Habs For Breakfast - Time Is Tight In More Ways Than One

My apologies to regular readers who tune in for these "Breakfast" posts, today's links were thrown up here in a mad hurried rash due to a busy Friday schedule on my part.

For that reason, I am bypassing quotes and photos for each piece today. It is also well before sunup as I post these 17 interesting links.

The usual articles from Gazette, Habs Inside Out, La Presse, and Le Journal aren't posted online at this early time, but can be accessed via the main page link I usually provide at the end of these daily posts.Time allowing, I will add them later in the day.

On my plate today are an abundance of "more important than Habs blogging" neccessities.

Other than driving my wife to work and youngest child to school, I have to bring my oldest girl to a ball hockey tournament 15 minutes out of town between those daily duties. Then I have to return for a poem recital by my youngest before heading off to a job interview at 10 o' clock. The oldest has a game at 10:30 that I hope to catch. My wife and I have lunch at noon. I have a second job interview for 1:30 PM, and a second game to take in at 2 PM if my oldest makes the semi finals. I pick up my youngest at school at 3 and my cuter half at 5. If the oldest reaches the ball hockey finals, I'm going to miss a bit of the game.

In the Robert L home these days, the cash has gotten tight. I've tried to divide family and children responsibilities, job searching, and "Eyes On The Prize" blogging with equal amounts of responsability.

It ain't easy to do.

Maybe I have too many loyalties.

My two young girls are lifers, and I wouldn't want it any different. The two interviews I have today are not all that important. They are longshot job opportunities I owe to myself to investigate. I have been without work for about three weeks now due to a layoff. I will be starting a new job Monday coming either way, with a computer manufacturing firm.

My oldest girl has scored 13 goals in 4 tryout games as a defenseman with her schools Grade 9 AA team. She's only 13 and in Grade 7 at her school. She's usually a center on her travel team.
A full out, interesting day awaits me for sure.

I have a couple of other Habs related posts in the works, which I hope to have up here by Friday's end.

My apologies for the lengthy excursion into my private life details, but I was moved to state my head and where it is at in regards to the rising numbers of readers at this site in the past 2 months. There were close to 33,000 readers here in April and more e-mails than I could answer on a day to day basis.

All I can think of to say is, thank you - over and over.

BRUNNSTROM TALKS TO RED WINGS, CANADIENS NEXT - TSN
WOEFUL POWERPLAY THE HABS BIGGEST CONCERN - TSN
CARBONNEAU TIGHT-LIPPED OVER GAME 5 STARTER - TSN
Brière the invisible superstar makes his mark - Globe Sports
Philly Makes Phour habs Phans Phrustrated - Four Fabs Fans
Rodney Helps me Out In Dealing With Those Flyer Fans - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog
The Bright Spots / A Top Ten / Hubris - The H Does Not Stand For Habs
It Ain't Over Until It's Over - Montreal Canadiens.com
What Will It Take? - Montreal Canadiens.com
Game 4 In Numbers - Montreal Canadiens.com
Le CH n'a pas oublié 2004 - RDS
Carbonneau comprend très bien Bégin - RDS
Carbonneau demeure optimiste - La Presse
Carbonneau demeure optimiste - Le Journal
Le Bélarus espère l'arrivée imminente des frères Kostitsyn - Le Journal
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Begin Not To Blame For Game 4 Loss

Canadiens forward Steve Begin was unconsolable after taking the late Game 4 penalty that led to the Flyers winning goal.

He was not available to the media immediatly after the game.

Begin is a player of an emotional nature who will do anything it takes to win. Just minutes prior to his penalty, he took a point shot straight in the gut looking much like a front line soldier gunned down on a battlefield. I have always referred to Begin as the Habs captain without a letter, and he is exactly the type of forward a team needs to have on the ice in crucial moments such the one in Game 4.

While he may not have enjoyed a 20 goal season since prior to playing junior in the QMJHL, he knows what it takes to win. The Calgary Flames made Begin their second choice, 40th overall in the 1996 draft, after a season of 13 goals and 218 penalty minutes with Val d' Or Foreurs. Five seasons later, Begin scored 10 goals in 19 playoff games for the Saint John Flames and was named the MVP for the Calder Cup winners.

With a player a Begin's nature, who hits anything in his path, there is always a risk that his enthusiam will get the better of his common sense.

The penalty he took late in game 4 has been termed "stupid" in several print stories.

It may have been untimely, and regrettable, but I saw it as anything but stupid.


















In a game where so many similar calls away from the play are ignored for that reason, many folks are wondering why this infraction was singled out at this particular time when it had absolutely no bearing on the play in progress.

It is a question we aren't likely to hear an answer for anytime soon.

One question I have heard is, what exactly did begin think he was doing when he hit Sami Kapanen?

From the angle that I saw it from initially, I felt that Kapanen was lingering a second too long between Begin and the open door to the Canadiens bench while the Habs were in the midst of a line change. Opposition players are often seen running all kinds of subtle interference - like a basketball pick play - and doing such near an opponents open bench door during changes has always been an effective ploy in getting a too many men on the ice call.

In that case, a referee could have called both players for infractions - Begin for the hit, and Kapanen for interference or obstruction for getting in Begin's way at the door.

Having watched the game three times in total - twice on the RDS Express - it looks less like Begin was only concerned with coming off the ice. He was also finishing a check after a Kapanen dump in.

I found this clip, from a different angle, on the TSN website. Nearing the 1:40 mark of the clip, the Begin penalty plays. You can see Tomas Plekanec, who is not a linemate of Begin's in the play. Between Kapanen backhanding the puck into the Canadiens zone and Begin throwing a shoulder into him, there is about 1.7 seconds of elapsed time.

That cannot be called a late hit. It cannot be viewed as a hit on a player who didn't have possesion of the puck. There was no elbow or high stick involved in the hit. Other than the compromising open door, which is awaiting Begin. Begin is in fact exactly where he ought to be, already in stride, and simply finishing a check as he has done all series long.

Bruntly, this isn't even a penalty on opening night in October, nevermind the playoffs.























The NHL and its officials never go on record as saying they call the playoffs any differently. They invoke player adjustment to the rules whenever the number of called infractions dropping comes into question. While skating around the admission that officials call things the same, they also give creedence to the notion that the officials take into consideration that they do not want to make a borderline call that affects the game's outcome.

It is almost akin to speaking out of both corners of the mouth at once.

More often than not, the calls they fail to make affect the outcome of games more drastically than what is called.

The intensity of playoff hockey is upped several degrees from regular season play. There are triple the amount of calls that could be made if the rulebook was followed to a point with any consistency. As hockey fans, we do not want it any other way in terms of how the players approach the heightened action. Additional judgement by officials on calls away from the play is required to assess their importance in the grander scheme.

That's all fine and good, but mere days after word from the league stated that they sought to avoid calls on inconsequential plays that did not affect the outcome of games, the Begin call goes in the absolute opposite direction. This call gave the Flyers an opportunity to win the game at the most crucial of moments and made Begin a goat in the process.

I'm not here to whine about the officiating - I could do that for 82 games a year in all honesty, and so could the fans of 29 other teams. Nothing can be changed about Wednesday's game and alot of it should be forgotten by the drop of the puck on Saturday.

I find it terrible that Steve Begin feels he cost the Canadiens a chance at winning game 4.

I find it equally absurd that he is being pointed out and his actions termed "stupid".

The Canadiens have lost the last three games for a litany of incomprehensible reasons that only time and understanding will give a proper perspective to.

The Steve Begin I've always known and appreciated is the one I'm hoping shows up for game 5.

The Canadiens are going to need his game, risks and all.
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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 - 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 For Breakfast - Next!

Great game by the Habs, no life shortening 3rd period drama, awesome goaltending, and a whole 8 points in my playoff pool thanks to Carey and the Kostitsyn's.

Very reassuring and comforting to see the boys bring it when it was needing most!

Unsung Habs heroes of the night were Streit and Begin - a guy a like to refer to as the team's captain without a "C". Chara might have been playing with a bad elbow, but Bégin wouldn't be slowed by a cracked skull!

Hopefully downtown Montreal isn't in too bad a shape this morning!

Maybe Carey should go on CJAD and CKAC and tell fans to "Cool it!" Coming from him,it would make some sense and maybe have an effect next round!

For a good laugh, listen to what Higgins has to say about Carey at this HIO audio link!

VICTORIOUS! - Gazette

"So, Carey Price, surely you tossed and turned on the eve of the most important hockey game of your young professional career? "No," the 20-year-old rookie goaltender said, shrugging. "I slept like a housecat." With Price purring along to his second shutout in six nights and his teammates firing on all cylinders, the Canadiens last night took a stride deeper into Montreal spring, advancing to the NHL's Eastern Conference semifinals with a 5-0 victory over the Boston Bruins." - Dave Stubbs

Habs Saved The Best For Last - Gazette

"On a night following a sun-splashed spring day, the Canadiens finally got what they desperately needed from their best players: their best. "Carey! Carey! Carey!" was the frequent chant throughout this 5-0 victory - the goalie's second in the series." - Red Fisher























Kostitsyn's Lead Scoring Parade - Gazette

"Tomas Plekanec said there were times when he felt left out while playing with brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn. "It seems they have a way of finding each other," Plekanec said. "They talk to each other and then it seems they find a way to do something on the ice. Sometimes, I think they don't need me out there but I don't care as long they score goals." And that they did last night. Andrei scored two goals and set up Sergei for a third as the Canadiens wrapped up their best-of-seven quarterfinal series against the Bruins with a 5-0 victory." - pat Hickey

Habs Close To Perfection - Gazette

"The Canadiens just got better as the game went on. They had more hits than the Bruins; they had more blocked shots. They won more facefoffs and they had more shots on goal. Most importantly, they scored more goals." - Pat Hickey

Canadiens Dominate Bruins In Game 7 - TSN

"Some time in the second or third game we got away from our style," said Kovalev, who had a pair of assists. "They played hard against us and we tried to do the same back to them - maybe to try to show who's stronger. That's not our game. And then it takes a while to get your game back and I think that's why we lost the last two games. But we got it back. Fast-paced hockey for 60 minutes. That's our game."

