Canes vs. Habs - Dec. 6th,2003 - Game Two

[jl.roberts]

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<B>Time :</B> 7:00 EST, 4:00 PST

<B>Location :</B> Centre Bell - Montreal, Quebec

<B>TV :</B> RDS, SRC

<B>Radio :</B> CJAD, CKAC, Team 990 (postgame)

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<B>RDS Line-Up News</B>

<B>Stat Comparison</B>

<B>NHL.com Score Sheets</B>

<B>Between the Pipes:</B>

Jose Theodore

versus

?

<B>Projected CH Line-Up </B>

<I>20 Zednik – 11 Koivu – 73 Ryder

94 Perreault – 71 Ribeiro – 26 Dagenais

38 Bulis – 22 Begin – 24 Dackell

15 Langdon – 25 Kilger – 37 Sundstrom

79 Markov - 43 Brisebois

44 Souray - 05 Quintal

51 Bouillon - 52 Rivet

</I>

<B>Hurricane Line-Up</B>

<i>J. Vasicek -- R. Francis -- J. O'Neill

E. Cole -- R. Brind'Amour -- R. Vrbata

M. Murray -- E. Staal -- C. Adams

R. Bayda -- K. Adams -- J. Boulerice

D. Markov - B. Hedican

G. Wesley - S. Hill

B. Boughner - B. St. Jacques</i>

<B>Probable CH Scratches</B>

<I> 17 Ward (ankle –damn Malakhov), 82 Audette (separated shoulder), Juneau (back - day-to-day)</I>

<B>Probable Hurricanes Scratches</B>

<I>No real injuries. Coaches decisions to be made.</I>

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<B>Key Match-Ups</B>

<b>vs.</b>

<b>Mike Ryder and Eric Staal, two of the league's premier rookies.</b>

<B>Habs Game Thoughts</B>

[*]After kicking away 35 shots, how does Jose handle a back to back start? Expect Jamie Storr to play in search of his first win this year for the Hurricanes.

[*]Pierre Dagenais has been on the decline lately, does the gigantic winger still have a reserved spot with Ribeiro?

[*]Mike Komisarek was, unfortunately, a healthy scratch last night. Will he play tonight?

[*]With Joe Juneau missing last nights game in Carolina due to back spasms, and Steve Begin filling in admirably, do you expect to see Julien reinsert Juneau, assuming he's healthy?

<B>Who to Watch For</B>

]http://www.canadiens.com/_static/webUpload...764_2.jpg[/img][/url]

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[puck7x]

I wonder who the canes start in nets , Weekes back to back or Storr? I'm still surprised the habs are using Theodore in back to back games , I figured we'd have played Garon last night. oh well...

I hope to see Komisarek in the lineup tonight , in place of either Rivet, Quintal, or Bouillon. Or just scratch Langdon , or one of Dackell/Sundstrom and play a D as a forward to get Komisarek back in.

:ghg::ghg::ghg:

[jl.roberts]

Zednik out - RDS

Check the main page for more!

[sakiqc]

Yup.. Komisarek IN.. I guess he'll play on the 4th line! GO KOMO!!!:ghg:

[sakiqc]

Tonight's updated lines:

Montreal:

Bulis Koivu Ryder

Perreault Ribeiro Dagenais

Sundstrom Begin Dackell

Langdon Kilger Komisarek

Markov Brisebois

Souray Quintal

Bouillon Rivet

Theodore

Carolina (same than yesterday)

Vasicek Francis O'Neill

Vrbata Brind'Amour Cole

Murray Staal C.Adamns

Bayda K.Adamns Boulerice

Hill Wesley

Boughner Ward

Hedican Markov

Weekes

[Edited on 2003-12-7 by sakiqc]

[jl.roberts]

Dackell Scores! 1-0 Habs. I think that was Begin who set it all up.

Bulis has been great. Koivu on fire, showing why he IS a first line centreman (there's my answer to the poll ). Ryder's been very good too!

Looks like Komisarek will get his 8-10 minutes with Langdon and The Chad.

[habitual_hab]

Habs win 3-1. Was there really any doubt?

From what I saw Bulis, Koivu and Ryder dominated.

Begin is a sparkplug.

