Game #69Montreal Takes It To The Cream Of The West

Details

Date: 10/03/2012
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Vancouver

Win: 4-1

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (L)

Habs goalscorers: Geoffrion, Cole (2), Subban
Opposition goalscorers: Kesler

Play of the game

Tough call in this one, but I am going to have to go with Geoffrion's goal. Not only was it a tying goal, it was also a good goal put together by two players that mean a lot to this organization (Blake and Leblanc). The goal was a Geoffrion's first as a Hab since 1964; let's hope we don't have to wait another 48 years for the next. Think Blake will still be with us in 2060?

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Erik Cole - Game Puck
Erik played a fantastic game and seems very intent on making sure we don't draft any forwards that would immediately drop him down the depth-chart. That, and he must have some serious passion and pride. His two goals tonight were both hard-working goals and they put him at 25, oh so close to the 30 mark (the high in his career).

Max Pacioretty
Patches kept it rolling tonight with 2 more points. I believe that with 13 games left he will hit 35-30-65 which is something that even the most opptomistic weren't always saying. I find as the games and weeks have gone by he looks more and more like a complete NHL player. His play is giving me a lot more hope for next year than I had just a month ago.

Blake Geoffrion
Why not? He did what his Dad couldn't do and that is score a goal as a Hab. That is not a shot at his Dad, but just praise for Blake because of what he could mean to this team. Imagine how excited Edmonton fans would be if Gretzky's Great-Grandson were to play for them in the 2060's or Detroit's if the Lidstrom name came back 70 odd years into the future. I think that Blake was a good move by this team and I was happy to see him pot his first. Besides that, I felt that he played quite well as there were a couple of other chances too.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
He looked out of place at times and unsure of himself, but I still felt that he played quite well (and, I need someone new to write about). What he hasn't lost is his offensive vision and his incredible skills of keeping the puck in at the point. Tonight was just the first game in a long road back to being our best defender and best overall player and I think he did well considering everything. My hope is that his utilization and confidence increase over the next 13 games so that we can all have a summer where he doesn't have to be the unknown that he has become during recent off-seasons.

PK Subban
I hate to say it as PK has been fantastic for a lot of the year and above what one would expect for all of it, but, don't you think that if he played and shot like he did tonight a little more often from October to February we may be talking about playoffs and not lottery? Again, however, his play has me more excited for next year than wondering what could have been in this one.

Goaltender

Carey Price
If Cole only scores one the game-puck is Carey's. That doesn't mean that he played any worse, just that Cole really stepped it up. Price was very, very solid tonight and totally outplayed the often shaky Luongo. I would assume that Carey will be playing for Canada in a few weeks at World's and think that it will be good for him to get back to playing behind a solid, winning team.

Comments

I was hoping for the loss tonight, but still found myself happy with the goals and with Markov's return. Ideally, I suppose we play an exciting game, but lose something like 4-5 in regulation. That way we get what we want and still get some entertainment. We still have 13 games to lose, however, so I am hoping that we'll get back on track against desperater teams. Tonight was indeed an exciting hockey game and, standings aside, I think we played well and showed that we can be a decent team. I am done thinking abut the Fall and what could have been, though. My sights are firmly set on the draft and on a return to the playoffs as soon as next year.

It was fabulous to see Markov back, but no one could have been more happy than he is. I am sure that he wants nothing more than 14 wins and a trip to the playoffs as I am sure he feels bad for his teammates and fans for being out so long (although, it was not at all his fault). It was nice to see an assist from him too, on the 5-on-3; a PP that he bumped Kaberle off of. People are talking about him taking it easy and skipping World's (if selected) because of the risk to his knee. I, however, believe that if it is healed then it is healed and, if so, he is no more of an injury risk than any other player. So, I hope that he plays a lot down the stretch and does go to World's as I feel a happy, healthy, game-ready Markov is the exact thing this team has been missing and is the main thing that we should be excited about come October.

Game #29One More Slips Through Habs's Hands

Details

Date: 08/12/2011
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Montreal

Loss: 3-4 (SO)

Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (W)

Habs goalscorers: St. Denis, Diaz, Cole
Opposition goalscorers: Raymond, Hodgson (1, SO), Salo

Play of the game

The play of the game was going to be the Cole goal, that is until we got to OT. In my head it was then going to be the winner or a fantastic save. When neither of those happened I went back to the one play that made us look our best. Cole did very well at the blue-line to block a shot. The puck bounced favourably for him and he was off towards Luongo with Pacioretty on a 2-on-1. Cole made the right choice and Luongo guessed wrong. The goal gave us the dreaded 3-0 lead.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei tied for the lead in shots and in hits tonight and that didn't come as a shock. He made things happen in the offensive zone and, unfortunately for him, ends the night with a -1 rating and no points. When he uses his size, strength and shot, as he did tonight, he is easily one of our best all-around players.

Erik Cole - Game Puck
Speed, size and more speed was Erik's game tonight. His goal was the pay-off for playing that way throughout the first two periods, for making the Canuck defence question themselves. He almost cost us the game in OT with a horrible giveaway, but Price bailed him out with a fantastic save and saved him game-puck honours.

David Desharnais
Desharnais didn't pick up any points or have a great night in the face-off circle, but did a fine job in other categories. He centred our best line and contributed to quite a few of Cole and Pacioretty's chances. He also ended up being one of only three forwards (Cole, Camms) to improve their +/- tonight.

Defencemen

Raphael Diaz
Scored a goal and logged huge minutes again. I was also pretty impressed with his confidence at both ends. His play and that of Emelin's vs. that of Weber's has me liking the playing-pro-in-Europe route quite a bit. Where else can you get 25 year-olds who are ready to play top-4 minutes?

Alexei Emelin
I would have liked to have Gorges in here, but in the end I couldn't get over him being on the ice for two third period goals against. So, I went with Emelin, the obvious (how crazy is that?) choice. He logged close to 24 minutes, led the game in hits (tied with Kostitsyn) and is becoming the one Hab that you don't want to be skating in on with some speed.

Goaltender

Carey Price
I have Carey in, but it was close. I know that it isn't his fault that we always lose our leads, it is the team's. It would be great if we had a goalie who could hold-off the nightly third-period bombardment, but it shouldn't be expected. Price would have a lot more wins with a better team in front of him, but there are goalies, few as they are, who would have this team winning. He made some fabulous saves to even give us the chance at one point and then a couple in OT that gave us the chance for a shootout (or, realistically, a chance to win in OT). I would, however, have Budaj in for the shootout. I don't now how good or bad Peter is in the shootout, but I know that 9 goals on 17 shots (38th of 45 goalies) isn't good; I would give change a chance.

Comments

If you didn't see this game, but you saw the San Jose one, I think that you're good. The Habs couldn't hold their lead, sat back and gave it too little too late. The upsetting part is that when we are playing well (as we did in the first 40 minutes) we can keep up with any team, we can beat any team. We are too content, however, once we have the lead to see if we can hold on. Why anyone in their right mind would think that a defensive shell would be the best way to win or tie a period is beyond me. It seems pretty obvious that if we kept playing to score we could be winning games by more than 1 goal (generally the result when wins actually happen). This is the reason that so many of our games go to OT and so many of our other losses or other wins are by 1-goal margins. We allow the other team to catch-up, if they want, all the while being good enough ourselves to catch-up and keep a game close when we don't have the lead. Tonight's game is frustrating because it is one point lost. A point that we all know how we could have gotten, a point that the players know how to get, a point that the coaches should know how to get, but won't just do it. Until we change our gameplan it will always be a 50/50 toss-up. The playoff hope will remain alive, however, (not any old team can stay with Vancouver), but won't be a certainty (not any old team can keep it so close with Columbus).

Canucks Video Day: Watch Habs, Lightning

The Vancouver Canucks, the team we have entrusted to spare us from endless braying of the mindless Bruites, have been abysmal of late. It seems their goalie can't make a save and their envy-of-the-league offence can't crack the two-man crew Boston has assembled.

