Plus/Minus goes after the goalie

I guess the Habs are capable of winning games! Sometimes. Which is better than no times. And then they went and made a random trade, so I guess I still don't know how to feel about them.

PLUS

+ A huge Plus for this guy, who pulled off a pretty awesome surprise for his mom:

And she got to see her team win the Super Bowl. It must be so incredible to be there for that kind of moment, after decades of fandom. I'm so happy for this family and I don't even know them.
+ Carey Price and Josh Gorges giving their Super Bowl predictions: They gave some thought to their answers, which makes me think that when we're all grown up and they're retired, they'll make pretty good analysts. And they'll still be on our TVs.
+ Wait, is Daniel Briere a hockey player who scores goals? Whoa.
+ Bruno Mars delivered as a Super Bowl halftime performer. He and the Red Hot Chili Peppers did exactly what I hoped they would onstage, and a combination that I didn't think would work made for a pretty damn great halftime show.

MINUS

@CanadiensMTL Carey Price's {yet again} Gaf yesterday and that wou;d be tied with G-Molson being 100% AWOL and out of tiu h wiht reality!!!
— DonEladioVuente (@DonEladioVuente) February 3, 2014

- The less I remember about this weekend's games, the better. (Except for Brandon Prust fighting a goalie. I want to be reminded of that all the time.)

- A huge Minus to any Habs fan who complains that Carey Price let in one bad goal this weekend. He's been one of the only consistent players on the team all season. He has worked so hard to keep the Habs from completely tanking. Hell, just last week the players in front of him embarrassed him. How quickly can anyone forget that?

Anyway, welcome to the jungle, Dale Weise.

Plus/Minus: Mad City

It wasn't the greatest week that Habs fans have ever seen. It kind of flat-out sucked. But there's still tons to be optimistic about, right? Stuff that isn't about the Habs?

PLUS

+ The biggest Plus of the week, of course, goes to Anthony Calvillo. His career speaks for itself, but his behaviour both on and off the field is what will make him a legend.

+ I know that any display of emotion can cause a player to get in trouble, especially when that player's name is P.K. Subban, but I have no problem with his angry stick-throwing during the Capitals game. He was angry. We're all angry. No use hiding it.

+ Peter Budaj gets as many Pluses as he wants for picking a fight with Marc-André Fleury. Because who wouldn't want to mess with Fleury?

+ Kendrick Lamar and Imagine Dragons' performance at the Grammys was one of my favourites in recent years. I know that the Grammys thrive on putting artists together onstage just for the novelty of it, but this combination worked so well. I could watch it over and over.

+ This picture of Kobe Bryant, 50 Cent, and Meryl Streep:

...Kobe is basically the Meryl Streep of basketball.

+ I'm a sucker for really sweet human interest stories. (Because I'm a huge sap who cries at everything.) Seahawks player Derrick Coleman's exchange with a 9-year-old deaf girl who called him her inspiration is just about the best thing I could read in preparation for the Super Bowl.

MINUS

- This tweet by Dustin Penner:

I know prostitution isn't legal in cali but there's no other way to explain 19yo "model" drivin a G-wagon...is there? http://t.co/YsfeJo4mUJ
— Dustin Penner (@Dustinpenner25) January 21, 2014

is just further proof that he is, in fact, an idiot. Assuming that a woman is a prostitute is just about the most offensive thing that anyone could do, and the fact that it's coming from a rich man who probably doesn't judge women based solely on the books they read. (Providing, of course, that he knows what a book is.)

- Oh, and also the fact that the Montreal Canadiens just can't get themselves together, and that their coach is just barely treading water.

- Oh, and the fans who misbehaved during Saturday night's game against the Capitals also get a Minus. Enough with the ironic cheers and the booing your own team. You guys are even worse than the jerks who leave early. (Inside this Minus, though, is a Plus, to whoever it was sitting near the Family section that started a "Never quit!" cheer.)

Dear Habs: Never quit. Please.

