The Diachronic Barber Pole Observations of a Recovering Hockey Exile

Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins

June 16, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

The greatest decade is the seventies.

Boston Bruins vs. Vancouver Canucks

June 14, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Put that in your book!

Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins

June 10, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

It’s under everything. Grass stains can be cleaned. Scoreboards are a different story.

Boston Bruins vs. Vancouver Canucks

June 8, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

I wish I could realign the teams; move the knuckleheads to one team and the likeables to the other.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins

June 4, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Vancouver just glues and closes, slows and jabs. It’s suffocating.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Boston Bruins

June 1, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

How good is Roberto Luongo? How bad is he? Does a final make or break a man?

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

April 27, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Boston fans are a loyal and suitless lot. This isn’t the ACC. Real fans dwell in the lower bowl in this rink. They watch with concern, concentration and insight.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

April 26, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Boston doesn’t care a whit about this team, its history, its fans.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

April 23, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

The silence(s) of overtimes past whisper a diorama of evaporating emotional fuels and smoking, destroyed flights of dreams. The goalie looks skyward, players stay collapsed on the ice. And a puck watches as enemies rejoice.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

April 21, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Bruins need something. And they get it from a man who has no post-trauma. Peverley. On his own. Scrambling, stickhandling. Horizontal in the neutral and now turning and in. The high shot. And it wasn’t easy. Price has this one.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

April 18, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Thomas looks more human than Gilbert, Chara is not the man of hubris that Esposito was. It’s a likeable team, stanchion and all. Chara has a very short, very bright fuse. It stays unlit for long periods and he’s a great player during those times.

NHL Playoff Favourites vs. Underdogs, A Ten Year Scan

April 17, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Favourites versus Underdogs. The percentage of NHL playoff series won by favourites over the past ten years. A pre and post-lockout ten-year scan and comparison.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

April 16, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

I wonder if Colin Campbell is issuing Blackberry directives to Paul Devorski.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

April 14, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

There’s a bear in the crowd. He nods knowingly, a smaller, more vicious version of the A and W Root Bear. His incisors are showing as he flaunts a yellow Bruins mini-towel.

Idle Speculation

April 12, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Playoff guesses.

Round by Round (Day of the Fool)

April 11, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Round by Round Playoff Guesswork

Montreal Canadiens vs. Toronto Maple Leafs

April 11, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Again the front seats are largely empty to begin the period. Concessions? Or weak fans? Or just wine and cheesers gone home after a long night of wasting some eight-year old’s deserved chance.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Ottawa Senators

April 10, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Ottawa’s surly, burly and talented Jason Spezza shows more fire and fury than I've seen from him in months as he carries down the right side.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Chicago Blackhawks

April 5, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Price gazes without expression. Crawford seems to talk to himself as he sweeps imaginary shavings.

Gary

April 4, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

The Commissioner.

The Blue-Liner and the Panther

April 3, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Aesop's Fable. Adapted.

Montreal Canadiens vs. New Jersey Devils

April 2, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Just win the game sevens.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Carolina Hurricanes

March 30, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

The arena is almost darkly lit and the white and red motif seems to say brigands are here and pirate death is near.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Atlanta Thrashers

March 29, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Gomez took a stick from Kane. Then Gomez responded with a helmet to the helmet. “What is that?” complained Kane. Gomez is grinning. No calls.

Mark Recchi – The People’s Words

March 28, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Mark Recchi's reframing of his "Pacioretty embellishment" remarks don't fly.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Boston Bruins

March 24, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Doctor Recchi.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Buffalo Sabres

March 22, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

No intensity.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Minnesota Wild

March 20, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Finish the game. Finish the game. Finish the game. Finish the game.

Montreal Canadiens vs. New York Rangers

March 18, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

Replay shows the wreckage of Ranger players as Subban raised his stick, paused and finally, a fallen Ranger and four others, immobile blue statues waiting, the puck was launched.

Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

March 17, 2011, by Homme de Sept-Îles

St. Louis. The usual calm bomb demeanour. Sudden superstar. He won the Hart for a reason. He’s ignored for a variety of others.