This has been a funny (as in strange) week maybe it’s just because spring is right around the corner and people are starting to lose it after a long miserable Montreal winter. I usually listen to Pierre McGuire every day at 5:25 PM on the Team 990. I don’t always agree with him, but for the most part he’s pretty well grounded and sensible with his hockey opinions. Who would have guessed that the seemingly innocuous trade of Steve Begin to Dallas for Doug Janik would push Pierre over the edge? He went right off the deep end, ranting and raving like a lunatic to Mitch Melnick. “Tell me Mitch, how is this guy Doug Janik going to better the Habs?” “Just tell me that, will ya?” Mitch explains how Gainey was in essence doing Begin a favor because Begin had asked Bob that if the possibility presented itself he’d like to be traded somewhere where he would see more ice time. Bob saw an opportunity with Dallas and arranged it for Steve. McGuire throws a hissy fit, "this is a business not the freaking Salvation Army!" Good grief McGuire, get a hold of yourself. Melnick commented yesterday that McGuire overreacted. That’s an understatement. I wish Steve the best and I’ll sure miss those gorgeous baby blues. He gave us his all and I like the fact the Bob Gainey looks after his players, McGuire can get stuffed.
I’ve decided there’s nothing wrong with Kovy having to spend an hour on Dr. Bob’s sofa once a year to re-orientate himself. Small investment for big dividends.
A strange sighting during the Flyers game last night, I could have sworn it was Kovy skating the puck down the rink right into the Flyers zone, around the back of the net trying to score a wrap around goal. Much to my shock and surprise it was Higgins. I never thought Higgy could hang on to the puck that long, it was very Kovyesque so maybe there’s hope for the boy after all, but a more likely scenario is that they’ve given him a Velcro puck and stick to boost his trade value. Poor Higgy, I love the guy but with his unique puck juggling skills he might be a better fit with Cirque de Soleil.
Oh and damn you Bob Gainey, first signing Lang, benching Kovy and now signing Matt Schneider. You’re just ruining it for all the Gainey bashers; they’ll soon be lining up to get an hour on your sofa.
Speaking of Schneider, he now joins the list of former Stanley Cup winning Hab players currently surrounding our team. There’s something going on here and I think it’s by design. My guess is a pagan Stanley Cup ritual that normally just requires a few locks of hair from members of a winning team, but because it’s the centennial year crafty Bob’s not taking any chances.
Shark infested waters tonight, experts recommend that if you have an encounter with sharks that you should punch them in the nose, well what do you know, there’s finally a chance for Laraque to be useful.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
There's something in the air and it ain't spring......
This has been a funny (as in strange) week maybe it’s just because spring is right around the corner and people are starting to lose it after a long miserable Montreal winter. I usually listen to Pierre McGuire every day at 5:25 PM on the Team 990. I don’t always agree with him, but for the most part he’s pretty well grounded and sensible with his hockey opinions. Who would have guessed that the seemingly innocuous trade of Steve Begin to Dallas for Doug Janik would push Pierre over the edge? He went right off the deep end, ranting and raving like a lunatic to Mitch Melnick. “Tell me Mitch, how is this guy Doug Janik going to better the Habs?” “Just tell me that, will ya?” Mitch explains how Gainey was in essence doing Begin a favor because Begin had asked Bob that if the possibility presented itself he’d like to be traded somewhere where he would see more ice time. Bob saw an opportunity with Dallas and arranged it for Steve. McGuire throws a hissy fit, "this is a business not the freaking Salvation Army!" Good grief McGuire, get a hold of yourself. Melnick commented yesterday that McGuire overreacted. That’s an understatement. I wish Steve the best and I’ll sure miss those gorgeous baby blues. He gave us his all and I like the fact the Bob Gainey looks after his players, McGuire can get stuffed.
I’ve decided there’s nothing wrong with Kovy having to spend an hour on Dr. Bob’s sofa once a year to re-orientate himself. Small investment for big dividends.
A strange sighting during the Flyers game last night, I could have sworn it was Kovy skating the puck down the rink right into the Flyers zone, around the back of the net trying to score a wrap around goal. Much to my shock and surprise it was Higgins. I never thought Higgy could hang on to the puck that long, it was very Kovyesque so maybe there’s hope for the boy after all, but a more likely scenario is that they’ve given him a Velcro puck and stick to boost his trade value. Poor Higgy, I love the guy but with his unique puck juggling skills he might be a better fit with Cirque de Soleil.
Oh and damn you Bob Gainey, first signing Lang, benching Kovy and now signing Matt Schneider. You’re just ruining it for all the Gainey bashers; they’ll soon be lining up to get an hour on your sofa.
Speaking of Schneider, he now joins the list of former Stanley Cup winning Hab players currently surrounding our team. There’s something going on here and I think it’s by design. My guess is a pagan Stanley Cup ritual that normally just requires a few locks of hair from members of a winning team, but because it’s the centennial year crafty Bob’s not taking any chances.
Shark infested waters tonight, experts recommend that if you have an encounter with sharks that you should punch them in the nose, well what do you know, there’s finally a chance for Laraque to be useful.
I’ve decided there’s nothing wrong with Kovy having to spend an hour on Dr. Bob’s sofa once a year to re-orientate himself. Small investment for big dividends.
A strange sighting during the Flyers game last night, I could have sworn it was Kovy skating the puck down the rink right into the Flyers zone, around the back of the net trying to score a wrap around goal. Much to my shock and surprise it was Higgins. I never thought Higgy could hang on to the puck that long, it was very Kovyesque so maybe there’s hope for the boy after all, but a more likely scenario is that they’ve given him a Velcro puck and stick to boost his trade value. Poor Higgy, I love the guy but with his unique puck juggling skills he might be a better fit with Cirque de Soleil.
Oh and damn you Bob Gainey, first signing Lang, benching Kovy and now signing Matt Schneider. You’re just ruining it for all the Gainey bashers; they’ll soon be lining up to get an hour on your sofa.
Speaking of Schneider, he now joins the list of former Stanley Cup winning Hab players currently surrounding our team. There’s something going on here and I think it’s by design. My guess is a pagan Stanley Cup ritual that normally just requires a few locks of hair from members of a winning team, but because it’s the centennial year crafty Bob’s not taking any chances.
Shark infested waters tonight, experts recommend that if you have an encounter with sharks that you should punch them in the nose, well what do you know, there’s finally a chance for Laraque to be useful.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Put a cork in it Georges.........
Georges Laraques goes on record to say that he’s not a happy camper; he feels that he’s not being played enough and is tired of sitting. Earth to George, your timing is impeccable; did you not notice that there’s been a lot of shit going on with this team lately? Do you care about this team at all? Do you think for one minute that I believe Guy Carbonneau told you that he doesn’t like your type of player? Your team needs more negative publicity like a dog needs fleas. You knew damn well that saying something like that would stir up the shit again. I’ve been on the fence as far as you’re concerned, the games you’ve managed to play, which have been few and far between because of your injuries you haven’t done what I thought you were hired for. Aside from going a few rounds with some of your fellow heavyweights, I would really have liked to have seen some bone crushing hits to the opposition. I don’t want to see Tom the Bomb or Josh Georges always having to stick up for their teammates and goaltender. That’s your job, that’s what you were hired for. Hit a few bodies and send a message. You’ve got a chance to prove yourself and your right to be in the lineup tomorrow night against Philly. So in a nutshell George, put up or shut up.
Put a cork in it Georges.........
Georges Laraques goes on record to say that he’s not a happy camper; he feels that he’s not being played enough and is tired of sitting. Earth to George, your timing is impeccable; did you not notice that there’s been a lot of shit going on with this team lately? Do you care about this team at all? Do you think for one minute that I believe Guy Carbonneau told you that he doesn’t like your type of player? Your team needs more negative publicity like a dog needs fleas. You knew damn well that saying something like that would stir up the shit again. I’ve been on the fence as far as you’re concerned, the games you’ve managed to play, which have been few and far between because of your injuries you haven’t done what I thought you were hired for. Aside from going a few rounds with some of your fellow heavyweights, I would really have liked to have seen some bone crushing hits to the opposition. I don’t want to see Tom the Bomb or Josh Georges always having to stick up for their teammates and goaltender. That’s your job, that’s what you were hired for. Hit a few bodies and send a message. You’ve got a chance to prove yourself and your right to be in the lineup tomorrow night against Philly. So in a nutshell George, put up or shut up.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Habs vs. Sens and more Moey babble......
Finally a convincing win! I was as nervous as a kitten during this game, even when we were up 4-0. I kept thinking that somehow the Habs would let it slip away like they’ve done so many times in the past. I kept yelling “score another one”, I was uneasy until the final seconds of the third ticked down to zero and then let out a huge sigh of relief. They’ve slowly improved since the Caps game I hope they build on this one to get some momentum going. Bob Gainey is one smart cookie, his biggest trade so far was bad Kovy for good Kovy. Another bright spot is that Alex Tanguay is supposed to be back next week adding more firepower to the offense. What a shot Matt Schneider has, reminiscent of my boy Shelly, another great acquisition of Bob’s, our PP has risen from the dead.
Another topic I want to discuss is about misconceptions, speculations and rumors. Why is it human nature (and I’ll include myself in this, I can be a guilty as the next person) to automatically assume the worst about people? We tend to shoot first then ask questions later. The Kovy drama is a perfect example. The local news preview on the Kovy affair was “Alex Kovalev has played his last game in Montreal”. That’s not credible reporting, they’re stating some facts and mixing their own opinions with it. It really bugs me, even the Gazette writers can’t help but put some of their own insights into a story and all that does is put fuel on the fire, it reminds me of the old game of telephone. Remember when we were kids sitting in a circle, the first person would say a word or a phrase and by the time it got to the last person it came out completely different than what was actually said. All Bob Gainey announced was that Kovalev would be staying home for a few days of rest, that his play wasn’t helping the team. That took on a whole life of its own, between the media and the fans he he'd played his last game, he was being traded, one good one was there were one captain too many on the Habs and they’ve just killed one. The news should simply be facts, nothing more. What’s really puzzling is why we are so negative in our rush to judgments. Are we becoming Brits? Kick them when they’re down then feeling the guilt we have the need to build them back up. I’ve stated that Kovalev is moody, egotistical and high maintenance. I don’t know any of these things, I don’t know Kovy or anyone who does know him so I’m believing what I’ve read about him and making it fact. He obviously can’t be any of those things or he wouldn’t have come back, period. My apologies Alex and to the crow population which I fear after this week may be on the verge of extinction.
Another topic I want to discuss is about misconceptions, speculations and rumors. Why is it human nature (and I’ll include myself in this, I can be a guilty as the next person) to automatically assume the worst about people? We tend to shoot first then ask questions later. The Kovy drama is a perfect example. The local news preview on the Kovy affair was “Alex Kovalev has played his last game in Montreal”. That’s not credible reporting, they’re stating some facts and mixing their own opinions with it. It really bugs me, even the Gazette writers can’t help but put some of their own insights into a story and all that does is put fuel on the fire, it reminds me of the old game of telephone. Remember when we were kids sitting in a circle, the first person would say a word or a phrase and by the time it got to the last person it came out completely different than what was actually said. All Bob Gainey announced was that Kovalev would be staying home for a few days of rest, that his play wasn’t helping the team. That took on a whole life of its own, between the media and the fans he he'd played his last game, he was being traded, one good one was there were one captain too many on the Habs and they’ve just killed one. The news should simply be facts, nothing more. What’s really puzzling is why we are so negative in our rush to judgments. Are we becoming Brits? Kick them when they’re down then feeling the guilt we have the need to build them back up. I’ve stated that Kovalev is moody, egotistical and high maintenance. I don’t know any of these things, I don’t know Kovy or anyone who does know him so I’m believing what I’ve read about him and making it fact. He obviously can’t be any of those things or he wouldn’t have come back, period. My apologies Alex and to the crow population which I fear after this week may be on the verge of extinction.