Plus/Minus accurately describes the Habs this week

They're up and they're down, they're boring sometimes and thrilling at other times. If there's one thing I know for sure about this year's Montreal Canadiens, it's that they'll always do something unexpected.

PLUS

+ Madonna's halftime show had everything: gladiators, a She-Ra headdress, Nicki Minaj, millions of backup dancers, LMFAO, gospel choirs, marching bands, Cee-Lo Green, and her classic Like A Prayer dance moves. Oh, and a shoutout to Ron Artest ("World Peace"). What more could I have asked for? A Patriots loss? I got that too!

+ Kelly Clarkson's fantastic American national anthem proves that all you have to do to be great, is be great. No vocal runs, no fancy earrings. Just talent.
+ A Plus to Lewis Alderman, the kid who helped Michel Lacroix with player introductions at the Bell Centre this weekend. Usually kids just sound like kids, but he was great!
+ On Sunday morning, I said that the Canadiens need to support Carey Price with some goals. And they obliged.
+ Ryan White scored two goals in the first ten minutes of today's Hamilton Bulldogs game. This would have just been a Plus celebrating his return to the ice, but two goals in ten minutes proves just how happy I am to have him back.
+ Some people wouldn't call this a slam dunk. I'm too busy staring in awe to care about what it's called:


MINUS

- Paul Gaustad is not only insensitive, but he's kind of an idiot too.
- I don't know who this Minus is directed to, exactly, but after the Gaustad incident, Aaron Ward said on the TSN panel that the only things you can't insult another player about on the ice are kids and pets. "Wives, girlfriends, sisters are all fair game." Seriously? Dogs are untouchable but women aren't? Is this a sports league or a cult?
- I'm sorry, Habs, I like you, I really do, but if you feel the same way about me, you can't blow a two-goal lead against the frigging New Jersey Devils.
- Saturday's game against the Capitals was a dismal effort by both teams. Better off forgotten.
- I'm still not a baseball fan, but I'd like to express my anger towards everyone who's tried to turn me into one, because they never told me about this crazy A-Rod centaur rumour.

This week is going to be a busy one, with midseason TV schedules swelling and another edition of Hockey Day In Canada. I'll have to try and keep up.

Pop Culture Musings

Sorry for the off-topic post, but I have a few random things to say about non-hockey stuff.

I wonder if B.o.B will ever have a hit song on his own. He's always just the rapper when someone needs a verse rapped for them, or he calls up some vocalist to sing a chorus for him. It's never just B.o.B. It's always him and someone else. He's got a lot to prove. Is it because there are lots of rappers who are better than him?
(PS: Dear B.o.B.: "Magic" is totally my jam, you have no idea.)

I've come to the realization that Bradley Cooper's movie career has turned him into the non-Texan Matthew McConaughey. They're basically the same guy now. Think about it: McConaughey could have easily played either Faceman in The A-Team or Sack Lodge in Wedding Crashers, and Cooper desperately tried to catch up to How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days by being in both He's Just Not That Into You and Valentine's Day. (To which I say: really, Bradley Cooper? Both? I really like you, but enough is enough already.) The only McConaughey roles that Bradley Cooper wouldn't have been cast in are the ones that require him to be really, really Texan. The only Bradley Cooper roles that McConaughey wouldn't have been cast in, probably, are his TV roles. (Don't even try to picture it.) To be honest, I'm not even sure what the difference is between Limitless and The Lincoln Lawyer, other than one of them has Ryan Philippe and other one doesn't.

This season of Parks and Recreation has been great. Please go back and watch old episodes, try to manage your way through the first season, then enjoy the second season, and come back and watch the third. Or try just watching the third season because it's so very funny and more accessible than ever. I think I might pick it as my dark horse to win the Emmy this year. It's been better than Modern Family, more rewatchable than Bored To Death, and in some ways more satisfying than 30 Rock (which as you know is my favourite thing in the world). It's finally found its place as heir to The Office. Steve Carell's goodbye episode, by the way, felt a little rushed but is going to be a classic. So well-written. Loved it.

Also, I know I always say this, but why aren't people sick of unscripted TV yet?

