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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Habs For Breakfast - A Game Of Deja Vu

No short, snappy intro to today's links. It began and turning into a whole other post, which you will be reading shortly.

Team's character faces biggest test this season - Gazette

"His skills and confidence haven't gone anywhere," Koivu said of Price, who watched the third period from the bench and might still now be soaking his head in the shower."You don't lose those things overnight." - Dave Stubbs

Too little too late - Gazette

"When you outshoot them 34-14, you've got to win the game," Higgins continued. "It was a tough game for Pricey and he didn't really get a whole lot of shots on net, but on the other end you don't know how much longer it's going to go with the chances we've had." - Pat Hickey

Price or Halak? Carbonneau faces goalie decision for tomorrow night - Gazette

"Does he stick with rookie goaltender Carey Price, who has struggled in the first three games of the series and was pulled last night after giving up three goals on the first 11 shots he faced? Or does he gamble and go with Jaroslav Halak, who made his first appearance since March 29 in a relief role last night?" - Pat Hickey

He was the face of the Flyers - Gazette

"At least I didn't lose the team. That has been my life, being part of being a team. If I would have been cut off ... like what (former Canadiens president) Ronald Corey did to (former GM) Serge Savard ... he should be shot for." - Herb Zurkowsky

Price is wrong - Globe Sports

"It's going to be a long series," Carbonneau said. "If we keep putting 30 shots on goal and hold them to 14, we're going to win." - Tim Wharnsby























Phildelphia Steals Game Three - Dennis Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"The Habs were ineffective during an early-game two man advantage. They held a big edge in play in the first period. They hit three posts. Carey Price, looking shaky, was replaced by Jaroslav Halak in the third, and the team responded by outshooting Philly 16-2. But it wasn’t enough, losing in the end 3-2, and the team is now down two games to one. They need game four so badly, there’d better be focus, concentration, commitment, no late-night dinners, no over-doing the beer or wine, and a good, reasonable curfew these next two nights." - Dennis Kane

Price Shakey As Habs let Gimme Slip Away - Lions In Winter

"With about 15 minutes to go in the game Halak made what turned out to be a very key stop. It was the only time that the Flyers, in my opinion, had a legitimate scoring chance all night. The puck was fed from Halak's left to his right, just outside of the crease. Patrick Thoresen was the player who seemed to have a certain goal, but Jaro got across with a great right-pad save. It kept the game at 0-3 which at the time may have seemed like a moot point, but as it turned out gave the Habs a serious shot of getting back into this one." - Tobalev

Price n'est pas le seul à blâmer - RDS

"On ne doit pas oublier qu'il n'est âgé que de 20 ans et qu'on lui demande d'être le sauveur de l'équipe, a affirmé l'entraîneur du Canadien, après avoir avoué que le gardien recrue est ébranlé." - Guy Carbonneau

Un air de déjà vu... - RDS

"Même s’il a semblé ébranlé à la suite des deux filets qu’il a concédés en l’espace de 72 secondes, le gardien des Flyers Martin Biron a été brillant par la suite en étouffant toutes les tentatives des attaquants des Glorieux. Le cerbère québécois a réalisé un grand total de 32 arrêts – dont 15 lors de l’engagement final."















Koivu: "Nous faisons face à un gros test" - La Presse

"Car si on peut imputer une large part du blâme sur la piètre performance de Carey Price, ses coéquipiers n'ont pas le droit de s'en tirer aussi facilement. Pourquoi? Parce que si le Canadien a perdu, hier, c'est aussi parce qu'il a été incapable de profiter des occasions qui se sont offertes à lui." - François Gagnon

Brière: "On gagne avec du caractère" - La Presse

"Les Flyers ont en effet passé près de 12 minutes en infériorité numérique. Ils ont esquivé avec succès un désavantage de deux hommes durant deux pleines minutes, mais ont donné au Canadien ses deux buts pendant la punition de cinq minutes infligée à Derian Hatcher. "Le secret de notre force en désavantage numérique? C'est Marty! C'est ça la recette", a lancé Umberger, qui a lui-même effectué du travail colossal en infériorité en plus de marquer un autre but. - Marc Antoine Godin

"Habituellement, un club gagne quand il n'accorde que 14 tirs...": Chris Higgins - Le Journal

"L'attaque massive du Canadien a finalement produit deux buts en troisième période pendant que Derian Hatcher purgeait une pénalité majeure pour avoir dangereusement mis en échec Francis Bouillon contre la rampe." - Pierre Durocher

"On perd et on gagne en équipe" - Le Journal

"Les coéquipiers de Carey Price se rangeaient dans son coin après sa contre-performance contre les Flyers, hier soir. Le contraire aurait été étonnant. Il ne fallait pas s'attendre à voir un joueur le montrer du doigt, quoique Price ne s'était pas gêné pour lancer une flèche à ses coéquipiers après le match de samedi dernier." - Marc De Foy

"Guillaume mérite d'être là": Guy Carbonneau - Le Journal

"Je recherche un meilleur équilibre dans nos lignes d'attaque, a poursuivi Carbonneau. Smolinski et Kostopoulos jouent avec beaucoup de confiance présentement et cela facilitera l'arrivée d'un jeune comme Latendresse, qui a hâte de jouer."
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Habs For Breakfast - Crunch Time

Game 3 will be a pivotal one for the Canadiens, after having lost home ice advantage in the series against the Flyers. The Habs who have been good on the road this season, good enough for the league's third best road record, haven't fared as well in the playoffs.

In the 9 games played so far in two rounds, Montreal is 4-2 at home and 1-2 on the road.

Perhaps the Canadiens need a pair of road games to refocus their armour. While they may have created all kinds of scoring chances on Saturday, at times they tried too hard to razzle dazzle the Flyers, and it may have cost them the win and the momentum of the series.

