Habs For Breakfast - 2 Down, 2 To Go

Over 20 links here today, as there are many good reads apart from the game rundowns. Lots of stuff on Kovalev and not much of it redundant. You gotta love how the Montreal media turns over every stone. Lots of people say the media coverage is why Habs fan are weathered and wise.

Throw in neurotic and impatient in there too!

I've been posting from Brampton this weekend, where my daughter was involved in the Provincials tournament this weekend. I did a total Claude Julien impression Saturday afternoon, ragging out the refs. My kids Typhoons team went 1-1-1 in the round robin, but it was frustrating to see my kid score the only goal in a 1-1 tie, before she had two more goals disallowed that would have given her team the win. Me and the kid left pretty disillusioned.

I understand Julien this morning. Refs suck everywhere!

"We Haven't Won Anything Yet" - Gazette

""We were trying to get him off the ice, but he's like a pitcher who wants to be out there in the ninth inning," Carbonneau said. "I think if you asked Alex, he'd say he hasn't been playing his best hockey, but he's been our leader all season and he came through when we needed him tonight." - Pat Hickey

Julien Keeps An Even Keel - Gazette

"What the Bruins delivered last night was their Triple-A game. Hoo boy ... how they played en route from rallying from two goals down after two periods with two of their own in the third - and would have had more if Carey Price hadn't brought his 'A' game to the Bell." - Red Fisher

Habs Energy Line Brings Smoke And Fire - Gazette

"Maybe we could call them the Bing, Bang, Boom! line ... or Smoke and Fire (Smoke is Smolinski's nickname). Because when these three guys are on the ice together, bodies are going to be flying around. Basically, anything moving in an opposing sweater is going to get hit - and hard." - Stu Cowan

Bruins Left Steaming After Late Penalty Call - Gazette

"The Bruins were loath to overly criticize the officials since it was the refs who helped them get back into the game, erasing a 2-0 deficit with two unanswered third-period goals. David Krejci scored the equalizer at 9:34 of the period, while Montreal was two-men short." - Herb Zurkowsky

Kovy's Revenge - Montreal Canadiens.com

"Staring at the possibility of leaving the Bell Centre wearing goat horns should the Canadiens have gone down to defeat, Kovalev got payback in overtime by scoring the winning goal." - Manny Almela

The Numbers Game - Game 2 - Montreal Canadiens.com

"0 - Career playoff games in which Sergei Kostitsyn has failed to score a goal, after finding the net in each of the first two games of this series."

Kovalev Bails Out Habs - Globe Sports

"Canadiens forward Alex Kovalev made sure the game wasn't prolonged any further when he scored on a blast from the sideboards, 2:30 into the extra period. The shot appeared to change direction off the stick of Boston captain Zdeno Chara." - Tim Wharmsby

Habs Come Through On OT Powerplay - Faceoff.com

"Two nights after playing like they already had tee times booked back in New England, the Bruins scratched and clawed their way back from a two-goal deficit on Saturday night to force overtime against the Montreal Canadiens. And then the push stopped." - Sean Fitzgerald

Kovalev's Overtime Winner Beats Bruins - TSN

"It was a tight game where whoever got the bounce would win," said Kovalev, who is serving as captain in place of the injured Saku Koivu. "We expected them to come out better and they did.















Kovalev's OT Goal Lifts Canadiens To 3-2 Win - NHL.com

"We had more of an opportunity on earlier power plays and I had a better line to shoot with," Kovalev said. "But at the end of the game, I took the shot from the outside and it was a good switch for us."

Game Two Is In The Books, Kovalev Gets It Done - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Aside from the fact that Montreal won the game, was that Don Cherry was proved wrong and full of shit by the instant replay. He went on and on about the high stick to the Bruin player’s face just before the guy took a penalty which led to the winning goal. But the camera showed that it was only a follow through from Markov’s shot, which Ron McLean, who is a referee, firmly stated SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PENALTY."

