Game #5:Canadiens Outshoot (and Seemingly Outplay) Edmonton; come up short again

Details

Date: 10/10/09
Opponent: Oilers
Location: Edmonton

Loss: 2-3

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

Habs goalscorers: Gionta, Hamrlik
Opposition goalscorers: Comrie, Jacques, O'Sullivan

Play of the game

Gionta and Gomez continued their hot play yesterday and it paid off for them towards the end of the 2nd. A great steal by Gionta at centre ice created an odd-man rush and the two made no mistake. Brian got the puck to Scott and, almost immediately, got the puck back himself. In they went on a 2-on-1 and did exactly what I was hoping for. I wanted a shot from Gionta rather than a pass to Gomez and that is what happened. It ended up being a perfect shot that went upstairs and fooled Habby. It was a timely goal and, at 1-3, put the Habs back in the game.

Dome hockey team

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



Forwards

Scott Gomez
Once again Scott was one of our best players and once again I had to wait too long to see him on the ice. He did get 20 minutes of ice, but I find that the other 40 minutes of the game becomes extremely long as I wait for our only real scoring line to get back on the ice. He worked well with Gionta and a variety of other wingers tonight, and again was the main driving force of the offence.

Mike Cammelleri
It is great that Mike is playing so well, but like I call out goalies and defencemen for not being great and making not making crucial plays I must do the same with Mike. He is meant to be our best goal-scorer and he has now been snake bitten in his first 5 games. We can call it unlucky, we can say that other areas of his game have been good, but at the end of the day a goal-scorer must find a way to score. You don't notice zeroes beside Ovechkin and Crosby's names a week into the year; somehow they find a way. All that said, Mike was still one of our best in this one; I just need him to be better.

Brian Gionta - Game Puck
Hard work, again, paid off for the little man. He managed his 3rd goal in 5 games and right now looks like our only shot at a 40-goal scorer. The goal itself was great, but was just a small sample of his great play that lasted most of the game. He played 20 minutes of +1 hockey and is proving to be as proficient in his own end as the opposition's. Again, I only wish he was on the ice for more time.

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik
Markov's spot is presently being filled (as well as it could) by the Hammer. He is managing to contribute in both ends and, last night, was our best all around defender. The two plays that stand out for me are, of course, the goal, which made it close, and a great defensive poke-check which derailed what could have been a very good scoring chance. He was on the ice for 24 minutes and managed to have a very positive influence on the game during that time.

Jaroslav Spacek
I am still waiting for Souray, Streit and Schneider's replacement to contribute in the same way on the PP, but am at least happy to report that Jaro has, for the most part, been our second-best blue-liner. There were no points to be had last night, but he was one of only four players to end with a positive rating. At 26+ minutes of ice time I am beginning to wonder if Martin is making the same mistake with his D as his offence. By playing Jaro with Roman we are more or less set for 25 minutes, the problems seem to happen when they aren't there. I may, given Markov's absence, try and balance the D a little better by separating the two out and putting them on with one of Gill, Mara or Weber each as those players are struggling more than they aren't.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
I didn't want to do this tonight, but I couldn't stand by Price in this one. I won't blame him for the loss (there are 18 other players as, if not more, responsible, than him anyway), but I also don't think that this performance will win us many games. Maybe our D let him down, maybe our O didn't contribute enough, but that, unfortunately is the team he is playing behind. I was, however, very pleased with his lateral movement and rebound control and really felt he controlled things in his own end. The part that gets me though is the 3 goals on 19 shots. Right now he seems to be finding ways (well, the Habs are at least) to lose. At the end of the day other goalies around the league are winning games against harder opposition than the Oilers and behind worse D, so I know that it can be done. What may have tipped the scales in this one, as I needed to make a tough call, was how Carey handled the puck. He was too slow, came out too much and created too many giveaways for my liking as I continue to think that this, the weakest part of his game, needs a serious re-think.

Comments

Montreal started the game well enough, but by the end of the first already found themselves in a hole. They managed 35 shots in this one (a lot of them were high quality), but they ran into a strong goalie. We can't, however, pull out the 'hot-goalie' excuse too much, because if Khabibulin is too hot for us to handle then we'll likely have trouble with at least half the league this year. I felt that the Canadiens played with a lot of speed and creativity and deserved a better fate than a loss. They worked much harder than they did in Vancouver and, I felt, got most players on the team to play close to their potential. Again, it was the defensive lapses that cost us and put Price in uncomfortable situations. You can't always ask your goalie to bail you out - at some point you need to get him 2 or 3 goals to work with. This game, I would say, is an example of how the Habs are trying to get by by doing too little. They aren't scoring enough, aren't getting responsible enough defensive play and aren't getting clutch goaltending. By playing this is patch-work type hockey, unfortunately, you'll lose more than you don't - it is very high-risk.

