A website, kept as a thinly veiled front for a playoff pool. Sometimes hockey is actually discussed here too.
We may disagree on the better team (Habs/Bruins) but we can all agree that Gary Bettman is a tard.
USA plays Canada once again tomorrow. Both teams have advanced to the Gold Medal game in convincing fashion. Canada seems to have pulled together, while the US team seems to have matched the Canadians ability to score early and often.
This one's really too close to call, though Canada may have a slight edge in that they're seeking revenge for losing the preliminary round game. But, recent history has shown that the Americans are getting pretty good at beating the Canadians at their own game. And by that I mean, the US has become better at north american style hockey than the people who developed it.
In what universe is it a crime to celebrate a win? First, let's give credit where it's due: Canada won the Gold medal in women's hockey, and congratulations to them. It would have been nice to see the US women get the gold, but alas. So the Canadian women celebrated their Olympic win (which may be their last), after the medal ceremony, returning to the ice drinking champagne and beer, and smoking cigars. I don't know about you, but that's my kind of women right there.
The International Olympic Committee is investigating, since A) it seems players are not allowed to have fun, and B) one of the women was underage (Marie-Philip Poulin is 18--legal in other provinces, but not in British Columbia). I guess what she should have done was go celebrate away from her teammates in a less controlled, less safe environment. Hockey Canada encoded a subtle "Fuck You" to the IOC in its apology:
"The members of Team Canada apologize if their on-ice celebrations, after fans had left the building, have offended anyone."
"In the excitement of the moment, the celebration left the confines of our dressing room and shouldn't have. The team regrets that its gold medal celebration may have caused the IOC or COC any embarrassment."
Translation: "The celebration occurred away from the public, so no one actually had to see it who didn't want to. And we're so, so sorry for celebrating winning the biggest tournament available for women hockey players. Next time we'll get right back to our knitting, fuck-wits."
I recall Mike Vernon smoking a cigar at center-ice when he won the Stanley Cup in 1997. And every year we see men guzzling champagne out of a giant silver mug. I don't recall hearing an uproar then. Shit, I forgot: women are not supposed to party or present an image other than the sexy, demure, submissive women we see in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue. Sure, we'll let them be athletes, but they'd better not act like men when they win. We want crying, grateful champions who smell like buttercups and Estee Lauder, not powerful, kick-ass females who can not only play the sport better than you can, but might have beer on their breath too.
I have to be honest: I hope Don Cherry cried himself to sleep clutching his teddy bear, gently rocking back and forth in a stupor of sorrow. I honestly hope he did, because that's what happens to the exceedingly arrogant in all the movies with happy endings.
Of course, my enthusiasm is primarily centered on the fact that I am cheering for my own country, for the team's success is a reflection on our nation. Their victories bring greater honor and glory to the United States of America.
Whatever.
Why is it we cheer so much, not for, but against? It's been very easy for the Republicans in our country to achieve their ends, because they have been solidly against every policy of the Commander in Chief. It doesn't matter what they're FOR, because after all, many of the policies they oppose they actually used to support, or even originated. No, they are against a person, and therefore against all he supports. This is what is called ad hominem. We don't like the man, therefore we are against anything and everything he suggests.
I am not above this. I was elated that New Orleans won the Super Bowl, not because it was a wonderful event for a city that has suffered so much, not because they were a great underdog with a long history of underdoggedness, but because Peyton Manning lost. Outside of Fenway Park they sell "I hate Peyton Manning" t-shirts. (Understand that New England Patriots fans despise manning almost as much as they hate the Yankees.) To see Peyton Manning lose the Super Bowl was almost as good as watching the Pats win it. Maybe even better.
And in baseball, there are a great number of self-described Red Sox fans who define themselves not by how much they love the Sawx, but by how much they hate the Yankees. They will tell you of "ABBY": AnyBody But the Yankees. In truth, these fans are not really Red Sox fans. They could be Milwaukee Brewers fans and it would be all the same. They are Yankees Haters. THAT is their team, and those are their fellow fans. Yankees Haters.
