Cue The Imitators

When Anaheim won the Cup in 2007, all those who had been convinced for so long that big and nasty equated with unbeatable were vindicated.

Then last year, Detroit won. So everyone was re-educated to realise that puck possession with a perfect specimen anchoring the D was the way to go.


Now this. Pittsburgh (or should I say Pittsburg Magnitogorsk) have proven the real way to win is different.

First you have to commit to 5 years of absolute futility. That will get you the 5 top 3 draft picks you need to build a team. Obviously, you need to be careful to time this so you don't get Kovalchuk and Stefan, but Malkin and Crosby. More helpful would be if you timed a lockout. That way, one season of losing gets you two top picks.

The next thing you have to do is fire the coach that got you to the final the year before and hire someone with no NHL experience. Not too early though. Probably February to be safe.

Next, name one of your first overall draft picks the captain the minute he steps onto the ice. If he's 18, all the better.

Make sure you scout Russians well -- they are the key You'll need a dominant one to be the best forward over the season and the playoffs. You could probably use one to be your best offensive defenceman and a feisty playoff winger that scores timely goals would be nice too (for flex we'll let you get away with former Soviet for now). This strategy is key, because when you're down, you'll find out how Russians can lift your team of indifferent Canadians with their long thirst for a sip from Stanley's mug.

For the rest of your team, don't fret too much. It doesn't matter. You can make trades for any Islander, because you have centres who've learned from the master at how to make anyone (Rob Brown) score. Depth is overrated, so you can make all the silly trades you want (provided you keep those 5 top picks). Just fill the holes with names.

Also, don't worry about losing too much as the draft picks start to come through. Don't get edgy when your fans stop coming and the team might fold. This is all part of the recipe. If you need money, get that player who you never paid his full salary the last time you were bankrupt and get him to chip in.

There you go, Cup in ten years time guaranteed.


What about Detroit?

Clearly made too many mistakes. Sticking with that discipline and patient system was a mistake. Can you believe they didn't fire their coach with all the signs they had (i.e., January turning into February)? And can you believe they signed the second leading playoff point-getter and goalscorer from the year prior (a known choker)? No one else was so stupid to offer him a contract.

All this franchise has done is shown us now how to be the #1 loser. How to be the ones crying on the ice when the Russian overlords parade the trophies. A smart team has been honing their golf together after their players return from playing for Denmark and Switzerland in the Worlds.


Quick, someone tell Brian Lawton before he trades that pick.


Mocking aside, congratulations to Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh fans (Darren). This makes the league more interesting - and more excruciating for a team trying to come out of the East.

Game 80 Appendix: From Behind Enemy Lines

Also read: Tobalev's Game Report

Growing up some of the best memories for me involved watching the Canadiens.

Sometimes my Mum would go away at playoff time (back in race for division title/playoff days) and my Dad would let us break the rules to fit in with the Habs: a) eat in front of the TV and b) stay up to watch the end of the game.

Thinking about it now, I realise that all this blogging comes from the way my Dad taught me to watch games – no, not with food spilling onto my sweater, but with passion and a critical eye.

That's why, when I heard my Dad would be going battling Kanata traffic to watch the Senators play the Habs at Scotiabank place, I asked him to submit his notes. I thought I would share his observations on the game here.

I have divvied them up by category, mainly since I wanted them to complement the game report, which is also very good and can be read here.


Great game

1) All 6 defencemen, including Brisebois, had a really solid game tonight; simple but effective.

2) Carey Price had a lot to do in the 2nd half of the 2nd period and in the 3rd; excellent effort, with a bit of luck thrown in, including 2 posts, but still fully deserved the shutout; all 32 shots.

3) The 3rd and 4th lines did a great job tonight with a lot of ice time; they really shut down Ottawa's No. 1 line very successfully for most of the game. Steve Begin, in particular, played his heart out.

4) Andrei Kostitsyn looked really dangerous for the whole game.

5) Kovalev made the whole game go into slow motion every time he controlled the puck in Ottawa's end. He is amazing, but was also trying to keep out of trouble a bit tonight and didn't go into the corners too hard. Good move; don't want him injured.

6) It sounded like a home game in Montreal

You can tell this didn't come from Tobalev or I with that "including Brisebois" line. But, Dad always taught us that this was a team game and that you can only be as strong as your weakest link. I think we needed to be reminded about how Brisebois being less adventurous has helped our team this year.