Canadiens Finally Put Away Bruins - Globe Sports

"The Canadiens deserve credit for returning to their game plan Monday night. They brought their physical side, as they did for the first two games, and they reverted to their blue-collar worth ethic by dumping the puck in deep and using their speed to get to it first." - Tim Wharnsby


















Canadiens Turn Dread Into Cheers - Globe Sports

"Human nature being what it is, they started to count their chickens — not just the fans, but the players as well, who all too obviously relaxed after squeaking by in the fourth game — and then over the course of the weekend, learned an ancient lesson." - Stephen Brunt

Rioting Fans Torch Police Cars - Globe Sports

"Television helicopter footage showed one instance where a pair of vandals on a darkened street set ablaze the interior of a damaged, abandoned police car while a third person recorded the act with his cellphone. A handful of others stood by watching. Police spokeswoman Constable Anie Lemieux could not confirm the number of arrests but several men were taken away in handcuffs, including some wearing Canadiens jerseys who pounded a car with cement blocks. Several stores were also damaged." - Sid Banarjee


















Mission Accomplished - Lions In Winter

"With the game at 1-0 Boston was still very much alive. What the Habs needed was a little insurance and they got it with a spectacular effort from Mark Streit. The Habs were in the midst of a line change when Kovy hit a fresh Max Lapierre with a pass as he entered Boston's zone. Lapierre then dropped it for an equally fresh Streit. Mark then made a great move through the gaping hole in between Chara's legs and he was in alone on Thomas. He pulled off a great move to completely freeze the Boston goalie and then neatly slid the puck 5-hole to send us well on our way." - Tobalev

Montreal Remembers Their Game Just In Time And Puts Stake In Bruins - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Alex Kovalev was flying, so were the guys who had been in a funk - the Kostitsyn’s, Tomas Plekanec, Chris Higgins, Mark Streit, and about ten others. Carey Price, who went from giving up ten goals in two games to none when it counted the most, in game seven, was fabulous, and showed he doesn’t rattle in a pressure cooker." - Dennis Kane

Nearer My God To Thee - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not the breed of Canadiens' fan anyone can accuse of having become complacent about losing. I want a Cup every year. I want it badly. I'm really, really tired of waiting for the franchise to turn around. So, if (when) the Habs bow out, it will hurt. It will burn. Bruins' fans will laugh and TSN panelists and certain unmentionable members of the cast of HNIC will gloat." - J.T.

Elimination Schmelimination - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"So I should have believed last night. Despite the lousy performances in the previous two games, and the fact that the Bruins had imposed their game on the Canadiens for the previous five. I should never have doubted the Habs could pull it together when it really counted." - J.T.

TMS Rants - Four Habs Fans ( Robert L Note: Something every fan needs to read here!)

"Montreal is the greatest city in the world. I'm proud to call this city my home for nearly 40 years. But now we look like idiots to everyone else. So this morning, I am no longer proud. I'm just f*ck*ng embarassed." - Habs Fan29

Au suivant, finalement - RDS

"Cette série s'est terminée de la bonne façon. Mais ce ne fut pas facile, a commenté Saku Koivu. On n'a pas bien joué dans les cinquième et sixième matchs. Les Bruins se sont bien battus pour prolonger la série jusqu'à la limite."

L'union réussie des frères Kostitsyn - RDS

"J'ai appris après l'entraînement du matin qu'on allait jouer ensemble. J'étais très content", a dit Andrei après l'élimination des Bruins. "C'est la première fois qu'on jouait ensemble durant tout un match. Avant, on n'avait fait que quelques présences."


















Streit a l'habitude des matchs sans lendemain - La Presse

"C'est comme ça lorsqu'on joue pour la Suisse", racontait Streit avant le septième match que le Canadien et les Bruins de Boston devaient disputer, lundi soir, au Centre Bell. "Chaque rencontre est très importante. On ne peut se permettre de perdre contre l'Allemagne ou le Bélarus sans risquer la reléguation dans le groupe B."

C'était magique - La Presse

"Les « Olé ! Olé ! Olé » entonnés après les buts de Mike Komisarek, Mark Streit, les deux d’Andrei Kostitsyn et celui de son frère Sergei tout comme les arrêts du jeune Price ont fait vibrer le Centre Bell toute la soirée." - François Gagnon

"Ce gars la est phénoménal": Komisarek - Le Journal

"Price ne cesse de m'impressionner, a commenté Komisarek. Il n'a que 20 ans, mais il joue comme un vétéran de 10 saisons dans la LNH. "On savait qu'il allait rebondir avec une solide performance", a-t-il ajouté. "Il l'a toujours fait depuis le début de sa carrière. Il a démontré beaucoup de caractère."