Habs vs. Sens and more Moey babble......
Finally a convincing win! I was as nervous as a kitten during this game, even when we were up 4-0. I kept thinking that somehow the Habs would let it slip away like they’ve done so many times in the past. I kept yelling “score another one”, I was uneasy until the final seconds of the third ticked down to zero and then let out a huge sigh of relief. They’ve slowly improved since the Caps game I hope they build on this one to get some momentum going. Bob Gainey is one smart cookie, his biggest trade so far was bad Kovy for good Kovy. Another bright spot is that Alex Tanguay is supposed to be back next week adding more firepower to the offense. What a shot Matt Schneider has, reminiscent of my boy Shelly, another great acquisition of Bob’s, our PP has risen from the dead.
Another topic I want to discuss is about misconceptions, speculations and rumors. Why is it human nature (and I’ll include myself in this, I can be a guilty as the next person) to automatically assume the worst about people? We tend to shoot first then ask questions later. The Kovy drama is a perfect example. The local news preview on the Kovy affair was “Alex Kovalev has played his last game in Montreal”. That’s not credible reporting, they’re stating some facts and mixing their own opinions with it. It really bugs me, even the Gazette writers can’t help but put some of their own insights into a story and all that does is put fuel on the fire, it reminds me of the old game of telephone. Remember when we were kids sitting in a circle, the first person would say a word or a phrase and by the time it got to the last person it came out completely different than what was actually said. All Bob Gainey announced was that Kovalev would be staying home for a few days of rest, that his play wasn’t helping the team. That took on a whole life of its own, between the media and the fans he he'd played his last game, he was being traded, one good one was there were one captain too many on the Habs and they’ve just killed one. The news should simply be facts, nothing more. What’s really puzzling is why we are so negative in our rush to judgments. Are we becoming Brits? Kick them when they’re down then feeling the guilt we have the need to build them back up. I’ve stated that Kovalev is moody, egotistical and high maintenance. I don’t know any of these things, I don’t know Kovy or anyone who does know him so I’m believing what I’ve read about him and making it fact. He obviously can’t be any of those things or he wouldn’t have come back, period. My apologies Alex and to the crow population which I fear after this week may be on the verge of extinction.
Another topic I want to discuss is about misconceptions, speculations and rumors. Why is it human nature (and I’ll include myself in this, I can be a guilty as the next person) to automatically assume the worst about people? We tend to shoot first then ask questions later. The Kovy drama is a perfect example. The local news preview on the Kovy affair was “Alex Kovalev has played his last game in Montreal”. That’s not credible reporting, they’re stating some facts and mixing their own opinions with it. It really bugs me, even the Gazette writers can’t help but put some of their own insights into a story and all that does is put fuel on the fire, it reminds me of the old game of telephone. Remember when we were kids sitting in a circle, the first person would say a word or a phrase and by the time it got to the last person it came out completely different than what was actually said. All Bob Gainey announced was that Kovalev would be staying home for a few days of rest, that his play wasn’t helping the team. That took on a whole life of its own, between the media and the fans he he'd played his last game, he was being traded, one good one was there were one captain too many on the Habs and they’ve just killed one. The news should simply be facts, nothing more. What’s really puzzling is why we are so negative in our rush to judgments. Are we becoming Brits? Kick them when they’re down then feeling the guilt we have the need to build them back up. I’ve stated that Kovalev is moody, egotistical and high maintenance. I don’t know any of these things, I don’t know Kovy or anyone who does know him so I’m believing what I’ve read about him and making it fact. He obviously can’t be any of those things or he wouldn’t have come back, period. My apologies Alex and to the crow population which I fear after this week may be on the verge of extinction.
Friday, February 20, 2009
A fitting end to a not so great week.......
How much more crap can they possibly heap on our Habs? I was driving into work this morning listening to Francois Gagnon on the Team 990; he was talking about the big “scandal” that La Presse has been working on for the past two weeks. What a load of hogwash and then to add insult to injury I hit this mother of a pothole, a loud kaboom followed by an emphatic “oh f@ck”, what a great start to the day. I managed to get to a side street, put on the flashers and got out to survey the damage. My front tire looked as if a rabid dog had attacked it. A huge rip in the sidewall and Lord knows what condition the rim was in. Of course first thing I have to do is call the other half, I’m not a helpless female by any means, he was already at work in downtown Montreal, I wasn’t calling him to rescue me but he still needs to feel my pain, what can I say, it’s a chick thing. I just hung up when another car limps around the corner with its flashers on; the bloody crater has claimed another victim. By the time I called a tow truck there were three of us, cars were dropping like flies. So there we were, three chicks, (yes I know what you’re all thinking) one Italian, one French and me the token Anglo, communication was not an issue, the word fu@k is universal. We exchanged names and phone numbers, agreed we’d love to go after the city for the damages, but from what I hear they won’t take any responsibility for it. It makes me so damn mad, all the taxes we pay and this is the third tire in three years that I’ve had to replace for the same reason. The tow truck finally arrived, we went to the gas station, there was some good news, the rim didn’t need to be replaced. They poured me a cup of coffee and I read the sports section of the Gazette to pass the time, so much for cheering myself up. I finally made it into the office for 9:30 AM, my one consolation in all of this was that Habs are having a much rougher time of it and I’d gladly take a flat tire over being in Bob Gainey’s or Guy Carbonneau’s shoes thank you very much. Something’s got to give, the team needs to catch a break, and I can’t believe how petty the French media is. The more I thought of it, do we really need media coverage on the Habs? We have eyes, we can see who’s playing and who’s not and on what line. We know if they’re playing well, we don’t need a reporter to tell us. Who among us gives a flying f@ck about what they get up to in their personal lives? I don’t, I’m only interested in watching some decent hockey and hoping that we make it into the playoffs. I wish we could boycott the media and put a stop to this garbage, but that and trying to fight city hall over potholes would just be another exercise in futility.
A fitting end to a not so great week.......
How much more crap can they possibly heap on our Habs? I was driving into work this morning listening to Francois Gagnon on the Team 990; he was talking about the big “scandal” that La Presse has been working on for the past two weeks. What a load of hogwash and then to add insult to injury I hit this mother of a pothole, a loud kaboom followed by an emphatic “oh f@ck”, what a great start to the day. I managed to get to a side street, put on the flashers and got out to survey the damage. My front tire looked as if a rabid dog had attacked it. A huge rip in the sidewall and Lord knows what condition the rim was in. Of course first thing I have to do is call the other half, I’m not a helpless female by any means, he was already at work in downtown Montreal, I wasn’t calling him to rescue me but he still needs to feel my pain, what can I say, it’s a chick thing. I just hung up when another car limps around the corner with its flashers on; the bloody crater has claimed another victim. By the time I called a tow truck there were three of us, cars were dropping like flies. So there we were, three chicks, (yes I know what you’re all thinking) one Italian, one French and me the token Anglo, communication was not an issue, the word fu@k is universal. We exchanged names and phone numbers, agreed we’d love to go after the city for the damages, but from what I hear they won’t take any responsibility for it. It makes me so damn mad, all the taxes we pay and this is the third tire in three years that I’ve had to replace for the same reason. The tow truck finally arrived, we went to the gas station, there was some good news, the rim didn’t need to be replaced. They poured me a cup of coffee and I read the sports section of the Gazette to pass the time, so much for cheering myself up. I finally made it into the office for 9:30 AM, my one consolation in all of this was that Habs are having a much rougher time of it and I’d gladly take a flat tire over being in Bob Gainey’s or Guy Carbonneau’s shoes thank you very much. Something’s got to give, the team needs to catch a break, and I can’t believe how petty the French media is. The more I thought of it, do we really need media coverage on the Habs? We have eyes, we can see who’s playing and who’s not and on what line. We know if they’re playing well, we don’t need a reporter to tell us. Who among us gives a flying f@ck about what they get up to in their personal lives? I don’t, I’m only interested in watching some decent hockey and hoping that we make it into the playoffs. I wish we could boycott the media and put a stop to this garbage, but that and trying to fight city hall over potholes would just be another exercise in futility.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Habs vs. Pens....
That was an interesting game, started off a real snoozer but picked up in the second. I’m not going ballistic over this loss, these guys are dead tired emotionally and physically, a tough road trip combined with all the drama and bullshit has to take its toll. Rumor has it Kovy is back at practice tomorrow, if that’s the case the media will have a field day. I was reading comments tonight on Mike Boone’s live blog on Habsinsideout, maybe a name change should be in order "Fans behaving badly" or "The View from the Outhouse" comes to mind. All that negativity could single handedly bring down the team, that blog is an excellent example of self-fulfilling prophecies
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself. Although examples of such prophecies can be found in literature as far back as ancient Greece and ancient India, it is 20th-century sociologist Robert K. Merton who is credited with coining the expression "self-fulfilling prophecy" and formalizing its structure and consequences. In his book Social Theory and Social Structure, Merton gives as a feature of the self-fulfilling prophecy:
“ The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come 'true'. This specious validity of the self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuates a reign of error. For the prophet will cite the actual course of events as proof that he was right from the very beginning.[1]
”
In other words, a prophecy declared as truth when it is actually false may sufficiently influence people, either through fear or logical confusion, so that their reactions ultimately fulfill the once-false prophecy.
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself. Although examples of such prophecies can be found in literature as far back as ancient Greece and ancient India, it is 20th-century sociologist Robert K. Merton who is credited with coining the expression "self-fulfilling prophecy" and formalizing its structure and consequences. In his book Social Theory and Social Structure, Merton gives as a feature of the self-fulfilling prophecy:
“ The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come 'true'. This specious validity of the self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuates a reign of error. For the prophet will cite the actual course of events as proof that he was right from the very beginning.[1]
”
In other words, a prophecy declared as truth when it is actually false may sufficiently influence people, either through fear or logical confusion, so that their reactions ultimately fulfill the once-false prophecy.
Habs vs. Pens....
That was an interesting game, started off a real snoozer but picked up in the second. I’m not going ballistic over this loss, these guys are dead tired emotionally and physically, a tough road trip combined with all the drama and bullshit has to take its toll. Rumor has it Kovy is back at practice tomorrow, if that’s the case the media will have a field day. I was reading comments tonight on Mike Boone’s live blog on Habsinsideout, maybe a name change should be in order "Fans behaving badly" or "The View from the Outhouse" comes to mind. All that negativity could single handedly bring down the team, that blog is an excellent example of self-fulfilling prophecies
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself. Although examples of such prophecies can be found in literature as far back as ancient Greece and ancient India, it is 20th-century sociologist Robert K. Merton who is credited with coining the expression "self-fulfilling prophecy" and formalizing its structure and consequences. In his book Social Theory and Social Structure, Merton gives as a feature of the self-fulfilling prophecy:
“ The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come 'true'. This specious validity of the self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuates a reign of error. For the prophet will cite the actual course of events as proof that he was right from the very beginning.[1]
”
In other words, a prophecy declared as truth when it is actually false may sufficiently influence people, either through fear or logical confusion, so that their reactions ultimately fulfill the once-false prophecy.
