Today is November 15th. Andrei Markov was injured two days ago, and with that 48 hour span, numerous media outlets have reported various lengths of time that Markov would be out.
RDS was on the story first, reporting that Markov would be sidelined for at least three months due to a re-aggravation of his surgically repaired right knee, the injury that he returned from last week, almost six months after injuring it when he was hit by Matt Cooke during the Habs-Pens series.
...if you thought that was bad, you probably shouldn't continue reading.
According to Habsinsideout.com, Agence QMI (citing reliable sources) is now saying that Markov could be done for the year. Yes, the entire season...let that sink in for a second.
Nothing is confirmed at this point, but if these reports are in fact right, Markov would need between eight months and a year to recover from this setback. Do the math, folks-that means that at if worse comes to absolute worst, Markov might only return to action this time next season. Assuming he's even still with the Habs next year; Markov is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this year, and no doubt this latest major injury will put any long-term contract negotiations between Pierre Gauthier and Andrei Markov's agent to the side for the time being.
Tomorrow I'll preview/recap the Habs vs. Flyers game, as well as go further into the Markov situation: his future with the club, his supposed proneness to injury, and the potential routes the Habs can take to deal with his absence, be it three months or the entire year.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Habs thump 'Canes, but Markov goes down...again
Gonna keep this one short people...
The Habs came out on top yet again last night in a convincing 7-2 victory. Carey Price was solid once again, picking up his 10th win of the year, and his teammates were fantastic in front of him. Seven different goalscorers, twelve players with at least one point...everything went right on this night. I'm sure more than a few started getting nervous when Carolina roared back with two quick goals in the second, but the Habs did not let up and took control of the second half of the contest. The big positives were that the majority of the goals we're scored by the guys who are getting paid specifically to do just that; Plekanec, Gionta, Cammalleri, Kostitsyn, and even Pouliot to an extent. The powerplay struck yet again, scoring on its last three opportunities of the game, finishing a solid 3-for-7 on the night. The PP unit has scored on 6 of its last 15 opportunities, which adds up to a 40% efficiency rate in the last three games after going a dismal 3-for-47 to start the year. Clearly things are starting to turn around for the powerplay, which is excellent news going forward.
The not-so-excellent news is the fact that Andrei Markov looks to have severely injured himself for the third time in a little over a year. First the sliced tendon, then the knee tear, and now a potential re-injured right knee, an injury that Markov just recently returned from. Seven games later and he could be back on the shelf for up to three months, according to early reports from RDS. The Canadiens have not made this official, but if you watch the replay of the injury, it did not look good. Markov's knee clearly buckles under the weight of Carolina captain Eric Staal, and Staal isn't a pushover. Over two-hundred pounds being forced against a reconstructed knee is never a good combination. Markov pounded the boards in frustration after falling to the ice, and looked devastated and dejected as he was being helped off. Let's just hope that its nothing serious-although the Habs started 7-2-1 without Markov this year, history shows that this team is straight up better with him than without him. This year may be different though-this team isn't relying on one player, or their goaltender, to win games anymore. The victories are definitive team efforts, and that could reduce the impact of losing the All-Star defenseman-but only time will tell...starting this Tuesday when the Flyers are in town, marking the first opportunity for the Habs to extract a little revenge on the team that ended their Cinderella run during last year's playoffs.
Speaking of all-stars, someone please explain to me how Tomas Plekanec and Carey Price aren't on the All-Star ballot? Last time I checked, All-Star rosters were based on the performance of a player during the current season. So, according to the NHL, Plekanec is performing well enough to beat out Alfredsson, Krejci, Oshie, Lecavalier (injured), Parise (injured), Statsny, Umberger, Doan, Hedjuk, Smyth, Vanek, Hemsky, Morrow, and PHIL F***ING KESSEL, just to name a few? I get that the NHL wants firepower. Names that sparkle. The guys that people idolize, and the guys the NHL want to see strut their stuff in their glorified shinny game. If Tomas Plekanec isn't considered on of the top centers in the NHL, then clearly my ideas of the adjectives useful, talented, electrifying, and reliable are overrated and outdated. Plekanec DOES IT ALL.
