habscout

All this article shows, is how desperate the Toronto media is for the Maple Leafs to turn things around. They want a panacea to fix their team, whether it be parachuting in unreachable but successful GM's like Burke, Gainey or Ken Holland, or trading Mats Sundin for some unsuspecting team's best prospects and their first round draft pick. It ain't gonna happen, plain and simple. I lost what little respect I had for Dreger, and this article once again proves that the 'T' in TSN stands for Toronto.

Wow! Not a bad trade. I must be one of the few Habs fans that think Price is not ready yet for a #1 role, but it's been thrust upon him so I have to hope for the best.

You know, with Detroit having both Lidstrom and Rafalski injured, maybe Montreal might be able to deal Dandenault back to Detroit, for a pick or a prospect ? His contract only runs this season and next, so Detroit should be able to afford him

I was blessed to actually be at the game. It has been a few years since I've been able to make the 9.5 hour pilgrimage to Montreal, as a two night mid week vacation. I picked this game out a couple of months ago, and had no idea it would turn out the way it did. My wife and I were able to watch the game with two friends of ours who are big Montreal fans. We all had a blast that night, and loved every minute of our visit to Montreal. Despite the dismal start, the momentum steadily built up at the Bell Centre, until the final, perfect ending to the shootout. The deafening sound of the crowd at the end still gives me shivers when I think of it, and the exuberant mood of the crowd leaving the arena was playoff like. I could not have scripted a better ending to the game.

This URL [an audio mp3 file] represents an interview with Habs prospect PK Subban, after he was selected to the Canadian World Junior Hockey team. http://qml.quiettouch.com/files/radio/fan5...dd-20071213.mp3

I hope that Sergei K. impresses enough tonight to get some time on one of the top 2 lines. I don't expect him to start there, but maybe he'll show something, provide some offensive spark to help the team out a lttle. I'd love to see him paired up with his brother, which is what both brothers need, as Andrei has been inconsistent at times this season.

Why? Gee, maybe his ego has gotten in the way of reality. A lot of pro players do not know when to call it quits and Recchi easily fits into that category. Did you actually watch Recchi play the last time the Habs played Pittsburgh, or any other game since ? I have, and I saw a player who used to be very speedy that has lost a step. Rex never used to be the best two-way player either, so he has no usefulness on the 4th line. I liked Recchi when he played for the Habs, but I don't see any value to the Habs acquiring him this season. Sure, Ryder, Breezy & Smolinski may be benched this season [or benched again for the latter two] but that won't justify picking up another underachieving, 39 year old forward, earning $1.75M, who has significantly slowed down this season, and has been scratched the last 6 straight games. Not to mention the fact that he seems to have lost his spot to rookie forward Tyler Kennedy, who's played in those same 6 games Recchi has been out, and managed 3 goals and 2 assists during that time. It's little wonder the Penguins have waived Recchi. I just read that he passed through waivers without a claim, so he'll have to report to the AHL if he wants to continue to draw his NHL salary, or retire.

Well, it's not a bad move to bring up a couple of new bodies, because something is clearly wrong with this squad the last couple of weeks. Maybe Lapierre can inject a spark to the 3rd/4th line, and maybe O'Byrne will be useful on defence. However, the team just can't seem to score, and it's unclear why. One of the players the team thought was going to help in Grabovski failed miserably. Grabovsky was a player I thought showed some good offensive creativity when he was called up for a few games last season. This season, he showed none of that, and despite a few good plays once every odd game, he generally seemed lost, no mater how much or little ice time he was given, and which types of players were on his line. He's probably going to bolt back to Bello/Russia after this season is over, and then we'll probably see S. Kostitsyn or M D'Agostini given a chance to break the lineup. Recchi should have retired in the off season; he has nothing left in the tank. From what I saw of him play last season, compared to this one, he's *really* slowed down a lot, especially if you remember the way he used to play for the Habs. Actually, I thought he was not that great with the Hurricanes when they picked him up for their Stanley Cup run a couple of seasons ago. I think he'll probably pass through waivers unclaimed, then he'll retire rather than go down to the minors. His wife and her family is from Pittsburgh, which is why he's wanted to go back there to play the last couple of seasons. TSN now has this move up on their website: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=224411&hubname=nhl

I really enjoyed listening to this interview on FAN590 with George Gillet. Part of the content is centered around the Habs, but some falls into his other business interests involving sports teams. http://qml.quiettouch.com/files/radio/fan5...pt-20071113.mp3

I can't wait for the puck to drop tonight. A big key to the Habs offence tonight will be their speed. If they can apply a lot of high tempo pressure on the Hurricanes defence in their own zone, then they stand an excellent chance to capitalize on the turnovers. I have to wonder though if Price will get one of the starts during the first three road games? One could argue that it would be worthwhile to start his first NHL game on the road, rather than doing it at home.

