Carbonneau Sets A Soft Tone

I don't get it! I don't understand why a coach who has just seen his club play its best game of the season two nights earlier frigs with the mentality of his team's fragile psyche by starting his backup goalie in what could have been considered a "gimme game''.

It was repeated over and again and nauseum that the Washington Capitals were missing four starting blueliners and three forwards from their regular roster.

It was a perfect opportunity for coach Carbonneau to infer that you should never take an opponant lightly, start Carey Price as usual, and go for the kill. Keep the flow of momentum building from a strong team win.

But no...what does he do, he lowers the entire guard of the team by playing Jaroslav Halak instead, thus informing the boys that this is in fact a night off. An easy one. Two points bagged at the puck drop.

If one chooses not to believe that players actually think this way, the proof was in the pudding served up tonight. Just look at the results speaking for themselves. In preparing for a game, knowing that the backup is playing, the easy game mindset creeps in slowly but surely. It is especially stupid for a coach to announce which goalie will play two or three games before.

In my thinking, if a coach wants all concerned to be on the attentive, it would be a good policy to simply not announce the starting goalie at all. Keep the players on their tip toes and make the decision just prior to the pre game warmup.

All of this has little to do with what goalie Halak is capable of. He's a decent puck stopper, nothing more and nothing less. But if one chooses to believe Halak is the future tender of the franchise, you are sadly mistaken and misinformed.

Price is the guy. The undisputed number one who should only ever sit when the Habs play non playoff bound teams outside their division. A smart coach lets the standings dictate when a goalie plays and not the schedule. Price should play all games against Northeast division rivals, and all playoff bound teams in the conference. Halak starts against the Atlanta's, Islanders, Panthers and Lightning and their ilk.






















The Capitals lineup includes the NHL's best player in Alexander Ovechkin - enough said!

Come playoff time, Price might face him in up to seven games, so it is crucial that he gets to oppose Ovechkin as often as possible. The Canadiens gain nothing in having Halak face the NHL's best sniper.

That's no brainer number one.

Goalies, it is often said, get on a roll after a strong performance. When they are hot - and Price has been in a zone - they should be played in between 7 and 9 games running. Sit Price when it shows he's tiring not before it.

Call that no brainer number two.

Carbonneau often rolls the double spins of the two games in two nights, and the backup has to play to remain fresh schpiel, but it's a crock of shit as far as I am concerned. Goalies - especially hot ones - can handle two games in two nights. If they cannot, goalie management won't camouflage the issue, no matter how creative the spin.

No brainer number three.

Now imagine the players on the Capitals knowing two days in advance that there are facing Halak instead of Price. What runs through their heads is akin to, "So this is what Montreal thinks of us, eh? We'll show them!" How would you react once you've felt you've been underestimated?

That's the fourth no brainer.

















Again, all this is only about the perception behind the reasoning of starting Halak, and not a knock against him. Had the entire Habs team shown up to play, he would have won the game.

As is often the case with Carbonneau and his coaching decisions, I am usually able to resolve myself by seeing some fairness in a counter argument, but this time, I got nothing. Because I have seen this happen time and again before, his decision to go with Halak bugged me since the moment it was announced. maybe you saw this mess of a concerted effort by the Canadiens coming as well.

What irritates me to an even larger ass rash, is that the coach as team psychologist, ought to have his pulse finely tuned to the temperment of the team. He's got to know how they'll react to things before they have that chance to react. Coaches get out of tune by sweeping such concerns under the carpet after a while. If a coach does it often enough, the team starts trusting the actions he speaks more than his warning words.

The message Carbonneau ought to have sent out should have been, "Price is playing. The Capitals are a strong club and we will need our best to be at their best to win this one."

What he did in essence, is the exact opposite.

The Canadiens have just passed the quarter mark of their 2008-09 season. So far the club has coasted to an acceptable record based on the skill on the team. Admittedly, they've pulled a few irons from the fire to get the record they own, but there are two prime issues that have dogged them since game one.

For starters, the players are not gelling as they have in the past. With the Detroit win, they finally displayed some cohesive team unity. Secondly, there seems to almost be an underlying theme of overconfidence when it comes to facing rivals that ought to be easy meat. The Canadiens approach these games like they are already won. It's a big mistake that even the best teams in the league are sometimes prone to.

As I pound this out on the keys, Carbonneau is likely claiming to a random microphone that he can't fathom why his club failed to show for the game. He might malign a certain lack of leadership from some factions.

My question begging an answer is, "aren't the coaches the most important of leaders?"

Carbonneau got exactly the game he ordered tonight.

Photos courtesy of the Montreal Gazette / Habs Inside Out

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Canadiens Team Effort Could Be A Turning Point

Bust open the bandwagon doors, your Habs are back!

How quickly perceptions of a team can change upon one simple convincing win!

Beating the Red Wings in Detroit is no small claim in the course of a long season. For a team that had been trudging precariously along for a month, it is a peak and compass point, a moment for reflection, and a weigh removed from a burden, all in one.

If, as a fan, one sound win such as this can alter your faith and perceptions, you can just imagine what it will do for a team desperately needing an injection of self esteem and identity.

Between periods, Habs forward Chris Higgins brought up an interesting point during an interview. When asked how the team would fill the void in light of leading scorer Alex Tanguay's injury, Higgins didn't flinch. In essense, Higgins spoke that with everyone on the team paying the same way, it just didn't matter.

These guys were on a mission last night, and the reward was self rediscovery.

The group wearing the blue, blanc et rouge on Wednesday were cohesive and unrecognizable. Poised, patient, and with purpose. Calm, while appearing intent. They looked as though they were being coached for the first time in a long while and reacted by playing the game as units of five rather than a scrambling bunch of improvising individuals.

What the club displayed was hockey in its most primitive and basic forms. They started by doing the little things right, paying more attention to detail than they have since the season began. Even better, the exhibited an enthusiam rarely seen, for doing such plooding workmanlike tasks as beating an opponant to the puck, only to place a soft dump down the ice because the situation called for it.




















Hockey is a game that is popular because of its flashes and artistry on ice. It bursts alive with dazzling manoeverisms of the puck at light speed. It captures your guts and imagination with smashing body crashes and reckless displays of wild abandon.

Winning at hockey, for a great part, involves snuffing out all these exciting aspects with tactical discipline and boring repetitive defensive management. Traps and walls, dumping the puck, and playing safe have no markee value, but they are effective when employed by groups of five lie minded players.

The system has its merits, as it allows are players buying into to it to shine when work is well done. Before teams can expect to razzle dazzle its way to the top, it must first learn command of the basics.