The NHL wants scoring? The NHL wants playmaking? The NHL wants razzle-dazzle? In a nutshell, they want Tomas Plekanec. But they decided to go with the "big names"-as much as I love them both, Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri should not have been picked ahead of Plekanec.
In an even more mystifying decision, Carey Price was also left off the All-Star ballot. Guess consistent play, solid performances, and top-of-the-league statistics weren't to impressive to the NHL. Guess a 10-5-1 record with a 2.18 GAA, a .923 save percentage and two shutouts weren't good enough. Guess Nikolai Khabibulin's 4-9-1, 3.97 GAA, .879 save percentage and single shutout stat-line just jumped right off the page.
Well done, NHL, well done.
The Habs came out on top yet again last night in a convincing 7-2 victory. Carey Price was solid once again, picking up his 10th win of the year, and his teammates were fantastic in front of him. Seven different goalscorers, twelve players with at least one point...everything went right on this night. I'm sure more than a few started getting nervous when Carolina roared back with two quick goals in the second, but the Habs did not let up and took control of the second half of the contest. The big positives were that the majority of the goals we're scored by the guys who are getting paid specifically to do just that; Plekanec, Gionta, Cammalleri, Kostitsyn, and even Pouliot to an extent. The powerplay struck yet again, scoring on its last three opportunities of the game, finishing a solid 3-for-7 on the night. The PP unit has scored on 6 of its last 15 opportunities, which adds up to a 40% efficiency rate in the last three games after going a dismal 3-for-47 to start the year. Clearly things are starting to turn around for the powerplay, which is excellent news going forward.
The not-so-excellent news is the fact that Andrei Markov looks to have severely injured himself for the third time in a little over a year. First the sliced tendon, then the knee tear, and now a potential re-injured right knee, an injury that Markov just recently returned from. Seven games later and he could be back on the shelf for up to three months, according to early reports from RDS. The Canadiens have not made this official, but if you watch the replay of the injury, it did not look good. Markov's knee clearly buckles under the weight of Carolina captain Eric Staal, and Staal isn't a pushover. Over two-hundred pounds being forced against a reconstructed knee is never a good combination. Markov pounded the boards in frustration after falling to the ice, and looked devastated and dejected as he was being helped off. Let's just hope that its nothing serious-although the Habs started 7-2-1 without Markov this year, history shows that this team is straight up better with him than without him. This year may be different though-this team isn't relying on one player, or their goaltender, to win games anymore. The victories are definitive team efforts, and that could reduce the impact of losing the All-Star defenseman-but only time will tell...starting this Tuesday when the Flyers are in town, marking the first opportunity for the Habs to extract a little revenge on the team that ended their Cinderella run during last year's playoffs.
Speaking of all-stars, someone please explain to me how Tomas Plekanec and Carey Price aren't on the All-Star ballot? Last time I checked, All-Star rosters were based on the performance of a player during the current season. So, according to the NHL, Plekanec is performing well enough to beat out Alfredsson, Krejci, Oshie, Lecavalier (injured), Parise (injured), Statsny, Umberger, Doan, Hedjuk, Smyth, Vanek, Hemsky, Morrow, and PHIL F***ING KESSEL, just to name a few? I get that the NHL wants firepower. Names that sparkle. The guys that people idolize, and the guys the NHL want to see strut their stuff in their glorified shinny game. If Tomas Plekanec isn't considered on of the top centers in the NHL, then clearly my ideas of the adjectives useful, talented, electrifying, and reliable are overrated and outdated. Plekanec DOES IT ALL.
The NHL wants scoring? The NHL wants playmaking? The NHL wants razzle-dazzle? In a nutshell, they want Tomas Plekanec. But they decided to go with the "big names"-as much as I love them both, Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri should not have been picked ahead of Plekanec.
In an even more mystifying decision, Carey Price was also left off the All-Star ballot. Guess consistent play, solid performances, and top-of-the-league statistics weren't to impressive to the NHL. Guess a 10-5-1 record with a 2.18 GAA, a .923 save percentage and two shutouts weren't good enough. Guess Nikolai Khabibulin's 4-9-1, 3.97 GAA, .879 save percentage and single shutout stat-line just jumped right off the page.
