Plus/Minus: The most wonderful whine of the year

Hockey was kind of frustrating, and there was a holiday to celebrate, so this Plus/Minus is a little erratic. Then again, what isn't erratic about Habs Nation these days?

NICE

+ Jerome Simpson's flip (and perfect landing) is the coolest thing I've seen since... last week, I guess, when Al Montoya jumped over Petteri Nokelainen.
+ San Francisco 49er Braylon Edwards gave $10, 000 scholarships to 79 college students. That's about equal to the salary that he made this season. Amazing.
+ Basketball is back!
+ Scratching P.K. Subban, even though the team lost to Winnipeg, was a good call. The poor guy needed his rest, and will probably benefit from the perspective he got by watching the game instead of being on the ice for half of it.

+ I've been thinking for a while about how sports fans tend to let their love for a team supercede other things, and if being one of those people makes you a good fan. So Dave Stubbs tweeting "Life is what matters, Habs and hockey are just a game" really hit home with me. And the girl who attended this week's Green Bay Packers game holding a "My Cheating Ex-Boyfriend Is Watching From Couch Instead" sign just made me laugh.
+ Christmas is about so much more than children and toys, but if you'll allow me a brief "kids and toys" moment: The little girl in this video is so adorable, and so right. I may have liked pink princess toys when I was a kid, but I still know exactly how she feels.



NAUGHTY (and not in a cheeky way)

On Wednesdays we wear pink

- Le Journal de Montréal continues to be pulpy, prejudiced, and just downright stupid when it comes to talking about hockey these days. Oh, crap, did I just write that in English? Désolée, J de M.
- Why on earth would one of the NHL's most lucrative franchises need to start selling ad space on its practice jerseys?
- ESPN's In Memoriam montage didn't include any of the hockey players that passed away this year? The only consolation is that hockey fans mourned them, and will continue to remember them.
- I know that fans are upset with the Canadiens, but there should be a limit to just how angry we (as fans) get with our own players and team. I wish there was a way for everyone to be angry without being ridiculous.

- First of two 24/7-related Minuses: Peter Laviolette was really frickin' upset with a game official when the Flyers were in Montreal last week. That happens all the time - but accusing him of being biased toward the Canadiens, and stupidly calling it "typical Montreal"? Can someone explain that to me? Laviolette knows that every referee makes bad calls, and that every team thinks that the refs are biased against them? And that, as far as I know, the referees work for the league, not the city they're working in that night?
- Second 24/7-related Minus: Why doesn't Jaromir Jagr want to eat lunch with Ilya Bryzgalov? Are we in high school again?

- Every player in the NBA looks like he forgot to shave his lockout beard. Why are all these lockout beards the same weird shape? Am I behind on the latest facial hair trends? Don't answer that.

Here's hoping that this year's World Juniors are as exciting as ever, and that Habs fans are even more rested than the players after Christmas break.

Why does it have to be like this?

If I know anything about Habs fans, it's that they're probably dreading this game against the Thrashers. And wondering if the Canadiens are going to get shut out or just lose. It's been a rough week, I know. But this is the team we love. We can't stop being optimistic; what's the fun in hockey if you're mad at your own team?

You might think three consecutive shutouts are the worst thing ever. No one likes missing out on six points at the end of the season, no one likes seeing a 0 on the final scoreboard, but when we look at this season on paper, all we'll see are three letter L's. Just... little L's.



We still love them.

Plus/Minus: on a roll

Lots of surprises, lots of goals, and lots of wardrobe problems this week when I had to avoid wearing Rider green and Sharks teal, even though half of what I own is one of those colours. But, you know, mostly actual hockey stuff.

PLUS

they see me rollin'...

+ When your teammate is injured, you're supposed to help him in any way you can. Tomas Plekanec did just that for his friend Andrei Kostitsyn. It was super weird, but if rolling your teammate is the best way to move him, then so be it.
+ Tom Pyatt. Scored. A goal.
+ Carey Price almost scored a goal.
+ I already lamented the lack of mustaches post-Movember and got some love for my breakdown of Carey Price's mustache. But one thing I didn't get to talk about in my now-famous mustaches post is the Hamilton Bulldogs.

Ben Maxwell, poet laureate.

+ Usually I don't like it when fans boo and act like jerks, but I made an exception on Thursday for what I like to call "Jackass Homecoming." A plus to the Ottawa Senators fans, whose booing of not-so-prodigal son Dany Heatley was the loudest thing I've ever heard during a Sens game. Or in Ottawa, period. Heck, they were louder than the fans who "welcomed" LeBron James back to Cleveland. An additional plus goes to this guy:

This is what it's like when worlds collide.

If I were ESPN, I'd run a one-hour special about LeBron James hater merchandise.


MINUS

Please don't go anywhere

- Why is Josh Gorges taking therapy days and suddenly appearing to be slightly less than the indestructible iron man we all know he is? I feel like every time a player starts by taking multiple mysterious therapy days, he's about two weeks from sending everything to hell with some awful injury. Please, Josh, say it ain't so. I just wouldn't be able to take the heartache.
- I already told Lars Eller to stop taking penalties, didn't I? Yes. Yes, I did. Last week.
- I'm glad the Habs recovered from that Oilers loss, because they can't let that happen again. The Oilers are better than they have been in the last couple seasons, thus increasing the likelihood that they can win against the Canadiens and I just can't handle another 7-1 trampling on the road. We stay up late to watch those games, you know. We could be watching Letterman!

