Game #47 ~ Boston Bruins @ Montreal Canadiens. Tuesday, January 19th, 2016.

[Clues]

Tuesday, January 19th, 2016.

BRUINS (23-16-5) at CANADIENS (23-19-4)

TV: NESN, RDS, SNE

7:30pm

Season series: The Montreal Canadiens have defeated the Boston Bruins in three of four games, including a 5-1 victory in the 2016 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic at Gillette Stadium on Jan. 1. Forward Tomas Plekanec leads the Canadiens with two goals and five points. Forward Patrice Bergeron leads the way for the Bruins with two goals and an assist.

Bruins team scope: Center David Krejci practiced with his teammates for the first time since he sustained an upper-body injury in a game against the Ottawa Senators on Dec. 27. He and forward David Pasternak, who has missed the past three games with an upper-body injury, accompanied the team to Montreal. They skated on a fifth line in practice with extra forward Tyler Randell, so they are unlikely to play on Tuesday. "I need to feel 100 percent skating and 100 percent shooting. I'm getting there, but it was a good day today," Krejci told the Bruins website. Coach Claude Julien confirmed defenseman Adam McQuaid has not skated since he sustained an upper-body injury on a hit from behind by Washington Capitals forward Zach Sill on Jan. 5. After back-to-back wins against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, the Bruins moved one point in front of Montreal in the Atlantic Division with two games in hand.

Canadiens team scope: After back-to-back road losses, 4-3 in overtime to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday and 5-2 to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday, the Canadiens did not practice on Monday. Goalie Carey Price (lower body) and defenseman Tom Gilbert (lower body) remain out. Since Dec. 1, the Canadiens have gone 5-15-1 for the worst record in the NHL during this span and a minus-23 goal differential. "We're all pros," forward Brendan Gallagher told the Canadiens website after the loss Sunday. "We understand that when things aren't going right, people are going to ask questions. But it's important for us to stick together as a team. That's what we're talking about. We're going to get out of this. It's taking longer than we would have liked, but we're going to get out of this. The only way we're going to do that is by sticking together as a group."

[Guest]

Apparently decision day for MB should we play a bad game. Question now being,,,,do we cheer for a win against the hated Bruins, or do we cheer for a loss against a hated coach?

[kinot-1]

WOW, Clues,,,thanks,,,and if you baked that, you're hired.

You can sponsor the Habs, "Clues Bakery,,,Official Sponsor of Yuppi ( or Habs pucks,,, or the PP,, or the PK,,, or Carey's stick, or whatever)

Apparently decision day for MB should we play a bad game. Question now being,,,,do we cheer for a win against the hated Bruins, or do we cheer for a loss against a hated coach?

If it gets MT fired,,, then I'll go with a loss. After all,,,,what's 2 points?

[jennifer_rocket]

Apparently decision day for MB should we play a bad game. Question now being,,,,do we cheer for a win against the hated Bruins, or do we cheer for a loss against a hated coach?

Tough decisions, HTL. Very tough, indeed. I'm going to lean towards cheering for a victory and believing that we can turn everything around and make the post-season.

Oh, and nice GDT! Thanks Clues.

[southernhabfan]

Thanks Clues..."We understand that when things aren't going right, people are going to ask questions. But it's important for us to stick together as a team. That's what we're talking about. We're going to get out of this. It's taking longer than we would have liked, but we're going to get out of this. The only way we're going to do that is by sticking together as a group."

​Yes..but how long do your loyal fans have to suffer????Another 10+ years? I think that MB has made one or two too many mistakes...I will remain a loyal fan and will watch the games when I can..but if this keeps up and there is not a major shake-up in the organization if/when the boys do not make then playoffs ..well as a cheap Presbyterian I will not bother paying for Center Ice next year. Just saying...I can enjoy the pain just as much by slamming the door on my hands, instead.

[Guest Regis2]

Go for " L " ........clean house , get someone with fresh ideas .

Any other NHL team going through this would probably have changed coaches long ago

[Guest habs1952]

Apparently decision day for MB should we play a bad game. Question now being,,,,do we cheer for a win against the hated Bruins, or do we cheer for a loss against a hated coach?

I'd cheer for the loss only if it guaranteed Therrien and his minions(excluding Waite) were gone. Otherwise GO HABS GO!!!

[BigTed3]

Thanks Clues..."We understand that when things aren't going right, people are going to ask questions. But it's important for us to stick together as a team. That's what we're talking about. We're going to get out of this. It's taking longer than we would have liked, but we're going to get out of this. The only way we're going to do that is by sticking together as a group."

