Canadiens Get On Track With 60 Minute Effort

Last night's 4-0 whitewash of the Ottawa Senators was just what the doctor ordered!

There were several key plays, great performances, and turning points in the game, but stood out most was that the game was a unified effort in which every Hab showed up to play.

None of us could ever know, but it is possible this game might have been won starting with a team meeting called on Monday prior to practice.

It was no secret that despite getting off to a 8-2-2 start that the Canadiens were playing some sloppy brand of hockey. It all caught up to them the past weekend. The meeting called by the coaching staff surely caught the club off guard, and for the moment it seems as though it has served to bring all on board back down to the ground.

What the players offered last night was a true measure of the character of the team - it was a character win.

The Canadiens grabbed the lead, held it, kept the Senators scoring chances to a minimum, and capitalized on the mistakes they forced. They had many great scoring chances, but took less risks offensively, and never allowed Ottawa into the game.

























Carey Price, in registering his first shutout of the season, was not overworked. It is a testament to the team effort that all he needed to be in this one was solid and not neccessarily spectacular.

It was also heartwarming to see a couple of players who had been squeezing their sticks tightly of late hit the scoresheet. It was a breakout effort for Chris Higgins, who always seems to create more chances than he can capitalize on. The most curious part of his night, were that all three goals were untypical of his play. He seemed invisible to Senators all evening, coming out of nowhere to net a hat trick, unsuspectingly.

As good as Higgins performed, he might not have been the best Canadiens player on the ice.

Saku Koivu and Tomas Plekanec had a few good scoring chances during the game, but their best work came in shutting down Jason Spezza, who wasn't a threat by any means in this game. Of course, Spezza often makes it easy on other centres by being easily outworked on all 200 feet of ice.





















The Senators Dany Heatly should see Mike Komisarek in his nightmares for a spell. The Canadiens big defenseman was on his case every time he entered the Canadiens zone. Komisarek seemed on a mission to make Heatly come unglued.

The steadying influence of Roman Hamrlik is unfortunately more evident when he is missed. Not as obvious tonight was the fact that the Canadiens defenseman played their game, and gave the Ottawa forwards practically no clear paths to the net. In consequence to Hamrlik's return, Ryan O' Byrne might have had his best game of the season so far. His did make one near fatal boob, when he pinched, allowing a Heatley breakaway, but his blunders were kept to a minimum and his patience and poise were returned to his game.






















Another point of note, is that the Plekanec and Kovalev penalty killing duo is gaining some grit. The had the Senators power play unit - their most devastating asset - off balance all game.

Kovalev's performances are often measured on the scoresheet, but he put in a great effort on a night when his offensive contributions weren't as badly needed. He had all kinds of puck possession time that translated into chances in this game. He did everything but capitalize.

The effort by the entire team was a timely one. It helps in part remove some of the doubt that may have seeped in from a string of horrid showings of late. With a trip to Boston up next, they might need to be even better on Thursday.

Photos courtesy of Habs Inside Out / The Montreal Gazette / Peter McCabe

Should The Habs Go For Broke?

We've passed 10% mark of the season and our team is 8-1-1. Despite this great start out of the gates, I still think we're capable of playing better. Do I mean 10-0-0? Of course not. Even the great Canadiens team of 1976-1977 lost a couple games despite having nine future Hall of Famers in their lineup.

What I'm looking for is for the team to play some a solid 60 minutes every night for a least a few games in succession. And that is admitted picking of nits on my part, as I'm optimistc that will come in time as the team is young and is gelling with new players in the lineup (Tanguay, Lang, Laraque). Overall, I'm pleased with the team and don't see the need for any major changes. I think a couple of players are capable of stepping it up (Kovalev, Plekanec, A. Kostitsyn, Higgins, O'Byrne) but if the Islanders game was any indication that may no longer be an issue. Well, at least the forwards.





















Recently at the Habs Inside/Out Summit, it was brought up that we might need a solid 4th man on defence, as O'Byrne is taking longer to develop and Brisebois, Bouillon, Gorges are not capable (each for their own reasons) to take that slot yet. Or ever. It was also suggested that one can never have enough offence, so a player like Gaborik would be a great addition too.

Naturally, this is all hypothetical but as this blog is focussed on the discussion of all things Montreal Canadiens here is a perspective from the peanut gallery. The question is whether Bob Gainey would pull a blockbuster trade to get a Marian Gaborik type of forward or Jay Boumeester type of defenceman? There are really two ways to look at this kind of scenario:

OPTION 1: Go for broke. It's our centennial season and we have to win a cup this decade. Roll the dice at the trade deadline and trade from your stable of prospects and young players for a key player who would hopefully help you win a Stanley Cup. The last decade or so has been painful and only recently do we seem to have recovered from the horrible hangover that was due to the destructive Rejean Houle / Mario Tremblay duo.

Ultimately, Monsieur Gaborik and Monsieur Boumeester are all UFA's at the end of the year, so in all likelihood we will lose them in the off season like Pittsburgh did with Hossa last year, if we pulled the trigger on a deal for them.

Was the Hossa trade a failure for Pittsburgh?

Any trade must be evaluated from a short term and long term perspective. From a long term perspective it was a failure, as Hossa is no spring chicken and he left for Detroit after a long (albeit singular) playoff run. From a short term perspective, I believe the Penguins failed as well. They did reach the Stanley Cup finals, but that was just short of their ultimate goal, and subsequently they lost Hossa as a UFA. They came close, but close only counts in horseshoes and things that go boom.

So for a run to the Stanley Cup finals, the Penguins lost Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito and a draft pick and ended up this season with Pascal Dupuis.

Was that worth it?

Well, with all due respect to Mr. Dupuis, I don't think so. Granted, the Penguins managed to weather the loss of all those players plus others who became UFAs (Gary Roberts, Georges Laraque, Ryan Malone, Mark Recchi) at season end because the have a core group of NHL superstars such as Crosby, Malkin, Stall and Fleury. But one can't help but think the Penguins would be even stronger this season if they hadn't made that trade.

As a Canadiens fan, I'm thrilled Pittsburgh made that trade.

OPTION 2: Keep your gunpowder dry. Bob Gainey could elect to do nothing so far, given the 8-1-1 record.

However, the Habs have a ton of players who will be UFAs next year such as Koivu, Kovalev, Tanguay, Komisarek, Dandenault, Begin and Bouillon. Not to mention Higgins and Plekanec are becoming RFAs. As much as we would like it, we are not going to keep all of them considering we have only $1M or so in free cap space this year.

Mike Komisarek is in line for a big raise, which you could probably offset with the departures of Dandenault, Begin and Bouillon plus change, provided his agent doesn't get greedy and he doesn't wish for a return to the NY area. One would be very naive not to think that the Rangers, Islanders and Devils will all make a serious run to sign him if afforded the opportunity. If we signed Komisarek for $5M per season, I think that would be a steal. He's big, he's tough, he's mean and he's a leader. It's been years since we have had someone on defence like him, but I digress.

Beyond our big beheamouth on defence, it really depends if we could convince Koivu, Kovalev and Tanguay to stay for another tour of duty. They are all key components and hopefully they will give us a hometown discount, but one never knows.

Koivu is a winner and has a lot of pride. If he didn't win the Stanley Cup this season and wanted to try his chances with another team I wouldn't fault him after playing on so many horrible Habs teams.