Kovalev, Habs Get The Job Done Despite Playing With Fire - Lions In Winter

"Kovy cannot have two quiet games in a row, it is impossible. After a very good, but subtle effort in game #1 he came back with quite the opposite performance tonight. His play on Kostitsyn's goal was pure magic as he held the puck for over 10 seconds in their end, his OT goal was fantastic, but what will surely grab the most attention was his blatant slash on the back of Aaron Ward's very well padded leg. Controversy, magnificence, villain or hero, Kovalev did it all tonight." - Tobalev

Kovalev se fait pardonner - RDS

"Au cachot pour voir les Bruins créer l’égalité en troisième période, Kovalev s’est fait pardonner en laissant filer un boulet le long des oreilles de Tim Thomas au tout début de la prolongation, procurant une victoire de 3-2 au Canadien, qui s’en va à Boston avec une avance de 2-0 dans la série opposant les deux équipes."

Une excellente leçon pour le CH - RDS

"Dans un tel contexte le Canadien doit seulement travailler aussi fort que son adversaire durant 60 minutes pour sortir vainqueur. Avec un effort soutenu, je ne vois pas comment les Bruins peuvent mettre la main sur une partie. En plus de son talent supérieur, le Canadien compte sur un meilleur gardien en Carey Price ainsi qu’un avantage numérique de premier plan." - Benoit Brunet















"Roman, c'est la force tranquille"- La Presse

"Roman n'est pas le plus flamboyant, mais maudit qu'il est utile. C'est la force tranquille de notre défense", a déclaré Brisebois, admiratif de son partenaire. À un contre un, il est imbattable. Il écoule les pénalités, il bloque des tirs et quand il décide de frapper un adversaire, il le fait pour vrai. Ce gars-là est capable de tout faire, et tout ce qu'il fait, il le fait bien."

Chris Higgins s'impose au centre - La Presse

"S'il n'a pas récolté de point, Higgins a démontré de belles qualités en s'assurant de prêter main forte à ses défenseurs et en distribuant la rondelle avec agilité lors des sorties de zone." - François Gagnon

Kovalev tenait à rester sur la patinoire - Le Journal

"Kovalev était frustré, a-t-il fait savoir. Il ne jouait pas aussi bien qu'il le voulait dans cette série. Il aurait notamment pu mieux jouer sur le premier but des Bruins." - Carbonneau

"C'est quand on me tape sur les nerfs que je suis à mon mieux": Kovalev - Le Journal

"Mais j'ai reçu des coups de bâton et des doubles échecs qui n'ont pas été signalés par les officiels. Je n'ai pas pensé à l'équipe quand j'ai écopé de cette pénalité pour avoir cinglé, mais j'étais frustré." - Kovalev

Stewart ne veut pas se réveiller - Le Journal

"Malgré une récolte de 10 points seulement en 58 matchs à sa première saison junior, le Canadien a cru bon de le repêcher. Il est un joueur qui apporte de l'énergie et il a démontré des habiletés insoupçonnées à son premier match avec le Canadien." - Marc De Foy

Deux survivants du hockey - Le Journal

"Gorges et Bouillon ont un cheminement qui se ressemble étrangement. Ils ont tous les deux passé quatre saisons dans les rangs juniors. Ils ont tous les deux gagné la coupe Memorial à leur dernière année. Ils ont été des piliers à la ligne bleue de leur formation respective, mais ils ont vu toutes les équipes de la Ligue nationale les ignorer au repêchage." - Betrand Raymond

Des airs de carnaval - Le Journal

"La pluie et le temps froid n'ont pas freiné l'enthousiasme de milliers de partisans du Canadien, qui ont envahi hier après-midi les alentours du Centre Bell pour transformer le centre-ville en véritable carnaval bleu-blanc-rouge. Des heures avant le début du match, une musique festive et l'odeur des hot-dogs emplissaient déjà l'air. Sur la terrasse de l'édifice, impossible de faire quelques pas sans croiser les vendeurs de bière qui arpentent normalement les gradins à l'intérieur du Centre Bell." - Jean Louis Fortin

More from RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal.

