Gomez is the Habs’ highest-paid player. He had 7 goals and 38 points last season. He hasn’t scored a goal in a game that counts since February 5th.

Just to put that in perspective, here are some other NHLers who are making around the same amount of money this year, along with their goal and point totals from last season:

• Jarome Iginla – $7 million – 43 goals / 86 points
• Eric Staal – $7.7 million – 33 goals / 76 points
• Rick Nash – $7.5 million – 32 goals / 66 points
• Henrik Zetterberg – $7.75 million – 24 goals / 78 points
• Shea Weber – $7.5 million – 16 goals/ 48 points (and he’s a defenceman)
• Ilya Kovalchuk – $6 million – 31 goals / 60 points (in what was considered a slump year)
• Daniel Briere – $7 million – 34 goals / 68 points
• Joe Thornton – $8 million – 21 goals / 70 points
• Steven Stamkos – $8 million – 45 goals / 91 points
• Daniel and Henrik Sedin – $6.1 million apiece – A combined 60 goals / 198 points!

Now, I have no love lost for Count Jacques-ula as a coach. But for those who are quick to blame the coach and excuse the front office, just think about who a competent GM might have gotten for those $7.5 million bucks.

Here’s hoping we step it up against the newly-reformed Jets on Sunday.

The True North Sports and Entertainment group announced on Tuesday that they have completed a deal to purchase the Atlanta Thrashers and move them to Winnipeg in time for the 2011-12 season.

And, right on target with the wish-I-could-punch-him asinine comment is Gary Bettman:

“Hockey in Canada has never been stronger,” said Bettman. “We get to be back in a place we wish had not left in 1996.

Considering the source, that’s rich.

Meanwhile, Vancouver kicks off the Stanley Cup Final against Boston tonight, aiming to not only kick some serious Bruin ass, but to bring the Cup home to Canada for the first time since the Habs did it in ‘93. And with history on their side and the stronger record, I see no reason why they shouldn’t pull it off.

Go Canada!

ETA: If you’re American and reading this, and you happen to be a bit confused about this whole hockey thing, Pete McMartin wrote you a primer.

It still hurts to re-watch. And not just because we all know the outcome.

With the news that no discipline would be forthcoming from the NHL, Montreal fans – understandably – went a little nuts, demanding justice, decrying the NHL, and calling for heads to roll.

On the hit: It was ugly, that’s unquestionable. It was illegal, that’s also unquestionable, and Chara got a game misconduct for it. It was frightening to watch, because we know how it turned out. And it was part of a high-energy, high-speed game, delivered by a guy who isn’t known for using his size to injure but certainly has it in him. And the fact that Pacioretty was having his breakout season and playing first-line solid hockey only made it that much harder of a blow to absorb.

On intent: Did Chara mean to hurt Pacioretty? He says no. I’m inclined to believe him, with a caveat: I think that, within the context of hockey, he was trying to get back at Pacioretty and this was a continuation of the feud that they had going on for a few games. In other words, I don’t think this was just an accidental check gone wrong. Since a Habs-Bruins playoff matchup is a strong possibility, I’d even allow that teams start to play dirty and there’s some intent to injure going on with good players. But it’s not the same as intent to injure, off-ice, and I’m sure that’s what has the league wringing its hands at how to mete out punishment.

On bias: Mike Murphy had to make this call because Colin Campbell was biased, what with his son Gregory playing for Boston. This isn’t the first time that Campbell has needed to recuse himself from a disciplinary decision, either. I still think he should have resigned the minute his son made it to the NHL. But it does argue that there’s too much discretion in these kinds of disciplinary decisions. Either way, the rules need to be clearer, and there can’t be so much in the hands of one man.

On criminal prosecution: Nope, don’t agree with it here. Despite the massive public pressure and outcry in the wake of the NHL’s decision not to suspend Chara (and seriously, people, tying up the 9-1-1 line for hockey? Not cool.) I don’t believe that there’s any place for criminal charges in hockey, unless the incident was outside the boundaries of the game and crossed the line to something else entirely. Trying to get the courts involved is just another way of absolving the NHL of responsibility for this kind of stuff. It happens within the parameters of the game, which makes it the NHL’s responsibility.

On violence in hockey: Is the game too violent? Is there too much fighting? Should we make them all wear bubbles and carry sticks made out of foam? Hell no. I like my hockey fast-paced, hard-hitting and tough, and I suspect most of the league’s fans do too. But there’s a difference between a clean hit and a dirty one, and that’s where I think the system is broken.

The bottom line: If you rob a store and wave a gun around only meaning to scare the clerk, but you accidentally shoot him, sorry, you’re going down for murder.

Likewise, I think the rule should be simple in hockey: If you injure a guy on an illegal play, accident or not, you’re out as long as he is. If he misses the season, so do you. If you end his career, you’re gone too.

Implement this rule, enforce it a few times so the players understand it’s serious, and watch the ugly headshots disappear like magic.

Speedy recovery, Patches.

Price won’t win any popularity contests if he keeps posting mediocre numbers and displaying a bad attitude. Halak is truly a class act, and the way he was treated by Gainey and the Habs’ management was disgusting. I hope he gets the success – and credit – he deserves in St. Louis.

1. Idiots are their own worst PR nightmare. Let ‘em talk long enough, they’ll shoot themselves in the foot. No need to do it for them.

