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Gaustad Clowning, Habs' Focus in Wrong Place, Subban Should be Suspended |
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1) Talking with a former player/current scout, here are some observations I can share with you:
"Kostitsyn sure has a lot of skill, and he's a lot better than he's showing tonight. In the meantime, what's he doing with Michael Blunden?"
"This team is so confused about its philosophy because it's changed so much over the last year. No one is one the same page, and it's pretty obvious in their play."
"Forget about the playoffs around here."
"The guy in the main chair is the real problem..."
2) Carey Price gave the Canadiens everything he had last night, so did Erik Cole and Josh Gorges, Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais, and Lars Eller too. Alexei Emelin and Raphael Diaz put in the effort expected of them.
Randy Cunneyworth saw it the same as everyone else, "we had a handful of guys with the desperation, but not enough," he said after the game.
Boy, is that story getting old, or what?
3) On Gaustad's comments: Foolish and uncalled for, but nothing more than the kind of trash talk you expect from a player of his reputation.
Regardless, I asked Matt Darche what was said, and he furiously reported what he felt crossed the line, especially after a 3-1 win for the Sabres, when nothing needed to be said.
Did he have to spend the next 15 minutes talking about it with every reporter who came up to him thereafter?
I suppose that, to a degree, it beats talking about how awful the Canadiens played last night.
4) You know what's not working in Montreal (aside from most things), a line consisting of Tomas Plekanec, Scott Gomez and Rene Bourque.
What are the Canadiens going to do with Plekanec, if they can't find wingers for him?
In seller-mode, how could anyone other than Price and Subban be considered untouchable?
5) Travis Moen--despite suffering an injury, the gravity of which has yet to be determined--is generating serious interest from a Stanley Cup contender in the West.
No word on the Montreal side as to whether or not the Canadiens have intentions to get him under contract, but if not, and if he's made available, now you know there's at least one team bidding for his services.
6) P.K. Subban may not get a call from the league offices regarding his attempted slew foot on Ville Leino, but he should. And he should be suspended for it. It's enough already. He's done it countless times at this point, and already been fined for it this season.
Worse, is that on top of his reputation, he's becoming known as a dirty player, and who can argue when he pulls crap like he did last night?
And for all those who don't acknowledge that a slew foot falls under "intent to injure", get serious.
It's among the most dangerous and unexpected things you can do to someone on the ice, and if you miss kicking someone's feet from under them, you could do some serious, serious damage with your skate blades.
7) Anyone get the chance to watch Vancouver and Chicago trade blows in overtime last night? Wow, that was three minutes of the most exciting hockey I've watched this year.
Dominant hockey from the Sedins, a breakaway for Victor Stallberg, a crazy power-move by Jonathan Toews to break in on his own, and finally the Sedins wrap it up.
Both teams were going for it, full throttle, instead of trapping it out to the shootout. Every NHL player should've watched last night's game and said to themselves "that's what we should be doing in overtime".
8) Getting back to Erik Cole and his effort, his sarcastic quip to Conor McKenna, who asked him what it's like getting booed during the game, was the highlight of the night for me.
"I've said it before-- super motivating," he sighed with the dry-est of dry wit.
When you see how he's playing, not sure any other player could claim to be leading by example the way he is.
When asked about whether or not he's disappointed that more guys aren't following his lead, he expressed that he can't afford to concentrate on what everyone else is doing.
He was given the opportunity, but he refused to throw his teammates under the bus.
The more we know about Erik Cole, the more there is to like.
He, as well as the others who played for real last night, did not deserve to be booed.
9) Pacioretty scored his sixth goal in his last seven games. It was how he scored it that showed his skill set.
Speed.
Power.
He shoots, and if he doesn't score, he generates rebounds.
And best of all, he doesn't fly by the net, he stops in front for the rebound off his own shot.
10) And I think that's what bothers me the most about the Canadiens powerplay. The guys are not in the right place.
Max Pacioretty wasn't made to play the half-boards. He was made to play down-low. He doesn't have the creativity, the elegance, nor the composure to dictate the control of play from that position, nor does he have the quick one-timer threat that Cammalleri, or Kovalev have from there.
He has a nose for the net, and out of 14 goals he scored last year, seven came on the powerplay from right in the goal-mouth.
If Cole is going to play in front of the net on his unit, then move Pacioretty to the other unit.
And if you want someone to play the half-boards that opens up all the options that are required at that position, put Andrei Kostitsyn there. He was made for that.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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