Before this gets too desperate and we need to call on the spirit of Kovalev to undo the black and gold yellow, some sage advice for the former Canadiens coach we all liked better anyway.


Get yourself some video of the Bruins playoff losses

The Canadiens will be more than happy to oblige, I'm sure, plus if you didn't know it's public access now, and you can probably afford the NHL Centre Ice package.

Tim Thomas must appear to be unbeatable right now, but he has weaknesses. Watch a Canadiens game (the Habs scored in every game despite lacking 6 good forwards), watch the Lightning play Tim Thomas to a pedestrian 0.916. Heck watch Toronto figure out the old man in their last three regular season meetings.

Tim Thomas thrives on first stops. First stops from lousy positions. His team ushers players to these places knowing that Tim will make the save. He's good at the rest too, but he has his dislikes:


1) Cross-ice passes

Because he flops rather than shifts across ice, he relies on percentages on cross ice rather than eyesight or other skill. The Canadiens worked the cross-ice pass to near-perfection when they figured it out, even getting a goal from the stingiest goalie in the final two minutes of a game that should have ended in regulation.


2) Low shots

Games 1 and 2 of the playoffs put Thomas's deficiencies into neon light for all to see. With the Habs low shots were rebounds. Always.


3) Patience on the PP

Thomas may be riding an astounding 0.936 for the playoffs, but he's not otherworldly when on the PK. His 0.877 there is Roberto Luongo/Corey Schneider level and behind such luminaries as Ray Emery and Brian Boucher. He's saved his team's bacon a few times, but when it's been PK time, often Boston took a loss. Still, a goal is not a given and patience can allow the team to wait for opportunities to exploit weaknesses 1) and 2).


Well this is easier said than done, isn't it? Because in order to get a cross-ice pass in, or take a good low shot, one has to first beat Chara.

But Chara has his weakness too, you know. Being punched being one of them, of course (good show Kesler).

A rational person might see 6'9" and come up with the idea that the only way to beat Chara is with someone who can match his size and physicality.

This is wrong. He is so much bigger than anything most teams can throw at him, and so conservative and efficient in movement that this actually plays into his hands.

Take the opposite approach. Go small. Small as can be. Cammalleri was the player of the first round despite Chara's protestations. Gionta gave Zdeno fits at times with hits to the knees. Who led the Lightning against Thomas in their series? St. Louis.

Obviously part of the advantage these players have on a guy like Chara is speed, and more importantly maneuverability. I am not so intimately aware of the Canucks line-up, but as long as you don't ask Higgins, find a shifty player to turn Chara inside out a few times, hit him low and bingo, the vast advantage he usually gives his team is diminished.

From there the Canucks can start to pick on judgment-sink and uber-hypocrite Andrew Ference and his band of journeymen.


I'm not saying this is a guaranteed recipe for success. But when one can't see the forest for the trees (or tree-sized skaters) then one sometimes has to be told obvious little things like these. Vancouver has been poor against the Bru9ins largely because they haven't adapted their game to reflect Bruins weakness. No time to waste in seeing that happens now.









Down the Bruins.

When It's Good To Be Hated

According to the extensive research of one more "professional" reporter, the Canucks are the NHL's most hated team. The evidence as it stacks up (3 NHL players, if you can call Krys Barch that, and one team exec) is irrefutable enough to make the national newspaper -- but they're no tabloid, right?

The interest of the article is clear for Canadiens fans. yet again a dirty team is using the press to make their opponents at a particular time seem the villains. Boston has their lines all written out from the Canadiens series. Diving = despicable. Breaking necks = unfortunate part of the game. Of course it also helps that no one even asks them to show the discrepancies in diving between their team and the other.

So let's take the thesis that the Canucks are hated (never crossed my mind before, but let's). Is it possible that this position they are in is actually enviable?

Dave Bolland (hero) dislikes the Canucks. As he should, because they just eliminated his team. Dave Bolland plays hard hockey and talks and scores important goals. He is admired around the league. Sounds like a certain reporters description of a Canuck. Wonder if Dave Bolland had many fans on the Canucks team he eliminated last season. Of course, this reporter wasn't interested in "Blackhawks most hated" back then.

Then there's the hits. I hate the hits too. But let's not pretend this is something confined to the Canucks. The Bruins are some of the dirtiest hitters around, and don't get off the hook from me just because they claim Halpern dived and Pacioretty was acting so he could get time off to watch a movie. The Blackhawks are no angels either. Nor any NHL team. The hitting situation has to be weeded out of the game, but it won't end with Aaron Rome and Raffi Torres.

Finally the rats. Alex Burrows and Maxim Lapierre. These guys are despised across the league. Whether they are mocking, diving, declining a fight or biting, it's unanimous from the multitude of sources interviewed for this premier piece of reporting that they are viewed with disdain.

But consider for a minute that both players are two games away from winning a Stanley Cup. Consider Burrows has 9 playoff goals, 7 at even strength, 2 game winners, including a very important one in this series.

Perhaps Krys Barch, who had this to say of Max Lapierre “I don’t know if he has an ounce of man in him, I’d be embarrassed to be his father.” should reflect on his own abysmal playoff record (AHL and NHL) when he criticises a player that has been a factor for teams going to Conference final and Stanley Cup final in consecutive years.

Envy and hatred aren't far apart. And in my experience hatred wanes when indifference starts to enter the equation (see Maple Leafs, Toronto). In my opinion, to be the most hated team in the NHL, with a maximum of 4 games left till summer is probably the precise position you would want to be in.

I just can't wait until Ryan Whitney, Mike Richards and the two-faced Boston media pipe up about the Habs and PK Subban in this way.

Games With Meaning

Once again you and I sit here as winter turns to spring looking ahead to a host of meaningful Canadiens games. Tonight is the first. The Buffalo Sabres are grappling for the playoffs (if you can call 6-6-4 over 14 grappling) and the Habs need more points to achieve any peace of mind.

But it’s not so for everyone.

Down the road in Ottawa, for example, games with meaning expired in January. That’s when they entered the puzzling realm where fans start to accept and even encourage the loss. I recently attended an Ottawa game and will be attending the Habs game in Kanata as well. Watching the post-trade deadline Senators face the Bruins was interesting from an academic point of view, but I can assure you that not many of those fans seem to revel in the clean back pass like I do. By the time the Habs play the Sens in April, it may be that the result means less to both teams. It begs the question: why are people paying the same amount to watch this game as the early season run-ins with everything still on the line.

The teams at the bottom struggle to bring in fans (especially where fans were already scarce) as cheering for the loss is just as easily done without the $100 price tag. Maybe this wouldn’t be so bad if the teams at the top weren’t also playing meaningless games as the season runs down.

Vancouver and Philadelphia are the only two teams that have formally clinched their playoff berths. But there are also several teams that have a 100% chance of making the playoffs if you round up the decimals (Washington has escaped all scenarios in which they could miss thanks to head-to-head games of those chasing).


Few games with meaning

So ten teams with less than 1% chance of making it and 9 teams with a less than 1% chance of missing. With playoffs being the only pressing reason to win a game that suggests that most teams don’t have very much left to play for.

In my opinion, this part of the season is just another thing that is fundamentally wrong with the NHL. I think there’s a problem at the top and at the bottom of the pile.


League champions

To start with, the league’s attitude to the President’s trophy only fuels the fans disdain. 82 games is a long and arduous season for players and fans when the single reward for most teams is berth in the playoffs. Add to that the possibility that a first round loss will completely eclipse any notion of accomplishment. Imagine a first round sweep.

There aren’t many good reasons as to why the league couldn’t do more to elevate the league champion. I am not suggesting that anything like the right to play for the Cup be reinstated as it was in the beginning. There could, however, be ways to honour the winners. Presenting the trophy could be a start. Other possibilities could include making the champs participants in the outdoor game, or the all-star game (and making a trophy for the victors of that as yet meaningless contest). Some sort of hockey champion’s league to start the season (as opposed to random selection for European involvement) might also create interest in hockey that way.

