Thursday, November 20, 2008

HF29 asks a simple question for the Sens Game Preview and Open Thread

Carbo looks up to the heavens for answers. Not pictured: God laughing

Let's just get some preview stuff out of the way before I get all inquisitive. Habs-Sens tonight in Ottawa at 7:30 PM. Game is on Sportsnet East for you Benoit Brunet-phobes. Both teams suck. While the Sens played well in their last game according to SLC, they are currently in last place in the Eastern Conference. Last place! That amuses me, but not as much as it should. Habs have their own brand of suck, one crappy win in their last four games. We have a whole five goals over that span! The Habs are meeting the Sens for the first time since Ruutu tried to maim Mad Max last week.

For the view from down the 417, when we always mention Five for Smiting (oh, SLC, why can't I quit you?) we are not giving the rest of the excellent Sens blogosphere their due. So check out Sherry and Dany Heatley Speedwagon over at Scarlett Ice. Those guys rock. And maybe even roll.

Everyone sucks for the Habs, except maybe TMS. Habs I/O reports Carbo has come up with this for tonight: Guay Tender Saks reunited, Pleks with Kovy and Higgy, Lang - Big Tits - Greek Lightning, and the rest. Okaaaaay. Sens suffering with injuries to Chirs Neil and Fish, though they weren't playing that great to begin with. Cody Bass has been called up to fill out the roster. The Auldinator (tm SLC) may yet save the Sens season.

K that's enough preview for the Battle of Suck. Now it's time for the question, which you have no doubt figured out by now:

Is it time to fire Carbo?

FHF regular Number31, over at her own outstanding The Notwithstanding Clause, really got me thinking yesterday when I read this:

"I ain't in the camp of the pitchforks and torches calling for the a new set of coaches or the explosion of the entire team. IT'S FUCKING NOVEMBER PEOPLE! WE AREN'T TAMPA BAY!!! AND WE DON'T MAKE OUR DECISIONS AFTER EA SPORTS NHL09 SIMULATIONS!!! At least not yet, anyway. December/January...that's when I'd get pitchforky."

While I agree it is November, the fact is Habs have played 20% of their season already. So I think it is perfectly legitimate to ask that question. My god, Habs fired Jacques Demers after five games once. Admittedly, it was during the Serge Savard and Reggie Houle front office experiment, but still.

Now, I've made no bones about my disdain for some of Carbo's "coaching" moves. But whether he's a good coach or a bad coach is not the issue here. No, really! The issue is whether the team has stopped playing for him. I am not sure if it's the case, but I am sure it's time to ask that question. The one lesson I have learned from watching sports over the years (alot of fucking sports over alot of fucking years), besides "hot babes will make me drink crappy beer like Coors Light", is that once a team gives up on the coach, it's over. There's no going back. You have to clean house.

Actually I guess there is maybe one issue of Carbo's coaching. He says he has a "system." I don't see it. Do you? Oh, and the constant line-juggling. Oh, and forcing an offensive team to play defensively. Oh, and staking your success on a fucking tie. OK, maybe several issues.

So is it time to fire Carbo? I don't know for sure, but I know the question needed to be asked.

Let's hear your answer in the comments

132 comments:

Anonymous said...

29, YOU SIR ARE AN INGRATE!

- Chairman Mao

Navin Vaswani (@eyebleaf) said...

10-5-2, and you're talking about firing the coach? Come on. It's a long bloody season. A team isn't going to rip shit up for 82 games.

Anonymous said...

I'm all for the line juggling. The lines as they were, didn't work. So what to do? I mean, clearly, as a coach, you have to do something. Shaking things up seesm to be the solution. I feel for Carbo when he says he can't put the fear of Hamilton in his players because they all have one ways. I think THAT's the problem, not Carbo.

Maybe I'm nostalgic because of the whole Patrick Roy revival happening, but I think Carbo now as ever is doing a great job.

Stéphane said...

Ridiculous question. The Habs' record is essentially identical as last year's at this point.

Having Gui! back on the first line will fix everything.

Hahahahahaha!

Young HF29 said...

@eyebleaf - that record is deceptive imho. ive watched all the games. We've played one 60 minute game all year.

Anonymous said...

You know what would fix everything? Maxim Lapierre's glorious return. Cuz the hotness factor would go way up and that's always a good thing.

Pushing my agenda...slowly but surely.

Anonymous said...

Good fucking god ol man. Really, i mean when have we ever really been fans of Carboneau as coach? Has the man proved anything outside the fact that he has no fucking idea what to tie around his neck in place of a tie.

"My shirt is shit brown, so lets go with a yellow tie with purple stripes, palm trees and ufo's. That should get the boys fired up, and if it does'nt then fuck em, its not like the zombie upstairs would ruin montreal's rich tradition of shotty offence, pourous D, overrated goalies and rookie coaches. Right?"


I mean, the crap this guy pulls is embarassing, and if it was'nt for his supporting staff he would currently have no credit, for anything.

When an entire team is underperforming it is no doubt the coach's ability that is in question. It's his job to get the most out of each and every player, regardless.

Anonymous said...

Jen23
Oneway contracts, no fear of hamilton??? You gotta be kidding me carbo. Hows this for fear. Dandenault, Brisebois, Boullion, Lantendresse please report to the front office for your "one way" tickets to Get the fuck outta here and never come back ville. Boullion i have respect for, but still believe he's a 7th D-man on an NHL team with no depth.

How much longer will we be without a solid Dcorps. HELLO MONTREAL ITS REALITY CALLING. DEFENSE HAS ALWAYS, STILL ALWAYS, WILL ALWAYS, WIN CUPS.

Anonymous said...

Carbo looks up to the heavens for answers. Not pictured: God laughing

Awesome. Also awesome is Anonymous' ripping on Carbo's tie. He wore an orange Jackson Pollack-inspired tie during the last Leafs game and when I turned on highlights my aunt reeled back in horror "Good GOD! What is that?"

Anonymous said...

I really don't understand how Bouillon, Dandy, Breezer or Tender have anything to do with our problems. Except that they're French of course.

Of course they do have more talent than Markov, Pleks, both Tits, Kovy, that is true. And the Tits and Kovy HAVE been working their hearts out, so you're right...getting rid of our marginal players and making sure the talented ones keep on playing like heartless asses IS a great plan.

J.T. said...

God laughing. Ah, thanks for that, 29. Whatever happens tonight, I will have forced my facial muscles to form a smile in relation to the Habs at least once today. And not that half-smile grimace I do when someone hits yet another post, or gives yet another puck away in the neutral zone.

I wonder what God is laughing at? Is it the cruel irony of giving Kovalev the hands of a surgeon and the heart of an artichoke? Or creating his perfect negative in Steve Begin...hands of brick and heart of lion? Because you know he is a vengeful God.

Maybe he's just laughing at all the Habs fans who were seduced by the perfect symmetry of 25 in 100 into believing the team would win the Cup in its Centennial.

Either way, thanks for that. Oh, and Carbo gets until Christmas. Then it's cough up a system and get the boys skating or he spends New Year's on permanent vacation.

Anonymous said...

The thing that dismays me the most about Carbo is that he never seems to "coach" the players during the game. I mean he called a timeout against carolina and I didn't see him drawing up any play. Even if he did it didn't work cause they lost the faceoff. I expect a good coach to be communicating to his players (esp the younger ones) Maybe having a drawing board with X & O's. I mean what are they working on during practices? The only thing that has worked reciently is that video recap meeting that they had before the last sens game. I mean a good coach has to analyse, figure out the problems and correct them using his resources.
I mean I have had bosses who have chewed me out and bosses would actually explain things to me. I always woked better for the ones who offer guidance.
For some reason Carbo just seems like a coach who just yells at his players? or maybe not? Maybe that is what they need. Honestly I don't really know what he does besides juggle lines.
29 I don't know if his players have stopped playing for him. It seems like Kovy has.

Hey why not a picture of a sexy cop stripper? That worked last year against the Sens.

L Dude said...

Out with Carbo. In with Tortorella.

Torts sucks as a TSN analyst, but he really likes Price and thinks he's a great goalie. He would treat him like his own son, nurturing him to greatness. And Kovalev would surely get out of his funk with Torts' style of coaching...

Honestly, I think tonight marks the start of the turnaround - Habs will win the next 4.

Anonymous said...

The Habs have had a lot of ebbs and flows for years. Remember two seasons ago, when we were the hottest team in the league before the flu hit us and we tanked. Last season, we won two of our first six games, then had two wins in a nine-game stretch to end November and start December. We went through a stretch in February where we lost four of five games.