The Canadiens, with the win against Detroit, began building a unity of purpose that should serve them well in the coming months.

Working as a group within a cohesive system made everyone on the team look good for the entire game. In fact, it was as close to a perfect win as had been seen by this club in recent memory.

All during the game, the non stars of the team shone brightly. There was the always calculated Josh Gorges, commanding his position so effectively that you could just see the full potential of the player displayed on every shift. Often seen as a bottom pairing rearguard, by seasons end, he could be regarded as the Habs most reliable blueliner. He's going to run away with the Jacques Beauchamps unsung hero whatevertheycallit award.
















The fourth line bangers and zealots - Begin, Lapierre, Kostopoulos, and Dandenault - all wreaked havov consistently on Detroit's best wheels. They played like hellhounds, chasing down every loose puck, and poised to upset everything in their path. It's no coincidence that since Begin has reintegrated the lineup, the club has played sounder defense over the course of full games. His play has lit up Lapierre's game as well, and they are starting to get their due.

Carey Price had something about him in last night's game that had rarely been seen of late, the confident calm of an assured puckstopper. Price was focused so, because the mates in front of him allowed such a demeanor. He was not once caught out of position, never appeared distracted, and played as though the puck looked large to him.

The grinders on the team seemed to inspire the previously misguided offensive core into a more pronounced and deliberate effort. Players such as Kovalev and Plekanec played much better because instead of taking chances, they created chance by avoiding the lure of individual risks. You could see they were buying into a game that brought everyone along, rather than trying to carry too much responsability on their own.

It's tempting to detail each players contribution all down through the lineup, but in context, what each did was similar on the whole. It is how the Canadiens have to approach beating a team that plays like a team such as the Red Wings. Beating Detroit takes a group effort, and this is knowledge the Habs can use against any opponant.

Friday against Washington, with the likes of Ovechkin, Semin, and Backstrom in their midst, the same effort should yield the same reward. Should the Habs procced in the same manner and emerge victorious, it will be because they have begun to take themselves seriously.

That can only be good news!

Photos coutesy the Montreal Gazette / Habs Inside Out

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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

Habs And NHL Predictions for 2008-09

When it comes to making predictions about upcoming seasons, I don't put a whole lot of stock in them. It's a crap shoot of guesses more often than not, and anyone making them will be both right and wrong. Suffice to say that what I've posted below are not ideas that I am glued to.

I got lucky last season on the Canadiens front. I suggested that if the Habs avoided unforeseen situations such as another flu virus or a distacted GM, that they were worthy enough to snoop up on a tired Senators squad, who had gone deep into the playoffs in 2007. I had a sense that the Canadiens, who were quite surprising until December 2006 of the previous campaign, were ready for better things.

I also smelled a stench out of Ottawa that all was a little too cocky on the Senators front. Of course, Ottawa jumped out to a 15-1 record, but soon came crashing down. The two teams were headed for opposite destinies by Christmas time.

This season, I have no such hunches as defined as those, and I truly only pay passing attention to what other clubs are doing on the surface.

First up here, are what I see as Conference standing, as much based on last seasons tendencies, as well as off season moves this summer. Final standings will always be tight - one point separating - scenarios. There is lots of room to be wrong here, but what the heck. In a nutty system where 24 of 30 teams can post a .500 or better record like last season, the difference between 4th and 10th place is often nothing more than a pair of losses

Each team is ranked, with a word that sums up my perception of the club. Below these are the good stuff....my prognostications on the Habs players stats. Have fun, laugh, roll your eyes!

Eastern Conference

1 - Montreal: Superior depth, youth, offense, coaching. Balance and poised to build on experience.
2 - Pittsburgh: Crosby, Malkin continue to lead. Key offseason losses offset gains of young stars.
3 - Carolina: More mobility, transition from defense brings out the best in a strong group of forwards.
4 - Philadelphia: Excellent center depth and strong team identity helps Flyers challenge at top spot.
5 - Boston: The return of Bergeron and addition of Ryder gives club more offensive possibilities.
6 - Washington: Ovechkin will do it all again, but goaltending is a question mark on young team.
7 - Rangers: A solid core of veterans ingrained into a tight defensive system.
8 - New Jersey: Unspectacular as always, but efficient as usual with Brodeur as backbone.
------
9 - Ottawa: Beyond a strong top line, Sens are no improvement over last season's misguided crew.
10 - Florida: Coming along slowly, but has little offensive clout
11 - Buffalo: Lineup has promise, but Ruff's coaching cannot hide thin backline
12 - Tampa Bay: Top offensive guns will not disguise AHL level defensemen
13 - Toronto: Directionless and dumbfounded.
14 - Atlanta: Nothing but Kovalchuk and a goalie who's name describes what he'll be doing a lot of.
15 - Islanders: No offense, no defense, and not a single hockey brain in the organization.



























Western Conference

1 - Detroit: Can adding Hossa actually improve a perfect team?
2 - Dallas: Great depth at center and a strong two identity means Stars can challenge Wings.
3 - Calgary: Most solid club in the Northwest with great leadership from Iginla.
4 - San Jose: Strong club despite panic moves, Thornton needs to show playoff balls.
5 - Ahaheim: Experienced veterans and young cornerstones add up to a perenial contender.
6 - Minnesota: Thinned out but still wisely coached despite player grumblings.
7 - Edmonton: An abundance of talented youth finally puts Oilers over the bubble
8 - Chicago: Organizations is finally moving in a cohesive directions.
------
9 - Phoenix: Lots of young promise, Coyote's closer than ever to playoffs.
10 - Colorado: Goaltending and defense a big sore spot.
11 - Nashville: As systematic as Devils, but running out of miracles.
12 - Vancouver: Mike Gillis is the new Mike Milbury, and Canucks are poised to take a dive.
13 - St. Louis: Great young players not yet mature enough to make a difference.
14 - Columbus: Continuosly in a one step up, two steps back mode.
15 - Los Angeles: Aiming to be a joke.



























Canadiens projected stats for 2008-09

This is basically just what I see happening, on a whim, and based on where I see players heading in regards to what last season was.

Kovalev 33-52-85
A. Kostitsyn 42-39-81
Plekanec 31-49-80
Tanguay 26-38-64
Koivu 20-40-60
Markov 14-44-59
Higgins 31-27-58
S. Kostitsyn 17-23-40
Latendresse 19-20-39
Lang 15-24-39
Lapierre 8-12-20
Chipchura 8-11-19
Hamrlik 5-14-19
Pacioretty 7-10-17
Komisarek 5-12-17
Laraque 6-7-13
Begin 7-5-12
Bouillon 4-7-11
O'Byrne 3-7-10
Gorges 1-9-10
Weber 4-5-9
Brisebois 3-5-8
Kostopulos 3-3-6 (traded)
Dandeneault 2-3-5 (traded)
Price 38-17-5
Halak 15-5-2



























To sum up and explain in some part, where I'm going with what you see above. Nothing too scientific here, except for a bunch of gut feeling and hunches.

