Lions in Winter: Montreal Canadiens (Habs) News and Commentary

98 PointsLast Season Showed How Tight Finishes Can Be

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:58:00 +0000

Last season, I selected the number 96 as the safe point – the point at which I would feel the Canadiens had safely made the playoffs.

As it turns out, the Canadiens did make the playoffs and 96 points would have been enough. However, imagine the Habs had beaten the Bruins on two less occasions and the Flyers one less time, instead of the improbable sweeps they performed, and then one less win vs. the collapsing Sens. In that circumstance, the Habs would have had their 96 points, but the Bruins would have been on 98, the Flyers on 97 and the Sens on 96. The Canadiens would have been 8th, and it would not have been breathe easy time at all for that last game in Toronto.

As such, this year I am giving the Habs a further 2-point cushion. Rather, they will give it to me. If (and when) the Canadiens reach 98 points, that will be the point at which I will start looking forward to the playoffs.

Given that the team has played a good few games thus far and look to have three rather dominant lines and two extra-motivated Kostitsyns, I am optimistic that this goal is within their reach.

For the 82 games, the rate of point accumulation would be 1.2 per game to get to 98. So 6 wins out of every 10, or 6 points every 5 games. That kind of hockey is no small feat, but when you factor in points for losing (a la game 1), then it's really just a normal rate of point accrual for a winning team in the NHL.

Considering we all want and expect the team and its young core to take forward steps, then 98 points might not look right. But in my end analysis of this season, I'll be looking at playoff participation and performance in the post-season rather than improvement in regular season performance. If it's 98 points and 3+ playoff round wins, I'll be happier than 110 points and a loss to the Flyers in Round 2.

So, 79 games to go. 93 points to the goal. Go Habs Go.

Game #3Habs End Season-Opening Road-Trip With Another Win

noreply@blogger.com (Tobalev) — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 02:00:00 +0000

This is LIW's first Game Review of the year and we would like to welcome back our loyal readers as well as welcome any new Habs fans to the sites. Topham's wedding and subsequent holiday meant that we have missed a couple of game reviews, but we are now back and ready for a another great season.

The Canadiens Game in Review

Date: Monday October 13th, 2008
Opponent: Philadelphia Flyers
Venue: Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA

Team Stripes

Final Score: 5-3 - Win

Habs starting goalie: Carey Price (W)
Opposition starting goalie: Martin Biron (L)

Habs goalscorers: Andrei Kostitsyn, Roman Hamrlik, Mike Komisarek, Robert Lang, Steve Begin
Opposition goalscorers: Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, Simon Gagne

Play of the game
The play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...
Carbonneau decided to come back with the line that worked oh so well last year - Plekanec-A.Kostitsyn-Kovalev. It was this line that started the scoring and supplied the footage for our first Play-of-the-Game of the year.

Andrei had lost the puck in Philly's end when he came to the blue-line and made a great check on the puck-carrier. He then stole the puck, got onside and got back in position to receive a zone-entering pass from Markov. The pass was quick and so was the wrist-shot. Kostitsyn wasted no time sending one of his patented top-corner shots up past Biron to break the ice in what turned out to be a second high-scoring performance in a row.

Game puck
Trophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei just continues to improve. After a stellar end to the season last year it was more and more obvious as we approached this season that he was going to become even more of a star. Tonight he was the best Hab on the ice. He made several fantastic plays and is playing with more size and confidence than even a few months ago. He managed a goal and an assist in the game and also finished at +2.

Dome hockey team
We're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Sergei Kostitsyn
When the game started I wasn't sure what to expect from Sergei and his line. I had yet to see Lang play in a regular season game for the Habs and always knew that Kostopoulos could be hit or miss. So, I thought that Sergei may fade in and out of the game as many Habs 3rd-liners of recent years have tended to do. Instead, however, Kostitsyn, like his brother took control when he was on the ice. His great vision led to another 2 assists and numerous other chances. He sees the ice so well, which is such a great gift to have as a winger.

Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei was the best player on his line tonight which would certainly scare me as an opponent. With the way that Kovy and Pleks have been playing of late it is quite the achievement to be the best of the lot. What I particularly liked about Andrei tonight was how he took control. It appears that he is no longer interested in being Kovy Jr., Andrei wants to become a star all of his own.

Robert Lang
I was pleasantly surprised tonight by the play of Lang. I always liked him as a player and have often thought he would have done well on the Habs. I did, however, expect less from him at this stage of his career and I was anticipating another Bonk or Smolinski. Lang played a very good game in both ends and was actually our best centre. He makes up for his age and diminished pace with great passing and very good positioning. His goal was an example of how a great hockey player never really gets old.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Higgins was once again absent tonight which meant a big letter 'A' for Andrei. I find that he plays better for us when he does wear a letter and tonight was no different. He was great in both ends and was a single bright-spot on an otherwise dismal power-play. His passing, puck-control and ability to keep the puck in at the blue-line made him our best player with the extra man tonight. He managed 2 assists in the game, and as usual played more than any other Hab.

Roman Hamrlik
Hammer was solid again tonight. Last year he was a model for consistency and from what I have seen it looks like this year will be no different. He was very physical as he often won the crucial one-on-one battles and was often a reason why Philly found it hard to gain any sort of momentum. His positioning and hockey-sense earned him a goal, which, along with his assist and the fact that he wasn't on the ice for any of Philly's goals, made him our most valuable blue-liner tonight.

Goaltender

Carey Price
The bottom is that Carey got the job done. He wasn't spectacular, nor was he very dominant, but when we needed to stay in the game he kept us there. There were a few instances that made it very clear he did not spend his summers learning to handle the puck. I know that he worked hard to lose weight and build strength over the off-season, but at some point the kid has to learn to handle the puck, or, this may be crazy, not come out and play the puck on every single occasion.

Eye-Openers
In this new section we are going to try and shed some light on certain plays or events that would otherwise go unnoticed

Tonight something that caught my eye were the events leading up to and culminating with our 5th goal. There was nothing special about what happened, but more so about what could have happened. With about 45 seconds left Koivu was on the ice, skating up through the neutral- zone with the puck. He had a wide open net to shoot at, but before he did, he did something very simple, he stepped over centre-ice. It turned out his shot missed and thankfully an icing call was avoided.

The Habs then worked hard to keep the puck in the zone and it eventually paid off. Like all kids (and adults) are told, Begin shot the puck at the net. He didn't know what was in the way, he hadn't lined it up just right, but with 35 seconds left all he did was throw the puck towards the goal. The result of this blind shot was a goal, some relief and a win.

Overall Comments

Tonight's game wasn't all that exciting, but at the end of the day the Habs got the job done and even managed to pot 5. I am very happy with the offensive depth that we have this year and I think it has shown by scoring 12 road goals in 3 games. I think the team shouldn't have too much difficulty making the playoffs and it looks like they will once again be a main player in the East.

One thing that worried me from tonight's game, however, was our play on the Power-Play. So much of our success over the past 2 years has been thanks to our tremendous play with the extra-man, but I think we took a certain player for granted when we assumed our success would carry forward. After losing Souray we had a natural (and possibly better) replacement in Mark Streit. Mark was so offensively talented that he was the perfect point-man. We never really missed Sheldon as Streit could move the puck so much better and it actually helped to improve our PP.

For 4 Million Dollars we decided to go for Lang and Brisebois rather than Streit this year. What that has done to our team will only be told in time, but so far, I don't like what I see. We have no player able to play the point like Streit did which was painfully obvious tonight - Tanguay had such a hard time keeping the puck in and moving it around at the back. Forwards at the point don't generally factor into the league's top PP's and I think this is a mistake for us. Beyond Markov we have no legitimate offensive-defencemen with the club and it will hurt us as the season goes on.

It was alright to take Souray for granted because our depth allowed it. After tonight though I have come to the conclusion that we lack depth at defence and the PP will be the first area to suffer.

Commitments and Blogging

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 21:18:00 +0000

I didn't think planning a wedding would be so hectic, but it turns out it is...

I'll be back, and Tobalev too, once the day passes on the weekend.

Hope you haven't been missing us too much.

If you need a fix, I'm sure one of the blogs linked in the right-hand column will take care of you.

Cheers all.

