The New Lion in Winter

Another season, another year dear readers.

Like the Habs, Lions in Winter has changed a lot since the spring of 2007. No more posts about Kovalev (well not daily ones anyway), less arguments about goalies. Like the Habs, LIW needs to keep refreshing its lineup to keep up with the demands of new seasons.

Over the summer, with the site ticking over, we got to thinking about how we could manage to cover the Canadiens in the way that loyal readers have come to expect (and enjoy?). I feel that in blogging as with hockey, a veteran will find most success in admitting to the changes that are happening (where’d that speed go?), develop the skills that remain more fully and find those to help fill the skill gap. The veteran bloggers here all have increasing demands on time as we progress to different stages of life and the hours that were once spent developing ideas for posts seem fewer and farther between. As you know, we added the unforgiving and insightful views of Ian Vitro last season, but the task, even for three still looked daunting.

And so the decision. Allow the blog to follow the inevitable path of change or do something about it. We all decided to do something about it.

It sounded easy enough.

With that the LIW scouting department opened up a search for the elusive power blogger. Someone with strong writing, insight and enough energy to mesh tightly with some gritty veterans. It was during this search that I started following one of the new up-and-comers onto the Habs blogging scene – Big T on the Habs.

After reading a lot of sense from June on, I knew I had found the prospect LIW was after when his late July rendering on the Josh Gorges situation came online. It was at once an answer to those who brayed about the stinginess of the contract and a thoughtful compliment to Gorges. If this contract had gone to arbitration, this was the case you’d have wanted to present.

After getting over the panicky feeling that I needed to contact him that day, lest lose the chance to collaborate to another site’s GM, I consulted with the LIW braintrust. From there, the wheels were set in motion and an agreement to collaborate between Big T and LIW was reached.

At LIW we are very excited at the prospect of the new season with a new team. I am certain that all you readers will thoroughly enjoy the chance to get into the head of Big T.


Without further ado, I give you Big T. I asked him a few questions to help get you acquainted. I also recommend reading his back-catalogue at Big T on the Habs:

Why are you a Habs fan?

I've always believed that unless you're guided to cheer for a certain team, you usually end up cheering for the team that wins the first game you watch. The first game I watched on TV that I really remembered ended in a 3-3 tie between our beloved Habs and yes, the enemy Boston Bruins and I'll surprise you by saying that for almost a full year, I cheered for both the Bruins and Habs almost equally. I was too young to understand the rivalry or its history and didn't realize that cheering for both Adams division rivals couldn't be maintained long-term.

Needless to say, I realized my grave error in judgment and quickly understood just how much hatred one can have for those that wear the black and YELLOW (yes, I said yellow not gold). I now hate the Bruins more than any of our rivals (including the Leafs whose futility over the last decade has helped them slip to a close second).


What makes you want to blog about the Habs?

Amongst my friends I was always the one with a more analytical mindset and more often than not the voice of reason during heated debates regarding our beloved Habs. I've always enjoyed writing and when my profession took me away from that and shifted me more towards numbers, I figured writing a blog would be the perfect outlet to share my thoughts with the easily excitable but extremely astute Habs fans.



So join me in welcoming our newest teammate and your newest debating partner. You can look forward to some new pieces from him the next few days.

Lions in Winter to Test MLX Skates

A couple of weeks ago MLX Skates contacted Lions in Winter about the possibility of testing their skates and getting their word out. MLX, or Mario LemieuX, Skates is a company that is looking to get the most out of the player by giving one the ability to customize their skates in a revolutionary way. It is all based on Speed-Skating technology as they have been developed by David Cruikshank, a four-time US Long-Track Speed-Skating Olympian. David thought that there were so many ways in which to improve a hockey skate, ways to get players peforming at a higher level. Custom moulding and adjustable blade angles are the aspects which I most look forward to trying as skates like that are clearly at the cutting edge.

Check-out their skates at mlxskates.com by following this link: SKATES

This seemed like a unique opportunity for Lions in Winter and, as there is really no risk for us (free skates, free shipping), we thought that we would give it a try. The nature of the skates and their customizable features is such that they are really only good for one person. So, with a bit of luck, and generosity, Topham asked that I be the one to test and review the skates. Players like Alfredsson, Gonchar and Byfuglien are on them now; soon Tobalev will be joining the ranks.



Now, Tobalev wasn’t always Tobalev. In the early days I may have been called the Toadster (I was very slow), Straightline (for my inability to neither turn nor stop), or Crapeau (named after a player who’s name seemed to suit me more). I like to think, however, that that has changed and I think skates may indeed have something to do with it all. It started with Cheese-Cutters in the early days, but then it was soon onto my very own pair of skates. Bought at one of those second-hand everything stores these metal-chassis Daoust’s looked like hockey skates, but didn’t feel that great at all. Eventually, when I really started playing it was onto a series of Bauer skates; at first second-hand, later onto my own new pairs. The next pair, my first in adult sizes, was a pair of CCM Tacks which were previously owned by one-time NHL player, Jason Doig. Eventually, and for quite some time now, it was onto a pair of CCM 652 Tacks which I have grown to love over the years. I knew that the day that I would require a new pair would one day come, but never thought that it would be with something quite as interesting as the MLX skate.

First up will be some games, but I do hope to get them onto the outdoor rink and even down to the Rideau Canal to test them more in different conditions. I won’t give MLX a free ride just because of their generosity and will try to give an honest and worthwhile assessment of their skates. I will approach this in the same way in which I look at every Habs game – I won’t jump to any conclusions, I will be fair and I will attempt to look at these skates, and their performance, from every possible angle. Check back soon to see what I think, check out their skates at (www.mlxskates.com) now if you're interested in learning more.

