Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 5 - Stars 3

Game Summary:
After four long days off the Habs finally got back into action last night and defeated the Dallas Stars 5 - 3 in regulation. While they won the game by two goals, they made it much harder on themselves than it needed to be. From the start of the game, the Habs looked like a team playing with the rust of four days of rest. Up and down the lineup - except for maybe the Gomez, Gionta, Pouliot line - the Habs were shaky and disorganized in the defensive zone. This was evidenced by the 11 giveaways that the Habs had on the night - two of which resulted in goals by the Stars. But, despite coming out and playing a shaky first 40(ish) minutes, the Habs settled down and closed the game out in the third for a much needed two points in the standings.

It was also nice to see Laraque score his first goal in a Habs uniform - on only his second shot of the season - a goal which he dedicated to the people of Haiti who are in deep crisis.

Game Notes:
1 - Price looked shaky most of the night but made some great saves including a "TSN turning point" save with about 15 minutes left in the third. With the score tied 3-3, Price stoned Neal with his glove from the low slot. Two minutes later the Habs scored - Gionta's second powerplay goal of the night - to go ahead 4-3 and that was all she wrote. While Price was unstable through the first two periods, he too settled down to close out the game in the third period. And for a rare occasion the team in front of him filled the opposing nets. He has been cursed this season with great play but little to no offense in front of him. Nice to see the change and nice to see his team score more than 2 goals in front of him.

2 - Pouliot continues to impress. When he came to Montreal in the Latendresse trade, I don't think anyone really expected very much from Pouliot. While he was a 4th overall pick in 2005 - one spot ahead of Carey Price - he has been floundering in Minnesota and generally seemed like a bust. Like Latendresse, the knock against Pouliot was that he was not willing to go to the net and pay the price on a consistent basis. Fast forward a month or so, and Pouliot has 6 points (5G, 1A) and is a +1 over 10 games since joining the Habs. Like Latendresse, Pouliot seems like a player that was in a need of a change of scenery and, so far, he is thriving in Montreal. Not only that, but he filled the second line left wing void that he been there since the beginning of the season. It is unfortunate that AK46 is out for 6 weeks, because for a moment there the Habs had TWO good scoring lines.

Pouliot, to his credit, is using his size and skill to get shots away, to grind it out in the corners and to crash the net. If you don't know where to find Pouliot, look to the opposing net...he is always headed towards it or hovering around it. This is skill that has been sorely lacking on the Habs for years. It seems like the change of scenery is working for Pouliot and as such, he might end up being a steal for the Habs. Remember that he was drafted 4th overall and has the potential to be an elite winger. Time will tell.

3 - The 2nd line is firing on all cylinders. With the return of Gionta and the addition of Pouliot, Scott Gomez has got two wingers the perfectly compliment his style and it is showing for all three on the scoreboard. That line finished with 5 points on the evening (Gionta 2 PP goals - in the 500th game of his career - Pouliot had 1G, 1A, and Gomez finished with 1A). Its nice to have secondary scoring on this team, for a change. Now all they need is to find a suitable replacement for AK46 on the top line. Damn the injuries!

4 - Speaking of Gionta's powerplay goals, the Habs finally scored with the advantage at home last night. While the Habs have the #1 pp in the league - clicking at 24.6% - their home PP percentage has been much less effective at 18.6% (including last night 2 goals).

5 - George Laraque, understandably, played his most inspired hockey game of the season and scored his first goal in a Habs uniform. And man was he happy! In case you don't know, George Laraque is Haitian and in case you have been living under a rock you know that Haiti is in the grips of destruction after a massive earthquake decimated the country. That being said, you could see how happy Big Georgie was to score as he mouthed "Finally! F-ck!" on TV. After the game, he told the media scrum that he dedicates his goal to the people of Haiti. Right on man, they need all the positive vibes they can get! Here's the goal in case you missed it:


This goal seemed to give the Habs the emotional lift they needed to get over the hump and win the game.

Standings:
The Habs looked sloppy in the defensive zone last night leading to turnovers, too many rebounds and allowing the Stars to stay in the game when they could have put it out of reach in the 2nd period. While Montreal struggled to get the rust off after 4 days rest, they ultimately pulled it out in the third and earn a well needed two points in the standings to leave them tied for 8th overall in the East with 50 points.

