Whither the Habs?

[Warped9]

I'm a longtime Montreal Canadiens fan through thick and thin, but recently I'm disheartened.

Last night's game against the Nashville Predators left me disgusted. The Habs were wholly outclassed. Their biggest rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, may be sad sacks in their own right, but lately they at least really make a show of wanting to win--they really go at it.

Some like to talk about a goaltending problem in Montreal. Bullshit. Although I prefer Halak last night Carey Price played well. He was the only Hab who showed up and the only reason the final score was only 2-0 for Nashville.

The Habs' problem isn't really in net. No, these guys have no discipline and no team chemistry. They can't seem to read the play and aren't aware enough of where the opposing players are let alone where their own teammates are.

And they can't fucking pass worth a damn--it's either too far ahead or they can't receive the pass. They make blind passes and dump-ins and can't retain the puck. They frequently lose possession particularly along the boards.

Part of the problem lies in lines being changed all the time. How can any player chemistry take hold if you don't play long enough with anyone to learn how to be in-synch with each other?

What finally bugs me is how slow they are and seem to play without heart. They are certainly nothing like Les Glorieux or the Flying Frenchmen of old. The ghosts of the old Montreal Forum just haven't been able to find their way to the Bell Centre.

This current edition of Habs just don't seem to have any pride in them. I watched some of Toronto and also some Chicago play these past weeks. Those guys want to play, and even if they can't scrape out a win you can tell they're really trying.

I can take it if my team loses, but at least they could have pride enough to show up to play.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I'm almost positive this is about Sports.

Off to the Sports Forum we go. Stand back, everyone. Here's the windup and the pitch....

 

[Warped9]

I'm almost positive this is about Sports.

Off to the Sports Forum we go. Stand back, everyone. Here's the windup and the pitch....

Sorry.

Ya know, I didn't even know there was a sports section around here.

 

[The Habs Fan]

Well, when you're missing your best player in Markov, it's going to affect how you play.

I do like how Cammalleri, Gomez, and Gionta are playing. I also like Halak and Price's games so far. We just need some secondary scoring (other than Plekanec) and we'll be alright. I think if the Habs can stay around .500 until Markov returns, they'll make the playoffs.

 

[Warped9]

Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good.

Tonight Montreal gets outplayed by Carolina for at least two periods, and yet the Habs still manage to hang on through overtime and squeeze a win from a shootout.

I'm glad Montreal won even though I don't think they deserved it.

Carolina fans must be screaming, "There ain't no fucking justice."

 

[The Habs Fan]

I think Montreal is something like 8-0 after regulation this year.

Bad news today: Gionta has a broken foot and is out indefinitely.

 

[Winterwind]

I hate the Habs. I have to. I'm a long suffering Leafs fan. But all fans of Canadian teams have my sympathy this year. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the only one to make the playoffs this year is Calgary.

 

[Canadave]

I hate the Habs. I have to. I'm a long suffering Leafs fan. But all fans of Canadian teams have my sympathy this year. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the only one to make the playoffs this year is Calgary.

Yeah, Canadian hockey is looking pretty sad this year. The Leafs more than most, but...

More on topic, I'd actually kind of expected the Habs to have a bad year this year. I don't think they made very good moves in the off-season.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

I hate the Habs. I have to. I'm a long suffering Leafs fan. But all fans of Canadian teams have my sympathy this year. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the only one to make the playoffs this year is Calgary.

It wouldn't surprise me to see Ottawa, Vancouver, and Montreal snagging playoff spots. Ottawa's second in their division, 2 points behind Buffalo. I'd be surprised to see Edmonton make it, but crazier things have happened.

 

[Warped9]

Tonight the Habs manage to wring a 3-2 win against Washington. Not bad. In fact for about thirty of the first forty minutes the Habs were reasonably solid. The remainder of the time they played messy but managed to get it done anyway.

There may be some hope after all.

I actually rather like Washington and I can root for them...except when they're playing against one of my preferred teams.

 

[Warped9]

Goddammit it all. The Habs were having a decent start in the first period and it all unraveled with Laraque kneeing a Detroit player. What a fucking bonehead move! It's a bloody miracle that Montreal managed to pot two goals in the third.

But you can't go to that well too often and their perfect shootout record finally faltered.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

The Habs were down 3-1 during the last few minutes of today's game, and didn't even think about pulling Price for the extra man. It says a lot about a team when they're more concerned about how many goals they lose by than they are about trying to fight back to tie the game.

 

[The Habs Fan]

The Habs were down 3-1 during the last few minutes of today's game, and didn't even think about pulling Price for the extra man. It says a lot about a team when they're more concerned about how many goals they lose by than they are about trying to fight back to tie the game.

With all their injuries, they were an AHL team last night against the Stanley Cup Champions. I think the 3-1 loss is good.

 

[Warped9]

They were okay in perhaps the first ten minutes of the first period. The they were just outclassed. The Penguins just kept them running around and unable to form any form of attack.

Yeah, 3-1 was kind. But they still sucked last night. I think they still make a lot of small mistakes that as a whole make them look totally without any form of system. Far too often it looks like they're afraid of making a mistake individually (which is a mistake in itself psychologically) and they seem to just want to get rid of the puck rather than trying to actually do something with it.

 

[Islander]

Their biggest rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs, may be sad sacks in their own right, but lately they at least really make a show of wanting to win--they really go at it.

And that clearly showed yesterday night! Pathetic.

The sad thing about "missing our best player in Markov" is that our best player is a defenceman. That's disapointing in itself.

A least we're having a cup parade today (CFL Alouettes)!.

 

[Warped9]

They were true sad sacks Tuesday night.

I guess one can be philosophical in thinking that sometimes you have to absolutely stink before you really face that something needs to change. There seems to be very few guys on that team that are really worth anything. As for the rest good luck in being able to trade any of them for anything worthwhile.

The other sad thing is that they traded away guys they felt they no longer had use for and some of those are now doing quite well elsewhere.

 

[Canadave]

They were true sad sacks Tuesday night.

I guess one can be philosophical in thinking that sometimes you have to absolutely stink before you really face that something needs to change. There seems to be very few guys on that team that are really worth anything. As for the rest good luck in being able to trade any of them for anything worthwhile.

The other sad thing is that they traded away guys they felt they no longer had use for and some of those are now doing quite well elsewhere.

I've been saying this for a while now, but the Habs, of late, actually remind me of the Leafs a lot in the way they've been managed. The talent slowly eroded away in favour of guys who are decent, but maybe a little too far past their prime, and a lack of any real star power or solid young prospects.

The Leafs, I think, are finally beginning to claw their way up from rock bottom (I like to think that Kessel's debut marked the beginning of this transition, but I'll have to wait and see on that point), while the Habs are still sliding down. Rivals or not, I hope Montreal doesn't have quite as slow and painful a descent as those of us in the Leafs Nation have endured over the last few years.

 

[Warped9]

I try to take it in stride, but my dad who's been following the Habs since he was a youngun in the '40s and '50s just can't contain himself when he sees them play the way they do. He stalks out of the room swearing a blue streak in a mixture of French and English.

 

[Warped9]

Tonight they're playing Buffalo who are making them look like a very sorry looking bunch of shmucks after the first two periods. They came alive a bit in the third, but it was too damned little too fucking late.

 

[Warped9]

Tonight the Habs celebrate their 100 year anniversary including a game against their longtime rivals the Boston Bruins. It's a shame Montreal doesn't have a better squad to ice because a loss this evening wouldn't look too good on such an occasion.