Category Archives: Random

My Top Five Bell Centre Experiences

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Yep, it’s time to step away from the burning-house Habs talk and relax. I got to thinking about how much I miss the Montreal Forum, but the cold reality then set in: the Bell Centre has been a part of my life for nearly as long as the Forum has. In fact, if you ignore those early years where nothing really seems to matter except toys and more toys, the Bell Centre indeed has been more a part of my life than the old shrine of hockey on Ste-Catherine & Atwater. Lining up for hockey tickets, or concert tickets on the upper floors of The Bay in Fairview or at the Dorval mall were always the spots to go. Lining up for tickets was part of the experience, but I’ll sacrifice that part of the journey in favour of the conveniences offered by the internet.

From Habs games, to Montreal Roadrunner games, to concerts, the Montreal Forum  holds many amazing memories for me: Standing room playoff games vs the Bruins (Roy’s return from “appendicitis” most notably), Stopping the Leafs season opening winning streak in 93, Green Day on the day of the Referendum on Quebec separation, WWF events, Harlem Globetrotters…the list goes on and on. I wondered how the Bell Centre has stacked up, and I have to say, that as much as I’ll always favour the Forum for nostalgic reasons, the Bell Centre has provided many great times for me. Here’s a list in no particular order:

Habs at Penguins – Game 7 of the 2010 playoffs
Say what? Habs AT Penguins? Bell Centre? Huh? The Canadiens were on the verge of knocking off another Eastern Conference powerhouse and the Bell Centre was opened to the masses. A $10 ticket got you inside the Bell Centre to watch the game on the scoreboard. In the day leading up to game 7, all I could think about was how odd it would be to watch a game at the Bell Centre without the team actually being there. It was a phenomenal experience. I wrote about it here, but looking back, it really is astonishing to me what a crowd of 22,000 people can do to simulate a real game. The team was hundreds of kilometres away in Pennsylvania, but it was definitely my favourite and most unique Habs experience at the Bell Centre. The celebrations (and sadly, the looting) all made for a crazy, crazy night.

Foo Fighters, 2011
If Dave Grohl wasn’t considered one of rock’s great frontmen already, may have ascended right to the top of the list during this summer’s tour that landed in Montreal. For nearly 150 minutes the Foo Fighters blew the roof clear off the Bell Centre with a rip-roaring show for the ages. I’m not one for big arena shows, but the energy in the building that night was simply off the charts, and it all came from the band from the very first note. It’s hard to think about what today’s rock landscape would look like if Nirvana hadn’t been abruptly torpedoed. Everyone that I speak to that was at that show still raves about it to this day, and indeed it was probably the best rock show this city has seen in some time.

All Star Weekend, 2009
I didn’t have tickets to the game, to the skills competition or to any event in the city that weekend. I didn’t see any of the players, I wasn’t a part of the legion of people that got to pick up players at the airport as they arrived from out of town. Instead, I hung around the Bell Centre, checked out the miniature Hall of Fame / media tent that they had set up and just took in the sub-zero atmosphere. To see the Bell Centre decked out with massive banners of Carey Price, Alex Kovalev and Sidney Crosby was terrific. The exhibits around the Bell Centre were fantastic. It was well worth freezing myself half to death to get all of these cool pictures.

Canadiens Fan Appreciation Night, 2002
What was so memorable about a regular season finale where the Habs mailed it in for a  3-0 loss? Well, it was the second home game for Captain Saku Koivu after returning from cancer treatments, so there’s that. But what really made it memorable for me was around half way through the games when one of the usherettes came to us and asked us to check under our seats. Taped underneath my mom’s seat was a sealed envelope that said that she had been selected to meet a player at ice level at the game’s conclusion and get an authentic jersey signed by a randomly chosen player. My mom is a big Habs fan, but she passed off the winning ticket to me knowing that this would mean a lot more to me. About 5 minutes before the end of the game, all winners gathered at ice level in the corner of the arena (where the zambonis come out) and randomly selected a number between 1 and 25. I chose 24, my lucky number. It failed me that night, as I drew Yanic Perreault. Don’t get me wrong, he was the Habs best forward and leading scorer that year. He was a nice player, but ultimately a footnote in Habs history. It was even more disappointing to learn that choosing number 23 would have put me face to face with Doug Gilmour and 25 would have been Jose Theodore, who had his Hart Season that year. He was kind of a big deal. Anyway, it made for a really great experience. Being introduced by Michel Lacroix was a thrill, even if the building was 75% empty by that point! Shaking hands with Perreault, hanging around on the ice for a few moments with the winners & Habs players is something I won’t soon forget. I still have the jersey and the team 5×7 photo from that night.

