Game #55 Habs Write Answers to Trivia Questions As They Clear The Isles in NYC

Details

Date: 09/02/2012
Opponent: Islanders
Location: New York

Win: 4-2

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

Habs goalscorers: Pacioretty (3), Gomez!!!
Opposition goalscorers: Moulson, Streit

Play of the game

Could it be anything but? The time finally came for Scott Gomez to shoot at an open net from a good position. He was instrumental in keeping the PP play alive and had just set up a few brilliant chances earlier, so when the puck flew right to his waiting stick he deserved the time afforded him to snap his first goal in 12 months and a bit home. Might I say, the goal is also a good example of some PP luck going right, as he scored from Cammalleri's spot, something we know Mike couldn't do for an 11% PP.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Max Pacioretty - Game Puck
A hat trick from two absolutely fantastic shots beating a good goalie who was ready (ish). These were goalscorers goals, so it's no surprise that Max then is poised to become the first 30-goal man in a little while for the Habs. Apart from the goals he was a threat all night on breaks as he emulated Erik Cole's outside speed and poise. He ended with a ton of shots and attempts (10 and 16, respectively) to show for the fits he gave Islanders defenders.

Mathieu Darche
The very least one can do after calling someone dead wood is admit a good performance when he sees it. Darche has turned his game around of late with some more ice time and is suddenly a noticeably positive force for the good guys. I suspect that this is a good strategy against the Jets and Islanders, but will reserve judgment on its use in Boston games. Nevertheless, he played some good two way hockey while surging for a few chances. Moreover, this pairing with Plekanec has woken the very important player within the turtleneck, a very valuable thing indeed.

Erik Cole
Cole was at ease against the Islanders as he played the sidekick to superhero this time out. Of course, he played that role by doing exactly what he does at his best, creating good chances from almost nothing. It was good to see he and Max find so many openings.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
The Islanders aren't a strong team full of depth, but as Pierre Houde rightly noted, Tavares is becoming a major handful. A testament to Gorges then that he battled with John for most of the night and came out a winner in the end analysis. I fancied Gorges chances to score that goal on another goalie, as well -- I thought the Nabokov save on him was a great glove grab.

Alexei Emelin
Whenever we complain about the Canadiens, there's usually some gripe that they are not very hard to play against (at least to the observer). But to a season's worth of evidence, Emelin offers them a defender to move towards the solution. He looks hard to play against, and the proof is in a lot of puck recovery and broken attacks. I liked him especially tonight as I noticed he was as determined as anyone. It seems like the rookie is finding his KHL form more and more every new game.

Goaltender

Carey Price
This game was a good example of how timing of goals matters. 57 minutes of shutout hockey gives a team a lot of time to build a lead against a team that also has to think attack. Carey was brilliant in allowing the breathing room for his teammates to go three up, and also to hold that as long as he did. The blemish on the record is only personal (lost a shutout he probably deserved most times). He deserves massive credit for backstopping a very important win here.

Comments

The Habs wrote some answers to future trivia questions tonight. Pacioretty scored his first career hat trick and scored possibly the latest third period goal in Canadiens history. I'm not sure if anyone has ever taken 16 attempts on net in the time it's been recorded either. Gomez, of course, broke his year-long duck. Cunneyworth went on his first three game winning streak. A few of these achievements represent some pretty big monkeys being left to stay in Long Island.

Back monkeys off-loaded, it's still hard to see where the team will go from here.

From all signs they look like players who want to make the playoffs today and who will continue to push a bit harder to get there. But we know that even the best efforts could end in tears because of the record compiled over 52 games, and the GM may not share his players' optimism. What we do know is that no one wants the Maple Leafs in the playoffs, not players, not GM, not many people other than Maple Leafs fans themselves, and so the next game will be approached for glory. A win there and things start to get in that deceptively believable realm again.

Game #36 Fans Stirred From Naps To Watch Habs Who Didn't

Details

Date: 26/12/2010
Opponent: Islanders
Location: New York
Loss: 1-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Comeau, Grabner, Parenteau, Wisniewski

Play of the game

There were a few nice things going on with the Habs, but this display hardly deserves recognition of something like that. Instead, a play I thought was very important and very encouraging from the game was the 5-minute major called on Max Pacioretty in the third period. The Canadiens were behind, the Islanders fans were outnumbered, Eaton didn't "protect" himself; there were lots of reasons not to make the call. However, if the league wants to get rid of hits that endanger players, then it needs together a lot firmer on making the calls. It buried my team, and I can see the arguments of those that thought it was grey area. But as a fan who wants to see hockey without senseless injuries, then I applaud the refs convictions for making it.

