Friday morning musings.......

I'm normally a glass half full type when it comes to the Habs and life in general, however I'm not feeling as optimistic about our boys this morning.  I thought Pierre Gauthier had acquired the Whiz kid from the Islanders to semi-replace Andre Markov, it never occurred to me that it he was brought in to fill Josh George's skates.  Before the bomb was dropped about Josh I was certain that we were one D man and a power forward short of being a cup contender.  I was confident that Gauthier would address both of those issues before the trade deadline in February, now not so much.  I don't see how we can do any serious damage with the D or the offence as it stands, assuming and it's becoming a bigger IF we manage to get into the playoffs.  The playoff round against the Flyers is still fresh in my mind, notably the three games that the Habs didn't manage to score a single goal.  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.  This squad cannot get past the likes of the Flyers if the lineup stays the same. The fretting and hand wringing has officially started now, much too early for my liking.  In three short weeks we've gone from from thinking the sky was the limit to the sky is falling.  I truly hope Gauthier is not done, but I'm not holding my breath.

Something else crossed my mind last night, I know there are a lot of fans and some of the media complaining about Jacques Martin's coaching style  and that they would rather see Kirk Muller behind the bench as the head honcho.  Maybe that's been the plan all along, let Kirk work with an experienced coach before handing him the reins, give him the best chance to succeed.  Yup, I like that idea and I'm going with it.

I watched the final episode of HBO's 24/7 this week.  I enjoyed it very much, but something really niggled at me.  Specifically the alleged bitter rivalry between the Caps and the Penguins.  I think that rivalry is fabricated by the NHL brain trust simply because Crosby and Ovechkin are the league's best players.  I've never sensed a feeling of true rivalry between the two teams nor the two players.  The only negative thing I recall hearing Crosby say about Ovechkin is "I don't care too much for his showboating."  Oh my, them are fighting words!    Contrast that to the  "we hate them" comments that came out of the Pens room after the Habs beat them in the playoffs.  I'm not blaming the producers of HBO, after all they'll just report what they've been fed by Bettman and company.  One thing is for certain, as long as Bettman is steering the ship we won't be seeing any Winter Classics or HBO specials showcasing our Habs or any other Canadian team anytime soon. Pity.

Totally off hockey now, (it's my blog so I'm allowed) Moey's grocery tip of the week. 

Frozen baguettes, the next best thing since sliced bread

Made by "Au Pain Dore" these babies will set you back about $5.00 for a package of four.  You put them in the oven for seven minutes at 400F.  Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they're perfect for cheese fondues, sandwiches or just on their own with a pat of butter or a piece of cheese.  Fresh baguette at your fingertips whenever you fancy it.  Brilliant.