Next Game:
The Habs have the day off before taking on the Sens in Montreal on Saturday night. With the Sens tied with Montreal for points (50), wins (23), losses (21) overtime losses (4) and games played (48), this is another four-point, must-win game for the Habs. Saturday's game is the first of two back to back games, the other against the Rangers on Sunday.

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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 3 - Sabres 4

Today is the 15th of December and as we hit the official half-way point of the month we also hit the half-way mark of the Habs' 17 games in 28 nights. And how have our beloved Habs fared so far? Hmmmm, looks like a win one/lose one trend, much like the rest of the year has been for them. Sadly, this team could have a lot more points that it currently has (33 in 34 games) if not for tripping over themselves. In losing last night's game, 4-3, to the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal let another winnable two points slip away. Why? Because of stupid, undisciplined penalties late in the game. Two minutes after Cammalleri tied the game at three, with less than 8 minutes remaining in the game, Montreal took back-to-back penalties resulting in a Buffalo 5 on 3 powerplay. While Montreal's PK has been tremendous lately - currently clicking at a 83.4% good for 9th overall in the league - you cannot consistently put yourself in penalty trouble and expect to win games.

When Glen Metropolit took a pointless slashing penalty, followed by O'Byrne's high stick less than a minute later, Montreal sealed their own fate. I hear a lot of people talking about bad refereeing, but you cannot blame the refs for the lazy, indiscipline that has seemed to have crept into the Habs play, of late. While the Habs had a powerplay with 2 mins left in the game, they were ultimately unable to find the back of the net and pull even for a third time in the night. As frustrating as it was to watch, Montreal truly got what they deserved.

1 - Halak was ordinary. This is the first time in a long time that the first point of my list is not about a Habs' goalie stealing the show. Not surprisingly, then the result is that we lost the game. As we break the 30 game barrier on the season, it is more and more apparent what kind of team Montreal has. Granted, they have had a ton of injuries and they have been missing Markov and Gionta - two key guys on this team - but even with them in the lineup, this team is a little flat. So far, Montreal has developed two patterns; the first being that they win games by their goaltender standing on his head and the second is that they lose games by taking bad penalties in the third period. They did it against Pittsburgh and against Atlanta and are now on a three-game losing streak. While Halak was ordinary last night, stopping 23 of 27 shots on net, he certainly cannot be blamed for the loss. The team in front of him just hung him out to dry. You simply cannot keep making mistakes, in this league, and expect your goaltender to always bail you out. You don't win a lot of games playing that way.

2 - What has happened to Ryan O'Byrne? What happened to the confident young man who started the season, got injured, came back and played every bit as inspired as before his injury? What happend to the guy who made a steady, reliable first pass out of the zone, who never panicked with the puck, who displayed tremendous defensive coverage, who was hitting people in the corners, blocking shots, and becoming a stalwart on the backend? Unfortunately, he seems to have been replaced by a guy who's confidence is shot. A guy who makes bad passes, bad decisions with the puck and takes bad, lazy, untimely penalties. O'Byrne looks like the O'Byrne of last year, and that is not a good thing for the Habs. Unless he can find his confidence again, he could be headed on a bad path. One that will lead him to the minors or more likely dealt at the trade deadline. Either result would be terrible as I truly believe that he can be a very serviceable NHL defenceman. Only time will tell...