Dome hockey team

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

Tomas Plekanec - Game Puck
One of the reasons we all like Tomas Plekanec is that he delivers a consistent brand of hockey. His effort falls within a tight band between 85-100% and the results tend to follow that in the positive. On nights when teammates are having trouble forgetting eggnog and turkey, Tomas' consistency makes him stand out. His goal was excellent, and he could have had more goals and points with a bit of luck and/or support.

Lars Eller
There's holding a player back , and there's holding a player back. When we extol Jacques Martin for doling out Eller's apprenticeship in short doses, we do it when it doesn't cost the team. Tonight, a stubborn reliance on top lines that weren't in the spirit of the game cost the team a win. Eller often looks convincing and determined during his cameos, and it's high time that in games like this, where something new is being sought, that Eller be given a real chance to show what he can do.

Mike Cammalleri
Cammalleri played a typical no-goal game for a goalscorer. There were good chances that bounced wide or didn't stick. Through luck and lack of support again, not much came of his efforts this time. He still stood tall over most of his compatriots.

Defencemen

Hal Gill
One of the Canadiens most dangerous shots was Gill's. He killed penalties. He defended the AHLers very soundly. If Plekanec's average standard stood out up front, it was Gill's that did so at the back.

Josh Gorges
Gorges sneaks in here for me. He played a sound game, which is fine. But sometimes against a team like the Islanders, players who play soundly need to do something to rouse their teammates who always provide the spark. Gorges had chances to do that and didn't. That said, it was his excellent "goal line" play and the referee's line of sight that prevented a goal form ending this contest even sooner.

Goaltender

Alex Auld
As much as anyone on the team, Carey showed the signs of disdain for the Islanders. The scoresheet says he let in 4 goals and that yet again he committed giveaways without doing any harm, but for the lack of the definitive camera angle he let in five and did get burned for puck play. It's not to say that this isn't forgivable, because after 30+ straight domes, a player deserves a break from the fans. Again we must ask, though, doesn't he also deserve a break from the ice. When will the Habs coach show a little faith in his teammate?

Comments

"The Habs didn't show up", I can see the headline. But come on. The team started a road trip with lots of traveling to games in Colorado then Dallas. Then inexplicably to Carolina. The schedule shows the games follow in Long Island, Washington, Tampa and Florida. What it doesn't show is that the team rushed home to have 2 days of Christmas holiday in Montreal before being spirited away from family and friends for a game in front of 2,000 Montrealers and a handful of New Yorkers. It's not a recipe for "showing up".

I thought the coaches might have been more creative in their efforts to coax some life out of this contest. Auld, for instance, would have been excited to start. So would Subban. Eller is raring for ice time. Instead, the coaches decided the formula for success was to go with the trusty old game plan and then decided to stick with it when it was highly apparent it wasn't working. If the players deserve plenty of blame for showing up to work with foggy minds, then the coaches too deserve to be called out for misusing their resources.

Anyway, it's only a game. A single game. Next the team rolls into Washington where they will face a rejuvenated Caps squad and then to Florida, where excuses for lethargy are not as believable. I'd like to see three contests with hard fought results. 3-4 points would be a good turn out.

Islanders Preview

In the wacky world where Leafs and Canadiens lead Penguins and Capitals, where Devils and Sabres forget their gains of a season past, it's perhaps not surprising that the AHL entry in the East, the NY Islanders, are off to a good start.

Here's what LIW has to say about them:


Key match-ups

Canadiens PK and Islanders PP
The Habs have squirmed out of trouble and gained points this year through a combination of timely scoring and timely defence. Nothing has been more timely than their PK which ranks second in the league at over 90%. The Islanders have the 5th ranked PP at 26.2% and have used it to get their wins. James Wisniewski may or may not get 90+ points this year, but he currently has 8 in 6 games thanks to PP action.


Subban and Tavares
A cocky rookie and a cocky sophomore. Apparently they're even best friends and having dinner together pre-game. With Markov out, Subban has been a key and will continue to be an important piece of the Habs tonight. With all the Islanders injuries, Tavares is even more prominent than PK on his team and looks to continue to impress tonight. Look for PK to offer his usual feistiness and make a point of putting friendship aside as he attempts to steal the spotlight.


Gionta and Mottau
All the hype about finding a winger for Gionta and Gomez could be ended with a good performance (by that I mean stats, stats, stats) from none other than Gionta and Gomez. There aren't many worse defensive brigades than on Long Island. Gionta knows this, he knows how to get the media off his back and he knows Mike Mottau as the -11 defender on the mostly positive +/- 2007-08 Devils. Step around him, push him aside and put this media story to bed Captain.