Topham

Canadiens Depth Preview: The Defence (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:24:00 +0000

Following on from the preview of the forwards in the organization, I'm moving on to defenders (again, based on the list of those who have progressed as far as a training camp invite). As before, Part 1 will be big-team guys, Part 2 will be the farm system as it stands now.

Based on team lists, prospect lists and my evaluations, here is the list of defencemen in order of importance to the team:

Andrei Markov
Roman Hamrlik
Mike Komisarek
Josh Gorges
Francis Bouillon
Ryan O'Byrne
Yannick Weber
Patrice Brisebois
Shawn Belle
Mathieu Carle
Pavel Valentenko
Alex Henry
Chad Anderson
PK Subban
Conrad Martin
Philippe Paquet
Joe Stejskal

The top-line defenders

Andrei Markov

The keystone.

key·stone (kstn)
n.
1. Architecture The central wedge-shaped stone of an arch that locks its parts together. Also called headstone.
2. The central supporting element of a whole.

Without Andrei Markov, this is a very different team. Suddenly we have players straining to play above their level on the depth chart at the back. The orchestration of the powerplay is out the window and the other team doesn't have to worry about any seeing-eye passes from the back boards to a rushing Kostitsyn.

Such are Markov's skills that when he's out our team goes to pot defensively and offensively. Fortunately for the Canadiens, the team now has Roman Hamrlik and a bit more depth. Even so, lose an elite defender like Markov and you'll notice.

But let's not harp on what will happen when he's not there. What happens when he is there?

Offensively, I pointed to the powerplay as one area of his influence. I would say it goes much further than that. I am not sure if you all remember the days when Brisebois was pretending to be our number one defenceman. During those dark days, the Canadiens were not a team be reckoned with going forward – not at all. One of the primary reasons for this was the fact the team needed three or four cracks to get into the offensive zone – teams like New Jersey never let us in. Markov has chaned all that. He does it in two ways. First, he can and does carry the puck himself (a critically important skill for gaining the zone). Second, thanks to the fact he can carry it opens up passing options for him, which he uses with exquisite efficiency.

Defensively, he's near as good. Though he gets some tough assignments, one rarely feels nervous to have Andrei manning the back lines. His bodychcking is not well-known around the league, but is proficient enough. His poke-checking and player ushering must be talked about in all pre-game talks.

Finally, Markov's a very good team man. He will play in all situations and will play with many different partners. Importantly, his partners seem to get better at his side – and he has made Komisarek over the last three seasons.

Andrei's 2007-08 Review

Roman Hamrlik

Hamrlik was a great acquisition last summer. In fact, looking back now, it looks even more sound. Consider for a moment how much Ron Hainsey is getting paid and be glad we had our top three defencemen assembled before July this year.

I think this year will be a good one for Roman. At this point in his career, one kows what to expect form Hamrlik on the ice, but this season (with a year under his belt) he will be able to assert his personality and 1000+ games experience on the young blueliners. Even by conservative estimates, our blueline will include one player with a mere 2 years cumulative experience and another with half a season, so a veteran like Hamrlik will be invaluable. Should Weber make the jump at his young age, Hamrlik will no doubt be able to regale him with tales of his early 20s in Tampa and show the youngster the ropes of life for a young European in the NHL.

It's been a while now since Hamrlik's name has been on the radar in the upper rounds of a hockey pool, but this year (should he inherit the right point position), he could turn back into powerplay anchor. He certainly has the stature and particularly the shot to make it happen. I can already see him keeping the puck alive in the zone with regularity.

Having Hamrlik around not only benefits the youngsters he can tutor, but also the workhorses Markov and Komisarek. Because he was also a number one guy, and is stil an outstanding athlete, Hamrlik can play 20 minutes or more with ease. And, because of his skil and poise, those 20 minutes become a whole third of the game where quality defence is played.

Like Markov, Hamrlik is key to the defensive lineup. When he and Markov are there, the two defencemen playing with them are better, the forwards are asked to do less on defence and the 5th and 6th defencemen can play a manageable and sensible role in the game. No one is overstretched, everyone is relaxed and comfortable.

Roman's 2007-08 Review

Mike Komisarek

I think it was in February that I declared Mike Komisarek to be the pleasant surprise of the season. By the end of the season, I had significantly downgraded that assessment. He had an excellent few steps forward, but seemed to stall and even struggle at the close.

To be far to Mike, it is worth explaining how his progress last season made him the standout of a pretty outstanding group of Montreal Canadiens for me up until the last 20 games. Firstly, he started to get it. He learned what defending effectively at the NHL level was all about. He stopped taking retaliatory penalties almost altogether, no longer made hits just to make hits (he slipped back to that vs. Lucic) and used his partner more effectively. Andrei and Mike were feeding off each other and were quickly becoming one of the best pairings NHL-wide. Secondly, he became elite at both hitting effectively and shot-blocking – leading the league at points in both categories. Finally, he was becoming a silent leader on the team.

This season, it sounds like Mike is primed and ready to go. And that's all we need from Mike really – concentration, efficiency and some crushing body checks. Playing with Markov, there is no reason to believe he would regress. If anything the precedent he has shown is that he will come into the season even better than we remember.

You can talk about Gainey building this team all you want, but Andre Savard' picking Komisarek in 2001 was brave, and in retrospect perfectly timed. Defensive defencemen of this stature take time to develop (much more than forwards), because they need to learn the game. Now that Mike has learned, it seems the team around him is also ready to blossom.

Mike's 2007-08 Review

Josh Gorges

Pleasant surprises are the best thing, aren't they? Josh Gorges comes in from the Rivet trade with a draft pick as what most thought was spare part. Following a full season with the Habs, he is firmly ensconced at number 4 on the depth chart.

Of course, we should have known better than to be surprised. Josh had NHL experience at 22, he had a Memorial Cup as a captain of the Kelowna Rockets in 2004. He was also drafted by the canny Doug Wilson who knows the WHL very very well.

Isn't it funny though how in a trade where you think you are losing a certain known quantity that it can work out that you receive the same in return. If I had to liken Gorges to a recent Canadiens player, I don't think I could find a better parallel than Rivet. Early Rivet that is. Josh is a proficient skater with a responsible and anticipatory aspect to his play. Like Rivet, he has potential going forward and can fill in occasionally, but it's not what he does best.

Again, the timing of this trade was well chosen. Now, instead of Rivet, a large salary and a massive personality on a growing young team, we have Rivet Jr. (Gorges) who will grow and learn with the rest and be ready to thrive at the same time. I look forward to watching Josh reprise his role with the Canadiens form the playoffs very soon, as it is very satisfying to watch his efficient and intelligent plays.

I should note, it will come with some relief to myself (and probably to Josh) that Gainey signed big Georges Laraque. Not because Gorges will fight any less, but because now the French commentary team will have to figure out how to pronounce his name so as to distinguich him form Georges.

Josh's 2007-08 Review

Filling out the NHL roster

Francis Bouillon

Can you believe this will be Francis' 11th year with the Canadiens organisation? We make such a fuss over that other defender being around so long, things like this slip right by.

An 11-year NHL career, much less 11 years with the Canadiens and their farm system, was probably beyond even Frank's wildest dreams after he finished the 1997-98 season with the IHL Quebec Rafales. At the time, like a few of the guys signed this summer, I'm sure Bouillon was signed to be an AHL defenceman. But in what was a dark dark time for the Canadiens farm team, he shone. 3rd on the team in points (behind Martin Gendron?? and Eric Houde??, can you believe any of it?).

All in all it's been pretty well uncelebrated over the years - Bouillon's accomplishment, that is. He pulled a bit of a Josh Gorges himself, back in the day, albeit the competition for NHL defenceman positions was not the hottest its ever been (Brisebois, Dykhuis, Laflamme).

Nonetheless, since that season, barring a brief stint in Nashville and Europe, Bouillon has provided the Canadiens with reliable defending. And, slated as the 5th defenceman, I wouldn't want much more than that. In fact, looking through the league as I currently am for my hockey pool, I don't see more than a handful of 5th defenders that could compare to Bouillon.

This season should be a good one for Bouillon as he will start knowing his place is with the final pairing. he will not need to attempt too much going forward, though any little will be much appreciated. His role is certainly diminishing with the team. But, unlike Dandenault who can't keep up with the improvement around him and Brisebois who has no excuse to cash an NHL paycheque, Bouillon holds a niche. He hits better than most, including Komi, most nights, he can skate and even sticks up for teammates when he needs to. He has deficiencies too, but that's why he's #5.

