The Kings are Different

The L.A. Kings... in the Stanley Cup Western final?

Yes you're reading correctly. I didn't even have this team making the playoffs, let alone going 8-1 in two playoff rounds so far, calmly and collectively knocking out the #1 and #2 seeds in the Western Conference -- the first time that has ever been done.

Should the Phoenix Coyotes defeat the Nashville Predators, the Kings will have the chance to run the table 1-2-3 in the West.

Impressive stuff.

Since the lockout, each year there always seems to be a 7th or 8th seed that makes a deep run, whether it be the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, our beloved Montreal Canadiens and this year, the Los Angeles Kings -- a team that stamped its ticket to the postseason after its 81st game of the season.

The thing is, no matter their terrific playoff runs, ultimately each team fell short. But this year could be different.

Dustin Brown congratulates Jonathan Quick after winning their second round series 4-0 against the St. Blues. Pic: AP

This is a team that looked pathetic at times this season. Aside from goaltender Jonathan Quick, most of the team underwhelmed for the better part of the season. Defensively they were pretty good, but they just couldn't put the puck into the net. The Mike Richards addition made a big splash last summer, but didn't really produce any major results.

Even worse, Wayne Simmonds, who came over to Philadelphia in the deal, emerged as a strong power forward this year and made Holmgren and the Flyers look like the winners in that deal (they still are, in my opinion).

Then Dean Lombardi fired coach Terry Murray, bringing in Darryl Sutter and the team still had trouble finding its identity -- and scoring goals. Dustin Penner was a write-off, getting more publicity for his marital problems and the now infamous "pancake incident;" and Captain Dustin Brown was rumoured to be on the trade block after Lombardi picked up another underachiever with a heavy contract, Jeff Carter.

Looked like the ship was going down.

But Dustin Brown took a long look in the mirror and decided he wanted to be a difference maker from that point on. And he has been. The Kings made the playoffs, and are now 8 wins away from what even the Great One couldn't accomplish, win the Stanley Cup in Los Angeles.

Now it's still a long ways away, but I have to tell you, I'm jumping on that Kings' bandwagon.

Why? Because they're playing the kind of playoff hockey that wins Stanley Cups.

Hey, I'm no expert (so the experts tell me) but I've been watching hockey my entire life. And I'm telling you, this team seems to have the right things in place:

1) Great goaltending: Jonathan Quick had an All-Star year and is playing superb. He makes the key saves at the key moments.
2) Dustin Brown is leading by example: the guy gets under opposition players' skins (and not in the Brad Marchand manner), he plays a gritty, physical game, and is scoring those big goals when needed.
3) Dustin Penner: with the pancakes finally digested, he seems to have shaken off his sleepiness and all of a sudden is the kind of power forward that the Kings thought they were getting when they picked him up from the Oilers last year at the deadline. Remember, this is a guy who I wanted the  Habs to pick up last year. He's large and in charge. He's going to the net. He's making plays. He's skating hard. He's taking the lead from Brown.
4) The Grinders are grinding: you may get to the dance with the big names, but it's the 3rd and 4th liners who need to contribute to go all the way and win the big prize. From Maxime Talbot with Pittsburgh in '09, to Brad Marchand for the Bruins, to Travis Moen who scored the cup clinching goal for the Ducks a few years back, you need depth scoring to win it all. The Kings are getting it. Jordan Nolan scored yesterday's first goal and they're getting contributions throughout their lineup.
5) They play as a unit: Backchecking, sweat, sacrifice, do what needs to be done, from everyone. Anze Kopitar saved the tying goal late in the 3rd yesterday.

Kings / Rangers final? First-ever coast to coast Stanley Cup final? Could be. But much hockey to play. The thing that makes the Kings different from the other magical darkhorse runs from the past is the way they are winning. Take the Habs of 2010. They won both of their series in 7 games. The Kings? They beat the Canucks in 5 and the Blues in 4 straight. They're not eking it out by a goal that could've gone either way -- they're dominating.

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HABS COACHING UPDATE: grumblings around the league. Looks like Rick Dudley is coming in to be Bergevin's assistant GM, especially for his draft knowledge. But Brian Burke, Dudley's current employer, doesn't want to let him go until after the draft. This could get fun.

