Habs & the playoffs

[picasso]

Go Habs Go!

For the first time in a long time the habs won back to back games against Toronto.
11-3!No controversy here,no late game equalizer or shoot-out semi win.
I think the Leafs' season ended tonight.
Too bad,despite the fact that I don't like them,it would have been nice to face them in the playoffs.
That is if we make them.
Now if they can resolve the Penguins enigma.They haven't win a game against them this season yet.
Those two wins will be meaningless if they loose to Pittsburgh tonight.

I agree with you that the Leafs are toast and done for the year. The better team won tonight and I expect the Habs to make the playoffs because they have a favorable schedule the rest of the way including 8 home games vs. 4 on the road. Atlanta, their closest chaser for the final playoff spot has a tougher schedule. I'm not so sure that these two wins against the Leafs are meaningless even if they lose to the lowly Penguins. From what i saw tonight at the Bell, there is no love lost between the two teams and it's always good to see the Leafs getting blown out like they did in the last two games ! So enjoy and savor the moment !

 

[gohabsgo]

Yes, what a great game! Glad to see Tucker finally get his! Even if they sneak in 8th, it will be tough playing Ottawa or Carolina in the first round

 

[MakeIt]

The Habs played as well as they can and should have against TO. I'm always happy to see TO get their sorry asses whipped (in hockey, football, women, whatever) but the real key is the next 5 games which are all against cellar-dwellers. They've got to win these - after that they go up twice against each of Ottawa, Buffalo and New Jersey and they going to lose some of those. Their biggest problem is the new goalie Aebischer who is as reliable as a drugged-up street hooker. When the habs get out in front with good goaltending, they will win the majority of their games - they haven't had that this year until Huet got a regular turn. Expect to see a lot more of him.

What I don;t understand about goalies now is they need a break every 7-8 games. What's this all about?

 

[Cosmo]

Don't forget the olympic break.
Tonight's game in Pittsburgh will be the Habs' 5th game in 7 days.Never happened before,to my knowledge.
Goalies need a break too,they have to keep their concentration for all of the games duration wearhas players can go to the bench and get their second wind.
Anyway,I think that if the Habs maintain a .500 ratio till the end of the season they'll be part of the big spring party-for awhile at least.
But lets not get to far ahead.
Now bring on the Pens!

 

[joelcairo]

I was as happy as everyone else in the universe (except Don Cherry and the rest of the paid-off gang at Hockey Night in Toronto) to see the Toronto Maple Laughs get their sorry whiny asses whipped. Having said that though let's not go overboard here - the Habs clobbered a pathetic bunch of losers 2 games in a row but they're still nothing themselves - even if they do make the playoffs (not yet a given!) they rate to make a quick exit at the hands of one of the many better teams. I've said it before : how the mighty have fallen, if we're going into rapture about beating a bunch of hopeless douchebags from Toronto and about MAYBE making the playoffs. Jesus Christ - what happened to this once-proud franchise?

 

[Cosmo]

Expansions and salary-That's what hapenned to that once great franchise.
Unlike the Yankees in MLB,the Habs can't go and buy players at their will, thanks to the salary cap.
Even before the new agreement they could'nt afford star players anyway.

 

[Cosmo]

Who's gonna stop them?
Huet's 7 th shut-out!
Too strong for the league,bring on the cup!

 

[MakeIt]

Stanley Cup on the horizon for Habs?

I don't think Huet going to get much of a break until the Canadians clinch at least 6th position to avoid Ottawa or Carolina in the first round.

Interesting tidbit I read on one of the web sites. The month of March was the best ever monthly record (10-5-1) in 13 years. The last time they had such a good month was in January, 2003 - the last year they won the Stanley Cup!

 

[Techman]

I really hope you mean 1993 not 2003 because if you don't that means the clocks jumped ahead a lot more than an hour last night

 

[MakeIt]

I really hope you mean 1993 not 2003 because if you don't that means the clocks jumped ahead a lot more than an hour last night

Sorry about that - you're quite right its 1993.

 

[picasso]

Bellwether games ahead

Habs have home and away games left against three playoffs team: Ottawa, Buffalo and NJ. How they'll fare in those games will say a lot about how far they're likely to go in the playoffs. With the way Huet has been playing and with the defensive support he's got, especially from Markov, I really like the Habs' chances in the playoffs. I think they'll most likely end up with the 6th seed facing the Rangers in the first round.

 

[MakeIt]

Sixth against the Rangers would be a good match-up. The Canadians really had their number this year - 3 wins vs 1 loss. But I think NJ will be tough to beat for the #6 spot.

 

[Cosmo]

I 'd like to see them face the Senators.
It would be a great way to start a rivalry between these two teams.
Plus Ottawa is one of the most spectacular teams in the NHL.
Carolina on the other hand,would be a tough match and not as spectacular.
But let's start by making the playoffs.Atlanta's not dead yet.

 

[MakeIt]

Habs on a roll - win 7th straight game!

The Habs are coming together at just the right time just as they did 2 years ago. Hopefully this time they can hold it together a little longer and get through the first round.

I'd like to see them finish in 6th but among Montreal, NJ and Tampa, they have the toughest schedule. Tampa has a fairly light schedule , playing only 2 games of their remaining 7 against a contender, Carolina.