3 - Gomez...calling Scott Gomez...are you out there? If 'bad' or 'lacking confidence' is the way to describe Ryan O'Byrne right now, then 'invisible' would be the word to describe Scott Gomez. Gomez has simply been dismal this season. 4 Goals, 12 assist and a minus 1 rating are not the numbers an $8 Million man should be putting up. Now, to his credit, Bob Gainey got, in Gomez, a guy who is a passer and not a scorer. The problem right now, is that he has no one to pass the puck to. Since Gionta went down with a broken foot, about a month ago, Gomez has been completely ineffective and invisible on the ice. Not for lack of effort, mind you, but he simply looks lost out there without Gionta on his wing. Unlike Plekanec, who is making anyone he plays with better, Gomez is simply not able to contribute anything. In desperation, Jacques Martin has him paired with Sergei K and Maxim Lapierre. Both are good players, but neither compliment Gomez tremendously well because neither are finishers. Sergei is also more of a passer and Lapierre is a grinder. All three have the ability to get the puck to the scorer, but there is no scorer to be found on that line. Will Gionta coming back completely change that? Having Sergei and Gomez on his line will certainly help, but I think that the second line - and that is what Gomez's line is - needs another scoring punch, along with Gionta, in order to be successful.

4 - The Habs' first line of Cammy, Plekanec and AK46 is starting to clicking like gangbusters. Andrei Kostitsyn, in particular, has woken up. With 2 more goals and an assist, last night AK46 is officially on fire. Aside from having back-to-back two goal games, Andrei now has 14 points in his last 11 games. Add that to Pleks 17 points over the same 14 games, and Cammy's 14 points over the same period, and Montreal has a true, bonafide 1st line that is firing on all cylinders. Moreover, anyone watching the game last night saw some moments of pure magic, between those three. You can see that they are starting to know where each other will be on the ice and the result is simply baffling to opposing defensemen. Let's hope they keep it up! Aside from AK46 coming to life - and let it be known that he has ALWAYS been a slow starter - Cammy potted his 18th of the season (and 150th of his career). This puts him on pace for 43 goals this year. Ummm, hey, Steve Yzerman and the Olympic selection team, you guys paying attention? And Pleky? Wow. Just wow. He has 34 points in 34 games and has consistently been the Habs best player, all season. He excels in the faceoff circle, on the PK, PP, even strength, and if he keeps playing this way he should get consideration for the Selke trophy at the end of the year. Yep, that's right. I'm calling Pleks as a Selke candidate right now.

5 - Ultimately, the story of the game was bad, untimely penalties....again. Metropolit took ANOTHER game losing penalty, in the third, and was benched for the rest of the game for it. I can only surmise that with all the injuries and the compressed schedule, the Habs have a lot of guys playing more minutes than they should be, resulting in third period fatigue. This fatigue leaves them a step behind their opponents and results in hooking, tripping and obstruction penalties. Martin's style and system is allowing him to squeeze every ounce out of most of the players on the ice, but it has become apparent that Montreal just does not have the horses right now. Even when Gionta and Markov are back, the Habs will need more juice to become a factor this year.


The bottom line is that the Habs undisciplined play once again lost them the game again. Last night's loss to Buffalo was the Habs' 3rd loss in a row. The loss still leaves Montreal in the 8th and final playoff spot, but they are now tied with Florida (33points) and only 2 points ahead of Philly, NY Rangers, Tampa, Toronto and the Islanders. And, except for Florida, all of those teams have at least 1 game in hand over Montreal.

Markov and Gionta cannot come back soon enough, but be cautioned that I do not believe that Montreal will suddenly be an incredible team with those two back. A better team, yes, but Montreal's problem is the same right now as it has been for the last four years; we only have 1 scoring line. Even when Gionta comes back, Montreal look like a team that is in need of a top six winger in order to be a real threat in this league. The interesting thing, is that for the first time in a long time, Montreal actually has a lot of moveable assets and might be in a good position to pull off a major trade to bring in another top-6 player. Ideally, we need another scoring winger to play with Gomez and Gionta and having tradeable assests like Halak, Lapierre, Yannick Weber, Matt D'Agostini and perhaps even the Kostitsyn brother (although I seriously doubt they will be moved), Montreal can and SHOULD make a move to upgrade their team. There were apparently a lot of scouts in the stands last night and rumours are abound of Gainey talking with various teams. I think there is no question that at a minimum, the tire kicking has begun. All that is left to find out is how bold Gainey is willing to be. Usually, he ain't that bold, but with his rebuild - and in a lot of ways his own butt - on the line, something tells me that he will not stand pat this year.

Tomorrow night the Devils and Brodeur (groan....) then we welcome Guillaume Latendrese, and the Wild, to Montreal the following night. Enjoy the week, all!

