Fishsticks for dinner... again?



Biting the hand that feeds you


Christie Brinkley is an Islander fan.

Or at least, she purports to be in a new commercial that's shucking ticket packages for a little as 19 bucks per game. Christie must have money problems. $19? It's costs me more to go and see the Hamilton Bulldogs. But still... Christie Brinkley? Perennially on of the hottest women on the planet, and Islander fan? Makes sense, I guess, since she has a history of having a thing for losers. Clark Griswold comes to mind.

The Islanders have also created somewhat of a stir among Hab fans with their "No Habs No" campaign, which is meant to show the fans in bleu, blanc et rouge that Nassau Coliseum is Islanders country. Well, duh. If we actually liked it there, we'd make it Canadiens Country, and our snowbirds wouldn't have as far to travel.

The marketing geniuses customer unappreciation specialists of the Islanders are apparently trying to ward off a phenomenon that has beset their beleaguered franchise for a while now: their team being lustily booed in their own building. Not that it doesn't regularly happen from the locals, but Hab fans tend to show up en masse--thousands at a time--and turn the proceedings into a de facto Canadiens home game. All that's missing is Michel Lacroix on the mic and a couple of cute-as-buttons pregame flag-bearers. Hey, it's our party, and we'll 'ole ole ole' if we want to. At least we're buying your tickets, which is more that you can say for your fans. Besides, you don't want to piss us off. We burned the White House once. Don't make us come down there and do it again.

Tonight's game is the second half of a home-and-home, the Habs having skated a great game in winning Wednesday night at the Bell Centre. Rumour has it that the Canadiens are indeed carrying two goalies on their roster, and tonight we'll supposedly get visual proof of this as some guy named Alex Auld will be between the pipes. I expect him to be reasonable busy tonight. Whether or not he's reasonably good will be answered sometime around 10pm.

2010-2011 Regular Season, Game 10: Montreal at New York Islanders

FIRST PERIOD:

• D'oh! Technical problems... hopefully the game is up soon
• Bingo! Picture back just in time to see Pleks flip one up and in on the short side... and on the powerplay, no less! 1-0 Habs!
• You'd think that after that fiasco in Toronto that players would be careful around the goaltender fo the next little while. Right, Max? Laps off for goaltendner interference 
• Is Cammy a little gun-shy? He just passed up on a beauty scoring chance, instead looking to make the perfect play
• Auld looks steady, but rusty. He's being diplomatic with his rebounds, making sure that both teams receive their fair share. 
• Off the end of a powerplay, Isles have their first sustained pressure of the period

Habs picked up right were they left off against the Islanders on Wednesday night, dominating both territorial play, the shot clock, and the scoreboard. Shots in the first period: Montreal 12, Fishermen 7. 

SECOND PERIOD:

• Lots of Hab fans and empty seats. Guess that their "we'll show them who's in charge" promotion didn't work as well as they thought it would
• Isles forechecking hard in hopes of getting to the Habs before they can use their speed
• Sweet! Auld stones Matt Moulson on a breakaway! Not sweet: Pouliot falls down (again) creating the turnover that led to the breakaway. Benny... sharpen your skates!
• The "classic" design of these Iles uniforms look really sharp. Nice change considering the crap that they've worn over the last number of years
• Refs are pulling out their whistles, and the calls aren't going in favour of the Habs. No worries, 5-on-3 killed off
• 4 minutes left in the period, and the Habs have 3 shots. But they've won 21 of 31 faceoffs
• You could see that coming. Sloppy play behind the net, and Pleks misses his check in front of Auld. Bang bang, and it's tied at 1.
• Habs up to 4 shots, and more rough stuff to end the period

Welcome to the NHL, Matt Martin. He scores his first career goal in a period where the Islanders out-hustled the Habs at both ends of the ice. This was like the anti-first period. Islanders finished it with 13 shots (20), the Habs with less than a handful... 4, to be exact, for a total of 16.