Well done, NHL, well done.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Canadiens put down Bruins with ease, O'Byrne shipped out of town
Coming into this week, everyone was talking about the Habs' biggest test of the young season; taking on the visiting Vancouver Canucks, and then two nights later going up against the Big Bad Bruins in their rink.
Its Friday, the test is now complete-and it won't take a professor to grade this paper. The Habs passed with flying colors.
As I already wrote about the Vancouver game, I'll focus on last night's tilt in Boston for this post. Heading into the year, the Bruins were being predicted by everyone to win the Northeast Division with relative ease, some even going as far as placing them first in the East and categorizing the Bruins as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. No doubt it is too early in the season to say the Bruins are overrated;they made some good offseason acquisitions, notably power foward Nathan Horton, have some good young players, are are going to have a "good problem" when David Krejci and Marc Savard return from injury. Clearly the Bruins have the depth and firepower to compete consistently. Last night, however, they ran into an obstacle. An obstacle that most considered to be nothing but a speed bump on the road for the Bruins.
That obstacle was Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens.
The Habs came into Boston confident off of the win against the Canucks, and it showed early on. The powerplay struck for the second consecutive game when P.K Subban put a knuckler past Tukka Rask. Even P.K admitted that he fanned on it, but a goal is a goal. Boston replied late in the first when Zdeno Chara unleashed a vicious wrist shot over Price's right shoulder, but that was Price's only letdown during yet another solid (sometimes ranging to spectacular) performance. The guy is FEELING IT. He's square to the puck, technically sound, and making the big saves when his teammates need to be bailed out. Price is doing exactly what he needs to do to succeed, and its shows in the numbers: a 9-5-1 record, .923 save percentage and a 2.19 GAA, to go along with his two shutouts. He's on pace to post career highs in every statistical category, which will mean good things for the Habs as the season goes along. As long as he stays consistent, Price will be just fine.
As for Price's teammates, they weren't to shabby themselves. Subban sparked the faltering powerplay, Markov is regaining his all-star form, and Cammalleri and Gionta are back where they belong: on the scoresheet. And although Scott Gomez's goal wasn't one for the ages, it was a timely one that sucked all the air out the Bruins and their fans, and will hopefully re-invigorate the sometimes invisible Gomez; he needed that one is a bad way. Props to him for making his 800th career game a memorable one.
Its only November, but Jacques Martin's troops are off to a great start. Winners in 10 of their first 16 games, the Habs are winning at a 0.625 clip, impressive numbers for a team that was supposed to be old, lacking talent, and questionable in goal. They're buying into the system because it's working, and once everyone settles into their roles and the big guns start producing consistently, the Habs will begin to truly come into their own. They've shown they can skate with the top teams (let's not forgot the Pittsburgh victory early in the year), are confident in themselves and their style of play, and are riding a hot goalie who has finally arrived. We won't get over-excited too early, as often happens in this great city of ours, but if things continue the way they have, we could be in for quite a ride this season.
In other Habs news, eighth defenseman Ryan O'Byrne was shipped out of town yesterday, a move that most probably saw coming during the offseason when the Habs went out and acquired Alex Picard. The move takes almost 950,000$ off the books, giving Pierre Gauthier a little wiggle room in terms of cap space moving forward. In return the Habs acquire 18-year old center prospect Michaël Bournival, a 6'0, 190 pds. Shawinigan native who is currently playing for his hometown Cataractes in the QMJHL. He's off to a solid start this year, posting 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points in 17 games. He was representing the QMJHL in the Subway Super Series, a series essentially putting three Canadian junior all-star teams (one QMJHL team, one OHL team, and one WHL team) up against Russia's top junior players. He is also being looked at as a potential invite to Canada's World Junior tryout camp, so the immediate future looks bright for this young Quebec native.
Bournival was a third round pick (71st overall) in this year's draft, and if we analyze the trade closer we can pretty easily figure out what went on behind the scenes here. Montreal did not have a third round pick in this year's draft, and Gauthier most likely had Bournival on his radar going back to last June, and probably tried to move up in the draft but didn't find a suitable deal, so Bournival went to the Avalanche. Fast forward to today, and Colorado's defense is decimated by injuries, notably to regulars Adam Foote and Kyle Quincey. Gauthier, realising this, probably picked up the phone, called up Greg Sherman, GM of the Avs, and offered O'Byrne for the young Bournival. In the end, this deal could work out in Montreal's favor. O'Byrne has never established himself as a reliable NHL defenseman, so unless he blossoms into one in Colorado, he will be but a Band-Aid solution for the Avs until the injured players heal up. On the flip side, Montreal not only gets a young, solid (not to mention French-Canadian) prospect that joins a solid stable of young forwards in the organization, but the move also clear up almost a million in cap space for Hamilton call-ups or a potential move later on in the year.
