Coaching Around The Canadiens, End of The Detroit “Yankees”?
Posted by jtbourne on May 7, 2010 · 29 Comments
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Once again, the purity of playoff hockey has been tainted by some Coyotes ownership clus-f**kery. Anytime someone works the just-created ”clust-f**kery” into a blog’s first sentence, you would think it’s gonna be a rant – but no-no, my pretties. We’re gonna talk fun stuff, ’cause eff this noise. Just let me know what’s happening when it happens.
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For starters, a quick thank you: For reading and commenting so responsibly, and with such a great sense of humour. Our comment section seems to work more as a conversation, with links shared, jokes, and nobody doing the whole “you don’t even know” thing. It’s a game – we play it for fun, follow it for fun, and when it gets un-fun, it’s time to find something else to do. (PS, the Rangers, the Oilers, and the Hurricanes suck. Yay! 
)
Thanks for following me on twitter (we’ve still got some room for growth on that one). And a special thanks to those of you who’ve donated to the blog. This thing works like one big job application for me, which thus far hasn’t made me rich, so it’s you folks that have kept the blog running. I’ve received donations ranging from $5 to $300 dollars (and a 2005 HP!), and believe me, I ain’t playin’ the stock market with it (though I do occasionally donate some to a local bar…. but only when The Hills is on at home and I need to watch hockey. ITS FOR THE GOOD OF THE BLOG, BRIANNA.)
We hit our first 30,000 visit month! Let’s keep growing this thing.
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Now!
*unggh* MOMMMM!
Onto the “just how seriously do we take the Canadiens?” question. Which, I hope is a short conversation in the Penguins locker room right now.
Very.
As we’ve previously discussed, their less-than-thrilling rope-a-dope style continues to be oddly effective. Instead of three minutes, however, they generally take beatings for three periods, only to land massive haymakers at the end of six of their last 11 fights.
At times, you get the feeling that a Pittsburgh player could just stop in the neutral zone with the puck and Montreal would leave him be ’til he tried to cross the red line. It’s like the world’s longest game of red rover, and the Canadiens are a bunch of WWE wrestlers who’ve interlocked hands.
….We call Malkin! over…
I don’t even know what to say anymore, which, I get the vibe, is a similar feeling Bylsma and Bodreau have had. Someone has to coach their way around this Canadiens team, and I get the hunch hard work and go-go-go isn’t the answer. I’d like to see more patience, and a “don’t fire ’til you see the whites of his eyes” mentality on Halak (and maybe give him some of the Big Cess treatment). When a goalie’s hot, contrary to popular opinion, I’m not of the “shoot more, shoot from everywhere” mindset. You just end up keeping him warm and alert, not to mention you’re wasting valuable possessions.
Confident fella.
Stanley Cup champions have to find a variety of ways to win, have to be versatile. We’re gonna find out in the next week if the Penguins are as one dimensional as a commenter recently suggested.
{PS – is it possible to not be crazy-intrigued by Subban? He’s the bright light for Montreal right now, just a super-interesting guy/player.}
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Johan Franzen had a thousand goals and fourteen assists in a 7-1 Red Wings win last night. Yesterday, I suggested Detroit would win handily (4-1, I think?) just to make all the Sharks supporters “poop just a little”. And shat themselves, they have.
This musta felt like groundhog ....game?
I’ve never heard so much talk about a potential 3-0 comeback.
My dad always talked about how hard it was to get that fourth win in a series to close a team out. Which is doubly scary, since the pressure-pendulum has swung the Sharks way. The ball is in your court now, fellas.
My prediction: Wings take a close game five in San Jose, but San Jose pulls their sh*t together and wins in Detroit in game six. I also predict that if I’m right on that, the media is going to drag us to hell and back with overreactions about Thornton’s legacy, Marleau’s future, and other mind-numbing circular arguments.