Metallica, 2005
I first got in to Metallica in 1989, when I was just 11 years old. A bit young for such weighty subject matter in music, but I digress. I remained a fan for a relatively short period, until a couple guys named Vedder and Cobain came on to the scene. “Alternative” was in, metal was out. It remained that way for about a decade. While Metallica was falling off the map, other bands were making big names for themselves, at least in my mind. The earth’s axis was put back in proper order in 2005 when one of my best friends (and roomate at the time) came home from work with box seats to that night’s show. Without giving Metallica a second thought for a decade (except to make fun of Kirk Hammett’s painted fingernails), I was instantly stoked, and my anticipation was well rewarded. Metallica just so happens to be the tightest, most powerful band I’ve ever seen live, and I’ve seen more shows than I can count. When you’re sitting up in a box and still feel the intense heat from the pyrotechnics at stage level, you know something is going very, very right. Fortunately, the only face-melting that night was due to Hammett’s shredding. Hey, having your face torched in the same city twice was probably too much for one guy anyway. This show may be the loudest I’ve ever heard a crowd at the Bell Center, and that’s counting any and all Habs games. The other contender for loudest event at the Bell Center? Read on…

Honourable Mentions:

WWE Smackdown (sometime in the early 2000′s)
Ain’t no fan like a wrasslin fan! Growing up I was a huge wrestling fan. As they say, it’s a soap opera for guys. I had been to see the WWF at the Forum several times, and saw the greats; Macho Man, Hulk Hogan, Ultimate Warrior, Big Boss Man, The Undertaker…but I had never been to one of their live-for-TV events. The old farts from the 80′s had passed the torch to the likes of Triple H, The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin and they did not disappoint. If Metallica wasn’t the loudest event ever, then this was. The WWE had come a long way in terms of razzle dazzle since the 80′s, and it was a viciously fun time, even if pro wrestling is the biggest joke this side of Kim Kardashian’s views on marriage.

Star Wars in Concert, 2009
I was always able to evade the “dweeb” label growing up. As a scrawny kid with glasses, there should have been no other way to describe me. I had unhealthy obsessions with Star Wars (and still do), and comic books (it’s back). But I could always play sports as well as anyone, so I was given a break…I guess. But when it was announced that the music of Star Wars could be heard live and in concert, I could barely contain myself. An evening hosted by Anthony Daniels (that’s the “gay robot” from Star Wars for the clueless) where I got to hear John Williams’ iconic score performed by a live symphony orchestra? Yeah, it was awesome. Here’s a quick video that pretty much sums up what Montreal is all about:

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I’m Still Alive

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Hola everyone!

If you’ve been stopping by over the past month, you’ve been met with a whole lot of nothing. I’d like to apologize for that, but the truth is I’m rather enjoying the summer.

I’ve finally been able to take some time off for paternity leave and as such decided to focus on hanging with my little family rather than blogging in the deadish off-season. I’m not going to lie, I’ve also spent a lot of time listening to baseball games via the MLB app on my cell phone. I got tired of painstakingly tuning the AM dial on my radio trying to pull in signals from Vermont, Maine and New York that only made me strain to hear the game anyway. Baseball and radio are like pb & j, and to be able to sit outside in the warm sun with a cool adult beverage(s) in hand is my version of heaven.

As far as my thoughts on the Habs go (because I know that’s why 90% of you stop by to begin with), Gorges has yet to be signed, and I believe he will be before his arbitration date of July 28th; he’s too important to the team in many ways to be parted with (I wrote this post exactly 7 months ago about the Habs defenseman, if you want to know my opinion of him). He’ll likely get 3-3.5 million per year and be worth it. Otherwise, the Habs also promoted former Bulldogs coaches Randy Cunneyworth and Randy Ladouceur to accompany Jacques Martin and Perry Pearn behind the bench. Getting a little crowded back there, isn’t it? We’re all expecting Pierre Gauthier to sign a couple more depth players, and no doubt they’ll come in time. I like the work the Habs GM has done, and despite some questionable asset management, he’s slowly making a believer out of me with his signings. They’ve been responsible and consistent with the team’s character. Not signing Zenon Konopka still has me scratching my head, as he would have fit the bill perfectly, but that’s now old news now.

