HOLY **********#@#@#!!!!

HABS WIN!  HABS WIN! HABS WIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Dave Sandford/Getty Images)

Episode 26 – The Habs Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough

This is just plain fun.  Somehow, some way, this team has taken Montreal by complete surprise and absolutely captured the imagination of the entire hockey world.  It seems no matter what they face, they find the way to bounce back from it.  Heart epitomized.  But now with both Markov and Spacek out, facing the Staal-less Pittsburgh Penguins, they’re up against an arguably bigger challenge than even the Washington Capitals.  Can they really keep it going?

 

 Habs Radio Episode 26 [38:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Episode 25 – Shiny Happy Habs Fans

So the Habs have held the lead in the series 3 times as long as the Capitals.  The goaltending has gone from suspect to otherworldly. The team as a group clearly never quits.  The coaching has suddenly gotten more creative and has officially turned into a big edge in the series.  Special teams has been incredible throughout. So who do YOU think is gonna win game 7?  You might be surprised to hear what we have to say…

 

 Habs Radio Episode 25 [41:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Episode 22 – Habs Radio Pessah Edition

On the eve of Passover # 5770, we put together our noggins to discuss some pertinent issues in Habsland.  Is Andrei Kostitsyn overrated?  Will he still be a Hab next year?  If you had to pick one, would it be AK46 or his little bro SK74? What’s wrong with the power play and how can Martin fix it?  Most importantly, will Pat manage to avoid eating bread for an entire 8 days this year?

 

 Habs Radio Episode 22 [37:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

And Now Back to….What, Exactly? 7 Questions for the Stretch Drive

As we undergo Olympics withdrawal, we here at habsradio are having a tough time focusing on the Habs right now. Suffice to say, the quality of games is going to suffer a HUGE drop off. And our enthusiasm for a playoff-bubble team is just slightly diminished as we bask in the after-glow of Team Canada’s thrilling 3-2 win over Team USA. Barring citizenship – is there anyone on the Habs current roster good enough to make Team Canada, or Team USA?

Anyone?

But alas, the NHL season continues, and with the Olympic hockey tournament a vivid guide on how to win hockey games on NHL ice, we view the Habs in a slightly colder light. There remain MANY questions about the home team.

So here, at the risk of sounding Captain Obvious, are what we would like to know, just in time for the stretch drive.

In order of importance:

***I can play, coach. Really***

1. Is Markov healthy / More Injuries?

He missed 2 games before the Olympics, saw light action on Team Russia, and has looked pretty bad for awhile. What is his real status? Injured? Tired? The same questions apply to Benoit Pouilot, Cammalleri, Brother Andrei, etc. If the Habs are to win, Markov et al need to be healthy and at their best. No big headline here

2. How will Pleks and Halak adapt to end-of-season life in the NHL?

These two (just below Markov) hold the key to the Habs playoff chances. Will they be energized by their Olympic experience? The knock on both players has been a lack of late-season / playoff effort, either because their performance faded in the clutch (Pleks), or because they weren’t given an opportunity (Halak).

Well, we’re going to go out on a limb here and say these guys will be given PLENTY of opportunity to prove their critics wrong. Should be interesting.

3. When does Pleks get signed?

(see above)

4. Who gets traded?

PG wants to put his stamp on this team. There are wild rumors flying around about a giant trade with Edmonton, another with Chicago, some interest in veterans from St Louis, and some smaller trades with (again) Florida and/or Dallas. I don’t know what to believe and this isn’t a rumor site.

Wednesday could be a big day with ramifications far beyond this season, or a “treading water” situation where a forward direction remains unclear.

5. Are Gomez and Gionta really a bust?

There have been fleeting glimpses of wonderful play from these two. Gionta especially. But again, after watching Team USA almost put a cardiac attack on the entire Canadian nation, it was clear that these two just didn’t belong in the Olympics this year – at least not among the likes of Parise, Kessler, Kessel, Ryan, Brown, Stastny, and Kane.

***so much promise then***

So these dudes have a lot to prove. And they were acquired specifically with this time of year in mind: The idea that the winning and experienced veterans can fortify the locker room and push the team to new heights, because they have been there and done that. Fair enough. So this is where Gomez and Gionta will earn their money or prove to be a bust.

