Twenty-Seven Gone and Twenty-Seven Gone.

July 18, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

The goalie is sliding helplessly toward the right faceoff circle. He is leaving the top-most right corner of his crease. Helpless spaceman adrift.

Montreal Canadiens, A New Beginning

July 6, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

It's been difficult to process all the changes over the past several days but in an email today to some Canadien cronies, I managed to articulate some of my incomplete thoughts on the goings-on.

Open Letter to Bob Gainey

July 5, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Dear Bob, I don't have your email address or I might have sent this privately. But there is nothing to hide in what I'm saying.

Random Thoughts

June 26, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

It's too easy to characterize a coach by his teams

Jacques Martin Hired as Next Montreal Head Coach

June 1, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

The Canadiens have named 56 year-old Jacques Martin as successor to Guy Carbonneau. It's a good selection for a variety of reasons and there are no concerns to voice.

Hockey. Had Enough?

May 30, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

In Montreal, the stories never die.

PenCap Musings and In-Game Scribbles (Game Seven)

May 13, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Theodore is like a small boy. Compact. Quick. Varlamov is watching maskless from the bench. Curious look on his face. Theodore is tested by Malkin twice at the side of the net, now. Stands true.

ChiVan Musings and In-Game Scribbles, Game Four

May 7, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Chicago's speed advantage is meaningless in this period. The Canucks interrupt, snipe, neutral-zone trap and just out-hustle the Hawks. Much of it seems to be the places the Hawks choose to dump or pass the puck. They're not seeing the spaces or seams in the zones. Or not going to them. They have to play smarter and not harder to a certain degree.

Outcomes

April 26, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Fault-finding, aside from its impact on technique, on practice or method, is a wasted energy.

Boston Series Game Four, In-Game Musings and Scribbles

April 22, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Theodore was ruined by this city. And Price is getting ruined. His confidence. How much pedestal and pillory can a person take?

Boston Series Game Three, Musings and In-Game Scribbles

April 20, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Hockey is the home and hallmark of the unskilled athlete. In no sport (except perhaps baseball) can the pugilist non-athlete survive for so long. Granted things have changed, are changing and certainly look very different from 1975. Hell, from 1995.

Boston Game Two, Musings and In-Game Scribbles

April 18, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Kostopoulos. Scuffle. He gets punched by Kessel. Kosto punched him first. Thomas glides backward butt first to protect and separate. It’s comical. It works. But Kosto finds Lucic instead. On the glass behind the net.

The Logo

April 13, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Bill Parcells once said (and I’m paraphrasing) “They’re not rooting for us, they’re rooting for the jersey.” Parcells who is a Jersey guy and who began his head-coaching career in the NFL in the early eighties with the New York Giants, knows about fan loyalty and its opposite.  No crowd is tougher than a New York [...]

Toronto Media Overlooks Code, Pardons Kubina

April 5, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

If the code is optional, maybe we should just accept that fighting as a way for the game to police itself has lost its integrity. Its followers can't even observe their own rules. Perhaps it's time for this ageing and addled institution to retire.

Toronto Musings, In-Game Scribbles

April 4, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

This team is nothing without Mats Sundin. Those Toronto fans and media who criticized him for not waiving his no-trade at last year's trade deadline were a factor in his deciding to leave. Goose and the golden egg.

Islander Musings, In-Game Scribbles

April 2, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Islanders take another penalty. Blake Comeau. He hit Kostitsyn from behind. Could have been a payback hit but it looked chicken cheap. Strutting tough in the barnyard.

Canadiens Just Ice Centennial

April 1, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Is it unfair that a team can slack or underperform for most or half or let’s just say “a lot” of a season and still win a championship? Seems unfair, doesn’t it? It’s like a Gen X employee paying his dues, shining shoes, kissing up, taking inelegant orders then rising to the station of “lick my boot” [...]

Chicago Musings, In-Game Scribbles

March 31, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Old-school refs. Just making things even. Huet exaggerates the hit, too. Falls like a dehydrated, lunging elephant. Legit call, though.

Buffalo Musings, In-Game Scribbles

March 28, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Price then makes another very good stop. This time a low-ball special that requires a quick trap. In fact, Price’s on the knees positioning is looking especially improved. More crab and more horizontal. He is working on his game and it shows.

Tampa Bay Musings, In-Game Scribbles

March 26, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

This line is heart and pulse. Half-moon turn and standing backhand control shown by Tanguay at the tip top of the high slot. Then Koivu shows some of his own circular in the neutral zone. Ligne Internationale. Flags flap. More goals to follow.

Atlanta Musings, In-Game Scribbles

March 24, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Sergei is also back. And he's with his best linemate match this season. His older brother. Andrei is flying from the word go. There is nothing like playing with his younger brother for the reserved Belarusian.

Appreciate Your Artist, Alex Kovalev

February 17, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

This is not a hockey cyborg, a one-dimensional, nose-to-the-grindstone personality. He is a great player, a skilled hockey offensive threat who has worked hard to develop his great stick-handling, passing and shooting abilities. These are not the natural gifts of an easy biological inheritance. What nature did give him was great speed and strength (and this 35-year old kid works hard at that, too).

Montreal 1977 Not the Best Ever

November 28, 2008, by Homme De Sept-Iles

However, if one is going to make the rash claims of "greatest ever" one must be prepared to talk about "ever"(Chart Chart).

Patrick Roy is Not the Greatest of All Time (and neither is your buddy Martin Brodeur)

October 10, 2008, by Homme De Sept-Iles

And Patrick Roy was not the greatest ever. He was just the latest-greatest And even that is debatable (Chart Chart).