Frank's 2007-08 Review

Ryan O'Byrne

Ryan impressed a lot last season. It has been noted that he had a bit of a rough start, but that after a certain point (when he learned what the heck was going on) he was a plus player the rest of the way out.

He is still 6th on the list because of his inexperience. As the season goes on, the Ivy leaguer (gosh we have a few now), should learn and assure himself a permanent place for this season and into the forseeable future.

The reasons to like O'Byrne are numerous. First, he is a big boy - sometimes listed 6'5", other times 6'6", always 230+ lbs. Second, he plays a solid game. Soid and uncomplicated. Unlike Komisarek when he came up, O'Byrne doesn't seem to feel the need to rattle the glass every 10 seconds. He focuses on defending the net and uses his body efficiently. In that way, he sort of seems smaller than he is, but that is a mere function of expectation. Big players have been gentle and effective before (Uwe Krupp), and I get the feeling Ryan can turn on the nastiness if he absolutely needs to.

Ryan is likely going to be in the fortunate position of inheriting a place with Roman Hamrlik. Largely due to the efficacy of Josh Gorges on his own and with Bouillon, Ryan is the one who needs the big hand to hold. This should benefit O'Byrne greatly should it last, because Hamrlik is precisely the right role model (defensively that is) for him - efficient and intelligent. If Ryan puts his Ivy league education to learning Hamrlik's ways, it will be very big indeed for the Habs.

Ryan's 2007-08 Review

Yannick Weber

The week began with a bit of Weber mania. As it ends, the fickle horde have already moved on to Max Pacioretty. In my opinion, though, Weber is very much the better fit for the current team than Pacioretty. That's to take nothing away from Max.

Yannick enters the final days of camp as the lone offensive defenceman among the pledges. Markov is the boss. Hamrlik can pull weight. and Brisebois is the massive pretender, but Weber can slot right ahead of Patrice.

I am aware that in all likelihood this will not happen. The management of the revered franchise do not share my same pragmatic take on Patrice Brisebois and feel that having a defensive liability with very limited offensive awareness and 16 years of losing to pass on to the younger generation, is much better than taking a chance on someone who might actually be what everyone has promised Brisebois should be for decades. But the fragile one, who's probably banking on another free ticket to playoff hockey is likely to injure his groin so many times this season that the 7th defender position should open right up.

Weber, really, just has to get down to Hamilton and do a Sergei Kostitsyn down there. Be ready for the time, and then come up and show the bosses that the veteran taking his place is old news. When will this happen? I'm not sure, but I trust Weber will be ready. His skills will be even more exceptional in the AHL where offensive defencemen are rarer than a shutout in the Q.

Patrice Brisebois

He shouldn't be here. Not again.

Gainey is the scientist who keeps trying to get the watermelon and the apple to fall at different speeds. Brisebois's play is like gravity, unavoidable and holding down the huge weight around the Canadiens necks.

I have nothing more to say.

Patrice's 2007-08 Review

Rangers Win First Cup in 15 Years

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 12:46:00 +0000

While most Habs fans were listening to yet another meaningless affair between the Canadiens and the Bruins for no points with goaltenders that won't see the light of day come a week's time, the New York Rangers were busy celebrating a Victoria Cup win in Switzerland.

The perplexed New York media did a decent job of covering the event, though they couldn't wrap their minds around the fact it wasn't just a preseason game, especially not for Metallurg who are in full swing now anyway.

The game itself was a thriller. And were it on the CBC, we'd be calling it a classic. It had all the elements of classic story lines. The bad guys came out fast and beat down the good guys, they built an insurmountable lead, the plucky heroes made a start at coming back, nearly fell a couple of times then finally got it done at the very last second with a breakaway goal.

As much as I hate to say it, you have to be glad the Rangers won this one when the opposing coach says something like this in the post-game interview:

“We didn’t actually lose the game, we lost a part of it. A big mistake by one of our defencemen decided the game. Otherwise, we might have had a shootout, which is unpredictable,” he added.

What nonsense.

Also, the Rangers gave this game the respect it deserved (when none was forthcoming from the Stanley Cup Champions or Canadiens) and iced their regular season lineup. They also played it right to the end and did the competition proud.

What's more, a lot of the Rangers got the point, including late-goal hero Ryan Callahan:

"There was a lot of energy in the building," game-winning goal hero Ryan Callahan said. "It didn't feel like a preseason game to us."

If you want the actual story from someone who was actually lucky enough to see this one in Switzerland, the try reading either of these reports: NHL, Scotty Hockey or Victoria Cup site.

In fact, were the Canadiens the team, I think we'd all have had a great time watching this game. As it was, it was still memorable. certainly more so than any exhibition game.

When you think of the Victoria Cup, it is easy to dismiss it as just a silly competition between one big league and a continent of pretenders. But the fact is, now more than ever before, those pretenders are actually contenders – especially in a one-game contest.

I have long thought that hockey needed another trophy to create a bit more of a stir. Rather than look to the template of North American sports where 30 baseball teams can play every day for 7 months so that 8 can eventually vie for a single trophy, I look to European sports where multiple trophies have been the norm for ages. While there's no doubt the Stanley Cup would still take precedence, just like the Premiership trophy or La Liga trophy would, the Victoria Cup could cobble a place for itself as the Champion's league, or at least UEFA Cup of hockey. It would not have to take anything away from the competition for the present Cup, nor would it. A separation of months would see to that.

If you think about it, all trophies take a bit of getting used to and some time to gain a reputation and respect. Famously the World Cup (now undeniably the biggest single-sport sporting event in the world) was a bit of a washout its first few times out. The very first one included only 4 teams from Europe, and only those that were willing to go (i.e., not necessarily the best).

The Victoria Cup was always going to face this kind of apathy to start with, especially with the NHL not mandating its top team to participate. But, it's probably only a Stanley Cup Champion, a Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadiens classic away from becoming a mainstream favourite in Canada really. I've made no secret of the fact I would like to see our Habs vie for this next season, and as yet there haven't been good arguments against it.

For you trivia buffs, some fun:

First goalscorer in Victoria Cup history: Denis Platonov, Metallurg Magnitogorsk

Highest point getter in Victoria Cup history: Chris Drury, New York Rangers (2G, 0A)

Most shots on goal in Victoria Cup final: Chris Drury, New York Rangers (9 shots)

Starting goaltenders, Victoria Cup: Henrik Lundqvist, New York Rangers; Andrei Mezin, Metallurg Magnitogorsk

Sweaters on the Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 09:33:00 +0000

I have been listening to Sam Roberts' great new album, Love at the End of the World, a lot recently after finally fixing my ipod. I like it a lot. And, as a fellow Habs fan, I was very pleased to see Sam's use of Canadiens memorabilia in his lead video for the album:

Apart from the timing with the "100th" season, which I think is a nice shout to his home team and home town, the video also made me think about favourite players and idols over the years as a Habs fan.

I have often wondered if I would be a Maurice Richard type of guy or a Guy Lafleur type. Even in the 50s, would it have been a number 9 for me? In the 70s, could I have done any number other than 10? Or even now, am I the big-star loving fan, donning 27 to games, or do I stick with the old 11, or maybe even 79?

Lists

At the same time as listening to Sam's album, I have been reading and enjoying many of the lists of Top 100 players going around at the moment. As someone who loves lists and debates, I say what could be better.

The lists are great, but really by the time you get to Chris Nilan in your top 100, it kind of starts to lose steam as a debate. I mean there have been many great players for the Habs over the years, but it seems one of the great things about our team has been the way the same stars (at least in the past) stayed with us for so long. Henri Richard and Jean Beliveau for example had 20 and 19 year careers with the Canadiens, 11 and 10 Cups.

Players like the Richards, Beliveau, Gainey, Harvey, Joliat occupying the star spotlight for huge chunks of the team's history make it necessary to find the Nilans to make up the 100. There's nothing wrong with that, just that the Beliveau vs. Richard debates are a heck of a lot more interesting than the Dahlin vs. Nilan ones.

That's why I thought we could have a think about who our favourite Habs player of all time would be and it could be a lot more interesting.

So, think about it. You have one Habs sweater to hang on your bedroom wall. Which number do you get on the back?