​Yes..but how long do your loyal fans have to suffer????Another 10+ years? I think that MB has made one or two too many mistakes...I will remain a loyal fan and will watch the games when I can..but if this keeps up and there is not a major shake-up in the organization if/when the boys do not make then playoffs ..well as a cheap Presbyterian I will not bother paying for Center Ice next year. Just saying...I can enjoy the pain just as much by slamming the door on my hands, instead.

It's getting harder to remain a fan when the league and the team continue to put the bottom line ahead of the fans. And when the Habs continue to make the language issues a bigger deal than winning. They're content to stick it out with guys who would almost certainly never be hired anywhere else but who have jobs here because they speak French. It's hurting our team's success and it's hard to support when you know the owner and team are willing to accept mediocrity in exchange for saving face with the French media. I've been a fan for a long time and with the lockouts and the regular increases in ticket prices and the expansions watering down talent and the corrupt officiating and the language issues, it's a challenge to stick around. Not that I would really ever go and support another team, but I find I have less of an interest in the outcomes of games as I used to. As an anglophone, I don't feel like the organization cares about me as a fan and I don't feel like I identify with the face of the team and the vision it has.

In terms of what I want as a fan? I don't think it's so unreasonable. I want a competitive team, not even necessarily on an annual basis. I'm ok with going through an occasional year like we had with JM and RC, when there's hope that that season is counting towards something. If our young players develop and we get a good draft pick and we learn from mistakes, then it's pushing us somewhere. But a year like this is just a lost season with a lack of direction, and that's worse. And I want a team that will put winning first. That means that if the next head coach is Lefebvre, I'm done. If Therrien continues to be employed here and allowed to continue to send this team into a downward spiral, I'm done. If the team trades Galchenyuk or Subban for lesser parts just because they're French or grinders, I'm done. I'm done with the emotional investment in the team in those cases. I want a team that is willing to put winning ahead of petty politics because it's killing us. There was a great article today about how Ken Dryden predicted this thirty years ago, about how the Habs could no longer survive trying to run the franchise the way it did in the 60s and 70s, when they had dibs on all the local talent and where Quebecers made up a higher percentage of the players in the league. The team is running an antiquated operation where they think they can be competitive fielding homegrown people instead of the best people available. It makes for a nice story, but it's rarely successful, and for me as a fan, I'm done with the politics and I want to see people in place who are committed to winning instead.

[kinot-1]

It's getting harder to remain a fan when the league and the team continue to put the bottom line ahead of the fans. And when the Habs continue to make the language issues a bigger deal than winning. They're content to stick it out with guys who would almost certainly never be hired anywhere else but who have jobs here because they speak French. It's hurting our team's success and it's hard to support when you know the owner and team are willing to accept mediocrity in exchange for saving face with the French media. I've been a fan for a long time and with the lockouts and the regular increases in ticket prices and the expansions watering down talent and the corrupt officiating and the language issues, it's a challenge to stick around. Not that I would really ever go and support another team, but I find I have less of an interest in the outcomes of games as I used to. As an anglophone, I don't feel like the organization cares about me as a fan and I don't feel like I identify with the face of the team and the vision it has.

In terms of what I want as a fan? I don't think it's so unreasonable. I want a competitive team, not even necessarily on an annual basis. I'm ok with going through an occasional year like we had with JM and RC, when there's hope that that season is counting towards something. If our young players develop and we get a good draft pick and we learn from mistakes, then it's pushing us somewhere. But a year like this is just a lost season with a lack of direction, and that's worse. And I want a team that will put winning first. That means that if the next head coach is Lefebvre, I'm done. If Therrien continues to be employed here and allowed to continue to send this team into a downward spiral, I'm done. If the team trades Galchenyuk or Subban for lesser parts just because they're French or grinders, I'm done. I'm done with the emotional investment in the team in those cases. I want a team that is willing to put winning ahead of petty politics because it's killing us. There was a great article today about how Ken Dryden predicted this thirty years ago, about how the Habs could no longer survive trying to run the franchise the way it did in the 60s and 70s, when they had dibs on all the local talent and where Quebecers made up a higher percentage of the players in the league. The team is running an antiquated operation where they think they can be competitive fielding homegrown people instead of the best people available. It makes for a nice story, but it's rarely successful, and for me as a fan, I'm done with the politics and I want to see people in place who are committed to winning instead.