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I heard a few “end of an era” talks about Detroit – the one I’ve linked to there is especially…. what’s a PC word for retarded? I’ve done some research on the Wings (ooo, I’m a journalist), and here’s what I’ve discovered:
Henrik's Zetterbeard
Players under contract until 2013:
Pavel Datsyuk
Johan Franzen
Henrik Zetterberg
Dan Cleary
Valtteri Filpula
Brian Rafalski
Niklas Kronwall
Brad Stuart
Yes. They’re going to be terrible. Especially with Triple Gold Club Member Mike Babcock as their coach (47 years old, a Stanley Cup, Olympic Gold, World Championship Gold, World Junior Gold, and 10 wins in the Stanley Cup finals in the past six seasons)
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Back to Canucks-Blackhawks today, round two in Vancouver. Will the Canucks win? Will the reffing be atrocious? WILL CECIL FIELDER ON SKATES SCORE ANOTHER GOALIE “MAULING” HAT-TRICK? Also, Boston plays. I’m calling Philly by two.
Last question of the day: I need help spelling two things. 1) hattrick, hat trick, hat-trick (2) commentor, commenter… or …commentisaurus rex? (Be thankful I don’t refer to friends of the blog as “puck buddies”, like my favourite hockey site Puck Daddy.)
TGIF! Have a great weekend folks.
I'm a hockey player turned writer. After playing for Alaska Anchorage in the WCHA (NCAA), I carried on with an NHL tryout (New York Islanders in 2007) before spending a couple seasons in the AHL/ECHL (last year was 2008-09). My father, Bob Bourne, won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders in the '80's, as did my fiancee's dad, Clark Gillies. I'm now the web editor for theScore's hockey blog "Backhand Shelf."
Us commenters pushed you right to the brink on the whole defense is not boring topic, didn’t we? Tee hee hee – gotta make you earn that paycheck…oh wait…sorry.
Re: Subban (How do you pronounce that btw?) There is something really fun about watching these kids who get called up late in the season. You can practically see their excitement in their feet. It’s great to learn their stories and even better when they can immediately contribute to their team’s success.
Hattrick sounds like a town on the coast of Maine. Hyphens are old school. I say go with hat trick.
If you type commentor into Google – it pulls up references for commenter. Google, I bow to your collective knowledge of common usage of newly created words.
Thank you for not giving us a dorky nickname that feeds your ego.
Glad to hear the site is doing well… keep up the great writing and people will come!
I completely agree with the comment about the Red Wings. I know that people are quick to call them old and say that its the end of an era, but that’s more wishful thinking from people outside of Detroit more than anything else. The definitely have some retooling to do on the blueline as their lack of depth is becoming increasingly apparent, but that’s a damn fine core that most teams would love to build around.
Quick opinions: hat trick (but hat-trick is acceptable) and commentor. Just my $.02
That Zetterbeard is awe inspiring. I just get lost in it’s beauty.
on the detroit thing, along with that list of people that will be there until chelios becomes the first NHL player to crack the 60+ barrier and inspire your dad and dad in law to play again….., jimmy howard is in his first year as a starter and is only 26. He has done well so far, and now getting a ton of experience in the net, specially in the crucial playoffs. This doesnt bode well for non-detroit fans, IF the wings can re-sign him when his contract comes up.
Two words, no hyphen. Only use hyphens when the words you hyphenate are used as a modifier (unless the first word is an adverb; in that case, no hyphen either), with a few exceptions.
Indulge yourself in a copy of “Eats, shoots and leaves.” You won’t regret it.
1: hat trick
B: elucidator
III: Zetterberg = Jared Leto
“Hat trick” is correct. So is “commenter,” i.e. “one who comments.” The -or ending is irregular, so for a new coinage, it makes more sense to go with the more common -er. It also avoids confusion with the established “commentator,” one who provides commentary. (Our commenting on your commentary means we are commenters, you are a commentator.)
Of all the goalies in the world, the journalism major goalie is probably worst of all.
Its Pronounced SOOBAN 1) hat trick 2) commentor and 3) Easy on the Canes man!!!
Points for Nightfly. Most convincing arguments yet, so I’m going with his suggestions til otherwise convinced. Bummed though. Was kinda hoping it was commentisaurus rex.
Soo-Ban
I like how Byfuglien (weirdest spelling ever) went from 235 to 255 to 300 pounds when they were talking about him yesterday. The later (ridiculous) number was by the radio sports guys who know nothing about hockey.
Sidenote, I got pretty excited when a “Byfuglien Trucking, Roseau MN” semi pulled up next to me a while back.