THIRD PERIOD:

• Gill starts the period for 5 minutes in the penalty box
• Auld has played well enough to deserve the win. Let's see if they can get it for him. Some forechecking and a little offensive pressure would be a nice change, too
• Ugh. Habs still giving up the blue line way too easily
• That makes up for the falling down! Halpern feeds a wide-open Pouliot in the slot. Great wrist shot. 2-1 Habs!
• Aaaaand... Chris Lee strikes again. Habs have to kill their 5th penalty
• Aside from the first couple of minutes, this period has been much more even. Shots at 8 apiece
•  I'd hate to be in the 50/50 draw there tonight. You'd be lucky if you won your money back
• Auld suits the number 35 far mote than Pleks did
• Insurance goal! Gionta throws one on net from the boards, Moen deflects. 3-1 Habs!
• Isles hear the Goodbye Song in their own building. Na na hey hey... and time runs out!

That's more like it! Habs bushed back in the 3rd period, making up for the 19 minutes that they took off in the second. Auld, Pleks and Benny with the game stars. Shots in the 3rd: 10 for Montreal (26) and 11 for the Islanders (31). Habs also did a great job in the faceoff circle, winning 34 of 57.



The difference between .968 and 1.000. Thanks to Habs/Inside Out for the photo. 


I normally wouldn't eat fish twice in the span of a few days, but when it's as satisfying as feasting on the Fishsticks to the tune of four points, I'll make due.

There were quite a few sideways glances when the Canadiens signed veteran journeyman Alex Auld to backup Carey Price. Thanks to Price's great start to the season, it took until game 10 for us to see what Alex the Bald would bring to the table. Thankfully, he's been working hard to keep the rust off, and it showed in the win tonight over the Islanders. Ok, well, he was still a little rusty; a few of those long point shots, courtesy of big rebounds, ended up as secondary scoring chances in the slot. However, no harm, no foul. Kudos also to the defence who for the most part kept the shooting lanes clear and gave Auld ample opportunity to track the puck.

Two games against the Islanders, and two wins. And don't look now, but that CH that you see at the top of the league standing (at least for now) represents your Montreal Canadiens! A 7-2-1 record to start the season, especially with Andrei Markov having yet to play a game is quite extraordinary. Add to that a weak-assed, 30th-ranked powerplay, and their start is even more incredible. 

Back home against Florida tomorrow night, and the more things change, the more they stay the same. Last year Coach Martin had to deal with with the self-imposed Great Goalie Controversy. This year, it's time to play Who's Number Seven, as Martin will have to figure out who heads to the press box to make room for the return of Andrei Markov. A cursory glance would have you think that it would be Alexandre Picard who'll be sampling the Bell Centre munchies, though he's been steady as a rock and currently has a plus/minus rating of +7, which is something like 10th in the entire league.

Of course, Martin could decide to go a forward short and dress seven defensemen in order to give him a little flexibility as Markov eases back up to game speed. It's a tactic that he used last year in similar situations. Either way, it's not an easy decision. But then again, that's why he gets paid the big bucks, and I write this blog.   
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Ottawa or Nottawa?

Max Lapierre puts those boxing lessons to good use

Which Alex Kovalev will we see tonight at the Bell Centre?

Fresh off of their 2-1 win in Buffalo, the Habs will continue with their first of 15 back-to-back games as they host the Ottawa Senators tonight at in Montreal. Ottawa will me missing the services of Pascal Leclaire, who will probably be out for another week with a tweaked groin. They may also be without the services of the enigma wrapped in a riddle, Alex Kovalev. Oh, he'll be in the lineup; whether or not he chooses to contribute in any meaningful way is another matter.  

The Senators have discovered what the Habs already knew from Kovy's stint in Montreal: though immensely skilled, he's prone to floating like a body in New York's East River. Kovalev loves the city of Montreal, and has made no secret that he'd love to come back to play for the Habs. Tonight he might be on a mission to show Hab management that he should be on their wish list when considering the makeup of next year's team. That said, a little birdie tells me that Kovy could be starting the game on the fourth line.

