Habs For Breakfast - The Script Remains The Same

The experiment of tossing Jaroslav Halak between the pipes did not work as Guy Carbonneau had planned, just as I figured it wouldn't.

While goaltending has been a concern, the Canadiens biggest issue has been it's inability to convert on it's numerous scoring chances. There wouldn't have been much Halak could have done to rectify that.

This game played out like the three before it.

In this series, we have yet to witness how the Canadiens, the defense and goaltender, would play if given a lead to support.

I'm hearing a lot of old clichés abounding the thoughts that it isn't always the team who plays best that wins or that it isn't even always the best team that wins.

Both are empty consolations.

The Canadiens can take something from the fact that they are doing many things well so far if that adds up to anything. They can build on that on continue to forge ahead believing that something's got to give sooner or later.

The veteran's on the team will surely recall to the younger players that coming back to win three straight is doable. In very similar circumstances, the 2004 Habs did it to Bruins. This time the Canadiens are the top seed and not the eighth. Like Biron, Andrew Raycroft was then playing over his head until the Habs solved him.

Do the players believe it can happen again.

They'd better.

Habs on brink of elimination - Gazette

"Sooner or later, if time doesn't run out on the Cinderella Canadiens, this team will learn what it's like to play with a lead. It's entirely possible, however, that midnight will strike first." - Dave Stubbs

Habs behind eight ball - Gazette

"There has been a lot of whining in this city about the penalties that have been called against the hometown Flyers and those that haven't been called against the Canadiens. But there were no complaints from the Flyers last night as they took advantage of an unnecessary penalty by Steve Bégin late in the third period and scored on the ensuing power play to snap a 2-2 tie." - Pat Hickey



















Going with Halak was a gutsy decision, but it didn't stem Flyers' tide - Gazette

"Canadiens goaltender Carey Price was talking about being pulled from Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal and said sometimes it's good to look at the game from the bench. Price got a longer look last night as head coach Guy Carbonneau played the wild card and decided to start Jaroslav Halak in Game 4." - Pat Hickey

Carbonneau rolls the dice in goal - Globe Sports

"Montreal Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau went far more with his gut than with his brain when he elected to go with an untried 22-year-old sophomore in goal rather than the team's 20-year-old rookie sensation. "It's my decision," Carbonneau said, "because I'm the one who's going to get blamed." - Roy MacGregor

Biron, Brière baffle Habs - Globe Sports

"The Montreal Canadiens can crow all they want about how the final scores have not been indicative of how well they have played against the Philadelphia Flyers. But they can't conceal the reason they suffered a 4-2 loss last night: mistakes at inopportune times." - Tim Wharnsby

Reasons To Believe - Lions In Winter

"Saku Koivu: The best pressure player I have ever seen on any team I support. In the past 4 NHL seasons, he has played in 6 elimination games. In those 6 games, he has 2 goals and 9 assists, and has been the star of most as well. That's even without considering his victories over terrible injuries and illness. Can he play better? We may find it hard to conceive how he might, but he will – it's what he does." - Topham

Bleeding Red White And Blue - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"The Canadiens have tried...boy, have they tried! We can pick their play apart all we want, but the fact remains, they've outshot and outhit the Flyers in every game. They've had chance after chance and hit post after post when Biron wasn't robbing them blind. Sure, they could get more bodies in front of Biron...but we know our team isn't that kind of team. They don't have the personel to change styles just like that. They're a speed, finesse team. It's how they're built and how they thrived all season long." - J.T.

Sounds Like A Country Song: The Dog Got Run Over By A Pickup Truck, I Gotta Pay Money To The Man, And The Philadelphia Flyers Beat The Habs - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Montreal’s scoring slump has happened, inexplicably, in the playoffs, and there’s no time to work it out. It has to be now. Not next week. They’ve dug a deep hole, and there’s been only periodic flashes of fire and getting their noses dirty during this second round against the Flyers."

Le CH doit continuer d'y croire - RDS

"Ce serait plus difficile à vendre si on perdait 3-1 et qu'on jouait mal", a noté Guy Cabonneau. "La situation est frustrante, a continué l'entraîneur. On vient de subir trois défaites, mais je ne peux pas m'asseoir avec mes adjoints pour voir ce qu'on pourrait changer comme stratégies.

Halak: "Je voulais bien faire" - La Presse

"Il me l'a annoncé ce matin. Je voulais bien faire et pour être certain de ne pas être victime de trop de pression, j'ai abordé ce match comme n'importe quel autre de la saison régulière. Exception faite du premier but, je crois que j'ai disputé un bon match, mais ce but m'a vraiment déplu." - François Gagnon

Carbonneau pense que les officiels ont été influencés - Le Journal

"Guy Carbonneau a éprouvé toutes les misères du monde à se retenir quand on lui a demandé son opinion au sujet de la pénalité coûteuse écopée par Steve Bégin après la remontée des siens en troisième période, hier soir." - Marc De Foy

"J'étais aussi emballé qu'étonné": Jaroslav Halak - Le Journal

"Halak reconnaissait avoir été faible sur le premier but des Flyers, inscrit par R.J. Umberger, qui l'a déjoué avec un tir du côté rapproché durant une supériorité numérique des siens."

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal
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Habs For Breakfast - A Game Of Deja Vu

No short, snappy intro to today's links. It began and turning into a whole other post, which you will be reading shortly.

Team's character faces biggest test this season - Gazette

"His skills and confidence haven't gone anywhere," Koivu said of Price, who watched the third period from the bench and might still now be soaking his head in the shower."You don't lose those things overnight." - Dave Stubbs

Too little too late - Gazette

"When you outshoot them 34-14, you've got to win the game," Higgins continued. "It was a tough game for Pricey and he didn't really get a whole lot of shots on net, but on the other end you don't know how much longer it's going to go with the chances we've had." - Pat Hickey

Price or Halak? Carbonneau faces goalie decision for tomorrow night - Gazette

"Does he stick with rookie goaltender Carey Price, who has struggled in the first three games of the series and was pulled last night after giving up three goals on the first 11 shots he faced? Or does he gamble and go with Jaroslav Halak, who made his first appearance since March 29 in a relief role last night?" - Pat Hickey

He was the face of the Flyers - Gazette

"At least I didn't lose the team. That has been my life, being part of being a team. If I would have been cut off ... like what (former Canadiens president) Ronald Corey did to (former GM) Serge Savard ... he should be shot for." - Herb Zurkowsky

Price is wrong - Globe Sports

"It's going to be a long series," Carbonneau said. "If we keep putting 30 shots on goal and hold them to 14, we're going to win." - Tim Wharnsby