Bégin: "C'est ça, le Canadien!" - Le Journal

Steve Bégin était bien fier de son équipe et il l'a fait sentir. "C'est un travail d'équipe qui vient d'être réalisé, tous ont bien joué, tous se sont impliqués", a-t-il commencé à dire en affichant un sourire de satisfaction. "Nous n'avons pas donné de chances aux Bruins, parce que nous avons tous fourni un deuxième et un troisième effort." - François Ferland

"L'important c'etait de gagner": Price - Le Journal

"Carey Price a peut-être concédé dix buts lors des cinquième et sixième matchs de la série, mais les deux jeux blancs qu’il a signés auront probablement fait la différence. Mais le principal intéressé ne semble pas trop s’en soucier. "C’est bien beau le jeu blanc, mais l’important c’était de gagner et de passer à la ronde suivante. Une victoire de 10 à 9 aurait fait pareil", affirmait Price le plus calmement du monde après le match. - Charles - André Marchand

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal
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Habs For Breakfast - April 18, 2008

Boy did the Habs get thumped last night!

I'm consoling the thought by repeating that this is a young team, and many of those youthful elements chose Game 5 to have an off night. Lessons and experience is what it adds up to.

Hopefully the Canadiens learn quickly enough so this thing doesn't stretch to 7.

Loss Means Unwanted Trip to Boston - Gazette

"Sooner or later, Canadiens goaltender Carey Price was going to forget his Superman cape at the dry cleaner's. It just so happens that came to pass last night at the Bell Centre, which sends the Canadiens to Boston today where the two clubs will continue their compelling playoff tomorrow night." - Dave Stubbs

Back to Beantown - Gazette

"We have to forget this game right away," Lapierre said. "Carey has been there for us all the playoffs and he's the reason we're here. They got lucky a little. I tried to clear it, but it hit a skate or a shin pad and then deflected off a stick." - Pat Hickey

Metropolit's Fluke Goal Gets Bruins Going - Gazette

"The hockey gods owed us one, and we got a good bounce," said Metropolit, who hadn't scored since Feb. 5, and notched a modest 11 goals and 33 points this season." - Herb Zurkowski

Habs Biggest Loss In 2 Months Gives Boston New Life - Lions In Winter

"Let's not forget who Kovalev is. He isn't Crosby, Malkin or Ovechkin, he is just a really good player on a really good team. He has been our best player lately, but he isn't the only reason we are where we are. My fear is that Alex thinks he should be doing more, and he seems to be forgetting how he had so much success this year." - Tobalev

Building A Mystery - The H Does Not stand For Habs

"I was wondering today how a franchise can have such a pervasive identity that it trickles down and continues through generation after generation of players, coaches, owners, wins and losses. Mention the Montreal Canadiens, and what's the image that comes to mind? Despite years of futility and decades mired in a mucking, defensive style, the picture the name evokes is speed. Slick skating, smooth passing, offence...all accomplished at top speed." - J.T.

Nightmare At The Bell Centre - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Now that the Bruins know they can win this series, what’s going to happen Saturday in Boston? Which Montreal team will show up, the great regular season one, or the lousy playoff one?" - Dennis Kane

4-17-08: Bruins 5 Canadiens 1 - Theory Of Ice

"I want to panic. No, wait, first I want to throw a giant screaming tantrum. I mean, another one, in addition to the one I already threw during the third period. And I want to burn a teddy bear in a Bruins jersey. And punch a Kennedy. So order of operations: recap, tantrum, teddy bear, Kennedy, panic." - E



















Boston Spoils Montreal Party - Globe Sports

"The mood downtown and enveloping the Bell Centre was festive, in anticipation of the Montreal Canadiens' first series victory in the Stanley Cup playoffs in four years. But the heavy police presence intended to keep the would-be celebrants in order was not needed because the man who played a big role four years ago, former Habs coach Claude Julien, and now runs the Boston Bruins' bench had his magic working again last night." - Tim Wharnsby

"On leur a fait cadeau d'un but" - RDS

"J'ignorais qu'un joueur des Bruins se trouvait juste à côté. Il y avait de la circulation près du filet et j'ai voulu remettre la rondelle à Maxim, a expliqué Price. "Ce but ne m'a pas vraiment dérangé. Sauf que les Bruins en ont marqué un autre juste après."

Price connait ses premiers ennuis - La Presse

"Les partisans étaient prêts. Par dizaines, les policiers dépêchés à l'intérieur et autour du Centre Bell étaient prêts. Tout le monde était prêt à célébrer l'élimination des Bruins de Boston. Tout le monde, sauf les Bruins... - François Gagnon

"Une ereur de jeunesse": Guy Carbonneau - Le Journal

"On savait que ça se produirait tôt ou tard, a-t-il dit. Dans les séries, l'an der nier à Hamilton, Carey a connu de moins bonnes soirées et il a toujours rebondi dans le match suivant. Je sais qu'il va revenir en force demain soir à Boston."