[jl.roberts]

Good

Koivu, Begin, Bulis, Ryder, Kilger

Bad

Ribeiro, Dagenais, Perreault, Sundstrom, Bouillon

[Colin]

One game over .500, a streak of five games undefeated, and more and more players playing with intensity for the entire 60 minutes. Looks like the coach and GM are finally getting through to some of these guys. Also looks like they're finally starting to gel with the new system. And while there are, of course, still areas the team needs plenty of help with, at the very least, when the best players are playing their best, this team can compete on every night and can steal a few when they might not even deserve it.

It was brought up during the second intermission: what will Juneau do now? I think it's painfully obvious to most habs fans that Begin has stepped in and has done a wonderful job on the third line. The problem is, no matter the whining from certain corners, Juneau still does a solid job, and even better, he can teach the younger players how to be improve. While I wouldn't want to see Begin relagated from a position he's obviously growing comfortable with, neither would I like to see Juneau sitting out for some amount of time when he brings so much to the table. Fourth line? Perhaps that's the answer.

And congratulations to King Zed who had his first child tonight. I didn't catch the young Zednik's name, but I believe the baby was six pounds and twelve ounces.

~~

Notes: (performance)

Theodore: No doubt he's looking like his Vezina self lately. While the one goal he let in was from 60 feet, there was a partial screen and it was a pass across the point that had him moving. I don't think you can ask too many goaltenders to even get close on a play like that one. A+

Bouillon: Much better game tonight since he left the personal vendettas on Carolina ice. He was strong on the puck and made some wise decisions. I still love the way he moves the puck and have no idea why some complain when he's on the point on the power play. Sure, he made a bad pass last game, but in reality, you want your best puck moving defenders on the point, and would you all really like to go back to seeing Quintal there? B+

Rivet: Another good game. I'm really pleased the last couple and feel he might be turning a corner. Perhaps a little talking aside and talking to to convince him to play a more simple game and relax more out there, rather than panicking the puck away constantly? If he keeps this up, we might actually all become happy with the defensive corps. Okay, that's wishful thinking. B+

Quintal: I really like this guy. But he was *way* behind everything last night, and poor Souray probably felt like he was pulling yeoman's duty playing for two. His fight at the end of the game, in my opinion, just looked like a frustration thing; knowing full well his game is on the serious slide at the moment. Shame for him that he might be getting a forced benching from the league after carrying on too long. D

Souray: For a while, I was thinking that he was looking more patient out there and was making even smarter plays than usual - wondering if he was starting to take the next evolution in his game. Then I realized, when he took that penalty, that he was just being *too* lax. He had his pocket picked and had to really attack the guy to try and get it back. On the other hand, he really did play a strong game other than one or two overly lax plays. B+

Brisebois: As Pedneault said (and I agree???), Brisebois made a couple of errors tonight that we haven't seen in a long period of time. The best part about saying that, is that it was only two really bad errors, and for the rest of the game, he looked pretty solid again. B

Markov: I only wish that more people could appreciate the little things he does. I'm not saying he's perfect, but I am saying that when he rounds out his game in a couple of years, he's going to be something special to watch. He still has so much potential, and for a habs fan, being able to say that is special. B+

Langdon: If he could avoid the idiot penalties, we'd be great. Having said that, he was a hard-nosed hard worker tonight, and I like what he brings to the table. I just wish it was him fighting a little more often. B+

Kilger: One shift great, one shift invisible. I guess I can sum up my comments for him this game with a large *shrug*. C

Komisarek: Boy, when he lays on the body, people fly. Shame we couldn't have seen him on the back end rather than Quintal, but I will give Julien the benefit of the doubt at this point. C+

Dackell: The man everyone loves to hate was one of the best Habs on the ice tonight, particularly in the offensive zone. His line was dominant, and he was stellar. His goal was the result of not a second effort, but a third, and really, when you get that, how can you complain in the least? A

Sundstrom: He started his first couple of shifts a little slowly, but ended up playing a much better game after that. Invisible Man must have taken the night off. I still think he could be a little more aggressive, particularly on the boards, and could give more second efforts, but I think I'll settle with being happy with his game tonight. (Is he totally suited to the Western game, or what?) B

Begin: Wow. He was absolutely flying tonight, and if I had to give a Man of the Match award, he'd get it, no questions asked. He was hitting, creating, marking, and generally being a do-it-all man all night, and you just have to love his constant effort. Personally, I think he's starting to rub off on those around him, and that's just more brilliant. A+

