Dennis Kane’s Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

Jarkko Ruutu, seen here, is as despicable as they come. He was a smirking fool in Vancouver, a grinning underhanded cheapshot artist in Pittsburgh, and he continues his sordid tradition in Ottawa. I’ve written several posts about this low life, all negative, because I’ve never liked him and I rate him right up there with Sean Avery when it comes to who I’m not inviting to my birthday.

Someday someone is going to do the deed to this grinning goof. Ottawa fans, are you embarrassed to have him on your team?

IN OTHER NEWS:

We’re on our way to the Grand Canyon tomorrow. I’m going to miss the nightlife of Vegas, but it’ll only be for 12 hours so I should get over it. I feel I should also tell you about the seven dollar nachos at The Mirage. Good for two people, and the only natchos I’ve ever had that has roast beef in them.

One of the employees at The Mirage saw me with my Habs hat on and said he’s a Habs fan, loves Carey Price, loves the team speed, and is hoping for a Montreal-Detroit Stanley Cup.

This is Big Elvis. He’s been entertaining fans at Bill’s Casino on the Vegas strip for six years now. But more importantly, even though he’s still big, Big Elvis has lost 560 pounds and wants to lose another 150.

Habs take on those Boston Bruins Thursday night. I should be back from the Grand Canyon in time for the game, if I can find a TV with it on. If not, I’ll have to win money as I wait for the score.

Keep the ball rolling, Canadiens!

I know this probably sounds far-fetched, but yesterday as we were walking around the Las Vegas strip, dodging Mexicans handing out flyers for girls available in 20 minutes, I got thinking about the upcoming Ottawa game, and I thought, why can’t the boys put together a solid, 4-0 type game?

Then, when we were sitting in O’Shea’s casino, home of the two dollar Miller beer, of which I was drinking several, the scores came on and I saw that the Habs had indeed won 4-0.

Now if I can only channel these kinds of thoughts at the slot machines.

By all accounts, it was a solid game, the kind that teams use to break out of their doldrums. A much-needed shutout by Carey Price, a much-needed big game and hat trick by Chris Higgins, and just a much-needed win, period.

If it’ll help the Habs, maybe I should be in Las Vegas for every game! What do you think?

And because I didn’t see this game, I need to know - did Alex Kovalev play well? And were the Senators really flat, or were the Canadiens just great on this night?

Imagine if the Habs would’ve lost this game after the ridiculous bullshit in Toronto? But they didn’t. They won big.

WOW!

OTHER NEWS: I see Tom Kostopoulos has been suspended three games. I’m not going to defend this, but I’ve called for a suspension for Mike Commodore after he went after Andrei Kostitsyn’s head during the recent Columbus game.

The Kostopoulos thing happened during a high-speed ramming into the boards which was careless but can happen. Commodore’s was a vicious and intentional elbow to the head, just after Kostityn had returned from a concussion. I think there’s a big difference, even though Mike Van Ryn was hurt badly.

Regardless, it’s not good, it’s never good, and I have no problem with Kostopoulos sitting for three games even though he’s one of my favourite players. 

Oh darn, I have to go downstairs and gamble now, and after that head over to the House of Blues for some free music. Oh, and I suppose I have to see some more fine waitresses shuttling about. And then there’s those two dollar beers……

To be continued….. we’re here for a few more days.

After The ‘Troubles in Toronto’, my wife and I are now in Las Vegas. We didn’t go to Vegas because of ‘The Troubles’, but the timing was good.

So now I’m sitting in our room at The Mirage, and there’s some important things you should know.

Most of the waitresses in the major hotels are fairly sensational.

The bookmakers at Caesar’s Palace are giving the Habs 5-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup. Detroit’s the favourite at 3.5-1. The way the boys have been playing lately, I’m surprised it’s not about 50-1.

I shook Pete Rose’s hand and told him he should be in the Hall of Fame. He was sitting at a table in a collectables shop in Caesar’s Palace and he thanked me very much, but he looked away as he was saying it in a sort of unfriendly way. He looked really bored as he waited for someone to buy his book so he could sign it for $89. Pete Rose is no Rocket Richard.

I didn’t buy the book. The handshake was good enough. I’ve gotta save my money for gambling.

Here’s my first big winning. There’s more of this to come, I’m sure.

Habs play Ottawa tonight. Will they show up, or will they stink? All I know is, I’m not putting any money on them just yet.

Geez, I didn’t ask what Ottawa’s odds are. I’ll have to get back to you on that.

I drank beer with Aurele Joliat in Ottawa at the old Prescott Hotel, sometime in the mid-1980’s, and drove him home afterwards. I had brought my book, ‘The Montreal Canadiens” by Claude Mouton with me, and Aurele was more than happy to sign it and mention my broken arm.

Ken Dryden signed his book ‘The Game’ for me by writing “I’ve had a lot of fans in my life, and you’re one of them. Happy Birthday, Dennis”

My sister got him to do it. It was a bit of an inside joke.

A fellow in Vermont contacted me after finding this site, and sent in this story.  He and I have one major thing in common. We have the same name. 

Before that thing in Toronto Saturday night, long-time linesman and brand new Hall of Famer Ray Scapinella told the story about how he spent years collecting sticks from players after games he worked and he had this big collection, until one day he came home, looked out the window, and there were all his sticks cut in half by his elderly father and used in the garden for tomatoes.

That’s all I have to say about this night.

