GoHabs2002

Here we go! Time to see what these players have. If there is ever a rock bottom to a season, last week must have been it. If there is ever a great chance to pull yourself out of a hole in a season, tonight has to be it. An in your face meeting. Two reflection period. A great period of time to finally let go of the losing atmosphere. THe Panthers aren't the worst team in the league but they are certainly not the worst team to face trying to break a slump. A win tonight is a must. Koivu, Higgins, Souray, Huet, Plekanek, Begin and Markov must come up a big. As they go everyone else will follow.

How about... Maxi!

The team is going to have to settle the top 2 lines eventually. Lats has shown he doesn't hurt his linemates on the top lines and with his size and ability to battle in the corners and maintain the puck, he should stay on the top 2 lines. With Higgins coming back in the next 15 days or so, Carbo will have the opportune time to find a winning combination like Gainey did once he placed Higgs on Koivu's line last year. It's obvious Kovy isn't happy with Pleks and from recent games it appears that he and Koivu MIGHT have re-kindled some of their chemistry they showed in the '04 playoffs. Carbo also has to find a second line center. We all here mostly agree that the team should try out Higgs before sending any assets away for an outside solution. So why not try: Lats Koivu Kovy Sammy Higgs Ryder Ryder seems to respond more to Higgs than to Koivu, so keeping them together could be more important than keeping them together with koivu. Sammy can act as the puck carrier, which he should enjoy. Outside from that, I think the number one duty for Gainey is to dangle Sammy around for a number 2 center. I don't know who and I know Sammy's value might not be high right now, but I'm also sure there are some GMs who could look at the situation as just another player not able to perform in Montreal and would be willing to listen to deals involving Samsonov. If Chicago is interested, I'm not completely intersted in there defensemen..how about Tuomu Ruttu. I know he's young, once-labelled as there franchise player. But he's been injured and could be available.

Agreed. But considering, unless something goes array, Koivu will be around for another 2 more years and will be captain until at least 2009, by then Higgins will have 4 years under his belt and, if he continues his pace, a major player on the team (and maybe consistent Selke nominee). If Koivu would not be here today, it would be Rivet, I believe, or Souray (my preference). Or would the team want to pin it on a guy that is certain to be around beyond this season (Kovelov). Without a doubt, Higgins has the most potential of all the players to take over when Koivu leaves (if he leaves on schedule), followed by Komisarek

So he talked about the Leafs in his segment on the TSN preview show, but check out Damian Cox's comments on about the Canadiens, from his article about all 6 Canadian teams: MONTREAL LAST YEAR: 93 points, 7th in East, lost in 1st round. OFF THE ICE: Bob Gainey hands over the coaching reins to Guy Carbonneau, with Kirk Muller as an assistant. They will almost certainly produce an excellent defensive team. ON THE ICE: No. 1 goalie Cristobal Huet took the league by storm, but he played only 36 regular season games. With a big new contract, he'd better be the real deal. ... The same defence corps returns: Andrei Markov, Craig Rivet, Mathieu Dandenault and Sheldon Souray. Francis Bouillon, who won't be back from knee surgery until November, is underrated. ... Sergei Samsonov is a small speedster joining a team full of 'em. Still, 18 teams scored more goals. PIVOTAL PLAYER: C Saku Koivu. INTANGIBLES: Goaltending is solid, defence is mobile and reliable. Close to being a team that could really make a move. THE SEASON AHEAD: Could push for division crown. source: Toronto Star

Regular Season: Pacific: San Jose, Pheonix, Anaheim, Dallas, L.A Central: Nashville, Detroit, Colombus, Chicago, St. Louis Northwest: Calgary, Edmonton, Minnesota, Vancouver, Colorado West Final Standings NSH CAL SJ DET EDM PHO ANA DAL ---- CLB MINN VAN COL CHI LA STL Southeast: Carolina, Atlanta, Florida, Tampa, Washington Atlantic: New Jersey, Rangers, Philly, Pittsburgh, Islanders Northeast: Ottawa, Montreal, Buffalo, Boston, Toronto Eastern Final Standings NJ OTT CAR NYR MTL BUF PHI ATL ---- BOS FLA TB TOR PITT ISL WSH 1st round winners: West: NSH, CAL, EDM, PHO East: NJ, OTT, NYR, BUF 2nd round winners: West: EDM, PHO East: NYR, BUF 3rd winners: West: PHO East: NYR New York Rangers win the Cup.

