Plus/Minus: I'm happy I'm typing this so I can rest my voice

It is Monday, six days after I cheered like a madwoman, and I still sound like an idiot. (See: Subban, Pernell Karl, and my previous post.)
Great week, right? Habs beat the Blackhawks in a fantastic goalie battle and Original Six matchup, and I got to watch a Montreal-Toronto game at a Habs Tweetup in Toronto.

PLUS

+ PK Subban's slap shot. So amazing that it gets a Plus, because it also got me a sore throat and a little bit dizzy for 15 minutes because of all the jumping and screaming.
+ Carey Price, winner of this season's Molson Cup, has been awesome and played a huge role in getting his team to the playoffs.
+ Congratulations to Roman Hamrlik on being voted this season's "unsung hero." Also, thank you, Roman!
+ Ryan White *almost* got another Gordie Howe hat trick. Had he accomplished the feat in Toronto I would have been dancing in public, and even more hoarse than I already am, so maybe things worked out for the best.
+ Hot on the heels of Jarome Iginla reaching the same plateau, Joe Thornton has 1000 career points.
+ 2 Not to be outdone, Jarome had a hat trick this week. (And so did Aaron Palushaj with the Bulldogs!)
+ 2 for two of the Chicago Blackhawks: holy crap, Corey Crawford is really, really good. And Jonathan Toews played a role in the Habs' win on Tuesday (getting my team into the playoffs) and played a huge role in the Hawks' win on Wednesday (getting his own team one step closer to the playoffs).


MINUS
- Some of the other Canadian teams did something pre-game to recognize that April is autism awareness month. It would have been nice for the Habs to do something.
- Benoit Pouliot: You know I love you and all. Now are you done with all your trips to the penalty box? You're better than that, man!

- The idiot who posted this comment on a story about Jennifer Botterill's retirement. Either he doesn't know what "funny" is, or he really just is that stupid, or he's never met a girl in his life. I'm not sure. Theories welcome.
(And by the way, ringette sucks and being good at it is quite an accomplishment, as that stupid ring thing is much harder to handle than a puck.)

I haven't fixed a schedule yet for playoff Plus/Minuses. Depending on how things go, I may take more time between them and only post a Plus/Minus at the end of each playoff round like I did last year. But more importantly: the playoffs are coming! The playoffs are coming!

Plus/Minus: The streak is over

A decent week overall for the Habs, right? I know, it's strange to have seen the team win games (sort of) and score goals this week. What's that about? Do they like us again for real, or are they just being nice to us? Can we finally stop singing "Grenade" and inserting random Hab names into the lyrics?

PLUS

+ Thank you, Roman, for finally ending the scoring drought on Tuesday.
+ MaxPac is skating! Nothing matters quite as much as our #67 being on the road to recovery.
+ Holy crap, Teemu Selanne is nearly twice our age and scored five points in one game.
+ Jarome Iginla scored 1000 career points. I'm so proud. This is just another accomplishment on his way to becoming Prime Minister.
+ Brian Gionta hit the 400-point mark against the Devils. We love you, captain!
+ PK Subban's slapshot.
+ Hey, Carey. Good on you for tying Patrick Roy's peak of 36 wins in one season. (No pressure. I just love my goalie. The rest is just icing on the cake.)
+ It hurts me to say this, but Jeff Skinner and his two goals against the Habs didn't entirely infuriate me. The kid is just so good at hockey.

MINUS

- Bill McCreary has retired. But now who will have a mustache?
- Japan withdraws from all 2011 IIHF tournaments in order to accommodate the players whose families have been affected by the earthquake and tsunami. It makes sense, but it's unfortunate nonetheless. Maybe sports can help, as implied by this fantastic post about baseball. (Yes, baseball. I know. What's up with that? Just read it.)
- Benoit Pouliot. Sigh. He was on fire for a while, but it looks like someone needs to fan those flames again.


