The overwhelming feeling I am getting from the Canadiens media these last few days is that they are a happy bunch. And why not?
To understand how pleased they must be, it bears reflecting on where they were just a year ago.
With Gauthier in charge and Jacques Martin installed as coach, the world of soundbytes and stories was getting to be hard work. Gauthier a man who rarely had a press conference, and when he did said nothing of substance, and Martin genuine in his plainness, just honestly taking everything in stride and wondering what the fuss was about.
I sincerely believe that that constituted a moment of panic for the gigantic media machine that has assembled itself to live parasitically off the Canadiens. Without the fruits of preferred access, without privelege of any extra information, what was there to be to continue to define the professional media with the amateur pundit?
With all access pass provided by full broadcast of every game and tightened communication strategies limiting all expression from top to bottom, the distinction was to stay at time and the salary commanded.
If the Gauthier way had time to fully establish itself as the way forward, one would have to guess that higher ups at media outlets would resort with the Canadiens press to many of the same measures they have implemented for the reporting of all other news -- syndication with copy and pastes.
I think we understood just how real this fight was for the media and just how dire they believed their own circumstances to be when the Markov affair unfolded last fall. Not many paid to provide elaborate coverage was able to scoop Gauthier on the status of the best player in town. They reacted as if they had been duped. Really they had been made obsolete for an instant. If the media genuinely knew nothing of Markov, then why would we defer to their opinions instead of the hordes of willing and even fresh-viewed amateurs who go about their coverage with more joy and reckless abandon.
The Gauthier removal was the blessing they craved, and I wonder whether or not they had their say. The Canadiens, you see, are not so far removed from the media machine that they feed, they certainly enjoy the reach and notoriety it can give the team. A paid crew will still write reviews on a season laid dead months before. Publicity that would not be guaranteed from amateurs fatigued with the thought of hockey in bleu, blanc, rouge.
And their relief was further enhanced by the hiring of Marc Bergevin. Never mind that he speaks French for a minute (although that certainly is important). The fact he is a personable character who seems to have no qualm with open policy is much more valuable to the machine. Today I read Bertrand Raymond's opinion on the matter and it reads like a Hallelujah. He even retreads every former GM he has known, praising those who enhanced his life and slagging those who did not. It's telling that Andre Savard comes out with a shinier review than Sam Pollock. The vilification of Gainey and Gauthier is a contrast to the apology he offers for the affable Rejean Houle.
So understand then that the media has more than one agenda here, or so it seems to me. I say understand, to you knowledgeable folks I should say don't forget. Bergevin will ultimately be judged for the hockey he manages to coax from a team he puts together, but that judgment is a way off. Until such time, it seems he will be cast in rays of appreciation just for smiling, talking and letting the media back in. I would think that the media being as pleased as punch with man in a year should not determine how each fan feels about the situation. Just my observations.
On the coach
I guess now Marc is in his chair, the attention of the organization and the speculation moves firmly to the position of head coach.
It's an interesting decision, and I hope to offer more comment in a full reflection on the topic.
I do have some preliminary questions/concerns:
What are the criteria really going to be?
I ask because M. Raymond rambled briefly on how HNIC misunderstands Quebec when they might suggest someone like Quenneville. His line: "Heureusement, le nom de Quenneville vient de s'effacer de lui-même" is a troubling stance for a fan who wants the best candiate available. Especially when it is followed by discussion on the glory years of Savard-Therrien.
I understand the importance of language as a factor in the decision, but funnily I look at the Cunneyworth episode from a different lens than many. Most fans weren't in constant uproar over Cunneyworth (well not until they realised he would lose more than Martin). The fanbase was surprisingly accepting, I thought, actually.
I all factors should be weighed in a balance. With the GM, I feel comfortable this was carried out. Bergevin won out because he was a serious candidate. He happens to be from Montreal, and this definitely weighed in, but it doesn't stand out as his main quality.
A candidate like Michel Therrien for me is a non-starter, and I'mappalled to see his name in the mix. Yes he did pretty well with the Penguins, but he has certainly been outdone by a fair margin by the newcomer Bylsma, and most of the time without the same arsenal. He was not in my estimation part of some golden age with the Habs, but part of a dark age, and I surely recall rejoicing at his departure more than any other. Would he be on a list that did not start with language? Not one you'd be happy to not have to include Quenneville on.
Anyway, enjoy the Flyerless playoffs and catch up soon.
Showing posts with label Pollock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pollock. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Brain Drain
For Christmas I was given a copy of Jean Beliveau's memoirs. I have been reading the book and am only pages from finished now.
What strikes the reader of this book, other than the fact that Beliveau just seems like a genuinely down-to-earth, nice guy, is how the Habs have changed since he came and left the team. Beliveau speaks about it a bit, but is too generous to indict anyone too much.
The Canadiens, as we know from their record, dominated the NHL from the mid-50s to the 1980s. Their success is gauged by Stanley Cups and other trophies, but it was built with amazing strategy and foresight. While the slow down in Cups is an obvious red flag for this organization, it is perhaps the dissociation with the latter that is more significant.
The Canadiens of the 1930s by all accounts were a good team, but by the late part of the decade, it was clear they weren't the pace setters in the league. That honour, on examination, must by rights go to the Toronto Maple Leafs who had the championships and the strategic minds to go with. Someone at this critical juncture recognized enough was enough and plucked a towering hockey mind (Tommy Gorman) to steer the club. He in turn found his man in Dick Irvin and did what it took to secure his service. Then, when Gorman left and somewhere along the way, and I won't get into the intrigue, Conn Smythe and Frank Selke split company and Selke arrived in Montreal. Beliveau doesn't go into all that much about Selke himself, but there are a few interesting snippets that point to the kind of manager he was.
First and foremost, it seems that Selke was an excellent (if not infallible) evaluator of talent. But being sensible, he also knew not to rely completely on his eye, and he probably realized that his rivals were pretty good too. He knew quantity of talent would likely yield better quality and so he set out creating teams and leagues to feed the Canadiens. The 1950s Habs were a big product of the seeds he had sown in his earlier tenure with the Habs and by the time the Canadiens were ready to start winning Cups they had too much talent to be stopped.
We predictably focus on the on-ice talent, but I think Selke knew the importance of off-ice talent as well. The advisors he kept around him and the apprentices he developed were just as important as those players. When Dick Irvin left as coach, Selke (according to Beliveau) wanted to replace his friend with an old acquaintance from Toronto. But it's a testament to the man that he was obviously open to collaboration as Ken Reardon was able to convince him of the case for Toe Blake. Greatness was retained in the organization in that instance, because greatness was recognized.
While players would change and Cups would come and go, the commitment to quality people in the front office was clearly there long after Selke. On his retirement, his replacement was a well-groomed candidate from within the organization, Sam Pollock. Pollock was to take the team into a much less stable era (with expansion, a draft and a rival league) and duplicate, if even exceed what Selke had done.
Their legacy
The legacy of Irvin and Selke was passed to Blake and Pollock and Bowman. From there it was absorbed no doubt by some in the organization, both on (Lemaire, Robinson, Gainey, Dryden, Savard) and off the ice (Cliff Fletcher, Caron, etc.)
Following Pollock's decision to retire, he apparently struggled with the naming of a replacement. Though he clearly recognized in Scotty Bowman a unique talent, he also recognized a fiery temper that might befit a GM of a team with other egos.
Some point to the selection of Irving Grundman as the beginning of the end for the Canadiens dominance, and perhaps it was. But at this stage, the Habs still had a bevy of learned people in their employ who knew the ways of Selke and Pollock.
Perhaps it's not important where the chain was broken, only that we know it was. Somehow the team that provided the model for both management and coaching for many decades ended up with Rejean Houle guiding Mario Tremblay. Somewhere along the line the braintrust filtered down the drain.
How it happened is not something that can be treated in one blog post, but there's little question that it did. With the braintrust gone, so was the culture of patientce and the feeling that the management held the upper hand over the always braying Montreal media.
That was ages ago now.
The attempt to restore the line was made in 2003 when Bob Gainey was headhunted for a return. Gainey, a 1970s Canadien himself must have learned a thing or two from Pollock and from Selke.
Restoring the tradition
What is missed by people that believed Gainey was just another in the line of graduates from the Montreal school is critical review of what he actually did. A review suggests there was some conviction, but perhaps not enough patience, and certainly not enough examination of what can be done under the current regulations to push an advantage over opponents to the extremes that Selke and Pollock once did.
I write this piece in the shadow of the Mike Cammalleri trade, and so it may seem like a criticism. Perhaps it should be. But I could have written it without that particular trade.
Gauthier himself is clearly an intelligent man and a thinker who puts care into his work. Yet he's no Selke. This would perhaps not be so important were there no mirrors of the great GM ion the modern game, but that doesn't appear to be so. With the Red Wings topping the West for yet another season, their management team shines above all. But there are examples of much more clever manoeuvring than that accomplished by Gauthier (and indeed Gainey) in San Jose, Philadelphia, Boston and other places.
As a Habs fan, I have to ask why.
Why should an organization that learned time and time again the importance of quality running through every vein (on or off ice) be so content to fill its ranks so? Why should all the organizational currency in managers and coaches be allowed to filter out only to come back and haunt the team?
In its longest ever Cup drought, the Canadiens need a Tommy Gorman moment. An admission that better people exist somewhere and that finding them should become a priority. Because Gorman doesn't become Irvin to Selke to Blake to Pollock to Bowman without that moment of truth.
I wish this team of owners would stop hoping they'll luck into something and put some of the Markov profits into some serious recruiting efforts. And for me this doesn't mean Gauthier needs to go, just that he has to be surrounded and fed by the best budgets will allow. And that in moments of pause, assistant coaches, 16 months into their time with the organization won't have to be the lone available option.
M. Jean Beliveau is far too much of a gentleman to ever say it, but every line between the lines in his memoir spoke of quality. I can't see how he wouldn't be with us on this.
What strikes the reader of this book, other than the fact that Beliveau just seems like a genuinely down-to-earth, nice guy, is how the Habs have changed since he came and left the team. Beliveau speaks about it a bit, but is too generous to indict anyone too much.
The Canadiens, as we know from their record, dominated the NHL from the mid-50s to the 1980s. Their success is gauged by Stanley Cups and other trophies, but it was built with amazing strategy and foresight. While the slow down in Cups is an obvious red flag for this organization, it is perhaps the dissociation with the latter that is more significant.
The Canadiens of the 1930s by all accounts were a good team, but by the late part of the decade, it was clear they weren't the pace setters in the league. That honour, on examination, must by rights go to the Toronto Maple Leafs who had the championships and the strategic minds to go with. Someone at this critical juncture recognized enough was enough and plucked a towering hockey mind (Tommy Gorman) to steer the club. He in turn found his man in Dick Irvin and did what it took to secure his service. Then, when Gorman left and somewhere along the way, and I won't get into the intrigue, Conn Smythe and Frank Selke split company and Selke arrived in Montreal. Beliveau doesn't go into all that much about Selke himself, but there are a few interesting snippets that point to the kind of manager he was.
First and foremost, it seems that Selke was an excellent (if not infallible) evaluator of talent. But being sensible, he also knew not to rely completely on his eye, and he probably realized that his rivals were pretty good too. He knew quantity of talent would likely yield better quality and so he set out creating teams and leagues to feed the Canadiens. The 1950s Habs were a big product of the seeds he had sown in his earlier tenure with the Habs and by the time the Canadiens were ready to start winning Cups they had too much talent to be stopped.
We predictably focus on the on-ice talent, but I think Selke knew the importance of off-ice talent as well. The advisors he kept around him and the apprentices he developed were just as important as those players. When Dick Irvin left as coach, Selke (according to Beliveau) wanted to replace his friend with an old acquaintance from Toronto. But it's a testament to the man that he was obviously open to collaboration as Ken Reardon was able to convince him of the case for Toe Blake. Greatness was retained in the organization in that instance, because greatness was recognized.
While players would change and Cups would come and go, the commitment to quality people in the front office was clearly there long after Selke. On his retirement, his replacement was a well-groomed candidate from within the organization, Sam Pollock. Pollock was to take the team into a much less stable era (with expansion, a draft and a rival league) and duplicate, if even exceed what Selke had done.
Their legacy
The legacy of Irvin and Selke was passed to Blake and Pollock and Bowman. From there it was absorbed no doubt by some in the organization, both on (Lemaire, Robinson, Gainey, Dryden, Savard) and off the ice (Cliff Fletcher, Caron, etc.)
Following Pollock's decision to retire, he apparently struggled with the naming of a replacement. Though he clearly recognized in Scotty Bowman a unique talent, he also recognized a fiery temper that might befit a GM of a team with other egos.
