Taking out the trash

What day is pick-up?

Man, the Ottawa Senators suck.  

You know, it wasn't that long ago that Hab fans (especially this one) would dread games against the Senators. For a number of years, playing a game against Daniel Alfredsson and company would give the feeling that another loss was merely sixty minutes away... and that was often the case.

My, how times have changed. For the fourth time in five meetings this season, the Canadiens defeated the Senators. Actually, 'defeated' isn't the right word. Let's try "annihilated". Or "obliterated". Kicked the tar out of. A 'sand in the Vasoline' type of win. A 7-1 spanking, and it wasn't even that close. And there's always something quite satisfying about hearing Hab fans cheering, singing, and booing the opposing goaltender in their building.

Save for a post, two flubbed 2-on-1's and a broken stick with a wide-open net in the first period, this one could have just as easily ended up in double figures. Tomas Plekanec led the way with two goals, and Brian Gionta, Andrei Kostitsyn, Benoit Pouliot, Max Pacioretty and P.K. Subban had the others. Only a horrible defensive breakdown off of a faceoff kept them from getting Carey Price, who had another great game, his fifth shutout of the season. For Price, his 24th win ties a season high for him, in only game 48 of the Habs' season.

As for the Senators goaltending? It hasn't been their biggest problem, but get a load of these numbers: Pascal Leclaire has been their best guy between the pipes, and he leads the team with just a .908 save percentage. He's 4-7-1. Their other three goalies all have save percentages of under .900. That ain't good.

Tonight, the Habs chased starter Mike Brodeur after 4 goals on just 15 shots. Enter Brian Elliott, who fared a little better, but not much: another 3 goals on 20 shots.

The win sits the Habs second in the Northeast Division, one point behind Boston. The Canadiens are now 7-1-2 in their last ten games. Tomorrow, Saku Koivu returns to Montreal. If he scores the winner in overtime, I'd be happy with the Habs being 7-1-3.

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An impossible task?

Do the Habs have what it takes to get the job done? 

The Philadelphia Flyers are looking like the beasts of the east.

Fresh of of their 3-2 victory last night over the Penguins, the Flyers have now gained top spot in the Eastern Conference; and in the process, they ended the Pens 12-game winning streak.

The Flyers are now off to their best start since 1986. The have a goal differential of +30, the best in the league. They've been exceptional on the road, posting a 9-2-3 record, and are riding a 3-game win streak. Their biggest asset is probably their team confidence, which has undoubtedly held over from last year's great playoff run. Being one goal away from elimination and turning it around to being one goal away from winning it all has to lead them to believe that they can beat any team on any night.

The Habs, on the other hand, have lost their last two. They've been off since Saturday, which doesn't bode well; they have yet to win a game after having 3+ days off between games (0-1-2). Their bright spots are their penalty killing, which is at 1st in the league at an 89.3 efficiency, home record (11-2-3, second in the league) and the ability to bounce back after a loss, going 7-2-0 after a defeat. 

Good news for the Habs: they'll have the experience of Scott Gomez and Jaro Spacek in the lineup, both of them returning from injuries. Max Pacioretty gets his first call this season for the Habs, having been called up from Hamilton after the Bulldogs' win on this past Sunday.

2010-2011 Regular Season, Game 31: Philadelphia at Montreal

FIRST PERIOD:

• Subban disrespects the Flyers on his first shift by throwing his weight around. Call the NHL!
• How does a puck cleared over the glass not be a Flyer penalty? Does that mean that the Habs get a gimme for their next puck over the glass?
• Hey! Subban didn't wind up for a point shot!
• Price has had to be sharp so far, coming up big on a couple of in-close attempts
• Damn! Cammy takes a feed from AK46 and comes REALLY close. They need to cash one of these early attempts before they get used to not scoring
• Ten days out form Christmas, and I'm already tired of the commercials
• I've liked what I've seen from Pacioretty so far. A line with Pouliot and Eller might be something to watch for
• That all started from a WEAK clearing attempt by Subban, and Jeff Carter is able to blow by Picard to go in alone in the last minute of the period against Price. 1-0 Flyers

It was a pretty evenly-matched period, with the Habs leading the shot clock by 12-10, and in the faceoff circle 13-11. But P.K. Subban is the goat of the first 20 minutes when he turned a simple zone-clearance into a primo scoring attempt for Jeff Carter, who was able to bury it for the 1-goal lead.

