Tuesday, September 14, 2010

IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!!

Wow!How i love september...Hockey camps sart,NFL is back,MLB making the push for the post season,CFL in the thick of it and every racing series is hitting a fevered pitch toward crowning their champions.

SO...Rookie camp as just started last monday remind us that summer is coming to an end and that the NHL season is right around the corner.

A very interesting signing occured a few days before the opening of camp that will have huge ramifications for some of the young guys trying to make this squad.
Of course i'm reffering to the signing of 34 year old american centerman JEFF HALPERN.

HALPERN brings alot of experience,face off and defensive,which at 600,000$ is quite a bargain...What this means is the fourth line center position is now solidified,leaving only a few free roster spot open for rookies...

On defence you can wrap it up already as PK SUBBAN will be the only rookie to crack the lineup,even with ANDREI MARKOV scheduled to miss the first week of regular season action.

Up front could be interesting but only one or two youngsters could make the grade.LARS ELLER already has a leg up on the competition having had a great comeback year in the AHL after a knee injury two years ago.ELLER probably could be a good fit on the third line and serve on the second line barring injuries to PLEX..

LOUIS LEBLANC has been showing some good stuff in the first couple of days but i refuse to get swept away in the french media frenzy(a la LATENDRESSE)as LEBLANC is claerly not an NHL player yet and still needs a year or two to get his skillset up to snuff.

Also keep an eye on MAX PACIORETTI,the big winger might have a shot to rejoin the HABS but will have to impress or wish for injuries to do so...

For the first time in years the goaltending situation is clear from the get-go,and it's refreshing,now CAREY PRICE can prepare for the season without the media scrutinizing is every move...I don't think ALEX AULD would even want the chance to start in MONTREAL...


More to come in the next couple of days....Here we go again...GO HABS GO!!!!!

Friday, April 30, 2010

I just don't get it....just love the HABS!!

Well montreal you've finally done it,you brought me out of my cave and back to the keyboard.
Ok,fine the recent series against WASHINGTON definitly as something to do with it as well...

What a week the HABS have given us,starting with a surprise win in game one which all of a sudden slowly started giving MONTREAL fans alittle touch of the playoff fever...The 4-1 lead lost in game 2 seemed to be what was going to be a turnaround point in the series,which it was as WASHINGTON won game 2,3 and 4 giving them a strangle hold 3-1 lead inthe series.
In one of the gutsiest calls,after a game 3 loss,JACQUES MARTIN dresses CAREY PRICE in game 4,giving the struggling JAROSLAV HALAK a break.Game 4 was still a losing cause but the decision proved to be the catalyst to a miracle come back the likes of which the NHL had never seen.As a matter a fact this was the first time in league history an 8th seed down 1-3 would come back and win in 7.

Other than HALAK's absolutely incredible performance after being benched for game 4,the whole team seemed to be convinced and confident that victory was within grasp.

HALAK,who stopped 134 shots in 3 games was just simply lights out,all that was missing was the wink...let's wait 'till the finals for that.

In addition to HALAK,some of BOB GAINEY's last summer additions to the team now prove to be incredibly timely and smart.Granted if GAINEY was still here PRICE would've started every game.The signings of GILL,GOMEZ,GIONTA and CAMMALLERI now make alot more sense when you see what these guys bring to the team in the playoff.Let's talk about how much everybody hated(myself included)giant HAL GILL...This guy is probably our best defenceman since the start of the playoffs.I also have to mention JOSH GORGES and PK SUBBAN which have been great.

I wasn't really writting about the series when i turned on the computer,so let's go habs,i think we win in 6 mostly because of our edge in nets and on defence.

What i was really interested in writting was a phenomenon i have never seen in years of being a hockey fan....

The ongoing goaltending dillema that afflicts the MONTREAL CANADIENS...

First of all we don't seem to understand that having 2 young goalies is a good thing,but what baffles me is the ongoing sentiment that absolutely divides HABS fans between the two.
Seems that if youlike HALAK you automatically hate PRICE...And no,hate is not to strong of a word.

Personnaly being a fervant CAREY PRICE fan and strongly believing that he is the future of this franchise,i do understand that at the time being HALAK as the hot hand and deserves to play.Don't we all want the same thing...WIN...What ever happens over the summer will happen,it seems unlikely that both tenders will still be here next october.But for now let's concentrate on winning a cup...The best example of this was when i dropped off my son at preschool the morning after the game7 win over WASHINGTON.Of course i was wearing my colours(a carey price t-shirt)when one of my son's teachers approached me and said"to bad we're wearing the wrong shirt"...THE WRONG SHIRT?????He's still on the team isn't he?The logo is the right one isn't it???

Montreal just be happy right now that one of youer goalies is doing the job,no matter which one!!

