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Kovalev’s Team

  • Excuse the commercial for Warrior, but this is a pretty impressive video.

    Makes you wonder why Kovalev doesn’t score 50+ a year? Then you realize Hockey is a team sport and individual skill can only take you so far. Impressive nonetheless.

    Kovalev and his 21 goals and 44 points lead the Canadiens in both categories. Not to mention the +10 he’s posted. Leading by example you might say.

    Goal scoring is what they’ll need against Martin Brodeur and the Devils tonight. In particular, the first goal.

    The Canadiens have not won in NJ in nearly 6 years and only twice in over 14 years! Almost unbelievable.

    Coming off an impressive 8 goal outburst, the Canadiens can’t be any more confident to break the curse than they are right now.

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72 Comments
  1. #1 habsfan says:
    January 26, 2008 at 10:20 am

    any of you going to the game on feb 23? I am! Man the tickets were $100.00!But it’s on Gainey’s jersey night so no duh.

  2. #2 patrick says:
    January 26, 2008 at 10:58 am

    its a little obvious the capitals are not trading ovechkin, please give it up on that, only a fantasy.

    maybe we got a chance at hossa if atlanta can’t sign him, how about ryder, 1st round pick, gorges, it will probably take more though.

  3. #3 habman says:
    January 26, 2008 at 1:28 pm

    Any body here play hockey?….anybody here at least old enough to drink in the bar?…any body follow any hockey outside north America?…I hope they ban pro hockey at the olympics!!!…any steriod use out there in the NHL??..you bet!

  4. #4 habman says:
    January 26, 2008 at 1:33 pm

    Whos the most important person in NHL or high levl hockey celeb you talk to..anybody?..me it was VIP lounge at the memorial cup..i got to drink and have dinner with Rodger Nielson(bless his soul),Frank Mahovlich,I got signed Pictures of Rocket Richard,ive have wine glasses we “saluted “with..do you know how much of an *** bobby clarke is?…HUMANS we all are!

    By the way..keep Frank aweay from your wives, hes one player and he looks like hes 45 years old..my ol lady just about wanted to sleep with this guy..hes very very class act!

  5. #5 Don Carnage says:
    January 26, 2008 at 1:58 pm

    49 habsfan
    Posted on January 26th, 2008 at 10:10 am. About ‘Kovalev’s Team’.

    Huet didn;t play well at all…3 goals on 13 shots! That’s unacceptable.

    You are aware that 2 of those 3 goals were on the PP right? And one of them was a 5 on 3 ..

  6. #6 Don Carnage says:
    January 26, 2008 at 2:00 pm

    Oh and the most famous or as you say high level players I talked to are , Guy Lafleur and Wayne Gretsky, I have both the autographs of course … they both are super guys , very down to earth types.

  7. #7 habsofthefuture says:
    January 26, 2008 at 5:09 pm

    I am(Eklund) told that the Sabres are seriously in the running for Jokinen and that the other team in the running is the MONTREAL CANADIENS…The Flames have also been often linked, however Calgary may be turning to Sundin or Foppa according to a few people here in Atlanta.
    What do you guys think?Is It Possible or just B/S.It Would be a sweet pick.

  8. #8 habman says:
    January 26, 2008 at 7:17 pm

    Lafluer is my favorite player..i have an old 70′s hockey book with him as a rookie in it..he was to come to my town but poor weather stopped the plane !…id like to meet him…..Phanuef is a starter tonight…they couldnt pick Ribero?…two from Detriot and Two from Calgary…like Green isnt good enough?…who picks these players…alot of good guyz got snubbed!

    your lucky to have met the “guY” carnage…ive been “upped”…i hope to meet Beliveau one day…before he croaks…i mean before i croak,,hes timeless that dude..

  9. #9 habman says:
    January 26, 2008 at 7:18 pm

    Well..i least i got drunk with them..lol..

  10. #10 habsfan says:
    January 26, 2008 at 10:30 pm

    Man Marky did good in the 1st round of the skills competition…

  11. #11 habsfan says:
    January 26, 2008 at 10:59 pm

    55 Don Carnage
    Posted on January 26th, 2008 at 1:58 pm. About ‘Kovalev’s Team’.

    49 habsfan
    Posted on January 26th, 2008 at 10:10 am. About ‘Kovalev’s Team’.

    Huet didn;t play well at all…3 goals on 13 shots! That’s unacceptable.

    You are aware that 2 of those 3 goals were on the PP right? And one of them was a 5 on 3 …

    That is true.

  12. #12 habsfan says:
    January 27, 2008 at 10:55 am

    43 Ben
    Posted on January 24th, 2008 at 9:51 am. About ‘Bring on Boston’.

    WE’ll I much rather Hamerlik over Souray, specially that now we can count on the rest of the team to score in powerplay. Just imagine all the Turn Overs in our zone if you had Sheldon and Brisbois together. Holly s… lol we’d be in big trouble.
    LOL

  13. #13 patrick says:
    January 27, 2008 at 5:49 pm

    there’s a rumour that the Canes want to move eric cole, that’s the type of player the Habs should go get

  14. #14 Xtrahabsfan says:
    January 27, 2008 at 10:54 pm

    Wow patrick,now thats news…And even if Cole did a Samsonov if traded to the Habs atleast we would never have to play against he and his Hab killing ways! I’d trade for Cole in a heart beat as long as his health was good”neck?”…Cole for Ryder and Smoke.

