In the standings, Ottawa are in the basement (or they just got out). Montreal firmly in a playoff position.
Really, these are two teams separated by a game that took place last weekend. A game that the Canadiens took, but could have easily have lost. These teams are similar foes.
The similarities go beyond the win-loss columns. Both teams have had trouble scoring. Both have a line that "works" and a second in progress, with a third and fourth that have delayed their offensive contributions for future dates. Both teams have a shaky defense. And both teams have plenty of players thoroughly confused by what Jacques Martin expects of a player.
OK, this we know. But how does it affect this game we have coming up tonight?
Well, in my opinion this makes Montreal and Ottawa truer and clearer rivals than they've ever been. Being on the same track at the same time is a big change for two teams that lived at different ends of spectrums for a decade.
Last game tells us what we really need to know about this upcoming one. Kostitsyn enjoyed his freedom in the Ottawa coverage, Plekanec too. Gill thrived for once as Ottawa didn't always press the issue. Or at least that's how it ended.
The alternate version if the Canadiens forwards hadn't scored on an early breakaway and completed a 3-goal comeback showed that Spezza liked loose Montreal coverage, and so did Michalek with 5 shots and 2 goals.
Since that game, Montreal has played but once. The team had a glorious chance to keep the boot firmly on the head of an important rival, but squandered the chance. Ottawa needed wins, but only came upon the formula last night when they bested Buffalo through Alfredsson's history-making effort. The Sens could rightly see that as putting their course on the up, the Habs should see their Jersey debacle as a warning flag for an upcoming precipice they try to avoid.
Which version of history will repeat? Hopefully the former. But that game was a losing formula come good. If the Cansdiens want to win, they need to pay more attention to the Sens that pose greatest danger: Spezza, Alfredsson, Gonchar, Karlsson and avoid digging a hefty hole to escape from. Key again, of course will be Carey Price who will be called upon to cover the Markov sized hole again. Key also Cammalleri and Kostitsyn who could ensure Ottawa has defense on their minds.
In the second of six match-ups in a series that is ever looking the split, this game should be an interesting glimpse into the aspirations of two teams.
Showing posts with label Michalek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michalek. Show all posts
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Kovalev Restarting PR Push?
I don't mean to call into question any of his charity work, as I think he's truly amazing for doing all that he does. However, the recent story by Dave Stubbs in the Montreal Gazette left me feeling a Kovalev-sized hole needed filling.
I was wondering whether that might have been the intent.
Take this quote, for instance:
One doesn't say things like that to a Montreal journalist without knowing what will happen. It seems that once again Kovy would like to let his remaining fan base in Montreal know that leaving wasn't his choice (wasn't it?) and that he'd be back in a heartbeat in his own airplane given the chance.
I take no issue with Kovalev expressing these sentiments. I find it entirely natural for someone to leave the Montreal Canadiens for the Senators and feel more than a pang of nostalgia now and again. He's like the man who cheated on his astoundingly beautiful wife, loses her and gets to realizing that he never knew he had it so good.
Criticism in Ottawa
One has to wonder how much of this outpouring has to do with his beautiful estranged Montreal and how much it has to do with nagging newbie Ottawa.
Justified or not, the Sens Army in a fit of Fishermania have taken to criticising all their talented players for underproducing. Despite seemingly turning the team around, scoring the 4th most goals in the East and doing it with a rookie goalie, the ever-more demanding Ottawites have turned their grievance to where the goals come from. No longer enough for a player to play well in a win, he must entertain and above all else find himself on p. 1 of scoring leaders.
We've been down this road in Montreal. With Kovalev. In 2006-07, it was that he didn't play like Begin. In 2007-08, too few even-strength goals, last season too much time off. But where there was sometimes justification for the fans of a losing team to lash out for the renewed excellence of their star, in Ottawa they're turning things around, they're surpassing expectations given the circumstances.
Kovalev must have at one time thought: "leaving Montreal, leaving the crazies". Imagine to be right back to the same with a seemingly more infuriating bunch (where even the owner can't keep his mouth shut).
Koivu on Kovalev
In the week of Kovalev and Montreal feel-good fest, Koivu has also spoken out from sunny Anaheim to set te record straight on Kovy (and he):
I guess that puts to bed the idea that they didn't like each other. I knew it was Higgins...
Kovalev tonight
While Kovalev will be tying to do better, the Habs ought to be careful about some of the other threates in the lineup too. 20 players have contributed for the Sens 80 regulation goals so far. Michalek has 15, Fisher 12 and Alfredsson 9 (count your blessings Sens fans...) and then there are 4 more with more than 4 goals, including Kovalev.
