Game #1-3Slow Start Too Much To Overcome

Details

Date: 18/4/2011
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Montreal

Loss: 2-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Kostitsyn, Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Krejci, Horton, Peverley, Kelly

Play of the game

Kostitsyn's goal was quite something, one of his best ever. The funny thing is, though, he may have had a few more highlight reel goals had Thomas not been so strong in the third. The goal started with a great pick-off by Hamrlik who got the puck to Camms. Mike gained the zone and then left it for Andrei who made an absolute meal of Chara (Norris candidate? for defence?) and then slid it by a surprised Thomas.

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
Andrei was our best player tonight as he very nearly scored enough goals for a complete comeback by himself. Once his linemates got going too, in the third, they were a dominant line and I simply couldn't wait for them to get back on the ice whenever they went off. He was the only player to end with a positive +/-.

Michael Cammalleri
Cammalleri can be better than he was, but still did a good job of outplaying his Bruin coverage. He was in on both goals and was very nearly in on a third. I would like to see him shooting more, however, and taking shots from the middle of the ice (if possible) and not always from the outside. He will be a key player in the next game as the Bruins should have their hands full worrying about Andrei and Pleks - Mike may be able to fly under the radar.

Tomas Plekanec
I hated the way that Pleks played during the first two periods. His play on a PP late in the second was some of the worst I have seen from him in a while as everything seemed rushed and haphazard. He had a fabulous third period, however, and ended up being a positive factor in the game. His goal should remind all of us that Thomas can be beaten quite easily at times - as he has been by the Habs over the years.

Defencemen

PK Subban
PK does the deserve the recognition tonight. He has been great all series and tonight he was a big reason that we almost got back in the game. He is easily having his way with Lucic as that match-up has become quite the one-sided affair. I hope that PK will keep this play up as the series goes on and I wonder if (and hope) he'll bring a goal or two to the table.

James Wisniewski
Hamrlik could have been in here with either of these two tonight, but just missed out. The Wiz played another strong game at both ends. He almost scored on his only shot of the game and I hope that he gets a chance to unload it a bit more in the next couple of games. As much as I like Subban's shot from the left-side on the PP, I would like to see James take more from the middle of the ice as I do think it is the best one-timer on the team.

Goaltender

Carey Price
I have said all along that one day Carey's puck-handling would cost us a goal at exactly the wrong time. Well, tonight was that time. His play on the third goal was inexcusable as it was a pass straight to two Bruins as he was way too far out of his net. There was another play that would have been a goal had Pleks not saved the day. It is a shame because apart from an empty-netter, a goal that may not been a goal there was only the one other goal to look at. If Price stays in his net and doesn't make those passes we may have won this game and may have been up 3-0; who knows. Luckily his play during the rest of the time shows that it was a mistake and we all just have to move on from it.

Comments

3-0 would have been quite something, but it was not to be. It certainly could have been the case, mind you. I would say that we were the better team tonight, not by far, but we were better than Boston. They beat us, however, because they started the game 26 minutes earlier than us and had incredible goaltending in the third. That third period was perhaps our best offensive period of the series and that is reason enough to be happy. I think that after being down 0-3 we proved to ourselves that Boston is indeed the team that we beat in their building and is indeed a team that we can outplay.

What has to be done, therefore, is quite clear - we have to start the game well. I think that we have all of the tools to be better than them at every position, but we can't afford to get down. Tonight we went down, got lazy, got scared, took stupid penalties and that all caught up with us. We have to set the tone early, no matter what. That doesn't mean scoring first (a goal can be lucky and can happen for either team, at any time), but means that we must outplay, outwork and outchance them early on. I don't expect that to keep up for 60 minutes, but the sooner we start playing that way on Thursday, the sooner we'll be putting doubt into the minds of the Bruins.