- Nope, not a fan of the new Winter Classic commercial. It has no substance, no real excitement, and the absolutely ridiculous level of love that NHL marketing has for "Crosby vs. Ovechkin" is just... it's getting old. This commercial makes it look like no one else will be doing anything at the Winter Classic. There are two teams in this game, not two players. If I didn't know anything about hockey and saw the commercial, I probably wouldn't even remember which teams were playing. If all you're using to sell something is two sports stars, a football field, and some snow, you could have a great commercial:


- And finally, the biggest minus of all. Dear person who broke into Pat Burns' widow's car and stole everything: you're going to hell, so it doesn't really matter what I say, but just know that you might be one of the worst people on Earth and if ever you get caught, a lot of people will cause you serious injury. You're probably hoping you never get caught. I'm hoping you get what you deserve.


I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this coming week will be more or less like the last.
But probably with more PK Subban gossip. Make it stop, someone!

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)

A huge between-rounds edition of Plus Minus

(I'm aware that the second round has now begun, and this has been a work-in-progress for a while... I had no idea when to post this. Go Sharks! Or Red Wings!)


A hell of a week round, this was. What DIDN'T happen? TV is gearing up for sweeps, I spotted a man who looked like he might have been Larry Robinson (maybe), I spotted a man who looked like he might have been Paul Mara (but with short beard and longer hair... I almost spoke to him but his beard wasn't "super epic and unmistakeable" as ~czechtacular would say), I went to the amazing Olympic parade and touched a women's hockey gold medal and spoke ever so briefly to a Stanley Cup winner, I had a great birthday during which the Canadiens were not knocked out of the playoffs, and my #1 team eliminated the Eastern Conference's #1 team. Thus, this week's Plus Minus is equally huge.

BETTER THAN HAVING A PARADE ON YOUR BIRTHDAY
+ It goes without saying that the Habs in general have made me prouder than a valedictorian's mommy at graduation: a solid PK, a stronger, more defensive outing in Game 5, a mind-blowing game 6, and an awesome Game 7.
+ Is it scandalous if I say that I approve of putting Carey Price in net for two games against the Caps? Think about it: those games gave Halak the rest he needed to be superhuman again, and proved that Price has still got it.
+ Dan Boyle made the most embarrassing mistake a hockey player could make, and then compensated beautifully with a fantastic goal the following game.
+ The Canadiens organization has a great initiative in letsretirethesejerseys.com. Instead of just sounding like poor little rich boys moaning that everyone's buying cheap jerseys, the website is informative, telling you how to spot a counterfeit jersey and explaining why you shouldn't buy one - shady labour practices and potential ties to organized crime, and the incentives of coupons and trade-ins certainly don't hurt (warning: they expire April 30th). The rest of the league has taken note.
+ Thanks to Friday's Olympic athlete parade, I'd like to reiterate how great it is to see awesome, talented, gracious athletes like Canada's 2010 Olympians. Aside from the men's hockey team, Olympic athletes don't get much exposure outside of the Games, but their hard work warrants it. They had a great crowd cheering for them, and I was happy to be in that crowd. (Except when that old man hit me in the chest. Gross.)
+ Our buddies over at TheCheckingLine ran a great liveblog on Friday... more of a chat than a liveblog, but when fans are having this much fun, who cares about semantics?
+ After Game 7, Brooks Laich saw a fan and her daughter waiting for roadside assistance (by the highway, in the dark), got out of his car, and changed a tire for them.

WORSE THAN PATRICK KANE'S MULLET

- Poor Eric Belanger. I don't think I like the guy very much, but he lost seven teeth in one game. And he pulled at least one of those out by himself. Hockey players are tough, but there's a limit. He gets a plus, though, for sheer badassery.
- The recent demonizing of Alexander Ovechkin, especially by Habs fans. Sure, he sprayed some snow on a kid and didn't even pat him on the head as he skated by. Sure, he didn't give some other kid an autograph. Sure, it's kind of a bad thing that these two things happened in the same week, but it doesn't necessarily make him a bad guy. It's completely unnecessary backlash. (Heck, my request for a picture with Scott Niedermayer was refused on my birthday, and I don't mind. I'm sure I'm not the first person who's asked him for something, and I won't be the last.)
- Spacek is still sick? Where did he catch this thing? Is it biological warfare?

- Ron McLean's response to a spandex-clad Green Girl in his studio is... ew. That's all I have to say, is "ew.'
- Is there anyone in sports journalism more petulant than Jack Todd? The Habs forced a Game 6 on home ice against the league's best team. And all Jack Todd discussed on Monday was Scott Gomez's face and Carey Price's fans. Really, that's all the material he had? You'd think Canwest would start cutting unnecessary costs in these crappy economic times, and Negative Jones' column/bitchfest would be one of them. But no, he's still getting paid to write, if you can call it that.

It starts tomorrow. There will be cupcakes.

I don't believe it either

This is like that scene from Edward Scissorhands.



Okay, maybe no one's dancing about the snow... but still. This is so like that scene from Edward Scissorhands.
A few months ago, before winter really started, I wrote about how the first snowfall of the season seems to take place after the Canadiens do something incredible.
Then I woke up this morning to snow... not just a little flake or two. It's really snowing outside.

See the little patches of white on the lawn, and the thin layer of snow on the railing? It's April 27th. Wtf.

I'm hoping this means something special will happen.

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.