Jack Todd hypocrisy!

In today Gazette Jack Todd spent a full article bitching that Pierre Gauthier was not playing the Media game the way he should. While he is partially correct who really at fault for that?

Is it the GM who after hearing for at least the last 4 years the Media and everybody else in Habs land bitch that the Habs are too small got heat for every moves that made the Habs bigger from the same peoples?

Is it the GM who after 3 years of Jacques Martin coaching being decried by everybody in Montreal fired Martin only to have the language zealot in the media raise a fucking shitstorm? To the point that  owner Geoff Molson pretty much had to write a fucking letter to calm you down!

How about the GM who been hearing for 3 years that Hall Gill was great in the PK but was a liability at 5 on 5 because he slower than a snail and hit less than Gionta even if he does have the size to hit harder. The same Media are now claiming that Gill will be a great loss.
How about the Camalleri trade the media bitched about it but they forgot to say that Mike never showed up to any optional was a fucking diva and a cancer that had festered beyond help.
The same media bitched about the Spacek trade after spending almost three years bitching about Spacek play! With reason Spacek was bad and made me rage more often than I like to admit!
The media are bitching that Gauthier is not publicly shopping players like Camalleri and Halak well guess what that does not mean he not shopping them at all he just not telling you!

The truth is in Montreal sports media are used to having their way with the Habs and have gone too far you earned your current treatment. The Habs are in media blackout because the media are acting like bipolar bitch on the rag at the best of time. Let me remind you that you went as far as taking pictures of Carbo on the Golf course once and that what got him traded! That you over hyped guys who clearly cannot stop a beach ball (Theodore) and chased some guys out of Montreal who became Hall of Famer later (Chelios)! Since Gauthier is likely not there next season he does not feel like pandering to you. So get off that ledge Jack take your pills and go see a shrink because you are the problem! And don't worry things could be way worse after all Rejean Houle once was the Habs GM...        

Holy Campoli, more like Holy Shit!

Remember what I wrote about panic moves! Probably not since nobody reading this shitty blog anyway. Go read my previous post...


Alright let assume you are up to date I said Gauthier was under tremendous pressure to deliver now or face a clean up imposed from the top soon. I also said that he was the lesser of two evil better him GM than another Rejean Houle. So yesterday Gauthier made another move that reflected his ejection seat situation. Defensively the Habs spent the better part of the camp throwing shit at the wall to see what stick the problem was none of it did. The two reason why they did it is that beyond Markov, Subban and Gorges the talent drop faster than an ACME anvil on top of Wile E. Coyote and Markov setback make that only two quality d-man likely to start the season. The rest are either getting too old Spacek, Gill not good enough Weber or had a so so camp Yemelin. And all the kids at least on defense are NHL ready.


Gauthier boss/owner who just paid a shitload of money for the fabled franchise and may well be eyeing the GM/Coach ejection button a lot lately. Picture a black box with a big red button under a  breakable glass cover. If press it will send a signal to a team of lawyers who are on 24 hours standby ready to draft Pierre Gauthier "resignation" letter. While two security guard also on constant standby will escort him to his car with his stuff in two cardboard box. lolll Yeah it not likely to end that way only the small fish in the corporate ladder get treated like shit!


After all none of these guys are his men and a new owner is really tempted the clean house even under the best of circumstance. When he look at his new team throwing money down the drain (Gomez) Mr Molson is likely getting heartburn. Make no mistake this is roster that got a middle of the pack result at best while spending to the cap in the past two years. And with slim to no chance at a meaningful playoff run except for a fluke Halakinan run. Hell if it was my money I would have likely fire just about everybody in management on day one after closing the sale.  


With all of that in mind and some salary cap left Pierre Gauthier addressed a clear need for a fourth or third D by snatching free agent Chris Campoli. Will that be enough to actually give the team some defense stability? Maybe but let pray that Markov will be back really soon. While Campoli stats are not stellar you can make the case that he played for some pretty rotten teams except the Hawks. Having bad stats on a shit team is like getting V.D from a crack whore you can't help it. Off course you can and should stay away from a crack whore but until you reach UFA status you can't really not play for the teams that draft you or trade for you.


Not everything is dark and cloudy Cole feel like a great addition, MaxPac is back in force and by the look of it Cammaleri is back to Super Saiyan 3 shape shit even Gomez looked good lately. The other good news the throw everything at the wall camp was not a total waste of time at least in offence where some guys did stick. Brendan Galagher may well be the one sticking around and good for him! He got a chance because the team still got some spot needing filling and with Eller not likely making it to the opener maybe somebody else will stick around. So two weeks left of camp and only two pre-season game left time to get serious.  

Enough with the bullshit!

Seriously do you really believe the Habs injury list is that long. If so I got some everglade swamp land I like to sell you real cheap!!! The thinking by Montreal management is simple they rather stink up the join in the pre-season with AHL players who are mostly not ready for primetime than risk losing a major piece! The problem is fans are paying good money to watch this sorry spectacle. At least be honest about it and maybe if you got to charge something for tickets to these crappy game make them a charity events. Don't be surprise if come October 6 almost everybody healthy "comme par magie". 


This bring another subject. To be this cautious Jacques Martin and Pierre Gauthier must be under some serious pressure to deliver NOW not in 2013 not in 2014 right fucking NOW. Nothing bad with that unless off course it lead to some rather idiotic panic move.


