The Reluctant Checkers

"I'm just trying to do exactly what they want. I'm becoming a checker," he said with obvious displeasure after Monday's practice. "We're just doing what we have to do to win games. I'm not complaining. It's important to win the games. I just don't feel as important as I did before when they were riding me. I don't feel they use me as much as they did before. If they don't give me the confidence or trust me, I will never be playing the way I was before, the way they want.


Who said it?

Could have been anyone.

Could have been Andrei Kostitsyn after Bob Gainey decided that 7 games without a goal (for a guy whose career best pace gives him a average of 3 games drought between goals) means he must transform from poacher to digger.

Could have been Sidney Crosby as he tried to play the trap Michel Therrien so cleverly decided upon the trap as his strategy (probably since he didn't have any supremely talented scorers on his squad).

Could have Alexei Kovalev as he turned in some of the best defensive efforts for a forward under Guy Carbonneau.

Could have been anyone to play for Jacques Lemaire (even Guy Guy Guy Lafleur). Marian Gaborik?


It is an insight into how some players' views on hockey (particularly those that feel what they can offer does not originate from a dump and chase) can differ drastically from coaches' views.

Hockey is a team game, yes. But not all components of a team have been selected and brought in to get the job of winning done in the same way. When a GM signs a scoring winger for $6 million a year, it is understandable that said GM would be upset if coach X uses the winger like he would use, say, Trent Klatt. It is understandable that said winger might be a bit perplexed too. When a team is evaluated on the eve of the playoffs and the overriding concern is lack of scoring, does it then seem to make sense to turn the only players who might score into third line troopers?

The key phrase from the quote for me comes at the end (when he clearly starts complaining, a mere two sentences after saying he wasn't complaining):

"I will never be playing the way I was before, the way they want"

Good coaches understand this. Good coaches understand the value of playing a player the way they like to play and the way they were expected to play in October. Good coaches try to maximise their assets. Ultimately, you can win a Stanley Cup when you convert your Steve Yzerman into a shadow, but not if you don't have a Sergei Fedorov.


As it happens, the quote comes from Ales Hemsky, not one of ours. Ales, who some guy in the video below once said some nice things about:



What does he know?

And will the Oilers make the playoffs? Not sure. But take Hemsky out of the scoring equation, and I don't think San Jose will be upset about it.


Just a reflection. Let's see how this Kostitsyn thing goes...

Controversial ChoicePrice Facing Gretzky 12 Days Away From Patrick's Return

I'm not sure which marketing guru chose to do it, but the Canadiens homepage has replaced the picture of Kovalev in a game from the original 6 with a picture of Carey Price playing in what could only be a game from the 1992-93 season – the evidence is there in Brisebois' bewildered mug (and sweater).


It may not be for me to say, but is replacing Patrick Roy in what is a shot from the last Stanley Cup finals the team reached a good idea?

In light of the ceremony taking place in 12 days, I'd have erred on the side of not doing this one this month. It's a bit of a strange choice given how many photos they could have chosen from.

I mean why not paste Carey's face on Patrick hoisting the Conn Smythe?


Maybe it won't matter, Patrick Roy doesn't have an ego, after all. We all remember that much...

By the way, if they had to do it, couldn't they have at least tried to make it look like Carey would make a save? I mean, Gretzky with Carey guarding the shot to the corner and the gaping net open in the Stanley Cup final?

I know who my money's on there.

Game #5Habs Cruise Against the Lowly Desert Dogs

The Canadiens Game in Review

Date: Saturday October 18th, 2008
Opponent: Phoenix Coyotes
Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC

Team Stripes

Final Score: 4-1 - Win

Habs starting goalie: Carey Price (W)
Opposition starting goalie: Ilya Bryzgalov (L)

Habs goalscorers: Alex Tanguay (2), Saku Koivu, Robert Lang
Opposition goalscorers: Shane Doan

Play of the game
The play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...

Price had the play of the game early in the first. It was a play that changed the whole game and put us in the driver's seat.

