How I Spent My Week Off (In Bed)

Friday March 7 8:15 PM

It's Picard's fault. Two weeks ago we had a grand time at Hotel Nelligan celebrating The Team 990's 2nd Sports Personality Of The Year luncheon. Robin Burns told dirty Irish jokes. Donald K Donald told a dirty Bo Diddley story. Shayne Murphy played dirty guitar. And Bob Gainey dropped an F bomb on live radio. And then we partied.

I'm still not sure what happened between the time I headed home for a quick nap and the following Monday but I do know that Picard lost his voice. Rod Francis lost his dinner. Scott Saxon lost his way (again). Connor McKenna lost his good sense. And Marco Polo almost lost his license.

I should have insisted that Francis stay away form the office because when he finally returned mid-week he sounded like Dave Manson. Looked like Marilyn Manson. And bled from the nose like Charles Manson (I have no idea what the connection is but it sounds right). Three days later I felt like I had been hit by a train. No way was I going to miss back to back concerts by Steve Earle and Bruce Springsteen. So into my box of medicine I checked and out came these huge music notes with words from "Stuck Inside of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again"

Now the rainman gave me two cures,

Then he said, "Jump right in."

The one was Texas medicine,

The other was just railroad gin.

An' like a fool I mixed them

An' it strangled up my mind,

An' now people just get uglier

An' I have no sense of time.

Back to the stage in just a few minutes...

What I had planned to say before I was knocked off my feet was that Bob Gainey was doing a terrific job as GM of the Habs. Even before he questioned which language Noel Butler spoke. 

Not to re-hash trade deadline day but you could see the Huet trade coming from a season away. No way Gainey was about to lock up seven figures for a back up. Au revoir Cristobal et merci. Where exactly is the playoff experience that Gainey's detractors keep poitning to? Six games for Huet, with four losses. Carey Price meantime...ah, you know his story by now.

Heres what you really need to know about Gainey and the Habs:

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0000452003.html

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/leagues/seasons/teams/0007912003.html

That's the roster of the Canadiens and Hamilton Bulldogs when Gainey began work in Montreal in May of 2003. Now check out the draft, in the seasons just prior to Gainey's arrival and-just as important-when Trevor Timmins replaced Pierre Dorion as chief scout:

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/draft/teams/dr000045.html

Gainey also hired Guy Carbonneau. And-vital for a team that had to re-build-hired Doug Jarvis then Don Lever and Ron Wilson to coach in Hamilton.

Now anybody who looks back four seasons (five years including the lockout) and doesn't see significant progress is simply not paying attention. Or choosing to ignore the obvious.

What's even scarier for opponents is that in addition to being about "a year ahead of the curve" (according to Carbonneau) is that Gainey has positioned himself to strike dramatically in the off season. For example, if I'm the Florida Panthers and looking to trade Olli Jokinen (actually I would keep Jokinen and fire Jacques Martin), is there a better group of cheap, talented players than the ones held by Gainey? NHL ready, almost NHL ready and just drafted?

If patience is a virtue than Canadiens fans have themselves a virtuoso. So what if he didn't get Marian Hossa.

Now back to the show.........

Steve Earle and Allison Moorer played (almost) solo acoustic at Theatre Outremont last Saturday night. I love the place. I'm certain Earle does too after the old palace lost complete power about one third of the way through his set. After telling fans to settle down, Earle correctly pointed out that most old theatres have great acoustics, so he stepped to the front of the stage with no light or microphone and sang and strummedd two long beautiful songs including "Goodbye" which earned him a standing ovation. 10 minutes of a true troubadour.

Then came the power and the beats, courtesy of DJ Neil MacDonald which went over a lot better than I thought it would. It gave Earle the opportunity to play almost his entire new album-Washington Square Serenade-without a band.

Other highlights included Moorer's own set of female covers from her gorgeous new album "Mockingbird"...Earle shaking his head after his newest wife left the stage muttering "I am seriously over-married"....and dedicating a song he hasn't played in years "Little Rock 'N Roller" to his now 26 year old son Justin Townes Earle (also a recording artist) and his recently deceased dad. Yes Copperhead Road sent everybody home happy. Except one or two heard muttering about the fact that there was no band.

http://www.allisonmoorer.com/

www.myspace.com/allisonmoorer

http://www.steveearle.com/

www.myspace.com/justinearle

Sunday morning and I felt like I had been hammered all over my body as I slept. But Springsteen and the E Street band were back in town. And I had an early date with Little Steven.

Bada-Bing!

Michel F*&@ING Beaudry & Dan F#$%ING Burton

Friday February 15 8 PM

What a ridiculous week.

Ryan O'Byrne and Tom Kostopolous are arrested at a bar in Tampa. Nobody in Montreal really knows what happened. Yet we're supposed to believe they "sullied" the good name and reputation of the Montreal Canadiens and their fans. (Fake outrage & humiliation before proceeding.)

I love Chris Chelios. I'd rank him alongside Larry Robinson on my all- time Habs team. But he may have done more "damage" in a single hour circa 1987 than O'Byrne & Kostopolous could have possibly done in eight hours or so at and following the rookie dinner. Ditto for Shayne Corson. Mike Keane. Brian Skrudland. Guy Lafleur. John Ferguson. Want to hear that some of the best players of any given era were squeaky clean? Go read a fairy tale. The over-the-top reaction to the story will, in the end, likely far surpass the actual events of the night in question.

I have no clue what O'Byrne was thinking. Wait, scratch that. I'm a guy. I have some idea. What I'm more certain of is that Kostopolous, without getting physical with anybody, got himself arrested to make sure rookie O'Byrne didn't spend the night in jail by himself.

Kostopolous already made a name for himself-for all the wrong reasons-very early in the season when he had the audacity to cough up the puck in his own end which led directly to a Senators goal and victory in Ottawa. Reaction? You would have thought that he had impregnated Mitsou with the anti-Christ.

Slowly, Canadiens' fans have come to, if not fully appreciate the guy, understand why he's on the team. Hard work. Tireless. Selfless. Stands up for his team and teammates. Harder along the boards than Mike Johnson. Very limited ability but appreciated by the people who matter most.

So when Michel Beaudry decided to childlishy make fun of the winger on 110% he thought he was merely playing to the crowd. But the more sophisticated fan saw it for what it really was. Not necessarily a racist comment (loved that Friday on air apology to PJ Stock when Beaudry claimed he couldn't be racist because he "lives in (racially mixed) Brossard". Yes, but does he live next door to a non-white resident? Yeesh.) but a direct hit on an English guy who was playing at the expense of a French player (Steve Begin). Let's be honest about this. No way does Beaudry-or anybody on that panel-criticize a French player by poking fun at his name. No way. And if you believe otherwise you likely also believe Roger Clemens' denials of steroid use.

http://www.tqs.ca/videos/110/2008/02/debat-110----partie-2-24460.php

TQS is at least as much at fault as Beaudry. They hired him for a reason. 12 different guys yelling at each other was not enough. So they decided to hire somebody else who's NHL-knowledge expiration date coincided with the ousting of the Rejean Houle regime.

Beadry is to TQS what Rush Limbaugh was to NFL Today.

We received an enormous amount of e-mails as a result of what Beaudry said. Many from the Greek community. But an equal number came from French Montrealers who were also embarassed. Unfortunatley we also got a few from those who will always try to exploit a situation like this to try to paint all French citizens with the same xenophobic brush. Not fair.

Michel Beaudry is not a French Asshole. He's just an asshole.

.......................................................................................................................

Now that the Leafs have hit the rock bottom of the Eastern Confrence standings here's a mini "I told you so" from an early October post:

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

NHL East; Who's The Boss?
Tuesday October 2 10:22 PM (Bucky "Effin" Dent Day-no longer nearly as painful)Listening to "Magic" by Springsteen while wondering what Habs marketing genius Ray Lalonde has planned after placing billboards all over town of Maxim Lapierre, the 22 year old checking centerman who has a total of 47 games of NHL experience. Oops, now playing at an arena in Hamilton. What's next-television commercials featuring the key to the Habs blueline-Jean-Phillipe Cote?

Ok, here we go...drumroll please....how the NHL's Eastern Conference will wind up:
1. Ottawa: Spezza, Alfredsson & Heatley...who can possibly defeat me? (How about that 8th place team)
2. Pittsburgh: Crosby wins everything, including the Cup, then asks for trade to Montreal
3. Carolina: Back to top of Southeast but an early spring exit
4. NY Rangers: Sean Avery hosts season finale of SNL
5. Philadelphia: Paul Holmgren, Executive of the Year (By 2009 he'll look like an idiot)
6. Buffalo: Still stacked with talent; Tim Connelly is comeback player of the year
7. New Jersey: Brent Sutter takes them to the top...once they're in Newark
8. Montreal: Stop laughing; Carey Price makes the difference; all bets are off it's Huet
9. Florida: Olli Jokinen still looking for a playoff game
10.Washington: Olie Kolzig runs out of gas
11.Atlanta: Kovalchuk demands a trade by Christmas
12.NY Islanders: Di Pietro wins a Cup in 8th year of his contract
13.Tampa Bay: Tortorella finally fired; Feaster too
14. Boston:Next team for Claude Julien, the Leafs...
15. Toronto: Dysfunctional goofs would rather have John Ferguson Jr. than Scotty Bowman

Not bad, huh?

In addition to finding somebody to play alongside Saku Koivu & Chris Higgins Habs GM Bob Gainey has to be looking for some useful muscle. If not, by season's end Alex Kovalev will go from looking "sexy-ugly" (courtesy Andie Bennett) to just plain scary-ugly. Can former Hab Scott Thornton (LA Kings) still play?