A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that directly or indirectly causes itself to become true, by the very terms of the prophecy itself. Although examples of such prophecies can be found in literature as far back as ancient Greece and ancient India, it is 20th-century sociologist Robert K. Merton who is credited with coining the expression "self-fulfilling prophecy" and formalizing its structure and consequences. In his book Social Theory and Social Structure, Merton gives as a feature of the self-fulfilling prophecy:
“ The self-fulfilling prophecy is, in the beginning, a false definition of the situation evoking a new behaviour which makes the original false conception come 'true'. This specious validity of the self-fulfilling prophecy perpetuates a reign of error. For the prophet will cite the actual course of events as proof that he was right from the very beginning.[1]
”
In other words, a prophecy declared as truth when it is actually false may sufficiently influence people, either through fear or logical confusion, so that their reactions ultimately fulfill the once-false prophecy.
As the stomach churns.......
What a week so far, never a dull moment in Habsland. They can take you from the depths of despair one minute to cheering for them the next. I was really nervous about the game last night, especially going up against Washington. Would Price be up to it or would he have permanent puck indents all over his torso. Well, it turned out okay, would have been nice to have won in the shootout, Kovy where are you? I was spitting mad when that ridiculous piece surfaced about Kovy talking to a friend of a friend about not playing another game in Montreal. I really have no time for most of the media. I was screaming at the TV, “leave him alone”. The guy gets publicly spanked; leave him in peace to lick his wounds. They just love kicking people when they’re down and so do a lot of so called Habs fans. I’m a bit of a mother hen when it comes to les boys, as long as they’re wearing the CH Moey’s maternal instincts are in full force. I hope Kovy can get his act together and his attitude adjusted. I know he really wants to stay now he just has to prove it to the coaches. Bob Gainey made the right move, I believe that Kovy has a lot of respect for him and it seems that he’s the only one capable of handling and taming the temperamental thoroughbred. I don’t want to see Kovy’s career end here on a sour note, he gave us so much last season, and I know he has it in him to do it again. None of his team mates speak badly of him and one thing is certain, nobody knows what really goes on in that dressing room except the guys themselves. If I have to read another inane comment about Carbo losing the room, Kovy being a cancer, Kovy and Saku having issues I’m going to scream. Peeps, stop acting as if you have insider information, unless you are actually there with them, you know nothing, that applies to the media too, bunch of boneheads.
This slump actually has its’ upside. On TSN last night, one of the guys was babbling on about the Habs and Totorella interrupts “forget about the Habs, look how great Washington is”. Good stuff, that’s how we want it, take the focus off the Habs, lower everyone’s expectations while the boys slowly but surely get their act together and get back to last year’s form. One thing I really want to see from the boys is consistency, it’s been sorely lacking all season so I’m hoping for another decent effort tonight against the Pens. I hope Bob’s message has enough weight behind it to keep them on their toes for the rest of the regular season. Once we’re in the playoffs, all bets are off, anything can happen.
This slump actually has its’ upside. On TSN last night, one of the guys was babbling on about the Habs and Totorella interrupts “forget about the Habs, look how great Washington is”. Good stuff, that’s how we want it, take the focus off the Habs, lower everyone’s expectations while the boys slowly but surely get their act together and get back to last year’s form. One thing I really want to see from the boys is consistency, it’s been sorely lacking all season so I’m hoping for another decent effort tonight against the Pens. I hope Bob’s message has enough weight behind it to keep them on their toes for the rest of the regular season. Once we’re in the playoffs, all bets are off, anything can happen.
As the stomach churns.......
What a week so far, never a dull moment in Habsland. They can take you from the depths of despair one minute to cheering for them the next. I was really nervous about the game last night, especially going up against Washington. Would Price be up to it or would he have permanent puck indents all over his torso. Well, it turned out okay, would have been nice to have won in the shootout, Kovy where are you? I was spitting mad when that ridiculous piece surfaced about Kovy talking to a friend of a friend about not playing another game in Montreal. I really have no time for most of the media. I was screaming at the TV, “leave him alone”. The guy gets publicly spanked; leave him in peace to lick his wounds. They just love kicking people when they’re down and so do a lot of so called Habs fans. I’m a bit of a mother hen when it comes to les boys, as long as they’re wearing the CH Moey’s maternal instincts are in full force. I hope Kovy can get his act together and his attitude adjusted. I know he really wants to stay now he just has to prove it to the coaches. Bob Gainey made the right move, I believe that Kovy has a lot of respect for him and it seems that he’s the only one capable of handling and taming the temperamental thoroughbred. I don’t want to see Kovy’s career end here on a sour note, he gave us so much last season, and I know he has it in him to do it again. None of his team mates speak badly of him and one thing is certain, nobody knows what really goes on in that dressing room except the guys themselves. If I have to read another inane comment about Carbo losing the room, Kovy being a cancer, Kovy and Saku having issues I’m going to scream. Peeps, stop acting as if you have insider information, unless you are actually there with them, you know nothing, that applies to the media too, bunch of boneheads.
This slump actually has its’ upside. On TSN last night, one of the guys was babbling on about the Habs and Totorella interrupts “forget about the Habs, look how great Washington is”. Good stuff, that’s how we want it, take the focus off the Habs, lower everyone’s expectations while the boys slowly but surely get their act together and get back to last year’s form. One thing I really want to see from the boys is consistency, it’s been sorely lacking all season so I’m hoping for another decent effort tonight against the Pens. I hope Bob’s message has enough weight behind it to keep them on their toes for the rest of the regular season. Once we’re in the playoffs, all bets are off, anything can happen.
This slump actually has its’ upside. On TSN last night, one of the guys was babbling on about the Habs and Totorella interrupts “forget about the Habs, look how great Washington is”. Good stuff, that’s how we want it, take the focus off the Habs, lower everyone’s expectations while the boys slowly but surely get their act together and get back to last year’s form. One thing I really want to see from the boys is consistency, it’s been sorely lacking all season so I’m hoping for another decent effort tonight against the Pens. I hope Bob’s message has enough weight behind it to keep them on their toes for the rest of the regular season. Once we’re in the playoffs, all bets are off, anything can happen.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
A no Habs zone today....(well, almost)
Today I’m not going to discuss the Habs, to cheer myself up I headed downtown to Bishop street to a seafood restaurant called the “Oyster Shack” for a cooking lesson and a scoff. (I'm a bit of a foodie and enjoying learning new things). I dragged along my other half (he doesn’t cook but loves to eat) to join in on the adventure. We arrived at the restaurant at 11:00 AM prompt and met chef Paul, his sous chef Tracy and one other couple. Tracy also owns and runs the bar Grumpy’s below the Oyster Shack. We sat around drinking coffee while waiting for the last participants to arrive, we would be a party of eight. It’s a small place, not very fancy, (hence the name "Shack") with a bar, 1 large table with chairs and four booths for diners. The last of the group appeared and we all donned chefs’ aprons and gathered in the kitchen.
You could participate as much or as little as you wanted to, help with the chopping /mixing or in the case of my other half who refuses to boil water, just be a voyeur; I was actually too busy writing to help out, I’m the chief cook and bottle washer in our house so it was a welcome change to just take notes and watch. First up on the menu was crème brulee; we made that first to ensure it was ready for dessert. It’s much easier than I had expected and I will post the recipe at the end. We quickly moved on to making a basic tomato sauce, which we proceeded to use as a base to concoct both a rose and a spicy tomato sauce. I have a preference for cream sauces; my other half likes it spicy so we were both happy. This was no place for dieters; full 35% cream for the rose sauce, poured on top of pasta with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmigiana cheese. Next dish on the menu was Oysters Rockefeller (again with 35% cream in the sauce) sprinkled with cheese and baked in the oven. Utterly divine. Then we went on to prepare seared scallops with a garlic lemon sauce, followed by seared shrimp with lobster sauce. In between there was a blackened fish with fresh guacamole followed by a lesson on making home-made mayonnaise. All were incredibly sinful and delicious. Paul cooked with dizzying speed and I could barely keep up with writing down the ingredients and cooking methods.
Paul and Tracy kept us entertained with stories of previous classes and in one particular case too much wine was consumed by a female participant who was contemplating taking off her clothes and just wearing the apron. She was becoming so insistent that Paul said he started getting nervous about her actually doing it. Judging by the expression on his face I gathered she was no supermodel.
Hockey managed to slip its way in to the conversation (what a surprise), well to be perfectly honest while Paul was busily searing scallops and warning us of the dangers of overcooking them, I chirped in and compared an over cooked scallop to a hockey puck. (Hey, I couldn’t help myself; I just had to put a feeler out). He replied with, “Yeah last night I was on the internet and watched a video of the Habs overtime wins in 1993.” We agreed you have to do whatever it takes to get you through these dark days of Hab fandom and left it at that. A tray of Perrier then arrived and we happily sipped on it while Paul whipped up his last creation and our main course, fresh steamed lobster in spicy tomato sauce with fettuccine, which I didn’t eat because of an incident many years ago. I had made a fish dish covered with a tomato sauce and then baked in the oven. I was quite ill for the next couple of days and although the fish wasn’t the culprit, that memory has been ingrained in my head for all eternity. I can’t even stand the smell of seafood and tomato cooking together, but it was no problem, I was already full by then. We sat around the table with a couple of glasses of wine, the rest of the gang feasting on the lobster and pasta dish giving it a big thumbs up. Last task of the day was going back in to the kitchen to finish off the preparation of the crème brulee. Now it was perfectly chilled and all that was needed was a generous sprinkling of sugar on top followed by searing and caramelizing the sugar with a torch. It tasted wonderful, a perfect ending to a fun day.
If you’re interested, the cooking classes are on Sunday morning at 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM. The cost is $60.00 per person including a couple of glasses of wine. It’s well worth the money, and if you enjoy cooking the recipes and techniques alone are worth the price of admission. The restaurant is located at 1242 Bishop Street; in fact you can see the Bell Center from it. Phone number is (514) 395-1888.
Recipe for Crème Brulee (serves 8)
11 egg yolks
4 oranges
1 liter of 35 % cream
1 cup sugar
Whisk egg yolks in bowl. Grate orange peel from the 4 oranges. Combine orange peel with 1 cup of sugar in food processor, process to a fine consistency. Add contents of food processor to egg yolks, mix well. Pour the liter of cream into a sauce pan and heat, then add to egg mixture, skim off any mousse that has formed on top to eliminate air bubbles from forming in the brulee. Refrigerate over night. When ready to cook, pour mixture into individual ramekins. Prepare a baking dish filled halfway up with water (called a bain- marie), place ramekins in water and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20–25 minutes. Cool before sprinkling a generous amount of sugar on each serving, use mini blow torch to caramelize and crystallize sugar. Very decadent and delicious.