Anyhow, they did what they had to do in their past 5 games which win against weaker teams. If they clinch 6th, I think they have a real chance of making to the second round.

 

[spin]

I'm a big hockey fan, I'm from Montreal so I always like to see the Hab's do well but I'm not a huge Habs fan.

That being said, I have to admit tha I really like the way they look these days, strong goaltending, solid hockey, physical they look good. I'm not mapping out a Stanley Cup Parade route but I could see them going into the 2nd maybe 3rd round of the playoffs.

Being from Montreal to me the season has already been a huge success, the Canadien will make the playoffs and the Leafs won't! That's enough for me.

Everybody now - "OLE OLE OLE OLE, OLE OLE"

Did you guys see that cheap shot shit Tucker pulled against the Sabres the other night - I want Cherry (who I enjoy but is such a Leafs HOMER it makes me crazy) to call him out on Coaches Corner this week - He took a cheap shot and then he dove!!! C'mon Cherry if it had of been a "French" guy or a European who did it you would all over him - lets see if you have the balls to blast Tucker!!

By the way, no surprise the Leafs play this cheap shot shit hockey theIr coach took a cheap shot a Bobby Orr when he was playing - Who takes a cheap shot at Bobby Orr!!!

 

[Cosmo]

Spin,

You hit the nail on the head.Pat Quinn,I remember him in his flyers days,big archtypical goon.Very limited talent,yet could hit hard and not always fair.

The worst thing about Tucker's cheap shot is that he wasn't even penalized!
Sabre's coach Lindy Ruff who's usually calm and mild, lost it!
Imagine one of your best players injured right before the playoffs by a cheap shot artist frustrated cause he won't make them.

I'd be surprised Don Cherry condemn his acts.After all, Tucker's got every thing for him:
He's from Ontario,
Played his juniors in Ontario,
plays for the leafs
and plays dirty.

Now back to the Habs.I was almost happy to see Huet give up a goal yesterday.Let's not get over confident,they defeated sub.500 teams lately and now we'll see what they are capable of with games against Ottawa,Buffalo and NJ.
After those games we'll have a better idea of their real play off potential.

 

[MakeIt]

Spin,

You hit the nail on the head.Pat Quinn,I remember him in his flyers days,big archtypical goon.Very limited talent,yet could hit hard and not always fair.

The worst thing about Tucker's cheap shot is that he wasn't even penalized!
Sabre's coach Lindy Ruff who's usually calm and mild, lost it!
Imagine one of your best players injured right before the playoffs by a cheap shot artist frustrated cause he won't make them.

I'd be surprised Don Cherry condemn his acts.After all, Tucker's got every thing for him:
He's from Ontario,
Played his juniors in Ontario,
plays for the leafs
and plays dirty.

Now back to the Habs.I was almost happy to see Huet give up a goal yesterday.Let's not get over confident,they defeated sub.500 teams lately and now we'll see what they are capable of with games against Ottawa,Buffalo and NJ.
After those games we'll have a better idea of their real play off potential.

I'm just happy to see the Leafs will be out of the playoffs - couldn't of happened to a nicer bunch of losers.

As for the Habs, I totally agree, this final stretch will show us how far they're going in the playoffs.

 

[MakeIt]

The Habs are looking pretty good after soundly beating the Sens 5-3. Some highlights:

- Aebischer played amazing stopping 44 of 47 shots including 21 in the 1st period alone. The Habs have a real goaltending duo with Huet and Aebischer.
- Mike Riebero showed up and played a great game with 2 assists and 1 goal.
- Alex Kovalev showed why he is one of the top players in the league.
- The whole team showed up and played well except for the 1st period.

- Best video clip of the week was watching Aaron Downey drop his gloves to take on Brad Norton (about a foot taller). Then the 2 just danced for about 30 seconds without throwing a punch - they both got 10 minute misconducts for NOT fighting. Hilarious.

The Habs are playoff bound for sure and showed they may go to the second round by beating the top team in the east. Go Habs, Go!

 

[picasso]

So far so good...

Thanks for the summary, MakeIt. Being on the left coast 3,000 miles away, by the time I'm back at the hotel most of the action is over. Can't wait to get back to the same time zone. Different guys are contributing on different nights and that's a good sign. By the way, I like Downey a lot. He's a big dude, plays physical, and brings toughness to the lineup. Every team needs a designated goon to protect their star players and he's taking on that role although he's no cheap shot artist like Darcy Tucker.

 

[steak]

(...) By the way, I like Downey a lot. He's a big dude, plays physical, and brings toughness to the lineup. Every team needs a designated goon to protect their star players and he's taking on that role although he's no cheap shot artist like Darcy Tucker.

If you can remember, not long ago, he got into in violent fight with Peter Worell and he looked pretty good. I never saw him fight like this ever again...

Right now, every thing works so great, every line scores or have chances. Everything is going so well, unlike you, I feel scared. The habs are a streak team, seeing them in a hot streak right now might be too soon and maybe they'll turn cold by the time the playoffs start.

But hey, the moment is great and I like the way they play. Good note to Higgins, the guy is probably the more complete guy on the roster and has a great future. Even though he made a couple of mistakes tonight.