And despite all that, the Habs still came first in the conference. The team is going through a tough time, and will snap out of it soon. They’ll go through this another couple of times this year, as will any team not named Detroit.

moeman said...

Habs i/o says line-ups should be;

Guillaume Latendresse will be reunited with Saku Koivu and Alex Tanguay.

This one's intriguing: Tomas Plekanec centres Alex Kovalev and Christopher Higgins.

The third line has Robert Lang between Andrei Kostitsyn and Tom Kostopoulos.

The fourth line may be a game time decision, but it shapes up as Steve Bégin centring Georges Laraque and Sergei Kostitsyn.

~~~

Had lunch with a gorgeous gal pal, she a Sens fan and her reaction to this year's Sens was a less than vocal meh. Methinks most Sens fans are in this category. Did I mention she was gorgeous?

~~~

Carbo has many lives left. I doubt he's even wasted one.

~~~

TSN sucks but SportsCentre sucks way more.

~~~

Seen this? Made me spit up my coffee this AM.

Anonymous said...

You need a checking line. Carbo and Gaine should know this.

Begin - Lapierre - Kosto I guess.

The other thing we need is a bona fide sniper.

How about trading Pleks and a prospect for Gaborik?

Young HF29 said...

How about trading Pleks and a prospect for Gaborik?

+1, Panic Mode. i spit-took on that one

Young HF29 said...

@moeman - hehe. i may have to sue that in the future

Justin Crowder said...

You think the Habs are getting desperate for some wins?

The Senators are attempting the 'playoff mustache' strategy... in November!

Though I suppose if Spezza starts growing his now, he'll have one ready just in time for golf-season...

Anonymous said...

If not Gaborik who?

The Habs have a lot of great playmakers. We just need a guy who scores every other game.

How about Iginla?

Young HF29 said...

@Panic mode - dont get me wrong, i would like Gaborik. the spit-take was just for thinking Minny would go for it

moeman said...

Sens' Spezzdispenser will be traded before month's end. Maybe tomorrow.

Young HF29 said...

@moeman - just a prediction? or did you get your info from an always reliable blog?

moeman said...

Not a blog cuz blogs are truthiness. Just a vibe that Jethro is bait and if the Sens keep tailspinning, he's the only true asset they can really package (for Bowmeister?) . Plus I live in Gatineau and hear these crazy shit rumours.

moeman said...

Meant blogs aren't all about truthiness. Except 4HFs, which is like a hockey Bible, minus the commandments,

Having typed that, I must make a visit to make sure my neighbour's wife is 'OK'. Back in a jiff.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

...just a prediction? or did you get your info from an always reliable blog?

In my own defence, I have never been reliable. And Giggles ain't going anywhere.

Good evening, gentlepersons. A lovely evening for a game of shinny, wot?

moeman said...

Whilst coveting my neighbour's wife, she says, moeman did you see, this?;

WTF!