Game #65Just the Way it Should Be; Habs Kill Panthers

Details

Date: 3/3/2011
Opponent: Panthers
Location: Florida

Win: 4-0

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Vokoun, Clemmensen (L)

Habs goalscorers: Gill, Kostitsyn, Desharnais, Eller
Opposition goalscorers: None

Play of the game

I really liked our fourth goal. It wasn't crucial at all and didn't get any specific players to any milestones in particular, but means a whole lot to this team. The reason that it was so important was that it was an Eller goal, from Moen. These are two players that just two weeks ago had no use to this team. Now, however, they have found a good trio (them plus Andrei) that can work very well together and can give our team a third scoring line. We know that the other two lines will contribute (eventually), but this one wasn't a given. The goal itself was a very, very nice goal. A saucered backhand pass from Moen took a perfectly placed deflection off of Eller's stick to totally baffle Clemmensen.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn
Somehow like Kovalev he now has a title. He isn't just Andrei Kostitsyn, no, now he is the enigmatic Andrei Kostitsyn. I guess it is easy to put a tag like that on a player that you don't like, but if if is to do with scoring in streaks I think that Plekanec, Gionta, Cammalleri, Gomez, Pouliot, Halpern and Subban could all get similar names. It is unfair that he is treated like that and it is lucky that, despite all of this, he still plays well. It would be easy for him to pull a Samsonov and shut down, but is instead pulling a Kovalev and is stepping up. The only bad thing about his play of late is that the next time he doesn't get 7 points in 5 games it will be because something is fundamentally wrong with his attitude, work-ethic or passion.

Lars Eller
Lars made two great plays tonight that resulted in goals. That gives him 2 more points for 13 on the year. I wouldn't say that he has proved himself just yet, but the more that he plays like he did tonight, the happier I am to have him on this team. It seems that little was expected of this line and there wasn't much pressure. Certain players, believe it or not, thrive when they are relaxed (hear that RDS) and our third line is the prime example. Eller looks decent at centre too and, in my opinion, is doing a better job that Halpern was of late.

Travis Moen
Travis doesn't fight, he doesn't really hit and isn't that great in his own end. So, all that is left is offence and he isn't that great at that either. He did, however, play well in their end tonight and, thus proved his worth. I don't think he belongs on a line ahead of Pouliot, but at this point I wouldn't change a thing as he and his line have found a groove. If Travis can keep this up with the two youngsters and bring a little grit down the stretch then he will become that valuable piece we had hoped he would be in the first place.

Defencemen

Hal Gill
How can you not like Hal Gill on a night like tonight. The big man chipped in with a goal (his first of the year) and was an impressive +3. He was also our most used penalty-killer and did well at that too. I didn't think that he would be outplaying Subban every night, but he is. The good thing about all of that though, is that PK is playing well too.

James Wisniewski
The more I think about it, the more I think that we should keep the Wis around next year. We have 11 defenders to consider, but I would suggest carrying 8, not 7 to begin the season. It seems that defenders are getting injured more than forwards these days and starting with 8 would save a mid-season move (Schneider, Bergeron, Wis) for someone that may not be available. I don't want to get into who would stay and who should go, but at 26 years of age I see no reason for letting James go as he is the type of player you miss (Streit, Souray, Schneider, Bergeron) when they are gone. Of course, it goes without saying that Markov must come back too. Tonight James chipped in with another 2 points as he moves ever closer to Pleks for the team lead in points.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
Carey feasted on another weak team tonight and got the result that we, as a team, needed. He looked very calm all night and made each and every save seem easy. Florida didn't offer much on attack, but I have seen many Habs teams over the years lose to teams like that. This was his 7th shutout and his 30th win; pretty great numbers considering he'll likely play in 12-15 more games.

Comments

When you play a team like Florida, a team that seems to have no plan, no vision or no hope, you must take advantage. We have lost there so much over the past few years that it was becoming a problem. Tonight, however, we didn't sink to their level, we simply played our game and waited for some breaks. This game, filled with poor Panther defensive efforts, could have easily been 8-0 and I wouldn't have felt bad if it was. The Canadiens are starting to learn what it means to want to win, whenever, wherever. They are able to beat top teams and bottom teams. It used to be, to our frustration, one or the other. I am pretty excited about what lays ahead as I feel this team is gelling at just the right time. We have the goaltending to go places, we seemingly have a pretty solid defence and our offence, in theory should get the job done. I am confident that Plekanec and his line will pick it up when the games mean a little more and still won't believe that we have seen the best of Gomez and his line on the year. Scott is OK in my books for now as we are winning and maybe he is like me in that he doesn't care about stats at all, other than Ws. We will, however, need him to be ready to contribute and play his best when we really need him and I still believe that he will.

Vote Tim Thomas: A Vote For Montreal

Two seasons past, Canadiens fans embarrassed themselves and their city by voting Mike Komisarek onto the starting lineup of the All-Star Game. Komi was one of four Canadiens voted to the line-up that year, only one was without question deserving.