The Canadiens will not own the Bruins and Flyers as they did in last year's regular season. Contest against Philly will be split down the middle, and the Bruins are confident enough to take a pair from the Habs this time around.

Montreal will chew up and spit out the remnants of the Leafs, Sabres, Islanders, Thrashers, and yes...the Senators!

Teams giving Montreal the roughest ride will be the Huricanes and Capitals.

The top line will continue to be the trio of Kovalev - Plekanec - A. Kostitsyn, with the elder brother poised to have breakout season in terms of goals. I base this mainly on confidence and familiarity factors. Plekanec will play head to head against the league's better pivots, which make his gains appear more subtle. Kovalev will shine again, although he will have certain difficulties against clubs that play him tight.

Alex Tanguay will help keep his linemates producing, and Higgins will benefit the most by becoming a more regular contributor tot he score sheet. Koivu will be found closer to the net more often, and will spend less time battling in corners.

Andrei Markov will post his usual numbers due to powerplay time, where his partners on the blueline will be Tanguay and Sergei.

The contributions of the third line of Latendresse - Lang - Sergei will be modest but steady. They will have their ups and downs when Carbonneau tries to match them against other teams top lines.

Higgins and Sergei will be shifted on lines 2 and 3 from time to time.

Injuries will neccessitate the callups of Weber and Pacioretty, perhaps leading to the trades of Kostopoulos and Dandenault.

The injury bug afflicts Koivu, Begin, Latendresse, and Sergei the most, which explains why I feel that both Lapierre and Chipchura will stick with the club as regulars for the majority of the season. Lapierre gets shifted to wing in this scenario.

Players given a rough ride this season by fans and media will be Brisebois - who plays only sporadically, O' Byrne - whose learning curve will produce the odd brutal game, and Sergei - who becomes Carbo's doghouse pet at times for his risky play and cockiness.

Pacioretty could see action in 30 to 40 games due to injuries, splitting his time between a fourth line role and playing alonside Tanguay when the latter is moved to center due to injuries to players at that position.

As for Dandenault and Kostopoulos moving on, again it is pure gut hunches and foreshadowing. Dandenault will play sparingly at best, as it becomes clear that the club has outgrown what he has to offer. The neccessity of dressing Weber for his powerplay contributions makes Dandy expendable and frustrated. Gainey will quietly find him a place to play, and he is likely moved via the cheaper recall waiver method.

At forward, someone will need to be let go, and I sense it could the popular Kostopoulos - a player whose traits are appreciated by everyone. Feelers inform Gainey that neither Kostopoulos or Begin will pass through waivers, and the GM opts for the player who returns the highest draft pick - the younger Kostopoulos.

Things will also be interesting in goal, where solid performances by backup Halak help keep Price focused and working on his weaknesses and soft spots. Price will have his rough games, and have a spell of soft goals to keep Roland Melanson busy. He will be solid overall though, as the Canadiens offense keep his lesser games in the W column while he works out the kinks.

And for those of you counting, the totals above give the Habs 309 goals scored for the season.

Photographs of current Canadiens players courtesy of the Montreal Gazette and Habs Inside Out (Allen McInnis).

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Towels Set To Swirl For Habs Hopes

Alex Kovalev says "Anything is possible!"

Captain Saku Koivu calls this edition of the Canadiens the best since he joined the club as a rookie in 1995.

Optimism at this year's Canadiens camp isn't hard to spot.

It seems it is on the smiles and in the words of everyone, everywhere one looks.
Over a summer consumed with waiting for Mats Sundin to decide if he wanted croutons on his tossed salad, it seems that Canadiens fans were trapped in a forward time warp between anxiety and disbelief.

That all washed over the moment Bob Gainey pulled the trigger on the eve of camp, and brought in a smiling and delighted to be here Robert Lang.

Those not immediately convinced about Lang's attributes - like myself - were quickly swayed upon hearing that the well travelled vet sprung to life, threw his sticks and pads in the trunk, and high tailed it from Chicago to Montreal faster than you can Savardian Spinnarama.

All this glee coincided with a bevy of hockey publication confirming what every fan already knows - that the 2008-09 Habs are built to last long into this centennial season.

Cue Gainey and coach Carbonneau with fever settling wiseness, alerting all concerned that the Canadiens cannot again surprise and that nothing is ever won in advance.

From training camp come stories of a lighter Carey Price, a still energized Kovalev, a quicker Guillaume Lavitesse, and as always a grounded captain Koivu, and you can pretty well deduce where and why the geyser spurts all the optimism one can handle so early in the season.

The puck drops tonight, but don't yank for that towel to wave just yet. After six exhibitions to sort out line combo's, the real deal will get underway.

At that point, it will take another 82 games and then some, to learn whether all this optimism is warranted.

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Price Is Light

Translated from François Gagnon's column in today's La Presse.

When Carey Price attended the Canadiens training camp this time last year, his goal was to force his way onto the team to start the season.

Price's plans went even better than expected. Not only did he meet his goal, he chased starter Cristobal Huet from the scene. After accomplishing a solid regular season, Price's play dipped in the playoffs.

This training camp, Price has different plans : maintaining his hold as the Canadiens starting goalie, and to succeed come playoff time, where he failed to do so last spring.

"At the end of last season, I was physically and mentally emptied. My body felt like I had played hockey for two full seasons running", Price admitted over the weekend.

The body in question, was heavier than the workload!

At camp's official weigh in last season, Price tipped the scales at 226 pounds. By season's end, the scale read 245. Despite a 6' 3" frame, Price sagged under the weight, and looked badly on several goals scored by the Bruins and especially the Flyers.

After an off season bolstered by training and sacrifices, Price weighed in last week at a sprightly - for him - 217 pounds.

"Honestly, I didn't feel the weight catch up to me last season, but now that I am lighter, I feel much better. It is evident. But I didn't feel as though it was bothering me. I didn't have a hand injury in the playoffs, I was jusr burnt."

When the campaign was over, the direction of the team made it known that the extra weight had become a handicap, and Price sought to deal with it.

The Canadiens sophomore was well served by the example set by Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward, and it convinced him to take his weight problem seriously. After winning the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe trophy in 2006, Ward followed it up with a difficult season. Last year, Ward showed up for camp 30 pounds lighter. While injuries to Carolina players snuffed out their playoff hopes, Ward enjoyed a much better season.