Want to know more about the guy who made the biggest fool of himself this week on Capitol Hill in Washington? No, silly, not Roger Clemens. Indiana congressman Dan Burton, who seemed pained that Brian McNamee had previously lied to reporters and others about steroid use by Clemens and others he worked for.

"This is disgusting!", huffed Burton while questioning McNamee. "All lies!...the only thing I believe at this point is that I don't believe you!"

Here's the skinny on Mr. Burton, courtesy of Wikepedia:

Drug Warrior
In 1990, Burton introduced legislation that would require the death penalty for drug dealers. "We must educate our children about the dangers of drugs," Burton said, "and impose tough new penalties on dealers." In 1994, son Dan Burton, Jr. (Danny) was arrested while transporting nearly eight pounds of marijuana from Louisiana to Indiana. Just five months later, while awaiting trial in that case, police raided his Indianapolis apartment and Danny was arrested again for growing thirty marijuana plants. Police also found a shotgun in the apartment. Under federal law, Danny faced a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison just for the gun, plus up to three years in prison under state law for all the marijuana. Federal charges were never filed, and Indiana prosecutors got his charges dismissed. In Louisiana, he wound up receiving a mild sanction: a term of community service, probation and house arrest.[15][16]

[edit] Golf junkets
In 1997, Burton played in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am with the AT&T's chairman. At the time, Burton headed the congressional committee overseeing the award of a federal telecommunications contract. AT&T hosted a fundraiser for Burton at the tournament.[17]
In 2004, the Guam government and tourism industry paid for Burton and two aides to fly to the Pacific Island in December. In addition to some official events including touring a military facility, Burton played in a charity golf tournament. After he returned, Burton tried to help Guam's tourism industry get a sought-after change in visa rules.[17]
In 2005, Burton accepted a trip to Taiwan paid for by the ROC-USA Business Council. The junket cost $15,520.[18]
Burton missed the beginning of the 2007 legislative session, choosing instead to play golf in California[19]. Upon his return, a measure banning lawmakers from accepting gifts and free trips from lobbyists and discounted trips on private planes was put before Congress. The measure passed 430-1, with Burton the sole vote against the measure.[20]

[edit] Missed votes
In February 2007, a review of House votes by the Indianapolis Star for the past decade showed that Burton had been absent every year votes coincided with the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic. Burton ranked last in voting among Indiana lawmakers in 2006, casting ballots in 89% of the 541 recorded votes.[17]

[edit] "... off the coast of Bolivia"
On March 29, 1995, during congressional hearings on the US War on Drugs, Burton proclaimed that the US military should place an aircraft carrier off the coast of Bolivia and crop dust the coca fields. It was later pointed out to him that a) Bolivia is landlocked and has no coast (Burton was chairman of the Western Hemisphere Subcommittee); b) the Bolivian coca fields (in the yungas and Amazon lowlands) are beyond the reach of any carrier-borne crop-duster, being separated from the nearest coastline (the Pacific coast of Peru and Chile) by the 20,000+ feet high peaks of the Andes; and c) F-18s cannot crop-dust. While criticism of this mis-statement was muted in Washington, it sparked a major anti-American backlash in Bolivia, derailing the same War on Drugs that Burton purported to be speaking for. [21] [22]

[edit] Investigation of Democratic Party fund-raising
Main article:House Government Reform and Oversight Committee investigation of alleged campaign finance abuse
In 1997, Burton headed an investigation into possible Democratic Party campaign finance abuse, focusing on the 1996 Presidential election. The committee investigation ran for several years and issued over 1,000 subpoenas of Clinton administration officials and cost over $7 million.[23]. The committee, and Burton's leadership, were labeled a "farce"[24], a "travesty"[25], a "parody"[25], and "its own cartoon, a joke, and a deserved embarrassment".[26]
In March 1997, as the investigation began, Burton was accused of demanding a $5,000 contribution from a Pakistani lobbyist. The lobbyist said that when he was unable to raise the funds, Burton complained to the Pakistani ambassador and threatened to make sure "none of his friends or colleagues" would meet with the lobbyist or his associates.[27]
In May 1998, Burton apologized for releasing edited transcripts of prison audiotapes of Webster Hubbell, a former associate of President Bill Clinton. The edited transcripts omitted substantial information and differed significantly from the original recordings. Burton was harshly criticized by members of his own party, including Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who called the investigation a "circus", and chided Burton for initially refusing to admit any error.[28].
David Bossie, the staff member who arranged the editing and release of the tapes, resigned on Burton's request. Noting that Burton had personally released the tapes and had supported Bossie's plans over the objections of other committee staffers and attorneys, Democrats urged Burton to step down as well. Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt said, "A committee staff member should not be made the scapegoat for Chairman Burton's mistakes, missteps, and misdeeds."[28] Burton said, "I take responsibility for those mistakes," but never resigned nor faced any consequences for his actions[28].
In President Clinton's final year in office, Burton was mentioned in a short film for the White House Correspondent's Dinner. President Clinton: Final Days, which depicted Clinton as a lonely man closing down a nearly-deserted White House. Clinton is shown hitting golf balls from the South Lawn, and gets excited when he hits a car parked in a spot near the U.S. Capitol that says "Reserved for Chairman Burton."

Insert laugh track here.

Until next week..in the meantime check out Dawn Tyler-Watson & Paul Deslauriers at
http://www.dawnandpaul.com/
They were tremendous in studio on Friday.

Oops

Monday February 4, 12:15 PM

Ok, I got it wrong. And my numbers were slightly skewered. In the words of the immortal Dick Pound, "So sue me".

More later....

19-0

Friday February 1, 9 PM

"Predictions are for Gypsies" - Toe Blake

Always thought I had gypsy blood so here goes...The Patriots can't be stopped. It's almost as if it's all been pre-destined. I've had this feeling a few times in my life. The 1971 Canadiens, once Ken Dryden showed up. The 1993 Habs (once they beat Quebec).The 1994 Rangers breaking a 50 year drought to win the Stanley Cup. Ray Bourque running out of time as Colorado won the Cup. John Elway winning a Super Bowl. Peyton Manning a year ago.The '81 Expos....oh, never mind.

How can a team go 18-0 and lose the Big One? No, silly, not easy. Tom Brady steps on a white rose petal meant for Giselle and breaks his ankle. Or Michael Strahan busts on through to the other side and does to Brady's leg what Lawrence Taylor once did to Joe Theismann (I still can't watch):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPBy21OD4rA

I know the Giants haven't lost on the road since Rudy Guliani was the Republican front-runner but this is the Patriots they're playing. It's not happening. Eli Manning goes 17-33 for 175 yards with one td & one intercption. Brady does a lot more. Pats win 33-17. (Hmm...just noticed this 17-33 pattern. Add 'em all up and it equals 14-two conversted touchdowns. See!(ever notice those numbers they put up on the RDS telecast after each period. Some of them are meaningful. But then there are the bafflers, like on Thursday night; Victor Kozlov has 24 points in 37 career games against the Canadiens. So?).

Most amusing story of Super Bowl week is Pennsylvannia Senator Arlen Spector complaining about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall destroying Bill Belichick's stash from "spy-gate". The same Arlen Spector who came up with the cockamamie single bullet theory to help prove that Lee Harvey Oswald assasinated John F Kennedy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Fl9ZVJ7B8

So I'm back...to the velvet underground Back to the floor....that I love To a room with some lace and paper flowers Back to the gypsy...that I was...to the gypsy...that I was...

Warning! Music ONLY!

Monday January 21 7:45 PM

I miss Jeff Blair. The former Gazette baseball writer (think about this: The Gazette once had Blair and Michael Farber in the sports section at the same time) has moved on to become one of the best baseball columnists in North America. He's still only a phone call or e-mail away but I miss hanging with him. Always an adventure. Always a lot of laughs. Almost always aided by alcohol. And once in awhile I'd actually learn something. Like the time we were chilling at Toronto's famed Horseshoe Tavern in the late 90's and he mentioned a group called the Drive By Truckers. I had never heard of them but I loved the name. Filed away for future reference.

About two years later I finally found one of their cd's called Southern Rock Opera, dedicated to Lynyrd Skynyrd. I was hooked. Country. Rock. Country-Rock. Swamp. Blues. Soul. Sung by four different and distinct vocalists and songwriters. Bloodlines directly into Muscle Shoals. They quickly became my favorite group. To say they're closest to The Band since The Band might be a valid reference point but I actually prefer the songs of DBT. The comparison to The Band isn't lost on them either. One of their finest tunes is called Danko/Manuel.

My friends Gary Silverman and Lloyd Fischler (BillyBob Productions) have been trying to figure out a way to bring these guys into town. But, thankfully, with the release of their new CD they'll be touring and hitting Montreal (Le National) on Thursday March 20th. Can't wait.

Brighter Than Creation's Dark **** Is their newest CD. More tales of loss, hope and redemption. And abuse. Shifting easily between country and guitar-driven rock. With a lot of instrumental help from legendary soul man Spooner Oldham. Female vocalist Shonna Tucker sounds like Neko Case. Don't miss their show.
www.drivebytruckers.com


More music you might like, most recent; some I've just recently gotten to:


Jason Isbell: Sirens Of The Ditch *** Former member of Drive By Truckers now on his own. Still soul-based but with more of a pop sound than a typical Truckers CD. Not a bad thing at all, just not quite as gritty. www.jasonisbell.com

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals: Follow The Lights *** Seven more songs, including four previously released in a different form, while we wait for the not-surprisingly-delayed box set
www.ryan-adams.com

Ryan Bingham : Mescalito *** 1/2 25 year old sounds 30 years older. Think Tom Waits and Guy Clark. www.binghammusic.com

The Black Angels: Passover **** I love this group. Dark, brooding, guitar-droning music from Austin, Texas I first heard driving to NYC courtesy of Lorne Rubin's buddy Mike Kweatek. (Legit)Descendants of the Velvet Underground. Played here in 2005 & 2006 when I didn't know a damn thing about them.

