TurdBurglar

Bernier isn't better than Price. Bernier is a great backup that could potentially be a good starter. Price is a good starter with potential to be an elite starter. I think if Montreal would would be willing to trade Markov there would be quite a few teams out there that would be interested. He's proven he is still one of.the best PP specialists in the NHL. If his spot were to get filled there are plenty of teams that would take him off our hands.

Gretzky was traded to put money in Pocklington's pocket directly. He basically sold Gretzky for person gain, so really you can't say because of the Gretzky trade. Everyone is for trade for the right price. Price's price tag from Chicago would be a Toews or Kane + more. We don't have a replacement for him, so the assets we get in return would reflect that as well. We would probably have to get a goalie coming back the other way as well. Either way, not gonna happen.

Realistically, if Price were to go to Chicago, the return would have to be Toews or Kane. While the goalie market is deep this offseason none are good goalies approaching the prime of their career. All are in the prime or past their prime. Price isn't in his prime yet. That being said there's no way we're trading Price.

Sadly Patches hasn't been playing any better than Desharnais.

I been advocating for this for the last month. His faceoff % went up, but it sounds like he was cheating a little. MacLean brought it to the attention of the officials before Game 1. Since then he's getting tossed out 5+ times a game. The only time I noticed him in the last 3 games was being tossed out of the faceoff dot. A player of his skillset really needs to be notice alot more in the offensive zone. Averaging 17 minutes a game and has yet to have a shot on net on a team that gets 30+ shots a game. Bourque - Plekanec - Gionta Ryder - Galchenyuk - Gallagher Prust - Halpern - Armstrong Moen - White - Dumont Only way I'd let Desharnais play if it was between Chucky and Gallagher then sit Dumont.

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I suspected the game was going to end like it did after the first 10 minutes or so. IMHO it all started with the Greening shot to Subban when Subban was trying to check Greening. Subban was going in for a hard hit and Greening lead with his hands and stick. Now while this is minor and happens from time to time, the problem was the ref, whom was standing 10 feet away looking directly at it, didn't call it. Less and a minute later I believe it was Neil who slew-footed Price, again with a ref standing 10 feet from it. To all the players and coaches, they saw the refs were going to be real loose with the calls, it set a tone. If they can do it to us, we can do it to them. Ottawa continued with this behavior and Montreal started. Then it all went south. The reason being the refs didn't want Montreal to be giving the retaliation, so they started to call Montreal for everything, then Ottawa got out of hand, and the refs called Ottawa for everything. Then nobody could get their frustration out on anyone, so it blew up. the refs really needed to either let them play or call it tight, not start one then do the other. This was coupled with the fact the Habs didn't come to play last night. Making dumb plays, trying to pass though players when a better option was open. Not forechecking, and everyone avoided the front of the net like a plague. How many times last night did we see 2 at the point, 2 below the goal line and 1 floating at the top of the circles? Then the puck would get sent to the front of the net for the guy who wasn't there? I can remember after the first 2 periods when they announced the shot total for that period and just looking at the TV like a dummy. No way in hell we were keeping up with Ottawa in shots. I think Pacioretty and Gionta should of stayed out of the lineup, as we clearly did better with checkers in the game. I know I'm sounding like a broken record here, but DD really really needs his ice-time limited or sitting out. The only time I notice him lately is when he's being thrown out of the faceoff dot. That goes for all 3 games so far. Ryder isn't playing any better, making foolish mistakes like skating the puck to his teammates. Game 3 we need to come out hitting hard and hitting clean. Get our forecheck working again and make smart decisions with the puck. Three simple things that we weren't doing last game, but we did in Game 2. /rant

Montreal is shooting themselves in the foot. Too many stupid plays that kill their breakouts.

Interesting stat: Game 1 hits: 31 - 24 for Ottawa Game 2 hits: 37 - 26 for Montreal The difference in the play of Ottawa's defense was like night and day. Saw quite a few times last night where they made pressure bad plays in their own zone because they knew they were getting hit. Game 1 was completely different, Ottawa looked cool, calm and collected once they had the puck in their zone. Even more proof of this was White's goal, he did hardly anything, poked at the puck twice, but it was a bad, pressured pass from Karlsson, whom Anderson didn't expect anything less than a good in-zone pass, caught him off guard. Loved the physical play of the Habs last night.

So who does this Price guy think he is? Great bounce back game!

This game is going to be great. This morning Prust told the media he hopes Gryba doesn't even get suspended. We can all guess why. Gonna be a rough night at the bell center tonight! Dumont needs to headhunt Turris now to even things up. P.S. Prust called MacLean a "bug-eyed fat walrus." Found that inappropriate yet funny.

Gionta and Patches are out for game 2. Only bright spot to the is we will have 2 line to get in a hit their defense. Still need to get people in from of the f'ing net.