"I know Cam, and we spoke about it. Though even before that, I was already convinced that I had to control my weight."

Too many extra servings combined with bad eating choices contributed to the problem.
"Did I have bad eating habits? Yes, and then some. I had tons of them. As a bachelor, I'm not all that swift in the kitchen. Every egg turns out scrambled. The result is obvious. Now that I have dropped the weight, I'm thinking of hiring a nutritionalist and someone to cook for me."





















Although camp is still early, and a long season lies ahead of him, Price is brimming with confidence.

In scrimmages on Sunday, Price shut out the opposing A Team, blocking all 11 shots he faced. He'll enjoy a day off before facing the Red Wings on Wednesday.

"Everything's gone well so far. I'm not as tired after practices and I definately feel movements are quicker", says the goalie, who has changed equipement since last season.

"No, just a different body beneath it all."

Don't Pitch A Tent Over Habs Camp Surprises

Now that the Canadiens rookie camp is winding to it's end, the focus will now be shifted to the 52 players at the main camp - more than double the roster than will begin the Habs 100th season in October.

Training camps are all about battles for survival in making the team, and the surprises and unexpected twists in the perceived plans of the team.

Unfortunately, this season, for those expecting suspense and intrigue this fall, the pickings will be slim.

There may be but one surprise this camp. More on that in a bit.

Last season, fans and management alike were aware of the potential for as many as five rookies making the team, and eventually each of those expected scenarios played out.

Carey Price not only made the club, but over time he wrestled the starters job away from Cristobal Huet.

Centers Kyle Chipchura and Mikhail Grabovski beat out Maxim Lapierre in the battle for the club's fourth and fifth pivot spots.

Ryan O'Byrne fell just short of making the team, but would eventually end the season in Montreal.

Sergie Kostitsyn, perhaps the best Habs rookie in pre-season, was offered an AHL trial run before becoming a Habs mainstay come December.

It seems almost ancient history now that great ink was spilled over the rise of Price and the fall of Lapierre.

This season promises a whole lot less drama.

You can safely bet your grandmother's false teeth that when camp breaks this time around there won't be a rookie in sight. You could even throw in Grandpa's Depends!

That's not to say that there aren't worthy candidates on the watch - there are plenty! It is just that this season's Canadiens are a whole different animal.

They've gone from a yappy Jack Terrier to a rabid pit bull in one season - a first place finish will accomplish as much. Whatever holes were apparent on the team when the playoffs ended last spring have been remedied by the free agent signing of Georges Laraque and the acquisitions of Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang.

In three fell swoops, went the hopes of Gregory Stewart, Matt D' Agnostini, and Kyle Chipchura, never mind every other rookie clammoring for a spot behind them.

With the Canadiens packed and primed for a solid run at the Stanley Cup, the hopes and dreams for prospects such as those named above and the likes of Pavel Valentenko, Max Pacioretty, and Mathieu Carle will be put on hold.

And it is only logical, no matter how well they fare come the end of camp.

Expect Pacioretty to stick around right until the final cuts, as the Habs brass will want a good look at everything he has to offer. He will do well, but he'll get cut, for no reason other than the team he is trying to make is loaded.

You could almost pencil in the Canadiens starting lineup on opening night.

A. Kostitsyn - Plekanec - Kovalev
Tanguay - Koivu - Latendresse
Higgins - Lang - S. Kostitsyn
Laraque - Lapierre - Begin

Markov - Komisarek
Hamrlik - O' Byrne
Gorges - Bouillon

Price

The pressbox paper airplanes, barring injuries, will be piloted by Mathieu Dandeneault, Patrice Brisebois, Tom Kostopoulos, and perhaps Chipchura.

No shockers and no surprises!

I predict good showings for all of Valentenko, Pacioretty and Stewart, but don't get excited over it - their future's will play out 12 months from now.

If you want to look for a surprise camp battle, a scrambling of the cards - look no further than the crease.

Unmentioned, and often relegated beyond memory, was the Canadiens signing of veteran free agent goaltender Marc Denis.

Trust me, a showdown between Denis and Jaroslav Halak will take place in this camp!

Am I off my rocker?

No, sir, I am riding it!

I'll explain why

Among all goalies in the Canadiens organization, no puck stopper is more experienced than Denis. He has played more NHL games than Carey Price, over 300 to be precise. His 112 NHL wins speak of his worth, although he has never stopped a puck in the playoffs.

Denis has similarities with Price - both were first round picks burdened with high expectations.

Each has gone onto the World Junior stage in annual WJC.

While Denis' NHL career has had it's low notes, he may be the Habs best stopper when it comes to relating to Carey Price.

If you think that is merely coincidental, how about that Denis has backed up both Patrick Roy and Jose Theodore in his NHL career.

Still thinking I am off my rocker?

You know, of course, that Bob Gainey works in mysterious ways. The Habs GM is not going to disect his decisions for public scrutiny - right?

As you might well see what I am getting at, I do not want my views taken as a vote of non confidence in regards to Halak - a goalie whom I greatly appeciate.

But quite simply, my view's matter squat. I've no insight into the Canadiens brass' inner workings or thoughts.

I just a see two suitcase loads of experiences that can affect and benefit Price's standing as the Habs number one goalie as this season progresses.

In Halak, a puckstopper of equal age and experience, aspiring to the same position - Habs number one goalie - that may or may pressure Price, depending on his performances.

Or Denis, a young veteran with a history and road travelled similar to Price, with whom he can learn a great deal of harsh reality lessons from.

What will Price learn if Denis is sent to Hamilton?

In a nutshell, there is your training camp battle, intrigue, and surprise - for what it is worth.

Oh, and did I mention that Denis is getting the start against the Buffalo Sabres in the Roberval game on September 23.

Price Prepares For 2008-2009 Season

Robert L Note: Here is a interesting piece from the BCLocalNews.com site on Carey Price's offseason so far.

Price Prepares For 2008-2009 Season

By Sage Birchwater - Williams Lake Tribune, August 21, 2008

It’s a long ways from Anahim Lake and the Cariboo Chilcotin to Montreal and the great ice hockey palaces around North America.

“There’s more people at a Montreal Canadiens home game than there is in the whole of Williams Lake,” says Carey Price, who recalls how he looked up in awe at the stands in places like Madison Square Gardens, the Bell Centre and Air Canada Centre when he first broke into the NHL last year. After completing his first season in the NHL as the Montreal Canadiens’ number 1 goaltender, Carey, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Aug. 16, is back to work getting ready for the 2008-09 season.