Yeah, I went limp, but not as limp as the fucking Senators.

~~~

Also, allo SLC.

Young HF29 said...

Evening fine sir. A lovely evening indeed. Let's play two!

Young HF29 said...

@moeman - kill me. i like my fire Carbo solution better

Senators Lost Cojones said...

Well, at the very least, that aught to keep the Ottawa "press" from driving the "Welcome Mats!" story into the ground. For about a week.

moeman said...

SLC knows but welcomedoorMats in Ottawa would be a load O' fun.

moeman said...

Yikes.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

HEATER!

Anonymous said...

maybe its time to move markov to forward since he is refusing to play defence

Anonymous said...

Once again, the game isn't on TSN or Rogers Sportsnet in Ontario?
For Christ sake, TSN will televise the Leafs optional summer skate but not the Sens/Habs in November.
(at least we'll get the Habs/Red Wings....next week!!)


God bless CJAD play by play.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

Oh my heavens. I do believe I am sporting an erection.

moeman said...

SLC, if it lasts more than 4 hours, call your doctor (or neighbour).

Young HF29 said...

meh, that as barely late

Bass getting into it!

Young HF29 said...

*WAS barely late. damn meth

moeman said...

Yup, Bégin deserved 2.

moeman said...

Saku!

1-1

Senators Lost Cojones said...

Fuckity fucking CRAP!

Lostinleafland said...

atta boy Saku.

Young HF29 said...

my god a PP goal. i may faint

Lostinleafland said...

Is it possible that Higgins might get a shot tonight?

Young HF29 said...

quality work there, Gui!

Lostinleafland said...

Gui makes Jocelyn Lemieux look like an all-star.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

Aaaaand...yep. Flaccid City.

moeman said...

Speaking of droopiness, Habs tied 1-1 with a last place team. Come on boys, stiffen up and pound these Sens!

Anonymous said...

What is the point of our 4th line?

Laraque-Begin-Sergei

What is the point of that? Not a checking line. Not an attacking line.

It is like your garage or basement where you store stuff you have no immediate use for.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

Four Habs Fans: Come for the strippers...stay for the homoerotic puns.

moeman said...

@Panic Mode, your 'immediate use for' line is an immediate classic.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

@Panic: Don't know about you guys, but our 4th line is around to remind the other three that this game is, in actual fact, a contact sport.

And to fill the water bottles.

moeman said...

@SLC, NTTIAWWT.

Also, the only homoerotic thing about 4HFs is/are the word verifications.

Young HF29 said...

man you go make some dinner and the comments take a turn to the left

Has the whole world gone GAY?

Ohh, be nice!

Senators Lost Cojones said...

Apropos of nothing, my first born will be named...C-Bass.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

@HF29: SnnnnAP!

Senators Lost Cojones said...

Also @29: Geez Homer. Where you been? The whole industry has been gay since 1983.

Young HF29 said...

wooooosh, tangy

@slc - heh.

moeman said...

Cody Bass, there's a name to give your kid,

Young HF29 said...

C-bass crushed behind the net.

alright this is not quality hockey by any means. on either side

Senators Lost Cojones said...

I think we may have shot our wad in the first 10 minutes of the first.

DAMMIT! There I go again...

moeman said...

T F S™

moeman said...

Begin clubs a bass.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

CEEEEEE-BASS!!

moeman said...

@SLC 'we' shot our load. Is that referencing a circle of jerks?

Senators Lost Cojones said...

@Moe: Begin clubs a bass.

Been hanging onto that one for a while, have we?

Lostinleafland said...

Two power house teams with 10 shots a piece more than half way through the game......crap

moeman said...

SLC, 'CEEEEEE-BASS!!' small or large mouth? Good eatin' no matter ...

Anonymous said...

Have we got any shots on goal this period?

moeman said...

SLC, Bégin plays once every 15th game, of course I've been holding onto that one. Bonus, sans-Cialis.

Lostinleafland said...

mtl- 2 shots, ott-6 shots in the 2nd

Anonymous said...

Good call ref.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

HOLY FUCKING HELL!!!!!! If we lose this game by a goal, I am personally going to sodomize Don Van Massenhoven WITH A FUCKING CHAINSAW!!!!!!!!!!!!

moeman said...

Small Tits on the PK? Weird.

Anonymous said...

Lucky lucky Habs on that 'goal'. Thankfully the ref doesn't know the possession rule.

Young HF29 said...

3 shots! it's a barnburner!

Anonymous said...

Are we actually playing the trap?

Anonymous said...

Gift of a disallowed goal there. If was a Sens fan I'd be pissed. Of course, if I was a Sens fan I would be ashamed to let anyone know, so I'd keep my rage private.

Young HF29 said...

i wanted to avoid commenting on the no-goal, but i gotta say, even i thought that was uh, questionable

moeman said...

Slump-bustin' Sens players are mesmerized by Massenhoven's porn stache.

moeman said...

Perfect timing to end the 2nd period cuz The office just started.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

It's...I just...FUCK!!..I mean...GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