Doing It On The Cheap Is Bergeron An Acceptable Solution?

It's unfortunate that Andrei Markov went down with injury. It's going to cost us some wins. But unlike my hockey pool, where the guy with Markov has to hope for days spent in the hyperbaric chamber, a hockey team can adapt. Signing, call-up, trade, there are ways and means to fill the hole.

Bob Gainey has moved. At first, it seemed like Ryan O'Byrne (the call-up option) was going to be the solution. After he got injured, Bob went down the signing route: Marc-Andre Bergeron.

My question is this: On the Montreal Canadiens, with an expectant fan-base and a suddenly very accommodating salary cap hole, is it good enough?

To say nothing of Marc-Andre Bergeron himself, my suggestion is that it is not. not even close.


What has been lost

What is puzzling from Gainey here is that we know from history what is lost when Markov goes down. Only PP efficiency, defensive cohesion and effective shadowing. In other words, the hole he leaves is a big one.

But aside from that what also has been lost is the luxury of playing a 2nd defender as a 2nd, a 3rd as a 3rd, and so on. His loss means everyone gets bumped to a level where they might manage for a game, or in some cases (like Gorges) where they make an improvement in what they can deliver.

Losing the clear first defenceman on a squad with no question marks would be bad enough. Losing one on a team with Hal Gill, Paul Mara, Ryan O'Byrne and Weber as the question marks there already is extra distressing.


The salary cap

The Montreal Canadiens make money, they make a lot. For a team like the Habs, the salary cap has given cost certainty, and a guarantee on the operating profits they will make.

So when a $5.75 million player goes down for 4 months on this team, this (unlike in Nashville perhaps) is money in the pockets of the owners. In fact, if the current situation stands (with Bergie as the stand in), we're talking multiple millions in beer money.


The replacement

As I said before, I don't wish to speak ill of Marc-Andre Bergeron, but I am not aware of him being a 1st defender, are you? I think a generous assessment of the guy who just made it through the whole summer without a contract would be a 4th defender with some very very nice skills on the PP. To go higher than that would be to bring into question the judgment of a lot of managers leaguewide.

In effect then, what gainey is floating here is the idea that Hamrlik replaces Markov, while Spacek replaces Hamrlik and Gorges replaces Jaroslav. Marc-Andre then replaces Josh and the guys beneath are in holding pattern. It's a better sell than Beregeron for Markov, but there's a couple of stretches in there, aren't there? Haven't we tested Hamrlik's stamina in that role? Haven't we experimented with Gorges abilities out of his depth before? Spacek's a nice insurance policy to have, but isn't he still an unknown?


The net effect: Vastly worse teams, vaster profits

Personally, as a fan I don't think I can accept all of this, not again. It's one thing to vaunt the development of Yannick Weber as he steps in to replace Hal Gill some time, it's quite another to sing the praises of bringing in a youngster like that when there's a lay-off of known length to the top player on the team.

For me, nothing less than Gainey putting in some hard work and organizing a suitable replacement will suffice. I think we were patient with him when he tossed Streit without replacement, when he did nothing to replace key injured parts for large portions of last winter. I think this time we deserve a better plan, a medium-, not short-term, solution.

Looking at the prospects and then at the free agents (not even all available anymore), I've alighted on the fact that creativity must play a part here. I think we have to make a trade.

If only there were a team dying to get rid of a top offensive defender so they undergo a face lift and possibly restock their cupboard; if only there were a GM harebrained enough to crave players just like Gregory Stewart, and those forwards we have in abundance.


Are you with me? What do you think? Try Bergeron and see how many games we have to make up by February?

Even forgetting our defence for a minute, it would be criminal for the Molsons to walk off with Markov's cap room in insurance payments, wouldn't it?

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.