He took two well-deserved months off after the Habs were eliminated from Stanley Cup contention by the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round of the playoffs last May. He says taking a break and having some time off from hockey is as important as training. He went to Mexico for a week, and out to Anahim Lake for a little bit and did a little fishing and rodeo.

“I took a few trips down to Vernon. I’ve been team roping with Bobby Lewis. It’s fun.”

Carey did some exhibition team roping at the Williams Lake Stampede and the Anahim Lake Stampede, but now he’s bearing down to get back in shape for hockey. In mid July, he headed off to Calgary to work with his personal trainer with National Sports Development.

“I go in there every morning and work out. My goalie coach is there too. Eli Wilson. He’s the Ottawa goalie coach. After the workout we go and skate with him for two hours.”



















In Calgary, Carey has family and a home away from home, because his cousin Keaton Ellerby, the 10th overall draft pick of the Florida Panthers in 2007, lives there.

“I skate with a whole bunch of other pros. Jason LaBarbera, he’s from Prince George and plays for the Kings. Chris Mason was there. He plays with Nashville. Kevin Nastiuk, he’s in the Carolina system. Jeff Glass, he was the world junior goalie before me. He’s in the Ottawa system. Linden Rowat, who plays for Regina, was out there too.”

Carey didn’t start skating until near the end of July.

“You have to shake off the rust a little bit. The first three ice times I felt like I didn’t know what I was doing out there. You give it a week or two and you start to feel normal again.”

Besides a personal trainer, Carey has a nutritionist telling him what kind of stuff he should and should not be eating.

“During the summer I stay away from carbohydrates, and try to stay away from pastas and bread, especially white bread. I have a whole wheat bagel in the mornings before my workout.”

Carey says he heard that U.S. gold medal swimmer Michael Phelps consumes 12,000 calories a day during the Olympics. He says his nutritionist tells him to eat a lot of protein.

“That’s what I like about Anahim Lake, you can go fishing right in our back yard in Corkscrew Creek. Pull out a couple of trout and fry those up for dinner.”

















Carey says after a year in Montreal his French is getting better, but he’s got a ways to go yet.

“I picked up quite a bit but I’m not fluent in it yet.”

He says he found a program on the computer that promises to make you fluent in six months.

“I hang around with the younger French guys like Lapierre and Latendresse. Just being around them I just have to ask them questions like why do you say this as opposed to that. “

Carey doesn’t hesitate when asked how he likes Montreal.

“It’s a lot of fun. It’s definitely the best place to play when you’re playing hockey. The Montreal fans really get into it. As soon as we get to camp there’s a buzz around the city. Especially this year being the centennial year, it should be a lot of fun.”

He says no matter where they play, it seems like half the crowd is cheering for Montreal.


























Reflecting on his season last year, Carey gives a bit of a summary.

“I didn’t know if I was going to make the team at the start of camp. I had a good year the year before. I just came to camp hoping I’d make the team. Then Bob (Gainey) decided to keep me there. Then I went through a slump right around Christmas. Things weren’t going too well so I went down to Hamilton. I was still struggling a little bit for two weeks. Then during the second half of my month-long stint in Hamilton it started to pick up again. They brought me back to Montreal and everything started to roll from there and things started going really well. Then they traded Chris (Huet) to Washington, and it was like getting tossed into the fire.”

He says he was a little nervous at the start, being handed the number one goaltending duties for the NHL’s most storied team.

“When the trade deadline came and passed, everybody kind of relaxed a little bit. We all knew this was our team for the rest of the year. It took all the pressure off and we started to play really well. We went on a pretty good roll there from the trade deadline to the end of the year.”

He says they went into the playoffs feeling pretty good playing against Boston.
“We did well against them all year. We took it to them for the first couple of games and then they started playing well and it kind of seesawed back and forth and we won the seventh game.”

He says against Philadelphia they won the first game but after that things just didn’t go well for the Canadiens for the rest of the series.

“We just couldn’t get any breaks. We must have hit two posts a game. That’s just the way it went. It was fun though, especially in the playoffs.”

He says the playoffs is a whole new level of intensity.

“Everybody’s going that much harder. Eighty-two games is a long year, it’s a lot of games. When you hit about 72 games you just want to get the regular season over with. You want to get into a groove right before the playoffs and get it over with.”
Asked if he gets recognized by fans on the streets of Montreal, Carey says it’s not that bad.

“I have a helmet on when I’m playing, but every once in a while you have someone who recognizes you a bit, but other than that, not really.”

Asked how he handles fame and fortune, Carey downplays it.

“I don’t think much about it. I’m a guy who just runs with everything. Whatever happens, happens.”


















One of the highlights for him last season was playing in Phoenix against his cousin Shane Doan.

“He scored on me but I stopped him on a breakaway. We had a pretty good chuckle over that one.”

Carey’s looking forward to the coming season with one year of NHL experience under his belt. He’s glad the Canadiens signed 31-year-old goaltender Marc Denis in the off-season.

“I think we need a little veteran presence. There’s just me and Yaro, 21 and 23 years old, that was it. There was just us two young guys and I think Bob (Gainey) figured to bring in somebody a little bit older to have around the room.”

He says that was the best part about having Huet on the club.

‘He was an unbelievable guy. I don’t think I could have had the year I had without him there. I wish him the best in whatever he does. I couldn’t have had a better guy there in my first year.”

Carey says the immediate challenge right now is to work hard until camp.
“You’ve got to show up in camp in the best shape possible. I’m starting to feel pretty good now, but you’ve got to keep pushing yourself all the way to camp.”

He says he’s grateful he doesn’t have to go to rookie camp or Tri-Cities camp this year. Tri-Cities camp is starting right now, and he says he found it grueling to be in camp for two months before the season started. He says the Canadiens camp starts around the middle of September.

“Meanwhile my trainer sends me something to do every day. Usually it takes me two-and-a-half hours to get through a workout. Running, doing the elliptical, riding the bike, doing weights with your legs, upper body core. A whole bunch of core workouts to do.”

For hand-eye co-ordination he does some juggling.

“You don’t come to training camp to get into shape any more, you’ve got to come to training camp in shape. It’s a little different than it used to be.”

Though he’s turned pro, Carey says playing hockey is still fun.

“You miss it after a while during the off-season. You’re gone from the game for four or five months, and you start to miss it.”

Mostly he says you miss the camaraderie of the other players in the dressing room.
He says Montreal is a lot different than Anahim Lake.

“You go strolling with cowboy boots on and everybody looks at you funny.”





















When Carey got the images of George Strait and Garth Brooks painted on his goalie helmet, a lot of Montreal fans raised their eyebrows.