The Habs welcome Carolina at the Bell Center on Saturday, coming off an 8-1 beating at the hands of the Flyers. Keep an eye on Jeff Skinner, the 'Canes 18-year old phenom who is currently leading all rookies in scoring-the guy can play. If the Habs play like they did this week against stronger opponents in Vancouver and Boston, Montreal comes out of this one victorious, winners of three straight, and heros for a few more days.
Its Friday, the test is now complete-and it won't take a professor to grade this paper. The Habs passed with flying colors.
As I already wrote about the Vancouver game, I'll focus on last night's tilt in Boston for this post. Heading into the year, the Bruins were being predicted by everyone to win the Northeast Division with relative ease, some even going as far as placing them first in the East and categorizing the Bruins as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. No doubt it is too early in the season to say the Bruins are overrated;they made some good offseason acquisitions, notably power foward Nathan Horton, have some good young players, are are going to have a "good problem" when David Krejci and Marc Savard return from injury. Clearly the Bruins have the depth and firepower to compete consistently. Last night, however, they ran into an obstacle. An obstacle that most considered to be nothing but a speed bump on the road for the Bruins.
That obstacle was Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens.
The Habs came into Boston confident off of the win against the Canucks, and it showed early on. The powerplay struck for the second consecutive game when P.K Subban put a knuckler past Tukka Rask. Even P.K admitted that he fanned on it, but a goal is a goal. Boston replied late in the first when Zdeno Chara unleashed a vicious wrist shot over Price's right shoulder, but that was Price's only letdown during yet another solid (sometimes ranging to spectacular) performance. The guy is FEELING IT. He's square to the puck, technically sound, and making the big saves when his teammates need to be bailed out. Price is doing exactly what he needs to do to succeed, and its shows in the numbers: a 9-5-1 record, .923 save percentage and a 2.19 GAA, to go along with his two shutouts. He's on pace to post career highs in every statistical category, which will mean good things for the Habs as the season goes along. As long as he stays consistent, Price will be just fine.
As for Price's teammates, they weren't to shabby themselves. Subban sparked the faltering powerplay, Markov is regaining his all-star form, and Cammalleri and Gionta are back where they belong: on the scoresheet. And although Scott Gomez's goal wasn't one for the ages, it was a timely one that sucked all the air out the Bruins and their fans, and will hopefully re-invigorate the sometimes invisible Gomez; he needed that one is a bad way. Props to him for making his 800th career game a memorable one.
Its only November, but Jacques Martin's troops are off to a great start. Winners in 10 of their first 16 games, the Habs are winning at a 0.625 clip, impressive numbers for a team that was supposed to be old, lacking talent, and questionable in goal. They're buying into the system because it's working, and once everyone settles into their roles and the big guns start producing consistently, the Habs will begin to truly come into their own. They've shown they can skate with the top teams (let's not forgot the Pittsburgh victory early in the year), are confident in themselves and their style of play, and are riding a hot goalie who has finally arrived. We won't get over-excited too early, as often happens in this great city of ours, but if things continue the way they have, we could be in for quite a ride this season.
In other Habs news, eighth defenseman Ryan O'Byrne was shipped out of town yesterday, a move that most probably saw coming during the offseason when the Habs went out and acquired Alex Picard. The move takes almost 950,000$ off the books, giving Pierre Gauthier a little wiggle room in terms of cap space moving forward. In return the Habs acquire 18-year old center prospect Michaël Bournival, a 6'0, 190 pds. Shawinigan native who is currently playing for his hometown Cataractes in the QMJHL. He's off to a solid start this year, posting 10 goals and 14 assists for 24 points in 17 games. He was representing the QMJHL in the Subway Super Series, a series essentially putting three Canadian junior all-star teams (one QMJHL team, one OHL team, and one WHL team) up against Russia's top junior players. He is also being looked at as a potential invite to Canada's World Junior tryout camp, so the immediate future looks bright for this young Quebec native.
