The Week That Was

This week, the Montreal Canadiens did something they haven’t done since 1949. Generally when we hear statistics of this nature, we automatically assume the team did something miraculous and marvellous, never before seen in her 101 year franchise history. Unfortunately, there is nothing positive about the record that was set this week. The Canadiens were shutout for 3 street games, their last goal coming 186 minutes and 5 seconds ago on Sunday March 20^th. This is no small feat, and it is nothing to be proud of.

It is somewhat karmic to be shutout in the game following an ass-kicking like the Habs delivered in their 8-1 win over the Wild. Therefore, I was expecting a loss against Buffalo Tuesday night. But I was hoping for much more than the 7-0 loss against the Bruins Thursday. This was the team’s chance to come within 1 point of their division rivals, not to mention avenge Max Pacioretty. But nothing of the sort occurred. Instead, the Canadiens were embarrassed by the Bruins in one of the worst hockey games I’ve seen in all my years as a fan. What did the team do? Roll with it. They promised to move forward, and look to Saturday’s game against the Capitals, and fans alike vowed to do the same, preferring to forget the previous 2 games.

When Saturday rolled around, everything seemed to be in place; Ovechkin was not in the line-up for the Capitals, it was a home game (featuring cartoonesque over the top stanchion padding, merely 3 weeks too late), and the Habs were sure to score for their first time in nearly a week. As I arrived at MacLean’s Pub for the Habs Tweetup, I had high hopes. But they were soon dashed.

The Canadiens struggled throughout the 1^st period, generating very little offense, as was evident by their 3 shot total for the period. The team faced a similar fate for the remainder of the game, and it was clear they were about to do something they hadn’t done in 62 years.

While it’s easy to say “let’s look ahead” and “let’s move on”, there needs to be some focus on why the team was blanked in three straight games. Firstly, the blame can’t be placed entirely on a majority rookie roster, as several veterans made their return to the line-up this week (Plekanec, Halpern, Darche, Sopel). Secondly, the blame cannot be placed on Carey Price, who is the only one who consistently shows up to every game. He has no support in front. Thirdly, why is Cammelleri playing? He is clearly injured, and needs to be resting up. If Washington can rest up Ovi for the playoffs, why can’t the Habs rest up Cammy? Lastly, this is one of the better groups the Habs have had in several years (excluding Gomez). It makes no sense that they would be so incapable of winning a few key games.

With less than two weeks left in the regular season, the Habs have now put themselves in the position of fighting for a playoff spot, yet again. While I have no doubt that this team will make the playoffs, I’d rather not scrape in with an overtime loss to the Leafs like last year. The Habs need to start scoring, and they can start Tuesday versus Atlanta. It’s a sad truth, but the Habs next goal will be a celebration of epic proportions.

Habs Tweetups

Hello my loyal readers!

As I'm sure it's pretty obvious by now, the Habs are the love of my life. So when All_Habs asked me to write about why I love the Habs, Twitter & attending Habs Tweetups, I was more than happy to oblige! Check out the piece I contributed, as well as some others on their site! Bookmark it, and make it a regular read :)

Lots of love,

Ladyhabs

The Habs This Week

The Habs have a few important games on tap this week, starting with the Sabres on Tuesday. The Habs are 3-2 against Buffalo this season, and look to prevent them from evening out the series in the final matchup of the regular season. The Habs are coming off an 8-1 win that included a hat trick from rookie superstar PK Subban against the Wild, whereas the Sabres are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to Nashville. I don't expect an exciting game, and I'm predicting the Sabres will pocket the 2 points in this matchup.

Thursday, the Habs face the Bruins for the final time this season, although it is likely they'll face each other in the first round of the playoffs. This rivalry still has the stench of the last game a little less than 2 weeks ago, in which Zdeno Chara slammed Max Pacioretty's head into the stanchion that separates the benches, fracturing his C4 vertebra. Habs fans were outraged when Mike Murphy did not suspend the Bruins defenseman, resulting in a media frenzy, an organized protest outside the Bell Centre, and threats of sponsorship withdrawals, among other things. The Habs have found success against the Bruins for the most part this season, barring the brutal beating they took in February. Thursday's game is in Boston, and I'm predicting the Habs to win this one. Do it for Patches (who, by the way, may return for the playoffs. Saying this kid is made of steel would be the understatement of the year.)

Saturday the Habs will play the Capitals, who will most likely be missing their star forward Ovechkin, who is reportedly being given the remainder of the season off to rest up for the playoffs (though officially it's to nurse a "nagging ailment"). The Habs lost their last game against the Caps, and I'm predicting our boys to win this one. I'm also both despising/looking forward to any asinine comments Bruce Boudreau may make prior to the game. The final HabsTweetup of the regular season will also take place at Maclean's Pub on this night, so make sure to RSVP!

So if my math skills aren't as terrible as I think they are, that gives the Habs 4 points out of a possible 6 this week. And for your viewing pleasure, some Max Pacioretty awesomeness :)

An Attempt at Optimism

Over the course of the past week, I've tried very hard NOT to dwell on the bad things. This is becoming an increasingly difficult task. With Markov, Gorges, Darche, Spacek, Sopel & Pacioretty out of the lineup, the only thing that hurt worse than the 4-2 loss to the Capitals was losing Halpern and Plekanec. As of yet, the only status on their condition we have is that Plekanec suffered a lower body injury, and Halpern will be evaluated tomorrow. We should have more information in the coming days about exactly what's wrong, what the prognosis is, and how they'll be out for. Habs fans were also nearly given a heart attack when Wisniewski took a puck to the skate and limped off to the dressing room, but the trainers must have given him a transfusion of Pacioretty blood (which I already believe to be infused with Gorges blood), because he was back on the ice in no time.

But, in keeping with my recent bout of optimism, I'd like to focus on something positive. CAREY PRICE. If you weren't watching the game, it would be easy to pin the 4 goals against on him, but if you were watching, you know that's not the case. While I would pin Johansson's 1st period goal on Price (who went behind the net and lost control of the puck on a bad bounce, leaving an empty net for the Washington forward to score a powerplay goal early in the period), he was an absolute SUPERSTAR for the rest of the game, making 37 saves. Unfortunately, his teammates didn't show up to play in the 1st period, and were plagued by injuries in the latter 2, making it a miracle the Caps made off with only a 2 goal lead.

At this point, I think it's become a given that the Habs would not be where they are without Price. If you were listening to the Franchise on the Team 990 this Sunday, I said I was pretty sure the Habs would be 13th without the 23 year old netminder. That being said, I not only believe he is a CANDIDATE for the Hart trophy, but is the undisputed winner. Perhaps this a bold statement to make with a chunk of regular season games still remaining & the playoffs just around the corner, but I honestly wouldn't want to think about where we'd be without him. His consistency and ability to play well under pressure have been wonderful assets to go along with the incredible flashy saves he makes time after time, game after game.

While it's nice that the Halak versus Price debate has finally been put to rest, and it's nice to be able to depend on our goaltender as we head into the playoffs, the Habs need to generate more offence. Being outshot game in and game out is not a way to win hockey games. It's simple, if you don't shoot, you can't score. Cammalleri hasn't looked the same since returning from his shoulder injury, and our leading point-getter since the All-Star break is out right now with a broken neck & a concussion.

I've been scouring the Bulldogs roster, searching for a solution, and barring a rumoured injury, I just don't think the answer is Nigel Dawes. He's easily roughed up, and that's not what the Habs need. What do the Habs need? I honestly don't know at this point. I feel like the team is being held together with glue & string, and I'm holding my breath waiting for it all to fall apart. Oh and the Bruins won tonight, giving them a 3 point lead on the Habs with a game in hand. Yuck. How's that for optimism?

While I may sound grumpy and disenfranchised, I still think the Habs have a chance of making a legitimate playoff run this season. Just you wait.

Habs Nation

After what can only be described as the week from hell for Habs players, its staff and fans, it’s hard to sit here and try to write something meaningful either about the Habs 4-1 loss to the Blues on Thursday night, or the upcoming afternoon game versus the Pens. I find it extremely difficult to focus on anything other than Zdeno Chara’s vicious hit on Max Pacioretty in Tuesday’s game against Bruins that rendered the 22 year old forward unconscious, and ultimately with a severe concussion and a fractured vertebrae. What’s most shocking of all was Mike Murphy’s decision not to suspend the 6’9” Bruins defenseman, claiming there was no reason to believe Chara targeted Pacioretty’s head. (Colin Campbell was not involved in the decision making process, being that his son Gregory Campbell plays for the Bruins. I, however, feel that there may still have been a degree of bias included in rendering the verdict, perhaps also being that Chara is a marquis player, and Pacioretty is but a rookie. But I don’t want to delve into my conspiracy theory any further). This picture, to me, clearly indicates Pacioretty’s head being targeted and forcefully pushed into the stanchion that separates the two benches, however evidently I’m wrong.

Now, I don’t want to dwell on this excessively, however the issue of headshots in the NHL and their lack of penalization is becoming a growing concern, one that particularly hit home for Habs fans this week. While I’m outraged along with my fellow Montrealers, we need to take heed in Geoff Molson’s statement to the fans, and begin getting excited for the playoffs. There are only a handful of games remaining in the season, we’re almost certainly guaranteed a playoff spot, and Max Pacioretty is alive. These are all things I’m thankful for this week. I will, however, give the Habs a Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free-Card for Thursday’s loss to the Blues as their hearts were simply not in it, and their minds were clearly elsewhere. I was able to sympathize with them, and can’t even imagine how much worse it must have been for the players, or Max’s family.

That being said, I firmly believe that the best way to get revenge on the Bruins is by outplaying them. Not only do the Habs not have the manpower to rough house with the Big Bad Booins, but two wrongs do not make a right. A man almost died on the ice this week, and this has to stop. I don’t believe that the Bell Centre infrastructure, nor the fast pace of the game are at fault for what happened at the end of the 2^nd period Tuesday night. While I don’t believe Chara hit Pacioretty with the intent of potentially killing or paralyzing him, I do believe he intended to send a message. If we were to do the same, it wouldn’t make us any better, and I refuse to stoop to their level.

We have to move on. There are still games remaining, important games, and an exciting playoff run is just around the bend. I know it’s difficult, and I myself want to mail individual bags of vomit to every Bruins fan who gave Chara a standing ovation for nearly killing someone. I want to leave flaming bags of dog poop on Bettman, Murphy and Campbell’s doorsteps. Will that accomplish anything? No. I do intend to make my voice heard, but the loudest statement of all is to succeed in the face of adversity. Habs fans, now more than ever, we must rally behind our team. We will not go quietly, and hopefully, if nothing else, Bettman has realized you don’t mess with Habs Nation…