Buck 65: Situation **** Back to what he does best. This baseball playing Canuck (and former Montreal resident) can rap. And write. www.buck65.com

Jeff Buckley: Grace (Legacy Edition) ***** How do you improve on Grace? If you've wondered if there was more, yeah there sure was. How about studio covers of "Lost Highway" and "Mama, You've Been On My Mind" and a kick ass live cover of "Kick Out The Jams"? Plus a DVD. As painful a loss as Kurt Cobain. Might as well splurge on Live at Sin-E Legacy edition while you're at it.
www.jeffbuckley.com

Luke Doucet and The White Falcon: Blood's Too Rich *** Hockey playing ace guitarist and songwriter, touring w/Blue Rodeo. Get to your seat early for show at Theatre St. Denis Jan 31 & Feb 2. www.lukedoucet.com

Robert Hazard: Troubadour *** Former Philadelphia rocker (Robert Hazard and the Heroes-best cover of "Blowin' In The Wind" I ever heard) who wrote "Girsl Just Want To Have Fun" quiets down a bit. Way under the radar.
http://www.phillyrockers.com/robert_hazard_and_the_heroes/history.htm

Levon Helm: Dirt Farmer **** Tremendous comeback by former drummer with The Band. Couldn't sing for years because of throat cancer. Near miracle at work. Gets a lot of help from former Dylan guitarist Larry Campbell. You can actually watch Levon and Larry and a host of others in Levon's living room in Woodstock. One of the most joyous musical experiences I've ever had.
http://www.levonhelm.com/midnight_ramble.htm

Highwaymen The Road Goes On Forever: 10th Anniversary edition **** 1/2 Final get together for Willie, Waylon, Johnny Cash & Kris Kristofferson. Try to find even more poignant DVD edition.
http://www.cmt.com/artists/az/highwaymen_country_/969778/album.jhtml

The Hives: The Black And White Album *** 1/2 Glorious hard driving punk directly from Sweden. www.thehivesbroadcastingservice.com

I'm Not There: Original Soundtrack ****1/2 Dylan songs from the movie performed by everybody from Eddie Vedder to Antony & The Johnsons to Willie Nelson to Jack Johnson. Includes title track from The Basement Tapes in its first official release. Pretty good "House" band, The Million Dollar Bashers, featuring Tom Verlaine, Nels Cline, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley, Tony Garnier and John Medeski. Almost as spectacular as the movie.
http://www.myspace.com/imnottheresoundtrack

Willie Nile: Streets of New York **** Title says it all. Willie's been around to tell the tale; inevitable comparisons to Dylan and Springsteen, etc. Thankfully he's lived to tell more including "The Day I Saw Bo Diddley In Washington Square".
www.willienile.com

Jennifer Warnes: Famous Blue Raincoat (The Songs Of Leonard Cohen) 20th Anniversary Edition **** If you missed it in '87, Warnes singing "First We take Manhatten", "Bird On A Wire", "Joan of Arc", "Song Of Bernadette" and more; backed by Steve Ray Vaughan, Robben Ford and Van Dyke Parks
http://www.jenniferwarnes.com/

STAX 50th Anniversary Celebration ***** Discover what made Memphis-based Stax one of the most vital labels in American music history. Essential.
http://stax50.com/blog/

Dave Van Ronk: ...and the tin pan bended, and the story ended ***** His last concert. An absolute must for anybody who cares about the history of music. Van Ronk taught everybody. A two hour crash course on jazz, folk, and blues. Listen while reading his book "The Mayor Of MacDougal Street".
http://www.elijahwald.com/vanronk.html
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/feb2002/vanr-f14.shtml

And some of the best in local music:

Annakin Slayd: Stalwart Empire http://www.annakinslayd.xbuild.com/

Angela Desveaux: Wandering Eyes http://www.angeladesveaux.com/

Echo Hunters: Cabin Fever http://www.echohunters.com/echos/

Rob Lutes: ride the shadows: www.roblutes.com

the Jimmyriggers: Traveling Salesman, Killer On The Run http://www.myspace.com/thejimmyriggers

Ladies Of the Canyon: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=90123180

Lee Mellor: Ghost Town Heart http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=36616999

No Barbers Required: Hard To Hold On To www.nobarbersrequired.com

The United Steel Workers Of Montreal: Kerosene & Coal www.uswm.ca


"Without music life would be a mistake" -Frederic Nietzsche

(Will it be a) Happy New Year (?)

Wednesday January 9, 2008 8 PM

Still trying to come to grips with the fact that Elliott Price is in his 50's....David Bowie turned 60 this week...and Bobby Hull, 69 earlier this month, looks like all those vodkas have finally caught up with him...Me?...Thankful that I still have the "I survived Crescent Street 1982" t-shirt in my closet (always good to check it out every Christmas) but man, I keep getting wider everytime I see myself on TV....Happy 2008

The Habs seem to be getting better...credit to Guy Carbonneau and the coaching staff for the rapid development of so many young players....and apparently finding the right line combos....imagine if they had one more slam dunk top six forward to play on Saku Koivu's right wing...normally I shut it down during the holidays but actually looked forward to watching them play each night...they've been picking up points at a brisk pace even though their goaltending has dipped dramatically...Carey Price will be fine...The Bulldogs play 9 of their next 10 games in Hamilton...hopefully he'll play 'em all, get his game and technique back to where it should be and then come back and help the Habs because Huet will not steal as many points...Bryan Smolinski ready to return?...The guy has been a useful NHL player for a lot of years but unless he picks up all parts of his game the team would be better off with Kyle Chipchura...trade winds starting to blow? (Love what TSN's Gord Miller said about trade rumours, "They're started by two kinds of people; 13 year olds who live in their parent's basement and 30 year olds who live in their parent's basement"...Also love what Gord said to Jack Todd in the press room prior to Tuesday's Habs-Hawks game; "Go fuck yourself"...)

Got to see two superb movies over the holiday, "Juno" and "The Great Debaters"...Juno starring incredibly talented Canadian Ellen Page (watch "Hard Candy" before you see Juno) and written by former stripper Diablo Cody...

http://diablocody.blogspot.com/

http://www.myspace.com/diablocody

Debaters directed by and starring Denzel Washington plus Forest Whitaker and Whitaker's son Denzel...based on a true story of an all-black school in the U.S. south in the 1930's...

http://www.thegreatdebatersmovie.com/

Also watched plenty of music DVD's including two history-making events:
The Other Side Of The Mirror; Bob Dylan Live At Newport Folk Festival 1963-1965 *****
The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live At Monterey *****

No Doubt about it, the folkies booed Dylan when he plugged in at Newport in '65. The fact that this seminal moment is captured on film (by director Murray Lerner) is remarkable...So is Dylan's performance when he is called back (yes there were plenty in the crowd who loved it... they had already heard "Like A Rolling Stone" on the radio that summer) and plays "Mr. Tambourine Man" and the ultimate kiss-off to the staunch left wing folk crowd, "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue". Dylan's rendition of "Chimes Of Freedom" the previous summer is also transcendent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3NN7F74Uq8

Two years after Bob plugged in, Hendrix was introduced to America, with his two British mates Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell...the stories of following The Who are legendary...but to watch the whole set again is to realize that thousands at Monterey were stunned by an artist who put them through something they had never previously been through. And then Jimi "sacrificed" his guitar. For love.

http://www.jimihendrix.com/index.php

Peace.

Merry Christmas Baby

Monday December 24, 3:00 PM

Here's hoping these fine folks find what they're looking for under the Christmas tree (and you too):

Cristobal Huet-a thank you note with his parting gift

Michael Ryder-two weeks in Hamilton

Saku Koivu-a badly swollen middle finger

Guy Carbonneau-Brenden Morrow (oh wait...)

NHL Officials-a muzzle for Guy Carbonneau

Bob Gainey-Size and strength down the middle

Michel Therrien-a safety net

PJ Stock-An English/French dictionary

Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens et al-lie detector tests

Bud Selig-a pink slip

Washington Nationals-a fire; without the sale

Donald Fehr-Bah, humbug!

Michael Vick- a cell full of rabid rottweilers

Bill Belichik-a '72 Dolphins dartboard

Anthony Calvillo-a healthy family

Jim Popp-a Jack Todd whoopi cushion

Jack Todd-empathy, heart, soul & a baby seat in Popp's hummer

The Green Room-an Open for Business sign

Hurley's, Irish Embassy, Ye Olde Orchard, McKibbin's, Champs & Vargas-a very very Green Christmas

And from a very creative listener:

The following are a few of the gifts santa plans to hand to the HABS:

Francis Bouillon: 2 inch lifts.
Michael Ryder: A soccer net.
Andrei Markov: "Searching for Bobby Orr" by Steven Brunt.
Mike Komisarek: Darcy Tucker with his head down.
Christopher Higgins: 2 highly trained dobermann pinschers, Zeus and Apollo (A.K.A. "The Lads").
Tom Kostopoulos: A weekend with Bob Probert.
Andrei Kostitsyn: An invitation to Paul Maurice's house.
Maxim Lapierre: A double wide "tempo" for his Hummer. (St-Leonard style).
Sergei Kostitsyn: A fake ID card.
Saku Koivu: Subscription to the Journal de Montreal.
Patrice Brisebois: Already got his present... (Christmas was in July for Pat this year!)
Carey Price: 2 cases of REDBULL!
Guy Carbonneau: A perpetual road trip.
Doug Jarvis: A day off. (FINALLY!)
Bob Gainey: Alexander Ovechkin... or a win on Dec 23.