Game #3:Calgary's Fourth Line Betters Habs'

Details

Date: 6/10/09
Opponent: Flames
Location: Calgary

Loss: 3-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Gomez, Latendresse, Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Nystrom (3), Iginla

Play of the game

From a Habs point of view the best play, I think, was our third goal. I felt, until this goal, that Plekanec's line (himself in particular) had to be better. Well, this goal was mostly thanks to Tom himself and it seemed to ignite him and his linemates. A lot of hard work in the corners and behind the net allowed Pleks to beat the bigger and stronger Flames' defenders and get to the side of the net. He had few options when he got there as he was facing away from the net, but, thankfully, resisted the urge to go back to the point with the puck. Instead he put a backhand into the roof of the net and tied the game at 3. His backhand has time and time again proven to be world-class and I can only hope that this play was the first of many more to come this season.

Dome hockey team

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



Forwards

Scott Gomez - Game Puck
Gomez scored his first goal as a Hab tonight, but that was just a small sample of his excellent play in this one. The goal itself was a one-timer which left the Kipper with no chance - it was straight to the roof of the net. The rest of his game could be summed up with one word: speed - everything he did tonight was done quickly. His passing, his skating and his shooting were all executed with a sense of urgency and, for the most part, he was able to catch Calgary flat-footed. His line fell short at the end, but over the last 15 minutes he was a big reason why the Habs almost forced OT again.

Tomas Plekanec
If Martin is hellbent on using the big three players on the same line then it really is up to Tomas to carry the second line, and in a way the team. No cup winning team can do it with one scoring line and that is why a player like Pleks (and to a similar extent, Kostitsyn) is so important. He has been decent so far this year, but I felt that tonight he started to impose his own style of play. He was first to the puck on many occasions and was strong on it when he got there. He made Kostitsyn a better player tonight and even made Pacioretty look like an NHLer. He could use the help of another solid winger (like Kovalev perhaps?) as MaxPac really can't keep up for 60 minutes. I almost think it is time to give Sergei (the kid with the best hope among all our kids) another shot.

Brian Gionta
I once again really liked what I saw from Gionta tonight. He is slowly becoming a favorite of mine and he is working very hard to earn that distinction. Tonight he was, once again, very quick and alert with and without the puck. There is no doubt in my mind that he and Gomez will always likely represent our best chance at a goal, no matter the situation. Cammalleri played very well tonight too, but I wonder if we are unnecessarily stacking our top line. Brian is the type of player, as he showed tonight, that can create something out of nothing, and he can do it often. Players like that don't need to be surrounded by the best players on the team at all times.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
The 'how not to play defence' clinic was run in conjunction with the Habs-Flames game tonight, but luckily, for the viewers, it was a 2-for-1 deal. Gorges got a front row seat to both as he drew the short straw and had to play with our worst assistant captain since Brisebois wore the 'A' that time we had injuries to our top 36 players. Playing with Gill all night and coming out of it with an even rating was almost Game-Puck worthy, but in the end I settled on the dome. Josh (when he wasn't cleaning up incredible blunders) played a very solid game and was probably our best player in the defensive end. There was no offence to speak of, but with Hammer, Spacek and Weber all in I wasn't looking for any.

Paul Mara
Another reason that Gorges isn't needed offensively is the surprising offensive play of Paul Mara. I have been skeptical so far, but tonight I felt he earned my praise. He posted 2 assists in the game giving him 3 in 3 games. Unfortunately (thanks to some brutal reffing) he didn't see any PP time, but given his past numbers and his play so far this year I am actually quite anxious for him to get some more time in that regard. He wasn't a slouch defensively tonight either as he finished the game with a positive rating; the only defender to do so.

Goaltender

Carey Price
I won't go as far as saying that Halak played a bad game, but I can tell you that it wasn't a good one either. Good games require a goalie finding a way not to let a 4th-liner score a hat-trick and require the odd stop of a screened shot or deflection. I was happy that Jaro got the start and still stand by that as I think there is no need to play Price in back-to-back games at this stage, but wonder if Martin got his order wrong. Besides the goals against (which is the only thing that really counts) I was happy with how Halak handled the puck, recovered from the butterfly and controlled his rebounds. Not enough to get in the dome, but not enough for him to not get another chance within the next 10 days either.

