Claude Lemieux and Lyle Odelein returned just to laugh at the Bruins.

This wasn’t Bruins – Canadiens.

I don’t know what it was, mind you, but it wasn’t Bruins – Canadiens in any way that would make sense to anyone familiar with the age old rivalry. No, it was more like some sort of Twilight Zone, Bizarro World Freak Show Nightmare than it was any sort of Old Time Hockey between two of the oldest and most bitter enemies the Original Six has to offer.

For one thing, there wasn’t a single fight.

I know. Deplorable. Disgusting. A total abomination of all that is good.

I’m glad you agree.

I really thought there would be, though. The way they lined up at the beginning the tension in the air was palpable. The B’s 4th line of Steve Begin, Shawn Thornton and Daniel Paille lines up against Maxim Lapierre, Georges Laraque and Marc-Andre Bergeron. Everyone seems to be yapping. Begin is yammering at Lapierre, perhaps discussing how he is now the Face of the New NHL Pussy. Thornton is chatting away with 7th defenseman turned left wing Bergeron which prompts BGL to switch wings before the face-off, essentially signaling to every living soul watching that “It’s on.” There is more discussion. Of a nature that we can all surely guess. The puck drops.

Then nothing.

No scraps, no payoff to the tense lead in. Absolutely nothing. Not a sausage. Unbelievable. Did Thornton turn down Laraque, as he did Cam Janssen at the opening draw of that St. Louis game last week? If so, I have to say it’s a disturbing trend. I mean, just for old times sake, for the spirit of the thing. Drop ‘em at center and square off. Give everyone a little something for their hard earned money, guys. Sheesh.

The game, as you may know, went downhill from there, at least from the visiting Bruins perspective. The Habs, buoyed by all the historical celebration and the ghosts of so many great legends in attendance, came out flying and destroyed the hapless, clumsy B’s, who couldn’t seem to get out of their own way all night. Carey Price was spectacular early on and Mike Cammalleri had a hat trick in the second period and it was officially no contest. Though it seemed the Habs had scored 100 goals to celebrate their Centennial, the end result was n equally resounding 5-1 whuppin’ of their Black and Gold rivals.

Boston was given numerous chances to get into the game through the officials who, oddly enough, did not get the Ghosts of the Forum memo and awarded the Bruins not one but two 5 on 3 man advantages, one of which was for a full 2 minutes. At one point the B’s actually were skating 6 on 3 for an extended shift as Tukka Rask (replacing the hapless Tim Thomas for the third) went off the ice for an extra attacker as yet another minor penalty was called on the Canadiens. The Habs killed all the penalties, providing a major momentum boost.

I know. I said it was a strange game. At one point the penalty boxes were overflowing, four Habs stuffed into one. And there hadn’t been a single fight.

In the end, it was an embarrassing game for the Bruins. Blown out of the Molson Centre to the ringing sounds of the Montreal crowd singing their favorite homoerotic tune, ‘Ole-Ole_Ole-Ole, and kissing one another on the cheeks in the stands, gloriously enjoying the victory that brings them to within a game of the coveted .500 mark and vaults them out of 13th place in the conference. For this Habs team, it’s a significant achievement.

For the Bruins and their fans, there is a bit of head scratching and hope that on a night when Jean Beliveau and Guy LaFleur and Patrick Roy are not in attendance to shame the Habs into playing a decent game, the outcome might be bit more realistic. There’s also the hope they might decide to show some balls, as well, and actually accept a challenge or two to inspire the team.

Meanwhile, lets send this one back to the Parallel Universe that it came from.

P.S. Is it time to discuss what exactly the fuck Byron Bitz is still doing skating on Marc Savard’s line? I mean, I love Bitzy for his guts and work ethic and relentless grinding but your team leading world class set up man might need a little more firepower on his wing if you actually want him to be effective.

Just saying.

ESPN’s 30 for 30 series is fascinating, unique and surprisingly good.

They’re also heavy on the big sports – except hockey.

Basketball is especially represented: there are docs on Reggie Miller, Len Bias, Allen Iverson and Hank Gathers. So is football, with docs touching the USFL, the Raiders in Los Angeles and Miami’s powerhouse Hurricanes in the 80s. Baseball is also in the mix: Jordan’s foray with the White Sox, Steve Bartman and the new Yankee Stadium.

Hockey’s lone entry: one about the cultural impact of the 1988 Wayne Gretzky trade.

Not to bash ESPN – I do understand that hockey is still a niche sport in the eyes of The Worldwide Leader – but it does feel a little lacking, especially given how other, far less popular sports (women’s tennis, for instance).

But rather then write some lengthy diatribe about how ESPN has screwed the NHL – a topic beaten to death – how’s this: five angles that ESPN could use to fill any remaining slot in it’s 30 for 30 series.

One: McSorley’s blade – The rise and fall of the Los Angeles Kings

Game two, the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals. Canadiens down by one, late in the third. Montreal coach Jacques Demers makes a risky gamble – he has the referees measure the curve of LA defenceman Marty McSorley’s stick. If it’s found to be illegal, the Canadiens would go on the power play, with the inverse true for LA.

Jump back to 1988. The Kings trade for Gretzky and almost immediately turn from a perennial basement-dwelling team to a contender. In 1989, they come back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the Oilers. They make the playoffs every season after Gretzky joins the team, but until 1993, never make it out of the first round.

Over to the 1993 Canadiens. Led by the goaltending heroics of Patrick Roy, they win an unprecedented seven overtime games to get to the Finals. There they meet a rolling LA team, fresh off a tough seven-game series against Toronto. And lose game one, 4-1.

Back to game two’s risky call – which goes Montreal’s way. They pull the goalie for a 6 on 4 and tie the game up, then win in overtime. They win the next two games in overtime and the series in five.

After their collapse in the series, the Kings are never the same. Gretzky is traded to St. Louis in 1996 and eventually ends up in New York. Leading scorers Jari Kurri, Tomas Sandstrom and Luc Robitaille are gone within three seasons. Since reaching the finals, the Kings have only made the playoffs four times, only once making it out of the first round. It’s not hard to look at that penalty and what almost immediately followed as the turning point for that franchise.

Two: The Night the Lights Went Out – the 1987 World Juniors

January 4, 1987. Canada and the USSR are playing in their final game of the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championship.

Both teams have loaded rosters. The Canadian team included Theo Fleury, Brandon Shanahan and Pierre Turgeon, while the Soviets had Alex Mogilny, Valeri Zelepukin, Sergei Fedorov, among others. Despite this, the Juniors are still a fringe event; according to lore, only one reporter accompanied the team.

Canada is assured of a medal, the Soviets are out of contention. To clinch the gold, Canada has to run up the score and win by at least five. With the score 4-2, tempers (and elbows) fly. There’s a crosscheck, a punch, a brawl, with both teams spilling on the ice. Overwhelmed by the action, referee Hans Ronning left the ice. Trying to figure out a way to control the action, officals turn the lights out in the arena. It doesn’t work.

In the end, both Canada and the USSR are disqualified. The game never appears in the IIHF’s record book. But it sets off a storm in the Canadian media; did the Soviets try and deny Canada a medal? Were they right to fight? Thanks to the attention – and the infamous brawl – the world juniors dramatically increases in popularity.

Three: Blackout – Game four of the 1988 Stanley Cup Finals

May 24, 1988. A sweltering night at the Boston Garden, that pit of an arena that lacked basic features like air conditioning. The Bruins are trying desperately to avoid a sweep and fighting their way back.

So it the arena.

In an odd and spooky night, the Garden shows complete unwillingness, at least as much as an arena can show. The ice cracks before the faceoff and the game is repeatedly stopped because a fog has settled over the ice, cutting ice-level visibility to almost nil.

The Bruins score a game-tying goal late in the second and… the power goes out, plunging the arena into darkness. In the dark, with only emergency lighting, the ice begins to melt and is rendered unplayable.

Using a little-known rule, the game is nullified, to played again in Edmonton (although, if the series were to go to seven, the final game would be played in Boston).

This is a night that’s often overlooked in NHL lore. But why? Looking back, it was the second-to-last (and could have been the last) game for Gretzky in an Oilers uniform. It had a deciding game of the league final cancelled and replayed – just as the home team was showing signs of life. And what was it like for the players? Or the commentators (both ESPN and CBC broadcasted the game live)? For the Stanley Cup?

Four: The Last Night of the Montreal Forum – March 11, 1996

Few, if any, teams in sports have the symbolic history that the Montreal Canadiens do. And none have the kind of ties that they had to the Montreal Forum, host to them from 1926 to 1996.

There the Canadiens won 12 Stanley Cups, hosted 11 All-Star games, eight NHL drafts, six Memorial Cups and one of the 1972 Summit Series games.

But no night was more symbolically important, more significant and more memorable then the final night of the Forum, a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. More importantly, after the game the Canadiens hosted a ceremony honoring all those who had played for them. Taking a cue from the quote inscribed on the dressing room wall, a torch was carried to the ice by Émile Bouchard and passed by each living former captain – including greats like Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard and Yvan Cournoyer – up to then-captain Pierre Turgeon.

It was a fitting tribute to the most famous arena in hockey history and to the team’s history, capped off with a ten-minute ovation to Richard. Quite simply, there has never been another moment quite like this in hockey history – yes, including the Maple Leafs’ ceremony at the close of the Gardens, a pale imitation that attempted to exorcize the ghosts haunting the Leafs.

Five: Best of three – the 1987 Canada Cup

September 1987. The fourth edition of the Canada Cup. Back before the Olympics had NHL players, the annual Canada Cup series was the place to see top-tier international hockey. This tournament, in partular, stands out as the cream of the Canada Cup crop, and perhaps the greatest internatonal hockey ever played.

Look at the rosters, a variable who’s-who list of hockey. Gretzky. Mario Lemieux. Fuhr. Bourque. Hawerchuk. Coffey. Or on the Soviets: Sergei Makarov, Valeri Kamensky, Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov.

Meeting in a three-game final, both the Canadians and the Soviets played at an extraordinarily high level, each pushing the other to the limit. Look at the line scores for each game:

• Game one: USSR 6 – Canada 5 (OT)
• Game two: Canada 6 – USSR 5 (2OT)
• Game three: Canada 6 – USSR 5

Unlike the NBA, where Larry Bird and Magic pushed each other to greatness, nobody really pushed the two best players, Lemieux and Gretzky, quite to the same degree. This tournament was the closest they ever got to it – the Soviets pushed them (and team Canada) further then any team could have in the NHL. It’s no coincidence that Lemieux went into overdrive the following season, scoring 70 goals. And besides, this was a rare occasion that the two best players in a sport played on the same line.

Gretzky summarized the series best. “I don’t think you’ll ever see better hockey than what was played in that series,” he said. “For me, it was probably the best hockey I’ve ever played.”

******

Last week, I was okay with my picks. I was way off on a few – Buffalo really surprised me, as did the Saints complete demolition of the Patriots – but for the most part, I was pretty okay; 9 of 13. Here’s hoping I can keep it up in week 13. Home team in Caps.

• CHICAGO over St. Louis – This one could be close. The Rams have a bit of an offense, the Bears have major problems on defence… it’ll be neat to see how this one goes.
• CAROLINA over  Tampa Bay – My ‘low hanging fruit’ pick of the week
• Houston over JACKSONVILLE – The Jags are good at home, but I like Houston to rebound from their loss the week before.
• Denver over KANSAS CITY – The Broncos are kind of coming back. They’ve lost their grip on the AFC West, but I wouldn’t count them out of a wild card birth.
• INDIANAPOLIS over Tennessee – I’m not going against a hot team… but the Titans will test them as hard as anybody. If the Colts can handle Young – with pressure, forcing him to throw early and limiting his scrambles – they should have an easier time with this one.
• ATLANTA over Philadelphia – I’ve heard this called the Vick Bowl. He won’t even take a snap in a homecoming of sorts. The Falcons are still 5-0 at home.
• New Orleans over WASHINGTON – Still can’t believe the Saints are unbeaten. I wonder how they’ll look in cold weather, being a dome team. Still, the Redskins are looking awful, so I’d imagine that would compensate for any home-field advantage.
• PITTSBURGH over Oakland – Nothing snappy here, much like Jamarcus Russell’s throwing ability
• CINCINNATI over Detroit – Another game that probably looked a lot more appealing at the beginning of the season
• New England over MIAMI – The Dolphins are hot, coming off a win over Buffalo, and the Pats are cold, coming off a devastating loss… but I’m still going with N.E. I don’t know how well Miami can run on the Pats and I really don’t like the Fins pass protection.
• San Diego over CLEVELAND – Sometimes, Santa hands out coal before Christmas.
• NY GIANTS over Dallas – I think the Giants will win at home here to stay alive in the competitive NFC East. It’s chilly, the Giants are hungry, and I’m not sold that Romo is a good big-game QB. A win here would help sell him, though.
• San Francisco over SEATTLE – I like Alex Smith to have another big game at QB. The Seahawks are pretty easy pickings, really.
• Minnesota over ARIZONA – A dark horse for the game of the week. A win here would really help cement the Vikings as real contenders and things seem to be going in their favor… but I can also see the Cards stealing one at home, too. But I’m going to go with the hot team.
• Baltimore over GREEN BAY – Why? The Ravens just got a huge conference win and things seem to be going their way. I like Ed Reed, and their defence is tearing it up. They need a win to stay above .500 and get a shot at an AFC wild card. They remind me of that Steelers team that won the Super Bowl a few years back, the one that won three road playoff games.

On December 4th, 1909, J. Ambrose O’Brien and T.C. Hare formed a partnership that would change history in hockey and in Canada. The two businessmen came together to found one of the greatest franchises in sports history – the Montreal Canadiens. The cost to have the team admitted to the brand new National Hockey Association was $6,000. A century later, the team is valued at more than $300 million. The team’s history, however, is priceless to millions of hockey fans who have had the opportunity to watch “Les Habitants” over the years. Names like Morenz, Richard, Plante, Lafleur, and Roy have dazzled hockey fans for 100 years. There has been as much action off the ice as on it in this franchises riveting history. More than 700 players have had the good fortune to wear “le bleu, blanc, et rouge.” Many have become champions. Some have changed the game through innovation. Others have transcended legendary status through their dedication, determination, and sheer power on the ice.