The Habs did indeed announce the official retirement of Robinson & Gainey's jersey's. They are fitting gestures to both great players. http://www.habsworld.net/out.php?4630

There's a little tidbit near the bottom of Stan Fischler's column that mentioned both Selanne & Niedermayer have enrolled their children in schools in Anaheim for this fall. If either one were planning on retiring, then why would they bother? http://www.hockeyjournal.com/Article.php?ArtID=41491

The first part is a good story about the Habs 1986 Stanley Cup winning final game. http://groups.google.com/group/alt.sports....da9d0da118d1509

I found Lasorda's comments about hockey and the Habs he knew from the 1950's Habs interesting. What was particularly interesting was the discussion he had with Jacques Plante about catcher's masks, and how Plante was considering wearing one. I read Lasorda's biography several years ago, so I know he indeed played minor league baseball in Montreal at the time and was friends with some of the Habs players then. http://www.habsworld.net/out.php?4572 -or- http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&a...rticleid=335854

While I'll agree that last season Bouillon was not playing as well as he has in the past. However, Dandenault clearly was worse, and was spared the embarrassment of being the team's worse dman due to Niinamaa. I'm predicting that Frankie will bounce back with a much better season in 2007-08. Dandenault represents a bigger problem. He has 2 seasons left on a contract, and he's lowered himself well down the Habs depth chart (behind Markov, Hamrlik, Komisarek, Bouillon, and Streit). At the moment, he's at a par with, sigh, Brisebois.

Yesterday, my worst Habs nightmare has come true. Brisebois is back. :puke: For any length of time Brisebois is in the lineup, he's blocking the progress of any Habs farmhand / prospect / 7th or 8th defenceman on the team. That by itself is detrimental enough for the Habs. When you compound it with all the bad plays he will make, and I guarantee they will happen, in 2007-08, this signing is a step or two backwards for the Canadiens organization.

I have to hope that the reason Brisebois and/or his agent are even talking to Montreal is because of the way Gainey let him go. Imagine, if you will, the following scenario. [A phone conversation in mid-to-late July 2005] Gainey: Patrice, it's Bob. Comment ca-va? Brisebois: Oh I'm going through the usual aches and pains after a long hard fought season with the Habs, err the Swiss league. I'm really looking forward to putting the bleu-blanc-et-rouge uniform back on in September. Gainey: That's the main reason I wanted to call you. I have some good news and some bad news. First the bad news. The Canadiens management have decided we are not going to exercise our team option on your contract. You won't be coming back to Montreal in the fall, at least not on your current contract. The good news is that your contract has a buyout clause so you'll be receiving a cheque from Les Canadiens for $760000. You'll become a UFA and will be free to negotiate with any team in the league. Brisebois: But Bob, after hurting my back in the Swiss league after only 10 games played, seeking a contract with another team may be really difficult for me. Gainey: I have some advice. Colorado is a beautiful place to live, especially in the winter. After all, George Gillett still maintains his home there. Also, their GM keeps calling me to inquire about obtaining some current Habs and to ask about former Habs. Brisebois: I understand. I feel I still have a lot of games to play in the NHL. I believe you're making a mistake. Gainey: I understand your feelings. I'm in a tough spot. With this new CBA, I really have to watch every dollar that's spent. At the moment, the Canadiens can't afford to keep you on. Maybe if you'd be willing to resign at a much lower figure, say around $700,000, then we could afford to resign you. Brisebois: With my talent and track record, my agent says I could command more than twice that amount. I am disappointed but I realize the team's situation. Gainey: I have really stuck up for you in the media Patrice, but I have to make a business decision to keep the team competitive for this season. Brisebois: Bob, perhaps in the future, we might meet and who knows what the future will bring? Gainey: Huh, oh sure. In the future, who knows what will happen. You can always call me when you're around Montreal, and maybe we can go out for lunch? Brisebois: Lunch sounds nice. We'll have to do that. Thanks Bob. See you later. Gainey: Au revoir. Sources [besides my imagination]: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=131399&hubname= http://groups.google.com/group/alt.sports....12b4d62e8af80f5 http://www.forecaster.ca/hockeynews/hockey.../player.cgi?170 http://www.forecaster.ca/hockeynews/hockey.../player.cgi?198

I fully believe that. Keep in mind there's been a GM change since Brisebois was signed by Colorado. When it comes to Brisebois' numbers, here are some I'd like to bring up. Avs record before Brisebois injury: 17 W 15 L 3 OT Avs record after Brisebois injury: 27 W 16 L 4 OT

Gawd, no, not Brisebois!!! Please Gainey, don't fall for the idea of adding that "experienced" defenseman. His experiences in Montreal were mostly bad, and I experienced much too much anxiety watching him play for Montreal for too many seasons. Just, say, no.

They're paying a portion of Jagr's salary and bonuses but I don't believe it's half. I read it in an article late last fall so I'll try and dig up the details.

Here's a list of all Souray's goals for the Habs last season, courtesy of NHL.com: http://oilers.nhl.com/video/app?page=Playe...amp;pid=8460561 Also, here's the audio of the Edmonton conference call to announce Souray's signing: http://oilers.nhl.com/team/app/?service=pa...ayer&pid=19

http://www.macleans.ca/culture/sports/arti...3_107266_107266 I love this part: "Balsillie, a long-time Habs fan who named the conference rooms of RIM's corporate headquarters after retired greats like Guy Lafleur, Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe, saw himself as a natural fit...."

T.C Denault wrote this excellent article about Ferguson. I highly recommend it. http://www.habsworld.net/article.php?id=1456

It makes me wish the Habs had taken a chance on him in the second round. http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2932633

At the end of this Larry Brooks [NY Post] article, it mentions a rumour about Souray possibly signing with the Rangers for one year. It sounds to me like he's lowering his demands since we're 11 days into the free agency period and he's not signed yet. http://www.nypost.com/seven/07112007/sport...arry_brooks.htm