To be improved

1) Ryder, Sergei Kostitsyn and Ladendresse must be more disciplined and not give up stupid penalties. It could be very costly.

Guarding against complacency: another vital lesson.


Best moments

1) Best save: the save with 2.5 seconds left was spectacular but the most important was the point blank save at 14 minutes of the 2nd period.

Frustrations

1) Ottawa's coaching staff didn't think outside the box! 3-0 down with just over 2 minutes to play; you have to pull the goalie and score within the first 20 seconds to have any chance at all! Then you still have almost 2 minutes left to get the other 2; it can be done but needs some imagination!

2) A good quarter of the crowd (all Ottawa so-called fans!) left with 5 minutes to play. A real fan stays to the end, even in a rout!!

From all those years, these are two of the main things we learned from Dad in sports: never give up and never be afraid to try new things. Ottawa would have been lucky to come back, but now they'll never know will they?


Thanks Dad for that report. Go Habs Go.

Making Our Own Destiny

As you all know, we have now clinched a top-two position in the East. Barring a surprise dip in Pittsburgh's form, that probably means we'll be second.

It also means we have guaranteed ourselves home-ice advantage for at least two rounds of the playoffs, and that we will not be facing Pittsburgh in round 1 or round 2. I think that constitutes good news. The last time Pittsburgh were a top team and we were safe for two rounds, I think we know what happened (thank you Glen Healy).

It's worth noting also that winning the division is no small feat. Consider this:

A) We have not won the division since 1992

B) We have not won the division since realignment from Adams and Patrick division days

C) Since 1992, we have not even placed in the top 2 teams in our division: we were 4 thirds, 7 fourths!!, 2 fifths and 1 sixth (behind even Hartford)

D) Since the 1992 season, every team that has ever been our division has won a division title: Ottawa 4 (1999, 2001, 2003, 2006), Boston 3 (1993, 2002, 2004), Pittsburgh 3 (1994, 1996, 1998), Buffalo 2 (1997, 2007), Quebec 1 (1995), Toronto 1 (2000), and even Carolina (several times since moving)

E) Since 1992, only 7 teams other than the Habs have failed to win a division title – we were in the company of Florida, Islanders, LA, Phoenix, Minnesota, Edmonton, Columbus and Nashville until last night. All those teams but Columbus have at least mustered a second place a few times


Playoff match-up

Because of our win, Washington's win and Toronto's crumple, we are still picking from a hat on playoff opponents – any one of 8 Eastern teams could still be booking a trip to Montreal Trudeau.

Assuming a 2nd place finish, a look at the standings will tell you our most likely opponents will be Ottawa, Boston or Philadelphia. Of the three, who would we as fans prefer? Who would the players prefer?

Everyone will be quick to say Boston, but I would guard against thinking Boston in the playoffs would be a inept as Boston in the regular season. Quebec owned us in 1992-1993 and even drove in a couple more nails in Games 1 and 2, but we learned and bounced back. I am strangely wary of teams we beat 8 times in the season.

Then there's Philly. We beat them every game too, but somehow it never felt that the Flyers were cursed in some way. It felt like they were slow and beatable. I like the Flyers better as opponents.

Then there's the Sens. You know, since the Sens stopped trying to emulate the 76-77 Canadiens, they have been a different team. Prior to that point, they had beaten us 3 times in 3 games. Since their slip, we have beaten them 3 times in 5 games. We clinched the playoffs against them. We clinched first place against them. In other words, we have done big things in big games against them. I still see the Sens as the worst choice of the three (and bottom half of the 8), but that win last night changed my mind on total avoidance of all things Ottawa in April.


Aside

If nothing else, a playoff match-up with the Senators should make for an interesting media encounter. Bloggers like me will also enjoy rebuffing the ignorance of certain reporters:

IT MAKES YOU GO HMMM

The Canadiens really aren't very Canadian, are they? Only five of them were born in one of this country's provinces that doesn't start with a 'Q.' (By comparison, the Senators have 16 of those fellows). While others like to sprinkle their rosters with tough, gritty Western Canadian kids, the Habs have neglected to do so.