You could participate as much or as little as you wanted to, help with the chopping /mixing or in the case of my other half who refuses to boil water, just be a voyeur; I was actually too busy writing to help out, I’m the chief cook and bottle washer in our house so it was a welcome change to just take notes and watch. First up on the menu was crème brulee; we made that first to ensure it was ready for dessert. It’s much easier than I had expected and I will post the recipe at the end. We quickly moved on to making a basic tomato sauce, which we proceeded to use as a base to concoct both a rose and a spicy tomato sauce. I have a preference for cream sauces; my other half likes it spicy so we were both happy. This was no place for dieters; full 35% cream for the rose sauce, poured on top of pasta with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmigiana cheese. Next dish on the menu was Oysters Rockefeller (again with 35% cream in the sauce) sprinkled with cheese and baked in the oven. Utterly divine. Then we went on to prepare seared scallops with a garlic lemon sauce, followed by seared shrimp with lobster sauce. In between there was a blackened fish with fresh guacamole followed by a lesson on making home-made mayonnaise. All were incredibly sinful and delicious. Paul cooked with dizzying speed and I could barely keep up with writing down the ingredients and cooking methods.
Paul and Tracy kept us entertained with stories of previous classes and in one particular case too much wine was consumed by a female participant who was contemplating taking off her clothes and just wearing the apron. She was becoming so insistent that Paul said he started getting nervous about her actually doing it. Judging by the expression on his face I gathered she was no supermodel.
Hockey managed to slip its way in to the conversation (what a surprise), well to be perfectly honest while Paul was busily searing scallops and warning us of the dangers of overcooking them, I chirped in and compared an over cooked scallop to a hockey puck. (Hey, I couldn’t help myself; I just had to put a feeler out). He replied with, “Yeah last night I was on the internet and watched a video of the Habs overtime wins in 1993.” We agreed you have to do whatever it takes to get you through these dark days of Hab fandom and left it at that. A tray of Perrier then arrived and we happily sipped on it while Paul whipped up his last creation and our main course, fresh steamed lobster in spicy tomato sauce with fettuccine, which I didn’t eat because of an incident many years ago. I had made a fish dish covered with a tomato sauce and then baked in the oven. I was quite ill for the next couple of days and although the fish wasn’t the culprit, that memory has been ingrained in my head for all eternity. I can’t even stand the smell of seafood and tomato cooking together, but it was no problem, I was already full by then. We sat around the table with a couple of glasses of wine, the rest of the gang feasting on the lobster and pasta dish giving it a big thumbs up. Last task of the day was going back in to the kitchen to finish off the preparation of the crème brulee. Now it was perfectly chilled and all that was needed was a generous sprinkling of sugar on top followed by searing and caramelizing the sugar with a torch. It tasted wonderful, a perfect ending to a fun day.
If you’re interested, the cooking classes are on Sunday morning at 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM. The cost is $60.00 per person including a couple of glasses of wine. It’s well worth the money, and if you enjoy cooking the recipes and techniques alone are worth the price of admission. The restaurant is located at 1242 Bishop Street; in fact you can see the Bell Center from it. Phone number is (514) 395-1888.
Recipe for Crème Brulee (serves 8)
11 egg yolks
4 oranges
1 liter of 35 % cream
1 cup sugar
Whisk egg yolks in bowl. Grate orange peel from the 4 oranges. Combine orange peel with 1 cup of sugar in food processor, process to a fine consistency. Add contents of food processor to egg yolks, mix well. Pour the liter of cream into a sauce pan and heat, then add to egg mixture, skim off any mousse that has formed on top to eliminate air bubbles from forming in the brulee. Refrigerate over night. When ready to cook, pour mixture into individual ramekins. Prepare a baking dish filled halfway up with water (called a bain- marie), place ramekins in water and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20–25 minutes. Cool before sprinkling a generous amount of sugar on each serving, use mini blow torch to caramelize and crystallize sugar. Very decadent and delicious.
A no Habs zone today....(well, almost)
Today I’m not going to discuss the Habs, to cheer myself up I headed downtown to Bishop street to a seafood restaurant called the “Oyster Shack” for a cooking lesson and a scoff. (I'm a bit of a foodie and enjoying learning new things). I dragged along my other half (he doesn’t cook but loves to eat) to join in on the adventure. We arrived at the restaurant at 11:00 AM prompt and met chef Paul, his sous chef Tracy and one other couple. Tracy also owns and runs the bar Grumpy’s below the Oyster Shack. We sat around drinking coffee while waiting for the last participants to arrive, we would be a party of eight. It’s a small place, not very fancy, (hence the name "Shack") with a bar, 1 large table with chairs and four booths for diners. The last of the group appeared and we all donned chefs’ aprons and gathered in the kitchen.
You could participate as much or as little as you wanted to, help with the chopping /mixing or in the case of my other half who refuses to boil water, just be a voyeur; I was actually too busy writing to help out, I’m the chief cook and bottle washer in our house so it was a welcome change to just take notes and watch. First up on the menu was crème brulee; we made that first to ensure it was ready for dessert. It’s much easier than I had expected and I will post the recipe at the end. We quickly moved on to making a basic tomato sauce, which we proceeded to use as a base to concoct both a rose and a spicy tomato sauce. I have a preference for cream sauces; my other half likes it spicy so we were both happy. This was no place for dieters; full 35% cream for the rose sauce, poured on top of pasta with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmigiana cheese. Next dish on the menu was Oysters Rockefeller (again with 35% cream in the sauce) sprinkled with cheese and baked in the oven. Utterly divine. Then we went on to prepare seared scallops with a garlic lemon sauce, followed by seared shrimp with lobster sauce. In between there was a blackened fish with fresh guacamole followed by a lesson on making home-made mayonnaise. All were incredibly sinful and delicious. Paul cooked with dizzying speed and I could barely keep up with writing down the ingredients and cooking methods.
Paul and Tracy kept us entertained with stories of previous classes and in one particular case too much wine was consumed by a female participant who was contemplating taking off her clothes and just wearing the apron. She was becoming so insistent that Paul said he started getting nervous about her actually doing it. Judging by the expression on his face I gathered she was no supermodel.
Hockey managed to slip its way in to the conversation (what a surprise), well to be perfectly honest while Paul was busily searing scallops and warning us of the dangers of overcooking them, I chirped in and compared an over cooked scallop to a hockey puck. (Hey, I couldn’t help myself; I just had to put a feeler out). He replied with, “Yeah last night I was on the internet and watched a video of the Habs overtime wins in 1993.” We agreed you have to do whatever it takes to get you through these dark days of Hab fandom and left it at that. A tray of Perrier then arrived and we happily sipped on it while Paul whipped up his last creation and our main course, fresh steamed lobster in spicy tomato sauce with fettuccine, which I didn’t eat because of an incident many years ago. I had made a fish dish covered with a tomato sauce and then baked in the oven. I was quite ill for the next couple of days and although the fish wasn’t the culprit, that memory has been ingrained in my head for all eternity. I can’t even stand the smell of seafood and tomato cooking together, but it was no problem, I was already full by then. We sat around the table with a couple of glasses of wine, the rest of the gang feasting on the lobster and pasta dish giving it a big thumbs up. Last task of the day was going back in to the kitchen to finish off the preparation of the crème brulee. Now it was perfectly chilled and all that was needed was a generous sprinkling of sugar on top followed by searing and caramelizing the sugar with a torch. It tasted wonderful, a perfect ending to a fun day.
If you’re interested, the cooking classes are on Sunday morning at 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM. The cost is $60.00 per person including a couple of glasses of wine. It’s well worth the money, and if you enjoy cooking the recipes and techniques alone are worth the price of admission. The restaurant is located at 1242 Bishop Street; in fact you can see the Bell Center from it. Phone number is (514) 395-1888.
Recipe for Crème Brulee (serves 8)
11 egg yolks
4 oranges
1 liter of 35 % cream
1 cup sugar
Whisk egg yolks in bowl. Grate orange peel from the 4 oranges. Combine orange peel with 1 cup of sugar in food processor, process to a fine consistency. Add contents of food processor to egg yolks, mix well. Pour the liter of cream into a sauce pan and heat, then add to egg mixture, skim off any mousse that has formed on top to eliminate air bubbles from forming in the brulee. Refrigerate over night. When ready to cook, pour mixture into individual ramekins. Prepare a baking dish filled halfway up with water (called a bain- marie), place ramekins in water and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20–25 minutes. Cool before sprinkling a generous amount of sugar on each serving, use mini blow torch to caramelize and crystallize sugar. Very decadent and delicious.
You could participate as much or as little as you wanted to, help with the chopping /mixing or in the case of my other half who refuses to boil water, just be a voyeur; I was actually too busy writing to help out, I’m the chief cook and bottle washer in our house so it was a welcome change to just take notes and watch. First up on the menu was crème brulee; we made that first to ensure it was ready for dessert. It’s much easier than I had expected and I will post the recipe at the end. We quickly moved on to making a basic tomato sauce, which we proceeded to use as a base to concoct both a rose and a spicy tomato sauce. I have a preference for cream sauces; my other half likes it spicy so we were both happy. This was no place for dieters; full 35% cream for the rose sauce, poured on top of pasta with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmigiana cheese. Next dish on the menu was Oysters Rockefeller (again with 35% cream in the sauce) sprinkled with cheese and baked in the oven. Utterly divine. Then we went on to prepare seared scallops with a garlic lemon sauce, followed by seared shrimp with lobster sauce. In between there was a blackened fish with fresh guacamole followed by a lesson on making home-made mayonnaise. All were incredibly sinful and delicious. Paul cooked with dizzying speed and I could barely keep up with writing down the ingredients and cooking methods.
Paul and Tracy kept us entertained with stories of previous classes and in one particular case too much wine was consumed by a female participant who was contemplating taking off her clothes and just wearing the apron. She was becoming so insistent that Paul said he started getting nervous about her actually doing it. Judging by the expression on his face I gathered she was no supermodel.
Hockey managed to slip its way in to the conversation (what a surprise), well to be perfectly honest while Paul was busily searing scallops and warning us of the dangers of overcooking them, I chirped in and compared an over cooked scallop to a hockey puck. (Hey, I couldn’t help myself; I just had to put a feeler out). He replied with, “Yeah last night I was on the internet and watched a video of the Habs overtime wins in 1993.” We agreed you have to do whatever it takes to get you through these dark days of Hab fandom and left it at that. A tray of Perrier then arrived and we happily sipped on it while Paul whipped up his last creation and our main course, fresh steamed lobster in spicy tomato sauce with fettuccine, which I didn’t eat because of an incident many years ago. I had made a fish dish covered with a tomato sauce and then baked in the oven. I was quite ill for the next couple of days and although the fish wasn’t the culprit, that memory has been ingrained in my head for all eternity. I can’t even stand the smell of seafood and tomato cooking together, but it was no problem, I was already full by then. We sat around the table with a couple of glasses of wine, the rest of the gang feasting on the lobster and pasta dish giving it a big thumbs up. Last task of the day was going back in to the kitchen to finish off the preparation of the crème brulee. Now it was perfectly chilled and all that was needed was a generous sprinkling of sugar on top followed by searing and caramelizing the sugar with a torch. It tasted wonderful, a perfect ending to a fun day.