I’ll be back with more regular posts as the new season approaches, but for now I’m enjoying the summer, and just waiting for my next round of paternity leave weeks to roll around.

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Five Hole For Food is Back!

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Who says hockey is a winter-only sport? Want proof? Then head out to Parc François-Perrault in Montreal’s St-Michel/Villeray district on Wednesday, June 29th between noon and 6:00pm for a game of ball hockey to help the hungry. The rink is part of the Canadiens “Bleu-Blanc-Bouge” program, and the Habs have graciously agreed to let Five Hole For Food use the rink for the day. The post-game action will happen at Boston Pizza – 7300 Boulevard des Roseraie Anjou, QC H1M 2T5. Boston Pizza is also a major sponsor of Five Hole For Food, so its only fitting that we help return the favour.

So what do you have to do? It’s pretty simple – bring your hockey stick and some non-perishable food items for the benefit of Moisson Montréal. As if playing hockey and helping Montreal’s less fortunate wasn’t enough, with your donation, you’ll have a chance to win a 2010-2010 Montreal Canadiens signed team stick.

If you haven’t yet heard of Five Hole For Food, here’s the quick rundown: Richard Loat (also known as @mozy19 on twitter) wanted to find a way to give back to the community following the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and came up with the idea of driving across Canada, playing ball hockey while raising food for local food banks. What’s better than that? Probably nothing. Last year’s event was an absolute success – far exceeding their donation goals. This year’s campaign is also on track to break their new goal, and Montreal will get their opportunity on June 29th.

Five Hole For Food has grown from a small operation to a full-fledged team replete with a media relations team, a communications department, PR personnel, sponsorship specialists and much, much more.

Here’s a video from last year’s event in Ile Perrot, it will give a flavour of what you can expect on Wednesday:

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If you’re on vacation, or off from school, what better way to spend a summer afternoon than to get some ball hockey in while helping the less fortunate? We hope to see you there!

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New Sunday Shinny on The Franchise

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Gotta keep the seat warm while the next set of blog posts germinate.

This past weekend I was lucky enough to once again join the guys at The Franchise for their Sunday Shinny. We hit on all kinds of topics; Alexei Yemelin, the NHL playoffs, including our predictions for each series and Conn Smythe, teams in small markets, Gary Carter, and all kinds of other fun stuff.

You can hear the 46 minute show here.

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If the Habs Were Cars

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I figured it was time for another fun blog post. I’ve been waaaaaay off my game lately and wanted to throw something together based on nothing but total pointlessness. Oddly enough, it’s these types of posts that generate the most amount of discussion because it gives everyone the chance to also let down their hair and throw things at the wall. I decided to use a bit of discipline and restraint with this, because as Habs fans, we are notorious for over-valuing the players we have. So I’ve intentionally avoided exotic cars like Porsche, and Ferrari and supercars, like the Audi R8 and Lamborghini Gallardo. It would be too tempting, and ultimately too boring to assign everyone on the team we love such a distinguished ride.
So here goes nothing….your Habs, if they were your cars:
 
Tomas Plekanec – 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T I know what you’re thinking, “You’re starting this thing off with a Hyunday? Eff this, I’m out!” Hang on, it gets better! The new Sonata rates up there with BMW 5-series and looks like a Mercedes, but it flies under the radar of recognition because it’s a Hyundai. That’s wrong, but for Habs fans, it’s so SO right!
 
Andrei Kostitsyn – Jeep Rubicon. Tough like a tank and elegant in its simple, boxy design, the Jeep Rubicon is unstoppable with a motivated driver behind the wheel. In other words, when AK46 is on, nothing can stop him.
 
Mike Cammalleri – Nissan 370Z. This car cooks! A top of the line roadster that’s speedy, sharp looking and everyone wants one.
 
Scott Gomez – Chrysler 300M. It’s a nice looking car, is really comfortable and cruises very nicely. But ultimately, this thing is overpriced.
 
Brian Gionta – Mini Clubman. It’s essentially a miniature BMW. What else do you want?
 
Lars Eller – Chevy Volt. This electric/hybrid’s best days are still ahead of it. Its role is not quite defined, just as Eller is victim to Martin’s confounding ways. It’s the future, Jacques – get used to it!
 
Benoit Pouliot – Base model Chevy Camaro. I’m speaking from experience on this one. Lots of blind spots, takes a ton of energy to get it up to speed, but it looks and feels great once it’s moving. Pouliot should have been an SS model by now, but it appears as though we’ll never see that upgrade. Still, this is a vast step up from the Jimmy Olsen ranking he got in my “If Habs Were Superheroes” post from May.
 
Mathieu Darche – Toyota Camry. Useful but unremarkable car. Those that have one love it, but always longing for another Cammalleri.
 
Jeff Halpern – Honda Ridgeline. Surprisingly versatile and underappreciated.
 
Maxim Lapierre – Honda Civic SI. One that’s been modified by a 20 year old that wears Ed Hardy clothes and wears his hat sideways.
 
Travis Moen – Ford F150 King Ranch Edition – solid, solid, solid.
 
Tom Pyatt – The newly relaunched Ford Fiesta. Terrific reviews, spunky, quick and peppy…but ultimately not the car you want when you need performance.
 
Andrei Markov - Cadillac CTS Coupe. This is a sweet, sweet ride that does everything well. Made by one of the classic automakers, it fits Markov’s prestigious role within the Habs organization well.
 
Josh Gorges – Jeep Grand Cherokee. A classy, yet tough as nails ride that suits this Habs iron man to a tee. He never misses a game and was probably on the short list for the captaincy. The only place left for him to go is to the SRT8 model. That’ll be tough though.
 
Hal Gill – 18 wheeler. Plods along in a straight line, takes an hour to make a turn and can block entire lanes of traffic. Ask the Capitals. Or the Penguins.
 
PK Subban – Chevy Corvette. Unbridled speed and power. This car just begs to be turned loose, but if you’re not careful, the rear wheel drive will throw you out of control. It’s a thrill to watch when it’s under control. Otherwise you’re just waiting for the inevitable crash. And nobody likes seeing a smashed up Corvette. Or a shackled one either.
 
Roman Hamrlik – A Buick Regal. But an old one, not a new one…because the new ones are actually pretty awesome. Everyone knows that a Buick is a poor man’s Cadillac, and we all remember the admirable job that Hamrlik did filling in for Markov…last year. Once upon a time this car was a luxurious ride with a beefy engine, but that was a long time ago. Age erodes everything.
 
Jaroslav Spacek – Milk truck - delivers the goods once a week for a brief minute or two. That’s it.
Ryan O’Byrne and Alex Picard – Dodge Journey. Strictly utilitarian vehicles despite the attempts to give them style. They’re probably not long for this world. It’s a vehicle that just won’t stand the test of time, likely due to lack of development and poor product positioning.
 
Carey Price – 2011 Ford Taurus SHO. The old Taurus model was tired, boring, underwhelming and had lost its way by the time it was “reinvented” using the same Ford Five Hundred that got nowhere. Reborn and reinvigorated, the new Taurus the is probably the coolest looking sedan on the road and has the guts to back up its new look.
Ok, that’s it. Fun’s over. Now it’s your turn. What car would you have assigned to the Habs players?
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Monday Musings – November 1st

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I know you were all listening live, but for those of you who didn’t here’s the audio from my time spent at CJAD last Sunday (October 24th). I, along with Kamal Panesar from Habsaddict.com took part in the blogger panel on the Habs Show, hosted by Barry Morgan. It was a ton of fun, a privelege to be asked to take part, and neat to see behind the curtain of radio magic.

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First off, I have to apologize to Calgary Flames fans. No, not for insinuating a couple weeks back that the wheels had already fallen off (they haven’t, and they’ve decent with a 6-5 record), but for making the Flames lose to the Capitals on Saturday night. Yep, it’s my fault. You see, I was channel surfing (mostly waiting for SNL to start) when I flipped over to CBC. The score was 2-1 Calgary, early in the second period. Within 3 seconds of tuning in, Ovechkin struck to tie the score. 12 seconds later, Ovechkin put the Caps on top. I continued flipping during commercials only to land back on the game a few minutes later. Guess what happened? Mike Green took a sweet pass and beat Kiprusoff to double the Capitals lead, and douse the Flames for the night. The next time I looked, it was 7-2 for Washington and I felt bad for clearly ruining the evening for many a Calgarian. Then again, I probably made a great many Caps fans happy at the same time.