K.

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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 3 - Flyers 1

After the beautiful cenntenial ceremonies and great hockey game, on Friday, I wish I could tell you that tonight's game was one for the ages too. One of those historic, earth shatter games that everyone is talking about for years to come. Sadly, that was not the case. Well, that's not entirely true because this was a historic game in that the shot totals were 15-13 for Philly, or a sum of 28 shots which is a record in Montreal Canadiens history.

A beautiful game it was not but a win it was. And, at the end of the day, that is what counts. In beating the Flyers 3 to 1 tonight, the Habs got a very important 2 points at home during game 2 of 17 over 29 days. Everyone keeps saying that this is the make it or break it month for the Habs so every point counts.

1 - For most of the first period, the Flyers looked like a team that could be had and the Habs looked like a team that had been drinking all weekend. In reality, the Flyers are a team who are in game two of the Peter Laviolette era and it is clear that his system has not yet been implanted. As for the Canadiens, they didn't play a phenomenal game but they also didn't play a terrible game. They came out flat, in the first, but picked it up in the second and ultimately were able to procure the victory by taking advantage of the few scoring chances that they had.

2 - While the shots were 15-13 for the Flyers and Price was clearly not a busy man tonight, he put in another strong performance and limited his opponent to 1 goal against, again. The one goal that the Flyers did score on Price was definitely of the weak variety. As Briere broke in on Price, drapped by two Habs defencemen, Price was not able to grab the puck with his glove as Briere flipped it over his shoulder. Not great, but not the end of the world given the final outcome. That goal aside, it was nice to see Price having an easy night, for a change. Good for you, Carey.

3 - Where is Scott Gomez? Ummm....is it me or did I dream that we traded Higgins and McDonough for a talented but overpaid center, this past summer? I could swear he was on our roster, but watching the game last night I didn't see him anywhere. Oh, except for when he coughed up the puck in the neutral zone leading to a Flyers scoring chance. So, excessive sarcasm aside, where was Gomez last night? Where has he been for most of the season? While he wasn't great before his injury he has been ten times worse since coming back. Invisible. That is the best way to to describe him. Gomez simply looks lost out there, without Gionta on his wing, even though he and SK74 have shown flashes of brilliance together. If Gomez can't turn it around soon, he will start to feel the bone crushing pressure that comes along with playing in Montreal. If he thought he had it bad in NYC, just wait till the media and fans get on his back in THIS city. For his sake, and for the sake of the team, I hope it doesn't come to that.

4 - Speaking of players changing after coming back from injury, Hal Gill looks like a different player over the last two games. Now, two games does not a season make, but after an excellent performance againt the Bruins on Friday, Gill continued his strong play last night. It is almost like Gill was nervous or out of sorts, in some way, before his injury because since coming back he is playing his best hockey of the season. Again, he has only played two games since coming back, but he has been exceptional in each one. Great on the PK, positionally solid - which compensates for his lack of speed - physical, blocking shots, clearing the crease, etc. All of which bodes well for the Habs defensive corp going forward. Keep it up Hal, you're starting for form a fan club!

5 - MaxPac! MaxPac! MaxPac! This kid was FLYING last night! While he was kept off of the scoresheet, MaxPac was the catylst for the third line of Moen, MaxPac and Metro (3M's). He was hitting, forcing plays, screening the goalie in front of the net, making passes and, generally speaking, causing havoc for the Flyers defence corp. Every time the 3M's - led by MaxPac - were on the ice, they had scoring chances. Pacioretty finished the night with 17:31 of ice time, even in the +/- column, had 3 shots on nets and 4 hits. Since had no points and a -2 rating over a s7 game stretch from October to mid-November, MaxPac has turned things around getting 8 points (2 goals and 6 assists) over his last 10 games. Shift in and shift out, MaxPac bring energy, speed, skill and grit to the ice and is well complemented by Moen and Metro. And keep in mind, that this is he second season (first full season) in Montreal and he is only 21 years old. This kid has a bright future.