Geoff Molson must be itching to clean house already. He and his family just bought the damn thing for like the fifth or sixth time in franchise history. (I lost count) Make up your fucking mind about that you want to own it or not? If Gauthier not careful the next Irving Grundman or Réjean Houle will end up GM! lolll By the way that would be an unmitigated disaster better a professional GM than one of these idiot shove in during a panic move. Even if he's a loner who creepily call everyone of his players "Mister" at least he know his job! He's not a former bowling alley manager or your former marketing VP but Pierre Gauthier is a Pro NHL Gm! 

Redemption time!

So the Habs have seeded 6 and are meeting the Bruins again in the first round. They won the first game but I come back to this later. This is Redemption time for many Habs players.

Redemption list.

1: Carey Price (Status almost halfway there.) Great season with a team that came very close to fall apart many times. But to totally make peoples forget Halak he need that ring.

2: Scott Gomez (Status badly needed) Crap season need great playoff run badly before Gauthier find an European team to park his ass.

3: Jacques Martin (Status desperate) 600+ wins 20+ years in the NHL but no cup. Martin is not getting younger and with the crop of new coach's earning their stripes in the NHL right now is likely his last coaching job. Nobody want and need that ring more than Martin.

4: Mike Cammalleri (Status high expectation.) After an amazing Rocket Richard like playoff run last year Mike had a somewhat deflated season. He need to go Super Sayan again if the habs have any hope of going deep.

5: Tomas Plekanec (Status reputation on the line.) Slower season than last year plus many critic have been saying fairly or not that Plekanec did a disappearing act in last year playoff.

6: Hal Gill (Status UFA this Summer and not getting any younger.) On a team that could re-sign Hamrlik, Gorges, Markov not to mention Wisniewski and Sopel... USS Hal Gill need to remind the Habs and the rest of the league why he's still worth the big bucks at 36.

7: Hamrlik, Wisniewski and Sopel (Status UFA this Summer) See Hal Gill

9: The rest (Status highly motivated) The Montreal Canadiens are a team in transition with an aging blue line and many prime assets in the minors this team will change a lot in the near future so for many it now or never. The Habs could easily take a major step back and fall under the 8th line next season for the fans and management it would be a less bitter pill to swallow if they were to add a banner! 1 down 15 to go we can always dream!  

From fluke run to solid challenger part 2 the power rankings are out!

Most of the power rankings list are out and it does not look like the Habs great week got them much love except from Brian Metzer on Versus.com

ESPN Pierre LeBrun 7 this week 14 last week

7 (14) Canadiens 11-5-1It's a pleasure to hand the Habs their season-high placing in the Power Rankings as I visit the NHL's favorite road stop this week. The Canadiens are on fire, but were humbled by the loss (once again) of top blueliner Andrei Markov.

Brian Metzer Versus.com This week 5 last week 8

5. Montreal Canadiens (8)

Underrated Plekanec becoming a star.

Scott Morrison CBCsports.ca This week 6 last week no idea 

6. MONTREAL CANADIENS

Record: 11-5-1 (23 pts)

Last 10 games: 7-3-0

Loss of Markov will hurt, but they're getting used to it. 

National post NHL Ranking First list of the season This week 6

6. Montreal Canadiens (11-5-1)

Carey Price currently unfamiliar with the word "pressure."

Brophy's NHL Power Rankings Sporstnet.ca This week 6 last week 7 

(11-5-1) With eight points in his past four games Tomas Plekanec is earning the big contract he was rewarded with last summer.

Scott Cullen TSN 8 this week 11 last week

This Week 6 Last Week 11 Montreal Canadiens11-5-1

If Andrei Markov is indeed out for an extended period with another knee injury, the Canadiens will need Alexandre Picard (plus-7 in nine games this year) to fill a regular role, especially now that Ryan O'Byrne is gone to Colorado. 

Key Injuries: D Andrei Markov (knee).


CAPPERSTICKS Blog This week 8 first ranking of the season
8. Montreal Canadiens (11-5-1): Ca-rey! Ca-rey! Underneath the deafening chants of Mr. Price’s name in Montreal, you can barely hear “Halak” anymore.

How big was the mirror that Markov broke?

Seriously how can you have much more bad luck in so little time. The Habs and Markov are now pretty much stuck with each other. Mtl can't trade him, and can't risk a long time extension either plus if you don't sign him again the money and time you invested in the guy so far is going to waste. On the other hand Markov agent Don Meehan can't really ask for the moon either Markov UFA value just went way way down. That probably why he punched the board that the reaction of a guy who just lost some serious cash!

Maybe it the perfect time for Gautier to make a nice reasonable offer that would save the Habs some serious cap space in the next few years! With maybe an out clause if Markov continue to be injury prone. At 31 with three knee injury and a fourth freak accident in the last three season what else could happen to the guy anyway? A lawsuit by somebody looking for a payday, oups!

At least it not the end of the world for the Montreal Canadiens like it was last year mainly because the team learned to win without Markov and there a few young studs in Hamilton waiting for a call up!
By the way if Andrei is out for the remainder of the season or even just a big chunk of it Montreal just got some serious cap space to make a big move!