There were several highlights in Friday’s game between the Canadiens and the Columbus Blue Jackets. which saw the Canadiens lose 4-3 in a shootout. There was a blond behind the net with a low-cut blouse.

Okay, so there weren’t several highlights. Just that one.

And two other things before I turn this computer off and try to think happy thoughts.

First, fans don’t pay to watch the referees, and we don’t subscribe to RDS to watch the referees. Or did the Canadiens deserve those 895 penalties they took?

Okay, they deserved some of them. But one in particular they didn’t, when Columbus took a penalty late in the game, and the minute the puck was dropped to start a Habs power play, Koivu took a penalty for breathing on the other player to kill the power play.

Also, the league should look into what Mike Commodore pulled. This sorry excuse for a borderline NHL’er elbowed Andrei Kostitsyn in the head, this after Kostitsyn has just recently returned after suffering a concussion, and this after all the talk the league is doing about banning head shots. 

As for the game again, the beat goes on. Play flat and lousy, but still grab a point or two. This better not continue or I’m going to start thinking about Mats Sundin all over again.

GAME NOTE: Jaroslav Halak wasn’t good.

NEXT: Habs in Toronto Saturday night. Cripes, what’s that gonna be like?

Good guy Tom at The Ryan Coke Experience has gotten wind of a rumour you might want to check out on his site - that both the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens are showing interest in Atlanta Thrashers sniper Ilya Kovalchuk, a guy with almost 500 points in almost 500 games in the NHL.

Normally I’d want something like this to happen. A young, fifty goal guy in a Habs uniform. But, like  Marian Gaborik, I want neither player. Montreal has the team now to do the deed. There’s just no sense in shaking up the chemistry, regardless of how good these guys are.

And they need to first let me be flag guy at the Bell Centre before bringing in any more players. First things first.

Anyway, have a look at Tom’s site. He, by the way, lives in Ottawa but, unlike many of my own Ottawa friends, has stayed a Habs fan and hasn’t been swept away by Senatormania in the Senatorium.

And because Tom reads my blog, he’s one of the best people in the world.

Another one of the best in the world is Jordy, who let me know today that long-time hockey writer Stan Fischler, based in New York, says Carey Price is a stiff, cocky, mediocre goalie.

Stan Fischer is not one of the best people in the world. In fact, saying something like that makes him a leading candidate for worst person in the world.

Last, but certainly not least, I’m completely open to having people guest blog on this site. (as long as it’s good.) Anytime you want to send in a little story about anything related to hockey - yes, even the Canucks, Leafs, Sean Avery etc., you’re welcome to do this.

Maybe you’ve always wanted to write something. Well, here’s your chance. Just email me with your story at dlkane@shaw.ca and I’ll check for spelling and you’ll be in print. Please, though, not too many f bombs.

Oh, I suppose there’s lots to talk about as we wait another few days before the Habs’ involuntary holiday ends and they finally play hockey again, if they remember how.

There’s the big election in the states involving John McCain and Barack Obama, of course.

There’s the news that the Canadiens have six players on the all-star ballot, including Carey Price, Andrei Markov, Mike Komisarek, Alex Tanguay, Saku Koivu, and Alex Kovalev.

There’s the news that Martin Brodeur is injured, and the strange news that the Leafs are playing an actual brand of hockey right now.

But you can read all this in any newspaper, or see and hear on any talk show. I’d just be rehashing news that’s already out there, and that wouldn’t be fair to you, the readers of this blog, who are the nicest, smartest, kindest, sexiest, most beautiful people in the world.

So I’m just going to pull out the old scrapbook and put a nice picture up instead. It’s the right thing to do. Anything else would be insulting your intelligence.

Maurice Richard, Butch Bouchard, Boom Boom Geoffrion, and Bill Durnan would probably be talking about my blog if three of them weren’t dead.

Ring…….

Office of the schedule maker. Good morning.

Hello, this is Mr. Bettman. I need to speak to the schedule maker.

Speaking.

Yes, schedule maker. We have a problem. I’m sure you’re aware that there’s a few good Canadian teams up there, especially the Montreal Canadiens, and I’m sure you’re aware of what that means. Can you imagine a Canadian team in the Cup finals, schedule maker? Do you understand what that would mean for American TV audiences? No one would watch. We can’t have this. It’s happened before and I’ve decided to put my foot down.

So what would you like me to do, boss?

See what you can do about giving Montreal at least a bunch of big spaces between games early in the season. Maybe it’ll affect their timing, make them rusty, maybe they’ll lose a bunch of games, fall behind in the standings and never catch up. You know, whatever you can do. It’s important.

Later on that summer…

Ring…

Hello, Mr, Bettman? This is the schedule maker. How about this? I give them almost five days off in October when they’re in Florida on a Monday, and then don’t play Anaheim until the next Saturday! And then, sir, I think you’ll like this! I have them in Long Island in November on a Saturday, then don’t have them play in Columbus until the following Friday, even though the two places are only 400 kilometers apart and about an hour plane ride?

How do you like that?

Schedule maker, you’re a genius. That should take any wind out of those Montreal sails. It’s perfect, and I’ll make sure you have a job next year.

Thank you, Mr Bettman. And by the way, if you decide to move any more Canadian teams to a place like Acapulco or Rio, please think of me for a front office job? Thanks.   

This is the other little ad I have. It also came from an old 1940’s newspaper and it’s good because it gives all the different prices.