A couple of games where the focus is to shoot first, crowd the net, and pounce on rebounds will do them good. The fancy dancing can come after Biron is off balance.

Tonight in Philadelphia, muscle will beat finesse. The Canadiens will need mental toughness as much as the physical kind to get through it and win.

War Of Words - Gazette

"One day after Philadelphia coach John Stevens complained of a cowardly act by a Montreal player, Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau issued his own retort, suggesting the Flyers lack class. "They're one team that shouldn't talk. Over 82 games, they had the most suspensions in the league," Carbonneau said, following an optional practice in LaSalle yesterday morning." - Herb Zurkowsky

Kostopoulos accepts blame for sucker punch - Globe Sports

"If Montreal Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau was hoping to exploit a late-game incident in which Tom Kostopoulos sucker-punched Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen, the guilty party threw cold water on his coach's ploy. Carbonneau defended the late-game behaviour of Kostopoulos. The Canadiens' coach also accused the Flyers of taunting his players after they scored the game's final goal with 2 minutes 21 seconds remaining in Philadelphia's 4-2 win to tie the second-round best-of-seven series 1-1." - Tim Wharnsby

Habs Land In Philly - Gazette

"Listen for Flyers fans to tongue-tie themselves as they derisively chant "Kos-to-pou-los." That will be in recognition of the winger's emerging from Game 2 as a prime Philly target for his late-game dustups with Kimmo Timonen and Scott Upshall." - Dave Stubbs

Biron Savours Time At Home - Gazette

"We fed off the energy from the crowd in the first series against Washington when we came back here for Games 3 and 4, and we have to keep doing that," Biron said. "We did what we had to do in Montreal and now we have to take care of business here." Biron has been feeding off the energy of seeing action in the playoffs. He has been in the NHL for nine seasons but this is the first time he's seen playoff action.




















A Test Of Character - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"It's one thing to know you lost because you didn't play hard enough or because you took a bunch of stupid penalties. But to know you completely outplayed the opposition, yet they're the ones laughing at you in your own building (cheap bastard Flyers), is very difficult to accept." - J.T.

Une question de sang-froid - RDS

"La rivalité avec les Flyers a atteint un autre échelon samedi soir quand Tom Kostopoulos a frappé sournoisement Kimmo Timonen après le quatrième but des visiteurs marqué par R.J. Umberger. Personne dans le camp du Tricolore ne s'attend à ce que Kostopoulos soit puni pour ce geste gratuit." - Luc Gelinas

Markov doit être meilleur - RDS

"Parmi les joueurs qui doivent produire davantage, je songe immédiatement à Andrei Markov. En ce moment, il devrait être le général à la ligne bleue pour le Canadien, mais il est incapable de jouer à son niveau de la saison régulière. Il effectue quelques bonnes présences, mais ce n’est pas suffisant. Il doit être meilleur pour donner des chances au Canadien d’aspirer aux grands honneurs." - Bob Hartley




















CH: Qui écopera ce soir? - La Presse

"Guy Carbonneau n'a pas encore décidé quels changements il entend apporter en vue du match de ce soir à Philadelphie mais chose certaine, il y en aura. À l'attaque, le trio formé par Maxim Lapierre, Mathieu Dandenault et Mark Streit apparaît le plus vulnérable. "Ils passent beaucoup trop de temps dans notre territoire", a indiqué l'entraîneur, hier." - Marc Antoine Godin

Laissons donc Brière se faire huer en paix - La Presse

"Avez-vous bien regardé les yeux de Martin Biron? Jamais vu quelqu'un avoir l'air de venir autant d'ailleurs. On dirait E.T. On dirait un monsieur d'une autre planète tellement son regard un peu space indispose. Et Daniel Brière, lui? L'avez-vous bien examiné, celui-là? Sérieux, il a l'air de tout sauf d'un joueur de hockey. Avec sa voix haut perchée, son physique de petit vicaire, vous lui mettez un béret sur la tête, un bréviaire entre les mains et voilà que se dresse devant vous le nouveau curé de la paroisse." - Michel Blanchard

"Il faut tirer souvent et lui gêner la vision" - Le Journal

"Mine de rien, les Flyers totalisent sept buts après deux matchs contre le gardien recrue. C'est quatre de plus que Price n'en avait accordé aux Bruins après le même nombre de rencontres." - Marc De Foy

"Deux matchs pour commencer à les haïr..." - Le Journal

"Francis Bouillon ne trouve pas que les deux premiers matchs de la série Canadien-Flyers aient donné lieu à du jeu très rude, mais ça pourrait changer dans la Ville de l'amour fraternel. "C'était pas mal plus dur contre les Bruins de Boston, une équipe qu'on détestait déjà avant d'amorcer les séries puisqu'on les avait affrontés huit fois durant la saison", a-t-il fait remarquer. - Pierre Durocher

Price a perdu le trophée Calder et 500 000 $ - Le Journal

"Il y a une énorme différence entre passer le premier mois de la campagne dans les ligues mineures et y être renvoyé en plein milieu d'une saison, ce qui laisse suggérer qu'on ne le jugeait pas apte à aider l'équipe à ce moment-là." - Bertrand Raymond

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal.
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Habs For Breakfast - April 26, 2008

A few notes about today's links.

There is a story in La Presse today about the relationship between Carey Price and his father Jerry. As it is not in english, I wanted to point out a little anecdote from it.

When Carey was playing midget, he was involved in a tournament where his team was so outmatched, they were given no chance of winning at all. The heavily favored team outshot Carey's team 65-15. Carey's team won 3-1. The other team had already ordered their rings!

Hockey's Greatest Legends is running down all the Stanley Cup winners starting with the Canadiens in 1930 and 1931. Check 'em out - it's a good history lesson.

Blogger Dennis Kane had an interesting idea - a dream actually - he wants to be the flag boy at the Bell Centre for one game.

Usually the Canadiens emply a couple of kids from local minor hockey and have them do a lap around the ice and Dennis wants in on it.