Some point to the selection of Irving Grundman as the beginning of the end for the Canadiens dominance, and perhaps it was. But at this stage, the Habs still had a bevy of learned people in their employ who knew the ways of Selke and Pollock.
Perhaps it's not important where the chain was broken, only that we know it was. Somehow the team that provided the model for both management and coaching for many decades ended up with Rejean Houle guiding Mario Tremblay. Somewhere along the line the braintrust filtered down the drain.
How it happened is not something that can be treated in one blog post, but there's little question that it did. With the braintrust gone, so was the culture of patientce and the feeling that the management held the upper hand over the always braying Montreal media.
That was ages ago now.
The attempt to restore the line was made in 2003 when Bob Gainey was headhunted for a return. Gainey, a 1970s Canadien himself must have learned a thing or two from Pollock and from Selke.
Restoring the tradition
What is missed by people that believed Gainey was just another in the line of graduates from the Montreal school is critical review of what he actually did. A review suggests there was some conviction, but perhaps not enough patience, and certainly not enough examination of what can be done under the current regulations to push an advantage over opponents to the extremes that Selke and Pollock once did.
I write this piece in the shadow of the Mike Cammalleri trade, and so it may seem like a criticism. Perhaps it should be. But I could have written it without that particular trade.
Gauthier himself is clearly an intelligent man and a thinker who puts care into his work. Yet he's no Selke. This would perhaps not be so important were there no mirrors of the great GM ion the modern game, but that doesn't appear to be so. With the Red Wings topping the West for yet another season, their management team shines above all. But there are examples of much more clever manoeuvring than that accomplished by Gauthier (and indeed Gainey) in San Jose, Philadelphia, Boston and other places.
As a Habs fan, I have to ask why.
Why should an organization that learned time and time again the importance of quality running through every vein (on or off ice) be so content to fill its ranks so? Why should all the organizational currency in managers and coaches be allowed to filter out only to come back and haunt the team?
In its longest ever Cup drought, the Canadiens need a Tommy Gorman moment. An admission that better people exist somewhere and that finding them should become a priority. Because Gorman doesn't become Irvin to Selke to Blake to Pollock to Bowman without that moment of truth.
I wish this team of owners would stop hoping they'll luck into something and put some of the Markov profits into some serious recruiting efforts. And for me this doesn't mean Gauthier needs to go, just that he has to be surrounded and fed by the best budgets will allow. And that in moments of pause, assistant coaches, 16 months into their time with the organization won't have to be the lone available option.
M. Jean Beliveau is far too much of a gentleman to ever say it, but every line between the lines in his memoir spoke of quality. I can't see how he wouldn't be with us on this.
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Pollockisms: On How To Run The Canadiens, For Those Listening
Yesterday Dennis Kane posted a very good collection of quotes from the late, great Sam Pollock.
Something of a hero of mine (as an armchair GM, he presents the ultimate example to strive for), I was very interested to read the list in its entirety. I recommend the Pollockites among you do the same.
Because Dennis left the door open and because I still find myself in awe of some of the common sense the man uttered, I picked a few that I reflected and elaborated on a bit further:
Sound advice for the salary cap era, and about 30 years earlier.
That whole piece I wrote about Chiarelli making his own mess in Boston could have been introduced or summed up by this very quote. What Pollock knew was that how you pay the minor leaguers throughout the organisation has a trickle down effect to everyone else.
If one extrapolates what he says here to depth, you may construe that depth, while important is not worth digging a deep salary hole for yourself. You can only ice 18 skaters and 2 goalies a game, so in effect having NHL quality depth beyond that is a luxury. It sounds to me like trader Sam would have been keeping a few spare parts about, but keeping a sensible lid on the situation.
Contrast this to the people out there who are still hollering for a Canadiens trade, or another signing just because it would fit under the cap. It's worth reflecting on the idea that depth is no more than a luxury and that having more than 18 NHL skaters around (even more so in the salary cap era) is a tactic to be questioned and not necessarily lauded. Yes injuries will happen, but I suspect Pollock would be one to deal with situations like that as they arise, rather than sacrifice something off the top-end talent in order to stock up on insurance.
The other concept in his quote is one of salary escalation. Some players nowadays come out of the gates with way too much earning potential, and for what? They'd all play for league minimum, I'd wager. If Pollock were around, I suspect he'd be a much bigger fan of the latest Latendresse signing than he would of the Tuukka Rask monstrosity.
Remuneration for services rendered. What a novel concept.
Again, the NHL has changed a bit since Pollock ruled the roost, but I suspect he'd stick by this.
Gainey had this almost right, but fell down when he misunderstood the unique chance to negotiate during a season. Short-term contracts to Higgins, Plekanec, Komisarek and co. were genius at the outset. The players were paid well within their talent bracket (Pollock would be proud). However, by letting them all go to free agency, he saddled himself with unnecessary risk.
In effect, the mid-term new contract offer is the re-negotiation built in to a long-term deal, isn't it? Playing well? How about a raise? Not playing so well? Would you sign on for the same again?
Though I'm hard on Gainey, I think he's been restrained. Paul Holmgren, the king of the long and unsophisticated contract would not impress Sam Pollock. As Sam said, how could one side of the arrangements he's meted out not be unhappy at one time or another. We've already seen it in Philly with Hatcher, Rathje and now Briere. Don't be surprised when Mike Richards or the Flyers sour on that deal, or when the Pronger behemoth goes belly up.
Pollock was more than a good manager for the Canadiens, he was a GM with as much fire for competition in the meeting room as his players had on the ice. The reason he was steps ahead of his colleagues is because the job was no jolly to him, but an arena where he was pitted against rivals for the ultimate goal – the Stanley Cup. If more GMs in the NHL today thought half as much as Sam Pollock did about the game and its future, this league would be a much better spectacle.
Here's to you Mr. Pollock.
Something of a hero of mine (as an armchair GM, he presents the ultimate example to strive for), I was very interested to read the list in its entirety. I recommend the Pollockites among you do the same.
Because Dennis left the door open and because I still find myself in awe of some of the common sense the man uttered, I picked a few that I reflected and elaborated on a bit further:
“You can’t pay 10 minor leaguers NHL salaries just to keep them. Giving a prospect $40,000 instead of the $25,000 he should make may not seem like much, and to some it didn’t, but 10 times $15,000 can put you in the red in a hurry.”
Sound advice for the salary cap era, and about 30 years earlier.
That whole piece I wrote about Chiarelli making his own mess in Boston could have been introduced or summed up by this very quote. What Pollock knew was that how you pay the minor leaguers throughout the organisation has a trickle down effect to everyone else.
If one extrapolates what he says here to depth, you may construe that depth, while important is not worth digging a deep salary hole for yourself. You can only ice 18 skaters and 2 goalies a game, so in effect having NHL quality depth beyond that is a luxury. It sounds to me like trader Sam would have been keeping a few spare parts about, but keeping a sensible lid on the situation.
Contrast this to the people out there who are still hollering for a Canadiens trade, or another signing just because it would fit under the cap. It's worth reflecting on the idea that depth is no more than a luxury and that having more than 18 NHL skaters around (even more so in the salary cap era) is a tactic to be questioned and not necessarily lauded. Yes injuries will happen, but I suspect Pollock would be one to deal with situations like that as they arise, rather than sacrifice something off the top-end talent in order to stock up on insurance.
The other concept in his quote is one of salary escalation. Some players nowadays come out of the gates with way too much earning potential, and for what? They'd all play for league minimum, I'd wager. If Pollock were around, I suspect he'd be a much bigger fan of the latest Latendresse signing than he would of the Tuukka Rask monstrosity.
"Long-term contracts are useless unless a reasonable form of renegotiation is built in. Otherwise, one side is bound to be unhappy somewhere down the line.”
Remuneration for services rendered. What a novel concept.
Again, the NHL has changed a bit since Pollock ruled the roost, but I suspect he'd stick by this.
Gainey had this almost right, but fell down when he misunderstood the unique chance to negotiate during a season. Short-term contracts to Higgins, Plekanec, Komisarek and co. were genius at the outset. The players were paid well within their talent bracket (Pollock would be proud). However, by letting them all go to free agency, he saddled himself with unnecessary risk.
In effect, the mid-term new contract offer is the re-negotiation built in to a long-term deal, isn't it? Playing well? How about a raise? Not playing so well? Would you sign on for the same again?
Though I'm hard on Gainey, I think he's been restrained. Paul Holmgren, the king of the long and unsophisticated contract would not impress Sam Pollock. As Sam said, how could one side of the arrangements he's meted out not be unhappy at one time or another. We've already seen it in Philly with Hatcher, Rathje and now Briere. Don't be surprised when Mike Richards or the Flyers sour on that deal, or when the Pronger behemoth goes belly up.
Pollock was more than a good manager for the Canadiens, he was a GM with as much fire for competition in the meeting room as his players had on the ice. The reason he was steps ahead of his colleagues is because the job was no jolly to him, but an arena where he was pitted against rivals for the ultimate goal – the Stanley Cup. If more GMs in the NHL today thought half as much as Sam Pollock did about the game and its future, this league would be a much better spectacle.
Here's to you Mr. Pollock.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
2nd Montrealer Named To NHL GM Post
On Monday, Michel Bergeron ran a piece reminding us all to be very proud of Jacques Lemaire and Mario Tremblay for keeping their jobs in the NHL.
When the news arrived today for me, I dug through a piece on Dale Tallon's failings to learn that Stan Bowman was to be named GM of the Chicago Blackhawks. While, I'm sure Michel's article is well in the works celebrating the Montrealers able to climb the GM rankings, I decided I couldn't wait any longer.
Quebec GMs were going out of style like Russian wingers
When Steve Tambellini took over from Kevin Lowe as the GM for the Oilers, the number of Quebec-born GMs fell to a mere four (Cliff Fletcher, Bryan Murray, Francois Giguere and Dale Tallon; Jacques Martin born in an Ottawa suburb, of course). The news got worse when Fletcher was asked to step aside for a louder alternative and Giguere was let go to be replaced by someone from Scranton, PA – a city more renowned for being mocked as dull on TV sitcoms than for raising hockey masterminds.
The Montreal numbers looked worse, where Cliff Fletcher was the last remnant.
All the while, Ontario was plowing along with 11 GMs; there were an embarrassing (to Montreal anyway) 5 GMs from New England, 5 others from the US and a handful from Western Canada. The way Quebec was faring, you'd have thought Trevor Timmins was the leaguewide consultant on GM hirings.
But in late May, the tides began to turn. Doug Riseborough (a man with good Montreal links himself) was let go. He was replaced by Chuck Fletcher, the son of the aforementioned Silver Fox, who himself was born in Montreal way back when his Dad worked for the Habs in the 1960s.
Today, we get news that one Quebec-born GM will be replaced by another as Rouyn-Noranda's (and Toronto's) Dale Tallon will be replaced by Stan Bowman, the son of Montreal Canadiens legend Scotty. His connection to Montreal is even stronger than Chuck's since his days in town went beyond his third birthday – right from 1973 up until the time Irving Grundman took over from Sam Pollock following the 1979 season.
From no Montreal sons running NHL teams to two in a matter of 2 months. It's quite a turn around and one worth sounding the trumpet for.
Frank Selke's heirs
Geographic origins aside, these two appointments are very interesting for other reasons. Both these GMs are young and both are the sons of men who have shaped the NHL for the past four decades or more.
Scotty Bowman needs no introduction to fans of the Canadiens. He is our legendary coach at the NHL level, of course, winning a number of Cups in the 1970s. However, it is often forgot that he also played the part of prospect, scout and minor league coach for the Habs. His first coaching job was beside Sam Pollock with the 56-57 and 57-58 editions of the Ottawa Junior Canadiens. Next he coached the Petereborough Petes (Montreal-affiliated, of course). Finally, he jumped at the chance to make it in the NHL when the St. Louis Blues came calling following expansion. A few Stanley Cup finals later, he was back in Montreal coaching the Habs and naming his son after the trophies he was winning.
Cliff Fletcher was a Montreal boy as well, though his story is less well known in Canadiens lore (probably because his biggest successes came in winning a Cup in Montreal for the opposition and setting up a Maple Leafs team that would overshadow the Habs for most of the late 1990s). His career, though had strange parallels with Scotty's, though not on the ice where he never attained the top junior ranks. Like Scotty, his first coaching assignment came under the watchful eye of Sam Pollock in the late 1950s (then the overseer of all minor league and junior operations for the Canadiens). His duties expanded over the years to scouting, coaching and other player development tasks. By the time expansion came around, Cliff was mature enough and ready to take on bigger roles. His first step was to go to St. Louis like Scotty. And his first promotion was to become assistant GM to Scotty himself – the Montreal Canadiens tandem to outwork the other expansion franchises in those early years to a significant degree. Unlike Scotty, he never returned to Montreal, but instead took his own GM post with the expansion Atlanta Flames in 1971.