Meanwhile Elliotte Friedman broke a rumour on the CBC last night that Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is on the outs with Chicago GM Stan Bowman, and might be in line for the Montreal job. I dunno, his french, n'est pas tres good.

Other rumours have Marc Crawford on the short-list. Could be a "what did I tell you!?" moment. I've had his name out there since the fall. He at least speaks French even if it's rusty, and his wife is French.

Both are cup winners at least. I like that.

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AND FINALLY: This just off the boards. Claude Giroux has been suspended one game for his hit to the head on New Jersey's Dainius Zubrus. Oh oh Flyers. Oh oh!!

Paging Dr. Recchi...Dr. Mark Recchi

Paging Dr. Recchi. Dr. Mark Recchi: This is great. I love it when telecasts have a sense of humour. And I also love the fact that this nickname is following the ex-Habs player into his retirement.

For sure, my anger towards Mark Recchi has diminished somewhat from last year after his completely offside comments about Max Paccioretty's injury -- something I'm sure (well I hope) he now regrets. After all, at the time he was coccooned within the warm and goonish confines of the Boston Bruins. Ultimately, I like you Mark Recchi. You were good player for the Canadiens and had an excellent, probably Hall of Fame-worthy career in the NHL, picking up three cups with three different teams. Nice.

Still this is terrific stuff and I'm sorry that this is how you may come to be remembered, but ultimately and I'm sure it's what makes it sting that much more... you only have yourself to blame.

Btw, will anyone ever break Dougie Jarvis' iron man record? I think not.

Enjoy this clip:



Scotty Gomez, say it ain't so: Rumour has it that Scott Gomez is already telling his posse that he does not expect to be in Montreal next year and that his contract will be bought out. But wait!? I thought this was to be your bounce-back year Gomer!? So much for that. Now he wants to go back to New Jersey. No shit. Nothing personal, but we can only hope it's true Scotty G.


Saint-Patrick signs deal to coach the Canadiens!? Beh non!! Yes now that the Habs are resigned to the fact that they will not be in this year's postseason dance, the rumour mill is beginning to pick up speed.

That means the weekly (soon to be daily) rumouring that Patrick Roy will be anointed the Montreal Canadiens' new head coach. Some say he's too hot-headed and unpredictable (namely, me) and others feel he might be a better fit in some sort of managerial role (obviously Pierre Gauthier wouldn't agree).

In fact, this rumour even stated that he's already signed a contract, which he quickly denied, but also didn't deny the fact that he'd be interested in the job if he was approached. Remember, this is a guy who turned down the head coaching job with the Avalanche a few years back. That takes guts.

In any case, I know there's a lot of folks out there who'd like to see this. I personally discussed the possibility with some when Martin looked done and indicated that I didn't think this year was right. That it wasn't a good situation for him to come into. That he deserved to start the year fresh, brand new slate and all.

So now given the options and the special requirements for this job, Patrick Roy could indeed be a terrific head coach for the Montreal Canadiens. He's a winner. He's a Habs alum. He's got passion up the wazzoo. He's perfectly bilingual. He's got a great head of hair. What more do you want?

Well Larry Robinson would be nice... if he were crazy enough to take this job. Think about how good he'd be with our young defense corps.

But seriously, though I still do believe Marc Crawford would be another good choice in this dossier (and he's also another hair boy) Roy knows the Montreal landscape and would not only be a crowd favourite, but a media darling as well. Us fans deserve it after the year we've been subjected to. There will be more on this, pho sho!!

L'arret incroyable!!! What a save!! Holy moly as a goalie I can really appreciate the skill involved to do this kind of thing. Sure flashing the leather always makes for good replays, but this truly is amazing. Kari Lehtonen of the Dallas Stars just robbing the Coyotes' Oliver Ekman-Larsson in OT.

Funny enough, I just happened to catch this live. Originally I thought Ekman-Larsson missed the net or hit the post. Nope.



Stick tap to the dude behind the net wearing the old school Minnesota North Stars jersey. My fav of all-time (other than the Habs, of course).

