The Sultan of Swank

I concur, you can't think about losing. Thinking about certainties always depresses people; I get depressed when I think about death.

Everything plays out as I hoped. Montreal bags their 4th straight win. Toppling the best team in the Eastern Conference by a score of 5-2. Higgins nets 2, Lapierre scores another(4th consecutive game with a point, 4 NHL games played), Plekanec another, and Kovalevski gets one. The second line of Kovalev, Samsanov and Plecks has really picked it up lately, especially Samsanov. Toronto goes down to the Panthers, and the other threat to Montreal in the Northeast, the Sens, lose as well. I'm more afraid of the Sens catching the Habs then Toronto. Montreal is now 5 points behind the top spot in the division and conference. 9 up on Toronto and 10 up on Ottawa. Games against Philly, Bruins, Caps, Panthers and Lightning to close out the month. I'm predicting 2-2-1 record for that strech. Losses to Philly, Washington and Florida.

Heh... Longest Line.

Cunt is still taboo in the conservative nation of Canada. Fuckin' Cunts.

So I suppose the certainty of missing the playoffs last year was something that you really got depressed over. I don't blame you. If my team was down for a 7 game losing streak every season, I'd be upset too. If Montreal wins and Toronto loses tonight, that's 8 points up on them for Montreal.

Montreal in Buffalo tonight. If we win, we've got a realistic shot at catching the Sabres, and putting some distance between ourselves and the logjam that is the Eastern Conference. If we lose, well, let's not think that way.

I can guarentee you anything you want.

There's a utility from Eastside UK which allows you to completly edit the database.

I'm starting a diary soon, will be NHL EHM 07 an EWB team with members as players, anyone interested?

I've already been to Germany once this year. But that does look like a fairly good line-up

Montreal takes a bad 1st period against Pittsburgh going down 2-1 and turns in an amazing 2nd period going up 5-2. Eveuntually beating Pittsburgh 6-3. Lapierre gets another goal, for a rookie call-up from the AHL he's done good with 3 points in 3 games. Higgins is back in the line-up and Koivu has his 5th multi goal game of the month. Montreal goes 4-7 on the Powerplay and 7-7 on the Penalty Kill. That's incredible. Crosby held to 1 shot and an assist, but Malkin got a goal. I'm suprised the whole Leafs section of EWB isn't already planning the parade route. But that was a big win for Toronto. They've kept pace with Montreal since they ended their slump. If it had continued Montreal could be up 12 on TO with 2 games at hand, but alas, we stay up only 6 points on la maudite bleu et blanc. But we still have 2 games at hand. Montreal now has the second best record in the Eastern Conference, 5th in the NHL. 7 behind Buffalo, 1 ahead of Southeast division leaders Atlanta and 3 ahead of Atlantic division leaders New York Rangers. After last night's game, Montreal's got the top powerplay and 2nd best penalty kill in the league. Too bad our 5 on 5 scoring sucks more than a yuletide whore on X-mas day.

When they came to montreal in October, they did the same thing.

Higgins had 21 last year(also Rookie season) and finished with 38 points. But I'm pretty sure if Pronger was to come to Montreal and Higgins had to be a part of the deal, it's pretty much a no-brainer on that one. Especially considering hindsight being 20/20 where Steen's got 2 goals and 6 assists over 33 games(Higgins is 8G 5A in 13 games) and Pronger leads all defencemen, and most forwards with 6 goals and 28 assists for 34 points. Why is it that Steen was seen as a future captain? Just because of an 18 goal season, or was there more to it?

Is Steen just one of those hard working players that the Toronto Fans go nuts for ala Begin, or more lately, Streit and Lapierre?

Montreal takes another win tonight. That's 3 in their last 4. And they have points in 6 of 7 games this month. Maxime Lapierre put on a total show tonight. I've never seen someone work so hard in one game. This practically tops that Koivu vs Leafs effort 2 weeks ago. When he kept the puck out of Lightning hands while they were on the powerplay in their own corner while also landing 3 checks the crowd went crazy. Shit a minute almost went by before the puck got away from him. Koivu with 2 tonight and Huet puts in a monumental performance. The one timer save on Kuba, say magnifique. Tampa's defence sucks, their offence was on all night and Montreal, while they had their chances had lots of trouble getting clean passes which led to very few shots. Still 4-2 final score with Sid the Kid comming to town on Saturday.

I don't get it...

Was watching Sportscenter this morning. The hockeycentral panel was ripping on the Leafs defence and were saying that if it wasn't for the absolute porusness of the Lightning defence and their AHL level goaltending, Toronto would have dropped their 8th.