Why?

[I've added a poll to the sidebar to show where peoples' allegiances lie]

I'll start you off. After years of dithering and floating between players (I even used to like goalies once), I've come to the conclusion that 4 is the only Habs sweater that would hang from my bedroom wall.

For me, Jean Beliveau is the best Canadiens star there has ever been. 500 goals, 1200 points. Art Ross, Hart and Conn Smythe trophies. Captain for years. A goal every 2 playoff games, more than a point in each. 10 Stanley Cups. And I haven't even mentioned how much I admire the man.

From Montreal to Minsk?

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 10:06:00 +0000

Apparently the NHL and NHLPA like what they're seeing with these little European excursions.

According to an article that passed under the radar a few days ago on ESPN, there are talks about sending as many as 8 NHL teams over to European cities next fall. With the continued possibility of regular season starts in the Eastern hemisphere:

"The number of teams taking part in what is now a two-year tradition of starting the regular season in Europe will grow next fall to six teams presumably in three cities and maybe as many as eight teams, Kelly said before the Tampa Bay Lightning faced off against Berlin in an exhibition game Sunday."

Of interest for the Canadiens is a possible game in Moscow or even Minsk. As the only NHL team with bona fide Belarussian stars, the Habs would be a natural choice for that match-up.

To the doubters

The responses will come that this kind of exhibition is not valuable and could hurt the team's chances. You know my opinion on the whole European start debate from my Victoria Cup article.

Please don't try to suggest that this kind of thing would be unprecedented for the NHL or for the Canadiens.

The Canadiens began their 1990-91 campaign in Russia, playing 4 games against SKA Leningrad, Dynamo Riga, Dynamo Minsk and CSKA (the Canadiens of the Russian league). And, in between 1975 and 1991, there were 108 games between NHL and Soviet clubs, with Montreal playing in a fair share of those (11 in all).

As far as training camp 1990 goes, their game against CSKA was the most memorable, of course. Mainly for the brawl. But also considering some scouting reports probably came out of that one: Kovalenko, Malakhov and Petrov were all associated with CSKA back then. By that point, the Habs and Red Army had a nice little rivalry going over the years: 1-1-1. That game, won by CSKA means we are behind in the series...

Anyway, we might as well hit Moscow and Minsk. As the Stanley Cup Champions we'll be over there anyway trying to become the second recipients of the Victoria Cup, right??

Play Keeps Messing Up My Depth Charts

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:43:00 +0000

If the Canadiens rookies could stop putting on surprising shows of excellence, maybe I could get my depth charts to stick.

First Weber, now Pacioretty. I shouldn't have been so keen ad done the charts a couple of weeks ago.

I'm just kidding of course. Pacioretty actually playing well is not unexpected, except in how soon he ha been able to turn the trick. Seeing how he went from fresh-faced rookie to scoring star at the most serious US College hockey program in less than a few months, I guess we shouldn't be surprised.

Needless to say, Pacioretty jumps ahead of D'Agostini and Stewart and Dandenault. I don't think that gives him a starting place. To do that, he must set Guillaume in his sights...

Canadiens Depth Preview: The Wingers (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 15:07:00 +0000

Following on from the preview of the centres in the organization, I'm going to go through the wingers (based on the list of those who have progressed as far as a training camp invite). Once again, Part 1 will be big-team guys, Part 2 will be the farm system as it stands now.

Based on team lists, prospect lists and my evaluations, here is the list of centres in order of importance to the team:

Alex Kovalev
Alex Tanguay
Andrei Kostitsyn
Chris Higgins
Sergei Kostitsyn
Tom Kostopoulos
Guillaume Latendresse
Georges Laraque
Mathieu Danadenault
Gregory Stewart
Matt D'Agostini
Max Pacioretty
Thomas Beauregard
JT Wyman
Danny Kristo
Alexandre Monohan
Mike Glumac
Ryan Flinn

First call-ups

Gregory Stewart

Greg is first in line for one reason – he has shown he can do this. Last season's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Greg Stewart showed that he could bring a new level of energy and zip to the team.

In a little over a year, Stewart has gone from a nobody who looked to be redundant in an organisation carrying Garth Murray to a unique proposition. If I had to describe what he could bring, I'd have to say "A younger Begin". It doesn't tell you everything, but it gives the feel. Greg is actually bigger than begin, though I suspect from his career stats, a little less talented around the net. The thing is, there is room for a player like Begin/Stewart, but probably only one. Given Begin is a known quantity, that means Stewart has his work cut out for him.

Thc West Island Chronicle (of all papers – I used to deliver this to Mr. Skrudland) tells us that:

Gregory Stewart says he cut out "a month of boozing" from his summer ritual to get ready for Habs camp.

They go on to say the sober reality is that he will probably start in Hamilton, but I think he has a chance. As I said Begin is a known quantity, and one of his known traits of late has been to get injured about every second appearance. It would certainly be nice to have a durable alternative to Steve on tap. That, for me is Mr. Stewart at the moment.

He appears at first on this list precisely because all smart money is on Begin to be the first player going on the wing for the Habs to get injured, and thus making way for Stewart to ride shot-gun in the press box for a while.

Greg's 2007-08 Review

Matt D'Agostini

When Greg Stewart took his opportunity in April and made hay, D'Agostini made little to no impression at all (at least on me). This is fine, though, as first NHL games are not the place to judge a prospect (unless it's Stewart and I feel like it).

Matt D'Agostini is the next winger down in what I would only describe as a shallow pool of talent for the Canadiens. He has earned the place on the depth chart by being the best player left from Hamilton last season. And he does is with respectable, though a long way from spectacular, numbers.

Matt played 76 games in the AHL, most on the first line, and came away with 23 goals. It would be alright if offence wasn't meant to be the reason we were interested in the first place. But, from the Canadiens point of view, it is somewhat shocking that we can talk about depth when this is one of the pieces we are talking about.

Those who disagree with this viewpoint are more optimistic. Habster at AllHabs, for example, thinks that with his quick shot, Matt D'Agostini can be a quicker version of Michael Ryder. I can tell you that is the most optimistic outlook possible. Ryder scored nearly 140 goals in junior to Matt's round 49. D'Agositin is looking at third line on a good team (that's what we hope we are now). He has talent enough to fill in when necessary, but is not a long-term threat to the the Kostitsyns livelihood, I don't think.

But enough negativity. To be fair to D'Agostini, he is what he is – a late round draft pick trying to improve his game in the AHL in the hope of one day playing in the big leagues. He is doing a good job at progressing too, as he is matching his junior outputs in the AHL. I think another season will do him a world of good, particularly on the top line. And, it will allow the Canadiens time to judge whether they have a late bloomer on their hands.

Matt's 2007-08 Review

Max Pacioretty

Lower in the pecking order because of experience alone. Plus I made the list before this training camp.

Pacioretty is certainly the best winger the Canadiens have in the farm system at the moment, and the one with the most potential. You can tell from my review of D'Agostini, that that isn't saying much, but please let me assure you, Pacioretty is impressive.

Max is no giant, but considering he could still put weight onto his frame, he's big. And, more importantly he uses his body and his strength to his advantage. What's more for a guy that's not even 20 yet, he has some mean achievements.

His stats at the age of 17 in the USHL (no laughing stock anymore) showed promise. But his performance last year as a rookie at Michigan (the best hockey school there is) showed star potential. To walk onto a team of 20 and 21 year-olds all also vying for playing time and NHL eyes and to strip their ice time and beat them in the scoring race is impressive stuff. And point-per-game in the NCAA is no joke either. And he continued to wow people this summer, first at the Canadiens rookie camp, and now at the camp with the men.

One Guy who knows what he is talking about had this to say of Max:

"He looks like a pro right now. Sometimes it's tough to say that about a (19-year-old). He looks mature and he had a really good season in his first year at college. Now we'll see what he can do with the older guys."

If that evidence showed us that he can learn and quick, his state of mind shows us why (from the Gazette):

"I'm not expecting anything like (making the team) to happen," Pacioretty said, horseshoed into his dressing-room stall by a generous media scrum. "I'm just expecting to keep my eyes and ears open and learn as much as I can from the camp, to try to improve and play the best I can."

