Lil John and Habs Fans Love Rene Bourque

Looks like the newest Hab is fitting in well with the Montreal Canadiens.  The new guy on the block came to the Habs from the Calgary Flames in a trade for Mike Cammalleri.  Cammalleri made all kind of news in Montreal and the vibe was pretty negative when he was shipped out.

http://www.getrealhockey.blogspot.com/2012/02/mike-cammalleri-bombed-in-montreal-and.html

We can easily say that 99% of Habs fans were happy to see "Magic" Mike hit the bricks.  Rene Bourque has been a phenomenal improvement to the Habs line up.  He is big, fast, and he can put the puck in the net. 

On top of that Bourque has a skill that Cammalleri could learn.  Bourque keeps his mouth shut and plays his game.  As for PR and photo ops;  Bourque hangs with Lil John instead of complaining about his ice time.

The end result is more goals, more happy fans and some serious street cred for the boy for the hockey star from Northern, Alberta. I guess this is just a glowing example of karma.  Eat your heart out Mike Cammalleri and rock on Rene Bourque.

Mike Cammalleri bombed in Montreal and is now doing the same in Calgary

The NHL is for pros.  Pros who perform.  Clutch performers like Giroux, Kesler, and Toews thrill fans on a nightly basis.  These guys are team players and team leaders.  The fans love these players because they respect the game and the opportunity they have been given.  The NHL is the premier hockey league in the world and playing in the NHL is a privilege.

Unfortunately, not every NHLer understands that being an NHLer is something special.  Of course every fan is familiar with the growing histrionics from Alexander Ovechkin in Washington.

http://getrealhockey.blogspot.com/2012/01/alexander-ovechkin-from-show-boat-to-no.html

Ovechekin's BS has tainted the entire Capitals' team and made a group which looked like potential champions into a B team of wannabe. Only one player in the NHL comes to mind as being more self centered than the Russian "rocket".   Mike Cammalleri is head and shoulders above all others as the player who is most destructive to his team. Mike Cammalleri is the poster boy for complaining in the NHL. Despite the fact that he was unable to perform for the Habs in 2011-2012; "Magic" Mike somehow felt he had the right to call out his teammates in Montreal as losers.  The Habs were only too happy to dispatch him to the Flames.  That kind of poison around an NHL team is very destructive.  Since Cammalleri's departure the Habs have been substantially better on the ice.

http://getrealhockey.blogspot.com/2012/01/au-revoir-mike-cammalleri.html

On the other hand, Cammalleri has been no gift to the Flames.  He is puttering along on fumes and his +/- is in the toilet.  As you can see below, he still likes to talk to the press; albeit in a more tame manner.

http://www.lfpress.com/sports/hockey/2012/01/31/19316566.html

Well, well, well....hmmmmm......So it seems now that the problem was not with the Habs but with the "Magic" man himself.  Hopefully, Mr. Cammalleri will do some growing and assume some responsibility.  If he ever wants to be a leader in the NHL; he will have to smarten up.  A smart, more quiet, harder working Mike Cammalleri would be good for him and the Flames organization. Fans don't like big mouths.  Fans love performance and results.

Au Revoir Mike Cammalleri

Stunning news out of Montreal as the Canadiens have traded Forward Mike Cammalleri, Goaltender Karri Ramo and 5^th round pick to the Calgary Flames for Rene Bourque, Patrick Holland and next year's 2^nd rounder. This comes almost exactly 24 hours after Cammalleri made some ugly but some say truthful comments about the state of the most famous franchise in hockey.

"I can't accept that we will display a losing attitude as we're doing this year. We prepare for our games like losers. We play like losers. So it's no wonder why we lose.”

Yes it is an absolute circus in Montreal right now with hiring Randy Cunneyworth and some of the comments of owner Geoff Molson, but such words from a player of the ilk of Cammalleri should never be uttered to the media. No matter what the situation is.

It appears Mike Cammalleri lost the room.

Whether you play 35 seconds a night or you make 9 million bucks a year when you are in the room you are an equal and those are your brothers and you must always have their back. Clearly I am speaking from a standpoint of rec league hockey but everything through books and such things as 24/7 I have seen, the dynamic isn't inherently different except they drive nicer cars to a way nicer rink and wear way nicer clothes.

When you are part of a team, it doesn’t matter who you are outside it matters who you are on that ice and to those guys. You must be dependable, loyal and must always have your teammates back. This is why comments like these are so damning, how can a teammate ever look at him the same way?

These comments that Mike made, were told to the wrong people, they would have been best served for in the room or at the very least in the coaches office. Intentional or not this is where he messed up, he broke a trust and threw his boys under the bus. No matter what you gotta be good in the room.

- Joe DeTolve
goodintheroom.blogspot.com

BIENVENUE A MONTREAL BLAIR BETTS!

