ozhab

It sounds like the Habs have energy AND urgency in this game - about freakin' time.

And it's not even 9:30am here in Australia...

Can't find the caps lock button because you've had one too many beers?

about time we had a lead in this series...

I thought I had plenty of time to have a shower with the game going into OT...

Way to leave it to the last minute... don't think I actually drew a breath for that 6-on-4.

Koz, that sure is some slick work. I could live with that through the playoffs. If we weren't in the Bruins' heads before this series began, we surely must be now. Marky said it nicely: Habs better smell the blood in the water - killing off wounded teams will help further build their confidence and assert in the players' minds that they can mix it with the best in the league. That's what great teams do - dominate the weaker ones.

Not if he scores 30-40 goals in a season...

I guess it's been such a long time since I've been around the boards that you've forgotten?

If the Habs were able to pick up a high-calibre centre, why not shift him (Koivu) back to the wing where he originally started?

Firstly, a great victory for Milan and a step in the right direction for the credibility of Italian football after a tough year. FORZA MILANO!!! Secondly, while Milan may not have deserved the lead based on the flow of play, their one goal lead at half time showed you have to bury your chances against a quality side. Milan had one quality chance in that half and, partly luckily, they made it count. That's what champion teams do. Benitez definitely made a mistake leaving Crouch on the bench, whether beside Kuyt or instead of will always be a point of contention. Liverpool's tactics for the first half were very defensive and played in a very Italian counter-attacking style, IMO. It just didn't look like they wanted to come out and win. Don't know what Milan looked like (crap in the first half, that's for sure) but they stuck to the formula that had served them so well throughout the campaign and it was always going to be a matter of patience. So said, Gerrard played quite a dominant game but was trying to do too much by himself (can you hear me, Christiano Ronaldo?), at times trying to produce 'cute' (read: highlight) football. Jamie Pennant though - how I would love this kid over at Spurs. Great work ethic and oodles of skill. He's going to be a great player...

I for one agree that the team should be left as is. The chemistry between the players is working and working well. The team isn't exactly dominating in the same way the Ducks & Sabres have been this season (or like great Devils teams of the past few years) but they are still winning. Winning consistently and, most of the time, winning convincingly. Why muck with that? Every team has its weaknesses and imperfections - it provides the players with something to work towards and improve upon. I think it will be most interesting to see how Huet stands up after a full season, not to mention next season as well. Right now, his play minimises the mistakes of others.

There's capability and then there's a genuine threat. The Habs may not be scoring a lot of 5-on-5 goals right now but they're generating pressure in the offensive zone which in turn, generates power play opportunities. Don't get me wrong, I'd rather the Habs sort it out 5-on-5 just like everyone else but when the power play can get it done so efficiently (and they're not conceding power play goals), why the great concern? Be concerned about 5-on-5 when the power play dies and the penalty kill turns to sh*t.

Would it be unreasonable to have expected Bonk to post decent offensive numbers last season? He came with an offensive history and a bucketload of talent. According to those expectations, he was a huge disappointment last season. I seriously doubt he was accquired as a shutdown center. But last season was just that. Carbo and the coaching staff (not to mention Gainey) saw potential in what he was doing towards the end of last season and Bonk has bought into the system. Great defensive forwards evolve, partly out of necessity. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain his quality of play (don't see why he can't).

GO ZHOGS!!! Sounds like he was flying when he burst into the zone. Can't wait to see this highlight... damn Australian interest in hockey.

I wouldn't really say it's about being a Koivu supporter but rather about the confidence he instills and the inspiration he provides. The guy has been the backbone of club for the better part of six/seven years. Forget the couple of seasons Theo stole for the club - leaders stand up when it counts. Leaders are accountable on AND off the ice. Koivu was voted captain by the squad as a sign of solidarity and stability in a time of turmoil for the club. Why? Because the players respected the heart, effort and drive he brought to the team. Look at how Kovalev's skill inspires you and you can appreciate why Koivu inspires (through so many intangibles beyond skill) not only his squad, but Canadiens fans as well.

No complaints from me on the first choice. Finally got to see the goal and it certainly was a spectacular individual effort.

Over eight years I would periodically search the ESPN message boards for the old skool posters I used to know. A couple are here while others have come and gone. But funnily enough, it was a post by Linden Fan (recurring theme PTG?) that directed me here. Habsworld was just a google search away...

Nah, wasn't it this one: "When 900 years old you reach, look as good you will not"

No fickleness here - I think my avatar speaks for itself. If the kid puts in 100% every game and scores between 10-20 goals, I'll be happy. For some fans, points are all that matter. Pierre Turgeon put up some decent points for ONE season but when it came to being a team leader, what happened? I'll let history do the talking. Habs had a bad habit of trading those team guys who put the team first and gave their best every night (I'm looking at Mike Keane right now). All I'm saying is it's great to see his effort translated into points. Helps when you have offensively-minded players by your side as well.

So, Zhogs got second line action and put up two points for his efforts. I never get to see games but I'm looking forward to his goal being posted on nhl.com - sounds like it was a spectacular individual effort. I know it's only the first game that he's scored but does anyone feel like adding him in a trade now? For years we've bemoaned players who don't bring intensity and pride to their games, the pride that should come from wearing the CH on your chest. Zhogs is the type of player we've cried for and nothing warms my heart more than seeing his effort converted into points in tonight's game.

"You mess with the bull, son, you get the horns" - my fave motivational speech for my staff "Do or do not - there is no try" - how the hell is Yoda NOT on this thread yet?

Definitely not for the faint hearted, nor a 7:30 timeslot. I love non-English insults. My favourite was taught to me by my (Yugoslav) Macedonian boss: 'idiu pichku mater' which means 'go back to your mother's c**t' Really nasty stuff for them. To pronounce it properly, you need to really spit out the 'pichku', thus adding to the dramatic effect. Just don't call them Greek... A couple of faves for ugly people: Face like a bulldog chewing on a wasp... Had a head like a bucket full of smashed crabs...

This game is absolutely nuts. Great to see the Habs showing some guts and urgency when down, and then kicking the Avs when they're down. Killer instinct is something they lacked last year - gotta kill off a team when you have the lead. Nice to see Theo's having such a great game...

So someone has discovered C'était un Rendezvous... I saw this film when I was a kid and managed to track down a copy a few years ago. A truly amazing film. To answer a few questions: 1. the run was done at about 4:30am, hence the lack of traffic 2. the Ferrari was Lelouche's own 3. Lelouche was not the driver, it was a Formula 1 professional (name escapes me right now) In the film, there's a particular scene where the Ferrari blasts through a gateway into a main road. This was the most dangerous part of the drive and a spotter was placed at the gate with a walkie-talkie to warn of oncoming traffic. As the car approached the gateway, nothing was heard over the walkie-talkie: all clear. Turn out the batteries failed not long after the run began... A few years ago, Nissan produced an ad for the release of the 350Z entitled 'The Run', which is the name Rendezvous is known by. The 'track' was through the streets of Prague, which were obviously all blocked to traffic for the shoot. Great video but lacks the real thrill of Rendezvous.