Now I don't want to get ahead of myself, but it feels, in a lot of ways, like Montreal might be starting to turn a corner here. With news that Markov is taking part in full practices with the team he can't be more than a few weeks, at most, away from returning. In addition, Montreal seems to have a few lines that are jelling namely, Pleks-Cammy-Andrei and the 3M's (MaxPac, Moen, Metro). If Martin can figure out the Gomez line (with Sergei and Gionta? with Pouliot and Gionta?), then we will suddenly have three balanced lines that can score. That triple threat is one of balance that can lead to many wins down the road. Again, we are not there yet, but maybe now that the centennial celebrations are behind us, this team can really come together.

One potentially bad note from last night was Paul Mara leaving the game in the 1st period and not returning for the rest of the evening. Let's hope it is nothing serious because Paul has become a stable, reliable addition to the Habs blue line this season and we've already lost enough defensive man-games. A little break would be appreciated by the hockey gods!

Tonight is Kovy and the Sens. I think that payback is in order. Here's hoping Kovy is held off the score sheet and the Habs' offence can dominate!

K.

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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 0 - Leafs 3

Tonight, the Habs took on the Toronto Maple Leafs in Montreal, to kick of the week of celebration in honour of 100 years of the Montreal Canadiens organization. Sadly, the currenty edition of the Habs laid a goose egg and looked like a tired, disorganized and overall bad team in the process. Hey, when the Leafs make your team look bad, you know things are bad.

From the beginning of the game, Montreal was a step behind the Leafs and was losing battles. Once the pucks started to go in, the team lost more and more momentum until this one was over. While the night started with the fabulous news that the NHL board or governers had approved the Molson's as owners of the Habs, and the Als were welcomed to thunderous applause for their victory this past weekend, it ended with a shower of boos rained down on the home team who looked more like an expansion team than one that has been around for 100 years.

Ok, on with it then...

1 - Montreal simply came out flat. While Toronto was the team that played two games in two nights, Montreal was the team that looked tired and slow. For most of the game, Montreal was being beaten to loose pucks, losing battles along the boards, missing defensive assignments and generally playing like a disorganized bunch. The Leafs, to their credit, pressed hard and got the goals they needed to seal the deal.

2 - Everyone was invisible tonight. While you could see that Plekanec, and a few others, were trying, no one really stood out. With all the pre-game pomp and the boisterous crowd, you would imagine that the Habs would have been jumping to start the match. Instead, it was Toronto that took the play to Montreal from the opening faceoff.

3 - Gomez was back and no one noticed. RDS announced, at one point, that Gomez has gone 43 periods without scoring a goal. Ya, that sounds like an $8 Million man to me. While Gomez was clearly trying, he just looks lost out there without Gionta on his wing. When those two are together, good things happen, but Gomez has got to be able to produce and be successful with a variety of line mates if he is going to be the #1 center on this team.

4 - Price was less than stellar. While he did make some great saves, the second goal he let in was weak. The problem with that goal is that you could tell that it was very deflating to the team. Granted, that is not an acceptable excuse for the players, but the reality is that after the second goal went it, the momentum shifted markedly in Toronto's favour and never came back. Key saves at key times is what makes a goal an elite goal, and tonight Price wasn't able to deliver the goods. That being said, if the team in front of him scores ZERO goals, then the team isn't going to win regardless of how many saves he makes.

5 - MaxPac has got to stop taking bad penalties at bad times. He took one less than two minutes into the game and one right off the bat to start the third. Both penalties inhibited the Habs ability to setup any early momentum. It is errors like that that cost teams points and lose teams games.

On a personal note, there is nothing quite as painful as watching the Habs lose against Toronto. In a week when we are supposed to be celebrating the deep history of this fabled organization, I would say that this game is one that we surely wish we could strike from their history. The Habs vs. Leafs it was, but a classic is was not!

K.

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5 Keys to Habs' Season - Part 4 - Andrei Kostitsyn

Back again, and in the home stretch with part 4 of 5, in this series.

Training camp is in full effect and the new look Habs hit the ice tonight against Florida, in Montreal. Gomez asks Lapierre if he thinks it will be a sold out tonight.