So I’m sorry, and you’re welcome.

I have to say though, when things aren’t going well for the Flames, the look on Brent Sutter’s face resembles that of someone who’s been licking urinal pucks. Lighten up, Brent.

Danny Brière, that little rat, cross checked an opponent in the face. I know he’s small, and was being picked on, but that’s inexcusable, as all intentional stickwork is, and should be suspended. He’s been suspended twice in his career already, and sitting him down for at least 3 games should be a no-brainer in this scenario. Here’s the video:

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Did you catch the last play of the Alouettes / Argonauts game on Friday night? Probably the most bizarre ending to a football game that you’ll ever see. I can’t even describe it properly, so I’ll only suggest that you check it out here.

Aaaaaand with that, I’m done talking about the CFL until the Division Finals.

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Somebody needs to tell me why Miami Dolphins Head Coach Tony Sparano goes ballistic when his team settles for a field goal, but stands like a statue when they score a touchdown that essentially salts away the game. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a coach go wild for field goals like Sparano does. Ever. It would actually be funny if it weren’t so mystifying. Meanwhile, Dan Carpenter has gone 10/10 in field goals in the past 2 weeks, which would also be funny if it wasn’t so alarming. The Dolphins need to find a way to punch the ball in to the endzone more often.

You never want to see someone get their clock cleaned, but you have to wonder if Brett Favre had it coming. Whether he’s passionate about playing, too stubborn to step aside, or too proud to watch his consecutive games played streak die, you have to wonder if the football gods are starting to fix their glare on Favre. He was caught under the chin late in the game vs the Patriots and was taken to the dressing room on the cart. Seeing him curled up in a near-fetal position certainly isn’t funny, but it was probably overdue. No doubt he’ll be back behind center next Sunday, even if his brains are scrambled and his jaw is shattered. Makes you cringe wondering what the football gods will have in store next.

It was also fantastic to see the NFC finally win one over the AFC, especially when that AFC team is the rotten Jets. In the “Teams that Favre used to play for Bowl”, the Packers shut out the Jets AT HOME. That should make for a pleasant Monday morning in New York.

I’m never one to have pity for a divisional opponent, but I really do feel bad for the Bills. Nobody thought they’d even get a sniff at being competitive this season, but to lose in back-to-back weeks in overtime, on the road, against superior opponents, in games they could have (should have?) won just makes you shake your head. Given their misfortunes in the Super Bowl, and chronic inability to field a decent team in recent years, I wonder what the people of Buffalo have done to deserve this? Usually the Sabres are around to ease the suffering, but even they seem intent on sucking this year.

Congratulations to Ladanian Tomlinson, who joins Walter Payton as the only the second player with 13,000 yards rushing, and 4,000 yards receiving in their career. That’s incredible, and LT isn’t done yet. In fact, he’s been reborn this season with the Jets. He’s reminding everyone of how good he was in the early to middle part of this decade. I’ve never seen a running back as good as Tomlinson was about 5-6 years ago.

When did the Raiders go from pathetic to average? I like them better when they were a joke, but I’ll settle for the Cowboys. Watching them sink lower and lower in a sea of embarrassment is a sight to behold. I can’t wait for Mount Jones to erupt.

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With a game 4 victory, the San Francisco Giants return home with a 3-1 series lead and their ace, Tim Lincecum going in game 5. How fitting. It appears as though the Rangers should have saved some of the runs they used to trounce the Yankees for use in the World Series. Methinks there will be a parade in San Fran in the very near future.

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Monday Musings – October 25th

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Yep,  I took a couple weeks off. I know you missed my Monday morning nuggets of wisdom, so I’m back. For now. No promises for next week.

