Canadiens vs LA Kings: Santa came early this year.

The Canadiens found a way to win, again.

Lucky.

A fluke.

Smoke and mirrors. 

However you want to describe it, they got the job done Friday night at the Bell Centre with a 6-2 victory over the LA Kings. 

The Kings dominated in the shots department (46-20) and had the puck for the entire game. But it didn't matter because the best player for the Canadiens was their goaltender Carey Price. 

"We totally dominated the first period... Carey Price was really good, wasn't he?" Coach Darryl Sutter remarked after the game. 

In what was a sensational game, Price was beat twice, once by Jake Muzzin on a play where he never saw the puck because Andre Markov couldn't clear Trevor Lewis from the front of the net. The other was a laser off the stick of Drew Doughty. 

"Price wins games for this team all the time," said Doughty. "We wanted to get pucks to the net and as you saw in the third period we eventually started putting pucks behind him." 

So the Habs make it two in a row, with victories over two teams that should be in the playoffs come April. Perhaps the hockey gods wanted to even out games where they deserved a better fate (Buffalo and Chicago.) Whatever the case, Montreal is now just one point out of top spot in the Atlantic division of the NHL. 

It wasn't pretty, and if the Canadiens play like this every night, it's not a recipe for success. 

Jean Beliveau

Perfect.

Many fans, alumni and media members have described Jean Beliveau as perfect.

Tuesday night's pre game ceremony honoring the legendary captain was in the same mold, perfect.

From the video montage, to the moment of silence... perfect.

Having been to the rink following events that called for a moment of silence, it's usually brief and not as silent as you might want. Everyone is waiting for the game to begin.

This moment of silence seemed longer, quieter. Every second seemed like a minute, yet you never wanted it to end...

As the silence turned into applause, the attention turned to his widow Elise. With elegance and remarkable poise, Mrs Beliveau quietly whispered "thank you," and acknowledge the fans of Montreal for their support by simply raising her hands.

Her husband's seat at the bell centre remains lit up with the number four beaming light down on the Canadiens for the rest of the season.

From the Vancouver room post game:

- "When I saw his wife I got kind of choked up there," said goalie Ryan Miller. "You have such a bond with someone, somebody who walked beside him and then to accept that standing ovation and to see her face, how the relationship must have meant so much, it just got me choked up."

- "I think that's a tribute to a great man and his family," said coach Willie Desjardins. "I coudn't believe his wife she's such a trooper, she shook hands all week and she was there and it must have been really hard for her but she was awesome."

- "Once they showed Mr. Beliveau's family, it was another level, it really got to me, and I'm sure alot of other players and fans, it was really emotional," said Alex Burrows.

Bruins Hibernate Part Two

The Bruins were hibernating in Montreal... Again.

All signs would have pointed to a bounce back from Boston following an embarrassing loss to the Leafs and facing a rival team in Montreal the next night. 

That's not what happened, at all. 

The first period was good, the second was bad and the third was terrible from a Bruins perspective. 

Final score, 5-1 for the Montreal Canadiens. 

"I think as a team right now we have to not be so fragile and get so down," said Bruins forward Milan Lucic. "We have to show some resiliency, character and when we fall behind continue to play the way we play." 

The injury situation with David Krejci and Zdeno Chara is well documented. It's not easy to throw out the likes of Torey Krug, Zach Trotman and Joe Morrow on defense but right now Boston has no choice.  

"If you start the game the way we did and can't sustain for two periods it's not because the game plan isn't working, its because you're not able to sustain your focus," said coach Claude Julien. 

There was flashes of life for the Bruins even when they were down and out. Matt Faser dropping the gloves with Nathan Beaulieu (that didn't go well), Adam Mcquaid throwing Dale Weise into the crossbar and then the boards and Lucic catching Jiri Sekac in the neutral zone without the puck subsequently goading PK Subban into a fight. 

But it wasn't the emotion that we've become accustom to seeing from the Bruins, specifically in games against the Canadiens. 

"We're a team that thrives on playing with emotion and maybe we needed to play with more emotion and more bang," said Lucic. "It wasn't there tonight, so the next time we play them hopefully we play with the emotion that gives us success." 

Boston will probably be fine and most good teams stumble during the long and vigorous NHL schedule. But all this game did was reinforce a long standing narrative. The Bruins can't figure out how to play against the Montreal Canadiens. 

- Mitchy 

POST Game Five: Bruins @ Habs

The Bears were hibernating.

The Montreal Canadiens caught the Boston Bruins in a second game of a back to back and it showed.

Bad bounces were equally exchanged but the Bruins took a couple naps during the game that cost them two points to their arch rival.

"We were tired, the decision making wasn't there," admitted Bruins goalie Tuuka Rask after the game. "Our heads weren't really there but it's understandable, but it's not an excuse."

The main turning point was the conclusion of the second period when the Canadiens got Jiri Sekac's first NHL goal and PA Parenteau's first as a Montreal Canadien.

The building was rocking and there was no looking back.

Boston played a strong third period when Niklas Svedberg replaced Tuukka Rask.

Simon Gagne scored late in the third pulling Boston within one with a chance to search for the equalizer with the goalie pulled.

But then... Milan Lucic took an ill-timed penalty on Alexei Emelin, negating any realistic chance to tie the game.

Parenteau slipped the puck into the empty, giving the Canadiens a 6-4 win in the first meeting between these two teams this season.

