That Answers a Few Questions: Habs 3, Pens 1

A Squid frightening a Penguin? Now there's something you don't see everyday.

Maybe its a lawyer thing, but I admit I'm kinda bipolar, sometimes optimistic but mostly skeptical by nature. I hate being disappointed, so I didn't get my hopes up too much last round even when the Habs got on a roll. And I was pretty close to writing them off after last game, but there were a couple of nagging questions at the back of my lawyer-brain:

1. Was it possible the whole team, and specifically Halak, were just tired and emotionally drained, not completely overmatched?

2. If they were 'just' tired and drained, could they bounce back against the defending Champs?

3. Can the D-corps survive the loss of Markov (again)?

(3a. Is PK for real?)

It's all coming up Milhouse after Game 2. So much so that right now the optimist usually stuffed in my mind's trunk (aka HFF33) is screaming about Game One being an aberration, a case of a good Pens team talking advantage of a tired Habs club coming off an emotional comeback. There's also something about the Habs being real contenders, losing 20 pounds and quitting meth, but I'm already tuning him out again.

Anyway, even cynical me (aka Panger) admits its hard not to get seduced by this team. Obviously there is the goaltending and shot blocking and Squid's clutch goals. But teh atraction is more about the team chemistry and effort from pretty much all over the lineup - even guys who aren't producing offensively like they should (hi there CHicken and Gomer).

Most shocking of all, PK probably lived up to all the hype. Three assists in four games and a plus 1. And a national interview on NBC. Well, "national" except for all those NBC affiliates who cut to Seinfeld reruns when then heard the game of the week involved at team from Europe (French Canada is the same thing, right?).

And full credit to the Pens, they weren't sleepwalking through this game. Crosby's "compete level" (I can't believe that's part of my vocabulary - damn you McSplooge!) is way higher than Ovie, although Gino resembles Semin so far.

Still too early to really buckle into a seat on the bandwagon, but I'm not hanging with one foot off anymore, either - keeping in mind that to advance, this team has to win as many 2nd round games as the last 16 editions combined, all against the defending champs lead by arguably most talented and accomplished player at his age in history. Not that I'm skeptical.

Comments. We crave them like our antipsycotics and meth. Do you really want to endanger us by not leaving any? Do you want that on your conscience?

On the Other Hand ... Habs 3, Bolts 2 (in OT)

With apologies to Panger, who usually has a copyright on bi-polar posting:

Big win last night! Total statistical domination of a team only a few years removed from a Stanley Cup win. Whooo! Plan the parade, baby!

On the other hand: This ain't your father's Tampa Bay Lightning. They're fucking terrible. And 35 shots right into Kari Ramo's chest are just wasted energy, not some sort of 70's era throwback blitzkrieg.

Man, if it wasn't for Kari Ramo standing on his head, and for the fact that his posts were the size of Craig Ludwig's old shinpads, they would have won that game 7 or 8 zip.

On the other hand, making Kari Ramo look like a mid-90's St. Patrick is not a good sign. Blowing a two goal lead to a bottom feeder is worrisome. Going 1 for 8 on the powerplay sure won't keep the Bruins, Devils, Caps, or Flyers awake at night come playoff time. Needing a lucky bounce in OT to win against this Tampa team is embarrassing. That game should have been put to bed around the same time as Mini HF10.

Kept the shots under twenty. That's some solid defensive fundamentals that Bob has instilled. Defence wins championships!!

On the other hand, once you put the shackles on Lecavalier, St. Louis and (maybe) Stamkos, the Bolts aren't exactly the Red Wings. And it's easier to keep opposing chances down when you spend an inordinate amount of time on the powerplay. Congrats, you just won a boxing match against a guy with one hand tied behind his back, and it took you 15 rounds.

Gui! Gui! Gui! has totally turned it on ... did you see his goal last night? That had superstar Frenchman written all over it!!

Actually, that was a great looking goal at a very important moment. Gui! and Mad Max look like a modern day Lambert and Tremblay out there right now. On the other hand, how could the Habs not make that lead stick?

TFS is turning it back around. Sure, there weren't a lot of shots, but he was there when they needed him.

On the other hand, the second Lightning goal was a weak-assed Price glove-hand special, and would have been a backbreaker against almost anyone else. I spent most of the second and all of the third waiting for the roof to collapse. I'll need more data before declaring TFS back.

