xXx..CK..xXx

I still think the thing he does that's different from a dime a dozen player is that he actually gets the puck to the net in the offensive zone. Decent and accurate shot from the point. Barberio can shoot as well though and I haven't seen enough of Redmond to comment.

I won't mention anything about Plekanec this game. It will just happen.

Esposito also played pretty well in that footage. Lemaire's goal was crazy. Seems that would be an underrated moment in Canadiens' history for me.

I'm glad I remembered to mention that Plekanec will score tonight.

I completely agree but the only thing that truly isn't fair when looking at it that way is that he got injured during his deepest run and didn't even play in the final loss of the season. If he were to retire today, I do think that would be something that should actually be taken into consideration. Considering he has so many years left in the tank though, that season probably won't even be a factor in deciding whether or not he was the greatest goalie of all time. By the end of his career, he seems a shoe in for the Hall of Fame. But if he does not win a cup? He won't have been the best goalie ever.

I think throwing 7.5 million at him as a projection is a little premature but I don't disagree that he's one of "those" Elite Russians forwards. It may be early but I'm thinking he's a gem as well in all honesty. There's Ovechkin, Malkin, Kovalchuk, Datsyuk and then there's Radulov right there on the list, and we've got him. The only difference is the amount of games played and experience they've had in the league. Tarasenko and a few others are knocking on the door but I was referring to veteran game changing Russian forwards. Radulov reminds me of the first three on the list I noted at certain points and I'd take any of those players on my team. Kovalchuk and Ovechkin never seem to have success but it doesn't change the fact I'd have loved(love) to have had them on our team while in their prime.

With Fowler playing like their best defenseman so far this season I doubt they end up moving him regardless of the cap issues they face. I also think that from the Habs' perspective, a top 4 defenseman isn't as desperate a need as it seems. If the playoffs were today, I'd be a little bit troubled but Weber is helping anyone look like a legitimate #2 at the moment and Beaulieu has about half a season to demonstrate that he can grow into that role. If he can't step up to the plate, which I admit I thought he would, then there's always the trade deadline. There's really no desperate need to overpay for anything in the short term. If Fowler fell into our lap, fine, but once again I think that it's unlikely to happen from Anaheim's end as a result of the way Fowler has been playing.

The Kings seem to be pretty happy with the way Budaj has been playing for them. I think they're going to stick with him unless things really go off the rails.

I'm stuck on 25 goals as well 25 goals - 37 assists 62 points 5 Years 27.5 million

It would have to go both ways. If a player gets a + on the PP then the other team should receive a - on the PK as well. Neither do though. Personally, I'm happy I'm not a Leafs fan. Sure they have some exciting kids but there's no proof of anything championship caliber as of yet. It was an exciting time to be Edmonton fan 5 years ago as well and that did nothing for them. The Leafs definitely are a quick team and I actually agreed with Petry's statement about not getting into a run and gun game with them after I witnessed some of that in the second period. They're going to have a tough game against teams with a real defensive structure though and I don't have any faith that they're going anywhere any time soon.

Not to mention the addition of Radulov who I think has come into a situation where he's aware of the growing pains the team went through last season but didn't go through them himself. As a result, he bring more of a lightheated and relaxed determination to the room.

When he was playing in the World Juniors tournament, I thought his speed was above the rest. I guess the reason I say speed (hustle) is because he could manage to be the first one up the ice as well as the first man back. I remember that still being the case in his first few seasons of playing with the Habs. Maybe I did overrate his speed because he was never the fastest player on the Habs but I've always felt like his stride was one of his strengths and that goes away with age no doubt as does the will to hustle full steam after every errant pass that leads to a turnover. I'm not comparing Stamkos to Subban whatsoever, I was just stating that I saw something in both of them early on and in my opinion they were both exceptional skaters at an early age. Stamkos was a first overall pick whereas Subban was a second rounder so that right there is apples to oranges. Doesn't change the fact that even with a player like Eberle on the team doing magical things for Canada, Subban was still my favorite player on the team and a lot of it was for the reason I've stated here. Subban is still great but I've seen that specific area regress already if I'm being completely honest and I think it's an important element to his game. As you get older in sports though, you find a way to adapt your strengths to the body you've been given and I'm sure he'll do just that.

I still think there's this mystical aura surrounding Subban. Both in a positive as well as a negative way. I've actually caught some of the Preds games this season and Subban's playing the same way he did in Montreal. Yes, it's only been a few games but he's not flying around the ice from end to end like everyone seems to always state he would be able to do were he to be "freed up" by the coaching staff. Frankly, I see him sending quick outlet passes to the wingers in the defensive zone more than ever this season. Is he trying to be even too much of a team player early on? Perhaps. Maybe he trusts Nashville's forwards more. He has looked good on the PP. I also completely disagree about Subban and his undoubted longevity. When Subban was in the World Juniors for Canada, he was my favorite player on a stacked team. I loved his blistering speed when compared to anyone else. Another player that comes to mind with that type of speed in the same tournament was Stamkos. I saw something in both of them. With that being said, over only the past couple of seasons, I've seen Subban regress in this specific area. He used to be able to turn the puck over and then beat 5 players back in order to be the first player to retrieve a loose puck. Even now, let alone in 10 years, sometimes I see him dogging it back to the defensive zone after a turnover. The only reason it stands out to me is because I remember how amazing he was at that very specific thing; Attempting an amazing play with the worst outcome possible being him recovering the puck himself after turning it over. A half hearted back check never happened. I don't pretend to know what comes for either of them that far down the road but we shouldn't act like Subban will never regress either. It's going to happen and it could honestly happen at any time. I give him 5 years more before being one injury away from being a changed player and of course, the same can be said for anyone of the same age. Other than that, there are 38 year olds who play like they are 30 and there are 35 year olds who play like they are 40. I'll concede that just because of their physical age, one is likely to regress quicker than the other but with some uncertainty there, I find it a very specific reason to even dislike the trade.