The rest get a $10 gift certificate to the Barfly. Thanks for all the good work.
Girth

Back in a few days with some suggestions for your eyes & ears.
Peace.

Snow Balls and Baseballs

Sunday December 16 4:30 PM

What a great day to do nothing but eat and drink-oh wait, we did that Friday at our station Christmas party. Snow days like this remind me of elementary school, specifically Churchill school in Chomedey (later renamed Irving Bregman Memorial) where our gym teacher was future Queen's football coach Ian Breck. Those of us who were within walking distance actually looked forward to heading to school on snow days because Ian would gather some fellow teachers in the library for a bull session with students. A couple of times he introduced us to one of his roommates who looked vaguely familiar. Turns out he was an American Hockey League goaltender named Wayne Thomas. (The Canadiens' top farm team was based in Montreal for one year. Their home rink was the Forum. Some of the other players included Bobby Sheehan, Phil Roberto, Chuck Lefley, Bob Murdoch and another goaltender named Ken Dryden.)

The next time I met Wayne Thomas was in the early 1980's very late one night at a bar in Cape Cod. I don't remember how I was introduced to him but I do remember that he said he was part owner of the place. I told him the story about Churchill School in Chomedey. His eyes lit up (just like the rest of him at that point) and he started telling me stories of the Voyageurs. A few minutes later he took me over to another part of the room to introduce me to his partner in the bar. I instantly recognized Nick Fotiu. Oh the stories we could tell...

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php3?pid=5378

http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=12635

Ian Breck is currently the head coach of Team Canada's Under- 20 Junior Football team.

The Mitchell Report. Just another in a list of "scandalous moments" in baseball. I keep reading of comparisons to the 1919 Black Sox scandal. How about the Dowd report? Or the cocaine scandal of the early 1980's? Have we already forgotten about the collusion cases organized by Commissioner Peter Ueberroth and the pathetic owners in the mid-80's? (if you don't think collusion helped kill at least one market, consider this-players forced back to their old teams included Tim Raines. But free agency rules being what they were, a player couldn't re-sign with his old team until May 1. So the 1987 Expos played the entire month of April with Triple A leftfielder Alonzo Powell. He batted .195. The Expos April record was 8-12. From the moment Raines re-joined the team ( in 139 games in 1987 Raines hit .330 with 18 home runs, 68 RBI's, 50 stolen bases, a slugging pct of .526, an OBP of .429 and a LEAGUE LEADING 123 runs scored) the Expos went 83-59. A total won loss record of 91-71 was good enough for 3rd place in the NL East, just four games behind the division champion St. Louis Cardinals. And what about baseball's biggest scandal of them all-not allowing a single black player to play until 1947?
So spare me the moralizing. There have been worse moments than this.

Two scenes I'll never forget:

Scene #1
A former Expos catcher tapping me on the shoulder in the clubhouse asking me what I thought about a couple of his teammates who were certainly on something (David Segui was one of them). I said if it's obvious to me what's going on how can anybody directly involved in the sport not seem to know or care? He then asked me if I thought it was fair that he should have to decide whether to bulk up or not. If ever there was a rhetorical question that was it. And it was repeated in every clubhouse in baseball. I salute the guys who resisted the temptation and played through through nothing stronger than the odd greenie or (in John Wetteland's case) an over consumption of caffeine.

Scene #2
A bunch of media types gathered at Hurley's Irish pub. I mention to a baseball writer that players are starting to grumble about obvious steroid use. I tell him it's a huge story about to explode. He agrees but says he can't really sniff around because he'd have his "access" cut off. He says it's more of an investigative piece that has to be done on a national level with a parade of sources and an almost unlimited expense account. And then Ken Caminiti won the NL MVP award.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/magazine/12/13/flashback_juiced/index.html

Saku Koivu goes a dozen games without scoring and he's either washed up or a lousy leader or both. He scores two goals against the Leafs and his critics will say the Leafs were tired. I think we're all guilty of over analyzing after each game or block of games. There's still a lot of hockey left to play. Among Koivu's right wingers this season-Michael Ryder, Tom Kostopolous, Mark Streit, Bryan Smolinski, Guillame Latendresse, Alex Kovalev, Mathieu Dandenault and Sergei Kostitsyn. Who's next-Stephen Harper?

Saku Koivu is a special guy. "Un champion", says Bob Gainey. It takes one to know one. Koivu is not part of the problem, never has been. I'd concede that at this point he might not be part of the solution either. The fact that the Habs seem to go only as Koivu goes is not his fault. It's an organizational failure. But if they are to trade him (out west) they had better hit a home run. Steroid-free.

Dancing (5th, 6th, 7th, 6th, 8th cha cha cha) With the Habs

Sunday December 9, 1:30 PM

What's wrong with the Canadiens? Let me count the ways.

-they can't win at home
-they can't win key face offs
-they can't score
-they can't kill penalties
-they can't (won't) fight
-their goalies have caved

What did I miss?

The Habs have no home identity-other than the "history" in the soon-to-be 12 year old Bell Center. Opposing teams dictate play. And with little or no physical fear they pretty much do what they want. Playing the Canadiens in Montreal has become ultra-comfortable. A pro sports sin. The only response the Habs have is to hope their goaltender out-plays everyone. From John Ferguson to Pierre Bouchard to Rick Chartraw to Chris Nilan to Lyle Odelein, every successful Montreal team has had a cop, a cop who could play. Some winning teams featured 4-5 guys who could fight. (The last Cup team in '93 featured Odelein, Todd Ewen, Mario Roberge and the league's best middleweight-Mike Keane.) This bunch? I'd rather see PJ Stock out there 3-4 minutes a game than Mark Streit. (I like Streit-as a power play specialist and role player. He gets way too many minutes of ice time).

The stat sheet (always be wary of the Montreal sheets) says the Canadiens won 60% of their face offs vs Carolina. Fact is, other than Koivu, Habs' centermen have been pretty dismal this season. Hard to comprehend with three of the best face-off men of their respective eras behind the bench. Lack of success in the face off circle also explains, partially, the woeful PK record.
I'm not enough of an X's & O's student to further explain the PK problems. Again, with Guy Carbonneau, Doug Jarvis and Kirk Muller to teach, it would be difficult to believe it's poor coaching. And it hasn't been the fault of the goaltending. Kyle Chipchura, Brian Smolinski, Tom Kostopolous and Steve Begin have been the go-to players on the PK unit. Chipchura will be fine but it's not often a rookie is handed that kind of responsibility. He's made some (rookie) mistakes. Smolinski, on the other hand, looks done. He doesn't win battles one on one or along the boards. Unlike Begin and Kostopolous he doesn't block shots. He's been a solid NHL player for a long time but this is beginning to look a lot like Janne Niinimaa revisited. (Which brings us to another area of concern for Hab fans-pro scouting. Ultimately, it's Bob Gainey who rightfully takes the heat for poor signings/trades. But a constant during the Gainey regime is Pierre Gauthier, who's title is assistant GM but who, in essence, is their top pro scout. Among the NHL players brought in during his watch: Radek Bonk, Todd Simpson, Mike Johnson, Sergei Samsanov, Niinimaa, Josh Gorges, Smolinski and Kostopolous. Those in a hurry to see Gainey go should shudder at the prospect of Gauthier as GM in-waiting.)

We knew goal scoring, especially five on five, would be tight for this team. But who could have possibly predicted that Michael Ryder would be stuck on three goals less than a month away from the all star break? It's sad to see. Sadder still is the pssibilty that his NHL career has already peaked. Shoot puck. Score goals. That's his job. He can't skate well or check and has possibly the worst hockey sense of any forward on the team. Shoot puck. Don't score goals. No job.

Goaltending, as mediocre as it's been lately, is a non-issue as far as I'm concerned. Carey Price will be fine. He's discovering that NHL shooters are pretty good. Rod Brindamour alone in the slot can pick a corner a lot faster than the typical AHL'er or Junior player. It's part of the learning curve.

Captain Koivu? Struggling to be sure. A goal here or there would help but remember first and foremost he's a playmaker. What I look for from Koivu is if he's putting the puck on the stick of his linemate(s), and whether it's Higgins, Ryder, Streit, Smolinski or whomever, he's getting that job done. Of more concern is that he looks a step or two slower.

Maybe it's just the late fall blahs, weeks ahead of the Christmas swoon. And what looks piss-poor right now will eventually be straightened out. Until then the Habs will likely drop lower than 8th. Perhaps to 10th or 11th. And two or three games later jump all the way to 6th. The only thing we know for certain about this team is they can't play with Detroit. So they have a lot of company.

In the meantime, Bob Gainey has to find a couple of bodies with some size and toughness and talent. That's all. And he has to find this player or two by himself.

New Month, Same Team

Saturday December 1 2:00 PM

December-finally. I don't mind the blast of cold air-as long as the sun is shining. I'll spare you the metaphors.

Getting ready to watch the Rangers and Senators. Those silly comparisons to the Habs of the late 70's can now be buried for good. Love what Senators coach John Paddock said about his teams' losing streak. "It's part of the ebb and flow of a long season", said Paddock while (just a guess here) silently starting to worry about Martin Gerber. Canadiens fans need to keep that in mind. Look at the standings. As I write this the Habs are 5th in the eastern conference, two points behind the second place team and just two points out of eighth. Welcome to the salary cap era. It's just as tight in the west. Teams that started the season surprisingly slow (Buffalo, New Jersey) have righted themselves. Teams that started surprisngly well (Washington, Ottawa) have also settled into a more realistic zone.