That same year, Carey Price was voted to the mid-winter "Classic". He was deserving of a look at the time, though perhaps not deserving of eclipsing Tim Thomas in his sensational Vezina campaign.

Well, karma it seems doesn't take kindly to being cheated by Montreal voters. Following their All-Star appearances, Price, Kovalev and Komisarek (the usurpers) all tailed quite drastically. Kovalev was benched; Komisarek managed to use those months to lose the team's and city's confidence, and Carey price couldn't stop a first period shot for a while.

I'm a bit of a superstitious fellow. And to see Carey Price go from second year unquestioned reliability to such depths right after the All-Star game didn't sit well with the less logical of my hemispheres. The moment that sticks is his dismantling at the hands of Blake Wheeler high shots during the All-Rookie game - an effective sign post for the rest of the league.


Here we are again in 2010.

Just today, I was going to write about the blessing in disguise that was Carey Price's omission from the All-Star ballot. It was to be no distractions, no unwanted ego trips and an All-Star appearance that he was set to earn at the behest of the Eastern Conference coaches.

Instead, the afternoon brings news of thousands of Price fans who have so much unbridled passion for this guy that they've been writing in votes for the past 2 weeks.

Price is a most deserving candidate, that's true. And in any other year, he's the most deserving candidate. But this year, Tim Thomas has had a start for the ages. The Vezina winner who never got his start at the game is currently harbouring obscene statistics on his profile page. Yet Thomas sits at third in voting behind two write ins and barely ahead of the undiscerning Pittsburgher choice of Marc-Andre Fleury.

If you vote, rather than priming your pen for paper, I suggest Tim Thomas.

This will be good for karma. It will be good to deflect from the fact that many Montrealers are blatant homers. It will recognize Thomas' standard. And most importantly it will mean that Price, if he is an All-Star will have earned his selection this season.

A vote for Thomas would be doing the Habs a favour in so many ways.


Plekanec write ins

While we're at it. Do people realize that Crosby, Ovechkin and Stamkos have this thing locked up. Not only are they already the fan favourites, they all three are also having amazing starts.

Save your writing hands people. While Pleks must be flattered, he's not one to require this kind affirmation. If he plays like he does, he'll be an All-Star, but not because you voted for him, but rather because he is one of the 9 forwards selected by the coaches.

Thought For The Week Goalie Wins

If you've read this site before chances are you have at some time stumbled across a debate about goaltending proficiency. A lot of the time, the issue of goaltender wins as a statistic comes up.

Lately, it seems the prevailing attitude is that wins have nothing to do with goaltending. The argument is well made and the logic sound.

So imagine my surprise when I was (goodness knows why) listening to Robert Mayer's interview from Habs Inside/Out and they asked him about his definiton of a successful season:

Question: "What would be a good season for you, for the next year?"

Mayer (without hesitation): "A good season for me? You know what, a good season for me would be if I had more wins than losses..."

No mention of other statistics, no mention of save percentgae or even strength save percentage, or games won where he outperformed his expected save percentage based on average shot quality. No, it was wins. Wins are his primary stat for evaluating a season. More wins than losses = good. All wins = perfect.

I find that interesting. I suspect he's not alone among his bretheren.

While I completely agree that it is oversimplistic to look at wins as a main crux of an argument for goaltender proficiency, I have often also wondered at the oversimplicity of just discarding the stat altogether given its likely influence on how the goalie plays (drives his motivation).

I think I'll remember Mayer's words when I look at seasons past come June.

Price Signs

No confirmation of amount. But rumours point to something over $2.5 million a year for a couple of seasons.

The first reaction has to be "Phew". Auld would have been a real come down.

There's not much else to say at this point without details, but if the rumoured terms iare true, it's a lesson to us all on what bargaining power can do. And Carey owes thank you notes to the Capitals, Penguins, Blues and Steve Yzerman.

Negotiating On Price: Opening Parry

The last Canadiens game was played more than 2 months ago now. As the sun set on the Canadiens season, there were questions everywhere, except it seemed in goal. In goal, Jaroslav Halak had been the undisputed star for the Canadiens, if not the league in the playoffs to that point, and Carey Price warmed the bench.