Phildelphia Steals Game Three - Dennis Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"The Habs were ineffective during an early-game two man advantage. They held a big edge in play in the first period. They hit three posts. Carey Price, looking shaky, was replaced by Jaroslav Halak in the third, and the team responded by outshooting Philly 16-2. But it wasn’t enough, losing in the end 3-2, and the team is now down two games to one. They need game four so badly, there’d better be focus, concentration, commitment, no late-night dinners, no over-doing the beer or wine, and a good, reasonable curfew these next two nights." - Dennis Kane

Price Shakey As Habs let Gimme Slip Away - Lions In Winter

"With about 15 minutes to go in the game Halak made what turned out to be a very key stop. It was the only time that the Flyers, in my opinion, had a legitimate scoring chance all night. The puck was fed from Halak's left to his right, just outside of the crease. Patrick Thoresen was the player who seemed to have a certain goal, but Jaro got across with a great right-pad save. It kept the game at 0-3 which at the time may have seemed like a moot point, but as it turned out gave the Habs a serious shot of getting back into this one." - Tobalev

Price n'est pas le seul à blâmer - RDS

"On ne doit pas oublier qu'il n'est âgé que de 20 ans et qu'on lui demande d'être le sauveur de l'équipe, a affirmé l'entraîneur du Canadien, après avoir avoué que le gardien recrue est ébranlé." - Guy Carbonneau

Un air de déjà vu... - RDS

"Même s’il a semblé ébranlé à la suite des deux filets qu’il a concédés en l’espace de 72 secondes, le gardien des Flyers Martin Biron a été brillant par la suite en étouffant toutes les tentatives des attaquants des Glorieux. Le cerbère québécois a réalisé un grand total de 32 arrêts – dont 15 lors de l’engagement final."















Koivu: "Nous faisons face à un gros test" - La Presse

"Car si on peut imputer une large part du blâme sur la piètre performance de Carey Price, ses coéquipiers n'ont pas le droit de s'en tirer aussi facilement. Pourquoi? Parce que si le Canadien a perdu, hier, c'est aussi parce qu'il a été incapable de profiter des occasions qui se sont offertes à lui." - François Gagnon

Brière: "On gagne avec du caractère" - La Presse

"Les Flyers ont en effet passé près de 12 minutes en infériorité numérique. Ils ont esquivé avec succès un désavantage de deux hommes durant deux pleines minutes, mais ont donné au Canadien ses deux buts pendant la punition de cinq minutes infligée à Derian Hatcher. "Le secret de notre force en désavantage numérique? C'est Marty! C'est ça la recette", a lancé Umberger, qui a lui-même effectué du travail colossal en infériorité en plus de marquer un autre but. - Marc Antoine Godin

"Habituellement, un club gagne quand il n'accorde que 14 tirs...": Chris Higgins - Le Journal

"L'attaque massive du Canadien a finalement produit deux buts en troisième période pendant que Derian Hatcher purgeait une pénalité majeure pour avoir dangereusement mis en échec Francis Bouillon contre la rampe." - Pierre Durocher

"On perd et on gagne en équipe" - Le Journal

"Les coéquipiers de Carey Price se rangeaient dans son coin après sa contre-performance contre les Flyers, hier soir. Le contraire aurait été étonnant. Il ne fallait pas s'attendre à voir un joueur le montrer du doigt, quoique Price ne s'était pas gêné pour lancer une flèche à ses coéquipiers après le match de samedi dernier." - Marc De Foy

"Guillaume mérite d'être là": Guy Carbonneau - Le Journal

"Je recherche un meilleur équilibre dans nos lignes d'attaque, a poursuivi Carbonneau. Smolinski et Kostopoulos jouent avec beaucoup de confiance présentement et cela facilitera l'arrivée d'un jeune comme Latendresse, qui a hâte de jouer."
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Habs For Breakfast - A Wild Way To Start Things Off

Man is this series is going to live up to it's billing! Talk about drama and turning points.

Game 1 was one of those games that just had it all, from swift shifts in the games pace to spectacular goals and controversial calls. Lots of very strange goals too.

Everyone is talking about the Kovalev bat in goal like it was a blown call - it wasn't from what I saw. This didn't get much mention, but the trajectory of the puck after Kovalev swung at it, went straight into the net as if along a flat line, parallel to the ice. Kind of hard to do if he were to have made contact above the cross bar,isn't it?

I've searched for clips of the goal to find the one aired briefly and showed it in slow motion but I could not find it. I'd just like to see it over again once more.

The Flyers third goal by Joffrey Lupul's goal bothered me a good bit, as it stood to be the game winner for much of the third period. It was reviewed as well and to me, you could see a clear motion with his leg when the puck hit. Lupul didn't kick it in. With his skate firmly planted in the ice, you could see a motion between his knee and ankle that pushes the puck toward the goal. In other words, he used his shin to direct it. It was obvious.

But, with calls like that, you win some and you lose some.

What strikes me really funny with all this is the perception that the Flyers let one get away and Montreal again were the lesser team on the ice. What a load!

The Habs never quit in this one. The Flyers for their part, scored only one goal with their sticks proper. If they are counting on breaks such as this to give them a pair of goals and keep them in each game, they are in for a short series.

And they are!

No Quit Habs Win In Overtime - Gazette

"T.K. continues to show the soft hands of a scorer - he's got three in his first-ever playoffs - and the hard body of a banger who's only too happy to play the physical game. "But as exciting as it is, we don't want to get ahead of ourselves," Kostopoulos added. He said he'd flip through the channels when he got home in the hope of seeing his winning goal. " - Dave Stubbs

Them's The Breaks: Carter, Richard - Gazette

"For the record, Jeff Carter uses a Bauer composite hockey stick. And, just so you know, he has no plans on changing brands. Carter, a Philadelphia centre, was beaten by Saku Koivu on a faceoff late in the third period last night. Almost immediately, Carter's stick broke, deeming him virtually moot on the play. Alex Kovalev jumped on the loose puck and beat goaltender Martin Biron with a laser high to the glove side. Only 28.6 seconds remained in regulation time and the score was now tied, 3-3." - Herb Zurkowsky

Canadiens OT Win Anything But Easy - Gazette

"The better team in the standings won this opener, but not the better team on the ice last night. A chap named Saku Koivu, who set up the tying goal that sent the game into overtime, rolled his eyes when he was asked about it in the team's gymnasium. "Too close," he muttered, "too close. But you know ... emotion plays a big part in this. You're coming off a tough series with Boston ... you're going through emotional highs and then it's gone. I know we've got to play better than we did tonight, but when that emotion falls off the table, it's pretty hard to get it back right away. I guess we had it at the end," he said. " - Red Fisher

Granny With Cancer Set For Game - Gazette

"Habs captain Saku Koivu, a cancer survivor, arranged for three tickets for Sousa's family after he heard about her wish. Saku's wife normally has two tickets reserved for herself and a guest, said Sousa's grandson, Bryan Frois. But Thursday the family found out Koivu had arranged for a third ticket to Game 2 of the semifinal playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers."


