Media and Bloggers
The Islanders love their bloggers. The Montreal media is uptight and uppity at the sight of outsiders. Though they probably won't meet tonight in Montreal, the access at the Nassau Colisseum later in the week means they might. Should be fun.


Momentum

Andrei Kostitsyn believes in hard work. Carey Price no longer craves exorcism. The momentum on the Habs is squarely moving in the right direction. They look like a team that can finally get ready for games against beatable opponents and the first period should be theirs.


Islanders the Habs covet

John Tavares
He's the kind of player that can make the difference between running with the pack every year and cruising into the playoffs, a special offensive talent. The Canadiens, and everyone else, crave these sorts of players.

Dwayne Roloson
A back-up you're not afraid to use.


Habs the Islanders covet

Scott Gomez
An American who can help them attain the salary floor. What's not to like?

Josh Gorges
A cheap defender who can actually defend. They're not as common as one thinks. If they were Radek Martinek wouldn't have had a career.


Impact of this result

This is a game for points and not much else. I can't see a lasting rivalry coming between these two teams, as the Islanders will find a way to make their way back to disarray by the offseason.

Game #80 A Point And An Away Scoreboard Result Put Habs On Verge

Details

Date: 06/04/10
Opponent: Islanders
Location: Long Island


Loss: 3-4 (SO)

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

Habs goalscorers: Plekanec, Gionta, Lapierre
Opposition goalscorers: Comeau, Bergenheim, Nielsen (Moulson, Nielsen – SO)

Play of the game

Haven't we waited a long time for a real beauty? Funny thing is, one comes and we have choice for others nearly as pretty. The winner for tonight's honour has to go to the goal that secured a point – courtesy of Maxim Lapierre. The play was all Max. He starts by taking back control for the team and looping back into the zone. A firm pass to Bergeron, who passes quickly to Darche gives Max time to slingshot through the neutral zone. Darche makes a nice pass to Max from blueline to blueline and Max challenges the coverage with speed. It starts getting beautiful when he splits the defenders and becomes Max's best ever when he calmly wards off the poke check clearance with a skate to stick pass. Taking control in time to outlast the defence and apply a deke, he then roofs it past a stunned Biron. Magnifique is what Houde sprung to. He was right. This is a reminder of why people get up in arms about Lapierre at all. Some talents couldn't piece together one element of this 5-part play.

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
Lapierre's goal was the class of the night, but Andrei tempted a few times with elusive skating, strong puck defence and threaded passes. I thought on the night, he was the danger man for the Habs. HI pass on the Plekanec goal was exactly the kind of play you'd hope for from a top line pairing heading into the playoffs (a bit of synergy and zip). 5 shots on target from 6 attempts to Cammalleri's 1 from 4, show that Pleks should be looking West with the passes for a while.

Maxim Lapierre
What he accomplished, he did in little time. There was the very important goal and also a very dangerous and well taken shot that nearly finished the game. 10:34 of ice all told will probably be a low for a while after Max makes his second dome in a week. He is forgiven for a shootout attempt saved, because he tested with a move that would have worked another time. Really, he couldn't have chosen a better time to step up his game, given Metropolit's absence.

Sergei Kostitsyn
This was a toss up. Our third line is a brilliant late season find, and must be the biggest reason for optimism for the playoffs as far as I'm concerned. Lines 1 and 2 did their jobs tonight, creating chances and confusion. Line 3, however, went beyond. The line seemed to be a good bet for the Habs. Dominic Moore was once again a dynamo, and he narrowly misses here. Sergei gets the final nod for a couple of reasons. First, Sergei played a mean game positionally in the offensive zone – always using his body to preserve the puck he now seems to want so badly. Second, there were silky passes we hadn't been seeing early in the season. His play to nearly end the game (against the post) was sublime.

Defencemen

Ryan O'Byrne
I don't want to belittle Ryan, but some teams suit him – the Islanders is one of them. The young team is not organized in attack and prone to a big body erasing the overeager puck carrier. Tonight Ryan did that with regularity. Positioning his body to win the puck was his major skill. The scorekeeper calling him for 10 hits shows us he often times also made the boards echo with Islanders. For me, this represents a high in what has been a good little progression for the student O'Byrne.

