Jan 9, 2020

We stand on guard for thee Habs

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79 comments:

  1. May all lives lost in the #752 airline crash/attack rest in peace.

    We lost 3 people from our university.

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    1. the Maritimer4:25 PM

      R.I.P.

      Very tragic. Brinkmanship always demands a high price. I don't think people will ever learn.

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    2. The University of Ottawa will hold a memorial ceremony Friday, January 10 to honour three of our students who died in the tragic crash of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752 in Tehran this week.

      The University confirms that the following students were among the victims of Flight PS752:

      Mehraban Badiei Ardestani, an undergraduate student enrolled in the Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences at the Faculty of Health Sciences

      Alma Oladi, a graduate student at the Faculty of Science who was completing a PhD in mathematics

      Saeed Kadkhodazadeh Kashani, a graduate student at the Faculty of Science who was completing a PhD in chemistry

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    3. Sick Sick world. There is no way in a sensible world these great people would be dead.

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    4. Very sorry for your losses moe. This world too often makes no sense.

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  2. That favorite hockey team question is skwed. I did not watch the Titanic Movie for a least a decade after its release because I knew how the story ended. Its hard to watch hockey now because we have not even hit an iceberg and we are already sinking.

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  3. DANO keeps the season alive

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  4. the Maritimer10:36 PM

    The biggest question, in my mind, do Price and Weber want to be part of this 'rebuild'? Or, do they approach their asshat gm and say we want out.

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    1. Couple of tough losses in a row for the Canucks might just make that swap for Markstrom+ a possibility. I would be happy to see Carey win a cup with Vancouver, I lived in BC for almost 7 years, about 4 hours north of Carey's home. Drove through Anaheim Lake once - quite the little hole in the wall community at the time. Carey would have been 4, I wonder if he was one of the kids I saw playing street hockey?

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    2. Wait, it was '90 not '91. He was only 3. Definitely not likely him. I'll ask if I ever bump into him.

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    3. and no@! never wanna see carey win a cup with these local bc hipsters! nonononono! if its not with us, then sorry, no, ever! last thing i wanna see is #33 win with the nordiques again....

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  5. Hey at least its not cold outside. 6° today.

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    1. I guess your cold front has moved east. It was -12° this morning, but already up to -4. Supposed to be +12° and rain tomorrow. Then cold and freezing rain on Sunday.
      Should be a nice mess by Monday morning.

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  6. the Maritimer8:42 AM

    I can't believe julien hasn't been fired. Two (2) eight game losing streaks within a two month stretch should get it done. Gainey fired Carbo for less. Tomorrow night's defeat should do it.

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    1. Thinking the same thing. Lose to Ottawa, who will be playing 2nd game of a back to back. If CJ isn't fired after that, then he's never getting canned.

      That said, if they do lose, CJ is replaced by DC, Price is injured forcing Primeau into #1 duties and they win the next 2 games, they will have the exact same 47 points after 48 games that the Blues had before they went on their 11 game win streak with their new coach (though he started in Nov or Dec) and AHL goalie turned star! Just need a catchy win song that rivals the Blues' Gloria and a young superfan like Laila and they have all the ingredients the Blues had last year.

      *I don't wish injury on Price, but that's the only way he is removed as #1 as I can't see him being traded.

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    2. the Maritimer1:04 PM

      @Saint Paddy, I like your way of thinking. I too think it's time for Carey to move on. I posted earlier, time to hand the reins to Lindgren or Primeau and live with the consequences. Price's time in Montreal is done, his confidence is shot, time to move on. I agree with Chester, keep Weber, he is still damn good.

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    3. wow. great stat st.p! ide love for all of that to happen! history repeats and why not do it exactly like u said!

      oh... and trade weber. i love how he has elevated his offensive game this yr, but he is offensively slow with his first step and too easy to beat for the faster guys in this league

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  7. Chester9:51 AM

    I see Price being traded.
    If we are going with the younglings then we have two up and comers in the minors.
    We can't trade BBQ you can't get another captain like him.
    I see going all in with the kids... or
    We go nuts at trade deadline.
    scoop what we can and hope we reincarnate the Blues 2020 style.
    Dunno, I'm clearly confused.
    Go Habs

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  8. Weirder things have happened but methinks the playoffs are a write-off.

    It'll be sad to see a few faves go but upgraded picks and some prospects are the likely way to go.

    End of season will beckon to send a few rookies to Laval should their playoffs be imminent or a done deal.

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    1. In his tenure, has MB ever been a true seller? Even when they finished 4th from the bottom in 2018 his big selloff was Plekanec to the Leafs for a 2nd. There are certainly more movable pieces now, especially considering the youth movement and their potential at least.

      I can't imagine Price being moved and I wonder how his numbers affect his trade value?
      He has started more games and played more minutes than all goalies (this was supposed to be addressed this year. This is a management/coaching issue).