I can't blame him. What a thrill that would be!

I got a good mind to mimic his letter to the Canadiens organization.

How cool would that be? A pair of Habs hockey bloggers carrying the flag in honour of their favorite team.

I've had crazier things happen in my life!

I should write that letter!

Puck Stops Here - Globe Sports

"He bends a long finger up toward the line from John McCrae's In Flanders Fields that graces the Canadiens' dressing room wall ("To you from failing hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high ...") and runs it across faces once distributed across the country by Beehive Corn Syrup — the Rocket, the Pocket Rocket, Boom Boom Geoffrion, Plante — until he stops at one that it seems no 20-year-old aboriginal kid from the isolated northern B.C. community of Anahim Lake could possibly know. "There's George Hainsworth," he says." - Roy MacGregor

Brothers Providing Spark For Habs - Globe Sports

"Down 2-0 in the second period, the Kostitsyns enjoyed some dynamite shifts. Their stellar play resulted in a penalty shot for Andrei and a skillful rush from Sergei that his older sibling finished off, scoring Montreal's first goal en route to an important come-from-behind 4-3 victory in overtime in the second-round series opener against the Philadelphia Flyers." - Tim Wharnsby

Gritty Sparkplug - Gazette

"Things can change so quickly," Kostopoulos said when asked about his newfound celebrity. "Halfway through the year, a lot of fans probably weren't too happy with me. The way things are going, there are some fans behind me, but it goes so quick." - Pat Hickey

Flyers Refuse To Blame Bad Breaks For Game 1 Loss - Gazette

"But if Kovalev doesn't hit it, it probably goes in the net anyway. The rebound shouldn't have been there in the first place. It should have been smothered or in the corner instead of popping up in the air. I don't want to put the rebound up in the air for somebody to whack it in." - Martin Biron

'It's not about me,' Flyers' Brière says - Gazette

"Brière had three shots, including one late in the second period that temporarily eluded Carey Price before the goaltender fell on it in the crease. Brière also was removed from the faceoff circle three times, was minus-1 and looked more like the player held by the Canadiens to two assists in four regular-season games." - Herb Zurkowsky





















Habs Grinders Gain Carbonneau's Confidence By Producing - TSN

"The Habs checking line hasn't necessarily lit it up in the playoffs, but it's produced goals when the team needed them. Through the first three games of the Canadiens first round series against the Bruins, the line combined for eight points - with Kostopoulos scoring twice - while Montreal's big guns had trouble getting into playoff mode."

1930: Boston Chokes, Hainsworth Shuts The Door - Hockey's Greatest Legends

"Hainsworth was the key player of the post season. He led all performers with a brilliant 0.75 average and three shutouts in six games." - Joe Pelletier

1931: OT Hero Gardiner Can't Ground Flying Frenchmen - Hockey's Greatest Legends

"The year in 1931. The Montreal Canadiens are defending Stanley Cup champions are flying higher than ever. They are heavy favorites to repeat as title holders, facing the Chicago Black Hawks, who entered their first Stanley Cup finals." - Joe Pelletier

There's Still A Chance I Can Become A Montreal Canadien - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"This letter is regarding the two young kids at the beginning of the game who are dressed in Habs uniforms, carry flags, and skate around the Bell Centre ice. I would like to apply for this position.























Kostopoulos impressionne - RDS

"J’étais très excité après la victoire jeudi soir. Contre Boston, j’avais raté une belle chance en prolongation et j’y avais songé toute la nuit ", commente Kostopoulos. "Cette fois, j’ai obtenu deux chances marquer. Il est certain que je n’aurais pas dormi de la nuit si j’avais été incapable de compter." - Reneaud Lavoie

Le regard de papa Price sur son fils Carey - La Presse

"La chance n'a évidemment rien à voir là-dedans. Price s'est démarqué partout où il est passé. Chez les midgets, son équipe avait remporté contre toute attente le championnat provincial. «En finale, elle avait été dominée 65-15 dans les tirs au but, mais elle avait quand même gagné 3-1 contre l'autre équipe... qui avait déjà commandé des bagues de championnat», raconte papa Price." - Jean François Bégin

Carbo ne demande que d'être chanceux dans 16 matchs - La Presse

"On voudrait tous jouer des matchs parfaits, a-t-il repris. On n'a pas bien joué dans le premier match contre les Flyers, mais on a gagné. On a fait ce qui était nécessaire. On demeure une jeune équipe, je serai toujours inquiet." - Robert Laflamme























"Kostopoulos est sur une nuage": Carbonneau - Le Journal

"C'est le plus gros but de ma vie", a lancé un Kostopoulos tout sourire après avoir procuré une victoire de 4 à 3 au Canadien en prolongation jeudi soir. T.K., comme le sur nomment ses coéquipiers, a mangé son pain noir durant la saison. Il a souvent été laissé de côté par Guy Carbonneau." - Pierre Durocher

Des soldats venus d'ailleurs - Le Journal

"Don Cherry a repris une vieille rengaine à l'occasion de son segment télévisé, jeudi soir. Il a répété que le hockey appartient au Canada et que les meilleurs joueurs au monde sont canadiens. Quelqu'un pourrait-il nettoyer ses lunettes?" - Bertrand Raymond

Le temps de s'observer et s'ajuster - Le Journal

"Plutôt que de s'inquiéter, on devrait simplement saluer la victoire de jeudi obtenue de haute lutte. On a tendance à oublier que le hockey est un sport d'équipe et que les vedettes n'existent que pour traîner leurs coéquipiers dans leur sillon. C'est ce qu'a fait Alex Kovalev en marquant deux buts essentiels, dont l'un douteux évidemment mais combien important. Kovalev, dans sa version 2007-2008, joue un rôle majeur pour motiver ses jeunes coéquipiers." - Guy Lafleur

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal.
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Philadelphia Scouting Report Gives Habs Slight Edge

Robert L Note: I came upon this piece at Philly.com in which Daily News sports scribe Ed Barkowitz gives his opinion on which team has the edge in 6 crucial categories. It's an interesting piece, but I don't really agree with most of his assessments. I think Barkowitz is being too kind to the Flyers in some areas and slighting the Habs in a couple of others. Where this series will be close, Barkowitz misses completely. After you read each of his points on forwards, defense, goaltending, special teams, coaching and intangibles, I'll weigh in with in with my added thoughts - where I agree and disagree with him.


