David vs. Goliath - Round 32.

Nothing new here. Except that this time around, as opposed to last year, the roles have been reversed. The Bruins, who finished 1st in the East, will now have to face their long time antagonist, the Montreal Canadiens, who; like Chara trying to put on Savard's equipment; just barely squeezed into the 8th and final spot by getting a hard fought point in their second to last game against, coincidentally enough, these same Bruins. So, for the 32nd time the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens are slated to battle it out once more in the NHL playoffs. Consequently, this begs the obvious question : Is there a better rivalry in the NHL than the one between these two Original Six hockey teams? 

The answer is simple; no. 

Over the past decades, The Gold & Black and the Blue, Blanc, Rouge have provided some of the best hockey to be seen, anywhere. Even if you're not a fan of either club, as a hockey enthusiast you just can't resist but watch and enjoy these foes as they relentlessly combat for supreme dominance over one another. Statistically, the Canadiens have been the ones to do most of the domination over the years. In the 32 playoff dances with the Bruins the Habs have won 24 and only dropped 7 to Boston. Nevertheless, the way that Boston is playing and has played this year, most anticipate for the Big Bad Bears from Bean Town to add to their win tally this time around. I don't blame them for their predictions either. It's a safe and comforting pick. You've got the number 1 team from the Eastern Conference going against, what most consider to be, a back up, lucky, dysfunctional, underachieving, disorganized, young, and sub-par hockey team. Furthermore, the Bruins have had the advantage over the Habs this entire season by easily snatching 11 of the 12 possible points available to them during these bouts. Also, they've got the blazing hot, best save percentage having (.933), league-best goals against average flaunting (2.10), and Vezina Trophy favorite Timmy Toms between their pipes. What's not to like and feel confident about if your a Boston fan? Nothing. 

Yet, let us not forget what the past has taught us for history, more often than not, is sure to repeat itself.

In 2002, the Bruins finished 1st in the East and met the 8th seeded Habs in the 1st round. Result : McLaren goes head hunting on Zednik. Habs win in 6.

In 2004, the Bruins pick up 104 points and secure the second seed in the East. Once again, they meet the seventh seeded Habs in the 1st round. Result : Say it ain't so Joe. Habs come back from 3-1 Boston series lead to take it all in 7.

Finally, 2008. Montreal shocks the Eastern Conference by finishing 1st overall. They meet Boston in the first round. After winning all their games against their disputants in the regular season, most predict the Habs to sweep the Bruins. Result : Close one. Habs in 7.

2009 ; you read it here first = HABS IN 7. We've done it before and can do it again. 

Nonetheless, there are a 10 key factors that need to occur for 1st round success. 

1) The Kovalev-Koivu-Tanguay line must play as they did towards the end of the season. 

2) Price must steal at least 2 or 3 games. 

3) Dress Laraque. Don't dress O'Byrne. 

4) Markov must return at some point. 

5) Schneider must stay healthy. 

6) Plekanec and Big K-Titty must start producing.

7) Komisarek & Higgins must step up. Big. 

8) Lapierre & Latendresse must continue to do their thing. 

9) Lapierre must not chirp Bergeron. Remember OT on Thursday? 

10) Hope and unconditional fan support.

Like it or not, there's my prediction and I am sticking to it. 

Regardless, here's a sure fire call - this is going to be one hell of a series.

GO HABS GO !

HERE WE COME! (Hopefully without another single shift played by Ryan O'Burnt Out)

MONTREAL 4 - 5 BOSTON (OVERTIME)

We did it! We made it in. Barely. Still, we made it in to the post-season with only one game left to play. One point is all we needed and one point is what we got against the best Eastern Conference team. A miracle? Perhaps.

Hier soir, was a hard fought tilt against those bothersome Boston Bullies and quite possibly a palpable preview of what is to come, once again, in the first round of the ever-so-close 2009 NHL playoffs. It felt as if I was watching a sloppy Heavyweight Title Fight rather than a regular season game of hockey. After every whistle a scrum erupted and in most cases you could easily find either Komisarek or Lapierre with 2 or 3 bears surrounding ready to put their filthy claws all over them in the hopes of quite literally shredding any and all of their fading hopes for a playoff appearance. Yet, they and we survived. Strangely enough, our undersized troop managed to hold their own against the likes of Monster Lucic and Thundering Thornton. Well, most did.