  15. #15 habs mojo says:
    January 28, 2008 at 1:59 am

    Anyone know what the compensation is for the All Star game..

  16. #16 STUO11 says:
    January 28, 2008 at 10:06 am

    and Bob Gainey is probably going to get someone from the west.Tanguay,Marleau etc.

  17. #17 Donnie says:
    January 28, 2008 at 11:27 am

    Well fellow habs faithful. We got the second half starting on Tues. Home and home with Wash. to start things off. Kind of worried…we all know what happened after the break last year…..think this year will be different though. They seem a happier team, and a team that has found its way. never thought they could do this without Ryder though….without Koivu really, also. Kovy’s line gotta keep it up…Kostitsyn is looking fabulous. Huet has gotta be just as stelar this whole half (including 3rd periods).
    All in all I think we look great…a total breakdown can’t happen 2 years in a row…can it? Come on bloggers….assure me, lol
    I really wanna cheer for my team in the playoffs again….at least 2nd round would put a rain cloud over the whole season…don’t ya think.
    Good to see Koivu got a couple of points the last game played…all he’s gotta do is keep it up…history with Koivu and longer point streaks isn’t very good, but we’ll see.
    Keep it strong team….keep having fun….keep scoring like you’re doing….Komaserek, keep hittin everything that moves….Kovy’s line, keep scoring and thrilling us with some high flying hockey and great stick-handling….Begin, stay outta the box…..Ryder, lets start scoring like you can again….and lets catch those Sens, and at least have a crack at a higher seeding than 4th. GO HABS GO !!!

  18. #18 Jaker1 says:
    January 28, 2008 at 1:23 pm

    Hope Gainey does not give away any of the future for a rental player. I would sooner see him wait until the summer and get a player without giving anything up. I think they will make the playoffs but I really do not believe they are ready to challenge for the cup. I am a fan but I am also a realist.

  19. #19 Donnie says:
    January 28, 2008 at 2:38 pm

    Totally agree Jaker. Still quite a few elements missing for a bonafide Cup run. Kovy is finally playing hockey, along with Kostitsyn and Plekanec….but Higgins, Ryder, Koivu has busted….this was the main line the last 2 years, and while waiting for Kovy to start putting up numbers, I don’t think anyone could guess that this line would totally break down in the process. So, only 1 dependable scoring line is one hinderance.
    Gotta find a way to combat a strong forecheck. Any games this year where the Habs have been outplayed and beaten, the opposition has forechecked hard, consistenly. Our boys don’t like the pressure, and can’t seem to get that first outlay pass to get offensive going. A Cup winner has gotta have a way out of their zone no matter what.
    Third, is to play strong defensive hockey WITHOUT taking penalties. Weather ya like him or not, Begin is famous for this. Putting the team down for 2 minutes at different times in the game because some of our defensive forwards can’t defend without goin to the box. And with all the 1 goals games we’re playing this year, a penalty at a crucial time could mean many playoff losses.
    A tough guy isn’t crucial, but it would help. Someone on the bench, a presense that would let the opposing players know that if you mess with our producers there’s gonna be consequences (kinda like Bougaard or Laraque). Komisarek is argueably the best knuckle chucker on the team now, but we can’t keep using him because he’s getting way too valuable with his hitting, shot blocking and strong defensive hockey. Besides that, he’s not a player that puts fear into opposing players for his scraping abilities.
    Last but definetly not least is our man between the pipes. Huet could possibly do it….any goalie can really get hot down the stretch into the playoffs and take their team all the way….however, I don’t think he’s proven this yet. He’s playing great in net right now and has been for a while, but poor decsions when handling the puck out of his net, and weak 3rd period performances are gonna hold us back. Yopur goalie is stellar, and has to be the backbone of a Cup run (like a Brodeur, Giguere, or Roy).
    Saying all of this, anything could happen…look at 93…we weren’t a marvelous team then by any stretch, but everything connected and fell into place just at the right time to take home the silverware. I bet alot of bookies lost their shirts on that one. We’re playing good hockey, racking up the points…just gotta have a strong 2nd half now also. Realistically though, we don’t have a Cup runner here, but we got the makins’…stay strong, parts that are working gotta keep geling, and parts that aren’t working gotta start geling. All in all…we do look better now than we have in years, and high hopes are starting to sneak back in to the minds of all of us Habs faithful. GO HABS GO !!!

  20. #20 Xtrahabsfan says:
    January 29, 2008 at 1:45 pm

    Sean Avery has hit a roadblock in N.Y. I propose a swap for Ryder,great move for both players and teams?

  21. #21 patrick says:
    January 29, 2008 at 3:50 pm

    eh, he’d be fun to see in a Hab uniform, but Carolina’s supposed to be desperate to make a deal, let’s get Cole (for Ryder and change).

  22. #22 Habfreak says:
    January 30, 2008 at 6:54 pm

    Let’s get cole for ryder and avery for cole!

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  • Senet1 : It will be interesting to see how Sutter does because to me the Oilers are not his kind of team, but then again neither were the Flames.
  • 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.

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