Habs77

Making a forward (Amonte) trying to play D look stupid isn't all that hard... people are making a little too much out of this. Having the patience to wait out the goalie is also nice, but not "out of this world". The shot itself was very nice, ok. Nice goal yes, but I didn't exactly fall out of my chair.

When you're the best team, your objective better be gold or bust... or else you're one hell of a loser. No other team is as good or deep in all 3 phases, forwards, defence, and in goal. - Sweden is sick offensively, and the D pretty good as well... but in goal sorry. - USA has a better balance, but it's not quite up to par in all 3 phases... expect perhaps goal if Esche can keep it up. - Slovakia has some dangerous players, but not quite the depth... especially on D, and goal. - When the Czechs show up, which isn't often, they can score... the defense average and goalie unproven. - Finland has the goaltender, but not the offensive punch of other elite teams. - The fact 75% of Russians refused their invites, that has to hurt their depth in a major way. - Germany, is well, Germany. That doesn't mean Canada is unbeatable, but they sure as hell should be dissappointed with anything else than Gold.

I remember it well... he twice tried to take Markov out in that series. That obvious intentional knee on knee hit, and while Markov was playing the puck behind our net as a period was coming to an end... Guerin charges him, with an elbow to the face for good measure. Not only is Guerin a real cheap SOB, I think he personally has a long standing grudge with Markov... him taking Markov of all people out is not by accident IMO. I truly hope somebody really pummels this guy just once before he retires... where's Perezhogin when you need him?.. hehe If anyone deserves a two-hander to the face, it's Guerin. The incident of him beating a teammate senseless in practice a few years ago was just sick & criminal. Can't believe all those others players just let it happen, including the guy getting the beating and just taking it, I would have beat him senseless.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/article/1...04,778750.shtml This article was translated by JL on Montreal Canadiens.ca Kovalev: I really want to return The man who made the Bell Centre vibrate during the 2004 playoffs was in Ottawa for a practice with Team Russia in preparation for the World Cup. The veteran clearly affirmed that he would like to return to Montreal, mainly because of the fans, who were marvellous during the playoffs. "Montreal would constitute my first choice. I think back on the enthusiasm of the fans in the playoffs, on the way in which I was treated by the organization, there are many more reasons which encourage me to play again for the Canadiens. I really want to return." "Never will I forget the reception that the crowd gave me when I stepped on the ice for my first game at the Bell Centre in March. I know that the Canadiens would like to retain my services and I would be ready to sign a contract for less money with Montreal...but one shouldn't exaggerate in that sense." However, without a new CBA between the NHL and the NHLPA, the GMs aren't quick to concede contracts to star players. Several are still without contracts a few weeks from the beginning of training camps. "I didn't hear from my agent for a while. The last time that I spoke to him, no teams wanted to do anything. With the renewal of the collective agreement, nobody really wants to move. Nobody says to us yes or no, they wait until that is settled. When all is resolved, there will be contract signings." "The majority of the first tier players are still without contracts, and I understand the teams' positions at the present time", adds Kovalev. "I haven't lost hope concerning the Canadiens. After the resolution of the conflict there will be contract signings. I hope to continue my career in Montreal when all is said and done." "That depends on what they will propose. In any event I am 99% convinced that the Canadiens will not offer us a contract before the NHL and the NHLPA come to an agreement on the CBA. And we must be patient. One does not want to sign at a bad time. It's a risk we take, but we want to see what the market looks like once the new CBA is in place." [Edited on 30-8-04 by Habs77]

Seeing that you joined late, I asked my guy to delete his team... he wasn't happy about not being able to be there for the draft on Friday anyway.

I know a guy, a Habs fan... sent him an invite so we can make the minimum number in time for the draft.

