Quest for the Grail Continues: Habs 4, Panthers 0

Florida Panther Knight (FPK): None shall pass.

King Carey Price (TFS): What?

FPK: None shall pass!

TFS: I have no quarrel with you, good Florida Panther Knight. But I must cross this bridge and lead the Canadiens to the playoffs.

FPK: Then you shall die.

TFS: I command you, as Saviour of the Greatest Franchise in NHL History, to stand aside!

FPK: I move for no man.

TFS: So be it!

[Hal Gill goal.]

TFS: Now, stand aside, worthy adversary!

FPK: 'Tis but a scratch!

TFS: A scratch? Your arm's off! You've traded your top two defencemen!

FPK: No, I haven't! It was only Bryan McCabe and Dennis Wideman!

TFS: Well, what's that then? Bryan Allen?

FPK: I've had worse.

TFS: You liar!

FPK: Come on, you pansy!

[Andrei Kostitsyn absolutely blows one past Tomas Vokoun.]

TFS: Victory is mine!

[celebrates goal - cut off by FPK kicking him and attempting to crash crease]

FPK: Come on, then.

TFS: What?

FPK: Have at you!

TFS: You are indeed brave, Sir Florida Panther Knight, but the fight is mine!

FPK: Oh, had enough, eh?

TFS: Look, you stupid bastard. You've already pulled Tomas Vokoun and put in Scott Clemmensen! You've got no arms or offensive talent left after the trading deadline!  No one on that bench is scoring tonight!

FPK: Yes I have. We didn't trade Stephen Weiss.

TFS: Look!! Half the crowd are wearing Canadiens jerseys!!

FPK: It's just a flesh wound. [Panthers muster some offence.]

TFS: Look, stop that.

FPK: Chicken! Chicken!

TFS: Look, I'll have your leg. Right!

[David Desharnais scores Montreal's third.]

FPK: Right, I'll do you for that!

TFS: You'll what?

FPK: Come here!

TFS: What are you gonna do, bleed on me? Trade us Steve Bernier? Shoot from the red line?

FPK: I'm invincible!

TFS: You're a loony.

FPK: The Florida Panther Knight always triumphs! Have at you! Come on then.

[Lars Eller with a beautiful tip to make it 4-0.]

FPK: All right; we'll call it a draw.

[Pacioretty and Kostitsyn ring shots off the post.]

TFS: To Tampa, to seek the Grail!

FPK: Oh, oh, I see! Running away, eh? You yellow bastard! Come back here and take what's coming to you! I'll bite your legs off!

[Price stops a final flurry and earns his 7th shutout of the year.]

TFS: Triple low fives all around, Sir PK!

Panthers Game Preview and Open Thread: Slump-buster Edition

Three losses in a row = no excuse to post hot chicks. If women were as crass as men, Homer Simpson would be the poster child for female slump-busters.

Hey Habs fans, your favorite sports team, in a slump? There is a tried and tested two-step solution: First, pray to an imaginary deity. After realizing there is no god, go out and find a slump-buster. Then feel shame. Although not as much shame as Breezer.

Waiting in line details: 7pm EST/5pm MST in Florida - another away home game for Montreal. Game is on TSN in English! Yay Pierre MacGuire! Finally, an opportunity to ignore Homer Brunet.

Hot Habs: Does Breezer count? I mean, he didn't allow any turnovers from the pressbox last game. That's something. Actually Markov has 11 points in his last 9 games - but it's probably not a good thing that a defencemen is leading in scoring.

Fiery Cats: Up front, the underrated David Booth has 17 points in his last 13 games, while on the backend, ex-Fredericton Canadien Tomas Vokoun is starting to salvage a horrible start to the season with pretty numbers (1.88 /.933) in his last few starts.

Ice Cold Canadiens: Um, all of them. Duh. They suck, will miss the playoffs and we'll all be wearing Leafs jerseys in an few months, remember?

Pouting Panthers: Bryan McCabe is to this space what Breezer is to the trunk of my car: he just belongs there.

Why the Habs may win: to impress Jay Boumeester in an effort to lure him away. We're one defencemen away from the Cup! (Wait, what? I thought they were going to miss the playoffs?) Last time in Florida Mad Max notched a hat trick, so maybe he is to the Cats what John LeClair was to Montreal. Carey Price was supposedly pissed off after the Lightening loss, so maybe he steals one.

Why the Habs shall lose: Breezer is back in the lineup. Panthers are hot with 5 wins in their last 8. While it's nice to get the injured players back, it'll be a while before they hit their stride if the last game is any indication (yeah we're looking at you, Trade Bait Chris Higgins).

OK people, on the count of three we all pray to Jebus. One, two...