SECOND PERIOD:

• Subban on to start the period. A vote of confidence, perhaps?
• If it wasn't for bad luck... a harmless looking pass into the slot deflects off of Hal Gill and over Price. 2-0 Flyers
• To their credit, Habs are coming on strong after the Flyer goal. Gionta rings one off the post to come close
• Gionta gets another chance in close, and his stick breaks. Is anything going to go right for them today?
• Habs are 0-7-0 when giving up the first goal. Well, that doesn't bode well...
• Price has to stop a 3-on-1
• More push-back from the Habs, but nothing to show for it
• Philly assessed a penalty? Must be a mistake
• There you go, PK! A one-timer on a 5-on-3 powerplay brings the Habs within one. 2-1 Flyers

Just what the Habs ordered: aside from a fluke Flyer goal, the Habs played a great bounce-back period to pull within a goal, outshooting the Flyers 15-8 (27-18) in the process. And Subban learned that getting his shot past the first wave of defenders pays dividends. Habs are also leading the battle in the faceoff circle 22-19.

THIRD PERIOD:

• Habs start the period with the same kind of energy that they used to end the second period
• Well, they didn't need that. Zherdev walks through all defenders, cricles behind the net, and banks it in off of Price. 3-1 Flyers
• How about Pleks! A great rush by Pouliot never gets cleared from the zone, leading to an in-close goal for #14. 3-2 Flyers
• THERE'S the lucky break that they needed! Gomez passes to Gionta in the slot, which manages to find it's way through Bobrovsky's 5-hole. Tied at 3! The place is going nuts
• Wow... the Capitals have now lost seven in a row. Is this 1977? 
• Spacek pulls a Subban, and gets caught with a turnover at centre ice. Pleks with the penalty to foil the scoring chance
• Damn... van Reimsdyk with a powerplay goal, off a rebound, to retake the lead 4-3 Flyers
• Aaand Subban with another turnover to put the game out of reach. Another turnover sends Giroux in all alone against Price. 5-3 Flyers

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Sorry, Hal. No credit for goals scored on your own net. Photo: John Kenney/Gazette



'Tis The season, eh? The Habs led the way against the Flyers in most categories, including mental mistakes. Credit to the Flyers, who were able to cash in on three of their gift-wrapped chances, plus the Zherdev goal that Price would like back.

For the first time this season, the Habs have lost three in-a-row, and gave up more than three regulation goals in a game, minus empty-netters. They were the last team in the NHL to do so, taking until their 31st game for both of those to happen. That's a credit to a sound defensive style that's being preached by Coach Martin.

P.K. Subban. What else is there to say? Moments of brilliance, followed by plays that would be frowned on in a Saturday night beer league game. And too often, those turnovers are turning into the kind of prime scoring chances for the opposition that are ending up in the back of the net. Why is this kid not learning from his mistakes? Take the last Flyer goal: without a passing option, he turned the puck over with a bad pass to the blue line. It then comes back to him, and he makes the EXACT same mistake, 4 seconds later. That time the Flyers make no mistake with the possession, and are able to spring Claude Giroux in all alone for their 5th goal. Get the kid some Ritalin. Geez.

That said, there was plenty of brain-mush to go around this evening; P.K. was only one of the guys that needed their head screwed on a little tighter. It's games like this where they REALLY miss the calming effect of Andrei Markov.

The plus: they're mistakes which are completely fixable. Play smart defensive hockey, and the Habs can beat any team in the league. You couldn't say that about Hab teams from as little as three or for years ago.

Final shots: Montreal 41, Flyers 30. They also led the way in the faceoff circle, 33-28.

At least the Habs will get a chance to bounce back tomorrow night against a strong rival, the Bruins, who also lost tonight.

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Puttin' on the foil



The Hab's 3rd line call-ups for tonight's game

It's time to do some disrespectin'.