Hehe.....good one Scott. In a few short hours, you will experience, 1st hand, what it feels like to be a home boy in the largest capacity building in the NHL. Enjoy!

Ok, on with it then...

For Part 4, in the continuing series on the keys to Montreal's season, I turn my focus to Andrei Kostitsyn. Ah Andrei, Andrei, Andrei. Where to start? So much talent, such a perfect package of skill and size and yet, for some reason, you have yet to truly deliver on your top notch potential. Will this be the year? I certainly hope so!

Andrei Kostitsyn
When he was drafted, 10th overall, in the 2003 NHL draft, a lot of experts were saying that he was actually the most skilled player in the draft. They were also saying that the only reason he didn't go higher was because he had epilepsy. Well, Montreal swung for the fences and grabbed him in the 10th spot, that year. Since giving him the proper medication, Andrei's epilepsy problems were a thing of the past and he was able to turn his focus uniquely towards hockey.

Over his first two seasons, with Montreal, Andrei Kostisyn combined for a total of 24 games, 3 goals and 11 assists. While these are not significant numbers, what is significant is that we saw some flashes of pure brilliance from the Belarussian during those years.

The 2007-2008 season represented the first real breakout, for Andrei, playing in 78 games and racking up 53 points (26 goals and 27 assists) to go with a plus 15 rating. That was, not coincidentally, the same year that his linemates, Kovalev and Plekanec, were putting up some of their best career numbers too. Andrei was cruising, and looked like he would fulfill his potential of becoming a 30-40 goal scorer.

Last year, 2008-2009, was unfortunately a step back for most of the young Canadiens players and few were as evident as Andrei Kostitsyn. Kostitsyn's downfall started when he got knocked out by Kurt Sauer, of the Phoenix Coyotes, early in the year.

Once he recovered from his concussion, Kostitsyn never returned to true form. It seemed that while his head might have been physically healed, mentally he had work to do. Kostitsyn started avoiding the high slot, kept to the outside and became completely ineffective. Except for a few stretches where he looked like his old self - which is why he still managed 74 games, 23 goals and 28 assists - Kostitsyn effectively became a perimeter player.

Kostitsyn's game is barrel into the offensive zone, off of the rush, with speed, and creating goals and scoring opportunities. By checking himself, mentally, out of the scoring zones, Kostitsyn confined himself to a grinder's role, which is not a job description becomming of his talent level.

One of the worst parts of his 2008-2009 season was that he was no longer effective, playing next to Kovalev. Where as the two had complimented each other so effectively the previous year, last year, Kostitsyn seemed lost playing on the same line as Kovalev. As soon as Carbonneau would put Kostitsyn on a different line, he would start to excel again. Unfortunately for Kostitsyn - and perhaps for Carbonneau - the coach didn't seem to stick with that formula and Andrei was never able to get into a rhythm. Mix all of that on-ice turmoil with his and his brothers' off-ice troubles, and you had one severely sub-par season.

Why he should succeed
Andrei Kostitsyn is without a doubt an incredibly talented player. He is built like and ox - as he demonstrates sparingly with punshing bodychecks - has top flight skating ability and can dangle, at speed, with the best of them. What is missing from his game, in my opinion, is that mental edge that puts him over the top. Kostitsyn is projected as a 40 goal scorer in this league and likely a 65 - 80 point player, but he has yet to put the whole package together and show what he can do.

So far, in training camp, it looks like Andrei is pencilled in on the 1st line next to Gomez and Cammalleri. This means that he is essentially being given the first shot at that 1st line winger spot. It is his spot to lose.

I think that with all the turmoil he went through, on and off the ice last year, that Andrei will come into camp a little wiser and a little more mature. The bumps that he suffered last year should only serve as a stabilizing force for him this year.

Playing on the top line with the best passer on the team, and the best sniper on the team should give Kostitsyn enough ice-time and talented enough linemates to complement his style. If the experiment works out, I can see Andrei cracking the 30 goal mark, this year - maybe going 30 - 30. He has the skills and he has the ability, all he has to do is pull it all together, on the ice, and grow up a little off of it!

K.