So Chuck and Stan not only trace shallow roots to the city of Montreal (like say Bryan Murray who went to school in Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue), but also back to the Montreal Canadiens themselves. Specifically, these two appointments can trace their hockey know how right back to the greatest GM of all time (Frank Selke) and his greatest rival for the title (Sam Pollock). Both sons of Selke employees and Pollock proteges.
It's an interesting development that comes at a time when the NHL needs new ideas and new minds to spice things up a bit. If they've retained even an iota of the wisdom their fathers must have soaked up from the "How to totally outwork and outperform the other NHL GMs" academy they attended in the 1950s and 60s, they'll be in good stead. One can only hope that their experience goes a little bit smoother than that of the man who in a way laid a path for them and all 30-something aspiring GMs – son of former Canadiens player, John Ferguson, Jr.
As for RDS's version of this piece, trust me I'll eagerly await Bergeron's parallel take on Stan Bowman and Chuck Fletcher. I'm sure he'll say something like he did regarding the coaches.
Oh, what the heck, in case he doesn't. We should all be proud of Chuck and Stan, Quebecois and Montrealais. With the departures of Francois Gigere, Kevin Lowe and Cliff Fletcher from the management reins of NHL teams, it's important that some Quebecers hang on and carry the torch for the rest of us.
And long live the Selke line...
When the news arrived today for me, I dug through a piece on Dale Tallon's failings to learn that Stan Bowman was to be named GM of the Chicago Blackhawks. While, I'm sure Michel's article is well in the works celebrating the Montrealers able to climb the GM rankings, I decided I couldn't wait any longer.
Quebec GMs were going out of style like Russian wingers
When Steve Tambellini took over from Kevin Lowe as the GM for the Oilers, the number of Quebec-born GMs fell to a mere four (Cliff Fletcher, Bryan Murray, Francois Giguere and Dale Tallon; Jacques Martin born in an Ottawa suburb, of course). The news got worse when Fletcher was asked to step aside for a louder alternative and Giguere was let go to be replaced by someone from Scranton, PA – a city more renowned for being mocked as dull on TV sitcoms than for raising hockey masterminds.
The Montreal numbers looked worse, where Cliff Fletcher was the last remnant.
All the while, Ontario was plowing along with 11 GMs; there were an embarrassing (to Montreal anyway) 5 GMs from New England, 5 others from the US and a handful from Western Canada. The way Quebec was faring, you'd have thought Trevor Timmins was the leaguewide consultant on GM hirings.
But in late May, the tides began to turn. Doug Riseborough (a man with good Montreal links himself) was let go. He was replaced by Chuck Fletcher, the son of the aforementioned Silver Fox, who himself was born in Montreal way back when his Dad worked for the Habs in the 1960s.
Today, we get news that one Quebec-born GM will be replaced by another as Rouyn-Noranda's (and Toronto's) Dale Tallon will be replaced by Stan Bowman, the son of Montreal Canadiens legend Scotty. His connection to Montreal is even stronger than Chuck's since his days in town went beyond his third birthday – right from 1973 up until the time Irving Grundman took over from Sam Pollock following the 1979 season.
From no Montreal sons running NHL teams to two in a matter of 2 months. It's quite a turn around and one worth sounding the trumpet for.
Frank Selke's heirs
Geographic origins aside, these two appointments are very interesting for other reasons. Both these GMs are young and both are the sons of men who have shaped the NHL for the past four decades or more.
Scotty Bowman needs no introduction to fans of the Canadiens. He is our legendary coach at the NHL level, of course, winning a number of Cups in the 1970s. However, it is often forgot that he also played the part of prospect, scout and minor league coach for the Habs. His first coaching job was beside Sam Pollock with the 56-57 and 57-58 editions of the Ottawa Junior Canadiens. Next he coached the Petereborough Petes (Montreal-affiliated, of course). Finally, he jumped at the chance to make it in the NHL when the St. Louis Blues came calling following expansion. A few Stanley Cup finals later, he was back in Montreal coaching the Habs and naming his son after the trophies he was winning.
Cliff Fletcher was a Montreal boy as well, though his story is less well known in Canadiens lore (probably because his biggest successes came in winning a Cup in Montreal for the opposition and setting up a Maple Leafs team that would overshadow the Habs for most of the late 1990s). His career, though had strange parallels with Scotty's, though not on the ice where he never attained the top junior ranks. Like Scotty, his first coaching assignment came under the watchful eye of Sam Pollock in the late 1950s (then the overseer of all minor league and junior operations for the Canadiens). His duties expanded over the years to scouting, coaching and other player development tasks. By the time expansion came around, Cliff was mature enough and ready to take on bigger roles. His first step was to go to St. Louis like Scotty. And his first promotion was to become assistant GM to Scotty himself – the Montreal Canadiens tandem to outwork the other expansion franchises in those early years to a significant degree. Unlike Scotty, he never returned to Montreal, but instead took his own GM post with the expansion Atlanta Flames in 1971.
So Chuck and Stan not only trace shallow roots to the city of Montreal (like say Bryan Murray who went to school in Ste. Anne-de-Bellevue), but also back to the Montreal Canadiens themselves. Specifically, these two appointments can trace their hockey know how right back to the greatest GM of all time (Frank Selke) and his greatest rival for the title (Sam Pollock). Both sons of Selke employees and Pollock proteges.
It's an interesting development that comes at a time when the NHL needs new ideas and new minds to spice things up a bit. If they've retained even an iota of the wisdom their fathers must have soaked up from the "How to totally outwork and outperform the other NHL GMs" academy they attended in the 1950s and 60s, they'll be in good stead. One can only hope that their experience goes a little bit smoother than that of the man who in a way laid a path for them and all 30-something aspiring GMs – son of former Canadiens player, John Ferguson, Jr.
As for RDS's version of this piece, trust me I'll eagerly await Bergeron's parallel take on Stan Bowman and Chuck Fletcher. I'm sure he'll say something like he did regarding the coaches.
Oh, what the heck, in case he doesn't. We should all be proud of Chuck and Stan, Quebecois and Montrealais. With the departures of Francois Gigere, Kevin Lowe and Cliff Fletcher from the management reins of NHL teams, it's important that some Quebecers hang on and carry the torch for the rest of us.
And long live the Selke line...
Friday, October 17, 2008
Former Habs Tussle
Bowman Gets His Man In Chicago
Former Habs Tussle
Bowman Gets His Man In Chicago
Inevitably, the shock about the firing of Denis Savard. Especially in his hometown.
I like Denis. Loved him as a player. Loved him behind the bench with Demers in 1993. I was as a happy as anyone when he was the one chosen to hoist that Cup above his head.
But, if I was a Blackhawks fan, I wouldn't be too upset. In matters of winning hockey games, I'd defer to a certain William Scott Bowman.
The hiring of Scotty Bowman was a masterstroke from Chicago after years of bobbing around the bottom of the standings. The subsequent hiring of Joel Quenneville and his 438-283-118 caching record was another move of brilliance considering they didn't even have an opening at the time.
The thinking man's analysis of this firing goes beyond a slow start and examines the complete organizational restructuring that's occurring in Chicago. Renaud Lavoie at RDS looked beyond Maxime Talbot and Jacques Demers's knee jerk reactions, and Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune gives the most proximal and telling account of the situation.
These analysts were listening when the important man off to the side of Quenneville and Tallon spoke:
To be frank, I think the rest of the league may have something to fear in Chicago with Scotty in a greater position of control (as it clearly seems he is). I don't think he'll necessarily coach, but then again we saw that didn't matter in Detroit.
The thing to be learned from this situation, I think, is that sentimentality has no place in winning. Though it may be brutal, a certain cut-throat commitment to success must be taken with every decision. Take it from the man who is still the only heir apparent to the masters Selke and Pollock.
I've never though that Gainey lacks much. He certainly does have a ruthless streak (see Theodore, Julien, Huet, Ribeiro, etc.), but he has not shown he can distance himself from sentiment to the degree Mr. Bowman can yet (see Brisebois).
It'll be interesting to see what Scotty does next, particularly with the goalies. I hope Bob's watching...
I like Denis. Loved him as a player. Loved him behind the bench with Demers in 1993. I was as a happy as anyone when he was the one chosen to hoist that Cup above his head.
But, if I was a Blackhawks fan, I wouldn't be too upset. In matters of winning hockey games, I'd defer to a certain William Scott Bowman.
The hiring of Scotty Bowman was a masterstroke from Chicago after years of bobbing around the bottom of the standings. The subsequent hiring of Joel Quenneville and his 438-283-118 caching record was another move of brilliance considering they didn't even have an opening at the time.
The thinking man's analysis of this firing goes beyond a slow start and examines the complete organizational restructuring that's occurring in Chicago. Renaud Lavoie at RDS looked beyond Maxime Talbot and Jacques Demers's knee jerk reactions, and Steve Rosenbloom of the Chicago Tribune gives the most proximal and telling account of the situation.
These analysts were listening when the important man off to the side of Quenneville and Tallon spoke:
"With a young team, that's [ultra-experienced coaches in the Central division] tough to deal with," Bowman said. "This was not done on a whim."
To be frank, I think the rest of the league may have something to fear in Chicago with Scotty in a greater position of control (as it clearly seems he is). I don't think he'll necessarily coach, but then again we saw that didn't matter in Detroit.
The thing to be learned from this situation, I think, is that sentimentality has no place in winning. Though it may be brutal, a certain cut-throat commitment to success must be taken with every decision. Take it from the man who is still the only heir apparent to the masters Selke and Pollock.
I've never though that Gainey lacks much. He certainly does have a ruthless streak (see Theodore, Julien, Huet, Ribeiro, etc.), but he has not shown he can distance himself from sentiment to the degree Mr. Bowman can yet (see Brisebois).
It'll be interesting to see what Scotty does next, particularly with the goalies. I hope Bob's watching...
Friday, April 04, 2008
The More Pretinent Question: Habs vs. Leafs
If you haven't read it already, it would be worth a trip over to Maclean's .
The argument presented – that the Toronto Maple Leafs are a victim of loyal and constant fan support and cash flow – is overly simplistic. It fits the need for those looking for an excuse, a way to hide from reality. In that way, it is not so different from calling the team unlucky. In fact, aren't they just unlucky to be based in Toronto? Can't everyone in Toronto say that?
Look, Toronto jokes aside, the Leafs are not unique in the sporting universe. There are countless teams in various sports that can rely on unremitting support and unending cash flow. The Boston Red Sox have benefited from support for years, yet they still figured out that the problem was in the team and its management, not some curse or cursed loyal fans. A little closer to home in the NHL, from Toronto you only need to look down the 401 to Montreal to see a team in the identical geographic monopoly situation. I remember the "lean" years from 1999-2001. Sure tickets were available, but most games were still televised and more than half of games were selling out.
So, doesn't that beg the question: "Why has Montreal been able to thrive in a hockey-mad market with near-unconditional support?"
The answer from the article (well done looking East for once), goes beyond simplistic to erroneous. The author states:
Please allow me to deal with this first, and then I will move on to my take on Montreal's ability to succeed vs. Toronto.
The primary myth lies in the fact that the Habs have been through a boom/bust cycle over the past 20 years. In fact, 20 years the Canadiens were in the midst of a mini-dynastic period (call it the Patrick Roy era), which bolstered the remnants of the 1970s dynasty with Chelios and the class of a very good 1984 draft. The bust, propagated by bad trades and two very shoddy hirings (Houle and Tremblay) was not a true bust. Even with consecutive playoff misses, the best the Habs could muster was a 7th overall pick in 2001 (he's now Mike Komisarek). Funnily enough, the Leafs laid hands on a future 40-goal man (and dream Sundin wing-man) that year in Brad Boyes.
The writing off of Montreal's draft success as down to high picks is amateur analysis. What the Canadiens actually did, with a string of hirings from Andre Savard to Trevor Timmins to Bob Gainey (among others), was address the problems they had had with the draft over the previous decade. Someone with very good sense recognised the success that Ottawa was having in bringing up youngsters and went and poached 2 men key in building the Sens. The process continued this year – we hired the former lead Ottawa scout as recently as February.
If Toronto fans really believe that bust periods yield success, they should ask themselves why 10 consecutive top 10 picks from 1981-1990 did little more than provide trade bait for their GMs.