Tanguay is a magnificent player to watch, but let's see how a full season in the spotlight as a francophone player in la Belle Province will treat him. I'm skeptical when you have lunatics like the gang on 110% from TQS screaming on the airwaves every night, or being stalked all the way into the hospital by those sleazebags from the Journal de Montreal.

With Kovalev, I think we have the best chance of resigning him as he has indicated he wants to stay in Montreal, and he would be a good player for all our young Russian players and prospects. Hopefully we can go three for three but who knows?

Lastly, we better hope that a team like Edmonton doesn't make a run at Higgins or Plekanec like they did with Thomas Vanek or Dustin Penner a couple years ago. We then either lose the RFA player in exchange for some draft picks or we have to match the salary offer and then our cap situation is screwed. Another difficult factor is if the Canadian dollar continues its downward spiral. We pay our contracts in U.S. dollars and our revenues are in Canadian currency.

In light of these various free agent question marks, I think there could be some significant turnover. Therefore, that is where our prospects will be extremely important, as they can help fill potential gaps. Even if Gainey rolled the dice and made a run this year, I don't think it should be made simply on sentimental reasons because its our 100th anniversary, but rather because its the right business move to make for the team.

I realize this may generate some criticism from mes confreres/consoeurs, but I think our biggest advantage is the depth we have developed in the quality and quantity of prospects we have.

Lastly, I find Montreal Canadien fans live in a fantasy world sometimes.
Just because you can pull off a trade on NHL 2008 on your Xbox doesn't mean Bob Gainey can pull it off in real life. Therefore a potential Dandenault, Chipchura, Boullion trade for Boumeester is never going to happen. You have to put yourself in the position of the opposing General Manager.

I was the Florida Panthers GM Jacques Martin, and the phone rang with Bob on the other end and he wants to land your top defenceman, you tell him that you want Chris Higgins or Max Pacioretty AND Ryan McDonough AND Jaroslav Halak AND a 1st or 2nd round pick.

You may not get it, but you definitely ask for it. If the situation was reversed, I'd expect Bob to do the exact same thing.

So at the end of the day, unless Bob Gainey can pull another Alex Kovalev for Josef Balej and draft pick type of trade, we sit and hold with the cards we have.
Candidly, I like our hand both for this round, but the next one as well.
Photos of the Montreal Canadiens courtesy of Habs Inside Out.

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Komisarek Grounded In The Present

Article translated from Marc de Foy's column in today's Le Journal.

Mike Komisarek understands what a long, difficult road it is to the Stanley Cup.

Hopes are high in Montreal in this centennial season. In many a mind, it's the Cup or nothing this time around. When asked if the players share this sentiment, Komisarek place things in perspective.

"At the beginning of each season, every team believes it can win the Cup", Komisarek said. "But in the end, only one team gets there. Last season it was Detroit and we want to be that team this year."

All hopes are legitimate, but winning the Cup requires a great deal of sacrifice and focus.
Without taking away anything from the Canadiens, they are a club that few saw in their Crystal ball one year ago, when it comes to aspiring to the Cup this season.

With the city of Montreal being what it is in terms of hockey madness, one senses a completely different atmosphere this time around.

Komisarek was asked if the Canadiens were ready to take the next step.

"New players have been brought into the team", he began, "They will need to be incorporated and integrated into the team. We must make them feel part of the team. We form a good club with several big time players."

"We can incorporate those new players into the team, but everyone must work as a team. Everything needs to fall in place at the right moment."


























On a personal note, Komisarek is another of many players on the team whose contract runs out at season's end. As a potential free agent without compensation, many fans of the big defenseman feel the Canadiens must settle his contract question as soon as possible.

If Canadiens management feel the same way, they will look to get Komisarek under contract before he's available to the highest bidder.

"I'll think about that contract once the time comes", says Komisarek. "My job for now is to report to my team in the best shape possible."

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Will Latendresse Now Be Called Roadrunner....and more camp news

Last week at this site, I had an overwhelming reponse to a piece entitled "Adjusting Latendresse". The pro Gui rant hammered out in frustration to his naysayers received the largest one day traffic hit this site has seen since it's inception.

What I enjoyed most though, were the many returning positive comments from readers who "got it". The piece also made its way to several message boards where, and the response there wasn't the usual snarly remarks either.

Makes me hope that the kid turns some heads this season, and has a strong campaign.

If his first few days at camp are any indication, he's grooved into the right track.

Why do I like Latendresse so much?

It has all to do with the package between his ears.

The kid is grounded and has a great understanding of his environment. He gets it, that he is under a spotlight on a constant basis in Montreal, and despite whatever one's misgivings about him as a player, he works very hard on different aspects of his game.

In the media scrum that is Montreal, it is tough for players to give special attention to fans, but I have read it on more than one occasion that when Lats is on the road, and sees fans wearing his jersey, he makes a beeline for them as soon as he's able. That's called class, folks.

There has been much written about the effort Guillaume has put in this summer to improve his skating. He's trained hard over the past couple of months in order to show up for camp in the best shape possible, and by all accounts the sweat has been worth it. Working out with skating specialist Paul Lawson, the big winger has not only impressed so far, he has in fact floored team mates at observers with great showing in tested drills. Teammate Francis Bouillon stated yesterday that Latendresse finished near the top, after being one of the slower (okay, slowest!) Habs last season.

On Guillaume's mind yesterday, was a thought offered to one journalist: "Wouldn't it be wonderful to play my whole career in Montreal?"

That's why I like this kid's thinking!

EXCITED TO BE A MONTREAL CANADIEN MUCH!

Speaking strictly for myself, the tone of this traing camp was set the moment I read that newcomer Robert Lang, upon being traded to the Canadiens a week ago Friday, hopped in his car, equipement packed in the trunk, and drove 12 hours from Chicago to Montreal.





















Once in town, Lang seemed to enjoy having 57 microphones thrust in his face, and his first juicy quote came when the name of the forever indecisive Mats Sundin was dropped.

"Good for me, too bad for Mats!"

It must be said that Lang's refreshing attitude and enthusiasm are a 180 degree, diametrically opposite reponse to the slow to get it Swede.

I admit, I wasn't too sold on Lang at first, but now I am quite pumped to see this guy play.

Players bristling with anticipation is contagious. I've rarely seen such a fever pitch for a training camp.

This Habs Inside Out clip does not contain the quote in question, but Lang is clearly juiced about the hold Habs fans have on their team.


Untitled from Habsinsideout on Vimeo.

KOMISAREK THE NEXT CAPTAIN?

RDS is reporting that the Canadiens training camp guide cover might just a peek into the future. Featured on the front page are three captains - two former and one current, namely Jean Beliveau, Serge Savard and Saku Koivu. At the top of the page sits a photo of Mike Komisarek, a not so subtle hint perhaps.

No word yet that Komisarek, an American of Polish descent, is enrolled in french classes at McGill.

KOVY PRIMED AGAIN

It seems that the Canadien off season orders from trainer Scott Livingstone have been followed and are paying great dividends. Alex Kovalev has dropped a dozen pounds in an effort to keep up with young guns. Kovy says that the Russians felt that his speed and quickness again, were not up to par.





