All The makings Of A Dream Series - Globe Sports

Whose dream is this, anyway? Pick a number. Start with the obvious, No. 31 in the Montreal goal, a 20-year-old rookie sensation from Vancouver who has the Zamboni resurface his veins between periods. Carey Price has taken the Montreal Canadiens into the second round in his pursuit of repeating what another untried youngster managed 37 years ago, when Ken Dryden came out of nowhere to steal a Stanley Cup." - Roy MacGregor

Habs Steal A Stunner - Globe Sports

"It was a weird game," said Kostopoulos, who, for the second series-opener in a row, played the role of hero. He had a goal and an assist in the first-round curtain-raiser against the Boston Bruins, and added his first career NHL playoff overtime goal last night." - Tim Wharnsby

Flyers Lose To Montreal in OT - Philadelphia Inquirer

"A lengthy review upheld the goal. The key language in Rule 80.4 on disallowed goals is "where the puck made contact with the stick." In this case, the contact was above the crossbar. The goal should not have counted." - Tim Panaccio

Canadiens Beat Flyers In Overtime To Take 1-0 Series Lead - TSN

''Hard work by my linemates created the turnover and Markov made a good play to get the puck on net,'' added Kostopoulos, who is in the playoffs for the first time in his six-year NHL career. ''Biron made a good save on the first shot and I was lucky to get the rebound.''

Flyers Lose To Montreal in OT - Philadelphia Inquirer

"A lengthy review upheld the goal. The key language in Rule 80.4 on disallowed goals is "where the puck made contact with the stick." In this case, the contact was above the crossbar. The goal should not have counted." - Tim Panaccio

Late Comeback Gives Habs Early Series Lead - Lions In Winter

"His situational awareness is something else. Alex scored PP and a SH goals tonight, both of which were such good, heads-up plays. He looked much more active tonight than he did for most of the Bruins series as he no longer had the big Zdeno Chara keeping a watch on him. He basically did what we needed him to do tonight - score exactly when we needed. He tied the game up twice with two very good goals proving that he always knows exactly where the puck, the net and the chances lie. Not many people would have scored the goals he did tonight; he is the main reason we are now not trailing this series by one." - Tobalev

You Want Drama In Your Life? Just Follow The Habs You'll Get Lots - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Two games were played tonight. The one Bob Cole saw, which was Philadelphia all over Montreal most of the game. And the one the rest of us saw, which was a couple of posts hit by Montreal, a penalty shot, a shorthanded goal by Kovalev, a couple of comebacks, overtime, a dramatic goal by ultimate warrior Tom Kostopoulos, and a pretty tip-in by Patrice Brisebois, which was, unfortunately, into his own net." - Dennis Cole

Go Greek Lightning - Four Habs Fans

"Turtleplek fires a shot on Biron while penalty killing, which is deflected up. Kovy, following the play, swipes it out of the air and the refs call a goal. Replays show Montreal fans inconclusive results, which I'm pretty sure at least some Flyers fans felt was a high stick (good thing they don't riot over these types of things in Philly). Well, too bad - the Habs have suffered from enough bad replay calls (I still can't let that early-season game against the Pens go), so it's nice to catch a break." - Panger76

"Difficile d'entrer dans leur zone" - RDS

"C'était un premier match, on ne savait pas trop à quoi s'attendre de leur part. Ils ont très bien joué. Il n'y avait pas beaucoup d'espace sur la glace. Ils ont tenté de me déconcentrer en me frappant pendant tout le match. On va devoir apporter des ajustements à notre jeu afin d'être meilleurs." - Alex Kovalev

La série sera courte - RDS

"La brigade défensive des Flyers est plutôt vieillissante. Les Derian Hatcher et Jason Smith sont des grands guerriers mais leurs meilleurs jours comme joueurs sont derrière eux. Outre Braydon Coburn et Kimmo Timonen, la ligne bleue des Flyers est relativement lente. Le Canadien devra l'exploiter avec sa vitesse.' - Bob Hartley

Kovalev, comme un chef - La Presse

"Son entraîneur l'a employé durant neuf minutes en troisième période et il a terminé le match avec plus de temps de jeu que n'importe lequel de ses coéquipiers (23:10). "Il était bien reposé, ça faisait deux jours qu'il ne pratiquait pas!" a lancé Guy Carbonneau en boutade. - Marc Antoine Godin

Quelle victoire bizarre du Canadien - La Presse

"D’entrée de jeu, Carbo jette dans la mêlée son trio de gros travailleurs : Smolinski, Begin et Kostopoulos. Les Flyers tentent de dégager leur territoire mais Markov s’interpose et lance en direction de Biron. Qui bloque mais accorde un retour. Kostopoulos s’empare de la rondelle et lance à nouveau. Biron bloque et accorde un autre retour. Kostopoulos récidive et loge cette fois la rondelle derrière le gardien des Flyers après seulement 48 secondes de jeu.Ouf !" - Michel Blanchard

"Kostopoulos va s'en rappeler": Guy Carbonneau - Le Journal

"Il est le genre de joueur qui ne reçoit pas souvent des accolades parce qu'il joue dans l'ombre, mais Tom travaille fort à chaque rencontre, a souligné Carbo. Il bloque plusieurs tirs et il joue très bien en infériorité numérique." - Pierre Durocher

"On a trouvé une façon de gagner": Alex Kovalev - Le Journal

"Saku y est allé d'un deuxième effort pour remporter la mise en jeu devant Carter, a expliqué l'attaquant russe. Sur le coup, je croyais que Saku venait de perdre la rondelle. Personne ne savait trop où elle était jusqu'à ce qu'elle se retrouve sur mon bâton." - Pierre Durocher

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal


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Was Habs KO Win Over Flyers A Ghostly Voodoo Thing?

I like the insinuation the letters K and O have - Knock Out - as in knockout punch!

What follows here, is just some simple fun with letters, numbers, and coincidence, which may or may not mean a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. I guess that is for readers to decide.

Here's a little segueway into why things that weird me out are captivating my attention lately.

Truthfully, I don't put a whole lot of stock or faith into such things as karma and luck. Things happen by coincidence and I figure that's it and that's all when it comes to those weirdities. Like 15 years ago when I found a rusted horseshoe and nailed it to my shed door and won big money in different forms for three straight days.

Coincidence.

Like my father in law asking me to pick him up after he has dropped his car off at a garage just two days ago for only the third time since I married his daughter 16 years ago, and along the way getting a traffic violation ticket each time.

Coincidence.

Like yesterday, when I rose from the throne thinking about a friend I hadn't seen in months and walking downstairs only to see him walking up the front steps to my house.

Coincidence.

Faith healers are money grabbers. Fortune tellers are transparent flakes. Snake oil is the sister of greed is the mother of invention is the root of all evil.