Reasons for Montreal's success since 1967 (juxtaposed with Toronto)
1) Anticipation
When I talk about anticipation, I am referring specifically to Montreal's keen maneuvering for the post-expansion era. Montreal and Sam Pollock in particular recognised the importance of draft picks before anyone else did. We all know about the Guy Lafleur coup. But, it was their 3rd first overall pick in 4 years after expansion. Not too shabby when you consider they also won the Cup in each of those years.
More recently, Bob Gainey has shown anticipation with his construction of a team to compete in the conditions of a changed NHL.
While Pollock was a genius, there was nothing stopping GMs from copying him. Toronto GMs were certainly slower to adapt to a system whereby players would all be picked from a pool, watching from the sidelines as their rivals from the 1960s left them in the dust.
2) Scouting
There have been a lot of clunkers for Montreal too, but in the early days of the draft, star players were identified with relative regularity. The 1993 team was mostly a homemade team as well, certainly there highly underrated back-end was. The 2008 editions is also draft-made, as noted.
Toronto scouts have not been the worst over this time, but they could hardly be called much more than average. Add to that, the Leafs penchant for trading away prospects that might have worked (Boyes, Rask) and draft picks, and it's hard to lay the blame on this crew. But, where Montreal overhauled the scouting department in the late 1990s, Toronto has yet to recognise the need for this in its own house.
3) Time for 10-goalscorers
I call this the Chad Kilger phenomenon. Montreal knew Chad Kilger was a stop-gap from the second game he played here. Toronto thought of him as a key piece to the puzzle. How anyone could sign Czerkawski after his debacle in Montreal is unbelievable. Toronto, the team that reveres 10-goal men, gave him a shot...
Montreal has been able to show greater ruthlessness to replaceable players in search for potential. Just recently, Bulis and Zednik were ejected. Toronto have been afraid to let go – perhaps tied to their poor scouting?
4) Personnel
The Canadiens seem to prefer "internal hires" to external ones. They have been able to draw on the success and know-how of various Cup winners over the years on their staffs. They can also rely on these employees understanding for the meaning of the CH to the players and the fans.
The Leafs seem to hire differently. Albeit, they don't exactly have a stellar cast upon which to draw execs, but even then some of their hires seem misplaced. Take the hiring of John Ferguson as a prime example – former assistant GM of the St. Louis Blues. Why not your own assistant GM? Why not someone who knew the Leafs? (Why not someone qualified?). Going into the summer, they are bound to repeat this mistake again as they scour the corners of the league for an experienced (read second-hand) GM.
5) Perspective
Call it perspective, call it judgment. Montreal GMs have been able to offer some perspective to fans: not every year will bring the Stanley Cup. In fact, they as much as told us they wouldn't be competing for the Cup for at least 5 years, oh about 5 years ago. Toronto has no such perspective.
Every summer, consecutive GMs have brought overblown optimism abetted by "big" signings. Most springs, they gave up a little of the future for that last piece. We can all see they are not one piece from being a contender. Somehow, the Leafs haven't been able to see that.
6) Luck
Call it luck, call it timing. Someone said you have to be good to be lucky.
When you look at our most successful seasons since the 1970s, there's been luck in play. Steve Smith scores in his own net to take Edmonton out. Glen Healy plays like a star for the first time in his career. 2 dynasties out of the way – 2 Cups. First ever open draft lottery: 5th overall pick – turn it into second best player in a deep draft.
Take Toronto's best chances: less luck. Not necessarily bad, just not as good. Where we get the Islanders in 1993, the Leafs managed to time playoff match-ups with Vancouver, Buffalo and Carolina during their isolated success. Compared to Carey Price, they managed only the 24th pick in the wide open 2005 draft.
7) Perception
Since 1993, the only difference between Montreal's success vs. Toronto's is perception. I could have written exactly this article in 2001 about the Canadiens, comparing them to the Leafs. At that time, our draft picks didn't look so hot, while Gary Roberts was an example of the perfect veteran free agent signing.
While the Leafs are perceived as a failure today – it is probably a somewhat unfair assessment. After all, this team is not Florida or Phoenix. They have much better plans for the future than say Atlanta. They will never wallow for as long as Columbus. Even when you look at their original 6 peers, they have fared much better than Chicago and even New York, in general. The Leafs are only one year removed from deflating Montreal in our bid to make the playoffs for consecutive years for the first time in a decade.
As long as Toronto measures themselves by Stanley Cups alone, they will never be able to break the cycle. I believe this, at the end of the day, is at the core of their failure. All their hirings are temporary moves. All their signings with next year in mind. Their attitude to prospects is coloured by the need for a Cup now,not in 11 years. More and more Leafs fans recognise this by the day. It's only a matter of time until the blow it all up and play the game the rest of the league does.
I rest easier knowing the best GM in the league and probably the best scouting staff are not going to be available to the Leafs though. Becuase that first step (our Andre Savard move) will be hard to make without an equivalent talent.
The argument presented – that the Toronto Maple Leafs are a victim of loyal and constant fan support and cash flow – is overly simplistic. It fits the need for those looking for an excuse, a way to hide from reality. In that way, it is not so different from calling the team unlucky. In fact, aren't they just unlucky to be based in Toronto? Can't everyone in Toronto say that?
Look, Toronto jokes aside, the Leafs are not unique in the sporting universe. There are countless teams in various sports that can rely on unremitting support and unending cash flow. The Boston Red Sox have benefited from support for years, yet they still figured out that the problem was in the team and its management, not some curse or cursed loyal fans. A little closer to home in the NHL, from Toronto you only need to look down the 401 to Montreal to see a team in the identical geographic monopoly situation. I remember the "lean" years from 1999-2001. Sure tickets were available, but most games were still televised and more than half of games were selling out.So, doesn't that beg the question: "Why has Montreal been able to thrive in a hockey-mad market with near-unconditional support?"
The answer from the article (well done looking East for once), goes beyond simplistic to erroneous. The author states:
Over the same period, Montreal drafted eight future all-stars. Currently, 17 of the Habs' 25 players, including virtually all of its nucleus of young talent — Carey Price, Andrei Markov, Andrei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec, Chris Higgins — were acquired through the draft.
This is due in part to the fact that the Habs have been subject to a healthy boom/bust cycle common to most teams. When the team falters, it uses high draft picks and a strong development system to rebuild.
Please allow me to deal with this first, and then I will move on to my take on Montreal's ability to succeed vs. Toronto.
The primary myth lies in the fact that the Habs have been through a boom/bust cycle over the past 20 years. In fact, 20 years the Canadiens were in the midst of a mini-dynastic period (call it the Patrick Roy era), which bolstered the remnants of the 1970s dynasty with Chelios and the class of a very good 1984 draft. The bust, propagated by bad trades and two very shoddy hirings (Houle and Tremblay) was not a true bust. Even with consecutive playoff misses, the best the Habs could muster was a 7th overall pick in 2001 (he's now Mike Komisarek). Funnily enough, the Leafs laid hands on a future 40-goal man (and dream Sundin wing-man) that year in Brad Boyes.
The writing off of Montreal's draft success as down to high picks is amateur analysis. What the Canadiens actually did, with a string of hirings from Andre Savard to Trevor Timmins to Bob Gainey (among others), was address the problems they had had with the draft over the previous decade. Someone with very good sense recognised the success that Ottawa was having in bringing up youngsters and went and poached 2 men key in building the Sens. The process continued this year – we hired the former lead Ottawa scout as recently as February.
If Toronto fans really believe that bust periods yield success, they should ask themselves why 10 consecutive top 10 picks from 1981-1990 did little more than provide trade bait for their GMs.
Reasons for Montreal's success since 1967 (juxtaposed with Toronto)
1) Anticipation
When I talk about anticipation, I am referring specifically to Montreal's keen maneuvering for the post-expansion era. Montreal and Sam Pollock in particular recognised the importance of draft picks before anyone else did. We all know about the Guy Lafleur coup. But, it was their 3rd first overall pick in 4 years after expansion. Not too shabby when you consider they also won the Cup in each of those years.
More recently, Bob Gainey has shown anticipation with his construction of a team to compete in the conditions of a changed NHL.
While Pollock was a genius, there was nothing stopping GMs from copying him. Toronto GMs were certainly slower to adapt to a system whereby players would all be picked from a pool, watching from the sidelines as their rivals from the 1960s left them in the dust.
2) Scouting
There have been a lot of clunkers for Montreal too, but in the early days of the draft, star players were identified with relative regularity. The 1993 team was mostly a homemade team as well, certainly there highly underrated back-end was. The 2008 editions is also draft-made, as noted.
Toronto scouts have not been the worst over this time, but they could hardly be called much more than average. Add to that, the Leafs penchant for trading away prospects that might have worked (Boyes, Rask) and draft picks, and it's hard to lay the blame on this crew. But, where Montreal overhauled the scouting department in the late 1990s, Toronto has yet to recognise the need for this in its own house.
3) Time for 10-goalscorers
I call this the Chad Kilger phenomenon. Montreal knew Chad Kilger was a stop-gap from the second game he played here. Toronto thought of him as a key piece to the puzzle. How anyone could sign Czerkawski after his debacle in Montreal is unbelievable. Toronto, the team that reveres 10-goal men, gave him a shot...
Montreal has been able to show greater ruthlessness to replaceable players in search for potential. Just recently, Bulis and Zednik were ejected. Toronto have been afraid to let go – perhaps tied to their poor scouting?
4) Personnel
The Canadiens seem to prefer "internal hires" to external ones. They have been able to draw on the success and know-how of various Cup winners over the years on their staffs. They can also rely on these employees understanding for the meaning of the CH to the players and the fans.
The Leafs seem to hire differently. Albeit, they don't exactly have a stellar cast upon which to draw execs, but even then some of their hires seem misplaced. Take the hiring of John Ferguson as a prime example – former assistant GM of the St. Louis Blues. Why not your own assistant GM? Why not someone who knew the Leafs? (Why not someone qualified?). Going into the summer, they are bound to repeat this mistake again as they scour the corners of the league for an experienced (read second-hand) GM.
5) Perspective
Call it perspective, call it judgment. Montreal GMs have been able to offer some perspective to fans: not every year will bring the Stanley Cup. In fact, they as much as told us they wouldn't be competing for the Cup for at least 5 years, oh about 5 years ago. Toronto has no such perspective.
Every summer, consecutive GMs have brought overblown optimism abetted by "big" signings. Most springs, they gave up a little of the future for that last piece. We can all see they are not one piece from being a contender. Somehow, the Leafs haven't been able to see that.
6) Luck
Call it luck, call it timing. Someone said you have to be good to be lucky.
When you look at our most successful seasons since the 1970s, there's been luck in play. Steve Smith scores in his own net to take Edmonton out. Glen Healy plays like a star for the first time in his career. 2 dynasties out of the way – 2 Cups. First ever open draft lottery: 5th overall pick – turn it into second best player in a deep draft.
Take Toronto's best chances: less luck. Not necessarily bad, just not as good. Where we get the Islanders in 1993, the Leafs managed to time playoff match-ups with Vancouver, Buffalo and Carolina during their isolated success. Compared to Carey Price, they managed only the 24th pick in the wide open 2005 draft.
7) Perception
Since 1993, the only difference between Montreal's success vs. Toronto's is perception. I could have written exactly this article in 2001 about the Canadiens, comparing them to the Leafs. At that time, our draft picks didn't look so hot, while Gary Roberts was an example of the perfect veteran free agent signing.
While the Leafs are perceived as a failure today – it is probably a somewhat unfair assessment. After all, this team is not Florida or Phoenix. They have much better plans for the future than say Atlanta. They will never wallow for as long as Columbus. Even when you look at their original 6 peers, they have fared much better than Chicago and even New York, in general. The Leafs are only one year removed from deflating Montreal in our bid to make the playoffs for consecutive years for the first time in a decade.
As long as Toronto measures themselves by Stanley Cups alone, they will never be able to break the cycle. I believe this, at the end of the day, is at the core of their failure. All their hirings are temporary moves. All their signings with next year in mind. Their attitude to prospects is coloured by the need for a Cup now,not in 11 years. More and more Leafs fans recognise this by the day. It's only a matter of time until the blow it all up and play the game the rest of the league does.
I rest easier knowing the best GM in the league and probably the best scouting staff are not going to be available to the Leafs though. Becuase that first step (our Andre Savard move) will be hard to make without an equivalent talent.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Neighbours Week: Montreal Canadiens November 5 - November 11
[Montreal Canadiens Week takes a look at the week that was and the week ahead from a subjective standpoint, and is supplemented by the objective analysis following every fifth game]
The week that was
Everyone turn to your right, now turn to your left. Introduce yourselves because you'll be spending a lot of time together.