Daily News sports writer Ed Barkowitz breaks down the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Flyers and Canadiens that begins tonight in Montreal:

History

For the Flyers, it ain't pretty. They lost all four games to Montreal this season and by an ugly combined score of 15-6. The Flyers are just 1-5 in Montreal over the last three seasons. In the playoffs, Montreal has won three of the four playoff series, the most recent occurring in 1989.
The one playoff series the Flyers won against the Canadiens was in the 1987 conference finals. The Game 6 clincher followed a wild pregame brawl that was ignited by Montreal's ritual of ending the warmup by firing a puck into the opponents' net. Philadelphia's Ed Hospodar wouldn't allow it and things escalated quickly. Players from both sides sprinted out of their respective locker rooms, several wearing just undergarments, for the free-for-all. Old-time hockey. Eddie Shore!

Forwards

Flyers: Danny Briere had a huge first round against Washington (NHL first- round highs of six goals, 11 points) and obviously will be heavily counted on again. But Briere has to be careful not to press. Briere, who hails from just outside Montreal, has been a target for Canadiens fans since turning down an offer to play for his hometown club during last season's free-agency period ... Joffrey Lupul scored the series clincher in overtime against the Caps. Let's see if it gives him a shot of confidence.

Canadiens: The resurrection of Alex Kovalev has been the primary reason the Habs earned the conference's top seed. Kovalev took a lot of the blame when Montreal failed to make the playoffs last year. He rededicated himself over the offseason and his 84 points were his best total since 2000-01. Last year, Kovalev was minus–19. This season, he was plus-18 ... Montreal's speed will give the Flyers fits. Tonight could be a problem depending on how weary Philadelphia is after playing and traveling both Monday and Tuesday night ... Steve Begin (pronounced Bay-Zhan) is the Canadiens forward most likely to draw Flyers fans' ire.

EDGE: Montreal. While both teams are pretty deep at forward, the Canadiens are healthier.

Robert L: I say very slight edge to Montreal here. Philly has as potent an offense as the Canadiens do. Their powerplay can be just as fearsome and it finished second to the Canadiens this season. I'm tempted to call this a draw, but where Montreal gains an edge is in it's third and fourth line depth, which helped them over Boston when the PP stuttered.















Defensemen

Flyers: The top four are solid, but Jason Smith's nagging shoulder injury caused his playing time to diminish and his effectiveness to be compromised as the Capitals series dragged on ... Kimmo Timonen runs the power play and shouldn't have to exert as much energy defensively as he had to against Washington's Alex Ovechkin.

Canadiens: The NHL's top power play is anchored by Andrei Markov, who tied for the league lead among defensemen with 10 power-play goals. Mike Komisarek is the thumper of the unit. He is a big hitter who also led the league in blocked shots.

EDGE: Montreal. More depth.

Robert L: Barkowitz is right. From the first to down to the third pairing, the Habs defenseman have it all over the Flyers top six. We even have the luxury of a seventh and eighth D-man if injuries become a factor. Also factoring in is the Habs backline is much more mobile. On one hand, the Flyers blueliners might seem a tougher bunch, but that's just a miscinception based on the view that after Timonen, toughness is all they have going for them.

Goaltender

Flyers: Martin Biron was in net for just one of the four losses to Montreal. (So what if he got shelled for five goals?) Biron is playing with a lot of confidence right now and was huge in the Washington series.

Canadiens: Carey Price, 20, became the youngest goalie to register 20 wins since Patrick Roy and Tom Barrasso did it 22 years ago. He helped Canada win the 2007 World Juniors and Hamilton, the Habs' AHL affiliate, the Calder Cup last spring. The Habs put all their pucks in one basket when they traded Cristobal Huet to the Capitals at the deadline, but Price has been right.

EDGE: Flyers. The Flyers need to create havoc in front of Price and get under the kid's skin. But watch it, he might be wearing Clearasil.

Robert L: Barkowitz makes no point on why the edge is given to Biron here, but all that I could see is the experience factor if looked in terms on NHL experience. Biron is a capable NHL goalie, but he has never displayed the consistency required to be considered among the game's best. In his eighth season he is appearing in his first NHL playoffs. He also has a reputation as being a goalie who tires when playing a string of game. I'll predict we'll see Nittymaki before the round is over.

Carey Price however, has greatness written all over him, but that doesn't amount to anything until he proves something. Twice this playoff he followed losses with shutouts. He has the experience of having won under great pressure twice before, and while that might make up for having played only 50 games in the NHL, there are still the odd question marks that only time can erase.

I'm tempted to hand Price the edge, but I'll be fair as I can and call this a draw for now. This could revisited by game 3.

















Special teams

Flyers: With Kimmo Timonen and sometimes Mike Richards up high, Danny Briere down near the goal line and Scott Hartnell in front, the Flyers had the league's second-best power play.

Canadiens: Couldn't get the power play cranking against Boston, but it's still a formidable unit. The penalty- killing unit was 15th during the season.

EDGE: Montreal. The Canadiens killed off 27 of 30 power plays against Boston in the first round.

Robert L: I don't dispute this, regardless of the Habs poor PP showing in round 1. The Canadiens PK gives them what I would say is just a small edge here. The big difference maker could be the Flyers tendency of making more trips to the box - something that may well decide the series along with golatending here.