Season Preview In The Gates

I'm just putting the finishing touches on the season preview for 2009-10, and the first installment should be with you tomorrow. For those used to checking for one post a day here, I'll try to make accommodations so that the layout doesn't cause you to miss my opinion on Travis Moen, which you've all been dying to see.

I'm starting with the forwards, line by line, top to bottom, followed by defencemen pairings, and then goalies. With coverage of a few players every day, the team should get a proper run through by the time training camp is well and truly over.

I have to say that playing with some of the statistics has been an interesting game this summer. For one thing, I don't think I quite appreciated how bad defensively most players on the team were last year (compared to the league). By the same token, there are pleasant surprises as well. In trying to be a bit more thorough this year than perhaps previous years, I have expanded the facets of the game I will look at. For completeness, there always has to be some mention of the basics (i.e., GP, G, A, Pts, etc.). However, in addition to those things, I have gone walkabout and come back with some of the metrics that people at other blogs around the league are looking at, and even concocted a few (albeit simpler) ones of my own. Things such as total chances generated (shots + blocked shots + missed shots), total chances allowed, the difference between (aka CORSI), and some newer stats like zone shift, balance of takeaway to giveaway, etc.

I should also say that this experience has made me a lot more positive about the prospect of all these new faces – as I hope reading the previews will do for you. With one exception, Gainey has done his homework here, and we shouldn't be on the cusp of a Samsonov scenario, unless something very strange occurs.

I wanted to thank both Tobalev and frequent commenter and statistics-fan Olivier, with whom I have been having frequent conversations about this year's team offline, and who both contributed to the content and the direction of these previews.

Tobalev (name still TBC), will of course be back helping with the game previews and reviews throughout the season. We hope to be able to build as big a repository on why Gomez, Cammalleri and Gionta are more than their end of season goal and point stats indicate, as we did for Koivu and Kovalev.

Olivier will hopefully continue his valuable input and insight through the comments, but also keeps himself busy with his musings on the new-wave statistics that have taken hold almost everywhere but Montreal through his own blog: En Attendant Les Nordiques.

Enjoy the skating. Not long till game action now...

On Game Posts

After a day away, I came home to find the blog in good order. Another game, another analysis by Tobalev. Never missed a game. Rarely unready for sun-up. Strangely though today a negative comment: Terrible analysis. Nothing more.

Now I agree with Tobalev (in his reply), we can't always be right, not even close. But to be fair, if it's a terrible analysis, let's discuss why...

A blog like this one is meant to generate discussion. That's when a blog is at its best for certain. And, on a few occasions it's been some good dicussion/disagreement. In fact, when we came up with the format, we were trying to force ourselves to make decisions (that people would agree or disagree with), as opposed to a prolonged ramble.

So, let's criticise away. Criticise the play of the game (I often disagree privately). Criticse the game puck. Criticise the dome team. Criticise the analysis. Criticise the comments. And let's have a good old debate. We love the debate, almost as much as the hockey.

Go Habs Go. Go Habs Fans Go.

Let's Get It On

There is only one day to go before it all starts again and before we all start dreaming about #25 again, no not Dandenault.

I thought I would get my first post under my belt before the season gets going for real. Topham, a long time acquaintance has asked me to join his blog for the season providing post-game commentary and the occasional additional post.

The team looks good, better than last year and I think we have what it takes to get those 96+ points and buy a ticket to the big dance. People have been asking how this team is better than last year noting that we have replaced Souray with Hamrlik, Bonk with Smolinski, Niniimaa with Brisebois and Johnson with Kostopoulos. If paper was all I had to judge a team's development on and I had never watched a full Habs game, or followed the training camp I may agree with some of these naysayers that, no, it doesn't look that much better at all. What some people may fail to realize is that we have really added quite a lot more than that. We have added from within our own system, something we have been waiting years to see.

With the departure of Souray, Rivet and Niniimaa we have opened a spot on the blueline for Streit. Yes Streit was on the team last year, and although he did well on the 4th line, I feel he was wasted. To me putting him back on D has brought a new, reliable, element to the team.

Bonk/Johnson for Smolinski/Kostopoulos to me is no real upgrade, nor downgrade. The forwards to me are better this year due mainly to subtraction, the disposing of dead weight. Gone are Samsonov, Perezhogin, Downey opening up spots for Chipchura, Grabovski and Kostitsyn (who was Sami's end of the year replacement). I also firmly believe that Higgins, Plekanec and Lapierre are poised for bigger and better things this year. I know, I know, Lapierre is on the farm, but he'll be back, after his playoff run last year with Hamilton I am convinced he is an NHLer and he will prove that for good this year.

In nets who could argue that we have improved. Price for Aebischer, no question. We didn't throw away as many points as Colorado last year by playing Theodore, but the other man in that trade, I would say, cost us our fair share of points too. Just think one more win and we would have made it, the season would have been a success and we could have made our perennial push throughout the spring.

It is time now for the team to do the talking. People aren't expecting much, but like Montreal teams of years gone by (Expos included in the set) these Habs will show those people a thing or two.

Go Habs Go

Welcoming with open arms

Everyone is excited as I am, I can tell, to welcome a new blogger to the site.


With all my trips, business and pleasure, Lions in Winter needs another reliable member to keep the stories ticking.

Tobalev, as he is known to Habs fans in Montreal, will take on the all-important post-game duties. I hope you all welcome him too and give him plenty of comments if he goes too far on his analyses.

GHG.