Canadiens Fans Go Bonkers For Former Bulldog Gregory Stewart

From the The Hamilton Spectator, April 7, 2008

Robert L Note: Greg Stewart sure as heck didn't look like an 8th round pick in his first NHL game on Saturday. For a second I thought he was about to set a record for fastest goal to start a career - who holds that one - Alex Mogilny? I found this feel good piece in today's Hamilton Spectator and could pass up posting it. I hope the Habs keep this kid in Montreal for the rest of the season. His energy is contagious, and few extra kids around to push the vets is never a bad thing. Who knows, maybe he'll get in a game down the road and become the 2008 version of David Maley? They like him so much in Montreal, they have already made a retro bobblehead likeness of him!

The Bell Centre fell in love with Gregory Stewart on Saturday night.

Now the Montreal Canadiens' fans adore anything dressed in bleu, blanc et rouge these days, but the 21-year-old Hamilton Bulldog really caught their imagination.

A surprising call-up considering he was in the East Coast League this time last year, Stewart made an outstanding NHL debut, with three scoring chances, including a first-period breakaway, which was foiled by Leaf goalie Andrew Raycroft.

And with 1.9 seconds left, he had a spirited fight with Bryan McCabe in what was probably the defenceman's final act with the Leafs. The crowd, already in a tizzy during the one-minute countdown, went absolutely bonkers for him.

"It was unbelievable," said Stewart, recalled earlier last week. "My body was just tingling when I went on the ice.

To get this chance was a dream come true.

"I didn't know what to expect. I was still nervous in practice all week, and you lose your hands.

"In warm-up some of the older guys told me to stay focused, have fun."

And after his fight with McCabe, the rest of the Canadiens mobbed him in support. Pretty good for a guy who has only 10 goals in his first AHL season and was chosen as an afterthought in the 2004 draft, 246th overall.

"That's the way it's been all through my career. All through junior, I was never expected to do too much and I've been proving everyone wrong. I've been making little baby steps all the way along for the last five years or so. And I think I've improved during the year in Hamilton."

Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau took note of Stewart's adrenalin level during Canadiens' rookie camp and wanted to get him a game or two with the big club because, "as a player I liked to play with a guy with energy like that.

"He was in the E last year, got himself up to the A, and has worked really really hard. He deserved a taste of it.

"His eyes were this big when he got called up and they were even bigger when I told him he was playing Saturday."

Stewart made an impression which will help him next year, but is unlikely to get a call for the playoffs against the Bruins.

Too bad, because as he grew up in Waterloo the Bruins were his favourite team because his cousin Cam Stewart played for them.
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Habs For Breakfast: Bring On The Bruins

Robert L Note: For francophone links readers, La Presse and Le Journal de Montreal had yet to post online by my time I put this up. I'll check their sites later in the day and add them when they are available.

UPDATE: New links added at 3:20 PM

So....the Canadiens get to face the Bruins again!

The Habs have won 11 against Boston in regular season play, but the playoffs can be a different story.

Nothing is gained until it is won. This series will not be a sweep, but I am confident the Habs will take it.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner? - Montreal Canadiens.com

"The game of musical chairs is finally over. Regardless of the outcome of Sunday afternoon’s game between the Penguins and Flyers, the Canadiens will face a familiar foe in the Bruins in the opening round of the playoffs. The series will mark the 31st time the Habs and Bruins have met in the playoffs over the course of their bitter 84-year rivalry. The Canadiens have enjoyed the upper hand, to say the least, with Montreal holding a 23-7 series edge over Boston."