- Is Georges Laraque serious? It seems like he only talks about the Canadiens to criticize them, and he's completely oblivious. He acts like he's still a hockey player when the general consensus is that he made his own fate. He may still be on the Habs' payroll, but he doesn't actually play for them. His last season as a Hab doesn't reflect his entire career, I know, but hockey is what made him famous and he either ignores that fact or takes it for granted and doesn't seem to understand that the most respected members of sports media are the ones who are able to show some kind of decorum. I have complete respect for his dedication to certain causes, but it doesn't give him the right to act the way he does. Bono may plan telethons and build drinking wells and meet with heads of state, but he knows that writing songs is what made him famous enough to make a difference. Angelina Jolie may do a lot of work with the United Nations, but she doesn't crap all over every actress in Hollywood just because she's a humanitarian. There's been a lot of talk this season about respect in the NHL. I don't expect it only from rookies. I expect anyone who's ever been close to an NHL team to watch what they say when it comes to coaches and players.

And on a more somber note, we're sending thoughts and prayers to St. Louis Blues prospect Jaden Schwartz and his family, after the loss of his sister Mandi. They refer to it as "battling cancer" because it's a tough fight, and you don't always win, but the support that Mandi had from her teammates, friends, and hockey fans everywhere was amazing. I'm the same age as Mandi and I don't think I'd be able to have as much strength as she had. Rest in peace, Mandi, and be proud that you inspired so many people to donate blood and bone marrow.

Plus/Minus skipped the St. Patrick's Day Parade

...I already did some day-drinking on Trade Deadline Day. It wasn't as fun as I'd hoped. So, no parade for me. This week was eventful enough as it is.
This is my first Plus/Minus post since my promise to cut down on my own anger and negativity. Let's see how I manage.

PLUS

So young!! (yoinked from thirdstringgoalie.blogspot.com)

+ That last round of the shootout against Tampa Bay was punctuated by a wicked save by Carey Price, who caught the puck so easily you'd think someone had tossed it to him from two feet away.
+ MaxPac's biggest concern, at least for now, appears to be his vertebra. He hasn't shown major concussion symptoms (nausea, vomiting, etc) so it appears he might only have one major ailment to deal with. Which is awesome. (And while it may seem like great news that he'd be back during the playoffs, I'm hoping he decides to sit it out.)
+ Congrats to Roman Hamrlik for 1300 NHL games! And to another Czechtacular favourite, Phoenix Coyotes defenceman Adrian Aucoin, for playing in his 1000th game today.
+ The first period of Friday's game against the Rangers was brutal. Still, the team could've easily stopped trying and didn't. They kept pushing along and even though they didn't win, by the end of the game the loss didn't hurt so much.
+ Superpopular Habs prospect Danny Kristo wasted no time in his return to hockey after that nasty frostbite scare. He scored a goal in his first shift in his first game back, and picked up another two points the following game.

+ Congratulations to Jennifer Heil, closing out her skiing career with a silver medal in the last competition of the season. I'll miss watching her at the Olympics but I hope to see her again in another capacity. Maybe she'll join the man in her life and start coaching, or maybe CBC or CTV will be smart enough to hire her when they need someone in the broadcast booth.
+ This, part of the newest crop of NHL playoff commercials. So simple. I can't believe the playoffs start in three weeks.


MINUS

There's no context for this picture. I just like Halpern's disappointy angry face.

- Our friend Steve found an article in the Metro newspaper where some wiseguys decided it would be funny to draw comparisons between Muammar Gaddafi and the Canadiens' strategy for the rest of the season. Poor taste.
- Curtis Sanford underwent a successful surgery. Unfortunately, the Bulldogs will still be without him for the rest of the season.
- What do you mean, there are more injured Habs?
- I don't understand how anyone can simply assume a professional athlete would "fake" a concussion. Does anyone know if someone's written a very basic medical guide to the most common NHL injuries? It's the kind of thing I think we'd all benefit from reading.
- I'm giving myself a Minus, for forgetting to write Ryan White an awesome Happy Birthday post. Now we know for next year: Ryan White's birthday is March 17. (White born on St. Patrick's Day, Pyatt born on Valentine's... is there an NHL team with more holiday babies than the Habs?)
- MORE cut funding for women's hockey, this time at St. Mary's University in Halifax. Some of the country's elite female hockey players are upset about this. Last year I blogged about the importance of funding for young girls' hockey teams, and now it turns out that our universities are doing the same thing. Unfortunately, I don't know much about what went into making this decision, and I know that university budgets can be tricky, but cutting women's hockey, their third-most-popular sports program, doesn't seem like the best solution.