moeman said...

SLC, don't give up! The Sens are due to announce a 3rd jersey.

moeman said...

If Bégin is 5'7" with skates on, how short is RDS' Luc Gélinas?

Young HF29 said...

SLC is a post-writing cyborb tonight. i love your insta-rants! don't delete this one

Young HF29 said...

fuck fuck fuck fuck

moeman said...

It's...I just...FUCK!!..I mean...GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Horrible.

Really horrible.

Anonymous said...

Hey, an opposition player is able to drift right into the crease unchallenged and score....I, for one, am shocked.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

@HF29: No. That one stays. Unlike the deletion, this one doesn't have a visual of a certain Hockey Jesus being crucified at centre ice while the opposing team takes turns pissing into the Cup and dumping it over his head. Um...or so I've heard...

Senators Lost Cojones said...

@Moe: Couldn't have said it better myself.

moeman said...

Note to self, rent 'Two Jesus', One Cup'.

Anonymous said...

Boston and the Red Wings coming up in the next week. I think I'll just wear a black armband and remain silent during those potential bloodbaths.


I mean, three shots in nearly 30 minutes?!? Why, why was I programmed to feel pain?

Anonymous said...

Carbo Out!

Young HF29 said...

my god, we had a shot on net there.

moeman said...

@hf29, yes but Auld was erect.

Anonymous said...

Habs fans should cheer up. At least we're not this dude:

No one likes George Bush

moeman said...

Schwing.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

fuck

Anonymous said...

Andrei!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Marky Mark(ov)!

moeman said...

@Panic Mode, I'm surprised they didn't spit on him. Two months tomorrow.

Young HF29 said...

if we hang on and pull a point out of our ass again while playing like crap, im really gonna rant

moeman said...

If so, make it Epic hf29.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

THE AULDINATOR!

Senators Lost Cojones said...

@29: if you hang on and pull a point out of your ass again while playing like crap, while we got ass fisted by a fucking referee...I'M really gonna rant.

Anonymous said...

4-on-3 action. Just the way I like it.

moeman said...

1 point = at least an hf29 mini rant.

Anonymous said...

This would be a good time for Kovy to actually show up.

Senators Lost Cojones said...

Too bad that wasn't Souray.

moeman said...

Shootout action. Just the way I like it.

Anonymous said...

Shooters: 11-13-27

Young HF29 said...

this whole season seems like one long shootout

moeman said...

I'd like to shoot Brunet.

Anonymous said...

I think we can all agree with moeman on this one.

Anonymous said...

Auld looked like he was doing the Moonwalk just then.

moeman said...

TFuckingS™

Anonymous said...

Wow! Just wow! What a save!

Young HF29 said...

two points for that?

Senators Lost Cojones said...

Excuse me, but I have to go write a very strongly worded letter.

Good night all.

moeman said...

The worst 11-5-2 team ever. I love it!

Anonymous said...

Never in doubt.....

Young HF29 said...

@moeman - +1. i want to put that in our banner

Anonymous said...

Best Habs tonight:

Carey Price

Steve Begin

Josh Gorges

Number31 said...

Carbo looking up to the heavens for answers? It's Jesus Price!

Young HF29 said...

@number31 - thats really sacrilegiously funny

Number31 said...

On a serious note, I don't agree with that disallowed goal... But then again, I still say Samsonov's goal was on an offside play and basically charity. So, game stolen twice in a row by refs in need of new contacts. Murky buckets.

moeman said...

I'm perplexed by our Habs. They have sucked, hard, yet still manage to be a top shelf team. I can't wait to see them play some great hockey.

Next up the Big, Bad, Bruins, on a Saturday night, when the CH does yet another classy, professional ceremony for one of it's greats.

Go 4HFs! Go Habs! Go Pants! Go St. Patrick, straight to the rafters.

moeman said...

Gotta say, this joint is fun. Off to watch my Steelers play in the snow. Until the AM, bonne soirée mes ami(e)s.

Anonymous said...

I had to go actually work. When I left Sens just went ahead 2-1. What the crap happened. Are you telling me the Habs stole 2 points? Mon Dieu.

That ridiculous disallowed goal will come back to haunt them. Or it was payback for Samsonsuck's shitastic thing the other night.

The only thing I have against the Habs winning games like this is that it creates a facade that all is right, when in reality it is NOT. Maybe a string of 8 losses would force a shake-up, but I'm not sure a small rut (when looking at wins and loses and nothing else) will.

We need DOOM back. We need Rhino to play better. We need scoring! We need a strong DMan.

Sigh. I'll take the 2 points, but so help me god if they put in this kind of effort against the Broons on Saturday. I might drink more whiskey than usual for a Sunday morning.

Anonymous said...

Two things about the idiotic no-goal call.
Ruuutuuu dove: I don't see how that was a trip.
The whistle blew before the puck went in, so they had to call it back.
Agreed that it was a stupid call, though. Poor SLC.