If you’re interested, the cooking classes are on Sunday morning at 11:00 AM until 3:00 PM. The cost is $60.00 per person including a couple of glasses of wine. It’s well worth the money, and if you enjoy cooking the recipes and techniques alone are worth the price of admission. The restaurant is located at 1242 Bishop Street; in fact you can see the Bell Center from it. Phone number is (514) 395-1888.
Recipe for Crème Brulee (serves 8)
11 egg yolks
4 oranges
1 liter of 35 % cream
1 cup sugar
Whisk egg yolks in bowl. Grate orange peel from the 4 oranges. Combine orange peel with 1 cup of sugar in food processor, process to a fine consistency. Add contents of food processor to egg yolks, mix well. Pour the liter of cream into a sauce pan and heat, then add to egg mixture, skim off any mousse that has formed on top to eliminate air bubbles from forming in the brulee. Refrigerate over night. When ready to cook, pour mixture into individual ramekins. Prepare a baking dish filled halfway up with water (called a bain- marie), place ramekins in water and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20–25 minutes. Cool before sprinkling a generous amount of sugar on each serving, use mini blow torch to caramelize and crystallize sugar. Very decadent and delicious.
Friday, February 13, 2009
What's ailing the Habs?........
I’m not going to be an armchair coach or GM, Lord knows there’s enough of them out there , but I have no qualms about playing armchair shrink and this is what I think is ailing the Habs. This is a conversation that I would bet my bottom dollar went on in the closed door meeting after being fleeced by the Flames. (Saku )“Okay guys what the f@ck is going on here?” Player yells, “What the f@ck do you expect, we’ve lost how many games now because that son of a bitch still isn’t 100 percent, but hey, screw the team, right Carey? As long as you got to play in the All Star game. Why should we work our tail offs, we might have to blow off the season because he can’t stop a fu@king beach ball. It doesn’t matter what we do, the bottom line is we need some decent goaltending, so what the f@ck can we do about it? It’s beyond our control.” (Kovy) “Calm down guys “, we know he shouldn’t have played but what’s done is done and now we all have to stick together and figure a way out of it.” (Price is sobbing hysterically by now, well maybe not, but I needed to add a little drama for effect).
This scenario makes the most sense to me, Price wasn’t ready to get back in nets, and his first outing against New Jersey we lost 5-2. Carbo didn’t want him to play, but if he got medical clearance and says he’s good to go, Carbo has to give him the benefit of the doubt. In retrospect I’ll bet Carbo is kicking himself for not insisting he skip the All Star game completely, because Price hasn’t been the same since his return, he’s been terrible. I’m convinced this is the reason why the team is sucking so badly, we’ve all seen what happens to the team when the goaltending is subpar; they tend to lose confidence when the goalie doesn’t have their back during one game, now multiply that by ten. It’s taken its toll and literally has sucked the last bit of confidence out of this team and caused dissention in the room. Price is in a mess, guilt has a way of doing that to you. I don’t know how many of the players feel this way, but you can bet some of them do. I’m fairly certain Koivu and Kovalev would be the voices of reason and they’re going to have to do their damndest to get this team up and going again. That and keep Price out of nets for a few games, let Halak shake off the rust, win them a few while Carey works on getting his form back. It is fixable with some good goaltending and a few wins they’ll get back on track, there’s just way to much talent for this team not to succeed. I’m sure Carey has learned a very valuable lesson out of this and I’m pretty certain these guys will be able to put this behind them, they’re hurting as much as Carey and the fans are, there’s no way anyone can convince me that this team enjoys losing.
I’ve got their backs, I won’t desert them, I’m keeping the faith and hopefully you will too.
This scenario makes the most sense to me, Price wasn’t ready to get back in nets, and his first outing against New Jersey we lost 5-2. Carbo didn’t want him to play, but if he got medical clearance and says he’s good to go, Carbo has to give him the benefit of the doubt. In retrospect I’ll bet Carbo is kicking himself for not insisting he skip the All Star game completely, because Price hasn’t been the same since his return, he’s been terrible. I’m convinced this is the reason why the team is sucking so badly, we’ve all seen what happens to the team when the goaltending is subpar; they tend to lose confidence when the goalie doesn’t have their back during one game, now multiply that by ten. It’s taken its toll and literally has sucked the last bit of confidence out of this team and caused dissention in the room. Price is in a mess, guilt has a way of doing that to you. I don’t know how many of the players feel this way, but you can bet some of them do. I’m fairly certain Koivu and Kovalev would be the voices of reason and they’re going to have to do their damndest to get this team up and going again. That and keep Price out of nets for a few games, let Halak shake off the rust, win them a few while Carey works on getting his form back. It is fixable with some good goaltending and a few wins they’ll get back on track, there’s just way to much talent for this team not to succeed. I’m sure Carey has learned a very valuable lesson out of this and I’m pretty certain these guys will be able to put this behind them, they’re hurting as much as Carey and the fans are, there’s no way anyone can convince me that this team enjoys losing.
I’ve got their backs, I won’t desert them, I’m keeping the faith and hopefully you will too.
What's ailing the Habs?........
I’m not going to be an armchair coach or GM, Lord knows there’s enough of them out there , but I have no qualms about playing armchair shrink and this is what I think is ailing the Habs. This is a conversation that I would bet my bottom dollar went on in the closed door meeting after being fleeced by the Flames. (Saku )“Okay guys what the f@ck is going on here?” Player yells, “What the f@ck do you expect, we’ve lost how many games now because that son of a bitch still isn’t 100 percent, but hey, screw the team, right Carey? As long as you got to play in the All Star game. Why should we work our tail offs, we might have to blow off the season because he can’t stop a fu@king beach ball. It doesn’t matter what we do, the bottom line is we need some decent goaltending, so what the f@ck can we do about it? It’s beyond our control.” (Kovy) “Calm down guys “, we know he shouldn’t have played but what’s done is done and now we all have to stick together and figure a way out of it.” (Price is sobbing hysterically by now, well maybe not, but I needed to add a little drama for effect).
This scenario makes the most sense to me, Price wasn’t ready to get back in nets, and his first outing against New Jersey we lost 5-2. Carbo didn’t want him to play, but if he got medical clearance and says he’s good to go, Carbo has to give him the benefit of the doubt. In retrospect I’ll bet Carbo is kicking himself for not insisting he skip the All Star game completely, because Price hasn’t been the same since his return, he’s been terrible. I’m convinced this is the reason why the team is sucking so badly, we’ve all seen what happens to the team when the goaltending is subpar; they tend to lose confidence when the goalie doesn’t have their back during one game, now multiply that by ten. It’s taken its toll and literally has sucked the last bit of confidence out of this team and caused dissention in the room. Price is in a mess, guilt has a way of doing that to you. I don’t know how many of the players feel this way, but you can bet some of them do. I’m fairly certain Koivu and Kovalev would be the voices of reason and they’re going to have to do their damndest to get this team up and going again. That and keep Price out of nets for a few games, let Halak shake off the rust, win them a few while Carey works on getting his form back. It is fixable with some good goaltending and a few wins they’ll get back on track, there’s just way to much talent for this team not to succeed. I’m sure Carey has learned a very valuable lesson out of this and I’m pretty certain these guys will be able to put this behind them, they’re hurting as much as Carey and the fans are, there’s no way anyone can convince me that this team enjoys losing.
I’ve got their backs, I won’t desert them, I’m keeping the faith and hopefully you will too.
This scenario makes the most sense to me, Price wasn’t ready to get back in nets, and his first outing against New Jersey we lost 5-2. Carbo didn’t want him to play, but if he got medical clearance and says he’s good to go, Carbo has to give him the benefit of the doubt. In retrospect I’ll bet Carbo is kicking himself for not insisting he skip the All Star game completely, because Price hasn’t been the same since his return, he’s been terrible. I’m convinced this is the reason why the team is sucking so badly, we’ve all seen what happens to the team when the goaltending is subpar; they tend to lose confidence when the goalie doesn’t have their back during one game, now multiply that by ten. It’s taken its toll and literally has sucked the last bit of confidence out of this team and caused dissention in the room. Price is in a mess, guilt has a way of doing that to you. I don’t know how many of the players feel this way, but you can bet some of them do. I’m fairly certain Koivu and Kovalev would be the voices of reason and they’re going to have to do their damndest to get this team up and going again. That and keep Price out of nets for a few games, let Halak shake off the rust, win them a few while Carey works on getting his form back. It is fixable with some good goaltending and a few wins they’ll get back on track, there’s just way to much talent for this team not to succeed. I’m sure Carey has learned a very valuable lesson out of this and I’m pretty certain these guys will be able to put this behind them, they’re hurting as much as Carey and the fans are, there’s no way anyone can convince me that this team enjoys losing.
I’ve got their backs, I won’t desert them, I’m keeping the faith and hopefully you will too.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Rant ll, the sequel......
I’m on strong flu medication today, so I can see things more clearly and I’m in a better mood.
The Price is not right and hasn’t been since his injury, I suspect he rushed himself back to play in the All Star game, if you recall one day he was barely skating and a few days later he was ready to go. I’m not going to come down on him for that, we have to remember this is a twenty one year old kid that was really looking forward to family being around and partying that weekend. His obviously not as mature as some of the veterans and his sense of responsibility to the team will grow as he does. I know that Kovalev isn't playing up to snuff, but if you read any Hab's blogs I’m really sick and tired of Kovalev being blamed for all the team’s problems, no single player should be expected to carry the team on their back. If you feel the need to point fingers start with the other twenty two players around him, they all need to share the blame, this is a team, remember? Koivu gets a free pass because he brings it every night. This team is dysfunctional and has been since the beginning of the season, could it be because of all the injuries no one line has really been able to gel? We haven’t had the luxury of icing an entirely healthy roster yet this year, but even without Tanguay and Lang there is still enough talent left to win games. The boys much like the fans are going to have to regroup, dig deep down and get through this, when the going gets tough the tough get going. This will be a good test for the coaching staff, are they up to the challenge and can they turn things around? I don’t see a downward spiral out of the playoffs being part of Bob Gainey’s plans, what moves will he make to ensure that doesn’t happen?
On a lighter note this week I’ve waited my entire life to hear a politician say these words “I screwed up”. Yes, I’m talking about Barak Obama’s statement referring to his appointment of Tom Daschle as Health and Human Services secretary. What a refreshing change, politicians are human beings, they’re not infallible, we can identify with that, we screw up too. It reminds me of a few years back, after being arrested for indecent conduct with a prostitute on Sunset Boulevard Hugh Grant appeared on the tonight show with Jay Leno. He came on to the stage; Leno asked him point blank, “what were you thinking man”? Grant didn’t bat an eye, offered no excuses and openly admitted he’d done a bad thing. The audience went nuts applauding him and so did I. Sorry Jack, but we can handle the truth, as a matter of fact, we want the truth and anything less is just an insult to our intelligence.