Coaches

Flyers: John Stevens' primary concern is trying to figure out how to replace Mike Knuble, who is out indefinitely with a partially torn hamstring. He is soft-spoken, but can be stern and has done a nice job managing the locker room and relying on his leaders.

Canadiens: Guy Carbonneau is similar to Stevens in that he took over last year, but missed the playoffs. Carbonneau won two Stanley Cups as a player for the Canadiens and one with the Dallas Stars.

EDGE: Even. Since Stevens and Carbonneau are playoff rookies and each nearly blew a 3-1 lead in the first round, let 'em battle it out.

Robert L: I must have missed all those cries for John Stevens for coach of the year!

Carbonneau by a landslide here - not even close. Barkowitz places emphasis on the few similarities between the two to call it a draw. Last year might have been seen as disasters for both teams, but that is just a surface assessment. While the Flyers were the sinkhole of the NHL, Carbonneau's Habs missed the playoffs by one win and were feeled by illness, injury and feeble backup goaltending. I can't say Carbonneau did a whole lot different this year other than communicate better perhaps and get his star player Kovalev in line. The bottom line is what made the Flyers an improved team had everything to do with free agent signings and trades.

Coaching made a much bigger difference on the Canadiens.

And I haven't even factored Stanley Cups won into the argument.

Intangibles

Flyers: Even though both series went seven, the Flyers expended more energy to get to this point. Yet they summoned up the fortitude to win twice on the road, including in overtime of Game 7. They are playing with the house's money now.

Canadiens: Their inability to put away the Bruins was troubling, especially giving up four goals each in the third period of Games 5 and 6. All the pressure is on Montreal, the only Canadian team still playing. And here's to you, Mr. Price. A nation turns its lonely eyes to you.

EDGE: Flyers.

Robert L: Barkowitz is wrong again, I don't see a single intangible heading the Flyers way. They are less rested than Montreal for starters. They have an injury to a key player who will not be returning. The Canadiens have a goaltender they can rely on to win games when they are outshot. The pressure Montreal is under helps instead of hurting. They will be primed to Canada's last team alive. That the Flyers used more energy than Montreal to get to this point is his perception only. Even if the Flyers had, doesn't that go in that Habs favor as well.

Whatever went on in the teams prior series ends tonight at 7 p.m.



















Here are Barkowitz' 3 keys to the series for Philadelphia.

1. Stay out of the box. It's as obvious as making sure the Zamboni has gas, but the team that allows the fewer power plays is halfway home.
2. Keep them in front of you. The Canadiens can skate, and if they turn this into too much of a track meet with odd-man rushes, it will hurt the Flyers.
3. Get physical. The Flyers can't sag back and allow the Canadiens to gain the offensive zone with speed.

My view is:

1. Easier said than done against Montreal.
2. The Flyers defense is hardly mobile enough to consistantly contain Montreal over the course of the series.
3. Flyers can get as physical as they want to. It'll translate into a penalty parade that will suit the Canadiens assets perfectly. Besides, didn't the Bruins try that tact and still Montreal outhit them.

Barkowitz gives the edge to Montreal in 3 areas, to the Flyers in 2, and calls coaching a draw.

I give the edge to Habs in every department except for goaltending, which I suggest may only last two or three games in.

Having learned a lessons against the Bruins, I just don't see the Canadiens taking their foot off the accelorator in this one.

Only a fluke and some bad officiating could extend this round as far as seven games.

For a hard look at the Flyers merits, check out this post at Lions In Winter.
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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 Should Roll Out A "Welcome Mats" Sign Next Summer

Not that I should be thinking about the summer of 2008 with the Habs on the verge on clinching a playoff spot in about three wins time, but a story out of Toronto had me thinking about July in the midst of snowbanks and melting roads.

My thoughts have to do with a player I feel would be the ideal free agent signing for the Canadiens.

When it comes to free agency, I've often put my thoughts inside those of an individual player, when contemplating scenarios ranging from from what city would be a good fit, and what line mates would make sense.

From a fans point of view, I'd then step outside the players head, and see how it all adds up for the Canadiens. If things spelled a fit on both sides, then I would be watching the scenario evolve with great interest.

Looking two players the Canadiens almost snagged over the last two summers, teaches what they may opt to do with who they will try to sign this July.

I like Marian Hossa and Mats Sundin as players the Habs should target. For different reasons, they remind me of both Brendan Shanahan and Daniel Briere, and as Habs fans, we've been all over this before.























Two off seasons ago, I saw Shanahan as an excellent fit for Montreal. He was a character player, used to pressure situations, was a proven winner and leader, and his set of skills matched up well with the Canadiens needs.

The Habs came close to nabbing Shanny, with his spouse's concerns for their children's education being the deciding factor that pointed him towards New York. Had Shanahan not resigned with the Rangers this past summer, then the Canadiens still would have had an interest in him. His traits and attributes are still present and his game remains potent. He is making 2.5 million and is set to be a free agent again next season. His 22 goals this season would rank Shanahan third on the Habs and if Montreal is looking to add one player for veteran experience and leadership in it's 100th season a man with close to 650 career goals is not a bad place to look.

Last summer, the Canadiens were all prepared to roll out the red carpet treatment for Daniel Briere. The city and it's fans were so excited, many considered Briere a done deal.

I breathed a long and thankful sigh when when Briere rebuffed the Habs offer and headed to Philly. I saw the Briere proposition as a tenous one as I've never found him to have the right character to be a good fit in Montreal.

After the deal fell through, the details that trickled from the negotiations confirmed why I felt uncomfortable with Briere in the first place.

For starters the money and length were too large and too long for a player who's posted all one of excellent campaign. Placing oneself inside Briere's thoughts, do you think it might have crossed his mind what kind of treatment Montreal would reserve for him if he failed to live up to expectations?