For one of those rare instances this season, the Canadiens actually dominated a first period of play. Last night in Newark (what a great title for a movie, huh?) the Habs dominated, helped out by, but not just because of, the power play. Best save of the night was Martin Brodeur on Alex Kovalev, a low, well aimed wrister that Brodeur cooly kicked away. And as often has been the case the last two seasons, if the Canadiens don't score on the power play they find themselves in a bit of trouble. This season, their penalty killing unit continues to struggle. Lousy combo. One of the reasons Steve Begin and Tom Kostopolous are sitting tonight vs Nashville. The other reason-a team TOTAL of 9 hits the last two road games. Why bother putting on shoulder pads? If Begin and Kostopolous don't hit they don't play. Simple as that. Good move by Carbonneau. Why not Brian Smolinski or Michael Ryder? I think Ryder is next. Smolinski won 9 of 12 faceoffs last night.

So what does Bob Gainey do to improve his team's 5 on 5 play and/or goal scoring? He's not going to find it in Hamilton. The Bulldogs were shutout 6-0 on home ice last night. And their best players to start this season (Sergei Kostitsyn, Maxim Lapierre and Jonathan Ferland) are not goal scorers. Perhaps Gainey was in attendance in an effort to piece together a package for
immediate NHL help (Brad Richards?). In the meantime, Ryder sticks out like a sore thumb. A goal scorer not scoring for a team that needs a goal scorer.

Where have you gone Stephane Richer?

Martin Brodeur's career record against Montreal is 34-12-5. 12 losses? I can barely remember one...You won't have Jack Todd to kick around anymore...he's accepted a buyout from The Gazette...oh yeah, I'll have plenty more to say next month...The Black Hawks are once again fun to watch...They're playing for Denis Savard and Chicago area hockey fans who can once again see them on local TV....and whaddya know, the crowds are starting to return (over 16,000 last night vs Phoenix)...I'm starting to warm to the idea of bigger nets..the highest scoring team in the east is Carolina with 85 goals in 26 games...I'd rather see a little more room on the ice and I no longer buy the notion that ripping out the first few rows of seats in places like the Bell Center automatically means a huge loss in revenue...it's a loss the Habs can easily make up by charging more for premium seats and loges...the white- collared crowd that enjoys a pre-game meal at Queue De Cheval have plenty more money to spend...Angels owner Arte Moreno says baseball fans are "going to be angry and disappointed" when the Mitchell report on steroid use is made public...do you think one of Moreno's own stars might be on the list of players George Mitchell names as a user?...Best wishes to Terry DiMonte in Calgary, even though he thinks John Mellencamp is a better artist than Bob Dylan..Finally got around to actually seeing Nirvana Unplugged, finally out on DVD...It's stunning to see and hear the performance in HD and surround sound (watch for Kurt Cobain's facial expression at the end of Leadbelly classic):

http://www.nme.com/news/32183

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEtDC6MuImU

Happy December.

Hard To Hold A Candle In The Cold November Rain

Saturday November 24 3:30 PM

I hate November. Worst time of the year. A clear reminder that many more dark and dreary days are ahead before we finally see the sun again on a regular basis. It's cold but far worse for me is the fact that it's so damp. I also hate the slush. So does the bottom of my jeans. Yet we all soldier on. Further proof that Montreal is one terrific place to live.

Can you find anything good about the month of November? Oh sure, if you're a winter outdoor enthusiast like Andie Bennett it means you're on the fast track to snowboarding, skiing, tobogganing (the first time I've ever written the word-honest), skating and washing your long underwear. Whoopi.

The best word I can use to describe this month is: bleak. Such a bleakness to it. In hockey the Canadiens play the Sabres and Leafs and Senators and Bruins. Same teams they played in October. There's no longer a local baseball hot stove session to follow. And only once in the last 30 years have we been able to attend a Grey Cup parade. And that one-five years ago-was damn cold-even with all the whiskey.

It's also hard to ignore-especially for anybody over 45-that the world changed forever-and for a lot worse-on November 22, 1963.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFpPjjKdUds&feature=related

Thanks to Larry Robinson for helping some of us escape the darkness for a few hours on November 19th. Shame on Ron Corey, Francois Seigneur, Pierre Boivin and anybody else who dragged their rear ends while Larry lost his mother, father and older brother while waiting to be properly honored. Kudos to Larry and Lou Lamorellio for making the evening so memorable.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9rp-ewJ8mI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKd4HJNSbQg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZmRWz_Dyk0&feature=related

Brief observations about the Habs more than one quarter through this season....anybody still need to be "sold" on Carey Price? Imagine how good he'll be when he plays more often then once a week or every 10 days...Mark Streit's bubble has burst...time to cut back on his ice time...I admire the guy but the Habs need an upgrade on Francis Boullion...How can a team coached by Guy Carbonneau, Doug Jarvis & Kirk Muller struggle so much to kill penalties?...it's not the goaltending...Michael Ryder is almost out of time...this year's Sergei Samsonov?...If he's still stuck in neutral by the 30 game mark he ought to be replaced...I'm not at all worried about Saku Koivu but I'm still waiting for another performance like the one he delivered against Briere and the Flyers; over three weeks ago...some refs clearly have it in for Alex Kovalev..then again some refs wouldn't be in the NHL if not for the two man system...brutal calls (and non-calls) seem to be a hot topic every night...to paraphrase Pierre McGuire..where can the Habs find a guy like Rick Tocchet (circa 1992)?...or Kevin Stevens for that matter?...Bob Gainey's x-mas wish list: Olli Jokinen, Marian Hossa, Mats Sundin (3-way trade?) or Shane Doan...

The greatest hockey team of all-time ( Montreal Canadiens 1955-1960) lost another Hall of Famer this week. Tom Johnson was Doug Harvey's defense partner. And Red Fisher's drinking partner. But he never called Fisher Red. Read it and weep. And laugh:

http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2007/11/23/heres_looking_at_you_kid/

Bye Bye Barry (and Cristobal); Hello (Again) A-Rod; RIP Norman

Thursday November 15, 7:45 PM

Poor Cristobal Huet. Quickly becoming the Rodney Dangerfield of the Montreal Canadiens. If NHL GM's outside of Montreal feel as strongly about the guy as some hardcore Hab fans do, then those very fans ought to rejoice. Because they'll get to see their man play a lot of hockey over the next couple of years. But they'll have to subscribe to the NHL Center Ice package to do so because Cristobal won't be here. There are many out there who believe Huet will return to Montreal with a "home town discount" but I find that far-fetched. He'll be 33 next season. He's currently making $2.75 million. He's going to return here to play 20 games-and the Habs are going to pay him about two million a year for that? I think not.

Cristobal Huet is a very good goaltender who should be creating interest among several GM's who are in search of a talented, experienced goaltender (Ray Shero?). A good team guy. And a big Bob Dylan fan. But he's on his way out as a Hab. To be remembered as the guy who forced Jose Theodore out of town (and who kept the crease warm for Carey Price).

Couldn't the Feds in the U.S. Justice Department have indicted Barry Bonds last summer? If Bonds is going to jail for lying to a grand jury then how about Bud Selig follow him into the same hole for lying to congress during the anti-trust exemption hearings which followed his announcment that MLB was going to contract the Expos and Twins. And oh, how he lied again during hearings into steroid use.

Picture it. Selig and Bonds in jail garb. Working together on a chain gang. Like Tony Curtis and Sydney Poitier in "The Defiant Ones". But those guys got paid to play a part. Selig and Bonds are paying the price. They deserve each other.

I was in New York when my favorite writer died. Norman Mailer, who lived in Brooklyn, spoke to me at a time when I was still searching for a literary hero. I tried reading many of the classics, mostly because the young woman I was in love with seemed so deep and she read 'em all-and I mean all of them, devouring one after the other (Kafka, Dostoyevsky, Thomas Mann, Camus, Jane Austen, Melville, Tolstoy, Chekov, Joseph Conrad...) until I started to go through her collection. I found it to be a chore. Too dark, too complicated for me. At the time, anyway.

I was always a political junkie, even as a kid. So I remember picking up Fear And Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72 by a guy named Hunter S. Thompson. And howled for days. Which then led me directly to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Hell's Angels. And I was hooked. It was through Thompson that I discovered Mailer.

I read The Naked And The Dead in one night. I couldn't believe it was written by a 25 year old. I then managed to find, mostly through the help at Cheap Thrills, everything Mailer had written.
If he wasn't America's finest novelist (too many clunkers) in my mind he was it's finest reporter.
If anybody wants to know what the 1960's were about read The Armies of The Night. He also chronicled the space program (Of a Fire on The Moon), politics, pop culture and sports. His masterpiece, The Executioner's Song, was essentially a reporting job on murderer Gary Gilmore's right to have himself executed. The book won the Pulitzer prize for literature.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/10/books/11mailer.html?ex=1210309200&en=52a0dcec1e5801af&ei=5087&excamp=GGGNnormanmailer&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=GN-S-E-GG-NA-S-norman_mailer

And here's a terrific piece by Mark Kriegel on Mailer's love for boxing:

http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/7441264

Mailer was a man who inspired me greatly. Somebody I wish I had the opportunity to interview. Or at least thank.

This week marked the 25th anniversary of the Ray Mancini-Duk Koo Kim championship fight in Las Vegas which resulted in the death of Kim. Long time boxing writer Ron Borges puts it in perspective:

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=3107079

A-Rod back to the Yankees for even more money than what Tom Hicks paid him in Texas? Hank and Hal Steinbrenner have made it obvious in a hurry. Like father like son(s).