A fan of North American sports will point out that not recognizing accomplishment for the regular season is the norm for all sports. Of course, in doing so, said fan would have to ignore the reality that sport takes place outside of North America too and those leagues routinely find ways to honour two achievements and make them meaningful to fans. They would also be condoning the 162-game debacle that leads to months of meaningless baseball games every year.

Why must we cling to a system that was made for 6 teams, when we can clearly see the problem that a single honour to go around for 30 teams is creating disinterest? Why must the NHL copy the NFL when the difference between 16 games and 82 games is so clear?


Lottery winners

The same could be said for the bottom. As I was discussing the Senators last night with my father-in-law, I needed to explain why the teams missing the playoffs must now attempt to lose as many games as possible. We both agreed this gave fans a very good reason for their apathy.

Of course, this doesn’t need to be the way forward either.

The top pick to bottom team system is in place to allow recycling of teams from top to bottom. It works in that regard. But in 10 years when Crosby and Malkin are on their last legs, will we again be staring down the threat of one of the NHL’s most legitimate markets losing its team? The more Pittsburgh try to win now, the more likely it seems we will.

And what for? So that teams from far less viable markets can take a turn at the top?

The solution might need to be creative, but there could certainly be a way to make missing the playoffs on a tie-break (like Florida has done a couple of times recently) worth more than trading away all NHL talent in March like that team did this year. It’s not every day that the Toronto Maple Leafs stumble on viable solutions to problems, but they may be onto something with their first round swap – winning to prevent a rival’s reinforcement seems to entertain.



At the end of the day, fans cheer for the goal, the save, the win. Not many are so forward-looking to be cheering for the increased odds of nabbing Couturier. Certainly not when they’ve paid to watch a hockey game. As a fan willing to pay for a late season game this year, but beginning to question, I can speak to this.

Want to know why hockey is sucking air in Florida and Atlanta. Want to know why Colorado failed before and could just as easily lose interest again? Want to know why Columbus is no longer selling out? Look no further than meaningful games. In addition to showing some iota of concern for player safety, I think this sham leadership has to address this situation where meaningless games make up 15% of the schedule.

So as Toronto face Minnesota to decide Boston’s draft position, enjoy the game tonight.

(Note: Of course I never expect a league run by the current team – who can’t even muster enough interest to deal with serious injury – to do anything. It’s still something I think needs to be addressed by the next competent guy they get in a leadership position)

Game #61Fantastic Game On The Coast; Habs Back On Track?

Details

Date: 22/2/2011
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Vancouver

Win 3-2

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (L)

Habs goalscorers: Desharnais, Gionta, Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: H. Sedin, Samuelsson

Play of the game

That third goal, the winner, was one of the most crucial plays that we have made in the past few weeks, maybe of the whole season. The goal took the game to 3-1 and helped to kill Vancouver's attack for enough time. started with a great fore-check by Kostitsyn who won his battle and the puck. Eller then received the puck, but quickly got it back to Andrei who unleashed a quick shot through Lou.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn - Game Puck
That was a great game from Andrei who played very, very well all night. I thought that it all started with player-management in his case and was happy to see him getting regular time on the PP. Instead of Pou, Desh or Moen, Kostitsyn was given a regular go on the man-advantage. I think that he took that vote of confidence and decided to express himself on his line, in particular with Eller. This is Andrei's type of game, fast and full of chances. The Calgary game was everything that he (and the Habs in general) is not as it was slow and near-impossible to get into a rhythm.

Tomas Plekanec
He was finally back with one of his regular wingers in a real game and I thought that he looked really good. He used Mike well and Halpern managed to keep up too. He was dynamite on the PK and led the team in shots. I wonder when the Habs last iced a line with 3 successive numbers (13/14/15) on it was? With all the retirements and players using random big numbers I would guess that is has been some time.

Brian Gionta
Early on he played like a true leader as he was all over the ice. That all paid off for him and the Habs when he scored his 22nd just 7 minutes in. I think that he and Gomez can certainly work for us and I would rather that happen now than at the beginning of the season. If they can gear up for the stretch and do well and lead the team then I would deem their seasons success as I could care a less about how many points a player gets in October/November when the team is winning.

Defencemen

Hal Gill
That was playoff Gill, that was the Gill that we longed for last week when he was out. Can you believe that he played 26+ (most of any Hab) and was that good? He is so good on the PK and is the definition of calm and steady in his own end. There was a fantastic dive at the end of the game to get an icing call and I think that that won us the game as it forced Vancouver to keep tired players on the ice with no rest as there was no time-out left.

Roman Hamrlik
Subban was good, but Hammer was better. He, like Gill, led this group all night. What Hal was able to do on the PK, Roman did on the PP. He was sharp throughout and reacted just as a leader should after a tough few games. Knowing that he can play this well against the league's best and fastest is very reassuring.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Carey's teammates did very well to get him a two-goal lead and, so it was he who repaid them big time. After out-shooting the Canucks 14-1 in the first 10 minutes things changed fast. Over the last 50 minutes they took it to us to the tune of 38-11. Price fought his way through traffic on a lot of shots to do what he had to to keep the puck out of the net. Vancouver came close, but certainly can't be used to having so many quality chances turned aside.

Comments

I had a feeling all day that we were going to win this game. I didn't think that last week, but after Edmonton and Calgary I was feeling very good about it. That feeling came from the fact that things like this happen all of the time in the NHL. When things look their worst teams often do something totally unexpected. It was doom and gloom after the past two games, so one can only hope that the nay-sayers will take it easy for a second and get behind this team once again. I mean, they have been on the band-wagon before, I am sure they'll be ready to re-board right away.

We started this game in fantastic fashion and must have totally surprised Vancouver. Our quick start bought us a lead and ended up costing them their time-out (a move that would prove crucial for us later on). The 'nucks did wake up though and it was pretty much all them for the remainder of the game. We took penalties, but not stupid ones really, just desperation, we-can't-keep-up ones. A very timely Kostitsyn goal saved us this game as everyone could see what was about to happen.

This win doesn't mean we won't lose again. It doesn't mean that we won't lose to bad teams again (so, expect some de-boarding of the wagon in the next few weeks). It does, however, remind the team and fans that we do have a good team that is capable of doing good things. We have a lot of good players and when things line up (as is the case with every team in the NHL) we can win some games. When things don't go well or, believe it or not, the other team plays well we may lose (even if we are trying to win). The Habs maybe didn't deserve this win, but who cares about that? There are no playoff spots for teams that deserve to be there, only spots for those who get the points. We needed some points on this trip and I am happy that the players did what they had to to make that a reality.

Game # 15 Price Turns The Tables On Quebec Goalie With A Shutout Of His Own

Details

Date: 9/11/2010
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Montreal

Win: 2-0

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (L)

Habs goalscorers: Markov, Hamrlik
Opposition goalscorers: None

Play of the game

A Montrealer comes to town and its a shutout. Not exactly a new script. Yet the play of the game is not a play that sustained a shutout, but the play that broke the other one that loomed.

The play was a collection of good plays, as goals often are, culminating in the simplest of put ins. The breakout pass to Cammalleri, his wonderful vision to find Plekanec, Pleks great control and then patience to open the defence, Gionta to the net, and Markov to the net for a goal. Complex parts, simply beautiful. And no shutout.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Tomas Plekanec
Probably the best skater on either team this night. He controlled play when he was on, he found his way into chances on occasions, he killed penalties thoughtfully, 4 takeaways, he impressed this guy who can barely lift a puck by clearing the rink, and he played the most important part in that goal.

Benoit Pouliot
This game took quite a resolve from the Canadiens players. The discipline to backcheck was key to keeping the Canucks shots peripheral until near the end of the game. The dedication to the forecheck meant Carey Price had long rests at times. For me, Pouliot and his line did a great job on the forecheck. I choose Ben here because I really noticed his jump whenever he was on. Desire to win the puck isn't recorded on the scoresheet, but his play to barge through defender and boards to win a puck early in the first won him a rare dome.