Steve Begin: "On a laisser tomber Carey" - Le Journal

"Les Bruins ont tout simplement joué de chance sur ce jeu car la rondelle a dévié sur une jambière, a poursuivi le jeune attaquant. Il faut maintenant oublier cette défaite et revenir en force dans le sixième match à Boston." - Max Lapierre

"Personne va nous faire de cadeaux": Kovalev - Le Journal

"Après avoir essuyé une solide mise échec de Zdeno Chara qui lui a fait perdre son casque, il s'est vengé sur le grand défenseur des Bruins en lui appliquant un double échec dans le dos. Sa longue crinière blonde au vent, comme Guy Lafleur à ses beaux jours avec le Canadien, Kovalev a transporté la rondelle dans le territoire des Bruins avant de marquer à la suite d'un jeu de Patrice Brisebois." - Marc De Foy

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal.
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Habs For Breakfast - April 15, 2008

Plekanec Looks For Goals, Grit - Gazette

"Plekanec enjoyed the best season of his NHL career, scoring 29 goals and adding 40 assists. But he tailed off toward the end of the campaign, scoring twice and assisting on four in his final dozen games. Since netting a pair in Buffalo on March 28, he's gone seven games without a goal." - Dave Stubbs

Steely Price Keeps His Cool - Gazette

"Price hadn't yet seen it, but he joked about Sean Avery's already famous mating dance Sunday with New Jersey's Martin Brodeur, waving his stick and hands in the goalie's face as a bizarre distraction during a Rangers power play. Yesterday, the NHL announced that any repeat performance would earn a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. "It's almost an unwritten rule - you don't stand in front of someone and go like this," he said, laughing as he waved his palm back and forth a half-inch from a reporter's face." - Dave Stubbs

Power Outage - Gazette

"During the regular season, the Canadiens led the NHL with a success rate of 24.2 per cent and they were even better against the Bruins, scoring 10 times in 34 chances for a 29.4-per-cent clip. The difference? It seems to be more a matter of what the Bruins are doing right than what the Canadiens are doing wrong." - Pat Hickey

Look For O' Byrne To Play Tonight - Gazette

"You know that old cliché about a change being as good as a rest? Well, the Canadiens might get a taste of both as they prepare for Game 4 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series tonight against the Boston Bruins." - Pat Hickey

Montreal The City Of Brotherly Amour - Star

Real Hockey And A New Spiritual Leader Of The Moment! - Woodshed

North Of 60 - Montreal Canadiens.com

"Did someone say overtime? If so, no one is more familiar with the extra frames than Canadiens defenseman Patrice Brisebois. Sunday night’s contest marked the 31st time that the 37-year-old blue-liner was a part of a game that needed more than 60 minutes to decide a winner. Despite the 2-1 loss to the Bruins, Brisebois holds a pretty remarkable record when extra hockey is required in the postseason, with his team emerging as the winner on 20 occasions to this day." - Heather Engel

Greatest Pests Of All Time? Avery Has A Long Way To Go - Greatest Hockey Legends

"Sean Avery is a very good pest, and a very good player. He can score goals. He is a devastating hitter. He will back up his actions, at times, with his fists. In short, he is a very effective player. He probably is the best pest in the game today. But in recent days I've heard and seen a few sources anoint him as the best pest of all time. That's when I say perhaps these people need a little history lesson." - Joe Pelletier

No, No, Not Streit - Lions In Winter

"There's an elephant in the room. And, all people can talk about is Mark Streit. After listening to the Habs Inside/Out Puckcast and reading this from François Gagnon, I am amazed about the Streit backlash. Even if you're one of those reporters who relies entirely on stats to remember what happened two games ago, it would be hard work making a case that Streit has been the worst player on the Canadiens. If you have been watching the games intently like 95% of the population of Montreal, then, in my opinion, the case would be even harder to make." - Topham

Montreal's Biggest Game Of The Year Is Tuesday Night - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"I’m sure Guy Carbonneau and his coaches are working hard to overcome Boston’s recent adjustments, which have seen the Bruins bottle up Montreal’s attack, and Alex Kovalev especially. For me, it all boils down to the power play. Get that back on track and the series will end quickly." - Dennis Kane























En series, le talent ne sufit pas - RDS

"En séries éliminatoires, la recette est la même pour toutes les équipes qui doivent réunir cinq ingrédients pour espérer gagner. Il faut de l'intensité, un travail d'équipe, du caractère, de la discipline et du talent. Je vous dirais que le talent vient au dernier rang en importance dans la liste des ingrédients et au niveau du talent, les Bruins ne peuvent pas rivaliser avec le Canadien. Au cours des deux derniers matchs par contre, les Bruins ont démontré beaucoup d'intensité, un grand travail d'équipe ainsi que de la discipline avec les résultats que l'on connaît." - Bob Hartley

Des jouers n'ont pas relevéle defi - RDS

"Les deux premiers trios du Canadien doivent offrir du meilleur hockey. Le trio de Tomas Plekanec, Alex Kovalev et Andrei Kostitsyn n’est pas à la hauteur en ce moment. Ce trio doit augmenter sa vitesse et jouer avec davantage d’intensité." - Jacques Demers

Plekanec: "Je joue comme une fillette!" -La Presse

Attendu par les journalistes comme il est attendu par ses couvreurs des Bruins de Boston depuis le début des séries éliminatoires, Tomas Plekanec savait qu'il serait montré du doigt pour la piètre qualité de son jeu. - François Gagnon

Streit jouera oû on lui demandera - La Presse

"Limité à une passe en trois matchs, il a été incapable de mener convenablement l'attaque massive du Tricolore, qui n'a marqué qu'un but en 18 occasions pour une efficacité de 5,6%. À des lieux de l'efficacité de 24,2% qui a permis à la meilleure attaque massive de la LNH de marquer 90 buts en saison régulière." - FRançois Gagnon