Schilling, Shula & Shots on Huet

Tuesday November 6, 7:45 PM

Red Sox in three games was an accurate call in the world series wasn't it? I mean, you knew it was over after they took a 3-0 lead, right? The Red Sox second world championship since 2004 has resulted in a parade of appearances on various variety and late night talk shows (until the writer's strike got in the way). I especially enjoyed Manny Ramirez on The Tonight Show w/Jay Leno. I stopped watching Leno years ago. Great stand up comic. Horrible host. Best thing you can say about him is that he's a better talk show host than, say, Chevy Chase. Or Pat Sajak. Or Alan Thicke. Or John McEnroe. Anyway, an example of why Bill Lee, among others, loves Manny (check NESN video, about halfway down the page, on left):

http://www.boston.com/sports/

Further proof technology is taking us places we thought we'd never go: Curt Schilling announces he's re-signing with the Red Sox before the team does, with their permission:

http://www.38pitches.com/

Cristobal Huet looked a lot like Carey Price in goal as he shutout the Buffalo Sabres monday night. In perfect position, making tough saves look not so tough. Quiet, not flopping around. Now if he can only learn how to handle the puck like Price...Michael Ryder needs a puck to bounce off his rear end and into the net and then watch, he'll pull a Brian Savage and score five or six goals over two or three games...Andrei Markov is a legit all star defenseman right now...Mike Komisarek is on his way....Anybody still think letting Sheldon Souray go was a mistake?...I keep hearing people complain that Chris Higgins doesn't have much "finish". What do people expect, a 40-45 goal season?...Higgins reminds me a lot of Rod Brindamour...Where are the poppies on the two french round table shows (110% & La Zone)?...There's a new book out about Patrick Roy, written by Roy's father Michel. Wonder if Mathieu ("He's a cancer in the room") Schneider plans to read it:

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/10811-Patrick-Roys-dad-aims-to-correct-image-of-his-son-in-new-Quebec-book.html

The single season greatest team in NFL history is the 1972 Miami Dolphins. No ifs, and's, but's, or maybe's. Those Dolphins, led by a Hall of Fame coach & GM, a solid QB, a sensational running game and tremendous defense, were perfect 35 years ago. Hard to beat perfection.
If this year's New England Patriots go all the way to a Super Bowl championship without losing, they move past the Dolphins, again no if's, and's, etc. even though Don Shula would have you believe otherwise:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21655235/

http://www.miamidolphins.com/newsite/history/1972perfectseason/1972perfectseason.asp

The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live At Monterey has been re-released on cd & dvd. I have original album and cd, plus the entire Monterey Pop Festival (1967) on cd & dvd but it's Hendrix so of course I bought it. What I had forgotten was the less than enthusiastic response Jimi got for his first major concert in his homeland. Actually, there was a lot of stunned slilence before, during and after he"sacrificed" his guitar to express his "love". If you care about the history of rock and roll it's a must-have *****

http://www.hendrixatmonterey.com/

Also listening to "I'm Not There", the soundtrack to the much discussed Todd Haynes biopic on Bob Dylan. I was lucky enough to see the movie a few weeks back with my pal Terry Haig (who's in it-briefly) and can't wait to see it again later this month. I'm certain most Dylan fans will expect nothing less than a beautiful, mind-blowing experience. It was for me.

http://www.imnotthere-movie.com/

Standout performances on the cd are Eddie Vedder on "All Along The Watchtower"; Jim James (My Morning Jacket) & Calexico on "Goin' To Acapulco"; the amazing Cat Power on "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again"; John Doe on "Pressing On"; Los Lobos on "Billy 1"; Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) on "Simple Twist Of Fate"; and Mark Lanegan on "Man In The Long Black Coat". And that's only disc one.

http://www.amazon.com/Im-Not-There-Original-Soundtrack/dp/B000VS6P9Q

Eric Lindros, we hardly knew ya.

Red Sox in 3; A Grand Alex-Music To My Ears

Thursday Oct 25, 7:55 PM

I dont much care about this year's world series. As outlined earlier I feel for the long suffering fans in Cleveland. I guess it really was too much to ask for an Indians-Cubs series. Boston? Fine. But Colorado? I realize what they did to win the National League pennant but I just can't get excited over it. Red Sox-Mets; now you're talking. Red Sox-Phillies would have been interesting (Francona, Schilling back in Philly, a slugfest almost every night). But the fact that the Rockies are, statistically, one of the great defensive teams of all time? Yawn. I appreciate defense. I wish that boxscores could add another category-RS, as in" runs saved". But unless you can promise me Brooks Robinson circa 1970 or Graig Nettles circa '76 or Ozzie Smith in 1987, I'm not going to tune in to watch it.

The Red Sox had their scare. The only major league team close to them all season was Cleveland. The ALCS was in fact the World Series. It ends this weekend. I'll be watching hockey.

1,000 games for Alex Kovalev. !,000 headaches for 15 different coaches. I love the guy. Just imagine, if he had players other than Plekanic, Samsanov, Perezhogin, Ribeiro, Bulis, or Zednick as linemates the last three seasons. Oh, wait. In the 2004 playoffs he scored six goals and 10 points in 11 games, playing alongside Saku Koivu & Zednick. Imagine, say, Jaromir Jagr by his side. Or Peter Forsberg. Or Joe Thornton. Oh, wait again. We know what he can do playing with Jagr (mostly on the power play). Kovalev's career needs to be examined carefully. When not hampered by injuries he has put up solid numbers. When those numbers have dipped it hasn't all been on him. Toward the end of his first tenure in New York, Kovalev had as teammates/centermen a past his prime, the puck-is-mine-not-yours-Alex, Wayne Gretzky. And a past his prime Mark Messier. He gets sent to Pittsburgh. Re-born, playing mostly alongside Robert Lang and Martin Straka and part of one of hockey's great power plays with Jagr and Mario Lemieux. He remains effective offensively-even without Lang-on a terrible Penguins team. Sent back to New York he meets up again with a now 43 year old Messier. A past his prime Eric Lindros. And that noted play-making centerman at nine million a year Bobby Holik. Then it's onto Montreal for Josef Balej (when does Bob Gainey get full credit for that?). Other than Koivu, briefly, Kovalev has not had a centerman or linemates that fit his talent. That's an organization failure, not Kovalev's. Just watch, as I have since he got here, how many times Kovalev puts his teammates in a position to score. Rarely have I seen a talent with the Habs as good from the blueline in as Kovalev. While he still might not have the perfect centerman or linemates he's getting the opportunity to create offense on the power play. A major reason the team does not (so far) miss Sheldon Souray. Long live Alex.

While game one of the World Series was played at Fenway I was at Club Lambi for a cd launch party for The Jimmyriggers. Local musicians Andre Kirchoff, Ram Krishnan (yes the same guy who pours at Grumpy's) & David Pearce (son of Brent who used to sit in for Ted Tevan way back when) deliver the goods for the alt/country, country/rock crowd. The cd is Traveling Salesman, Killer On the Run...*** www.myspace.com/thejimmyriggers

More music you might have interest in with the holiday season approaching:

Ryan Adams: Easy Tiger *** 1/2 Tight, focused, happy; let's hope his Halloween Head is history

Johnny Cash: The Great Lost Performance *** 1990 Concert at Asbury Park before his American revival; rare live nuggets on this one http://www.invitatiionline.ro/johnny-cash-the-great-lost-performance-2007/

Guy Clark: Workbench Songs *** 1/2 Master craftsman whos songs never grow old
http://www.guyclark.com/

John Doe: A Year In The Wilderness **** Founding member of X delivers his best solo work with help from Dave Alvin, Kathleen Edwards & Aimee Mann http://www.yeproc.com/artist_info.php?artistId=9863

Goin' Home (A Tribute To Fats Domino) *** 1/2 Whos Who of Music biz salute New Orleans legend who lost his home and gold records in Katrina; first cd is a treat, second is just ok; the cause makes it worthwhile http://www.tipitinasfoundation.com/

Dropkick Murphys: The Meanest of Times **** My favorite Murphys cd; the title says it all spewed out with pure punk energy and anger; snaps, crackels but no pop; at Metropolis NOV 17
http://www.dropkickmurphys.com/

Steve Earle: Washington Square Serenade **** New Greenwich Village resident pays homage to his new home and new wife (Allison Moorer) http://www.steveearle.com/

Bryan Ferry: Dylaneque *** 1/2 Rolled my eyes when first heard of this Dylan tribute but it works. Try to find DVD to go with it http://www.bryanferry.com/

John Fogerty: Revival **** 1/2 Fantastic return to form with guitar heavy licks any punk band would be proud of; some great songs about American nightmare in Iraq http://www.johnfogerty.com/

Steve Forbert: Strange Names & New Sensations *** Workingman's musician now selling cd's on line and at live gigs; still worth listening to http://www.steveforbert.com/

Mary Gauthier: Between Daylight and Dark *** 1/2 pronounced Go-shay; gifted songwriter; some bleak stuff here http://www.marygauthier.com/

Ian Hunter: Shrunken Heads **** One of my all time favorite artists still going strong with well aimed swipes at Bush and neocons http://www.ianhunter.com/shrunkenus.shtml

Lee Hazelwood: Cake Or Death *** Legendary renegade songwriter knew he was dying while recording this; features original version of (These) Boots with Duane Eddy on guitar
http://www.everrecords.com/index.php

The Hold Steady: Boys And Girls In America **** Rock and roll party album of the year
http://www.theholdsteady.com/

Mark Knopfler: Kill To Get Crimson *** 1/2 Following tributes to U.S. in his last two albums Knopfler returns home to chronicle many lives; as close to a musical novel as you'll hear
http://www.mark-knopfler.com/

Jimmy LaFave: Cimarron Manifesto **** Gorgeous originals and three beautiful covers (including a striking re-working of Donovan's "Catch The Wind") by Montreal's favorite Austin musician; watch for november gig http://www.redhouserecords.com/LaFave.html

Bettye LaVette: The Scene Of The Crime *** 1/2 Soul great backed by Drive By Truckers recorded at Muscle Shoals http://www.bettyelavette.com/