One day after he got home from Montreal he found a package in the mail from Tennessee.

“I was thinking to myself, did I order something from ebay off the internet. I didn’t recall ordering anything from Tennessee. I opened it up and it was a Stetson box. Inside was a signed Stetson from Garth Brooks, and a note saying: ‘Carey thanks for keeping the faith, pal. Garth Brooks.’ That was pretty cool.”

Habs For Breakfast - Time Is Tight In More Ways Than One

My apologies to regular readers who tune in for these "Breakfast" posts, today's links were thrown up here in a mad hurried rash due to a busy Friday schedule on my part.

For that reason, I am bypassing quotes and photos for each piece today. It is also well before sunup as I post these 17 interesting links.

The usual articles from Gazette, Habs Inside Out, La Presse, and Le Journal aren't posted online at this early time, but can be accessed via the main page link I usually provide at the end of these daily posts.Time allowing, I will add them later in the day.

On my plate today are an abundance of "more important than Habs blogging" neccessities.

Other than driving my wife to work and youngest child to school, I have to bring my oldest girl to a ball hockey tournament 15 minutes out of town between those daily duties. Then I have to return for a poem recital by my youngest before heading off to a job interview at 10 o' clock. The oldest has a game at 10:30 that I hope to catch. My wife and I have lunch at noon. I have a second job interview for 1:30 PM, and a second game to take in at 2 PM if my oldest makes the semi finals. I pick up my youngest at school at 3 and my cuter half at 5. If the oldest reaches the ball hockey finals, I'm going to miss a bit of the game.

In the Robert L home these days, the cash has gotten tight. I've tried to divide family and children responsibilities, job searching, and "Eyes On The Prize" blogging with equal amounts of responsability.

It ain't easy to do.

Maybe I have too many loyalties.

My two young girls are lifers, and I wouldn't want it any different. The two interviews I have today are not all that important. They are longshot job opportunities I owe to myself to investigate. I have been without work for about three weeks now due to a layoff. I will be starting a new job Monday coming either way, with a computer manufacturing firm.

My oldest girl has scored 13 goals in 4 tryout games as a defenseman with her schools Grade 9 AA team. She's only 13 and in Grade 7 at her school. She's usually a center on her travel team.
A full out, interesting day awaits me for sure.

I have a couple of other Habs related posts in the works, which I hope to have up here by Friday's end.

My apologies for the lengthy excursion into my private life details, but I was moved to state my head and where it is at in regards to the rising numbers of readers at this site in the past 2 months. There were close to 33,000 readers here in April and more e-mails than I could answer on a day to day basis.

All I can think of to say is, thank you - over and over.

BRUNNSTROM TALKS TO RED WINGS, CANADIENS NEXT - TSN
WOEFUL POWERPLAY THE HABS BIGGEST CONCERN - TSN
CARBONNEAU TIGHT-LIPPED OVER GAME 5 STARTER - TSN
Brière the invisible superstar makes his mark - Globe Sports
Philly Makes Phour habs Phans Phrustrated - Four Fabs Fans
Rodney Helps me Out In Dealing With Those Flyer Fans - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog
The Bright Spots / A Top Ten / Hubris - The H Does Not Stand For Habs
It Ain't Over Until It's Over - Montreal Canadiens.com
What Will It Take? - Montreal Canadiens.com
Game 4 In Numbers - Montreal Canadiens.com
Le CH n'a pas oublié 2004 - RDS
Carbonneau comprend très bien Bégin - RDS
Carbonneau demeure optimiste - La Presse
Carbonneau demeure optimiste - Le Journal
Le Bélarus espère l'arrivée imminente des frères Kostitsyn - Le Journal
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Habs For Breakfast - The Script Remains The Same

The experiment of tossing Jaroslav Halak between the pipes did not work as Guy Carbonneau had planned, just as I figured it wouldn't.

While goaltending has been a concern, the Canadiens biggest issue has been it's inability to convert on it's numerous scoring chances. There wouldn't have been much Halak could have done to rectify that.

This game played out like the three before it.

In this series, we have yet to witness how the Canadiens, the defense and goaltender, would play if given a lead to support.

I'm hearing a lot of old clichés abounding the thoughts that it isn't always the team who plays best that wins or that it isn't even always the best team that wins.

Both are empty consolations.

The Canadiens can take something from the fact that they are doing many things well so far if that adds up to anything. They can build on that on continue to forge ahead believing that something's got to give sooner or later.

The veteran's on the team will surely recall to the younger players that coming back to win three straight is doable. In very similar circumstances, the 2004 Habs did it to Bruins. This time the Canadiens are the top seed and not the eighth. Like Biron, Andrew Raycroft was then playing over his head until the Habs solved him.

Do the players believe it can happen again.

They'd better.

Habs on brink of elimination - Gazette

"Sooner or later, if time doesn't run out on the Cinderella Canadiens, this team will learn what it's like to play with a lead. It's entirely possible, however, that midnight will strike first." - Dave Stubbs

Habs behind eight ball - Gazette

"There has been a lot of whining in this city about the penalties that have been called against the hometown Flyers and those that haven't been called against the Canadiens. But there were no complaints from the Flyers last night as they took advantage of an unnecessary penalty by Steve Bégin late in the third period and scored on the ensuing power play to snap a 2-2 tie." - Pat Hickey



















Going with Halak was a gutsy decision, but it didn't stem Flyers' tide - Gazette

"Canadiens goaltender Carey Price was talking about being pulled from Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal and said sometimes it's good to look at the game from the bench. Price got a longer look last night as head coach Guy Carbonneau played the wild card and decided to start Jaroslav Halak in Game 4." - Pat Hickey

Carbonneau rolls the dice in goal - Globe Sports

"Montreal Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau went far more with his gut than with his brain when he elected to go with an untried 22-year-old sophomore in goal rather than the team's 20-year-old rookie sensation. "It's my decision," Carbonneau said, "because I'm the one who's going to get blamed." - Roy MacGregor

Biron, Brière baffle Habs - Globe Sports

"The Montreal Canadiens can crow all they want about how the final scores have not been indicative of how well they have played against the Philadelphia Flyers. But they can't conceal the reason they suffered a 4-2 loss last night: mistakes at inopportune times." - Tim Wharnsby

Reasons To Believe - Lions In Winter

"Saku Koivu: The best pressure player I have ever seen on any team I support. In the past 4 NHL seasons, he has played in 6 elimination games. In those 6 games, he has 2 goals and 9 assists, and has been the star of most as well. That's even without considering his victories over terrible injuries and illness. Can he play better? We may find it hard to conceive how he might, but he will – it's what he does." - Topham

Bleeding Red White And Blue - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"The Canadiens have tried...boy, have they tried! We can pick their play apart all we want, but the fact remains, they've outshot and outhit the Flyers in every game. They've had chance after chance and hit post after post when Biron wasn't robbing them blind. Sure, they could get more bodies in front of Biron...but we know our team isn't that kind of team. They don't have the personel to change styles just like that. They're a speed, finesse team. It's how they're built and how they thrived all season long." - J.T.