All excellent stuff, so the only question that remains is whether the managers on the team feel he will be better served by playing top-billing down in Hamilton or whether he takes the Carey Price 3/4 season route to starting. My bet is that it will be Hamilton to start, but if ideas or, heaven forbid, scoring dry up, Max is the only realistic option to remedy that.

I'm at the end of the profile and realise I haven't mentioned that Max is meant to be the long-lost power forward. I think that's yet to be seen. But, really the reason I overlooked it is because it is merely a bonus to me if he is. The fact he is driven, mature and capable of excelling at all levels of play thus far are so much more important to me in my analysis.

Minor leaguers

Thomas Beauregard

I get the feeling there is something to Thomas Beauregard. Something pretty good lurking within him.

First of all, he can score. As you know this is something I don't think can be taught. Defense can be taught (to an extent), no one can make a scorer of a guy who isn't. Secondly, he seems to have a bit of character.

Did you guys know that his hero is his brother? His brother who lost an eye in an horrific on-ice accident with (coincidentally) Habs prospect Xavier Delisle in 1994. It was Sports Illustrated material when he made his comeback. I believe Thomas when he says he has learned a lot from his older brother – how to overcome adversity.

Thomas' adversity seems to involve being constantly overlooked. This rare scouting report sheds a bit of light on Thomas:

Scouted Strengths are : Good hockey sense with well rounded decision making in the offensive zone, when on his game extremely effective and dominant in all three zones.

Scouted Weaknesses: Mitigated play in his zone, skating and speed needs to improve dramatically

Not surprising, as this must be the scouting report on every scoring star who doesn't make it. What's different about Thomas is that he seems to be making progress. 5 years in junior would have been enough to kill most careers, but he topped it off with a spectacular goal per game campaign and an impressive 124 points. His excitement to be at Habs camp was shortly turned into disappointment at landing in Cincinnati, but he turned that into a positive experience as well by scoring at PPG clip and winning the league's championship trophy.

There is no way that Thomas will play in Montreal this season. that scouting report is real and is believed. But, if he shows the same determination he has in the past and comes to grips with the AHL and what it takes to score there, Beauregard may be back in a very different position next season.

JT Wyman

This year's Greg Stewart. I want to dismiss his claim altogether.

The thing is though, James or JT was a Mr. Hockey finalist in Minnesota (Habs scouts drool) and an Ivy leaguer. There might be more to Mr. Wyman than meets the eye.

He's already trying for the Bulldogs and not the Canadiens, and as you can tell by my list, he's quite a way down the pecking order. I don't think we'll be seeing him for quite some time in a Montreal uniform.

Skillwise, I think it is fair to say Wyman is buried in this list, and with the youth on the team currently, he might have to look elsewhere (Columbus?) to get NHL ice time. But, the feeling I get about Wyman is that he could just be one of those useful guys to have around, say come playoff time (not this year, some future year). I am thinking of Ed Ronan or someone like that. A year in Hamilton should tell us a lot more than a career in Dartmouth did.

For the future

Danny Kristo

After years of choosing back-line players with our top draft picks, this draft we finally dedicated to the winger. First there was Tanguay. Then there was Kristo.

From what I heard, Timmins was extra-pleased to get his paws on Kristo in the second round. You almost get the feeling he would have taken the player with that 25th pick.

The talent analysis on Hockey's Future says it all:

Kristo is slightly undersized. That being said he has good speed and plays a smart game on the ice.

Smart game. US National team. Second in goalscoring. Every other scouting report contains the word "thinking" – a very encouraging thought.

Danny's back to whence he came for this year, and a good thing at only 18 he has a lot to learn. Including which music he should be listening to: Danny Kristo's ipod.

With the talent pool so shallow on the wing and even at forward in general, Danny is a welcome addition. A couple more like him would help.

Alexandre Monahan

Every year the Habs invite a few lucky local boys to have a go at making the team. This year, it was Alexandre Monahan.

I put him in the "For the Future" category mainly because he had to return to junior. But as an undrafted, 165 lb, 6 footer, I'm not really holding much hope. Certainly, he'll have to do a lot better than his draft year where he managed a mere 8 goals and 27 points. Last year was better (38 goals). But Alex, this year is make or break...

Other

Mike Glumac

Another undrafted player who has done well to cobble a place for himself in the next-to-highest league in North American hockey. Were we the Toronto Maple Leafs, this guy would be a cult hero already and vying for John Pohl or Nathan Perrott's in their hearts. In some ways, it's nice not to automatically fall in love with every guy who tries hard, but just can't quite manage the level of play.

It's worth looking at his stats, though, if only to browse his old teammates at the Pee Dee Pride.

Ryan Flinn

Barring a change in our uniforms to black and orange/yellow, there was never going to be any room for one Ryan Flinn on the Habs roster.

I can see that he might be a handy guy to have around for fights in the lower leagues that still look a lot more like NHL 1975 than the current NHL does. It wouldn't surprise me in the least though if we never hear his name spoken in the Montreal papers again. Here are the stats for the giant from out East.

Helvetica Neue?

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:01:00 +0000

Yesterday's cuts didn't offer much surprising news. Career AHLers were returned to the AHL, juniors to junior and cards fell where they were expected to fall.

In some ways, this means everything is going to plan. I mean Latendresse, Olivier did not outshine Plekanec, but Latendresse, Guillaume is doing his part to hold a place. For me a singular disappointment is that we traded Corey Locke (Hamilton's all-time leading scorer and one-time CHL MVP) to help shore up the Hamilton back-line.

The intrigue in this whole training camp actually begins now, because those players who had a hope of making the team are all the ones still floating around. The next cuts will determine which prospects are fast-tracked and which are going to the incubator for another year. It will also tell me whether or not on teams like the Canadiens (with a roster largely filled out with NHL one-way contracts already) training camp is just a waste of time until the season begins.

As much as I like D'Agostini, Maxwell and Pacioretty. I think with Latendresse's attitude and performance turnaround, there is a single place to be won from camp. A conservative guess would put Chipchura in the mix. But Greg Stewart's single game against the Leafs last spring looms large in his favour.

Then there's Marc Denis, who after being one of the worst goaltenders in any hockey league last season, has a lot to prove. More than he can prove in an 8-game stint. He is here because they will use him again, but his stay is temporary i think.

The player who interests me most of those left is Yannick Weber. The story on him prior to the Florida game was that he was Swiss (hence the title for this piece) and that Mark Streit was his idol.

The story on him now that he has made the first cut is getting a bit more interesting. And while the pessimistic among us (and those who clearly want a ride in Brisebois' Ferrari next week) give him no chance at all:

Gaston Therrien: No place for Weber
Francois Gagnon: Not yet good enough to dislodge O'Byrne or Brisebois

I think Weber is in with a real chance here. I certainly wouldn't dismiss it out of hand the way the two journalists did. Not when the competition includes the illustrious shrug-master Brisebois.

There are several reasons for my view from the apparent lunatic fringe:

First, Weber fills an actual need on the Canadiens. With the loss of Streit on defence, the Canadiens rely on Markov for generating plays from the back, but are then faced with an immense drop off to Hamrlik and then another one to Gorges, Bouillon and Komisarek. O'Byrne for his part hardly factors into offense at all, as he is so tied up learning how to be a big defenceman.

Second, Weber is already better than Brisebois. He has shown he is dynamic, confident and can shoot without a flutter motion. And he holds the potential to get better over time, whereas we all know Patrice's potential that we spent much of last season hoping wouldn't be fulfilled again and again.

Third, Carbonneau has already shown us that he loves carrying extra defencemen on the roster, not extra forwards. He is comfortable in moving a D up to the wing, where the worst they can do is play like a D and rarely contribute any offence (Dandeanult), whereas a D gets injured, no way a forward is moved back.

I'm also not that excited about O'Byrne, to be honest. I have a feeling if it wasn't for his size he wouldn't be a factor in NHL roster-making. And, sure, you can't ignore that he is 6'5". But we need to make up our minds here, do we need Laraque or not? We want a few big guys, sure, but this team is built mostly for speed and needs the players to match.

In the best-case scenario for me, Weber would of course step into Brisebois' place and that would be that – the end of a long and tortuous relationship. I am not that naive, though, not after another summer of betrayal.