The "stream of consciousness" entry from the game against Tampa was fun, so what the hell... let's do it again tonight.



2010-2011 Regular Season, Game Five: Ottawa vs. Montreal

First Period:

• Why does the CBC always get a shot of hot Montreal women on the screen during the anthems? Not that I'm complaining...
• Gionta with killer wheels to break in alone 1:06 in. Great deke and backhand. 1-0 Habs!
• AK46 backchecks to foil a 2-on-1. He's playing great without having to worry about little brother
• Good penalty killing as the Habs kill off a 5-on-3
• Some chances on the powerplay at the midway point of the period. No goal, though
• 4-on-2 rush, Price with the glove save, off the crossbar, Michalek gets the easy tap in. Tied at 1.
• Gionta almost cashes an easy one from in close. No dice.
• Entertaining period. Dens had the edge, though...

Second Period:

• Sens starting the period carrying the play where they left off in the 1st
• Wife rattling dishes in the kitchen. Might have to turn up the volume.
• Pouliot almost cashes one. Man, a goal would be great for his confidence
• Subban's got to start getting that point shot on goal
• Gomez drops 'em with Ruutu. More of a wrestling match than anything. He should stick to playmaking.
• Sens first shot comes halfway into the period. Bullet shot up under the crossbar. 2-1 Senaturds.
• Second shot, second goal. 3-1 Ottawa. Habs need to start doing the little things right.
• Halpern throws one out from behind the net, off a defenseman and in. Now 3-2...
• AK46 with hands of silk. The guy's come to play this year. 3-3!

Third Period:

• Ottawa's back-up to start the 3rd?
• Lots of weird bounces tonight, both from the boards and ice
• Elliott back in goal. Skate problem, methinks
• Some chances on the powerplay, but their goalie is seeing everything and no one to cash a rebound
• Did I just see Kovy backcheck? I've got to lay off of the hard stuff
• Pleks cashes a rebound of an AK46 shot. 4-3 Habs!
• Never mind the goal, Pleks has also been dominating in the faceoff circle
• Sens with an empty net, but the Habs do a great job of killing the clock. Habs win 4-3!!!

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Nice. Don Cherry on the post-game bit called Plekanec "platonic". Or at least that's what I heard. Does someone what to give him vocal lessons, or is it too late to teach that dog a new trick?
 
Good signs: Habs dominated in shots and possession; the Sens mustered only 8 shots after the first period, with only two in the third. Habs outshot them by a better than 2-1 margin. After taking the lead with four minutes to play, Habs played hard on the puck and didn't allow a shot for the rest of the game, even after the Sens pulled their goalie in favour of the extra attacker. They didn't get discouraged when down by two goals and showed a lot of mustard with the comeback win. Picard and Subban were both +3 on the night. Subban didn't make as many ill-advised forced plays this game, either. Carey Price won his first regular-season game at the Bell Centre since February.

And how about our new captain? Talk about leading by example... was ANYONE going to dog it after seeing Gionta's huge burst of speed to break in alone for that first goal early in the game? He certainly set the tone for the team effort that followed.






Price gets ready to rob The Enigma. Photo courtesy Habs Inside/Out



After five games, the Habs have now earned points in four straight games (3-1-1) for seven points, with a four day rest before meeting the Devils at the Bell Centre Thursday night. And there's a possibility that Andrei Markov could return that night (that sound you heard was the powerplay saying thank-you). A big concern was how the team would weather his absence. Save for the powerplay, so far they've done fine. Maybe they can practice it with Markov during their off days so that they can hit the ground ice running when he returns.
 
As for The Countinuing Saga of Kovy, well, he was pretty non-existent for most of the game. He managed a couple of shots on goal, but looked like he was skating in mud and did nothing to silence his critics. Was tonight an audition for a possible return to Montreal next season? He'd hardly be worth the $1 that he said he'd play for. Give me the 'Kovy who Kares', and we'll talk.
 