Sounds Like A Country Song: The Dog Got Run Over By A Pickup Truck, I Gotta Pay Money To The Man, And The Philadelphia Flyers Beat The Habs - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Montreal’s scoring slump has happened, inexplicably, in the playoffs, and there’s no time to work it out. It has to be now. Not next week. They’ve dug a deep hole, and there’s been only periodic flashes of fire and getting their noses dirty during this second round against the Flyers."

Le CH doit continuer d'y croire - RDS

"Ce serait plus difficile à vendre si on perdait 3-1 et qu'on jouait mal", a noté Guy Cabonneau. "La situation est frustrante, a continué l'entraîneur. On vient de subir trois défaites, mais je ne peux pas m'asseoir avec mes adjoints pour voir ce qu'on pourrait changer comme stratégies.

Halak: "Je voulais bien faire" - La Presse

"Il me l'a annoncé ce matin. Je voulais bien faire et pour être certain de ne pas être victime de trop de pression, j'ai abordé ce match comme n'importe quel autre de la saison régulière. Exception faite du premier but, je crois que j'ai disputé un bon match, mais ce but m'a vraiment déplu." - François Gagnon

Carbonneau pense que les officiels ont été influencés - Le Journal

"Guy Carbonneau a éprouvé toutes les misères du monde à se retenir quand on lui a demandé son opinion au sujet de la pénalité coûteuse écopée par Steve Bégin après la remontée des siens en troisième période, hier soir." - Marc De Foy

"J'étais aussi emballé qu'étonné": Jaroslav Halak - Le Journal

"Halak reconnaissait avoir été faible sur le premier but des Flyers, inscrit par R.J. Umberger, qui l'a déjoué avec un tir du côté rapproché durant une supériorité numérique des siens."

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal
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Habs For Breakfast - The Biggest Of The Biggest Games Of The Year

The Canadiens are not standing quite on the edge yet, but the outcome of their season rests on tonight's outcome.

Can the Habs continue to outhit, outshoot, outchance, and outplay the Flyers and still lose?

Will the Flyers keep on complaining about officiating that's been kinder to them than they know?

Will Brière continue to whine about no one talking about what the Flyers are doing right?

Two things will answer these question in Game 4. For starters, it would be nice if the Canadiens scored the first goal for a change. Secondly, Carey Price will bounce back, because he's a character kid and is confident he can do better.

And yes, Price will play. Coach Carbonneau is being coy with the media, and perhaps Price as well, when he calls it a game time decision. Forget about it. Anyone who thinks Halak is about to play hasn't been watching hockey long enough to understand that it's just not done in this situations, for three reasons.

It throws the team into a panic mode.

Halak has played what, 4 games with the Canadiens this season? You want the players to feel confident out there, not concerned. The have faith in Price and he would be their choice, no doubt.

Again, from a coaches standpoint, the move isn't about shaking up a team that has done alot well except score. It is teams who lose or win together, and replacing the goalie would absolve the players and their recent mistakes.

It's not a different goalie who will help the team convert all those missed chances. Halak will not create better zone coverage and defensive conscience. All he would be doing is stopping that first puck.

Think about it?















Will It Be Price Or Halak? - Gazette

"The decision to start Carey Price in the Canadiens net tonight was not made yesterday. Or at least it was not announced. Coach Guy Carbonneau says we won't know until 7 p.m. whether Price or backup Jaroslav Halak will get the call to face Philadelphia in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semi-final, the Flyers leading the best-of-seven series 2-1." - Dave Stubbs

Hospital Visit Created Fan For Life - Gazette

"Win or lose tonight, nothing can dampen Robert Vanden Abeele's enthusiasm for the bleu-blanc-rouge. The retired customs officer has been a loyal Canadiens fan since 1955, when he turned 17 and Habs legend Maurice (Rocket) Richard paid a surprise visit to his bedside at St. Mary's Hospital - not once, but twice." - Alan Hustak
















Look For Price - Gazette

"Carbonneau has little choice as the Canadiens hope to avoid falling behind 3-1 in the best-of-seven series. While Price has not played well in the three games against the Flyers - he has a 3.79 goals-against average and an .853 save percentage - the Canadiens have to look at the big picture." - Pat Hickey

Flyers, fans not feeling love from refs, hockey world - Gazette

"There's nothing like a dose of paranoia - that feeling of us vs. them - to get folks jacked up for a hockey game. The feeling here in the City of Brotherly Love is that the hometown Flyers haven't been getting enough love from the officials in their Eastern Conference semi-final showdown against the Canadiens." Pat Hickey

"Penney's From Heaven" - Gazette

"Steve Penney has a better idea than most about the pressure Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is under these days.That's because Penney - like Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy - also once shouldered the hopes and dreams of hockey's most storied franchise as a hot rookie goalie in the Stanley Cup playoffs." - Mark Cardwell

















Price's Cinderella Story Takes An Unhappy Twist - Globe Sports

"I don't like talking about my feelings," he says when the grilling is over and the cameras and microphones have finally retreated. "Maybe it's just a guy thing." Carey Price smiles, but the smile is tired and slips away as fast as a Montreal Canadiens lead in recent playoff games. The thing is, everyone wants to know about his feelings." - Roy MacGregor

Was Brière Right? - Lions In Winter

"Our outrage at first must surely have been fueled by our fear that what Briere said may be true. But, at the same time, we all watch hockey and we know the Flyers don't have any Kostitsyns, any goaltending prospects and were for the most part the same team that managed the least regular season points in recent memory." - Topham

A Fly On The Wall - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"A conversation between Guy Carbonneau and Bob Gainey today:
GC: (deep breath) Bob, I want to start Halak next game.
BG: (steeples fingers, regards Carbo intently) Hmmmm...I don't know about that Guy.
GC: Well, Bob, the kid is shaken. He's nervous when he plays the puck, he's missing long shots through the simplest of screens, his glove is slow and he's getting down on himself when he allows a goal. The team is expecting him to give up the lead every game, and it's hurting their confidence.
BG: Well, we've got a lot riding on Carey, and we don't want him to feel like he's failing." -J.T.