Tonight's game in Philadelphia against the Flyers promises to be an interesting one. Already there are a number of sub-plots and questions to keep an eye on:

1. Will the Flyers still be upset that in their last meeting the Habs broke their 10-game points streak?
2. Will Philly Captain Mike Richards feel as though Hab rookie P.K. Subban is still disrespecting the veterans on his team?
3. If the answer to number 2 is 'yes', will the Philly goons try to do something about it?
4. Will Darroll Powe continue to recklessly thow his weight around?
5. If the answer to number 4 is 'yes', who will be his victim?
6. If the answer to number 5 is 'a Montreal Canadien', how will the Habs respond?
7. Did a member of the Canadiens' training staff go to the hardware store this afternoon to stock up on metallic hand-wrap?
8. Will the Philly fans continue to be boorish douchebags? (actually, we already know the question for that one)

Answers to these questions, and more, to be answered shortly after the 7:05 puck drop. 

2010-2011 Regular Season, Game 20: Montreal at Philadelphia

FIRST PERIOD:

• Well that didn't take long. Pronger off for a cross check in the first 30 seconds.
• Habs have started out looking as though they could use some passing lessons
• We need two guys to go in on the forecheck
• Ok, starting to get a little chippy now. Briere spears Eller before the faceoff, no call. Where's Knuckles Nilan when you need him?
• There's the Flyer goaltending that we know and love! Lapierre, a light low wrist shot as he comes across blue line fools Boucher. 1-0 Habs!
• First Philly sustained pressure (1+ minutes on Habs zone) happens because the Habs are light in their attempts on clearing the puck, looking for the prefect breakout instead of simply clearing the puck and releiving the pressure
• To this point, the Habs' speed has created 3 odd-man rushes against Philly
• How about Max! His second of the game; Pouliot digs the puck out of the corner, and a shot from the slot is deflected by a Flyer right between Boucher's pads. 2-0 Habs!

A well-played road period--with some suspect Philly goaltending--gives the Habs the 2-0 lead after the first period. The game was almost seven minutes old before the Flyers mustered their first shot on goal, and only controlled the play in the Canadien's zone for one stretch of about a minute. The Habs have the edge in faceoffs (12 to 7) and shots on goal (15-9)... Max Lapierre has 5 of them.

SECOND PERIOD:

• Flyer powerplay to start the period, and ouch... Price stops the puck just under his mask but has the presence to cover up the loose puck for the stoppage
• Flyers starting to assert themselves in the Habs' zone again. Smart, quick clears are what's needed.
• Lapierre almost had the hatty as he rings one off the post... and another Flyer powerplay
• Flyers are definitely carring the play to this point in the period, and have a 16-2 shot advantage to prove it
• How to make Brian Boucher a good goalie: 3 shot in 14 minutes, though he almost flubbed the third one
• Dang. Ville Leino converts a nice pass into the slot, going against the grain high in Price. 2-1 Habs.
• Hal Gill's Mo-vember 'stache looks like vintage Larry Robinson

The Habs may have played a great road period in the 1st, but the followed it up with a horrible one in the 2nd. Outplayed for long stretches, the can thank Price for the 2-1 lead going into the locker room. Shots that period: Montreal 5 (20) and Philly 21 (30). Part of the problem is that Montreal only won 4 faceoffs that period; the Flyers now lead in that department 25-16.

THIRD PERIOD:

• I expect the Flyers to come out charging this period. Maybe it'll cost them a penalty or two
• Habs start the period like they ended the 2nd: a lot of puck chasing, and it cost them. Gill misses his check, and Giroux pounces on a rebound to tie the game at 2.
• Every powerplay the Flyers immediately send two guys to the front of the net. Habs, take note
• 4-on-4, and the Habs again miss a check in the slot leaving a shooter alone in the slot. 3-2 Flyers
• Price spectacular on a 2-on-1. Good thing he decided to stick around after the 1st period
• Habs have a little over 4 minutes to find their first period form
• Lose another faceoff, and they can't get Price out for the extra attacker

The Habs need to play that period like they did the first... and they didn't. They managed to get 11 shots at the Philly goal, but few caused any trouble. Final shot totals: Philadelphia 45, Montreal 31. And after handily controlling the faceoff circle in the opening period, the game ends with Philly dominating 38-23.

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And this would have been one of his GOOD saves.  Photo courtesy Habs Inside/Out

A completely frustrating road game from the Habs: Lots of skating, and doing the little things right in the first period to give themselves a 2-0 lead, followed by two periods of "what the hell was that?" to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Apparently, not enough disrepctin' was done after the first intermission.