I do believe there is another alternative based on the feasible where Weber stays though, and that is where neither Stewart or Chipchura make the Habs right away. That way Carbonneau carries Brisebois, Weber and (is he still here?) Dandenault in the pressbox and inserts them when he pleases. In the spirit of keep the best prospect, it looks like the right move today.

Anyway, get a good look at Weber, because there will be injuries on defence (it comes with the territory) and he is now first in line to make the step up should we need extra legs. I just know we can't resist having a new Swiss player on the team, not now we know we are Switzerland's NHL favs (as Weber reported).

Canadiens Depth Preview: The Wingers (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 16:18:00 +0000

Alex Kovalev
Alex Tanguay
Andrei Kostitsyn
Chris Higgins
Sergei Kostitsyn
Tom Kostopoulos
Guillaume Latendresse
Georges Laraque
Mathieu Danadenault
Gregory Stewart
Matt D'Agostini
Max Pacioretty
Thomas Beauregard
JT Wyman
Danny Kristo
Alexandre Monohan
Mike Glumac
Ryan Flinn

The top-line wingers

Alex Kovalev

The MVP of the regular season last year sure did surprise a lot of people. A lot. When i was being outspoken on him actually being worth holding onto, the mainstream media were calling for his head. For him to do the same again this year would be an impossibility. The pundits are already saying the entire Canadiens season depends on him.

So there's the question of which Kovalev we will see. The media puts it as the Kovalev of 2006-07 who took nights off and got less than 50 points or the 2007-08 MVP. The reality for me is that the gulf between the to Kovalevs is not all that wide. The gulf was mainly on the scoresheet. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that Kovalev was largely the same guy for most of both seasons - often trying hard, sometimes single-handedly winning games. The difference for him, at least statistically last season were his linemates. They grew up. Plekanec in particular learned how to play offense at a different level to his previous one.

So, in that way, I am not very worried about which Kovalev will show up, how many points he will get or how we will remember this season for him. I think he will still amaze us most nights with his stick handling and will probably chip in another 30 goals and 70+ points.

But that is not where Kovalev's value ends, nor has it ever been. What Alex showed us last year even more clearly than in year's previous was that he is a leader and a player to build an entire offensive scheme around.

As a leader, he not only famously took the young Kostitsyns under his wing and helped Markov to come out of his shell, but he also showed everyone else how to act. He showed the players how to see milestones (1000 games? I'll do 2000) for what they are (i.e., not nearly Stanley Cups). He taught the youngsters that you can win back the fans and even the uber-critical media.

As an offensive cornerstone, he is at his most valuable. You see, Alex brings qualities that no one else on the team, no league, can bring. The way he can hold the puck is uncanny. And, it is this puck control combined with a willingness on the part of the coaches to actually exploit it that has made the Canadiens powerplay the best in the league after years, nay eons, of dumping into the corner. Alex gains the zone and keeps the zone, and if that weren't enough takes half the coverage and scores with ease. That's why when he's on the ice, it's the Kovalev line and not the Plekanec or Grabovski line.

Alex's 2007-08 Review

Alex Tanguay

At the end of last year's playoffs, I thought the biggest need to be addressed was scoring - a paradox if you only looked at regular season stats. I mean, for all the 6-5 comebacks against the Rangers we sure made the Bruins and Flyers look like the defensive standards on which to judge all future teams. Nervous players took nervous shots at what should have been nervous goalies. Gainey did not disagree with me, he stated an upgrade to the top 6 forwards was the biggest priority and he came through.

Critics of this trade are right to point out that Tanguay had been coming to Montreal in trade rumours for the past 4 seasons. But, like the Halak for Lecavalier dreams we always knew Ryder for Tanguay wouldn't happen. Well, miracle of miracles, it just did - well almost. Gainey lets Ryder go for nothing and gets Tanguay for next to nothing. All in all, a great acquisition.

So what type of player did Gainey get in Alex Tanguay. Well, an injured one thus far. Also a major francophone star, though strangely the media haven't latched onto him like they have to Latendresse(s). Maybe he undid the expectations (yeah right!) with this:

"I'm a little nervous, being French Canadian and coming here and knowing about the expectations and stuff like that," Tanguay said Monday before leaving for Halifax to play in the team's pre-season opener against the Boston Bruins.

"But I'm not coming here to be the saviour. The team is excellent. It's got a lot of firepower. They fell short a little last year (in the playoffs) and I'm just hoping to add to that and do my share to help them out."

But really what the Canadiens get is a Stanley Cup-winning, bona fide top-line winger. I'll call him a consistent 20-goal and 70-point man for his career, but he might thank Sakic and Forsberg for those numbers. Even so, it can't be ignored that the Avalanche in those years didn't mess around up front, and Alex virtually from stepping into the league got top offensive duties - the guy has serious skill.

The question of which skill he has is a funny one to answer. Obviously playing with Iginla and Sakic (two of the best goalscorers in recent NHL history) will help you pile up assist, but did you know that Tanguay's 19.4% career shooting percentage is the highest among active NHL players? The guy can pick a corner when he wants to apparently, which, considering the play f every winger in the Philadelphia series means our biggest weakness on the team is a little bit closer to being filled.

Statistically, I' m not sure I'm with the Hockey News on Tanguay being the Habs top point-man at the end of the season. Personally, I think that position is occupied. However, I do think he will do his part. Realistically, he'll get 70 points and 25 goals on a team where the scoring is more spread out then he has been used to. More than statistics of his own, the most important thing he might do is bring out the real Saku Koivu - the one who leads all tournaments in scoring when playing with a decent winger or two. Provided they don't hate each other, I can't see how Tanguay for Koivu and vice versa could be a bad thing. That said, Tanguay would make a nice complement to Plekanec's line as well, should the Kostitsyns be the ones to revive the captain.

Obviously, as with Lang, this addition was not meant to remedy the loss of Ryder in the regular season. I think the hope is that once the playoffs come, a little bit of Colorado attitude comes out and Tanguay can show the other guys how the playoffs are just like the regular season with less diverse travel schedules.

Andrei Kostitsyn

Other bloggers say they have a man, Chipchura, Higgins, Komisarek. Andrei Kostitsyn is my pick. As I've said many times before, no Canadiens prospect, not his brother, not Komisarek, not Price has anything near the potential of this guy. The way Andrei skates and handles the puck at speed is all instinct and all impressive. The fact that he can shoot makes him superstar potential. I have said it ad nauseum, he is the only true 50-goal threat we have and have had in years.

Andrei started to give us a little taste of what eh could do last season from about December on. It was the awakening off Andrei Kostitsyn that awoke the whole team. The Plekanec Kovalev due became a full-line threat, the new top line meant Koivu and Higgins got easier checking, and the effect trickled down. Yes, once Andrei was awoken, the Canadiens went from team who might never score even strength again to team where no 3 goal lead against is ever safe.

To preview Kostitsyn, though, is a difficult task. Take last year. Considering it was to be his first full season, I don't think anyone would have been surprised if the whole year went by as October and November did. But, his brother gets promoted and wham, Andrei notches it up a gear or two. To become a true league star, he needs to find some more notches, but who knows which cold windy January night he'll choose.

If I'm a betting man, I will project what he did for the second half of last season, which gives me 30 goals and 60 points. If we see some categoric leap to stardom, it'll probably be +5 and +10, respectively. In my opinion, 50 goals will wait for another season in the future.

As to who he'll play with, I don't think it will matter to him or his statistics. In some ways, Andrei and Kovalev together is redundant, but in other ways just plain amazing - and so many chances to be generated. He may personally benefit from a centre who much prefers the pass (in Koivu), but as I said, I don't think too much one way or the other. Koivu stands to benefit the most (statistically), though, from all these wingers at our disposal now.

If Andrei can learn another lesson: how to play in the playoffs (i.e., it's not a shinny game with your brother), then the Habs will really benefit. Given that he and all the team were so devastated after last year's exit, I really don't see how that could not be the case. Oh, the prospect of a firing Kostitsyn in the playoffs is already getting me pumped. There's no pathetic Julien counter for that.

Andrei's 2007-08 Review

Chris Higgins

What a difference a year makes, eh? Whaddya think Chris?

Last summer we were hearing about Higgins and Komisarek's wonderful adventure to a yoga instructor who taught them mind tricks. Last year, every mention of Higgins was prefaced with "Future captain". And get a load of this (from HW archives):

Chris Higgins is that unique player that has first line talent but plays like a fourth liner; a player who plays as if every shift is his last. He is in many ways the most versatile forward on the Habs roster, he excels on the power play, he is a threat on the penalty kill, and he can play all three forward positions. But more importantly it is how he plays the game.