Today, the Habs claimed Blair Betts off waivers. Not too bad for a team that needed a little toughness and 4th line presence. The Canadiens now have a much better PK unit because of this move. Think of Betts as the forward version of Gill when it comes to the penalty kill. Except the difference is he is great at faceoff’s and can actually skate. Big difference, actually. This claim also helps them at even strength, giving the Habs their much-needed “bigger” centre. He’s bigger in size, but not big when it comes to his skill. Look at this as a special teams move, that can’t hurt 5 on 5. He’ll probably be gritty in the corners when needed, and for sure in front of the net. This move means that the Habs have cut both Palushaj and Engqvist, finalizing their 23 man roster, with the forward lines looking like this:

Pacioretty-Gomez-Gionta

Cammalleri-Plekanec-Kostitsyn

Darche-Desharnais-Cole

Moen-Betts-Weber

When Eller is healthy, which looks like at most about 2 weeks, it looks as though Weber will be the odd man out, and with Diaz and Yemelin making the team as defensemen, it looks like Weber will spend some time in Hamilton. Woywitka also looks to be cut, having been put on waivers today, the 5^th of October. With Markov still out, the defense looks like this:

Gorges-Campoli

Gill-Subban

Spacek-Diaz/Yemelin

In my opinion, when Markov is healthy, it should be Diaz that sits, as I think the whole team was impressed with Yemelin, and his physical side to the game. He also has a very strong first pass, and Diaz has a more offensive minded game.

The goalies have been set since Day 1, as Budaj looks to backup Price. Price said he is more ready then ever for this season, which looks good for the Canadiens and their fans. Look for the Habs to finish in about the 6^th spot in the East this year.

By Noah Goren

THE HABS - A TEAM WITH HEART

 The Montréal Canadiens might not have the best team in the league on paper. They might not have the best players on paper, with the most goals and assists in the league. What they have is heart and a motivation to win the big prize. Their goal is the Stanley Cup and they will do anything to win it. They have a team of young players who are developing more and more every season. Their veterans are there to help teach the rookies, making the atmosphere in the dressing room a great one. It almost all starts with the dressing room. If the team is getting along together, they will have a good run. If they are fighting and there is drama in the room, it will show on the ice. The boys on this team work together as a unit, not as individuals. Although they haven't had the best preseason, we see rookies who are putting their all on the ice. Some of them will make the team, some will not. By seeing these rookies, we see that if we get injuries (which happens to every team but even more to this one), we don't have to be worried because the relève (don't know the word in English) is there and ready to go. In nets, we are solid with Carey Price and Peter Budaj. Carey Price had an excellent run last season, after an upsetting one in 2010. Some fans have been saying that he is shaky this preseason but if we look at last season, it was the same thing and he ended up having a stellar year. We have a goalie who could easily be a Vezina contender and we have a second goalie who has had many good seasons in the past. If anything were to happen to Carey, we have a veteran goalie who will be ready to play. Up front, we have some depth, especially with new arrival Erik Cole. Our first line should have a great season and we have other players who can make strong lines. If Scott Gomez and Andrei Kostitsyn decide to really give it their all, it will be amazing. Michael Cammalleri is already showing that he is ready for the start of the regular season and Max Pacioretty has shown us that his injury hasn't had an effect on his play. At the blue line, we have far from the best players in the league but we have players who when they work together can make strong pairs. P.K Subban, who although some people say is arrogant, shows confidence in himself and can play the position well, as well as create some offence. With Josh Gorges back, we have some consistency back. Hal Gill may not be the fastest player out there but he is consistence and plays his position well. Yannick Weber can play both up front and back, which is great. The weaker link of our D would be Jaroslav Spacek but he can be paired up with someone in order to make his line stronger.

This team has depth, motivation and heart. This trio makes a teams chances of winning the big prize a lot bigger. This may not be THE year, but be sure to keep an eye on the Habs because their time will come soon. The fans believe. People say that this team doesn't have a chance but that's what they said in 2010 and look where they got to. If every player puts in the effort, they can make it far. We just need to look at the comments said by players during their annual golf tournament to see that this team is ready for the start of the season and wants the Stanley Cup more than anything.

The Montréal Canadiens have the support of their fans (some of them not always) but those ones who are loyal will support them and cheer them on no matter what. We believe.


Joanne Wafer

... And on the First Night of Hanukkah the Florida Panthers Gave to Me...

I think the Florida Panthers are taking this whole stereotype of Jewish people migrating down South to retire a little too far... I mean it's not like droves of Jews are showing up to their games, let alone anyone else. In any case, the Panthers will be celebrating the Jewish festival of goal lights, apparently, next Tuesday in a game against the Colorado Avalanche by giving away, wait for it, wait for it... kippahs!

The first night of Hanukkah was last, so eight candles later would bring us to Wednesday, making it pretty evident that someone in Florida can at least do some basic addition despite the gaping hole in logic that seems to befall the entire organization as a whole. Does anyone there really think that people are going to show up to a Panthers game because they can pick up a kippah, the top of which will be graced with the team's logo? If so, they probably don't realize the true meaning behind the glorified tea cozy (director Guy Ritchie's words, not mine). Jews wear kippahs to remind themselves that God is above them. Having the Panthers logo on top of one kind of sends the wrong message, not because it's as if to say the Panthers are gods (I don't think anyone would think that... EVER), but because it's incredibly cheesy.

