Oleg Petrov

Me, too.

Kovalev gets 4 million a year, not 4.5. There's not many players you could get as UFAs producing at Kovalev's level for that money, even if he's having a disappointing year. Sure, if you compare what he earns to Plekanec and compare the productivity, it looks bad. But if you want to re-sign a UFA, you have to be willing to pay whatever the stupidest GM in the game is willing to offer - it's that simple. By that standard, Kovalev was a steal - yes, that's right, a steal - at 4 million, and if it weren't for the fact that the league was coming out of a lockout and dealing with a salary cap for the first time, there's no way Gainey would have gotten Kovalev for that cash. As for Samsonov, I feel like Gainey looks like a genius for this move, especially pre-trade deadline. Here's what it accomplished: For Samsonov: You can't be given away. There's no point in whining to anyone except yourself, because your only choices are to stay here by earning your spot in the lineup or go to Hamilton. Or retire. For payroll: 3.5 million more space to spend on a renter who won't be on the payroll in July.

It's kind of surprising because of all the cred he should have, but Carbonneau does seem to be afraid of players a bit. Samsonov should have been benched in October, but because he whined, Carbonneau pulled him up from the fourth to the third before the game even started; this, it seems to me, gave too much leash to Samsonov, which ultimately led to the situation this week, where he feels justified in demanding a trade after being benched. Carbonneau benching him the second time was wrong only because he had conceded to Samsonov in October that his playing time related to Samsonov's reputation more than the coach's legitimate discretion to throw whatever lineup he wants on the ice for a given game. I feel like the same thing happened in December where Niinimaa should have been given some more games but Carbo held back because the other 6 d puffed out their chest feathers. You're the help, fellas. Suck it up. I think a lot of rookie coaches want to be the players' buddy, or at least the popular players' buddy. You can do this when you're an assistant coach, but it's a problem when you're the boss. I think Gainey's phenomenal record last spring had a little to do with the fact that he has no desire whatsoever to gain the players' approval (unlike nice guy Claude Julien, whom the players continue to love long after his firing), and so gained their fearful respect. I also think Carbo is too wedded to set lines of players. I think this has finally changed a little with Streit and Johnson moving up, but I get the feeling once a given line has a good game, it gets stuck in Carbo's head. What did it take to break up Higgins-Ryder-Koivu? The Kovalev-Plekanec-Latendresse line will need a 20 game slump where none of them score to get broken up. As for discipline, Carbonneau's broken-record complaining to the ref is the last thing that will inspire your players to not take penalties. I've been on benches where that kind of noise is constant, and it's demoralizing as anything. It's always an event when Carbonneau doesn't complain about a penalty - you get the feeling he would have complained about Perezhogin getting a penalty in the playoffs in Hamilton in '04. That said, he's got great positives - to take the Habs to 4th place in February is impressive, especially when we're seeing these days how low on talent they can be. But he's got a lot of room for improvement.

First off, thank goodness that Aucoin deal didn't happen. Two more years of paying this guy $4 million? No thanks. Next: 3.5 was a good deal on Gainey's part. Samsonov has sucked, but on the basis of the information last summer, I was overjoyed at Gainey landing this dude for 3.5. I was very excited to see SS in a Habs sweater. You can't call the summer signing stupid now: it was either smart then or stupid then. Next: Yes, Carbonneau should have tried other combinations by this point in the season. The rationale for not breaking up Koivu-Ryder-Higgins, i.e. that they work so well together, has been caduque for some time. Koivu-Samsonov should at least have been tried. And yes, Bonk-Johnson-Samsonov was working, even producing goals, however little it showed up on Samsonov's stat sheet (other than the evident improvement in plus-minus). Bonk's goal against the Islanders had a lot to do with Samsonov's speed. And no, Samsonov should not have been benched Sunday. But yes, now that Samsonov has whined again, put him on waivers. Let him rot in Hamilton and fight for a spot in training camp next year, when he'll be in the last year of his contract (= goals). If somebody picks him off waivers, my only lament will be for the cap space he will continue to haunt. His whine before the Boston game in October was inexcusable, and his whine now shows he's unrepentant. Get that away from the team. But ideally, keep him in Hamilton without weighing against the cap, use the cap space for a renter who UFAs July 1st, and watch Samsonov earn his 3.5 next year. This situation reminds me of a couple of misadventures in 2002-03: Oleg Petrov: 53 gp 7 g 16 a 23 p Traded to Nashville for a 6th rounder in February, then returned to the Swiss League at the end of the season. Mariusz Czerkawski: 43 gp 5 g 9 a 14 p Finished the season in Hamilton. One of Gainey's first moves was to buy out his contract. Scored 25 goals for the Islanders the following year, before groaning out a few post-lockout points for the Leafs and then the Bruins. I think Samsonov is much more likely to be a Czerkawski than a Petrov.