We'll be back to your regularly scheduled hockey ramblings before you know it.

Plus/Minus: Maybe not such a well-oiled machine

Earlier this week, I watched my all-time favourite Jeopardy contestant, Ken Jennings, lose a Jeopardy tournament to a supercomputer. (Yes, I love Jeopardy, deal with it.) It was bizarre. The whole thing was won by a computer, with no face, no feelings, and an inhuman thought process. It was just as crushing as watching the Canadiens lose this week. But just a little bit scarier.

PLUS

+ I know his options were limited, but it really says something that Jacques Martin put Tom Pyatt in the shootout against Buffalo. Pyatt hasn't exactly wowed anyone this season, and you'd think a coach like Martin would want him out of the way, but he threw Pyatt a bone. Maybe it'll just take a little more for him to put some points on the board this season.
+ Congrats to the Old Habs on beating the Old Flames at the alumni game!
+ Mike Cammalleri is back!
+ Paul Mara's beard!
+ Hat tricks: Devin Setoguchi helped the Sharks to a win and Neil Young (no joke, it was actually Neil Young, I swear) applauded him. And Taylor Hall had a natural hat trick, which as I learned this week is even fancier than a regular hat trick.

+ My favourite non-hockey sporting event of the year, the NBA All-Star Skills Competition, did not disappoint. It was flashy and over-the-top and famous people were there and Cee-Lo performed. Also, the slam dunk competition was so good that I am literally unable to choose my favourite dunk. I can't even give advantage to everyone's favourite basketball player Blake Griffin. (A Minus within this Plus goes to Michael Jordan... c'mon man, I know you're the greatest that ever lived, but don't text during the dunk competition!)
+ Just when I started getting jealous of the NBA All-Star Weekend for its multitude of relevant musical acts, the Heritage Classic busts out Metric as the live entertainment between the 2nd and 3rd periods. Thank you, universe. And this, just one week after the other best band in Canada won Album of the Year at the Grammys.

MINUS

- I looked forward to the Heritage Classic because two teams that I like very much were going to play outdoors. It turns out only one of those teams played. What happened, Habs?
- 2 I might be sad that the Canadiens didn't do enough in Calgary, but I would never disrespect them like some people did. First, there was François Gagnon on Twitter, complaining about the American anthem being performed at an all-Canadian game. I'm not saying his whining was unfounded, just a little excessive, especially for a professional journalist who should probably have known that they were going to sing it. It's as if there wasn't a hockey game after the anthems were performed. And then, I saw people who had spent time and money to get to McMahon Stadium, to see what I'd consider a once-in-a-lifetime hockey game, and they LEAVE EARLY. Unless all those people were in danger of frostbite, they should be ashamed. A real fan will watch their team, win or lose.
- I loved everything on CBC leading up to the Heritage Classic, except for the complete lack of imagination on the part of whoever set a montage to the Requiem for a Dream music. Really? REALLY? You think you're the first person to think of that?
- The Canadiens lost to the Buffalo Sabres and I can't even blame Ryan Miller for it? That just makes me sad.
- File James Wisniewski's puck-to-face incident under "Things That Should Have Happened To Sean Avery."
- Patrick Kane parties like nobody's watching and dresses poorly while doing so. Never change, Patrick Kane, never change.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be bracing myself for the Canucks game on Tuesday.

Little distractions

So, it's September 1st, Carey Price hasn't signed yet, and the rumours are swirling about why that is. I don't even want to comment on the idea that he might be on strike, because someone created a firestorm out of one tweet by a journalist who isn't known for breaking rumours like this, and as usual Price is considered guilty until proven innocent. Any further opinion on the matter would just be more frustration and run-on sentences.

In other news, it still feels like the offseason in Montreal because it's so hot outside. Almost unbearably hot. Like, buy a frozen treat and start sweating as soon as it's finished hot. This heat wave alone should convince people that the STM needs to find an affordable way to air-condition buses and metros. At least it's helping to distract me from this Carey Price drama.