2. Laziness is an addition, just like alcoholism. And it has enablers. Don’t be one. Next time someone asks you a question instead of looking it up themselves, send them this link: http://www.justfuckinggoogleit.com.

3. It seems to me that people are much less shutter-happy than they were a few years ago, and are more likely to put away the camera. Has the novelty of digital allowing us to take thousands of photos worn off? Do we have photo fatigue?

4. Food really does taste better on pretty new dishes.

5. I used to think that writers were just being hyperbolic when they talked about sirens “screaming”. Now I know better. They mean it literally.

6. Summer’s not over yet. There’s still almost a month to go until NHL Preseason begins.

Here’s my recommendation: None of them.

With the possible exception of no-touch icing – which is long overdue - most of these new rules would just fix things that aren’t broken, or turn the NHL into a laughingstock. I mean, two-on-two overtime? No icing while shorthanded? I realise that R&D camp is a chance to try out wacky ideas, but seriously, what are they smoking over there in Ontario?

Meanwhile, the proposed new rules do nothing to address the problems that were introduced with the last round of rule changes, such as teams playing for the shoot-out, ugly hits from behind, and malicious intent to injure.

What I’d like to see? Well, for starters, let’s eliminate the shoot-out during the regular season and go back to ties if it’s still even after OT. The shoot-out can be moved to the post-season, where it can be used to replace marathon games that go on until one of the teams drops of exhaustion. Next, let’s add some zero-tolerance rules for illegal hits that carry penalties that actually mean something. And finally, let’s encourage exciting games by respecting the game and its traditions, unless provided with a compelling reason not to.

The same Georges Laraque who, after two woeful seasons in a Habs’ jersey, thought this would be a logical career move?

And to think people were taking the Greens seriously last election, even predicting that they would win seats. How far they have fallen…

Here was the scene in McLean’s Pub with about a minute left in the game:

Penguins are going golfing. Habs are moving on to the conference finals for the first time since 1993. And – say it with me – we all know what happened in 1993.

The whole city is partying right now. Think I’ll go join them.

GO HABS GO!!!

Team Canada wins Gold - Vancouver 2010

It was the shot heard from coast to coast – Sidney Crosby’s overtime goal to win this hockey game 3-2 and secure the record-breaking 14th gold medal for Canada.

A fitting feather in the cap of what have been incredible Olympic games. And they couldn’t have scripted it any better. Perfect photo finish.

A moment, to salute all our  Olympic medallists.

Now, let the celebrations begin!

Our athletes are impressing the hell out of everyone, on the skating rink, the ski hill, the hockey arena, the bobsled track, hell, even the curling rink. (Is curling even a sport? Debatable. But we are pretty damn good at it. Even if the Norwegians have those awesome pants. But I digress.) The figure skaters have captured our imagination, from the near-perfection of Moir and Virtue to the inspiring courage of Joannie Rochette. And of course, in hockey, our women have claimed gold, while the men have just advanced to the finals against the USA on Sunday, with tonight’s nail-biter of a 3-2 win over Slovakia.

Everywhere, the red and white waves, crowds burst into spontaneous renditions of the national anthem, and the entire country from coast to coast has come together to cheer on our Olympians.

Has there ever been such a display of Canadian patriotism in recent history? Not that I can remember.

The Olympics had a controversial staging, a rocky start, and endless debates over cost overruns, podium pressure and everything under the sun. But leaving all that aside, it’s been a pretty incredible couple of weeks. And I have to believe that this has done a lot to buoy pride in the red and white in this country of ours, which, you gotta admit, is really fucking awesome.

There are two more days left in these Olympic games. Whatever happens – in the hockey finals or elsewhere – I’m really proud of our athletes and our country. Go Canada Go!

Ouch. ‘Nuff said.

*Sigh*. Onto the qualifying game, and hopefully we’ll get a chance for revenge.

Update: Canada fared somewhat better at Hockey Night in Kandahar; the morale game for soldiers serving in Afghanistan resulted in a 16-2 “ass-whooping” of the US by Canada. Too bad that’s not the score that counts in the Olympics.

“I’ve done my best and now it’s time for me to pass the torch,” Gainey said on Monday. “I believe that the general manager position requires a long-term vision and a long-term commitment. At this point, I’m not prepared to make a commitment of four or five or six more years in this position.

Assistant GM Pierre Gauthier has been promoted as the new GM.

Gainey took over the role in 2003 to great fanfare greater expectations. At first, he battled the naysayers and started the long process of rebuilding the team, achieving first place in the East two seasons ago.

But many of his decisions have been very questionable of late, and the trust was gone, namely, ill-timed overconfidence in Carey Price, the failure to secure big-name free agents despite public efforts, firing of Guy Carbonneau and hiring Jacques Martin in his place, and of course the great shake-up during last off-season.

I think a lot of people were fed up with Gainey. He won’t go down in history as the Habs’ worst GM (I’d say that role belongs permanently to Rejean Houle). He had an overall winning record, and he did do a lot of good things for the team, which was in shambles when he took the reins. But his legacy is mixed, at best. And of course, nobody ever remembers what you do best; they only remember what you do last.

Bye bye, Bob. Best of luck to you.

Can we keep it up? Let’s hope so. Go Habs!

Well, here you go, Ryan. Your wish is granted:

(Oh, and woohoo, Go Habs Go!)

What, you mean rumours leaked by the organization itself?