I see all kinds of line combos, but DD HAS to go on the 3rd line and get his minutes limited. He hasn't played well since his extension and it's time to group good players that will play with good players that are playing. Sadly I'm not sure Chuky is the answer at center, it's worth a shot. I liked the Wolvie - Chucky - Gallagher combo, put White - DD - Gionta and limit their minutes until they decide they want to play better. For christ sakes, get someone with size in front of the net AT ALL TIMES. Wolvie, Bourque, Prust, Moen, White can all do this. I told my buddy last night we need to put Prust - White - Moen out with Markov and Subban. Get 2 to stand inf front of the net and let Markov Subban and the 3rd set up some bombs from the point. Dirty goals is the way we can win this series.

Got a buddy coming over to watch the game. I won't be here during the game. So... Let's get em boys!

This game will set the tone for the series. Ottawa have some of their injured guys back, ones that "experts" said would lead Ottawa to a better position in the post season. We all know what injuries can do to a team, so taking this game lightly will be a huge mistake. That being said, this series and this game is going to be determined by goaltending. As much as I hate to say it, it depends on if Price can be the Price we all know he can be. Lastly, in the words of PK Subban; the whole team "needs to play like Gallagher." Sums it up pretty well. Wonder how Gionta feels about that, seeing as before this season he was that guy. Just read lolEklund's prediction of the series, point it out for this little gem of a line; "I don't know why, but a hunch that Lars Ellers will be a factor in this series." Hasn't he been a factor all season? What would change now?

Odd, I'd rather Halpern's faceoffs over what White brings. Unless MT is planning on trying to grind it out.

Last I checked we have THE most potent offensive defensive core in the NHL. While we don't have Karlsson, we have a more balance defenseman in Subban, who isn't as strong offensively (arguably) as Karlsson, he's better defensively and hit way more often. Also everyone is pointing out Ottawa's defence is big and that is going to be our downfall. Whats the way to counteract big defensemen? Speed and dump and chase, make them skate and tire them out. We have the type of team to beat their type of defensemen. I'm confident in our team to beat Ottawa.

Is Halpern hurt? Practice lines indicate he won't be starting game 1.

Probably a bar fight. Minor details being blown out of proportion. Few guys in Ontario saw Beaulieu and his dad, knew Montreal and Ottawa were meeting in the playoffs, talked smack, got their asses handed to them and cried to the police. See if I'm not right.

So predictions? Game 1: OTT 2 MTL 3 - This one may go to OT, first round first game jitters, gonna be a 1 goal game Game 2: OTT 1 MTL 3 - Price and the rookie are going to settle in, one or both rookies(Chucky & Gally) are going to get their first playoff point. Game 3: MTL 0 OTT 2 - Anderson is going to be fantastic, we're going to outshoot the Sens, but not get any. Game 4: MTL 4 OTT 3 - We're going to get a 2 or 3 goal lead and see it dwindle, but we will hold on. This may be overtime. Game 5: OTT 5 MTL 1 - On the ropes, Sens are going to have a huge game, pinning us in our zone most of the game. Game 6: MTL 4 OTT 1 - Tired from the burst of effort to stay alive in the previous game, Sens will play a good game, but not get many real good chances. 4-2 Montreal wins series.

I think most of my reservations on Eller were from him being in a bad situation and playing like a player in that situation, not like the player he could be. Last couple of years he was drilled into defensive form, in the long run it looks like this is going to help more than hinder. He was also stuck with Andrei Kostitsyn, streaky at best, and expected to produce points. So stuck in a defensive role with AK47 and Moen, and expect to produce even when AK47 wasn't, which was often. He started this season on the same track he was on last season, but to my surprise after 1 healthy scratch and a few injuries, he turned it around big time. He produced more than DD, nearly as much as Pleks and was on pace for 53 point if he played every game of an 82-game season and solid defensively to boot. Eller's play is making the DD contract look bad TBH. DD signed his contract and disappeared.

Gonna have to say Eller. I was all for shipping him out after the first 10 game. Boy was I wrong.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/magazine/news/20130429/jason-collins-gay-nba-player/#ixzz2Rrh8O559 It's been a long time coming and frankly about time a North American athlete comes out. Now the "seal is broken" it may encourage more players to be themselves.

Seriously? So we're going to be a full game behind the rest? Playoffs start Tuesday. BTW Thursday night RDS was reporting during the 3rd period Montreal will play Tuesday night because they were either finished 2nd or 4th.

Only bad news is I won't get to watch the first round in English. Either way Montreal was playing Tuesday night, since it's not going to be Maple Leafs, it's not going to be on CBC.

I still think we should be resting our top guys. I do want the division too but we're playing Toronto. They know if they win they have us in the first round. They get the lead, they play punishing hockey. Attempting to injure and rough us up for the series against us, it's win/win for them. Why take the chance of our top guys getting hurt for a chance, and not a great one, to get the division. It would be different if it was win and it's ours, but it's not. Boston has a good chance to get the division whether we win against Toronto or not. I'm just saying it would be foolish to risk our important guys against a team that will have the mentality of hurting us as it will probably directly help them. All for a slim chance to improve our position. I would be really surprised if Carlyle doesn't dress more goons for this game just in case.