Andrei Markov
If you read the premise behind the dome carefully, it says we will choose the six players we want to play, the six best players. Markov, with such wealth of skill, must be beaten then by a significant effort to warrant exclusion. Tonight I didn't feel anyone was up to that mark. Andrei didn't play his best game, but he was at least as good as Gill, Bergeron and Hamrlik and probably better than Gorges. The stats sheet says this was Bergeron's dome, only bad passes are bad passes to me, whether punished or not. What's more, Andrei has some great PP minutes himself, even if not rewarded with a GF. Interesting is that Jacques Martin managed Andrei's minutes in this one to the point of madness – Markov played a mere 21:09, and his even strength minutes were lowest on the squad.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
Today we heard that numbers are for bean counters. This game offered a lot of beans. 42 shots were directed at Halak in game play, 39 were saved. Critics will say that most were innocuous, and critics would be dead on there. Still, Halak probably did make 8 or so pretty big saves, including one sensational stop on Tavares. In the end, Halak gave his team a chance to win. He also missed a shot that led to OT and played a weak effort on the first shooter. Most important in the end were the saves, a game that goes to OT 3-3 with 42 shots allowed is not one to beat up a goalie too harshly for. A goal allowed at the end of the second, another in the first, or earlier in the third might have changed the complexion and cost the single point.

Comments

I'm sure we all expected a win tonight. The underpowered Islanders with no reason to win were amrked as an easy obstacle to qualification. But as we should well know in this of all seasons, nothing is decided. The Islanders are a young team, learning on the fly and experimenting on the go. They start a goalie hanging onto a career and veteran players showcasing for a way out. They had little to play for in the playoff race, perhaps, but much to play for as individuals. The first period this seemed to stun the Canadiens as much as it did the Habs fan majority in Uniondale. However, by the second, I thought the Habs were putting a firm grip on things. Turning points, good goals and a shootout later and it's a good spectacle and a point. I can't say that from the first period deficit in goals and play that I'm disappointed with the swing it took.

The biggest reason to celebrate on the night are the Thrashers and Rangers losses to convincing sides. New York offered little after a first period lead and rally and Gaborik looks likely to sit out a post-season yet again while Gomez might yet see action. Atlanta crash out in predictable fashion as Oduya can't score at the 50-goal level of his trade partner. Buffalo won to clinch the division and thereby ensure no Senators for the Habs (the desired result). And, Washington beating Pittsburgh is more good news, as the Penguins would be the worst case scenario in round 1 (worse even than NJ).

The NHL hasn't put an X beside the team in the standings, but the destiny rests with the team – who after a feisty effort, I feel are up to claiming it.

Markov's Return How The Habs Must Shuffle

As I excitedly tweeted yesterday, Markov will be back. RDS and just about everyone else is saying it will be tonight vs. Streit and the might Islanders.


It could not come at a better time. With the Canadiens on the road, their struggle to return to winning will be met with less all around angst and ire than it might have in the confines of Centre Bell. Markov can adjust and find his legs in time to be the returning hero the baying mass expects by the New Year's return home.


In the face of this return, it is natural to get excited. Still, many issue caution, patience. Yet, the reluctance to pin too much hop on Markov's return, is in my opinion, taking things too far the other way.

Now I am not saying that Andrei will come in and eclipse the performance of every player from either team as he sometimes would in full health. However, let's remember what this means in practical terms: a healthy Markov returns to join the 5 other healthy D, bumping one of Bergeron, Gill or Mara to the kerb. Achilles tendon r not, that's an upgrade for this team. Achilles tendon or not, Markov's passes are still several orders of magnitude more accurate than any, which means standing still he's a massive improvement at 6th Dman.

As it's been so long, let's just remember who Markov is (as per the season preview):

Andrei Markov

NHL Season	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	Hits/60	BkS/60	GvA/60	TkA/60	Gv:Tk	PIM
08-09 (MTL)	78	12	52	64	-2	1.91	3.47	3.21	1.87	-1.34	36
07-08 (MTL)	82	16	42	58	+1	1.73	3.72	2.70	1.76	-0.94	63
06-07 (MTL)	77	6	43	49	+2	1.21	3.79	2.77	2.39	-0.38	56

Even-strength profile
	Average offensive production at even strength Above average chance creation at even strength Average to below average defence even strength Negative CORSI: -3.9

Some things to note from Andrei's stats:

1) Offensive explosion
The last 3 years show the continued progression of Andrei Markov into the ranks of elite offensive defencemen. In fact, his 171 points over that span are second best in the NHL – lagging behind only Nicklas Lidstrom.