      Of the 14 goalies with 30 or more starts, 2 have lower save percentages than his .901 and 2 lower than his GAA of 3.01, while his numbers are nearly exact to Braden Holtby's (.901/2.99 GAA). The Capitals are leading the league. More than anything this tells me that the Habs' loss of the offensive weapons and inability to finish is a much large problem than what is going on between Carey Price's ears.

      So goalie numbers don't give you everything you need to know about a player/team. I think mostly any GM would look at Carey's current season and be OK with the numbers when looked at compared to a Holtby. Do they have the offence like the Caps to create that overall system that can overcome numbers that are sometimes average, but in the right system can be tops in the league. Tis a gamble a team with the space available might make, but I don't see it being an in-season move.

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    2. Not sure what to think about TFS. He seems lost on and off the ice. Wake the fuck up Waite !

      Moving forward and if traded, I say ⅓ of the salary needs to be eaten. Maybe Seattle will entice him, if he wants to go.

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    3. I don't think he wants to go. Just wants this team to grow a pair.

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    4. hahahahah! excellent take SiM!

      but also another great point of observation by St.P! i didnt think to look at the numbers that way, but everything u said about carey would be true. kinda like how grant fuhr was the best goalkeeper at one point in time eh?

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  9. Wow, R.I.P. Neil Peart

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    1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNlJBeTNwvI

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    2. I was never a Rush fan, but I appreciated what they did was world class RIOP

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    3. I am with Steve. As a boy, Tom Sawyer was one song I couldn't get enough of (helped wean me off of KISS). Pals of mine in the band The Atomic Folk did a wicked cover of that in the 90s.

      And Neil's lyrics were often kick-ass thoughtful, incisive, and intelligent. He could drum the shit out of almost anyone too. RIP

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  10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha9ccf4YfzU

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  11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=47yxLg2RyXM

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  12. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttZIyNf6TS8

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  13. Waht we need is a positive vibration. Will it be 12 volt or as some of the longer term devices use 24.
    We stay under 10 in draft picks and the hockey gods move us to 1. Hockey is a religion in Quebec, what does it say on the licence plate. Gordon Freeman is already under our control.

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  14. So the Sens are on a six-game losing streak and playing tonight against a rested Habs team with at least one guy (the new defenceman) who is looking to kick his former team's ass in front of a Saturday night HNIC. I suspect an ass-kicking by our boys, with or without Lip (who FFS should NOT have been allowed to play the other night, given he's got headaches!) Bad on this team for not respecting the health of their key players with regards to the concussion protocol.

    So the playoffs are quite unlikely, but Nature and Cale-i-Flower and KidKoho and Meat are poised to come out flying.

    I expect a big game for Dish for some reason I cannot tell you all.

    JFW!

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  15. the Maritimer1:12 PM

    Battle of the doormats tonight. Sorry, I can't get excited.

    Hasn't anyone noticed in the 8 years he's been on the job, marc bergevin has not improved this team one iota? They were a shambles when he was hired and still are, despite all the supposed trades he's won and potential superstars he's drafted. Am I missing something here? Very puzzling.

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    1. The concept of publicly pitting Vodkov against CHé a couple off-seasons ago backfired on him so badly. At that same moment, his "you want loyalty, get a dog" comment was akin to Jacques Parizeau's famous "money and ethnic votes" statement. It was the shot heard round the NHLPA world, and it especially put a damper on the concept of playing for Montreal among UFA's.

      So yeah, although he's done exceptional work since then on rebuilding and making some very good trades, the man has this black mark that makes him leave $10 million of cap space on the table each year since. That's money that the owner would happily part with, and it could make the difference between a team that is on the bubble and competitive for the playoffs when healthy, and one that is deep enough to be able to live with a few of those inevitable injuries.

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    2. I think Geoff believes in dgmb's 'reset'.

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    3. you can only suck and blow for so long. Either we are building a cup winner around TFS and BBQ in that case trade all the potential for now, or we trade the old for new. Right now we are dong both.

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    4. the Maritimer5:26 PM

      @SiM, good point about bergevin's screw up regarding Vodkov and CHe. Those two were integral parts of a 'veteran core' that either julien didn't like or bergevin didn't want to pay. Those two 'may' have been enough to get Montreal into the playoffs last year. It seems bergevin wanted to exercise his power and show those two was in charge. He won but the fans lost.

      I am questioning his work on the trade front. Yes, he got good value for Pacioretty but, Max is having a great year on a winning team heading for the playoffs 3 years running as an expansion team. Meanwhile, Tatar and Suzuki while putting up good numbers are on a struggling team going nowhere. The 3rd round pick is still learning his trade in Sweden. Max Domi another decent player is trying his best but you can see his frustration playing on another losing team, whereas Arizona is now looking much better after a few moves (phat phil). I will concede the Weber for PK was the right move in the long run.

