FeedHabs Slam Dunk The Leafs.
October 11, 2008 in Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, Hockey Night in Canada, Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks Tags: Alex Kovalev, Alex Tanguay, Bob Cole, Buffalo Sabres, Cliff Fletcher, Coach's Corner, Detroit Red Wings, Don Cherry, Guillaume Latendresse, Habs, hockey, Hockey Night in Canada, Jaroslav Halak, Montreal Canadiens, NHL, Philadelphia Flyers, Pierre McGuire, Robert Lang, Ron Wilson, Sergei Kostitsyn, Stanley Cup, TSN, Vancouver Canucks
It was one of those long nights Toronto Maple Leaf coach Ron Wilson and GM Cliff Fletcher predicted would happen this year as the Leafs are in the early stages of struggling and rebuilding. Not to mention they’re a team made up of unknowns.
And the best thing is, this long night was against the Montreal Canadiens, who rolled over the hapless Leafs 6-1 in front of a less-than- happy Leaf crowd. (with dozens of Habs jerseys sprinkled about).
Montreal dominated in every aspect, from Jaroslav Halak playing solid in goal, to a deadly power play (3 for 8), to Alex Tanguay having a goal and three assist night, to Sergei Kostitsyn chipping in with two goals and an assist, and Guillaume Latendresse helping out with a goal and two assists.
What a far cry from Fridays spotty effort in Buffalo when the Habs dropped a 2-1 shootout loss. And the big question is – how did the Detroit Red Wings lose to the Leafs a couple of nights ago?
Montreal showed all the signs Habs fans have been looking for, especially the potent power play, firewagon hockey, a cavalcade of chances, and the way newcomers Alex Tanguay and Robert Lang have come through so far.
The Leafs, to their credit, hit three or four goalposts, but Montreal also hit a few, and they had enough chances to make this a 10-1 game, which wouldn’t have sit well with Don Cherry.
Don didn’t like the idea that the Canadiens kept pouring it on late in the game with the score 6-1. I say pour it on. Help Kostitsyn get his hattrick. Pad the stats of the power play with a couple more. Let Kovalev pop another because for the Habs to be successful Kovalev has to be as good or better than last year, and that’s a big order.
Hell, let everyone pad their stats. It’s a long year, with dry spells along the way. Get em while the gettins good. The hell with the Leafs and Don Cherry. This is a business, not a San Francisco love-in.
Cherry had another rant on Coach’s Corner when he went on with another classic but somewhat tired bit about European kids taking Canadian kids’ jobs. Basically, I agree with a lot of what Don says. Not all, but a lot. But I think it’s all starting to get a bit old now. Maybe him and Bob Cole should join a lawn bowling league.
On Monday the Canadiens are in Philadelphia, and this will be a huge test. For those with short memories, it was the Flyers who knocked Montreal out of the playoffs last year. And TSN hippie Pierre McGuire predicts Philadelphia, not Montreal, to win the Eastern Conference and challenge Detroit for the Stanley Cup.
So there’s big motivation for the Canadiens to win on Monday. And it’s always good when McGuire is proved wrong.
GAME NOTE: Montreal starts the season off with three points out of four.
SURPRISING TEAM OUT OF THE GATE: Vancouver Canucks
October 12th, 2008 at 8:59 am
good game and for the Canucks tooo!!! cbs has their new song,its just not the same, a little celtic flare
October 12th, 2008 at 10:00 am
Sandy. What do the Canucks have in their corn flakes to start the year like this?
October 12th, 2008 at 11:18 am
who would have thunk it, great start so far
October 12th, 2008 at 11:50 am
I had faith in the canucks even before the pre season started. They improved in every category they needed to but not alot of people seen it that way. There way faster, way tuffer , and have alot more balanced scoring. The only surprise to me is the play of alex burrows. I only hope that everybody who doubted them continues to do so. As long as this team stays healthy they are gunna be a contender this year ( im sure alot of people will be rolling there eyes at that comment but hopefully there not gunna be the same people who are on the canucks band wagon when there winning )
October 12th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Jordy. I still don’t think they’re a contender. There’s too many non-stars in the lineup. Only the Sedins are game-breakers. I think Sundin would’ve helped.I just think they’re a team of journeymen, and journeymen alone don’t win championships.
October 12th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Dennis..you don’t have to bea star to win the cup are you kidding me with that comment!
October 12th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Oh wait a minute…..yes you can be a star look at Mat Sundin…….waiting to see who’s a contender, and then join that team!
October 12th, 2008 at 5:11 pm
You have to have a lot of stars to win the Stanley Cup. But you need journeymen too. You need both. But I don’t see a lot of stars on the Canucks.
October 12th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
Yes Dennis, lets not forget all the STARS the New York Rangers bought a few years back before the salary cap to win a cup………..yet they didn’t that time
October 12th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
Because the Rangers didn’t have enough journeymen. Don’t you get it? You need both. The Canucks don’t have enough stars.
October 12th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
Yes Dennis I get it and so will you when I SEE YOU
October 12th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Dennis: don’t argue with Sandy. That’s my job.
One thing we don’t argue about is the good team the Canucks have!
October 12th, 2008 at 8:48 pm
Maybe no stars but to date
Points Leader #1-Vancouver
Goals Scored Leader #5-Vancouver
Plus/Minus Leader #1-Vancouver, #2-Vancouver, #3-Vancouver, #5-Vancouver
Shutouts Leader #1-Vancouver
Goalie Wins Leader #3-Vancouver
not to be left out
Saves Leader #4 Montreal
October 12th, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Dennis,
I really dont think we see the same canuck team playing. I feel comfortable saying the canucks are every bit as skilled and talented as the Canadians this year, you might scratch your head wondering how i see that but i personally feel the canadians defense isnt even in the same league as the canucks, besides andre markov montreals defense is decent at best. upfront i would take the production of are two stars in the sedins over the possible production of your 2 stars, alexi kovalev, sure he was good last year but his 47 points the year before was poor at best for a player of his “caliber” and for alex tanguay, theres a possibility for great things, he had 81 points for calgary 2 years ago but followed up with a 58 point outing last year. Point being, the stars of the canadians are terribly inconsistent hockey players. The Sedins have been 70 + point players for the past 3 seasons. And as far as young players go i’d take kesler , raymond, bernier over the kostitsyn brothers and latendresse any day of the week. And as far as goalies go, the canucks have the greatest goalie on the planet. And to top all this off the habs play in the eastern conference, the travel is way harder on the teams in the west, also the western conference is much more of a physical conference. I guess it all comes down to opinion, and i have a great deal of respect for yours. Its a long 82 game season and only time will tell whos right. GO CANUCKS GO