Habs For Breakfast - Ready To Rumble...Just Not Downtown, Please!

I should start off talking of the Flyers here first, but....

As a Canadiens fan who does not live in the city of Montreal, I was quite shaken and embarrassed by the events that followed Monday's game. Even living in Ontario and wearing a crested CH pullover does not escape one from snide comments from hockey followers who vehemently disagree with what went down two days ago. I agree myself, the sights were disgusting. It doesn't always help when putting the events in the perspective that they were caused by a small minority of outcast idiots.

A stain is still a stain.

Recently Montreal hockey fans were voted as the best NHL hockey fans by a poll of players. That would reflect the riot that goes on inside the Bell Centre, and not the foolishness that erupts outside it.

With the Rocket Richard riot in 1955, the Stanley Cup celebration gone afoul in 1993, and now this, Montreal is now know as the city that riots over hockey. Not the right image.

The best thing that can happen for the city now is for the Canadiens to go on winning this spring and for the violence and stupidity to cease. Seeing as the idiots that comprised the minority were practically turned in by the majority of onlookers carrying cellphones might be part of the detriment.

I feel two other things need to happen. I believe that if the Canadiens organization and their players spoke out loudly and became involved in a type of "Cool It" campaign it cannot hurt. The other thing that needs to happen is for the local police to take a good hard look at their prevention methods and tactics for calming down the enlivened spirits after games. Sometimes a simple police presence can fuel the behavior, and I don't buy for a second that the gathered forces have nothing to do with it.

The problem will not fade away without the involvement of some cool heads taking a deep look into why and how this repeatedly happens.

That's all I will say further on the subject. I've said enough....

Now for some hockey!

Captain Comeback Regains Stride, Confidence - Gazette

"The curtain had fallen an hour earlier on Act I of this playoff drama and even now, one of the lead actors was greeting visitors in his hardly private dressing room. You had to look closely to see the small bandage across his left arch. "Just a Band-Aid," Canadiens captain Saku Koivu joked late Monday night of the boo-boo, in fact a broken bone in his foot suffered 24 days earlier." - Dave Stubbs

Next Foe: Philly - Gazette

"Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau was being diplomatic when he said he didn't have any preference for his team's opponent in the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. But you would have to think that if Carbonneau and friends had their choice, they would have opted for the Philadelphia Flyers." - Pat Hickey

Carbonneau Gets Credit For Habs Success - Gazette

"The Carbonneau-Julien matchup was intriguing because it was Julien whom Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey fired on Jan. 14, 2005. Gainey took over the bench, with Carbonneau by his side, the plan being for Carbonneau to become the head coach for the 2005-06 season." - Tim Wharnsby

Carbonneau: "Lessons Were Learned From First Round" - TSN

"That this is the playoffs and you can't take games off and think that it will be easy and that you just have to show up," he said. "That's a process you go through to become a better team."

Order Has Been Restored, Habs Shut Bruins To End The Misery - Four Habs Fans

"If Montreal had lost this, it would have meant weeks of "what went wrong" articles, calls for Carbo's head, second-guessing of Gainey's deadline moves and non-moves, and taunts from opposing fans. Now we shake our heads, curse under our breath, and sweep the glass and debris off Ste. Catherine as we look forward to a hammering from the Rangers or a borderline assault from the goons in Philly. - Habsfan10

Please Don't Paint Us All With The Same Brush, These Hooligans Aren't Habs Fans - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"These fools, who wouldn’t know Jean Beliveau if he personally delivered their welfare cheques, saw an opportunity to show off their talent for lighting matches and breaking windows. They are, for lack of a better phrase, quite stupid. The only hooking and holding they know is when they spend twenty bucks to buy the girl of their dreams for half an hour." - Dennis Kane

Robert L Note: On a similar notion, one of our favorite Habs bloggers is having some concerns about how the embarrasing scenes in the city on Monday has made her feels as a Montrealer and as a hockey fan. I wasn't happy to see her post this yesterday. I'd like to encourage those of you who read the Theory Of Ice blog and disagree with this post to offer your voice to the comments section and give E some big time support, encouragement, and love. Thanks!























Une expérience inestimable - RDS

"Carey Price, Ryan O'Byrne, Tom Kostopoulos, Maxim Lapierre, Guillaume Latendresse et les frères Andrei et Sergei Kostitsyn sont désormais mieux aguerris pour entreprendre le deuxième tour contre les Rangers de New York ou les Flyers de Philadelphie, jeudi soir, au Centre Bell."