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5 Keys to Habs' Season - Part 1 - Scott Gomez

With training camp only a few days away and the Habs rookie camp already underway, there is no doubt that hockey is in the air....and I'm lovin' it! Given that the 2010 season is almost upon us, it got me thinking about the new-look Habs and what their chances of success are, this season. While I'm not brave enough to make a prediction, I think that I can say that I am cautiously optimistic. I mean, even the biggest Habs hater should be able to see that Montreal's D got better and bigger than last year, and their forwards went sideways in the improvement category, at worst. Plus, the additions of Moen and Mara mean that Montreal will be a tougher team. I think people are focusing too much on the smaller 1st line - which is absolutely small, no question there. But looking past that line, this team is actually bigger and tougher than last year.

Being bigger and tougher does not guarantee success by any stretch of the imagination, but I think there are a few keys to Montreal having a successful season, this year namely: Gomez, Plekanec, Cammalleri, Andrei Kostitsyn and Carey Price. While you could certainly include Gionta, Spacek, Mara, Lapierre, Latendresse and others, in this list, I think that for the purposes of my analysis, I will focus on those five guys. Hey if you think I missed anyone, let me know and maybe I'll post any analysis of them too. Enjoy!

Scott Gomez
There are few players in the league who have as much to prove, this season, as Scott Gomez and this is largely because of the discrepancy between the size of his contract and his seeming talent level. While no one will dispute that Scott Gomez is a talented player, it also seems to be quite clear that he is not a $7 Mil+ player. Looking at NHL salaries (http://www.nhlnumbers.com/sort.php) there are only 17 players in the entire league who make seven million dollars per season, or more. The list of those players reads as follows:

Ovechkin, Crosby, Stall E., Richards, Lecavalier, Heatley, Chara, Gaborik, Lidstrom, Gomez, Thornton, Vanek, Campbell B., Drury, Spezza and Iginla.

Well, apart from Gomez and Drury - both of whom were given their ridiculous contracts by Glen Sather - those are some of, if not the best, players in the league. And to me, Gomez's name just stands out, in that list, as being totally misplaced. That being said, it is not Gomez's fault that he is overpaid. Hey, if my boss decided to pay me 25 - 40% more than I should be earning, who am I to turn him down? No? So who can blame him? No one, that's who. However, that does not take away from the huge expectations that are placed on his shoulders, and no one is more aware of this fact than Gomez himself.

Scott knows that he had two sub-par seasons, playing in New York, and that moving to Montreal is only going to ratchet up expectations. Especially when Bob Gainey had the Habs faithful thinking that we would be getting a 'big, scoring center" and possibly even Vincent Lecavalier. When Gainey traded for Gomez - who is talented but will never be mistaken for a "big" center - Habs fans felt burnt. Not only is Gomez on the smallish side, but he is also no Vinny Lecavalier.

All of this means that Gomez comes to town, looking for a fresh starting and to rekindle some old magic with Gionta, with the weight of Habs fans' expectations on his shoulders. Expectations that he put up big numbers, based on his $7 Mil+ salary. Expectations that he carry this team, as Lecavalier would have. He is being thrust into the #1 center position, which has been problematic for the last 10 years.

This is not a slight against, Koivu, by the way, as he was a great player. But, being realistic, he always should have been a #2 center. You can win with Koivu in the #2 hole, but not in the #1 hole. Which is why I think Anaheim will be a contender this year. Getzlaf and Koivu? Wow! But I digress...

Ok, back to business. In order for Montreal to have a successful season - and I define success as finishing anywhere from 4th to 8th overall in the East - Gomez will have to shine this year. Gomez will have to be a leader on and off the ice and he will have to put points up on the board, on a regular basis. In my estimation, he will have to return to the 70+ point level and be a solid plus player, for Montreal to go anywhere. He is already saying all the right things and showing the right attitude - learning French! - now all he has to do is put it all together on the ice. If he doesn't, this year could end up being more painful that last year!

Why he should succeed
Gomez thrived playing in New Jersey's defense-first system. He won a Stanley Cup and had a career year playing alongside Brian Gionta - who he gets to play with again this year. Playing under Jacques Martin - a proven defense-first coach - should allow Gomez to get back to his winning ways. Plus, being reunited with Gionta should help both of their careers get back on track. I see Gomez hitting the 70 point mark this season with Gionta checking in for 25+ goals this year.