I like the idea of the Russian team pissing Kovalev off at the end of every season. If this latest slag motivates him as much as it did last season, we're all in for a treat. If AK27 had his way, the season would start today.

Good news, bad news was the revelation that Carey Price was overweight last season, and not by a little either. Having dropped close to 20 pounds for this camp, the notion gives much credence to reports he was pooped in last seasons playoffs.

THE PIPELINE OF PROSPECTS NEVER ENDS

I had to crack a big smile this morning, when I ventured over to Habs blogger Dennis Kane's site. Kane is one of the few good guy Habs fans online who is older than I, and his off beat tales of all things Canadiens never fail to both educate and enlighten me daily.

His latest post, is a preview of the Habs draft choices for 2027! Check it out.

Dennis lives on the west coast, a true Habs fan who never lost his roots. When I think of how much the Canadiens are loved across this country, I think of Dennis as proof posive the Habs are this country's team, from sea to sea.
















CAPTAIN KOIVU BRIMMING

Perhaps the best notion that we fans are about to go on one sweat ride this season, is Canadiens captain Koivu's uncharacteristic and unbridled assessment of the team this season.

In an interview posted at TSN yesterday, Koivu spoke about what it feels like this time around in Montreal, as opposed to previous seasons.

''When I first came here, my first two years, we had a pretty good team on paper and on the ice,'' he said. ''But this one, I think, has more youth, has more potential, and I think it's better. This is the best team in a long, long time that I think the Montreal Canadiens have had.''

I don't know about you, but my life will never be complete without seeing this gutsy warrior hoist that big silver Stanley over his head.

Feeling it could be coming this year is bliss!

Was Habs KO Win Over Flyers A Ghostly Voodoo Thing?

I like the insinuation the letters K and O have - Knock Out - as in knockout punch!

What follows here, is just some simple fun with letters, numbers, and coincidence, which may or may not mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. I guess that is for readers to decide.

Here's a little segueway into why things that weird me out are captivating my attention lately.

Truthfully, I don't put a whole lot of stock or faith into such things as karma and luck. Things happen by coincidence and I figure that's it and that's all when it comes to those weirdities. Like 15 years ago when I found a rusted horseshoe and nailed it to my shed door and won big money in different forms for three straight days.

Coincidence.

Like my father in law asking me to pick him up after he has dropped his car off at a garage just two days ago for only the third time since I married his daughter 16 years ago, and along the way getting a traffic violation ticket each time.

Coincidence.

Like yesterday, when I rose from the throne thinking about a friend I hadn't seen in months and walking downstairs only to see him walking up the front steps to my house.

Coincidence.

Faith healers are money grabbers. Fortune tellers are transparent flakes. Snake oil is the sister of greed is the mother of invention is the root of all evil.

In short, I don't buy anything I cannot logically understand. But like many people, I allow the questions regarding coincidence to captivate me once in a while.














Now back to last night's game.

The Canadiens have six players whose surnames begin with K and O, Komisarek, Kovalev, Koivu, Kostopoulos, and the Kostitsyn brothers.

The KO's dominanted the entirety of the scoresheet in the win over the Flyers from start to finish.

So I get to thinking...

After the Flyers were up 2 zip, the Habs Andrei KO misses on a penalty shot, but redeems himself by scoring the Canadiens first goal, assisted by Sergei KO.

Sergei KO then takes a penalty, followed by Mike KO, and while he was in the box, Alex KO tied the game, assisted by Tomas Plekanec, whose name doesn't start with, but whose full name includes, the letters K and O.

With a little less than 2 minutes to go in the second period, Mike KO visits the sin bin once more, and the Flyers scored the go ahead goal early in the third at the 19 second mark.

Alex KO tied the game up with 29 seconds left, assisted by Saku KO.

Meanwhile, I'm noticing all of these KO's while checking NHL.com between periods for goals and assists because I'm in a hockey pool (which also includes the letters K and O), and I see that there is still one KO to go.

So me thinks that "wouldn't it be cool if, in overtime...."

BIngo!

Tommy KO!















I always have fun with things like this but it's usually to do with numbers.

Things like the KO brothers, Sergei and Andrei scoring the first two goals of the Bruins series 2:02 into game 1, and the bookending the series by each scoring in the final 2:02 of game 7.

That's kinda deja voodoo weird when you thing about it!

It gets stranger!

The goal scorers for the Canadiens in game 1 against Boston were Sergei KO, Andrei KO, Tommy KO, and Bryan SmOlinsKi. Three other types of KO's figured in on the assists, and Mike KO had 2 penalties in that game as well, with the other going to Andrei MarKOv.

In game 7 against the Bruins, other than the KO brothers scoring - 2 for Andrei KO, 1 for Sergei KO - things got started with a rare goal by Mike KO.

I'm not sure if there is a word for the coincidence of letters turning up timely and appropriately - maybe it's synchroalphabeticism or something - but it can't be any weirder than all that numerology stuff.






















Last night, the Canadiens scored their first two goals at the 9 and 16 minute marks of the the second period. Not exactly on :00 minute mark, but I digress.

9 and 16 are the numbers belonging to the great Richard brothers, hung high in the rafters of the Bell Centre. So you could believe that a theme has presented itself - scoring goals in the number minute's of retired jersey numbers.

The Flyers scored their third period go ahead goal, that should never have counted to start with, at the 19 second mark. Now 19 is Larry Robinson's number, which of course hangs alongside the Richards numbers up by that hallowed ceiling under which the Flyers are about to be doomed.

Larry Robinson scored his first career playoff goal, and I believe only overtime goal against the Flyers in 1973.

Late in the 3rd period, with Carey Price, who wears number 31, sitting on the bench, the Canadiens even the score.

Alex KO from Saku KO.

Time of the goal - 19:31! Robinson's number and Carey Price's number.

Seconds left in the game? 29, Ken Dryden's number.

Last two numbers hung to the rafters prior to current GM Bob Gainey's 23. Robinson's and Dryden's.

And some say the ghosts haven't moved from the Forum to the Bell!

Tommy KO's OT goal came at a brisk 48 seconds into overtime.

Now who just happened to wear that jersey number in this game. Well, none other than the Flyers Daniel Briere, who shunned the Habs off season free agent offer to him because he felt Philly were a stronger team.

Flyers score 19 seconds into the 3rd, Habs evenit with 29 ticks to go. Add 19 and 29!

What is it they sometimes say payback is?

Now I have mentioned Dryden and Price's jersey numbers in all this weirdness, but not Patrick Roy's.

Price has been compared to both these Hall Of Fame netminders, an almost unfair burden considering the expectations heaped upon him.

Carey Price could have been handed any goalie type number, such as 30 or 35, but he accepted the 31 he was handed at first training camp two seasons ago.

The odd thing is, if you add the numbers of Dryden, Roy, and Price ( 29+33+31 ) the sum equals the last year, 93, that the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.

That's enough weird for me in one day.
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Habs For Breakfast - Calling Habs In Five!

Maybe after 19 years, the Flyers will finally shake hands with the Canadiens?

In 1989, the last time these two teams met, the six game series that the Canadiens won ended without handshakes due to a game ending melee brought on by by Ron Hextall's mugging of Chris Chelios.

I'm not expecting anything different this time from the Flyers, whose game plans rarely include beating opponents by simply playing hockey.

Philadelphia can throw all the heat and physical beating they wish to at Montreal, it won't work.
It never has. It never will. It won't this time.

