Athlétique.Canadien

Leafs couldn't beat Atlanta. Thanks for nothing Leaf losers. And with that the Leafers are official eliminated. I find it bizarre that espn standings haven't assigned an "e" to the Leafs. They have 77 games played with 69 points. Toronto's best possible production is 79 points possible. Yet, Boston is in 8th with 82. Funny that they got the official boot and no media noticed

Tricky question. I personally would. But the question is cap versus reward and will we even have enough cap space left to get this done after addressing everyone else that's important. Only in a cap world could one possibly say, "We couldn't sign a guy for peanuts because of the cap". Strange this cap thing. This cap life

BROONS AND ATLANTA LOSE IN REGULATION

You'll never nor will Gainey be able to please ALL Canadiens fans. Fact is, we are the most demanding and greedy fans in the NHL. And, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Seriously, which other team has Dr. Jekyll (glass half full) and Mr. Hyde (half empty) fans and some also in the middle as much as we do? Gainey could walk on water and that still wouldn't be enough.

I'm still waiting for some negative stuff so I can blow holes in it. I guess I'll throw one out there. I do recall not too many fans were happy about this: 1 Pittsburgh Marc-Andre Fleury 2 Carolina Eric Staal 3 Florida Nathan Horton 4 Columbus Nikolai Zherdev 5 Buffalo Thomas Vanek 6 San Jose Milan Michalek 7 Nashville Ryan Suter 8 Atlanta Braydon Coburn 9 Calgary Dion Phaneuf 10 Mtl. Canadiens Andrei Kostitsyn 11 Philadelphia Jeff Carter 17 New Jersey Zach Parise

Ribeiro has to be one of his biggest mistakes. Hainsey was frustrating too. I'm sure there are sevral different complaints. Tanguay, Grabovski and Lang and selling picks I'm sure annoy other fans. One of those arguments is Francois Beauchemin. I admit that when he left I was disappointed. But it took him 2 to 3 years to get his game going after he left. But what people forget is that he ended up in Syracuse after he was moved. Gainey, Doug Maclean and Burke all told him he was out of shape and he wouldn't go anywhere without a change of attitude. He figured it out after about four years. This makes me think of the movie "Rocky 3". Apollo, Paulie, Rocky and Adrian are touring Apollo's old training gym in LA when Paulie gets a little hostile and mouthy. Rocky says to Apollo: "It takes six years to get to know him" and Apollo responds: "I ain't got six years!" It takes Beauchemin four years to get going. Well, Gainey ain't got four years!" We may not like it but there is also the real day to day world of running a club. I don't think you can be too harsh for not having a functional crystal ball.

Kerry Fraser retires/Damien Cox - Toronto Star I am so tired of this argument. It wasn't Fraser's fault that Toronto had played 20 previous games before hand. Every series in round 1, 2 and 3 went the whole seven games. Oh and I love how Don Cherry and Leafs fans far and wide point out that if they had faced us they would have won. Cherry goes so far to say, "hands down!" I guess Patrick Roy's save percentage of .977 against the Kings would've been a non-factor for the Habs if it'd been Toronto instead. EXCUSES AND THEORIES! Sounds about right. Leafs lose cup because of one non-call??? Sigh. That's hockey. Just ask Sabres fans about 1999. Leaf fans - you didn't make it. You were tired and you were also leading the series 3-2. Game 6 the Leafs were flat. I watched it live. I remember thinking at the time that they are going to let the Kings off the hook. They sucked in game 6. But, the fact that they were flat and lost game 6 prior has nothing to do with losing that series. It was all Fraser!!! EXCUSES AND THEORIES! Please...

Before Gainey came along I wonder how many of us could fathom the miraculous development that we could sign Ryan Smyth as a UFA. Before that development I would have believed in pink elephants first before I'd ever be able to fathom that. Nonetheless, Smitty was Montreal bound and much of that had to do with Gainey being at the helm. It's obvious that Smitty was negotiating with Gainey. It's not BOb's fault that Sakic talked him into going to Colorado! This was not rumour. Ryan said it himself publically When we signed Cammalleri I was shocked. I didn't think the Habs ever had a chance at such a prized signing. Also, Cammalleri was one of the highest prized July 1st players available. I love this subject. It's facts (Smitty) such as these that get overlooked when evaluating Gainey. I find that most of the 10 major criticisms against him I can blow holes in at least half of them!

I believe that Sutter was after Kovalchuk. It certainly hit the rumour mill. I remember thinking at the time that if they did acquire Kovalchuk, I would have an opinionated change of heart. Maybe they'll sign him July 1st. I'm not still 100% sure how Kovalchuk helps the Devil's. Ever since they got him his linemates PPG has gone down. Maybe his playoff performance will change things.

The players or Martin or a combination didn't wake up in the 1st to address the 2 on 1 forecheck. Also, the Devil's challenged our attackers with a 2 on 1 defence. In the 2nd period the Habs started sending in 2 defenders deep to counter the 2 man forecheck by the Devil's and in the D zone responded by having 2 defenders in close proximity to the 2 Devil attackers. It's not rocket science and I was pleased they finally adjusted but....too little too late. Back to making the postseason the hard way

Jets, the big thing that bothers me is Phaneuf. If you're going to move a player like that (and Sjorstrom) and get Mayers, White, Stajan and Hagman then it'd better make sense. The Kotalik deal was separate. They had to dump Jokinen (but isn't that solving another "mistake" in Jokinen?). The results should have led to more scoring. White is the best player they got back (IMO) and Stajan has been signed. But, where do Hagman and Mayers fit into the long term success of making the playoffs and beyond through to next year? It bothers me that the Phaneuf situation has been a problem for a while and the org was well aware. Rumours or not it's no secret there were problems. Was Sutter so high on Stajan and White that this was his prized move? Did they covet these players? If not, it just makes much more sense to go with what you have and make a later deal for Phaneuf. It doesn't irritate me that Phaneuf went to the Leafs. Congrats to Burke for getting him and Sjorstrom. At the end of the day the attempted Calgary boost in scoring has not been enough. The Toskala acquisition was suppose to and has given Kipper relief from playing too many games. And, that's good. Now Kiprusoff can be a little more relaxed tanning on April the 13th. I'm not down or against the Flames. I'm angry at them because I want better. And, once again Jaybo GOLFS!

I wish they'd just die already. It's mostly because of them that I can't call it. Barring us losing all points, FLA and TB are logistically speaking; toast. Rangers can breath OK as long as nobody unplugs them Good news is Atlanta closes with WSH, PIT, NJD, WSH and PIT. If Montreal can win tonight we'll be in cruise control. Lose Atlanta LOSE! Especially to the Canes! Carolina's good enough to split these 2 versus Atlanta The west is sadly (Flames) looking set except for position.

Detroit - 6 game cushion with a game in hand. Sad Flames, just sad. Will Sutter getting the boot be singular or plural or at all?

I hear ya. This sucks 5-0 now - sigh (4:00 left - I doubt Calgary can pot 5 goals in 4 mins) At least the Pens are being kind to us today...so far

...and it gets better for Calgary. Boston leads 1-0 after the 1st. Calgary CAN'T afford to drop this game. They'd better get going. It's bad enough that the loss to the Isles might be the moment they blew it. But losing to Boston today would be devastating!!! I love stating the obvious (make that 3-0)

I agree Lapierre has had the work ethic lately. He is driving to the net but there are no results. His ethic is there but he seems to be on the wrong side of the puck/play far too often lately. That suspension has really thrown him off albeit it's not his fault. It sucks to be in his situation but it is what it is... ...IMO

I was actually at the Calgary airport to Halifax when the Phaneuf multi-player trade broke. I'm simply relaying what the general consensus was from the fans I encountered. I have a hard time justifying "season saving" trades (call it what you want - that's what it was) that look like (at the time) they will fail. Well, it's starting to look that way. I don't hate the Flames but I am totally confused with that trade. Fine, trade Phaneuf. That makes sense. His rockstar status is obviously the cause of a disrupted team. But now that he's gone the same problem remains. Keenan was brought in to fix the crybabies and failed. Brent was brought in to be tough too....looks like a fail Part II. If the 2009 rumour of Phaneuf for Eric Staal has any truth to it I have to ask why they decided to do this instead. In the long run, Calgary (IMO) could've done better. But instead they made the trade, for what? For this?: Detroit 74 GP - 89 PTS Calgary 74 GP - 83 PTS

Nice thread bar. I had just started developing one. Too late Glad to see Lapierre sitting again. I am a fan but that's secondary considering what is on the line and his recent play. And once again, here's Charlie Kischel: "Kill 'em, Kill the B_st_rds!" "You oughta put some ****in' Downy in these jerseys, Charlie".

More fun for the Flames. The only flame they're emitting this year is from between 2 cheeks - courtesy of a bic lighter Detroit 74 GP - 89 PTS Calgary 74 GP - 83 PTS Good luck with that Cow Town!

Poor Trawna (if they lose in reg), they should get the official fail possibly by the end of all regulation games tomorrow night. If the B's win they hit 80 points. If T.O. loses their maximum achievable will be 80 = GAME OVER!!! No doubt the official "e" won't be assigned due to the wins column. NSFW:

When it's all said and done we'll likely look back at the Flames losing to the Isles as the final nail in their coffin. We'll see soon. Detroit 73 GP - 87 PTS Calgary 74 GP - 83 PTS UNACCEPTABLE!

I had to laugh at the Rangers bench and Tort's getting all exciting as if they are still alive which they are but....ewwww. Yeah yeah, they are still alive according to mathematics. But the Habs are 9 points away from the Rangers possible maximum. Philly 11 and Boston 13 points. The best hope is that Boston and Philly must play .7 hockey and the Rangers still have to get all points. Impossible? No! But likely? No! Oh well, I shouldn't be so mean. You never know. I definatley wouldn't play Vegas on the Rag$ odds.

Gionta's blast was one I'm sure Vokoun would like to have back. Nice handcuff! KEEP GOING :hlogo:

Our recipe for .5 took a hit last night. I wish they had gotten both points because of nothing earned versus the Sens. Two points versus Florida will be sweet. It'll right the wavering ship. Atlanta can get a maximum 93 points now. Hopefully the Leafs can sting them tonight. Then their max possible output will be 91. That'll put us in striking distance. Still, a point is not frowned upon IMO.

We have to win tonight now. Happy birthday eve lazy26. And, Happy birthday KoZed. Have some cold ones for me eh? I just used "eh"