Before the game, pretty much every living Hab great in history was out there tonight on the ice for the 100th anniversary ceremonies, from Jean Beliveau to Guy Lafleur, from Dickie Moore to Yvon Cournoyer, from Patrick Roy to Ken Dryden. Butch Bouchard and Elmer Lach had their numbers retired as part of the night. Plenty of pomp and circumstance, to be sure, but this is a team whose stories deserve to be celebrated.

Happy Birthday, Habs!

The provincial health minister wants to know if swine flu shots were “inappropriately diverted” to the Calgary Flames while thousands had to stand in line for hours for the vaccine.

Alberta Health Minister Ron Liepert says he doesn’t know where the NHL team got the vaccine, adding that Alberta Health Services is the only supplier in the province. Team president Ken King says the club contacted the department and asked for the clinic.

[ . . . ]

Alberta’s opposition parties say professional hockey players shouldn’t be getting the vaccine ahead of cancer patients and pregnant women.

Or, more importantly, ahead of other NHL teams like the Montreal Canadiens.

From the minute the sellout crowd booed loudly and rudely through the U.S. National Anthem, I knew it was going to be a long night. There is no excuse for that kind of disgusting display. If you don’t want to sing, fine, but stand quietly and show some respect.

The boos continued all night for the likes of Zdeno Chara and company. The cheers, on the other hand, were loud and boisterous for hits, checks and fights, but were mostly absent otherwise. Last season, the Bell Centre was so loud during the playoff games that you couldn’t even hear yourself think. Not so this season. When the team needed the crowd to rally behind them as they limped their way through a scoreless third, it was so silent you could hear a pin drop.

This fanbase eggs on the likes of Laraque and Stewart and encourages the team to play like thugs. Meanwhile, the so-called “big bad Bruins” beat us on skill, not might.

Yes, it’s true that a good number of our key players were injured. Yes, it’s true that Gainey has made some incredibly questionable decisions, including giving Carey Price a stranglehold on the starter’s job for no apparent reason.

Ultimately, the better team won all three games. Boston has outplayed us, outmatched us, outdueled us in every critical category, and has walked away with the victories fair and square.

And until we fans start demanding better and acting with class, we can expect more of the same. This season, Montreal fans truly got the hockey team that we deserved.

Shame on us.

It’s hard to argue that the Habs’ recent woes can be blamed solely or even largely on Carbo. On the other hand, sometimes fault doesn’t come into it. Sometimes it’s just about shaking things up.

Can’t help but feel bad for the guy, though. I liked Carbonneau as a player and I liked him as a coach. He led the Habs to their best record in over a decade last season, and this season started off promising as well. Then again, I guess the higher you rise, the further you fall.

Halak stole that one for us. At least one of our goalies seems to have rediscovered his confidence, even if it’s the wrong one. But that was a really dismal performance by the rest of the team.

Let’s hope that this victory – however undeserved – helps energize the rest of the team to turn things around for real.

Gainey’s got a busy couple of weeks ahead. He’ll need to do something to turn things around before the trade deadline.

Update: The carnage continues.

About time. Hope they can keep it up.

The Swiss-born Universite de Montreal professor said the ubiquitous relics and rituals linked to the Habs struck him when he arrived in the city a few years ago.

The similarities prompted Olivier Bauer to launch a crusade – in the form of a university course – to explore the many ties between a team that hails its sweater as La Sainte Flanelle – or holy flannel – and spiritual devotion.

Yes, it’s a religion here all right. In its jubilee 100th year. With a big revival in the form of All-Star Weekend coming up next week. And of course, we’re all hoping that this will finally be the year when Les Boys bring home the Holy Grail: the Stanley Cup.

T-shirt with Habs logo in Hebrew letters: 30 shekels.

Coffee and a muffin from Tim Horton’s: $2.50.

Being there to see the game-winning goal scored with 22 seconds left: Priceless.

The melody stays in my head as I walk home, setting the tone for the rest of the evening. It is already dark, long ago. The days are so short now.

Outside, a few snowflakes fall lazily, trying only halfheartedly to amount to something, but succeeding only in lightly dusting the ground and the shining pavement. There’s no more ambiguity now about the season. The trees are bare now, autumn leaves replaced with Christmas lights.

Hardly anyone is on the streets. Even in the middle of downtown on a Thursday evening, it’s quiet. They’ve all hibernated. Gone underground for the winter.

The headlines today are all from Mumbai, and they’re all horrifying. Nobody reacts much. The rest of the news is about the economy. People worry but they don’t panic. They can’t quite work up the energy to panic. They exchange platitudes at the water cooler before heading back to their desks to cough and sneeze. They work hard, but they’ve slowed down since everything was new. The shorter days make everyone tired.

South of the border, it’s Thanksgiving. Here it’s just another day, like all the others. Maybe with a little less life than yesterday. And tomorrow with a little less life than today. They say it’s supposed to be the festive season, but aside from last night’s hockey win, people can’t seem to find much to be festive about.

November is a month of endings. Cold rains and early snowfalls, without the joy. The knowledge that winter has set in and will be here for the next five months. A long road with no end in sight. We walk it steadily, one foot in front of the other, because it’s all we can do.

And so we draw those we love close to us, hunker down and wait for spring.

Lang played a great game. Tanguay, not so much. Kovy is hogging the puck again, but it’s definitely the Kovy of 07-08 and not of 06-07 on the ice. Captain K, Pleks and AK all look good. Breezer is back to his cringe-worthy self. Markov doesn’t look too comfortable in his new role yet. Lapierre, wtf was up with Lapierre? And as a team, these guys are still getting used to playing on lines together. A lot of missed passes, blueline confusion, the usual stuff for the start of a season. And very nearly a photo finish. But in the end, it wasn’t enough.