While the Flyers do have a decent offense, they have a slow footed defense, and a goalie who can only rise to it every second game.

What I'm saying here is, Habs in five, without a shred of overconfidence.

I don't even think I'm going out on a limb.

I've been wrong before, but I'm less worried by the Flyers than I was of a Bruins team the Habs ate all year long.

Canadiens Vow They Won't Repeat Mistake By Taking Flyers Lightly - CP

"It was only four games and they were so spread out," Higgins said Wednesday as the Canadiens returned to practice after a day off. "We might have just caught them at difficult stages of the season. They're a good team and they have good forwards. And with what happened the last series, I don't think we'll take anyone lightly from now on."

Habs Dominated Flyers During Regular Season - Globe Sports

"The Flyers not only lost all four regular-season meetings to the Canadiens, by a combined score of 15-6, but also Brière was abused by the Montreal faithful at the Bell Centre because he spurned a lucrative free-agent deal to sign with the Habs last summer. Brière had one measly assist in his two games in Montreal and only one more helper in the two defeats to the Canadiens in Philadelphia." - Tim Wharnsby























Price Ready For Traffic - Sun Media

"The traffic is just a logjam in front of the net. That's the way goals are going to be scored in the later rounds. There's going to be a lot of pushing and shoving and garbage around the net. It's not my job to be pushing guys around in front of the net. I don't concern myself at all. It doesn't bother me one bit." - Chris Stevenson

Demers: "Great Playoff Goalies Make Coaches Look Great" - USA Today

"Just look at Monday's Game 7 of the Montreal Canadiens-Boston Bruins series. The Bruins came out and bombarded 20-year-old Carey Price left, right and center and he just made the big saves and shut the door. Then the Canadiens got a break and boom, they're on their way to a win." - Jacques Demers

Flyer's Briere Replaces Chara As Public Enemy Number 1 - Gazette

"There's a very good reason for Canadiens fans to loathe Daniel Brière - and it's not because he spurned Montreal's courtship last July and signed an eight-year, $52-million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. It's because Brière blithely flipped the final puck used during Carey Price's first NHL shutout into the Bell Centre stands on Feb. 16. Even for a non-collector like Price, the vulcanized souvenir from this milestone is a keeper. And even if Brière didn't realize the significance of the Canadien rookie's 34-save effort that night, he did a very bad thing." - ave Stubbs

Being Only Canadian Team Left In Playoffs Great Motivation For Habs - Gazette

"What the Canadiens also have going for them is that following the elimination of the Calgary Flames, they're the only Canadian team still alive chasing the Stanley Cup. Know something? It's easy to imagine Carbo (when does this guy get his contract extension?) using that fact as a rallying cry for his team." - Red Fisher

Pulling Your Leg - Gazette

"Carey Price was the last player to face the media after practice Wednesday, but the rookie goaltender had a good excuse. "I was getting treatment on my broken leg," Price explained with a smile. "But it's okay, it's just a hairline (fracture)." - Pat Hickey


















Get Your Hate On - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"I'm not a Daniel Briere fan, and I didn't want Gainey to sign him in Montreal for outrageous sums of money. In fact, I was very worried that the offer was on the table and very relieved when he went to Philly instead. I think that worked out just fine for Montreal, which finished in a better position than the Flyers and still has that money in the bank as well. However, I hate that Briere said he chose Philly because he had a better chance of winning with them. Come on...there is such a thing as diplomacy." - J.T.

Universal Inspiration - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"Remember when you were a kid, and you thought you could really influence whether the Habs won or not? If you wore your special sweater for every game without exception or wished on your birthday candles, the Habs would do well. And everything reminded you of them." - J.T.

Bring On The Broad Street Broads - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Daniel Briere didn’t want the pressure that goes with being a Montreal Canadien, so he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers instead. This young French Canadian star would have been a huge hero in Quebec. He would have been a star in the kingdome of hockey, Montreal. If he had a great seven years or so with the Habs, he’d be treated as royalty there for the rest of his life." - Dennis Kane

Le CH prêt à jouer robuste - RDS

"La saison régulière ne veut plus rien dire, a rappelé Saku Koivu. Les équipes sont bien différentes en séries. Le niveau d'intensité est plus élevé. On l'a bien vu dans la série Washington-Philadelphie." Le capitaine est convaincu que les Flyers aborderont la série dans le même état d'esprit. "On connait tous leur style. Ils sont robustes et ils terminent leurs mises en échec. On sait très bien à quoi s'attendre. Mais on sera prêts", a-t-il promis."

Gros Défi Pour Les Flyers - RDS

"J'ai joué quelques fois contre les frères Kostitsyn et ils sont très habiles, a dit Carter. Ils contrôlent très bien la rondelle et ils savent quoi faire avec. Ils tournent, tournent et essaient de fabriquer des jeux. Nous devrons les suivre de près et leur enlever le plus d'espace possible. La série contre les Capitals a été un grand défi pour moi et ça va m'aider pour les prochaines séries."



















Biron: "J'ai vraiment hâte!" - La Presse

"Hier soir, en revenant de Washington, des partisans nous attendaient à la gare. Ils fêtaient notre victoire comme j'allais fêter les retours des Nordiques à l'aéroport après les victoires contre le Canadien." - François Gagnon

Brière: "J'espère qu'ils me hueront" - La Presse

"Ça n'a rien à voir. J'ai croisé le Canadien alors que je me trouvais au milieu d'un gros creux de vague. Un creux de deux mois au cours duquel je jouais du mauvais hockey. Je suis le premier à l'admettre quand je ne joue pas bien. Cette période particulièrement difficile a coïncidé avec deux ou trois matchs contre Montréal." - François Gagnon

Brière: la vraie histoire - La Presse

"Que s'est-il passé pendant cette demi-heure où tout a basculé? Mon confrère Mathias Brunet a soutenu que c'était une ultime demande de Brière de jouer comme premier centre de l'équipe qui avait fait changer sa décision en faveur de Philadelphie. Affirmation qui a fait bondir Pierre Boivin à l'époque et provoqué une véritable tempête dans l'organisation et dans les médias." - Réjean Tremblay

"Plus dur que contre les Capitals" - Le Journal

"Ce ne sera pas facile, a concédé Brière. Par contre, nous sommes sur une lancée et en confiance. Quand on gagne un septième match (3 à 2, lundi) en prolongation, tout le monde est excité. On espère que cette poussée d'adrénaline va nous permettre de passer au travers de ce premier match." - François Foisy

"Le jeu sera encore plus rude": Komisarek - Le Journal

"Il sera important d'être bien positionnés en zone défensive pour contrer les efforts de leurs attaquants, a-t-il ajouté. Il faudra leur compliquer la tâche, tout en évitant de se retrouver au banc des pénalités. Il sera important aussi de s'assurer que Carey (Price) puisse bien voir bien les rondelles." - Pierre Durocher

Retrouvailles 19 ans plus tard - Le Journal

"Ça fait 19 ans que le Canadien et les Flyers ne se sont pas retrouvés dans les séries éliminatoires. En 1989, Guy Carbonneau avait aidé le Tricolore à battre les Flyers en six matchs. Le jeu avait été très rude et la série s'était terminée par une mêlée générale." - Pierre Durocher

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal.
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Habs For Breakfast - Next!