But the offseason has cast a new light on matters. Halak was traded, of course. But even after that lingering negotiations have led to looming questions. For a brief period on July 1, Robert Mayer was the highest ranked goalie on the Montreal payroll. He was to be bumped to NHL back-up in the depth chart by the signing of Alex Auld and later to a more sensible place as Gauthier retained Desjardins and Sanford. As Price’s contract talks drag on, the depth chart of today still has Mayer in Hamilton, with Auld and probably Desjardins in Montreal.

That situation is pure fantasy, though, as Carey Price must be as near a certainty to sign on as there ever was. But Auld, Desjardins, Sanford, Mayer. Some have said it’s not leverage for the goalie and his agent, fans who ponder their upcoming cable package might disagree.

Anyway, we put aside the possibility that Price will not be signed instead looking to the terms of the contract he will eventually sign. For fun, I thought of the negotiation as a mock arbitration setting (probably not that far from the truth) with each side presenting their arguments and counter-arguments.

For mock purposes, let’s assume that Carey Price’s team is indeed asking for the $3 million that HabsWorld comes up with in its uncited "report" (1 to 3 years). The Habs we’ll assume by the hold up are not into that, we’ll say they started at $1.7 million (2 to 4 years).

Carey Price camp opening arguments

1. Starting goalie money

The average goalie salary (cap hit) in the NHL is $2.51 million
The average among starters is $3.75 million
Removing entry level for starters gives $4.1 million

You want Carey to be a starting goalie in one of the biggest fanbases with some of the biggest revenue in the NHL. He shouldn’t be far below average.


2. Comparables

Carey Price (3 seasons)
Season: 2.77, 0.912
Career: 2.73, 0.912

Jonas Hiller (3 seasons) ¬ $4.5 million
Season: 2.73, 0.918

Jaroslav Halak (2 full seasons) ¬ $3.75 million
Career: 2.62, 0.919

Kari Lehtonen ¬ $3.55 million
Season: 2.81, 0.911
Career: 2.87, 0.912

Pekka Rinne (2 full seasons) ¬ $3.4 million
Season: 2.53, 0.911


Their average salaries going into the next contracts are $3.8 million, so the $3 million we ask for is very reasonable considering Carey’s closest peers.


3. Pedigree

Drafted 5th overall
CHL goaltender of the year
WJC winning goalie and tournament MVP
Calder Cup winning goalie and tournament MVP
NHL All-Rookie team
NHL All-Star Game


4. Save percentage

Save percentage is the only number that can be trusted among goalie statistics, as it is the only number that belongs to the goaltending performance alone. 0.912 this season and for his career are excellent at his age. It was a single tenth of a percent behind Roberto Luongo.


5. Alternatives

Having traded Halak, without Carey you would look to start the season with Alex Auld in goal and Cedrick Desjardins at back up. Carey offers a massive upgrade to that tandem, replacing the completely NHL-naïve Desjardins from the roster and providing a better start option than Auld.

One Year Deals: Pros And Cons

Maxim Lapierre became the second Habs forward to sign a new on year deal under Pierre Gauthier. And, like Pouliot before him, Lapierre received a generous and debatable raise over and above his 2009-10 paycheque.

The news came in yesterday that Lapierre had been signed to a one-year pact, worth $900,000 to the player. Last season he pocketed $800,000. As I mentioned, it was the second raise doled out to an RFA, as Pouliot goes into 2010 with a $1.35 million payday, a hefty raise for the spectre of the playoffs from a similar eight tenths of a million.

Both deals can indeed be viewed in multiple lights.

From a positive outlook, the Canadiens need forwards. They got two here. They need forwards who aren't Ben Maxwell, again they got two here. Both Lapierre and Pouliot have talent and can really turn it on for spurts. The problem is that they really turned it off for spurts last season too. Pouliot for his part took our leave some time in March, round about the time Lapierre joined us this season.

It brings the inevitable question. Why, if they didn't perhaps perform to the desired standard were they rewarded with generous raises?

It's the culture of the NHL for a start. Young players come in, get an initial deal and then earn their next few contracts by building off that initial number, no matter how outlandish it was to begin with.

Pouliot may well deserve a raise for improving his numbers so dramatically, but does his agent not even blush to think he earned at an $800,000 a year rate for his paltry output the season before. Lapierre somehow got an unexplained $800,000 sweetheart second year from his last negotiation, and now, despite his terrible regular season, the Canadiens management must hold to that for negotiations?