Dagenais: He made a couple of nice plays and was certainly not invisible, but for a second line player, I'd expect a little more. Now, he is the 'size' on that line and he wasn't shying away from using it, but he's just so much slower... It's the AHL speed he plays at that costs him. C+

Perreault: Well, I guess we can say he can't play two really inspired games in a row, sadly. He was okay tonight, certainly decent in the offensive zone, but didn't throw any hits and didn't really give that second effort necessary all night. B-

Ribeiro: I get so much heat for what I say about him, but really, aside from a couple of fairly good razzle moves, he doesn't provide much at all right now. His line was by far the worst of the three that played consistently tonight, and, while he was less a permieter player than last night, he was still largely ineffectual. I don't mind him, and I still see potential, but he's nowhere near Koivu's league in any way, shape or form and for those who say he's the best habs, I can only wonder what you're seeing. If there's one trade I'd like to see made, it's him because, on any other team, he'd be basically invisible and then Montreal fans would truly see how good he is. Plus, with him gone, we wouldn't have to listen to the French media slobber everytime he touched the puck - I mean really, when I have to take a kleenex to the TV speakers when Pedneault talks about him, it's a little much. B-

Bulis: Well, he sure had a strong game in Zed's place. He may not have the scoring touch, but play-wise, he didn't look out of place at all - quite the contrary, I thought he fit in really well and helped create a lot. I just wish one or two more would go in for him so he could really pick up that confidence. A

Ryder: How many years has it been since we had a *real* solid forward prospect? Saku? He's getting better, and that's saying something. He had multiple chances and was working hard every shift. He's even getting better defensively in leaps and bounds and winning the board battle far more often. I notice that line doesn't get bottled up very much at all like it did a couple of weeks back. Now, I know he was told to shoot more, but he's gone too far the other way, but I think Koivu had a tete-a-tete with him. A

Koivu: I think that, with the exception of one or two shifts only, Koivu's line had a serious scoring opportunity every time they hit the ice. They probably should have had about four goals tonight. He is so far and away the best skater on this team it's amazing and when his game starts to really go, like it is now that he's in game form after that injury, he's impressive to watch. Sure, he gives pucks away occasionally, but he's the first to move his butt to cover for a mistake. And blocking shots now as well? Gimme a Homer mmmmmmmmm. Anyone else notice him helping out Ryder on the bench tonight? A

~~

Just what we needed, three out of four from the 'Canes, and that pushes us over the .500 mark. Putting aside all differences of opinion, I think as habs fans we should all be pleased that things are starting to look up a little more. And how about this fact to think about: two games in two nights and you can arguably say that the Habs were the tougher team. Shocking, eh?

Finally, there's some real team spirit out there, and that's something we haven't seen in years and years. Player after player sticks up for one another, and I think it's starting to roll over into individual games. More and more players are being consistent on the ice and delivering better games. Of course, this is short-term, but with a few more solid games, perhaps we can honestly start saying this team is a solid foundation for our future.

On to the Flyers, or rather, they're coming to Montreal, and that's going to be a hard game. We've got to stick to the system and play patient hockey if we're to win that one. But if Theo comes with his 'A' game and Saku continues to fly out there, I see no reason why we shouldn't give even the powerful Flyers a tough game.

[jl.roberts]

Anyone else notice him helping out Ryder on the bench tonight?

Yes indeed. Whatever he said seemed to work, too.

As you said, next up is the Flyers. What a tough game that will be. That Philly team has only lost three games this year, and Recchi has been brilliant. Most likely we'll see Garon -> he'll have to be standing on his head.

I'd just like to add that with Begin centering <i>le troisieme trio</i>, I think we stand a much better chance of escaping with a point against Philadelphia, than with M. Juneau running the checking line.

Bouillon playing nearly two minutes more than Markov and Brisebois concerns me, too.

[Habs77]

Nice job colin, on both recaps.

Only got to see parts of the first 2 periods, but I've also seen the highlights just now.

Two comments:

- nice to see Rivet storm in from the blueline to protect Sundstrom when the melee broke out. He's been doing that for a few games now, and it's a nice change.

Keep it up Craig.

