Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

March 13, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

I agree. Keep the shootout. Unskilled players oppose the shootout. Or traditionalists. What is more reflective of hockey than skills? In Quebec, growing up, there was nothing else to consider.

Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers

February 13, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Briere has a “my business here is done” look on his face as he settles onto the bench. It was done here a long time ago, bud. Now you’re just wasting everyone’s time. Must be nice. Four-gamer.

Montreal Canadiens vs Philadelphia Flyers

February 12, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Stick to Price’s mask as he lies on the ice. And the Flyers jam at it like witch-hunters. And it goes in. Hartnell’s pitchfork was sharpest.

Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals

February 11, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Demers talks about Neuvirth a bit. Then he references the NFL. He wants to know what the details are on injuries. Renaud Lavoie adds that in a serious league, we are told what is going on. Oh, get over it. In a league run by gambling interests, we are told what is going on. Be glad that this league, your NHL, doesn’t have the same type of transparency.

Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins

February 7, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

I think Steve Begin is going to coach in the NHL one day.

Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins

February 6, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

We get a brief shot of the Pittsburgh bench. The grey ash of the crowd is behind the players' winking white helmets. And a balding dude who resembles Rick Tocchet is behind the Penguin players. I wonder how bad it all smells. Hockey is one of the most unpleasant-smelling of the sports.

Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins

February 4, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Bruins move it out. They are bent raster and dusty spider; confused offensive.

Montreal Canadiens versus Vancouver Canucks

February 2, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Canucks set it up. Pass goes to the slot. Sedin. For Sedin. I watch the back of the net. Old, haunted child reflex. It stays white. Whistle. Someone falls on Halak. Nothing else.

Montreal Canadiens versus Ottawa Senators

January 30, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

More Olympics-flavoured commercials. The experiment is a grand disaster already and threatens to be one of the great white elephants in Canadian history. It will be a worse economic blunder than the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. Felicitations.

Montreal Canadiens versus Tampa Bay Lightning

January 27, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Not good enough. How do we know Cormier is a good kid? Just watch this kid, Cormier. Take a look at how he carries himself in the future. And look at the tape; see how he carried himself in the past. And then decide for yourself. Lots of guys don’t have track records. And yet they manage not to commit these kinds of attacks. Is Cormier as good as those kids? Mistakes don’t happen at random. They happen as part of a pattern of behaviour.

Montreal Canadiens versus Dallas (Minnesota) Stars

January 14, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

This whole mob thing is very annoying. Why do we have to have the mob hanging around? And why does every country have a version? One day the universe will swallow something.

Montreal Canadiens versus Florida Panthers

January 7, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

This guy in the Maple Leaf bacon commercial is a great actor. I can’t help but be creeped out by his “Mom, make me and my girlfriend some breakfast” shtick. This one isn’t dubbed and the French version features different actors and is more powerful than the English one. Because of this guy. Guys with curly hair have perceptual disadvantages (and advantages) that the rest of us don’t have.

Montreal Canadiens vs Carolina Hurricanes

December 23, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

I think I’m about 20-22 commercials away from cheering against Team Canada. As usual. Will they lay off already? And then the homer announcing is going to start. Can they at least try to be balanced? Just try?

Montreal Canadiens vs Minnesota Wild

December 17, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Highlights. Sean Avery still has an NHL job. Well, nobody should complain about anyone else, then. Free passes for all. It’s interesting that Ovechkin’s celebrations get more anger than Avery’s antics. Measure it yourself. Google and count the hits. Or bring up the players in living rooms or pubs. See for yourself.

Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres

December 14, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Buffalo’s site, like many NHL sites for American-based teams, has a “Buy This” entry page and you can only enter the site by clicking the ad. I feel shrugged-shoulder about it. Selling tickets makes sense. But aesthetics count. And so does soft selling. It’s complex, eh.

Montreal Canadiens vs Pittsburgh Penguins

December 10, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Price’s positioning is prescient panther. Great saves as the puck moves on long lines, always the hypotenuse when Crosby passes. His pucks stretch vectors, make Tron victims of defenders.

