2007
Opponent: Detroit Red Wings
Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Team Stripes
Final Score: 1-4 - Loss
Habs starting goalie: Carey Price (L)
Opposition starting goalie: Dominik Hasek (W)
Habs goalscorers: Christopher Higgins,
Opposition goalscorers: Pavel Datsyuk (2), Niklas Kronvall, Henrik Zetterberg
2007/08 first
There's a first time for everything, so they say. What they didn't tell you is that every game, something happens for the first time, you just have to look harder in March...
1st Game on the roster for Halak this year
Play of the game
The play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...
Tonight Detroit provided the highlights and I don't really feel like describing any of theirgoals. My favorite play came towards the end of the game and was by Dandenault. Mathieu, playing his former team must have some lingering regrets within him about no longer being with the best team in the league, but that didn't stop him from playing with a lot of heart for his current team.
Koivu was in a little scuffle with Samuelsson towards the end of the third when out of nowhere Dandenault came to Saku's aid. I am sure that the Finn would have loved to have continued feuding with the Swede, but Mat put a stop to that. Dandenault came flying in, jumped in the air and tackled Samuelsson down. To me this showed heart, it showed good team loyalty and showed us that the Habs, despite some bad games, haven't lost their fight.
Game puck
Trophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...
Saku Koivu
Saku always gets up for big games whether it be at the Olympics, in the playoffs or in the regular season against the league's best. Tonight he played a very strong game in Detroit's end and had a very nice assist on Higgins' goal. He was involved in a few altercations which is always a good sign for Koivu - we all know how great of a leader he is off the ice, tonight he was a great leader on it.
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
Alexei Kovalev
- One of the few Habs that could match the skill of the Red Wings tonight. Detroit obviously has a great team, but if you look closely they are also carrying a lot of dead weight; Downey, Drake, Cleary, Ellis etc. Alex was able to exploit the Red Wings' weaknesses tonight and actually drew a few penalties which is always a great play
Andrei Kostitsyn
- Along with Kovalev and Plekanec Andrei was a threat for the Habs tonight. We definitely didn't have too many shots on net, but the chances were there. Kostitsyn showed off his very quick release tonight with a couple of very good shots, but Hasek was up to the test
Saku Koivu
- Good game for the skipper despite the loss. Streit and Higgins were his linemates for most of the game until Mark commited an error in the defensive zone that led to Detroit's second goal - the game-winner. After that point Koivu's line changed with every shift. I'm sure Saku is like me - I don't care who Koivu plays with, just let it last more than 1 period at a time
Defencemen
Mike Komisarek
- It was a quiet game from Mike tonight, which for a defenceman is a good thing. He has now been paired with Hamrlik for a few games which may be beacsue of Markov's injury. Unfortunately for Andrei that leaves him with Brisebois so look for his +/- to plumet. Some good hits for Komi with some solid defensive-end play, ended up +1
Roman Hamrlik
- Roman and Komi were the only two + players for us tonight. This partnership looks very good, but shows again that the Habs need a 4th top 4 D-man to play in the top two pairings - if only we had, I don't know, a player who is the captain of his country's team, who may have beaten Canada...Hammer played more than any other Hab, looked good in both ends
Goaltender
Jaroslav Halak
- I don't just want to get in the habit of putting the back-up in here if we lose, but tonight I think it is the right call. Halak was called up because Price was sick, then all of a sudden Huet gets retroactively injured, so Price is back in. Halak has a great home record and has nothing to lose at this point. I feel that a start for Jaro would have been the right thing tonight. Price didn't play horrible, but he didn't play that well either. He continues to look very ordinary so far in his career making me wonder if his stock is maybe falling? If we ever want to improve this team it will have to be via trades and if you trade while your player's stock is low you get ripped off. (Theodore - Aebischer, Riberio - Niniimaa). At some point something has to give bewteen these 3 keepers, now is Halak's chance to show if we actually have a problem
Eyes on Kovalev
Did he flit and float? Someone ought to keep track...
Alex played his usual game tonight, very much the game you would expect from him at this point in the season. This game was very fast as Detroit set the tempo early and Kovalev was one of the few forwards who could match the cadence. He came very close to tying it up on the PP, but missed the net, but again at least the chances were there.
Kovalev's Assessment - Good
Overall Comments
The game was fast, was fun and believe it or not was close. Until the end of the second I really thought the Habs would find a way to win. The bad thing is that the Habs just can't seem to come from behind this year. Last year throughout the early part of the year you could count on them coming back to force OT and then generally going on to win, but we aren't so fortunate this year. Scoring the first goal seems to be the way to go about it these days, back to way it was before the lock-out. The good news is there are usually more penalties called in the 1st than in the other periods, so scoring 1st, on the PP, should be doable for us.
Tonight's game started with a nice tribute to the Red Wings-Canadiens rivarly. I couldn't help but feel a bit of pride seeing Chelios, a former Hab captain, out there on the carpet with his ex-co-captain Guy Carbonneau. The Chelios-Savard trade obviously had a good short term gain for the Habs as Denis was a key ingredient for our '93 cup win. Just imagine, though, had we traded someone else for Savard and kept Chelios. If Chris was still with the Habs he would most certainly still be the captain making it 19 seasons as the skipper. How many more cups may we have won? Think of all the years where our defence was a right shambles (Laflamme, Traverse, Dirk, Baron, Popovic etc.), now imagine Chelios there to guide the way. I believe that he could have become a legend in the same mould as Harvey, Robinson or even Beliveau. It was great to see him in Montreal, even better to see him still playing, well done Chris! It was also nice to see former McGill Redmen captain Mike Babcock back in town. He was wearing McGill tie for the game which I found quite interesting. You would have thought, though, that a local boy might at least let us get one point!
The Canadiens had the effort tonight, but seem like they need some help out there. With the recent struggles of Ryder, Koivu, Smolinski etc. we area always leaving it to the same 2 or 3 guys each game. I would suggest calling up O'Byrne or Cote to play wing, afterall aren't defencemen the best wingers? You would have to think that that is what Carbo is thinking, or is it juts getting that hard to justify having Breezer in the lineup? How about Recchi or Selanne - both have had great success with Saku and both could probably be snatched up for a fair price. If we continue to play around the .500 mark over the next few weeks we have no need to worry, but if we drop below that then I think that it may be time for a re-shuffle. Like Topham said - stay in the mix right until March and give ourselves a legitimate shot at the playoffs, I think we all knew that 4th overall was a little beyond us.
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