Jeff Halpern
When he was signed, the idea was that he would give Plekanec a bit of a rest. Well, perhaps that hasn't happened yet, but that's not due to any lack of penalty killing prowess. Of the defensive plays tonight, the PK was first and foremost and in pressuring the Canucks point men, Halpern was foremost. His play the rest of the time, in the same vein as Pouliot, was also impressive.

Defencemen

Jaroslav Spacek
Spacek and Hamrlik played a blinder on the Sedins. Two of the hottest scorers of last season and this one were held to 2 shots between them. And despite RDS going on and on to the contrary, they did not look the Canucks biggest threat to me. Spacek again had his slips, but on the whole showed why he is the professional choice for the defence with a credible shielding of Price.

Roman Hamrlik
A blinder, as I mentioned. Hamrlik was my best defender on the evening. When Carey was in need of some calm, it seemed that more often than not, Roman had the puck on his stick. This game, he took the responsibility for it and it showed. The post would not be complete without mention of his pinpoint goal which was provided in glorious juxtaposition with our goalscorers off-kilter aim.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
Tobalev must think I'm going soft. All my reports seem to end with a Price Game Puck. This game will look like a stunner for Price in the future, trust me. When all memory of first and second periods are gone and all we have are stats, it will be pulled up as an example of being hung out to dry. Not quite so. Yet that doesn't mean Price wasn't stellar. The thing is, he didn't do it with highlight saves, he did it with synced up play. ON a night where the team did very well together at many elements, Carey fit right in. He let up rebounds when his defenders were near and he didn't when they weren't. He let the puck out when the team was in swing and held it when they needed a break. Just a well thought out effort from what has been a maturing young goalie.

Comments

Beating the Canucks is nothing to sneeze at. Shutting them out is impressive. The game had elements to draw lots of encouragement from: the no-nonsense PK, the even strength balance of play, the play of Carey Price who put to bed a VCR bugaboo (7-1 last time, remember?). But as Habs fans we live to fret, and there's material there for that too. Gomez didn't score (though he did unleash 3 or 4 magnificent unclaimed passes), the 4-minute PP was pathetic, Kostitsyn's early season momentum is being sapped, Lapierre still sucked the life out his linemates and other nitpicking.

It's the luxury of winning that leads to concern over these little things. You know what though? Like that future take on this shutout, all the events of this game will be forgotten but the two points when new stories emerge. Joel Bouchard summed it up nicely when asked about Jacques Martin's concerns: "Would he be concerned about starting Eller given Halak's depart canon?" Well, no he won't, because what he cares about is winning, and he showed it by essentially benching Eller despite him looking great. Winning is what matters to the coach, it should be what matters to the team and its fans. Take this luxury of winning and enjoy it, someone will slump during a losing streak, we can all complain then.

Foolscap Contract Rules Not Worth The Paper They're Written On

Yesterday, while everyone was gearing up for the NHL season reading previews and criticising predictions, some NHL teams faced a very important deadline.

The Vancouver Canucks, New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins and Calgary Flames were all over the salary cap and had until 3 pm EDT to do something about it. The moves that ensued leave me to question my early faith in this salary cap as a levelling device once again, after a summer of cap nonsense.


To start with, let's review the consequences for starting the season over the salary cap: To be honest with you, I'm not sure. And I'm not sure anyone really is certain about what definitive move the league would take. The CBA gives flexibility in the regard ranging from fines to draft picks to forfeit of games. Let's say that it at least the teams at risk of going over believe there would be consequences, unlike those that went over to end the season.


So no clear consequences, but definite fear that the league might make an example of someone led to some tricky moves on the salary cap front yesterday.

Vancouver used Sami Salo's injury as credit to go over the cap, and messed with prospects heads and travel schedules to get to their priority. That wasn't enough though, as they also needed to make some trades, notably Shane O'Brien and Darcy Hordichuk for a player they have no intention of using.

New Jersey were expected to be forced into a trade, but instead delayed their move by taking advantage of a Bryce Salvador concussion and Anssi Salmela's recovery to declare the LTIR and non-roster, respectively.

The Bruins too used injury. They leveraged Marc Savard's and Marco Sturm's injuries into cap space. If they come back, it will be interesting to see if and how they will move.

The Flames have injuries too.

All this, of course, comes after the Blackhawks and Rangers used effective "forced retirement" to get under the cap, a disgraceful tactic that flies in the face of the spirit of competition and level playing field.

So rather than actually getting under the salary cap, teams choose to "circumvent" it by using sometimes less than honest tactics. I don't know what the solution is to all this, but perhaps some proper consequences could help. And, perhaps enforcing the cap into the playoffs (after all isn't the Stanley Cup the only prize being played for?) might help.

Until the NHL does something about all this, I continue to be disappointed with the Habs who seem content to sit idly by as teams perennially contend on the back of wonky rules. The Canadiens, who must have some of the largest purses in the business, seem meanwhile perfectly content to sit idly by and collect their revenue for a less than salary-ceiling payroll again. The extent of the Habs creativity went up in thin air when they pre-emptively traded Jaroslav Halak to make sure they wouldn't have this kind of work to do in the fall. It may seem right, but don't be too surprised when New Jersey, Chicago, Vancouver and maybe even Boston enter March as good-looking contenders and Montrealers have new spring calendar openings.

The NHL salary cap circumvention is shameful, just like holding and obstructing is. But if everyone else is doing it. Well come on.


More black eye

The shiners for the league's image don't end at waiver wires and LTIR lists.

At the other end of the table, the New York Islanders use salary buyouts and choose not to put Mark Streit on LTIR as it would mean they'd need to do something about meeting the salary floor. Larry Brooks thinks its just as significant a mockery. So do I.

The Habs' Top 6 Forwards

"There's nothing so absurd that if you repeat it often enough, people will believe it.

William James was a keen observer of human behaviour. He could have been an observer of Habs fans.

In the summer, when nothing actually happens with our team, the only thing we can turn to in order to get a fix is commentary and speculation. While the foremost commentators go out of their way to substantiate what they say, much of what we hear and read by the end of the four month hiatus is mere repetition.

As you know, we're dissidents here at LIW. The onus of proof is something we strive for and hold others to. We don't like to hear again and again about important goalscoring, intangibles and supreme potential if it can't be borne out by examples and facts.

And so I com to the topic of our top 6 forwards. For a few years now, it's been a common gripe with Canadiens fans that the team needs just a few more pieces to really push it over the hump. The piece(s) that never fails to get mention is that of a top-6 forward who can score.

This summer, the griping continues as Pierre Gauthier went on a relative holiday from draft until September. Having done little to change the team as a whole, he has only made the tweak of Lars Eller to change the fate of Montreal top-6 scoring. While most can admit that near-30-goalscorers Gionta and Cammalleri are top tier guns and that Plekanec and Gomez can handle the mantle, the complaints usually fall to Andrei Kostitsyn and Benoit Pouliot as the figures who round out the group.

Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying that an upgrade on either or both of the the wingers wouldn't be nice. I'd love to slot Parise and Bobby Ryan in there. Hoowever, I always come back to earth to remind myself that 28 other teams would fight with us tooth and nail were that feasible. By taking the broader NHL-wide view, the reality of a top 6 forward, and what the term really means in this league, is revealed.


What do a #5 and #6 forward look like?

For my research, I did a simple search for the forwards who scored the 5th to 7th most points on their teams. Compiling the list of about 90 (because there were a few extra 8th best scorers in the mix) I looked at games played, goals, assists, points, goals per game and points per game. To decide which 60 forwards made up the 5/6 forwards for this purpose, i chose the best 2 forwards on each team based on points per game. What I found was interesting.

According tho this analysis, the average 5/6 forward in 2009-10 scored 17 goals and added 21 assists in 68 games. That made for 0.25 G/G and 0.56 Pts/G.

The top 10 5/6 forwards across the league (Selanne, Hejduk, Knuble, Pavelski, Langenbrunner, Fleischmann, Bozak, Samuelsson, Latendresse, Cullen) scored 22-24-46 for 0.36 G/G and 0.75 Pts/G.