With the Habs up 1-0 Shane Doan was fed a beautiful goal-mouth pass from the left wing. Literally on Price's doorstep was Doan who merely had to redirect the perfect pass to tie the game up. To his credit Shane did take the perfect shot, and against most goalies he would have scored, but not against Carey, not tonight. Price came across in the splits to absolutely rob Doan as he preserved the lead which we never relinquished.

Game puck
Trophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Saku Koivu
For some unknown reason Saku only played 12 minutes again which was only higher than 2 players - a fighter and a player who got injured early in the game. Despite seeing very limited ice-time Koivu delivered. He was by far our best player tonight as he added another 3 points to give him 8 points on the season and 599 for the career.

Dome hockey team
We're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Saku Koivu
Sak continued to impress people this year as he is truly playing at his best. What I am also happy about (apart from the points and shear dominance on the ice) is him improvement in 2 key areas - PIM and +/-. In the first 5 games he has 0 penalties and leads the league in +/- at +7. Tonight was also another great night in the face-off circle, he was 12/14.

Guillaume Latendresse
I was thinking earlier about 2 key questions concerning Higgins' imminent return - 1) Does Gui deserve a top-2 line spot and 2) Should Gui be on one of the top 2 lines. The answer to question 1 is a resounding yes. Once again Latendresse played a great game. He has always shown great chemistry with Saku (who hasn't?) and Tanguay is obviously as/more valuable than we all thought as he slots right in there. Question 2 is the the one thatwill cause some debate. Gui is a good player and he is playing great, but let's face it, we all know Higgins is better. If Koivu's line is this good with a slightly faster 16-goal man, then how good could they be with our 30-40-goal work horse? Despite all the talk Gui played a great game, he was physical, showed good puck control and could actually keep up with his speedy linemates.

Alex Tanguay

Daniel Briere or Tanguay? Do I even need to answer that. Here is our french superstar folks and he couldn't have come at a better time. Alex is so well spoken, has such a nice personality and is one heck of a player. His chemistry with Saku is reminiscent of Saku with Teemu or Recchi. Tanguay's 2 goals tonight were goalscorers goals as he was patient and found the holes twice. He showed incredible speed all night and while he was on we were constantly creating scoring chances.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Should I simply make this section the Markov + 1 section? Marky was so good tonight and he was made to look even better than usual thanks to the pitiful defence the Coyotes fielded. He is truly in a league of his own on some nights as he seems light years ahead of anyone around him. He had 2 assists tonight, one of which I am sure you will see again. After keeping the puck in at the blue-line he found a wide open Koivu at the side of the net. His wind up on his slapshot-pass fooled everyone, Bryzgalov went down and Saku simply had to hit an open net.

Mike Komisarek

Tonight was Mike's best game that I have seen all year. He was physical, stood up for his teammates and for a change didn't take any stupid penalties. The numbers don't lie either - +2, 7 hits and 5 blocked-shots. If he plays like this on most nights then we have little to worry about. It is when he starts playing like Rivet and Souray that I begin to wonder if he really can be a #2 or #3 man in this league.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Price wasn't tested much, but when he was he came up big. There were a few spectacular saves which always help a team (and a goalie) build confidence. He handled the puck very well tonight, mostly because he didn't try to do too much. I thought he deserved a shutout and was unlucky when a shot that was going wide hit O'Byrne and ended up loose in the crease to be easily tapped in. Another highlight for me was when at the end of the game he switched helmets with Gorges. Josh put on the goalie mask and there was Carey being congratulated with head-butts to the visor. It was a funny moment which despite making us all smile showed just how close this team now is - that is something that can't be taught, bought or sought, that is a true talent.

Eye-Openers
In this new section we are going to try and shed some light on certain plays or events that would otherwise go unnoticed

Gretzky and the Coyotes had a wild idea tonight, they wanted to shadow our best player and thought it would work. Well, I'll give them credit as it seemed Kovalev was marked all night and had very little room to work. There are, however, a lot of things that make me laugh about this and it all starts with the 4-1 scoreline. How about an adjustment Wayne? We are up 4-0, Koivu's line is on for all 4 goals and yet you still only focus your attention on one player. Another thing, just because you only have one good player in Phoenix doesn't mean that the rest of the league followed that game-plan. We have 3 scoring lines and if you want to beat us it won't be done by shutting us down, I think the key would be to out attack us, thus rendering our attack useless.