And, finally, everyone's had their say about the upcoming GQ article that lists "the worst fans in America." It's just a push to sell more magazines, and it's causing bad blood between sports fans. Don't give GQ the publicity it's so desperately asking for.

Plus/Minus: Start Me Up

If you spent your summer hating on Carey Price, you might be a little dizzy after doing a complete 180 on him recently. It's okay, just take some aspirin, sit down, and read this week's Plus Minus. You'll feel better.

PLUS

PK's moment of glory yoinked from Habsinsideout.com

+ Carey Price. That is all.
+ Speaking of Price, anyone who's anyone has had their say about his new mask. So here's my two cents: I like it. I don't generally dislike his masks, with the exception of his Ed Hardy Masque of the Red Death, but I like this one a lot.
+ Rumours that Andrei Markov and Roman Hamrlik are thisclose to coming back? That's the kind of plus that can eradicate basically any minus.
+ I'm still angry at Mike Cammalleri for the behaviour that led to his suspension, but, as usual, he handled it like a pro.
+ Ryan O'Byrne and Hal Gill volunteered at the Old Brewery Mission on Thanksgiving. It takes a big man to spend a holiday away from your loved ones.
+ Before the season started, I lamented the fact that 2010 wasn't the Summer of Toews, even though he won a gold medal and a Stanley Cup. Thank you, new Canadian Tire commercial, for fixing that. It's so nice to see a commercial on TV that doesn't have Sidney Crosby in it.
+ Holy first NHL goal by Jordan Eberle, Batman!

MINUS

from Kansascity.com

- Why, oh why, did we ever let Mike Ribeiro go? Getting arrested for public drunkenness in a restaurant after your wife picks a fight with someone is classier than anything any Canadien has done lately.
- It's going to take me a long time to forgive Dion Phaneuf for becoming captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
- Jack Todd tried to comment on how well Carey Price played against Pittsburgh. But he failed. Saying that Price almost looked like Halak is the kind of backhanded compliment that leaves a mark. I stopped reading his column after that sentence. To be honest, I don't even know why I bother looking at it.
- It's the first week of the season. How can we already be seeing serious injuries? John Tavares has a concussion, the Flames are down by two players already, and Ondrej Pavelec just straight-up passed out. This is not cool, people.

There's other stuff to cover; this plus/minus is only part of this crazy week. And to think that I was worried about a lack of content for Plus/Minus this week!

HIHW gets hairy

You knew it was coming. Everyone loves looking at awesome beards. My Paul Mara fandom and hours spent researching this category are proof of that. Obviously, like basically everyone else on the Internet, we had to honour the best playoff beards and hand out the Paul Mara Memorial Trophy for Best Playoff Beard (since Paul Mara's Beard didn't get to enjoy any playoff glory this year.)
Now, I decided to make this category all about beards, so Jonathan Toews' mutton chops, the Pouliot-stache, and PK Subban's helmet strap didn't quite qualify. Much love, though.

So, who did make the cut?
Todd Bertuzzi has a playoff beard that the Internet seems to love as much as bacon.
Kris Draper's beard most reminds me of Paul Mara's, as it is both ginger and quite awesome.
Patrick Marleau's beard is great. You can't even see any face behind it. I didn't know he had it in him.
Joe Pavelski is half-cute, half-awesome with this beard. Mostly awesome. He looks completely different in playoff mode than he does in his roster shot.
Glen Metropolit trimmed his beard, but it still looked great.
Roman Hamrlik... I wish I had a better picture of his beard in all its glory.
Tom Pyatt grew the best rookie beard this season, and I'd be saying that even if it wasn't the exact same beard that Ryan Gosling had in The Notebook. #94 gets extra points in the "I wrote you every day for a year!" category.
Mark Stuart has such a great beard that honestly, I have no idea who he is other than the Bruins' #45, but I saw this picture and nominated him.

Eight nominees is a lot but for all I know, I omitted someone so if I did, that's what the comments section is for!

Habs win!