The bottom 10 5/6 forwards across the league (Kelly, Drury, Dvorak, Little, Avery, Lang, Brassard, Tanguay, Wheeler, Horcoff) scored 12-21-33 for 0.16 G/G and 0.44 Pts/G.


How do AK46 and BP57 stack up?

Benoit Pouliot: 39 GP, 15-9-24, 0.38 G/G, 0.62 Pts/G
Andrei Kostitsyn: 59 GP, 15-18-33, 0.25 G/G, 0.56 Pts/G

Benoit Pouliot is above average in both G/G and Pts/G, while Andrei Kostitsyn is dead-on average. Here's where they rank:

Pts/G: BP (19th), AK (31st)
G/G: BP (7th), AK (26th)
Pts: AK (46th), BP (59th)
Goals: AK, BP (T33rd)
Assists: AK (45th), BP (59th)

Based on raw numbers, it's definitely true that Pouliot and Kostitsyn lag behind. But considering the lengthy injury layoffs they both had, that seems predictable. When their numbers are averaged to take account of games played,they easily outrun the Chris Drurys and Chris Kellys of the league.


How do the Habs compare to other teams?

As we've shown, on G/G and Pts/G, the Habs have an above average combo, while in absolute numbers they fell short. But in dreaming of improving on this in the salary cap world, it's useful to consider the teams that do better and worse than the Canadiens.

There were 14 teams that had one forward better than the Habs #5 (Pouliot) based on Pts/G.

There were 7 teams that had two forwards ranked ahead of the Habs #6 (Kostitsyn) based on Pts/G: Washington, Carolina, Vancouver, Anaheim, Toronto (pre-trade), Minnesota (pre-trade) and St. Louis.

There were only 3 teams that had two forwards better than the Habs #5 (Pouliot) based on Pts/G: Washington had Knuble and Fleischmann, Carolina had Cullen and Ruutu, and Vancouver had Samuelsson and Raymond.

The flip side is of course that Montreal had a better 5th forward than 14 teams (one was tied), a better 5th than the 6th for 26 teams and a better 6th forward than 21 teams (one was tied).

So all in all, Kostitsyn and Pouliot offered a credible combo at 5/6 for the Habs, one that could have been above average given less injuries.


Lars Eller

A note on Lars Eller to end with. Should either Pouliot or Kostitsyn be found slipping in training camp or early in the season, there is some built in relief. While Eller's numbers don't scream superstar, it's worth noting that the AHL rookie scored similar numbers of goals and points as both Pouliot and Kostitsyn at the same age in the AHL.



So you see, it's not as bad for the Habs in the light of day. Maybe the next time the line is trotted out about the Habs dire need for a 5th and 6th forward who can score at an elite level, we should spare a thought for the GMs of teams dressing Curtis Glencross and Nigel Dawes and remember that the fact that it sounds so believable does not necessarily make it true.

Halak First Star Of The Night

It seems Allan Walsh (oops, I mean Mike Boone) needs to update his calculations:

"Halak allowed three goals on 24 shots. Including his last three NHL starts, Jaro has stoped 75 of 89 shots, an 84.3 save percentage that is well off his performances in 40-shot games."

Last night Jaro was the star of the Olympic hockey. It wasn't bad considering this was Russia, and Halak won the shootout against some pretty formidable shootout talent after stopping 36 of 37 shots in gameplay.

You don't think Markov spiked his teammates drinks to make this happen do you?

Game #57Halak One-Ups Luongo In Exciting Habs Win

Details

Date: 02/02/10
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Montreal


Loss: 3-2

Habs Goalie: Halak (W)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (L)

Habs goalscorers: S. Kostitsyn, Lapierre, Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Samuelsson, Kesler

Play of the game

Within the first 2 minutes of the game Halak made two rounds of two saves that set the tone and likely kept us in it. Vancouver came out flying and could have been up 2-0 and should have at least been up 1-0, but Jaro was outstanding as he denied the Canucks' high flying offence. 3 minutes after that the Habs would go up and would never really look back. There were great goals tonight and some even better saves later on, but to be that sharp, that early sends a message to both teams that we meant business.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome


Forwards

Tomas Plekanec
Pleks is now on to a new set of wingers entirely and, you know what, I think he is going to be OK. That, in part, is due to the fact that his wingers are indeed playing well, but also because he has picked up his game of late; especially tonight. Tonight he scored a goal, was +2, played over 21 minutes, took a game-high 7 shots (1/4 our total) and was a very impressive 17-8 on face-offs. I would say that it looks like he is willing to do his part while his wingers are out.

Sergei Kostitsyn
Another strong game for Sergei and more reason to be grateful that we didn't trade him in the Fall. I feel that he has been pretty decent all year for us, so it surprises me when I think that his 2 points tonight account for 1/3 of his season total. Luckily we don't needlessly focus on points here and, therefore, one can point to his strong play on the third line before Christmas as proof that this is the right league for him. It is nice, however, to be able to call upon a winger of his skill when needed because, as he showed tonight, he can play with the big boys.

Benoit Pouliot
Taking Pouliot away from Gomez and Gionta was actually a good move for the team when I think about it. Ideally he'd still be on that line, but when you are running low on options you have to get creative and that is exactly what Martin has done. Luckily that means that we can still ice two decent lines in each game. It seems that Ben happens to find his way onto our best line and I have to think that he is the reason for that. He is a very good player who is strong around the net and, like he showed tonight with his 2 assists, can pass the puck quite well.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Markov played the type of game in his own end that I need to see more often than I have been doing. I have always considered him a top-5 defender in this league (whole package) and a big part of that was thanks to his defence. I am happy, therefore, that tonight he was +2 and that he wasn't on the ice for any goals against. Like always he made his partner better (O'Byrne) which allowed us to put out 2 quality pairings. He wasn't at his best offensively, but, even though he didn't have a point, his presence on the ice certainly helped on those 2 goals.

Ryan O'Byrne
Ryan played the type of hockey tonight that we were promised in the pre-season. He used his size, skated well and got in the front of shots. He complemented Markov very well and I thought the two made a better pair than any of Ryan's previous twosomes. Martin rewarded this strong play, which included team-highs in both hits (4) and blocked-shots (4), with increased ice-time (21:48) and responsibility.

Goaltender

Jarsolav Halak - Game Puck
Not sure where we would have been without Jaro tonight, but I am not sure that I want to think of that. You can't always say 'if it wasn't for our goalie' because the goalie is part of this team too and that is one of our strengths that we should be allowed to bank on. People who say that our team is bad, apart from the 'tenders', are failing to include them in the team. Our team is what it is and if we have a goalie who can win us games in which we are out-shot by 20 shots then so be it. Halak was, once again, his usual, spectacular, solid self and he was able to help the Habs win a game that many didn't think we would. He now has 15 wins (15-10), his GAA is on the good side of 2.50 and his Save% is creeping up to .930 range (3rd in the league). (An interesting stat is that the 4 best save percentages in the league belong to 4 Olympic starters from countries that could make more noise than expected - USA, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia).

Comments

Now, the Habs may have been out-shot and a bit outplayed, but when you can beat one of the best goalies in the league 3 times and get world-class goaltending from yours it could be argued that it was us who we outplayed them. Whatever we decide to call it, however, this game marked a massive improvement over our games from last week. We skated hard tonight, went to the front of the net, didn't simply wait for PP opportunities and actually created many, many chances. The Canucks, for their part, also played some exciting hockey which made this game one of the best to watch of the season. Granted Vancouver play an open, fast style, and perhaps that is how we got through so often, but at least we adapted to this and bettered them at it. Many teams don't have the skill to keep up with a team like that and, so, it was a nice surprise, given all our injuries, that we were able to do just that. The next few weeks promise to be long, but if we keep working hard and we keep getting all-star goaltending anything, just anything is possible. If we choose not to compete and to play a slow, dump-in style then we'll continue to lose to the Florida and Tampas of this league. The fact that we played well tonight is what makes the season so exciting and so frustrating all at the same time.

