Comments on: Sometimes I hate my fellow Hab fans…

By: habz2007

habz2007 — Sat, 10 Mar 2007 19:46:03 +0000

Kovalev is a great goal scorer but only when he shows up unfortunatly that isn't often enough Habs need a more consistant goal scorer than Kovalev. Hell if your gonna pay a guy 4.5 milion you expect him to produce more than kovalev does. I agree Koivu is a Great Leader I don't care what anyone says there is no player in the NHL today who has more heart thank Saku does Habs Need a goaltender thats can play well behind Huet unfortunatly alot of the habs trouble is inconsistant play by abby. I hope habs can make a good pick up that will improve the team . GO HABS GO

By: Les-Habitants

Les-Habitants — Fri, 09 Mar 2007 03:12:20 +0000

Well, since your calling me out by name, I guess I should really respond

In your comments, I believe you are referring to the article written by Jack Todd, as you are pretty much quoting some of his arguments...if that is the case, it doesn't buy me. As a journalist, Mr. Todd is one of the few whose opinion seems to be designed to get the biggest response. In fact, of the sports journalists that write for the Montreal Gazette, his opinion is the sole one which I have found to be completely and utterly biased. He has constantly been a writer who writes and discriminates against anyone he doesn't like, and while I'll read what he says, I take it with the smallest grain of salt as should everyone.

I never said La Presse is a tabloid, however, the Russian newspaper where they did get that article is...or at least, is from what I've been able to read/find.

So, while I appreciate that you read the Gazette too, please don't just try to reproduce Jack Todd's arguments and think they're good ones

By: kovy007

kovy007 — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 18:05:08 +0000

I totally agree with the Kovalev thing. It was BS. Only in montreal will the media write stuff like that. Like when Kovalev was injured and they were suggesting that he is probably faking his injury. Only in montreal will the fans question a player's injury and doubt a player's word that he was injured.
I don't care what you say about Kovalev he is the most talented player in the team. Sometimes it seems that he uses 10% of his talent but he is in the top three in points with 40 along with Ryder and Koivu. I will disregard Souray because he shouldn't be up there, he is just HAVING A GREAT SEASON and it is a contract year. Who are the two biggest contracts in montreal? Koivu and Kovalev. Are they in the top three in the standings of their team disregarding Souray. Yes they are. Why is everybody complaining? Surely the points they have put up don't reflect their salary but EVERY PLAYER IS OVERPAID. 7.8 million for Brad Richards and only 62 points? With that kind of money he should have minimum 120 points which he won't get. 7.5 for Chara who can't skate? Samsonov who is the third biggest contract in montreal is not even in the top ten. he is really underachieving and should be moved.
One final thing about the fans who diss Kovalev. You know he will be the top goal scorer and pointer in the playoffs and if you don't know that then you don't know the first thing about him. Kovalev is the only player who can actually DEAK in that team every body just dumps the puck. Finally Kovalev NEEDS A STAR CENTER. Plekanec is not going to cover it. Have a forsberg or Briere centering Kovalev and you won't need a third player on that line. Be patient with Kovalev and don't expect 30 goals. Kovalev is not a 30 goal scorer. It only happened twice with Pittsburgh and he was playing with Lemieux and Jarg. Just watch this guy shine in the future

By: habsoverserver

habsoverserver — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 15:51:27 +0000

what you seem to be saying is that gainey always puts himself in the wrong situation then figures a way to get out of it. btw Hamilton was a top team back in 02-03. Despite the fact that Ward, Ryder, Gratton, Plekanec, Hossa, Komisarek, Beauchemin, Hainsey and Garon all made the NHL, Montreal has yet to improve.

I want Gainey to remain as GM. I want Carbo to remain as coach. I want to see a rebuilding effort where the rookies get more ice time and money is not longer wasted on tired veterans. I'd like to see Plekanec get a lot more ice team. I'd like Koivu to step aside and let someone younger and more talented center the first line.

By: habsoverserver

habsoverserver — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:23:54 +0000

look at the molson standings by month. koivu won with 13 points. that is one of the lowest monthly point totals in molson cup history. as a comparison, in november, huet had 36 molson cup points.

i agree, downgrading him to the second line would suffice. i would have done that years ago.

i would love to see a younger player at first line center - that would signal rebuilding.

By: darcysucker

darcysucker — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 12:35:11 +0000

I must say, I don't understand people who bash gainey. Granted he's made a couple of moves that haven't worked out, but things don't always work out. And given the situations, I find Gainey always made the right move. He got rid of Theo, and he actually got something in return, he sucks now, but so does theo, and he costs a lot less. As for Ribeiro, he was a cancer in the locker room, gainey knew this, he coached the team last year. He got rid of all the guys he didn't like (Bulis, Zednik, Sundstrom, Ribeiro). And well the management felt that Plekanec could be a better 2nd line center than Ribs, personally I think pleks would be an ideal 3rd line center, and I'd let Bonk go at the end of the season, unless you can sign him cheap. As for Samsonov, well Gainey tried to get sign Shanahan, who would've been perfect, don't think we'd be in the same kind of trouble with Shanahan on the team, but his wife decided she'd prefer to live in NYC for a year. Imagine Shanny playing with Kovy, that would've been awesome, but Gainey had to go with plan B, so he signed the one he could sign, and who seemed like a decent 1st line player. One thing people keep forgetting is that the habs are very shaky at goaltending right now, Aebischer keeps letting the team down, letting in weak goals, and well Halak is good, but he's a rookie, can't expect much from him. If Huet were around things would probably be looking a little brighter. Also people don't seem to know what's going on with the farm teams, the Bulldogs are doing great, and are made up of mostly habs prospects, with a couple of guys from edmonton, and we also have a team below them, the Cincinnati Cyclones, it all seems meaningless, but if you have your prospects playing together early on, and have things organized it pays dividends later on, just look at the Sabres and Devils, they have a system in place and they're players are taught that system early on, I haven't seen the habs farm system this organized in years, and they also have a great bunch of prospects, and it's only going to get better with the 2 picks in this year's draft, if you want to see our prospects check out www.hockeysfuture.com, montreal ranks 6th in the nhl in prospects.

In Gainey I Trust

By: passionch

passionch — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 11:52:48 +0000

Doubt you can bench your captain and best scorer (Hab's player of the month for february, Molson Cup) when he earns 4M+ and is healthy. You could downgrade him to the 2nd line and really let the young guns play the rest of the season. Making the playoffs through this stretch would only be a bonus!

By: passionch

passionch — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 11:47:54 +0000

I still have Koivu on my team and he owns! You can't really compare the game with the real thing anyway since there's always new players not in the game among the many other reasons.

By: habsoverserver

habsoverserver — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 07:49:00 +0000

but there is no penalty for disobeying that rule. for example, the Rangers and Devils had no captain in 05-06. if you search by team on wikipedia, it lists all the historical captains.

By: rojoke

rojoke — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 01:51:13 +0000

Why does Montreal need a captain? It's in the rule book.