With 62 points in 72 games, and a minus 25 stat on an eighth place team, I would say Briere constitutes a big disappointment at 10 million dollars a year!

Briere supposedly asked the he be guaranteed top line center status upon signing with Montreal, which is a preposturous demand to ask of an organization that has always put the team ahead of the individual.

A character player would ensure that he is the top pivot by his performance and not a contract stipulation.

Imagine Montreal being weighted down with 52 million dollars invested in Briere now, with a bundle of kids to keep signed for the coming years!























Barring perhaps Marian Hossa, it is doubtful now the Canadiens will want to sign on a free agent for a deal that surpasses three years. Having risen to where they stand presently on the strength of youth, the plan would seem to dictate that the Canadiens continue on in this manner.

As teams are now showing a tendency to lock up their younger more promising stars earlier before they reach RFS status, I could see and understand the Canadiens looking at shorring up their lineup with older players of character, leadership and experience, who have something left in the tank.

There a perfect fit out there for the Montreal Canadiens, and his name is Mats Sundin.

Some might suggest this a blasphemous thought, the notion of one of the greatest Maple Leafs ever, donning a Habs jersey, but it doesn't even enter into my mind.

Two of my favorite Habs ever were named Mahovlich and Gilmour, and they each wore the Habs colours with tremendous pride and dedication. Both were veterans in every aspect and action.

Sundin is in the mold of great Canadiens players. He has the passion, the perseverance, and the dedication needed to succeed in Montreal.

Having played all his career in Quebec City and Toronto, he is perfectly acclimated to the "hockey is everything" mentality that exists in Montreal. Sundin even seems motivated by such an environment.

















Now, Sundin could be a Habs player presently if he'd said yes to a trade scenario prior to February 26th that would have sent him to Montreal. Being the beneficiary of a no trade clause, Sundin exercised the option and chose to fight the good fight down to the wire as a member of the Leafs. His inspired performance has made the unlikely notion of the Leafs in the playoffs at least appear a remote possibility.

To his credit, his leadership qualities are being lauded around the hockey world, and his class as a man of his word and action is also worthy of being underlined.

Sundin has never so much as said he did not want to play anywhere else but Toronto, but he made it a point to state that he didn't believe in the rent a player concept working for himself. For him, the goal of winning a Stanley Cup begins in October and not February.

Many have expressed that Sundin would wish to retire a Maple Leaf, but the fact remains that the team and its captain are heading in opposite directions. Unable to trade any of their no trade clause contracted players, Toronto will have let go of something in the offseason whether they are looking to rebuild or retool. I can't see the Maple Leafs organization still having Sundin in their sights if they plan to move forward. In Toronto, the recipe for stagnancy would be recognized and ripped apart.

Knowing the Leafs were actively seeking to move him, can't sit well with the valiant captain either.

Mats Sundin is no different than any other player in the NHL - he wants to win a Stanley Cup as badly as anyone. He might just be a guy who wishes to so on his terms. He obviously has enough faith in his abilities, after dragging the Leafs on his back for a spell, to know that he could be just the right ingredient to put a tean elsewhere over the top.

This summer, Montreal will be on Sundin's radar, and vice versa.

In all the years I've watched Sundin kill the Habs over and over, I've never been able to shake the notion that he would thrive in Montreal. Sundin always showed up for big games, and every game in Montreal is big and getting bigger now.

Among other things about the Habs that would whet Sundin's appetite for victory is a lineup loaded with the types of players he would enjoy playing with. He's surely familiar with them from 8 meetings each year, and he'd continue to play in a division that he is comfortable with and has had success in.

Sundin will not be looking for a multi year deal anywhere. He will not command a 7 million dollar salary to sign where he feels he fits in. Sundin will want to fit where team leaders are already entrenched and he does not have the burden of being the team savior and can concentrate solely on hockey for a change.

Among Sundin's values, loyalty ranks quite high with him. It will not escape his thoughts that Montreal were one of two teams seriously bidding for his services recently. That will mean something to him when he finds himself looking for a new home come July.

As for the vision of seeing a former Leaf in a Habs uni, Canadiens fans will make him their own as soon as he has scored his first goal or point in Montreal jersey.

Toronto fans, might get over it with more difficulty.

Then again, every beantowner cheered for Ray Bourque when he tearfully lifted Stanley with a snow crested A on his chest. Why wouldn't this hockey story be just as sweet?

Eric Desjardins On The Briere Treatment

"Finally, what it does is discourage the remaining Quebec born players from coming to Montreal."

Former Canadiens defenseman Eric Desjardins spoke out recently, in a column published in la Presse, about the treatment shelled out at Daniel Briere, who was fiercely booed last Thursday, upon playing his first game since signing with the Flyers.

I've translated Desjardins' article here for readers of English only, and while he does make some interesting points, I find he's missing the whole deal by miles.

Point being, Briere doesn't play for the Canadiens, he's an opposing player!

Still the treatment of Briere was harsh, but I doubt that it throws up the red flags that Eric envisions. Had he been speaking of the treatment given to Patrice Brisebois, while a Hab four seasons ago, he would have brought up a more concise reference point. Few Habs in history have taken it on the chin like Brisebois did, yet he still chose to return to Montreal to finish his career.

Riddle me that, Eric!

Desjardins does make a point to state that the recent absense of a winning team also affects the attraction of free agents as much as anything else.

After Desjardins piece, I will say my peace on his take. For now, here is what Desjardins had to say:

"Finally, what it does is discourage the remaining Quebec born players from coming to Montreal."

I am refering to the recent visit from Daniel Briere last Thursday, on what amounted to a night that is sure to make Quebec born players speak amongst themselves.

I was at that game and was surprised, even uncomfortable, because of the amount of boo's directed at Briere. I even heard a local sports commentator suggest how much fun the fans had in booing him.

Exactly how can anyone have fun boing a player?

Is it just some way to get out your daily frustrations in life?