The obvious exception; however, being mister 'I'll take as many useless penalties to put my team in jeopardizing situations all the while backing away from fights even though I instigated them'. In case you're wondering, I am referring to the most incompetent player that I have seen attired in Habs equipment in a long while; none other than : Ryan O'Byrne. Why, Gainey? Why dress this Hamilton belonging healthy scratch when you know that every time you do, he will most likely do something costly to your struggling team's chance of winning? Why? In the past 2 times that this frail ogre dressed, he's taken 2 incredibly stupid penalties that resulted in goals for the opposition. Subsequently, he's gone on to only play a total of 10 or so minutes, combined. So, why dress this ineffective giant if you know that in all likeliness you'll have him sitting on the bench rather than have him contribute some 'quality' minutes on the ice? Last night, first timer to the time etched Boston-Montreal rivalry, Weber, played a much more composed and mature game than O'Byrne has posted in all his appearances this season. This stand-in bogeyman does not deserve to adorn a Canadiens jersey unless if he's sitting in the nose-bleeds of the Bell Centre cheering us along during our soon to be difficult playoff run. I have tried, and cannot for the life of me come up with a good and solid shift for this guy. His best playing is when he's away from the puck. That way, we are sure to know that his unsure hands will not put in another goal in our net. In the second period of last night's fisticuffs, O'Byrne actually had the audacity to idiotically intervene in something that he was not involved in when he came off the bench and bumped Thornton for toying with Lapierre. As some of you may recall, this resulted in an embarrassing confrontation that had Thornton ready to maul this man while O'Byrne turtled to the ice to avoid any blows coming his much deserved way. What a joke! I know that we're one short on defense now with Markov's knee injury. Nevertheless, anything would have been better than dressing this rejected circus clown last night. 

Here's an idea Bob : put Handy Dandy on defense and throw in our 3 year signed but clearly underused and under played acquisition, Mr. 'Tasse toi Tabarnac' Laraque. Last night's game was basically designed for a player like Big George. What with all the fights and physical play that was going on, Laraque would have successfully thrived in that environment. His presence on the ice as well as on bench would have undeniably calmed down the blockhead Bruins. When you know that Laraque has got the back of the team you're playing, you're less likely to savagely jump a guy like Komisarek from behind for getting in, what seemed to me to be, a clean hit on Lucic in the second period. Rather, tough guy Lucic, like the previous games against Montreal this season, would have not been as aggressive or even a real factor if he knew that Big George was only a couple strides away from pummeling his face in. That's the type of difference that a guy like Laraque brings to a clearly undersized Habs team. Laraque, even with his hands taunting you to throw the first punch all the while bearing a child like grin, exudes intimidation. Guys don't want to go with George. Like us, they've seen the numerous youtube compilations of Laraque's demolition work, and do not necessarily wish to become another project for Laraque to throw his sledgehammers at. On Boston's roster, except Chara and Thornton, there really isn't any other players that pose the slightest threat to George. And who doesn't want to see another classic Chara Laraque dance? 

Aside from all the after whistle action that occurred last night, there was an actual important game that was being played. And for the most part we played it well. It's no easy feat, especially in the Garden, to come back from a 3-1 deficit and take a 4-3 lead. If anything, this proved to me that even if we have to face the Big Beast from the East in the first round, we can compete with them. Guys like 'where have you been?' D'Agostini ( 2 goals) and 'I thought that you were out for the rest of the season' Schneinder (1 goal) were able to put in some important and effective outings. The fourth line, Higgins-Metropolit-Dandeneault, were also able to put in some hard fought minutes that had them spend most of their ice time in the Boston zone. Kovalev (1 goal) was also able to contribute to last night's bout. Now, if we could only guys like Plekanec and Big K-Titty going again, we might actually have a chance in what will likely be a very challenging post-season. 

Nevertheless, if I have to choose between the Caps and the Bruins as a 1st round opponent pour nos boys, I'll go with Boston. Why? The answer is easy; we've done it before against them and if we really try - how sweet would it be to do it once more! 

In Kovalev fashion, let's get them beards going! Playoffs are right around the corner.

GO HABS GO !!!

Where we stood. Where we stand. Where we'll fall.

A lifting word to all my fellow Habs' fans - it could be worse.

I remember, much like many of you surely do, the blind delusion that I had at the beginning of the season as I sat watching a pre-season bout against the Redwings and thinking to myself that a Cup win was not only to be expected from 'Nos Glorieux' this Centennial year, but that it was also destined to be. More importantly however is the fact that I believed this because I had valid reasons to. Our Habs had finished 1st over-all in the East the year before. A feat that had taken close to 15 years to re-accomplish. Our now long lost coach, Carbo, had been named for the Coach of the Year Award. We had the number one power play in the league. Kovalev seemed to have regained a confidence and drive to play that could only have been seen scarcely the year before if one was to watch his play through a microscopic lens, in slow-motion. Price, our net minding Prince, although somewhat shaky in the second round against Philly, also appeared to be an undeniable choice for the number 1 spot in the season to come. Youngsters like the K-titty brothers, Tabar-Halak, Lapierre and Latendresse also appeared to be becoming more and more confident with every game they played. We were contenders, or so we thought.