Habs Finish On A High Note - Montreal Canadiens.com

"While the Montreal Canadiens would be happy to celebrate their first conference title in ages, they finished the regular season with their eyes turned toward a making an unexpected run at a record 25th Stanley Cup." - AP

The Numbers Game: April 5, 2008 - Montreal Canadiens.com

"Here’s a numerical look at the Canadiens’ regular season-ending 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre." - Manny Alemela















Conference Title Within Grasp - Gazette

"The Canadiens will have to wait until late this afternoon to find out if they have won a conference title for the first time since 1979. But they won't have to wait to find out which team they'll face in the first round of the playoffs this week." Pat Hickey

Kovalev's Focus On Cup Run - Gazette

"The most important thing for us is to bring back to the locker room the experience this team felt back when they were winning the Stanley Cup," Kovalev said on the eve of the Canadiens' final regular-season game tonight at the Bell Centre against the Toronto Maple Leafs. - Pat Hickey

Canadiens Move Into Top Spot In East - TSN

"Goaltender Carey Price added, "We did all we could down the stretch and if it doesn't happen, well, kudos to Pittsburgh."

Canadiens Warm Up For Playoffs With Win Over Leafs - Globe Sports

"The Montreal Canadiens faithful exhibited their appreciation with an earsplitting ovation in final minute of the Habs regular-season finale, but nobody was more gratified than Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau." - Tim Warnsby

Montreal Ends It Off In Style, Now Bring On The Playoffs And Prove The Experts - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Don Cherry thinks the Ottawa Senators will do well in the playoffs but the Habs won’t. Broadcaster Bob Cole threw water on the fire every time sidekick Greg Millen started to say great things about the Habs. "Watch their power play," Millen would say. "Watch how they never stop moving, how unpredictable they are, how hard they are to stop." - Dennis Kane

What A Night! What A Season! - Lions In Winter

"Gregory Stewart became the 30th player to play for us this year - the current 26 along with Murray, Huet, Chipchura and Locke. He did an outstanding job offensively, which is surprising as he is meant to be a fighter. He did have a late fight with the highly un-classy (typical Leaf) McCabe. Stewart brought a whole new level of energy to the 4th line, it was great to see." - Tobalev















1er en attendant Boston - RDS

"C'est la troisième fois que le Canadien affronte les Bruins à ses quatre dernières participations en séries. Le Tricolore a un dossier de 23-7 contre ses grands rivaux."

Koivu absent du 1er match des séries? - RDS

"Je n'ai pas encore essayé de glisser mon pied dans un patin, a-t-il ajouté. Mais je sens que le processus de guérison se poursuit normalement même si j'ai très peu de choses à dévoiler aujourd'hui."
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Le rêve du Canadien, le cauchemar des Bruins - La Presse

"Il y a des gars qui ne saisisse jamais la chance de jouer dans la LNH. Lui, il ne l’a pas manquée. Il avait les yeux grands de même – en faisant des cercles devant ses yeux avec ses doigts – lorsqu’il a été rappelé. Il les avait plus grands encore lorsque je lui ai dit qu’il jouerait ce soir. Il n’a pas du dormir depuis hier et il a dû payer cher pour satisfaire ses demandes de billets. Mais c’est une belle récompense. Le travail est récompensé," a indiqué Guy Carbonneau qui était bien heureux d’avoir pu donner cette chance à son jeune ailier gauche." - François Gagnon

Koivu commence à trouver le temps long - Le Journal

"Depuis le temps qu'il attendait de faire partie d'une équipe qui a des chances de faire un bon bout de chemin dans les séries, il n'avait surtout pas besoin de se retrouver sur la touche une autre fois en raison d'une blessure." - Marc De Foy

"On n'a jamais cessé de s'améliorer collectivement": Carey Price - Le Journal

"On a battu huit fois les Bruins cette saison, mais tout le monde sait que ça ne signifie plus rien quand les séries débutent. Le brasseur mélange alors toutes les cartes et c'est une nouvelle saison ", a dit celui qui termine sa première campagne dans la LNH avec une fiche de 24-12-3." - Pierre Durocher

"Une année de rêve": Carbonneau - Le Journal

"Mais ça commence avec de bonnes passes. C'est un aspect du jeu sur lequel je m'appliquais durant ma carrière comme joueur et on a commencé à travailler là-dessus la saison dernière. C'est à partir de ce moment que notre jeu de transition a commencé à s'améliorer." - Marc De Foy
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Habs For Breakfast - A Little Vinegar In The Morning Coffee

Lots of hot topics on the breakfast plate today - including one that always tastes like a pinch of vinegar in my coffee!

