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It’s Clinchin’ Season

  • The Canadiens beat Boston for the 7th time out of 8 games this season but failed to clinch a spot despite the two points. The Habs got off to a great start with a goal twenty seconds in and didn’t look back against a amateurish Boston team.

    Sheldon Souray got undressed for the second conseutive game. There could be a highlight reel composed solely of players beating Souray 1 on 1 this year. That let the Bruins get closer but the Habs held on and got the important win.

    The Leafs won’t die and neither will the Thrashers. 1 more point will do it for the Habs. The interesting story to watch is Tampa and Atlanta battling for that last spot.

    Tampa meets the Hurricanes tonight. A Lightning win and the Canadiens are in. A single Lightning point will be enough to eliminate the Leafs. A Lightning loss will really make it interesting.

    It’s pretty much guaranteed the Habs will face Ottawa or Carolina.

    Pick your poison.

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12 Comments
  1. #1 Gumper says:
    April 14, 2006 at 1:24 pm

    I’m as excited about the playoffs comin’ up as I am curious which Canadiens team will show up for the first round. I’d have to think that, despite lapses in consistency, the Habs will be better prepared than some of the other teams. Factors like being the “underdog” and the mid to late season rush of wins, and of course, coaches who’ve been to the big dance more often than i have fingers and toes – can only translate into total positives for us.

    You mention Souray, which begs a question. Even with this statue impersonations with speedy forewards, do you think his other redeeming qualities like point shot, agressive style and leadership qualities – outweigh this particular defensive weakness? Just curious.
    I happen to think they do. Of course, if it was double overtime – game seven – 30 seconds left and it happens, forget I asked.

  2. #2 kazmojo says:
    April 14, 2006 at 2:07 pm

    Gumper’s right about Souray. Maybe his defensive liabilities would be minimized if the Habs were to sign Larry Robinson as another asst coach for next season.

    For the past few games the rest of the defense looks like they could use the help too. Komisarek, Souray and Streit in particular. Streit was pulled in favour of Simpson last night, but Simpson didn’t fare much better. Markov has committed a few boneheaded turnovers as well.

  3. #3 Joe says:
    April 14, 2006 at 2:49 pm

    The Canadiens’ defense doesn’t concern me so much. In most of the games I’ve been able to watch this season they’ve made smart decisions with the puck in their own end a lot more often than not. But it’s also possible that I’m arriving at this conclusion by comparing the Habs’ defensive play to that of the team I’ve seen the most of this year (living in Toronto) – the Leafs… who are appalling in their own end.

    Anyway, my biggest concern is that Huet stays hot in goal. If he does, he’ll make it very difficult on ANY team they face in the playoffs. My second biggest concern is that the Habs keep scoring goals on a consistent basis. (Huet can play his heart out and still fall short of ‘good enough’ if the team stops finding the net.)

    Habs will clinch very soon.

  4. #4 Gumper says:
    April 14, 2006 at 6:50 pm

    JOE — “My second biggest concern is that the Habs keep scoring goals on a consistent basis. (Huet can play his heart out and still fall short of ‘good enough’ if the team stops finding the net.)”

    HEAR, HEAR ..

  5. #5 John says:
    April 15, 2006 at 9:19 am

    Souray’s statue impersonations can be highlight reel, but his contributions to the team compensate for this: he’ll win far more games than he loses for us. That said, the Habs play in their own end has been a little scary of late. If they can improve the transition out of their own end and capitalise better on their chances… the tools are in place for a good run (is the real Alex Kovalev arriving in time for the playoffs? It seems he’s getting ready — put on your seatbelts!).

  6. #6 Joe says:
    April 15, 2006 at 4:45 pm

    Sigh…

    Can Boston do anything right? A 3-2 lead in the third, and of course, they blew it. Two more enormous points for Atlanta. (And I really thought Boston was going to pull out a victory today, too. (That’ll teach me.))

    Oh, well. I suppose the Habs will have to take care of business themselves by earning at least A SINGLE POINT in one of their last two games. They CAN do this, right? They can get a point from either Buffalo or New Jersey, yes? Well, they sure as hell better because it doesn’t look like Atlanta has any intention of losing another game. And I wouldn’t leave things until the last game against New Jersey to do so either!

    Let’s get it done, Habs!

  7. #7 Joe says:
    April 15, 2006 at 9:47 pm

    Un-f**king-believable!

    Beat New Jersey or golf.

    Perhaps that’s a bit of a knee-jerk reaction, but somehow I doubt it.