And Price. Price, Price, Price. Yeah, so he lost the shootout, but the kid still made 35 saves tonight, and looked really sharp doing it. The kid’s the real deal. He’ll improve on shootouts with practice.

All in all, we looked pretty damn good out there. We came away with a point, and we’ll build on it. Bring on the Leafs!

In an effort to reduce scalper buyout, they’re limiting the tickets to one transaction per person / credit card. So even if by some miracle I manage to get ahold of tickets, they’ll only be for one game. More likely, I’ll get shut out. Then it’s a matter of staying on the good side of some season ticket holders.

Update: After waiting nearly 2-1/2 hours in the queue for the online system, I managed to get onto the system, but all the good games were basically sold out. I picked up two nosebleed tickets for Montreal-Chicago in March, which should be a good game with all the talented kids that the Blackhawks have in their lineup. I had really hoped to get tickets to a Washington or Pittsburgh game, but no such luck. Oh well, at least I got some!

Let’s see, we’ve got:

• Marian Hossa to Detroit, where he obviously wants to try to win a Cup from the other side of that equation.
• Michael Ryder to Boston, not surprisingly leaving the Habs for our arch-rivals.
• More surprisingly, the Habs also lost Mark Streit to the Islanders. Streit was one of the most valuable Habs last season, and I’m frankly stunned that Gainey didn’t make keeping him into a bigger priority.
• Rangers shit-disturber (and surprising fashionista) Sean Avery heads to Dallas.
• Wade Redden to the Rangers, taking one of the top D-men out of the free agency market.
• Brian Campbell to Chicago, taking care of the other.
• After being traded to the Caps in time for an inspiring playoff run, former Hab netminder Cristobal Huet is heading to Chicago to try to give all the young talent over there a fighting chance.
• To fill that void, the Capitals have acquired Jose Theodore from the Avalanche, who in turn signed Toronto-castoff Andrew Raycroft. Definite downgrades for both teams, there.
• Tampa Bay has signed three free agents, most notably top forward Radim Vrbata, as well as Adam Hall and former Caps’ veteran goaltender Olaf Kolzig. Along with their previous signings of Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts and Vinny Prospal, and their first-round draft of Steve Stamkos, Tampa Bay is clearly determined to dig out of last place in a big way.

And the Habs? Aside from re-signing Andrei Kostitsyn, and picking up Alex Tanguay on draft day, Gainey has been pretty quiet. We lost Ryder (no surprise there) and Streit (big surprise and tough loss) and so far we have nothing to show for it. Not even Sundin, who I don’t even want, but who surely would have signed by now with Montreal if he had any desire to be here.

We cleared cap space, we made offers, but it’s starting to look like Gainey’s highly publicized announcements about his intention to land an “impact” forward will end this year much as they did last year. And I have to wonder how many people will stick to the “In Gainey We Trust” bandwagon this time around.

A) Hockey practice?
B) Starting bar fights?
C) Interning at Vogue magazine?

Yeah, I was kinda surprised too. But I guess a guy who’s dated the likes of Rachel Hunter and Elisha Cuthbert is more than a little comfortable with high style. To all the people who’ve scratched their head at this one, Avery simply claims, “I like clothes. Always have.”

Okay, why not?

Still, the notion of Avery in a Devil-Wears-Prada-esque internship role is more than a little amusing, you gotta admit. What’s next, waving a pair of Manolos in front of Marty Brodeur’s face to distract him?

All things considered, I think Calgary – who picked up Mike Cammellari from LA, came out ahead on this one, upgrading their talent and picking up some key picks. All things considered, I think I would’ve preferred a direct deal with LA for Cammellari.

But, in Bob we trust… Right? Right?

Update #2: The negotiations are officially underway for Mats Sundin. I really, really hope this doesn’t happen.

Update #3: Flyers forward and the Habs’ playoff hopes’ worst nightmare, RJ Umberger, has been traded to Columbus.

Update #4: If the reports are true, Montrealers hoping for a return of native son Vinnie Lecavalier will be very disappointed indeed. Not that it was ever more than wishful thinking, mind you.

Here’s hoping the Mats Sundin to Montreal rumours don’t come true. I know Gainey desperately wants an “impact forward”, but c’mon, we can do so much better than over-the-hill Toronto cast-offs.

Stephen, we know you secretly love Canada. Now can you do us a favour and convince the CBC to further cut costs by axing Don Cherry?

Sad as it is, the Habs defied a lot of expectations this season, and I’m predicting even better things next year. Here’s a salute to the bleu-blanc-rouge. Thanks for a great year!

I don’t want to lose faith in the Habs, but there’s very little hope of them recovering. I think the miracle bag of tricks is gone, and the season is close to being done.

I guess there’s always next season.

I hate the overtime shootout with every fiber of my being. I mention this fact now because I believe a monkey spinning a giant logo-covered carnival wheel is just as entertaining and has as much to do with an actual hockey game as a skills competition deciding a regular season winner.

That’s Greg Wyshynski over at the NHL Experts Blog, in a post about TSN’s famed results-predicting Maggie the Monkey.

For the record, Greg, I couldn’t agree more. Let’s get rid of the shootout during the regular season and go back to 60 minutes plus a 5-minute sudden death overtime. If both teams are still tied after all of that, they each deserve to walk away with a point. End of story.

