YeahBud

We need to take back the NHL The people of Canada need to buy back the NHL brand. use lottery revenues or something Add Winnipeg, Quebec and Hamilton as teams. Extend right of first refusal for any US based original six team. Commisioners of this new NHL will be ex players like Gainey or Gretzky or Yzerman not smug little pompous sleezeballs like Bettman Hockey is our game

what are the odds Chara is a healthy scratch on the 24th ?

Step 1: Get the Kostitsy brother to contact their Mafia friends in Montreal. Step 2: Organize said scoff-laws to acquire a fair sized autobus Step 3: Get full busload of 'supporters' to wait outside the TD Bank North Center pregame on afternoon March 24. Step 4: Combination of molotov cocktails, IED's, smoke bombs and small arms fire directed at 'Zee's' vehicle upon arrival. Step 5: Delete this thread so no proof of intent exists

Unfortunately the NHL is still run by an old boys club of pontificating suits. They have as much consideration for 'player welfare' as Charlie Sheen has for a no-smoking sign. This shows that the league really could care less about the players. They are meat. A commodity. So a few players get hurt or even suffer career ending injuries? No big deal. Thats the cost of doing business. There will always be a steady stream of fresh talent who is more than happy to jump into the fray and live their dream in the NHL. Colin Campbell and the rest of his cronies are unscrupulous swine and clearly motivated by nothing more than greed and fear.

No excusing Chara's actions but if all the players know exactly what's around them and where the 'danger zones' around the benches are, why doesn't Max get any blame for putting himself in that situation? I know it seems harsh but if you give a 6'9" gorilla on skates with aggression issues the opportunity to slam you into the most dangerous part of the rink, you can't be totally unaccountable.

Chara will not get suspended at all. Nothing but an 'unfortunate incident'. He said sorry I guess and Max is gonna be ok so its pretty much over. Can some university science student not design some better board / glass interface system for the NHL already? I agree with the your Bruins gameplay style theory though. It was evident in the 3rd when the B's tried to apply the muscle with out their head goon. All you got is Lu-Cheech running around yapping away tryin to start stuff, and that bully Horton trying to rough up Pernell? We showed a lot of mental toughness last night and it was a defining moment for this club this season.

Damn that was dirty. I hope Patches is ok

I knew White was going to fight tonight. Just had a feeling. That was a great tilt. And Joe was right in predicting Lucic trying Pouliot. Great composure from Benoit to shrug him off I hope Chara gets suspended for a long time. That hit reminded me of the Olympics when that Luger died. Very scary.

patience is over rated. Great job tonight Lars! wow!. Like I said he is starting to come along., would be great to see this trend continue. on another note I hope Max isnt dead....

I have to admit. I wanted to like him... Of course we had just traded our 'prized' playoff hero for him, and who doesn't love a tall blond good looking Dane? But after 50 games or so Lars Eller wasn't turning my crank.. He seemed to skate well and have a good work ethic (especially when his father was at the game) he even finished checks but his continual poor decision making with the puck or overzealous defensive play leading to penalties really showed his general lack of experience. I was starting to wonder if the best move wasn't to send him down and let him gain some composure and confidence in Hamilton. But good ole Jack Martin stuck with him and I have to admit this kid is starting to impress me. I am not talking about on the score sheet (although he has picked up a few points recently) but his composure while leading rushes and the smart passes he's now making has shown his game is starting to come. I'm interested in others thoughts and perceptions regarding our favourite Danish Son? does playing betweenAK46 and Moen lead to an on-ice awareness epiphany? Maybe Kirk Muller is his yoda? Did Carey and PK let Lars play PS3 with them and he's not a loser in the back of the bus anymore? Does the JM old school coaching system actually foster younger talent to blossom? discuss..

I wish we'd have 2 fights tonight. first fight - Ryan White - He needs to fight someone to prove he's a man and he belongs with the big boys. second fight - Emotions will get the better of Pernell Karl and he'll drop someone. Hopefully he'll take his visor off this time before doling out a serious beating to some unlucky Bruin schmuck

Winning tonight would be huge, we have been owning the Bruins this season. Let's forget about the last game and play the way we know how to against these clowns. I hope they pull Tim Thomas half way thru the second... my prediction: PK Subban will fight someone. Eller and Gill will get untimely penalties. Carey Price the star of the game with Max Pac a close second. GO GO

Not likely since I joined in February, but point taken... If you haven't seen a change in Lars Eller's confidence with the puck over the last 3-4 games you haven't been watching...