Anyway, what's doubly confusing about this whole giveaway is that the Panthers don't exactly have any Jewish players on the team to properly leverage the promotion. A simple google search would reveal just a handful of Jews in the NHL: The Montreal Canadiens' Mike Cammalleri and Jeff Halpern, Chicago Blackhawk Marty Turco, the Minnesota Wild's Eric Nystrom, Vancouver Canuck Tanner Glass (maybe), Toronto Maple Leaf Mike "Not Dustin" Brown, and, of course, the Swedish contingent of Dallas Star Nicklas Grossman, New Jersey Devil Johan Hedberg, and Detroit Red Wing Henrik Zetterberg. Just kidding about those last two, but Grossman is Jewish according to reports. Of course, come to think of it, Cory Stillman might be, along with superheroes Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, etc.

Not that the Panthers should have felt obliged to give away anything for the holidays, but kippahs do beat gelt. The team does admittedly need every gold-covered chocolate cent it can spare, unless this whole gimmick is just its way of reaching out to commissioner Gary Bettman, which would explain a lot. He's been due for retirement for the past 17 years.

Happy Hanukkah and Holidays. Peace.

Habs and Leafs One of Many Marquee Match-ups Tonight as NHL Season Debuts

On season-premiere night in the NHL, fans will get an original six matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens, but the decades of resentment, hatred, and blood spilt between the two teams will take a backseat to several other more interesting, more current storylines.

     For instance: Habs goalie Carey Price has come down with a sudden case of the flu, as if to say: “That’s weird, my allergies to winning usually only flare up in the spring.” Normally, many might take this opportunity to question Price’s integrity and assume he’s feigning sickness out of fear of facing the Leafs, which is ludicrous... no one is afraid of the Leafs. But he may indeed be afraid of something else. Pick your poison:

     1) Afraid of being the Habs’ go-to guy when the only thing he’s proved himself competent of over the past few years is being a whipping boy for fans and media types alike.

     2) Afraid of the mounting pressure of having to carry the weight of an entire hockey-mad city on his back when he’s collapsed under far less dire circumstances, like onto his bed following a long night of partying.  

      

     3) Afraid of eventually losing his job to defenseman Josh Gorges.

Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs, fresh off stripping blue-liner Tomas Kaberle of his alternate captaincy, continue to force themselves into mitigating their apparent organization-wide lack of class and self-made public-relations disasters. It’s not that Francois Beauchemin and Mike Komisarek don’t make fine alternate captains. It’s that Kaberle has been one since before the lockout, he’s the longest-serving Leaf, and he deserves some kind of acknowledgement for having to put up with head coach Ron Wilson and his delusional paranoia year-in, year-out. The media isn’t out to get you, Mr. Wilson. You do that well enough on your own.

This will no doubt be Kaberle’s last season as a Leaf – this latest incident likely won’t turn him around into thinking that he’s actually valued by the organization, that is if the 100 or so attempts to trade him over the past few years weren’t enough of a hint. Still, the Leafs shouldn’t be doing their best players foul like this. Not only is it a huge sign of disrespect, but it sends a bad message to free agents in the future. The only good thing to come out of this would be a general lack of stars getting in line to sign no-trade clauses with Toronto, but only as a side-effect of a general lack of stars getting in line to sign with Toronto in the first place.

Kaberle may say publicly that having an “A” on a jersey doesn’t matter and that’s true, only if you’ve never been handed one and then stripped of it. Wilson may also say that Kaberle is the next one in line should any of the other three leaders on the team go down with injury, which will no doubt happen sooner or later with Komisarek leading the charge. If he steers clear of the Boston Bruins’ Milan Lucic, his shoulder should at least be alright though... now that’s just leading by example. However, in such a scenario it’s some consolation prize for a player that has stuck with the Leafs through thick and thin over his entire 11-year career.

Finally, there’s the fact that the Habs top scorer in Mike Cammalleri will be missing the season opener in his hometown of Toronto, after being served with a one-game suspension for his slash on the New York Islanders’ Nino Niederreiter, taking exception to the fact that he was arguably blindsided by the rookie in an exhibition game. Unfortunately for Leafs fans, it’s hardly the same as Phil Kessel missing a game. As great as he is, Cammalleri doesn’t really account for 60% of his team’s scoring.

As a result, look for the game to be close, but for the Habs to eek this one out in a shootout. After all, even though reports have surfaced that Price will get the start, he might relapse giving Alex Auld the chance in nets.

"Why are you hugging me? O'Byrne's the one who scored."

Puck drop is at 7 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Meanwhile, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers square off at the same time. The Chicago Blackhawks take on the Colorado Avalanche at 10 p.m., with the Calgary Flames and the Edmonton Oilers renewing the Battle of Alberta at 10 p.m. as well. The action has already kicked off with the Carolina Hurricanes taking on the Minnesota Wild in a matinee.