67 shots on goal (34 by Montreal, 33 by Philly)
60 saves by the two goalies (30 each)
60 percent of faceoffs won by the Habs (71% success rate for Captain K)
48 seconds elapsed in overtime when the winning goal was scored
29 seconds left when the tying goal was scored
4 goals scored by Habs players whose last names start with KO
3 big scoring chances by Montreal that hit the goalpost
2 video-reviewed goals (both awarded, but narrowly)
2 brothers netting points
2 powerplay goals
1 short-handed goal
1 goal scored on our own net (Brisebois back in vintage form)
1 missed penalty shot

And a partridge in a pear tree.

Yes, it was a weird game. But at the end of the day, all that matters is the win column. 1-0 Habs after 1, so far, so good.

That means we’ll be taking on the Flyers in Round 2. As much as it would have been fun to see an Ovechkin-Crosby matchup, it’s probably good news for us that we will be taking on the Flyers, against whom we went 4-0 this season, instead of the Rangers. Despite our historic comeback win against the Rangers in February, they’re a tough team to beat. Besides, let the Pens deal with Avery’s Antics.

Of course, the Flyers won’t exactly be a cakewalk. They play a hard physical style of hockey, and the series with the Bruins should teach us exactly what a season sweep of a team is worth in the playoffs: not much. But I believe we can do it. I have faith in these guys.

With Calgary’s game 7 elimination tonight at the hands of the San Jose Sharks, Montreal is now the only remaining Canadian team in the playoffs. The eyes of the nation (including plenty of green eyes in Toronto) will now turn to Montreal to keep the dream alive of finally bringing the Stanley Cup home to Canada where it belongs, after 15 long years. No pressure, eh?

Go Habs Go!

It sounds like we won the Stanley Cup out there, with all the horns honking and people partying in the streets. But no, all we did was win round 1 to advance to round 2.

Not that it was easy, mind you. The Bruins battled back against all expectations and took us to a game 7 that was making even the faithful lose heart. Whatever anyone expected from tonight’s game, it wasn’t this.

And by “this”, of course, I mean a 5-0 blowout shutout, to much singing and cheering, of the Bruins – who suddenly looked much like the hapless team we played all season, and not like the team who game within a shade of one of the biggest upsets in hockey history.

And I got to witness it from the reds of the Bell Centre. Great view!

Now… onto round 2. Go Habs Go!

Update: For the record, I think that the rioting was not only disgraceful, but completely idiotic. WTF??? I mean, it’s only round 1. At least wait until we win the cup. Sheesh!

The Habs completely quit tonight – on each other, on their team, on their coach and on their fans. They gave up. Therefore, they choked. Andrei Markov’s exasperated shrug on the powerplay late in the third said it all. In case that message wasn’t received, Carey Price’s refusal to even try to save the fifth goal drove the point home.

The Bruins won because they refused to quit. And now, instead of going to the golf course, they get to go home, down 3-2 in the series but holding all the momentum cards.

How does an offense that was #1 in the NHL all season collapse so miserably? How does the league’s top powerplay fall apart so spectacularly? How does a team that went 8-0 against the Bruins in the regular season let a playoff series that ought to have been a blowout get to game 6?

The Canadiens are going to be doing a lot of soul-searching between now and Saturday. Let’s hope that includes a lesson in perseverence. I still believe that this team has it in them. Let’s hope they start believing that about themselves. Because, as the saying goes, quitters never win, and winners never quit.

“An unsportsmanlike conduct minor penalty will be interpreted and applied, effective immediately, to a situation when an offensive player positions himself facing the opposition goaltender and engages in actions such as waving his arms or stick in front of the goaltender’s face, for the purpose of improperly interfering with and/or distracting the goaltender as opposed to positioning himself to try to make a play,” Colin Campbell, the NHL director of hockey operations said in a statement.”

Must be some kind of record. Avery is probably pretty pleased with himself right now.

I’m taking playoff predictions as of now. Who do you think will claim the Cup this year?

With the division title, the possible conference title, the #1 offensive record in the NHL, it’s safe to say that the Canadiens have not only exceeded expectations this season, they’ve knocked everyone’s socks off.

One year ago, the picture was very different. The Habs were fighting for a playoff spot, and needed to beat the Leafs in the final game of the season in order to clinch a spot. The Leafs came back to win that game and the Habs went home dejected. What a difference a year makes!

Now as we head into the post-season, it’s a whole new game where once again, anything can happen. Will our unbeaten streak against the Bruins translate into a first-round win, or will the Bruins fight back? Will Carey Price continue his stellar play, or will his inexperience do him in? Will injuries plague us, or will we get our healthy team back together for a real run? Could this be the Habs’ year to make a real run at the Cup?

Whatever happens in the weeks ahead, here’s a salute to the Canadiens for making the fans and the city proud. Go Habs Go!

At the beginning of the season, would anyone – even the most die-hard fan – have picked this to happen? It’s been an unbelivable season, and here’s hoping for a great post-season.

(The Leafs, of course, will be teeing off on the golf course very shortly.)

Go Habs!

Tomas Plekanec, who scored the lone “real” goal of the game, said it best: “We didn’t play a great game tonight, but thanks to Huet, we ended up with a win.”

That said, following Saturday’s disgraceful loss to the Leafs, we’ll take a victory at this point. And Huet, at least, can celebrate knowing he deserved the shutout on his record. Still, I’ll expect better things from the bleu-blanc-rouge on Thursday against Boston.