Yikes... the "Leafisation" of the CBC continues. First Bob Cole is introduced as a Leaf during their opening night ceremonies, now they're going to be airing Toronto Marlies games. To be fair, they must have some dead air to fill because even the bigwigs at Mother Corp must realize that NOBODY goes to Marlies games. What makes them think that they'll watch on TV? 
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Truckin' up to Buffalo



It was 40 years ago today...



Game four of the regular season, and tonight Centre Hice will be taking it in live from the HSBC arena.

I've always found Buffalo to be a strange hockey town. It has a rich hockey history, and in fact before tonight's game the Sabres will hold a ceremony marking the 40th anniversary of their first game. But to me it's always felt like a minor-league town. I don't mean that in any offensive way, it's just that Buffalo has never struck me as a place that a player would go to play in the limelight. On top of that, the HSBC, though a competent arena, feels like an overgrown AHL rink. Thank goodness their fans tend to breathe a little life into the place, and having thousands of Hab fans descend on the place when the Canadiens roll into town definitely helps the atmosphere.

The pregame ceremony should be interesting; the Pocket Rocket will be on hand to help commemorate the Sabres' first game, which just so happened to be against the Habs 40 years ago tonight. Hopefully the Habs will be able to lend a hand with the retro feel of the game by repeating the score in that first game: a 3-0 shutout for the guys in blue, white and red.

Speaking of uniforms, the Habs will be sporting the red unis tonight; Buffalo will be wearing their "new retro" whites. On this point I have to tip my cap to the Sabres' organization; thank goodness that they killed off the BuffaSlug. Mind you, a logo that looked like a cross between something slimy and Barney Rubble's hair was always fodder for a good taunting to a Sabre fan, especially in their own building, but it had no place on an NHL jersey. Thanks for coming to your senses, Buffalo.

In any event, the Habs need to start converting some chances. Buffalo hasn't had a good start to the season, and at 1-1-1, the Habs, if not for some great goaltending in their last two games, could easily be 0-3.He Gio... pot a couple tonight, would ya? Preferable on the power play. And Cammy... no lame-ass penalties, please.

The best news from today is that Andrei Markov is targeting next Thursday for his return from knee surgery. One can hope.

Well, off to sit in line at the Peace Bridge border crossing. I might update this after the game. Or not.




Patrick Kaleta makes his "I'm Carey's bitch" face. Photo courtesy Habs Inside/Out.



UPDATE > > > Victory in the Sabrehood! (I'm trademarking that, by the way) 

In a repeat of the Sabres' first ever game, the Habs come in to town and ruin the party. 2-1 final. Alexandre Picard and Josh Georges with the goals. Carey great. AK great. Moen great. Spacek save, great. Pre-game ceremonies? Not so much. I found the waiting room at U.S. Customs more interesting. And who the hell does a ceremonial face-off in one end of the rink? The Sabres, that's who. What, too lazy to stroll all the way to centre ice?

The Slug lives. Even though the Sabres have dropped the BuffaSlug/Barney Rubble's hair as their logo, it's still plastered all over HSBC including their entertaining, kid-friendly ridiculous smoke-belching scoreboard. I guess that they forgot to call the exterminators. Somebody step on that thing, will ya?!

Light crowd tonight, too. Upper corners in the 300 level were empty, as were noticeable stretches of seats in the lower bowl. Good thing so many Hab fans were in the arena, or it would have looked like a Toronto Marlies game. They announced the crowd at 17,500. The 15,000 in attendance shared a good laugh at that. 

By the way, great song selection by the Buffalo production staff to serenade the Sabre faithful out of the arena after the Sabres collected 1 out of a possible 8 points in their first four games: "Up" by Shania Twain.

It's 'bout as bad as it could be
Seems everybody's buggin' me
Like nothing wants to go my way 
Yeah, it just ain't been my day
Nothin's comin' easily...
There's no way but up from here
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