Defence looked solid again. Markov, DOOM and Hamr seem to have righted their respective ships. And Little Tits came back from Hamilton ready to go.

Okay, I'll give you those. On the other hand, somebody explain the fascination with D'Agostini to me. After a hot start, he has cooled off considerably and shouldn't be getting time on a scoring line at this point. He singlehandedly killed the momentum mid-second with the Habs swarming the Lightning net by meekly firing one into Ramo's chest without even thinking. And as soon as I saw it was the Dagger on the breakaway last night, I knew he'd miss. Would Pacioretty have buried that? Maybe, maybe not, but I wouldn't have been resigned to a miss from the get-go.

Still in the playoffs, despite all the recent troubles, with some games in hand, and the Rangers lost!

On the other hand, Philly laid down against Florida so the Panthers are breathing down the Habs necks, Pittsburgh is on fire, Buffalo won't be an easy out on Saturday, and if the playoffs started today Zach Parise and Marty Brodeur would have this fucking team for lunch.

It's Friday!

On the other hand, my in-laws are coming to visit, and Canada Revenue just reassessed our 2006 return because H&R Block fucked it up on purpose to get themselves a bigger percentage. Seriously.

Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick are coming to Toronto July 4!

On the other hand ... no wait, that's fucking awesome.

Bi-Polar Reflections on a Habs Win: Montreal 3 Detroit 1. No, Actually: Habs 3 Wings 1

Who knew the path to enlightenment ran on a steel rail?

HFF 33 and Panger discuss the impact of last night's game on the rest of the Canadiens season:

HFF33: Habs Win! Habs Win! And I think everyone will agree that beating the Stanley Cup Champs in Detroit means Montreal is the clear favorite here on in. It's a sign of their return to dominance.

Panger: Are you mental? I don't think anyone agrees with that. They are still inconsistent at best, Cup contenders they are not. Not yet anyway. Carey Price saved their ass last night, he was awesome.

HFF33: He's still not as good at St. Patrick!

Panger: Yes, yes, I know. Let's move on. Look, on the first goal, Mad Max was standing behind the net when he shot that puck -

HFF33: And in off Nik Lidstrom, the best D in the league. See, it can happen to anyone! That's Karma's payback for the Rhino brain fart and -

Panger: Yeah yeah, fine. Maybe. Is that why you chose that picture? Karma? Anyway, the point is they rode the ensuing momentum to add a couple more goals, and then fell back and did nothing while Price held the fort. It's only a sign they got lucky.

And don't interrupt me again, pric.

HFF33: Sorry. But don't you need karma, or luck, or a certain I don't know what, to win a Cup? Maybe Rhino's own-goal will be remember as the turning point of this Stanley Cup winning season - the Habs filled up their karmic bank account by offering to score for their opponents, and now the universe will reward them in spades. We're on track for the Cup now, baby!

Panger: I'm admit that winning a Cup win usually involves good karma, but it's not as important as effort and talent. And the Habs have been utterly inconsistent in both departments thus far this season -last night's game is just more proof. Giving away a game at home against the Islanders, then beating the Wings in Detroit two days later? I-N-C-O-N-S-I-S-T-E-N-T. And that might as well spell "loser" - inconsistent teams don't win Cups. That's why I choose the picture: it symbolises the up and down season thus far. And while they look happy, in fact they're heading downhill -another symbol to represent the fact that all a Detroit win is going to do is increase already unrealistic Cup expectations.

HFF33: Wait, I though I choose the picture? Whatever. OK, they have been inconsistent, but that's all in the past: Higgins potted his first in a week, Pleks scored his first goal in 9 games and it was the game winner - isn't that also a sign? The consistency is coming, I can feel it.

Panger: That's probably the meth. And how many did Kovalev have? AK27 is the offensive engine that drives this team, not Pleks. And he sucks donkey balls right now. Big Tits? Little Tits? Did you notice them at all? Plus Tangy's probably going to join DOOM on the sidelines for a month. Did you see that hit? My teeth hurt just watching it.

HFF33: No way man, Alex is going to be fine! Carey is going to win as many games as we'll need, and Kovy is going to score a hat trick next game. you'll see. The Cup is as good as ours.

Panger: You're an idiot.