The good thing about all of this is our depth. Opponents will never be able to shadow all 3 lines effectively, so it is a flawed system against a team with more than 2 good players. By shadowing Kovalev the other lines were able to see so much of the ice as the best defensive players were off the ice. Had they treated all lines equally I guarantee that this would have been a closer game. The last funny thing is that Kovy still had about 4 serious scoring chances including the undressing of Phoenix defenceman. So, all in all they reduced Kovy's chances from about 8 to 4 - good luck with that Wayne.

Overall Comments

I thought that overall this was a good game. We took it to Phoenix right from the get-go and we never looked back. It was especially important that after letting up a 3-goal lead to Boston on Wednesday we play a full 60 minutes tonight. Koivu's line in particular was great tonight as they exposed the AHL-calibre defence that Phoenix has decided to go with this year. Our 9th point in 5 games makes this a very good start and I can only hope we keep putting those points in the bank as I know things will get tighter as the year marches on and as other teams get into proper shape.

One bad thing to see tonight was Kurt Sauer's elbow on Andrei Kostitsyn in the 2nd period. It was a vicious hit which left Andrei out of it and with huge cuts on his cheek and around his eye. Losing a player of Kostitsyn's calibre for any length of time could be devastating so I am hoping that the reason he took the remainder of the game off was precautionary more than anything else. I know that the kid is tough, so let's hope he'll be back scoring goals by mid-week.

Greatest of All-Time?

I'll write this here because I don't have a swimming blog. For once, I can't weave in the Habs (well maybe I'll think of a way)... More on the Habs later.

I should also mention, I once was a very very bad hockey player trapped in a half decent swimmer's body. I don't know everything there is to know about swimming (or hockey for that matter), but I have an opinion on this whole Phelps debate. I have seen this get pretty animated, even on hockey boards and blogs recently, so I thought it would be fun to see what some good old Habs fans thought of the matter.

To start with, a disclaimer: I hate hype in general. In general, I dislike the hyped. I usually go out of my way to quell hype I see as unwarranted. So, before these Olympics, I didn't buy the Michael Phelps story. I liked Laszlo Cseh (did anyone even mention him these past weeks), I liked Kitajima and I liked Taehwan Park - anyone that was excelling at swimming in the shadow of Phelps.

But, let me tell you Phelps changed my mind. In all my years of swimming, swimming coaching and spectating, I have never, ever seen anyone do what he did. And, he did it at the Olympics - one Olympics, over 8 measly days.


The arguments against him are convincing if you want to buy them, but I feel many have flaws:

1) He has won so many medals because he has so many chances in swimming

This is the sour grapes, Michael Johnson line. The rebuttal to this question is in two parts:

a) In swimming so many events, he also multiplies his competition. Laszlo Cseh, for example has known for 4, maybe 8 years that Michael Phelps could be targeted in 200 IM and 400 IM. Laszlo swims both. He skips the 200 Fr, the 100 Fly, all the relays. he could do them, he'd be good, probably final, but he focuses - to try and beat Phelps.

He's not even the best example. There's a truckload of people who only do freestyle, maybe only 200 Fr. None of them can beat Phelps. Same for sprint butterflyers.

Phelps opens himself to more opposition and gives himself more opportunity to fail. But he didn't slip - not once.

b) Does the fact that swimming lends itself to competition across events disqualify any swimmer from being the best athlete or Olympian? I shouldn't think that it would, as that would be just as fair. Surely, though, since there are so many events, the only way to show true athletic greatness would be to win across multiple events. Exactly waht Phelps has done, not once, but in two olympiads now, and all the competitions in between.

And, if swimming is out, what could be in? Well not cycling, too many races indoors, too much drafting outdoors. Not rowing, too posh. Not gymnastics, too many opportunities to medal again. No winter sports, too local. No throwing sports, too many heavy people.