It's silly, but let's accept that it could have been worse. Lapierre's a good player even at a near million, and Pouliot might be.


I was reading on the Lapierre deal over at The Daily Hab-It today, and Arpon said something I thought was dead on here:

It appears that Gauthier decided that he didn't want to decide.

More than the value of the deals (which are slightly inflated), the one year term of each deal is somewhat infuriating.

In deciding not to decide, he sets up another precarious year where top players need to be traded so that erosive salary bumps can take their toll. He doesn't risk signing in Lapierre or Pouliot too long, but also might miss a window to sign them at a low going rate.


Carey Price

The really interesting implication of Gauthier's nervous off-season steps to date are in the negotiations with Carey Price.

The one good thing about watching Carey Price struggle to wrestle wins from the schedule this season was the feeling that at least he might play himself into a more modest contract. That hope appears to be disappearing fast.

While a dip in form is good leverage, it might not be good enough compared to Price's option to make the Canadiens consider starting the season with Auld and Sanford. What's more, Price's agent won't have to look very far to garner examples of players being given raises for potential rather than merit. The Pouliot contract will no doubt be close at hand.

At this point and on this evidence, it seems very unlikely that Price will be signing anything long-term at a modest salary. It's a shame really.

Game #2-1NHL's No-Rest Policy Costs The Habs

Details

Date: 30/04/10
Opponent: Penguins
Location: Pittsburgh

Loss: 3-6

Habs Goalie: Halak (L), Price
Opposition Goalie: Fleury (W)

Habs goalscorers: Subban Cammalleri, Gionta
Opposition goalscorers: Gonchar, Staal, Letang, Adams, Goligoski, Guerin

Play of the game

The play of the game all started with a nice little move by Malkin at our blue-line. That moved made Gionta's potential hip-check into an obvious trip and, with the diving police still in Washington, it meant a PP was coming the Pens' way. On that Power-Play we had the chance to impose our dominant PK, but, instead, I felt that one play would end up, for the worse, being the turning point of the game. It came when Pyatt's stick broke and he stayed there, useless, trying to kill. A team that is so good at 5-on-3 PK should be ready for this (it happens all the time), but, alas we weren't. I would make it a team policy that that player races to the bench either to sub or get a stick. The remaining 3 players would then play it as though it were a 5-on-3 for the 5-10 seconds that that player was gone. Instead, the Habs tried to play on for quite some time and stayed in their 5-on-4 configuration, despite being down two men. Pittsburgh exploited this and, at that point, took control of the game and of the series.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Scott Gomez
I am not a fan of the 2 penalties that Scott took, but was impressed with his 2 assists; the one on Cammalleri's goal in particular. While he wasn't taking penalties Gomez actually had a decent game in both ends, especially in the offensive zone. He has been better on the PK, but his 7 shots on net shows that he realizes that their goalie is as weak, if not weaker than Washington's.

Brian Gionta
I was waiting most of the last series for Gionta to step up and be a dominant player, but it never really came, not in long stints at least. Tonight, however, I saw signs that this may be more his type of series. Washington seemed to be a faster and more explosive team, whereas Pittsburgh is a bit grittier, a bit more North American. Whether that suits the Habs better is yet to be seen, but it at least seems like Gio likes it more. Like Scott he got into penalty trouble, but, also like his buddy, picked up 2 points.

Michael Cammalleri
It would seem that Mike's line (save him) missed the plane from Washington. That line, for the most part was only visible because of the missed chances and blunders. Mike's best moments actually came when he was on with other linemates, especially when he scored his goal; courtesy of Scott Gomez. His line will have to be better, but being worried that they won't seems like a childish reaction (Martin).

Defencemen

PK Subban- Game Puck
This kid is the real deal and he may have to be even more than that if Markov is gone for any length of time. Tonight he was very impressive as it seemed that every time he carried the puck up something good would come of it. He scored his first NHL goal early and that really set the tone. He seemed like the only player who didn't think that beating Washington had earned us a night off as he was playing with emotion, speed and grit. It may hurt Hamilton if we keep him up, but right now (Markov or not) can we afford not to?