(Only Bergeron has come close in this department for the Habs, and off the PP, he's been less helpful. Barring passing amnesia, Markov's impact should be tangible)


2) Defensive steadiness
Not quite so elite in preventing goals, and perhaps the reason he never gets a Norris nod. Andrei's plus/minus is virtually neutral. As mentioned, most of his points do tend to come when he has been running the best PP in the league, so those ones don't appear in the black ledger. Even so, it might be nice to see Andrei escape the mediocrity of all those GA at ES and put up a big juicy +/- like that guy ahead of him in the points race.

(As I said, better than the guy who sits, so a positive contribution in the less minuses end of things too)


3) Takeaways, not hits
Those takeaway numbers may not mean anything to you, but you should know that they are very high. Last season, Markov was third in the league for Dmen in takeaways, as he was the year before. Three seasons ago, he was the best defender in that regard. This is because Markov prefers the poke check to the body check – and when you consider his partner, he makes a good case for the more subtle form of defence.

(My goodness how we've missed this. Maybe not tonight, but some time in the next couple of weeks you'll all be reminded of how a team really prevents itself getting pinned down for minutes at a time)


Who should Markov play with?

Those of you who can remember the preseason through all the tears that have transpired, will recall that I tried to rationally look at lines and pairings in an ideal, injury-free lineup. The way I did this was to trawl some data that many individuals collect and put on the internet and do some sums.

Basically, on last year's data I was able to broadly see whether a player made his partner better or worse offensively and defensively. I was also able to see what kind of partner (style) each player seamed to thrive with, or seemed to struggle with.

Pairing #1	Effect O/D
D – Andrei Markov		Made most teammates better offensively Had varied effects on defensive games (Komisarek was worse) Seemed to prefer a small quick partner to a big partner Played best overall with Josh Gorges last season
D – Jaroslav Spacek		Made most teammates better defensively Made all his common linemates better offensively Played best overall with Toni Lydman last season

At that time, I selected Spacek for a number of reasons. Firstly, Markov played better with players who skated than with big lumbering men (including his usual partner). What seemed to let him be at his best is actually playing with a player more like himself, who can dart around and make a good quick pass – covering more ice with movement as opposed to mass. That for me ruled out O'Byrne and Gill right away, and based on the stats from when they played together, Hamrlik too.

I can see from the message boards that Martin might be considering Ryan O'Byrne to start with Markov this evening. I think this would be a mistake based on the above.

I wouldn't be so haughty if Jacques himself had not come to the Spacek conclusion himself. But that was his evaluation in October, as they started the season together and played most of the preseason together too.

The worry I suppose from some is that Markov and Spacek together means breaking up the current number one pairing of Hamrlik and Spacek. However, these two, while consistent aren't blowing anyone away, as they clock about 2.4 GA/60 - which also happens to be the team average on what I think we'd all agree has been an underwhelming defensive outfit so far. Breaking this combo up, therefore, should not be something to lament. it would be progress for the team, and progress hopefully for Spacek.

Incidentally, Hamrlik is not like Markov. He likes playing with a big guy. What's more, he's been excellent all along with O'Byrne - this season and last (ES and PK). If O'Byrne is to be deployed with a top pairing, it surely must be with Hamrlik.


Luxury goods

Markov's comeback has more implications for the team than simply first pairing conundrums. It also brings about a potential log-jam of 8 defencemen on the team. One question is who might sit out. Another, considering it possible that 7 or even 8 Dmen could be dressed per game, is how many luxury items can the Canadiens afford to carry?

We already carry a fighter we don't use (or need), forwards who are doing apprenticeships in lifting the puck, and two young goalies still learning the ropes. When it comes to winning games, we are starting to run out of place for functional parts to fill the roles. Can we thus afford to play a defender whose only use is on the penalty kill and another whose only use is on the PP?

Or, should we be looking to better exploit the all-round ability of 4 or 5 of the other options?


We've all been complaining about this injury so long, it's time for the team to give us the proper ammo we need to back up those arguments on single player value. Let's hope it's a good one tonight.

Allez, Allez. Go Habs Go.

The NHL Salary Floor CheatsThe Sorry Case Of The New York Islanders

I know it's a strong headline. The New York Islanders are not cheating, merely taking the piss. They are not breaking the rules, per se; but could not be accused of operating with the true spirit of sportsmanship in mind.


After watching that game the other night, with barely a recognisable name on the gamesheet, I started wondering how it was the Islanders were even meeting the obligation of the salary floor. It turns out they don't, or at least they shouldn't given the way things have gone for them. They squeak it out on loopholes.

Initially, I felt anger towards the Islanders (and I would feel a heck of a lot more if I was an NHL-able body like Mike Johnson, for example), but really they are only playing within the rules set out for them.

I think the responsibility has to lay at the feet of the NHL, who have implemented and policed a salary floor, but can let it turn into the nonsense that the Islanders have been pulling this season.