Des changements à prévoir - Le Journal

"Carbonneau a bon espoir que ses hommes retrouvent leurs moyens dans le quatrième match qui sera disputé ce soir. "On a livré 82 rencontres en saison régulière et on a bien réagi toute l'année après une défaite", a-t-il aussi rappelé. - Marc De Foy

Une aide inattendue - le Journal

Si le Canadien est parvenu à résister à l'agressivité des Bruins jusqu'ici, il le doit en bonne partie à l'énergie générée par son quatrième trio. Trois joueurs plutôt mésestimés en saison régulière s'affichent actuellement comme les vedettes obscures de la série. - Bertrand Raymond

Quand Price chate Cash.... - Le Journal

"Je tente de jouer sa chanson intitulée Hurt, mais je peux jouer seulement les trois premiers accords pour le moment." Cette pièce est un remake de Ninth Inch Nails dans lequel Cash évoque les regrets qu'il a éprouvés par rapport à sa vie familiale et conjugale. - Marc de Foy

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse and Le Journal
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Habs For Breakfast, With A Side Order Of Foul Tasting Bear

Looks like the Bruins aren't willing to play the pushovers everyone assumed they would be. I don't have much to add beyond what I wrote here Saturday night, after it looked like the Habs stole a game. They almost stole one again on Sunday....or we're they robbed?

I guess it would depend on one's point of view.

The Canadiens have to start burrying those scoring chances, because they are diminishing.

The Bruins have managed to implement their trap game with much challenge from the Canadiens speed, and Tim Thomas is playing better with each game. We have ourselves a playoff series folks.

Like the picture above suggests....get out those hard hats boys!

Bruins Strike Back - Gazette

"I came on for the extra skater," Savard said. "Schaefer made a great play for us. He's had a tough go this year but he worked through it. He draws the penalty on the rush and then he set me up. I was yelling at the top of my lungs but I knew he saw me." - Pat Hickey

Habs Better Listen To Wake Up Call - Gazette

"Maybe the Canadiens got the wrong idea about this series during the first two minutes Thursday night, when Sergei and Andrei Kostitsyn pulled off a pair of goals on the first shifts of their first playoff stint, a feat that will never be equalled. Easy? Posh. These Canadiens were going to brush les Broons aside like so many teddy bears." - Jack Todd

Savard Gives Bruins New Life - Globe Sports

"The Canadiens were headed toward the Bruins' end and when it appeared that Steve Begin was about to drift a shot on Boston goaltender Tim Thomas, the Montreal defencemen headed for a line change. But the puck was turned over and the Canadiens were caught. In the attempt to cover up and get into position, Montreal centre Bryan Smolinski was called for a penalty on Schaefer, but the call was delayed because the latter kept the puck alive.'' - Tom Wharnsby

Bruins Climb Back Into Series By Beating Habs In OT - TSN

"It's no secret, we don't have a lot of dancers over here," Savard said, sporting a Bruins hard hat awarded to the team's hardest-working player of the night. "We have to play one way, we're a lunch-bucket team and we proved that tonight. We have to take the body hard and make it hard on their defence going back and create chances off of that. That's what we did."

Habs Fan A Season Ticket Holder For 55 Years - NHL.com

"From the Canadiens string of five straight cups between 1956 and 1960, to the terrifying image of a motionless Lou Fontinato after he crashed head-first into the Forum boards, Larocque has witnessed history time and again for one of the most storied franchises in North American sports."





















Habs Finally Fall To Bruins - Lions In Winter

"The best play I saw tonight by the Habs was the result of a typical Brisebois miscue in which he pinched at the absolute wrong time allowing a 2-on-1 to happen. Breeze-by lived up to his name when a penalty to David Krejci was just ending and he decided to go fishing in the offensive zone. The pass from Kostitsyn went awry and it meant an opportunity opened up for Boston. With so little time left in the game at the time (9 minutes) a goal would have certainly ended it. Price, however, once again bailed out his 'defenceman' and made an incredible save when the Bruin decided to shoot. This play kept us in the game much longer than we actually deserved." - Tobalev

Make Way For Mo - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"The momentum Boston gained from that game...finally seeing their workmanlike, desperate hockey triumph over their regular-season masters...can't be disregarded. They're on a high and they're ready to come out with just as much enthusiasm in game four, only now they have a measure of confidence." - J.T.

Time To Regroup And Get The Power Play Back On Track - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"During the regular season, Montreal’s power play looked like Sophia Loren - beautiful, lovely, graceful, nice to watch. But in this playoff round against the Bruins, Montreal’s power play resembles a drunken Brittany Spears. Kovalev’s overtime goal in game two was a power play goal, but that’s it. The only one in three games."
















"C'était du hockey de séries": Komisarek - La Presse

"On avait l'occasion de les placer dans une situation difficile. On n'a pas réussi même si on s'est bien battu à chacune de nos présences. Ce fut un match âprement disputé", a ajouté le robuste défenseur qui a distribué huit mises en échec.