CP Style guide says hat trick.
And thank you, I’m a reader not a “puck buddy”
1. Hat trick
2. Mah bitches
I’ve been too lazy to look at his stats, but did Subban really spend most of the season in the AHL? WTF? Honestly. Though he had a shift on the point during the PP where I thought… “ehhhhhh, maybe practice that a little more”
But whatever, he’s in the mix and it’s great.
I’m disgusted with how much I like Montreal right now. DISGUSTED. *please don’t stop!*
If I were a puck bunny id be your puck buddy, just saying
I am a big fan of PK Subban as I keep up with the Hamilton Bulldogs and when my boy David Desharnais is calling Montreal his home… I will um, try really hard… sort of… cheer for the Canadiens. However, when Subban was interviewed after game 3 I believe it was, it was hard to believe this kid hadn’t been there all year. He said the right things and was very well composed. Can’t wait to see what the future brings this kid.
i vote for “hat trick or hat-trick” (I’m so indecisive…can’t make up my mind) and “commenter”…”commenter” is in the dictionary and “commentor” is not….also, when i type “commentor”, I get that annoying little red squiggly under the word that I misspelled it…..anyway….
Sioux-Ban
nightfly made my head hurt reading the “commentor, commenter” thing…
i vote for hat trick…..
my favourite hockey site Puck Daddy…….its favorite….unless your canadian…oh.wait…
how bout i stick to jumping out of planes and killing people for your tax dollars (which also buys my beer) and i will let you be a blogger with questionable spelling…LOL
and as long as you dont call me any real term of endearment, i dont mind being known as a “bournes blog reader” guy…
You jump out of planes and kill people? Damn, we took considerably different career paths, eh?
Well, thanks for doing that, just don’t kill anyone you don’t have to, okay? I get indignant enough over high sticking, imagine moral high horse I’d be riding if I wrote about that!
I’m a left-leaning Canadi-merican who supports the troops (odd), so I’m behind you man. Do your (non-murderous) thing!
puck buddy sounds too much like puck bunny…not a good thing! : O )
…IIIII think they know that.
well, the funny thing is i think you’ve taken more body damage in your career..LOL
thanks for the support. Worked with some canadian military overseas and great army folks.
worst thing is my boss is from detroit…and my wife is a pens fan..and i am a rangers fan…sigh..
love the blog, between you and msconduct’s, i am slowly getting smarter on the hockey thing.
Hat trick
Commentour (just like favourite…)
Call us what you want, but just know that as a fellow writer we are both “pucked!”
I think by now you’ve got the spelling thing down so I won’t comment
Hey – 30,000 hits! How ’bout each of us send our favorite inside scoop man $1 (or maybe $1 every month or every visit or every *something*) – I’m fairly sure there’s nobody here who can’t afford that, and that would cover a lot of escapist beer runs.
$1 might not seem like much but it’s the power of stupid people in large groups…um…wait – that came out wrong. Just go click the little yellow button.
Take that, JB!!!! The Hawks looked pretty damn tight tonight my non-believer amigo!!
Non-believer? Dude! I picked them to win the Presidents Trophy, and to win their first round, AND make the Conferece Finals in my playoff predictions (changed to ‘nucks). WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!?
So did Datsyuk just add another paragraph to your poetry on ice post? Mid-air steal to a pass. One man transition.
I don’t think Disco Dan’s got the coaching goods to solve the Habs. Considering how my fantasy hockey picks are tanking (joint 3rd/4th in a 4 team league) I’m probably totally wrong but I can hope….
Thanks you for not doing yet another in a long series of articles on how the Wings are old and finished. I believe the first one was written in 1996.
I’ve never been a Montreal fan BUT…I was a fan of PK Subban when he played for Belleville in the OHL. Montreal is going to love him. I am a BIGGER fan, however, of Tom Pyatt, drafted and developed by my home-team Saginaw Spirit in the OHL. Watching Pyatt on the ice for the last minute of a 1 goal game against the Pens was great, and it’s rewarding to see the Habs’ coaching staff recognizing that the PK and his defensive prowess have an important place in the lineup. He doesn’t say much–he’s the media antithesis of Subban–but he does the job. It’s also doubtful that he numbers Russian mobsters among his inner circle…….