Here's hoping I end up being right!

K.

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2010 Montreal Canadiens - Who are these guys?

With the 2010 NHL training camps only a few weeks away, I think that Habs fans are excited about the upcoming season but with all the changes over the summer, left feeling a little lost too. The question is, why? Why was this summer's upheaval so traumatic? Why do we feel like we are floating in the wind waiting for the breeze to deposit us somewhere? I'll tell you why. It's because we have no emotional attachment to the new players and, to a large extent, this team.

Now don't get me wrong, because I know that, generally speaking, Habs fans have an extremely strong emotional attachment to our team, but that is more about being attached to being a Habs fan, than anything else. With so many new faces this year, we have not yet formed an attachment to the 2010 edition of the Canadiens. That will come with time.

I was at a sporting goods store, in Montreal, near the end of August, with my girlfriend - who is also a huge Habs fan. We were walking around the store when she pointed out three Habs jersey's hanging on the wall behind the cashier. The names on the jerseys? Gomez, Gionta and Cammalleri. With a tinge of sadness in her eye, she looked at me and said, "Who are these guys?"

Her question was rhetorical and not because she hadn't heard of these players. It was an echo of what Habs fans around the world are feeling, and that is an emotional void left by the departing players. Separation anxiety, as it were. As bad and painful as last season was, we , as fans, had an emtional attachment to most, if not all, of the players on the team. Here are just a few examples of what I mean:

Koivu - Pride/Love - heart and soul, great person, love this guy!Kovalev - Love/Hate - makes you crazy with his laziness and bad turnovers one night and has you chanting "MVP" the next.Price - Optimisim/anger/disappointment - so young and so talented. If only he could get his head screwed on straight.Plekanec - Anger/disappointment - What happened to him? Where did all the success and talent go?Komisarek - Love/monster on the blue line/future captain....which is consequently why it was SO painful to watch him walk, for nothing, to the Leafs.

Ok, those are not all emotions, but you get the picture.

The point is that as fans, our emotions were tied to the individuals on last year's team. We had seen them go through ups and downs. We bore witness to individual and team successes and failures, all of which builds up an emotional history that connects us to the team. I mean, if you think about it, that is what being a sports fan is all about. Being emotionally invested in and connected to a specific team. And if you think about your team, whether it is the Habs or not, when you think about different players that will bring different feelings or emotions to the surface. "I hate guy!"
"This guy could be great if only he would try harder."
"This guy is an all-star in the making!"
"That guy is overpaid!"

For Montreal, at the front of the emotional conga line were Koivu, Kovalev and Komisarek. When all three of them left, in the off season, fans were left feeling a little empty. From Koivu's battle with cancer, to Kovalev's 84 point season, through Komisarek's endless battles against Lucic, these guys brought out our emotions and enmeshed our love of the Canadiens with our love of these players.

Gomez? Gionta? Cammalleri? Who are these guys, indeed. Who is this Canadiens team that we are about to go to battle with? Who knows? What I do know is that the people in New York surely had an emotional attachment to Gomez which was likely along the lines of him being an underachieving, overpaid, terrible cap-hit. But now, he comes to Montreal and is cast in the role of potential leader and one of the faces of the franchise - at least for the next five years. We might not know who he is, in the rhetorical sense, but we will soon find out.

Soon, we'll be chatting around the water coolers of the city, talking about Cammalleri's hat trick or Gomez's skating ability or Hal Gill's big hit or Travis Moen's fight against Milan Lucic (I CAN'T WAIT!). Soon, our emotions will get involved again and we will start to develop a new bond with the current edition of the Habs.

I personally tend to agree with what Eric Engels wrote in his HockeyBuzz.com article, "Betting Against the Odds"...

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Eric-Engels/Betting-Against-the-Odds/82/22683

...and I think that maybe, just maybe this team can surprise some people. If that ends up being the case, the positive emotions will flow freely and quickly erase the separation anxiety we have been feeling since July 1st.

K.

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