I've got to keep this short, so... The Canadiens got their mojo back and beat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-1. There was an appropriate amount of roughing, and ~czechtacular is probably very proud of her Czechs right now. Flyers got what was coming to them. Tom Pyatt got that game-winning goal he missed out on a few weeks back, and was named third star of the game, in good company with other stars Dominic Moore and Roman Hamrlik. And the game was worth watching.

Okay, that's all (for me, for now) folks! Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow.

Invincible

I can't decide whether to jump up and down or catch my breath

What is this feeling? This not knowing what to say, not believing my eyes as every sports station replays the highlights of a game I watched intently, not understanding as the other team hang their heads and apologize to their fans... having to repeat to myself, "Habs won. Second round of the playoffs."

It's unreal. It's almost like being in love.

I'm trying not to get too carried away, because bracing myself for whatever happened is part of what's making me so happy right now. The Capitals were an excellent opponent (most of the time... I'm having some trouble wrapping my head around Alexander Semin's complete lack of scoring). I worried until the very last second that my Habs would be defeated. It's not that I don't have faith in my team, but I felt I had to prepare myself for disappointment should it occur. No disappointment, though, only joy.

I'm going to try and keep my feet on the ground while my head is in the clouds, dreaming that Montreal will kick every ass in its path on its way to Cup #25. I'm not going to deify our players or trash-talk the Capitals. But I want to give our Habs their due.

Jaro is beyond words. He's always been solid and reliable, and lately has arguably been the best thing about this team, but that only begins to describe the last game. Farmers everywhere will have to thank him for what I'm assuming is a skyrocketing increase in chocolate milk sales.

Our defence is general was awesome. Gill did what he needed to do - haters can hate, but I think last night they had no choice but to cheer for him. Subban is going to be missed in Hamilton, but I'm glad he's been a part of this and doesn't seem fazed by the challenge of the NHL playoffs. Hamrlik played smart - Angry Sal is probably eating his hat.

The We Speak French line of Moore, Lapierre, and Pouliot would have had a great game even without scoring the game-winning goal. By the way, Dominic Moore, your "who's dis guy" status has been permanently removed.

This was a series in which our big-ticket players and our supporting acts carried the load equally (you know, whatever wasn't automatically picked up by life-saving goaltending).

On to the Penguins. We've got an insider - I'd call Hal Gill our "spy," but at his size, I just can't picture him being very stealthy.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to rewatch those highlights a few more times and pinch myself.

...and so czechtacular gains psychic powers, apparently

I feel like that last post was pre-emptive of the ... events that transpired at the Bell Centre this evening. It's times like these where being right actually doesn't make me happy, and by that I mean all the boos and the tweets and Facebook statuses (statii?) dealing with Carey Price tonight.

Despite the recurrence of this scenario, some will still argue it. The recipe for disaster was actually not the man between the pipes this evening, but rather the inefficiency to capitalize at the right moments. Where's that Any Given Sunday speech? You know, the game of inches, and so on. You can fight all you want for that inch, but you still might not get it in the end. It can be flukey, it can be the bitterest pill to swallow, it may not make sense no matter how you look at it, but blame does not and should not rest on the shoulders of any one man in that room.

Unlike my references to poor JF in the previous entry, this season is one that's not over. Roman Hamrlik's misguided block accident has not yet come at a terminal cost. I don't know about you, but I'm looking at Friday night, whose implications have much bigger fish to fry than one bad goal and a case of the Cam Ward-led Spoiler Crew. Philadelphia, City of Brotherly Love? Not anymore.

Superman returns: Game Preview 12-28-09

He defies gravity. I'm not making this up.
Perhaps my title is jumping the gun a little, as there is (edit: was) a chance Brian Gionta may not lace up tonight as planned, but his optimism is a good sign. Roman Hamrlik, for his part, probably won't be ready until the Habs hit Florida. He and Paul Mara were kept on the ice the longest today, according to the report on CJAD this afternoon. Back in the nation's capital, where many traveling Habs' fans are bound to make the trip to tonight's matchup, the Sens are without captain Daniel Alfredsson, Nick Foligno, and (Rookie's "best friend") Jason Spezza, and are 5-5-0 in their last ten games.

St. Isidore-raised Benoit Pouliot plays his first career game in Ottawa tonight while Jaroslav Halak merits his fifth start in a row, looking to be five for five (but preferably not to be pelted with shots as he has been as of late. He's made a grand total of 180 saves over that stretch).

Insert Fancy Bullet Points Header Here

• My own "best friend" Alex Kovalev has been responsive to his Team Russia "snub" as of late, winning the game in the shootout for the Sens in Buffalo, 3-2.
• Recently-engaged Mike Fisher had the other goal in said shootout, and isn't just your regular everyday pretty-faced scoring threat. His two-way ability has one big highlight: physicality. He knows how to hit, when to hit, and who.
• Chris Neil brings the reverse argument to the table, providing his brand of intimidation with a scoring touch. Coming off a knee injury that kept him out 14 games, he scored in his second game back. One of his other four goals this season was in the last game against Montreal.
• Jarkko Ruutu is also an underestimated offensive threat, particularly in the shootout.
• You thought I'd forget him, didn't you? Milan Michalek leads the team with 16 goals, two of them shorthanded.

One Island, Two Teams: Game Preview 12-19-09

(Cut me some slack with the title. I don't even remember the last time I did one of these.)


Oh right, picture.

Scary! Or maybe not. The message here should be "beat us, and watch out for your equipment van." But that's slightly too ominous (and fire isn't funny, kids) so we'll stick with these two simple words:

ANDREI MARKOV!

In addition to this much-awaited comeback, there may be hope for another Czech sausage pass, as Roman Hamrlik may also make a return to the lineup tonight. There are too many conflicting reports of that in my Gmail inbox so I will merely shrug my shoulders and wait until 7:08 like the rest of you.

Also making the trip is Superman er, Brian Gionta. It's like Santa took a giant sparkly box with a CH logo and gave a piece of it to every Canadiens' fan.

As for the Islanders, they are young, they are motivated, and definitely not to be taken lightly, even if the last two games against them have been W's for the Habs' record. Both teams are starved for offense lately, with the top guns having slowed down their points pace (save Andrei Kostitsyn, the man responsible for 63% of the Habs' goals over the span of the last four games).

So now we talk about them Islanders

• For those hiding under a rock for the last three years, the young man pictured up there is John Tavares. He's going to want to get fired up again, as his last contribution to the scoresheet was an assist in a win against Boston last week. He seems to like Saturday night games, as 11 of his 27 points have been on Saturdays.
• Blake Comeau, for his part, showed he did not enjoy his recent time in the pressbox. Of the last four games he's suited up for recently, he's registered a point in three of them.
• Frans Nielsen was a key in Thursday night's loss against the Rangers with one goal, one assist.
• Ex-Hab mention in today's column of course goes to Mark Streit, who despite the rough go he seems to be having this season is always somebody to look out for, especially with Montreal's recent penalty-taking tendencies.

Plus Minus: Tricks and treats

Another week of taking the good with the bad, of getting chased after by Scary New Komo but beating his team in the end, of being terrified that Jacques Martin knows so much foul language but knowing that he uses it for our own good.

(homemade screencap by my co-blogger, whose name explains why she made it)

PLUS

+ Roman Hamrlik had a heck of a week, and we like it when he has good weeks. Being credited with that goal against the Leafs and then reacting like he just won a million dollars on Christmas would have been enough for a plus. And then I remembered his game-winning goal from Monday (what? it was a long time ago) and yeah, we should pretty much buy him a cake or something.

+ Cammalleri, Gomez, and Halak saving the Leafs game in a shootout.

+ Dave Stubbs, for including multiple Jay-Z references in an article this weekend. I could have only hoped to write something as creative (if only because my Halloween puns got awfully tired, but don't worry, that time of year is over).

+ Our friend Ava wrote a great blog post on the language issue and how the francophone community is relating it to the NHL - it's funny, passionate, and level-headed, unlike many people arguing in this debate. (You'll have to scroll down a little for "La langue francaise & le CH") Oh, and she also designed the wicked title graphic you see before you, so yeah, we owe her a lot.

MINUS

- Thanks, Sidney Crosby. (That was sarcasm, by the way.)