We have some young promising talent in training camp this year, and there’s a long history of teams proving that you don’t need the superstars to be good. I hope that Gainey and Carbs get the team into gear this year, push them to realize their potential and to play a more offensive style of hockey that can actually get us somewhere.

But when players are turning down offers from Montreal to sign for less money elsewhere, it doesn’t bode well for the long-term future of the team. Have we reached the point where Montreal’s media-frenzied Hockeymania is driving too many talented players away, sending them running scared? How long can we keep going down that path before we turn into the NHL’s major league farm team?

I have to say, though, that I love living in a city where hockey is front-page news in July.

I’m disappointed for the Sens – this marks the third straight year that a Canadian team has made it to the finals and lost. And it means that *still* the Cup hasn’t come back home above the border since 1993, when my Habs took it. Sad, ain’t it?

Anyway I have to grudgingly admit that the Ducks earned it. They were the stronger team in this series and the win was well deserved.

Well, it’s all over until next season – no more hockey for the summer. Which of course means that the front page of the sports section every single day between now and September will be devoted to… hockey of course.

Markov was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, but he’d made it plain that he wants to stay in Montreal. This deal should make Markov, the club, and the fans very happy.

However, it does raise big questions about Sheldon Souray’s future with the Habs. With the Markov deal reported to be worth about $5 million a season, it’s highly unlikely that there will be room in the Habs’ payroll for Souray, despite his being a key player on the team and having expressed a desire to stay. Souray becomes an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, and it’s now more likely than ever that he’ll chase a big offer elsewhere.

Overall, I’d have to say the Habs made the right move, even if it means losing Souray. While Souray tallied up the points on the powerplay, he isn’t as strong an all-around player or a defenseman as Markov. But there’s no doubt that finding a way to keep both players would be the ideal situation. I just doubt that it’s in the cards.

Since my Habs aren’t there, I’m now on the Sens’ bandwagon, so it was definitely a lot of fun being in Ottawa yesterday to see the town celebrate after the Sens beat the Sabres for a spot in the Cup Finals. Lots of honking horns, drinking, flag-waving, cheering, chanting, partying, and a random guy stripping near Byward Market (don’t ask).

I’m still sad it’s not Montreal. But since it can’t, Go Sens Go!

(Now that Gilles Duceppe’s 24-hour run for PQ leadership is over, he can return to his important parliamentary duties, like attacking Shane Doan. I’d venture to say that Doan, wearing his gold medal, probably won’t much care.)

The issue erupted on Parliament Hill this week as opposition parties criticized Doan’s selection as captain. Members of the Conservative government agreed with them that Hockey Canada should be asked to tell their side of the story and voted with the opposition to schedule a hearing before a parliamentary committee to explain why Doan was named captain.

All this because last year, someone accused Shane Doan of making a derogatory comment about francophones. He was cleared by a subsequent league investigation, not that the accusation was even worthy of an investigation in the first place. And here it is again, the subject of a full-scale government inquiry.

Don’t we have any middle eastern countries to invade or something?

If only the reffing had been more fair… if only Huet hadn’t let in that soft goal in the first period… if only Steve Begin hadn’t taken the world’s worst double-minor for the world’s dumbest slash… if only…

Ah well, there’s always next season.

Well, more or less.

If the Habs walk away with 2 points tonight, we head to Buffalo. If the Leafs win, they have to hope that the Islanders lose to New Jersey tomorrow. And the potentially complicating factor is that if the Habs lose in overtime, we still head to the post-season… unless the Isles win tomorrow.

None of that will matter if we win tonight, though. So as grocery stores across the city are full of people lining up to pay for beer and potato chips, and bars get the big screens out and tuned to CBC or RDS, the eyes of the nation will turn to the Air Canada Centre tonight.

Go Habs Go! (And Lose Leafs Lose!)

The Rangers and the Leafs are both in the playoff race against us, but a Rangers’ win was actually the best thing for the Habs tonight, because it kept us in 8th place. Not to mention, I just like seeing the Leafs lose on general principle, and seeing them embarrassed is just icing on the cake. Especially when it involves Tucker being knocked flat on his ass.

Now, this doesn’t mean I’ll have any love left for Avery when we face the Rangers on Thursday. But for tonight only, the man’s my hero.

Opening prayers:
Thanks, God, for creating wine. (Drink wine.)
Thanks for creating produce. (Eat parsley.)

Overview:
Once we were slaves in Egypt. Now we’re free. That’s why we’re doing this.

Four questions:
1. What’s up with the matzoh?
2. What’s the deal with horseradish?
3. What’s with the dipping of the herbs?
4. What’s this whole slouching at the table business?

Answers:
1. When we left Egypt, we were in a hurry. There was no time for making decent bread.
2. Life was bitter, like horseradish.
3. It’s called symbolism.
4. Free people get to slouch.

A funny story:
Once, these five rabbis talked all night, then it was morning. (Heat soup now.)

The four kinds of children and how to deal with them:
Wise child-explain Passover.
Simple child-explain Passover slowly.
Silent child-explain Passover loudly.
Wicked child-browbeat in front of the relatives.

Speaking of children:
We hid some matzoh. Whoever finds it gets five bucks.