Comments

Winning in Calgary was never going to be easy and, despite our 2-0 start, it wasn't as if we were lighting the league on fire. Calgary played a tough game tonight and also played a very fast game. We couldn't match their toughness (beaten badly in 2 fights), but I felt we were as quick, if not quicker, than the team in red. What I can say is that our 4th line was absolutely pathetic. None of Stewart, Chipchura nor Laraque should really be playing in the NHL and under no circumstances should they be playing together. They bring nothing to the table offensively and are quite diabolical defensively too. We have 4th line players like Moen and Lapierre, but thanks to contract status (and other reasons) they get bumped up - this is where the problem starts. That leaves us with a hole and that hole was torn wide open tonight by Calgary's 4th line. I really think if you are going to use 4 lines then you have to have 3 competitive/offensive/balanced lines with one muck-it-up line. Right now we have 1.5 competitive lines (Pacioretty is not anywhere near being a top-6 forward), 1 quasi-defensive line (Latendrese is slightly out of place there as he should, ideally, be on a true scoring line) and one trio of guys who happened to have their own equipment and shirts that fit. Aside from that one aspect of our game I felt that we outplayed the Flames. When our top two lines were on we were quick, hard to the puck and we created chances. We only figured out, after 2 momentum-sapping goals, that having a constant flow of energetic players will generally help you.

Next up is Vancouver, a team that is not keen to lose again. I really hope that Martin does something about his lines because if he doesn't we may be back to .500 very fast. We have enough good players and got enough good performances tonight that we could have been 3-0. Poor coaching and soft play, however, have taught us that being labeled as 'defensive' or 'strong' or 'NHL-capable' doesn't mean anything until you can prove that at this level.

Game #2: Habs Steal Another 2 Points to Continue Strong Start

Details

Date: 3/10/09
Opponent: Sabres
Location: Buffalo


Win: 2-1 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Moen, Gionta
Opposition goalscorers: Connolly

Play of the game

The setting was perfect for me and Topham, you see we were at one of our best friend's weddings. Being the guy he is he made sure that the Habs game would be playing in an adjacent room so we could get our fix. We didn't like to leave the dancing too often (we actually watched the game later in its entirety), but found our way there towards the end of the third. Into OT the Habs went and I was just happy with 3 points in 2 games to start the season; the Habs were not. Gomez and Gionta led a rush that ended up giving us a 2-0 start to the season. The final play had Gomez missing the net with a hard shot and Gionta batting the rebound (which came from the back-boards) into the net. It was a great addition to a splendid day and even the groom was thrilled - he has Gionta in the pool.

Dome hockey team

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



Forwards

Brian Gionta
Brian managed to score in a second straight game and, yet again, it was a goal-scorer's goal. It wasn't just the way in which he scored scored the goal that impressed, but was also, for the second time this year, the timing of the goal. What is really nice to see so early too is how well he works with Gomez; Gainey, it seems, did well. I think that we have a clutch goal-scorer with great hands in our midst and that should come in very handy all year long.

Tomas Plekanec
Tom didn't follow up his 2-point performance with any points in this one, but I thought that he played a stronger game. He seemed very involved all night and appears to be very determined to re-find his top form. He played over 20 minutes of hockey and was an impressive 12-8 in the face-off circle.

Travis Moen
After two games of watching Moen I can say that I was very wrong about him in my preview. Now, keep in mind that my preview is based on his work over entire seasons and not just 2-game stints, but so far I have been quite impressed. Through his goal, although not pretty, he gave us a taste of something that we have been sorely missing for a few years; a player willing to cut in and go hard to the net. The rest of his game looked rough, but that is exactly what we want him to do - hit, fight, win battles, to basically do whatever it takes to win.

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik
Roman made his season debut in this one and did a marvelous job filling in for our absent master. In all he played just under 24 minutes of hockey, picked up an assist, was +2 and put 9 shots towards the net. We will need Hammer to be a force in both ends if we want to be in a good position by the time Andrei comes back and I think he should be up to the task. I have always liked his offensive upside and, if this game is any indication, at it's best it won't cost us his defensive game.

Jaroslav Spacek
Spacek got the better of his old team in Buffalo and maybe reminded them how important it is to have players of his caliber around. The more I watch him the more confident I get with his play in our own end. He was touted as an offensive weapon, but for a second straight game I was very pleased with how he worked in and around Price too. He picked up his first point as a Hab in the game, played 26 minutes (more than any other Hab), was +1 and blocked 5 shots (almost half of our team's total).