The Price is not right and hasn’t been since his injury, I suspect he rushed himself back to play in the All Star game, if you recall one day he was barely skating and a few days later he was ready to go. I’m not going to come down on him for that, we have to remember this is a twenty one year old kid that was really looking forward to family being around and partying that weekend. His obviously not as mature as some of the veterans and his sense of responsibility to the team will grow as he does. I know that Kovalev isn't playing up to snuff, but if you read any Hab's blogs I’m really sick and tired of Kovalev being blamed for all the team’s problems, no single player should be expected to carry the team on their back. If you feel the need to point fingers start with the other twenty two players around him, they all need to share the blame, this is a team, remember? Koivu gets a free pass because he brings it every night. This team is dysfunctional and has been since the beginning of the season, could it be because of all the injuries no one line has really been able to gel? We haven’t had the luxury of icing an entirely healthy roster yet this year, but even without Tanguay and Lang there is still enough talent left to win games. The boys much like the fans are going to have to regroup, dig deep down and get through this, when the going gets tough the tough get going. This will be a good test for the coaching staff, are they up to the challenge and can they turn things around? I don’t see a downward spiral out of the playoffs being part of Bob Gainey’s plans, what moves will he make to ensure that doesn’t happen?
On a lighter note this week I’ve waited my entire life to hear a politician say these words “I screwed up”. Yes, I’m talking about Barak Obama’s statement referring to his appointment of Tom Daschle as Health and Human Services secretary. What a refreshing change, politicians are human beings, they’re not infallible, we can identify with that, we screw up too. It reminds me of a few years back, after being arrested for indecent conduct with a prostitute on Sunset Boulevard Hugh Grant appeared on the tonight show with Jay Leno. He came on to the stage; Leno asked him point blank, “what were you thinking man”? Grant didn’t bat an eye, offered no excuses and openly admitted he’d done a bad thing. The audience went nuts applauding him and so did I. Sorry Jack, but we can handle the truth, as a matter of fact, we want the truth and anything less is just an insult to our intelligence.
Rant ll, the sequel......
I’m on strong flu medication today, so I can see things more clearly and I’m in a better mood.
The Price is not right and hasn’t been since his injury, I suspect he rushed himself back to play in the All Star game, if you recall one day he was barely skating and a few days later he was ready to go. I’m not going to come down on him for that, we have to remember this is a twenty one year old kid that was really looking forward to family being around and partying that weekend. His obviously not as mature as some of the veterans and his sense of responsibility to the team will grow as he does. I know that Kovalev isn't playing up to snuff, but if you read any Hab's blogs I’m really sick and tired of Kovalev being blamed for all the team’s problems, no single player should be expected to carry the team on their back. If you feel the need to point fingers start with the other twenty two players around him, they all need to share the blame, this is a team, remember? Koivu gets a free pass because he brings it every night. This team is dysfunctional and has been since the beginning of the season, could it be because of all the injuries no one line has really been able to gel? We haven’t had the luxury of icing an entirely healthy roster yet this year, but even without Tanguay and Lang there is still enough talent left to win games. The boys much like the fans are going to have to regroup, dig deep down and get through this, when the going gets tough the tough get going. This will be a good test for the coaching staff, are they up to the challenge and can they turn things around? I don’t see a downward spiral out of the playoffs being part of Bob Gainey’s plans, what moves will he make to ensure that doesn’t happen?
On a lighter note this week I’ve waited my entire life to hear a politician say these words “I screwed up”. Yes, I’m talking about Barak Obama’s statement referring to his appointment of Tom Daschle as Health and Human Services secretary. What a refreshing change, politicians are human beings, they’re not infallible, we can identify with that, we screw up too. It reminds me of a few years back, after being arrested for indecent conduct with a prostitute on Sunset Boulevard Hugh Grant appeared on the tonight show with Jay Leno. He came on to the stage; Leno asked him point blank, “what were you thinking man”? Grant didn’t bat an eye, offered no excuses and openly admitted he’d done a bad thing. The audience went nuts applauding him and so did I. Sorry Jack, but we can handle the truth, as a matter of fact, we want the truth and anything less is just an insult to our intelligence.
The Price is not right and hasn’t been since his injury, I suspect he rushed himself back to play in the All Star game, if you recall one day he was barely skating and a few days later he was ready to go. I’m not going to come down on him for that, we have to remember this is a twenty one year old kid that was really looking forward to family being around and partying that weekend. His obviously not as mature as some of the veterans and his sense of responsibility to the team will grow as he does. I know that Kovalev isn't playing up to snuff, but if you read any Hab's blogs I’m really sick and tired of Kovalev being blamed for all the team’s problems, no single player should be expected to carry the team on their back. If you feel the need to point fingers start with the other twenty two players around him, they all need to share the blame, this is a team, remember? Koivu gets a free pass because he brings it every night. This team is dysfunctional and has been since the beginning of the season, could it be because of all the injuries no one line has really been able to gel? We haven’t had the luxury of icing an entirely healthy roster yet this year, but even without Tanguay and Lang there is still enough talent left to win games. The boys much like the fans are going to have to regroup, dig deep down and get through this, when the going gets tough the tough get going. This will be a good test for the coaching staff, are they up to the challenge and can they turn things around? I don’t see a downward spiral out of the playoffs being part of Bob Gainey’s plans, what moves will he make to ensure that doesn’t happen?
On a lighter note this week I’ve waited my entire life to hear a politician say these words “I screwed up”. Yes, I’m talking about Barak Obama’s statement referring to his appointment of Tom Daschle as Health and Human Services secretary. What a refreshing change, politicians are human beings, they’re not infallible, we can identify with that, we screw up too. It reminds me of a few years back, after being arrested for indecent conduct with a prostitute on Sunset Boulevard Hugh Grant appeared on the tonight show with Jay Leno. He came on to the stage; Leno asked him point blank, “what were you thinking man”? Grant didn’t bat an eye, offered no excuses and openly admitted he’d done a bad thing. The audience went nuts applauding him and so did I. Sorry Jack, but we can handle the truth, as a matter of fact, we want the truth and anything less is just an insult to our intelligence.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Flipping the Habs the bird.....
I’m going on a rant after last nights’ game against the Sabres. I’ve had a terrible two weeks at work with no relief in sight, I’ve now got the flu and I’m not in a good mood. Every time the Habs play a decent game I have hope that they’re turning things around and getting back on track, but nooooooo…..what’s so frigging complicated about playing a full 60 minutes of hockey? I have to admit, I hated them all last night, (except Koivu for purely emotional reasons) I couldn’t care less if they trade the whole lot of them. Price sucks, I don’t have confidence in him at all anymore and I’m tired of the same old answers every time they lose a game, we should have could have but didn’t , yada yada yada. I hate them for giving me so much hope after last season, all summer long I was looking forward to seeing a better team than last year. It hasn’t happened, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why the Kovy line just can’t bring it. Is it him? What continues to bother me about Kovy is that if he can win the MVP at the All Star game because he wanted it, he’s obviously capable of focusing and delivering when it’s important to him, so why can’t he do that to win games? He claims he wants to stay in Montreal, which should be enough reason to elevate his game in a contract year. I just don’t get it. I don’t know what’s up with AK46 and Pleks either. They’ve been moved around, shown a little bit of promise here and there and then nothing. It’s just not that line, as usual Koivu continues to work like a dog, but his wingers aren’t much help. What upsets me the most is I wanted this team with these players to hoist the cup before it’s dismantled at the end of the season. It would be so much sweeter after the years of sucking for them to do it together. That’s not going to happen. I’m obviously still going to watch the games and support them, but my heart just isn’t in it anymore. The Habs win or the Habs lose….whatever, emotional detachment is the way to go, it hurts a lot less.
Flipping the Habs the bird.....
I’m going on a rant after last nights’ game against the Sabres. I’ve had a terrible two weeks at work with no relief in sight, I’ve now got the flu and I’m not in a good mood. Every time the Habs play a decent game I have hope that they’re turning things around and getting back on track, but nooooooo…..what’s so frigging complicated about playing a full 60 minutes of hockey? I have to admit, I hated them all last night, (except Koivu for purely emotional reasons) I couldn’t care less if they trade the whole lot of them. Price sucks, I don’t have confidence in him at all anymore and I’m tired of the same old answers every time they lose a game, we should have could have but didn’t , yada yada yada. I hate them for giving me so much hope after last season, all summer long I was looking forward to seeing a better team than last year. It hasn’t happened, and I can’t for the life of me figure out why the Kovy line just can’t bring it. Is it him? What continues to bother me about Kovy is that if he can win the MVP at the All Star game because he wanted it, he’s obviously capable of focusing and delivering when it’s important to him, so why can’t he do that to win games? He claims he wants to stay in Montreal, which should be enough reason to elevate his game in a contract year. I just don’t get it. I don’t know what’s up with AK46 and Pleks either. They’ve been moved around, shown a little bit of promise here and there and then nothing. It’s just not that line, as usual Koivu continues to work like a dog, but his wingers aren’t much help. What upsets me the most is I wanted this team with these players to hoist the cup before it’s dismantled at the end of the season. It would be so much sweeter after the years of sucking for them to do it together. That’s not going to happen. I’m obviously still going to watch the games and support them, but my heart just isn’t in it anymore. The Habs win or the Habs lose….whatever, emotional detachment is the way to go, it hurts a lot less.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
The week in progress...Montreal media scooped!
Habs vs. Pens
That’s the most hustle I’ve seen from the Habs since I can’t remember when. Well it’s pretty apparent that Lang was the problem, I was privy to some inside information from one of his nurses. That smiling, happy go lucky team player had us all fooled, he admitted under heavy sedation that he’s never really liked Kovy, even though they have a long history together. “I was sick of always playing in his shadow and now it was going to be my turn to shine. Everything was going according to plan, I was leading the team in goals, it was just a matter of time before the crowd would be on its feet chanting “Lang Lang Lang” every time I touched the puck. The beauty of it all was that stupid Kovy never suspected a thing, I was putting Sominex in his Gatorade (giggle) and at Christmas I gave him a couple of DVD’s to help him relax before games, The English Patient and Giant (snicker) they were freaking perfect, I had to peel him off the dressing room floor on Sunday afternoon, then I go out and score the only goal.”
Well there you have it peeps, still waters run deep, it’s always the one that you least suspect.
That’s the most hustle I’ve seen from the Habs since I can’t remember when. Well it’s pretty apparent that Lang was the problem, I was privy to some inside information from one of his nurses. That smiling, happy go lucky team player had us all fooled, he admitted under heavy sedation that he’s never really liked Kovy, even though they have a long history together. “I was sick of always playing in his shadow and now it was going to be my turn to shine. Everything was going according to plan, I was leading the team in goals, it was just a matter of time before the crowd would be on its feet chanting “Lang Lang Lang” every time I touched the puck. The beauty of it all was that stupid Kovy never suspected a thing, I was putting Sominex in his Gatorade (giggle) and at Christmas I gave him a couple of DVD’s to help him relax before games, The English Patient and Giant (snicker) they were freaking perfect, I had to peel him off the dressing room floor on Sunday afternoon, then I go out and score the only goal.”
Well there you have it peeps, still waters run deep, it’s always the one that you least suspect.
The week in progress...Montreal media scooped!
Habs vs. Pens
That’s the most hustle I’ve seen from the Habs since I can’t remember when. Well it’s pretty apparent that Lang was the problem, I was privy to some inside information from one of his nurses. That smiling, happy go lucky team player had us all fooled, he admitted under heavy sedation that he’s never really liked Kovy, even though they have a long history together. “I was sick of always playing in his shadow and now it was going to be my turn to shine. Everything was going according to plan, I was leading the team in goals, it was just a matter of time before the crowd would be on its feet chanting “Lang Lang Lang” every time I touched the puck. The beauty of it all was that stupid Kovy never suspected a thing, I was putting Sominex in his Gatorade (giggle) and at Christmas I gave him a couple of DVD’s to help him relax before games, The English Patient and Giant (snicker) they were freaking perfect, I had to peel him off the dressing room floor on Sunday afternoon, then I go out and score the only goal.”