This week the Canadiens met their opponents for the next month. Unfortunately they didn't get a chance to meet the NHL schedule makers who did about as good a job at shuffling as a down and out player at a Hearts tournament.
Another week down and another 4 points. Someone is paying attention to the game this year on the Habs. Less wins against Toronto, but, hey, let's beat everyone else.
The week properly belonged to Cristobal Huet last week. After what was mostly unfair criticism of him the previous week, he came out and showed that he is a top goalie (again). In addition, he is managing to light quite a little fire under Carey Price who played and earned a star in his performance again, but for the first time he actually earned his Molson points in full.
Our Eastern European youth movement also had a good week. Well, in the NHL anyway. Kostitsyn proved why he should be on the second line with a few amazing passes. And, Plekanec showed us how to beat a goalie on a 2-on-1 turned mini breakaway. It's quite exciting that both of them are on the go at the moment, as they will no doubt have to carry a lot of the offensive load in the future – both this season and those ahead. I would hope the Andrei eventually starts to shoot some of the time himself, but you can hardly complain when he sets up game-winners with such exquisite passing.
Finally, I would like to rehash some of what Tobalev has been saying over at the game reports, and that's that the stats won't tell the whole story of this week (or any week) in a few weeks or months time. I mean Kostitisyn and Plekanec had good weeks, but they didn't get 10 points each. Even Kovalev played very well, but this was not his best week for stats either. And then you could look to Michael Ryder, who once again didn't score, but did play well enough in two wins and very well in the loss. The only players who padded the stats this week was M. Huet and Mr. Price, of course. And while they were the players of the week in most assessments, it would be harsh to ignore what the rest of the team accomplished, that is the difficult task of beating teams that you just met and beat a few days earlier.
Anyway, the team will not dwell on the past, so neither should I. On to next week, 21 points in hand, 75 to find...
On clutching at straws when your team fails to score for you (Ryan Miller):
Coming off a perfect week with a five-minute lapse to end...
... what might Rejean Houle do?
Wait. Sometimes even Houle took weeks off making a mess of things.
... what might Sam Pollock do?
Wait... on making any personnel moves with the Canadiens. Get updates from the amateur scouts on this year's draft eligible players. Good GMs make use of their time spent waiting.
The week upcoming
Didn't I write this preview last week?
Tuesday night: Toronto Maple Leafs at the air Canada Centre.
Toronto. Tough game, blah, blah. We're gonna win this one. A few reasons include the injury to Kubina (hence McCabe will be back to more minutes), it's not in Montreal (so the annoying away fans will be ours) and we won't be swept by the Leafs this season (so time for a win...)
Leafs to watch: Kyle Wellwood and Tomas Kaberle – Kaberle is Toronto's Markov, just good going forward and can pass with the best of them; Wellwood is just a good player with no points, one of the only Leafs prospects I actually catch myself envying them for now and again.
Friday night: Buffalo Sabres at the HSBC Arena.
I've picked on Miller once (with the quote of the week), but I really do think it tells you a lot when any player comes out of a loss (where his team scored no goals) and gives an assessment like that. Last season Buffalo would not have been satisfied with that result. This year, at least one of their players was. A different team, that we should try to push further down the standings this week.
Sabres to watch: Paul Gaustad and Andrew Peters – Last game was tame and Buffalo lost, realising they can't skate with us anymore, Ruff could turn to these two to make the game more of a battle.
Saturday night: Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre.
Another classic Saturday match-up. I think the Bruins might come and score a few more goals this time. Another defensive battle won't go their way and Julien knows it. He might just let Marc Savard off the leash, maybe even Phil Kessel too. I think the Habs may just cure their scoring blues by this game too though, and I think Ryder could find a slump cure in Boston the way Zednik always did.
Bruins to watch: Chuck Kobasew and Marco Sturm – Kobasew (wow on my list again) scored the game winner last game for the B's and he already has 2 more goals than last year, while Sturm scores at a more regular pace, but still scores.
Overheard on the Habs train
"Where'd Mike go? He was right here a minute ago."
"Oh, he's getting the train out of Ottawa instead."
(Oh yeah, it's November, but he also said: The Canadiens will not win the Stanley Cup.)
The week that was
Everyone turn to your right, now turn to your left. Introduce yourselves because you'll be spending a lot of time together.
This week the Canadiens met their opponents for the next month. Unfortunately they didn't get a chance to meet the NHL schedule makers who did about as good a job at shuffling as a down and out player at a Hearts tournament.
Another week down and another 4 points. Someone is paying attention to the game this year on the Habs. Less wins against Toronto, but, hey, let's beat everyone else.
The week properly belonged to Cristobal Huet last week. After what was mostly unfair criticism of him the previous week, he came out and showed that he is a top goalie (again). In addition, he is managing to light quite a little fire under Carey Price who played and earned a star in his performance again, but for the first time he actually earned his Molson points in full.
Our Eastern European youth movement also had a good week. Well, in the NHL anyway. Kostitsyn proved why he should be on the second line with a few amazing passes. And, Plekanec showed us how to beat a goalie on a 2-on-1 turned mini breakaway. It's quite exciting that both of them are on the go at the moment, as they will no doubt have to carry a lot of the offensive load in the future – both this season and those ahead. I would hope the Andrei eventually starts to shoot some of the time himself, but you can hardly complain when he sets up game-winners with such exquisite passing.
Finally, I would like to rehash some of what Tobalev has been saying over at the game reports, and that's that the stats won't tell the whole story of this week (or any week) in a few weeks or months time. I mean Kostitisyn and Plekanec had good weeks, but they didn't get 10 points each. Even Kovalev played very well, but this was not his best week for stats either. And then you could look to Michael Ryder, who once again didn't score, but did play well enough in two wins and very well in the loss. The only players who padded the stats this week was M. Huet and Mr. Price, of course. And while they were the players of the week in most assessments, it would be harsh to ignore what the rest of the team accomplished, that is the difficult task of beating teams that you just met and beat a few days earlier.
Anyway, the team will not dwell on the past, so neither should I. On to next week, 21 points in hand, 75 to find...
On clutching at straws when your team fails to score for you (Ryan Miller):"I thought we were better than Montreal in a lot of aspects, but Huet came up big for them," said Miller. "We can't be too mad. Hopefully, the guys won't take this one too hard. We played a heck of a game."
Coming off a perfect week with a five-minute lapse to end...
... what might Rejean Houle do?Wait. Sometimes even Houle took weeks off making a mess of things.
... what might Sam Pollock do?Wait... on making any personnel moves with the Canadiens. Get updates from the amateur scouts on this year's draft eligible players. Good GMs make use of their time spent waiting.
The week upcoming
Didn't I write this preview last week?
Tuesday night: Toronto Maple Leafs at the air Canada Centre.
Toronto. Tough game, blah, blah. We're gonna win this one. A few reasons include the injury to Kubina (hence McCabe will be back to more minutes), it's not in Montreal (so the annoying away fans will be ours) and we won't be swept by the Leafs this season (so time for a win...)
Leafs to watch: Kyle Wellwood and Tomas Kaberle – Kaberle is Toronto's Markov, just good going forward and can pass with the best of them; Wellwood is just a good player with no points, one of the only Leafs prospects I actually catch myself envying them for now and again.
Friday night: Buffalo Sabres at the HSBC Arena.
I've picked on Miller once (with the quote of the week), but I really do think it tells you a lot when any player comes out of a loss (where his team scored no goals) and gives an assessment like that. Last season Buffalo would not have been satisfied with that result. This year, at least one of their players was. A different team, that we should try to push further down the standings this week.
Sabres to watch: Paul Gaustad and Andrew Peters – Last game was tame and Buffalo lost, realising they can't skate with us anymore, Ruff could turn to these two to make the game more of a battle.
Saturday night: Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre.
Another classic Saturday match-up. I think the Bruins might come and score a few more goals this time. Another defensive battle won't go their way and Julien knows it. He might just let Marc Savard off the leash, maybe even Phil Kessel too. I think the Habs may just cure their scoring blues by this game too though, and I think Ryder could find a slump cure in Boston the way Zednik always did.
Bruins to watch: Chuck Kobasew and Marco Sturm – Kobasew (wow on my list again) scored the game winner last game for the B's and he already has 2 more goals than last year, while Sturm scores at a more regular pace, but still scores.
Overheard on the Habs train"Where'd Mike go? He was right here a minute ago."
"Oh, he's getting the train out of Ottawa instead."
(Oh yeah, it's November, but he also said: The Canadiens will not win the Stanley Cup.)
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Bizarro Week: Montreal Canadiens October 29 - November 4
[Montreal Canadiens Week takes a look at the week that was and the week ahead from a subjective standpoint, and is supplemented by the objective analysis following every fifth game]
The week that was
Remember Bizarro Jerry, George and Kramer. They were nice, courteous, they liked everyone, they did things. Bizarre.
Canadiens meet Bizarro Canadiens.
You'll do the opposite of what everyone expects at every turn. You'll end a 4 game winning streak by laying an egg against what up until now was the worst team in the league. You'll make Johan Hedberg look like an NHL goalie. You're captain will speak French. Don Cherry will take your side. You'll score shorthanded.
You'll let the Leafs win in your building. Oh wait, that must be the return to normality...
At the risk of ruining my theme here (it was fun while it lasted). I will go on record as not being the least bit surprised by what happened. The Canadiens, not being a top team yet, were bound to slip against a team who was starting to get it together. I just thought there would be more goals in Atlanta. They have owned the Flyers since the curse of John Leclair was lifted. And, those Leafs games are always a coin toss no matter where they are played.
Taking a look at individual performances, I'd say I'm pleased on the whole:
Carey Price is a capable NHLer, but not even close to being a star (let alone a superstar) yet - entirely normal considering he is only 3 games in. I'd wait till 3 years in with him to pass judgment. Patience.
Saku Koivu had an interesting week. Criticised for his unwillingness to address certain people in their own language (ahem, pot calling kettle black). He came back, played a cracking game against Philly and addressed 21,273 + catwalk denizens en francais. The blemish was a loss against the Leafs. But they know him well, so he can be forgiven for losing to Sundin's Leafs.
Finally Michael Ryder. He can't do anything right. His line's doing well. We're near the top of the East. We're winning. But, alas, Ryder only has 2 goals. But you know Ryder. Goals in bunches, 6 goals in the next 8 games and he's on pace for 30. When I consider that he'll only score in 20 games this year. I'm glad he's thinking about how to improve his play in the other 62 games. Why isn't everyone else??? I would rather win the Cup than have a 40-goal man from Newfoundland anyway.
The standings are looking quite nice these days too. Sitting in the top half is great. Top half of playoff teams. Oh, heady days. Threat teams like Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay are tanking it a bit at the moment, so they'll be climbers to watch for. But, apart from Pittsburgh, the teams better than us (Ottawa and Carolina) are already ahead of us. If the Habs can approach each game with a bit more zest, then I think 4th is attainable in the end. I said heady days didn't I?
Anyway, it's 17 down. 79 to go.
Quote of the week
On enjoying your teammates appreciating what you can and can't do:
Coming off a week with enough points, but ending on a sour note...
... what might Rejean Houle do?
Play coach and insist that Michael Ryder be replaced by Latendresse on the top line.
... what might Sam Pollock do?
Ask Captain Koivu to use his Finnish language skills for the team this time... to speak to Teemu Selanne.
The week upcoming
Monday night: Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre.
Ah, Buffalo. Last time I said they may or may not be finished as conference lead contenders. I think it's too early to tell. If you remember two years ago they started relatively well, but finished with panache to rocket up the standings. The same could yet happen here. It's fairly clear they are adjusting to losing their two top centres, and that Vanek has not yet adjusted to all the increased attention from defenders.
We are well matched with Buffalo, and we each play about the same way the others would like to. But as Buffalo has lost their last 2 to Ottawa and Florida, we could do ourselves a favour by kicking them while they're down. If the Habs want to cruise into the playoffs instead of fighting tooth and nail, this is a game to win.
Sabres to watch: Jaroslav Spacek and Maxim Afinogenov – Spacek has been putting up points for Buffalo even as Campbell looks to usurp the No. 1 role. Afinogenov in the meantime has been the Sabres' very own Michael Ryder (this scares me, as he is probably not going to finish the season with
half as many points as Jason Pominville).
Thursday night: Boston Bruins at the TD Banknorth Garden.
To Boston and, in my opinion, our best, if not oldest, rivalry. Too bad we're now battling it out at TD Banknorth and Bell instead of the Forum and Garden days. Boston after a rocket start have slowly been coming to earth. Playing the Senators twice in two nights isn't much fun. But as good as the Sens are a contender for top 4 in the conference would have won once. They didn't. The Bruins are neither as good as their start, or as bad as their game against us. I would call them a middle of the pack team, in it right to the last days of the season. Since we are now aspiring for more, they could be inferiors. On the form we showed last week, they are our peers. Even so, the way they are built, they shouldn't beat us if we play our own game.