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
2 down, 80 to go. Carey definitely didn't pick up where he left off last season (or in the pre-season for that matter). No, instead he has been one of our best players and has been a big reason for our success. He made 2 or 3 incredible saves including one in the dying minutes against Pominvile, point-blank, which saved our bacon. He seems more comfortable in his crease this year and is finding/handling pucks much better. I hope that he keeps his play up on this season-starting road trip and that by the time he gets to Montreal (and some harsh fans with long memories) his play will do all the talking.

Comments

The Habs haven't really dominated their opponents this year, but they have found ways to win. In this game I thought that Buffalo was by far the superior team all night, but we still managed the 2 points. In fact, we only took 17 shots (18 less than the Sabres) which may only win you one game a year (and that just happened). So, needless to say we have a lot to work on. I thought that the Sabres were very happy playing a physical game tonight and that may have helped our cause. For one, I think we can be as (if not more) physical than most teams in the league and also, it generally means that the opposition will lose its focus. Our team is obviously still trying to find some chemistry and is still dealing with some big losses, but we'd better get it sorted soon. You aren't going to be able to steal 2 points every time and, eventually, you have to be the dominant team. This game taught me that this Habs team has potential, it has speed, it has toughness and it has heart, but it also taught me that, on most nights, that simply won't be enough. Our passing and creativity in the offensive zone looked poor and I felt that we took way too many penalties. I still believe that we are building a team based on smart (meaning disciplined, responsible, creative) play and I think that we have enough talent to make that pay off. Calgary, on Tuesday, will be a test and it may be a hard one to win. What I want, however, isn't necessarily a squeak-it-out win, but would like a full, 60-minute sustained effort in which I can say we played that smart type of hockey that I am talking about.

Game #1: Habs Get Their 2 Points in Shaky Opener

Details

Date: 1/10/09
Opponent: Maple Leafs
Location: Toronto


Win: 4-3 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Gionta, Moen, Metropolit, Gorges
Opposition goalscorers: Ponikarovsky, Stajan (2)

Play of the game

I seem to remember Carbo taking a lot of heat for having Metropolit on the PP last year in Dallas. Well, tonight Martin too liked the right-handed centreman's chances and put him on in the final minutes. The Habs were up a man thanks to Komisarek's bone-headed 14th and 15th penalty minutes of the game. On the PP the Habs worked the puck back to the point and a nice hard shot/pass was put right to the side of the net by Josh Gorges. The player waiting there was Glen Metropolit who was able to deflect the puck up and over Toskala. It was a very timely goal that essentially bought us our ticket into OT.

Dome hockey team

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



Forwards

Mike Cammaelleri - Game Puck
Mike played a great game tonight that was just full of speed and energy. He made an incredible pass on our first PP goal to Gionta right after Pleks lost (yet he still got a point) an offensive zone face-off. He then led a spirited rush in OT that caught the Tornto defence flat-footed. He may not have scored the goal, but he was the main reason Gorges had such a large hole to shoot at. His team-high 5 shots and those 2 assists tell me that he made the most of his 21+ minutes.

Glen Metropolit
I have to say that Glen was probably the biggest surprise for me tonight. His goal and assist already have be re-thinking my meager predictions for his season totals. I actually liked how he led his line and thought that Moen and Laraque did their jobs quite well too. Glen's goal was a thing of beauty and his assist, on Moen's goal was a good demonstration of how hard work sometimes does get rewarded as he battled to get the puck out front.

Brian Gionta
Habs fans (this one included) have become more and more excited with Gionta the player over the past few weeks and I think it is for good reason. He showed tonight how fast he is, how good his positioning is and my, oh my, just how good his hands are. He managed just one goal, but his hands and offensive positioning gave him at least two other glorious chances. He worked well with Gomez as they always seemed to know where the other one was on the ice.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
I am very happy for Josh tonight as he really deserves to be a hero. He has battled ever since joining this team and I couldn't think of a better way for him to start a season with a, essentially, new team. His OT goal was crucial and should bring a lot of confidence to this bunch. His assist, on the tying goal, was very astute and reminds us all that he can be an offensive force from the blue-line when needed (Markov and Hammer were both absent by this time).