Nick Lowe: At My Age ** 1/2 Nick doing the crooning thing; and so it goes...
http://www.nicklowe.net/

Joni Mitchell: Shine ** I admit it...I don't get it. I tried, I really did. Maybe you have to see the dances that go with it....or just read the lyrics and hum http://www.jonimitchell.com/

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss: Raising Sand **** 1/2 Beautiful; haunting versions of songs by The Everly Brothers, Tom Waits, Mel Tillis, Townes Van Zandt and the late, under appreciated Gene Clark; masterfully prodcued-as usual-by T-Bone Burnett who also backs up in the band which also features Norman Blake and Marc Ribot. A stunner. And Alison Krauss never looked so hot http://www.robertplant.com/
http://www.alisonkrauss.com/
http://www.tboneburnett.com/


Grace Potter And The Nocturnals: This is Somewhere **** I love this cd. Vermont resident Potter can rock and pop and write a damn good tune. If you want to feel what life is like for a young rock and roll band while touring "This" is it (along with Kings of Leon's "Aha Shake Heartbreak") . http://www.gracepotter.com/

Rilo Kiley: Under The Blacklight ** 1/2 Not nearly as good as Potter and nowehere near as good as the solo cd by lead singer Jenny Lewis http://www.rilokiley.com/

Tom Russell: Wounded Heart Of America (Tom Russell Songs) *** It's Russell songs covered by everyone from Johnny Cash to Ian Tyson to poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti plus a couple of new songs by the man himself http://www.hightone.com/product_info.php?manufacturers_id=138&products_id=335&osCsid=302073d13202e6e38e01a85dfc3bb1d8

Patti Scialfa: Play It As It Lays *** 1/2 I love her soulful voice; look for clues about her marriage to The Boss and you might actually find a couple; now if Bruce really had balls he'd let her open for him http://www.pattiscialfa.net/

Suzanne Vega: Beauty & Crime *** Vega's love letter to New York City http://www.suzannevega.com/

Porter Wagoner: Wagonmaster *** 1/2 The real thing; still sounding great at 80; lovingly produced and arranged by Marty Stuart http://www.anti.com/artist.php?id=42

The Weakerthans: Reunion Tour **** Tasteful, literary punk by Winnipeg Indies; includes "Elegy For Gump Worsley"; be sure to catch them Nov 2 at Le National http://www.myspace.com/theweakerthans

Neil Young: Chrome Dreams II **** It's getting mixed reviews but I can't get enough right now; some critics suggest "Ordinary People" is way too long at over 18:00. I say who cares how long a song is if it moves you? I think the song is fucking brilliant and I've heard it over a dozen times by now; like the ride home it seems to get shorter and shorter with each listen; if you're a big Neil Young (or Dylan, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen, Elvis Costello) fan you've already dismissed what critics say. Buy/Download it now http://www.neilyoung.com/

Atlanta Belongs In The Deep North; Kovy Being Kovy?

Wednesday October 17th 7:45 pm

Bob Hartley getting fired might be the first step towards eventual relocation of the Thrashers. Let's get the NHL out of Atlanta, Nashville and one or two other U.S. outposts and back here up north where it belongs-including, with or without Jim Balsillie-Hamilton or Southern Ontario.

Guy Carbonneau says Alex Kovalev criticizing him for not taking a time out late in tuesday's eventual loss to Florida was not that big a deal. He likens Kovalev's ill-timed outbursts to those of Guy Lafleur. As the late Lloyd Bentsen said about then VP Dan Quayle:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-7gpgXNWYI

And Alex Kovalev is no Guy Lafleur.

Carbonneau did not blow the time out issue, he just had the wrong guys on the ice with 10 seconds to play. Kyle Chipchura might soon develop into that defensive, shut- down centerman and elite penalty killer, perhaps as soon as later this season. But not in his 3rd NHL game. Mathieu Dandenault and Patrice Brisebois on the ice with Roman Hamrlik, Bryan Smolinski, Christopher Higgins, Thomas Plekanic and Saku Koivu on the bench makes little sense. But not exactly a fireable offense.

So TSN's Gord Miller sends NHL deputy Comissioner Bill Daly an e-mail with the names of players/agents/lawyers who were upset with Ted Saskin's knifing of Bob Goodenow so he could "get information back". Daly promptly forwards the e-mail to Saskin. Think Gord might want to stick to more reliable sources from now on? (Like his pal from Edmonton-Wayne Gretzky). This "incident" tells you everything you need to know about Daly, Saskin and especially Chris Chelios who's been as relentless off the ice in his pursuit of justice as he has been on it in pursuit of championships for 25 years.

It's now up to 50-50 that Joe Torre will actually return to manage the Yankees in 2008, probably with a new pitching coach. An even bigger decision in The Bronx is whether or not A-Rod opts out of his monster contract. Yankees fans (and Torre since he hasn't quit by now) have to hope that Rodriguez takes his act elsewhere. Check this out, courtesy of SI's Tom Verducci:

...his final 59 postseason at-bats as a Yankee will be one of the more confounding, odds-defying trends in the history of great players. In those 59 at-bats, Rodriguez:
• went 8-for-59, a .136 batting average.
• batted with a total of 38 runners on base and left every single one of them on base. Not one did he drive in. He went 0 for 27, including 11 strikeouts, in at-bats with runners on.
• went 0 for 12 with a total of 17 runners in scoring position, driving in none of them.
The streak dates to the fifth inning of Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS. The Yankees went 3-14 in that stretch...

A-Rod and agent Scott Boras have until November 10 to decide if they want to stay put with NY or head elsewhere. Boras' price tag this time around is even more than the stupid contract Tom Hicks paid him in texas (10 yrs, 250 Million). Or you can make that even more stupid. Some idiotic team (Angels? Giants?) will pay him $300 million this time. And he'll win an MVP award or three. And he'll still whiff in the post season.

How'd you like to have Jay Rothman as a boss? Rothman is the producer of Monday Night Football on ABC. Last weekend Joe Theismann, replaced this year in the MNF booth by Ron Jaworski whined to a newspaper that the show has "become three hours of Tony Kornheiser". So when Jimmy Kimmel aka Mr. Sarah Silverman shows up to promote his late night talk show on ABC he has a special hello for "Joe Theismann who's sitting at home with steam coming out of his ears." A good shot at Theismann who makes Tim McCarver sound mute. And a strong defense of fellow company employee Kornheiser. But Rothman sided with Theismann saying Kimmel's comments were "classless and disappointing." And for good measure Rothman has banned Kimmel from future monday night telecasts. An update on the "You'll never work in this town again" riff. Rothman should be forced to watch rerun after rerun of every Joe Theismann appearance on tv over the last 20 years. Should be enough to send him straight into sense of humour rehab.

Which is the most predictable headline of October?

Kovalev Criticizes Carbonneau

Souray Out With Separated Shoulder

Alex Hilton Arrested After Acquittal

How about those wild and crazy Grey Cup organizers in Toronto going all out by lining up Lenny Kravitz to perform at half time. Oh, that's not all. There WILL be Canadian content too. Blue Rodeo, Great Big Sea, Spirit Of The West, Kim Mitchell, Loverboy & Trooper. Oh, the cutting edginess of it all. Couldn't they find room for April Wine? Chiliwack? Dan Hill?

So a genuine Montreal moment takes place sunday night as Win Butler and Regine Chassagne of Arcade Fire join Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band onstage......in &%@! Ottawa:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5bT1_niUgk&mode=related&search=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4Zkz2pUt_g&mode=related&search=

Last month Jack White jumped onstage with Bob Dylan and his band at the famed Ryman in Nashville, getting Dylan to play two songs he had never performed in public, "Outlaw Blues" (..don't ask me nothin' about nothin' , I just might tell you the truth") and Meet Me In The Morning" plus the rarely performed "One More Cup Of Coffee (Valley Below)":

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSfSHD9SW_g&mode=related&search=

Great to see two generations of superb talent sharing the stage. Think about more possibilities.
The Strokes & Lou Reed. Ryan Adams & Neil Young. Cat Power & Patti Smith. Joss Stone & Aretha Franklin. Pete Doherty & Keith Richards...

http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2161966,00.html

Cleveland Rocks! Elvis Lives! (Where Are The Mets?)

Tuesday October 9 8:30 PM

What a great time of the year for a sports fan. NHL underway, CFL winding down, NFL in full gear and MLB in LCS mode. Ah yes, major League baseball. First year in 40 that I did not attend a single game. Since the loss of the Expos I've managed to get to Fenway Park and Shea Stadium a few times but this year-not even a trip to Ottawa for an Expos tribute. Call it a nasty divorce. I still read boxscores, every one of them. I read stories, mostly those written by Jeff Blair. But otherwise I've lost that lovin' feeling. Haven't played fantasy baseball since 2003. Watch very little during regular season. Maybe the odd Jays game, cheering for Matt Stairs.
Some late games involving Cabrera and Angels or Russell Martin and the Dodgers. The Red Sox. The Mets, especially after Pedro returned. But that's pretty much been it. Until now.

I've already explained why I'd like to see Cleveland win it all. But can Joe Borowski really close it out at Fenway against Manny & Ortiz? Jonathan Papelbon reminds me so much of John Wetteland circa 1993 (9-3, 43 saves, 1.37 ERA, 70 G, 83 IP, 58 H, 28 BB 113 K) while Grady Sizemore make me think of a young Larry Walker. Josh Beckett & CC Sabathia would both be legit Cy Young award winners. RED SOX in 6.