Bruins to watch: Chuck Kobasew and Tim Thomas – Kobasew is shooting 27.3% with 6 goals. Higgins take note, you too Mike. Thomas's stats are unbelievable again (wonder if the management will ever trust him enough to stop signing other goalies).
Saturday afternoon: Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place.
My goodness. Just when you think Ottawa might slip, they keep rolling. Does it matter who plays goal? who coaches? Ottawa got their taste for the Cup and now they're going to do their best to get their paws on it. The timing for a game against them couldn't be much better from our point of view. Games they should win against Toronto and Washington will put them at 14-1. Built better for the playoffs, the Sens are not an 8-loss kind of team, they're due a few hiccups. I honestly think we'll beat the Sens, it's the most confident I am for all games this week.
Senators to watch: Daniel Alfredsson and Mike Fisher – Alfredsson has been drinking water from the same Swedish spring as Zetterberg and Sundin and is proving again that he Ottawa's main man, Fisher (who we tried to trade for loads of times when he was young) has been playing some great offensive hockey of late.
Overheard on the Habs train
"Hey M. Gagnon. I thought you didn't need a ticket this year..."
The week that was
Remember Bizarro Jerry, George and Kramer. They were nice, courteous, they liked everyone, they did things. Bizarre.
Canadiens meet Bizarro Canadiens.
You'll do the opposite of what everyone expects at every turn. You'll end a 4 game winning streak by laying an egg against what up until now was the worst team in the league. You'll make Johan Hedberg look like an NHL goalie. You're captain will speak French. Don Cherry will take your side. You'll score shorthanded.
You'll let the Leafs win in your building. Oh wait, that must be the return to normality...
At the risk of ruining my theme here (it was fun while it lasted). I will go on record as not being the least bit surprised by what happened. The Canadiens, not being a top team yet, were bound to slip against a team who was starting to get it together. I just thought there would be more goals in Atlanta. They have owned the Flyers since the curse of John Leclair was lifted. And, those Leafs games are always a coin toss no matter where they are played.
Taking a look at individual performances, I'd say I'm pleased on the whole:
Carey Price is a capable NHLer, but not even close to being a star (let alone a superstar) yet - entirely normal considering he is only 3 games in. I'd wait till 3 years in with him to pass judgment. Patience.
Saku Koivu had an interesting week. Criticised for his unwillingness to address certain people in their own language (ahem, pot calling kettle black). He came back, played a cracking game against Philly and addressed 21,273 + catwalk denizens en francais. The blemish was a loss against the Leafs. But they know him well, so he can be forgiven for losing to Sundin's Leafs.
Finally Michael Ryder. He can't do anything right. His line's doing well. We're near the top of the East. We're winning. But, alas, Ryder only has 2 goals. But you know Ryder. Goals in bunches, 6 goals in the next 8 games and he's on pace for 30. When I consider that he'll only score in 20 games this year. I'm glad he's thinking about how to improve his play in the other 62 games. Why isn't everyone else??? I would rather win the Cup than have a 40-goal man from Newfoundland anyway.
The standings are looking quite nice these days too. Sitting in the top half is great. Top half of playoff teams. Oh, heady days. Threat teams like Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay are tanking it a bit at the moment, so they'll be climbers to watch for. But, apart from Pittsburgh, the teams better than us (Ottawa and Carolina) are already ahead of us. If the Habs can approach each game with a bit more zest, then I think 4th is attainable in the end. I said heady days didn't I?
Anyway, it's 17 down. 79 to go.
Quote of the weekOn enjoying your teammates appreciating what you can and can't do:
“The guys had a pretty good laugh there just before it was time for me to shoot. What a bunch of jerks,” said Hamrlik with a smile, shaking his head.
Coming off a week with enough points, but ending on a sour note...
... what might Rejean Houle do?Play coach and insist that Michael Ryder be replaced by Latendresse on the top line.
... what might Sam Pollock do?Ask Captain Koivu to use his Finnish language skills for the team this time... to speak to Teemu Selanne.
The week upcoming
Monday night: Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre.
Ah, Buffalo. Last time I said they may or may not be finished as conference lead contenders. I think it's too early to tell. If you remember two years ago they started relatively well, but finished with panache to rocket up the standings. The same could yet happen here. It's fairly clear they are adjusting to losing their two top centres, and that Vanek has not yet adjusted to all the increased attention from defenders.
We are well matched with Buffalo, and we each play about the same way the others would like to. But as Buffalo has lost their last 2 to Ottawa and Florida, we could do ourselves a favour by kicking them while they're down. If the Habs want to cruise into the playoffs instead of fighting tooth and nail, this is a game to win.
Sabres to watch: Jaroslav Spacek and Maxim Afinogenov – Spacek has been putting up points for Buffalo even as Campbell looks to usurp the No. 1 role. Afinogenov in the meantime has been the Sabres' very own Michael Ryder (this scares me, as he is probably not going to finish the season with
half as many points as Jason Pominville).
Thursday night: Boston Bruins at the TD Banknorth Garden.
To Boston and, in my opinion, our best, if not oldest, rivalry. Too bad we're now battling it out at TD Banknorth and Bell instead of the Forum and Garden days. Boston after a rocket start have slowly been coming to earth. Playing the Senators twice in two nights isn't much fun. But as good as the Sens are a contender for top 4 in the conference would have won once. They didn't. The Bruins are neither as good as their start, or as bad as their game against us. I would call them a middle of the pack team, in it right to the last days of the season. Since we are now aspiring for more, they could be inferiors. On the form we showed last week, they are our peers. Even so, the way they are built, they shouldn't beat us if we play our own game.
Bruins to watch: Chuck Kobasew and Tim Thomas – Kobasew is shooting 27.3% with 6 goals. Higgins take note, you too Mike. Thomas's stats are unbelievable again (wonder if the management will ever trust him enough to stop signing other goalies).
Saturday afternoon: Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place.
My goodness. Just when you think Ottawa might slip, they keep rolling. Does it matter who plays goal? who coaches? Ottawa got their taste for the Cup and now they're going to do their best to get their paws on it. The timing for a game against them couldn't be much better from our point of view. Games they should win against Toronto and Washington will put them at 14-1. Built better for the playoffs, the Sens are not an 8-loss kind of team, they're due a few hiccups. I honestly think we'll beat the Sens, it's the most confident I am for all games this week.
Senators to watch: Daniel Alfredsson and Mike Fisher – Alfredsson has been drinking water from the same Swedish spring as Zetterberg and Sundin and is proving again that he Ottawa's main man, Fisher (who we tried to trade for loads of times when he was young) has been playing some great offensive hockey of late.
Overheard on the Habs train"Hey M. Gagnon. I thought you didn't need a ticket this year..."
Monday, October 29, 2007
70s Throwback Week: Montreal Canadiens October 22-28
[Montreal Canadiens Week takes a look at the week that was and the week ahead from a subjective standpoint, and is supplemented by the objective analysis following every fifth game]
The week that was
Wow. What a week. Boston, Carolina, Pittsburgh. W, W, W. And, done in style too! To make it all the better, the Bruins, Canes and Pens were all playing well until we showed them how to start a game.
Or, how about chasing Cam Ward and Marc-Andre Fleury on consecutive nights? Heaven only knows why Fernandez wasn't changed. Kovalev's 1000th game and 800th point (habsinsideout.com treatment), no fights with Carbo and 2000 game plans were also highlights. The end of the week, the intense shootout, with Crosby miss and Markov goal was a fitting end to an exhilerating week.
Somewhat lost in the excitement, I thought, was Grabovski's move to the wing, place in the line-up and first NHL goal. To me, this is very exciting news, as he has some serious raw talent (and it's quite raw at the moment). If he continues to get and take his chances well, we could have a great little player on our hands. And what a nice surprise that would be, considering he wasn't even a prospect worth mentioning when he was drafted (150th overall in 2004). I also thought his goal was a beautiful one, finishing with a very confident shot into the upper part of the net. It kinda reminded me of when you're playing well at pool and you can start rattling them in, instead of carefully placing them.
Unlike previous weeks, I can quite honestly say I was surprised this Sunday with where we were sitting in the standings. A pleasant surprise for sure, but there's still 82 points to get, so noses back to the grindstone...
Quote of the week
Latendresse on Facebook:
Coming off an incredible week with 3 wins and 16 goals, ...
... what might Rejean Houle do?
Sit tight and admire his own handiwork.
... what might Sam Pollock do?
Goes to Hamilton on the week off to watch the Bulldogs in action. Makes a call to Brian Burke to ask how his season is going. Sends scouts to California and Arizona.
The week upcoming
Tuesday night: Atlanta Thrashers at the Bell Centre.
There's not much more dangerous than judging a team by their record. Atlanta, as we all know, lost their first 6 games. Since then, though, they have a 3-2 record. Neither of these stats lead me in one direction or another. But the fact they have both Hossa and Kovalchuk does lead me to think this game will be close. Luckily the Habs are coming off three firewagon games, so they shouldn't be caught out here. And with our superior defense and goaltending, we should get points from this one.
Thrashers to watch: Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa - Regardless of previous or recent form, coming into most games against the Thrashers, these will be the two players to watch (Fancy and Fancier).
Thursday night: Philadelphia Flyers at the Bell Centre.
Philly is a tough one to gauge. They had a good start on a western road swing and have got points in the majority of the rest of their games. They haven't played Ottawa, though, nor Pittsburgh, so it can't be said they have been thoroughly tested in the East. They have beaten Carolina, but then so have we (twice). Once again a superior goaltending backstop puts us in with a chance. Unfortunately,they have until this game to prepare, so they'll be ready. Honestly, this is not the playoffs, so if the Flyers want to do what they've done all season and injure people. I'd rather see a peripheral effort here than injuries like the ones their bullies have been dishing out.
Flyers to watch: Scott Hartnell and Martin Biron – Biron is the reason they are in the top half of the East (not Briere), and you can watch Scott Hartnell and be glad we signed Chris Higgins on the same day for 2.5 million a year less.
Saturday night: Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre.
Every year since the lockout (all 2), we get to the end of October and we as Habs fans look down at the Leafs and taunt. But every March, they are right close, with one team eliminating the other. In other words, never count the Leafs out. Never. This will obviously be the spectacle of the week, and I wouldn't look for our goalies doing any padding of the stats. Like every game with these guys, it could go either way. We could do our playoff race selves a favour by making sure the Leafs don't take any points here.
Maple Leafs to watch: Mats Sundin and Jiri Tlusty - If Sundin weren't a Leaf, I would say he is a pleasure to watch on most nights, but he is, so... All Leafs fans will be raving about this guy Tlusty all year long (remember Stajan > Ryder), so you might as well get some ammo for the comebacks.
NOTE: Once again, it will be interesting to see whether Price plays. I'd put him in for Toronto, give him a taste of what it's all about. We need to score to win in that affair anyway.
Overheard on the Habs train
Fan 1: Hey man, great to see you!
Fan 2: Yeah, dude, been too long. When was the last time? April two years ago?
Fan 1: Well, there was last year round Christmas, remember? We met on our way off the wagon.
Fan 2: Oh right, well this time, I bought my ticket early, gonna be a great ride
Fan 1: But you got a refundable ticket, right?
Fan 2: Of course, fully refundable.
Fan 3: Long time no see guys...
The week that was
Wow. What a week. Boston, Carolina, Pittsburgh. W, W, W. And, done in style too! To make it all the better, the Bruins, Canes and Pens were all playing well until we showed them how to start a game.
Or, how about chasing Cam Ward and Marc-Andre Fleury on consecutive nights? Heaven only knows why Fernandez wasn't changed. Kovalev's 1000th game and 800th point (habsinsideout.com treatment), no fights with Carbo and 2000 game plans were also highlights. The end of the week, the intense shootout, with Crosby miss and Markov goal was a fitting end to an exhilerating week.
Somewhat lost in the excitement, I thought, was Grabovski's move to the wing, place in the line-up and first NHL goal. To me, this is very exciting news, as he has some serious raw talent (and it's quite raw at the moment). If he continues to get and take his chances well, we could have a great little player on our hands. And what a nice surprise that would be, considering he wasn't even a prospect worth mentioning when he was drafted (150th overall in 2004). I also thought his goal was a beautiful one, finishing with a very confident shot into the upper part of the net. It kinda reminded me of when you're playing well at pool and you can start rattling them in, instead of carefully placing them.