      All the supposed young stars acquired in the Draft have yet to prove they will be elite players that will make the Habs future contenders. I know the beat writers who follow the team are preaching patience and trying to paint a rosy future but that's been going on for 5 years now with no visible results that I can see. All I see is a team that suddenly can't score, again, or defend a lead worth a damn. A goaltender that has lost his confidence with no reliable backup. A coach who puts 4th line scrubs on the 1st wave PP or out in the last 5 minutes of a game trying to get a tying goal. Honestly it's all smoke and mirrors from a general manager who sold Geoff Molson and Serge Savard a resume that was short on hockey acumen and long on bullshit and the most important qualification, he was fluently bilingual. Molson may believe in his so-called 'plan' but I am not buying it anymore.

      I submit the Montreal Canadiens are a long, long time from being a true contender, if ever.

      Sorry for the negativity but like I have already said, here it is early in the new year and once again all Habs fans have to look forward to is another amateur draft and another throw at the dart board. And if you examine their drafting record in the first round it's not a pretty picture.

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    5. we dont know about the last couple of years, draft looks good but before that all we got to show is a Pole Dancer who is not doing any lap dances.

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  16. Chimichurri Beef Stew with a nice Tempranillo.

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  17. the Maritimer5:33 PM

    We had quite a mishmash for dinner tonight, leftover chili, hash browns, baked salmon and sausage.

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    1. Are you youngsters also mishmashing the scotch, whiskey, bourbon, rum ?

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    2. the Maritimer8:32 PM

      Nope, Laphroaig single malt only!! :-)

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    3. Grilled cheese and bacon. Gin & tonic....

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  18. Pecker and Kissin playing with KidKo, Crosby could not make those guys NHL players.

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  19. Nature rips one, we should draft a Honda and a Kawasaki

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  20. I don’t see Clod being fired, too many injuries, he’s not in charge of the manpower and the depth. He can only do so much with this current squad. It is a reset remember, nobody promised us a rose garden. Teething problems and baby steps.

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  21. St.P @3:09
    SiM @1:38
    steve @ 4:09
    Maritimer @ 5:26

    wow.... u guys are on fire. i really wish mr molson would read/be aware of what guys like us are thinking. for me, it really puts things into perspective how thin the difference is between being 'in' and being on the 'outs'. as such, i think it the GM's job to prepare for emergencies and the coach's job to adjust/improvise when things actually hit the fan. what i dont like is the fan is so covered in it now, it doesnt even spin anymore!

    before this game began, things i was afraid of...
    1. a no-name goaltender looking like a hart candidate again!
    2. duclair, chabot, duchesne or any other francophone saying hi
    3. reiley.

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  22. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    HOW THE FXXXXXXXXXXXXX DO U MISS THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I GONNA BUY A GUN AND BLOW MY BRAINS OUT! FML..... ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH!

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    1. dont forget to get the whiskey and put on bottom of the world on your turntable:)

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  23. ok... sorry guys. ill just pick up my puke and swallow it. no gun.

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  24. where back, we only have to win 30 of the next forty games and we are in.Nice goal by t17

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  25. So KovlCHuk (t17 I see) finally rips one to win in OT and stop the team's bleeding out. Ugly 2 points and outplayed by the team with the worse record on the tail-end of a back-to-back, but we'll take it. How many times during the past eight games did they lose despite owning the play? Most.

    They sure looked like a happy bunch after that (no one more than Peca probably), storming out onto the ice and all. I just hope t17 keeps playing this hungry. Here is how thin the line-up was last night:

    Lip (Alt Cap)
    LB (Alt Cap)
    Druid (top-paid forward)
    GI Finn
    CHariot of Eggs (a top-four D)

    The injured account for 42 of the team's 141 total goals scored. The team MB iced killed all four penalties and TFS was his old self, looking unbeatable and confident.

    First wins for t17 and Scandella as Habs too. CJv2 and Bergy save their jobs for another day.

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    1. Did I mention how KidKoho and Nature both looked great, but had no one to pot the goals they set up? CHip tried real hard. Cousins too. But Steak and Domini were sort of off, and the Ottawa goalie Hogberg was solid, especially in the first.

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    2. I reiterate, its hard to fly when your wings are turkeys.
      https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2020/1/12/21061944/micro-analysis-jesperi-kotkaniemi-is-finding-it-hard-to-shine-with-lesser-lights-suzuki-power-play

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    3. We should call Kidkoho's line the Porn Line, because he plays with more stiffs than a porn star.