Great game by the Habs, no life shortening 3rd period drama, awesome goaltending, and a whole 8 points in my playoff pool thanks to Carey and the Kostitsyn's.

Very reassuring and comforting to see the boys bring it when it was needing most!

Unsung Habs heroes of the night were Streit and Begin - a guy a like to refer to as the team's captain without a "C". Chara might have been playing with a bad elbow, but Bégin wouldn't be slowed by a cracked skull!

Hopefully downtown Montreal isn't in too bad a shape this morning!

Maybe Carey should go on CJAD and CKAC and tell fans to "Cool it!" Coming from him,it would make some sense and maybe have an effect next round!

For a good laugh, listen to what Higgins has to say about Carey at this HIO audio link!

VICTORIOUS! - Gazette

"So, Carey Price, surely you tossed and turned on the eve of the most important hockey game of your young professional career? "No," the 20-year-old rookie goaltender said, shrugging. "I slept like a housecat." With Price purring along to his second shutout in six nights and his teammates firing on all cylinders, the Canadiens last night took a stride deeper into Montreal spring, advancing to the NHL's Eastern Conference semifinals with a 5-0 victory over the Boston Bruins." - Dave Stubbs

Habs Saved The Best For Last - Gazette

"On a night following a sun-splashed spring day, the Canadiens finally got what they desperately needed from their best players: their best. "Carey! Carey! Carey!" was the frequent chant throughout this 5-0 victory - the goalie's second in the series." - Red Fisher























Kostitsyn's Lead Scoring Parade - Gazette

"Tomas Plekanec said there were times when he felt left out while playing with brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn. "It seems they have a way of finding each other," Plekanec said. "They talk to each other and then it seems they find a way to do something on the ice. Sometimes, I think they don't need me out there but I don't care as long they score goals." And that they did last night. Andrei scored two goals and set up Sergei for a third as the Canadiens wrapped up their best-of-seven quarterfinal series against the Bruins with a 5-0 victory." - pat Hickey

Habs Close To Perfection - Gazette

"The Canadiens just got better as the game went on. They had more hits than the Bruins; they had more blocked shots. They won more facefoffs and they had more shots on goal. Most importantly, they scored more goals." - Pat Hickey

Canadiens Dominate Bruins In Game 7 - TSN

"Some time in the second or third game we got away from our style," said Kovalev, who had a pair of assists. "They played hard against us and we tried to do the same back to them - maybe to try to show who's stronger. That's not our game. And then it takes a while to get your game back and I think that's why we lost the last two games. But we got it back. Fast-paced hockey for 60 minutes. That's our game."

Canadiens Finally Put Away Bruins - Globe Sports

"The Canadiens deserve credit for returning to their game plan Monday night. They brought their physical side, as they did for the first two games, and they reverted to their blue-collar worth ethic by dumping the puck in deep and using their speed to get to it first." - Tim Wharnsby


















Canadiens Turn Dread Into Cheers - Globe Sports

"Human nature being what it is, they started to count their chickens — not just the fans, but the players as well, who all too obviously relaxed after squeaking by in the fourth game — and then over the course of the weekend, learned an ancient lesson." - Stephen Brunt

Rioting Fans Torch Police Cars - Globe Sports

"Television helicopter footage showed one instance where a pair of vandals on a darkened street set ablaze the interior of a damaged, abandoned police car while a third person recorded the act with his cellphone. A handful of others stood by watching. Police spokeswoman Constable Anie Lemieux could not confirm the number of arrests but several men were taken away in handcuffs, including some wearing Canadiens jerseys who pounded a car with cement blocks. Several stores were also damaged." - Sid Banarjee


















Mission Accomplished - Lions In Winter

"With the game at 1-0 Boston was still very much alive. What the Habs needed was a little insurance and they got it with a spectacular effort from Mark Streit. The Habs were in the midst of a line change when Kovy hit a fresh Max Lapierre with a pass as he entered Boston's zone. Lapierre then dropped it for an equally fresh Streit. Mark then made a great move through the gaping hole in between Chara's legs and he was in alone on Thomas. He pulled off a great move to completely freeze the Boston goalie and then neatly slid the puck 5-hole to send us well on our way." - Tobalev

Montreal Remembers Their Game Just In Time And Puts Stake In Bruins - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Alex Kovalev was flying, so were the guys who had been in a funk - the Kostitsyn’s, Tomas Plekanec, Chris Higgins, Mark Streit, and about ten others. Carey Price, who went from giving up ten goals in two games to none when it counted the most, in game seven, was fabulous, and showed he doesn’t rattle in a pressure cooker." - Dennis Kane

Nearer My God To Thee - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not the breed of Canadiens' fan anyone can accuse of having become complacent about losing. I want a Cup every year. I want it badly. I'm really, really tired of waiting for the franchise to turn around. So, if (when) the Habs bow out, it will hurt. It will burn. Bruins' fans will laugh and TSN panelists and certain unmentionable members of the cast of HNIC will gloat." - J.T.

Elimination Schmelimination - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"So I should have believed last night. Despite the lousy performances in the previous two games, and the fact that the Bruins had imposed their game on the Canadiens for the previous five. I should never have doubted the Habs could pull it together when it really counted." - J.T.

TMS Rants - Four Habs Fans ( Robert L Note: Something every fan needs to read here!)

"Montreal is the greatest city in the world. I'm proud to call this city my home for nearly 40 years. But now we look like idiots to everyone else. So this morning, I am no longer proud. I'm just f*ck*ng embarassed." - Habs Fan29

Au suivant, finalement - RDS

"Cette série s'est terminée de la bonne façon. Mais ce ne fut pas facile, a commenté Saku Koivu. On n'a pas bien joué dans les cinquième et sixième matchs. Les Bruins se sont bien battus pour prolonger la série jusqu'à la limite."

L'union réussie des frères Kostitsyn - RDS

"J'ai appris après l'entraînement du matin qu'on allait jouer ensemble. J'étais très content", a dit Andrei après l'élimination des Bruins. "C'est la première fois qu'on jouait ensemble durant tout un match. Avant, on n'avait fait que quelques présences."


















Streit a l'habitude des matchs sans lendemain - La Presse

"C'est comme ça lorsqu'on joue pour la Suisse", racontait Streit avant le septième match que le Canadien et les Bruins de Boston devaient disputer, lundi soir, au Centre Bell. "Chaque rencontre est très importante. On ne peut se permettre de perdre contre l'Allemagne ou le Bélarus sans risquer la reléguation dans le groupe B."

C'était magique - La Presse

"Les « Olé ! Olé ! Olé » entonnés après les buts de Mike Komisarek, Mark Streit, les deux d’Andrei Kostitsyn et celui de son frère Sergei tout comme les arrêts du jeune Price ont fait vibrer le Centre Bell toute la soirée." - François Gagnon

"Ce gars la est phénoménal": Komisarek - Le Journal

"Price ne cesse de m'impressionner, a commenté Komisarek. Il n'a que 20 ans, mais il joue comme un vétéran de 10 saisons dans la LNH. "On savait qu'il allait rebondir avec une solide performance", a-t-il ajouté. "Il l'a toujours fait depuis le début de sa carrière. Il a démontré beaucoup de caractère."

