Mont Royale

I watched on CBC because my cable package doesn't include RDS. And 'snooty monolinguals'? Being monolingual doesn't make one 'snooty', just like being bilingual doesn't prevent idiotic comments, as you just proved.

So, there hasn't been many comments denigrating Gorges, but you decided to seize the opportunity to lecture on that topic anyway. Even the 2 quotes you did find aren't particularly offensive - more statements of opinion. You know, the purpose of a message board? I don't disagree that sometimes we're too negative, but not in this case. Anyway, negativity just balances off those who are too positive. Like that SAKS-AVE guy, who actually thought we could finish in first! How embarrassing. Wait, what....?

You nailed it - it was awesome. That was the first game I've attended at the Bell Centre in 5+ years, and it was absolutely incredible. The Bell Centre didn't rock like that back then (obviously the team wasn't as praise-worthy). I especially appreciated the thought given to acknowledge our opponents for the evening: the chants of 'Leafs Suck', 'Raycroft' and 'sixty-seven', the t-shirts for sale outside the Bell Centre (on the back: 'Losers since 67')... you know, the little things. There was a lot of miserable looking Leaf fans walking around that night.

Absolutely perfect. Thanks, fellas.

My brother-in-law scored me some free tickets to the Habs-Leafs game tomorrow, so I'm driving off to Montreal later today. Although it's a nothing game (more or less) for both teams, I'm hoping Montreal shows the Leafs why they're playoff bound. It will also be a nice touch to the ongoing indoctrination of my son (age 6, who will be with me at the game) to Habs fandom. Lets see, I'll take, hmmm.... a comfortable lead, lots of ole ole's, no injuries, and an extended game-ending ovation, please. Git 'er done, boys! :hlogo:

I didn't think that phrase was part of your vocabulary!

Agreed. The whole idea of losing on purpose - whether it be to position ourselves for the best playoff matchup, or to influence another team's draft pick - doesn't make any sense. Always win, and we'll be a winner.

I wouldn't miss the anthems if they were dropped. Yes, it's tradition and sometimes it's a stirring rendition that adds something to atmosphere, but nothing that can't be replaced... by, say, AC DC's Thunderstruck, for example. If removing the anthems entirely is too radical, then at least trimming it down to one anthem per game should be considered. Since it's not about where the players are born, it shouldn't be about where the opposing team is from either. Playing just the home town's anthem will speed things up and give the fans what they want to hear (if they want to hear an anthem at all), and I don't think the visiting team would be offended.

Definitely the amount of time the Habs spent on the PK reduced Ryder's ice time.

I would say playing soft and uninspired is no way to get ready for the playoffs.

:puke: There are 28 other teams in the league they can beat if I was really worried about their draft position - which isn't a worry at all if you look at their drafting record. When the Habs play them, I want them crushed. Any other position is an attempt to rationalize why our #1 team was thoroughly embarrassed by a #12 team.

That's the excuses in a nutshell. The real reason: 7) The Habs didn't come to play (with the exception of Halak). There is no good excuse for that. I'm with Habsfan on this one - I hate it when the Habs don't show up against the Leafs. Unfortunately it's a regular occurrence. No amount of excuses or rationalization makes it better.

Isn't it a league rule that backups play against the Leafs? Speaking of backups, I wonder if Raycroft will get his first start in couple months.

Here's an interesting article on the Gillette-Hinks relationship (or lack thereof), from George's point of view. Unworkable ties

I prefer the version with the 'x' next to Montreal.

Nice to see Saku get the winner - I really liked how his line played out there tonight. Price looked so nonchalant in stopping all of the Bruins' shootout attempts - incredible. Now if we can only solve the Sens...

I agree that this argument could be made. It could also be argued that the Habs were beneficiaries of other teams upsetting the overwhelming favourites in those 2 years (Edmonton in '86, Pittsburgh in '93). This doesn't diminish the team's or Roy's accomplishments - much like playing on a great team doesn't diminish Dryden and Plante's - but it would have been interesting to see how we would have fared against the best teams in those years.

My best guess is it's related to the death of his mother.

It seems some people are actually penalizing Plante and Dryden because they played with great teams, as if that somehow diminishes their goaltending abilities. I don't subscribe to that idea, and would argue that their goaltending was a key component of what made those teams great. It should be remembered that Plante won the Vezina in '62 and '69 with comparatively weaker teams (a 'rebuilding' Habs team, and St. Louis respectively), and led the league in GAA in '62, '69, and '71. Dryden sat out a year ('73-74) due to a contract dispute, and the Habs came out with 21 fewer points in the standings that year, compared to the year previous. The impact of both players, even as part of great teams, was enormous, and in Plante's case, it can be demonstrated that he didn't need a great team around him to excel. I'll take Plante.

"It's just another good reason to hate the Leafs." There's lots of good reasons to hate the Leafs, but this isn't one of them. I can't believe the sense of entitlement on display when a producer of television shows has the nerve to complain that her show was cancelled because the CBC didn't make enough from hockey to subsidize it. Here's a thought: how about creating a show that will generate an audience and survive on its own merits? Nahhh, too radical. Write me a another cheque so I can continue to produce shows that enhance our culture, like "MVP: The Secret Lives of Hockey Wives."

So whatever happened to that hot girls thread? Closed? Deleted? People lost interest in hot girls? It was always worth a look...

Kinda boring. I'll wait until they get in the same league as the ads on nhl.com: When Girls Go Bad Video Street Battle Clips: Angry Girls vs. Girls That Got With Their Boyfriend

He was missing a number of games for the Leafs before the trade for 'personal reasons', too. I heard someone on the radio make a reference to family health issues, but no word on who's sick (or if it's indeed Chad himself). My guess is that the media knows exactly what's going on, but are respecting his privacy.

It was a one year contract - there's no guaranteed money after this season.

... are British. The Guess Who are Canadian. On a topical note: Jeff Healey.