3,000 people witnessed history as the Canadiens played their first game on January 5, 1910. The crowd gathered at the Jubilee Rink had no idea of the history that would follow, when the team from Montreal (wearing blue back then), led by Jack Laviolette, beat the Cobalt Silver Kings 7-6 in a thrilling overtime win. The win was a fitting start for a team that would dominate the game for so long afterwards, but the first season was not a great success. The team was sold after a disappointing first season, in which they only won 2 games out of 12, and their colors were changed to red.

In 1914, a precursor to the greatest rivalry in hockey would have it’s first championship installment, as the Canadiens met the Toronto Blueshirts for the Stanley Cup. In a two-game, total goals series, Montreal won game 1 2-0, before losing 6-0 in game 2 to lose the series. The Blueshirts would later be at the middle of a controversy that would cause the NHA to fold, and the NHL to take over. Toronto would eventually be represented by the Maple Leafs. The Habs and Leafs have since met in the playoffs 15 times, with Montreal winning 8 of those series to Toronto’s 7.

The Canadiens would get another chance at glory in 1916, when they finished in first place in the NHA standings. They would meet the Portland Rosebuds, who finished first in the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, for the Stanley Cup. Led by player/coach Newsy Lalonde, who won the NHA’s scoring race that year, the Canadiens defeated the Rosebuds in 5 games. It was the first time that a 5-game Stanley Cup final had gone the distance. Montreal lost game 1 before rebounding to win games 2 and 3. Portland forced a decisive final game by winning game 4. In the final game of the series, the Rosebuds jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, but could not hold on. “Goldie” Prodgers became the first Montreal Canadien to score a Stanley Cup winning goal, beginning one of the greatest winning traditions in sports.

The Canadiens once again won the NHA championship in 1917, but lost the Cup to the Seattle Metropolitans, the first ever American team to win the Cup. After this season, the NHA owners disbanded the league, and set up the NHL. The first NHL game was played on December 19, 1917, in Montreal, but it was not the Canadiens who played. The Montreal Wanderers defeated the Toronto Arenas, 10-9. The Canadiens played later that same day, and beat the Ottawa Senators 7-4, bolstered by 5 goals from “Phantom” Joe Malone, who scored 44 goals in 20 games that year. In goal for the Habs that day was Georges Vezina, the first great NHL goaltender. Vezina tended the net for Montreal for 366 consecutive games, before leaving a game in 1925 with an illness. He would die of tuberculosis months later.

In 1924, a new face would emerge as a superstar for the Canadiens, as they claimed their second Stanley Cup, and first as an NHL franchise. The Habs defeated the Vancouver Millionaires of the PCHA to win the Cup, with Billy Boucher scoring the winners in both games. They would then defend their championship against the Calgary Tigers. A rookie phenomenon named Howie Morenz would lead Montreal in the Calgary series, scoring hat tricks in both games. Morenz would go on to dominate the NHL for his entire career, becoming the first NHL superstar.

Known as “the Babe Ruth of hockey,” the “Stratford Streak,” and “the Canadian Comet,” Morenz was the first player to win the Hart Trophy as the most valuable player to his team, in 1928. He would remain a vital part of the Canadiens’ team forever. On January 28, 1937, Morenz rushed the puck up ice when he was met by Earl Siebert of the Chicago Blackhawks. Morenz was knocked off his feet and he crashed heavily into the boards, breaking his leg. Legend has it that the sound of his leg snapping could be heard throughout the Montreal Forum. On his way to the hospital, Morenz said. “I’m through. This is the finish.” He died of a coronary embolism only weeks later, but those who knew him said he died of a broken heart, due to the end of his hockey career. Morenz’s legend, however lived on, as thousands of fans filed past his casket, which was laid out at centre ice at the Montreal Forum. It has been said that the “Ghost of Howie Morenz” haunted the Forum from that day forward, helping the Canadiens win. In fact, no other team won the Stanley Cup at the Forum until 52 years later, when the Calgary Flames defeated Montreal in game 6 of the finals.