In short, I don't buy anything I cannot logically understand. But like many people, I allow the questions regarding coincidence to captivate me once in a while.














Now back to last night's game.

The Canadiens have six players whose surnames begin with K and O, Komisarek, Kovalev, Koivu, Kostopoulos, and the Kostitsyn brothers.

The KO's dominanted the entirety of the scoresheet in the win over the Flyers from start to finish.

So I get to thinking...

After the Flyers were up 2 zip, the Habs Andrei KO misses on a penalty shot, but redeems himself by scoring the Canadiens first goal, assisted by Sergei KO.

Sergei KO then takes a penalty, followed by Mike KO, and while he was in the box, Alex KO tied the game, assisted by Tomas Plekanec, whose name doesn't start with, but whose full name includes, the letters K and O.

With a little less than 2 minutes to go in the second period, Mike KO visits the sin bin once more, and the Flyers scored the go ahead goal early in the third at the 19 second mark.

Alex KO tied the game up with 29 seconds left, assisted by Saku KO.

Meanwhile, I'm noticing all of these KO's while checking NHL.com between periods for goals and assists because I'm in a hockey pool (which also includes the letters K and O), and I see that there is still one KO to go.

So me thinks that "wouldn't it be cool if, in overtime...."

BIngo!

Tommy KO!















I always have fun with things like this but it's usually to do with numbers.

Things like the KO brothers, Sergei and Andrei scoring the first two goals of the Bruins series 2:02 into game 1, and the bookending the series by each scoring in the final 2:02 of game 7.

That's kinda deja voodoo weird when you thing about it!

It gets stranger!

The goal scorers for the Canadiens in game 1 against Boston were Sergei KO, Andrei KO, Tommy KO, and Bryan SmOlinsKi. Three other types of KO's figured in on the assists, and Mike KO had 2 penalties in that game as well, with the other going to Andrei MarKOv.

In game 7 against the Bruins, other than the KO brothers scoring - 2 for Andrei KO, 1 for Sergei KO - things got started with a rare goal by Mike KO.

I'm not sure if there is a word for the coincidence of letters turning up timely and appropriately - maybe it's synchroalphabeticism or something - but it can't be any weirder than all that numerology stuff.






















Last night, the Canadiens scored their first two goals at the 9 and 16 minute marks of the the second period. Not exactly on :00 minute mark, but I digress.

9 and 16 are the numbers belonging to the great Richard brothers, hung high in the rafters of the Bell Centre. So you could believe that a theme has presented itself - scoring goals in the number minute's of retired jersey numbers.

The Flyers scored their third period go ahead goal, that should never have counted to start with, at the 19 second mark. Now 19 is Larry Robinson's number, which of course hangs alongside the Richards numbers up by that hallowed ceiling under which the Flyers are about to be doomed.

Larry Robinson scored his first career playoff goal, and I believe only overtime goal against the Flyers in 1973.

Late in the 3rd period, with Carey Price, who wears number 31, sitting on the bench, the Canadiens even the score.

Alex KO from Saku KO.

Time of the goal - 19:31! Robinson's number and Carey Price's number.

Seconds left in the game? 29, Ken Dryden's number.

Last two numbers hung to the rafters prior to current GM Bob Gainey's 23. Robinson's and Dryden's.

And some say the ghosts haven't moved from the Forum to the Bell!

Tommy KO's OT goal came at a brisk 48 seconds into overtime.

Now who just happened to wear that jersey number in this game. Well, none other than the Flyers Daniel Briere, who shunned the Habs off season free agent offer to him because he felt Philly were a stronger team.

Flyers score 19 seconds into the 3rd, Habs evenit with 29 ticks to go. Add 19 and 29!

What is it they sometimes say payback is?

Now I have mentioned Dryden and Price's jersey numbers in all this weirdness, but not Patrick Roy's.

Price has been compared to both these Hall Of Fame netminders, an almost unfair burden considering the expectations heaped upon him.

Carey Price could have been handed any goalie type number, such as 30 or 35, but he accepted the 31 he was handed at first training camp two seasons ago.

The odd thing is, if you add the numbers of Dryden, Roy, and Price ( 29+33+31 ) the sum equals the last year, 93, that the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup.

That's enough weird for me in one day.
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Habs For Breakfast - Calling Habs In Five!

Maybe after 19 years, the Flyers will finally shake hands with the Canadiens?

In 1989, the last time these two teams met, the six game series that the Canadiens won ended without handshakes due to a game ending melee brought on by by Ron Hextall's mugging of Chris Chelios.

I'm not expecting anything different this time from the Flyers, whose game plans rarely include beating opponents by simply playing hockey.

Philadelphia can throw all the heat and physical beating they wish to at Montreal, it won't work.
It never has. It never will. It won't this time.

While the Flyers do have a decent offense, they have a slow footed defense, and a goalie who can only rise to it every second game.

What I'm saying here is, Habs in five, without a shred of overconfidence.

I don't even think I'm going out on a limb.

I've been wrong before, but I'm less worried by the Flyers than I was of a Bruins team the Habs ate all year long.

Canadiens Vow They Won't Repeat Mistake By Taking Flyers Lightly - CP

"It was only four games and they were so spread out," Higgins said Wednesday as the Canadiens returned to practice after a day off. "We might have just caught them at difficult stages of the season. They're a good team and they have good forwards. And with what happened the last series, I don't think we'll take anyone lightly from now on."

Habs Dominated Flyers During Regular Season - Globe Sports

"The Flyers not only lost all four regular-season meetings to the Canadiens, by a combined score of 15-6, but also Brière was abused by the Montreal faithful at the Bell Centre because he spurned a lucrative free-agent deal to sign with the Habs last summer. Brière had one measly assist in his two games in Montreal and only one more helper in the two defeats to the Canadiens in Philadelphia." - Tim Wharnsby























Price Ready For Traffic - Sun Media

"The traffic is just a logjam in front of the net. That's the way goals are going to be scored in the later rounds. There's going to be a lot of pushing and shoving and garbage around the net. It's not my job to be pushing guys around in front of the net. I don't concern myself at all. It doesn't bother me one bit." - Chris Stevenson

Demers: "Great Playoff Goalies Make Coaches Look Great" - USA Today

"Just look at Monday's Game 7 of the Montreal Canadiens-Boston Bruins series. The Bruins came out and bombarded 20-year-old Carey Price left, right and center and he just made the big saves and shut the door. Then the Canadiens got a break and boom, they're on their way to a win." - Jacques Demers

Flyer's Briere Replaces Chara As Public Enemy Number 1 - Gazette

"There's a very good reason for Canadiens fans to loathe Daniel Brière - and it's not because he spurned Montreal's courtship last July and signed an eight-year, $52-million contract with the Philadelphia Flyers. It's because Brière blithely flipped the final puck used during Carey Price's first NHL shutout into the Bell Centre stands on Feb. 16. Even for a non-collector like Price, the vulcanized souvenir from this milestone is a keeper. And even if Brière didn't realize the significance of the Canadien rookie's 34-save effort that night, he did a very bad thing." - ave Stubbs