Game #4 Up Tonight, Bowling; Habs Revert To February

Details

Date: 7/10/09
Opponent: Canucks
Location: Vancouver

Loss: 1-7

Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Luongo (W)

Habs goalscorers: A Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: Kesler, Raymond, Bernier, H Sedin (2), Samuelsson, Burrows

Play of the game

Not a pretty game to watch. On the flip side, the Canadiens kept it really simple for those of us who must choose a play of the game -- how considerate. The candidates on the night were a few shots directed at Luongo's net with purpose. The ultimate winner was the goal. Off a faceoff, the play was a relatively simple one. The key, however, was Andrei Kostitsyn making the space for himself rather than finding the boards or the end of the rink. His turn followed by a quick wrister on net was about as good as it got on this night.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome



Forwards

Mike Cammalleri - Game Puck
On this night, Cammalleri did all that we would ever asked him to do. He skated, he shot the puck and he looked dangerous on the ice. Since he wasn't around for the 7-1 drubbings last season, Mike stood out for his play once the game was beyond reach. Instead of giving up on the affair, he kept going and seemed determined to salvage a shred of something, anything from the game. The top line was the best line all night, and Mike was the best on it for me.

Guillaume Latendresse
Apart from the goal, there was really one other moment in the running for the play of the game. It was the moment where Gui brought the puck around the net, looked poised to give the quick shot but instead waited patiently until he gained his opening right in the slot. On a night of scrambling, this moment of patience and poise is something to applaud. In general, I thought Guillaume made the best of a bad situation, being that he was trying to create real offensive chances on a line that thinks you get points for holding the puck on the backboards. There were several occasions to look up and take notice during the game from Guillaume, only further enhancing the case for him to usurp Pacioretty. Oh, and the goal was scored when Martin succumbed to the idea of taking the youngster off in place of Latendresse with Plekanec and Kostitsyn.

Andrei Kostitsyn
No, Kostitsyn didn't have memorable defensive moments, no he wasn't everywhere. But let's not get confused here. We want Andrei Kostitsyn to score and to concentrate on scoring. He scored. Apart from that moment, he certainly had his faults. However, if being overly generous with the puck after a strong carry wasn't one of them (again), we'd all be raving about him as a bright (OK, slighly less dim) light in this game, I think.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
Remember last year when Josh Gorges quietly took the mantle of third most reliable defenceman on the team? Well, if things continue this way and Markov's tendon is slow to heal, Josh will take the place at the head of this group before long. There were some true horrors on D last night, not least among them the PK, but Josh largely kept his hands clean. He seems to manage it by keeping it simple -- something the others might do well to watch.

Paul Mara
To make a point, I almost put Markov in the dome after this one. It really is getting distressing how defencemen are chosen by how they limited errors, as opposed to actually exerting a positive effect on the games. I feel like a teacher with a class full of C students, thirsting for just one student who cared about learning. Oh, to be Jacques Martin with this crew. Paul Mara, of the three remaining possibilities (Gill and Weber were disastrous all around) seemed to be the most palatable in the end. Though he was on for goals against, he was also the one who ultimately passed to our best goalscorer for the goal and put in some good PP time. Plus, as a 5th D, he actually put in the kind of effort one might expect on a slightly off night.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
Speaking of distressing: second game in a row with the goalie who didn't really play? Not good. Jaro isn't in because he made 3 saves, as you know, he's in because he wasn't in for the blood and gore. Would it have gone differently with him in goal? Perhaps not, but you can't think it would have been much worse. Sure, there was one great glove save, but Carey had 3 or 4 opportunities to make one of those amazing reflex efforts. To take but one is not very satisfying for the observer. And while he continues to position himself well to be hit, the contingencies he makes for what might happen after the puck strikes him are not anything I would show a peewee team. In the end, perhaps this was the game Carey should have played in February, as he ironically turned in the 52 minutes he missed last season in Vancouver with a stunning replica of his form at the time. I look forward to a new script submission for 2009-10, from either goalie at this point.

Comments

Just as a win is a win, a loss is a loss. At this point in the season it is disappointing to sit through such a disengaging spectacle, however it's not that unexpected. If there are positives to be taken from this game they must be unearthed from the steaming pile of manure the team heaped on top of them. I feel there are some.

First, if anyone needed a reminder that the practices shouldn't end when training camp does, this game might help. The defencemen must surely have some impetus now to actually start learning that system everyone seems to be talking about.

Second, Carey Price was at his best last season after he practiced. After a summer of convincing himself nothing was wrong, perhaps a flashback to February might get him a little more keyed up about working with new coach Groulx. After all, even if he didn't let in 7 goals, his game needed work this fall.

And, finally, Martin was shown what happened last season and more. He was given examples of why Max is PacioNotReady and why Moen, Mara and Gill might have dispatched from their previous teams without fuss. He was given a lesson in how long time between the scoring line passes when you stack it with all your hope. He was shown that he'll have to rely on a very strict system in Markov's absence, since innate talent for doing anything in the home end is severely lacking. Up until now, he's had a bit of a honeymoon, but as a 4-day break approaches before the home opener, this game provided stark reminder that seeing how things pan out (Carbo-style) won't work this time around.

Denis Out, Sanford In Desjardins Bumped To 4th In Queue

It must be quite a laugh for Bob Gainey and former Panthers GM Jacques Martin. While Bob is scooping up his 8th new addition to the organization through free agency – their chief playoff rival from last spring has done nothing other than take one step sideways (signing Scott Clemmenson to replace Craig Anderson) and four steps back (signing Leopold as a replacement for Bouwmeester, whose rights they acquired in that late June trade).

Yesterday, it was Gainey's turn to make a sideways move by signing Curtis Sanford of the Vancouver Canucks/Manitoba Moose to take the place that Marc Denis occupied last winter.


Curtis Sanford

In Curtis Sanford, the Canadiens have acquired a third-string goalie with good credentials for the position. Over his long and convoluted career, Sanford has scaled as high as starter (St. Louis, 2005-06), but generally settles in somewhere between great AHL starter and adequate NHL back-up.

Sportsnet says of his strengths:

Has a tremendous attitude and the perfect demeanor for the backup role at the NHL level. Is capable of making big saves at key moments of a hockey game.

And, weaknesses:

Is somewhat small for the goaltending position, and tends to get beaten upstairs with relative frequency. Isn't durable enough to be an NHL starter.

On looking at his stats, one thing is clear. It seems than when he plays against AHL calibre shooters he can be an excellent goalie, but struggles at the NHL level. Even the difference between Peoria 2003-04 to 2004-05 (when young NHLers roamed the AHL ice) was marked, with a drop of 2% in saves made. The fact that he ranges from slightly just below the standard you'd hope for in the NHL to all-star in the AHL gives proof to the fact that there are more good goalies around than shooters in the two leagues.

No doubt it hasn't escaped many pundits that Gainey has yet again this off-season replaced a French Canadian with an outsider. But if you stick to their mantra "a talent egale, on prendra le Quebecois", Gainey may win a debate on it. While Marc Denis has not put up an NHL record anyone would want to hold up since before the lockout, Sanford had 2005-06 in St. Louis and, to some extent, last year in Vancouver. Even in the AHL, Sanford has outclassed his rival (last year's numbers: 1.73, 0.936 vs. 2.46, 0.920).

It seems that like many of the moves from this off-season, it will have to be regarded as a minor upgrade at the same position.


Trade ripples

The predictable summer rumour merchants jumped right on this signing – just as they do with every Montreal, Toronto, New York or Philadelphia transaction. Hockeybuzz suggests that the move frees up Halak for a trade. Not only that, but a trade that would ring the Canadiens another top centre (Patrick Marleau) and unblock the Heatley logjam all at once.

It's a lot to read into the signing of a Manitoba Moose employee. Plus, it's been said before when Marc Denis was signed.

Personally, I wouldn't say that this signing does free up Jaroslav Halak to be traded – not after Carey's forays into blunderland. I certainly don't think that it gives Gainey the impetus to go out there and actively offer Jaro around.

