Time to Get Fired Up for the Season (with a look back)

We're really starting to feel the season coming. We're getting that tingly feeling between our legs. Hockey is in the air. And for the first time since, like, the 70's, we're pretty excited about the Habs' chances.

So we've trolled the YouTubes to find some stuff to get excited about. Here's a look back at the top 10 Habs goals of last year, set to that rock 'n roll music that the kids like. It's Tits time.

Elisha Looking Hot Again, Dating Hockey Players with Good Spleens

Just to prove FHF ain't going nowhere, here's a post with a hot chick for no reason. Elisha Cuthbert, who for the last two years has not been looking all so good and making questionable friends, is back with a vengeance. She has a hot new spread in the current Maxim, and has hooked up with Dion Phaneuf. Those rumours have been floating around for a few months, but now there seems to be photographic evidence.

Mike Komisarek was reportedly heard saying "thank God that crazy slut found someone else. I was really scared for my testicles there for a while."

h/t to The Big Lead and AOL Fanhouse

Things are Heating Up - Game 3 Preview and Open Thread

Ask and ye shall receive! I wanted some emotion on Saturday night and I guess I got in the form of a Tom Kostopolous sucker punch to the face. Note to all other Flyers - taunt Greek Lighning at your own peril. That Mediterannean emotion will take over and you'll get what's coming to you.

That punch / facewash was only part of the story of the nastiness. The coaches got into a war of words over it. During the game, there seemed to be pushing and fracases after alot of whistles. Big battles along the boards. Some crease and goalie shoving. A playoff series is beginning to emerge. So with the heat rising, let's hit the bullet points to turn up the thermostat even more:

• 7 PM start, Wachovia Center. Good seats still available! Habs did win twice there during the regular season, but of course that means dick all;
• God bless the fine threesome of Flyers blogs, Flyers. Femme, eager to go psycho, and Flyers Goal Scored By. Ryan's post about NHL'ers taking internships is killer. And Nadine: 3 down, one to go!
• The SlowGreekBang Line has been our most dominant line all post-season, so of course Carbo is breaking them up. Habs I/O reports the lines will be: KoKoHigg, Pleks and the two Tits, Slow Gui! and the Greek, then Mad Max, Streit and Bégin. Oh Ryder, will we ever see you in a Habs uni again?
• Also, Rhino plays again, let's hope he's starting to get comfortable. Breezer continues to be sidelined by his mysterious leg injury. Give it up - which one of our three loyal readers went Gilooly on his ass? I owe you dinner!
• Props where props are due - Brière, Biron, Timonen, Umberger, Jim Dowd. I knew Habs should never have let Dowd go as a UFA;
• TFS - who's worried?
• Other, less important, suckitude - Mad Max, Gui!, El Dandy. And PLEKS! How can I forget him? (thanks matt-ftc);
• On a more positive note, I think we actually played one of our best games of the playoffs Saturday Night. Seriously. Their hot goalie dominated our shaky goalie. I really feel good about that performance (TFS excluded). Am I on crack? (or meth? wait don't answer that).

We will be watching some of the game tonight at casa del HF29's mom. Look for a special appearance in the comments! So behave. Or not. Mom can swear with the best of you.

HABS ON THE ICE!!! Live(-ish) Game Blogging 5 - The Random Notes and Summary Thread

Let's throw this evening's random notes from the game into one thread, shall we? (FHF is still working out some kinks here). From the 1st period:

• Kyle Chipchura looked good. AND he handled the end of period interview with class and style. He would make any NHL roster most likely, except the Habs and their "no rookies unless they're francophone" policy;
• Admission time - I'm not paying 100% atttention here. I had a few drinks after work, and the season premiere of Prison Break is on. I need to get a PVR and/or quit drinking before the season starts. Yeah, right on that second part.

And the 2nd period:

• Kostitsyn (A.) from Kovy (!) and Crosby's goal have the game at 1-1. Sid doing his RDS interview in English, not French and I find that weird, he speaks fine French;
• The name I heard most often in the 2nd for the Habs was Corey Locke. I'm not kidding, played with energy;
• Prison Break was awesome.

After the 3rd period:

• A Crosby-started tic-tac-toe on the PP made it 2-2, and we are off to OT! In the pre-season? Really? We can't just have a tie?
• Injury report - Habs D Mathieu Carle and Andrew Archer went out, never to return. Maybe Panger can tell me who Andrew Archer is.

And after OT the game is over.

• WOW. Best pre-season OT I have ever seen (whatever that means). It was late regular-season intense, coming to a crescendo with a Komisarek-Crosby shoving-spearing-cross-checking match in front of the Habs net on the PP, leading to a bunch of penalties and 3 on 3 hockey for the last 40 seconds, leaving Kovy the room to skate with the puck and bury the winner off the inside of both goal posts. Alex the Enigma, 1G 2A in a 3-2 OT win, is your #1 star.

And this experiment in non-linear live(-ish) game blogging comes to a merciful end. Catch any of the game? Let's hear your thoughts in the comments, and we'll put a pre-season win in perspective in the AM.

HABS ON THE ICE!!! Live(-ish) Game Blogging 4- The Pens Thread

Angelo Esposito is playing, and he just tried to get fancy and Mark Streit made him look silly by just taking the puck away. Bell Centre didn't know how to react to that one.

Sid the Kid looks OK, but hasn't really done anything exciting. (8:59 UPDATE) Excecept bury his chances when he gets them, from practically behind the net. 1-1.

HABS ON THE ICE!!! Live(-ish) Game Blogging 3 - The Goalie Thread

The Christo-wall is looking in peak form right off the bat. Several highway robberies already. Got the feeling the Habs will live and die by the goaltending this year?

3rd period UPDATE - I should mention that at some point in the 2nd, Yann Danis took over. Some good saves, but not as sharp as Huet. Does Danis have any chance of being the #2 with the big club this year? David Puddy's magic 8-ball jacket says "doubtful."

HABS ON THE ICE!!! Live(-ish) Game Blogging 2 - The Kovy Thread

So far so good. Kovalev, Andrei Kostitsyn and Grabovski are playing together and are generating all sorts of chances, both 5 on 5 and on the PP. Kovalev actually seems to be working hard. And it's the preseason. Maybe he's turned the corner. Hahahahahahahahahaha, I kill me.

7:58 UPDATE - Kovalev just tried a ridiculous move and lost the puck and almost gave up a breakaway the other way, needing a D to bail him out (he gave up on the play when he lost the puck). That's better, Kovy.

8:47 UPDATE - Kovy makes a spectacular inside-out, dropped the pants of the D move, only to be robbed by Fleury. Live-blogging an enigma is hard work, and it's only game 1 of the pre-season.

9:39 UPDATE - This time the enigma helped produce an actual goal, with a beauty between the legs drop pass to Corey Locke (he's everywhere) who buries a nice shot and it's 2-1.

HABS ON THE ICE!!! Live(-ish) Game Blogging 1 - Prologue

So the Habs finally take to the ice tonight. AND it's on TV! (God I love this province). I figured I would throw some thoughts down in the form of 1's and 0's as the game wore on.

But first, a prologue. As I came home on the Métro (subway), there were many Habs fans going to the game. People had pennants, flags, and of course, jerseys. Amongst the Koivus, Ryders, Huets, etc., one guy was wearing a brand new Brisebois Habs jersey. I could tell it was new 'cause it had number 71, not 43.

No joke I could make would do that moment justice.