Being Only Canadian Team Left In Playoffs Great Motivation For Habs - Gazette

"What the Canadiens also have going for them is that following the elimination of the Calgary Flames, they're the only Canadian team still alive chasing the Stanley Cup. Know something? It's easy to imagine Carbo (when does this guy get his contract extension?) using that fact as a rallying cry for his team." - Red Fisher

Pulling Your Leg - Gazette

"Carey Price was the last player to face the media after practice Wednesday, but the rookie goaltender had a good excuse. "I was getting treatment on my broken leg," Price explained with a smile. "But it's okay, it's just a hairline (fracture)." - Pat Hickey


















Get Your Hate On - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"I'm not a Daniel Briere fan, and I didn't want Gainey to sign him in Montreal for outrageous sums of money. In fact, I was very worried that the offer was on the table and very relieved when he went to Philly instead. I think that worked out just fine for Montreal, which finished in a better position than the Flyers and still has that money in the bank as well. However, I hate that Briere said he chose Philly because he had a better chance of winning with them. Come on...there is such a thing as diplomacy." - J.T.

Universal Inspiration - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"Remember when you were a kid, and you thought you could really influence whether the Habs won or not? If you wore your special sweater for every game without exception or wished on your birthday candles, the Habs would do well. And everything reminded you of them." - J.T.

Bring On The Broad Street Broads - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Daniel Briere didn’t want the pressure that goes with being a Montreal Canadien, so he signed with the Philadelphia Flyers instead. This young French Canadian star would have been a huge hero in Quebec. He would have been a star in the kingdome of hockey, Montreal. If he had a great seven years or so with the Habs, he’d be treated as royalty there for the rest of his life." - Dennis Kane

Le CH prêt à jouer robuste - RDS

"La saison régulière ne veut plus rien dire, a rappelé Saku Koivu. Les équipes sont bien différentes en séries. Le niveau d'intensité est plus élevé. On l'a bien vu dans la série Washington-Philadelphie." Le capitaine est convaincu que les Flyers aborderont la série dans le même état d'esprit. "On connait tous leur style. Ils sont robustes et ils terminent leurs mises en échec. On sait très bien à quoi s'attendre. Mais on sera prêts", a-t-il promis."

Gros Défi Pour Les Flyers - RDS

"J'ai joué quelques fois contre les frères Kostitsyn et ils sont très habiles, a dit Carter. Ils contrôlent très bien la rondelle et ils savent quoi faire avec. Ils tournent, tournent et essaient de fabriquer des jeux. Nous devrons les suivre de près et leur enlever le plus d'espace possible. La série contre les Capitals a été un grand défi pour moi et ça va m'aider pour les prochaines séries."



















Biron: "J'ai vraiment hâte!" - La Presse

"Hier soir, en revenant de Washington, des partisans nous attendaient à la gare. Ils fêtaient notre victoire comme j'allais fêter les retours des Nordiques à l'aéroport après les victoires contre le Canadien." - François Gagnon

Brière: "J'espère qu'ils me hueront" - La Presse

"Ça n'a rien à voir. J'ai croisé le Canadien alors que je me trouvais au milieu d'un gros creux de vague. Un creux de deux mois au cours duquel je jouais du mauvais hockey. Je suis le premier à l'admettre quand je ne joue pas bien. Cette période particulièrement difficile a coïncidé avec deux ou trois matchs contre Montréal." - François Gagnon

Brière: la vraie histoire - La Presse

"Que s'est-il passé pendant cette demi-heure où tout a basculé? Mon confrère Mathias Brunet a soutenu que c'était une ultime demande de Brière de jouer comme premier centre de l'équipe qui avait fait changer sa décision en faveur de Philadelphie. Affirmation qui a fait bondir Pierre Boivin à l'époque et provoqué une véritable tempête dans l'organisation et dans les médias." - Réjean Tremblay

"Plus dur que contre les Capitals" - Le Journal

"Ce ne sera pas facile, a concédé Brière. Par contre, nous sommes sur une lancée et en confiance. Quand on gagne un septième match (3 à 2, lundi) en prolongation, tout le monde est excité. On espère que cette poussée d'adrénaline va nous permettre de passer au travers de ce premier match." - François Foisy

"Le jeu sera encore plus rude": Komisarek - Le Journal

"Il sera important d'être bien positionnés en zone défensive pour contrer les efforts de leurs attaquants, a-t-il ajouté. Il faudra leur compliquer la tâche, tout en évitant de se retrouver au banc des pénalités. Il sera important aussi de s'assurer que Carey (Price) puisse bien voir bien les rondelles." - Pierre Durocher

Retrouvailles 19 ans plus tard - Le Journal

"Ça fait 19 ans que le Canadien et les Flyers ne se sont pas retrouvés dans les séries éliminatoires. En 1989, Guy Carbonneau avait aidé le Tricolore à battre les Flyers en six matchs. Le jeu avait été très rude et la série s'était terminée par une mêlée générale." - Pierre Durocher

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal.
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Habs Past First Test Of Playoffs 101

With their backs to the wall, and bolstered by a strong sense of urgency, the Canadiens gathered all the elements of their A game and finally disposed of a relentless Boston Bruins team with a telling 5 - 0 blanking of their longtime division rivals.

Kudo's to the Bruins for making the series into something few imagined it would be - close.



It should be a good while before anyone, Canadiens players included, takes them lightly again.

Montreal are a young team that has made a giant leap within the span of one season. Going from a perceived post season afterthought to a conference champion in seven quick months is an achievement that brought with it certain levels of doubt as to their playoff toughness.

"Yes, these kids are good, young and talented", many seemed to think, "but can they handle the grind?"

The Canadiens seemed to answer the playoff bell just as they had tackled the regular season's final string of games - with confidence and a seeming air of ease. They quickly jumped out to a two games to none lead over the Bruins, and some players might have been guilty of believing the series would be a short one.

While the high flying Habs were cruising the freeway on the Drive to 25, they failed to check the rear view mirror. Taking up the blind spot, and closer than they appeared, were a Bruins team that was beginning to learn what it takes to beat the Canadiens.

After gaining inches on the Habs, the Bruins started taking bigger chunks, and by the sixth game appeared to have wrestled the momentum of the series away from the Canadiens by winning 3 of 4 games.

Montreal, who had beaten Boston thirteen times in succession, had to relearn what it took to vanquish a much better Bruins team, one armed with newfound confidence and poised with a never before seen killer instinct.

Along the way, adversity in the form of a missing captain, a bruised defense, and a power play gone AWOL offered challenges that the team would need to overcome.