Roman Hamrlik
I wouldn't go as far as saying that Hamrlik played an amazing game, but I will say that he played his best game of the playoffs. In my opinion he was certainly our second best D-Man and, who knows, that may have a lot to do with his new partners (O'Byrne, Subban). I thought that he was effective when he went up on the rush and was happy to see that he was only on for one goal against (the least of any Hab D-Man, other than Markov).

Goaltender

Carey Price
Poor old Jaro. He couldn't see much and when he could see the shots he looked like he was out of gas. Pulling him was the right move though, not because it was giving him a rest, but mostly because at that point him not in nets was our only chance to win. Price may have only faced 3 shots, but, believe it or not, that is the first game this year in which he has not let up at least a goal. I can't say he was spectacular as his dome-spot was secured after goal #5 anyway.

Comments

We started well, but then two incidents in the first threw us off and may have very negative implications as we move forward. First, Pyatt's stickless play on the PK may have taught the Pens that our killing isn't super-human after all. And, even worse, Markov going down could be the loss that we have feared, the loss that crippled us in last year's playoffs and this year's first half. The hit wasn't dirty, but when it comes from Matt Cooke you have to wonder if it was necessary. Hitting a team's best players at every opportunity clearly has its upsides, but you could see that the Habs, although presented with many chances, would not play that game. Maybe it is because we haven't had a player as dirty as Cooke in eons that I am forgetting what it is like, but, injury to Markov or not, I see no point for players like him in the league. From that point on the Habs looked lost - lost on the PK without him, lost on the PP without him and, of course, lost at ES without him. PK, who may not fully comprehend Marky's importance, seemed the least phased and may be the one player that can fill his skates the best. He did well tonight, but can he play to that level in every game?

The rest of the game seemed very odd to me. Kostitsyn was being punished for having some off moments. Even when we needed a goal Pyatt (who at his best offensively offers nothing to write home about) was being favoured. Pouliot, who has looked like our worst forward this playoffs even doubled Andrei in ice-time. All the line switches were weird to me as now is not the time to change something that is going so well. And, the oddest thing, was the spreading around of ice-time as though the players needed rest. I have news for you, Martin, if the players are tired now what are we going to do about playing 3 more games in the next 6 days? Never, ever, give up on a game, because you never know, this may have been our best chance at a win in the whole series.

Habs Vs. Caps The Subjective Retrospective

By now you're knee deep in predictions and statistics trying to make sense of the belief you have in these Canadiens.

Statistics are good, and as you know, I like them very much. But it is not for me to trot out more of the same statistics days after they have been treated by those who got there first.

If you want to know about every element of the Canadiens vs. Capitals, 2009-10 edition then you should check out Habs Eyes on the Prize who knits together all the data for you in a few posts. The main analysis talks goals, assists, wins, losses and has the very handy link to video to jog the memory.

Robert has also delved into some of the minutiae of the game, including the very relevant shots, playing with the lead and the less useful Faceoff stats (a firm disbeliever in the importance of that 2% swing am I). All of this can be accessed on his main page today.

If you're looking for more than goals and assists, don't forget Olivier who tracks shooting and scoring chances. Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, and Game 4 vs. the Caps give a lot more food for thought. I'm sure he'll be piping up with an analysis in the coming days too.


Subjectivity to add colour to your day

It's possible to go through life looking only at stats. It makes things very black and white. I think however that most of you enjoy a little colour, else you wouldn't be reading our thoughts after games at all.

Colour is what allows to discern whether Sergei's three assist game was a great one or just a background performance, whether Carey letting in 5 goals in February was a battling time or just an average hurting game.

So for your pleasure, I offer the game reports from all 4 games this season (you can search the archives for the 8 other Washington games if you want), with what we said about players of the game, domes and such. Hopefully it will help you clinch the argument against that annoying Toronto fan who is supporting the Caps out of spite.

Game 1 (3-2 W, Nov 20): Good Start To Tough Weekend; Who Saw That Coming?



All you really need to know:
Tomas Plekanec - Game Puck
Dominant again. I wouldn't say that he was more noticeable than Ovechkin, but he was definitely in the same league. He scored a goal, picked up an assist and was once again our best on the PP and the PK. Can someone give this man the 'C'? Please.


