Our video of the day is a tribute to the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs have been on a downward trend since the end of December. But, they are still in 7th place in the conference and have 25 games to put the ship back on course. Now is the time to support our team 110% as the final countdown for the playoffs begin!
Link: Montreal Canadiens Tribute Video (YouTube)
Our video of the day is a clip from the Thursday night game between Montreal and Pittsburgh. At one point, Colby Armstrong of the Penguins laid out Habs captain Saku Koivu with a massive hit. The hit was clean, but an unwritten rule in hockey says you do not hit the opposing team's star players like that. If a Hab had nailed Sidney Crosby in a similar fashion, you know the Penguins would have defended him. That is the way hockey has been played since the early days.
Luckily, Sheldon Souray is a team player. He did not hesitate to defend his captain and teammate Saku Koivu. This is an important part of hockey. You let the other team know that if they are going to nail one of your star players, they will pay the price!
On the other hand, Christopher Higgins and Michael "Easy" Ryder just skated away from Armstrong. Not even a little Sherwood tap or some harsh words for the guy. They just went about as nothing had happened. That to me is very disappointing. When your line mates do not defend you, there is a problem. Next time Higgins or Ryder gets nailed, I honestly hope nobody comes to their defense.
Link: Sheldon Souray Defends Saku Koivu (YouTube)
Finally, video of the Ken Dryden retirement ceremony is available on YouTube. If you are at all fan of the Canadiens and you did not see this, then do yourself a favor and watch it. If this does not make you proud to be a fan of the greatest hockey franchise in the world, then you should probably not call yourself a Habs fan.
It is a shame that no "official" site is carrying this footage. It would seem to me that at the very least, the Canadiens should have this video on their website.
Part 1 (YouTube)
Part 2 (YouTube)
Part 3 (YouTube)
Part 4 (YouTube)
Part 5 (YouTube)
I am scouring the web for video of the Ken Dryden retirement ceremony, but I am coming up pretty much empty-handed. The only short clip that is available at this time is from ESPN.com.
Link: Ken Dryden Retirement Ceremony Video (ESPN.com)
Watching the Habs game this past Saturday from Toronto, I could not help but think that it must suck to be a Leafs player. You had the Canadiens in town. You had the Leafs in complete control of the game. You had the Leafs up 4 to 1. Yet the Toronto fans were dead. They sat on their hands. There was no energy from the crowd at all; they were like ZOMBIES!
The Montreal crowd at the Bell Centre is the opposite. They cheer, they stomp, they clap, they boo, they SING. And that is when the Habs are losing. When the Habs are winning, it is like a madhouse in there!
Our video of the day is a fan clip from the Molson Ex Zone at the Bell Centre. The video was shot at a game in December 2005 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. This clip is but an example of the great hockey fans and atmosphere that reign in Montreal.
Link: Molson Ex Zone (YouTube)
Coming in to the 2006-07 season, some people were questioning the Habs goaltending situation. Many had doubts that Cristobal Huet could be the goalie he was in the second half of last season. I am an optimist and even I was wondering if the 31-year old Huet was simply a flash-in-the-pan.
I am happy to say that Huet has continued on his excellent run. He has played in 35 games this season, putting up some impressive statistics: 19 wins, 10 losses, and 2 shutouts. His save percentage of .922 is 4th best in the NHL and he has been selected to be part of the Eastern Conference All-Star team. I think we can all agree that Cristobal is the real deal!
Link: Cristobal Huet Video (YouTube)
Our YouTube video link of the day is a nice little compilation of Christopher Higgins. Chris can skate, he can pass, he can score, he can go in corners ... he can do it all. He is developing in to a superstar before our very eyes. With guys like Higgins, Mike Komisarek, Guillaume Latendresse, Maxim Lapierre, and Corey Price, the Habs future is bright indeed!
Link: >Christopher Higgins (YouTube)
Alex Kovalev is one of the key players in the Montreal Canadiens line-up. Kovalev has the hands of a magician and can do things with the puck that most players can only dream of. Several reporters and fans question his work ethique, but no one questions his talent.
Personally, I am not worried about Kovalev's production so far this season. During the last two playoff runs, he has lead the Canadiens in points and produced when it was most important. He is a money player and as the season goes on his "game" will pickup.
The following videos of Alex Kovalev will give you an idea of just how talented he is. Next time he makes a beautiful move or makes the puck disappear before your very eyes, realize you are watching a true hockey superstar in a Habs uniform!
Puck handling
Cross-ice shots
Juggling a puck on his stick
One-handed backhand shots
More puck handling
For those of you who have never been to the Bell Centre, this video is for you. It is a very short clip of the Canadiens entrance before a game. The lights are dim, their theme song is blaring, the ice is illuminated with historic images, two kids skate around the ice with flags and the crowd roars as our Habs hit the ice!
Unfortunately, RDS is too stupid to share this kind of footage with us when the Canadiens play at home. Instead, they like to show us beautiful in-studio shots of Jacques Demers and breath-taking video of Pierre Houde and Yvon Pednault in the press box.
Link: Habs Entrance (YouTube)
The video of the day is a scrap between Francis Bouillon and Darcy Tucker of the Toronto Maple Leafs from earlier this season. Tucker is his usual cowardly self and takes a run at Bouillon but then refuses to throw down the gloves. In our fairytale ending, Tucker's knees buckle when he is hit by just one punch from Bouillon!
Link: Francis Bouillon Video (YouTube)
The Montreal Canadiens News & Media video of the day is a compilation of clips in honour of Guillaume Latendresse. The introduction is quite funny, as long as you are not insulted by religious overtones. