The Chicoutimi Cucumber

Both sides of this debate are right. We SHOULD be shitting bricks. The odds of our making the playoffs plunged from about 80% to about 50% in one night. But neither a Montreal loss nor TB/Atlanta victories are as guaranteed as the pessimists seem to think. The fact is, the Habs CAN at least TIE Jersey and, quite simply, need to play their very best game of the season for #82. If they do that, they'll either make it or go down proudly deserving better. And remember things could a whole heap worse - we could be Vancouver. So...let's bite our nails, lose sleep, sweat, suffer...and see. I barely slept last night. That's how bad it is.

Easy there, folks. I agree it's nerve wracking, but come on...all we need is a tie. Have faith - especially in Huet and Kovalev...

Bertuzzi is poison. I live in Vancouver, take my word for it - bad mouthing the coach, sulking whenever things don't go his way, taking stupid, undisciplined penalties...who needs it? If we can get him for a song, then sure. But Souray (which was the big rumour)?? FORGET IT!!!!!

It's cool, although a lot of the time all you get are hollers such as 'c'mon c'mon c'mon,' etc.. My favourite is when they mike the coaches - that's when you really hear some interesting analysis.

The best thing about our making the playoffs this season is that this makes us more attractive to free agents...don't be surprised if that good nucleus gets beefed up by at least one significant signing. (Arnott?) Definitely need some young D. Too bad about the loss of Hainsey, who seems to have become a stud for the Jackets. Looks like I was wrong about him, as were the Habs :puke:

Cheap shot. I despise Cherry as much as I despise their nativism; I hate anyone who allows ethnicity and raw bias to distort their assessment of performance. True, they do say bad things about French players, and they say do nice things about non-French players. But the general pattern is to inflate French talent and be, in an almost cyclical way, abusive of specific non-francophones (e.g., Koivu. Yes, he deserves criticism when in a slump. But to go from there to systematically questioning his leadership? Come ON). Does anyone remember the way they all went berserk when we traded our best defensive defenceman, Lyle Odelein, for Stephane Richer? 'BIEVENUE STEPHANE!!!' Meanwhile, no mention that we had just gutted our D of its toughest, steadiest performer and leader. Then they expressed surprise on-air that Odelein went on to become a key cog on the vaunted Jersey defence, doing EXACTLY what he did for the Habs. Or, they used to crap all over Turner Stephenson - same deal, get rid of him, he's nothing...just a Cup winner with the Devils and blood-and-guts contributor. How about Mike Keane? ENEMY OF THE QUEBECOIS NATION, run him out of town. And all he did afterwards was win Cups. F**king idiots.

I'm in BC, on Shaw, and---yep, it's RDS and their English-hating gibberish for me, all the way.

ps...could this finally be a cup year??? Oy vey. Let's not take leave of our senses.

I heartily endorse Colin's assessment. That they've ragged relentlessly on Koivu is ridiculous, and their inclination to forgive Ribeiro in particular is grotesque. I like Mitch Melnyk's argument...this is the first time in a decade that the French media have exactly ZERO influence over Habs management, and they don't like it one bit. At least Demers refrains from ATTACKING English players; his failing lies in the tendency to romanticize French guys. That's easier to swallow than, say, the unforgiveable attacks delivered on Koivu by much of the french media for his supposed 'manque de leadership' for much of this season. If it were up to these guys, we'd be a team of 100% francophones, and last overall.

That's the trouble. He plays great, then evaporates, etc.. Last season - hot and cold but basically fine; then come playoff time, he's a no-show (except for showboating in the worst possible way against the Prunes); then this season when we really need him to step up, he's vanished again...and now, a sustained run of good play. What do you do? Keep this guy? If you're a coach/GM, do you really need these headaches?

Roy was a dog in the regular season in 1986. I was one of those fans who ripped out their hair that coach Perron didn't dress Doug Soetart more often Shows what I know.

One area where this team has it all over the 1996 edition is management and coaching. Give those players to this braintrust and we're talking MORE than one Cup, by Howie Morenz.

The team that breaks my heart is the 1995-96 team, which was probably more talented than the 1993 edition. G Patrick Roy (Jose Theodore in the wings) D Odelien, Malakhov, Rivet, Quintal, Daigneault, Brisebois F Pierre Turgeon Vincet Damphousse Mark Recchi Saku Koivu Craig Conroy (!) Valeri Bure Mike Keane Darcy Tucker (!) Martin Ruscinsky Turner Stevenson Oleg Petrov Now THAT's a nucleus. If it had been left intact instead of destroyed by that drooling jackanapse Rejean Houle and his bungling sidekick Mario Blueberry, we could very well have contended for a 24th Cup somewhere in the late 1990s. Assholes. :puke: And by the way, the current team couldn't hold a candle either to the squad above OR the 1993 edition. But with all the young guns we may yet do so, in 2-3 years.

True, but all the same faith in a player has to be based on SOMETHING. Apart from his wheels, I don't know what that would be in Bulis's case. He's been in the league nine years and has never shown anything more than what he's shown with us this season. 17 goals...well, that may have *led the team* for a while, but that's precisely what's wrong with the Habs at this point, that middling talents like Bulis can do that. The player he reminds me of is Benoit Brunet, only with less grit; both were effective third-liners prone to occasional scoring streaks, and then both would revert to their usual inability to score on open nets. Nothing against the guy, but holding onto him instead of making ice time for the youngsters seems dubious to me.