Des centaines de partisans à Boston - La Presse

"Les joueurs du Canadien ne seront pas entièrement dépaysés lors de leur séjour à Boston. Des dizaines, voire des centaines de partisans de l'équipe ont fait le trajet Montréal-Boston afin d'assister à l'un des deux matchs présentés au TD Banknorth Garden"

Carbo: "On savait bien qu'ils finiraient par nous battre" - La Presse

"Carbo a expliqué que le surnombre qui a mené au but gagnant de Marc Savard était le résultat d'une malchance. Le changement de défenseurs s'est effectué à un moment inopportun et, d'une certaine façon, ça a forcé Bryan Smolinski à commettre une infraction." - Marc Antoine Godin

Partisane du Canadien, elle a ses billets de saison depuis 55 ans - La Presse

"Le femme de petite taille, dont les jambes dépassent à peine de son chandail du Canadien trop grand pour elle, détient des billets de saison depuis 1952. En 55 ans, elle n'a raté qu'une poignée de matchs.'' - Andy Blatchford

Canadien en trois… il faudra recompter! - La Presse

Finalement ma bande de petits comiques, le Canadien ne battra pas les Bruins en trois matchs. Et vous savez quoi? Il ne les battra pas en quatre non plus. Même que s’il dispute d’autres matchs à l’image de celui de dimanche, la série sera pas mal plus longue que les plus pessimistes l’avaient prédit, sans compter que le spectre d’une élimination en première ronde pourrait se pointer le bout du nez. Bon! On ne paniquera pas tout de suite. - François Gagnon

Bégin : "Il faut patiner si on veut gagner" - Le Journal

"Les meilleurs joueurs du Canadien dans cette défaite contre les Bruins ont été fidèles à eux-mêmes du début à la fin de la soirée. Seuls Bryan Smolinki, Steve Bégin, Maxim Lapierre, Mike Komisarek et Carey Price se sont pointés dans le vestiaire après le match." - Marc De Foy

Lapierre: "Les Bruins jouent avec plus de confiance" - Le Journal

"On ne s'attendait pas à gagner la série en quatre matchs, a commenté Maxim Lapierre, l'un des meilleurs attaquants du Canadien. Les deux équipes ont bien joué et la victoire aurait pu aller d'un bord comme de l'autre en prolongation. À vrai dire, les deux équipes méritaient la victoire." - Pierre Durocher

More from La Presse, RDS, and Le Journal
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Habs For Breakfast - 2 Down, 2 To Go

Over 20 links here today, as there are many good reads apart from the game rundowns. Lots of stuff on Kovalev and not much of it redundant. You gotta love how the Montreal media turns over every stone. Lots of people say the media coverage is why Habs fan are weathered and wise.

Throw in neurotic and impatient in there too!

I've been posting from Brampton this weekend, where my daughter was involved in the Provincials tournament this weekend. I did a total Claude Julien impression Saturday afternoon, ragging out the refs. My kids Typhoons team went 1-1-1 in the round robin, but it was frustrating to see my kid score the only goal in a 1-1 tie, before she had two more goals disallowed that would have given her team the win. Me and the kid left pretty disillusioned.

I understand Julien this morning. Refs suck everywhere!

"We Haven't Won Anything Yet" - Gazette

""We were trying to get him off the ice, but he's like a pitcher who wants to be out there in the ninth inning," Carbonneau said. "I think if you asked Alex, he'd say he hasn't been playing his best hockey, but he's been our leader all season and he came through when we needed him tonight." - Pat Hickey

Julien Keeps An Even Keel - Gazette

"What the Bruins delivered last night was their Triple-A game. Hoo boy ... how they played en route from rallying from two goals down after two periods with two of their own in the third - and would have had more if Carey Price hadn't brought his 'A' game to the Bell." - Red Fisher

Habs Energy Line Brings Smoke And Fire - Gazette

"Maybe we could call them the Bing, Bang, Boom! line ... or Smoke and Fire (Smoke is Smolinski's nickname). Because when these three guys are on the ice together, bodies are going to be flying around. Basically, anything moving in an opposing sweater is going to get hit - and hard." - Stu Cowan

Bruins Left Steaming After Late Penalty Call - Gazette

"The Bruins were loath to overly criticize the officials since it was the refs who helped them get back into the game, erasing a 2-0 deficit with two unanswered third-period goals. David Krejci scored the equalizer at 9:34 of the period, while Montreal was two-men short." - Herb Zurkowsky

Kovy's Revenge - Montreal Canadiens.com

"Staring at the possibility of leaving the Bell Centre wearing goat horns should the Canadiens have gone down to defeat, Kovalev got payback in overtime by scoring the winning goal." - Manny Almela

The Numbers Game - Game 2 - Montreal Canadiens.com

"0 - Career playoff games in which Sergei Kostitsyn has failed to score a goal, after finding the net in each of the first two games of this series."