First off, congrats to the Texas Rangers. An organization that literally had nothing to hand its Texas-sized cowboy hat on is now on the cusp of winning it all. They aren’t hard to root for, either. With former Expo Vlad Guerrero, a rehabilitated Josh Hamilton, and an underrated pitching staff (except for Cliff Lee, who is out of this world), and Manager Ron Washington, the Rangers would be a fine champion for MLB. I find it totally insane that the Rangers hung 38 runs on the Yankees over 6 games. I’m no stat man, but I don’t know if that’s happened in the modern era. It’s also interesting to note that had the Rangers not had one bad inning in game 1, they would have swept the Yankees four straight. Wow.

The two best moments from the series:

From game 4: The Yankees intentionally walking David Murphy to get to Bengie Molina, who promptly hit a 3-run ding dong, killing the Yankees chances of tying the series.

From game 6: A-Fraud watching a filthy slider drop across for a called third strike, and the end of his team’s season. Glorious.

And kudos to the San Francisco Giants, as well. A rag-tag bunch led by a pitcher that looks like he could audition for a role in Nelson’s gang of ruffians.

For once I may be able to watch a World Series and be happy with either possible outcome though I admit that it would be really sweet to see Vlad get a World Series ring to add to his hall of fame credentials.

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Nice to see the Alouettes stiff the CFL by taking a second bye week. How else do you explain a 40-3 loss at the hands of the underwhelming Tigercats? You can’t. They’ll likely meet again in the Eastern Division final at the toilet bowl in Montreal, and hopefully the Als will put the Cats back in their place.

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I’m not writing about the NFL this week. The Dolphins were screwed and I’m pissed. At least twice now a team was jobbed by a lack of common sense. Recall that the Lions were also ripped off of a win in week one by a silly call that was “to the letter of the law”, but still dumb.

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Your Habs played their best game of the year on Saturday in Ottawa. Before the season, the 3 keys players everyone was looking at were Andrei Kostitsyn, Carey Price and Benoit Pouliot. Each played a fabulous game, especially Kostitsyn with 2 goals. Funny how that works.

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Random Habs Notes

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There’s too many loose thoughts in my head right now to put together a cohesive blog post, but as usual, I do have some opinions on what we’ve seen of our Habs in the past week.

Jacques Martin seems to have learned nothing about the new NHL in the offseason. The Habs took a 2-0 lead, and then prompty resumed the antiquated practice of sitting on the lead. Predictably, the Lightning, under innovative coach Guy Boucher attacked and attacked some more. Tired and already undisciplined, the Canadiens took one penalty too many and the game was tied. They tempted fate too often and were burned, utterly wasting a 40+ save effort from Carey Price.

Speaking of Jacques Martin, is he, or isn’t he in charge? During the playoffs we saw Kirk Muller take a much bigger role with the team. As it was in the spring, last night saw Muller talking to the refs, drawing up plays, and doing 95% of the talking behind the bench. You know, coaching. For Martin’s part, I’m sure he got a lot done and will implement many new strategies because of his copious note taking. Wonderful.

Carey Price. Love the way he’s playing this season. He’s directly and solely responsible for all 3 of the points the Habs thus far. Every one of them, and based on the overall lacklustre play of his mates, he’s going to have to continue with his early season magic.

The curious case of Benoit Pouliot. What a weird story this is. Half of fans think he’s dogging it just as much as he was last season after returning from injury. The other half think he’s been the only productive member of the second line. He’s become the whipping boy, and I suppose not all of it is undeserved. But let’s get real. It’s 3 games in. If you were expecting him to be Clarke McArthur, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Jokes aside, give him a REAL audition. Not 5 games. He deserves at least 10 games to show he’s ready to commit or fail. At the end of the day, he may not get that long though. With the line of playoffs and no playoffs so razor thin, everyone has to pull their weight. He’s clearly on a short leash, and Lars Eller may be poised to take his spot before long. For now, scoring dynamo Travis Moen has taken Pouliot’s roster spot in practice. That ought to fix everything.

Where, O where is Andrei Markov? The defense is an absolute mess without him. Josh Gorges has been steady, but when he’s your best defenseman, even after 3 games, you’re in trouble. Hamrlik look ok in his return, which is a good sign, but Spacek…my goodness…what’s happened to him? I was never enamored with his signing but he did play some good hockey in Markov’s absence last year. But for the love of jellybeans, can he please hit the net? Just once? He makes Mike Komisarek look like Ray Bourque in the accuracy department. The biggest reason why the Habs desperately need Markov back? Special teams. If they continue to play hang-on-for-dear-life hockey, as Martin has them doing, they will need to win the special team battle every night. Pretty tough to do when you take too many penalties, and score on exactly zero percent of your powerplays.

