When Price is good, he’s very good. I loved the work without his stick, and then with Mara’s (I think) stick. That’s the second time he’s had to do that in the past few games.
But now it seems both Gomez and Moen may be joining Gionta, Gill, Markov and D’Agostini on the injured list. It’s getting to be rather ridiculous!
2 really good games tonight, so naturally NHL Network gives us the Capitals and Leafs!
I’m really looking forward to the Thrashers and Penguins game. Atlanta has been hot and is a fun team to watch.
The Blue Jackets play the Nashville Predators. Both the Jackets and the Preds have been hot lately.
The Stars need to get on track tonight. After a nice win against the Wings, they stunk at home against the hot Blue Jackets. The 2 game suspension for James Neal really is overkill, so the Stars are stuck juggling around their lines.
From the Game Preview on Defending Big D:
*New Jersey allows a very stingy 2.10 goals per game, good for #1 overall in the NHL. They win when scoring first 80% of the time. This does not bode well for the Stars, who have struggled mightily to score goals at home this season.
*
I dont’ know who will be in goal for the Stars, but I’m hoping for Auld.
You remember 99-2000? THAT was a ridiculous injury year for us. Check here for the scoring stats.
We missed the playoffs on the last Saturday of the regular season after being close to last place overall at the halfway mark. Alain Vigneault was runner up for coach of the year this year.
Actually, I don’t! I’ve only been watching hockey for about a year now! I’m hooked, though - between the CBC, TSN and RDS, I manage to watch a lot of hockey, and I’m learning fast!
There is much to know and learn about our beloved Habs. I envy you being in Montreal; most NHL coverage here in Northeastern Ontario centers on the Leafs; although any story in the media about how much they suck is always good. I usually have to watch RDS for the games, although I don’t mind that much; actually, given a choice between TSN and RDS for a Habs game, I’ll gladly watch Pierre and Benoit.
At least we got a point tonight after trailing 2-0 after 2. We really can’t continue getting outshot nearly 2-1 though.
Sitting about at the quarter point for the season, I’m going to say the Wings are a bit worse than I expected. I figured it was going to be a tough season for Detroit, and as predicted injuries are kicking their asses. I just thought that they would tighten up defensively. Right now they look as weak defensively as they did last season and they don’t have the scoring to compensate. Offensively, they look stale and predictable. Early in the season they were too tight: short passes and players grouped together. They gotten better about that, but now it’s the same few plays. Zetterberg tries to bull his way to the net. On the power play, they pass it around until they get a shot from the point. I like the Draper/Eaves/Helm line, but there’ zero finish. It’s all speed and no goals. It’s on Babcock to fix these problems. It’ll be tough with a chunk of the lineup out injured, but he’s the coach of the decade. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?
That was an ugly, ugly knee that Laraque threw on Kronwall. That’s suspension worthy IMO; there’s no place in hockey for dangerous hits like that.
WIth every Red Wing getting hurt why the hell doesn’t Bertuzzi. Man what a waste of money he is. He gets premium ice time every great set up, and then misses the net. Get da bum outa there
Wings are out shooting the opposition by 2 to 1 and not winning.
Isn’t Detroit’s “weak defense” mainly attributable to their goaltending? I admit I don’t watch much of the Red Wings, but it seems a lot of what I hear about them is about how average Osgood and Jimmy Howard are. They don’t seem to give up a huge number of shots per game (about 27 on average.) Are there more high quality scoring chances than normal being given up by the Detroit defense?
The Canes win in regulation for the first time since October 9th. Manny was looking better, LaRose gets the goal monkey off his back, and they play a full 60 minute game.
For the most part they don’t give up a huge number of shots, but the goals that get in are often because of glaring defensive breakdowns: letting themselves get outnumbered in front of their own net, failuring to clear the puck leading to bursts of shots, players out of position or just watching the puck go by. There is also a lot of leaving a guy open on the other side of the net from the play. Last nights second goal was a good example. One side of the net to another with Zetterberg not covering Cammalleri. It may just be that the Bowman years still have me spoiled, but I’m not used to Detroit being so tepid in their own end.
As for Ozzie and Howard, they are what they are. They’re steady with occasional bouts of greatness. They likely won’t outright steal a game for you, but if you help control their rebounds they’ll let you win it 3-1 or 4-2. Both goalies like to challenge a bit on the edge of the paint when they’re playing well. Only problem is as I said above. If they’re on one side of the net cutting down the angle, you can’t leave a guy open on the other side of the net. Leads to a bang in goal on a wide open net.
I agree. I’ve disliked Laraque since I’ve started watching this game…he’s a big, slow goon who can’t really score and who doesn’t really help the team out all that much. He’s being paid to sit out of most games with a bad back, and when he does play, he does stupid things. His salary could be better used on someone else who could actually contribute to winning some games, IMHO. I also think it’s time to let Sergei out of the dog house, but on a very, very short leash. But as I said, I really haven’t watched the game for too long, so what do I know?
I really like the RDS coverage, and it’s nice to have a network that will show every single game for your team - it’s got to be so frustrating living in other regions and ending up watching other teams rather than your own! I do agree that “Leafs suck” media stories are always fun!
3/4 possible points for the weekend isn’t too bad. If they shot as often as their opponents did, the Habs would win every game by a large margin!
And Kronwall is out for at least a month, with a ligament sprain in his knee.
Once upon a time, back when he was an Oiler, Laraque could actually play a little bit, and actually did manage to score a hat trick one game. Not anymore though.
Wow, time flies. Six years ago today was the outdoor game between Montreal and Edmonton. I still have it on tape somewhere, along with the [del]oldtimers[/del] legends game that preceded it.
Guillaume Latendresse has been traded to the Minnesota Wild for Benoit Pouliot. Pouliot was drafted one spot ahead of Carey Price in the 2005 draft.
Kostitsyn the Younger has been called up.
Laraque got a 5 game suspension. I’m starting to seriously wonder if this chart might actually be the real thing.
He deserved it. Best case, and it’s certainly a rare one, is that he just commits his second penalty in ten seconds and trips him without injury. The most common, which strangely happened in this case, is a knee on knee resulting in injury.
And before I forget, awesome chart. “Dammit Pronger!”
That chart alone is worth being a hockey fan.
Laraque deserved a suspension, IMHO. But 5 games? The guy who slammed the other guy into the boards last week, causing the other guy to kind of spin around like a top as he fell over in slow motion…he only got two games. A sprained knee is easier to fix than a concussion, and has fewer long-term effects. Though actually I don’t think suspensions should be handed out based on the severity of the injury, but on the action that led to it, though I recognize the difficulty in drawing that line. I also think Liambas shouldn’t have had a season-long ban, despite the severity of the injury to Fanelli.
My friends shows up to the gym today, all distressed…“Y’on échangé mon beau Guillaume!” She’s quite upset about this little development, until someone pointed out to her that Pouilot is also French-Canadian, and kinda cute! Note that my friend is a die-hard Habs fan and actually knows the game inside and out, but even she is swayed by the cute ones!