The story of Passover:
It’s a long time ago. We’re slaves in Egypt. Pharaoh is a nightmare. We cry out for help. God brings plagues upon the Egyptians. We escape, bake some matzoh. God parts the Red Sea. We make it through; the Egyptians aren’t so lucky. We wander 40 years in the desert, eat manna, get the Torah, wind up in Israel, get a new temple, enjoy several years without being persecuted again. (Let brisket cool now.)

The 10 Plagues:
Blood, Frogs, Lice-you name it.

The singing of “Dayenu”:
If God had gotten us out of Egypt and not punished our enemies, it would’ve been enough.
If he’d punished our enemies and not parted the Red Sea, if would’ve been enough.
If he’d parted the Red Sea-(Remove gefilte fish from refrigerator now.)

Eat matzoh. Drink more wine. Slouch.

Thanks again, God, for everything.

SERVE MEAL.

Watch the Habs punish the Bruins on Tuesday night.

(Via e-mail forward from relatives).

Update: It was a bit of a nail-biter against Buffalo tonight, but a win nonetheless. Way to go, Les Boys!

But even the Habs’ winning streak – 6 out of the last 7 – may not be enough. So far, we’ve kept pace but we haven’t advanced into the magic Top 8. Even a perfect record won’t get us a playoff spot if the Rangers, Isles, ‘Canes, Bolts and Leafs (especially the Leafs) don’t start choking, soon.

It’s the home stretch now, Les Boys. Every game’s a must-win. Can we pull it off? Stay tuned.

Finalists will compete in Oshawa, Ontario on March 20, which has been declared “Stephen Colbert Day” by Mayor John Gray. The winner will get a trip to New York City to attend a taping of The Colbert Report.

“There are two kinds of people in this world; those that are Stephen Colbert and those that wannabe Stephen Colbert. Most people fall into the second category. So here’s a chance for all the wannabe Colbert’s to step up,” said Brent Haynes of the Comedy Network, in a release.

March 20th is the mayor of Oshawa’s birthday; it was declared Stephen Colbert Day thanks to Colbert winning a hockey bet.

I’ll have to take their word for it, I suppose. I was otherwise occupied, watching the Habs beat the Isles 5-3 from seats in the reds that gave me a great view of the game’s many blows – including the head-on collision between Steve Begin and Rick DiPietro. It was a night of heated hockey, and a fantastic comeback win for Les Boys, who picked up what might be a critical two points in the race to squeeze into the playoffs.

Can’t say I’m too heartbroken about missing the debate. All told, I think I got the much better show.

The O2 Arena, Europe’s most state-of-the-art entertainment venue, will stage the historic games on Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30.

“Our commitment to grow the game globally has never been stronger,” NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said. “The NHL is extremely proud to be represented in London by two great hockey organizations in the Ducks and Kings as well as to be recording NHL history at such a fantastic facility in the O2.”

Something tells me that the Brits won’t suddenly fall for hockey en masse. Though the sport is not all that different from their beloved football, it suffers from a few massive drawbacks in translation; namely, the hiding of players’ hairdos under helmets, the low tolerance for diving, the game’s general absence of irony in favour of straightforward vulgarity, the utter and complete lack of any good hockey songs (Stompin’ Tom Connors doesn’t count), and the fact that – especially with the new format – more than one goal tends to be scored in a game. Not to mention the whole pesky played-on-ice thing.

On the other hand, there are probably enough expat Canadians living in London to fill the arena. Which begs the question of why they’d send two California teams instead of two Canadian ones. Retribution for David Beckham, perhaps?

Last night’s routing of the Leafs was marred by the display of Aebischer as only slightly-less-shaky than Rayyyyyyyycroft. And the Habs are 20 minutes away from being shut out on Broadway tonight.

All this doesn’t exactly add up to a team pouring its heart and soul into a drive for the playoffs.

Conclusion: Gainey, Carbs et al have given up. *Sigh*.

The rest of the league has stepped up the level of play to playoff-intensity, but the Habs are still languishing in lazy mode. Two months ago, the mere suggestion that we might not make the playoffs was laughable. Now, it seems not only possible, but probable, unless we dramatically turn things around.

It’s tough being a Habs fan these days, I tell ya.

But it was Ken Dryden’s night. The legendary goaltender (and now elected MP, since in this country we know full well that hockey players make the best politicians, and the rare *smart* hockey players make even better ones) had his number retired last night. He accepted the honour with humility and humour:

“Watching, waiting, not doing much of anything,” Dryden joked to the crowd about his signature stance. “That is pretty much what the 1970s were all about – that and a whole lot of Stanley Cups.”

Today’s Habs have a lot to live up to. But, judging by how they played last night, they were inspired to at least try.

Anyone know where I can get my ticket?

That sound you’re hearing is Guy Carbonneau’s giant sigh of relief. Let’s hope they can keep it up!

As a female hockey fan, I find this article downright insulting. You write as though women have suddenly just discovered that – hey, guess what? – our national pastime can be lots of fun to watch!

I’m not sure which is worse: The suggestion that female fans just like to ogle the hot players, or the implication that women are more into hockey these days because we’re “entering” the business arena and pursuing equality in other areas as well. Wake up, guys, this is 2007; we’ve “entered” the business arena a good long time ago, and the hockey arena as well.

Women make up nearly half of all fans attending NHL games. We follow the plays, read the papers, look at the statistics and the trades, debate the coaching strategies and line juggling, and appreciate a great comeback or an exciting goal just as much as any man does. One of my favourite girls’ night activities is going to a Habs’ game with a girlfriend, or getting together with a bunch of friends to watch a game on the big screen. We are devoted fans and have been for a long time. Reporting this as “news” suggests to me that you are completely out of touch with reality.