Misconceptions about the Canadiens history get under my skin bigtime!

A Toronto based writer takes a not so subtle poke at the Habs lack of Quebec born talent on the team - like it still matters! He starts off by deducing, from the accompanying picture, that the H in the logo represents "Habitants", when in fact in stands for hockey, as in "Club De Hockey Canadien". Then he makes reference to changing times, and how the Canadiens no longer have the benefit of having the best Quebec born players righteously belonging to the team by divine right.

Of course, that is a long perpetrated myth by jealous fans to explain the Habs superiority, it seems.

It was a brilliantly devised system of feeder farm teams that made the Habs great. In the day, any players could be signed to C - Forms at a given time.

Montreal scout Scotty Bowman, and the Leafs as well could have had Bobby Orr at 12.

Aurel Joliat, Newsy Lalonde, and Howie Morenz did not come from Quebec. Jean Beliveau never signed a C - Form.

The territorial rule has some truth to it, going way back, but it mostly a myth, one I debunked here at this site with great helps from studies and research done by trivia expert and Habs fan Liam Maguire.

Below the link to Graeme Hamilton's National Post piece, you will find a link to the article I posted here in response to such beliefs. Call it a must read for all Habs fans!

I fired off a comment, I wonder if Hamilton will respond.

That stuff always get my shorts in a knot!

Below you will also see news on Max Pacioretty possibly attending the Habs camp next season, Mark Streit's desire to remain in Montreal, news on Mathieu Dandenealt and an inspiring tale by Dennis Kane on how he became a Habs fan.

I'll be making the subject of that article into a future post here shortly.

There's also a rumour floating about concerning an outdoor game at Molson Stadium next season against the Rangers.

Mike Boone notes that Red Fisher is one of the few who saw the Habs in the playoffs at the start of the season. Of course, he didn't read my prognostication on the Canadiens back in September.

Two days ago, I posted a pictorial called "Habs Fans Are Out In Droves", seeing as how the playoff atmosphere is enlivening the spirits of Canadiens supporters everywhere. Each playoff, there always comes the question of who Canada's team truly is.

Here is one take by a western Canadian blogger, who has found a team to cheer for while his beloved Canucks RIP.
















Legend Gets It Right Again - Gazette

"Zurkowsky - as befits a football writer - is having a good season as a punter. He and the Legend bet $2 on each game between the Canadiens and the team that represents Zurkowsky's hometown. The Leafs have won four of the first seven meetings this season, which means Zurkowsky may become the first person to win money from the LLSJ since Arnold Rothstein." - Mike Boone

Kovalev's Focus On Cup Run - Gazette

"Alex Kovalev is aware of the Canadiens' history, and he wants to be part of it. "The most important thing for us is to bring back to the locker room the experience this team felt back when they were winning the Stanley Cup," Kovalev said on the eve of the Canadiens' final regular-season game." - Pat Hickey

Trying Season For Dandeneault - Gazette

"It was Dandenault's second goal in two games and ninth of the season, eight having come on the road. He's one shy of the NHL career best he racked up during 73 games with Detroit in 2000-01." - Dave Stubbs

A Happy Homecoming - Gazette

"The fulfillment of Mathieu Dandenault's dream is the result of many things. It is about hard work, paying dues, a willingness to accept less money in exchange for a greater quality of life." - Dave Stubbs















Taking The "Habitants" Out Of Canadiens - National Post / Faceoff.com

"The team's monopoly on the best Quebecers ended with expansion in 1967, but in the following decades the team still landed homegrown stars like Guy Lafleur and Patrick Roy. When the Canadiens last won the Cup in 1993, Guy Carbonneau was their captain, Roy was in goal and Vincent Damphousse was their leading scorer. Sixteen players --almost half the roster -- were French-Canadian." - Graeme Hamilton