Sorry to alarm you Mr. Brennan, but even those players from the provinces beginning with Q are Canadian. In fact, a little history will show you that the particular spelling of the team name (French, not an error like incorrect pluralisation) specifically refers to Canadians from La Belle Province.

Besides that obvious argument, Brennan forgot to note that while teams may typically sprinkle their teams with players from Western Canada, we chose to take the atypical route and beat 26 of those teams (including the Senators). In the very same way, the Habs have been able to show (for the first time in ages) that they don't care who they are facing, they will be able to (at least over 3 or 4 games) pull out a good effort and win.

So, banishing thoughts of "cheating" and strategic losing, opponents be damned, these are the first place Canadiens.

From 0 to 96 With Time to Spare

The Canadiens have done it. They have reached the target I set out at the beginning of the season: 96 points. And, lo and behold, they clinched at the same time...

Robert L at Eyes on the Prize, once again providing me food for thought, stated last night's game was one of 4 pivotal games leading to these 96 points: Briere's first game vs. Montreal, the NJ comeback, the NYR comeback (and last night). Of course, every game is important, but I would also point to three critical junctures, which (in my opinion) allowed for the success we've seen:

1) Game #31: S. Kostitsyn Debuts in Habs Win

Not only was this the second game where Tobalev added headlines to his posts, it was also a turning point for two big reasons.

The first, explicit in the title, was the decision to promote Sergei Kostitsyn. This move marked a change in philosophy (possibly the moment Gainey convinced Carbonneau that this was not a defensive hockey team). Sergei would be promoted – ultimately leading to the demotion of Kyle Chipchura, a more responsible and generally less offensively-calibrated player. It would also bump Dandenault down the pecking order and, for the most part, relegate the 8-defenseman strategy to the history books.


The second reason was this promotion either coincided with, or indeed catalysed, the metamorphosis of Andrei Kostitsyn from hesitant apprentice into bona fide goalscorer. You will note that apart from occasional goal explosions (mostly vs. Boston), this game (or hereabouts) marked the birth of the new number one offensive line. Once Kostitsyn shoots, the line scores even strength goals – this was not a conincidence.

The fact that Sergei came up and flourished was a definite bonus, but perhaps, in hindsight, secondary to the ripple effects it created.


2) Game #58: Kovalev Strikes in OT as Price Finally Wins Again

We've heard how important the fact the Habs haven't lost 4 in a row is. This game was why. After 3 straight losses, this could have been the February derailment of a year past.

The Habs were playing out another boring low-scoring affair in Florida. Down 1-0 in the third, the Habs could have been excused for thinking they knew how this one would go. After all, they'd been shooting, getting PPs and were still coming up empty. Typically (in my memory anyway), it was Saku Koivu who brought big game play to the big game. He set up one in regulation and one in OT for a vital win. Incidentally, this win also kicked off a series of spirited games starting with a 4-game winning streak – and banished all thoughts and possibility of a bad February.


I think this was also the game that sealed the Cristobal Huet deal. Carey Price had been mediocre, bad and worse since about December. This game was his return to NHL form. He would shutout in his next.


3) Game #66: Canadiens in first, Canadiens in FIRST!

None of these Canadiens had really ever touched first in years (and even then, it had only been Smolinski, Kovalev and Dandenault). This game was the gut check: Were they afraid to be first? Were they afraid of mounting expectations?

The answer they returned was a resounding NO.

The whole team gave NJ a taste of their own medicine. Price would out-goaltend Martin Brodeur for the first time this season. Notable as well, Andrei Markov turned in one of those performances that gives oodles of confidence to players and fans for the playoffs – possibly his return to best in the East.


96 points! Have look at the way they did it:

2 points – Game #1

3 points – Game #2

5 points – Game #3

6 points – Game #5

8 points – Game #7

10 points – Game #8

12 points – Game #9

14 points – Game #10

15 points – Game #11

17 points – Game #12

19 points – Game #14

21 points – Game #15

23 points – Game #17

25 points – Game #19

27 points – Game #21

29 points – Game #24

30 points – Game #26

32 points – Game #28

33 points – Game #30: Canadiens Get Rare Home Point

35 points – Game #31: S. Kostitsyn Debuts in Habs Win

37 points – Game #32: Koivu Shines in 1st Habs Home Win of December

39 points – Game #34: Latendresse and Huet Lead the Habs to Victory

40 points – Game #35: Habs Burned in Shootout

42 points – Game #37: Habs' Big Names Steal the Show in Tampa

44 points – Game #38: Ryder Scores; Habs 2/2 on Florida Trip

45 points – Game #39: Habs Get 1 Point in the Big Apple

47 points – Game #40: Habs Start 2008 With Big Home Win

48 points – Game #41: Ovechkin Gets the Better of Habs, Price

50 points – Game #42: Habs Finally Win One in OT

52 points – Game #43: The Habs' Dominance in Boston Continues

54 points – Game #45: What Losing Streak? Habs Win on the Island

56 points – Game #46: Habs Get the Better of Thrashers in Shootout

58 points – Game #48: Habs Score 8, Win 9th in a Row Against Bruins

60 points – Game #49: Canadiens Mount Huge 3rd Period Comeback For Rare Win in Jersey

62 points – Game #50: Habs Win Big; Become Last Team In NHL To Record 10th Home Win

63 points – Game #51: Habs Come All The Way Back To Steal 1 Point

65 points – Game #52: Canadiens Start Super Bowl Weekend With Super Win

67 points – Game #54: Habs Finally Solve Ottawa, Sit Just 1 Point Back of Top

69 points – Game #58: Kovalev Strikes in OT as Price Finally Wins Again

71 points – Game #59: 1 Goal is Enough, Price Shuts-Out Flyers

73 points – Game #60: Habs Sweep Home and Home, Now 4 For 4 Vs. The Flyers

75 points – Game #61: Habs Mount Biggest Comeback in Team History

77 points – Game #64: Habs Get The First Win of The Price Era

79 points – Game #65: Another Big Canadiens Win Puts Them 1st in the Northeast

81 points – Game #66: Canadiens in first, Canadiens in FIRST!

83 points – Game #68: It Wasn't Pretty, But Mission Accomplished

85 points – Game #69: New Goalie, Same Result; Habs Back on Top

87 points – Game #71: Price Outduels Brodeur to Put Habs Back on Top

89 points – Game #73: Halak Shuts the Door as Habs Roll to Easy Win Over NY

90 points – Game #74: Habs Fall in Shootout to Blues as Halak Loses 1st in Montreal

92 points – Game #75: Kovy is Magic as Habs Win 7th of the Season Against Boston

94 points – Game #76: Habs - 8, Boston - 0; Canadiens Sweep Away Bruins With 11th Straight Win

96 points – Game #77: Canadiens Play With Fire Against Sens, but Get the Win and a Playoff Spot Nonetheless


Also interesting is to discover the key players from those games:

1) In out victories, Saku Koivu was most prominent for Tobalev. Saku collected 8 game pucks in wins.

Koivu 8
Huet 6
Kovalev 5
Markov 4
Ryder 4

2) In games where points were collected, Koivu and Kovalev were tied for tops with 8 game pucks apiece.

Koivu 8
Kovalev 8
Huet 6
Markov 4
Ryder 4
Higgins 4
Plekanec 4

3) 17 different players were recognised as the game's best in games where points were won. Not surprisingly, it was the lower line forwards and defensemen that missed out: Smolinski, Kostopoulos, Lapierre, Chipchura, Locke, O'Byrne, Gorges, Bouillon and Brisebois did not feature.

Out of Africa: Digesting Habs Occurrences from Late February

Seeing lions in winter for the first time has to be a good omen, doesn't it? How about having a young male lion mark our 4X4 as his territory after giving up on the freshly killed wildebeest in search of shade.

With sporadic internet contact I was able to maintain some grip on the Habs comings and goings during my time on safari. However, as the thoughts built up, there just wasn't the chance to react through this site. Now I'm back, I thought I'd get some things off my chest.

First things first: First!

Wow! I never expected to be first at any point beyond October. However, I might have expected to be 10 points clear of 9th at some point, given that I thought 96-100 points was the goal. But let's be honest, did anyone expect 10 points from 9th would be 1st?

If nothing else, what this shows is that the Habs can beat anyone in the East (and so can most of their other conference rivals). In which case getting to the playoffs gives you a golden opportunity to make that final for the Cup. So 96 points for the playoffs, and regardless what happens for these last weeks, if we make it in we can be positive about our chances.


Second: Huet getting traded.

Not unbelievable. Only getting a second rounder, now that's unbelievable.