Bournival was a third round pick (71st overall) in this year's draft, and if we analyze the trade closer we can pretty easily figure out what went on behind the scenes here. Montreal did not have a third round pick in this year's draft, and Gauthier most likely had Bournival on his radar going back to last June, and probably tried to move up in the draft but didn't find a suitable deal, so Bournival went to the Avalanche. Fast forward to today, and Colorado's defense is decimated by injuries, notably to regulars Adam Foote and Kyle Quincey. Gauthier, realising this, probably picked up the phone, called up Greg Sherman, GM of the Avs, and offered O'Byrne for the young Bournival. In the end, this deal could work out in Montreal's favor. O'Byrne has never established himself as a reliable NHL defenseman, so unless he blossoms into one in Colorado, he will be but a Band-Aid solution for the Avs until the injured players heal up. On the flip side, Montreal not only gets a young, solid (not to mention French-Canadian) prospect that joins a solid stable of young forwards in the organization, but the move also clear up almost a million in cap space for Hamilton call-ups or a potential move later on in the year.
The Habs welcome Carolina at the Bell Center on Saturday, coming off an 8-1 beating at the hands of the Flyers. Keep an eye on Jeff Skinner, the 'Canes 18-year old phenom who is currently leading all rookies in scoring-the guy can play. If the Habs play like they did this week against stronger opponents in Vancouver and Boston, Montreal comes out of this one victorious, winners of three straight, and heros for a few more days.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Habs hold their own against the mighty Canucks
Going into tonight's tilt against Vancouver, were you wondering to yourself "Who are the REAL Montreal Canadiens?" If you were one of those people, you're answer was partially answered this evening. I say partially because tonight was only one game out of 82, so it would be irrational to definitevely say that the Habs are "for real". However, optimism reigns supreme; the Habs were outstanding on a night when many probably thought Vancouver was only here to pass by and trounce the home team.
The Habs won tonight because of good team play, strong defensive hockey, FINALLY scoring a powerplay goal, and a perfect night from the penalty killers. Although caught on the ice for several long shifts resulting in sustained pressure by the Canucks, the Habs held their ground and limited Vancouver to perimeter shots and few rebounds or seconds chances. Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek were solid, with Hamrlik coming through with the timely powerplay goal in the third period. The forwards skated hard all night, created chances off of strong forechecking, and overall had a good performance. Scott Gomez has yet to find his stride but looked a little more interested tonight, and didn't do anything to hurt the team, so that's a plus. Michael Cammalleri had a few chances, as did Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta. Plekanec was all over the place, creating chances off the rush, leading transitions through the neutral zone, setting up his linemates and killing penalties. Anyone who disagreed with Pierre Gauthier re-signing this guy long term needs to go get their head checked-Plekanec is a BEAST.
Despite all the positives that came out of tonight's game, one stood above the rest. Or should I say, one man stood above the rest. This victory was signed Carey Price, point finale. Price was solid, made the key saves, gave up few rebounds, and made several spectacular saves throughout the contest to seal the victory-topped off by his three saves during the last fifteen seconds of the third period. Usually Price has trouble keeping a clean sheet, but on this night, Carey Price would not be denied his shutout. The guy is oozing confidence, and it shows. He even tried getting in on the scoring action when he took a shot at the empty net across the rink at the end of the game, but it was blocked by a Vancouver defenseman. If I had told you a year ago that Price would one day be out-dueling Roberto Luongo, you would have laughed in my face. Called me crazy. Maybe even slap me and call me silly, if you were so inclined to do such an awful thing. But no longer; ladies and gentlemen, Carey Price is back. The Price is right, and that's a GREAT thing for the Montreal Canadiens.
If only the top two lines can start producing consistently, and the "power outage" goes back to being a powerplay, the Habs will be in pretty good shape. Vancouver was not at its best tonight, not by a long shot; but if Montreal can handle and take down such a formidable foe, what else can this team accomplish? Only time will tell, but for now-or until Thursday anyways-all is good in Habland.
The Habs won tonight because of good team play, strong defensive hockey, FINALLY scoring a powerplay goal, and a perfect night from the penalty killers. Although caught on the ice for several long shifts resulting in sustained pressure by the Canucks, the Habs held their ground and limited Vancouver to perimeter shots and few rebounds or seconds chances. Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek were solid, with Hamrlik coming through with the timely powerplay goal in the third period. The forwards skated hard all night, created chances off of strong forechecking, and overall had a good performance. Scott Gomez has yet to find his stride but looked a little more interested tonight, and didn't do anything to hurt the team, so that's a plus. Michael Cammalleri had a few chances, as did Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta. Plekanec was all over the place, creating chances off the rush, leading transitions through the neutral zone, setting up his linemates and killing penalties. Anyone who disagreed with Pierre Gauthier re-signing this guy long term needs to go get their head checked-Plekanec is a BEAST.
Despite all the positives that came out of tonight's game, one stood above the rest. Or should I say, one man stood above the rest. This victory was signed Carey Price, point finale. Price was solid, made the key saves, gave up few rebounds, and made several spectacular saves throughout the contest to seal the victory-topped off by his three saves during the last fifteen seconds of the third period. Usually Price has trouble keeping a clean sheet, but on this night, Carey Price would not be denied his shutout. The guy is oozing confidence, and it shows. He even tried getting in on the scoring action when he took a shot at the empty net across the rink at the end of the game, but it was blocked by a Vancouver defenseman. If I had told you a year ago that Price would one day be out-dueling Roberto Luongo, you would have laughed in my face. Called me crazy. Maybe even slap me and call me silly, if you were so inclined to do such an awful thing. But no longer; ladies and gentlemen, Carey Price is back. The Price is right, and that's a GREAT thing for the Montreal Canadiens.
If only the top two lines can start producing consistently, and the "power outage" goes back to being a powerplay, the Habs will be in pretty good shape. Vancouver was not at its best tonight, not by a long shot; but if Montreal can handle and take down such a formidable foe, what else can this team accomplish? Only time will tell, but for now-or until Thursday anyways-all is good in Habland.
Monday, November 8, 2010
The Gomez Conundrum, Dustin Boyd, and the week ahead
You would think sitting atop the Northeast Division and third in the Eastern Conference would provide reason for great joy and optimism among fans, wouldn't you say? Wrong. Take a step back and remember what city we're talking about here. There is ALWAYS a problem in Montreal, and this time around, its a familiar face.
From the day he was acquired, Scott Gomez has had great expectations placed upon him by management and fans alike. While Pierre Gauthier will never admit it, Gomez was brought in as a way to attract free agents who, in the past, would have the tendency of telling the Habs "thanks, but no thanks" before signing on elsewhere (sometimes for less money). If Gomez in fact did have anything to do with it, we can thank him (if only partially) for the acquisitions of captain Brian Gionta and top sniper Michael Cammalleri. Gomez was also expected to pick up French, which he apparently has been doing since he's arrived in Montreal. He's even gotten involved in the community, most notably in pairing up with Brian Gionta in inviting sick children to watch Habs games from a Bell Center loge. But despite all the great things Gomez has already accomplished off the ice, its on the ice that matters most. Its on the ice where he earns his cool eight million dollar salary. He has only one goal and two assists in fourteen games. To give an example of Gomez's futility thus far, take a look at the PhD line of Pouliot, Halpern and Darche (who make a COMBINED 2.4 million $). They have 22 points already-at the snail's pace Gomez currently collecting points at, he'll have 16 points all season. As Jack Todd pointed out in this morning's Gazette, that comes out to 500,000$ per point...can you say grossly underachieving?
Gomez truly is a conundrum, a problem that Jacques Martin can't even get a vague clue on, let alone a definite solution. One might point the finger at captain Brian Gionta, but Gio has been skating hard and has been solid overall; he's been getting plenty of chances, but just hadn't been able to hit the back of the net until Saturday's game against Ottawa. Gionta currently leads the team with 54 shots. The other obvious reason for Gomez' slow start could also be the revolving door at left wing, but I personally find that excuse weak and redundant. The fact is that Gomez should be Montreal's best player-he's certainly getting paid like he is-and your best player is supposed to make the players around him better, plain and simple. Sidney Crosby has success with whoever he is playing with, be it Dupuis, Kunitz, even Fedotenko and Satan going back a few years. Alex Burrows doesn't score 20 goals with the Sedin twins, and Jonathan Cheechoo most certainly does not score 56 goals in 2005-2006 without Joe Thornton feeding him pucks all season long. Obviously, Gomez is not a player of that caliber, but 3 points in 14 games?! Somethings got to give. And its on Gomez to do something about it-not Gionta, or Pouliot, or Moen, or Eller, or Darche, or Kostitsyn...should I keep going? Gomez should be the one making all of those guys better, not the other way around. Martin has given Gomez ample opportunities to get his game back, only to receive little to no results and a noticeable lack of effort.
Against Buffalo, Gomez stopped on a breakaway (OK, maybe a partial breakaway, but still!). A night later against the Sens, Gomez looked lost and slow, giving only tantalizing images of his true self. I was at that game, and I wasn't impressed with what I saw. The tantalizing images have to turn into actual realities if Montreal is going to remain competitive throughout the year, and it has to happen soon.
In other news, Dustin Boyd was placed on waivers today. Not an press-stopping announcement, but a little surprising nonetheless. It's not like Boyd was a borderline AHLer, or an insurance free agent pick-up: Gauthier went out and traded for the guy, and although its great that he got rid of the nuisance that was Sergei Kostitsyn, you would expect something in return for a still solid young prospect like the younger Kostitsyn was. Unless Sergei never reaches his full potential, and being relieved of his babysitting duties turns Andrei Kostitsyn into a bonafide superstar, this trade will be yet another questionable one that Habs' brass will have to answer too...but hopefully that won't happen. The big question that arises from all of this is who takes Boyd spot, if anyone even does. If Martin and Gauthier do decide they want a replacement, does someone get called up from Hamilton, or do the Habs go out and get some reinforcements, perhaps in the form of powerplay specialist Marc-André Bergeron? Or does Yannick Weber get a chance to revive the Habs non-existent powerplay? Although those moves make sense for the special teams, the Habs would add to their already overflowing stable of defensemen, so unless Bergeron or Weber were to fill a fourth-line role (as we saw a bit of last year) those two options don't make much sense...perhaps opening a roster spot for the much deserving Ryan White, or big talker Max Pacioretty, who feels he can pick up the offensive slack if presented the opportunity...so what happens to Dustin Boyd during the next 24 hours could have an impact on the Canadiens roster going forward.
A big test this week for the Habs as they welcome the mighty Canucks tomorrow night, then fly to Boston the face the big bad Bruins for the first time this year, and end the week with a visit from the resurgent Carolina Hurricanes. This week should give a good indication as to how good the Habs really are, as they have been carried thus far this season by the strong play of Carey Price, good defensive play, and a relatively lenient schedule against middle-of-the-pack opponents and lots of time off.
Until the next time, GO HABS GO! And if you see Scott Gomez, get him a nice XL cup of Timmy's and tell him to wake the f**k up! :)
From the day he was acquired, Scott Gomez has had great expectations placed upon him by management and fans alike. While Pierre Gauthier will never admit it, Gomez was brought in as a way to attract free agents who, in the past, would have the tendency of telling the Habs "thanks, but no thanks" before signing on elsewhere (sometimes for less money). If Gomez in fact did have anything to do with it, we can thank him (if only partially) for the acquisitions of captain Brian Gionta and top sniper Michael Cammalleri. Gomez was also expected to pick up French, which he apparently has been doing since he's arrived in Montreal. He's even gotten involved in the community, most notably in pairing up with Brian Gionta in inviting sick children to watch Habs games from a Bell Center loge. But despite all the great things Gomez has already accomplished off the ice, its on the ice that matters most. Its on the ice where he earns his cool eight million dollar salary. He has only one goal and two assists in fourteen games. To give an example of Gomez's futility thus far, take a look at the PhD line of Pouliot, Halpern and Darche (who make a COMBINED 2.4 million $). They have 22 points already-at the snail's pace Gomez currently collecting points at, he'll have 16 points all season. As Jack Todd pointed out in this morning's Gazette, that comes out to 500,000$ per point...can you say grossly underachieving?