While we're still on topic, don't the Colorado Rockie make you think of the 1993 Expos? Problem in '93 was, the Expos simply ran out of time to catch the Philadelphia Phillies. Remember, there were still only two divisions and no wild card. The Rockies are on a roll that might not stop until the final game is played this season. Whether they win or not, they're certainly poised to pick up in 2008 as the Expos were in 1994. Pitching is a big concern as Canadian Jeff Francis (17-9) is the only member of the rotation to win more than 10 games. Arizona rellies a lot more on it's staff, especially true ace Brandon Webb, plus Doug Davis (13-12) & Livan Hernandez (11-11; 6-2 career post season). Imagine if they had a healthy Randy Johnson. Arizona in 7.

Still can't believe the Mets collapsed they way they did. Billy Wagner didn't get it done down the stretch yet told a NY magazine that pitching coach Rick Peterson and manager Willie Randolph didn't properly handle the bullpen. He might have had a point. Randolph repeatedly went back to ineffective middle men Jorge Sosa (4.47 ERA) Scott Schoenweiss (5.03), Aaron Sele (5.37) and Guillermo Mota (5.76-pretty bad without the 'roids, huh?). But then again what else was he supposed to do? Omar Minaya did the right thing in keeping Randolph. Now he has to rebuild the bullpen. And good riddance to Tom Glavine who's matter-of-fact reponse to getting blown out of the final game of the season versus Florida...Florida ! (7 runs in less than an inning) was enough to lead one to believe that he just wanted to go home with his 300 victories.

Congrats to Dan Seligman and staff at Pop Montreal for putting together a music and arts festival that seems to perfectly fit the indy spirit of our city. Last thursday at Barfly I got to see four bands in four hours including Hey Rosetta from St. John's. Lead vocalist and songwriter Tim Baker joined us in studio earlier in the day with just his acoustic guitar and some stories about Newfoundland and living around Concordia 5-6 years ago. He was awfully impressive and very intense while performing a couple of songs for us, repeating the mood with his full band (and string section) at the stage-less Barfly. Baker's masterpiece (so far) is "Lions for Scottie", a tribute to Jeff Buckley.

http://www.heyrosetta.com/

Friday night I was among 2,000 who worshipped at the church of Patti Smith. I met Patti a few years back while strolling through Greenwich Village with Cathy Newton. She seemed pleased when I mentioned that I had been reading her work for years. At the beautiful St Jean Baptiste church on Rachel Street Patti began her sermon by reading Alan Ginsberg:

http://www.fort.org/ginsberg_footnote_to_howl.html

Then came the music as she opened with "Within You Without You" from her recent cd "Twelve" (as in number of cover tunes), one of five songs performed from the album ("Are You Experienced" with a glaring clarinet solo, "Helpless" which she dedicated to her late husband Fred "Sonic" Smith ("...sing with me somehow"), The Doors' "Soul Kitchen" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" which earned the loudest pre-encore ovation of the night). Between well aimed blasts at George Bush Patti also managed to make her way onto the floor a couple of times, dancing and grooving to her longtime band, especially during "Dancing Barefoot". She reached way back for "Because The Night" but not for "Gloria". Improvised a song about the three days she spent in Montreal. And finished off with "Rock and Roll Nigger" while pulling off the strings from her electric guitar. It was all so beautiful.

http://www.pattismith.net/

Fourteen hours later I was at the border, waiting over two hours to cross for an Elvis Costello-Bob Dylan double bill in Albany, thinking a lot about what Bruce Springsteen recently said about his country in response to the right wing lunatic fringe crowd labelling of him as "Anti-American":

"I think we've seen things happen over the past six years that I don't think anybody ever thought they'd ever see in the United States," Springsteen told CBS television.He notably criticised CIA interrogation techniques, Bush's domestic surveillance program and the detention of terrorist suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, without referring to them explicitly."When people think of the Unites States' identity, they don't think of torture. They don't think of illegal wiretapping ... They don't think of no habeas corpus," he said, referring to suspects being held without charge."Those are things that are anti-American," he said.

Elvis is performing solo on this tour of U.S. college towns. His entire back catalogue has been given the deluxe reissue treatement. A back catalogue that prompted former music critic Stephen Brunt to suggest on monday that "He's never made a bad album".
Currently listening to "My Aim Is True" **** 1/2, bolstered by out-takes (including an early version of "No Action") and demos plus a second cd of a soundcheck and complete concert at The Nashville Rooms in August of 1977, a show that was nearly scrapped for security reasons.

http://www.elviscostello.com/

In less than 24 hours I saw Patti Smith, Elvis Costello and Bob Dylan. So did Montreal Jazz Fest
President Andre Menard who arrived during Costello's set to ask a couple of guys he didn't know if we were in the right seats. We weren't. And we didn't move.

NHL East; Who's The Boss?

Tuesday October 2 10:22 PM (Bucky "Effin" Dent Day-no longer nearly as painful)

Listening to "Magic" by Springsteen while wondering what Habs marketing genius Ray Lalonde has planned after placing billboards all over town of Maxim Lapierre, the 22 year old checking centerman who has a total of 47 games of NHL experience. Oops, now playing at an arena in Hamilton. What's next-television commercials featuring the key to the Habs blueline-Jean-Phillipe Cote?

Ok, here we go...drumroll please....how the NHL's Eastern Conference will wind up:

1. Ottawa: Spezza, Alfredsson & Heatley...who can possibly defeat me? (How about that 8th place team)
2. Pittsburgh: Crosby wins everything, including the Cup, then asks for trade to Montreal
3. Carolina: Back to top of Southeast but an early spring exit
4. NY Rangers: Sean Avery hosts season finale of SNL
5. Philadelphia: Paul Holmgren, Executive of the Year (By 2009 he'll look like an idiot)
6. Buffalo: Still stacked with talent; Tim Connelly is comeback player of the year
7. New Jersey: Brent Sutter takes them to the top...once they're in Newark
8. Montreal: Stop laughing; Carey Price makes the difference; all bets are off it's Huet
9. Florida: Olli Jokinen still looking for a playoff game
10.Washington: Olie Kolzig runs out of gas
11.Atlanta: Kovalchuk demands a trade by Christmas
12.NY Islanders: Di Pietro wins a Cup in 8th year of his contract
13.Tampa Bay: Tortorella finally fired; Feaster too
14. Boston:Next team for Claude Julien, the Leafs...
15. Toronto: Dysfunctional goofs would rather have John Ferguson Jr. than Scotty Bowman

Now that you've composed yourself...Price is that good. If given the opportunity he'll steal the starting job from Huet. Suddenly 4-3 losses and 3-2 losses in overtime turn to victories. Remember this is a team that finished just six points behind the Rangers last season.

Where does the offense come from? Both Ryder and Higgins can score 30. Kovalev is the key. He must be given every opportunity to do what he does best-create offense-which means more power play time than anybody on the team. It's difficult to believe that a content Kovalev won't be able to jump back to where he was two seasons ago, averaging nearly a point per game. If Kovalev moves as I think he does than so do his linemates. I love what Bob Gainey said when asked if Grabovski (for now) can elevate Kovalev's game. "Maybe it's up to Kovalev to get Grabovski moving" said the Habs GM. Bingo. And Kovalev will do the same for Kostitsyn.

The best young forward on the team might actually be Thomas Plekanic. I think he might end up back between Kovalev and Kostitsyn but ends up scoring at least 25 no matter where he plays.

Koivu, Ryder, Higgins, Kovalev, Plekanic, Smolinski, Latendresse, Kostitsyn, Grabovski, Begin, Kostopolous, Chipchura...I like this group. Maybe one serious body short but they should be fun to watch.

The blueline will miss Craig Rivet. Like countless other non-flashy anglos through the years (Doug Jarvis, Jimmy Roberts, Brian Skrudland, Mike McPhee, Mike Keane, Turner Stevenson, Lyle Odelein among others) Rivet was under appreciated here. He struggled through the first part of last season but he's a proud guy and might have let his contract status get the better of him. He sure looked like the old, solid Rivet once he made it to San Jose. Anybody who'd rather have Mathieu Dandenault or Francis Boullion ought to have their hockey heads examined.

Andrei Markov served notice last spring at the World Hockey Championships that he was ready to elevate his play. His decsion to re-sign here also seems to have loosened him up. By far the Habs best player during training camp Markov is now ready to join a select group of NHL defensemen. Not quite Lidstrom or Pronger territory but just a rung lower.

Mike Komisarek is a star-in-the-making. Roman Hamrlik is a dependable, strong, minutes-eating, experienced two way vet the Canadiens sure could have used the last few seasons.

Dandenault and Boullion appear to be on their way out. Mark Streit has zoomed past both of them and will be asked to fill a huge void on the power play. Josh Gorges? I still don't know what he looks like. And Patrice Brisebois. Oy.

A year ago at this time Bob Gainey swung a deal that appeared to make sense. Mike Ribeiro for Janne Niinimaa. The trade looked good. For about three weeks. 12 months later Gainey again needs to make a move. The current hole on defense will not be filled by Ryan O'Byrne or anybody else in Hamilton. Which is why goaltending will be even more important than it usually is. Which is why I like a multiple award winning 20 year old over a 32 year old knee flopper.

Can Cristobal Huet take the Habs into the post-season? He's done it once. To do it again he'd have to perform some magic...

Magic **** 1/2 Springsteen at his rocking, rollicking, message-from-the-heartland best. I can already see the concert highlight that Montrealers evidently won't get to experience. Bruce and the E Street Band get you out of your seat feelin' oh so James Brown good before they deliver a kick to the gut and the mind with "Last To Die", invoking the John Kerry line about Iraq.

Who'll be the last to die for a mistake
The last to die for a mistake
Whose blood will spill, whose heart will break
Who'll be the last to die, for a mistake

Bic lighter anyone?

http://www.brucespringsteen.net/