You wouldn't want to play in Montreal because you're a wuss, just like all those other shmucks who didn't want their careers ruined if they went more than 3 games without a goal.

Montreal took on Boston yesterday. I was fortunate enough to go to the game. Was quite the affair, I loved it. The crowd was all over Chara all game and Samsanov is starting to earn his keep. Tough times for both teams, what with Gainey's daughter dead and Kessel having cancer(thankfully he's got the type with a 99% cure rate) Montreal wins 4-3, but the game wasn't nearly as close as the score. Montreal dominated on 5 on 5. Their special teams looked a little weak for having the #2PK and #3PP in the league, but that happens. A big two points for the Habs, but it just seems like the situation in the North East never gets any easier. Granted we've got 9 points on both Ottawa and Toronto, to go along with 2 game at hand on both teams. But the #2 spot in that division is going to be a tight race all year. I mean if Toronto can lose 7 in a row, yet the teams ahead of them didn't really pull away from them as they could or should have, then you know it's anybodies game. Montreal has played their best hockey in their last 10 games or so. Solid 60 minute efforts, 100% from every man on the bench. Yet we're in our worst stretch of the season 5-3-2 in our last 10. We need to pick it up some more. I like how NHL.com says Ottawa ruled the Wings, despite the fact that if it wasn't for solid goaltending(Emery with 43 saves) their 20 shots probably wouldn't have been enough. Souray and Begin were suspiciously missing from the line-up last night. Which was too bad, seeing as they're some of my favourite players. What it did show was that maybe the Habs can survive well without Souray seeing has his meager 2 million dollar a year salary is due for a big increase seeing as he's on pace for 30 goals and 70 points. I think the Habs will deal away Rivet, let Niinimaa go to FA and resign Markov(priority) and Souray. I read in the papers the other day that Elias, Arnott, Shanahan and others turned down contracts from Montreal in the offseason which were bigger than the ones they signed for. Too bad, I really wish Shanny would have been in a Habs uniform. Montreal, hopefully will make a serious run at and in the playoffs. I think that with the way they play, they might be a year or 2 away from being considered contenders. Interestingly enough, Montreal is playing with it's best record after 30 games since the 92/93 campaign. They've also been doing it without one of their best players in Higgins, who is tentatively set to return against Tampa Bay tomorrow night in Montreal. If he can still play like he was before the injury, Montreal will benefit tremendously from him seeing as he was at a point per game production rate. Not bad for a sophmore player. You know, a lot of people rag of Kovalev, and yeah he screws up sometimes, but while he only has 7 goals, his 21 points are good for 3rd on the team. Montreal hopefully can score a series of wins before January. Only 3-1-2 on the month for 8 out of a possible 12 points, they've got games against Tampa, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Philly, Boston, Washington, Florida and Tampa before the month is over. In those 8 games, I'm predicting 5-1-2 with losses to Tampa(tomorrow), Buffalo and Washington. If it goes down like that an 8-2-4 month wouldn't be too bad considering we went 8-5-0 In November and 6-2-3 in October. As long as we keep the losses down, and hopefully in OT or SO, we'll keep #2 in the division and #4 in the East as the Atlantic division is weak besides the Devils and the Southeast doesn't have any real threats besides Hotlanta who're doing far better than their 9th place finish last season.

Gainey has stepped down as GM of the Canadiens. His daughter was swept overboard on the boat she was working on. Poor guy. Pierre Gauthier is taking over for him.

They'll beat the Lightning. I don't like the Leafs, but they're no KC Scouts.

Goddamn that was a hard shot.

Is there another patch comming out soon?

Montreal loses 3-2 in Shootout. Credit to where credit is due, the second goal in the Shootout, I don't know who shot the puck, but he slapped that thing so hard Huet didn't even react. Good, evenly contested game. I made 25 bucks on the game predicting a 3-2 score in shootout. Toronto loses 5-1. 7 in a row. They'll break it next game. Nobody can lose 8 in a row.

Didn't this happen to Toronto last year, just much later in the year. I know that that's how Montreal basically stole their way to 7th place, because Toronto had a 5 or 6 point lead on Montreal, then lost 7 in a row and they lost their playoff hopes. I really hope Toronto makes it to the playoffs, if only for the chance to see a Montreal-Toronto conference finals which goes to 7 games, and Koivu scores the OT winner in Montreal and the crowd erupts as though we just won the Stanley Cup... a man can dream...