A Game 7 stage was set, in which the questions regarding what these Canadiens were truly made of, would be answered.



















Were they too inexperienced or too young to handle the pressure a long series had brought on?

Were they too much of a skilled team, too soft, as opposed to a group of hardened warriors, and perhaps incapable of outlasting a tougher team?

Would they rely too much on goaltender Carey Price, and in turn how often could Price be relied upon at 20 years old?

Were the Canadiens being outcoached?

Were the Canadiens players guilty of lacking focus?

In varying degrees, the answers brought on by a conclusive Game 7 win were resounding. In a contest in which the boys in bleu, blanc, rouge, outshot, outhustled, outhit, and blanked the Bruins when everything was on the line, many doubts were erased for the time being.

Evidently, this team brings it when it matters most.

Yes, their focus during the series did seem to stray. As the Canadiens have many younger elements, isn't it only natural that they learn as they go?

Guy Carbonneau was outcoached for a stretch during the round, but did make the proper adjustments in the final count. In truth, credit should be spread to both coaches for an entertaining series. As followers of the series were in fact quite surprised by the resillience and potency of a Bruins team that hadn't shown such teeth all season, so was Carbonneau. He also learned as he went along, and with experience and a deeper knowledge of what his team is capable of, he will learn to adjust sooner to changing paces.

By games 5 and 6, the Canadiens had begun to rely too much on Price, to the extent where they took his performance for granted. Left to themselves, goalies rarely win games, and Price is no exception. He can be counted upon under extreme pressure, as he's proven before, but he cannot do it alone.
















The Canadiens are a skilled group, and can also be a battling and gritty team at times. They needed both these aspects to win this series and these elements overlap in certain players more than others. The Canadiens are better off when players stick to doing what they do best. The grinders are never asked to become skillfull dazzlers, and the offensive players shouldn't be compromising their speed and playmaking abilities in order to settle into a trap.

What is asked of the skilled set is to skate hard at all times, finish checks consistently, go to the net with conviction, and be responsible with the puck. That they did not do all of this on a constant basis throughout seven games shouldn't qualify them as soft. Experience will teach these players that they cannot get away with the same type of freelancing that works in the regular season.

No doubt about it, certain Canadiens players are inexperienced and young in terms of NHL years. But more and more, it is becoming a younger man's game, and they need to be allowed room for error in order to understand how to succeed. The pressure that comes with the playoffs is the reason they play the game. For certain young Canadiens players, the high stakes just makes for more fun, and their fearless immaturity only serves to keep them loose at a time when that might just be what they need most.

Over the course of the series, there was the opinion that for this team on the rise, some hard lessons would be good for them. Anything coming too easily would not add to their experience and prepare them for what comes next.

They can now all claim to have bonded together to find within them what it has taken to win a seventh game. Some players wait for years to reap from that opportunity. The Canadiens can also take comfort in knowning that they have what it takes to wrestle the momentum of a series back in their favor when pressed for results.















There is a silver lining in losses inherent in how players gain from them. Excuses don't hold much water come playoff time. This group of Canadiens were able to learn great things about themselves individually in this series, and still move on.

After the game, captain Saku Koivu was questioned about whether the Canadiens are a better team for having come out winners. His answer was spoken from the playoff warrior's mindset.
Koivu termed the team now more psychologically prepared for the next step. As he explained it, the Canadiens do not come out more talented, just wiser. The Canadiens players know they are a good group, but beyond their regular season merits, they had yet to win anything.

Now that they have won a round, they will gather confidence from it, and build upon it, knowing that they now know better what it takes to succeed. The psychological angle the captain spoke of, could be likened to a mental wall where confidence is at times fragile and doubt lingers until one is on the other side.

The Canadiens players, the younger ones and the grisled vets, have taken a step together, passed a test, and earned the right to move on.

Much of what was new to them in beating Boston, shall never be new again. They are better off for it, just like it was hoped they'd be.

Habs For Breakfast - It's Do Or Die Time

The jig's up tonight for the Habs if they cannot find a way to hold the Bruins off better than they have in the last two games.

Boston, on the other hand, will play like they have nothing to lose.

We'll soon know what the Canadiens are made of, but they have yet to perform as though their backs are to the wall.

In the end, that might make all the difference.

Habs Fans Ride Playoff Roller Coater - Gazette

"It's cardiac time in Montreal. Grab the heart pills, Mabel, make sure Daddy has taken his Valium, pull up a seat within dialing distance of your 50-inch HDTV and get ready to sweat .50-calibre bullets." - Jack Todd

Habs Seek Killer Instinct - Gazette

"I have to feel confident," Montreal head coach Guy Carbonneau said yesterday. "We went through a lot of challenges. We weren't supposed to be in the playoffs, finish first overall. We always found another level." - Herb Zurkowsky

Series "Slipped Away" Says Koivu - Globe Sports

"Koivu reported that he and his teammates are relaxed, focused and confident. But after their past two dismal outings, in which they surrendered 10 goals after giving up only five in the first four games of the series, how confident can this bunch be?" - Tim Wharnsby

Montreal - Boston: Game 7 - Hockey's Greatest Legends

"Eleven Montreal players have played in a game 7 before, with a combined record of 17-8, led by Alexei Kovalev's perfect 5-0. The Bruins also have eleven players who have participated in a game 7, including back up goaltender Alex Auld. The Bruins are a combined 8-15. Glen Murray leads all Bruins scorers with 2 goals and 3 points in 5 career game sevens." - Joe Pelletier

The Night We All Said Thank You To Maurice "Rocket" Richard - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"I feel just a small break from the stress of the Boston-Montreal series is needed right now. Montreal fans were so optimistic going into round one, but the team hasn’t played well, and going into game seven Monday night, Boston carries all the momentum and good feelings." - Dennis Kane

Game 7 By The Numbers - Habs Inside Out
Carbo: More Urgency Needed In Game 7 - Habs Inside Out
Canadiens, Bruins Game 7 History - Habs Inside Out

L'urgence de la situation - RDS

"C'est un match sans lendemain. On n'a plus nulle part où aller. Si on n'est pas prêt et qu'on ne fournit pas l'effort, on va se retrouver en vacances", a affirmé Carbo. S'expliquant mal leur rendement en dents de scie dans les deux derniers duels, il a dit croire que ses troupiers vont répondre à l'appel, comme ils l'ont fait au cours de la saison régulière."

Kovalev a déjà vu neiger - RDS

"Pointé indirectement du doigt par l'entraîneur Guy Carbonneau, au terme de la défaite de 5-4 samedi, il a des choses à se faire pardonner. Il a été sur la glace pour trois des quatre buts des Bruins, en troisième période. Carbonneau a indiqué, dimanche, qu'il va s'efforcer de soustraire Kovalev à la surveillance étroite du géant défenseur Zdeno Chara. Ce que l'avantage de la glace lui permet de faire."

