Game on!

The Montreal Canadiens begin their season tonight in Carolina against the Hurricanes.

It will be the first of 3 road games spread out thinly over one week. The Habs will play in Toronto Saturday and not again until Wednesday against the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Not the most flowing of starts with the Canadiens flying home in between each game. It puts a little more emphasis on getting some points on the board early.

The single point the Habs did not have to make the Playoffs in April comes from road trips and starts like tonight’s. With the Habs expected to battle for one of those last playoff spots, every game is crucial.

Projected Lines

Higgins-Koivu-Ryder
Kostitsyn-Grabovski-Kovalev
Latendresse-Plekanec-Smolinski.
BÃ©gin-Chipchura (Murray)-Kostopoulos

Markov-Komisarek
Hamrlik-Brisebois
Bouillon-Streit.
Gorges-Dandenault

Cristobal Huet

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18 Comments

#1 nilan says:
October 3, 2007 at 11:32 am

Pactum’s emotion, Habsynth’s crystal ball, 4mGhost’s bottle of Patron, Fan3 and Fuzz16 disputes, GHG’s powers of observation, and the wisdom of HabsBlog…bring on the 07-08 season!
GO HABS!

#2 Aurel1 says:
October 3, 2007 at 1:18 pm

Grabovsky- possible rookie of the year? On offensive he looks great.

#3 Xtrahabsfan says:
October 3, 2007 at 1:41 pm

Oh yeah,the one point denide us by Taranna…ouch!New clean slate ,new members and hopefully better results…GO HABS GO…

#4 Habs Blog says:
October 3, 2007 at 2:22 pm

Grabby has shown flashes… we’ll see what he can do…

#5 PACTUM SERVA says:
October 3, 2007 at 2:23 pm

hahahahahahahahaha nilan thats priceless,very observant.GO HABS GO

#6 Mark says:
October 3, 2007 at 3:04 pm

Hello all. Been a diehard Habs fan since I was 7. I live in Ranger country smack on the middle of New York City.

Anyway, I just started a blog: Habs fan in NYC. I’ll be updating almost daily.
http://habsfaninnyc.blogspot.com/

#7 Stuart-SB77 says:
October 3, 2007 at 3:28 pm

uummmmm Plekanec will be on the 2nd line. If not,Love Grabovski! One of oue defencemen do have to go though.(Dandenault). It ain’t personal.lol. I hate what TSN said about the habs being too small to score. fine lets get big guys and turn into the slowest team!Like Boston! we’ll do ok.The habs arent going emo from last years dissappointment,they are ******* pissed. I see Koivu,I know the habs will make it. Ryder,Higgins,kostitsyn,kovalev etc. will all get 50+ptswhile Koivu goes for 82 pts! GO HABS GO!!!

#8 Stuart-SB77 says:
October 3, 2007 at 3:31 pm

It looks like our third line is better than our 2nd line?! don’t under estimate the power of Smolinski!

#9 t-rum says:
October 3, 2007 at 6:51 pm

Simply fearless predictions dept. says…

habs 6
canes 2

kostitsyn nets a pair
kovalev one
higgins one
brisebois one ( on the powerplay….no laughing you guys..lol )
and last but not least streit nets one

habs outshoot canes 37 – 21

habs powerplay one for seven
canes powerplay two for five

man…gotta stop drinking rum so early through the week

have fun y’all

t-rum
aka izzy

#10 4mGhost says:
October 3, 2007 at 7:03 pm

Thanks Nilan…hope the knuckles are well. GO HABS GO!!!

#11 chevy4CH says:
October 4, 2007 at 12:08 am

Ok, so we won. But all the goals were on the PP. You have to score 5 on 5!
What the heck? They just can’t score even strength goals! That will prevent them from making the playoffs. Mark my words.
And Breezer will definitely screw up at the Bell Centre, and the booing will start. He already turned the puck over, and the season just began. I can’t stand him, and I’m prepared to boo him right out of Montreal!!!!!!!!!!

#12 superfan says:
October 4, 2007 at 12:55 am

stfu chevy, go drive your piece of **** elsewhere

#13 Fan@Ottawa says:
October 4, 2007 at 1:55 am

6 Mark
Posted on October 3rd, 2007 at 3:04 pm. About ‘Game on!’.

Hello all. Been a diehard Habs fan since I was 7. I live in Ranger country smack on the middle of New York City.