New York Islanders under the floor

By my rudimentary calculations, if the Islanders had declared all the players that actually did have a long-term injury to actually have a long-term injury (instead of broken leg – day-to-day), then they would be in serious cap floor trouble.

If bonuses are hit, they are looking at $37.75 million. If not, as low as $32.8 million. Pretty low considering the salary floor for the NHL stands at $40.3 million for every other team...

Let's face it, the Islanders have tanked this season, and they did it from the outset. They signed veterans they knew were overpriced to make the floor knowing that they would trade them when the mandated salary obligation was met. They even tossed in bonuses which counted against the cap, but which they must have known would never have to be paid out:

The Islanders were happy to give the veteran the incentives for two reasons. For starters, they would be properly rewarding Weight if his offensive statistics rebounded closer to his career averages after a 25-point output in 2007-2008. With 21 points (4-17-21) in his first 21 games this season for the Islanders, the move has paid off for both team and player.

But there was additional strategy behind the Weight incentives package. As a player over age 35 and on a one-year deal, those bonuses counted towards the Islanders’ salary cap number. And Weight’s deal - along with the signing of Mark Streit to a deal averaging $4.1 million - took the Islanders above the salary cap “floor” as mandated by the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

What's more, they never declared certain players to have long-term injury, so they wouldn't have to pay, or as it happens, compete in the NHL.

The worst thing about all this is that instead of being encouraged to do otherwise, the rules will encourage more teams to do the same in the future. The model set forth by the trailblazing New York Islanders of 2008-09 is a blueprint for how to get a top 5 draft pick without having to pay for a full NHL roster.

Ghost players

Remember the punishment of having to pay Jassen Cullimore and Tony Salmelainen for 2 years because we bought out their contracts we never wanted? Bob Gainey should have traded these two to the Islanders or the Kings a couple of years ago – their buyout contracts would be gold dust.

The Islanders, of course, have their own ghost players in Alexei Yashin to the tune of two odd million a year and Shawn Bates at $400,000 annually.

Veteran bonuses

Over the age of 35, player bonuses are to count towards the cap. One can clearly see how this clause may be exploited by the Nashvilles, LAs and NYIs of the league.

"Doug Weight, want your biggest contract in years even though you're in full decline? The condition, of course is that you take it in bonuses, so when you decline even further we don't actually have to pay you."

This loophole, for the floor-pressed team, is even better than the ghost player (who has to be paid) because the bonuses can be set at such levels that they were never attainable anyway. It's money on the cap that will never have to be spent.

Day-to-day injuries

There is a giant loophole for those wishing to comply without complying with the terms of the NHL Collective bargaining agreement, and it is the long-term injury clause. At the moment, long-term injury requires initiative and paperwork from an NHL team to open up. If Komisarek dislocates a shoulder, the Canadiens management must process some forms to put him on long-term injured reserve and obtain the salary cap freedom allowed when players get injured.

While it boggles the mind that some GMs and their teams don't apply for this at every long-term injury (too busy talking to Eklund about trades he can invent, I guess), the more troubling bit of this arrangement is the way it affects the salary floor.

If a team does not apply for long-term injured reserve for say a player who broke his ankle or a goalie who tore his knee, that player remains on the books for the purposes of the salary cap. This in turn allows a team ice a sub-AHL team and get away with it.

Is it fair enough? Maybe so. Even so, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth.


What should the NHL do?

It's not that clear.

The first suggestion I would put forward would be to evaluate why they ever put a salary floor in place at all. It was purported at the time that the floor would be a method to foster competition, by ensuring that small market teams would sign players of star calibre – I think the Islanders have shown that this is contingent on the team's and not the league's or the fans' definition of star (Guerin, Weight, Comrie) and that, even then, there are plenty of ways around it.

Beyond excising the salary floor from the equation altogether, there could be a number of simple tweaks (as I see it) to prevent the Islanders from becoming the model for the other perennial stragglers of the NHL:

a) Count salary buyouts against the cap, but not towards the floor
Counting salary buyouts is meant to be a deterrent to GMs not an incentive. It only makes sense to leave it where it deters and remove it from the equation where it does not.

b) Count veteran bonuses against the cap, but not towards the floor
Similarly, the thinking behind counting veteran bonuses towards the cap was to prevent teams from stocking up on vets and paying them only contingent on their play. It was never intended to make Doug Weight a $4.5 million player even when his paid salary is less than $2 million.

c) Make LTI semi-automatic
It is one thing to allow teams flexibility to declare LTI for the upper level (if they want it). But entirely another to allow Rick DiPietro (out for the season in Jaunary) to count against the cap as if he were playing. The Islanders are not paying his salary (unless they have really bad insurance), so why should they get credit as if they were. Perhaps it could be as simple as an automatic LTI kicking in after 10 games are missed and going forward from there.