I do think, however, that it removes the restraint that was previously there. Where there was no depth before (sorry Cedrick), the addition of Curtis Sanford does mean organizations won't fall down if an NHL-level goaltender is traded and someone has to move up. It means that while this isn't the signal that a trade is inevitably around the corner.

If anything, I think it plugs what was the major hole in the hole organization for now and is a sign that Montreal can now listen seriously to offers about nearly all of its roster (barring Markov). That in itself is important because you always want to be in a position to be the team that benefits from the crazed Florida GM coming knocking.

Note To UFAs: Money Gone

I'm not sure I believe that Alex Kovalev used the Canadiens offers as bargaining chips with other teams or not. While it doesn't seem that far-fetched, it seems strange the Kovalev was being offered a raise.

Whatever happened, Alex can't be feeling too good about himself right at this moment in time. For one thing, the big buyers have moved. For another, Brian Gionta has taken his fortune in Montreal.

But this story isn't Kovalev's alone. This is the story of every UFA who waits for lazy GMs to return from their boozy holiday weekends. It is Saku Koivu's story, it is Alex Tanguay's and perhaps to a much greater extent, all those players reaching UFA contract status, while keeping the replaceable tag.

There have been a trough-full of articles these past few days about the cap space available to each NHL team and how they might accommodate the remaining players. But none was so intelligent and insightful as this one by James Mirtle. I say that, because Mirtle's is the only article that treats the critical issue with team budgets in mind. How could you forget team budgets Montreal? They almost got you that guy you've all been salivating over for the past 11 years.

Mirtle does some straightforward calculations using the very fair and realistic estimate that was last season's spending. It's very interesting. And it should interest Montreal fans. That's because even with 3 contract albatrosses, the Habs sit at #5 in the estimated remaining funds to spend to their budget cap.


Montreal still a bigger player

Keeping in mind that this was written on Friday, Montreal had (according to calculations) an estimated $7,964,000 to spend with at least 5 roster openings. The teams ahead of Montreal included the Rangers and Devils with $13m and $11m at the time. But both teams actually have more players to sign than Montreal to ice a team, and so may not be able to compete on the open market. The other two teams, the Islanders and Vancouver represent competition.

While the looming RFAs must be considered too, Montreal really only has Plekanec who can come anywhere close to claiming a raise. New Jersey and New York have issues of their own there too with Zajac and Zherdev heading their respective lists.


Remaining money scarce

Just telling you that Montreal should be one of the big spenders left should tell you a lot. It should tell the remaining free agents something too: their money and their luck may be running out.(Thanks Brian Gionta)

James Mirtle estimates that teams will probably be spending in the neighbourhood of $147 million. It sounds like a lot but spread over 30 teams it's not even room for Tanguay's salary last year. While James alludes to it:

"The average NHL club has between three and four free agents to lock up still and about $5-million to do so, so we're likely looking at a lot of smaller moves. None of the players left as UFAs should expect huge paydays, however, as we'll get down to fighting for table scraps rather quickly."

I did some calculations of my own. Simply put, I used a list of UFAs with 2008-09 salaries on it. I then tallied up all the salaries of the people I would consider NHL regulars or potential regulars. I even removed Fedorov, Kozlov and other defectors for good measure.

The story my calculations told is that UFAs alone, if they are all asking for raises will be looking for more than $180 million this summer. Quite right, they'll be fighting for scraps. Particularly since many teams have now turned their focuses to restricted free agents who promise to figure in their plan for much longer.

It's a lesson to future free agents: you'd better be darn sure about your leveraging, because before you know it, Spacek, Gionta and Gaborik will have pinched your change.


Pay reduction

The limited money around will certainly mean that many players have to take a significant paycut (Francis Bouillon is someone who springs immediately to mind here).

And those that are quickest to accept that reality will be the ones with an NHL career after this summer. Those with big salary demands will be left out in the cold as younger players who can do their jobs almost as efficiently will filter through to be paid minimum wages.

Paradoxically, those veterans willing to take massive pay cuts should quickly become the next most valuable group of free agents as teams look to fill holes with affordable pieces. Someone like Bouillon, who looks a disaster at $2.5 million, quickly takes on a shine as his demands creep below $1 million. In fact, it would be an interesting dynamic to have veterans with such low cap hits later in the season when trades are happening left, right and centre to get anyone on board who's played a playoff minute or two.


3 K's: Koivu, Kovalev, KHL

As this affects two of my favourite players, it was of particular interest.

I think Koivu may be the best positioned of all the remaining free agents, because as many people who have been saying, veteran centres who step up their game in the playoffs are useful commodities, no matter their age.

Kovalev, on the other hand may have played himself into a corner here. I think even he'd admit that matching the Habs offer on the market now might be tricky. It seems Kovy may have stickhandled himself into a defender at the blueline again.

As with the marginal millionaires, it may get interesting if Koivu, Kovalev and any other fading stars suddenly drop their asking prices. And, before Gainey says all his adieus, I'd warn him to keep that in mind. Yes Kovalev at $4.5 million now is impossible. But instant PP proficiency for a couple of million should not be sneezed at. Similarly, the chance to start a centre like Koivu in a depth role for a budget – only a bad manager would pass the chance up.

The same of course goes for Tanguay, who must be thinking hard about getting a new agent by now.


Unfortunately for NHL fans, the benefactors of salary slippage in North America could once again be the KHL. While the Russian league doesn't boast the standard of North American play, it does boast the same top salaries. What's more, the league – actively engaged in trying to usurp NHL audience – will be only too willing to sweep up stars left out in the cold by imprudent contracts of the past.


The next few days should be interesting indeed. Perhaps not the frenzy that TSN promises annually on July 1, but in some ways much more definitive for the league as we know it.

Will low budget teams break their own limits?

Will UFAs smell the cash running out?

Will the Russians land their largest sucker punch yet?

Price For Luongo?

A chance at some fun.

Vancouver's not happy with their goalie either. Mike Boone link's to this article from CanWest, which suggests, among other things, trading Luongo for a goalie like (not specifically) Carey Price.

If I was Gainey, I would do this trade. Heck, I'd trade any young goalie (Varlamov, Fleury, Ward) for this guy.

My reasoning is this:

1) Yes, it's true that:

"The winning goaltenders of the Stanley Cup since the last time a "franchise" goaltender - Martin Brodeur in 2003 - backstopped the victorious team have been Khabibulin, Ward, Jean-Sébastien Giguère and Osgood, who has won two Cups already and could make it three this spring. Among the losing finalists' goalies have been Dwayne Roloson and Ray Emery."

However, you have to look at how many franchise goaltenders there even are. Given how few there are, I have a feeling that having someone as good as Luongo (provided you're not as organizationally pathetic as Florida) is probably enough to make the playoffs. He did get 9 shutouts this year (9 wins on his won, that is).

2) We already have Andrei Markov (Vancouver do not). He is signed for two more years and is at his prime. Markov in front of Luongo is better than he is in front of most. Heck, Komisarek might be decent again. Hamrlik would be more reliable. Gorges would probably thrive in an environment where he could afford to slip.

3) Having a franchise goalie fall in your lap is probably better than developing one. Developing a franchise goalie can be painful. He must get starts. He must learn lots. And what you get at the end is probably one contract at his zenith. Sign a guy at his zenith and you get the same thing without the learning. Where's the downside? It costs more, but there's value in being assured at one position like that.


Markov is our core, and he will be for 2 more years (possibly at most). Developing Price for 2/3 more years if it comes off burns those years after which point we have no guarantee of a top-notch defender.

What's more, our prospects are coming up duds, and we'd be lucky to pull a Markov out of the hat there. Fischer might never play a game, let alone be the big dream defender we thought he could be. McDonagh likely won't anchor a team like Chelios, despite the comparisons. That's our best depth, don't even ask about forwards...

Getting a top goalie in now, with Markov, would change our window of contention again. We should (health permtting) be in the game for the deep playoffs again. On top of that, it might actually help the UFA negotiations. Current Habs UFAs might be turned on by the move. League free agents might take notice too.


Chance of this being a straight up trade...