Anyway, I just started a blog: Habs fan in NYC. Iâ€™ll be updating almost daily.
http://habsfaninnyc.blogspot.com/

Many many Habs fans in New York state. I know a Habs fan group in the Massena, Bomby, Malone area, who often set up a team driving to Bell Centre in Montreal for Habs host games.

#14 habs phan says:
October 4, 2007 at 2:10 am

we looked good tonight, grabovsky surprised me, brisebois scared me, and higgins was higgins. huet had a hell of a game and koivu was in it to win it. hamrlik was awesome i felt, he looked organized and made smart decisions with the puck. all in all i think the habs are on point. stoked for a new season. hope it’s a good one!!!! GO HABS GO!!!!

#15 Jaker1 says:
October 4, 2007 at 9:34 am

Good road game.Koivu and Huet were what they have to be (THE STARS). Can anyone tell me what Carboneau was doing with Begin on the ice with two minutes left in a tie game. He should have gotten an extra two minutes for the late cheap shot from behind. Gainey should have stepped in when it came down to the fourth line. Young , Fast and smart is better than Old , slow and stupid.

#16 groundworking says:
October 4, 2007 at 9:44 am

It is going to be a long year for us, but it’s still fun to watch a young team and to see the young players develop. I thought Kovalev played a good game, even though he back-checks like an old man playing shinny. None of the young players surprised me at all, but it’ll be worth watching the Habs this year just to see the young guys get better as the year goes on. And yes, my heart would race whenever Brisebois touched the puck–but the difference between this time in Montreal and last time is that he’s not so grotesquely overpaid.

I also like what Jacques Demers said before the game: “they won’t talk to Kovalev 2-3 times this year. If it doesn’t work, he’s out”.

#17 Habs Blog says:
October 4, 2007 at 10:53 am

Well said.

#18 habmano says:
October 20, 2007 at 11:24 pm

Its like dejavu evry time i see the last two minutes of a game..theres a penalty and the chance of losing the game…its gonna be a long season if they dont start producing on the power play…and a great season if they keep up the hitting and attack on the net..kovalev has his lazy dayz doesnt he..lol.I would kick their *** at practice…the game against buffalo was lack luster performance and they showed no enthusiasm…even when they change on the fly there is no effort to to get off the ice…”just glide 30 feet on to the bench”,,..c’omon.!

