MTL vs PHI
Posted on May 4, 2008 12:21 AM | Permalink
MONTREAL – As disappointing as it must feel to the Montreal Canadiens to be forced into watching playoff hockey on television right now, just imagine how this feels not only to the players in the Philadelphia Flyers locker, but the entire organization.
An organization that lived through its darkest time last season, and one that never imagined it would be able to climb so high so fast as to find itself in the Eastern Conference final a year after finishing last overall.
“I don’t think anybody could have expected this,” said Flyers GM Paul Holmgren, who was the maestro of this symphony with a series of shrewd moves to shape the roster. “Our goal heading into training camp was to be playing meaningful games in March, which would have meant we would be in a little bit of a playoff hunt. With two or three games to go in the season it could have gone either way. You have to give the coaches and the players a lot of credit, they stuck together and got themselves in the playoffs.”
The bulk of the credit, however, should really go to Holmgren, who took a mess of a roster left behind by Bobby Clarke and quickly re-shaped it into an Eastern Conference finalist.
Just look up and down the roster, and Holmgren’s footprints are all over it.
The top defence pairing was brought in through Holmgren trades, the top forward line was all brought in by Holmgren since February of 2007. The team captain (Jason Smith) and the scorer of the overtime winner in Game 7 of the first round (Joffrey Lupul) were both, amazingly, brought in with a single Holmgren trade.
But the biggest piece to shine Saturday night at the Bell Centre was the quirky goalie who never got a shot in Buffalo, but is making the most of his first playoff opportunity in Philadelphia.
Habs eye brighter days ahead
Martin Biron is writing himself quite a chapter in his life, and if he can continue his hot play the Flyers might just make this magical ride continue right to a Stanley Cup final.
“He was spectacular,” said Flyers winger Scottie Upshall, yet another Holmgren find who scored the winning goal in Saturday’s Game 5 clincher. “He stole games for us in this series, but that’s what you need in the playoffs.”
Upshall can sense that there is something special happening with the Flyers right now, and he’s warning all comers that they shouldn’t be taken lightly.
“If you look at the teams that are left, we’re a team that’s getting it done,” he said. “We’ve had our ups and downs all year. With the mix of guys we’ve got, the leaders in the room are something special, the goaltending has been great and we’re finding ways to win. For other teams coming in, that’s kind of a scary combination.”
The scary thought for the Canadiens right now is dealing with the fact their season’s over. But in a few weeks from now, when the sting of losing has subsided somewhat, everyone in the organization will easily see that what lies ahead is more than promising.
Carey Price may in fact benefit more from what he went through in this series against Philadelphia than he would have in making a prolonged playoff run, because now he knows what this feels like.
Habs coach Guy Carbonneau was obviously not thrilled with his team’s fate, still feeling the Canadiens outplayed the Flyers in every game but the last one. But he still has the sense of perspective to see that what was accomplished this season exceeded everyone’s expectations.
“As a player, or even as a coach, you’re frustrated because you lost,” Carbonneau said. “You’re going home, you’re not going to play hockey tomorrow, and that’s frustrating. But I’m also a realist, and we’ve come a long way since September. I said in September that we had a team to make the playoffs, and you guys didn’t believe me. We’ll learn from it, but now we have to take that next step and not only be a team that can make the playoffs, but one that can have some success and be a contender.”
Comments
Thank you Club Hockey Canadiens for a great season and some exciting playoff games. It's a shame the NHL is allowing Canada's Holy Grail to go to blatantly inferior US teams for a fist full of dollars. Shame on Gary Bettman. The NHLOA schools better be full this summer because there are a lot of highly paid,visually impaired guys out there. Calling a holding penalty on a goalie...We'll see just how long the Flyers' thuggery will be allowed to go on south of the border.
Posted by: Grim Reaper Canada | May 4, 2008 09:33 AM
I cannot believe how much the refs and linesmen had to do in this loss to Montreal. They were Biased off their calls and just plainly not doing their jobs. I have never seen a year when the refs are so pitiful. and the linesmen I think they all have to go and get their contacts re adjusted. I am not only saying in the Montreal series, but all the series and the regular season. Never seen so much incompetency in all my life. Just hope next season the NHL will do something about Goalie interference, And the Cheap shot that the Flyers took at Kostopoulous Off the BENCH. I think that should be an automatic suspension. A player on the BENCH has no right to touch a player on the ice. It is interference plain and simple. And there wasn't even a penalty called ( what gives ).