First off, Ted, IMO, this post (including mine) along with some others, does not belong in the GDT.

Secondly,,, I've been a Habs fan since 1959,,, longer than a lot of our members have been alive. I haven't given up on the Habs yet, and I doubt if I ever will. Sure, I've lived thru the glory years ( '60s and '70s) , and the leaner years. Even the '93 cup win was a fluke, and we all know why. Since then there have been a lot of lean years, but I stuck with the Habs. I encourage you to do the same.

Third,,,I would like you (and others) to read a piece that was on the EOTP website, regarding the "dibs on all the local talent" . In it,,, the piece describes a lot of the "myth" that the Habs could have the "pick of the litter" from Quebec.

http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2008/12/2/678036/debunking-the-canadiens-fr

The expansion of the NHL has diluted the talent, because the teams could only protect a certain number of players, and of course they left their 3-4 liners open to being drafted by the new teams. More and more players are available as we've seen in the drafting of Europeans, Russians,, and Americans (among other countries).

The cap doesn't help either, with the U.S. dollar being the salary of choice, with the players being paid in U.S. funds.

Like you, I am fed up with inept coaches, but I am not about to turn my back on the Habs.

In closing,,, we have the talent to "make a run", but if the talent is mismanaged, the it all goes for not.

[BigTed3]

But there is a difference in terms of sticking it out now vs. 30 years ago. Even if Therrien is fired, what's to say the team will go out an replace him with the best candidate available and not just the next best French candidate? It's that cycle of ineptitude that is depressing. We will forever be disadvantaged in a league that is already hard enough to win as long as we impose these ridiculous sanctions on ourselves.

[Marathon.Man]

GO HABS GO!!!

[southernhabfan]

First off, Ted, IMO, this post (including mine) along with some others, does not belong in the GDT.

Yeah I am one of the culprits (and the one that probably started it here)..sorry . But that is why I gave the quote of Gally and was just trying to answer. I too, like you and Ted and others on here, love the Habs and have been around along enough to know of the great teams that the Habs have shown us. It just gets frustrating and tonight's game, hopefully, will show a team that loves beating the Ruins. But that is one game....hopefully a win and our dear Carey's return will "inspire" us..see I consider us, us ..to play the way we know they can with all the talent they have. So....go Habs!!! Go boys!!

[HabsRuleForever]

Oh no not another game. We win, Therrien is secure for the days off in-between games. We lose, maybe just maybe, something is done before Saturday. Ramsey, heck Boucher, takes over the team for the remainder of the season. OR the same ol' we lose & nothing is done because we played so well but just had some bad luck.

[kinot-1]

Don't Spoil the Party is in.

[jennifer_rocket]

Don't Spoil the Party is in.

Damn, Such a Poor decision.

[HabsRuleForever]

Didn't Seem Probable the way he was playing.

[jennifer_rocket]

Didn't Seem Probable the way he was playing.

But you never know when Therrien is Determining Such Possibilities.

[southernhabfan]

Ok ok..I'll play..but the Darned Seasoned Players better play well tonight! There!

[Guest habs1952]

LOL

[uncivilengineer]

Looks like we'll see Winter Classic Jerseys again.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=798502&navid=nhl:topheads

Though, and probably best for a separate thread. If the NHL brought this person in to play a game for the WC, why aren't they footing a lot of the expense bills?

[Guest habs1952]

Looks like we'll see Winter Classic Jerseys again.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=798502&navid=nhl:topheads

Though, and probably best for a separate thread. If the NHL brought this person in to play a game for the WC, why aren't they footing a lot of the expense bills?

An auction where items will be way too expensive for us regular minions.

[jennifer_rocket]

I won't be here this evening. Friend's birthday party. I leave this GIF of Patrick Stewart for Clues.

Dear Montreal Canadiens... Make it so! (a win, that is, please)

An auction where items will be way too expensive for us regular minions.

And non tax deductible, too. Pfft.

[I1IscottieI1I]

Be nice to get a win and still see a coaching change

[Eyez]

Did anyone spot a taxi out front yet ?

[Guest]

Looks like we'll see Winter Classic Jerseys again.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=798502&navid=nhl:topheads

Though, and probably best for a separate thread. If the NHL brought this person in to play a game for the WC, why aren't they footing a lot of the expense bills?

I think they'll end up paying big time. I believe she's suing everybody and everything associated with that game.