And that’s just women who watch the sport. You have completely failed to mention those who play it. The number of participants in women’s hockey has increased 400% in the past decade. Women play in leagues – both competitive and recreational – all over the country. I think if you asked Cassie Campbell, Danielle Goyette, Hayley Wickenheiser, or any of our gold-medal winning national team players, they might point out that not only do Canadian women play hockey, but they play it exceptionally well.

It’s attitudes like those expressed in this article that ensure that women’s hockey constantly gets the short shrift, both in terms of funding and in terms of publicity. Women like hockey, period – and we don’t need pink Habs’ t-shirts to be fans, either.

I politely suggest that you get your head checked. Into the boards. Hard.

Update: The Gazette published my letter on the subject.

Still, Carbs had better get the team in shape in time to face the surging Sens by tomorrow, who are only three points back.

Still our game.

It’s obvious that the Habs are saddened by the Gainey family’s loss. The team held a poignant moment of silence before the start of tonight’s game against Boston, and it was obvious that the thoughts and prayers of the crowd were with the family as well.

Eat your heart out, Toronto!

And if they ever start a Hockey Hall of Shame, then Mario Tremblay and Rejean Houle would get my vote.

Way to go, les boys.

• Congress: Democrats take control with a projected 16-seat gain.
• Senate: Still too close to call, but looks like the Republicans will narrowly hang on.
• Hockey: Habs 3-2 over Oilers in a shootout.

Everyone knows which one of those is the most important in my book, of course.

Nice to see Latendresse score his first NHL goal. Playing on the top line tonight, this was his big chance, and I’m glad to see him capitalize.

There’s still 17 minutes left in the game, so Go Habs!

Hell, we’re playing better a man down than we are at even-strength. We’re ranked in among the top 3 in the NHL right now on the penalty kill. And after the two shorthanded goals that contributed to last night’s 4-0 blanking of the defending Cup champs, this is a surefire strategy for success!

Okay, maybe not.

Sure, we had some unlucky bounces and made some unfortunate mistakes, but really, if it weren’t for Miller’s spectacular goaltending, it could’ve just as easily gone the other way. A loss is always a shame, but tonight’s game was better than the outcome.

Oh well.

As much as I want to be optimistic about my Habs, I realistically don’t believe that this is our year; we’re still way too much in a rebuilding phase. While I’ll save my real predicting for my fantasy hockey league, I think Buffalo looks good in the East, while San Jose and Calgary should be very competitive in the West. Seasons usually hinge on skaters and playoffs usually hinge on goalies, anyway, so it will be interesting to see how things play out.

Long live the greatest game on ice!

It was the first time I’ve ever been to an exhibition game, and I wasn’t expecting it to have quite the same excitement level as a season or playoff game. Luckily, I was wrong. Even despite Latendresse’s ejection from the game in the first two minutes, and the fact that we spent half the night killing penalties, it was easily some of the most exciting hockey I’ve ever seen.

Can’t wait for the real season to begin next week.

This much-touted bilingual cop caper is an over-the-top parody of every shopworn Two Solitudes cliché in the book, with a whole lot of Québécois swearing thrown in for good measure. Anyone who takes this movie too seriously, and goes looking for minor things such as plot, suspense, logic or insight into human nature will probably be disappointed. But if you want to see some equal-opportunity bashing in two languages, then it’s highly worth the price of admission.

I hope some of you reading this in the ROC will go see this little gem when it’s released in theatres across the nation. Patrick Huard has perfect comic timing and one of those rubber faces and I hope this is the film to finally give him some much-deserved crossover success. Colm Feore is good at comedy – who knew? And Louis-Jose Houde steals every scene he’s in. The hockey plot as a backdrop is ludicrous, of course, but that’s kind of the point. It’s self-aware parody, and should be viewed as such.

Oh, and Rick Mercer’s imitation of Don Cherry is priceless.

With all these one-year contracts, Gainey must be planning a lot of trades this season, or else it’s going to be real trouble come next summer.

I can’t help but wonder if there are hockey fans running Hezbollah. Because this has so far been a foolproof strategy for them: Instigate a conflict by kidnapping some soldiers and launching some rockets, and watch the world penalize Israel for its retaliation. Two minutes for bombing.

Maybe it’s time to give the Israeli army some hockey coaching. What could we tell them that would help? “Keep your head up”? “Communicate with your teammates”? Actually, the best hockey-esque advice I think Israel can hear right now is to avoid pissing off the refs any more than necessary, even if they are about as biased as they get. Hezbollah’s never going to play by the rules, but Israel needs to remember that it is bound by them. By all means, play some solid defence, but don’t get dragged into playing Hezbollah’s game.

Any hockey coaches out there who want to elaborate?

(Here’s a thought: Maybe we could settle this whole conflict in a hockey match! Israel against Hezbollah. Or, even, Israel against Hamas. With all the Russian immigration in the past number of years to Israel, we’re pretty much assured victory).

In other big news, Zednik won’t be back next season; after a disappointing year, the Z-man is off to Washington.

Gainey has been steadily signing most of last year’s young talent to (mainly short-term) contracts. Still notably unsigned are Ryder, Perezhogin, and acquired-for-Theo Aebischer. More notably, we haven’t been dipping too heavily into the free agent pool. Will next year’s Habs be able to compete?