And only thing I have to say, Philly you got your way, but I am afraid to point out to you that the third round you are going to get you backsides handed to you on a platter. Well that is if the Refs and Linesmen aren't in your back pockets once again.
To put it plainly I think that ther may have been a little too much money exchanging hands before and after the games for any series to be called legitimate. And maybe the NHL should check into it a little more. Because something is going on. And it is bringing the Game of Hockey to the black depths of Bad in professional sports.
Posted by: Tim | May 4, 2008 11:03 AM
Carbo thinks the Canadiens outplayed the Flyers in every game except last night?
There might be one of the Canadiens problems right there. This is a guy who still thinks Begin didn't commit a penalty after he drilled Kapanen after Kapanen had long dumped the puck in the Canadiens zone.
Carbo tries too hard to be a player's coach, and that appears to cloud his ability to see things objectively.
Posted by: yahmpy | May 4, 2008 11:16 AM
AMERICAN National Hockey League!
AMERICAN Stanley Cup!
AMERICAN Hockey Night in US of A!
Is there a "Canadian" team good enough to bring home the American Stanley Cup? Those faded glory days of Montreal and Oilers are now history. Those Candians teams might as well pack up and move to a US city. I wasted my time listening to and watching Canadians teams get wiped out in the first round. European soccer is more exciting!
Posted by: Jim Whitehorse | May 4, 2008 01:59 PM
I watched most of the first few rounds of the playoffs, and Philadelphia is definitely the cheapest team in the running. I am very disappointed by the poor refereeing in the Montreal/Philadelphia series. Particularly with non-calls on offsides, slashes to the forehead and grabbed sticks that resulted in goals. The only game that had somewhat decent policing on the ice was the first game which Montreal won and Richards' "goal" made me sick; he was just trying to grab the puck that was being shot at high velocity at the net? How is that not purposefully deflecting the shot past the goalie? Even though he reached directly in the path of the puck and made a deflection that would not be possible it still counted. I don't care what Don Cherry says, I hope the next series Philadelphia has the referees call every single penalty and offside that is available to them.
Posted by: Jeremy Williams | May 4, 2008 03:06 PM
Well habs, There is always next year to kick Phillies butt into early golfing season. Let's hope that you come back next year with the same amount of success! Way to go Guy Carbonneau, your canadians are the best.
Posted by: Skyler Summerside | May 5, 2008 07:57 AM
You can not blame the Canadians loss on the officiating...it was poor for both sides. The calls at the end of the first game were a joke. Montreal was lucky to win that game.
The Flyers came together as a team (worst to first)and will be hard to beat with the momentum they have built.
Hate to say it but its gonna be Detroit losing to Philadelphia in 7!
Posted by: John Gillespie Montreal | May 5, 2008 12:21 PM
Nothing to be ashamed of. Last year the Penguins lost to the Ottawa Senators and this year they're on their way to winning the Stanley Cup. The Montréal Canadiens have no Crosby or Malkin, so they know what to look for over the summer. The move to trade Huet wasn't a mistake because the Capitals were eliminated before the Habitants. Hossa is still up for grabs, and what about Sundin? He'd do a nice job alongside Saku and Kovy. As for comparing Carey Price to Roy and Dryden, that was started by the journalists themselves. Everyone gave their all (well, except for the officials...) and will do more next year. Congratulations Canadiens and thanks! The Jack Adams belongs to Guy Carbonneau. It's a Canadian game!!
Posted by: The Puck Stops Here Canada | May 5, 2008 05:22 PM
guess carbos dream season turned into a nightmare montreal is not going to win anything untill they draft more canadian players they should know their flakey players are not going to score in tough playoff games same old story every year we played great but we found another way to lose i dont think ill ever watch them again
Posted by: lloyd durnford nfld | May 5, 2008 08:16 PM
To all that commented negatively towards the Montreal Canadiens, phooey on you, they are a Canadian team, and give credit where credit is due, they didn't even make the playoffs last year, and no one expected then to make the playoffs this years other than maybe a handful of people. They are young have a great nucleus, and they have Carey Price who is the real deal!!!!!!!!!!! They will be a contender for at least the next decade and hopefully win a couple of cups. So for all you anti-Canadiens......"VIVA LES CANADIENS"
Posted by: Franco Windsor | May 28, 2008 07:42 AM