Well there you have it peeps, still waters run deep, it’s always the one that you least suspect.
That’s the most hustle I’ve seen from the Habs since I can’t remember when. Well it’s pretty apparent that Lang was the problem, I was privy to some inside information from one of his nurses. That smiling, happy go lucky team player had us all fooled, he admitted under heavy sedation that he’s never really liked Kovy, even though they have a long history together. “I was sick of always playing in his shadow and now it was going to be my turn to shine. Everything was going according to plan, I was leading the team in goals, it was just a matter of time before the crowd would be on its feet chanting “Lang Lang Lang” every time I touched the puck. The beauty of it all was that stupid Kovy never suspected a thing, I was putting Sominex in his Gatorade (giggle) and at Christmas I gave him a couple of DVD’s to help him relax before games, The English Patient and Giant (snicker) they were freaking perfect, I had to peel him off the dressing room floor on Sunday afternoon, then I go out and score the only goal.”
Well there you have it peeps, still waters run deep, it’s always the one that you least suspect.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
The week that was...
Four games on tap this week, we’ll need at least two wins to avoid mass hysteria and bodies floating under the Champlain Bridge.
Habs vs. Bolts
Good first period, Habs look energized; Higgins and Saks being back in the lineup are giving them a little boost. Energizer bunnies are hopping. Price is looking solid in nets. Classic Kovy “you won’t like me when I’m mad” goal. I dozed off at the beginning of the second; (a serious lack of sleep) apparently so did the Habs, 4-2 Tampa, ugghh…what a mess. Maybe I’m just having a bad dream and the Habs are in it, or it’s a Hercule Poirot mystery, “The case of the missing D”. This one’s over. Always the consummate cheerleader, my bank of excuses is in overdraft. I’m starting to get pissed off with this team, my patience is running out. Forty two games into the season and we haven’t managed to come up with one consistent scoring line aside from the energizer bunnies. Markov has the most points, what does that tell you? Our offense sucks, that’s what. Three losses in a row, we’re in a mini slump folks, this could be a turning point; but in what direction? Your guess is as good as mine.
Habs vs. Panthers
C’mon boys, restore my faith, please don’t drop a big steamy load in the Panthers’ litter box.
TSN says the Habs haven’t been playing well since the Lecavalier trade rumors, I hope it’s just a coincidence, if there’s any truth to that forget about contending for the cup, these guys don’t have the mental toughness to win games. We’re down 2-0 at the end of the first, this one’s getting away. Wait a minute, they’re starting to show some signs of life, maybe Carbo has a taser hidden behind the bench. They’re starting the second with a 5 on 3, hope springs eternal. Not. 3-1 Panthers. I don’t like where this is headed, we never lost 4 in a row last season. Maybe it’s the re-integration of injured players, and we expected Price would be a little rusty. Climb down from the bridge people, it’s still too early to panic, the next four games will be telling. One comforting thought, the Canucks have lost 8 straight at home, so much for signing that big impact player that half of Montreal were gagging for; Sundin’s been lousy, a classic example of “be careful what you wish for”.
Habs vs. Kings
Habs come out killing dead things for the first two minutes. Not a bad game, but the boys are driving me nuts; they blow a 5 minute scoring opportunity, typical. I’m dropping F bombs at the TV, the cats are getting nervous. Heelllooooo, earth to Habs, can’t you people get it out of your own zone? Do you want to borrow my copy of Hockey for Dummies? Price is looking better; he’s made a couple of good saves. So Pleks was freaked out hearing his name in a trade rumor, here’s a rule of thumb Pleky, if you suspect there’s going to be a layoff at work, putting your feet up on the desk isn’t highly recommended. Here we go again, 3-2 Kings heading into the third, all is not lost, we have another PP, don’t waste it kids. AW, IS THERE ANY FU@KING CHANCE……..the cats just ran for cover. Six minutes left and we have another PP, I’m going to fetch the laundry, it worked for the first goal. YEESSSS!!!! Now I have a new ritual, leave the room on the PP, we win it, thank you thank you thank you God. And please God, let Gorges be okay, that was really swell of his line mates to help him off the ice….where the hell is BGL? The best laid plans of mice and men…….never mind, bring on the Bruins tomorrow, I’m making my annual pilgrimage downtown, the cats will be ecstatic. Habs hear this, I WANT A WIN. It takes a lot for me to haul my rear end off the sofa and into the Bell Center, especially in the dead of winter.
Habs vs. Bruins
Just back from the Bell Center, call me crazy but I’d rather watch the game on TV, it looks faster and more skilled than seeing it live. The atmosphere really doesn’t do anything for me, but then again I’m not a jersey wearing, face painting “rah-rah” type of fan. For the record I don’t even own a jersey, I’ve never felt the need to advertise my love for the Habs, it just is. I didn’t think Boston looked like a powerhouse, we kept up to them, put in a decent effort and this could easily have gone either way. We had some good scoring chances but couldn’t capitalize on them. Those striped shirts were hard on the eye; it was difficult to see who was who until I could see their number. Once thing for certain, Kovy and Price are the face of the Habs, the crowd just loves them. The Lang injury looked serious, he wasn’t putting any weight on his foot. Latendresse was in a lot of pain after he went into the boards, the last thing we need is more injuries. Pittsburgh on Tuesday and if it’s any consolation, last years’ Stanley Cup finalists are in deeper dog poop than we are and I for one will be as happy as a clam at high tide watching it from the comfort of my family room.
Last note….
I was watching CBC’s “The Hour” last week; Eckhart Tolle, the author of “A New Earth” was being interviewed. Eckhart is a spiritual teacher and writer with a basic philosophy of live in the “now”. His light bulb moment happened in his late twenties, feeling depressed and suicidal his mindset was “I can no longer live with myself”. This belief let him to the realization that “I” and “myself” were actually two people. It makes sense to me, we believe we are our thoughts, when in fact we and our thoughts are two separate entities, they’re only thoughts and they don’t define who we are. He cited Tiger Woods as a person who lives in the now, only focused in the moment and not on the thoughts of winning or losing. I wonder if that would work for a team sport, if every member of the team focuses on doing their best at that moment instead of winning the game, would that be a better strategy? It certainly would address the non confidence issues caused by scoring droughts coupled with the unsettling rumors of possible trades, we’ve seen with our own eyes the negative effects these thoughts have had on our team. If you haven’t already done so, pick up a copy, it’s a worthwhile read.
Habs vs. Bolts
Good first period, Habs look energized; Higgins and Saks being back in the lineup are giving them a little boost. Energizer bunnies are hopping. Price is looking solid in nets. Classic Kovy “you won’t like me when I’m mad” goal. I dozed off at the beginning of the second; (a serious lack of sleep) apparently so did the Habs, 4-2 Tampa, ugghh…what a mess. Maybe I’m just having a bad dream and the Habs are in it, or it’s a Hercule Poirot mystery, “The case of the missing D”. This one’s over. Always the consummate cheerleader, my bank of excuses is in overdraft. I’m starting to get pissed off with this team, my patience is running out. Forty two games into the season and we haven’t managed to come up with one consistent scoring line aside from the energizer bunnies. Markov has the most points, what does that tell you? Our offense sucks, that’s what. Three losses in a row, we’re in a mini slump folks, this could be a turning point; but in what direction? Your guess is as good as mine.
Habs vs. Panthers
C’mon boys, restore my faith, please don’t drop a big steamy load in the Panthers’ litter box.
TSN says the Habs haven’t been playing well since the Lecavalier trade rumors, I hope it’s just a coincidence, if there’s any truth to that forget about contending for the cup, these guys don’t have the mental toughness to win games. We’re down 2-0 at the end of the first, this one’s getting away. Wait a minute, they’re starting to show some signs of life, maybe Carbo has a taser hidden behind the bench. They’re starting the second with a 5 on 3, hope springs eternal. Not. 3-1 Panthers. I don’t like where this is headed, we never lost 4 in a row last season. Maybe it’s the re-integration of injured players, and we expected Price would be a little rusty. Climb down from the bridge people, it’s still too early to panic, the next four games will be telling. One comforting thought, the Canucks have lost 8 straight at home, so much for signing that big impact player that half of Montreal were gagging for; Sundin’s been lousy, a classic example of “be careful what you wish for”.
Habs vs. Kings
Habs come out killing dead things for the first two minutes. Not a bad game, but the boys are driving me nuts; they blow a 5 minute scoring opportunity, typical. I’m dropping F bombs at the TV, the cats are getting nervous. Heelllooooo, earth to Habs, can’t you people get it out of your own zone? Do you want to borrow my copy of Hockey for Dummies? Price is looking better; he’s made a couple of good saves. So Pleks was freaked out hearing his name in a trade rumor, here’s a rule of thumb Pleky, if you suspect there’s going to be a layoff at work, putting your feet up on the desk isn’t highly recommended. Here we go again, 3-2 Kings heading into the third, all is not lost, we have another PP, don’t waste it kids. AW, IS THERE ANY FU@KING CHANCE……..the cats just ran for cover. Six minutes left and we have another PP, I’m going to fetch the laundry, it worked for the first goal. YEESSSS!!!! Now I have a new ritual, leave the room on the PP, we win it, thank you thank you thank you God. And please God, let Gorges be okay, that was really swell of his line mates to help him off the ice….where the hell is BGL? The best laid plans of mice and men…….never mind, bring on the Bruins tomorrow, I’m making my annual pilgrimage downtown, the cats will be ecstatic. Habs hear this, I WANT A WIN. It takes a lot for me to haul my rear end off the sofa and into the Bell Center, especially in the dead of winter.
Habs vs. Bruins
Just back from the Bell Center, call me crazy but I’d rather watch the game on TV, it looks faster and more skilled than seeing it live. The atmosphere really doesn’t do anything for me, but then again I’m not a jersey wearing, face painting “rah-rah” type of fan. For the record I don’t even own a jersey, I’ve never felt the need to advertise my love for the Habs, it just is. I didn’t think Boston looked like a powerhouse, we kept up to them, put in a decent effort and this could easily have gone either way. We had some good scoring chances but couldn’t capitalize on them. Those striped shirts were hard on the eye; it was difficult to see who was who until I could see their number. Once thing for certain, Kovy and Price are the face of the Habs, the crowd just loves them. The Lang injury looked serious, he wasn’t putting any weight on his foot. Latendresse was in a lot of pain after he went into the boards, the last thing we need is more injuries. Pittsburgh on Tuesday and if it’s any consolation, last years’ Stanley Cup finalists are in deeper dog poop than we are and I for one will be as happy as a clam at high tide watching it from the comfort of my family room.
Last note….