One or all of these would make some difference. And, to be honest, merely addressing the situation would be a positive step showing some concern for the competition they touted a few years ago.

I suspect that the Islanders would have something to say about the whole situation too, though. Particularly how injuries have hurt their chances, the attendance and their bottom line. It would be quite a convincing sob story if one ever believed that having Sillinger, Freddy Meyer and Brendan Witt would have turned the whole situation around for them. One point that they may bring up could have a lot of credence though, and that would be revenue sharing.

The current system in place in the NHL disqualifies the Islanders because of their geographic position. It conveniently fails to account for the immediate competition for hockey dollars in the "huge" hockey market. James Mirtle thinks the Islanders may deserve some help, after this whole fiasco, I find it hard not to agree.


After all that, does anyone else come to the conclusion that we really really messed up in losing twice to this team. I mean both teams seem to have had the same goal to drive towards – an Islanders loss at all costs.

Habs losing – Overreacting for the cause

Canadiens uber-captain Saku Koivu has gained quite a bit of wisdom over a long NHL career so far. He's been the regular season scoring leader at times, playoff scoring leader at times, Olympic scoring leader at times, played on lines with 40 goalscorers, played on lines with defensemen, missed seasons, missed playoffs.

Anyway, he's got a lot of experience, both winning and losing, success and disappointment. So, I put a lot of weight on what he says. On the last game, Koivu had this to say:

"You can look at it two different ways. You have time to regroup and regain the focus but, after a poor game like (the one in New York), you'd like to get an opportunity right away tomorrow to bounce back."

While he said you can look at it two ways, his quote only actually gives us one way to see matters – the positive position.

The negative position, left unsaid, is the backlash that the team received from everyone, including us here (guilty), about that loss on Saturday night. With a day to cool, I find myself on the same wavelength as our captain – sometimes a loss can be a good thing – the important thing is the way you respond.

In my opinion, a blowout is a better way to lose than a close battle. Why? Because after a blowout, players need to really question the way they do things, make real adjustments, listen to their coaches. There is no consoling yourself after a blowout, no palatable excuses. That doesn't mean everything should be changed. Far from it. Only that the game should be analysed, errors considered and ideas generated to take things forward.


Then, there's the media response.

We (Tobalev and I) have always maintained that the Habs will be losing a lot of games this year. There was never any inkling that this would be a record-breaking regular season. So, we try not to overdo the headlines after a loss (like some of the meltdown headers I've been seeing). I do, however, have a new theory as to why others do:

The writers (press, etc.), actually get bored of winning and the headlines that go with it.

As such, I think if the Habs lose after points in 10 games in a row, the people following the team are absolutely bursting to use terms like meltdown, disaster, no-show, etc. After all, there is much more to write about when the team loses. We can write about changes, about what we think is going wrong, about Brisebois.

My initial response is to call the response an overreaction, because that's what it is sometimes. But then I thought, it's not necessarily a bad thing at all. In fact, in many ways, I think it will compound the effect of what may have otherwise been a forgivable loss. The media can contribute to the loop and ensure that the self-analysis happens throughout the roster. Overreaction for the cause, so to speak.


I for one, am willing to accept the challenge of finding things to write about through the winning. I don't need the losing for material (you may all have a different opinion on that...). And, now I am anxious to see what the Habs will do next game and whether I will have to write a thank you to the media for creating an impetus for 2 points.

Based on what Koivu has said, I predict that the response from the players will be noticeable to us watching when they take to the ice vs. the Islanders.

Game #21

The Canadiens Game in Review

Date: Wednesday November 21st, 2007
Opponent: New York Islanders
Venue: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY


Team Stripes


Final Score: 4-1 - Win

Habs starting goalie: Cristobal Huet (W)
Opposition starting goalie: Rick DiPietro (L)

Habs goalscorers: Steve Begin (2), Christopher Higgins, Tomas Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Mike Comrie



2007/08 first
There's a first time for everything, so they say. What they didn't tell you is that every game, something happens for the first time, you just have to look harder in March...