SUPPORT YOUR TEAM PEOPLE....GO HABS GO!!!! HABS IN 6!!!!!

MARC OUT

Monday, October 19, 2009

CONSISTENCY AND PATIENCE...THAT'S IT!!!!

Boy oh boy...we are in a pickle.

Five straight losses since i was last able to write anything about my beloved HABS.Is the panic button pressed already on the 7th floor of the phonebooth?If not,i guarantee you that BOB is feeling the heat.

First thing first....for those of you who watch a game once in a while and get all your info from JACK TODD and P.J STOCK and company(don't lie to yourselves you are NOT hockey fans and even less HABS fans)there are alot of you...get off CAREY PRICE'S back,the guy is 22,has just lost his best d-man for probably the remainder of the season and still kept you in the game in all the losses except for the rout in van-city where nobody showed up.Don't break the guy's spirit because if you do this kid will win somewhere else....


Now,what do i think we should do you ask?Well first of all let's not panic and switch the lines every period(i think GUY CARBONNEAU proved that that does not work!).The first line should still be GIONTA-GOMEZ-AK-46 2nd line:PLEX-CAMALLERI-PATCH 3rd line:LAPIERRE-TENDERNESS-MOEN 4th line:METROPOLIT-LARACQUE-D'AGOSTINI.....
In such a bad slide i don't think moving all the guys around is the answer,let's be patient,you don't really have a choice,things will fall into place.

Start HALAK tuesday,we'll see the kid BERGERON and i think it might be time to give CARLE or SUBBAN a quick look...

Don't give in it's still early...

P.S i ran in to GUY CARBONNEAU at adonis in the west island...walked up to him and said:bet you're happy you're not there anymore?...he proceeded to give me the nastiest evil eye i've ever seen....nice guy!not even a smile...jerk off!!!

GO HABS GO!!!!

Monday, October 5, 2009

One game at a time....

Wow, two games in and the habs defensive lineup is seriously thinned out.



I'm sure i don't have to remind you of the bad ankle injury MARKOV suffered in the first game of the year against the leafs.My information tells me that the first diagnosis of four months seems to be a tad optimistic,according to my sources(that's right baby...i got sources!!)it could be as much as a season...Let's cross our fingers.



I would like to come back on the first two games of the season quickly.First KOMISAREK BOWL a week ago,what can i say more than thank you CAREY,thank you GIONTA and a special thank to MIKE "LOSER" KOMISAREK for being himself and letting us tie the game up in the last five minutes with one of his patented stupid penalties.The buffalo game was one of little excitment except for CAREY PRICE's performance and of course GIONTA's incredible overtime tally.


The news now is that WEBBER as been called up from hamilton and don't be surprised if MATHIEU CARLE also gets the call to the big club.There's also been quite the buzz about GAINEY signing free agent defenceman MARC-ANDRE BERGERON who played for MINNESOTA last year.

I think the philosophy now is just to go one game at a time.If you look at the situation now one win on the west coast would make us 3-2 onthe road trip which would be more than acceptable.


Next game tuesday in CALGARY and the most dominating defensive core around the league.If PRICE keeps it up and the new guys keep playing with the grit and determination they have shown,it should make for a great game...Enjoy


WHERE ARE ANDREI AND PATCH!!!more to come....

GO HABS GO...GIONTA FOR CAPTAIN...

MARC OUT

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The boys are back in town!!!at least some of them!!

Hey guys,hope you had a good summer,i sure did....

I am so excited about the start of this season...Let's start out by saying that i believe the HABS actually got better over the summer.I have to give kudos to BOB GAINEY for the most interesting and exciting off season i've ever seen in montreal and i've been a fan for about thirty years.Let's get down to business...

First of all i believe that the best moves pulled off by GAINEY were the signing of MIKE CAMALLERI and TRAVIS MOEN,sure GOMEZ and GIONTA are decent pick ups but the first two are going to be the ones impressing the most on the ice.CAMALLERI will bring you speed,determination and a great touch around the net,in MOEN's case here's a guy who won a cup in ANAHEIM on possibly one of the best third lines i've ever seen(moen,nedermier,pahlsson),plus he is big,tough and great on the forecheck.I see MOEN on a good third line with TENDERNESS and LAPPY.

For tonight's game the first line will look like this:GOMEZ,CAMALLERI,AK 46...
Of course this is still pre season and it is the FLORIDA PANTHERS.

The second line is the only sore spot for me on that team,especially at centre.Don't get me wrong,if PLEX comes out and scores 30 for us we're in business,but and this is a big but,if he has another dismal year where is his scared and plays like a little girl (in his own words)we could be expecting a trade before the march deadline.