If I'm selling my house and the market crashes where offers of 50% of its former value start coming through, I might wait. Sometimes, there might not be the luxury of waiting, such as if I was leaving the country. But from what I can tell, Bob Gainey is not leaving the country, and, as such, should have held onto Huet.


People who talk about losing Huet for nothing are talking nonsense. First of all, he would be insurance in case of injury or slump for the remainder of the season (hardly nothing.

On top of that, he is under contract until July 1st, not April 10th. 15 playoff-calibre teams (who may all have thought they had the goods to go all the way) will come up empty handed in June. Many among those will question their goaltending. This will create a temporary market for goaltenders. A Huet signature on a modest contract (1-2 years) would then make him a marketable commodity. At worst, a non-playoff team with no goaltending future at all like Washington sacrifices a low draft pick. Alternatively, he could be traded for a later draft pick in return for a window in which the team can discuss contract with him (a la Scott Hartnell).

Both scenarios require some courage and creativity, but isn't that what Gainey is being paid for. I didn't think we were paying him to follow Rejean Houle's lead in trading impending free agents for second round picks. With a hint of foreboding, my previous Pollock vs. Houle feature spells out what I think of Gainey here:

Getting close to the trade deadline...

... what might Rejean Houle do?

Trade Huet after his agent turns down the first offer. Couldn't lose a UFA for nothing (Better a San Jose second rounder than your captain for 20 games).

Third: No superstar added.

The trade deadline amounted to a net loss (excuse the pun) for the Habs. One star was traded. No player was gained.

On the surface this is fine. The Habs have been playing well, and continue to play well since the deadline. But ultimately, the team has needs to be addressed if it has designs on the Cup. First and foremost is the need to get Saku Koivu a consistent winger to complement his skills.

It's all well and good that the Plekanec line is firing, but come the playoffs and renewed focus among opposing checkers and intense scrutiny on teams offensive tricks, the Habs will need more options. And for all their merits, Latendresse and Sergei Kostitsyn might not be up to it. Michael Ryder and Higgins may be, but who can tell?

Personally, I would be open to making a trade for a player like Marian Hossa even if it means giving up 4 players in return. First of all, it is really difficult to find a player that fits the bill of fast, big sniper in this league. Secondly, it's for opportunities like these that our depth has been built up. Plus, I also like evaluating the trade by the best player in it.

From the sounds of it, I am out on my own here, but I would like the chance to have one Marian Hossa on the team vs. 4 players (or picks) that we hope may one day be as good as Hossa or his shadow. While Higgins is a great player, it is time people stopped Brain Savaging him and admit that although he may have a 40-goal season in him, he is currently and may always be a 20-30 goal player, no matter how fast he scores in October. Pittsburgh have done the right thing and have made a move that will enable them to separate Malkin and Crosby, or at the very least get two lines scoring.

Once we lost out on Hossa, was there time to go for another scorer? Could Bob have changed his focus sooner? If the answer to either is yes, then I would be disappointed.


Fourth: The Bulldogs get the reins.

Besides Price, Halak and Grabovski have been given another chance. O'Byrne's role is expanding, as are those for Kostitsyns, Latendresse and Lapierre. Even Yann Danis (long deserving of a break) is getting an expanded role in the organisation.


How can one not be positive about these things?

The one key here will be to ensure any veterans left on the sidelines be coached to react the right way – that is to wait patiently for their chance to return.


Lastly: People giving Koivu the thanks for all your help, now get lost treatment

We've seen this a few times in our own comments. And, there have been numerous comments around other blogs, websites and radio/TV shows that reflect this point of view.

Of course, there's inevitability about the whole thing. We can't have too many darlings, and we must find some goats even during the good times. Koivu shouldn't take it personally, nor should his fans.

For the most part, I'll take my own advice as I've already dealt with this here. But ,in response to our readers who agreed with the comment left yesterday on Koivu and bad penalties, I came across this great post, which sheds some more light on his value to the team – well well worth a click (The Habs Happy Hooker).





All that being said, positive attitude is positively winning me over now. The one goal for the year was to see the Habs fight for 96 points, and I couldn't be happier that they are putting themselves in good position to do that. I look forward to the next month where points will be won and lost and emotions will tip this way and that among writers and readers alike.

This is what being a fan is all about.

Go Habs Go.