Whether or not Kovalev and Plekanec are a good fit (I don't think they are), I too am glad that Plekanec is proving some people right who've been defending him all season. He may have some Bulisesque finishing problems, but he sure is a gem in 2007.

I'd rest Kovalev in the last week of the season if a playoff spot looks secure. Ryder needs a benching and he almost got it today. I voted Johnson, just because I somehow think Komi will miss a couple of games somewhere.

For the record, Aebi speaks flawless French - I think it's his second language after German, but you'd never know.

The G is for Grace. KGB jokes aside, I think "Kennedy Bonk" surpasses even our attempts to make a funny-sounding or rhythmically-satisfying name. It sounds like Clickety-clack.

I don't know - even when the CBC does air Habs games, I can't stand to watch it, because the commentators don't know the players from the Peterborough Petes. It's so annoying to hear Bob Cole refer to "the Canadiens player" when everyone watching the game knows who number 84 is. Unless the CBC brings back Dick Irvin and Steve Shutt to do the broadcasts, I'll be flipping over to RDS anyway. But I do think the point that the Habs' fan base is being destroyed - particularly in Atlantic Canada and out West (where Habs fans almost outnumber the locals when they show up once every three years) - is an important one. I don't think we can expect the CBC to do anything about this, so Habs management should really take the initiative - it's their asset that's suffering.

I find it's usually pretty easy to keep track of what the story is with guys on the IR through RDS, but I can't seem to get a bead on what the story is with Begin. Is he just day-to-day with no forecast of return? Is his back just mysteriously sore, and his return subject to the impenetrable whims of his spinal musculature? Anyone have a clue?

Kilger sure didn't use that shot much in his Mtl days. I remember one slapper goal from the blue line boards against Pittsburgh, but that's it. I don't think it should count if you never use it in games.

A big #1 for Bryan McCabe. Such a big stupid baby and a bully at the same time. Jarkko Ruuttu. Mostly because of his face. I don't hate Justin Williams at all - seems like a good kid, and the Koivu thing was pure accident. I saw Koivu do the same thing to someone else this season, again pure accident, and saw him watch the guy on the ice, and I sure wondered what was going through his head then.

Also, unlike Bulis, Plekanec is not the ugliest human on the planet. But seriously, folks, Plekanec is also a lot easier to have on the team. Carbo was talking about him last night and saying how he always works hard and never complains about what Carbo does with him. A big reason why Bulis isn't back in Montreal is because he decided 2/3rds of the way through last season that he would no longer accept Gainey putting him in a checking role, and would only play on a scoring line...hence his benchings late last season. If I were a coach, it would annoy me to no end to have to deal with a player pulling that nonsense during a playoff run.

He was a man possessed last night - seemed like he had at least one decent scoring chance. And in the absence of Steve Begin, he had a very Beginesque vibe to him last night, even if he plowed himself face-first into the boards at one point - actually, perhaps because he did that, and didn't blink on it.

I don't know much about Hartley, but I remember when he took over the Thrashers partway through the season in 02-03 and he took them from joke to smoke in the blink of an eye, almost getting them into the playoffs then. He still hasn't done that yet, but it was a stunning turnaround of a laugher team. Tough sell to call him overrated.

Yeah, and a lot of them are families on vacation while the kids are on Christmas break from school. That's why this game in particular was so heavily Habfanned.

Also, it was the kind of move that couldn't really wait past Christmas - half of it was to get Traverse back to his family in Massachusetts and stop his turkey dinner from being extremely morose.

I had been wondering how much Kovalev is still pissed that they traded Ribeiro after he had said he was happy to finally have found a centreman that worked well with him. I can't imagine that Plekanec's task in gelling with Kovy was made very easy by that aspect.