A new hero would emerge for the Canadiens’ faithful in 1944. Having failed to win the Cup since 1931, the Habs were due for some heroics, and it came in the form of a local boy named Maurice Richard. Fighting blatant discrimination from the English aristocracy of hockey his entire career, “The Rocket” made himself a star by scoring a hat trick in game 2 of the 1944 finals, and 5 goals overall in the series, helping Montreal regain the Stanley Cup. Over the next 15 years, Richard would become the greatest player in Canadiens’ history, scoring a total of 544 goals and 965 points, while amassing 1285 penalty minutes. He was the first player to score 50 goals in a season, scoring number 50 in the 50th and final game of the 1945 season. He was also the first player to score 500 career goals. Always playing with style and skill, The Rocket retired after scoring the 1960 Stanley Cup winning goal, sealing his 8th Cup victory. The intensity displayed by The Rocket every night was contagious, affecting both his teammates and the fans. He was at the centre of the most infamous incident in Montreal Canadiens, and possibly, hockey history. On March 13, 1955, Richard got into a fight with Hal Laycoe of the Boston Bruins. A brawl erupted, and in the melee, Richard dropped linesman, Cliff Thompson with a powerful fist to the face. NHL commissioner, Clarence Campbell suspended Richard for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs. At the next Canadiens’ game, Campbell was pelted with eggs until a tear gas bomb was thrown in his direction. The game was cancelled, and the Detroit Red Wings won via forfeit. As fans spilled onto St. Catharine’s Street, they showed their displeasure by looting and vandalizing shops to the tune of $500,000. The Richard Riot was a showing by the people of Montreal that they would stand by their hero, who had done so much for them. 41 years later, upon the closing of the Montreal Forum, The Rocket received a rousing 16-minute standing ovation, moving the man with the devil in his eyes to tears.

The last of 5 straight Cups came the same year that Jacques Plante changed the face of hockey forever. After being hit in the face by a Andy Bathgate slapshot against the New York Rangers, Plante returned to the ice with a broken nose, and a flimsy leather mask. Canadiens coach Toe Blake was against the idea, thinking the mask obstructed Plante’s view, but as the Habs continued winning games, he wavered. Plante would win his 5th straight Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie.

The 1960 Stanley Cup was the last of 5 straight. It was the end of the Richard era, which made the Canadiens the most dominant franchise in the game. They were not done there, however. Their next Cup would come in 1965, with Lorne “Gump” Worsley backstopping the team to 2 shutouts in the finals. The first ever Conn Smythe Trophy, for playoff MVP, was awarded to Jean Beliveau, who would win a total of 10 Cups with Montreal. Beliveau is second on the all-time list to Maurice Richard’s younger brother, Henri, “the Pocket Rocket,” who won 11 NHL championships, all with the Canadiens.

The 1970s began with a new coach and a new goalie, but the winning ways continued. In 1971, Al MacNeil, the new coach, started a rookie goalie named Ken Dryden in the playoffs. Dryden had only played 6 games in the NHL, but MacNeil had faith in the kid. That faith paid off, as Dryden led the Canadiens to their 17th Stanley Cup championship, winning the Conn Smythe award.

The following season was the beginning of another new era, with the addition of Scotty Bowman as head coach, and the emergence of Guy Lafleur as a superstar and fan favorite. Winning 5 more Cups in the ’70s with Bowman at the helm and Lafleur’s golden hair flying down the wing, the Habs dominated the expansion era of the NHL, the same way they had dominated during pre-expansion.

New dynasties emerged in the 1980s in the form of the New York Islanders and Edmonton Oilers, but the Montreal Canadiens would also have their say. After four straight Stanley Cups by the Islanders opened the decade, the Oilers won two in a row. Then, in 1986, Montreal made it back to the top, defeating the Calgary Flames in 5 games. The Habs were led, once again, by a rookie goaltender. Patrick Roy, who would become one of the greatest goalies in hockey history, became the youngest player to win the Conn Smythe award, at only 20 years old.

The 24th Stanley Cup in team history came in 1993, as Roy once again captured the Conn Smythe, and the Canadiens defeated Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings in 5 games. The Habs won a record 10 overtime games during the playoffs that year, and the finals were immortalized by Marty Mcsorley’s illegal stick penalty late in game 2, which Montreal tied on the power play and won in OT. It also marked the 9th consecutive decade in which the team had won the Cup.

As the Montreal Canadiens take to the ice tonight, in the 100th Anniversary game, and every other night, history is not only being celebrated, but it is being made. Each goal, each win adds to the legend of this team, which has grown from an agreement between two businessmen to the most storied franchise in this or any sport.

(for those interested, this is from “Les Tontons Flingueurs”, an absolute classic French movie)

The Kaleta is back. Ryan Miller is still saving. Let’s have a party.

Last time we met Montreal, Nathan Gerbe lost in OT to Brian Gionta. Yes, it was all Gerbe. I blamed him for blinding himself by the pretty colors of his hero. The Canadiens have endured swine flu feet injuries but I believe the new ownership will cure all diseases by serving them mass quantities of alcohol. The point is, I still love Gerbe.

• Clarke MacArthur scores first.
• Jason “I just gave birth to an adorable litter” Pominville.
• Just like you, I love to see Derek Roy score. Why do the attorney’s at law have a new number? I hope Royzie remembers this the next time he gets in an accident.