Game 2 (3-4 L (SO), Nov 26): Massive 2nd Period Not Enough For Montreal



All you really need to know:
"The second period, however, was probably our best of the week (better than the third against Columbus by a hair I'd say) as we were too much for the Caps to handle. We carried that momentum into the third and drew a couple of penalties thanks to our strong play. We failed to score on a 5-on-3, but did get one before the second man came out of the box. Then we decided to see if we could hold on for the win. Gone was the strong offensive play only to be substituted by 'hope-we-can-stop-Ovechkin' defensive play. Letting a team like Washington see if they can score never seems to be a good plan."


Game 3 (2-4 L, Jan 5): Montreal Struggle To Impose Themselves in D.C.



All you really need to know:
"It was the first time in a long time that I felt the Habs looked smaller than their opponents as we not only were losing battles, but we were often hesitant to even chase loose pucks for fear of being over-powered. I don't know how many times I saw a Hab back down tonight from a Capital. Even our speed was outclassed tonight as we not only were beaten to most pucks, but we also never really seemed to give it our all."


Game 4 (6-5 W (OT), Feb 10): Habs Put An Unlikely End To Caps' Streak



All you really need to know:
"When you break down the Caps you see stunning offence, average D and below-average goaltending. When you make a game-plan against a team like that you must exploit those weaknesses - and that is what the Habs did. They found the chink in the armour and exploited it very well. What the Canadiens realized is that you can't really stop the Caps' offence. You can get up by 3, but you can't stop them. You can have Brodeur in nets, but they will not cease. So, the only way to beat a team like that is to open up and to try and out-score them."


Game Pucks

Plekanec, Hamrlik Gionta, S Kostitsyn


Domes

Plekanec (3), Cammalleri (3), A Kostitsyn, Pacioretty, Pouliot, Gionta, S Kostitsyn, Gomez

Hamrlik (3), Markov (2), Mara, Spacek, Gorges

Price (3), Halak (1)

Some Quotes To Make Our Bias Look Pale

Last week, I responded to responded to a Price friendly article with a Price unfriendly response. Balance is what I was seeking. I forget that not everyone follows the same reading patterns as me.

The ensuing debate was interesting and educational for everyone. We all got to reflect a little bit on our own positions and the possibility of coming out of the trenches we have dug just a little.

Another week and it's more of the same from the Habsosphere. Rather than opine on this one inkblot more, I offer you two quotes to consider:

Jack Todd, Montreal Gazette:

"Just when we thought he was growing up, meanwhile, it turns out that Price, is aging like fine whine.

Price was caught again last week, dissing and moaning about his hard luck, the people who bother him in public, the lack of offensive support, the boo-birds at the Bell Centre.

This is Montreal. It's the NHL. Boos, bores and bad bounces go with the territory. If you can't take it, you belong in Nashville."

Ted Bird, CTV:

"Clearly, the numbers favor Halak, but numbers are for bean counters who don't understand or appreciate the intangibles that separate respectability from greatness.

Halak has been at least as much of a pleasant surprise as Price has been a disappointment, but there are reasons Price was drafted fifth overall in the first round in 2005, two years after Halak was taken in the 9th round, and the 22-year-old Price is still a more likely candidate to develop into a franchise goaltender than Halak is to sustain his excellent level of play over the long term."

Plenty to offend all the sensibilities of all parties there I think. Gotta love Montreal, they know how to keep that pot stirred.

The Ten Types of Fans Leafs And Habs Supporters

A couple of weeks ago, the peerless Down Goes Brown put together a brilliant psychoanalysis of the Leafs nation. Of course, you must read it for yourselves as his humour goes well beyond the group titles. In his analysis of the group he managed to reduce all Leafs fans into ten categories:

1. Mr. Mood Swing
2. The Self Loather
3. “Truculence” Guy
4. “Just One Cup” Guy
5. “Just One Cup” Guy who’s getting older
6. The Youngster
7. Bandwagon Jumper
8. The Fixer
9. The Delusional Idiot
10. The Realist


Reading the piece made me reflect on our own group in Habs fandom. At first glance, one could almost apply the identical groups to the Canadiens support. A closer look, and actually one can see they have to be different.

Take “Mr. Mood Swing”. Yes it’s a descriptor of Canadiens fans. But since I don’t know a Habs fan who doesn’t suffer from uncontrollable mood swings, I take this characteristic to be fundamental to the make-up of a Canadiens fan. Ditto, the Fixer, as we all (even those who sign "In Bob We Trust") ultimately know more than any given GM.