And so I have had to be very careful in gauging my feelings about USA's victory over Canada. I like a lot of what Don Cherry has to say about the Instigator rule, and some other points, but I despise his overt racism and xenophobia. His arrogance is infuriating. Sorry Don, but Canada is NOT the best hockey team in the world. Canadians have no monopoly that precludes all other nations from enjoying the sport. There has been no injunction issued to prevent Swedish or Slovakian players from participating in the free market of the NHL where the best players in the world are rewarded for being the best.
It's too bad that my opposition to team Canada stems largely from one man. Its the sort of irrational political bullshit that makes normal folks hate the Montreal Canadiens. But it also comes from Sidney Crosby, about whom I've written extensively. He needs to be brought back to earth, and his anointment as the "Most Marketable Player in the NHL" by Jeremy Roenick and countless others is out of touch with reality.
Beyond that, it's not just that I dislike their players (save one) or the worst of their frothy-mouthed jingoistic supporters. Honestly, the team is not all that great. Canada has good players, but is not a great team. We are wrong to call them great before they have even played together, and before they have won in convincing fashion. So far, Canada has beaten a vastly inferior Norwegian team, won a squeaker against a good, but still inferior Swiss team in a shootout, and lost to the US. And the truth is, I suspected this was what we would see. But to lots of other people, Canada was infallible. I have talked to some Canadians here on my campus who had no doubt that they would win Gold, and never even be challenged in the process. Time for a wakeup call, Canada. Time to face the reality that this team is not head and shoulders above its competition. I feel vindicated, as do a lot of others. If and when Canada comes together to become a great team and starts actually dominating, then I'll tip my hat, call them what they are and enjoy the show. But until then I will satisfy myself with "I told you so."
So I was wrong about Slovakia beating the Czechs. But by God I wasn't wrong about Slovakia surprising some folks. Unfortunately for the Russians, they were the victims. Jaroslav Halak has gotten used to being hung out to dry by a crappy Habs team, so facing off against two awesome Russian lines and two not so great lines was a piece of cake.
And in other Olympic news, Canada is nowhere near as good as they would like to think, and the Swiss are a very good team that folks still seem to underestimate.
The local movie store is going out of business. I feel awful for the folks who will be losing their jobs when the store finally closes, but there was a bright spot:
I managed to get "Youngblood" on DVD for five bucks.
My friends, Canadiens fans, and NHL fans are all talking about how Bob Gainey has stepped down as the General Manager of the Canadiens. Some are burying him, some are praising him.
I remember when he became GM in 2003, someone I knew who has worked in and around the NHL told me the Habs would win the Stanley Cup within five years. Gainey himself claimed that his ambition was to have a Cup-contender after five years. Of course that never materialized, and now there will be no chance to extend the deadline.
Bob Gainey brought some great experience and professionalism to Montreal, and he is an honorable man, but like a first-round pick, his potential did not come to fruition.
Let's take a look at some of his most important moves as GM.* *Please note that while I have considered the trade to acquire Alex Kovalev as a positive move, the decision not to re-sign him last summer could be considered equally bad or good, depending on whom to talk to.
Pros:
Trading for Kovalev
Trading for Huet and Bonk
Signing Cammalleri
Trading Rivet for Gorges
Re-signing Markov
Cons:
Firing Julien and taking over as coach.
Letting Koivu walk
Trading for Gomez
Hiring Jacques Martin
Trading Huet
Not doing jack shit at the deadline in what had the markings of a championship season
Not firing Guy Carbonneau until the damage was done
Trading Ribeiro for Niinimaa
Rushing Carey Price
You can make of that list what you want, and please comment on any that I have overlooked.
Gainey's downfall occurred at the tail-end of the 2007-2008 season. The Habs had a miraculously healthy team, and were poised to finish first in the Eastern Conference and make a long playoff run.
Bear with me here, I'm going to throw out an analogy. Remember that completely awesome game in 1997 between the Avalanche and Red Wings?
