The Montreal Canadiens Thread

NY PJ1 wrote:

we busted ur arses on tuesday night

Yeah? I don't think you guys had a lot to do with it.

gleemonex wrote:

I'm a Sens fan but I'm hoping that the Canadiens will come in 8th and knock off an injured Buffalo team! Go Habs!

Haha, I'll take any cheering, however misguided :P

smarchee wrote:

Habs fans better hope that Abeschier (sp?) can regain half his form while in Colorado or that this Halak rookie can ride a stream that a goalie like Patrick Lalime rode when he first came into the league or I highly doubt this team will make the play-offs which would be a huge shame because 1) they are a Canadian team and any Canadain team making the play-offs is a plus 2) they were so dominant from the start of the season till about late December/early-January

Why couldn't of Gainey traded a 3rd or 4th round pick, or both, for Belfour or Joseph, just for some insurance?

Yeah, they are playing an opposite second half of the season and I can't wait until this season is over :P
Abby let in 8 goals last night, and we popped 5, which is unusually good for us (the goals for, not against :P). Not good, not good. It'll be an eek into a playoff position if we get it at all. Same goes for TO. Honestly though I don't think either team is going to make it in.

A long read, but pretty much explains why big name UFA's don't (usually) sign in Montreal = the media (and often bloodthirsty fans).


http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=198897&hubname=nhl

MONTREAL (CP) - Alex Kovalev says it was all made up.

The Montreal Canadiens right-winger insists he didn't criticize coach Guy Carbonneau or his teammates in an interview with a Moscow radio station two weeks ago. An alleged transcript of the interview, in which he says Carbonneau doesn't like Russian players, appeared later in the Russian weekly magazine Football-Hockey.

And on Monday, it was translated into French in Montreal La Presse, which devoted nearly its entire sports section to the controversial statements that Kovalev denies ever making. It's main headline was: Good Information Despite Kovalev's Denial.

The rival Le Journal de Montreal backed Kovalev, saying he was the victim of an internet hoax.

It drew a crush of cameras, microphones and notebooks to the Bell Centre, where Kovalev pleaded not guilty.
Related Info

* Kovalev Responds

"There's nothing to explain," Kovalev said. "Everybody knows I won't say those things. I'm not that type of person.

"They know that if I want to say something about my teammates or anyone in the organization I would go to that person and say it."

Carbonneau accepted that explanation after meeting with his veteran winger, who is known for speaking his mind.

"I had a good conversation with him," said Carbonneau. "I can read people pretty good and if he lied, he's a good liar, but I believe him."

The magazine quotes Kovalev as saying Carbonneau doesn't like Russians and that francophone players receive preferential treatment; that the coach doesn't talk to his players; and that the team's accent on defence stifles creative players like himself and Sergei Samsonov.

It also says that because francophone players stick together the club is split into cliques; and that young players like Guillaume Latendresse and Maxim Lapierre have swollen egos because they have the support of the fans.

The wiseguys in the media noted that whether he said those things or not, it's not all off-base about the slumping Canadiens, who are in a 4-10-0 rut that has dropped them out of playoff position.

Kovalev said he spoke to the radio station for two or three minutes for his 33rd birthday on Feb. 24, but didn't discuss most of what appeared in the magazine.

"The only thing was she asked me about my performance and I said that when you play defensive hockey, you have to give up certain things from your game," he said. "But this is a team sport. You have to stick to the team plan."

How fans will react is uncertain. The Canadiens play at Atlanta on Thursday and in St. Louis on Saturday and do not play at home until March 13 against the New York Islanders.

Kovalev, one of the club's highest-paid players at $US4.5 million per season and probably the most talented on the team, is having a terrible year.

He has only 13 goals and 27 assists in 61 games after a season of 23 goals and 42 assists in 69 games 2005-06.

He was benched for most of the third period of a 5-3 loss to Ottawa on Feb. 10 and then took himself out of the lineup for seven games to heal a sore elbow.

He returned on Feb. 26, the day the magazine interview appeared. It has been much talked of in internet chat rooms since then.

Kovalev said he is not a "stupid person" who is unaware that what is said in the Russian media will find its way back to North America.

"I don't have a problem with the coach," he said. "There's things you want to see the coach do better, but the coach is the coach.

"He sets up the game plan and we have to make it happen. I never had any problem with the coaches."

And he said he has no problem with the Canadiens, who signed him to a $13.5-million, three-year contract as a free agent in 2005.

"I can compare it with the Rangers - I think this organization treats players twice better than even they are treated in New York," he said.

His teammates appeared to accept his explanations.

"I've known Alex two years and that's not his style," said defenceman Mathieu Dandenault.

And the rookie Latendresse denied the team was divided.

"On the road, we all go out to eat together and we all talk," he said. "When I heard about this, I was surprised."

Kovalev complained he has frequently been misunderstood and misrepresented in the media. He said it was unfair that he is often portrayed as selfish and that one magazine listed him among the NHL's hardest-to-coach players.

He said it may eventually drive him out of Montreal.

"If you (media) are going to keep embarrassing me here, there's no reason for me to stay because I don't want to ruin my reputation and ruin my career," he said. "Sometimes you wonder why anyone would want to be a good player when things like that happen.

"Maybe you should just stay a low-profile player and not worry about anything else. But I want to be the best player."

blackredyellow wrote:

Totally.... you see it here with baseball players (and other sports) under the microscope playing in New York, but I can't imagine Montreal for hockey players. There are enough glory hungry baseball, football and basketball players that want to play under the spotlight in New York, but hockey players for the most part are a different breed. Most don't seek out the spotlight, and would rather not play every game under that microscope.

I'm from Pittsburgh, and I've heard Mario say that numerous times how happy he is here with his family and everything... people leave him alone. Even Crosby has said he gets some people staring and a few autograph seekers when he goes shopping or whatever, but for the most part they are left alone there.

Toronto isn't that much different when it comes from hockey (seems the Leafs are definitively in or out of the playoffs whether they won or lost the night before...in October....). Similar to the Yankees, guys getting ripped left right and centre.

even flow? wrote:

I am having some fun. Remember about 20 games into the season who the front runners were. Like I said just having some fun.


I have a fondness as Andy has pointed out for all the original six teams too. Six best uniforms in the league.

Anyhow good luck to all the teams you cheer for. Let's go Dead Wings let's go!

And on a side note. If the Leafs don't make the playoffs this year. Or even if they do. Make sure you people who go to live games chant 1967 everytime the Laughs pay a visit. As a nice gesture to even flow?. They were so bad for so long that I had to move down the 401 to find a half decent team to cheer for.

Haha, that's my favorite. Only the Leafs would celebrate 40 years without a cup :P