Why does it seem like all other 7th, 8th, and 9th place teams can pull out the win when they need it? Play that much harder to get the 2 points. I’m not sh*ttin on the boys this time, I’m just saying thats it’s so disheartening as a fan to watch all these other teams playing solid hockey…getting wins against bigger teams, and we get 1 point in our last 3 when wins are critical, no only for points, but for confidence.
We got bullied again last night because we are still one of the only teams who apparently doesn’t need toughness. Chara, Lucic, and Thornton had their way with us again and knew they could. Toughest guy in the league and he’s in the press box…and ya know something…the getting bullied didn’t even pay off…even with all the PP’s we got for not being able to battle the Bruins…WE STILL LOST !!!

Gainey’s decision to keep Laraque out of the lineup last night will be analysed, overanalysed, justified, criticised, defended, and laughed at, but quite simply there was no method to Gainey’s madness here. Yes, Boston/Philadelphia is precisely why he went out and got him, and yes, he most certainly should have been playing last night. Find logic in this: Laraque had been in the lineup in each of the past several games before being removed from it for a game against not only our biggest rival, not only a notoriously physical team, but one of the primary reasons that we went out and got Laraque in the first place!

Well here is a thought, just maybe Gainey was preparing for the playoffs and that is why Stewart and Larague did not play tonight. And in hindsight just think, if Larague were in the game tonight would Kovalev and Kostysn have come to Komesareks or Jorges aid. This team came together last night like no other game all year. And besides, if George played there were only two possible players that would have sat. D’Agostini or Weber. D’Agostinin got two goals and Weber was brought up to see how he would work on the powerplay. So did Gainey make the right move, who knows for sure, but as a fan I would suggest that he may know a little bit more about hockey than I do and what/how he wants to prepare his team for the playoffs.

WE saw a great game last night, and we say a team that did not give up. We saw Dandy playing a position that he has not played much all year and did a commendable job, yet he made a serious mistake. Maybe had he played defence more this year that mistake would not have been made, but the team is adjusting to playing without Markov and that adjustment is going to take time. I thought overall Dandy played a pretty good game, only wished he had not made that mistake, but I bet he won’t make it again in the playoffs. I thought Price played a decent game, could only be faulted on the one goal. This team for the first time all year showed character and they came together as teammates and yes Boston did have the upper hand on the rough stuff, but the important thing is we did not back down, with the exception of Obyrne? Now I wonder what Boston is thinking, we played them even steven took their best shots in their building without Laraque or Stewart, don’t you think they have a question mark in their minds now and are wondering just what this team will be like with those two guys in the lineup? Think about it. Did Gainey really make that big of a mistake, just maybe he planned it?

The two cards he is talking about could they be Laraque and Stewart?

Matts that is a good analogy of the situation, I just do not think that Gainey wanted to expose Laraque at this time just before the playoffs. I think in hind sight he made the correct coaching move. You can second guess the coach all the time but the fact of the matter is that we could have won this game with the lineup that Gainey put on the ice and without that lineup I doubt we would have even been in the game? Had we already made the playoffs, then maybe it would have been a different decision but because of a little bad luck and a couple of young players making a mistake we lost. I am wondering what the nay sayers would really say had we won?

Well guys….I hope you are right and there was a method to Gainey’s madness. But as diehard Habs fans you all must know what I’m talking about…..watching your team get bullied and beat up while our tough guy sits in the press box….it’s just so frustrating, and kinda makes you slump back in your chair. When your team is in this situation, it takes away from the enjoyment of the game for you, it’s somehwta embarassing, and you are spitting for revenge when you know there is none coming…wow, what a way I was in the other night. I just hope you guys know where I am coming from.
I was hoping to avoid the B’s in the playoffs first round….now, I want the fawkers. GO HABS GO !!!

I don’t think either Matts or I suggested that Gainey sat laraque to save him for the playoff. They sat him because if we need goals he is not going to get them. And know one has answered this question yet, who were you going to sit? We had Boston so shook up that they started taking penalties and allowed our PP to score. And as for being embrassed by being bullied I did not see us as getting bullied I saw a team that tried to bully us and found out that we will stand up to their tough stuff. The team played as a team for one of the few times this year when they had to. Had they played that way all season we would have been closer to the top.