Julien: "La pression n'a pas l'air déranger cette equipe - La Presse

"Ça m'avait frappé, durant l'entraînement matinal, de voir que nos joueurs, sans être nonchalants, n'étaient absolument pas nerveux. Ils étaient concentrés", a souligné l'entraîneur Claude Julien." - Marc Antoine Godin

Bergeron dans la mélée? - Le Journal

"J'ai parlé avec le médecin de l'équipe samedi et il n'y a pas de changement dans mon cas, a-t-il confié. Ça m'étonnerait que les choses évoluent dans les prochaines heures. Ça va faire six mois le 27 avril que j'ai subi cette sérieuse commotion cérébrale et on ne veut courir aucun risque." - Pierre Durocher

"Ce serait excitant, mais énervant aussi" - le Journal

"En tant qu'entraîneur, il est difficile de comprendre qu'on n'arrive pas à rivaliser d'intensité avec nos adversaires", a continué Carbonneau. - Marc De Foy

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse and Le Journal

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Habs For Breakfast - Last Shot Wins

An emotional roller coaster was what Game 6 indeed was!

Koivu returns, plays the kind of inspired game we all love him for. Higgins steps up. Plekanec nets a big goal. The Canadiens carry a 2-1 margin confidently into the third.

Then, all hell breaks loose.

The Bruins system of sending two forecheckers deep in killing the Canadiens late in the game. What Claude Julien retained from caoching the Habs during three seasons is obviously helping him gain a measure of revenge against the team who let him go.

The table is now set for Game 7, and it just might come down to the last shot wins!

As long as the game doesn't head to OT. I don't feel the old ticker can handle it at this point.

Heartbreak In Beantown - Gazette

"An alleged mismatch between the No. 1-seeded Canadiens and the No. 8 Boston Bruins returns to Montreal tomorrow for a seventh and deciding game, after the Bruins defeated the Canadiens 5-4 last night in a stunning Game 6 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal playoff." - Gazette

Koivu Happy To Be Back - Gazette

"This would have been a remarkable comeback for most players. Not for Saku Koivu. Not for the Canadiens captain who six years ago recovered from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma to not merely resume his career, but to score 10 points in 12 postseason games and play some of the finest hockey of his life." - Dave Stubbs

"I Don't ( Expletive ) Believe It" - Gazette

"First came the high fives, then the expletives, as Habs fans at home watched their team lose a hard-fought Game 6 against Boston last night. "I don't (expletive) believe it," said Joel Beaulé, 34, who remained calm throughout the third period while cheers and chanting gave way to sweaty brows and nervous faces at the Peel Pub on Peel St." - Amy Luft

"Game 7: It's Do Or Die For The Habs - Gazette

""We went up 3-2 on (Francis Bouillon's) goal and then we made a series of mistakes and gave them three goals on breaks," Carbonneau said. "But they created those breaks and took advantage of them. We had veteran guys on the ice every time, but we didn't react the right way." - Pat Hickey

Bruins Force A Seventh Game - Globe Sports

"When it was his turn to sit at podium for his post-game remarks, 20 minutes after the pesky Boston Bruins forced a seventh and deciding game with a wild and wacky 5-4 victory at TD Banknorth Garden, the Canadiens bench boss sent a clear message to his high-scoring line of Alex Kovalev, Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn as well as veteran defenceman Roman Hamrlik." - Tim Wharnsby






















Bruins Have Final Say In Back And Forth Affair - Lions In Winter

"Boston had just taken the 4-3 lead and it looked like the game may be over. Luckily for us no one told that to Saku and his line who had an answer just 11 seconds later. The puck got dumped in soon after the face-off (which Saku won) at centre ice. It was then the captain who raced behind the net and knocked the much bigger (4" taller, 20 lbs. heavier) Shane Hnidy off the puck. He then fed Sergei Kostitsyn who came out from behind the net and found a wide open Christopher Higgins who buried his second of the game; it drew the teams level on goals for the fifth time all game." - Tobalev

Where There's Life - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"I thought this year would be different. I thought the team had such a great season, with everything coming together, that it would carry over into the playoffs. Not so. The old line goes that the playoffs are a whole new season. That was never more true than it's been for this first round between Montreal and Boston. Everything the Canadiens did to Boston in the regular season has been forgotten by all but the Bruins, who are now taking their revenge by doing it straight back to the Habs." - J.T.

Bruins Passover Habs - Four Habs Fans

"The Great Sea parted, with Bruin players and fans amassed unmercifully on two compressed fronts. The Habs army began to march through with confidence, in praise of this great breach. And soon thereafter, the walls began their devastating descent on the trapped Canadiens, caught in a bewildered state of paralysis and confusion. If the Bruins had appeared the weaker opponent for so long a time, incapable of winning let alone scoring on this Montreal team, today they are now transformed, the better team of the series. The waves conquered the Canadiens and tumbled on them with fury." - Habsfan4

Let's Just Bury Game Six And Concentrate On Game Seven - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"The picture is now crystal clear. Boston has figured Montreal out, and Montreal doesn’t know how to figure Boston out. Claude Julien understands how playoff hockey works, adjusted nicely, and his team has delivered." - Dennis Kane















"Nous n'avons plus le choix" - RDS

"Évidemment l’atmosphère n’était pas à la fête dans le vestiaire du Canadien à la suite du revers de 5-4 subi samedi soir à Boston."

"On a travaillé pour obtenir l'avantage de la patinoire, on va l'utiliser" - La Presse

"La déferlante qui s'est abattue sur le filet du Canadien en troisième période a laissé Guy Carbonneau bouche bée. Échapper de la sorte un match qu'il menait pourtant 2-1 après deux périodes... Que peut-il en retirer de bien? - Marc Antoine Godin

Koivu: " Je n'aurais manqué ce match pour rien au monde" - La Presse

"Le capitaine reconnaît qu'il a trouvé le temps long, surtout que cette année est peut-être celle qui peut le plus lui permettre de rêver depuis qu'il est à Montréal. "Ça faisait quelques années qu'on n'avait pas vécu ça. On sent l'enthousiasme chez les fans et les joueurs quand on regarde les matchs. C'est bien d'être de retour dans la vraie atmosphère." - Marc Antoine Godin

"Nos meilleurs doivent être nos meilleurs": Carbo - Le Journal

"C’est extrêmement décevant, a dit d’entrée de jeu l’entraîneur du Tricolore après la rencontre. « On vient de bousiller deux chances de mettre fin à la série, mais on a per mis aux Bruins de revenir de l’arrière." - Marc De Foy

Bergeron a Pensé au CH - Le Journal

"Malheureux de son utilisation (sa production avait chuté de 31 à 22 buts), Bergeron avait surpris son père en lui disant qu'il envisageait la possibilité de jouer avec le Canadien, ce qui lui permettrait par la même occasion de se rapprocher de la famille." - Bertrand Raymond

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and le Journal
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Habs For Breakfast - The Return Of Captain K

Saku Koivu is done rehabbing his broken foot bone and is returning to the lineup tonight. Is this great news or what?