I predict that for every even-numbered minute, a Sabre will score a goal. Let’s do this.

• Tim Kennedy (4:31… eh! Eh!)

I’m beginning to really, really, really dislike Tiger Woods. Oh, jeebus. The Bills game is on… I almost forgot. Mainly because today is thursday and they are in Toronto. There is something so wrong with two New York teams playing in Canada.

P.S. to SabresDotCom, way to jinx Miller. Way. To. Gooooo. Gomez scored making the score 4-1 Sabres.

• Gorges puts up points for the Habs. His name is Josh? That is so un-Canadian.

On a completely unrelated note Mike Cammalleri “keeps it real” and lists Iris as a favorite song.

• Andrej slapped in his first of the season at around the 13 minute mark et broke even. We were going good for a while, but who cares really? I’ll take a goal at any time during the game. “Et” is “and” in French, right? I vote yes…
• Kaleta gets his fight on with Paul Mara. He was totally itching to do some bad. He just came back! Anyways, who wouldn’t want to punch Mara?
• Vanek was not the one tipping this time. It was Grier. What? I knowwww.

That’s pretty much game. Fun and high scoring by all. Bonus: Marshawn Beast Moded 15 los yardes to give us a touchdown. Woo!

Lets Go Buff-a-lo!

	MONTREAL CANADIENS	BUFFALO SABRES
2009 Record	12 – 13 – 2	15 – 7 – 2
Conference Rank	12	3
Goals For	66	66
Goals Against	79	55
Power Play Rank (Per.)	23 (17.5 %)	18 (19.8)
Penalty Kill Rank (Per.)	18 (79.3 %)	2 (85.2 %)

Both the Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens have a busy month ahead but they need to focus on each other as they faceoff at the HSBC Arena tonight. The Sabres are on a three game winning streak heading into tonight’s game, while the Canadiens lost their last game versus the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night.

Olympic Season Rears Its Head

The Sabres are officially running into a busiest part of their schedule as they play 15 games this month. Fortunately the Sabres play a majority of those games at home (9 home, 6 away) compared the Canadiens who play 17 games, with a majority of the games on the road (6 home, 11 away). Buffalo comes into the game with an extra day’s rest (last game: Monday) compared to Montreal (last game: Tuesday).

For the entire month, the Sabres have second lightest load of games (15) but has the most home games of all the teams in the division. With this month and January the Sabres will play a combined 29 games, which will lead to the question of how to handle goaltending. At this time, Ryan Miller has a very good chance of being on the US Olympic Team in Vancouver and rest will not only be essential for the Olympics but for the remainder of the season. There is a good possibility that backup Patrick Lalime will see more starts to help out.

The Punisher Returns…Three In A Row…Rivet Back?

Patrick Kaleta returns to the fray tonight after serving his two game suspension for a hit on Philadelphia’s Jared Ross on November 27th.

Defensemen Craig Rivet is a question mark for tonight’s game after suffering a leg injury during the Philadelphia Flyers game on the 27th also. Per WGR on December 1st, Rivet is making good progress with his injury but Coach Lindy Ruff considers him doubtful for tonight’s match.

The Sabres are coming off three impressive wins after Thanksgiving. The Sabres defeated the Philadelphia Flyers, Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs by a combined score of 12 – 3. In the last three games it has been “Miller Time” as the goaltender has all three wins with one being a shutout. When Miller makes a play like this one (vs. Carolina) he is tough to beat. Currently Ryan Miller leads the league in GAA and Save Percentage.

What Happened to Montreal

Montreal was the preseason favorite to win the division, but right now they are six points back of the Sabres in fourth. The Canadiens have a ton of talent on the team but is underachieving based on the stats. The added players like Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez and Jaroslav Spacek were supposed to solidify this team to make a deep run in the playoffs.

Injuries have been an issue with the Canadiens also, but on Tuesday night Scott Gomez return from a lower body injury. Matt D’Agostini returned to the lineup on Tuesday also. The noticeable player missing Tuesday was Hal Gill who suffered a foot injury back at the end of October. TSN.ca reported on December 1st that Gill is considered day – to – day.

What To Look For (Keys To The Game)

MONTREAL

1. Can they stop underachieving and win this game. The Canadiens for all their additions this season are literally a .500 team. This team should be much higher up in the rankings based on what they have on paper.
2. Goaltending, Montreal has two goaltenders in Price and Halak. If Miller plays the way he has for the Sabres as of late can the Canadiens goaltending steal at least a point.
3. Tomas Plekanec, he is the play maker and points leader on the team at this time. If he gets open ice, he could cause the Sabres some headaches.