Unlike previous weeks, I can quite honestly say I was surprised this Sunday with where we were sitting in the standings. A pleasant surprise for sure, but there's still 82 points to get, so noses back to the grindstone...
Quote of the weekLatendresse on Facebook:
"Je vais rarement sur ma page Facebook, mais je reçois quand même 15 invitations par jour de la part d'amis que je ne connais pas, raconte Guillaume Latendresse. Je voulais être là-dessus juste pour retrouver des copains d'enfance Je pense que je vais fermer ma page très bientôt!"
["I rarely go to my Facebook page, but even so, I still get 15 inivtations a day to become friends with people I don't know. I wanted to be on it to find friends from childhood I had lost touch with. I think I'll be closing my account very soon!"]
Coming off an incredible week with 3 wins and 16 goals, ...
... what might Rejean Houle do?Sit tight and admire his own handiwork.
... what might Sam Pollock do?Goes to Hamilton on the week off to watch the Bulldogs in action. Makes a call to Brian Burke to ask how his season is going. Sends scouts to California and Arizona.
The week upcoming
Tuesday night: Atlanta Thrashers at the Bell Centre.
There's not much more dangerous than judging a team by their record. Atlanta, as we all know, lost their first 6 games. Since then, though, they have a 3-2 record. Neither of these stats lead me in one direction or another. But the fact they have both Hossa and Kovalchuk does lead me to think this game will be close. Luckily the Habs are coming off three firewagon games, so they shouldn't be caught out here. And with our superior defense and goaltending, we should get points from this one.
Thrashers to watch: Ilya Kovalchuk and Marian Hossa - Regardless of previous or recent form, coming into most games against the Thrashers, these will be the two players to watch (Fancy and Fancier).
Thursday night: Philadelphia Flyers at the Bell Centre.
Philly is a tough one to gauge. They had a good start on a western road swing and have got points in the majority of the rest of their games. They haven't played Ottawa, though, nor Pittsburgh, so it can't be said they have been thoroughly tested in the East. They have beaten Carolina, but then so have we (twice). Once again a superior goaltending backstop puts us in with a chance. Unfortunately,they have until this game to prepare, so they'll be ready. Honestly, this is not the playoffs, so if the Flyers want to do what they've done all season and injure people. I'd rather see a peripheral effort here than injuries like the ones their bullies have been dishing out.
Flyers to watch: Scott Hartnell and Martin Biron – Biron is the reason they are in the top half of the East (not Briere), and you can watch Scott Hartnell and be glad we signed Chris Higgins on the same day for 2.5 million a year less.
Saturday night: Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre.
Every year since the lockout (all 2), we get to the end of October and we as Habs fans look down at the Leafs and taunt. But every March, they are right close, with one team eliminating the other. In other words, never count the Leafs out. Never. This will obviously be the spectacle of the week, and I wouldn't look for our goalies doing any padding of the stats. Like every game with these guys, it could go either way. We could do our playoff race selves a favour by making sure the Leafs don't take any points here.
Maple Leafs to watch: Mats Sundin and Jiri Tlusty - If Sundin weren't a Leaf, I would say he is a pleasure to watch on most nights, but he is, so... All Leafs fans will be raving about this guy Tlusty all year long (remember Stajan > Ryder), so you might as well get some ammo for the comebacks.
NOTE: Once again, it will be interesting to see whether Price plays. I'd put him in for Toronto, give him a taste of what it's all about. We need to score to win in that affair anyway.
Overheard on the Habs trainFan 1: Hey man, great to see you!
Fan 2: Yeah, dude, been too long. When was the last time? April two years ago?
Fan 1: Well, there was last year round Christmas, remember? We met on our way off the wagon.
Fan 2: Oh right, well this time, I bought my ticket early, gonna be a great ride
Fan 1: But you got a refundable ticket, right?
Fan 2: Of course, fully refundable.
Fan 3: Long time no see guys...
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Montreal Canadiens Week: October 16-21
[Montreal Canadiens Week takes a look at the week that was and the week ahead from a subjective standpoint, and is supplemented by the objective analysis following every fifth game]
The week that was
Back to the normal rhythm, 3 games, 7 days; with a weekly review on the Sunday following the resounding win at home on Saturday. What could be more normal than that. For a week I thought we would be able to collect 4 points of 6, I have to say I am strangely satisfied with 3 points.
First of all, the Habs played some good games. In fact, their efforts were probably superior to the games in which they had won the week before. So, movement in the right direction.
Next, we had some scoring from scorers, namely Michael Ryder, Christopher Higgins and Guillaume Latendresse. Higgins and Ryder were rewarded for strong play, while Latendresse is starting to turn things around a bit (which is a very good thing if the Habs brass remain determined to find him a place in the lineup).
Lastly, there were some interesting and good decisions made this week. Benching Begin and the mass confusion it caused among the press at least sets the precedent that lineup decisions will be made by the coach, not the press, not the players. Murray may not have availed himself very well during that game, but Carbonneau should be looking at his options over 82 games, so as not to burn out all the intensity by December like last year. The Kovalev debacle, and the brief "crisis" that was purported was pooh-poohed so fast it was impressive. I have to say it was deft of Carbonneau to tell Kovalev off and massage his ego at the same time by likening him to Guy Lafleur.
In any case, the media was put back in their box a couple of times for getting overexcited, and Carbonneau coached through it without bowing to their wishes. It makes this fan happy, because I think Carbo will be a better coach than Michel Bergeron ever was.
Once again, at the end of the week, nothing is too surprising. We sit about where everyone expected (even the optimists). Some tough lessons learned this week will hopefully make us a stronger team in the winter months for once.
If I was stretched to come up with a surprise, it is that Brisebois is still up on the top two pairings and that they had Grabovski in the lineup instead of Andrei Kostitsyn in the last game. But even that, I am going to put down to October. Talk to me in January if we're in the same position – I think I will be surprised.
Quote of the week
On Kovalev's comments:
Coming off a slow week with a couple of good games and another we actually won, ...
... what might Rejean Houle do?
Starts making calls about trading 1-goal man Michael Ryder.
... what might Sam Pollock do?
Calls Koivu, Kovalev and Higgins into his office to discuss the team and talking to the press.
The week upcoming
Monday night: Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre.
Well. They may have come around – the Bruins are actually ahead of us. On closer look, they've already beaten the Coyotes and the Kings, two of the relatively few bottom-dweller teams actually remaining in this league. And their last win was a scoreless affair where they pipped the Rangers to the post in the shootout. The Habs like playing against average goalies and average defenses, and the Bruins have these. They can still score if asked to, just not last game I suppose. If there is such a thing as momentum (and I think there is), then the Habs should win this with a properly convincing effort.
Bruins to watch: Bergeron and Chara - Beregeron always looks better in Montreal than anywhere else and Chara loves to manhandle the small forward corps here.
Friday night: Carolina Hurricanes at RBC Center.
Our season series with these guys will be over by Remembrance Day at this rate. What to say that we don't remember from last week. They can score, and Cam ward can goaltend on occasion. Keeping the Eric/ks in check is obviously key. This series will be tight the whole way, but we should be in most games (including this one) with a chance.
Hurricanes to watch: Justin Williams and Bret Hedican – Williams has been having a great start, and Bret Hedican is looking for 3/3 on star selections versus the Habs.
Saturday night: Pittsburgh Penguins at the Mellon Arena.
Remember after the lockout, Pittsburgh were the team to beat and then they tanked. Last year, they were the team to get yer points off and they excelled. Who knows where this team will go to this year, but keep in mind, they are not going to surprise anyone this year. Bring Lapierre up to get in Sidney's face and I think we take it.
Penguins to watch: Crosby and Malkin - It's another game where we see if Therrien and the Penguins can ride on the two centres coattails for a win.
NOTE: It will be interesting to see whether Price plays Friday or Saturday this week. I don't think Sidney Crosby takes too long to figure a goalie out, I'd go with Friday if I were coach.
All aboard
A number of the passengers getting bored with the wait on the platform decide to detrain and head to the strip clubs up the street. A lot more empty seats than last week. Tickets fast becoming available on ebay.
Stationmaster Carbonneau assured the hysterical among the passengers that the train would be leaving if and when he thinks it is ready. He's frantically trying to find a caboose (with a loose connection) where he plans to entertain the press for the trip.
The week that was
Back to the normal rhythm, 3 games, 7 days; with a weekly review on the Sunday following the resounding win at home on Saturday. What could be more normal than that. For a week I thought we would be able to collect 4 points of 6, I have to say I am strangely satisfied with 3 points.
First of all, the Habs played some good games. In fact, their efforts were probably superior to the games in which they had won the week before. So, movement in the right direction.
Next, we had some scoring from scorers, namely Michael Ryder, Christopher Higgins and Guillaume Latendresse. Higgins and Ryder were rewarded for strong play, while Latendresse is starting to turn things around a bit (which is a very good thing if the Habs brass remain determined to find him a place in the lineup).
Lastly, there were some interesting and good decisions made this week. Benching Begin and the mass confusion it caused among the press at least sets the precedent that lineup decisions will be made by the coach, not the press, not the players. Murray may not have availed himself very well during that game, but Carbonneau should be looking at his options over 82 games, so as not to burn out all the intensity by December like last year. The Kovalev debacle, and the brief "crisis" that was purported was pooh-poohed so fast it was impressive. I have to say it was deft of Carbonneau to tell Kovalev off and massage his ego at the same time by likening him to Guy Lafleur.
In any case, the media was put back in their box a couple of times for getting overexcited, and Carbonneau coached through it without bowing to their wishes. It makes this fan happy, because I think Carbo will be a better coach than Michel Bergeron ever was.
Once again, at the end of the week, nothing is too surprising. We sit about where everyone expected (even the optimists). Some tough lessons learned this week will hopefully make us a stronger team in the winter months for once.
If I was stretched to come up with a surprise, it is that Brisebois is still up on the top two pairings and that they had Grabovski in the lineup instead of Andrei Kostitsyn in the last game. But even that, I am going to put down to October. Talk to me in January if we're in the same position – I think I will be surprised.
Quote of the weekOn Kovalev's comments:
"Mais Alex, c'est Alex. Il est comme Guy Lafleur. Je n'ai pas aimé ce qu'il a dit. Il a émis une opinion alors qu'il aurait dû m'en parler. C'est pourquoi je vais m'entretenir avec tous les joueurs."
["But Alex, he's Alex. He's like Guy Lafleur. I didn't like what he said. He gave his opinion (to the press) when he should have spoken to me first. That's why I'm going to have a talk with all my players"]
Coming off a slow week with a couple of good games and another we actually won, ...
... what might Rejean Houle do?Starts making calls about trading 1-goal man Michael Ryder.
... what might Sam Pollock do?Calls Koivu, Kovalev and Higgins into his office to discuss the team and talking to the press.
The week upcoming
Monday night: Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre.
Well. They may have come around – the Bruins are actually ahead of us. On closer look, they've already beaten the Coyotes and the Kings, two of the relatively few bottom-dweller teams actually remaining in this league. And their last win was a scoreless affair where they pipped the Rangers to the post in the shootout. The Habs like playing against average goalies and average defenses, and the Bruins have these. They can still score if asked to, just not last game I suppose. If there is such a thing as momentum (and I think there is), then the Habs should win this with a properly convincing effort.
Bruins to watch: Bergeron and Chara - Beregeron always looks better in Montreal than anywhere else and Chara loves to manhandle the small forward corps here.
Friday night: Carolina Hurricanes at RBC Center.
Our season series with these guys will be over by Remembrance Day at this rate. What to say that we don't remember from last week. They can score, and Cam ward can goaltend on occasion. Keeping the Eric/ks in check is obviously key. This series will be tight the whole way, but we should be in most games (including this one) with a chance.
Hurricanes to watch: Justin Williams and Bret Hedican – Williams has been having a great start, and Bret Hedican is looking for 3/3 on star selections versus the Habs.
Saturday night: Pittsburgh Penguins at the Mellon Arena.
Remember after the lockout, Pittsburgh were the team to beat and then they tanked. Last year, they were the team to get yer points off and they excelled. Who knows where this team will go to this year, but keep in mind, they are not going to surprise anyone this year. Bring Lapierre up to get in Sidney's face and I think we take it.
Penguins to watch: Crosby and Malkin - It's another game where we see if Therrien and the Penguins can ride on the two centres coattails for a win.
NOTE: It will be interesting to see whether Price plays Friday or Saturday this week. I don't think Sidney Crosby takes too long to figure a goalie out, I'd go with Friday if I were coach.
All aboardA number of the passengers getting bored with the wait on the platform decide to detrain and head to the strip clubs up the street. A lot more empty seats than last week. Tickets fast becoming available on ebay.