Gomez truly is a conundrum, a problem that Jacques Martin can't even get a vague clue on, let alone a definite solution. One might point the finger at captain Brian Gionta, but Gio has been skating hard and has been solid overall; he's been getting plenty of chances, but just hadn't been able to hit the back of the net until Saturday's game against Ottawa. Gionta currently leads the team with 54 shots. The other obvious reason for Gomez' slow start could also be the revolving door at left wing, but I personally find that excuse weak and redundant. The fact is that Gomez should be Montreal's best player-he's certainly getting paid like he is-and your best player is supposed to make the players around him better, plain and simple. Sidney Crosby has success with whoever he is playing with, be it Dupuis, Kunitz, even Fedotenko and Satan going back a few years. Alex Burrows doesn't score 20 goals with the Sedin twins, and Jonathan Cheechoo most certainly does not score 56 goals in 2005-2006 without Joe Thornton feeding him pucks all season long. Obviously, Gomez is not a player of that caliber, but 3 points in 14 games?! Somethings got to give. And its on Gomez to do something about it-not Gionta, or Pouliot, or Moen, or Eller, or Darche, or Kostitsyn...should I keep going? Gomez should be the one making all of those guys better, not the other way around. Martin has given Gomez ample opportunities to get his game back, only to receive little to no results and a noticeable lack of effort.
Against Buffalo, Gomez stopped on a breakaway (OK, maybe a partial breakaway, but still!). A night later against the Sens, Gomez looked lost and slow, giving only tantalizing images of his true self. I was at that game, and I wasn't impressed with what I saw. The tantalizing images have to turn into actual realities if Montreal is going to remain competitive throughout the year, and it has to happen soon.
In other news, Dustin Boyd was placed on waivers today. Not an press-stopping announcement, but a little surprising nonetheless. It's not like Boyd was a borderline AHLer, or an insurance free agent pick-up: Gauthier went out and traded for the guy, and although its great that he got rid of the nuisance that was Sergei Kostitsyn, you would expect something in return for a still solid young prospect like the younger Kostitsyn was. Unless Sergei never reaches his full potential, and being relieved of his babysitting duties turns Andrei Kostitsyn into a bonafide superstar, this trade will be yet another questionable one that Habs' brass will have to answer too...but hopefully that won't happen. The big question that arises from all of this is who takes Boyd spot, if anyone even does. If Martin and Gauthier do decide they want a replacement, does someone get called up from Hamilton, or do the Habs go out and get some reinforcements, perhaps in the form of powerplay specialist Marc-André Bergeron? Or does Yannick Weber get a chance to revive the Habs non-existent powerplay? Although those moves make sense for the special teams, the Habs would add to their already overflowing stable of defensemen, so unless Bergeron or Weber were to fill a fourth-line role (as we saw a bit of last year) those two options don't make much sense...perhaps opening a roster spot for the much deserving Ryan White, or big talker Max Pacioretty, who feels he can pick up the offensive slack if presented the opportunity...so what happens to Dustin Boyd during the next 24 hours could have an impact on the Canadiens roster going forward.
A big test this week for the Habs as they welcome the mighty Canucks tomorrow night, then fly to Boston the face the big bad Bruins for the first time this year, and end the week with a visit from the resurgent Carolina Hurricanes. This week should give a good indication as to how good the Habs really are, as they have been carried thus far this season by the strong play of Carey Price, good defensive play, and a relatively lenient schedule against middle-of-the-pack opponents and lots of time off.
Until the next time, GO HABS GO! And if you see Scott Gomez, get him a nice XL cup of Timmy's and tell him to wake the f**k up! :)
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Welcome Habs Fans!
Oleeeeee, Ole Ole Oleeeee, Oleeeee, Oleeeee.....what up Montreal?! And future far away visitors (I hope)! Welcome to Magg's Habs Musings, your one stop shop for everything Habs. Nothing original mind you, you can find at least 500 of these all over the Web, and that doesn't include the French ones. However, the goal is to be the best of them all. As you can see, the blog is quite bare at the moment, just give me a day or two to set everything up and we'll be off and running towards...towards something,I guess, something awesome hopefully. In the meantime, GO HABS GO!!
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