It's fine with me... it is clear they would have won gold either way and he was simply allowing one of his teammates to share in the fun. Btw.. as this has become a thread in which all other nationalities are are shoving it in our faces that we suck and they are doing better than us... ever think of just closing the thread? j/k Right about now we need a version of this smiley :can: with a little paper bad on his head.... hehe Another abysmal day... despite the lone brightspot in gymnastics. The vaunted rowing team got 1 silver total, when 5 or 6 were expected. The men's 8 had been the kings for years... finished 5th. Both volleyball teams should have won, it was both within their reach... but they couldn't come up with the big performance when the chips were down. Boswell did what he does every time, show promise then finishes out of the medals. And last but not least, Heymans is in silver medal position, in striking distance of the gold... then flops her last dive, a dive she almost never misses. It's called a classic choke, she finishes 4th. I have a few recommendation on where we go from here: - have roots design a nice paper bag as part of the next uniform for our athletes, and fans alike. - petition the IOC to institute a 4th medal, let's call the nickel medal... to get our medal count up (we've collected a ton of 4th & 5th places) - or more seriously, use these Games as a major wake up call... and get our act together, whether it's too late for the 2010 games or not. On a whole it really is embarrassing, although generalizing isn't fair... as some individuals have done very well. That lone gold medal so far was a brilliant, and clutch performance... very happy for him, I hope the run that performance on a loop in the Olympic village: show 'em how it's done. And also congrats to Peticlerc who won the gold in the wheelchair race... even if it doesn't officially count as a medal I couldn't care less. She's one of the VERY few athletes who delivered for us, she deserves no less praise.

Smyth Lecavalier Morrow is the line that won't even be dressed... and I'm pretty happy with that. Solid lineup... that Thornton line is gonna be sick IMO.

It has to do with him not being Russian, so he was considered an import... and an import who is barely used has little value. We were happy to take him, Russia was happy to let him go, he was happy to come... everyone is happy.

St-Louis - Lemieux - Heatley Gagné - Sakic - Iginla Morrow - Draper - Maltby (defensive line) Thornton - Marleau - Smyth (physical line) Richards - Lecavalier - Doan Quite frankly although they did well last time around as a trio... I don't see how Gagné can keep his spot given the quality of players that would be left out. I'd take anyone of the players on the last two lines I've made over Gagné. Besides that, you can't surround Lemieux any better than with the league MVP and the MVP of the last Worlds. His 2 formers teammates aren't back, St-Louis replaces Kariya, Heatley replaces Yzerman. They took Matlby, Draper & Morrow because they played so well together in earlier international tourneys as our defensive line... they will automatically play on the same line IMO. The Marleau line would be our physical line. Lecavalier as a late addition has to know he won't play unless there are injuries, Doan is coming back from major surgery and frankly shouldn't even be there because of it... but he's a Gretzky protege from PHX. I'd drop Gagné and add Richards to the 2nd line, we should find room for the playoff MPV.

Damphousse proved his worth as a veteran addition to a Stanley Cup contender during the recent SJ run... he did very well, against the Avs it just happens. A little like Garon playing that great game vs. LA during the season... the GM there took notice and traded for him this summer. I remember trade rumors about Damphousse coming very close to being traded to the Avs the year they tanked, year before last... so Lacroix has had interest in him for a while now.

Good move both hockey wise & money wise for Tampa... great job by their GM. As for Prospal coming here, I'd remind you he & Breezer hate each like no other 2 players in the game. They've had a few incidents over the years, namely one in which Breezer accused Prospal of calling him a frog.. etc. We have enough drama in our locker room as it is, and I don't want us reaching out for a guy who isn't that great and we're stuck with for the next 5 years... we have quite a few prospects that will need room long before then. The only negative for Habs fans is that a conference rival that crushed them in the playoffs just got even better. In the meantime, we have to sign Kovalev just to avoid taking a step back from the team we fielded in the playoffs. Bob has some work to do.

We sure saw that when he couldn't get the puck out and it cost us the game vs. Tampa in the playoffs. With the number of UFAs available, we could have found an equally solid defensive player who had more size & grit... which is what this team needs badly. In that sense it was a bad signing, a lost opportunity to address the team's lack of size & grit. That doesn't mean Sunny is a bad player... he's a serviceable vet, nothing special but a good 2-way player. We'll see if that Bulis-Bonk-Sundstrom line pans out.

Niedermayer has NJ by the balls since Stevens is gone... to his credit he proved his worth by taking the team on his shoulders all year long, leadership-wise and on the ice. It's not always about how good the players are comparatively, sometimes it's more about how important that player is to his team... and in that sense he's worth as much to NJ as Pronger is to STL, IMO. My problem is not with Niedermayer wanting to make as much as Pronger or Lidstrom, my problem is that no D man is worth 10M... a few idiot owners have given outrageous contracts and that's forcing the more responsible owners to overpay their players. That's why just about every player so far has won their arbitration cases. It just takes one idiot owner, and then the rest will be forced to overpay come arbitration time.

Seems like Habsworld.net were right afterall he signed on august 4th (look at the date in the communiqué de presse) http://www.canadiens.com/fre/news/r...newsItemID=3890 Yup.. Habsworld.net was right on the money, they caught the Habs marketing department with their pants down last week. Good job. He'll be in Hamilton next year, strike or not... let him get used to NA on & off the ice in the AHL, while Jarvis will teach him our system as well. Best case scenario he makes the jump in the 2nd half, but I expect a full year in Hamilton myself.

I'll join if there's still room.

Dowd has never been a grinder in his life. He IS soft... just fast & defensively solid. Re-signing Sunny was already a mistake, not Dowd too please.

Zednik is apparently signed for 3 years... can't wait to see the numbers, and whether that 3rd year is an option for either side. And no "no trade" clauses please. Still missing a winger on each line except the 3rd: Zednik-Koivu-??? Ryder-Ribeiro-??? Bulis-Bonk-Sundstrom ???-Begin-Ward Kids or UFAs to fill those spots, still the question to be answered. And will stay status quo on D? Hell, if there's not going to be a season... what's the rush.

NHLPA on gives the first year.

Pat Hickey in the Gazoo, not the best source granted, is saying that it's a 3 year 9.45M deal.... hence 3.15M/per for the 3 years.

Sure, if the computers completely remove any trace of that car... and insert a completely digitized car in it's place, then no problem!

It's still completely pointless to me until the terms are disclosed... until then I wish the media, or the Habs, wouldn't even waste my time reporting it.

That damn trip to BC always does the trick... notice I said the trip always does it to us, not the team that it there. The second I heard Sanchez & Butler were out, I feared the worst. I knew that meant the D wasn't going to be able to win this one on their own as usual... and I we know the offense hasn't shown an ability to win on their own, ever. Ezra Landry injured, and the most emotionally fragile kicker in the league incapable of playing well in BC... the defence a little hampered by injuries... this game was about the offense showing it could just once lead the team to victory. And they showed they couldn't... Calvillo again showing how ordinary he really is, choke artist extraordinaire. Take away the responsibility of calling his own plays, let him focus on execution. BC has a secondary that was burned by just about every team, our offense can't manage one touchdown... pathetic.

Until we know for how much, this news is pointless. I hate this stupid policy of announcing a signing without saying for how much, how for it to come out the next day... I mean what's the ######ing point. [Edited on 30-7-04 by Habs77]

Souray is THE only potential candidate among the regulars at present. Then again he'd have to return to his first half form, and stay healthy for a change... we've had enough experience with having our C on the IR already. Rivet suck too badly to be an effective captain, even the A is too much of an honor to give that waste of space. Ditto Breezer, the A is already too much. Nobody on offense is good/senior enough... Zednik/Bulis have no leadership skills whatsoever, Ribs/Ryder too young, the rest no good enough to even consider. Begin would be the only possible one, and that would be pushing it... an A for him definitely though IMO. In the future, we have Komisarek, Higgins, & Chipchura... there are our C's & A's going forward IMO.