  8. #8 Gumper says:
    April 15, 2006 at 10:37 pm

    You’d think the Habs would learn something from the last Buffalo meeting but the same disorganised team showed up tonight. I retract my gloss-over of HabsBlog’s assesment that Buffalo was a better team. They are. Particularly in the area of puck possesion. They have more talent too. Kovalev’s a hog. He taught Ribeiro the same thing. Overall, the team is a black and white with no consistency whatsoever. Monday morning Quarter backing aside, Gainey SHOULD have went with Huet. WTF was Abeischer doing on that shorthanded goal? If you weren’t paying attention to it, check the highlight reel at 11. Once again, Buffalo’s speed and persistence on the puck kept Montreal a step behind the play. Unlike the Habs, this Buffalo team was a team doing some REAL playoff prep work!

    Who told them the fire was out?

  9. #9 Joe says:
    April 15, 2006 at 11:22 pm

    There were so many things wrong with tonight’s outcome, I hardly know where to begin.

    OK, first and foremost, I completely agree, what WAS Aebischer doing in net when the team had to earn at least a point to CLINCH a playoff spot? And what kind of message does this send to Huet, your MVP and saviour for the Habs? What does it do to his state of mind, his focus, his attitiude? He sure looked happy sitting on the bench, didn’t he? Gainey, IS there a method to your madness?

    Secondly, when you establish a 2-1 lead after two periods of play, you don’t come out and make high-risk passes out near the blue line DURING A POWERPLAY. No, you secure that 2-1 lead by playing sound hockey, keeping it simple, and making smart decisions with the puck… at BOTH ends of the ice.

    Thirdly, Kovalev. When is he going to realise that it takes a TEAM effort to win? Alexei, while very talented, is NOT Mario Lemieux, and thus cannot single-handedly win a game for the Habs. Well, at least not more than 1% of the time anyway. So where was the playmaking?

    I could go on but I’m already nauseous thinkig about the reality of the Habs situation. So instead I’ll leave this at one word: UNACCEPTABLE.

  10. #10 Joe says:
    April 16, 2006 at 1:50 am

    “The Swiss goalie’s strong play of late leaves Gainey with a difficult choice between Aebischer and Frenchman Cristobal Huet, who has recorded each of his seven shutouts since Feb. 4 after he took over the starting job from Jose Theodore.

    “‘Both of us want to play so we’re going to see what happens,’ Aebischer said.”

    Perhaps Gainey can arrange for BOTH of you to play… together… at Club de Golf.

    Wouldn’t want to upset Davey. Eh, Bobby? Or how about considering this line of thinking instead: Huet earned the job, so it’s his. Aebischer is a back-up to Huet as it stands right now.

  11. #11 Gumper says:
    April 16, 2006 at 11:52 am

    Clinch This!

    season records:

    TB vs WAS
    - TB 4 wins / 3 losses

    ATL vs Was
    - ATL 5 wins / 2 losses

    ATL vs FLA
    - ATL 5 wins / 2 losses
    ________________________

    MTL vs NJ
    - NJ 3 wins / 0 losses

    Science or Mysticism?

  12. #12 Joe says:
    April 16, 2006 at 1:26 pm

    The records speak for themselves, but despite what’s been played out before, this is the time of year when you FIND a way to win, regardless of who your opponent is (i.e. ‘a good team’, ‘a better team’, and so on) on any given night. Ask the Thrashers, who have beaten ‘superior’ clubs repeatedly down the stretch to give themselves the opportunity they now have. Or ask the Leafs, who despite being ousted by a Tampa win last night, tore their opposition to shreds more often than not over the past ten games… and they had the most difficult schedule by far.

    The bottom line is that the Sabres had nothing to play for outside of a playoff ‘tune-up’, while the Habs had their playoff lives to play for last night. They didn’t make it happen. They let it slip away. (I think this says a lot about a team’s character.) So, they are now in an absolute ‘must-win’ or ‘must-lose-in-overtime’ situation to get into the playoffs. As Pat Quinn said yesterday, ‘We are the makers of our own destiny’. So what destiny will the Habs make for themselves Tuesday night?

    That being said, it would be a shame to see them miss the playoffs. This is the year not to miss, as far as I’m concerned. The ‘anything is possible’ cliche seems to apply this year more than most. After all, if anyone is limping into the playoffs, it’s Ottawa and Carolina, despite their respective seedings. The Flyers have been on quite a slide as well.

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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.

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