Redemption

It has been less than 6 months since the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Montreal Canadiens ending their 2008 playoff run.

The bitter taste remains.

Another one sided road victory wouldn’t make up for last year’s playoffs, but would certainly feel good.

Any victory, and the Habs begin with 5 out of 6 possible road points. A near perfect start and some early season confidence to take to the home opener on Wednesday.

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8 Comments

#1 STUO11 says:
October 13, 2008 at 5:44 pm

this is it everbody, great hockey onn tonight!!!!

#2 Izzy says:
October 13, 2008 at 7:56 pm

I cant believe how tough the flyers are when we dont have big George in the line up…..I mean really…two guys going after Kovy at the end of the period?…..hurry up George….

#3 habknot says:
October 14, 2008 at 5:41 pm

I’m with you, Izzy! Hartnell and Downie, but reall the whole Ph@#$n’ team skating around like they’re the toughest thing on ice. I’m actually surprised and happy that we came back like that without George and Frankie. Can’t wait to get them back for Bos and Philly especially!

#4 habknot says:
October 14, 2008 at 5:48 pm

Couldn’t Chipchura play wing instaed of Dandenault, that would give us a bit more size and toughness?

#5 Donnie says:
October 15, 2008 at 10:24 am

Great game against Philly and Toronto. We’re playing well and again it’s exciting thinbking of the possibilities already. Gotta ask though…..what is wrong with Koivu? He’s an NHL team captain, and is invisible most of the time…a non-factor. He’s playing with no intensity or drive at all…you can see this in his game and in his face when the camera goes on him. Just a blank slate is what his face is….like he’s off somewhere else all together. Think of some of the other team captains around the league….they’re into the action, in the spotlight, doing something thats visibly helping.
This problem with Saku goes back to last year…is he not inspired anymore?? sick of it?? just don;t wanna play??
Whatever it is…I’m not really sure he should have the “C” anymore…doesn’t seem to be leading anything anymore…..and he’s definitely shouldn’t be taking Lang’s place as a 2nd line center….Lang can still do it…get him off Kostopolous’ line…put Koivu there…somehwta of a checking role is all he can really do anymore(not that he ever blossomed into the offensive star he was supposed to.
Sorry guys…I know most of you swear by Koivu, and I liked him as a player for a long time too….but it’s time something was said…the guy is just not producing on the ice in any way shape or form, and spends most of the game without his name being mentioned at all…those aren’t captain qualities….you’re a great guy Saku, but it may be time to give up the C…or not to be signed at all next season, as sad as that sounds.

Big one tonight against the B’s…lets goooooooooooooo Habs gooooooooooooo !!!!!

#6 Senet1 says:
October 15, 2008 at 11:34 pm

I agree about Koivu, glad someone else sees what I have been saying for some time. Lang is the big centre that we have needed. He is in the mix and he goes to the net. That is how he scored both his goals that I saw. I said it last year Koivu is only a 15-18 goals at the most per season. His faceoffs were terrible in the late season. He did improve somewhat in the playoffs. However, if you noticed against Phily when he went up against the big centres he lost almost every faceoff. He is the third line centre like I suggested the minute we obtained Lang. In fact, based on his FA status at the end of the year I would trade him if the right player was available.

#7 Senet1 says:
October 15, 2008 at 11:49 pm

Even with out George, we were able to handle Phily’s size because we had Lang up front, Obryne on defence and a healthy Komisarek. The one thing that worries me though is Philly still seemed to control the front of our net at times and some of their goals were directly due to this control. That is why I believe we need another steady experienced defenceman

#8 Donnie says:
October 19, 2008 at 10:15 pm

Guess I shoulda badmouthed Koivu earlier…the last 2 games have been the best he’s played in years….finally got the Saku we were supposed to get years ago…..new life with Tanguay I guess…lets just keep Higgins away from him now….keep it going Koivu, don’t die off now. GO HABS GO !!!

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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.