Debunking The French Canadien Territorial Rule Myth - Eyes On The Prize

It Sure Wasn't Hard Becoming A Habs Fan - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"I’m asked from time to time why I cheer for the Habs and not the Toronto Maple Leafs, seeing that I grew up only an hour north of Toronto, in Orillia. The answer’s easy. The Montreal Canadiens were a gift from my dad." - Dennis Kane

To Sit Or Not To Sit - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"I love this year's edition of Alex Kovalev. The temptation to compare him to some kind of machine is almost irresistible when trying to describe his play. But how do you combine the power of a locomotive, the manouverability of a fighter jet and the brains of Deep Blue?" - J.T.

Champagne For The Regular Season Finale - Four Habs Fans
























Pour conclure en beauté - RDS

"Dans les filets, le Canadien enverra le jeune Carey Price qui pourrait brouiller les cartes dans la course au trophée Calder, remis à la recrue par excellence. Aucun joueur du Canadien n'a mis la main sur ce trophée depuis Ken Dryden en 1972."

Le CH au Stade Molson? - RDS

"Selon `La Presse', la rencontre, qui opposerait possiblement le Tricolore aux Rangers de New York, aurait lieu le 22 janvier, soit 3 jours avant le match des Etoiles, également présenté à Montréal en 2009, dans le cadre des festivités du 100e anniversaire de l'équipe."

Komisarek sur le voie du retour - RDS

"Les nouvelles sont encourageantes pour Mike Komisarek, qui a participé à un premier entraînement complet vendredi."

La frénésie des séries s'approche de Montréal - La Presse

"Mon père Vyacheslav a assisté au match de jeudi et, avant la rencontre, il se demandait d'où sortaient tous ces drapeaux du Canadien", a raconté Alex Kovalev. Il était vraiment excité pour ce premier match. - Marc Antoine Godin

Kovalev: "Je ne fais que mon travail" - La Presse

"Cette année, je peux compter sur les doigts d'une main les matchs où il n'a pas joué à un haut niveau", a dit Guy Carbonneau, peu après que Kovalev eut été confirmé joueur de l'année chez le Canadien grâce à toutes les étoiles qui emplissent sa Coupe Molson. - Marc Antoine Godin


















Max Pacioretty chez les pros dès septembre? - La Presse

"Pacioretty, 6 pieds 2 pouces et 203 livres, progresse à ce point qu'il pourrait bien entamer sa carrière chez les professionnels dès septembre prochain, après seulement un an dans la NCAA. "Physiquement, il pourrait être prêt, confie le directeur du recrutement Trevor Timmins, qui l'a vu à l'oeuvre la semaine dernière. Il a déjà un style adapté aux rangs professionnels; il est costaud, il est fort, il frappe, c'est le prototype parfait de l'attaquant de puissance. Nous n'avons pas encore pris de décision à ce sujet. Nous allons d'abord lui laisser terminer sa saison puis nous en discuterons avec Bob Gainey." - Mathias Brunet

Le Canadien ajoute du muscle: Stewart jouera - Le Journal

"Dans le dernier droit de la saison, un gars de ce genre peut se révéler important et on veut voir comment Stewart va se comporter", a indiqué Guy Carbonneau.

"Je veut rester à Montréal": Mark Streit - Le Journal

"Présentement, Streit constitue l'une des plus belles - sinon la plus belle - aubaines de la LNH. Il ne touche que 600 000 $, ce qui est bien peu pour un joueur capable d'exceller en défense, de dépanner dans un rôle d'attaquant et d'animer la meilleure attaque à cinq de la LNH." - Martin Leclerc

Pas de retraite fermée - Le Journal

"La direction du Canadien n'a pas l'intention d'imposer une retraite fermée à ses joueurs pour toute la durée de leur aventure en séries éliminatoires, mais elle prendra tout de même des mesures pour que cette période se vive en équipe et que les vétérans puissent transmettre leur expérience aux plus jeunes." - Martin Leclerc
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