I'm being honest when I say Weber has so far exceeded my expectations. I only hope he can keep it up but also have no doubts that he will. Radulov has also been very good so far early in the season and I love the chemistry the two seem to already have from their days together in Nashville.

The commentators I had on seemed to think Emelin was on the top pair due to big physical Simmonds being on the top line as well. Either way, although it's a small sample size, Weber can make anyone look good on the top pair it seems. Emelin didn't look out of place in my opinion. I'm hoping Beaulieu stays on the top pair as well though. I don't want to see our defensive pairings starting to be juggled too often as well because it becomes too inconsistent. One game it's the right call, the next game it's not.

I said I hate the Sens earlier this season and let's just say I don't like the Flyers either. They seem to always play us well regardless of standing. Similar to the Leafs other than the fact that the Flyers have sometimes had the better squad. Hope we continue rolling tonight though, that would be nice.

....Gaborik? I enjoy both players but I would take Weise on my team over Byron personally. I hope he has a great season but Byron is usually a player who will score a nice shorthanded breakaway goal and then be off the score sheet for the next 7-8 games without anyone even realizing it. Weise didn't rack up the points either but come playoff time, I'd want him on the ice even and especially during 5 on 5 overtime. He scored some clutch goals. 4 GWG in 38 playoff games. That would translate into 8-9 GWG in a calendar season. Call it what it is but I think there's something to it.

Pretty sure he got 5 points in their opener. Tuuka won't play because he fears the Habs. Let's face it.

You know, I'm pretty sure there are hundreds of defensemen who would take "boring" as a compliment. Personally, I find it entertaining to watch Weber wind up from the point while the goalie resembles a deer in headlights as the puck crosses the line and hits the back of the net. I literally find that entertaining. Actually, even when the goalie makes the save, I find it entertaining. You can compare him to other defenseman in that area but the truth is, he buries the puck more than all defensemen. As for his defense being boring, sign me up. Although I am hoping his physicality will come out during some more competitive games.

All this "lateral move in the short term" talk has clouded your judgement. No one is saying anything yet, nor should they, but one day it is entirely possible that you come to the realization that this team is better as a result of the trade in the short term as well. If this is not possible, then you're not living in reality. Sure, if you have your predetermined analysis of the trade all engrained in your head then the light may never appear but regardless of skill and entertainment, this trade can (once again) be a win for both teams. We haven't played the best of teams yet as DON pointed out but I did think the notion was that we we're supposed to now struggle against fast teams like Pittsburgh because of the loss of one player. I'm not convinced our team is any slower, really. I'll admit that I thought that Ottawa's forwards were better skaters than our forwards but that's not exactly the same thing. Weber is a nice add and I'm happy for him that he potted his first goal of hopefully many last night. Our power play has looked great and I look forward to him continuing to bring what he does to the table. It's definitely nice to have him.

Welcome back to the press box Tinordi.

A little late there...

I need Lehkonen to do something in the third period. That is all.

We can't lose..... We can't lost to Mike Condon.

I live in Southern California now and speaking hockey with people here, you generally hear talk about rivalries with any combination of LA/Anaheim/SJ. When a Kings fan talks to me about how much of a prick Perry is on the ice, my first thought and comparison is Marchand so I definitely agree that our primary rivals are the Bruins. The comparison is interesting because when you think about it, LA and Anaheim have genuine reasons to be rivals due to their proximity to one another. LA and SJ also have good reason to be rivals because they keep playing each other in the playoffs. Other than them being both in California, I can't think of a genuine reason that Anaheim and San Jose should really be "rivals". Maybe because they each have a strong contingent of same era Canadian superstars. It wouldn't surprise me if Anaheim thought more of the rivalry than San Jose since really, Anaheim hasn't faced either the Kings or San Jose in many meaningful matches. San Jose on the other hand has faced the Kings. That's kind of like the Leafs or Sens thinking more about the rivalry than the Habs. I look at the "rivalry" between the Leafs and Habs and think back to being a young kid at my cottage with no cable. We had CBC and on Saturday this meant HNIC. For whatever reason, it really did feel like we played the Leafs a ridiculous amount on Saturday in the late 90s and as a result of being so happy that we at least had hockey to watch on Saturday, playing the Leafs developed into something for me. If you take the term literally, then rivalry is too strong a word but there should be another word for what the matchups between the Habs and Leafs mean, because there is something more to it than a simple regular season matchup. As for the players? I think they don't see it through the same lense and to them, even if they are unaware, they probably don't even feel the rivalry as much as even a player in 2000 on the Habs did.