Another thing about that second line is who the hell will be on the wings...PLEX at centre with either GIONTA or CAMALLERI but who's on the other wing????TENDERNESS?PATCH?D'AGOSTINI?please don't tell me it might be SERGEI!!!

The third line is something i'm excited about...the best we've seen in years,TENDERNESS,LAPPY and MOEN.Three guys that have size,toughness and grit.Seriously i have no worries if JACQUES MARTIN puts that line on the ice.

On defense i like the size factor although we have given up some speed we are going to be tough on the boards.With some great youngsters pushing up we also have decent depth with guys like SUBBAN,WEBBER ,CARLE.

Anybody who knows me will know that obviously i don't have any issues with goaltending,i think PRICE breaks out and puts up top 5 stats all year,and brings us to the playoffs.MARTIN is not the kind of coach that will let the young guys throw away a whole season like we saw last year.

Enjoy the game tonight,i will try to blog as often as possible,you can also follow me on TWITTER@HABMANIAC


GO HABS GO!!!!

PS:MIKE KOMISAREK IS A LOSER and good luck to ALEX KOVALEV

PEACE

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Two games left and nothing is decided!

What a finish,only two games left and the HABS need one point,or a FLORIDA loss to secure a playoff spot.

This is one of the most exciting finishes to a regular season i can remember both in the eastern and western conferences with teams fighting for their playoff lives to the very last game.
The HABS,who seemed to have regained their confidence,got a serious blow last week when both MARKOV and SCHNEIDER went down with injuries in a game in TORONTO.

Now alot of different reports came out about both injuries,although none were confirmed by BOB GAINEY or the HABS training staff.In MARKOV'S case the word seems to be at least three weeks which would mean not before the second round of the playoffs(if we make it and if you can beat WASHINGTON or BOSTON without your best defenceman...long shot at best).SCHNEIDER has a rotator cup injury in his left shoulder which probably means that's it for the year and probably surgery over the summer.

Finally GAINEY came to his senses and brought up WEBBER from HAMILTON and sent back down JANIK...Nothing against JANIK who is a big body and had played a handful of games in the NHL but i think in the situation we are in you have to bring in the best player available and clearly WEBBER is the better choice(he was the power play specialist in HAMILTON and some of the experts see a little bit of MARK STREIT in this kid).

Tough game tonight against a BRUINS team that clinched the eastern conference a week ago and seems to be on cruise control just waiting to see who their first opponents will be come april 15th.

Let's see if KOMISAREK and GORGES can handle the extra work load for more than a couple of games in a row,also let's see if CAREY PRICE can bounce back after a game where he got alot of the blame even though i thought he was being judged a bit harshly(he really kept us in that game in the 3rd)

Enjoy the game tonight,sadly i have to work,but i'll be watching my phone all night.

Go THRASHERS GO...
GO HABS GO!!!!

SERGE SAVARD TO BUY THE TEAM AND HIRE PATRICK ROY FOR 09-10!!!

MARC OUT

Saturday, April 4, 2009

IT ALL STARTS NOW!!!!!!!

What a difference a week makes!

After a great win on thursday(albeit against the ISLANDERS)almost everything seems to be back in order,that is except for our second line....hold on,maybe that's now the third line?

The power play was devastating the last 3 games and the first line clocked 28 points in 5 games,with KOVY adding 11points to his total in that span.Once again CAREY PRICE will stay at the hotel tonight,giving HALAK a second start in a row.PRICE has been diagnosed with the same virus that as been going thru the whole team in the last 2 months.Also ANDREI will not dress for a second game in a row due to a cut above is eye,MATHIEU DANDENEAULT will be dressed as a forward tonight.That should put HIGGINS up with PLEKANEC on the second line.

The key tonight will be to not let the LEAFS get any speed or momentum early,i believe LARAQUE and STEWART will both be in the lineup again.One thing for sure is if i'm GAINEY
one of the first directives is to take care and slow down GRABOWSKI early in the game.The last game,and i'm sure you remember it,the little jerk had four points and you can see he enjoys taunting and hurting us.Need i say more MIKE...TAKE CARE OF IT!

Keep your eyes on the standings,by this time next week we could be in 4th or fifth.

PATRICK ROY WATCH UPDATE:Twice this week PATRICK was asked if he was approached or interested in the head coaching job in MTL...His response was:Right now i'm in the playoffs with the REMPARTS,but once that is done,if i get a call,i'll think about it....THE DOOR IS SLIGHTLY OPEN.There are also rumors that COLORADO is trying to get PIERRE LACROIX back as their gm,as you know LACROIX as been ROY's agent and long time friend.DON'T MISS THE BOAT BOBBY!

ENJOY THE GAME TONIGHT,LEAFS SUCK!

GO HABS GO!!!!'TIL MID JUNE BABY!!

MARC OUT