You'd have to think it's very very low. This is a Patrick Roy (not quite) for Jocelyn Thibault deal. Are trades like that made twice?

The chance of either team trading either guy is already miniscule, straight up would be highly unusual. I don't really see many packages sweetening this trade partnership either. It's sheer fantasy really, but is good fun for news-starved fans in the off season.

All But The Important One...

It seems when I pick with my head and not with my heart, I'm alright at this prediction thing (well this time, anyway). But though it's nice to be sitting ahead of the Al Strachan's of the world in the Score playoff pool, I'd give it all up for heart over head and a match-up against the Capitals...

This is what I had for Round 1:

Habs over Bruins in 7
I couldn't have picked the Bruins, Markov or not. I hate that I was wrong. Hate it.

Capitals over Rangers in 6
I didn't trust in Lundqvist, but he did OK, at first. Washington's a strong one.

Hurricanes over Devils in 7
I couldn't have predicted the way it would happen, with the drama and swings; but I've always liked the power of the Eric/ks

Penguins over Flyers in 6
This was a no-brainer. Just like the guy who entrusted another year in the playoffs to Martin Biron.

Anaheim over San Jose in 7
I didn't expect Anaheim to be so quick, but with Niedermayer (player of the decade with Lidstrom) and Pronger, the Ducks were much more dangerous than their totals suggested. they still are.

Detroit over Columbus in 6
Columbus were weaker than I thought. That's saying something.

Canucks over Blues in 5
All those who hyped the Blues should have learned that a late streak does nothing to overcome a good offense with a great goalie.

Flames over Hawks in 7
Oops. I thought the Hawks were earlier in the development than this. Gotta like teaming young team with reliable veteran goalie. I wonder if any other teams ever had success with that approach. Maybe last year? Can't think...



Enough gloating. Here's where I suffer the fall, as I have to make more predictions and will likely fall to the very predictable .500 level that suits 50:50 chance of success in prognostication (and faceoffs).

Carolina over Boston in 6
This isn't just my heart here, though it is involved. The Bruins were not tested at all, not at all, in their opening series. The Hurricanes beat the mighty Devils with a better goalie than Boston have and a better version of the same defensive system. Plus Staal is a stud vs. Savard. The weakness comes at the back for Carolina a with Montreal, but Boston would be blessed to get as many well-timed and easy goals as they eventually relied on to coast through round 1.

Pittsburgh over Washington in 7
Watch this series and you'll begin to understand why there should be some urgency about winning sooner rather than later in Montreal. Ovechkin, Semin, Malkin and Crosby could become conference final fixtures if they wanted to. They'll show us why with Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup creds giving them the final edge. This is OT in game 7 type stuff.

Detroit over Anaheim in 5
Whereas San Jose couldn't have looked at Anaheim with any relish, Detroit know they can counter. Hiller may be better than Osgood, but he is not as good as SJ made him look. He'd do well to come out of a match with Zetterberg, Datsyuk and company as unscathed as he is now. Lidstrom outplaying the big two will be key. I have faith in the best player of our time.

Vancouver over Chicago in 6
We must watch while Vancouver proves how waiting for Sundin was leagues better than trading for the consolation prize. It helps to have a good goalie who makes saves, too. I stand by my earlier statements as well – not Chicago's time yet.


There you have it. It will be mocked and ridiculed on The Score, so why not here. But as we've seen, even silly predictions like Anaheim over perfect franchise (exhibit A) happen; so you never know.

If I muster up the interest to watch after my sulk, there are match-ups here to like. Pittsburgh vs. Washington should be a great one, Carolina thumping Boston would be nice too.

Is it October yet?

Saturday's Sweet Win

Earlier this season, I expressed my almost complete indifference to the current Leafs. I noted there was little to hate about Kaberle, Toskala, Blake, Stajan and Antropov. They are faceless players to me. I can't say I lamented the loss of a despised rival, but I admit it did feel odd.

Ever since Brian Burke has returned I have reason to abhor again. Perhaps it's because I was taught at a very young age that being a braggart was one of the worst things you could do, that winning with grace was just as important as shaking the hand of the winner after a loss.

During our long and thorough beating of the Leafs on Saturday, I found some time to relish beating Brian Burke the GM.

Is there a man in hockey more smug and full of himself than Brian Burke?

To my mind, the answer is no. The guy just can't resist an opportunity to brag. In that regard he seems peerless among NHL GMs. Funny given that his achievements over more than a decade have been matched and surpassed by so many.


Public apology

The impetus for this article for me came mid last week. Brian Burke stood in front of his media hangers on and apologised for the Leafs missing the playoffs:

"Today is a sombre day here. We were eliminated from the playoffs. This is a day that represents failure. I'm not happy. My teams have been in the playoffs for seven straight years. … It burns my butt. If I don't seem like I'm in a great mood, I'm not."

Did you catch that his teams have been in the playoffs for seven straight years? That was relevant...

Has an apology ever been more disingenuous. Burke should be apologising for not being able to coax his coach and team into losing more, not for missing the playoffs. He did everything in he could conceive in his brilliant little mind to miss the playoffs, didn't he?

1) He traded two of his top scorers at the trade deadline for draft picks
2) He tried to trade anyone else with any value too
3) He did nothing prior to the deadline to bolster a roster that looked on track to miss the playoffs by an even wider margin

Damien Cox says it well when he describes it thus:

Burke offered many reasons for missing the playoffs this season, but he left out the part that he traded away the team’s two best forwards for draft picks a month ago because it was the right thing to do even if it meant making the team less competitive in the short-term.

So why the sob story now? Why blame the goaltending?

Maybe just because he is full of it. Probably nothing more. It certainly wouldn't suit his self-styled genius tag to take the blame himself, would it?


Toronto still in awe of the myth

From what I've been reading recently on Burke, it seems like his blustering and boasting has been paying dividends, at least in Toronto. That Cup victory (courtesy of Bryan Murray and Rob Niedermayer) seems not to have lost its shine yet.

His stint in Anaheim can generously be viewed as fleeting success. The other extreme view is that he came in, took advantage of some nice work by his predecessors, had some fun and left behind a pretty big managerial mess. Incidentally, his other team – the Ducks, with the core we were to believe should be coveted by the world and its sister could very well miss the playoffs too (though Burke probably won't take blame for that either if they do).

Even if you look at his years in Vancouver, which obviously did wonders for his ego boost, the team ultimately just played out the top of the cycle that the team had been slumping years to attain. They had some good regular seasons on the backs of Naslund and Bertuzzi (both inherited) but only played in 7 playoff games beyond Round 1 – one might remind Burkie of that the next time he spews his 7 straight season malarkey. His record there is epitomised by the goalies he needed to get, couldn't get and ultimately blamed as he did at this latest press conference. This Vancouver fan (Wetcoaster – post 5) gives a better recap than I could. I have to say, it doesn't really read like the egomaniac would want it to.

In another summary back in November (in a column that has apparently been purged from Fox archives), Al Strachan put to paper what all of us who have been cynics on Burke for a while have been thinking:

[Brian Burke] started off as GM of the Hartford Whalers, a team that had just made the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons. Once Burke got there, they missed.

But he was much better in Vancouver. There, he won a playoff round. Granted it took six seasons to do so, but geniuses can’t be held to the same standards as everyone else. In those six seasons, he missed the playoffs twice and went out in the first round three times.

Ultimately, Toronto fans must now be in shock. They resigned themselves to a season of losing to do the rebuilding properly – to avoid the round-about that is 7th to 10th to 7th to 10th in the NHL. They now find themselves right back on the round-about. They definitely will not have the playoffs, they most likely won't get a top draft pick either.

If I was a Leafs fan, I would be irate. I certainly would not have taken the bluster from the loudest GM in the room. Coming in to rebuild, he has made a hash of losing, tossed players away for draft picks and dressed it up with a lie about the way he feels about the whole disaster.

I might feel sorry for the fans, if it weren't for Burke maybe I would. As it is, to be able to go to Toronto and claim two points when we needed them most and further humiliate the GM's GM, what could be sweeter?