Subban gets a paragraph to himself. Watching him skate and carry the puck should excite Habs fans. He’s swift and confident with his skills, but he has not yet learned when is the right time to employ his assets. He’s been wildly erratic, and pretty ornery too. He’s carried his preseason bad habit of taking too many penalties to the regular season. He needs to simplify his game without ignoring what he does best. That’s going to be tough to do, but PK’s going to be a special player and he deserves special attention. Sadly, I don’t know if the Habs have enough good coaches to develop him. There isn’t enough of Kirk Muller (who wasn’t even a defenseman) to go around.

3 games in, and the Habs have 3 points. Not a disaster, but not great either. I expected them to be 2-1 by this point, but didn’t think they’d be outplayed the way they have. Shame on me for thinking a leopard can change his spots!

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Unleash the Habs!

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So there’s a fun game doing the rounds on who we think the Habs will keep with the big club. I’m game.

I won’t mince words…work is quite busy these days, so here goes nothing, my 12 forward, and 2 press box occupants:

1st line:

LW: Andrei Kostitsyn
C: Tomas Plekanec
RW: Michael Cammalleri

A bit of a no-brainer, methinks. Jacques Martin is typically a predictable character so I see him grouping these 3 fellows together to start the year. The only difference that could take place would be seeing Kostitsyn with Gionta and Gomez. I like this group, and would stick with it. Plekanec and Cammalleri have obvious chemistry and Kostitsyn, as always, is a great big X factor. He can hamper the line or make it one the league’s best.

2nd line:

LW: Benoit Pouliot
C: Scott Gomez
RW: Brian Gionta

As much as I don’t like Pouliot for his lack of effort, I truly think that a kid with his potential deserves every chance to realize it, especially when given a raise for no reason. I’ll generously give him 20-30 games or so to prove that he’s 100% committed to doing what he needs to do to win, otherwise, ta-ta, Benny.

3rd line:

LW: Travis Moen
C: Lars Eller
RW: Maxim Lapierre

3 big boys that do a bit of everything…I think that they could be as important as either of the first 2 lines if they stay healthy.

4th line:

LW: Ryan White
C: Jeff Halpern
RW: Tom Pyatt

This could be one of the most tenacious lines we’ve seen in Montreal in a long time, especially if White can crack the lineup and play the way he has in the preseason. If Halpern can win faceoffs and the Canadiens can maintain puck possession while these guys are on the ice, they’ll drive opponents crazy, and render them dog tired, too.

Press box: Mathieu Darche, Dustin Boyd

Many have slagged the signing of Mathieu Darche, but I like it. I think a guy like him, with the brains and maturity that he brings to the locker room can rub off quite well on some of the younger guys. He’s worth having around, even if he isn’t the greatest or quickest player on the team. He’ll be a model citizen and show young players how to be a consummate team guy. Dustin Boyd just hasn’t done enough to earn himself a spot in the starting 12 to begin the year. I expect he’ll get his chance before long and push guys like White and Pyatt for ice time.

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All Carey Price, All the Time

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Is it too soon to say that Carey Price is one of the most controversial, most written, most blogged about players in Canadiens history, even though he’s only been with the team since 2005?  If Price isn’t in the group of most controversial Habs yet, it won’t be long before he becomes a part of it.
 
Making sure they don’t miss out on the fun, sunday’s headline on Sportsnet.ca was “Can We Panic Yet, Carey?” Really, Sportsnet? The words “Panic” and “Preseason” should never, ever be used in the same sentence, except for when you’re saying never to use them in the same sentence.
 
We all know the backstory, and we all have our own opinions on what happened and our own take on how stupid or deserved the criticism leveled at him is. For the record, I think he’s been cruelly, and vindictively treated since his arrival in Montreal and I’m embarassed by the way fellow Canadiens fans have treated him.
 
Two poles have been established. We know about the first group; the fans who will never support Price no matter what. This consists of a group of people who feel like they’ve been force-fed a kid who doesn’t deserve the pedestal and spotlight. They’ve been robbed of their “hero” by an organization that must be blind. The other side believes Price is the future of the team’s fortunes and are 100% behind him. At the very least, he’s wearing the bleu-blanc-rouge, and therefore is supported.
 