6. PK, PK, where art though, oh PK?

PK Subban was the lone highlight in the Habs losses to the Flyers before the break. He could be a huge star for the Habs. After all the trade dust has settled (where I assume every defenceman not named Markov is up for discussion), will PK spend the rest of his year in HabsLand, or in Hamilton? The answer will indicate how desperate PG really is to make the playoffs this season.

7. Who will bring the physical edge?

I’m sure the players returning from Vancouver learned one thing about Teams Canada and USA: They played very physical. Those players bring those lessons home to the NHL, where they will be applied to the final twenty games – which is already the most physical portion of the regular season. Imagine all the players coming back with axes to grind and pride to defend.

This is an old story for the Habs, but the question remains  – who brings the lunchpail and the clothesline for Montreal? Candidates include O’Byrne, who plays better with Markov but who has been inconsistent, there’s Moen, and a little Gill….and……gulp…….that’s it!!??!!

The return of (the somewhat larger) Pouilot and Andrei to the forwards corps will help, a more aggressive Laps would help too. But man, after the Olympics this teams looks more SOFT than ever.

Ahhhhh….so many questions, so little time. But all will be answered in the coming weeks.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Our podcast returns next week, where we will discuss the games against Boston, San Jose, LA, and Anaheim, and the merits of what might be a different lineup than the one we have now.

Have a great week, and welcome back.

Habs Actually Play for 60 Minutes….

Habs – 2, Panthers – 0. Here’s how they did it:

Outshooting the opposition?  Check

Taking less penalties? Check

Strong start? Check

Not fading away with a one goal lead?  Check

First home win of 2010? I’LL HAVE THE CHECK NOW PLEASE!

For ONCE, the Habs actually improved in the areas which they were the weakest. Now if they could only start to draw more penalties and get the Kostitsyns back, we’d have something here.

ps – Pouliot for Latendresse? That trade looks downright silly.

pps – And now for a real test: New Jersey

“On Remplace des Québécois par des Franco-Ontariens”

* That, my dear friends, are the words of wisdom from CKAC host Jean-Charles Lajoie. Another Quebecois gone. I wish I could say this is a fringe element of the media, but it’s not. CKAC is an extremely popular station. And a lot of people read Rejean Tremblay and Bertrand Raymond, in La Presse and Ruefrontenac.com (formerly Journal de Montreal).True, there is good analysis to be had from Francois Gagnon, Jacques Demers, and Yvon Pedneault, among others, so maybe all is not lost, but I can’t help thinking that slowly, surely, the radicals are taking over.

Eric and I have gone over this territory in our podcasts already – but it bears repeating. Some members of the “pure laine” mainstream media are acting like Sarah Palin / Tea Party extremists. Their narrow agenda is not being met, and therefore, they are acting crazy. How long before Bob Gainey gets a Hitler mustache painted on his picture?

Okay, okay, I’ll calm down. Final word goes to Sean Gordon, whose magnificent post on this subject can be found right here.

* Tonight’s projected lines:

Michael Cammalleri – Tomas Plekanec – Andrei Kostitsyn

Max Pacioretty – Glen Metropolit – Travis Moen

Tom Pyatt – Maxim Lapierre – Ryan White

Sergei Kostitsyn – Kyle Chipchura -James T Wyman.

Notice something? Due to injuries (Pouliot is indeed injured), the Habs have a 2nd line, a 4th line, and basically, two Hamilton lines. Oh, and Spacek is out too! Yikes!!

* Brother Sergei: I am very curious to see how SK-74 responds to his call up. Will he sulk at the lack of playing time, or be a help to his big brother and the rest of his team? Something tells me Bob and Jacques did not want to call up Sergei, but were leftwithout any other realistic options. I hope Sergei takes this golden opportunity and skates with it. He certainly has the talent.

* Carey Price: If he starts tonight, does Halak start tomorrow? Interesting question: Does Jacques feel he has proved his point with Carey, or is this a simple matter of coach riding the hot hand? Tune in later for the answer.

*Fearless prediction: Habs 3, Columbus 2.