"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted.Albert Einstein"
Such is the dilemma that Jacques Martin faces as the Canadiens edge one step closer to their first pre- season game which takes place Wednesday evening against the Boston Bruins. Game time is 7: 30 at Le Centre Bell.
Amid all the nonsense concerning the ‘ not enough French Canadians on the team ‘ issues , the management and the coaches must be glad that the past three days have managed to distance fact from reality and silence those who are obviously more concerned with furthering their political agenda than see a Stanley Cup parade in May. What will their reactions be come spring and Brian Gionta is holding the cup above his head…? They will probably be upset that the parade turned on to Bishop Street in lieu of Rene Levesque.
The past few days on the ice is a different story. The Habs training facility in Brossard has brought familiar sights and not so familiar sights.
Maxime Lapierre obviously got the message that his one year contract dictated – he has been playing with the speed and passion that only an off season biking regimen could bring. I am sure seeing Conboy and especially Schultz in the reflection of his visor has made Maxime realize that French Quebecers don’t gain a spot by natural right. That realization has made Lapierre shine as he did in a handful of play – off games last season but Maxime must realize that his ‘Cheshire ‘ grin must be annoying on a daily basis if he wants to help the team and his career. The Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland is depicted as an intelligent yet mischievous character that sometimes helps Alice and sometimes gets her into trouble. Sound familiar Max…?In the words of Alice ; ” I have often seen a cat without a grin but never a grin without a cat “.
Speaking of ‘ Tomcats ‘ – the jury is out on Carey Price.The times that he has been between the pipes, he has not faced enough shots or quality ones to give anyone, including himself , a clear idea of what type of goaltender he would like to become this season. His teammates appear to be behind him and the ‘ public ‘ personae the team shows is definitely one of complete affection. Price is not singled out or cast to the side. The fans also seem to have forgotten ( for the time being ) Jaroslav’s name and have shown nothing but encouragemnt for their new /old / new – found number one goalie.
At times ,the twenty – three year old seems hesitant especially on the in close rebounds . It is hard to say if it’s because of his nerves or the rust of a summer of Broncin’ Bucks and roping calves. Probably a bit of both yet nothing like the pressure he will feel on opening night at home if he has strung together a couple of below par road losses. The key for Price is to play well fast. The sooner the better that amnesia starts with the home crowd as far the name Halak goes.
One guy who Carey might want to consider buying a gift for so far in this training camp is Ian Schultz.
Still a longshot to make the team for opening night, if Ian continues his aggressiveness and displays a drive to the net that he has shown so far – the fans will less likely look to Price when they judge Gauthier ( Gainey ) on those nights that Halak is missed most.
Schultz of course is the player, along with Lars Eller, that sent Halak to St. Louis. Schultz has a lot to learn, which he will do in Hamilton , but Martin and the Habs coaching staff will have an imprint larger than Pierre McGuire’s ego implanted on their subconscious as the season proceeds. The kid is big and strong and appears to want a spot in the NHL NOW ! Mathieu Darche , Tom Pyatt and Maxime will be looking for a job next year for sure if Schultz keeps on improving and they do not.
The past two days has has also shown that Louis Leblanc is not intimidated by the years of experience that he is up against. He is focusing on who he is and not who he is with and that is a quality that more times than not separates the Habs and the Hab – nots. If this training camp is any indication, then any backward glances toward Eric Chouinard by the team’s critics will be silenced by this young Quebecers’ ability to perform no matter what stage he is placed upon.
This training camp has an abundant amount of centers and due to his size , David Desharnais will be left out in the rain. Desharnais has played well so far but his 5 ‘ 7′ frame does not belong on a team that has more players under 6′ 0’ than Paris Hilton’s phone book. It’s unfortunate for him and a trade within the year will allow Desharnais a chance to flourish with a team such as Pheonix while it may allow Gauthier the opportunity to grab a bigger player before the trade deadline. Depth is something the Habs have and that is one of the reasons that depth is something that organizations strive for.
There are 53 players currently left in camp as Phillipe Lefebvre, Brendan Gallagher, Morgan Ellis and Joe Stejskal as well as goaltender Nicholas Champion were released and returned to their respective teams. Coach Jacques Martin would like to trim that number by twelve for Monday. The Habs play four games in as many nights and these games will give the rookies a chance to really show what they can do when they are not playing against their buddies. Gomez, Gionta and Gill will also get a chance to watch the new guys as we can look forward to Martin ‘counting ‘ more on his rookies than the veterans in the week to come. It doesn’t take an Einstein to figure that one out.
Want to know about the city of Cornwall and what they are doing to honor Newsey Lalonde ?Visit Habs – Eye on the Prize to find out more…