You're so right, who am I kidding? I was wrong to be optimistic. Let me save you the trouble... Our boys will most likely go on a slide starting tomorrow at home and after subsequent losses on the road to the struggling blues and decimated Pens, we'll all be talking about how Coach Martin is an idiot and we should have kept Halak.. well some of us will be talking about this, while others just wax on with endless stats...

I believe. I think our team is looking stronger and stronger. The recent road trip did wonders for our confidence and the young guys (Lars included) look to have gained some swagger. Hopefully we are peaking as the other teams are fading. Its been a long season fraught with injuries but if the remaining soldiers play with heart and passion they can surely surprise the naysayers. As a fan I would love to see us take out Philly or the Bruins but if some other team wanted to do it for us that would be nice too... EDIT: JM please put Benoit, DD and MaxPac on a line already!

You're right. The last few games have gone very well and the team is starting to look like a team. I'd just like to see us beat the teams with loosing records more often. My argument is that when a crappy team plays us they tend to really 'bring it' because we are les Habs. maybe you can go thru the stats and glean backing information to support this hypothesis? We can always find excuses for losing to any team, its hockey of course and anything can happen. Let alone injuries, bad bounces, missed opportunities, questionable officiating, poor coaching decisions, lack of player motivation, etc. it wouldn't surprise me if we beat the Bruins and then shat the bed against the Blues... thats hockey and human nature.

Tomas I love ya bud, but seriously, chill out. 3 penalties? 2 of then interference calls? Have a little faith in our D-men...

Impressive list and while you make a good point its the fact that we have losing records against the Devils (1-2), Leafs (2-3), Blue Jackets (0-1), Thrashers (0-2) , Oilers (0-2), that is the problem. We just seem to have abysmal showings against them. Do we actually play as hard against these lesser teams as we do the Pens, Caps, Bruins, Flyers? or do the players mentally check out and figure we can roll over them? And do these lesser teams play a better game because its against the best hockey team that ever was? While I agree that over the season our chances of beating a crap team will come out in our favour, but I can't help but think there is some other forces at play than strictly a numbers game

I'm glad White is still in the line-up. This guy really impresses me. I'm thinking Benoit's line is going to have a great night tonight!

I agree, we seem to play to the level of our competition . Which I guess always makes for an entertaining and close game.. lucky us.. I also think when other teams play the Habs they tend to think of it as a 'big game'. Hell most of the players on the other teams probably grew up loving the Canadiens and want to play well against us. Our history in itself makes us a target, who wouldn't want to beat the most storied and successful all time team in the league?

I agree that incompetent management surrounded by 'yes men' is a dangerous combination. I'm sorry if I don't think the sun shines directly out of JM's a$$.. Don't know about you but finishing 1st and doing squat in the post season breaks my heart.. its like going out with a girl, paying for dinner and a movie and then getting a kiss on the cheek. Most frustrating year after year. Sorry to be Mr Negative with my first few posts. I know I'm new around here. I think my hostility stems from watching blowmez make $40K a day ... hell even Kovalev had more desire than this asshat..

I think its because we have had our hearts broken so many times. 1986 and 1993 were a hell of a long time ago... its hard to compare the state of the league and even the game itself to that era. Its much harder to win now. We all thought last year was going to be the year and we're still not over it.. Dare to dream I guess. I think the pessimistic attitude comes from the realists who deep down feel that our hopes will be dashed once again as our beloved band of brothers most likely lose in the second round to the Bruins in 5 games... We are negative and defeatist only to serve the purpose of making ourselves feel better when it happens for real.. I agree that its a terrible way to cope and there is a lot we should be thankful for.. But this is the beauty of being a loving Habs fan. If we don't feel we can win the cup there isn't much left to live for...

Seeing PK skate circles around our net in the 3rd period against the Canes was a thing of beauty. His composure and work ethic are only getting better. And his old school Rob Blake style hip checks are channeled from a by gone era. This kid is the business and I don't think he is going to 'let it go to his head' I'll admit, when he first came into the league I was concerned that his moxy was going to get him in trouble, and someone was going to hurt him. But after watching him play, I realized that he can take care of himself. Nobody can really touch him, he just spins off checks and has great on ice awareness. Sure get Big Bird in to help mentor him but I think Hal is doing a pretty damn good job for the time being... P-K-P-K-P-K!

we've got 12 road games and 7 home games left.... Hopefully Eller and Kosty will keep scoring.....

just wait for it. I hate to be the glass half empty guy but I predict we'll be hanging on for dear life come the end of the season. Struggling to make it to overtime to eke out a single point against the Leafs to keep 8th place.. Its not JM's fault we've had a ton of injuries. But the French fans and media won't see it the way you guys do is all I'm saying..