Bégin: "C'est ça, le Canadien!" - Le Journal

Steve Bégin était bien fier de son équipe et il l'a fait sentir. "C'est un travail d'équipe qui vient d'être réalisé, tous ont bien joué, tous se sont impliqués", a-t-il commencé à dire en affichant un sourire de satisfaction. "Nous n'avons pas donné de chances aux Bruins, parce que nous avons tous fourni un deuxième et un troisième effort." - François Ferland

"L'important c'etait de gagner": Price - Le Journal

"Carey Price a peut-être concédé dix buts lors des cinquième et sixième matchs de la série, mais les deux jeux blancs qu’il a signés auront probablement fait la différence. Mais le principal intéressé ne semble pas trop s’en soucier. "C’est bien beau le jeu blanc, mais l’important c’était de gagner et de passer à la ronde suivante. Une victoire de 10 à 9 aurait fait pareil", affirmait Price le plus calmement du monde après le match. - Charles - André Marchand

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal
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Habs For Breakfast, With A Side Order Of Foul Tasting Bear

Looks like the Bruins aren't willing to play the pushovers everyone assumed they would be. I don't have much to add beyond what I wrote here Saturday night, after it looked like the Habs stole a game. They almost stole one again on Sunday....or we're they robbed?

I guess it would depend on one's point of view.

The Canadiens have to start burrying those scoring chances, because they are diminishing.

The Bruins have managed to implement their trap game with much challenge from the Canadiens speed, and Tim Thomas is playing better with each game. We have ourselves a playoff series folks.

Like the picture above suggests....get out those hard hats boys!

Bruins Strike Back - Gazette

"I came on for the extra skater," Savard said. "Schaefer made a great play for us. He's had a tough go this year but he worked through it. He draws the penalty on the rush and then he set me up. I was yelling at the top of my lungs but I knew he saw me." - Pat Hickey

Habs Better Listen To Wake Up Call - Gazette

"Maybe the Canadiens got the wrong idea about this series during the first two minutes Thursday night, when Sergei and Andrei Kostitsyn pulled off a pair of goals on the first shifts of their first playoff stint, a feat that will never be equalled. Easy? Posh. These Canadiens were going to brush les Broons aside like so many teddy bears." - Jack Todd

Savard Gives Bruins New Life - Globe Sports

"The Canadiens were headed toward the Bruins' end and when it appeared that Steve Begin was about to drift a shot on Boston goaltender Tim Thomas, the Montreal defencemen headed for a line change. But the puck was turned over and the Canadiens were caught. In the attempt to cover up and get into position, Montreal centre Bryan Smolinski was called for a penalty on Schaefer, but the call was delayed because the latter kept the puck alive.'' - Tom Wharnsby

Bruins Climb Back Into Series By Beating Habs In OT - TSN

"It's no secret, we don't have a lot of dancers over here," Savard said, sporting a Bruins hard hat awarded to the team's hardest-working player of the night. "We have to play one way, we're a lunch-bucket team and we proved that tonight. We have to take the body hard and make it hard on their defence going back and create chances off of that. That's what we did."

Habs Fan A Season Ticket Holder For 55 Years - NHL.com

"From the Canadiens string of five straight cups between 1956 and 1960, to the terrifying image of a motionless Lou Fontinato after he crashed head-first into the Forum boards, Larocque has witnessed history time and again for one of the most storied franchises in North American sports."





















Habs Finally Fall To Bruins - Lions In Winter

"The best play I saw tonight by the Habs was the result of a typical Brisebois miscue in which he pinched at the absolute wrong time allowing a 2-on-1 to happen. Breeze-by lived up to his name when a penalty to David Krejci was just ending and he decided to go fishing in the offensive zone. The pass from Kostitsyn went awry and it meant an opportunity opened up for Boston. With so little time left in the game at the time (9 minutes) a goal would have certainly ended it. Price, however, once again bailed out his 'defenceman' and made an incredible save when the Bruin decided to shoot. This play kept us in the game much longer than we actually deserved." - Tobalev

Make Way For Mo - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"The momentum Boston gained from that game...finally seeing their workmanlike, desperate hockey triumph over their regular-season masters...can't be disregarded. They're on a high and they're ready to come out with just as much enthusiasm in game four, only now they have a measure of confidence." - J.T.

Time To Regroup And Get The Power Play Back On Track - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"During the regular season, Montreal’s power play looked like Sophia Loren - beautiful, lovely, graceful, nice to watch. But in this playoff round against the Bruins, Montreal’s power play resembles a drunken Brittany Spears. Kovalev’s overtime goal in game two was a power play goal, but that’s it. The only one in three games."
















"C'était du hockey de séries": Komisarek - La Presse

"On avait l'occasion de les placer dans une situation difficile. On n'a pas réussi même si on s'est bien battu à chacune de nos présences. Ce fut un match âprement disputé", a ajouté le robuste défenseur qui a distribué huit mises en échec.

Des centaines de partisans à Boston - La Presse

"Les joueurs du Canadien ne seront pas entièrement dépaysés lors de leur séjour à Boston. Des dizaines, voire des centaines de partisans de l'équipe ont fait le trajet Montréal-Boston afin d'assister à l'un des deux matchs présentés au TD Banknorth Garden"

Carbo: "On savait bien qu'ils finiraient par nous battre" - La Presse

"Carbo a expliqué que le surnombre qui a mené au but gagnant de Marc Savard était le résultat d'une malchance. Le changement de défenseurs s'est effectué à un moment inopportun et, d'une certaine façon, ça a forcé Bryan Smolinski à commettre une infraction." - Marc Antoine Godin

Partisane du Canadien, elle a ses billets de saison depuis 55 ans - La Presse

"Le femme de petite taille, dont les jambes dépassent à peine de son chandail du Canadien trop grand pour elle, détient des billets de saison depuis 1952. En 55 ans, elle n'a raté qu'une poignée de matchs.'' - Andy Blatchford

Canadien en trois… il faudra recompter! - La Presse

Finalement ma bande de petits comiques, le Canadien ne battra pas les Bruins en trois matchs. Et vous savez quoi? Il ne les battra pas en quatre non plus. Même que s’il dispute d’autres matchs à l’image de celui de dimanche, la série sera pas mal plus longue que les plus pessimistes l’avaient prédit, sans compter que le spectre d’une élimination en première ronde pourrait se pointer le bout du nez. Bon! On ne paniquera pas tout de suite. - François Gagnon

Bégin : "Il faut patiner si on veut gagner" - Le Journal

"Les meilleurs joueurs du Canadien dans cette défaite contre les Bruins ont été fidèles à eux-mêmes du début à la fin de la soirée. Seuls Bryan Smolinki, Steve Bégin, Maxim Lapierre, Mike Komisarek et Carey Price se sont pointés dans le vestiaire après le match." - Marc De Foy

Lapierre: "Les Bruins jouent avec plus de confiance" - Le Journal

"On ne s'attendait pas à gagner la série en quatre matchs, a commenté Maxim Lapierre, l'un des meilleurs attaquants du Canadien. Les deux équipes ont bien joué et la victoire aurait pu aller d'un bord comme de l'autre en prolongation. À vrai dire, les deux équipes méritaient la victoire." - Pierre Durocher

More from La Presse, RDS, and Le Journal
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Habs For Breakfast - March 9, 2008

