Striking Distance

There is a reasonable chance that by this time tomorrow the Canadiens are 1st overall in the Eastern Conference.

Just writing that feels a little strange.

Depending what happens between Ottawa and Florida tonight combined with a Canadiens victory over Toronto, the Habs could tie or pass the Senators for 1st overall.

On paper the Canadiens should destroy the bottom dwelling joke of the Eastern Conference who were embarrassed by the Panthers to the tune of 8-0 two nights ago.

However, Leafs and Habs games never go down as they appear on paper.

Carey Price gets his first start in goal since returning, the first major difference. How he’ll play is anyone’s guess, but his 3-0 record against the Leafs this season should at least have him in the right frame of mind.

Anything but a decisive victory tonight would be a major disappointment and you’d expect everyone on the team is fully aware of the situation.

All of this leads up to another showdown between Montreal and Ottawa on Saturday where things could really start to get heated.

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63 Comments

#1 Jaker1 says:
February 8, 2008 at 3:35 pm

Did anyone else think that Koivu was playing without heart last night. He seemed to be in the fog on a couple of plays. Even on Tucker’s empty netter any player would know where the puck was and be expecting it, Koivu seemed to be running from it. I think it is time for Carbo to show some guts and put your Captain in the pressbox. This will definately send a message to the rest of the team. They have to get a second line or they will be in the same situation they were last year going down the stretch. An injury to Kovalev and this team will be toast.

#2 Ice Man says:
February 8, 2008 at 3:36 pm

Hey groundworking:

I bet Ryder can kick your sorry ***. Your are probally overpaid Burger Flipper.

#3 Ribberman says:
February 8, 2008 at 5:23 pm

No one ever mentions this: Koivu probably never recovered from his eye injury a few years back. Now, especially now when he’s tired, burnt out, and most likely fed up, the eye injury is affecting his game.

As for Gainey, if he doesn’t sign Huet by trade deadline, he has to trade him. I woulnd’t trade for Hossa. Wait, take this team to the playoffs (with or without Huet)and whatever happens, happens. Up to now, the Habs are exceeding everyone expectations. Use the Habs record to encourage players to sign here. As for Koivu, I would trade him this summer (not now), it’s time for a new captain and direction.

#4 HJ says:
February 8, 2008 at 6:07 pm

Hamrlik is OUT for tomorrow’s game, which means Brisecoughupthepuck is in, which means a LOSS. damn it! I wish Briseshit could be put on a 1 way ticket to Siberia.

#5 Habfreak says:
February 8, 2008 at 11:40 pm

KOVALEV FOR CAPTAIN!

#6 STUO11 says:
February 9, 2008 at 9:40 am

I wouldn’t put Kovalev captain because he probably will turn out bad next year. I’m guessing 60 pts. I think Komisarek, Higgins and If Plekanec could talk more and stick up for his team, he would be a good pick.

#7 Donnie says:
February 9, 2008 at 10:41 am

Just so frustrating isn’t it……waiting all these years for a half decent playoff run…..we actually got a squad who could do that this year, and all we need from Koivu is what he has done in his other 11 years in Montreal….he never was a great star, and we don’t need him to be….just he same old 70-75 pts is all….and this is the year he doesn’t show up.

Alot of us come in here and vent frustrations after a loss when one thing or another sticks out as a contribution to that loss…..a player, coaching, stupid penalties at the wrong time. This frustration stems from wanting our team to suceed…and its amplified this year because of how great we’ve been playing…we feel we can win every game. And every time they take the ice I honestly feel that THIS is the game that Koivu snaps outta this and starts playing like he can….starting to lose faith that this is gonna happen this year though. I’m thinking that some of you guys are right….maybe it is health or a nonhealed injury…just hope its nothing serious, the guy is a class act and an asset of how players should act in this league. If it is one of these 2 though, should he even be playing? Should he be out there hurting himself and the team?

Anyways, we’ve gotta take on a FULL Sens squad tonight….a little nervous here after the last one where we JUST beat them without Heater and Alfie…but lets see what unfolds. With no points tonight we go 5 pts back again, with a win we’re back to within 1….a loss here tonight gents and that 1 point margin we had with the Sens is the closest to overtaking em we’re gonna see for the rest of the year. Big chance here to bounce back after a disheartening loss to the Leafs, and prove to themselves and the fans that we can play with the Sens….huge game tonight, biggest of the year for so many reasons….all thats left to say is GO HABS GO !!!

#8 STUO11 says:
February 9, 2008 at 1:09 pm

The habs are gonna die tonight but The next time they play us montreal will kill them with Hamrlik in the lineup. Hamrlik is underrated. He’s a solid defencemen. Even when Brisebois with him! If MTL pulls it off tonight I’ll happy cry!!!lol

#9 Habfreak says:
February 9, 2008 at 1:41 pm

Heatley AND Alfredson is back. Could things be any worse?

#10 Habfreak says:
February 9, 2008 at 2:14 pm

Gainey needs to do what he did with kovalev…Tell him to pick up the slack.

#11 Habfreak says:
February 9, 2008 at 2:15 pm

I was talking about Koivu.

#12 Habfreak says:
February 9, 2008 at 2:34 pm

Hamrlik used to be conidered a Lidstrom. Too bad he’s defenseive now

#13 Habfreak says:
February 9, 2008 at 2:49 pm

considered**

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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.
Senet1 : Goalie I agree with Avatar. PK is the present and future of this teams defence. I would not even take Staal from Pittsburg unless I had him tied up in a long term contract of a Minimum of 5 years. Also once has to consider the salary difference. Pk is on the move up probably 3M plus for his next contract and then eventually 4-5M if he keeps on improving. He has moved his game up two gears since he came into the league 2 years ago. He now has to move to the next level and I believe he will as w
Avatar37 : pressure playing in Montreal, since he has problems with the expectations in Washington and Montreal isn't any easier. Then again, the media were very easy on Kovalev, so maybe it's a Russian thing? No idea. Anyway, yeah, it would have to be an established star that gives us an immediate drastic upgrade at forward, that's the only way I'd trade PK, because we'd be giving up a potential QB on our blueline for the next decade.