Lots of sports just keep getting eliminated. If we take it to Michael Johnson's conclusion, I fear we're left with track (maybe long jump if he feels charitable). I also have a sneaky feeling which 2 events would make the list for consideration.


So why eliminate swimming? Well, apparently...

2) Swimmng isn't as hard as some of the other sports

I know people who are saying this have never done a 400 IM, and most definitely have never trained to be a 400 IM swimmer.

I think it is easy to dismiss swimming because it is not an ultra-endurance test like the marathon (or Tour de france if we leave the Olympics), but the races Phelps does are extended sprints - all of them. And, sprinting for 4 minutes (only 4 for a 400 IM?, mind boggling) is very difficult, no matter what the medium.

And, from what I've seen over the past 10 days, many and most Olympic racing disciplines also fall into the extended sprint category. In that regard, I think it's very possible to compare him across sports.

Just because Phelps make it look easy doesn't mean that it is easy.


3) Decathlon lays out the greatest athlete for us

I am a big fan of decathlon, don't get me wrong. I am pretty sure I would rate most decathletes very highly among top Olympians of all time. But decathlon is designed as a 10-event competition. No one does 7, everyone does 10. Sure you have to do them well to beat the other decathletes, but I've never seen a 400 m world record in a decathlon, nobody's outvaulting Bubka here. Decathletes compete to be the best overall decathlete. They are the best average athletes.

It may seem that that is what Phelps did, but he didn't. No one of his peers swam 5 individual events. No, he competed largely against 5 sets of specialists and won. If a decathlete drops out of decathlon and goes on to contend in long jump, pole vault and hurdles at the next Olympics, you would have some idea what an unprecedented (except for Spitz nearly) feat that Phelps accomplished.


Of course this is all conjecture...

Of course it is. Full of weights and values for different sporting attributes. The final argument in Phelps' favour, in my opinion, though, goes across sports - mental toughness.

For me, I suppose, his greatest feat is that he won at every event he tried. Every time someone beat his old best time (read world record), he set a new one. He was the ultimate competitor. I certinly got the feeling he would win anything somebody would challenge him in. In some ways, his feat of concentration and determination outweighed his physical accomplishments (which included swimming half of the events on a schedule faster than anyone has ever done before).

He showed some great athletes the limits of what they thought was possible by smashing through them. He was as great as anyone could be in their chosen arena of competition.

As a hockey fan, I would cite Wayne Gretzky's 51-game point streak (where he got 153 points) as a rare comparison. Imagine 3-points every game for 4 months straight form a player - that's Phelps.

Force of Nature Kovalev for Hart Consideration – Gretzky

Last week, the peerless Wayne Gretzky took the opportunity of a "once-in-a-lifetime" match up against the Canadiens to heap praise on the team and some of its key players. The player whose virtues he seemed to be extolling the most was one-time teammate Alexei Kovalev (now called Alex).

What Gretzky actually said via translation into French in La Presse and the back into English on Eyes on the Prize:

"Kovalev is one of the most complete players I've ever seen. He's having an exceptional season and should be considered for the Hart because of the success he's had."

As for completeness, Gretzky is only saying what Habs fans have been saying all season, and what some astute hockey observers have been saying for longer than that.

But the Hart trophy?

Now, i think Robert L. was clear in his post, and I will reiterate, Gretzky only said he would get votes, not that he would win. However, all this talk about Kovalev for MVP got me thinking about how good his chances really were:

1) How does Kovalev stack up against the league in this regard?

I think in general he stacks up quite well. But there are many elements to consider in the decision for the Hart trophy. The way I like to think of it is how would that team be if the player in question is removed from the lineup.

In that regard, we can only speculate. We know from the past that when we lose Markov we are worse, when Brisebois is gone we are better and if we lose Koivu in the playoffs, we are done for. Some would argue that we missed Kovalev for most of last season. But I don't agree with that.

Looking around the league though, there are certain players who seem to carry their teams even more than Alex Kovalev does. One could name Alexander Ovechkin and Martin Brodeur as the obvious candidates. Other candidates based on this year's play might include Iginla, Lidstrom, Niedermayr (based on the turnaround he caused, though he should be counted out for sitting so long), Nabokov, Sundin, Thomas and even Malkin (this year). You could even make arguments for Lecavalier and Kovalchuk, but their teams couldn't be too much worse than they are right now.

