illWill

I have lots of faith in DD. He is quite comparable to Marty St.Louis at this point in his career. Marty went undrafted as well because of his size, and after some bouncing around, finally came into his own in his mid 20's. Not to say that DD is going to put up MVP numbers, but I won't be surprised if he is one of our top scorers in the next few years. That is, if he is given the opportunity.

Luongo has looked terrible the last few games but I think he deserves the right to start game 5. I would love to see him rebound and win 2 of the next 3 games. Sadly however, I predict that Boston will win in game 7, with Lucic scoring the eventual game winner. It drives me crazy that the Habs had these guys on the ropes and now here they are playing for the cup. It also drives me nuts how they seem to get away with so many penalties and any suspensions(Ference middle finger salute, Lucic sucker punch, and others I can't remember) , yet teams against them do. How is the Pacioretty hit different from the Horton hit? Both were given 5 minute majors for interference. Just grinds my gears. I want big-nosed Boston to lose more than Vancouver to win. And it sucks that even if they do lose, they are still a stacked team for years to come and will be a pain in the Hab's ass.

hahaha, that's awesome. I was writing a Boucher post and then CC had posted about him as I was doing it. I don't think his system is as "defensive" as you are lead to believe. However, it's hard to say because Tampa boasts many offensive players. It just seems that if they need a goal that they will at least be all over the opposition if they don't in fact score. I think he adjusts accordingly.

Does anyone else admire Guy Boucher as much as I do? It is quite apparent to see how he as risen through the ranks so quickly and also very impressive. To go from junior one year, to the AHL the next and then have NHL teams bidding for a rookie coach and signing him to a 4 year deal is unheard of. Then he takes a non-playoff team all the way to game 7 of the East final....so far. His methodical and psychological approach seems to really resonate with his players. And not to mention produce an entertaining press conference. Tampa is a fairly exciting team to watch and they never seem to be out of any game. Not to say that I am unhappy with Jacques Martin, but I often think what could have been had Boucher became the next coach of the Canadiens. Would they have finished higher in the standings this year? What about the next few years? Would I actually enjoy watching the coach's media address? We all know Martin is as dry as a Nun's vagina. I just think that it would have been nice to have some personality behind the bench. And again, I reiterate that I am happy with what Martin has done so far, an East final and a game 7 overtime loss are excellent results considering. I compare it to having a crush on a really beautiful girl who is absolutely perfect for you. However, she is in a relationship with some loser and it's just a matter of time before it ends. In the meantime, you find a really great girl who has a good job and takes care of the house, so you marry her. Then during your marriage, the other girl becomes available and you sit there and always think about what could have been with her. And then a friend will say, if it's meant to be, it's meant to be...

Just as a pure hockey fan, I would like to see Jagr go back and finish his career with Pittsburgh. It would be exciting to watch him play with Crosby or Malkin and probably go deep into the playoffs. As a Habs fan I would also like to see him sign in Montreal. I don't know how people can be against a first ballot hall of famer potentially joining their team, even if he is "old". You want a big top 6 forward that can put up some points? Well here he is. Obviously the defense situation has to cleared up before something like this were to happen, but if it can, I'll give it the Jagr salute!

To me, he looked either like the best player on the ice or the worst player on the ice.....would of been nice if he buried one in the clutch

I didn't want it to come to this, but I'm busting out my lucky Habs foam finger that I got from when I went to game 6 last year vs. Pittsburgh. The finger has mysterious powers. You guys can thank me when the Habs win

Kostitsyn Bergeron

arghhh, Cammy was so close......I bet the Habs are going to turn up the tempo and try to tie this up. They haven't been behind too much in this series, but when they were, they changed their style.

Well, despite the two home losses in a row, I am happy about a potential development if the Habs can pull out the win in this series. Since Buffalo has Philly on the ropes, the Habs could be looking at a matchup against Pittsburgh next round (assuming the series all finish the way they likely will). One could make the assumption that they can beat a Pens team without Crosby and Malkin since they beat them with those two in the lineup last year. It is alot of wishful thinking but it could possibly happen.

Man I hate how the game is so one-sided and it's still a one goal game....

That was definitely top 5 periods I've seen from the Habs all season. And it must have been the most energized one as well. When big Hal Gill starts intercepting passes and firing shots on net, you know that everyone is amped up. DD was a beast on the boards. It's going to be hard to keep this pace up, hopefully they can get a couple more to have some breathing room.

Personally, I am glad that a slump is going on now if at all, with 7 games left before the playoffs. There is plenty of time to right the ship, and with this group of players, I do believe that they will. It doesn't take much to sway the opinion of fans, they win the next 2 games and suddenly they "are on fire". There is such a fine line between winning and losing. I am one to believe this current slide is due to taking the foot off of the gas pedal. They are/were comfortable in a playoff position and after losing to Boston and realizing that they won't catch them for the division, they simply are coasting into the playoffs. We all know that their effort lately has been pathetic. I would be worried if they were trying hard and still losing.