Most nights I agree with Johnnyhasbeen - if you dress Downey, you can't roll four lines. If you can't roll four lines, you use more gas that you'll wish you had at the end of the year. On the other hand, you know some nights you're playing a team with a goon, or with no other avenue against you than to try to goon up the game. If you don't dress Downey, that goon on the other team is going to get somebody else to go - Rivet, Komi or Souray. Last year, Souray getting into a fight pretty much cost the Habs the game (I believe it was against Vancouver), albeit mostly because he opened the dude's forehead with his wrist brace. But the guy he was fighting was pure garbage goon, McGrattan-style, and he took Souray out of the game, even if Souray womped him in the fight. Other nights, late in the season against division rivals, things might get heated even against a talented team, and there needs to be a response for opponents taking runs at goalies or small forwards. A couple of weeks ago, some large yahoo on the Penguins checked Samsonov into the boards hours after the whistle and kept at him when Samsonov glared at him for it - that's just beyond the pale. But I don't want Souray or Komi to be the one to do something about it. As for Downey's skills - he's no Darren Langdon (undefeated as a habs, in my books), but he's no Gordie Dwyer. Doesn't win many fights, but doesn't lose that many, either, and he even prefers fighting big guys over smaller guys. Most importantly, bench is proud to cheer him on, which isn't true of a lot of goons. How annoying would it be to have to cheer on Brian McGrattan?

Yes, but there's one advantage not mentioned yet: slab of concrete = Canucks have Bulis' hands

I'd love to give anyone a place in the all-star game. How fun would that be? Only problem as I see it is that if Fitzpatrick is starting D, then one of the other guys who's a legitimate choice that would otherwise be starting - eg Pronger or Lidstrom - will have to take one of the spots that the GMs (not the fans) pick. So instead of four open spots for players who are having great years, you effectively have three. And some poor schmoe like Philippe Boucher or John Michael Liles is going to miss out on his one chance in his career to put his kids or parents in the seats to watch him play an All-Star game. If I were that dude, I'd spend my whole mediocre rest-of-career thinking about that one.

Bold prediction: when the roster freeze ends, Murray gets sent to Toronto for a sixth-round pick. Trading within your division is crazy, agreed, but Bob knows that if he waivers Murray (which makes sense to me even if Lapierre isn't called up), the now Peca-less Leafs will scramble for him like they did for Chad Kilger, and the Habs will still be on the hook for half of Murray's paycheque. Whaddyer think?

I'm glad Bonk is having a great season, and I wish him well, but unless he's willing to take a million, he has to be dropped July 1st. I'm guessing he'd be better next year than Lapierre or Plekanec or Chipchura as the third-line centre, but all three of these guys will be floating around minimum wage next year, and giving them the job would help their development. I believe Plekanec was the third centre last year while Bonk was getting his act together on the fourth line, and from what I remember, he was doing a pretty good job, too. Bottom line: as nice as it would be to have Bonk again next year, the choice is between keeping him and both of Markov and Souray.

Keep us as is? Absolutely. Trades have high transaction costs: you can never predict what's going to happen, or how long it will take for things to settle down. Remember the Kovalev acquisition, and how much of a distraction it was when a former Art Ross contender couldn't get a point in a Habs jersey. That became the whole story every game. With the exception of Koivu, I feel like the Habs are ready for any injury - including Cristo. How crazy was it that Higgins went down and the Canadiens didn't blink? Point-per-game, leading scorer - and they didn't miss a beat. And it may even be true for Koivu, as well. Latendresse is making photocopies on the fourth line, waiting for a vacancy, like a Higgins shift to centre to replace Saku. Lapierre is dressed in Armani waiting to fry burgers on the fourth. Re the second-line centre...I think giving Higgins some C time at this stage in the season would be a great experiment, particularly with a view to making him adaptable should injuries strike later on, but Carbo has to wait until the team loses a few to not be an idiot. If the team's winning, you can't start messing around with lines too much. Also it's real early to be giving up on the second line as is. I think Plekanec has immense talent, and I think Carbo and Gainey think the same thing, and that they're happy to have put up with mediocre production from that line until now and even for another couple of months if it means that suddenly that line catches fire sometime around the all-star break; even if this entire season is chalked up to giving Plekanec the ice time to develop into the offensive monster he'll be in two years, it's good to have him in the spot if it doesn't mean the team is losing too often. At worst, you'll know he belongs in Bonk's spot when Bonk is not re-signed at year's end. I really think these considerations are more important than winning more games, as they'll make more of a difference in the playoffs than whether you finished first or sixth. Lastly, anyone who wants to trade Perezhogin is koo-koo.

I really don't see any point in trading him. People keep assuming that the decision is between risking getting nothing for him in the summer and getting some huge windfall if he's dealt at the deadline; that's just not the case. Somebody else said it here, the Leafs couldn't get a box of Kleenex for McCabe at the deadline last year, and the only team that would wisely be ready to give something decent for Souray would be a team that is having a hot season and has an exceptional chance of doing better in the playoffs than usual and just needs that extra something to put them over the top...like...say...the Montreal Canadiens. So I think if the Habs can't resign Souray before the deadline, they should trade him to Montreal. If Montreal's smart, they'll give a good young prospect and a draft pick for Souray.