Hart trophy voters also take the positioning of the team into account when they vote, hence Wayne Gretzky's reasoning for Kovalev. If the Devils, Penguins or Sens squeak past the Habs, their Hart candidates would earn just as many votes.

If the Habs do top the division say, would that make a Canadiens player a serious contender for the Hart trophy? Would Kovalev even be the number one choice from the Habs?


Habs MVP

All this MVP talk led me naturally to thoughts about our own team's most valuable element. I should mention, that, once again, Eyes on the Prize spurred my thoughts on matters with an article on the Habs most indispensable element.

Robert's article was well thought out and as comprehensive as ever, but disappointingly (for me at least) was written as an extended question with no conclusion on the part of the author. On prompting, Robert even then seemed reluctant to commit, but opted for Bob Gainey as his choice.

A good choice to be sure. It would be hard to argue against Gainey at this point, as he assembled this team and many of the players are his draft picks and wards.

How about players then? Who is the MVP from amongst the ones who are actually responsible for fighting for and holding onto the points that are making everyone so positive about Gainey and his team right now?

Well, to be honest I only see two realistic candidates for most valuable player for 2007-2008: Mr. Kovalev and his countryman Andrei Markov.

The readers of the same blog believe that Kovalev is the one, garnering 76 votes. Next among players comes Johnny-come-lately Carey Price, the choice of 46 fans (possibly with short attention span). Markov comes next, but only in combination with Mike Komisarek (45 votes).


You can see where I'm going here, I think the populous is a bit off here. The race is close, but Andrei Markov is my choice for Habs MVP by a nose. Here's my thinking:

1) Kovalev has made Plekanec into a first-rate point producer, but Andrei Markov has made Mike Komisarek into an award nominee and top tier defenseman (this year he's been passing on the final lessons which have been in session for a couple of years).


2) While Kovalev is the shooter and the foil of the league's number one PP, Markov's steady play at the back and sharp vision and passing is the lynch pin that holds the unit together.


3) Kovalev has been on fire lately, but Markov was on fire for just as long early in the season, even when the Habs goalscoring was being called into question. Prior to Xmas, he was heralded in the same way Kovalev is now – top vote getter among East Dmen,


4) Markov plays the most minutes on the team and does more dirty work than Alex in general. he still found time to rack up a gaudy 54 points already.


5) The Habs goalies have looked great most times this year, seemingly no matter who it is. What's consistent about them? How about the defenders in front of them. Sure we let up a lot of shots, but many times Markov has been one of the tandem making sure those shots come from the oppositions lesser lights.


6) If you look at wins following losses or losing streaks, Andrei Markov is by far the most prominently featured Habs name. I would call these games crunch games, must-wins or "statement games" as Mike Boone put it for last night. They are important.

While Kovalev has been consistently great in the offensive end win or lose, Markov has been good and also able to find extra in the crunch games. In 21 of these types of wins, Markov has been player of the game 3 times and among the top performers of the night 16 times.

Kovalev is no slouch with 3 player of the game honours himself, but took a back seat in slightly more of those games too, making the top performers an only slightly less impressive 11 times.


At the end of the day, both players have played enormous parts in helping this team take the steps it has this year, both as players and mentors. The point of choosing here is an academic issue. So since you won't be held to account for any of this:

Who is your MVP so far?

Are any of you the Carey Price crew? Would Huet get some residual votes as well?


As always, look to 96 points and the playoffs where that would lead. Go Habs Go.

Game #68It Wasn't Pretty, But Mission Accomplished

The Canadiens Game in Review

Date: Thursday March 6th, 2008
Opponent: Phoenix Coyotes
Venue: Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ


Team Stripes


Final Score: 4-2 - Win

Habs starting goalie: Carey Price (W)
Opposition starting goalie: Mikael Tellqvist (L)

Habs goalscorers: Tomas Plekanec, Saku Koivu, Andrei Markov, Sergei Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: Shane Doan, Zbynek Michalek



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 70+ Point Season for Kovalev as a Hab (72)



Play of the game
The play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...