And finally. I couldn't resist. Sorry Leaf fans:

An Open Letter to Pierre Gauthier

Mnsr Pierre Gauthier
General Manager
Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club
Bell Centre
Montreal, QC

Dear Mr. Gauthier,

First off let me say that I do not envy you. Your job is very difficult. Especially when there are millions of people who think they could do it better than you. It's easy for me to sit back, crack open a cold one and shout at the television screen and pretend that I know what I'm talking about. It's easy for me to think that I would have made all the right moves for the Canadiens in the offseason.

Although I must say, I have been watching and playing hockey for almost 30 years and I do feel I know a think or two about the game, especially where the Montreal Canadiens are concerned.

It's also easy for me to think that immediate action needs to be taken to put to a halt this epic and record slide for our team to start the 2011-2012 season. A season, I will inform you, in which I boldly predicted the Montreal Canadiens would win the Stanley Cup.

And while I'm still not throwing in the towel on that seemingly foolhardy prediction, I do think that you need to face up to reality and get with the program -- which is to start making the very tough decisions. Okay, start making more tough decisions.

I know it was tough letting Mr. Roman Hamrlik go this offseason. I know it was tough signing Mr. Andrei Markov to a 3 year contract when he's barely played for the past two seasons and still has no definite timetable as to his return. You have a difficult job with many tough decisions. And you make them.

That's why it's so important for you to make another one now and relieve head coach Mr. Jacques Martin from his current duties.

Mr. Martin is a professional coach. A winning NHL coach. A good guy who speaks French and is respected by many people. Unfortunately it is becoming very clear that he does not have the respect of his players -- the players that you assembled -- to put forward our best chance to winning a championship this season.

Mr. Gauthier, I call on you to begin the process of replacing Mr. Martin as head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. No matter what the press and media say, there are some very viable options out there. I have already come forward to present Marc Crawford -- former NHL coach and former Stanley Cup winning coach as a potential candidate. There is also Ken Hitchcock, who although has not had much success of late as a head coach, is a professional and dedicated man who could bring a new structure to this team. And he worked for Bob Gainey in the past, winning Dallas' only championship.

There are others, too.

I truly believe the pieces you have assembled for this year's edition of the Montreal Canadiens are strong and although we have a few injuries, if healthy, this is the best team Montreal has iced since our last championship in '93. I know I'm not the only one to think this.

But your team is not playing up to its full potential and I think I know why. They no longer buy into Mr. Martin's system and they are not playing the kind of system that would help them to prosper and excel. Namely, a system that would allow them to maximize their full potentials.

Mr. Gauthier, it hurts me to see my beloved Montreal Canadiens in such a state. It hurts me to listen to people kick the Habs while it's down, especially in Toronto. And it hurts me to see such great and proud players struggle for answers. They know this cannot continue. I hope you do too.

I eagerly look forward to your decision and quick attention to this matter.

Yours very truly,

Ari Grief
Habs Fan in LeafLand

PS: Can I have an autographed Carey Price rook gamer jersey? Thanks in advance. HFLL

Anemic Performance Has Finger Hovering Over Panic Button

So get this. My brother who lives in Chicago came to town on Thursday and we watched that night's game against the Penguins. He enjoys hockey and goes to see the BlackHawks every once in awhile especially when the Habs are in town, but he leads a busy life and has other pursuits.

Aaron Asham scores on a borderline highstick for Pittsburgh's 3rd goal October 20, 2011. He always seems to get one of his 5 per season goals against the Habs. The Pens won the game 3-1.

And although he still is (and always will be) a Habs fan he doesn't really follow them, yet he still offers some strong opinions. Some in fact may be just as valid as Red Fisher's or Yvan Pedneault's given he's bringing at this point a somewhat outsider's objectivity to his views.

Lately it's been the unfortunate case that when we seem to get to watch a Habs game together, the bleu-blanc-rouge lay an egg of a game (games against Tampa Bay and Nashville from recent seasons come to mind). And unfortunately last night's game continued that trend with the Canadiens's anemic (his words, not mine) performance, falling to the injury-plagued Penguins 3-1.