In the first period, the Habs won 12 faceoff while losing 7. The only won 11 over the final two periods. The net result? Spending long stretches of time chasing the puck while trying to regain possession. The Flyers turned their possession advantage into scoring chances, throwing 36 shots at Carey Price over the last 2 periods. And they make good on their opportunities: two glaring defensive breakdowns led to open Flyers and their final two goals.

Five Flyers ended the night with at least five shots: Carter (6), Hartnell (6), Pronger (6), and van Riemsdyk (5). Leading the way for the Habs: Lapeirre (6) and Plekanec (5). Good on Lapierre on having a great game, but when he's leading your offensive charge, chances are that you're not going to end the night with two points. Tonight marked the first game that the Habs didn't win this season when scoring the first goal or when leading after the second period.

Price was, again, fantastic. Through 20 starts, he's het to be scored on more than three times in regulation. He deserved the win tonight, even if most of the rest of the team didn't. And what needs to be done to get Scott Gomez out of his season-long funk? 

As for the Centre Hive Loss-Severity Indicator, it gets bumped all the way up to "Star Wars Kid" for mailing in the last two periods. The Mood Indicator after this loss? A definite "Facepalm". 

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Protective eyewear... check

The Man.

I still miss Saku Koivu.

Captain of the Habs for nine of his thirteen years in the CH (not counting that little lockout thingy) he bled for the Habs. Literally. When I think of Saku, I think of triumph over tragedy, including his return from having kicked cancer's ass, and the night of April 26, 2006. That was the night that Justin Williams of the Carolina Hurricanes attempted to remove Koivu's left eye without an anesthetic. The most obvious high stick in NHL history wasn't called, Saku spent the rest of the playoffs in the hospital with a detached retina, and the Hurricanes went on to win the Stanley Cup. And I've never forgiven them for it.

Tonight, the 8-8-0 Hurricanes again visit the Habs. The Molson Bell Centre has been kind to the 'Canes since the lockout: 8-0-2 isn't shabby regardless of how you slice it with the business end of a hockey stick. 

All indications lead to this being a tight game. The Canadiens sit 23rd in the league in goal scoring, while the Hurricanes are 23rd in goals against. Carolina is 5-2-0 after suffering a loss, and they were absolutely pummeled to the tune of 8 goals in their last game against the Flyers. They've been licking their wounds and will be looking for retribution. However, The Habs are a perfect 7-0-0 when playing after one day off. On Thursday the Habs played a fantastic road game in knocking off the Bruins, and earlier in the week a 2-0 shutout of the Canucks. 

Carey Price has been hot, with a 0.50 goals against average and a .986 save% over the last couple of games. Carolina goaltending over the last four games has posted a SV% of just .857. Both teams are healthy, with no injuries to report.

2010-2011 Regular Season, Game 17: Carolina at Montreal

NOTE: I've either got to start leaving work earlier, or invent some sort of teleporting system. Once again I've missed the first period. Just switched on the game at the siren to find that Plekanec and Cammalleri have scored. The Hurricanes lead in shots 15-10, so I'm guessing that Price has had to be sharp in the period. Just checked the stats page to see that Montreal has dominated the faceoff circle, 16-5.

SECOND PERIOD:

• They've got to start the second period killing a penalty. Saw the replays of the goals; sweet passing!
• Not sure who the referee is, but that's one cheesy Mo-vember moustache
• Cam Ward fell pretty easily there to draw the goalie interference penalty against Lapierre
• Habs need to release their shots a little quicker. Too many telegraphed and getting blocked
• Man, those 'Canes fall easily. Cammy nailed for a featherweight cross-check behind the net
• Aaaaand... Hurricanes tic-tac-toe on their 5th powerplay. 2-1 Habs. Cammy has words for the ref on the way out of the box
• Damn. Kostopolous with a quick one from the slot. Did he pick a corner like that when we was with the Habs? Some weak coverage there by Georges. 2-2.
• Habs have had some shots this period, but they all meet to be from a distance and easily seen. And as I type that Gionta works a nice give-and-go in close an snaps one just inside the near post. 3-2 Habs!
• Lapierre breaks in alone, almost over skates the net, recoups with a spin-a-rama in front of Ward, and beats him along the ice. 4-2 Habs! Ward pulled, Peters in
• Free wings! Peters down an out on the powerplay, Spacek from behind the net finds alone in front, open net. 5-2 Habs!