Good points all...except that I honestly don't think Bob Gainey gives a tinker's fart about the media or whether the nativist francophone fan base is getting its jollies. I seriously doubt that Bob would be willing to overpay JUST because someone is French, whatever the marketing morons say about it; especially when Montreal is for francopones what Toronto is for Ontario boys, the city where family are and where they dreamed of playing growing up. Other than that, you're on the mark; I think Arnott, along with anyone else who has worked with Bob in the past, might be one of the few 'anglos' willing to come here without extra pecuniary inducement.

I'd rather have Arnott because of the physical dimension he brings, but either would be swell. On the other hand, they'd likely have to overpay any non-francophone player since Montreal is few players' destination of choice - a point in Briere's favour, surely. But I think Bob would like to get away from the 'Smurfs at Centre' shtick.

The only team I can see people preferring to face than us is the Lightning. They don't have a goalie and their D is in tatters. Other than that, we're the draw of choice. Not that players on the opposition will say that - they'll spew on about how balanced the habs are with great goaltending etc.. Doesn't mean a thing. I like our chances against Philly...that's about it. Still, the way we're playing we could at least steal a couple from Ottawa. Carolina - yikes.

Great as the Habs' recent record is, NOBODY in the conference is worrying about drawing them. Gimme a break

Bulis is far too popular on this board. Yes, he's got wheels and a sound defensive game, but really, he hasn't shown anything in his time in Montreal that would indicate that he's more than a fast third-line winger. A useful player, sure, but really - what's the big deal?

Well said, Bulis. Everyone who is all doom and gloom about this trade, based on...THREE GAMES!!!...should remember the Huet/Bonk-Garon trade. Remember, folks? Remember how everyone wanted Huet run out of town after a shaky game or two and then his extended injury? And remember all the moaning about how we gave away a number one goalie, etc., etc.. OK. NOW. Who would you rather have - Garon or Huet? An erratic starter or the best save % in hockey? And to think we got Bonk as a 'throw in.' You'd think that after that whole experience, people would be a little leery of hurling anathema upon trades based on immediate results. You'd THINK that...

Good analysis Kaos, but remember - Abeischer has promising career numbers. So what's more relevant, three great seasons as backup, one absolutely outstanding season as a starter, and one up-and-down season, or three bad games? I'm not saying he's the second coming of Patrick Roy, but to dismiss him now seems premature. (Remember how quick everyone was to dismiss Huet after he stunk out the joint early this year and then got hurt?) Let's get through the season, let Abby regroup, and see where we are come Fall. I think he should be resigned - he'll be cheap; let him battle with Danis for backup duties, or Huet for the starter's role. The internal competition can only be good and gives us lots of options at a key position. If, after the dust settles, he still sucks, move him, count your losses on the Theo deal and move on. As for attracting UFAs, I believe Gainey has concluded that he needs to overpay to successfully overcome all the negatives associated with playing in Montreal at this particular point. This may be why saving the extra dough on Theo's contract was key. If he doesn't take a very serious run at Arnott, and either of Ottawa's stellar UFA D-men, I'll be surprised.

It's scary to contemplate but...COME ON. It's not like this guy has been a total piece of crap. His career numbers suggest that he's at least a good goalie...he was playing very well before the trade...and frankly, how can the Habs have TWO established goalies go utterly in the tank in the same season? That is absolutely bizarre, so the odds suggest that Abby is probably just having trouble adjusting to the new team, new style of play, new opponents (different conference), etc.. The key will be for him not to have his confidence shattered in the way Theo had his, by the high-pressure Montreal pressure cooker. If he can survive this season, I suspect he'll bounce back and play well in 2006-07. Or at least, as I say, that has to be the law of averages.

Hmmm...actually, I think that Savard's trading of a washed-up Muller for Pierre Turgeon was a brilliant move (even if the supplementary trading of Schneider for Malakhov wasn't quite as stellar). Savard managed to acquire a genuine first-line centre in exchange for a player that had gotten old really fast. I see what you're saying about 'owing' something to a player, but frankly, that's how teams go from being champs to stinking out the joint. (Of course, Reggie Houle went on to dump Turgeon *and* Conroy for...Shane Corson, so it came to the same thing).

I agree, that's disgraceful in principle...on the other hand, Leafs fans are so preternaturally obnoxious that - depending on how this guy was acting - it might be simple poetic justice.

Muller may be the most underrated habs of the past two decades. Unfortunately, because of the massive Toronto-centred bias of the national media, everyone remembers him from his Leafs days, when he was a pure third-line grinder. With us, he was in his prime - a slick passer, great in the slot, lots of offense (40 goals, I believe), devastating body-checks, awesome leader: truly a complete player in every sense, including offensively. Apart from Patrick Roy, no player contributed more to the 1993 Cup run, and he would have been a worthy choice as Conne Smythe recipient. People say that that 1993 team had no talent, but the fact is Kirk Muller in his prime would have been a terrific No. 1 centre on ANY team. At his peak, again, a Gordie Howe for the 1990s. However, his number shouldn't be retired, and neither should Saku's. This isn't the Buffalo sabres we're talking about. For the Habs to retire your jersey, you need to have been one of the all-time great players of your generation. Great as these guys are, neither qualifies.