Observations: 

- Brad Marchand's spear on PK Subban was dirty. But the embellishment call was fine by me. Sometimes your reputation follows you around for a long time. 

- Dennis Seidenberg struggled. Everyone knew the departure of Johnny Boychuk would impact the Bruins defensive core. If Seidenberg can't regain his form of old, the Bruins won't have home ice in the first round of playoff. 

- David Desharnais' play in the faceoff circle lead to goals. Even though he was just over 45%, key offensive zone faceoffs lead to goals by Brendan Gallagher and Max Pacioretty. 

- Coach Michel Therrien coached a strong game. Never got caught in a bad match up. Balanced the ice time. And the moment of him receiving the torch was great. 

- Milan Lucic is out of control. Antics in the penalty box. The run in with Emelin. Yelling at referee Tim Peel. Dude, settle down. I'd still take him on my team though. 

- The third line controlled the play almost every time they were on the ice. Rene Bourque - Lars Eller - Jiri Sekac had a handful of shifts where they got momentum and controlled the play. That and a fearless block shot from Bourque on the powerplay shows me that at least he's still "all in."

- Also liked the Bruins third line. Loui Erickson - Carl Soderberg - Chris Kelly started the game, and looked like their best line. 

- Carey Price's struggles aren't concerning. And there was breakdowns and bad bounces on all the goals he let up. However, if he doesn't turn things around from a statistical point of view soon, the Vezina Trophy could be lost in the first month of the season. 

- Mitchy 

PRE Game Five: Boston @ Habs

It's an exciting time.

Habs fans will pile into the Bell Centre and witness a rematch with the team that provided them with the most entertaining moments last spring. The series fresh minds of both teams. The wounds, both physical and mental are still raw. BOSTON VS MONTREAL. It'll be good.

Here are some of the questions fans have heading into tomorrow's tilt:

Scooter ‏@Habs_Scooter : Will Swedish Gretzky, Dale Weise, drop Milan Lucic about his comments from last year??

LOL. Swedish Gretzky... I think that the situation was pretty well diffused by both sides. The playoff series was so emotionally charged and that was definitely a boiling point. The waters have calmed and I'd be surprised if we saw anything occur. It wouldn't be a smart decision for Weise to try to "drop" Lucic. Unless it's a sucker punch, I'd put my money on Lucic staying on his feet and landing some damaging blows. Don't expect anything to happen, Weise will stay away and if Lucic is completely distracted to settle a personal vendetta, advantage Habs. Furthermore, I don't even think they'll be on the ice at the same time on many occasions, considering the roles they play. I'd be more inclined to see a confrontation between Lucic and Alexei Emelin, with Lucic taking a retaliatory penalty.

@Cnt_Scrutinizer: Therrien protect Weise and have him as a healthy scratch?

This is the Boston Bruins, on opening night at the Bell Centre. There's no "protecting players." You have to go with the lineup that gives you the best chance to win. That lineup would include Weise and not Travis Moen. Plus, it sends the wrong message. Scratching Weise for that reason would be playing scared. He's a big boy and he can handle himself. And he's going to have to face Lucic at some point. Wouldn't a better spot be the friendly confines of the Bell Centre instead of the TD Garden in Boston?

HabsFan ‏@ChrisShannon16: Are the Bruins going to goon it up is my question. Would love to hear your opinion And how should the Habs set their lineup for tomorrow?

Thanks for the questions. The Bruins really appear to be heading away from that identity of "gooning" it up. Of course they have a ton of guys that play tough, physical and can hold their own in a fight. But I don't think they'll go about looking for fights. Having started the season slow by their standards, with expectations high... they're better off just playing hockey. If the score is titled in either direction, then all bets are off.

As far as the lineup is concerned. I don't think much changes. The Canadiens won 3/4 on the road to start the season. The only question mark I have is the final defensive spot. With Emelin potentially coming back from injury, that leaves Jared Tinordi or Nathan Beaulieu at risk of coming out. My preference would be to see Beaulieu stay in the lineup, however with the size and physicality of Boston, perhaps Therrien plays things differently.

FROM MYSELF: What is the pre game ceremony going to look like?

We all remember what the pre game ceremony was like at last year's opener... Daniel Briere lightning the torch. It turned out to be a bust. As did the Briere experiment in general. This year, I'm hoping they get it right. This team is Carey Price. The team knows it, the media knows it and the fans know it. Many have speculated that despite having four alternate captains, Carey Price is the true leader on this team. There wouldn't be a better way of showing that than having Price light the torch. It won't be a bust like a year ago.

- Mitchy

Game Two: Habs @ Washington

You don't know what it's like.

After taking on their rivals in Toronto on opening night in the NHL, the Montreal Canadiens had to travel to Washington for the Capitals'
home opener tonight.

It should have been a tone setter for the Capitals. New coach, new system. Barry Trotz is the man to put the reigns on Alex Ovechkin.

When the first period was in the books, it looked like Washington was a transformed team (kind of like Toronto did last night.)

Montreal on the other hand was tired, emotionally drained and frustrated.

But old habits die hard and Capitals reassumed their selfish identity, while the Canadiens remained selfless.

Terrible penalties taking by both Alex Ovechkin and Nick Backstrom

Same Capitals.

Eventually the game was tied in the third period and the Canadiens went on to pull out the 2-1 shootout victory because...

The best players on the ice were Tomas Plekanec, Alex Galchenyuck and Dustin Tokarski.