- Quintal continuing to go after Boughner was Stéphane trying to settle a score from the 1st game... when Boughner nailed Bulis at center ice and Quintal went after Boughner but he weazled out of it.

Boughner tried to weazle out of it again, but Quintal wouldn't let him.

Good for him, kudos to both Quintal & Rivet tonight.

Also the whole team has finally started to come together of late... now that Koivu has had a few games under his belt he's looking better.

Nice to Bulis being used in an offensive role as I have been asking for... time to dish out Perreault so Bulis can have a permanent spot on the top two lines.

Then bring up Bégin on the 3rd line WITH Juneau and Dackell.

By the way, we always seem to play inspired games against the Canes... I remember last year it was Blouin's first game as a Habs and he got ejected in the first period. It was another good physical affair.

P.S. Honourable mention to the waitress I had tonight at the pool joint at was at tonight... 5 stars, truly.

[Edited on 7-12-03 by Habs77]

[TheAussiePosse]

Glad we're still streaking, not sure how long it'll last though.

Couple of pointers for the next game:

- Juneau is doubtful to return (not sure if he's been placed on IR or not, maybe it's just Yahoo being idiots). Anyway, the 3rd line of Sundstrom-Begin-Dackell seems to be doing well, I doubt we should tamper with it until Ward returns. Or Audette, although it would only be tampered to make room for players from the first 2 lines being demoted.

- Not sure if Perreault will be in either. If I were coach, I wouldn't allow him to play, due to his lack of speed and physicality, and his overall lacklustre play. If he does play, I'd keep him on the 4th line, just because he will be shut down by Philadelphia, and the ice time could be used by forwards who actually do bust their ass

- Watch for a Langdon/Brashaer battle early in the game. Hopefully we can have a "gathering of the clans" (thanks CJAD!) where Rivet and Quintal can show that yes, their mommy didn't dress them today, and they're all grown up now! I'm not asking for too much, just to match Philadelphia blow for blow. Ok, maybe I am asking a bit much, but after Carolina, we shold be in the mood to shove.

IMO, the lines shold be like this:

Bulis-Koivu-Ryder (like last game, I love what they're doing, keep the line together, put Zednik on the slumping line - see below)

Dagenais-Ribeiro-Zednik (Ribeiro's got a lot to prove, his benching hasn't really done anything about his shift length. Dagenais needs to show some grit, I would love to see him level Chouinard; if that's all he does the whole game, I'd be a happy man. And Zednik should get a hat-trick for his daughter, as every father should)

Sundstrom-Begin-Dackell (Doing well together, not too physical, and against the Philly forwards they might get outplayed, but hell, if they can control Primeau's line, I'll be happy. Assuming they're matched against Primeau's line {we have the final change})

Kilger-Perreault-Langdon (It's like putting Alice with Dweedle-Dum and Tweedle Dee, but with Audette, Juneau and Ward out, it's the best we can do. Ideally I'd bench Perreault, but we're losing the man-games, so no can do)

Markov-Brisebois (Time for Breezy to get another point {to equal 10 on the season}, and Markov to show he still knows how to score. I'm going to bench him in every fantasy league I have for the game, hoping that it works)

Souray-Rivet Big boys play big against Leclair and Primeau, and we can hold them. If we lose, look for a 2-goal game from Souray. Rivet was feisty last game, here's to him keeping up the flailing arms as he runs into random forwards. Or defensemen. Or a goalie even {"Take that Jeff!"})

Quintal-Komisarek (Maybe Quintal will be looking to finish what he started last game with Boughner. I nominate... Chouinard :-^ haha, nah, maybe Ragnarsson, because he looked funny at Koivu last game. And Komisarek did the hard yards up on RW, maybe he can keep the physical side, and add it to our defensive core.

In goal, I'd play Theodore, who's 6-6 against Philadelphia with a 3.22 GAA. Garon is 0-1 with a 5.00 GAA, which isn't what we need. He gets his own bobblehead on the 22nd, I'm sure another game on the bench won't hurt him. There are a lot of people who would kill for those seats. Although it's not like Jose's stellar against Philly either - his GAA against them this year is 5.00 too. Hopefully he can remain in his Vezina calibre for just one more game (at least)

Anyway, plenty can change between now and then. Like BG aquiring Lecavalier...

[Edited on 2003/12/7 by TheAussiePosse]