The Habs came out pretty light in that period, and couple that with a two moments of indiscipline (one penalty, one missed coverage in the slot) and they found themselves back on their heels and in a tie game. But credit them for being opportunistic and not sitting back in a defensive shell, replying with three unanswered goals. Shots that period were 16 for Montreal (26) and 7 for Carolina (27).

THIRD PERIOD:

• 'Canes look like they're going to forecheck their little hearts out this period. Habs are going to have to play some disciplined defense, and that doesn't mean sitting back on their heels
• Both teams have had a couple of chances in close
• So far the Habs have dominated the faceoffs 32-17
• Not many whistles. Quick period to this point
• Price just made the best outlet pass of the night
• Holy SH*T!!! If that Price save isn't the highlight of the night...
• Uh-oh... Markov down in the corner. His knee again? At least he was putting a little weight on it as he came off the ice
• 4 minutes left in the game, and all I care about is that Markov, ain't hurt bad
• Game out of hand, not here comes the chintzy stuff. Habs with a 5-on-3 powerplay for 2 minutes
• And there we go! Pleks to Kostitsyn in the slot, PPG, 6-2 Habs!
• Did I just see a replay? Gomez from behind the net to Darche in the slot, another PPG. 7-2 Habs!
• Hurricanes have how given up 15 goals in their last two games

Lots of rough stuff towards the end of the period, as to be expected in a blow out. Lapierre and Kostopolous get misconducts a various other penalties which led to a Montreal 2-man advantage on the powerplay... and the Habs promptly potted 2. Shots in the 3rd were 8 for Carolina (30 and 7 for Montreal (33)... seemed like both sides had more.

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Cammy and Moen help Pleks celebrate his first period goal. Photo courtesy John Kenney/The Gazette

Save for the first 10 minutes of the 2nd period, the Habs dominated against the Hurricanes, ending off a tremendous three-win week in which tough teams Vancouver and Boston were also victims. Tomas Plekanec had another tremendous game with a goal and three assists. Brian Gionta had a goal and and assist, and after a slow start the captain has now scored in three straight. And how about that goalie? Carey Price ends the week going 3-for 3 with a GAA of 1.00 and a SV% of .970. And consider this: both goals against tonight were completely doe to a couple of boneheaded Hab plays; one poor penalty and one defensive breakdown in the slot. If those don't happen, Price numbers for the week would have been 3 wins (2 shutouts) a GAA of .333 and a SV% of .990. Awesome.

Sharing the love, Cammalleri, Gionta, Gomez, Kostitsyn and Spacek all ended the night with 2 points. Gorges, Hamrlik, Moen and Pouliot all chipped in with a point. Only two Habs--Gill and Georges--didn't register a shot on goal. Additionally, the Habs didn't have to do a lot of excessive puck-chasing tonight. They won 38 of 64 faceoffs, which translated into a high amount of time with the puck in their possession.

There's only one concern from tonight, and that's with the health of Andre Markov. He went down awkwardly on a knee after leg-on-leg contact with the 'Canes captain Eric Stall. The good news: Markov was putting some, if not a lot of weight in the leg as he left the ice. Hopefully it turns out to be nothing to serious; it would be devastating to again have him out of the lineup for any length of time. If that's the expectation, then we may have to move the Centre Hice Mood Indicator down to a Code Orange.

Geez... is it too late to get O'Byrne back, just in case?

Next week the home stand continues with games against the Flyers, Predators and Maple Leafs.

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(Mostly) Good times and great friends



Unbelievably, the Habs have continued to allow us to do this 



Back to the grind!

I'm glad to report that Centre Hice (and Montreal!) survived the recent road trip and 4th annual Habs Inside/Out fan summit. A great time was had by all, even considering that the Habs played against the Sens like they had skated the night before in Buffalo... which is, of course, what they did.