The Habs by contrast have 16 goalscorers for 76 goals in more games. Cammalleri has 16 and injured Gionta 8. There are 3 with 6 (Pleks, Metropolit and Moen) and then Hamrlik with 4. But as our scoring isn't balanced, we don't harp on about guys not scoring much, now do we?
I was wondering whether that might have been the intent.
Take this quote, for instance:
"I've never had anything in my life to match what I experienced in Montreal,"
One doesn't say things like that to a Montreal journalist without knowing what will happen. It seems that once again Kovy would like to let his remaining fan base in Montreal know that leaving wasn't his choice (wasn't it?) and that he'd be back in a heartbeat in his own airplane given the chance.
I take no issue with Kovalev expressing these sentiments. I find it entirely natural for someone to leave the Montreal Canadiens for the Senators and feel more than a pang of nostalgia now and again. He's like the man who cheated on his astoundingly beautiful wife, loses her and gets to realizing that he never knew he had it so good.
Criticism in Ottawa
One has to wonder how much of this outpouring has to do with his beautiful estranged Montreal and how much it has to do with nagging newbie Ottawa.
Justified or not, the Sens Army in a fit of Fishermania have taken to criticising all their talented players for underproducing. Despite seemingly turning the team around, scoring the 4th most goals in the East and doing it with a rookie goalie, the ever-more demanding Ottawites have turned their grievance to where the goals come from. No longer enough for a player to play well in a win, he must entertain and above all else find himself on p. 1 of scoring leaders.
We've been down this road in Montreal. With Kovalev. In 2006-07, it was that he didn't play like Begin. In 2007-08, too few even-strength goals, last season too much time off. But where there was sometimes justification for the fans of a losing team to lash out for the renewed excellence of their star, in Ottawa they're turning things around, they're surpassing expectations given the circumstances.
Kovalev must have at one time thought: "leaving Montreal, leaving the crazies". Imagine to be right back to the same with a seemingly more infuriating bunch (where even the owner can't keep his mouth shut).
Koivu on Kovalev
In the week of Kovalev and Montreal feel-good fest, Koivu has also spoken out from sunny Anaheim to set te record straight on Kovy (and he):
"That's the thing that always kind of bothered me," Koivu told Sportsnet. "People were giving their opinion, even though they had no idea what was going on in the room. We never had any problems with Alex whatsoever. He was kind, he was a great teammate throughout those years. For whatever reasons, he sometimes gets criticized about not being a great teammate. I have no idea where that comes from."
I guess that puts to bed the idea that they didn't like each other. I knew it was Higgins...
Kovalev tonight
While Kovalev will be tying to do better, the Habs ought to be careful about some of the other threates in the lineup too. 20 players have contributed for the Sens 80 regulation goals so far. Michalek has 15, Fisher 12 and Alfredsson 9 (count your blessings Sens fans...) and then there are 4 more with more than 4 goals, including Kovalev.
The Habs by contrast have 16 goalscorers for 76 goals in more games. Cammalleri has 16 and injured Gionta 8. There are 3 with 6 (Pleks, Metropolit and Moen) and then Hamrlik with 4. But as our scoring isn't balanced, we don't harp on about guys not scoring much, now do we?
Friday, June 12, 2009
Information Leak
Tanguay Not Priority One
With Canadiens info as rare this month as a Russian source for La Presse with credibility, it is with some glee that I can add this latest rumour to the mix.
The Fourth Period (with a record credible enough for me) has signalled that Alex Tanguay's agent has had contact with Bob Gainey. According to the report, it happened (briefly) this Wednesday. Not very interesting in itself, the juicy part of the report was this quote from Tangauy's agent, Bob Sauve:
Another priority?
For the sake of our amusement, I am going to assume that this priority is not the sale of the team. For one thing, it will be more fun. For another, if Gainey is unable to think about re-signing players for the Montreal Canadiens because the prospective owners might be in disagreement – this will be the last fun we will have for the forseeable future.
So, a player of higher priority. It's worth reminding ourselves of the possibilities:
1) The Canadiens have 10 pending UFAs they could re-sign
The total without Tanguay, of course, is 9. They are, to refresh our memories: Koivu, Kovalev, Lang, Kostopoulos, Schneider, Komisarek, Bouillon, Dandenault and Brisebois.