I was watching CBC’s “The Hour” last week; Eckhart Tolle, the author of “A New Earth” was being interviewed. Eckhart is a spiritual teacher and writer with a basic philosophy of live in the “now”. His light bulb moment happened in his late twenties, feeling depressed and suicidal his mindset was “I can no longer live with myself”. This belief let him to the realization that “I” and “myself” were actually two people. It makes sense to me, we believe we are our thoughts, when in fact we and our thoughts are two separate entities, they’re only thoughts and they don’t define who we are. He cited Tiger Woods as a person who lives in the now, only focused in the moment and not on the thoughts of winning or losing. I wonder if that would work for a team sport, if every member of the team focuses on doing their best at that moment instead of winning the game, would that be a better strategy? It certainly would address the non confidence issues caused by scoring droughts coupled with the unsettling rumors of possible trades, we’ve seen with our own eyes the negative effects these thoughts have had on our team. If you haven’t already done so, pick up a copy, it’s a worthwhile read.
The week that was...
Four games on tap this week, we’ll need at least two wins to avoid mass hysteria and bodies floating under the Champlain Bridge.
Habs vs. Bolts
Good first period, Habs look energized; Higgins and Saks being back in the lineup are giving them a little boost. Energizer bunnies are hopping. Price is looking solid in nets. Classic Kovy “you won’t like me when I’m mad” goal. I dozed off at the beginning of the second; (a serious lack of sleep) apparently so did the Habs, 4-2 Tampa, ugghh…what a mess. Maybe I’m just having a bad dream and the Habs are in it, or it’s a Hercule Poirot mystery, “The case of the missing D”. This one’s over. Always the consummate cheerleader, my bank of excuses is in overdraft. I’m starting to get pissed off with this team, my patience is running out. Forty two games into the season and we haven’t managed to come up with one consistent scoring line aside from the energizer bunnies. Markov has the most points, what does that tell you? Our offense sucks, that’s what. Three losses in a row, we’re in a mini slump folks, this could be a turning point; but in what direction? Your guess is as good as mine.
Habs vs. Panthers
C’mon boys, restore my faith, please don’t drop a big steamy load in the Panthers’ litter box.
TSN says the Habs haven’t been playing well since the Lecavalier trade rumors, I hope it’s just a coincidence, if there’s any truth to that forget about contending for the cup, these guys don’t have the mental toughness to win games. We’re down 2-0 at the end of the first, this one’s getting away. Wait a minute, they’re starting to show some signs of life, maybe Carbo has a taser hidden behind the bench. They’re starting the second with a 5 on 3, hope springs eternal. Not. 3-1 Panthers. I don’t like where this is headed, we never lost 4 in a row last season. Maybe it’s the re-integration of injured players, and we expected Price would be a little rusty. Climb down from the bridge people, it’s still too early to panic, the next four games will be telling. One comforting thought, the Canucks have lost 8 straight at home, so much for signing that big impact player that half of Montreal were gagging for; Sundin’s been lousy, a classic example of “be careful what you wish for”.
Habs vs. Kings
Habs come out killing dead things for the first two minutes. Not a bad game, but the boys are driving me nuts; they blow a 5 minute scoring opportunity, typical. I’m dropping F bombs at the TV, the cats are getting nervous. Heelllooooo, earth to Habs, can’t you people get it out of your own zone? Do you want to borrow my copy of Hockey for Dummies? Price is looking better; he’s made a couple of good saves. So Pleks was freaked out hearing his name in a trade rumor, here’s a rule of thumb Pleky, if you suspect there’s going to be a layoff at work, putting your feet up on the desk isn’t highly recommended. Here we go again, 3-2 Kings heading into the third, all is not lost, we have another PP, don’t waste it kids. AW, IS THERE ANY FU@KING CHANCE……..the cats just ran for cover. Six minutes left and we have another PP, I’m going to fetch the laundry, it worked for the first goal. YEESSSS!!!! Now I have a new ritual, leave the room on the PP, we win it, thank you thank you thank you God. And please God, let Gorges be okay, that was really swell of his line mates to help him off the ice….where the hell is BGL? The best laid plans of mice and men…….never mind, bring on the Bruins tomorrow, I’m making my annual pilgrimage downtown, the cats will be ecstatic. Habs hear this, I WANT A WIN. It takes a lot for me to haul my rear end off the sofa and into the Bell Center, especially in the dead of winter.
Habs vs. Bruins
Just back from the Bell Center, call me crazy but I’d rather watch the game on TV, it looks faster and more skilled than seeing it live. The atmosphere really doesn’t do anything for me, but then again I’m not a jersey wearing, face painting “rah-rah” type of fan. For the record I don’t even own a jersey, I’ve never felt the need to advertise my love for the Habs, it just is. I didn’t think Boston looked like a powerhouse, we kept up to them, put in a decent effort and this could easily have gone either way. We had some good scoring chances but couldn’t capitalize on them. Those striped shirts were hard on the eye; it was difficult to see who was who until I could see their number. Once thing for certain, Kovy and Price are the face of the Habs, the crowd just loves them. The Lang injury looked serious, he wasn’t putting any weight on his foot. Latendresse was in a lot of pain after he went into the boards, the last thing we need is more injuries. Pittsburgh on Tuesday and if it’s any consolation, last years’ Stanley Cup finalists are in deeper dog poop than we are and I for one will be as happy as a clam at high tide watching it from the comfort of my family room.
Last note….
I was watching CBC’s “The Hour” last week; Eckhart Tolle, the author of “A New Earth” was being interviewed. Eckhart is a spiritual teacher and writer with a basic philosophy of live in the “now”. His light bulb moment happened in his late twenties, feeling depressed and suicidal his mindset was “I can no longer live with myself”. This belief let him to the realization that “I” and “myself” were actually two people. It makes sense to me, we believe we are our thoughts, when in fact we and our thoughts are two separate entities, they’re only thoughts and they don’t define who we are. He cited Tiger Woods as a person who lives in the now, only focused in the moment and not on the thoughts of winning or losing. I wonder if that would work for a team sport, if every member of the team focuses on doing their best at that moment instead of winning the game, would that be a better strategy? It certainly would address the non confidence issues caused by scoring droughts coupled with the unsettling rumors of possible trades, we’ve seen with our own eyes the negative effects these thoughts have had on our team. If you haven’t already done so, pick up a copy, it’s a worthwhile read.
Habs vs. Bolts
Good first period, Habs look energized; Higgins and Saks being back in the lineup are giving them a little boost. Energizer bunnies are hopping. Price is looking solid in nets. Classic Kovy “you won’t like me when I’m mad” goal. I dozed off at the beginning of the second; (a serious lack of sleep) apparently so did the Habs, 4-2 Tampa, ugghh…what a mess. Maybe I’m just having a bad dream and the Habs are in it, or it’s a Hercule Poirot mystery, “The case of the missing D”. This one’s over. Always the consummate cheerleader, my bank of excuses is in overdraft. I’m starting to get pissed off with this team, my patience is running out. Forty two games into the season and we haven’t managed to come up with one consistent scoring line aside from the energizer bunnies. Markov has the most points, what does that tell you? Our offense sucks, that’s what. Three losses in a row, we’re in a mini slump folks, this could be a turning point; but in what direction? Your guess is as good as mine.
Habs vs. Panthers
C’mon boys, restore my faith, please don’t drop a big steamy load in the Panthers’ litter box.
TSN says the Habs haven’t been playing well since the Lecavalier trade rumors, I hope it’s just a coincidence, if there’s any truth to that forget about contending for the cup, these guys don’t have the mental toughness to win games. We’re down 2-0 at the end of the first, this one’s getting away. Wait a minute, they’re starting to show some signs of life, maybe Carbo has a taser hidden behind the bench. They’re starting the second with a 5 on 3, hope springs eternal. Not. 3-1 Panthers. I don’t like where this is headed, we never lost 4 in a row last season. Maybe it’s the re-integration of injured players, and we expected Price would be a little rusty. Climb down from the bridge people, it’s still too early to panic, the next four games will be telling. One comforting thought, the Canucks have lost 8 straight at home, so much for signing that big impact player that half of Montreal were gagging for; Sundin’s been lousy, a classic example of “be careful what you wish for”.
Habs vs. Kings
Habs come out killing dead things for the first two minutes. Not a bad game, but the boys are driving me nuts; they blow a 5 minute scoring opportunity, typical. I’m dropping F bombs at the TV, the cats are getting nervous. Heelllooooo, earth to Habs, can’t you people get it out of your own zone? Do you want to borrow my copy of Hockey for Dummies? Price is looking better; he’s made a couple of good saves. So Pleks was freaked out hearing his name in a trade rumor, here’s a rule of thumb Pleky, if you suspect there’s going to be a layoff at work, putting your feet up on the desk isn’t highly recommended. Here we go again, 3-2 Kings heading into the third, all is not lost, we have another PP, don’t waste it kids. AW, IS THERE ANY FU@KING CHANCE……..the cats just ran for cover. Six minutes left and we have another PP, I’m going to fetch the laundry, it worked for the first goal. YEESSSS!!!! Now I have a new ritual, leave the room on the PP, we win it, thank you thank you thank you God. And please God, let Gorges be okay, that was really swell of his line mates to help him off the ice….where the hell is BGL? The best laid plans of mice and men…….never mind, bring on the Bruins tomorrow, I’m making my annual pilgrimage downtown, the cats will be ecstatic. Habs hear this, I WANT A WIN. It takes a lot for me to haul my rear end off the sofa and into the Bell Center, especially in the dead of winter.
Habs vs. Bruins
Just back from the Bell Center, call me crazy but I’d rather watch the game on TV, it looks faster and more skilled than seeing it live. The atmosphere really doesn’t do anything for me, but then again I’m not a jersey wearing, face painting “rah-rah” type of fan. For the record I don’t even own a jersey, I’ve never felt the need to advertise my love for the Habs, it just is. I didn’t think Boston looked like a powerhouse, we kept up to them, put in a decent effort and this could easily have gone either way. We had some good scoring chances but couldn’t capitalize on them. Those striped shirts were hard on the eye; it was difficult to see who was who until I could see their number. Once thing for certain, Kovy and Price are the face of the Habs, the crowd just loves them. The Lang injury looked serious, he wasn’t putting any weight on his foot. Latendresse was in a lot of pain after he went into the boards, the last thing we need is more injuries. Pittsburgh on Tuesday and if it’s any consolation, last years’ Stanley Cup finalists are in deeper dog poop than we are and I for one will be as happy as a clam at high tide watching it from the comfort of my family room.
Last note….
I was watching CBC’s “The Hour” last week; Eckhart Tolle, the author of “A New Earth” was being interviewed. Eckhart is a spiritual teacher and writer with a basic philosophy of live in the “now”. His light bulb moment happened in his late twenties, feeling depressed and suicidal his mindset was “I can no longer live with myself”. This belief let him to the realization that “I” and “myself” were actually two people. It makes sense to me, we believe we are our thoughts, when in fact we and our thoughts are two separate entities, they’re only thoughts and they don’t define who we are. He cited Tiger Woods as a person who lives in the now, only focused in the moment and not on the thoughts of winning or losing. I wonder if that would work for a team sport, if every member of the team focuses on doing their best at that moment instead of winning the game, would that be a better strategy? It certainly would address the non confidence issues caused by scoring droughts coupled with the unsettling rumors of possible trades, we’ve seen with our own eyes the negative effects these thoughts have had on our team. If you haven’t already done so, pick up a copy, it’s a worthwhile read.
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