Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning

March 9, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Downie hacks Moen right in the mid-section. Replay shows how deliberate and iron-hawk it was. Man. Sticks are like email. They make people brave.

Montreal Canadiens vs Anaheim Ducks

March 8, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Carlyle is hiding his disappointment behind his ferocity.

Montreal Canadiens vs Los Angeles Kings

March 7, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

We see a shot of the King bench and I don’t see a lot of silver glitter. The days of grainy gay and grey gretzky are done. It’s all matte and mute now. The uniforms look fat letter and thick font. They’re not bad but they’re not compelling.

Montreal Canadiens vs San Jose Sharks

March 5, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Heatley is in. Uses the screen. One-on-two. Leans left. Shoots. High. Glove. The glove. The Pricey, dicey, smiling red gant glove. We loves it.

Montreal Canadiens vs Boston Bruins

March 2, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Canadiens win the faceoff on the glistening ice. Boston’s logo at centre ice, as I’ve said often, is compelling and tonight it is nearly majestic. I’m glad to return to a traditional rivalry with the usual suspects on a Tuesday night when only those who care about and understand the teams involved are watching. More or less.

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 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 Florida Panthers

January 26, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

We hear that Panther snarl over the PA system. If we didn’t have audio recording technology, somebody might have to provoke a panther after every goal. Another plus for technology. I guess they could provoke an ocelot or a very big housecat. All you’d need then is a megaphone. Hmm.

Montreal Canadiens versus New York Rangers

January 23, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Bettman and the Governors should have to ref games. You know. Just like how state governors should be on the front lines in Iraq. Get going. Oh. And get back to work you others over there. You slum-rogues.

Montreal Canadiens versus New Jersey Devils

January 22, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Then we see the rapidly declining Subway franchise try and convince us they are still cool and relevant. No. Maybe the odd location but as an entity, you have entered the Roman phase of your fast-food history.

Montreal Canadiens versus St. Louis Blues

January 21, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Referee Bill McCreary has such an earnest, honest woodsman’s face. Healthy grizzly mustache to go with it. Or do you prefer moustache?

Montreal Canadiens versus New Jersey Devils

January 9, 2010, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Crowd rises like yeast. The smell is bitter. The ice is cold. The action is froth. Whistle. Commercial. Not a beer one.

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 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.

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.

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.

Toronto Musings, In-Game Scribbles

March 21, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Bell Central crowd is booing. And not the isolated muppet-heckle type. Medium to full bowl booing.

Ottawa Musings, In-Game Scribbles

March 20, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Mike Fisher is on the ice. He hasn’t been the same player for quite some time. It’s a bonus for Montreal each time we play them. Something like Darcy Tucker’s emotional absence from the Leafs two seasons ago.

New York Islanders – Musings and In-Game Scribbles

March 12, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

But I still feel the hollow bite of Carbonneau’s absence. It’s something that changes the way one views the game. I just came here to learn more about hockey, a game I thought I knew.

Edmonton Musings, In-Game Scribbles

March 10, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Can you imagine interviewing a surgeon while he operates? Or if that bothers you too much, how about if someone was interviewing the Canadian Tire guy while he fixes your brakes? Is that how you want it all to go down?

Dallas Musings, In-Game Scribbles

March 8, 2009, by Homme De Sept-Iles

Critics of tinkering be damned.

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