If Tanguay is not the priority, Gainey could be looking at Koivu, Kovalev or possibly Komisarek. I think we could rule out Kostopoulos, Brisebois, Bouillon and Dandenault as first signing of the summer. It would be terrible PR, not to mention a poor example of team building. ONly Koivu and Kovalev are realistic after Komo's brutal displays of hit-rather-than-defend.
2) The Canadiens have 5 pending RFAs to re-sign
These guys don't have to be signed by July 1, so traditionally if not signed by now, they'll wait to see what the post-UFA kitty looks like. I don't see that being different this season. The guys are: Plekanec, Higgins, Latendresse, Chipchura and D'Agostini.
3) The Canadiens have long been rumoured to be working on a deal for Lecavalier
This possibility fits as precedent to Tanguay. No use ruling out a good big trade by handing too much money over to a free agent right now.
4) The Canadiens will be signing new UFAs
There's no doubt the Habs will have to bring in new blood if and when they don't re-sign all the outgoing. Gainey might be making July 1 his priority. The one thing that makes me think this less likely is that this strategy would be an awful risk as some targets could yet re-sign with former teams. Gainey may be a lot of things, but risk-taker? Not that I recall.
5) The oft-ignored possibility of trading up in the draft
Just because Gainey hasn't been talking up his ability to trade up since January, it doesn't mean he wouldn't consider it. Players like Tavares, and my preference, Hedman don't come along every year. Whatever one can give for Lecavalier might be enough to move.
6) The Canadiens have another trade in the works
The Habs aren't restricted to dealing for Lecavalier, despite what the media might wish for. We've heard rumblings about Daniel Briere (please no!); but then there could be others: Kovalchuk, Heatley, Doan, Morrow or anyone else you could dream up. All four here can be sourced to my keyboard, but with $25 million to spare, no one is out of bounds, at least for enquiry.
7) Nothing gets done until the exact salary cap number is known
Carries the risk of the waiting for UFAs, as other teams might not operate with such caution as they snap up players who are worth snapping up. The thing that scares me is that Gainey is sometimes this cautious.
8) Tanguay's rights could be traded as a commodity
This is by far the more far-fetched idea. We know that Tanguay signed and delivered only drew a couple of picks for Calgary last spring. Tanguay unsigned in a bull market – that's a low pick, isn't it?
If you take a look at Tanguay, the player, it's perhaps not too surprising that he isn't priority number one for an NHL team – especially one that could be looking for a number one centre and right wing if they sign him as the cornerstone player. However, being Montreal, and the fact that Tanguay does carry the favoured trait of fluency for RDS's second intermission interview; one could see how the French Canadian might have been at least equal top among free agents.
Perhaps it's the romantic in me, but I tend to believe that Bob Sauve's statement indicates trade. The pessimist in me is clearly at play too, as I can't see the Montreal Canadiens asking Tanguay to hold on while they sign this hockey fan's choice of the UFAs – Saku Koivu.
The trade just adds up. But which trade will it be?
Personally, I think the Lecavalier trade is too difficult. I think Tampa will overvalue their centre and will play Montreal off other suitors. I would be surprised if Gainey pulled it off while keeping a grasp on any semblance of his reputation as a good hockey GM.
Lost in all the Lecavalier talk, though, is the clear willingness of Gainey and his team to significantly re-jig their outfit. When a GM is willing to toss in prospects and young players as he clearly was based on previous Vinny leaks, then the transferability to another deal is oh so very do-able.
Discarding the Vinny trade means opening the NHL up in its entirety, with endless targets. But being that we're sensible and like to discuss, let's come up with a list (based on some logic) as to who Tanguay is waiting for here...
My 5 aspirational targets are:
Ilya Kovalchuk
Dany Heatley
Jeff Carter
Ales Hemsky
Number one or two pick 2009
... and for good measure, Martin St Louis (the consistent option from Tampa)
A lot to draw from two sentences. Maybe they were very telling. Then again, maybe two months without a game isn't healthy...
The Fourth Period (with a record credible enough for me) has signalled that Alex Tanguay's agent has had contact with Bob Gainey. According to the report, it happened (briefly) this Wednesday. Not very interesting in itself, the juicy part of the report was this quote from Tangauy's agent, Bob Sauve:
"I had a discussion with Bob Gainey yesterday and the Canadiens currently have another priority," Sauve told CKAC. "We'll wait for that priority [to be taken care of] and then the Canadiens will speak to us about Alex."
Another priority?