How can someone be that upset at seeing Briere choose the Flyers?

It is going to get even more difficult to attract Quebec born players because those who've seen Briere get booed will now be thinking that the same treatment would be reserved for them should they sign with the Canadiens and go into a slump.

I spoke with Briere before the game and he admitted that he was lot less nervous prior to the game than he thought he would be. Instead he was concerned, and felt badly, for his family's feelings. He asked me how it was when I played for the Canadiens, in regards to how my family took things. I replied that I had no children at the time.

Everyone says that hockey players of today are nothing but banks on skates. Irregardless, players will always play where it is easiest to earn a living. The Canadiens have yet to prove that they can win, year in year out.



People complain that the Canadiens do not draft enough Quebec born players. Perhaps the Canadiens have learned that it is much more difficult for players from here to find success in Montreal. Not all players are as mentally tough as Guy Carbonneau or Patrick Roy. Look at what is happening with Guillaume Latendresse, and he is just 20 years old.

The fans want a savior so badly. Luckily Carey Price is not from Quebec, fans would be clammoring for Cristobal Huet to be offed on the spot. Already fans are speaking out about the necessity of signing Vincent Lecavalier, and he's a whole two years from free agency!

Before, everyone wanted to play for Montreal. A winning team with a rich history impressed players. That reality has changed.

I find that there is less respect in general in society's whole, and by consequence of course, less respect for the professional athlete. Fans want immediate results, otherwise they turn on the players. It's all about now, now, now.

Everyone needs to be conscious of the effort it would take on everyone's part for Montreal to become an inviting destination once more. It's time to put aside the 1960's and 1970's as a measuring stick. It's a 30 team league now, and players can come from just about anywhere. I'm not sure if everyone can come to this reality all at once.

For now, things in Montreal still aren't what they could be. I don't believe Martin Brodeur one bit when he says he wouldn't rule out finishing his career in Montreal.

So, Desjardins says some interesting things about Habs fans and players alike here, but it is never right to generalize on either. It's often a small portion of fans booing, and another fraction of players being turned off by it. I've always said that if a player needs a gutcheck to play in Montreal, and that if the player is hesitant to sign and has issues with the media, fans, and almosphere - then we don't want you!

What Briere's actions told me, is that he is not a character enough person to cut it in Montreal. In the end, he might have been more concerned about how it would go should this go badly. If his unique focus weren't on things beyond his play, he'd be in the bleu, blanc, rouge now.

The other thing to remember about Desjardins is that he is working in the media now, for a paper with an agenda for stirring things up.

The bottom line for attracting players to Montreal will always be the win column. Once the team has reached contender status, lots of these arguments will be put on the backburner. With each progressive season, the Canadiens discussions with UFA's go deeper each year. As the team's standing gets better, the quality of free agent's the team speaks to and signs will improve. We've already seen a turning of the corner these last few years, and it will continue to be an upward trend as the team progresses towards it's goal.

Often a player simply goes somewhere to be with a friend or ideal linemate. Smyth and Sakic, Briere, Gagne and Biron, are examples of this. It is not that certain players are avoiding Montreal in these cases, it's just that they have their own ideal preferences based on what quality of life they wish to enjoy.

Some players have even blamed snow for staying away.

If Desjardins has further points to make, let him name names. Let him sound off on particular cases.

Hab Put The Boot To Flyers

What more could you ask for from a game of hockey?

This Canadiens - Flyers contest was a game that had everything going for it, from a pair of pre - game controversies, passing through an impassioned Bell Centre crowd, down to the final, I say correct, good guys 5 -2 winning outcome. This game had it all.

For starters ( or distractions depending on your personal stance ) there were polar language controversies involving Habs captain Saku Koivu's tangle with a Quebec politician, and that of Daniel Briere, native son and all, who shunned the Habs as the potential top catch in last summer's free agent open season.

Add in that Flyers games always take in a colliding of past rivalries with present hockey philosophies, and you have a mouth watering plate to dig your pre - game forks into.

This matchup amounted to big, slow, and goonish versus speedy, elusive, and intelligent.

Before the 60 minutes were over, this tilt had it's fisticuffs, it's dubious officiating calls on both sides, powerplay and PK sparks, a penalty shot, a boo birds paradise, goalposts rung galore, and a captain displaying class on and off ice.

Concerning the lead in stories for this game, Habs captain Koivu addressed the language broohaha via an RDS splice in between faceoffs, by nailing, in french no less, a simulated re-enactment of his opening game script speech in which he proclaimed his "My City, My Team" dedication.

He didn't need to go this length, but the simple fact that he complied with doing so, showed one more great gesture of class.

Hopefully, this same address was blasted over the Bell Centre video screen.

Our captain reminded me of a Finnish Jean Beliveau on this evening - in doing the proper thing, gesture - wise, simply because it was the proper thing to do. Koivu, who is admittedly and understandably insecure with speaking his third language, was impressive in his intonation and his words were surely spoken with the deliberate aim to shutting down this week's fermenting of political idiocy.

Add in a goal and assist for Koivu, and call it a slam dunk down Guy Bertrand's throat.

In it all, through this misguided language issue mess, we have discovered that Koivu's children are his most comfortable language teachers. I've often found Koivu to be not only a model competitor on ice, but a consciencious and appreciative athlete off ice. One could also now suggest that Koivu is the model immigrant citizen, despite his profession, in raising his children to embrace the culture they are fortunate enough to partake in.

His words and actions, on and off the ice, in the last two days, amount to making Bertrand appear exactly as the fool he is.




On the coin's flipside, was the Briere snuff - the second impassioned lead in to Thursday's game.
On that matter, rarely have I heard a crowd so prepared to send a message to a player so many were ready to welcome home and embrace just a few months back. This Bell crowd can sure be the Lorraina Bobbit of jilted girlfriends when it wants to be!

