"I was flippin`magazinesIn that place on Mercer StreetWhen I thought I spotted herGetting on a motorbikeLooking rather lady likeDidn`t she just give me a wave ?"
I don`t think that Mick Jagger had the Montreal Canadiens`offense in mind when he penned these lyrics back in 1997 for the song Anybody Seen my Baby? He may as well have been the way the team is not putting pucks in the nets of opposing teams.
Following a horrendous game against the sun tanned cats from Florida this past Saturday , Les Canadiens last night proved that there is indeed a worse sequel than The Godfather Part 3 as they fell to the mighty Columbus BlueJackets.
Former Hab Mathieu Garon becomes the second Montreal goaltender that was cast aside to beat the Habs in the past seven days. Tomas Vokoun of the Panthers allowed one goal Saturday and Garon held the Hab shooters off the scorecard while registering the 17th shut out of his career. Nos Glorieux launched 29 shots at Garon, ten of which may be advertised as difficult. Multiply that number by two and the total of Price`s hard saves arrives on the computer screen in the form of a very large font.
Time and time again – Carey Price is keeping his team in the game . Time and time again his mates are not keeping their end of the bargain and are continuing the production that they gave Price last season – zero. If the Canadiens`offense was Price`s protective cup – Carey would be speaking higher than Micheal Jackson did when he grabbed his crotch. Unfortunately for fans of both the Montreal offense and Jackson, the pair have passed on under circumspect behavior. At least with Jackson his voice can be heard in the form of recordings while the recent recordings of the Habs production should be erased or shelved in a used record store behind Richard Harris`MacArthur Park.
Gomez Part of the Problem
Ilya Kovalchuk makes 100 million dollars in New Jersey and like a bad haircut on a wedding day , he is ruining the New Jersey Devils `season. Scott Gomez is earning five million dollars a year with the Canadiens and in a season and bit so far – his value for offensive production is worth as much as Kovalchuk`s shoelace. At least Gomez has the decency to show at the wedding with a shaved head to hide the ugly haircut yet that does not give former G.M. Bob Gainey the right to trot Scott out as one of his prize transactions.
In the 90 games played in a bleu, blanc et rouge uniform of Les Canadiens, Gomez has hit the back of the net thirteen times. It doesn`t take a scientist nor a magnifying glass to discover that there are many players around the league that have scored twice as many as that in fewer games making less money. Granted Gomez has notched 49 assists in the same time frame which is an admirable contribution to the team`s offense yet that alone does not qualify him to earm more than most neuro – surgeons.
Does the size of his wallet rub his teammates the wrong way when he sits on their laps at the annual Christmas party ? Most would deny that fact publicly, instead allowing pre – scripted answers to fill the pages of the local sports pages. Answers such as ” We win as a team and lose as a team`or the ever popular `We support our teammate through thick and thin`. Somehow guys like Kostisyn and Pouliot must be harboring ill feelings toward Gomez as they are the ones that take the heat when in fact – the pair have scored more goals than Gomez in less games. If the Habs lack of production continues, trouble is a brewing in the dressing room as an inevitable explosion will take place as tensions reach a boiling point among frustrated teammates.
`C`is for Gionta
Brian Gionta is not the player he was since they tore down paradise and put up a `C`on his chest. He appears self conscious on the ice perhaps putting too much thought into leading the team instead of just leading the team. He has three points in twelve matches which mirrors the production of his line mate and friend Gomez. Coach Martin has used many players on the wing with the pair in attempt to discover a magic formula. That formula remains hidden and now Martin is making a huge mistake by splitting up the team`s top line of Cammalleri, Kostisyn and Plekanec in order to find the proper solution. Someone should tell Martin that the solution is not in a revolving door but in an old reliable oak one. In other words leave one player on the line for more than two games. Ask any player from Pee-Wee to the pros just what it is that makes him comfortable and he / she will inform you that having the same line-mates adds a sense of comfort to their play making skills. Want offense Jacques ? Quit shooting the messenger before he has a chance to deliver the news – good or bad.
Buffalo on Friday
The Habs stumble in to Buffalo on Friday night for the second meeting of the season between the two clubs.The Habs won the first match 2 -1 yet Friday`s night match may be just what the doctor ordered as Sabre netminder Ryan Miller is a doubtful starter. Miller has a `lower body injury`that he suffered at the end of a 4 -3 overtime loss to Atlanta last Friday night. Miller missed the Sabres` game against Boston on Wednesday and is listed as day to day.
The Montreal Canadiens were 7 – 2 – 1 prior to losing 3- 1 to last place Florida and then 3 – 0 to the struggling BlueJackets. Their record now stands at 7 – 4 – 1 with a real possibility of it becoming 7 – 5 – 1 unless they can get something going in the other team`s zone.
Carey Price loves his country music and he may discover that the Rolling Stones have quite a few country songs in their arsenal. For the sake of Habs fans everywhere, let us hope that Price does not put `roses on the graves` of his forwards and that the forwards do not hear Price mimicking Keith Richards with the following words as he stands alone in his crease.
"This place is emptyOh so emptyThis place is empty without you."