His focus on the game and what it takes to succeed is unmatched.

Hyperbole from every corner. Not so this year.

Funny really, because Higgins didn't do any worse. He progressed normally considering where he came from and where e is going. He had a great start, an OK middle and an OK finish. He played the hero on a few occasions and played hard on all the others.

So what happened?

Well, 3 things to start with: Kovalev, Kostitsyn and Plekanec. Higgins is suddenly now an interesting second-line winger, not first-line scoring machine. But I think there was more. I can't find the quote now, but Christopher Higgins certainly alluded to something else, that had always occurred to me when I saw him after games. I think someone told him to shut up - basically, someone on the team. I think he is being a little more low key because for all his hot air in interviews last season, he was really only the 10th best player on the team. He has settled into his place, I think.

Aha, but I think this could be a panacea for Higgins. First of all, with one more season of observance to benefit from, I think we can safely say he does not possess first-line talent. Imagine if Tanguay and his 19.4% shooting had been on the end of those Higgins chances, we'd have a 45-goal man. Higgins is what he is though. An excellent checker. Excellent second-line forward. 25-30 goalscorer. Now, he could get 30 (I mean his luck couldn't get any worse), but let's not kid ourselves about 40.

I think Chris will benefit from lower expectations, being the third best player on a given line and by not having to pump himself up in every post-game scrum. This year should be a maturing year for Chris in which we see him develop into the player he will be from here on. And, i think the stage is set for him to learn and develop a lot. The evolution of his role within this team will help him too. Instead of stretching to find skills he doesn't have, he can now concentrate on using the ones he does to the fullest.

In terms of linemates, I wouldn't separate Chris from Koivu right away. After all, I think even Saku needs some continuity. But, as to the third piece, I think Tanguay or Kostitsyn would both fit very nicely. In my mind, there is no doubt that Higgins will be a bigger point-getter this season, if not a bigger goal contributor. If it's Tanguay and Koivu, or Kostitsyn and Koivu, I could see high 60s for Chris, though mostly assists this time.

Chris' 2007-08 Review

Sergei Kostitsyn

If you ask Bob Gainey how he replaced Michael Ryder, he'll probably tell you that he did that mid-way through last season when he elected to keep Sergei Kostitsyn with the big club. And it would be true.

Sergei Kostitsyn was certainly one of the big surprises of last season. Some people were quite sure we had a top-6 player in Sergei, but even the most optimistic weren't thinking that within months he would fulfill that promise.

This year, the expectations have gone a bit too far the other way, in my opinion. I think Sergei is a good player and showed great promise last season too. I think he rescued us from a lot more frustrating Ryder moments. But, we shouldn't forget he now has all of 64 games of NHL experience, with 12 goals and 35 points. Although we might like him to be a top-liner, he may not be entirely ready for the whole responsibility just yet. He's still a prospect for that position, he still has a profile on Hockey's Future, after all.

The things that get people so worked up about Sergei are plain to see, however. Even if I'm not as worked up as most, I can still fully appreciate his skill. His skating is great, with speed to compete with NHLers. His puck control is what we have come to expect from a Kostitsyn, as is his game sense. But, what sets him apart from other prospects in his peer group are his passing and his strength. Passing and sense as fine as Sergei's must be exploited on the PP if possible and on a line with someone who can score (now that we have 3 centres, this should be easy).

I see a good season ahead for Sergei, but not as good as Andrei's. I think he'll make a run at 20 goals, though probably end in the high teens, and 40-50 points as well. Of course, we've seen that Sergei is a quick study and the he has the Kostitsyn genes which may cause him to become twice the player he was the day before overnight, so I may be overly cautious with these numbers. But again, numbers underestimate this player's value. Another season, and by the playoffs he should offer a great threat in the tradition of third line wonders of the past like John Leclair and Claude Lemieux.

Sergei's 2007-08 Review

Filling out the NHL roster

Tom Kostopoulos

Tom falls into the filling out the roster category, but his place is guaranteed on the team in my eyes. But for the altercation in Tampa, he did little wrong in his first season with the Canadiens. If you think back to the playoffs, you will surely recall the spirited performances Tom gave.

Though Tom won't be called upon to be much more than an occasional goalscorer, I feel what he does can be summed up in one word: important. It seems every goal he scores is important, every fight he gets himself into. He is one of those classic players who play like they have no limits. If asked, I bet most people would make Tom a big man, but in fact he's not. He just plays that way.

If you're reading this for a hockey pool, don't pick Tom, however. Tobalev and I were joking about our upcoming pool, which now has so many participants we thought Kostopoulos could be picked. I'll tell you, it won't be me picking him. Barring a major catastrophe, Tom will be playing 10 minutes at a time on the fourth line. The coaches will tell him not to do anything rash, just to let the other guys rest a bit. Even in my most generous state of mind, I give Tom 18 points. That could be 10 goals or 5, who knows.

Tom's 2007-08 Review

Guillaume Latendresse

Guillaume is the true wildcard of this whole list. He is the only player with the potential to move up to the top two lines from this lower tier. And, he is the only one who could start in Hamilton.

If you take him at face value, it seems that last year Latendresse learned a lot. He learned that his place on the team is not assured. He learned that prospects below him the depth chart can leapfrog him in a flash. He learned that if he can't play on the offensive lines, he might have no place with the NHL Canadiens.

What's more, it seems he learned that no one else is the least bit worried about how his career turns out. That if he wants to succeed and live his dream that the responsibility is all his.

Quite heartening then that Guillaume spent the summer learning how to skate and losing an enormous amount of weight. To be honest, even if he doesn't skate better or last longer, this show of intent speaks volumes on its own. He has declared with his actions that he's not messing around anymore. That he'll do what it takes to dig a place out for himself on the Canadiens. I say more power to him.

With the benefit of exhibition games to refer to, I can say that Latendresse has changed. He is making things happen without Koivu. He is taking his attitude born form the summer and putting it into action on the ice.

What does this mean for him and the team then? Well, at this point I think it means he's going to be on the team. And, I think he'll win the benefit of being centered by Koivu or Lang. I would keep him away form Kovalev, since statistics show they weren't working last year (both were better without the other), but anyone else goes.

If Guillaume does secure a place on a line and sticks, he'll be a 20-goalscorer at last. I can't promise he'll get any assists, but someone ought to chip some of his rebounds. What's more, hopefully what he can learn during this season will make him a different weapon when we need him on the PP and also in th playoffs, of course.

In general, I can't help but be positive about Latendresse. I feel the maturity he has shown in the face of immense pressure and the drive he clearly has to make this work only make me think highly of him. Gosh, he can be slow sometimes, though, can't he?

Guillaume's 2007-08 Review

Georges Laraque

All welcome Georges Laraque. This pick-up for me made little sense in a hockey management way, but a lot of sense from a PR standpoint.

Georges Laraque is the best fighter in the league. And, to top it off, he is the most outspoken francophone player around. He already contributed to RDS with such regularity that you might forgive people for forgetting that his full-time job was fighting hockey players. In this light, I can see where this signing comes from – perhaps to take some of the bright lights off Tanguay, Latendresse and Price for a while.

As a hockey move, I don't see it. Fighting in the NHL now is a relic of a time when team's actually hated each other. It is the appendix to the body that is hockey. It serves no purpose, and can be removed without consequence. I'm sure that some would argue that we acquired Laraque because our team was bullied in the playoffs. That is nonsense. We got outscored, nothing more. So unless we are going to suddenly become the bullies, Laraque's role is window dressing.

It may be that I am selling Georges short, because as fighters go, he can certainly play. But the fact is, when Georges plays we will bench a player who apart from not being able to beat up Jeremy Reich is superior to the big man.

Alas, we have him, so we'll use him. I do think he'll dress for the majority of games in the regular season. Come the playoffs, it will depend on the opponent. I do look forward to his interviews...

Mathieu Dandenault

The last forward on the team. Call him the insurance policy.

I entered Mat as a winger the day Brisebois was signed. If gainey has shown us anything, it's that he'll stick it to us with Brisebois, whether we like it or not. That leaves Dandenault out on the blueline, especially after a year's hiatus.