Montreal Canadiens versus Ottawa Senators

December 8, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Bergeron goes down the right side to start the team. He moves in on pad and crease. Whack. Goes out. Andrei. Raises his hands like Superman. Smiles like a vacationer.

Montreal Canadiens Versus Boston Bruins

December 4, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Centennial Game. Brunet says the Canadiens have shown a lot of character tonight. I agree. It’s not easy to play well and play a mortal’s game on a night when mortals are perceptually immortalized. But if one sees enough of these celebrations, one becomes impervious to them, I’ll venture.

Buffalo Sabres Versus Montreal Canadiens

December 3, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Nice job helping your backup goaltender. Seven, eight, maybe ten, maybe twelve guys are picking and choosing their times to exert and when to relax. It’s an art. Like the cab driver who catches all the reds and pretends he’s driving the Queen’s Cadillac stretch and slows for every speed bump. Wow. What an important vehicle you must own, sir. Are you protecting your expensive shock absorbers?

Montreal Canadiens versus Washington Capitals

November 28, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Highlights. Boston scores. And again. Krejci and Chara. A Czech cab-driver assured me last winter that David Krejci will be better than Jaromir Jagr when their careers are done. He was quite confident. He was about 49 years old.

Montreal Canadiens versus Pittsburgh Penguins

November 25, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Crosby gets down the left side. Creates. Stops. Turns and looks from the hash. Backhand pass to Gonchar in the mid-slot. Beautiful play. Very Oiler. Vintage Grape Gretzky. Gonchar’s finish is almost as skilled. Puck goes from skate to forehand to backhand to the five-hole as Prices crosses. Experts’ goal. Have another glass.

Columbus Blue Jackets versus Montreal Canadiens

November 24, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

RJ Umberger makes his way right to Price on the next incursion and Brunet chuckles as Price makes the save. It continues to amuse people that Umberger became Bobby Orr for one series in his life (Philadelphia-Montreal in 07-08). I’m not amused. Accidental greatness isn’t something I approve of.

Washington Musings and In-Game Scribbles

November 20, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Caps pull their goalie. They maintain control all the while. Just under a minute. Shot by Ovechkin. Price loses his stick. Shot after shot. Price. Post. Price. Skelter scramble in front of the net. Three white jerseys fall all around the puck. Four.

Carolina Musings and In-Game Scribbles

November 17, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Pacioretty is thrown to the ice like a mannequin by Carolina defenceman Andrew Alberts. Slides into the corner unharmed. Pacioretty has to hit the weights and steaks (and that doesn’t mean I’m condoning the lethal burger and hubris combo).

Nashville Musings and In-Game Scribbles

November 14, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

We get some convention centre footage. Interesting to see a shot of Bob Gainey walking away from Brian Burke with an unimpressed look on his face. Burke sauntered over to an area where Gainey was conversing with Flames GM Darryl Sutter (who is a native of Viking, Alberta for those of you who are intrigued with small Alberta towns).

Phoenix Musings and In-Game Scribbles

November 12, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Price’s mask is in commemoration of Remembrance Day. Nice sentiment. But perhaps it misses the bigger picture; the glorification of war is not the best cause to support. Not unless the events of such a day are more graphic in their condemnation of war and the senseless loss of life it produces. It’s a longer discussion and if people don’t like hearing it during a sports communiqué, perhaps we should consider removing mask and anthem gestures from the sporting arena.

Calgary Musings and In-Game Scribbles

November 10, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Captain Canada scores.

Tampa Musings and In-Game Scribbles

November 7, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Craig is working against Gorges down in the corner to the right of Price. Lasts an almost Adams Division length of time. And then it does. Mucking on the boards. We just don’t see much of it anymore. It’s a game of calisthenics, sprints, skirmishes and cardio. It’s as close to classic international hockey as we’ve ever seen it. Now imagine if they went to a larger ice surface to compensate for the growing size of the players.

Boston Musings and In-Game Scribbles

November 5, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Silence these beasts.