Komisarek the Cruncher

I don't like Pedneault either, but he does have connections inside the Club, and Kovalev hurting his knee certainly makes sense, he only played 16 min in game 3. Also, Kovalev hasn't been able to make his unbelievable moves in game 3 and 4. Sorry, but the knee injury is more then probable in my opinion. I don't remember the play, I just reported Pedneault's comments which he mentionned Hedican's name. But then again, Pedneault could be wrong about the player that hurt Kovalev. I think he said that he thoughr it was Hedican, I don't think he said it in a way that he was certain about the player, he was just certain about Kovalev being hurt and having it checked out at the hospital. Anyways, hope Kovy will play today like in the first 2 games.

Pedneault mentionned on RDS before the game that Kovalev was hurt to his right knee...which explains is 16 min of ice time in game 3...makes sense. Apparently, he got hurt in game 2 by a Hedican hit. He also mentionned that Kovalev did go to the hospital for tests, which confirmed that his injury was not serious and that palying on it would not make it worse. Where he got his info, I don't know, but that's what he mentionned in last night's pre-game show. Damn Hurricanes, they're hurting our players, they're high-sticking and they're getting away with it Hope Bégin pulverizes one of them next game

I would like to highlight that comparing Bonk to Madden is an insult to Madden. At least he scored 16 goals this year. No way Bonk deserves Madden money.

Why would Gainey undo our best line since the beginning of the playoffs? The Perezhogin-Plekanec-Zednik line will not be touched, I'm 100% sure of that. Bonk will stay there unless he does horribly, which he did not last game when he replaced Koivu.

Earlier in the season, the Habs announced that they will be retiring numbers every year until 2009, the year of their 100th anniversary. The Habs are not saying who will be retired, but rumors are that Robinson should be in 2008 and Roy in 2009. As for him showing up or not, I'm 100% sure that he will show up. Thinking otherwise is pure non-sense.

I disagree. They are only +1. Most of their points are from PP. Their 5 on 5 play can improve. They are not giving up chances, but they are not creating much either on 5 on 5. I haven't seen that dominance that they showed at the end of the season. If they kick it into gear, Carolina might as well back it up, go back to Carolina and reserve a tee-off time for this week-end.

I expect that series to go in 7. TB will not just roll over and die. I expect Ottawa to go back to their old ways, which is to complicate their lives in the playoffs. Anyways, if Ottawa wins that series, I want it to be rough and tough and to go in 7 so that we will face a tired Ottawa team in the 2nd round.

Now I hope that the Higgins-Koivu-Ryder line will create more scoring opportunities and kick it up a notch tonight. Not that they have been playing bad, but it's the only line that can still kick up a notch. All other 3 lines are playing full speed. The one I'm most impressed with is Ribs. It's as if he got a shot of rabbies or something...I've never seen I'm play with such intensity.

I don't know about the receiving a puck in the nuts part. On RDS, they showed a sequence where Souray blocked a shot with his foot and it seemed to hurt him. This is why its the playoffs and its called a lower body injury. There are only 2 types of injuries in the playoffs, lower body or upper body. Anyways, The Gazette said that its a contusion and he should be back for the next game. Good news for the PP.

I read that Whitney will be back but he won't make a difference. He's good but not that good and besides, he's forcing a return from a groin injury...how well can he play? Most players that come back early from a groin injury are not productive at their return. Go Habs Go !!!

Go Habs Go !!! Kick their asses again !!! Going back to Mtl with a 2-0 lead will be devastating to the poor little Canes. As I mentioned yesterday, I'm not scared of that team. Without Cole, they are not the same team. Staal's line as average per player a nice -13 rating since Cole's injury.... Also, they are facing the real Habs for the first time (Huet instead of Theo, Markov and Kovalev not hurt) and they just realized that we are much better then anticipated. Last night was a wake up call for the Canes...the "time to go tee off" kind of wake up call...

As I was saying before the game, I'm not scared of the Canes at all...

Not from what I eard. They don't even know if he will be back for the 2nd round....although that doesn't mater because there won't be a 2nd round for the Canes

I've never been so confident of winning ever since they confirmed that Cole will not be playing in the 1st round This guy is a Habs killer. Without him, the Canes are a completely different team. I'm not scared of them, I even think that we can eliminate them in 5 or 6. During the season, they never faced the real Habs. Theo played 3 games and sucked big time and Aebi played the other. Markov missed 3 of the 4 games and Kovalev 2 of the 4 games. These 2 players are our best players at their respective positions. Also, Kovalev is a different player in the playoffs and intends on maintening is streak of never being eliminated in the 1st round. On top of it, how encouraged will the Canes be by their "big" "noisy" crowd of 10,000 fans RDS woundered around in Raleigh yesterday and asked a bunch of people who the Canes were playing against and most couldn't even name the Habs. And for the ones that could, they couldn't name 2 players from the Habs. That town is a joke for hockey!!!

It's confirmed, Cole will not play in the first round, Neither will Begin,

What as it done for Theo so far? He's 1-1 with a 2.77 GAA and a 0.882 SV%...those are as bad as when he was in Mtl !!! Also, in the game he replaced Budaj for which he as no decision, he played really bad and didn't maintain the Avs in the game by giving up 3 more goals on 19 shots. If you were implying that Theo is doing well with Colorado...you better check your facts...he's not playing well at all and the Avs have a better team then the Habs. As for Bertuzzi, I don't want that guy on my team. He's over rated and on a downward spiral. Besides, we don't need a winger, we need a center. I'm not totally against the idea of getting Bertuzzi, but I don't think he's what we need. We should put our priority on replacing Ribs by a top center.

What's up with all this "let's improve our D" for next year. Am I the only one that sees that since Komi and Sourray elevated their game, we have a very respectable D. Even Streit is now playing well. We have one of the worst offense in the league (20th about, and very close to the other bottom 9 teams) and a very respectable 10th place for defense, and that's with having the worst goalie in the league (Theo) for a good part of the season. We need a top forward period. Someone that can score. Mostly, a center to replace Ribs.

Markov not an offensive D? That's the funniest thing I've heard in a while. Markov is currently ranked 23rd for D in points this season and he is not higher only because he missed a lot of games. If you extrapolate his stats to 74 games, he would be 8th, tied with Pronger. I think that answers the question about Markov being an offensive D. On top of it, he had a lousy start of the season...watch him next year, he will finish in the top 5 D if not injured. Who wants a Coffey type of D anyways, the guy was a nightmare defensively. I prefer a complete offensive D like Markov over a Coffey type of D. Markov is very good at sneaking behind the D on PP to receive a pass and score, that takes talent...it's not everyone that has that instinct and timing.

I'm sure that this is what Washington wants, to trade the future #1 star in the league for the next 10 years to get back Bulis and Zednik whom they traded away 6 years ago + some picks and a small center who's worth a tootpick. Bulis and Zednik came together in 2000 and will leave together in summer 2006. No way these two guys are coming back next year, I think BG as had enough of them.

I doubt that any team will be willing to pay more then 2M$ for Huet. A long term contract with big $ for a 30 year old guy that only had a great 1/2 season would be quite surprising from any team. I think that Theo and Khabibulin's contracts were good examples of what not to do and a good lesson for all 30 teams. I say max 2.5M$ for a 1 year contarct and less if for more then 1 year. Otherwise, thanks for the memories.

Actually, I'm not a Savard fan neither. But I would take Arnott. Again, not my favourite choice, but definetly an upgrade on Ribs. I guess the best thing might be to wait another year and see which UFA centers are available after next year. Or BG could surprise us and pull a trade and get someone we never expected. That is more BG's style... trade for someone we never expected.

I agree that Richards is a very long shot, but we never know. Look at the Thornton trade. It could be someone else than Richards, all I want is a very good center to replace Ribs. Even a guy like Arnott who's not Richards caliber would be great.

You can kiss Bulis good bye. In today's Journal de Montréal, Bulis mentions that he's frustrated about not playing, that he doesn't understand why he's not playing (doesn't understand that he's a pussy in the corners) and that he will be going somewhere else next year to get more icetime. He wants a more offensive role and we don't have that room for him here in Mtl. With him and Sunny gone, there's another 2M$ available for next year.

Yes Richards is the most accessible because of the cap room. Not because they won't ba able to sign him, but because they would have to put all their remaining cap in him, leaving nothing to improve the D and goalies. Is it really smart for TB to sign Richards and let go of Kubina and stick with Grahame? Asking the question is answering it. They might not even make the playoffs this year (I bet that either Florida or Atlanta makes them instead of TB), so why would the stick with the same team? The only reason the would keep Richards, is because Feaster is an idiot. I hope that TB doesn't make the playoffs, it will force TB to upgrade their D and goalie, and they can only do that by trading Richards. What to offer, I'm not BG and I don't claim to be. TB can chose in a package of Aebischer, Ribs, Zednik, Sourray (we can replace him with many good quality UFA D available this summer), Perezhogin, Kostitsyn, Plekanec. Like I said, I don't mind overpaying a little to get a player of is caliber. Besides, we have plenty of forwards, we can afford to give up a few. As for other centers, there's Arnott and Savard as UFA, there's Marleau who might be available for the right price. There might be other ones...you and I know as much as any simple amateur that we are. Who knew that Thornton was available? Even most GMs didn't know until the actual trade. I put my faith in BG that Ribs will be gone and that we will have a new 2nd line center next year.

Thanks for the update. I thought it was obvious from the WJC that Chipchura will need at least a year in the AHL before making the NHL. But the kid looks promising as a good big physical defensive 3rd line center that plays with heart and emotion. As for Danis, I'm sure BG will trade Aebischer for whatever he can get in return to make room for him. BG has to resign Huet with the way he's been playing. He will cost 2M$, so I doubt BG will invest 2M$+ in 2 goalies. Why have a pair of 2M$+ goalies. Besides, keeping Huet and Aebischer would mean losing Danis who would sign a contract with another team as a UFA.