For the sake of our amusement, I am going to assume that this priority is not the sale of the team. For one thing, it will be more fun. For another, if Gainey is unable to think about re-signing players for the Montreal Canadiens because the prospective owners might be in disagreement – this will be the last fun we will have for the forseeable future.
So, a player of higher priority. It's worth reminding ourselves of the possibilities:
1) The Canadiens have 10 pending UFAs they could re-sign
The total without Tanguay, of course, is 9. They are, to refresh our memories: Koivu, Kovalev, Lang, Kostopoulos, Schneider, Komisarek, Bouillon, Dandenault and Brisebois.
If Tanguay is not the priority, Gainey could be looking at Koivu, Kovalev or possibly Komisarek. I think we could rule out Kostopoulos, Brisebois, Bouillon and Dandenault as first signing of the summer. It would be terrible PR, not to mention a poor example of team building. ONly Koivu and Kovalev are realistic after Komo's brutal displays of hit-rather-than-defend.
2) The Canadiens have 5 pending RFAs to re-sign
These guys don't have to be signed by July 1, so traditionally if not signed by now, they'll wait to see what the post-UFA kitty looks like. I don't see that being different this season. The guys are: Plekanec, Higgins, Latendresse, Chipchura and D'Agostini.
3) The Canadiens have long been rumoured to be working on a deal for Lecavalier
This possibility fits as precedent to Tanguay. No use ruling out a good big trade by handing too much money over to a free agent right now.
4) The Canadiens will be signing new UFAs
There's no doubt the Habs will have to bring in new blood if and when they don't re-sign all the outgoing. Gainey might be making July 1 his priority. The one thing that makes me think this less likely is that this strategy would be an awful risk as some targets could yet re-sign with former teams. Gainey may be a lot of things, but risk-taker? Not that I recall.
5) The oft-ignored possibility of trading up in the draft
Just because Gainey hasn't been talking up his ability to trade up since January, it doesn't mean he wouldn't consider it. Players like Tavares, and my preference, Hedman don't come along every year. Whatever one can give for Lecavalier might be enough to move.
6) The Canadiens have another trade in the works
The Habs aren't restricted to dealing for Lecavalier, despite what the media might wish for. We've heard rumblings about Daniel Briere (please no!); but then there could be others: Kovalchuk, Heatley, Doan, Morrow or anyone else you could dream up. All four here can be sourced to my keyboard, but with $25 million to spare, no one is out of bounds, at least for enquiry.
7) Nothing gets done until the exact salary cap number is known
Carries the risk of the waiting for UFAs, as other teams might not operate with such caution as they snap up players who are worth snapping up. The thing that scares me is that Gainey is sometimes this cautious.
8) Tanguay's rights could be traded as a commodity
This is by far the more far-fetched idea. We know that Tanguay signed and delivered only drew a couple of picks for Calgary last spring. Tanguay unsigned in a bull market – that's a low pick, isn't it?
If you take a look at Tanguay, the player, it's perhaps not too surprising that he isn't priority number one for an NHL team – especially one that could be looking for a number one centre and right wing if they sign him as the cornerstone player. However, being Montreal, and the fact that Tanguay does carry the favoured trait of fluency for RDS's second intermission interview; one could see how the French Canadian might have been at least equal top among free agents.
Perhaps it's the romantic in me, but I tend to believe that Bob Sauve's statement indicates trade. The pessimist in me is clearly at play too, as I can't see the Montreal Canadiens asking Tanguay to hold on while they sign this hockey fan's choice of the UFAs – Saku Koivu.
The trade just adds up. But which trade will it be?
Personally, I think the Lecavalier trade is too difficult. I think Tampa will overvalue their centre and will play Montreal off other suitors. I would be surprised if Gainey pulled it off while keeping a grasp on any semblance of his reputation as a good hockey GM.
Lost in all the Lecavalier talk, though, is the clear willingness of Gainey and his team to significantly re-jig their outfit. When a GM is willing to toss in prospects and young players as he clearly was based on previous Vinny leaks, then the transferability to another deal is oh so very do-able.
Discarding the Vinny trade means opening the NHL up in its entirety, with endless targets. But being that we're sensible and like to discuss, let's come up with a list (based on some logic) as to who Tanguay is waiting for here...
My 5 aspirational targets are:
Ilya Kovalchuk
Dany Heatley
Jeff Carter
Ales Hemsky
Number one or two pick 2009
... and for good measure, Martin St Louis (the consistent option from Tampa)
A lot to draw from two sentences. Maybe they were very telling. Then again, maybe two months without a game isn't healthy...
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