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  26. the Maritimer10:42 AM

    Friday night Mrs. TheM and myself went to see a BeeGees tribute band out of Vegas currently touring the Maritimes. It was good, I'm not a big Beegees fan but was entertained and the lead singer could sing as high as Barry Gibb, who I believe is the only Gibb brother still alive. Anyway, they had videos playing in the background and of course a lot of it was from Saturday Night Fever. Last night I found that movie on Amazon Prime in HD no less. We watched it and, well, I hadn't seen that film since it came out in 1977, 43 years ago... wow, talk about some cheesy acting but it was fun to see the disco era again. LOL, the clothes they wore back then, wide lapel shirts, leisure suits, high heel shoes, crazy!!

    I didn't watch the Turds and mb's team but saw t17's goal this morning, I'm indifferent at the moment. I did watch (this a.m.) the Flames/Oilers late game and again, wow, what a difference watching those two solid squads play a hard nosed playoff type match. Montreal has a lot of ground to make up. They need a) talented players and b) two goalies to win or go deep in the playoffs. If they can ever get in again.

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    1. I distested disco in the day, I liked the pre disco Gibbs. Now the worst of disco sounds like the beatles.

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  27. We lack Lip still. But CHariot of Eggs returns. I see the Flames are disgustingly healthy meanwhile. I just hope BBQ is able to put a good hurt on TKasuck at some point, before the fucker puts another of our forwards into commotion of the head protocol. A tough night at the rink for our boys I reckon. Not sure if I can bear to watch, but GYFHG regardless. --SiM

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    1. You'll note I am wondering what morons make up the NHL ruling class that Kassian gets suspended while Tkasuck gets zip after charging AND targeting the head... TWICE no less! --SiM

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    2. Collie Campbell is a piece of shit.

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  28. Sad news out of Toronto with ORReilly out for 8 weeks, the talk shows are very busy wringing their hands and trying to solve the leafs' problems.

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  29. Cheese, lots of cheese pizza !

    G Y F H G !

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  30. We are going to be a pummel horse tonite. Remember it well, make mistake and your nuts get crushed. What the fuking point of anything is gymnastics for high school students. Why not teach us karate instead?

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  31. Lucic smacked like a willow by Kale-i-Flower power. Nice! JFW

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  32. EAP!!! Finally! GYFHG!!!

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  33. Nice shutout win, gritty all around!

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  34. the Maritimer9:34 PM

    Wow. Who woulda thunk it.

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  35. but then again, i thought:
    - blowing that 2-0 lead vs EDM (n8 blowing his first open net of the wk)
    - blowing that 2-0 lead vs DET
    - blowing that 2-1 lead vs PGH (lekho blowing his hat trick opportunity)
    - blowing that 3-2 lead vs FLA
    - blowing that 2-0 lead vs TB
    - losing that other time to DET
    - blowing that 1-0 lead vs BST
    - losing that time vs NJ
    - getting blasted 1-8 by BST
    - blowing a 4-0 lead vs NYR
    - oh and that other time vs DET
    was rock bottom...

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  36. Eerie similarities between PFK and Prince Harry.

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  37. While the playoffs are nigh on impossible, gotta keep CHeering on the boys for a solid effort like the past games. They might have only won the last 2, but have been in most of the games during this latest streak. The problem more and more looks like the lack of snipers on the team, and that would include those on the injured list right now. I like Kovalchuk but he's a sniper with a lazy eye, he'll still hit his target now and then, but you can't rely on that eye to always be alert and ready. I generally like this core but we're still missing that star power up front that can help finish teams off. Beginning of the season, I was sure the big problem was the D. MB brought in Scandal, Meat is healthy and that core is looking pretty good. Did you see Fleury take out Pretzel last night! Fucking awesome!
    So yeah, now it's that finisher we're lacking. It's not a deadline deal to be made but an offseason acquisition needs to be somebody with hands. Goal Caufield isn't ready. Taylor Hall is probably the highest rated FA going into the summer. He's not put up big goal numbers aside from his MVP season.
    I think the best chance at getting a goal scorer lies with that number 1 pick. Be interesting to see where the lottery gods land the Habs and which devil they would need to deal with in order to get him...and what the cost would be.

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  38. Speaking of next year, I think it would also not be a terrible idea to sign T17 to a one year deal. It would be good to have a Russian mentor/translator on the team for Romanov's first season. Or hire Vodkov to coach the defense. :/

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    1. T17 is bought low sell high, might even get a second for him

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  39. I have the animated gifs of Fleury hitting Lucic and Marchand's shootout 'attempt' looping in the corner of my computer screen. It's making for a very enjoyable day when the workload is a bit repetitive and mind numbing.

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    1. the Maritimer3:18 PM

      The ratface fuck up is very enjoyable.

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    2. I am surprised he did not Kill CHip.

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  40. http://fourhockeyfans.blogspot.com/2020/01/habs-v-blackhawks-20-20-7-game-48.html#comment-form

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