The season started beautifully. I mean, we were actually living up to the insurmountable hype that had been created around our club. We played great the first half of the season and we even battled through a mid-season injury stricken period where key character players came up big. Big enough to not only support but elevate our play. Consequently, this threw some big and somewhat unexpected W's our way. And then it happened...the All-Star game. Kovalev named as MVP! Now, this was evidently going to continue to spark the Habs to perform well and subsequently to not only ensure a play-off spot but maybe even secure home ice advantage, right? Wrong. In Achilles like fashion, the Lefty Lang gets injured in a brutal battle against Boston and the team falls apart at its newly sown seams of limited edition Barber Shop Circus throw-back jerseys and embark on the worst record of any Eastern team after the All-Star break. Rough.

Then, Price...well what can be said? The kid is young. Maybe too much pressure, maybe not enough support from his teammates, maybe sick, or maybe just plain terrible. At one point in February it looked as if you had a better chance getting one pass Price than having it stopped. I saw pucks trickle into his net while he was on his lackadaisical goal tending duties that my old man would have been ashamed of letting go by him, and he's 56 years old and hasn't played hockey in over 5 years. Isn't that right, Jean? At one point our appointed net minding Prince was averaging at least 4 goals every time he started. Now, how in the world do you expect to get some wins when your guaranteed to have the opposition put 4 pass your sophomore softy? You don't. You struggle and look unorganized and foolish in front of your ever adoring and increasingly frustrated fans. Which is precisely what our boys did.

So, the solution : Fire Carbo. Wait a minute, fire Carbo? Isn't this the same man who took our team to the number one spot in the East the year before? Upon hearing about Gainey's decision I was as surprised as Lapierre must have been in January when he got his 1st NHL career hat-trick. I mean, this was unexpected. Really unexpected. Nevertheless, if one observed any of the stupefying trends of the NHL in this 2008-2009 season - firing your head coach seemed to be the 'in' thing to do. Even though Carbo's tension with the aging All-Stars Kovalev and Koivu was no secret around the city, the question remains as to whether this was substantial ground for Gainey to give Carbs the old 'beat it' pat on the shoulder while holding the doors to the Bell Centre wide open for his premature exit.

Yes, we were struggling when Carbo got the boot. However, was it entirely his fault? No. Rather, the players themselves are the ones to blame. After the All-Star break, in which Carbs was Julien's assistant coach, the team simply seemed to lose the complimentary cohesion that had made them successful in the first half of the season. Players looked scattered on the ice. We couldn't seem to generate any sort of attack in the offensive zone even if our own A.K had been packing an AK-47 when selfishly dangling across the blue line. We didn't get any sort of fluid play through the neutral zone and forget about getting the puck out of our resort. Opposing teams were allowed to set up their beach towels and do whatever they wanted while roaming around the Habs Hotel. We were out shot every game. Every game. We weren't playing hockey; we were letting the other teams do that instead. As a result, someone had to take the blame for the horrendous play and effort that was being put forth night in and night out. The whole team couldn't get fired. So, Carbo fell victim to Gainey's panic slash. Out he went and in came big number 23.

Under Gainey so far we are a mediocre 5-3-3 and still battling for that eighth and final playoff spot. If we don't win or at least pick up one point in each of our last 5 games, make the call and start setting the tee times. Our boys will be hitting the links come late April. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't think that Gainey is a good coach. He's made the right move by putting Koivu, Kovalev and Tanguay together on the first line. These guys have been on fire as of late. Nonetheless, I just didn't and still don't agree with his decision to have fired Carbo. He should have let him finish the season at least. If he fails to squeeze us into the post-season then you let him go. You don't can your coach with only 16 games to go, you just don't. Even if Gainey finds a way to guide us into the beard growing portion of this season, I'll still refuse to view Carbo's firing as a positive move. Carbs had been the soul of this franchise for the past two years.



So, here we are. On the brink of a disappointing or very disappointing season. Either we get into the playoffs or we don't. If we do we're likely to meet the Boston Bullies in the first round and this team is for real. Yes, there still lingers the improbable chance that we'll have ourselves a repeat of the infamous first round upset of 2004 but don't count on it. We just don't seem to possess the character for such a remarkable feat. In a season where a good amount of our key guys are playing in the last year of their contracts; one question remains : Isn't time to ship a few out in order to clear some cap space so that we can finally make a legitimate move to get Lecavalier? I hope so, Vinny, I hope so.

Go, Habs, Go!

Let's go les boys. C'est l'temps de rentrer dans les series.

-YB?