Stationmaster Carbonneau assured the hysterical among the passengers that the train would be leaving if and when he thinks it is ready. He's frantically trying to find a caboose (with a loose connection) where he plans to entertain the press for the trip.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Montreal Canadiens Weeks: October 3-15
[Montreal Canadiens Week takes a look at the week that was and the week ahead from a subjective standpoint, and is supplemented by the objective analysis following every fifth game]
The week that was (weeks that were)
Well the Canadiens have played four games now, and though they technically took place over eleven days, these two weeks were a veritable hockey drought for us, so I took the liberty of extending the reach of my first week in review.
On the whole, the opening of the season has been a success, not a resounding one, but a success nonetheless. The Habs managed to grab 5 points on the road, and then lost a fairly close affair at home.
As far as hockey goes, I don't think there was anything too surprising. If you look at where the team sits right now and compare where most people thought they would be sitting, then about .500 is right - the overtime loss being bonus. Most of the players have been living up to expectation with a couple of surprises for the better and the worse.
As I've said in my blogs, I think the early relative success has to do with more players than the media reports would have you believe. Andrei Markov, the sometimes overlooked backbone of the team, is the major contributor among the many.
Quote of the week
On mentoring Price:
"I think the important thing is that I treat him like everyone else," Huet said. "But you should ask him."
Coming off a loss to the Hurricanes taking us back to a .500 record, ...
... what might Rejean Houle do?
Swings a deal to trade Jaroslav Halak to the Lightning in return for Andre Roy and some much needed toughness.
... what might Sam Pollock do?
After a decent start, decides to stand pat. The player he wants to move has underperformed and his value is on the wane. No, he won't tell you who it is.
The week upcoming
Tuesday night: Florida Panthers at the Bell Centre.
Are they off to a bad start? Are they right where they should be? One of these years Florida is bound to get it together. I think getting them early this season, and with them coming off a win (where they allowed 4 goals) is about the right position to get them. Out of the three games this week, this looks like the most winnable at the present time.
Panthers to watch: Jokinen and Vokoun - as they look to strangle our offense and win by a goal or two.
Thursday night: Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place.
Off to another quick start, they seem to be back to their old ways (Toronto will be pleased). Last season, we started to have success against the Senators making it more into a scrap for points (like it is with the Leafs) vs. the one-sided affairs of a few years previous. I think this is likely to continue as the Habs are a better team now, and no longer an easy mark for anyone; and the Senators are for the most part the same team as last year. However, they'll be the team in the East, so whenever we visit it will be difficult.
Senators to watch: Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley - as always the trio have sprinted out of the gates, helping their team win with gusto.
Saturday night: Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre.
Just as Florida may or may not be on the ascendency, Buffalo may or may not be finished as conference contenders. The Sabres can still score, but they balance that with a healthy number of goals allowed. Given the way the Habs skated with the Sabres last year and the latter half the previous year, I think they should be favourites to come away with 2 points in this affair.
Sabres to watch: Campbell and Connolly - Campbell is driving the offense from the backend, and Tim Connolly back in action gives the Habs players a different element to deal with.
All aboard
The Habs Express is more crowded than it has been in recent seasons at this time. People expecting a non-stop train to Cupton were told that the train actually makes 78 more stops before deciding if it goes on the up hill track to that destination. Many upset fans disembarked.
People waiting to catch a quick photo of up and coming engineer Carey Price were surprised and somewhat dismayed that following his shunt in the station, Cristobal Huet was back in the front locomotive.
The week that was (weeks that were)
Well the Canadiens have played four games now, and though they technically took place over eleven days, these two weeks were a veritable hockey drought for us, so I took the liberty of extending the reach of my first week in review.
On the whole, the opening of the season has been a success, not a resounding one, but a success nonetheless. The Habs managed to grab 5 points on the road, and then lost a fairly close affair at home.
As far as hockey goes, I don't think there was anything too surprising. If you look at where the team sits right now and compare where most people thought they would be sitting, then about .500 is right - the overtime loss being bonus. Most of the players have been living up to expectation with a couple of surprises for the better and the worse.
As I've said in my blogs, I think the early relative success has to do with more players than the media reports would have you believe. Andrei Markov, the sometimes overlooked backbone of the team, is the major contributor among the many.
Quote of the week
On mentoring Price:
"I think the important thing is that I treat him like everyone else," Huet said. "But you should ask him."
Coming off a loss to the Hurricanes taking us back to a .500 record, ...
... what might Rejean Houle do?Swings a deal to trade Jaroslav Halak to the Lightning in return for Andre Roy and some much needed toughness.
... what might Sam Pollock do?After a decent start, decides to stand pat. The player he wants to move has underperformed and his value is on the wane. No, he won't tell you who it is.
The week upcoming
Tuesday night: Florida Panthers at the Bell Centre.
Are they off to a bad start? Are they right where they should be? One of these years Florida is bound to get it together. I think getting them early this season, and with them coming off a win (where they allowed 4 goals) is about the right position to get them. Out of the three games this week, this looks like the most winnable at the present time.
Panthers to watch: Jokinen and Vokoun - as they look to strangle our offense and win by a goal or two.
Thursday night: Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place.
Off to another quick start, they seem to be back to their old ways (Toronto will be pleased). Last season, we started to have success against the Senators making it more into a scrap for points (like it is with the Leafs) vs. the one-sided affairs of a few years previous. I think this is likely to continue as the Habs are a better team now, and no longer an easy mark for anyone; and the Senators are for the most part the same team as last year. However, they'll be the team in the East, so whenever we visit it will be difficult.
Senators to watch: Alfredsson, Spezza and Heatley - as always the trio have sprinted out of the gates, helping their team win with gusto.
Saturday night: Buffalo Sabres at the Bell Centre.
Just as Florida may or may not be on the ascendency, Buffalo may or may not be finished as conference contenders. The Sabres can still score, but they balance that with a healthy number of goals allowed. Given the way the Habs skated with the Sabres last year and the latter half the previous year, I think they should be favourites to come away with 2 points in this affair.
Sabres to watch: Campbell and Connolly - Campbell is driving the offense from the backend, and Tim Connolly back in action gives the Habs players a different element to deal with.
All aboardThe Habs Express is more crowded than it has been in recent seasons at this time. People expecting a non-stop train to Cupton were told that the train actually makes 78 more stops before deciding if it goes on the up hill track to that destination. Many upset fans disembarked.
People waiting to catch a quick photo of up and coming engineer Carey Price were surprised and somewhat dismayed that following his shunt in the station, Cristobal Huet was back in the front locomotive.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Habs famous numbers
A lot of Habs history coming to the surface these days as members of the 50s, 60s and 70s dynasties pass on.
I don't know much about Trader Sam Pollock, but I have of course read the "Lions in Winter" book, which gave me a pretty good idea of how shrewd a GM he was. He certainly played by his own rules and didn't let convention stand in the way of making a championship team. That Guy Lafleur story is legendary, of course. Not to be overlooked are his choices of coaches, his ability to keep the right players together (coax them from their desire to retire), and his eye for talent in the early days of thee draft. Rest in peace Mr. Pollock. Our thoughts go out to your family and friends.
Dave Stubbs and the guys at habsinsideout.com have had Habs history on the mind
lately too, even getting into when Plekanec changed his number. Big news in Montreal! Following that bombshell they published a list of all the numbers ever donned by Habs over the years. it made for an interesting read, and got me thinking about lots things number-related.
Firstly, it's crazy how many Hall of Famers wore the same numbers. Secondly, even though we've lost all those numbers to retirement, with a few more to go soon, there are plenty left – many not under any threat at all.
The other thing I noticed was number 13.
It hasn't been used on the Habs since 1922 (even though I briefly convinced myself they must be wrong about Vladimir Vujtek's number). Perhaps this fact is not that surprising, given the number's notoriety and inherent unluckiness. Obviously the Canadiens banned the use of the number, the same way the builders of many high-rises have done (come on, I'm not taking an apartment on the 14th floor, I'm not stupid).
I do remember Selanne wearing 13, and it didn't seem to do him any harm that year...
This led me to another question: which other numbers should be banned?
I have a couple of ideas as to how the banished number list should be established:
1) Any bad years for the Canadiens franchise should be banned.
This would include, among other possibilities:
67 – Though a good year for Montreal as a city and for baseball here, it was the missing year in another 5-year run. Some other team won...
94 – Missed the playoffs after the Cup, and Youppi, our new mascot, was shafted hard.
All numbers from 96-98 – The Montreal Forum is closed. No hockey and Nicholas Cage films a movie there (ugh).
2) Numbers that just aren't working for players This would include, among other possibilities:
53 – Racicot, Fitzpatrick and Sylvain Blouin. Do I need to explain?
54 – Traverse
59 – Jarventie
95 – Berezin, Olivier Michaud
I do have some reservations about these numbers being banned though, as Patrick Roy did pretty well for himself with what was up till his time a pretty mediocre number. Though number 33 with Riley and Sevigny would never have been up for complete banning.
In addition to these numbers, I also think 66 should be taken out of circulation in honour of the greatest offensive player to come from Montreal, and in my opinion, anywhere. It would be silly to see someone who couldn't wear 66 with the same presence and flair as Mario did.
I wonder if anyone had a little chat with Brisebois about the number 43 after he resigned. It's not really been a great number over the years. Brunet traded it in quickly, as did Cassels, and Brisebois ran the number out of town. I'm not sure his new choice of number (allegedly for Colorado reasons) is much better. The last sweater emblazoned with 71 didn't exactly leave a legacy of long success. We'll see if it lasts.
At least 71 has hope as it stands for beating the odds (or the Orrs). So Brisebois did well on that count.
I don't know much about Trader Sam Pollock, but I have of course read the "Lions in Winter" book, which gave me a pretty good idea of how shrewd a GM he was. He certainly played by his own rules and didn't let convention stand in the way of making a championship team. That Guy Lafleur story is legendary, of course. Not to be overlooked are his choices of coaches, his ability to keep the right players together (coax them from their desire to retire), and his eye for talent in the early days of thee draft. Rest in peace Mr. Pollock. Our thoughts go out to your family and friends.
Dave Stubbs and the guys at habsinsideout.com have had Habs history on the mind
lately too, even getting into when Plekanec changed his number. Big news in Montreal! Following that bombshell they published a list of all the numbers ever donned by Habs over the years. it made for an interesting read, and got me thinking about lots things number-related.
Firstly, it's crazy how many Hall of Famers wore the same numbers. Secondly, even though we've lost all those numbers to retirement, with a few more to go soon, there are plenty left – many not under any threat at all.
The other thing I noticed was number 13.
It hasn't been used on the Habs since 1922 (even though I briefly convinced myself they must be wrong about Vladimir Vujtek's number). Perhaps this fact is not that surprising, given the number's notoriety and inherent unluckiness. Obviously the Canadiens banned the use of the number, the same way the builders of many high-rises have done (come on, I'm not taking an apartment on the 14th floor, I'm not stupid).
I do remember Selanne wearing 13, and it didn't seem to do him any harm that year...
This led me to another question: which other numbers should be banned?
I have a couple of ideas as to how the banished number list should be established:
1) Any bad years for the Canadiens franchise should be banned.
This would include, among other possibilities:
67 – Though a good year for Montreal as a city and for baseball here, it was the missing year in another 5-year run. Some other team won...
94 – Missed the playoffs after the Cup, and Youppi, our new mascot, was shafted hard.
All numbers from 96-98 – The Montreal Forum is closed. No hockey and Nicholas Cage films a movie there (ugh).
2) Numbers that just aren't working for players This would include, among other possibilities:
53 – Racicot, Fitzpatrick and Sylvain Blouin. Do I need to explain?
54 – Traverse
59 – Jarventie
95 – Berezin, Olivier Michaud
I do have some reservations about these numbers being banned though, as Patrick Roy did pretty well for himself with what was up till his time a pretty mediocre number. Though number 33 with Riley and Sevigny would never have been up for complete banning.
In addition to these numbers, I also think 66 should be taken out of circulation in honour of the greatest offensive player to come from Montreal, and in my opinion, anywhere. It would be silly to see someone who couldn't wear 66 with the same presence and flair as Mario did.
I wonder if anyone had a little chat with Brisebois about the number 43 after he resigned. It's not really been a great number over the years. Brunet traded it in quickly, as did Cassels, and Brisebois ran the number out of town. I'm not sure his new choice of number (allegedly for Colorado reasons) is much better. The last sweater emblazoned with 71 didn't exactly leave a legacy of long success. We'll see if it lasts.
At least 71 has hope as it stands for beating the odds (or the Orrs). So Brisebois did well on that count.
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