- 2 for injuries to Matt D'Agostini and apparently as of today Hal Gill (say what you want about that one, but I for one am not happy about losing another player, especially on D). Also Georges Laraque's back is acting up again, and if those vertebrae were a person I'd yell at them.

- I may have just mentioned the D'Agostini injury, but Andrew Ladd still sucks for hitting him and I'm giving him a minus in lieu of a verbal thrashing, and he only gets a hypothetical verbal thrashing because he's bigger than me and I can't throw a good punch.

I'm not a girly girl, but a fashion plus/minus is in order:

+ to the guy in Chicago who went to the game in his Naslund sweater, clearly a cherished childhood item that he squeezed into out of love for the game... and maybe its too-short sleeves.

- to Alain Crete for the tan suede jacket which looks alright, I guess, on L'Antichambre, but which czechtacular and I decided is just a bit too heinous for any kind of serious sports journalism.

And in closing, here's hoping that tomorrow's game against the Thrashers is another nailbiter (even though it's up against the premiere of V, which sci-fi fans have only been talking about for eons) because my sister gets to go to the game... no, she's not bringing me, but that's okay. (She's getting her revenge because I didn't let her come to last year's Habs-Flames shoutfest with my friends she doesn't regularly speak to.)

Little girl, no more.

So I had started thinking that this game post was going to resemble a protest against what is likely to result in a hemorrage of printed nonsense about "goaltending controversies" and how we may now have one on our hands because apparently, it is probably the worst thing ever to actually be in possession of two solid goaltenders, but there is a much more important issue to address.

Tomas Plekanec.

Well, lookit you, Mr. Badass.

Before going further I must underline and applaud the play of Travis Moen tonight. First star honours were very well deserved in this Méchant Lundi special event (otherwise known as "what, we play tonight? Really?") as well as Hammer for continuing his reign on the offensive masters of the Habs' blueline (outscoring Sheldon Souray by 3 goals. Concussion or not, betcha didn't think THAT was ever going to happen). I've also been a little rough on Jaroslav Spacek lately, and that goal made me eat my words.

So, Pleks. This may well be my area of expertise, granted, he has been my favourite player for awhile (and in my sights since his first-ever training camp in 2001). There have been ups. There have been downs. There have been turtleneck jokes and little girl references (and of course, the accompanying creative uses of Photoshop). There is, currently, a one-year contract, $2.75M.

So far, the man we "overpaid" this summer is looking like the bargain he has been since 2001.

This and he hasn't kept the same wingers for more than two games all season. The silent but wily craftsman is back to being one of the highest on the Habs' leaderboard. Eight of his points are assists, but none of those were cheaply made. Roll back footage of Cammy's second goal on Saturday. He is back and he is strong, he is making use of whatever chances he gets despite the instability on either side of him. He has the odd average game, but the Plekanec definition of "average" still means busting his butt every shift. It's been said before, but doesn't always reach into the thick skulls of some Habs' fans (who tend to favour former wearers of jersey #27, coincidence?) who are off in Trade Rumour La-La Land, pointing at his "rising value" and "the need to capitalize on it" as soon as possible rather than acknowledging and even celebrating the fact that this team we couldn't recognize October 1st actually has a familiar face pulling a lot of its strings. He's even added to the formula a little--this season he's slowly adding the extra spice to his game by attempting the human bulldozer on pretty much every opponent, 5'9'' or 6'7''. Doesn't always win, sometimes ends up flat on his butt, but oh, those fearful little Euro forwards, afraid to get in the corners...not so much.

And tonight. End-to-end setup for Hammer's goal. Those playmaking abilities at their very best, that keen vision of the ice, the confidence he so dearly missed last season, it was all there. One thing hasn't changed with his mindset, though. He passed the puck. I'll always remember being present at the Penguins-Canadiens' game a few years ago, again in overtime, where he could have recorded his first NHL hat trick but saw another #44, Souray, in what he felt was a much better position so he passed the puck to him. Souray scored, the entire Bell Centre and beyond went into a fit of deliriousness, ole'ing deep into the metro (I had to hum along, I had no voice left). Pleks? He stuck by his decision like he probably will again tonight. And then there'll be the next game.

But will there be next year? That's not up to me. But you know what would happen if it was.