The first leg of the journey to the home of the chicken wing almost didn't happen. Unfortunately the Centre Hicemobile's alternator decided that it had had enough, and crapped out on the highway somewhere around Hamilton. Having your instrument panel and the rest of the interior electronics go dark while doing 120km/h in the fast lane isn't the ideal way to start a lengthy journey. When it happened I was flipping through radio stations; so I'll blame that brief moment of Celine Dion for killing the car. 

Luckily enough a quick boost and some prudent driving got the Centre Hicemobile back to home base, where Centre Hicemobile v2.0 was ready, willing and able to get us to Buffalo. Thanks goodness, too; seeing the Habs 3-2 victory over the Sabres was well worth the extra effort. Besides, if I hadn't been there in person to see Benny Pouliot's two-goal performance with my own eyes, I might not have believed it. 

Day two of the journey involved high-tailing it up the 401 to meet up with our favourite bunch of Hab fans, many of whom had invaded the city the night before to take in the Hab/Sabre game on the big screen while drinking Hurley's dry. Pre-game involved dinner at a local restaurant which included a charity raffle of Hab keepsakes and memorabilia to benefit the Gainey Foundation. Yours truly walked away with some cool Hab-related reading, and a tiny shirt emblazoned with the CH, which I'm glad to say that we'll be able to make use of by mid-May.

As for the game, well... did I mention that we got to hang out with a great bunch of Hab fans for the evening? The game itself was pretty lacklustre; the Habs played tired, and the Sens obviously benefited from their night off. But the beer was cold, and the quality of the commenting on the game from the folks around us was top-notch. If you don't get to enjoy a win, the next best thing is being able to laugh at a loss. And the three-star selections. Brian Elliott? Really?

Guaranteed game-enjoyment system





After the game, the gang reconvened at Hurley's Pub on Crescent Street to conduct to post mortem. Misery does indeed love company. And cold beer. To all of Centre Hice's friends--old and new--thanks for the laughs and great conversation. We can't wait to do it again next year.

The trip back home the following day was utterly uneventful, save for the hot blonde in the red Ferrari who teased me all the way from Cornwall to Kingston while the Mrs. napped in the co-pilot's seat.

Ok, that last part might not have happened, but gas was 99 cents/litre at one of the new service centres on the 401. Score! Hey, when you get to certain point in your life, you learn to find pleasure in the little things. 

I've to check out the camera to see if there's anything worth sharing. If not, I'll do what everyone else does: troll the web for other people's photos and post them as our own.

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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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Here we go again...



Go get your own history, 'Turds



Didn't we just see this movie?

I hated Groundhog Day. Didn't find it funny at all. Hopefully this rerun will be just as good as last Saturday night when we plopped our butts down to watch the Habs and Sens square off at the Bell Centre. Or at the very least end with the same result, a win for the good guys. 

Tonight's tilt goes down at the Scotiabank place in beautiful Kanata. Ok, so Kanata isn't really that beautiful. It's more serviceable than anything... kind of like Scotiabank Place. I've seen a number of games at that rink (only when the Habs are the visitors, of course) and every time I leave I promise myself that I won't be back. It's too difficult to get to, too much traffic, and I have to remember to bring along a good book for the walk to the rink from the parking lot. But the Habs are playing, so I'll willingly suffer.

It's another of those round, one-concourse cookie-cutter rinks that reflect the boring, bureaucratic personality of the community that it serves. The Palace in Auburn Hills is another one of those; a nondescript round building surrounded by a nondescript parking lot in the middle of a nondescript nowhere.

Scotiabank Place is also under served by what has to be the worst score clock and videoboards in the entire league. Honestly, I'd have a much better view of the replays if I were to stay at home and watch it on TV. And for a lot less money, too. And don't even get me started about the Sens hanging Stanley Cup banners for the accomplishments of the original Ottawa Senators, a successful, though long-defunct franchise that ended it's days known as the Eagles, strung up and left swinging in the wind from an old, knotty tree limb somewhere in St. Louis.

But they still have AK27, who for some reason I still like even though he has the distinct ability to play lazy, yet get payed a lot to do it.

They also have Daniel Alfredsson, who woke up from his slumber last night in Buffalo to smoke the Sabres with a hat trick, including an empty-netter, to notch his 1000th point in the NHL. Great... NOW we have to play him. And speaking of milestones, Kovy sits at 991 career points. That of course means that even though he's only got one point on the season (an assist) he'll pot 5 and assist on 4 more tonight to join his buddy Alfie in the K club.