Give the kid credit in net. Made huge saves when they needed him. When the rest of the team was sleeping he looked rested (because he was). Tokarski made 29 saves, plus several key stops in the shootout, including Ovechkin.

Maybe it's the assumed added responsibility of being named an alternate captain. Perhaps it's the new offensively gifted linemates (although the right side has fluctuated in the first two games.) Or maybe he's always this damn good. Plekanec has gotten this season off on the right foot. And even though I don't like putting numbers on the lines, if Plekanec continues at this rate, he is a "true number one."

Galchenyuck has been flying. This is the most comfortable he's ever looked in the NHL. This is the biggest role and most ice time he's received. Galchenyuck has arrived and I sense for the fans, that the excitement and anticipation is building for what this kid will eventually become.

Have to say, also impressive in his own way was Lars Eller. Not that it showed up on the scorecard but he was feisty. Playing in that third line spot, he needs to mix it up and he did. John Carlson was running around and taking liberties after this whistle. A glove to the face and visor is great to see from Eller as long as he ensures that the opposing player is going off with a penalty as well.

Unfortunately Travis Moen is now in a winless situation. To stay in the lineup everyone expects him to "do something." But with that mindset for this player, it's an ineffective approach.

Got to give the Habs praise. Playing on back to back nights in two different buildings isn't easy. In fact, the Flyers and Bruins both lost tonight dealing with back to back (Calgary is currently in action with Edmonton)

With the 0-2 start, the Flyers will be a handful for the Habs Saturday night in Philadelphia.

- Mitchy

Game One: Habs vs Leafs

Some things change, but some things never change.

Opening day between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs featured some new faces on both sides but the result and outcome was predictable.

The Leafs in their own zone, still terrible.

They were soft on David Desharnais leading to the PK Subban 3-2 go-ahead goal. It was comical in terms of how many assignments they missed on that play and how discombobulated they looked at times in their defensive zone.

The score shouldn't even have been as close as it was. Nazem Kadri's first period goal was offside and the Leafs third period equalizer was a fluke (although the hockey gods balanced things out with a garbage game winner off Stuart Percy's skate)

But we discovered what we already knew. The Habs are in the top tier of the Eastern Conference in a battle for home ice advantage, while the Leafs are stuck in the middle, fighting for a Wild Card with the Islanders, Devils, Capitals, Flyers and Blue Jackets.

The new faces on the Canadiens were a mixed bag in their debuts.

PA Parenteau was strong. Great chemistry with Desharnais and Max Pacioretty and was noticeable almost every time he was on the ice.

Tom Gilbert struggled, especially when in his own zone. Maybe it was opening day jitters but he looked tentative and genuinely fearful to be hit. Typically not something coach Michel Therrien likes to see, which is why it's baffling to see his ice time at over 22 minutes.

Jiri Sekac wasn't good or bad. He was just there. Which probably isn't a bad thing considering it was just his first NHL game.

The Habs best line, clearly Tomas Plekanec, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuck. Plekanec looks pretty good with some youthful creative offensive player.

And PK Subban's celebration... lol

Aren't you glad hockey is back?!

- Mitchy

Monday Mornings with Mitchy

Alex Galchenyuck’s diversity is his detriment. 

Fans always seem too overeager, overzealous and anxious when it comes to stars in the making. Some think that the only route to a Stanley Cup is with size down the middle.  Habs fans look at the diminutive David Desharnais and the unflashy Tomas Plekanec and jump to the conclusion that the only way to win is with Galchenyuck as C1 and Lars Eller as C2, pronto.

The only problem is…. It’s too much too soon and makes little sense from a depth chart perspective.

Desharnais is by FAR the best passer that the Canadiens have; it’s not even a close contest. And Plekanec is by FAR the best two-way centre that the Canadiens have.

To move one or both to have an inexperienced player playing at centre with just because he’s big, is short-sighted (no pun intended)

The other option, moving one of the three centres ahead of Galchenyuck also doesn’t jive. His ability to come off the wall and shoot, among other obviously reasons, makes him the best option at wing. Galchenyuck’s is developing a comfort in that spot, playing with more freedom and with less responsibility. He was used primary as a winger during his time at the World Junior Championships and often during his time in Sarnia.

Galchenyuck’s time to play centre will come. And maybe only when he’s there will the Canadiens be a Stanley Cup contender. But right now, neither is a reality. 

I get the excitement level people have for this player and the perceived need that the Canadiens have at centre. 

Opportunities arise and things change quickly. Be patient, his time will come. It just isn’t now.

Didn’t everyone love the Galcheckuck-Eller-Gallagher line anyways?!

Monday Mornings with Mitchy

Talk radio gold.

The Montreal Canadiens made the most obvious and best decision regarding the captaincy for the upcoming season. Four assistants: Andrei Markov, Tomas Plekanec, Max Pacioretty and PK Subban. 

All four would make good but not great captains. And each one has a large question mark looming over their head. 

On the surface, it sure looks like the captaincy isn't something Markov would embrace. Perhaps a great leader in the room, the dealings with the media on a daily basis would be something that Markov would loathe. 

Plekanec is one of coach Michel Therrien's favorite. Quiet, respected in the room and has worn the "C" for his country. But with the logjam the team currently has at the centre position... how long will he remain in Montreal? 

Pacioretty has said all the right things regarding the captaincy. But we've also seen him fall into deep slumps and get distracted by scrutiny. One day, Pacioretty could be a great captain however there's still a ton of room for maturity. 