Go beyond those and you can see that others don’t apply at all – the “Just One Cup” group, for example would be mocked right out of the province by all those who continuously believe the next decade will bear much fruit.

So, as a service to all Habs fans, I’ve done my own dissection and applied it to the fans of Canada’s favourite team.


1. The Bandwagon Jumper
Foremost in the Canadiens community due to their sheer number. You know these people, they’re on your trains, and buses, they’re in your workplaces. Every time the Canadiens grab a first period lead, they help the number of fans swell by great swathes. A win is enough to double numbers in my experience and a streak pushes every Quebecer without a lingering obsession for the Avalanche to chant “Ole Ole Ole”. Studies have also shown this bandwagon can reach beyond provincial boundaries, and the evidence shows that a mere 0.500 record over 26 games is enough to loose the bandwagon across the whole country.


1. b) The Paddywagon Jumper
A sub-group of the Bandwagon Jumpers. These most famous of Canadiens fans bypass the bandwagon and wait by police vehicles (preferably paddywagons) until the ultimate last minute. They have no need for the highs and lows of actual game results, as it only delays their higher purpose. They keep themselves occupied in the regular season by practicing vandalism and arson during HNIC broadcasts.

2. The Dynasty fan
This is a special breed of fan that not only looks down on Leafs fans, Canucks fans and other fans, but also on Patrick Roy, Mats Naslund and anything else that came after the great schism in time that was the hiring of Irving Grundman. You won’t find many on the internet, though as they spend most of their days reading newspapers from the 1950s and/or current day Red Fisher columns.

3. The “Just A Few More Dynasties” fan
Unlike the Leafs, we don’t quite yet have anyone looking at the reality of the NHL, doing the math and coming up with the idea that for a team with all the complications (and poor management decisions) of the Canadiens that 1 Cup in a lifetime would be a decent return. Instead, fans look for a return to dynastic status and will be mostly satisfied if they get in another 2 or 3 decades worth of Stanley Cup finals from now till their end of days.

4. The 24 Cup Hugger
Every sign off, username and licence plate this guy owns has something to do with the number 24. Opposition fans cannot argue with “24” because once they make a point that requires a defence, he’ll hold his hand up and reel off “24 Cups” as the answer to the next 67 pleas. They would have done anything to remember any of the 24 Cups they vaunt daily, but have to do their best with the Canadiens greatest game box-set they have been watching nightly since its release.

5. The “Pur Laine” fan
Mostly restricted to a militant arm of RDS, this small group of fans doesn’t even like hockey. The Centre Molson is a place where they can gather with those in their clan, boo anthems and chant for their greats like Richard, Lafleur and Ribeiro.

6. The #1 Fan
Isn’t in elementary school anymore, yet inexplicably has Canadiens bed sheets, wallpaper and mouse pad. Spends so much time telling everyone he’s the #1 fan that he missed Alex Henry’s NHL career.

7. The “Real” Fan
These fans found that in the late 1990s one could turn up to a game 5 minutes before and buy a ticket from a scalper for less than face value. They want the return of these “good” old days where an emptying of the bandwagon means they can scavenge all the Molson Zone beer tickets.

8. The Goalie Worshipper
The Canadiens have indeed been blessed with a run of good goalies over the century. This is not a fact that has gone unnoticed by these fans. They even managed to beatify a goaltender. Everything that goes well turns on the axis of goaltending. Nothing that goes wrong can stick to the goalie. To these fans, defencemen are sub-human, only made necessary by the need to test the goalie with screen shots.


9. The Gentleman (The Lady)
The holdover from a bygone era. The gentleman (lady) still goes to all Canadiens games throughout the year dressed in their Sunday best. They know when to cheer for a goal and a save and know when to remove their hats. Watching a Canadiens game with one of these fans is a pleasure, because they have somehow maintained the love of the team without developing the snobbery of some of their contemporaries or the delusions of their successors.

10. The Almost Reasonable Fanatic
Loosely based on the “Realists” of Toronto. Thanks to 1971, 1986 and 1993, people in Montreal, however, can’t seem to take that final step to realism – they always hold onto a little of the fanaticism. Sure these fans will be telling the others to calm down after a 2-0 playoff series lead, but a big lead in the third game is usually enough for the feeling of destiny to wash over them.


Where do you fall? Maybe there's a category I've missed. There's only so much one can develop by dissecting his own psyche...