Say it ain't so Cucumber!! Out of everyone on here, I look forward to your posts the most. Although this incident was indeed ugly and the lack of disipline by the NHL is a huge slap in the face, it has brought together hockey fans alike. Everyone I run into seems to ask me my opinion about the hit. At least people are talking about it, and perhaps some day as a result, this sort of thing will not be tolerated in the league. I'm sure once the playoffs roll around you will start to get excited again, as will all of Habs nation

I personally love playing the underdog role going into the playoffs. Because of all the injuries, and the lack of a signifigant deal at the trade deadline, its easy for people to write off the Habs this spring. But despite all of that, there they are, sitting comfortably in a playoff postition and just 4 points back of the division lead. I think that they have alot of reasons to be optimistic. First and foremost, Carey Price. He has (somewhat) quietly put together a hell of a season so far. He has been nothing short of spectacular. And everyone knows that a team can ride a hot goaltender all the way the cup. Secondly, the Habs have a roster sprinkled full of vets who have been there before. A player like Sopel doesn't seem like much, but wait till he's on a crucial PK trying to preserve a lead in the final minutes of a game. Also, they play a very disiplined yet much maligned system. They now have a full season and 3 quarters of one playing this style. It isn't one that is condusive to high scoring games but is also perfect for the playoff grind. It's one that capitalizes on opponents mistakes and when utilized correctly, is very frustrating to play against. I also like the emergence of Pax and DD moving forward. This team IMO is better than last years team, who shocked the world. It is too bad that Markov is out, but he was out against the Pens anyway. Gorges will be missed but his absense will be picked up by others. Barring any other major injuries, I like the chances of making some noise again. As far as opponents go, every team has weaknesses, even the much "feared" Flyers or the "big bad" Bruins. Just like the Habs lack of size can be exposed, so too will be other team's shaky goaltending, lack of speed depth at defense and so on. Of course some teams match up better against others, but that's where coaching adjustments come into play. If something isn't working, then its up to JM to change accordingly. These Habs can beat any team in a 7 game series, its just a matter if they can do so when it happens.

IMO, our top 4 should be and has to be Markov, Subban, The Wiz and Georges. That would be a pretty sick starting point on defense, the rest will fall into place accordingly.

Loved seeing MaxPac driving to the net, good things will happen.

Well just get ready for a taste of what heaven would be like. I just recently went to my first Habs game and it was so amazing to see people everywhere who are on your side. I loved wearing my jersey around town on game day and high fiving random strangers. I went for dinner at "Le Cage" near the arena, its a sports bar and it quickly got packed with fans as game time got closer, which was a great warm up for the game. Get your vocal chords ready as you will probably find yourself yelling at every little play that happens, not to mention the obligatory OLE OLE OLE. Have fun!

Well there goes that prediction

It is really tough to say whether or not PG will make a move, and if he does, what kind of move. You can argue both sides what is needed more, a forward or defenseman. Although two d-man are done for the year, the Wiz replaced one body sufficiently and Weber is playing fine replacing the other. The AHL call ups are also doing a good job filling in when needed on forward. But I think the safe bet is to say that PG will only make a minor deal or just remain status quo. Just imagine if Markov was in the lineup.....

Habs win 2-1, Pouliot with the winner and Price with 35+ saves

K, just read the article. There's no way they move someone of that caliber off the roster to acquire Kovalev if there isn't enough cap space for him. And I think any move that could relieve us of Spacek next year is a move that should be made....hypothetically of course

Why pose the question in the first place if that is the case? I simply added my opinion without knowledge of the cap situation or the potential LTI cap relief that may be available.

1) I'd take a chance on Kovalev for a playoff run if there weren't a more viable option. It would only require a bag of chips to get him and he could get hot at the right time. 2) I think Auld is playing just fine and could handle more games if he was needed to. Depending on how the stretch run goes, I'd rest Price a bit before the playoffs started just so he is 100% recharged and ready to go. 3) I think Hamrlik should be brought back but only for the right price. If he would resign for around 3m then it would definitely be worth it. I am indifferent on Gill, he has alot of quality tangibles but depending on who else is signed, he is expendable.

Well I am not saying I want Kovalev back, I'm just saying that I am open to the idea. I don't understand how you can say that a fully motivated Kovalev would only get 40 points. Ottawa as a whole is struggling to score, that's like saying Kovalchuk is done because Jersey sucks this year and doesn't have alot of points(yes, I acknowledge the age gap). And you also value him around $1 million not based on past performance....but yet you came up with that figure based on this year. In conclusion I would definitely prefer a Gagne or Connolly via UFA or resign Hamrlik at a reduced rate, or just fill spots with prospects.