As a forward, Dandenault is vanilla. He offers nothing special really. Sure he's fast, but for what? He can't deke or shoot or really pass. He'll chase and chase and that's great, but we've moved beyond the Dackell-Sundstrom generation, haven't we?

As an insurance policy, he does quite nicely though – as long as he keeps himself from getting too disgruntled. He's no Mark Streit, but he can be diligent at any position we ask of him.

I won't bother projecting points here, it's hard enough seeing him playing much at all.

As a person, I feel sorry for Dandenault, I do. In his years with the Canadiens, he has been nothing but consistent. But in that time, he has seen the team around him change completely. Better defencemen have grown up and been signed. Better forwards too. It would be nice if he could win a Stanly Cup here at home, because this will be his last season as a Habs player, surely.

Mathieu's 2007-08 Review

Eklund Was Born With Powers

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:07:00 +0000

Yeah powers. A very vivid imagination...

I don't know why I still read this guy's website, I don't. Maybe I'm bored?

But today, Eklund, the ever self-praising made another outlandish claim. He claims, and I quote:

"Anyway, as my buddy will attest, I called the Hextall goal about 30 seconds before hand."

This goes down as one of his legendary overclaims, which is saying a lot considering who we're dealing with. No goalie has ever scored before and Eklund has a prmonition about it? Then again, he probably just read it on TSN and claimed he knew before anyone else as usual.

I should stop before I give the guy anymore air time. Just thought it was funny, really.

Alex Charms The Pants Off Quebec

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:10:00 +0000

It won't be long now before Kovalev becomes firmly entrenched as Quebec's latest sweetheart.

Not only did he get a haircut for the big day, but Alex brought out all the charm for his appearance on the French language panel show Tout le Monde en Parle. Thanks to Fred at En Route Pour La Coupe! for alerting us to this.

If you have time and understand French, I recommend you watch the clips because they show a public relations coup for a Canadiens player the likes of which we haven't seen in decades. I mean, sure the Begins and the Quintals have visited talk shows before. but this is different, this is a bona fide superstar, a hockey player whose skills most of us can hardly fathom, and he's taking the time to have a chat, joke around, come into our living rooms as himself.

If Saku were interested at all in sweetening his reception (and from all evidence, i suspect he isn't), this is the blueprint for him to follow. Alex had the audience, the panel and the host eating from his hand. He joked about hi French, he joked about their Russian and they joked in English. It was a veritable love in.

Coming into the season, this is currency for Alex to spend. In a way, it should also take some more heat off poor Saku, who clearly is just a shy person (he hasn't been doing loads of TV shows in either language), not someone who is shunning the French media. Now they can have their darling and leave the rest to their hockey.

Someone Save Them From Us

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 10:11:00 +0000

Winning the Stanley Cup will take a team at least 98 games, at most 110. We're talking about 100 hours of competitive hockey, 10,000 or so shifts, maybe 3,000 shots for and against.

To earn the right to lift it at the end of all that is even more difficult, a team must win at least 56 of those games, while probably getting to the end of regulation or ahead or even in 70 or more.

In other words, this Stanley Cup thing is not a sprint.

When I was younger, I used to be a runner and a swimmer. I specialised (in both sports) in longer events - all races that took about two to four odd minutes. When you race these kind of races, you quickly learn two things:

1. You cannot go all-out the whole race, sprinting runs out at a minute or sooner
2. Going in with a strategic plan is vitally important

I see the race to the Stanley Cup in those terms sometimes. First, you have the heats (regular season) and the finals (playoffs). Secondly, results show that every year the thing that matters most is finishing strong - and it doesn't matter who leads after the first, second or third laps. All that is forgotten when the tape is broken or the wall is reached.

In the NHL, it is common and, well strategically sound, for teams to cruise for much of the season, winning games with little effort and without much fuss. After all, for 6 months all that matters is that you secure a place in the playoffs. Nothing else. Beat half the teams in the league, and you're there. Last year, we harped on about this (with the 96 point goal) and I still stand by it - set a points goal, achieve it, then worry about the finals.

In other sports, competitors that exert themselves too much in the heats are at a disadvantage, and it is the competitors that can "cruise" into the final that hold the cards. There is something to be said for good lanes (just like good playoff match-ups), but the best still get a decent lane every time, even on half efforts. The parallel is true in the NHL, teams with some kind of strategic plan for the season in mind often progress well in the playoffs.

If it were up to the fans

Many a fan in Montreal will grasp this. Many will proclaim saving energy for the playoffs as gospel truth. The problem seems to be that once we all cross into the Bell Centre, no matter what tie of year, this philosophy and strategy we most often agree would be best to meet our ultimate goal, is completely tossed out the window. If it were up to some of us, 82 wins and 4 playoff series. When we get in that building - it's win, win, win; score, score, score; sprint, sprint, sprint for every minute of every shift in every game.

Well, no Cup recently, no conference finals in ages. It makes me think, is this one of the problems? Well have a look at these quotes and stories from last night:

Fancois Gagnon leads with "Like in the playoffs"

Mike Boone wrote 5 or 6 posts during the exhibition game, as did Gagnon for that matter.

Plekanec had this to say (English from French from English):

"Nowhere but Montreal could a game end like it did tonight in what is the exhibition season."

Lapierre echoed those sentiments:

"It was as loud as if we had won a playoff game in overtime"

A lot of coverage for a game that counts for nothing in two weeks time. I have to admit, I used to be immensely proud of the fact that Montreal fans could get so worked up for a game against Ottawa B, even after years of seeing teams beat others in the exhibition season and then getting clobbered 3 night later when the real line-ups meet.

But now, I tend to see everything through the guise of the road to the Cup. I guess I'm tired of waiting. In that respect, expectation, encouragement at that level, performance - all of it - it can't be sustained. Not when the teams you are trying to beat cruise through 5 months anonymously before first exerting some effort in April.

I'm not sure myself, and I'm certain someone like Dave Stubbs, Robert L, Dennis Kane, or other knowledgeable readers could confirm, that when the Canadiens were winning Cups, the exhibition games were not this crazy. I am thinking that every year as our desperation creeps ever further that we lose a bit of perspective and control over our emotions and mistake an exhibition win for a meaningful result.

When I was competing, I would often finish a race and tell someone who was very kindly and sincerely cheering their heart out for me on the first lap in the heats to save it for the last length or the finals please. In swimming especially, cheering can give a competitor an idea that they are either right ahead of or right behind someone and need to step up the pace, which is important because of all the blind spots. If the cheering is at its most intense right from the blocks, then any ramping up becomes impossible, any warnings to gear up, ineffectual.

I think the same must be true of a hockey team in a 100 game race. Shouldn't the cheering during Game 5 of the second knockout series be louder. It should if we want a reaction to our roars. I mean everyone talks about the mythical "seventh man", and how at the Bell Centre, it is a constant contributor. I think that if from exhibition game 4 to regular season game 51 to Stanley Cup playoffs game 14 the intensity never changes, there will be desensitization. The crowd becomes the jackhammer outside your front window day after day, it becomes your loud buzzing fridge - it is background noise that is no longer remarkable.

If the Canadiens were the Usain Bolts or the Michael Phelps of their sport, where no matter what they did, they would win, then the argument that cheering too enthusiastically right now would be meaningless. the fact is they are not. For the most part, the NHL could be a dead heat. There are at least 12 teams that could win the Cup if we look now. 12 different ones when we look in April. Come June, there are usually 2 that can't be separated from one another very easily. No, the Canadiens need to be wary of teams that come one or two positions behind them in the standings without trying in the last games of the season, whose players didn't spend all their energy in March. Last year could teach us that much.

As fans, we need to play our part. We need to hold the power to be remarkable. We need to have the ace up the sleeve that helps inject extra energy when it is most needed. To do that, I think we have to learn to hold it back, learn that this is two long sprints, with heats and finals. We need someone to save us from ourselves.

History Set Straight

noreply@blogger.com (Topham) — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 07:39:00 +0000

I have much more to say on this, but for the time being, let this serve as your battery against any foray from bitter fans of any ilk who invoke the territorial rule as the reason for the Canadiens success (and perceived lack of it since the 1980s):

Debunking the Habs French Territorial Rights Rule

Happy anticipating... Go Habs Go