I was reminded of a video I watched earlier this summer. So, instead of thinking about a BC-born goalie and the Montreal heat, let yourself be distracted by a Montreal-born goalie in the BC heat. It's a short little lol.




And since that video is only fifteen seconds long, if you're still bored here's some Cat Empire you can use as background while you make yourself some ridiculously oversized rum-based drink to enjoy outdoors. (Song starts about 35 seconds into the video)

Summer in the city

Things have been extremely slow at Hab It Her Way this week. Sorry. We've either been at work, recovering from extra-long work hours, or we completely forgot what we were going to say. (That last one is mostly me.)
So, while we cook up some all-new content for you, we're doing the lazy thing and linking to a few good reads that have been keeping us going through this hot but boring stretch of the summer:

HIHW commenter and friend (also French guy from France) Grrrreg over at The Soft European promises that this will be one of many hilarious photoshop jobs.

The Habs blogger that puts the rest of us to shame, Dennis Kane, hasn't let a silly offseason interrupt his great work ethic as a writer. This week he's shared some personal stories along with a few guessing games involving pictures of vintage hockey memorabilia in foreign languages.

During the regular season, JT at The H Does Not Stand For Habs always posts thoughtful, well-researched opinion pieces. I'm so very happy that she's continued that trend into the offseason, her latest posts focusing on PK Subban and Maxim Lapierre.

More reading over at All Habs, with a smart and concise writeup on the new Hamilton Bulldogs coach, whose name sounds just a bit too much like "Richie Cunningham" for me to not call him that. The best thing to tide you over, though, is probably the Habs playlist you can stream right from their site. At only 10 songs, it's a little too short for you to close your eyes and pretend you're watching a game live, but in the middle of summer it's the best thing your ears could ask for.

Lost a player you love?

Hearing that one of your favourite hockey players was traded, or that he just moved away, is never easy to stomach. The 2009 offseason proved that. There isn't much you can do about it, outside of complaining to every news outlet you know or maybe writing your GM a strongly worded letter (send us a copy if you do!), and it can be a lot to handle emotionally. You might need to have some worthless breakable objects around in case you get really angry. Or you might need a tub of ice cream and some sad songs to help you feel better.
That's where we come in.

Introducing the I Can't Believe He's On Another Team playlist. It might help a little.

No Doubt - Don't Speak. I know from experience that it helps!


Matchbox Twenty - If You're Gone. It's a little cheesy and sad, but I kind of secretly love Matchbox Twenty. Don't you judge me. You're the one stuffing your face full of chocolates and weeping.


The Fray - Never Say Never. Because basically every song by the Fray is sad enough for an occasion such as this.

oh, and if you're really mad at management then their cover of Heartless might do it for you.



Metric - Combat Baby. I went with a live acoustic version here for you, because I love the original version (it's just as melancholy but the electronic sound makes it a bit more bouncy) but it sounds amazing when it's stripped down.


Heart - Alone. Because if you're really down, an 80's hair power ballad might be the only thing that can pick you up.


Or maybe you don't want to be emo anymore and want to try and cheer up and convince yourself that everything will be okay.

Being traded sucks, but there's no snow in Cali

As czechtacular already mentioned, we at Hab It Her Way are saddened by the Kyle Chipchura trade because he didn't really get a fair shake and he was a great guy to his fans (and we care about our players beyond just what they do on the ice). Oh, and while this guy that we'll draft in the fourth round a year and a half from now might turn out to be great, we still have no idea what this draft pick will bring, and it sucks to be traded for the idea of a guy (maybe even more than it sucks to be pushed around like a commodity instead of a person). Plus, even though his performance this season wasn't always the best that we knew he was capable of, we were hoping to maybe read a few more goodbyes online today, but alas, Kyle Chipchura gets no four-hour requiem on RDS.

Best of luck to you, Chippy. Happy trails, Jay Leach. You're headed for sunnier skies.

Say hi to Saku Koivu and Joe Thornton, have a fish taco or two, and play your best, like Jason Schwartzman in that video.