I won't keep you from it. Here's today's links:

Koivu, Bouillon Are In For Game 6 - Habs Inside Out

"Koivu, this morning shaved down to the scalp, has been out of action since March 29, having finished a game in Buffalo vs. the Sabres the night before with a broken bone in his left foot. He's been skating with the past few days and had his first practice with the club this morning, taking part in the game-day morning workout at TD Banknorth Centre." - Dave Stubbs

Thomas's Success A Decade In The Making - Gazette

"It has been one of the subplots throughout this series, a mismatch on paper but hardly one on the ice: the intersecting paths of two goaltenders cutting their NHL playoff teeth. The Canadiens' Carey Price is a rookie not yet a year out of his teens, a novice pro who's been groomed for the postseason stage on which he's expected to star for seasons to come." - Dave Stubbs

Canadiens Fans Get Butt Ended By CBC - Gazette

"We love Montreal. We really do." That was the headline on a blog that appeared on the CBC website this week. It was part of an attempt by Scott Moore, the executive director of CBC TV Sports, to stem the tide of criticism directed at the network from disgruntled Canadiens fans." - Pat Hickey

Habs Screw Up Passover Plans - Gazette

"The hockey club has been in existence for 99 years, which leaves the Canadiens a few millennia short of the Children of Israel. And because our hometown heroes came up short against Boston on Thursday night, the Children of Israel have to choose between Passover and Game 6 of the playoffs. Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt when, if you've seen the movie, Charlton Heston led the Israelites out of slavery and into the desert, where they wandered for about as long as Toronto has waited to win another Stanley Cup." - Mike Boone

Price Should Bounce Back Tonight - Gazette

"As far as I know Price never has sought this kind of attention from people who should know better. It wasn't his idea to be mentioned in the same breath with Roy and Dryden, and from what I have read and heard he's made that clear on many occasions. What is also clear is that he will have nights like Thursday again, just as Roy and Dryden and every other goaltender who has ever played the game have had nights to forget." - Red Fisher

Koivu Could Face Bruins Tonight - Gazette

"Koivu will skate again this morning in Boston, making his return for tonight's sixth game possible. The Canadiens lead the series 3-2, but have lost two of the last three games, including a 5-1 drubbing on home ice Thursday, when many expected the Bruins to acquiesce - especially after Montreal scored first." - Herb Zurkowsky




















Price Kept Under Wraps - Globe Sports

"In the Montreal Canadiens' dressing room yesterday afternoon — really, a Potemkin dressing room, as is the norm these days, a false-front media set with slogans on the wall and pictures of the ancient greats where the players are summoned individually for interviews (they actually hang out and change their clothes elsewhere) — Carey Price was unavailable." - Stephen Brunt

Price Fluctuations - Boston Herald

"The question heading into tonight’s must-win Game 6 at TD Banknorth Center is: Do the B’s possess the mental toughness to reel that fish into the boat? Or does the marlin have the strength to wriggle off the hook? The fish in question is the Canadiens’ 20-year-old goaltender Carey Price, who was so good in the first four games of the series, giving up a total of five goals. But he allowed five more in Game 5 at the Bell Centre, and didn’t look very good in the process." Steve Conroy

Al Jazeera, A Fan Mugging, Bin Laden, And Some Excellent Excuses For The Habs - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"This is my own opinion, but I would have to guess that Bin Laden grew up cheering for the Broad Street Bullies, is now rooting for the Bruins, and also likes Sean Avery. I wonder if Bin Laden and his greasy pranksters clip the standings out of the Al Jazeera sports section and have a hockey pool every year." - Dennis Kane

A Little Something To Cheer Us Up - Four Habs Fans



Ils sont de retour - RDS

"Pour terminer le travail face aux Bruins de Boston, le Canadien comptera sur le retour de son capitaine Saku Koivu et sur le défenseur Francis Bouillon pour cette sixième partie."

Price a-t'il été ébranlé? - RDS

"Je ne vais pas vous dire que nous l'avons ébranlé, a dit l'entraîneur des Bruins, Claude Julien. Nous avons tiré. Nous avons lancé les rondelles vers le filet. Nous avons été chanceux ici et là."

Markov joue-t-il blessé? - La Presse

"Lors d'un entretien avec l'entraîneur Vyacheslav Bykov, Markov aurait invoqué le fait qu'une vieille blessure au genou était revenue le hanter et qu'il souffrait aussi d'une blessure à l'épaule. Évidemment, nous sommes en séries et Markov n'a rien voulu confirmer. Guy Carbonneau non plus, d'ailleurs. «Il joue 27 ou 28 minutes par match», a dit Carbo, hier, à propos de Markov, qui en a joué 22 et demie jeudi." Marc Antoine Godin

Kovalev: "Nous devrons être en congé" - La Presse

"Même s'il a refusé de rencontrer les médias avant de quitter pour Boston, hier, le capitaine a montré quelques signes militant en faveur d'un éventuel retour. Un retour qui serait accueilli avec plaisir par tout le monde. "Saku serait d'une aide précieuse", a admis Kovalev." - François Gagnon

"Ils faut sentir l'urgence de gagner": Carbo - Le Journal

"Vous ne gagnerez pas souvent en marquant un seul but par rencontre", faisait remarquer Jean Béliveau jeudi soir après avoir assisté à ce désolant revers de 5 à 1 au Centre Bell. L'attaque du Tricolore est en panne et, pourtant, c'est la même équipe qui a enregistré le plus grand nombre de buts dans la LNH durant la saison avec un total de 262 !" - Pierre Durocher

"Saku nous manque": Plekanec - Le Journal

"À mesure que la série progresse, le Canadien ressent vivement l'absence de Saku Koivu. Dans le vestiaire de l'équipe, hier, Tomas Plekanec a formulé le souhait de voir Koivu reprendre sa place dans la formation sous peu. "Il nous manque, a laissé tomber Plekanec. Il est un leader, il est notre capitaine." - Serge Turcotte

Les jeunes joueurs du CH sont frustrés - Le Journal

"Les Bruins ont tout d'abord enlevé la zone centrale aux joueurs du Canadien, tout en se repliant à cinq dans leur territoire et en s'assurant de ne pas être victimes de surnombres. Devant cette façon de jouer des Bruins, les frères Andrei et Sergei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec, Chris Higgins et Michael Ryder, entre autres, affichent de la frustration parce qu'ils sont incapables d'exploiter leur rapidité et de manoeuvrer avec la rondelle." - Jacques Demers

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and le Journal.
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Canadiens Need Koivu To Finish Off The Bruins