To seal the much needed victory Higgins, Kostitsyn (S) and Gorges hooked up for one great play towards the end of the third.

With the game at 3-2 and with less than 2 minutes left in the game it was looking like Phoenix was going to score to tie it up. The Coyotes were applying a lot of pressure around Price, but we caught a break when the puck squirted loose in our high slot. Josh Gorges made a great play to stretch out and get it to Higgins who quickly put it up the right wing to the speedy Kostitsyn. Sergei easily beat the slow defender and was in all alone until, that is, the equally speedy Higgins caught him up. It was then 2 quick passes and 4-2 - Kostitsyn-Higgins-Kostitsyn-back of net.



Game puck
Trophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Andrei Markov

Andrei was on the ice for 3 of our goals and neither of the Coyotes'. He played another stellar game on D tonight as he shut down Phoenix's 'big' names. He was very dangerous on the power-play and was a big reason that our league-leading PP struck for two more against the unsuspecting 'Yotes.



Dome hockey team
We're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Saku Koivu
- Koivu had the fire in his eyes tonight that we so often associate with him and big games. When he scored to tie it up and then when he was near by as we took the lead he was the Hab leading the cheers. He led by example tonight and played a good hard game

Alexei Kovalev
- Another great effort from Kovy as his season just keeps getting better and better. He had 3 assists tonight to give him 43 on the year for a total of 72 points. In his last 17 games he has 26 points which would equal a 125 point season - truly amazing from our star winger

Christopher Higgins
- Chris played a very aggressive game and was more noticeable tonight than during our 4-6 loss to the Sharks on Monday. He was a force along the boards using both his speed and strength to win battles one-on-one. He ended the game at +1 and added 2 assists to his totals this year

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
- By adding a goal and an assist tonight Marky now has 53 points on the year which puts him third overall in the NHL for defencemen. He, along with Lidstrom, Pronger and Niedermayer, has proven to be one of the best all around blue-liners this year. Rarely does a game go by where Markov doesn't do something spectacular\

Roman Hamrlik
- As the season wears on Hammer is asserting himself more and more. His veteran presence was very evident tonight as he showed he will stand up for his teammates and back down from no one. He has been playing with a certain hunger over the past few weeks, a hunger that will be a big help at getting us into the playoffs

Goaltender

Carey Price
- He rebounded nicely tonight from a very bad performance on Monday night. He stopped 37 of 39 shots in this one keeping us in the game early when we were being outplayed. The Coyotes tried their hardest to get Carey off his game tonight, but the young goalie kept his head and stayed very focused. He made his best saves in the first 2 periods (29 of them); two periods in which the Habs were badly outplayed



Eyes on Kovalev
Did he flit and float? Someone ought to keep track...

Gretzky said today before the game that Kovy should be considered for the Hart Trophy this year and after another performance like tonight's it is hard to disagree. It may be quite a stretch to call him the league's best player (especially since voters rely solely on stats), but it is worth considering him as one of the league's elite. The Habs surely wouldn't be atop the East in March without him playing the way he has done for us all year and, trophy or not, his contributions have not gone unnoticed. In my eyes, however, he is the same player he always been for us, the difference being that this year his line is completed by two very gifted young stars.

Kovalev's Assessment - Excellent



Overall Comments

The Habs didn't look that great in the first two periods of this one. It looked like we were going to leave the desert with nothing which would have been a shame considering the line-up we were facing. Carey Price, however, kept us in the game long enough that when we drew our penalties we were in the position to go ahead. Phoenix didn't have a great third period which was another reason that we were able to come away with 2 points here. They are a team that are in a 'battle' for their playoff lives, but after seeing their third period performance I am not one bit surprised that they are well on the outside looking in.