It occurred on March 26th, just as the Red Wings were getting in gear for the playoffs. Mike Vernon, who would go on to win the Conn Smythe trophy as the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup, said that was the game that really brought the team together. Mike Vernon played no small part in that brawl, as he clobbered Patrick Roy at center ice.
Now think of February 20th, 2008.
Montreal was down by five goals to the New York Rangers. Carey Price had been pulled, and Cristobal Huet was in net. Miraculously, the Habs came back, thanks in part to some outstanding goaltending from Huet. Granted, he did let in two of those five Rangers goals, but he was also the winner. That game was the one that brought the 2007-2008 Canadiens together.
Now imagine if Detroit had traded Vernon in 1997. Chris Osgood is an outstanding playoff goalie, but Vernon was the Wings' man on March 26th, and he was their man in the playoffs. THAT is what Bob Gainey did. He traded the Canadiens' number one goalie, the one who had been on the ice for the season-defining victory. He traded him away for a second round draft pick. That Gainey did not add to the team was bad enough, and maybe even understandable, for Gainey is an honorable man; but he SUBTRACTED from the team. He made them weaker going into the playoffs, and did so by trading the number one goaltender.
Now we come to the present, and Gainey has stepped down. Since that missed opportunity in 2008, he made some good moves and bad ones, but I am left with a very hollow feeling. Gainey stepped down only after dealing his most savage blow to the Canadiens. Gainey was GM for six years. Saku Koivu was a Canadien for 13 years, and captain for ten of them (tying the indomitable Jean Beliveau as the team's longest-serving captain). Gainey blew up the team this summer, letting every single free agent go. We can forgive, if not understand, every one of those decisions, save one. Gainey cut out the heart and soul of the Montreal Canadiens when he let Koivu go.
And now Gainey has stepped down, a few months after completely gutting his team. I suppose he figures his work here is finished. A rudderless team still without a captain, and a coach who can only be described as mediocre. Simply put, there is little damage left to do. Only Bob Gainey knows how long he considered stepping down, but if we accept that Gainey did nothing without long, careful deliberation, then we arrive at a depressing conclusion: that Bob Gainey was contemplating resigning even as he cast Saku Koivu aside and hired one of the worst coaches in the NHL.
So now we have a team on the bubble, unrecognizable from the one that looked so good in 2008. The coach is a dunce, the team has no captain, and they are now casting about for management. This is not a happy day for any Canadiens fan. Whether you abhor Gainey or love him, for he is an honorable man, the team seems to be right back where they were in 2003.
Several news sources have announced that Bob Gainey will be stepping down as the Habs' GM, to be formally announced at a press conference at 4 pm today.
Don't worry, I'll have lots to say on the matter, once I know more.
It's been a while no? Well, time to drop the gloves and get nasty with the fine folks here at KK/BB squaring off and firing verbal and written broadsides at each other.
Problem with writing reviews and previews is that sometimes you make the mistake of seeing someone else's thoughts, and damned if they aren't better than anything you can think of. Now I'm stumped on what else to add.
Well, here goes nothing:
Habs suck. Bruins suck.
How's that?
Ok, so it may be a bit more nuanced than that. Montreal sits at 7th place, while Boston is in 12th, in the Eastern Conference. However, only three points separate them. Simply put, the line between playoff and non-playoff teams is extremely thin. Added to the drama is Boston's prominence in the rumours surrounding Ilya Kovalchuk. Ooooohhhh! The Bruins are riding some sort of losing streak (I'm not sure exactly, because I don't care), and Montreal just lost their best (only) offensive threat in Michael Cammalleri. So times are not fun for either team.
Key players for Montreal: Halak, Plekanec, S. Kostitsyn
Key players for Boston: Thomas, Krejci, Savard
Habs to watch for major fuckups: Gomez, Bergeron, Gomez, any one of the call-ups I've lost track of, Gomez
Bruins that make everyone tense: Ryder (haha), ?
Whatever the outcome, Montreal has an afternoon game on both Saturday and Sunday. The Sunday matchup will be against the Bruins again, so Bruins fans can count on a win that day. (Montreal never. Ever. Wins. Afternoon games. Ever.)