BUFFALO

1. If you get the lead, play hard the rest of the game. In the first meeting the Sabres got the first goal, but eased up in the remainder of the game and it cost them an overtime loss.
2. Jason Pominville, he is currently on a two game point streak (assists only) but has only one goal in the last five games. Pominville needs a break out game for goals and this game could be the one to do it in.
3. Paul Gaustad, as long as he can win face offs in the Montreal zone he can provide some big opportunities for the Sabres to score and win the game.

Fun Facts

1. This is the second meeting of the season. In the first meeting the Canadiens defeated the Sabres 2 – 1 in overtime.
2. The Sabres face Montreal two more times in the next two months both on the road (Dec. 14 & Jan. 3)
3. The Sabres are 4 – 4 – 2 in the last ten matchups versus Montreal.

Friday, December 4th will be the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens as a hockey team. An incredible feat, for sure.

I’m a Toronto Maple Leafs fan, but I have the deepest respect for the Habs due to their history. They have 24 Stanley Cup banners hanging in the rafters, in addition to the 15 retired jerseys. They had some of the greatest players ever to step foot on the ice – Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard, Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden, Jacques Plante, Bernard ‘Boom Boom’ Geoffrion… the list goes on!

In honour of their centennial, I made a little tribute video.

(I’m getting addicted to making montage videos, haha.)

My god, I cannot describe the Montreal Canadiens in any manner that would hope to reach the awesomeness that HabsFan10 just came up with on Four Habs Fans. Awesome.

Stajan and Finger, showing some love

Think the Leafs can just start playing all their games on the road from now on? Fresh off a 3-0 loss to Buffalo at the ACC Monday, Toronto went to Montreal last night and beat the Habs by that same some score, getting a combined shutout from Jonas Gustavsson and Joey MacDonald. That’s where the bad news kicks in, though: The Monster was taken to hospital after the first period due to an increased heart rate, which was the cause of minor surgery back in the preseason. No word on what’s next (though Gustavsson’s heart reportedly normalized on its own during the intermission), but heart problems and sports never go too well together.

Anyway, the actual game: The Leafs scored twice in the first before The Monster left the building, picking up goals from Colton Orr and Jeff Finger around the midway point. Matt Stajan scored his eighth of the season early in the second to put it out of reach, with Phil Kessel chipping in his second assist of the night. Love that young man.

Because of the early goals, Gustavsson actually picked up the win in this one despite playing just 20 minutes. He saved eight shots and MacDonald turned 18 aside the rest of the way.

The Leafs, winners of three straight on the road and four of six overall, are in Columbus tomorrow and Boston Saturday before returning home for Atlanta on Monday.

Leafs 3 – 0 Habs

That game was as ugly as an Ed Hardy shirt.

(By the way, as a French, I want to apologize for Christian Audigier. We’re sorry for what he did to fashion in particular and good taste in general. But we’re thankful he left France long ago)

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

An Ispos Reid poll of over 1000 Canadians for the Historica Dominion Institute showed 33% of Canadians consider the Habs to be our national hockey team.

The survey, conducted to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Montreal Canadiens, showed support for the Leafs at 25%, the Senators at 5%, the Canucks at 4%, and the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers at 2% each.

The poll also revealed that about three quarters of Canadians surveyed believe the Montreal Canadiens will win the Stanley Cup before their Toronto rivals.

• Carey Price is being ridden like a discount whore right now. He gets his 1,583rd stard in a row this season
• is there any expression surrounding the Habs more tired than ’storied franchise’? Lots of stories…I get it.
• Scott Gomez returns to the lineup tonight
• Jay Leach was sent to San Jose today in a trade. And who says Gainey lets his stars leave for nothing?
• the Canadiens are officially the property of the Molsons tonight, so be on guard for some Vince McMahon shit. Oh, those crazy Molsons.
• some Komisarek guy is in the lineup for the Leafs tonight. Not sure what that’s all aboot.
• Edit: Jay Leach was picked off of waivers by San Jose. Bob Gainey lets his stars leave for nothing.

(screencaps from the RDS videos filmed in the Alouettes dressing room after the Grey Cup, available on their website)

Step 1:

Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

And step 5:

See? That was quick and easy!

~~~

Now, just a word about tonight. It’s the Maple Leafs. They got shutout by Miller and the Sabres yesterday, so we can assume they’ll be motivated tonight (as they always are against Montreal anyway). But maybe they’ll be a little tired in the third period too.

On the Habs side, there is hope that some players will be returning into the lineup. Gomez and D’Agostini could start the game. That’s very good news. The habs have been doing ok recently in spite of missing key players, but I’m not sure how long this would have lasted. Hopefully, Gomez starts getting some points now.

Just a thought about him, by the way: I think it’s stupid to hope that he’ll suddenly produce enough points to justify his salary. Of course he’s overpaid. That’s the reason why we could get him: Sather wanted to get rid of his salary. Now the  habs are not expecting him to produce Crosby-like numbers just because he’s getting the same kind of money. But they’re expecting him to be a good first line center. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be worried because of his play. But we should just accept the fact that he’s overpaid. That’s the way it is, and the habs knew that right from the start. We all knew what we were getting. I hope he does better than in NYC, but he’s not going to magically turn into Joe Thornton.

And a last word, about Chipchura. It’s no secret I like him, and I’m hoping for him to have more success. He played a little bit on the PP during the last game, but his 4th line duties were very minimal, and he was on the ice for just 5′09 during the game. Tonight, he could play along Metro and D’Agostini on the fourth line. I was hoping for him to get some time with Metropolit, and I think it could really help him. Now I hope he does good tonight. Because once Gionta, Kostitsyn, Pouliot and Laraque return, it’s going to be very hard for him to keep a spot. I know the likeliest scenario is that he’ll get waived because he only has a one-way contract, and Martin seems to like White and Pyatt better (one of them will probably be sent back to Hamilton too). But I’m still hoping he can somehow turn things around. If he does get waived, I will be torn. It would be good for Hamilton to get him back, and I wouldn’t like to see the habs losing him for good. But at the same time, I still hope he can be a NHLer, even if it’s not in Montreal… Come on Chips, hang in there!

Hahahaha.

Needless to say, for most educated Canadian hockey fans, this is a no-brainer, of course the Habs are Canada’s team.

Forget the jock rhetoric, MLSE and Toronto media hype machine, only one team truly represents all of Canada, all Canadians and every fabric of our awesome nation. Here is a recent poll that concludes the same. Canada is not just Toronto and it is no solely English, and the Habs and adoration for the club are evidence of that.

Toronto spinsters may think Toronto is the gold standard for hockey, the true “hockeytown” and the centre of the hockey universe but it isn’t. How can it be? THEY HAVEN’T WON A CUP SINCE 1967- the LAST time there were SIX TEAMS in the NHL!!!!

The Leafs are not the New York Yankees of hockey though they claim to be. You need to win, and often, to lay that claim. The Leafs are more like the LA Dodgers hockey, plenty of great history, some good runs and wins but nothing to really show of late (though at least the Dodgers have won in recent memory).

The New York Yankees of hockey are the Montreal Canadiens and we have the 24 cups to prove it and are the sole Canadian team to win it recently, in 1993. The Detroit Red Wings can even lay a better claim to the Yankee moniker than the loser Leafs.

Watching the Leafs plod through this season has been hilarious, more so on how local media covers them. A two-game win  streak is dissected and blown way out of proportion and it is all sunny skies and roses so quickly after the doom and gloom of a week ago. This city is dying so bad for a winning hockey team the media just about falls over itself trying to spin a good yarn out of horse crap.

I feel for the players assemled for this year’s Leafs team. They are trying their best but if you don’t have the horses to run, the race can be a mighty long one, let alone just getting out of the barn.

The Sabres spent much of their game down 1-0 to the Hurricanes.  The Caps scored two goals and then gave up three in a row to the Canadiens.  Thankfully, both of my teams ended up winning.

The Sabres looked like a pile of poop for the first two periods.  The game was boring and they couldn’t get anything going and Tyler Myers was trying to kill me.  Ryan Miller appeared to be the only player on the team who seemed to care about the collective sanity of Buffalo, and it’s a good thing that he does.  He needs to be in the Vezina talks to this point of the season.  I don’t understand how he couldn’t be.  He’s been the best player on the team, end of story.  Yes, I did think Lalime should have played tonight, but Miller has been beyond fantastic.  RJ was right; we are not worthy.

In the fifth period the Sabres finally figured things out and remembered that they’re playing the Hurricanes on the road, a place they have not yet won a game.  Losing at home to the Hurricanes, especially via shutout, is about as embarrassing as it gets.  You might as well go home after that.  Vanek finally got around to scoring a goal, and it’s always lovely to see Mike Grier contributing.  Yo, the Sabres even scored on the POWER PLAY.  That doesn’t happen very often.

The Caps game went like this:  Alexander and Eric score, Canadiens score (let’s not talk about the traitor formally known as the Caveman), Caps score on the power play with eleven seconds left, Michael DOESN’T completely screw things up in overtime, Lars is a hero in the shootout, Caps win.

1.)  I got pretty scared when Michael was allowed near the puck in overtime.  I’m very proud of him for not killing anyone or gift-wrapping any goals.

2.)  Alex looked much more like himself tonight – aside from that one part where he tripped over himself six times in a row – which is reassuring.  I think he’s finally getting back to his pre-injury state.

3.)  Lars has been a bit off this month.  He looked awesome Wednesday night, and a shootout winner might not boost up his point totals or anything, but I think our dear little Swede has gotten his game back.  Yay!!

P.S.  The Thrashers beat the Flyers 1-0.  I would just like to remind everyone that I loved them even back when they sucked.