Thanks to a Pittsburgh loss, an Ottawa loss (0-2 to LA...ouch) and our win we are back in 1st place with 83 points. My goal is to come out of our LA area games with 2 points and return home for the last 12 games with at least 75 points in the bank. Things seem to be falling into place for the Habs as of late, but with 1/6 of the season still to be played the job is still not even close to being done. We will face a lot of teams who are playing for their lives from here on in and it is up to us to realize that our playoff life is more important than any of theirs.

Changing the ethic

After reading up a bit on the Canadiens last draft, I can see where the latest picks fit in the scheme of things.

I'll be up front about it, I would have picked Esposito if I had the chance, but that was when I was overlooking the overarching theme going through the current Canadiens team.

What I believe Gainey and Timmins have been moving to do since they arrived is to build a more mature group of players. A group who have wide experiences and are adaptable thanks to both their experience and maturity. This is where drafting the Americans comes into it – in my opinion. I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but American hockey players give the best interviews. They can articulate, and thank heavens, think of original things to say. Higgins, a Yale man, is our current embodiment of a mature youngster, some of the recent picks may come and show the same qualities.

I don't think Americans have a monopoly on these qualities, not by any means. I think Chipchura for example has those qualities among our prospects. Also, players like "Gretzky, Niedermayr, Yzerman, Lemieux, Brodeur and Iginla all have (had) these same qualities. The thing with the Americans is that when you are taking a bet on them (as in the draft), their route to the NHL lends itself to building more mature players. For one thing they have to stay in school – balancing studies with hockey. Many junior players finish at high school, if they get that far.

Why maturity counts in championships is leadership. Everyone touts the big leaders, the overt and outspoken guys. This was Souray last year from what I hear. But there are also deputies. These guys are critical, they lead by example. theymay voice an opinion in a disagreement, but will be mature enough to focus their energy in the right direction (helping the team win) at game time. This would be Saku Koivu in his younger days (he's gone furthere than that now), and Higgins and Plekanec now. These guys earn respect from their play and can get through to the ones who have lost touch with the leader or coach. They help hold the team together – something vital to a championship (unless the Habs plan on winning all their games and everyone stays happy all the time...)

I also think a lot of emphasis is placed on the interview. We can all see how Esposito, Cherepanov and McDonagh play on the ice, but how they answer questions in that important interview is not information us armchair enthusiasts are privy to. I liken it to the interviews I have done in hiring. CVs can look good, even tests, but an interview can change the whole impression of a person. In a draft, the team is looking for someone that could potentially be in the fold for the long haul, so personality and perceived work ethic, etc are very important. For the Canadiens, I think they also want players to represent them well, while playing well of course.

McDonagh, Mr. Hockey Minnesota, may or may not be that mature now. I have no idea. But the Canadiens minders seem to like the maturing process that can be gained from a few years at a decent hockey playing university like Wisconsin. Same goes for Pacioretty at Michigan. Esposito would either be entrusted to the Habs, Hamilton or Patrick Roy again in Quebec. I get the feeling the Habs would like the maturing to be someone else's responsibility.

I believe the maturity of the top prospects is a big reason why the Habs seem to have soured a bit on the QMJHL. It is no longer producing the classy forwards it once did in Beliveau, Lafleur, Lafontaine and Savard. Nowadays it seems a lot of the bigger stars are brats, at least for a few years. Ribeiro was, Theodore to some extent (especially in Ribeiro's company), Lecavalier was for a long time. Even Sid the Kid has his moments, though on most nights he puts in an honourable effort to be very mature. Gems like Simon Gagne, who seems very mature, come few and far between. Hopefully Latendresse can follow that path. he already seems mature.

I do, however, believe that the Canadiens would be well served (and indeed very eager themselves) to add a French Canadian star with the maturity and qualities they are trying to encourage. Lecavalier seems to have grown up now, and would be a fine addition. I mentioned Gagne, and he would be quite an acquisition too. Briere would be fine, but as long as Koivu is here just does not fit the need. The list isn't endless, but is long enough that they might be able to grab a player who fits both the new ethic of the team and the local star ticket.

Wouldn't it be nice to just buy the league with the Quebec Aces and bring in Beliveau? The perfect fit and with Art Ross talent too. Those were the days. As we're stuck with the draft, at least it seems our guys have a plan.