Price me fait penser à Joe Sakic - RDS

"Au cours de ma carrière au Colorado, j’ai vécu une situation identique à celle du Canadien à deux occasions et à chaque fois face aux Kings de Los Angeles. En 2001 et 2002, nous avions pris les devants 3 à 1 face aux Kings avant de les laisser forcer la présentation d’un septième match. Tout comme le Canadien, nous avons réussi à gagner ces deux matchs 7 de manière convaincante. En 2001, nous avons gagné 5 à 1 et en 2002 4 à 0." - Bob Hartley

Les Flyers élaborent leur plan anti-CH - La Presse

"Les Bruins ont fait du bon travail en contenant leur avantage numérique», explique Stevens au Philadelphia Inquirer. Il indique également que le CH peut compter sur «un très bon gardien, une défense solide et une attaque équilibrée."

Avec le recul, à quel rang serait choisi Price? - La Presse

"L'entraîneur Don Lever tentait de livrer le discours le plus émotif possible à ses joueurs dans le vestiaire. Et qui n'at-il pas vu bâiller dans un coin de la pièce? Carey Price, 19 ans, fraîchement rappelé des rangs juniors et qui avait seulement deux matchs d'expérience chez les pros! "Disons que ça m'a inquiété un peu sur le coup" a confié Lever, hier, au téléphone.

Premier trio un jour, mais pas toujours! - La Presse

"C'est quoi au juste un premier trio? C'est un titre qu'on colle à trois joueurs dominants. En principe, le trio de Tomas Plekanec, Alex Kovalev et Andrei Kostitsyn héritait de ce titre au terme de la saison régulière chez le Canadien."

De la graine de grand athlète - La Presse

"Carey Price n'a pas volé le statut de gardien numéro un qu'il a obtenu le jour où le Canadien a échangé Cristobal Huet aux Capitals de Washington. Sa performance contre les Bruins de Boston en première ronde des séries figure parmi les plus impressionnantes qu'il m'ait été données de voir chez un jeune gardien." - Jean - François Bégin























"La 1re série est souvant la plus difficile": Carbonneau - Le Journal

"Le Canadien a dominé dans plusieurs aspects du jeu. Il a effectué 35 tirs contre 25 pour les Bruins. Il a appliqué 38 mises en échec contre 24 pour ses rivaux. Il a bloqué 23 tirs contre 12. Enfin, il a remporté 30 des 54 mises en jeu." - Pierre Durocher

Déja dans une classe a part - Le Journal

"Au cours des sept derniers matchs, Millen n'a rien manqué de l'affrontement Boston-Montréal. Il n'aurait pu profiter d'un meilleur siège pour analyser et tenter de comprendre le comportement général d'une jeune merveille comme Carey Price. Aussi bien vous le dire, il a été impressionné par ce qu'il a vu." - Bertrand Raymond

La veille chemise fait encore l'affaire - Le Journal

"Damphousse s'est senti plus rassuré lorsque Koivu a repris son poste dans le sixième match après qu'une fracture au pied gauche l'eut tenu inactif durant trois semaines. D'accord, le Tricolore a échappé la victoire, mais Koivu a été le meilleur vétéran des siens dans ce match fertile en rebondissements. Après la rencontre, Koivu a mis la table pour le match ultime en prononçant un discours qui portait, au dire de Mike Komisarek." - Marc De Foy

More from RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal.

Habs For Breakfast - Next!

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

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

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

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

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

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

VICTORIOUS! - Gazette

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

Habs Saved The Best For Last - Gazette

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























Kostitsyn's Lead Scoring Parade - Gazette

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

Habs Close To Perfection - Gazette

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

Canadiens Dominate Bruins In Game 7 - TSN

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

Canadiens Finally Put Away Bruins - Globe Sports

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


















Canadiens Turn Dread Into Cheers - Globe Sports

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

Rioting Fans Torch Police Cars - Globe Sports

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


















Mission Accomplished - Lions In Winter

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

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

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

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

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

Elimination Schmelimination - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

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

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

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

Au suivant, finalement - RDS

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

L'union réussie des frères Kostitsyn - RDS

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


















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

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

C'était magique - La Presse

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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