Carbo said that this pick will also be an organizational choice. Here's what must be considered: - The new UFA and arbitration ages are irrelevent. Top players will get top money regardless how; if not you will alienate the player and when he won't forget it when he is an actual UFA (ask Keenan and Luongo). The Habs will have 4 years after the initial contract to set up a long-term deal that will extend into his UFA years. - Lats' age is no longer an issue. It might have been last year; but he's shown he has the maturity necessary. He's spent 5-6 weeks now with professionals (last 2 years) and he has impressed in almost every game (albeit in pre-season) - Keeping Lats over Kosy gives the team more quality depth. If you send Kosy down, if there is an injury to a top line guy, you can call up Kosy and have a quality, offensively talented player to replace him. If Lats is sent down, all you have is Chippy, Ferland or Locke, none of which are equal to Lats or Kosy talent-wise. - Also with depth, it gives you an extra player, Kosy, Zhog, or someone else that you can offer as a teaser for a trade for an upgrade in defense if you see one is necessary, if you keep Lats on the NHL roster. - Lats gives you a demension that 1-the team doesn't necessarily have at the moment (a physical presence with a real, documented scorer's touch) and 2- that Kosy can't provide. (different playing styles) - I read a quote this summer (I think it was Ecklund, actually) that said if the Habs could get just one player (francophone or not) to shoulder much of the attention, in a positive way, the other players will feel less burdened and may actually perform equal to their abilities. Damphousse, Recchi, V. Bure, they all performed better than we thought they ever could once they were traded away from the spotlight. As long as Lats can take the fans love and admiration, Koivu and Kovy can "coast" under the radar. - Lats has seemed to earned the respect of his potential teammates. With Koivu's remarks and Komi's defense against T-Bay, it seems they might percieve him a more than ordinary rookie. - Kosy has NHL-calibre talent and the maturity to now develop in the NHL rather than the AHL, that is no doubt. Next year with Bonk & Johnson gone, there will be room for him, so you gotta play a little with the roster so he stays in your organization. It's a long season, there will be injuries and it's good to keep your options open and having Kosy in the minors keeps many doors open. I think Lats should be kept and I think the opening night line-up should be: Higgins Koivu Ryder Lats Ribs Kovy Sammy Pleks Johsnon Begin Bonk Perezhogin Replace Zhog with Murray for the Toronto game (they always hit us hard) and try one of Sammy and Kovy at the point on the PP. One thing is for sure though: If they decide to keep Lats it has to be for the whole season; it would be stupid to lose one year of rights for a max. 10-game experiement.

I think that shows what Carbo has it mind: Give Kosty a chance to show him if he can play with Kovy and Ribs, if he can and he is picked, its that line and Sammy plays on the third. If Kosty can't, then he won't be picked, i think and Lats starts on the third, but I wouldn't be surprised if he switches with Sammy so the Habs really can have 3 balanced offensively-dangerous lines.

I'd like to see the line-up tonight, apparently only bubble players that will be in the line-up are Lats, Zhog and Jansveski. That tells me that Chips (not surprisingly) will be sent down and so will Kots (probably more due to the play of Lats and Zhog's one way contract that his not-too-dissapointing play). For tonight I'd like to see: Higgins Koivu Ryder (no reason to touch this) Lats Ribeiro and Kovy (kovy likes to carry the puck, ribs has shown chemisty with Kovy last year and Lats last night; could be interesting) Sammy Pleks and Johnson (sammy likes to carry the puck, pleks sometimes has trouble with that aspect and johnson can be the corner man) Bonk Begin and Perezhogin ( I wouldn't be surprised if Zhog is traded for defensive depth later in the year to make room for Ferland who, luckily for now, has a two-way contract). To me this would be a very good opening night roster. Koivu's line gets top minutes, the #2/#3 lines get similar with minutes with the hotter line getting slight more. Last line has its role and tehy usually know what it is.

Good move by Carbo...While most is on the brink of panic with only a week left in training camp, Carbs sets his team up to perform. Puts the major parts of the team in, with some youngster and observe how everyone reacts with what will probably a representative distribution of ice time. Not to mention the games on TV, so it gives back to the fans who have been following all over the province. Interesting is though, Ribeiro is not playing tonight RDS report It'll be the Koivu line intact with Locke centering the Russions, not Ribs. Letendresse plays with Bonk and Murray. I think this is a direct look at whether its Ribs slowing down the Russians or whether it's just taking time for the three to gel.

Whether he plays in Mtl or not this season, Latendresse needs to be signed. Teams have until June 1st, two years after the draft year to sign a prospect or that prospect goes back into the draft. So I can go either way about playing him in Mtl this season, but I do want him signed. Giving him a 10-day trial and then sending him back to the Q has 2 major drawbacks: 1- It brings Latendresse one year closer to arbirtration rights (and given the high decisions this summer, that isn't a marginal thing) 2- Brings Latendresse one year closer to UFA status, as it will count as a service year in the NHL. Those are pretty big issues, even if he stays the entire year, for a player to play 12-15 minutes a game without that much valuable ice time.

Finally got connected online, got 3 tix for Leafs game on the 28th! Got in for the opener too, but my hands were moving too quickly and I didn't "follow the ordering procedure" so I got kicked. Has anyone ordered online before. I didn't get a confirmation page after I clicked process...

Carter wasn't between them, Hendrik was between him and brother Daniel. Did you see what Carter did the two seasons prior to that?? Was his season only a product of the Sedins finally jelling at the NHL level?

Amen KoZed! I've been building a similar arguement for days now. Some seems to let their dislike for what they see the guy as hide the progress that Ribeiro has made and what he can still make. Ribeiro can be a great compliment to Kovelov, we saw that at the last quarter of the season. If Ribs has a 90 point season, even tho its just one season, next year this time, everyone will find another guy to pounce on.

I know Ribeiro's faults and what people criticize him about, but I would still give him one more shot with Kovelov straight from training camp with a consistent winger to their left and see what he can do. We saw with a consistent line in 03-04 he can put up 60 odd points and one of the wingers was Dags. Are there better options in the league? definitely. But you'll have to give up other assets in return, meanwhile you have a guy here who wants to play in Montreal, loves to play in front of the crowd, likes the pressure here, can communicate well with the media and is still maturing. Briere broke out when he was 25, the least we can do is give Ribs his third year of full-time duties and show us what he can do. When people talk of Habs players still developing, he should be in that category. Maybe in talent he's done developing, but in terms of psyche, work ethic and maturity (all important factors) he is just as much developing as the other younger players.