Baptism Of Fire For Habs Young Guns - Gazette

"There has been a lot of talk about the importance of experience in this series and both teams offer a mix of seasoned veterans and raw rookies. Much has been made of the fact that the Habs have 10 players with no NHL playoff experience and that group includes 20-year-old goaltender Carey Price." - Pat Hickey

Higgins Prepares For Playoffs - Gazette

"A mature voice and a leader in the dressing room and on the ice as an alternate captain, Higgins admits he's hardly the go-to guy for younger players seeking insight into the nuances of the playoffs. He has only six postseason games to his credit, all against the Carolina Hurricanes in 2005-06, scoring once and adding three assists in that series." - Dave Stubbs

Getting Chara Off His Game Key For Habs - Gazette

Chara had a goal, three assists and a minus-6 rating in the Bruins' eight losses to the Canadiens this season. He also had a team-high 31 penalty minutes against Montreal, though that's a misleading statistic; he earned 25 of them on Nov. 17 when he pretty much lost his mind in one incident. But Chara's discipline can be fragile, if not invisible, especially if he's laid into often. Montreal was the NHL's highest-scoring team, with its most prolific power play. The equation, then, is simple: Bruins minus Chara could equal big trouble for Boston." - Dave Stubbs

Coach Julien The Underdog Once Again - Gazette

"The irony isn't lost on Bruins head coach Claude Julien, who finds himself in the same situation he was in 2004 when he coached the Canadiens. The Bruins finished second in the Eastern Conference that year with 104 points, 11 more than the seventh-place Canadiens. The Bruins were heavily favoured in the playoffs, but the Habs won the series in seven." - Pat Hickey

Bleu, Blanc, Rouge In The Red? I Don't Think So! - Gazette

"Multiply the capacity of the 21,273-seat Bell Centre by 41 home games during the 2007-08 season. For purposes of this exercise, we won't count the five exhibition games the Canadiens played at the Bell Centre in September. That works out to 872,193 paid admissions. At an average ticket price of $70, revenue from attendance was $61 million." - Mike Boone

Montreal Going Giddy Over Surprising Habs - TSN

"They captured their fourth straight Cup at a time when winning a championship in Montreal was no more of a spring phenomenon than potholes or drinking beer on a terrace. The mayor could announce that the Stanley Cup parade would be held on the usual route and everyone knew what he meant. Indeed, winning cups were so routine then, Montrealers never even bothered to riot." - Michael Farber

Canadiens Watch: Don't take Bruins Lightly - The Hockey News

"An optimist would say the Montreal Canadiens couldn’t have scripted it better. A pessimist, or at the very least a believer in the law of averages, would say watch out for dropping shoes. The Canadiens have beaten the Boston Bruins in 11 consecutive games. Recent playoff history has seen the Habs push the Bruins from the post-season in 2002 and 2004. Montreal holds an incredible 23-7 playoff series advantage all-time on Boston." - Ryan Dixon

Montreal Aware Of Julien's Resume - Globe Sports

"If the Montreal Canadiens start to feel a little too confident about their first-round playoff matchup against a team they dominated this season, the Boston Bruins, all they have to do is steal a glance at the bald, plump man behind the opposition's bench. Bruins head coach Claude Julien stands as a reminder of how an NHL playoff upset can be pulled off." - Tim Wharnsby

Easily Excited? - Lions In Winter

"It’s really the only sport in town, and in that building the fans get excited and get excited pretty easily." - Claude Julien

A Few Of My Favorite Things - The H Does Not stand For Habs

"Kirk Muller and Claude Julien screaming at each other at the end of a Canadiens' blowout of the Bruins. That was so bloody entertaining. I half expected them to go, and it made me laugh to see Muller so riled up." - J.T.

Here's Hoping The Flames Get Through And Lose To The Habs In The Final - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"If there’s one team I wouldn’t mind seeing come out of the western division in these Stanley Cup playoffs, it would have to be Calgary. Of course, Montreal would take them out quickly and effectively in the finals, but that’s not why I want Calgary. It’s because they were nice to me and a Russian couple a long time ago." - Dennis Kane

Begin prevoit la turbulance - RDS

"Steve Bégin sait qu'il va être un joueur marqué, à compter de jeudi. Le pugnace attaquant du Canadien s'est fait de nombreux ennemis dans le camp des Bruins de Boston, au cours de la saison régulière."

Hamrlik est charmé pat les partisans - RDS

"Ayant connu la fièvre des séries dans les uniformes des Oilers d'Edmonton et des Flames de Calgary, Hamrlik trouve que les amateurs de Montréal sont plus fanatiques que ceux de l'Alberta. "C'est pour le moins particulier ici, a-t-il affirmé, mardi. J'admets que je suis quelque peu surpris. Je ne m'attendais pas réellement à ça. Les amateurs sont plus enthousiastes qu'à Edmonton et à Calgary."

Le Canadien, une equipe trop jeunes? - RDS

"Il y a longtemps qu'on attendait un virage jeunesse à Montréal. Déjà muni de bons jeunes joueurs, le Canadien a décidé de faire confiance à une autre vague de petits nouveaux cette année. L'éclosion des frères Kostitsyn et la tenue du gardien Carey Price devant le filet ont contribué à la saison de rêve du Tricolore."

Le vrai test de Price - La Presse

"Carey Price n'a pas encore disputé un seul match en séries et déjà, Bob Gainey s'est fait demander d'établir un lien entre son jeune gardien et des légendes comme Ken Dryden et Patrick Roy! C'est qu'à l'instar de ces deux grands, Price se voit confier le filet en séries éliminatoires dès sa première saison, et surtout sans avoir amorcé la saison en tant que numéro un." - François Gagnon

Gorges mis K.O. par Gainey - La Presse

"Ma première réaction? Je suis sonné. Vraiment. C’est impressionnant de recevoir un tel compliment de la part de ton patron. Mais quand ton patron s’appelle Bob Gainey, avec tout ce que ce nom évoque, c’est encore plus gratifiant", a lancé Josh Gorges une main sur le front."

Komisarek: "Si Bergeron joue, il doit être conscient de ce qui l'attend" - Le Journal

"Je me prépare moi-même à retourner dans le feu de l'action après avoir subi une blessure», a dit le défenseur, blessé à la hanche après avoir été frappé à répétition par les joueurs des Bruins lors du dernier passage du Tricolore à Boston, il y a près de trois semaines." - Mike Komisarek



O' Byrne du même moule que Price - Le Journal

"Décidément, ils ne sont pas nerveux, les géants de la Colombie-Britannique. Ryan O'Byrne est aussi calme que Carey Price à l'approche de son baptême du feu dans les séries de la coupe Stanley." - Marc De Foy

L'intelligence bien avant la robustesse - Le Journal

"Les propos de Milan Lucic selon lesquels il entend secouer le pommier des joueurs du Canadien n'avaient pas atteint Montréal quand on a rencontré ses éventuelles victimes après la séance d'entraînement d'hier. De toute façon, les joueurs du Tricolore ne s'attendent à rien de moins." - Marc De Foy

Visionaire ou chanceux? - Le Journal

"Il y a plusieurs mois de cela, Pierre Boivin m'avait fait une déclaration que beaucoup de monde, pour une raison assez évidente, avait prise avec un grain de sel. Il n'écartait pas la possibilité que le Canadien profite des fêtes du centenaire, en 2009, pour célébrer sa 25e coupe Stanley." - Bertrand Raymond

More from RDS, La Presse and Le Journal De Montreal
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Habs For Breakfast - April 8, 2008

How's your hockey pools coming?