Subban candidacy is the most interesting. He's the most popular Habs' player in recent memory. His contract dictates that he's the most important player on the roster. The maturity and poise he showed during the playoffs last year was remarkable (and probably lead to his nomination as an assistant.) And I can't think of a player that would embrace everything that is being the captain of this team, more than Subban. But he's not ready. How would the room react to Subban as the captain at this point in time, with the big money deal. And imagine one of those Therrien/Subban battles from a year ago, if Subban was wearing the "C." The Canadiens like to "play it safe," at all times, and naming Subban the captain would be the exact opposite. 

It was a nice gesture for the Habs to give the assistant tag to those four players... They'll all be assisting the captain of the team, Carey Price this season. 

Today, is a great day. The players have arrived, pre season is around the corner and it feels like hockey is back. Monday morning's with Mitchy is officially back as well. Enjoy! 

Slick Awards: 

Leadership Award: Carey Price

Stupid Rule Award: No spin-o-rama

Gong Show Award: the NFL

Jealous Ex Boyfriend Award: Tim Leiweke 

Too tired award: The Alouettes defense 

Monday Mornings with Mitchy

Sure, you're a little disappointed that the post season run for the Montreal Canadiens is done. But if you look at the big picture, the team progressed considerably from last season and the future is bright.

Heading into the offseason, question marks loom surrounding an extensive group of veteran players. And the locker cleanups offered us no clear answer to what the future holds.

Brian Gionta is headed for free agency. For someone who has spent the last five years in Montreal, and is the team captain, I wouldn't be surprised for him to resign at a discount. Sure, options exist for him to head to Buffalo or back to New Jersey. But for a competitor like Gionta, does playing in one of those two cities at this point in time make sense...? Probably not. If you can get him for 3 million or less, bring him back.

Andrei Markov's future will be tough to predict. He has spent his entire career in Montreal and loves the city. What's more important to him? The comfort and stability of a long term deal or the comfort of staying in the market where he knows he can continue to have a great amount of success. Whatever the case, if the Canadiens lose this guy, he's irreplaceable. Nobody on the current roster or on the farm or in free agency can replace this player.

Thomas Vanek... SEEYAH! The final meeting with the media provided us with a brief glance into the world of Vanek. What a vicious cycle it must of been in the post season. "I'm not playing well because I'm not playing with the top line, and I'm not playing with the top line because I'm not playing well." And around, and around we go. As skilled as Vanek is, you don't win with guys like him. Marc Bergevin has preached "character," and Michel Therrien has preached "Team Concept," Vanek provides neither.

Peter Budaj is a great teammate... That's good and all, but this is the NHL. Who gives you a better chance to win. At this point after the playoff run, clearly Dustin Tokarski gives you a better chance to win in the games where Carey Price needs a night off. Bye bye, Budaj.

Dale Weise and Mike Weaver were tremendous acquisitions for the Habs. Talk about character guys who can fill a roll and have an impact on a contending team. It will be easy to bring back Weise, but will Weaver's post season play as a member of the Habs drive up his value? Either way, I'd take both on my team any day.

Francis Bouillon is still capable of playing in the NHL. But for the Habs, with Greg Patteryn, Jared Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu salivating for NHL ice time, you simply can't bring Bouillon back.

Douglas Murray can no longer play in the NHL.

On a side note, of Gionta isn't brought back, I fully expect the next captain of the Canadiens to be Daniel Briere. And that has nothing to do with politics. His pull, the amount of respect he garners and with his overall track record I think he'd win a vote amongst his teammates for the honor.
_____

Everyone I speak to says "Kings in four."

I say, are you crazy?!

By no means do I expect the underdog Rangers to beat the favored Kings in the cup final. But to think it will be easy, is ridiculous. New York deserves full credit for what they've accomplished. A team with leaders like Martin St Louis and Brad Richards, a Norris Trophy Calibre defender in Ryan Mcdonagh and one of the best goalies in the league with Henrik Lundqvist will NOT be swept. But when it comes to elimination games, hard to bet against the LA Kings.
_____

SLICK AWARDS

Show me the money!!: Thomas Vanek
Mr Game Seven: Justin Williams
Elevation: Patrick Kane
The ball's in my court: Andre Markov

Monday Mornings with Mitchy

The Bruins are done, and the Habs are clearly dealing with another animal.

The New York Rangers, for some reason, much like the Canadiens when they took on the Bruins, don't garner a lot of respect.

I'm not sure why heading into the series, fans thought it would be a cakewalk to the Stanley Cup Finals for Montreal.

The Rangers possess a balanced attack with a ton of speed. They have last year's Art Ross Trophy Winner. They have a former Rocket Richard Trophy Winner. They have a former Conn Smythe Trophy Winner. Their defense can go up against the very best. And their goaltender is a future Hall Famer... Sounds like a walk in the park to me.

The Habs seemed unprepared, not emotionally involved and were basically chasing the puck all
afternoon in their 7-2 game one loss.

I don't think that's how the whole series will be played. Actually, a wake up call like that early in the series might have been the best thing possible for the Canadiens. The Canadiens and Rangers played very tightly contested one-goal games during the regular season and that's the trend that should continue here... as long as Price is 100 per cent healthy and ready to go. If Peter Budaj has to take the crease, or Price is playing hurt, the Habs are in deep, deep trouble.
_____

It's hard to say Chris Kreider knocked Price out of the game intentionally. The circumstances leading up to the injury certainly help his cause in that regard. But if you ask anyone who has played the game at virtually any level, they'll tell you how easy it is to make that exact collision with the goalie look very accidental. And this guy has a track record. He's already ran into Marc Andre Fleury and Craig Anderson. Also accidental.

"I wasn't trying to run into him obviously but I felt like somehow I lost my footing...um, if you noticed a lot of times that happens to me, so I don't know," said Kreider post game.

Yes, we noticed.
_____

Finally, the biggest concern for the series aside from the health status of Carey Price, is the tandem on defense of Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin. This is something that could be straightened out, but they look awful in game one. The worst part of their game, the way they looked incredibly slow as the Rangers speedy forwards on both sides of the ice exploited them wide time and time again. If they don't start playing a little more on their toes early in game two, I think coach Michel Therrien will have to seriously consider breaking up what has been a solid defensive pairing for the first two rounds, because so far it looks as though they simply can't keep up.....
_____

The SLICK AWARDS!  

I'm going to haunt you forever: Ryan Mcdonagh
Inspirational Leader (repeat winner): Martin St Louis
Not So Soff Afterall: Henrik Lundqvist
Get in there kid: Alex Galchenyuck

Monday Mornings with Mitchy

The NHL playoffs has degenerated to a school yard environment where anything goes a long as you can pull a fast one when the teachers and principal are looking the other way.

It's not just in the series between the Bruins and Habs, and a lot of the garbage occurring during the course of the games takes away from the great performances that we're witnessing. 

Shawn Thornton's childlike behavior should be an embarrassment to league and more specifically the logo of the Boston Bruins. Getting caught up in the moment is no excuse and spraying PK Subban with water is only acceptable if they're 12-year-old kids running around on a hot summer's day with super soakers. Certainly it has no place in a professional hockey game. 

And Thornton isn't the only guy acting like a clown. Milan Lucic's banging on the chest like a caveman or his flexing of the biceps like Arnold Schwarzenegger at the 1980 Mr Olympia is juvenile. 

Obviously this isn't the reason the Canadiens aren't winning. But rest assured, even though Subban told us post game on Saturday that this stuff doesn't serve as "bulletin board material," if Game Six in front of the Bell Centre fans isn't enough of a motivator, the antics of Thornton and Lucic will be talked about before the puck drops. 

"You back any animal into a corner and it's going to be desperate," said Carey Price.

_____

So why are the Canadiens no longer winning.

Well the answer is pretty simple. The Bruins have awoken and become the team that manhandled everyone in the Eastern Conference during the regular season. They can score in bunches and when momentum is on their side, they can come at you with many different looks and they're hard to stop. 

But the Canadiens have gotten some pitiful performances out of too many guys. 

Tomas Plekanec played his worse game since he claimed that he was "playing like a little girl," a few years back. 

Max Pacioretty's scoring slide is unacceptable, there's no defending it. If your job is to score and you can't get it done when games matter the most, you're going to be called out. 

David Desharnais, many people have said that when the games get difficult in the playoffs that he wouldn't be able to compete. He's currently proving those people right and might be single-handedly the one to blame for Pacioretty's slump.

Thomas Vanek has shifts where it looks like he's not even trying. Those back-check efforts are enough to have any coach pull out his hair. And we can see why there are so many question marks in regards to giving this guy a long term deal. 

_____

The Slick Awards:

Inspiring performer: Martin St Louis

Goaltending God: Henrik Lundqvist

Meathead: Shawn Thornton

Disappearance act: Max Pacioretty

Rally around me: PK Subban

Crazy Comeback: Aroldis Chapman

Monday Morning with Mitchy

Mission accomplished?

Sure, before the series began the Canadiens would have been content with a split in Boston and the series coming back to Montreal. And they'll attempt to continue to spin that positive narrative.

But it could have been so much more.

The opportunity was there and the Habs didn't learn the valuable lesson from game one, that Boston is pretty, pretty, pretty good in the third period of hockey games.

If they didn't know it before, they know it now.

"Unless you play a full 60, you're not going to be able to do it," said PK Subban post game. "Is there positives, yeah we played better than last game but we didn't play a full 60."

There was one small lineup change made by coach Michel Therrien in game two. Michael Bournival came in for Travis Moen, and didn't provide much.

But the guy who's hampered out there right now is Brandon Prust. He's not right and he's hurting the team. I'm sure the decision to take him out of the lineup isn't an easy one to make. The guy is as hard nosed and as passionate as it gets. But great leaders sometimes have to make decisions that may not be popular. Until Prust can get the puck off the ice when taking a shot, he's got to watch from the press box.
_____

After a real rough start to the post season, LA Kings goalie Jonathan Quick looks good. In fact, no goaltender looks like he's more locked in. The last time Quick's game was where it is now, is when they won the Stanley Cup. There's no reason to think they can't at least, get there again. But it would be some kind of showdown to see a rematch between the Hawks and Kings in the Conference finals.
_____

The New York Rangers have what it takes to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins. But last night, the Penguins best players gave outstanding performances. Kristopher Letang looks like he's returned to top form, especially with the puck. And although Sidney Crosby didn't score, he was the best player on the ice.

The Rangers have home ice for the next pair of games. All they have to do is exploit the Penguins number one weakness. And we all know what that is...
_____

The Raptors were a good story. The team that nobody thought could... did. But they were in over their heads taking on a Brooklyn team that had way more experience.

In the offseason, Masai Ujiri has to acquire star power. They have some nice pieces but every contending team has three legit superstars. Rumblings of a player like Rajon Rondo had been put out their earlier this season, but I'm talking about a player even more impactful than that.
_____

The Slick Awards

Slickest hands: Patrick Kane

Public Enemy: PK Subban
Needs to give more: Max Pacioretty
Must watch: Jose Abreu

Monday Mornings with Mitchy

In a season that has been unpredictable, the predictable has happened.

They have been on a collision course all season and now the Bruins and Canadiens will meet in round two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The regular season meetings haven't produced the animosity that we've seen in years past but a playoff series will definite ignite the best in everyone. Both teams are relatively healthy, both teams are coming off easy first round series and both teams desperately want to get at each others throats.

The positives: 
- The Habs beat the Bruins 3/4 this season, including twice in Boston.
- Montreal is getting balanced scoring from all four lines, every forward who dressed in the first round scored with the exceptions of Brandon Prust and Micheal Bournival.
- The Canadiens best players weren't their best in round one. Expect more from: Carey Price, PK Subban, Max Pacioretty and Thomas Vanek
- Tuukka Rask is mentally soft when it comes to playing against Montreal.

The concerns: 
- Boston has the physical edge.
- Bruins have home ice advantage
- Bruins have the better PP(3rd)
- If the game was played on paper, Boston is the better team.

Anyways, here's to just being excited that the circus is coming to town. And even with the other great match-ups that the second round will have to offer and the tremendous hockey that we've seen so far this playoff, it will be Boston against Montreal that will draw the most attention from hockey fans everywhere.
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Upsets are never easy to pick. And I was wrong.

I thought the Ducks would be in tough against the Stars. And surprising to some, Dallas actually pushed the series to six games. But you have to impressed with the way Anaheim was able to overcome a two-goal third period deficit on the road in game six.

Maybe, they truly did learn a lesson in their loss a year ago to the Red Wings.

That said, I don't know what Bruce Boudreau is going to do with his goaltending. No confidence in Jonas Hiller and Frederik Anderson simply isn't good enough. Put in the kid, it's time for John Gibson to sink or swim.

_____

It amazes me how so many ignorant people have the mental capacities to become wealthy.

Caught on tape making a slew of racist comments, Clippers owner Donald Sterling is an utter embarrassment to the NBA.

Saying things so ridiculous that one would think they were listening to a new Dave Chappelle satire sketch, these are the real life views of one of the powerful voices in the NBA.

Good luck signing free agents.

_____

The Slick Awards:

American Idiot: Donald Sterling
Veins of Ice: Jonathan Toews
Deserving of more credit: Corey Crawford
Media Master: Darryl Sutter
Must watch: Nathan Mackinnon

Monday Mornings with Mitchy

Sometimes the season concludes with a storybook ending.

On the night that captain of the Canadiens Brian Gionta was presented with the Jacques Beauchamps Trophy awarded to the "Unsung Hero" hero of the team, Gionta played hero.

A penalty shot in overtime, beating Cam Talbot of the Rangers with a backhand move to win the final regular season game of 2013-2014.

"We can't finish a regular season on a better note than Brian did," said Canadiens' coach Michel Therrien. "Same for his teammates and the fans as well."

Having voted on the award, I was quite content with the outcome. Media members are given a ballot with three selections and Gionta was my first. The other two players I voted for were Alexei Emelin and Francis Bouillon (who also showed his worth for the award in the game, dropping the mitts with Derek Dorsett who went knee-on-knee with David Desharnais)

Final break down for trophy: 

Brian Gionta: 66 

Brendan Gallagher: 64 

Tomas Plekanec: 51 

Josh Gorges: 45 

David Desharnais: 33 

Nobody is going to suggest that Gionta should come back next season at the same cap number. But 18-goals is nothing to snicker at and the Canadiens should undoubtedly bring back their captain. There's no weakness to his game and he still remains a rock-steady player. If  he's willing to take a small pay cut to move forward as this team continues to grow, Gionta will be back next season. 

It's character guys like Gionta that are the difference between finishing the season like this, or like the Leafs did. 

And when the moment is big and you haven't really noticed the Canadiens captain, he'll step up and deliver. 

Expect at least one more storybook ending from this guy. 

_____

The hires of Brendan Shanahan by the Leafs and Trevor Linden of the Canucks leaves me dumbfounded. I realize that nobody in the mainstream media will throw either under the bus. But please, just tell me what qualifies these guys to be good front office personnel. 

It's one think to jump into a city like Tampa Bay and make good hockey decisions. It's another to be the head figure of a Canadian franchise where expectations are sky-high and the margin for error is razor thin. 

Maybe the Leafs make a few acquisitions on defense, change the coach and add a couple character guys. And maybe that's enough to get them into the playoffs. The Canucks meanwhile are in no man's land and are going to be bad for a very long time. 

But eventually, hires are going to work out as well as Wayne Gretzky as the head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. Oh yeah... didn't the Leafs want to bring in The Great One at one point? 

______

Who's not looking forward to the playoffs. Especially the first round. It looks like it's shaping up to be a tremendous post season, where almost every series seems like a pickem'. 

I'm most excited however for the LA Kings vs. the San Jose Sharks. But unfortunately for San Jose, they might empty the tank and have nothing left once the seven games are over. 

SLICK AWARDS

Unsung Hero: Brian Gionta

Doomed to fail: Brendan Shanahan,Trevor Linden

Jack Adams: Patrick Roy, Mike Babcock, Jon Cooper

On the hot seat: Randy Carlyle, Barry Trotz, Adam Oates, Paul Maclean, Kirk Muller, 

Monday Morning with Mitchy

"You're too small."

“You’ll never make it.”

“We just want someone bigger and stronger.”

Those are probably the nicest things anyone has ever said to David Desharnais.

How many times do you figure he’s been called a midget, gnome, dwarf, little person, shrimp, umpa lumpa or troll? 

I’ll venture an educated guess, many. 

Desharnais is above and beyond the Canadiens best candidate for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. 

Never drafted to the NHL, despite posting back-to-back season of more than 100 points in the QMJHL. 

One season in the ECHL with 78 points in 60 games. And an impressive stint in the American Hockey League. 

But when he performs well at the NHL level, there’s always a reason and it’s never his good play.

The naysayers will say, he benefited from playing with Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole when he posted 60 points in his first full NHL season.

The same would apply for his career year, this season, except substitute Thomas Vanek for Cole. 

So when he performs, everyone else given the credit. 

And when he doesn’t perform, bring out the pitchforks. 

After a horrid start to the season, everyone was questioning GM Marc Bergervin’s decision to resign Desharnais. Things got so bad that Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre demanded via twitter that Desharnais be given “a one-way ticket to Hamilton.” But certainly, his wingers weren’t to blame, right…?

Even with the name calling, the doubters, the hatred and vitriol he faces… all he does is persevere. That’s something that should be celebrated and it is in true spirit of the Masterton Trophy. 

The fan base believes the team is too small and that it has been for a long time. And they aren’t wrong. But sometimes, you have to sit back and enjoy the talents that you have because bigger isn’t always better. 

He’s not too small.

He has made it 

Bigger and stronger isn’t always better. 

_____


The Toronto Maple Leafs are the laughing stock of the NHL. 

The epic game 7 collapse to Boston last spring. 

This time, an epic 8-game March losing streak taking them from a home ice advantage team in the first round, to not making it to the dance all together. 

And maybe the most frustrating thing to Leaf fans should be that what plagues the team couldn’t be more evident, yet management chooses to ignore it. 

Dion Phaneuf isn’t a number one, Carl Gunnarsson isn’t a number two, Cody Franson and Jake Gardiner can’t play in their own end, Tim Gleason can’t skate and Paul Ranger shouldn’t be in the NHL. 

Their defense is awful. 

Until they fix that glaring issue, they’ll continue to be heavily outshot, have to rely on their goaltender to steal games and will go through stretches of games where nothing seems to be going right. 


_____


The Slick Awards: 

Size doesn’t matter: David Desharnais, Theo Fleury, Marty St Louis, Martin Gerbe, Brian Gionta, Cam Atkinson. 

Monday Mornings with Mitchy

Play ball!

But, it just wasn’t the same.

Baseball fans waited 10 years for the return of baseball in Montreal. Finally, over 96,000 tickets were sold to watch exhibition ball between the Mets and Blue Jays.

Impressive.

Walking up for Pie IX, in a sea of people decked out in Montreal Expos gear, the nostalgia that I was hoping to experience wasn’t quite there.

The field looked the same, the stadium was as crap-tastic as ever and baseball was being played… but it wasn’t ‘nos amour.’

But that’s ok, I should have expected it. This was an event and hopefully it gets the dialogue rolling.

Regular season baseball began Sunday night, at Petco Park in San Diego and a single game record at the field was recorded… 45,567. Our numbers, speak for themselves.

Hopefully, this was the first step to returning baseball here, so that it CAN be the same.

_______
 

But that was Friday, Saturday WAS the same.

My childhood relieved, my heroes in the flesh.

There they were, the 94’ Expos, in the jersey’s that I watched play in as the best team in baseball.

I almost didn’t go to the gala. But the opportunity was a one-time thing. Never again will we see that collection of players, together in the same place.

Thanks Cro.

Among special shoutouts to the players on that team:

Darren Fletcher, who lived no more than 10 houses away from me in the West Island. And what do you do when you have a professional athlete on your street at 9-years-old? Well obviously, you knock on the door and ask for tickets!

And there were always tickets, at Will Call when I asked.

Even the one time I knocked on the door and Darren’s wife answered.

“Darren’s sleeping,” said his wife.

“Huh!?! It’s 3 o’clock in the afternoon…”  I thought to myself.

The look of confusion on my face, must have spoken for itself.

“He was on a trip to the West Coast, and he’s trying to sleep off the jet lag,” she tried to explain…

Still, I didn’t get it.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be tickets waiting at Will Call.”

Smiles.
_____

And to Pedro Martinez who wasn’t there this weekend, thanks for showing me how to grip a curve ball, slider and splitter.

“Baseball day” in the West Island, in 1994. Sometime in June, on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, the Expos sent players to Beacon Hill Park, in Beaconsfield to give some instructions and of course sign autographs.

You would expect to see backups and relievers, which would have been just fine.

But the stars showed up that day.

Larry Walker and Pedro cooped up in the back of a van came out and genuinely seemed happy to be there.

Fascinated by the art of pitching while being undersized, I wondered, how the heck did Pedro do it.

The velocity on his fastball, the break on his curve and the change up that kept hitters completely off balance. He wasn’t muscle-bound and kind of looked like a regular dude.

When my group of 15 kids got to his station, I was in awe as he wrapped his ridiculously long fingers right around the baseball. Looking on in amazement, I was trying to memorize all the different grips.

All you have to do is hold the ball a certain way, and you can pitch like Pedro?!

I realize a little later, that it wasn’t quite the case.

Before Pedro left, he had one last tidbit of advice for us.

“Don’t try throwing the curve ball until you’re at least 13-years-old, you’re going to hurt your elbow and it’s not good until your arm is more developed!”

As the little van drove away, every kid in the park was trying to throw the new pitch they just learnt.

The Slick Awards

Thank You:

Felipe Alou, Pedro Martinez, Darren Fletcher, Larry Walker, Cliff Floyd, Sean Berry, Wil Cordero, Marquis Grissom, Moises Alou, Ken Hill, John Wetteland, Rondell White,Tim Scott, Denis Boucher, Gil Heredia, Lou Frazier, Tim Spehr, Joe Kerrigan, Pierre Arsenault, Joey Eischen, Claude Raymond.

Monday Mornings with Mitchy

It’s that time of year, time for excuses.

The weekend was good for the Montreal Canadiens, bad for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Something we’ve seen over the last two weeks that’s evident, the Habs have character.

To overcome a three-goal deficit against Ottawa, beat Colorado in Patrick Roy’s return to the Bell Centre, and dispose of the Leafs in a rivalry game on the road has been impressive.

Not only that, Montreal has been delivering games that are very high on the entertainment metre.

GM Marc Bergevin’s favorite word might be character. We hear it come draft time (and will hear it again this summer) and we’ve heard it during free agency. And this roster has a ton of it already. You win as a team and with character and there’s no reason to be believe that this team can’t make a run in the playoffs. Even the two teams that are clearly “better” than Montreal, Boston and Pittsburgh have lost both home and away games against the Canadiens. Against quality opposition, Montreal has actually faired pretty well.

Leaf land meanwhile, is the land of excuses.

And everyone is in desperate search for a scapegoat.

Travel, media, goaltending… you name it, they’ll use it as an excuse. 

This comes from the top. As a coach it is your job is to know how to get the most out of ALL your players. That’s what gives you the best chance to win. You need to know the personalities on your team and what they will react positively and negatively to. Randy Carlyle has not gotten the most out of this group.

The two examples that couldn’t be more clear-cut, James Reimer and Nazem Kadri. I’d throw Jake Gardiner into the mix, but during their five-game losing streak, his game has been strong. Those players are “whipping” boys for Carlyle and clearly their games have suffered as a result.

The coach created the story of bad goaltending. If Carlyle uses a more diplomatic answer when being asked about Reimer’s game following their loss in Detroit, it doesn’t put a spotlight on a backup goaltender that already has confidence issues.

Just look at the way Tyler Bozak handles the question:

“I think he’s playing good for us, we haven’t helped him out one bit. It’s easy to pick on the goalie when things are going bad, but it’s a team game. We haven’t been playing well enough to win, it isn’t him at all.”

Simple enough, right??

How about the same messaging from the coaching staff.

“I’m not making any comments on goaltenders thanks to you guys,” said coach Carlyle.

Right, the media created the story.

But if everyone in Toronto believes that goaltending is the reason they’re losing, then the finger doesn’t get pointed at the coaching staff. But in two years, the coaching staff hasn’t been able to get their team to implore any type of defensive zone coverage.

That said, Jonathan Bernier will return and I think they’ll make the playoffs.

 The Slick Awards:
I can’t manage personalities: Randy Carlyle
I made an appearance: Rene Bourque
I have no confidence: James Reimer
I ‘m a hockey player: Rich Clune (check out Carter Hutton's twitter account for more)

Habs spoil it for Roy

Patrick Roy's return to the Bell Centre was exactly as expected... eventful.

Montreal scored six goals in regulation for the first time since January 2nd, beating Roy's Avalanche 6-3.

The disappointment in Colorado's locker room following the game was evident. And although it was hard to get the sense that the team succumbed to the extra pressure of playing in front of the fans that adore their head coach, clearly it was on their minds before the game began.

"I didn't want them to feel pressure to win a hockey game for their coach," said Roy after the game. "I wanted them to win for the team, it's all about our team here."

While the team desperately wanted to win to keep pace with the Blackhawks, who have tied them with 93 points in the difficult Central Division of the NHL, the vibe in the building and both locker rooms was that this game was more than that.

"We wanted to get that win for him, it's important sometimes to know what's at stake in the game and we knew it was important for him," said goaltender JS Giguerre.

The score could be deceiving and doesn't reflect the way the game was played. It was a tie hockey game midway through the third period until the Canadiens capitalized on two powerplays and scored their final tally when Dale Weise put the puck into an empty net.

"Overall I thought the game was played even 5-on-5 and honestly I think it could have went either way," said Nathan Mackinnon.

What a night for Thomas Vanek who finally found the back of the net and picked a special night to do it. Like most goal scorers, they come in bunches and those three he scored tonight were just the beginning.

The win gives Montreal a three point cushion on the Toronto Maple Leafs who lost in Detroit and two points up on the Tampa Bay Lightning (who have two games in hand.)

QUICK THOUGHTS:
Thomas Vanek: Can score goals
Carey Price: Not at his best, yet
Lars Eller: Looks completely lost
The Fourth Line: Best game of the season for any trio with that role