Although they had a few flourishes and a few early scoring chances (namely Mathieu Darche on a short-handed breakaway and Erik Cole in front from a nice set up by Lars Eller) the Canadiens really were a flat team on this night. No passion, no fight, no clutch plays, no luck and no goals until just under two minutes left to play in the game, thankfully breaking Fleury's shutout.

Can't blame Price on this one -- he played well and gave his team a chance to win. All three Pens goals were kind of flukey if you ask me...

The expression goes, you make your own breaks. And I believe it. The Habs need to start making their own breaks.

And it's not as if one player stood out as being terrible or whatnot -- just the team as a whole came off as uninterested and flat. Or anemic as my brother put it. It was an anemic performance, the powerplay is verging on the pathetic and the team needs to find answers very soon otherwise they'll find themselves sitting at the very bottom of the Eastern Conference.

My brother doesn't know some of the newer Habs and I of course told him to look out for Max Pacioretty who in my mind at least has by far been the best -- and most consistent -- Habs forward so far this year. And he agreed. On a night where most of Montreal's team did their best not to stand out, my brother was impressed by the big winger and commented how he was a presence on the ice.

So how come Erik Cole is not being the same presence?

I don't want to kick him while he's down, but Cole, as well as Gionta and the now-injured Gomez once again were shooting blanks last night. (Maybe Gomez's injury will be a blessing in disguise?)

Hey, if the team lost with an effort like the previous game against Buffalo, I could live with it. But to lose in such a boring, bland and lack-of-any-fight way, that could say quite a bit about... THE COACHING STAFF!

Uh oh!

On October 16th, an "Anonymous" poster left the following comment after the team's 6-5 shootout loss to the Avalanche:

"...Head Coach Jacques Martin is on the block....3 more games...maybe as much as 5...quote me."

Well well well I am now officially quoting you Anonymous (are you GM Pierre Gauthier?). And I'm starting to believe that I may be quoting you again very shortly.

Has Jacques Martin lost the room?

And if he gets the axe, who will replace him???

My brother and I laughed: "Hey let's bring back Scotty Bowman! One more time!" If he could win the cup with this team, he really would be the best coach ever! Not that he isn't of course.

But Scotty is too old... and too smart, to take this job. But seriously, after running through the options with another Habs Fan in LeafLand, you heard it here first that hair boy Marc Crawford is probably starting to lick his chops and readying his coiff for the big show once again, falling into a long line of former TSN panelists to jump back into action (Torterella, MacTavish, Burke).

Makes the most sense. He's won the cup as a coach, he's available, he's tough, his wife is a Quebecer, he coached the Nordiques -- and what I really love the most -- he's got a great head of hair :)

And speaking of heads, fans are calling for Martin's head. On a block with a little sauce, please.

Now I'm a supporter of Martin, but now even I have to admit, I'm not liking what I'm seeing:

-- I don't want to see Plekanec on the point during the powerplay. It's been tried and doesn't work. He's best down low. Give it up and find new solutions. As my brother said last night, if the point men are being pressured on the powerplay, it's up to the coach to give them options to do something about it.

-- I don't want to see line-tinkering with lines that are clearly working, like the Desharnais-Pacioretty-Kostitsyn line. Leave them alone will ya!? Poor Frere Andrei... and give some time to the others before tinkering. This team needs time to gel and you keep disrupting that process!! When you make a souffle, if you open the oven too soon, it gets ruined!

-- Make up with Erik Cole and give him the minutes and the powerplay time -- jeez he couldn't be worse than Scotty G. You lost this guy from the get-go, we need him and his use by you from the start of the season has been questionable.

Love (but not kisses),

Habs Fan in LeafLand

Habs play the Toronto Phil Kessels tonight in Montreal. Lose this game and Anonymous may just be heralded as the official cryptic fortune teller for Habs Fan in LeafLand.

Here's an interesting read about the team's slow start and reactions from Yahoo's Puck Daddy:

http://ca.sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/The-early-season-mess-of-the-Montreal-Canadiens;_ylt=Ap3nMRiYjaGe95nj9zmEavQJfwM6?urn=nhl-wp15399