The Habs will be looking to awake from their own slumber, having sleepwalked through Thursday night's game against the Devils. At least they should be well-rested for tonight. Puck drops at 7pm.


2010-2011 Regular Season, Game 7: Montreal at Ottawa

FIRST PERIOD:

• I'm predicting another one-gaol victory. Not sure who'll get the 2 points, though
• Brian Elliott's got a .888 Save%. Hopefully the Habs can lower that tonight by a few notches
• Kovy, skating backwards, misses a rub-out check along the boards. I guess that's whe he wasn't a defenseman
• Lots of hitting so far by Ottawa
• AK46 takes advantage of a loose puck in the slot... great wrist shot! 1-0 Habs!
• In a scramble, Ottawa forgets that they're playing hockey instead of soccer and blatantly kicks the puck into the net. No goal

The needed to do what they had to in that period, especially considering their terrible performance in their last game against New Jersey. Habs outshoot Ottawa 10-4, and lead 1-0.

SECOND PERIOD:

• You just know that Ottawa's going to come out charging after such a flat first period. They must've been read the riot act between periods
• Lovely. Chris Neil throws an elbow at Lapierre, then looks back to make sure that the referee didn't see it.
• Can the Habs find a way to keep the opposition from taking liberties with them?
• Moen robbed on a shorthanded 2-on-1, and tempers flare around the Ottawa goal
• I like that Subban seems to be making more conservative, wise decisions with the puck tonight
• Man, I LOVE hearing the ole's in the other team's rink!
• My new pet peeve this season: odd-man rushes that don't genereate a shot, never mind a scoring chance. Wasted opportunities by trying to be too fancy
• That's a money off of Pouliot's back! Powerplay just expired, Georges shot from the point off the end boards, tap in for Benny. 2-0 Habs!
• He's playing like a beast this year. AK46 sneaks in off the wing to cahs a short rebound. His 2nd of the game... 3-0 Habs! 

A chippy period, but the Habs manage to put a couple of short ones behind Elliott to move their lead to 3-0. Shots that period: Montreal with 17 (27) and Ottawa with 12 (16).

THIRD PERIOD:

• The dog keeps staring at me. I wonder what she wants?
• Uh-oh! One of our best penalty-killers in the box... Gill sits for 2 minutes
• Nice to see the Habs pushing instead of sitting back on the lead
• Subban and Georges have played solid games tonight
• Ottawa's been laying on some pressure over the last few minutes, but to no avail
• Lots of ole's and na-na hey-hey's. Sounds like a HUGE contingent of Hab fans at the game
• Stymied, the Senaturds look to goon it up with a minute left in the period. I'd like to see coaches get fined more often for this.



Benoit Pouliot celebrates his first goal of the regular season. Photo courtesy Habs Inside/Out



Sweet. Carey Price gets the shutout (his last one, almost two years ago, was also against the Sens), Andrei Kostitsyn pots two, and Benoit Pouliot gets the third. The young guns lead the way as the Habs play a great road game to beat the Sens 3-0. Shots in the 3rd were 7 for Montreal (34 total) and just 3 for Ottawa (19 total).

It's great to see AK46 coutinuing to play like his hair is on fire. I know, bad analogy considering his (lack of) hairline, but two more goals tonight and another all around great effort can't solely be chalked up to a contract year, can it? And if it can, sign him for another year. Then another. And another.

It looked to me like PK Subban was being targeted by the Sens tonight, including an unwarranted pile-on twards the end of the game. In fact, he's been in the sights of a number of teams so far this season as they try to take the rookie off of his game. And for the most part, he's handled it well, and good on him for it. It's all part of his maturation process as he becomes comfortable and learns to play defense in the NHL. He continues to learn to judiciously pick his spots to display his offensive talents, and it's becoming apparent that if he continues to show that he can take on even more responsability that he could very well be in the running for rookie of the year.

Man, I hope that I haven't just jinxed the guy.

And for the record, winning by more than one goal rocks. I don't know if my nerves (of the sanity of my dog) could have taken another close one.
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