Price: "Je n'ai qu'à rebondir" - La Presse

"Carbonneau pourrait-il vraiment décider de faire appel à Jaroslav Halak, qui n'a reçu que deux tirs en troisième période lundi et qui n'a pas joué depuis le 29 mars dans une défaite de 4-2 encaissée à Toronto?" - François Gagnon

Des arbitres qui favorisent le CH? - La Presse

"Pendant que nous, par ici, on se demande ce qui se passe avec Jesus Price, à Philadelphie, eux, ils se posent une autre question, bien différente mais tout aussi douloureuse: les arbitres seraient-ils du bord du Canadien?" - Richard Labbé

Price n'est pas le seul à blâmer - RDS

"Le premier but de Scottie Upshall a été marqué quand il avait la vue voilée. Le deuxième, celui de Mike Richards, a dévié sur Mike Komisarek. Le troisième but des Flyers compté par R.J. Umberger est survenu à la suite de deux revirements. C'est sûr qu'il est là pour réparer les erreurs de ses joueurs mais ses coéquipiers n'ont pas bien joué devant lui en deuxième. Quand un gardien fait les arrêts clés alors que le tien ne les fait pas, les chances de gagner sont très minces." - Benoît Brunet























Price reste de marbre - Le Journal

"La faune médiatique l'attendait en grand nombre à son arrivée dans le vestiaire, elle qui n'avait pu le rencontrer à la suite de sa contre-performance de la veille sous l'ordre de Guy Carbonneau. Pour vous montrer à quel point c'était fou, disons que le jeune gardien n'aurait absolument aucune chance de voir la rondelle si les Flyers pouvaient placer autant de joueurs devant son filet." - Marc de Foy

"On doit aller chercher le premier but" - Le Journal

"Ne soyez pas étonnés si Patrice Brisebois effectue un retour au jeu ce soir pour le quatrième match de la série entre le Canadien et les Flyers. Le vétéran défenseur a rejoint les siens dans la Ville de l'amour fraternel, lui qui a raté les deux dernières rencontres en raison d'une blessure à une jambe. Brisebois s'est blessé durant une séance d'entraînement, samedi dernier." - Marc De Foy

"Personne ne parle en bien des Flyers": Daniel Brière - Le Journal

"Les Flyers ont de la difficulté à obtenir le mérite qui leur revient. Aucune équipe ne voulait affronter les Capitals en première ronde et ils ont réussi à les éliminer." - Pierre Durocher

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal

Oh yeah, and if you enjoyed the "Fly On The Wall" scenario by J.T., here's a look back on one that was posted here last summer.
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Give Price Time

Teams lose games, not goaltenders.

Though it looked bleak for the Canadiens after 40 minutes, the third period proved the game had not yet been lost.

Players have a job to do. Goalies have theirs. They help each other. They feed off each other. Sometimes, when things are not going well, they lose confidence in each.

At one end of the rink is a team unable to score when it needs to most, and at the other extreme is a goalie who is not delivering.

Carey Price, under the weight of the world, has disappointed in his last two games. He can rebound and has done so in the past. He could well do it come Wednesday night.

It's hard to understand what has gone south in Price's game of late. It's a head scratcher!

I was thinking about how the Senators and Ducks, just like the Hurricanes and Lightening before them, seem to suffer from this Stanley Cup hangover thing. It seems like it almost fact anymore, that when teams play a large number of games in the previous spring that they run out of gas earlier in the following season than other players.

Last year at this time, Price was a Hamilton Bulldog, playing his way into June's Calder Cup run. Right after he performed in the WHL playoffs with Tri - City. Right after the World Juniors gold medal run. Right after a work horse season with the Americans.

The kid's played alot of hockey in the last 18 months. He might be pooped!

I heard an interesting opinion on CKAC this morning. A caller insisted it was not the Canadiens job to manage Carey Price's career - it is their job to win the Stanley Cup.

He could have said it with more perspective - the caller is both right and wrong in a sense - but taking care of Price properly is what should lead us Cup bound for years.

Many will be looking for Jaroslav Halak to make his playoff debut in the next game, but it won't happen. Last season when Carbonneau was in a do or die scenario in the last game in Toronto he chose Huet over Halak. The coach evidently sticks by the notion of dancing with the one who brought you.

I see Carbonneau starting Price and sticking with him as long as the score remains tight. Perhaps if the Habs can start converting some of their first period chances for a change, both ends of the ice will play with more confidence in each other.

They have to get out of this rut together as a team.

If Price fails and lets in a sticker, the hook will be employed.

I have read many good pieces on Price since he was drafted. There has been none better, or perhaps more timely than the one that appeared in the Monday Gazette authored by Jack Todd. My apologies for missing it yesterday morning in the Habs For Breakfast links.

In the article, titled "Give Price a chance to grow into his greatness", Todd said:

"Let's dispose of one fallacy right here: What Ken Dryden accomplished in 1971 or Patrick Roy in 1986 has nothing whatsoever to do with Carey Price or this playoff season. You can read signs and portents all you want, parse seagull entrails, come up with bizarre number sequences that mean the Habs are supposed to win No. 25 this spring.

It means nothing. Rien. Nada. Zippo. This is 2008 and all that has gone before, from the dawn of creation to Game 7 of the Boston series, means nothing. Every playoff game two teams take the ice and nothing before that moment matters. So far, Price has been good enough to win one series and make a respectable start on the next. You can't ask for more."

The piece went to great lengths to point out what world Price must be living in. It's not quite the same as the one in which we are living in, in regards to him.

Todd made the point quite clear. Price is but 20 years old. A little young to be made into a saviour when most kids his age are just as likely a downtown hooligan flipping a police car for kicks.

Price will get another chance on Wednesday against the Flyers, a team he has beaten four times this season, before two disheartening losses.

After reading the article, the phrase "Give Price A Chance" echoed in my head. I began humming it to the tune of the John Lennon song of a similar title.

It took about 20 minutes for these mimicked lyrics to write themselves:

Everybody's talking 'bout Royism, Drydenism, Vezinism, Theoism, Brodeurism, Durnanism,This - ism, that - ism, ism ism ism ism
All we are saying
Is give Price a chance

Everybody's talking 'bout high shots, low shots, screened shots, deflected shots
Yawning goalie picking snots, play Halak and yak yak
All we are saying
Is give Price a chance

Everybody's taking 'bout '71 and '93 and '86 and high sticks, goon scraps and jock straps
Brisecraps and time lapses, synapses
All we are saying
Is give Price a chance

Everybody talking 'bout Habs young pups, fisticuffs, and f*ck*ps, Stanley Cups and Stanley Cups
The kid's 20, time for plenty many, shutout. shut up
All we are saying
Is give Price a chance
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