1st Assist of the season for Huet (2nd in his career)
1st 2-Goal game for Steve Begin of the year (1st since Feb. 14, 2004)
1st Multiple Point Game for Dandenault this season
1st Road Goal for Higgins this year
1st in Eastern Conference All-Star Voting - Andrei Markov - D-men



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

We were out shot 45-33 tonight which would lead you to believe that we were outplayed and that our goaltending must have been spectacular. Huet did play a very solid game, but of the 44 shots that he saved there weren't many that challenged him. Our defence, like Huet, played a good solid game, but nothing too much to write about. Our offence was quiet, but got the job done.

The play of the game goes to Long Island native Chris Higgins for a superb goal. Higgins burst around and Islander to the outside, on the right, and cut back in towards the net. He floated right across the top of the crease, dropping DiPietro to his stomach, before he lifted it over the keeper for the eventual game-winner.



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

Steve Begin

Begin has good nights and bad nights, but rarely on either of those does he notch a goal, let alone 2. Tonight he played a very solid defensive game, especially on the PK. He lead all Canadiens forwards in time played on the PK, 4:33 as the Islanders PP was held scoreless - 0 for 7. His offence tonight was an added bonus and a very good example of what can happen when someone from your 3rd or 4th line steps up. He finished with 2 goals and a +2 rating.



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

Forwards

Steve Begin
- Made the most of his shots tonight and played a good overall game in their zone. A strong defensive effort and was our grittiest forward

Christopher Higgins
- Finally got one on the road, fitting it was in his old neck of the woods. Looked explosive at times and again had chance after chance. How he isn't a 50 goal scorer I'll never know, I've never seen someone get so many quality chances. 8 goals, however, on the season is quite respectable, he should be able to hit 30

Mathieu Dandenault
- This game was won thanks to the efforts of our 3rd and 4th line. Mat played a very good game and like Begin was very effective on the PK. This was a game where we took penalties, which in turn gave us some PPs of our own. Thanks to the work of Begin, Dandenault, Kovalev and all the other penalty-killers we were able to keep a clean sheet on the PK. Dandy chipped with 2 assists including a great steal right at the start to set up Begin's 1st of the night

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
- Was on the ice for the Islanders goal, but it was more the forwards mistake than his or Komi's. Played a very good transition game tonight and held the puck well in the offensive zone. The PP looked good all night despite just the one goal

Roman Hamrlik
- A very good game for Roman. He played text-book defence tonight and never really made a mistake. Had a great outlet pass to Higgins on his goal for his 9th assist of the year. Finished +2 with over 25 minutes played

Goaltender

Cristobal Huet
- It is nice to see a goalie in here who got in because of his own good play, not the poor play of his teammate. He faced a season high 45 shots tonight and came very close to posting his second shutout of the year. The goal he let in can't really be blamed on him as the Islanders turned a 3 on 2 into a 2 on 1 as the D left Cristo out to dry. Huet played a very technically-sound game and I noticed his puckhandling was way better than usual. I attribute this to the fact that he didn't come out to play every single puck, only the safe ones. Tonight was one of those nights where you knew Huet wasn't going to let us lose - you could see the confidence in his movements.



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

A good all around game for Alex tonight. He spent some very effective time on the PK this game showing that icing the puck is a good option, but keeping possession is better. Again tonight we got to see Kovalev throw his weight around with a few decent hits and he also won almost all of his 1 on 1 battles. He was effective on the PP tonight as well. The pass he gave Plekanec for his goal was quite something, it was a cradled one-timer, worth a look.

Kovalev's Assessment - Very Good



Overall Comments

This is what a game between Columbus and Chicago must look like. Seldom do the Habs go into a building with so little atmosphere, usually there is a strong contingent of Canadiens fans. This was the type of game that wasn't driven by the crowd, thus the play looked a little slow. Well, that suits me just fine. We all know that the Bell Centre is the loudest arena in the NHL, but it also seems like, because of our road fans, that when we play on the road we play in front of some other very deafening crowds. I like exciting games, I especially like when the crowd is into it, but to play 82 games like that would be too much for our team. We can consider tonight's game a rest night, a rest from the circus that usually surrounds us, a rest in which we bagged 2 points. The key in these games, and the Habs had this down to a tee tonight, is to be better than your opponent. You don't have to be great, you don't even have to be good, just be better than the team at the other end of the ice. These are games that the Habs must win this season. With every game in places like Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa or Boston, or against any french player, being a big deal we won't get many chances to get the 2 points on a 'night-off.'

We are getting in the habit of not playing 2 bad games in a row and I am liking it. The Flames used this formula to march all the way to the cup final in 2004, but fell short in Game 7. I am not saying that our team is going to the cup, although of course I want them to, I am just saying if we keep this pattern up we should earn a post-season berth, and from there you never know. We just have to take this season 2 games at a time.