While one group unleashes barrage after barrage, the other side parries and shields.
 
As the groups battle one another, what’s being obscured in all of this is Price’s own responsibility. It’s pretty clear that its going to be solely up to him to change people’s opinions, since it’s obvious that his teammates, coaches and supportive fans can’t sway his detractors. This beast has taken on a life of its own, much of it media driven (more on that here) and has now become a battle of wills.
 
The haters want him to prove that he belongs, or, just get out of town altogether, while supporters insist that they keep their boos to themselves while he develops and matures in to the hardest position in hockey, under the hottest spotlight.
 
The haters seem to get a rise out of jeering him now, so as to provoke a reaction or get him to say something or do something that will only further their hair-brained behaviour. So as Price endures the boobirds after each and every mistake, whether its his fault or not, his defenders will come to his rescue. And with each passing incident, both sides dig in their positions irretrievably deeper. It makes for a nasty situation; Habs fan vs Habs fan, as his attackers will fault him for everything while his supporters exonerate him, regardless of what’s transpired.
 
The truth is that Price, as he has done in the past despite what the haters say, will need to win games on his own. The Canadiens have always needed superb goaltending, and Price will have to deliver it again and do it consistently. Looking back to the first exhibition game vs the Bruins, he was let off the hook for 2-3 of the goals, depending on who you talk to. Nobody should be getting their knickers in a twist over preseason hockey, no matter the results. The same goes for his second rough outing against the Senators. The reality is that he’s going to be hung out to dry from time to time, probably once or twice per game. He’s going to have to make big stops even when faced with stars bearing down on him with the puck after a horrible turnover or blown defensive coverage. Great goalies keep their teams in games, and often win games on their own. They bail out their teammates and cover up for their blunders. The Canadiens have a goalie who can do that, who HAS done that, and is simply recapturing his form in tune-up games (and no, I’m not referring to Alex Auld or Curtis Sanford, or even Robert Mayer.). The tune-up process may even spill over in to the regular season…and guess what? That’s fine, too.
 
Those that hate him really need to back off. Immediately. They’re embarassing themselves with their petulant behaviour, and making a laughing stock of Habs fans everywhere yet again. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that Canadiens fans find ways in which to raise (or lower?) the bar for themselves every year with boorish, idiotic behavior, but in no way does booing help the team. At all. Never has, never will.
His defenders, on the other hand, need to be vigilant that die-hard support doesn’t morph in to coddling and excuse making, because that’s as detrimental to the team, albeit in a different way. If you ask me, if you call yourself a Habs fan, you ought to support everyone who wears the jersey. Period. If you don’t like a player, or like where the team is going, then don’t watch the games. Don’t read blogs. Don’t go to the games. Don’t participate in call-in shows. Don’t purchase merchandise. Boycott sponsors of the team. Just stay away. Protest with your wallet. If there are enough Price haters who stick to this recipe of protest, then perhaps you’d have a leg to stand on. Acting like spoiled brats will only irritate and inflame an already tense situation.
Every player, and every master plan has an expiry date, and if Price – arguably the biggest part of the Canadiens master plan - can’t (for whatever reason) post a lot more wins than losses, he’ll need to move on for his own sake, as well as the sake of the team. Right now he simply needs the space and time right now to work on his game without knowing he’s going to be riddled with negativity every time he falters.
The question that Habs management will need to answer is how long they’ll allow this trend to continue before acting on it. Do they preach patience and wait until Price is 25 or 26 years old and see where he is in his development? Or make a bold decision as tension continues to tear at the fanbase? Carey Price’s development is not more important than the team’s success; but at this point the two are intertwined. This won’t always be the case, as the distraction will not dissipate unless Price makes it go away through strong play. That said, Price isn’t invincible and can’t endure this senseless onslaught forever. Nobody could. Nobody should. Price is armed with a 2-year contract, but if his actions don’t muzzle the haters, he may not be around to see the end of that deal. That would be a horrible shame, but it would be just what some fans and media are hoping for. Many fans and media believe that they ought to have some influence on the team’s direction, and their public displays of displeasure are evidence of that.
 
May the hockey gods help us.
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