I joined one last night with 6 people including a girl who chose 6 Ottawa Senators!

Pretty simply rules in this pool: One point for a goal and assist, one point for a shutout, 12 players plus 2 goalies chosen randomly in the draft.

I didn't get too adventurous, except for grabbing my 2 goalies with my first 2 picks!

Here's my guys in order chosen:

Nabokov, Price, Plekanec, Holmstrom, Sykora, A. Kostitsyn, Whitney, Rafalski, Michalek, Malone, Cheechoo, Cleary, Koivu, S. Kostitsyn.

In all 5 Habs, 3 Red Wings, 3 Sharks, and 3 Penguins. You could say I stuck with the favorites!
The Canadiens had by far the most players chosen of the 84 selected - 11, all the way to surprise picks a la Hamrlik and Latendresse. I grabbed captain K with my 13th pick!

If you are into joining a hockey pool, the Habs Inside Out site has one set up - no cost, no prize other than honour, and it is fairly straightforward as far as rules go. Check it out here.

Should be fun stuff!























"Now that we're in the playoffs, our goal is to win the Stanley Cup." - Gazette

"We began in October with 15 Eastern Conference teams and our objective was to make the playoffs, in the best position possible," Gainey said. "Now that we're in the playoffs, our goal is to win the Stanley Cup." And just like that, the genius behind this remarkable Canadiens team turned playoff fever up another few degrees in a civic cauldron that's been on a rolling boil for weeks." - Dave Stubbs

One Step At A Time - Montreal Canadiens.com

"The first half of the season was a matter of preparing our team after having made room for our young players," explained Gainey. "Over the second half of the season, we began to see the results of our efforts and an improvement in our overall play."

Stretch Run Shows Price Is Ready - Gazette

"Price has no playoff experience in the NHL, but Gainey said he sees comparisons between the Price who has posted a 12-3 record down the stretch and the 19-year-old who led Hamilton to the Calder Cup a year ago." - Pat Hickey

Walking Wounded Making Progress - Gazette

"The Canadiens are still hoping to have defenceman Mike Komisarek in the lineup for Game 1 Thursday. He did a lot of hemming and hawing Monday, but his injured hip is on the mend. He still needs clearance from the team doctors, but he appeared to be handling the contact in practice Monday." - Pat Hickey

Gainey revels in young talent, but says veterans will lead Habs in playoffs - CP

Sharks to top Habs in Stanley Cup final, according to EA Sports simulation - NHL.com

Price, Jagr, and Huet named week's 'Three Stars' - NHL.com

Habs Lessons: 2002, 2004, and 2008 - Lions In Winter

"I have nothing against the 2008 Bruins themselves, nor the 2002 Canadiens for that matter. Half the league or more fits into this category. Most Habs teams for the past decade, too. But know this, Bob Gainey has been diligently working and building for 5 seasons since then to make sure we can ice better teams on a consistent basis than the 2002 Canadiens." - Topham

Who Should Win And The Best Things Boston Has Going For Them - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Although Toe Blake said predictions are for gypsies, I’m going to have my say about who I think will win each series. And this isn’t rocket science." - Dennis Kane

Revival In Montreal - Bleacher Report

Bruins' Bergeron cleared for post-season play - CBC Sports























L'objectif de Bob Gainey : gagner la coupe Stanley, rien de moins - CKAC Sports

"Gagner la coupe Stanley, rien de moins. C'est l'objectif de Bob Gainey. Pour y arriver, le Canadien devra miser sur l'expertise de vieux routiers comme Alex Kovalev, Bryan Smolinski, Roman Hamrlik Mathieu Dandeneault et Patrice Brisebois." - Robert Laflamme

Komisarek, Bouillon et Ryder devraient jouer jeudi - La Presse

"Mike Komisarek n'est pas un très bon menteur. Le défenseur du Canadien s'est efforcé d'en dire le moins possible quant à son état de santé, lundi, mais on a pu lire entre les lignes qu'il sera à son poste pour le premier match de la série contre les Bruins de Boston, jeudi." - Robert Laflamme

Gainey vise la Coupe Stanley - La Presse

"Vous (les journalistes) et nos partisans n’aviez pas vu jouer Carey Price l’an dernier dans les séries de la Coupe Calder. Ce n’est pas juste le fait qu’il ait gagné le trophée, mais son attitude qui m’avait convaincu que nous avions sous la main un grand gardien. Le moment était venu de lui donner la place." - Bob Gainey

Carbo croit que les Bruins auront la rage au coeur - La Presse

"C'est le principal aspect (la discipline) sur lequel ils vont mettre l'accent, a-t-il opiné. Historiquement en séries, il y a moins de pénalités parce que les joueurs sont plus soucieux et concentrés. Peu importe le total de jeux de puissance qu'on se verra accorder, ce sera à nous d'imposer notre style et d'exploiter notre vitesse." - Guy Carbonneau

Barbes bleues, blanches et rouge - La Presse

"Même si le port de la barbe et celui d’un masque ne font pas bon ménage, Carey Price suivra la mode. « C’est dur sur le menton et c’est inconfortable à cause des frottements avec l’intérieur du masque. Ça frise la torture par moment, mais je vais suivre la parade." - François Gagnon

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Le Canadien en six - RDS

"Les séries représentent une saison complètement différente et c’est pourquoi je concède deux parties aux Bruins lors de la première ronde, mais je prédis que le Canadien l’emportera en six parties." - Jacques Demers

Conférence de presse de Bob Gainey - RDS

Point de presse de Guy Carbonneau - RDS

L' éffet Kovalev - Le Journal

"Phil Goyette, lui, a surtout insisté sur l'effet Kovalev, qui s'est investi du rôle de leader dès les premiers jours de la saison. "En attaque, il essaie de créer des choses. Il est patient avec la rondelle, il ne s'en débarrasse pas. Kovalev, à cet égard, a donné le ton et les jeunes cherchent à faire comme lui. Au hockey, tu ne donnes pas la rondelle. Et quand tu ne donnes pas la rondelle, tu contrôles le jeu."

Josh Gorges: La plus belle surprise - Le Journal

"Plusieurs jeunes ont su saisir la chance qui leur a été offerte cette saison de jouer régulièrement dans la LNH et Gorges en constitue un bel exemple", a raconté Gainey. "Il voulait obtenir une place dans notre excellent groupe de défenseurs et il a su la mériter en jouant très bien".

Est-ce encore essentiel ? - Le Journal

"Il y a actuellement huit nationalités au sein du Canadien. Cinq de ses sept premiers marqueurs proviennent de pays différents, mais aucun du Canada. La présente situation a incité le quotidien national à poser une question quand même pas banale : est-ce toujours aussi essentiel aux yeux des Québécois qu'il y ait des vedettes locales au sein de l'équipe ? La réponse est facile. Bien sûr que c'est essentiel. Primordial même. Toutefois, si on en juge par le vent de folie qui souffle sur la ville, tant que l'équipe connaîtra du succès, on ressentira moins le besoin de crier à l'injustice." - Bertrand Raymond

More links at Le Journal
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