Jaroslav Spacek
Jaro picked up the bulk of the work after Markov went down with what appeared to be a laceration (from Price's skate) to the leg. I think that I was hoping for more from Spacek on the PP tonight, but, to be fair, it was his first game with the team. He played well enough offensively, but I feel there will be a lot better stuff to come. To me, however, he was still our second best defender as he was sound in his own end (something at least 2 others can't claim about themselves). Ideally Spacek is a #3 (#4 if Josh carries this play forward), but with Marky and Roman MIA he filled in nicely as a 1b.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Toronto was a team that had Carey's number last year and all I can say is so far, so good. He wasn't spectacular tonight, but he was solid. He kept the rebounds close, didn't stray into any danger zones to handle the puck and really did well in terms of covering the bottom of the net. In all the Leafs had 46 shots, but I must say that I never felt Price would let us down. He had my confidence tonight and also seemed to have the team's and even his own too. This is only one game, but coming off the tumultuous '08-'09 season I'll take this performance; definitely something to build upon.

Comments

The start of a season is always a weird thing. Part of you can't wait for hockey and after 6 months off you are ready to get back into the routine. There is another part of you, however, that just doesn't remember what it was like to have the NHL in your life. It is a great feeling and it always feels so weird for the first little while; almost like it was never not there. So, the season tonight started with a lot of anticipation, but after just a few minutes it was as though hockey and I had never been apart. The difference this year, of course, being that the Habs I knew and loved are gone and it is time to fall in love with a whole new crew. Training camp and the summer is one thing, but when you finally see those sweaters on it hits home. You start to think - oh ya, Gomez is a Hab, or man Kostopoulos' name just got a lot shorter (and better) or even, right that isn't the Sens' coach at all.

The game itself was a fiery affair thanks mostly to 'I-have-something- to-prove' Mike Komisarek. I don't know if he was trying to prove to Habs fans that he was indeed tough and a force or maybe he was trying to tell Leafs fans that we were right about him all along - he does take stupid penalties (4 in all), he will hit at the expense of defence and he just isn't as great as the price-tag would have you believe. I have to say that Mike really was the biggest story for me tonight; whatever he did seemed to have a direct impact on the game. Luckily for us, though, he helped his old team more than his new one. Toronto looked alright, but then again our defence looked bad. Their D looked OK or was that our O trying to find its way together. Even their goaltender kept them in the game, forgetting of course how few shots he faced. All in all it was a classic Habs-Leafs affair. It was chippy, spirited and for the most part it wasn't pretty. It was, however, a good start for the Habs as I think starting the season well (because of all of the new additions) is imperative. Next up is a trip to Buffalo and a chance to stretch our conference lead.

Tonight We See Habs At Leafs Preview

A little sneak preview of tonight's game. Though it's not all based on carefully weighed stats (I hope that's alright), Game #1 gives an opportunity to have some more fun, before results cloud the real picture...


The (alleged) lines

Pacioretty - Gomez - Gionta
Cammalleri - Plekanec - Kostitsyn
Latendresse - Lapierre - D'Agostini
Moen - Metropolit - Laraque

Markov - Spacek
Gill - Mara
Gorges - O'Byrne

Price

• Don't like Pacioretty on the first line, no matter how much good skating he does on his goalless shifts – if I were Sergei, I'd be upset at this too
• Do like Cammalleri with Plekanec
• Defence should change if Hamrlik is healthy – Gorges and O'Byrne is a mistake
• Price the starter – more questions abound on the meritocracy in Sergei's head

The opposition
Maple Leafs.

Popular gravitation to the word truculent – because it's the first word in the dictionary that new GM found that he could apply to his team. Funnily, hopes for descriptors beginning with "Contendin", "Goo", "Grea", "Playoff-boun" and "Skille" were thrown out in early July, search for new tag was commissioned.

Key strengths: PR, sales

Key weaknesses: Forwards, goaltending, and if you go by last year, defence (3.49 GA/G)


The strategy
Shoot, shoot, shoot. Test goalies and defence's weakness with the other part of hockey (aka, playing the puck) early and often. Don't get sucked into a fight – it's their only advantage and they know it.


The momentum
0 playoff wins vs. 0 playoff wins – a toss up. Leafs and Habs is always a toss up (recently).


The relevant
1) RDS "Zone de Match" – not ready
2) Tobalev's Game Reviews – very ready


The irrelevant
1) Pat Hickey's bland follow-up to his enticing title: "Price the fly in ointment"
2) Everything Brian Burke says


Quote for the day
(Not quite Jose Mourinho, but a nice polite slap in the face from Gainey)
On dismissing the genius' plan:

"It's a little out of character as to where the NHL is going," Gainey said. "But hockey is a tough sport. Hockey is a physical sport."

(Source)