The Briere slight will last only as long as the realization by Habs fans that this boy's gonads are simply too small and shrivelling to handle Montreal hockey demands.

This player actually did us a favor by signing with the Flyers. Understand that we are not talking about Vincent Lecavalier here!

Booed beyond sheer spurned pain, Briere never found his head in this game. If he would have signed with the Canadiens only to suffer such treatment, he would wilt faster than a wet Kleenex in a thunderstorm. Briere reminds me of Pierre Turgeon!

Our young, up and coming Habs have earned 11 of a possible 12 points in their last six games. Witnessing what free agent Chris Drury has so far given the New York Rangers, I say it is doubtful that Briere, for all of what his gutless skill enhanced package offers, would have made the Canadiens a better team right now.

It is his loss, not ours.

Perhaps he was being booed to extremes for having suggested that he signed with the Flyers because they were a better team, in his assessement.

Wrong!

From what I saw of Thursday's Flyers demantling at the hands of the Habs, Philadelphia still does not measure up to the Canadiens in just about every regard.

Not only did Briere play as if he were wearing three jocks on backwards, Montreal owned this game from start to finish, outshooting the "Orange Crushed" by a 41 - 19 margin.



For all the Flyers wannabe reincarnated Broad Street Bullies reputation threatens, the Habs proved to be faster, bigger, tougher, and smarter.

I saw 1976 all over again, and enjoyed the flashback - Komisarek pummeling Hartnell and all.
Obviously the Flyers are not the same team without Steve Downie, Jesse Boulerice, and that Jones guy in the lineup.

As for the game played itself, there were many left over Halloween goodies for Habs fans to lick their chops over. With boos shrinking Briere down to size, this contest gave way to more treats, as opposed to Tuesday night's tricks the Habs played on themselves against Atlanta.

Koivu, for starters, set a tone that never dimished. Lonely was the doubt that the Canadiens would pull this one out. Our captain's effort set the ball rolling.

Kovalev's seventh goal of the season - I didn't see it go in! Neither did Martin Biron!

If you are still wondering why Tom Kostopuolos upseeded Mike Johnson's spot on the team, you may just be cheering on the wrong sport. TK plays with unquenchable zest in every square inch of the rink. I believe his fight with Ben Eager, in this game, was his third of the season. TK is no mammoth, but when a player takes on another three inches taller and 20 pounds heavier and holds his own - I want him on my team!

Kostopoulos was my second star choice tonight, earning the nod by scoring his first Habs goal shorthanded, the game breaker, on a nifty give and go with Andrei Markov joining the PK rush.

In the post game interview, the bilingual TK unwittingly summed up the recent language controversies by answering questions while alternating tongues. When asked about his play, and his shorthanded goal, he replied something like this:

"Le but, a venu a un good time. Markov a fait un perfect setup. Je suis contant d'avoir made a contribution."

Eat that, Guy Bertrand!

Other than "Boo" the second most prominant on ice sound was "Ping'', twice behind Biron and three times behind Cristobal Huet. Analysing goalposts hit, can often earn the same analogy as prospective bar pickups - something in the delivery was simply insufficient. To put it squarely, neither goalie was destined to be a star in this game.

Keep eyes and ears open for a soon to be brewing controversy, involving Michael Ryder and Guillaume Latendresse.

Both players have been at the top of Habs fans wrath list so far this season, as each have been slow in finding their prime game form from 2006-07. Watching the tentativeness of both players, in respect to the three zones the game is played in, it becomes obvious that there is a concentration on positional play that is comprosing the offensive output these two sharpshooters are capable of.

Different assessments are branded onto each forward.

Ryder is concentrating on hitting more, but seems to be standing still when opportunities to shoot and score arise. Some opinions suggest he is squeezing the stick too tightly while trying to command the slot position as his usual firing line. Despite this lacking, Ryder is not providing the Canadiens with what he is being paid to do. He is however, demonstrating more willingness towards defensive sacrifices.

While understanding that the team has been able to win without Ryder's goal scoring contribution, leads management to question how vital he is in the grand scheme of success.

Latendresse throws more hits than Ryder in trying to convert chances, but often seems a second or two behind the play. Focusing on one aspect seems to detract from another one in Latendresse's case, as he simply may be trying to accomplish too much all at once.

Often Latendresse's efforts amount to missed chances while playing on the second or third lines. On the top line, with only a few shifts to gauge concrete results, Latendress has shown an ability to convert Koivu's plays, and this is going back to last season.

In certain ways, Latendresse brings a different dynamic to Koivu's line than Ryder does. If Ryder continues to be dry, unfairly perhaps, Latendresse could be the solution. Against the Flyers, Latendress had 8 shots on goal and played his best game of the year.

The fourth line continues to be a sparkplug for the team as a whole. Steve Begin was a pinball hammer, nailing everyone he could without sparing any effort. For Carbonneau's coaching style, having a line that can match up against many team's top lines allows him the liberty of rolling his own any way he chooses. This will be a recurring theme this season, as the Habs surprise and undo several seemingly better, albeit, thinner opposing lineups.

Roman Hamrlik, who continues to impress, almost scored on a penalty shot. After jumping out of the penalty box, a pass sent him into the clear. The defender chasing him did manage to touch the puck before bringing Hamrlik down. Last year, calls like this went against the Habs - so we'll take the breaks anyway they come. Unfortunately, Hamrlik hit the post trying to duplicate Andrew Markov's shootout winner against the Penguins.

Referee Chris Lee was equal to his reputation - which isn't good. He missed a bunch last night, including a dubious call on Briere, who seemingly hauled down Higgins by breathing on him.

The best thing about yesterday's game is the confidence this type of win brings two days before meeting the Leafs. A gut check, it certainly was, and the Canadiens boys will be tuned up perfectly to host a Toronto team Saturday that has the habit of testing them to the max. It should add up to an interesting weekend.