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goalie : I don't know when they'll announce it but the Oilers will be signing Sutter (Flames ex-coach) to coach their team - that's why Kevin Lowe chose him to coach in the World's. That was the world's worst kept secret.
Senet1 : I guess I wish we could get it done so all the speculating was over and we can get to building out team.
goalie : I can't type.... what a faux pas on my behalf...
goalie : I just realized what I said adn didn't say yesterday. What a fayx as on my behalf. Regarding coaching Randy Cunnyworth MUSDT stay as an assistant- he deserves at least that after the tremendous job he did in the latter part of this past season. I'd still mlike to have Robinson, Carbo adn Allard on the staff also.
Avatar37 : I agree Senet, my choice if we can't have Cunneyworth would be Crawford, Robinson on defense, Cunneyworth for offense, and Carbo as offense/faceoffs .
Senet1 : I think if I had my choice it would be Crawford and see if he could get Carbo and Robinson as assistants. That would be my idea coaching team.
goalie : I witnesed Marc Crawford MANY times when the Avs, etc. played against Oilers and let me tell you - he is constantly on the referees asses virtually game after game. He is the complete OPPOSITE of J. Martin. Crawford is calm on TSN but he is one excited coach behind the bench. A friend of mine who was an NHL linesman for 26 years said they dreaded Crawford he was so tough on the officials!
goalie : You know, I've bee thinking about the coaching situation. I'd be really excited if the Habs had Hartley as head coach and Carbo adn Robinson as his assistants. I also read it somewhere about a month ago that Toronto's goalie coach Allard (?) wants to relocate back to Montreal where he has his goaltending school/business. Add him to the mix and I'd say the Habs would be in great shape coaching wise.
Avatar37 : Well, from what I recall, Hartley didn't do all that well with the Thrashers. But, I don't know enough about him to judge one way or the other. Crawford I do know, and he always seemed to be a good, level headed coach to me.
Senet1 : even Pacioretty two years ago did not impress any of us. Younger players have to play and make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. If they sit in the press box they are learning nothing.
Senet1 : Of course if he have some good assistants like a Larry Robinson to teach the young defence and someone like Carbo to teach faceoffs etc. then your coach does not have to be as good at teaching. If Hartley fits the bill you get no argument from me. My only previous point is that if he is impatient with your younger players to the point that he does not play them, then we are right back where we were with Martin. Martin was a good coach too, but how he handled Emelin, PK and even Pacioretty two
goalie : I would like to see the Habs sign a coach who realizes that our team isn't tough enough (we need to get bigger and somewhat more nastier),the coach needs t be a great TEACHER and be a coach who can get the players to understand and buy into his system. Other than that I couldn't care what lingo he speaks. I wnat to see our team become a ligitimate contender fast!
HabsLoseAgain : Well we dont know if he is or is not a teaching coach. I woukd just hate to paint Hartley something that he is not. There will always be questions but if Hartley was hired as the habs new bench boss i for one would not be overly upset.
Senet1 : My thoughts are not that he is or is not a good coach but rather that when he won the cup he had an experience team of superstars on that team. Where as we have a group of young inexperienced players, is he a teaching coach or a tactical coach or both? I am not question whether he is a good coach, but my question therefore is he the coach for us at this point in the deveopment of our team?? Not sure we are all purely speculating at the moment?
Senet1 : Something happened to my first post. I will try again.
Senet1 : That is why I said I am not sure he is the coach for us at this time? Right now we are all speculating including yourself, because non of us know for sure?
HabsLoseAgain : Crawford also won a cup with Patrick Roy so would you say he is a good coach or did he just have great players and one of the best goaltenders of alltime?
HabsLoseAgain : Senrt so please give me some reasons why you think Hartley is not the coach the habs need right now. What is it that you do not like about him or his coaching style?
HabsLoseAgain : Well all great coaches had great players playing for them so i guess you you add a a pile of other coaches to that list including Bowan......
Senet1 : Hartley, was he a good coach or did he just have great players and one of the best altime goaltenders of all time. I am not sure that he is the type of coach that this organization needs right now. Unless of course we sign a ton of free agents.
Avatar37 : However, my feelings may completely be wrong, Hartley may turn out to be a good fit.
Avatar37 : I didn't say Hartley was unknown, I said we demoted a good coach in Cunneyworth and now have an unknown quantity because we don't have a coach. I don't have that great a feeling about Hartley, I'd be much more comfortable with Crawford.
HabsLoseAgain : In my opinion i think he might be a good fit in montreal. Oh and he also likes to have a tough team.
HabsLoseAgain : Also this year he coached the ZSC Lions to the swiss championship title.
HabsLoseAgain : lol the so called "unknown" won a cup in 2000-2001 with the colarado avalanch.
HabsLoseAgain : lol Bob Hartley is not an unknown lol.....sheesh.
Senet1 : I think he has until the trading deadline to show us that he deserves to be on this team. If he does not get back on track then he could be simply a 2nd round draft pick to whoever we can trade him to.
Avatar37 : Bourque reminds me of Pouliot, size, skill, and invisible. He needs to get back to playing a physical game and bang people around and maybe he'll start getting some of those garbage goals again. Need to get to the front of the net. I hope he can find his game again.
Avatar37 : We had a good coach in Randy Cunneyworth. Now we have an unknown, with Bob Hartley rumoured to be the front runner. I'd rather have Cunneyworth.
goalie : A player like Rene Bourwue has al the physical attributes of what would be a beter than average player. Hwever, he certainly didn't play that well especially after being in Montreal about three weeks. We NEED players like Rene to play hard AND produce points on a REGULAR BASIS in order for us to be competitive.
Senet1 : MONTREAL – Rene Bourque had a rocky start to his career as a Hab, but he’s planning on using the next four years to make up for it. After arriving in Montreal under less-than-ideal circumstances in January, Bourque spent the following 38 games hoping to find the spark he needed to rekindle his offensive production. Despite flanking Tomas Plekanec on the team’s second line to close out the season, the 30-year-old sniper suddenly found himself firing blanks in his new NHL home.
Senet1 : I think we have to be patient and not expect too much too soon. Let's get a strong management team in place, make a good choices in the draft get a good coach and then see what we need at the free agent market. I will not be too disapointed if we miss the playoffs again next year if it means a long term team success. We have the opportunity to make some major strides over the next two years at the draft table. Then we fill in the holes.
goalie : I certainly agree that we need to get some impact forwards who will sign for 5 years, not for a season then walk away. That's not going to help us.
goalie : I wouldn't trade PK for Ovetchkin no matter what. He is a coach's NIGHTMARE and a poor team player.
Senet1 : I believe he will as we graducally put better players around him and build this team.