Kovalev Bails Out Habs - Globe Sports

"Canadiens forward Alex Kovalev made sure the game wasn't prolonged any further when he scored on a blast from the sideboards, 2:30 into the extra period. The shot appeared to change direction off the stick of Boston captain Zdeno Chara." - Tim Wharmsby

Habs Come Through On OT Powerplay - Faceoff.com

"Two nights after playing like they already had tee times booked back in New England, the Bruins scratched and clawed their way back from a two-goal deficit on Saturday night to force overtime against the Montreal Canadiens. And then the push stopped." - Sean Fitzgerald

Kovalev's Overtime Winner Beats Bruins - TSN

"It was a tight game where whoever got the bounce would win," said Kovalev, who is serving as captain in place of the injured Saku Koivu. "We expected them to come out better and they did.















Kovalev's OT Goal Lifts Canadiens To 3-2 Win - NHL.com

"We had more of an opportunity on earlier power plays and I had a better line to shoot with," Kovalev said. "But at the end of the game, I took the shot from the outside and it was a good switch for us."

Game Two Is In The Books, Kovalev Gets It Done - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Aside from the fact that Montreal won the game, was that Don Cherry was proved wrong and full of shit by the instant replay. He went on and on about the high stick to the Bruin player’s face just before the guy took a penalty which led to the winning goal. But the camera showed that it was only a follow through from Markov’s shot, which Ron McLean, who is a referee, firmly stated SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PENALTY."

Kovalev, Habs Get The Job Done Despite Playing With Fire - Lions In Winter

"Kovy cannot have two quiet games in a row, it is impossible. After a very good, but subtle effort in game #1 he came back with quite the opposite performance tonight. His play on Kostitsyn's goal was pure magic as he held the puck for over 10 seconds in their end, his OT goal was fantastic, but what will surely grab the most attention was his blatant slash on the back of Aaron Ward's very well padded leg. Controversy, magnificence, villain or hero, Kovalev did it all tonight." - Tobalev

Kovalev se fait pardonner - RDS

"Au cachot pour voir les Bruins créer l’égalité en troisième période, Kovalev s’est fait pardonner en laissant filer un boulet le long des oreilles de Tim Thomas au tout début de la prolongation, procurant une victoire de 3-2 au Canadien, qui s’en va à Boston avec une avance de 2-0 dans la série opposant les deux équipes."

Une excellente leçon pour le CH - RDS

"Dans un tel contexte le Canadien doit seulement travailler aussi fort que son adversaire durant 60 minutes pour sortir vainqueur. Avec un effort soutenu, je ne vois pas comment les Bruins peuvent mettre la main sur une partie. En plus de son talent supérieur, le Canadien compte sur un meilleur gardien en Carey Price ainsi qu’un avantage numérique de premier plan." - Benoit Brunet















"Roman, c'est la force tranquille"- La Presse

"Roman n'est pas le plus flamboyant, mais maudit qu'il est utile. C'est la force tranquille de notre défense", a déclaré Brisebois, admiratif de son partenaire. À un contre un, il est imbattable. Il écoule les pénalités, il bloque des tirs et quand il décide de frapper un adversaire, il le fait pour vrai. Ce gars-là est capable de tout faire, et tout ce qu'il fait, il le fait bien."

Chris Higgins s'impose au centre - La Presse

"S'il n'a pas récolté de point, Higgins a démontré de belles qualités en s'assurant de prêter main forte à ses défenseurs et en distribuant la rondelle avec agilité lors des sorties de zone." - François Gagnon

Kovalev tenait à rester sur la patinoire - Le Journal

"Kovalev était frustré, a-t-il fait savoir. Il ne jouait pas aussi bien qu'il le voulait dans cette série. Il aurait notamment pu mieux jouer sur le premier but des Bruins." - Carbonneau

"C'est quand on me tape sur les nerfs que je suis à mon mieux": Kovalev - Le Journal

"Mais j'ai reçu des coups de bâton et des doubles échecs qui n'ont pas été signalés par les officiels. Je n'ai pas pensé à l'équipe quand j'ai écopé de cette pénalité pour avoir cinglé, mais j'étais frustré." - Kovalev

Stewart ne veut pas se réveiller - Le Journal

"Malgré une récolte de 10 points seulement en 58 matchs à sa première saison junior, le Canadien a cru bon de le repêcher. Il est un joueur qui apporte de l'énergie et il a démontré des habiletés insoupçonnées à son premier match avec le Canadien." - Marc De Foy

Deux survivants du hockey - Le Journal

"Gorges et Bouillon ont un cheminement qui se ressemble étrangement. Ils ont tous les deux passé quatre saisons dans les rangs juniors. Ils ont tous les deux gagné la coupe Memorial à leur dernière année. Ils ont été des piliers à la ligne bleue de leur formation respective, mais ils ont vu toutes les équipes de la Ligue nationale les ignorer au repêchage." - Betrand Raymond

Des airs de carnaval - Le Journal

"La pluie et le temps froid n'ont pas freiné l'enthousiasme de milliers de partisans du Canadien, qui ont envahi hier après-midi les alentours du Centre Bell pour transformer le centre-ville en véritable carnaval bleu-blanc-rouge. Des heures avant le début du match, une musique festive et l'odeur des hot-dogs emplissaient déjà l'air. Sur la terrasse de l'édifice, impossible de faire quelques pas sans croiser les vendeurs de bière qui arpentent normalement les gradins à l'intérieur du Centre Bell." - Jean Louis Fortin

More from RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal.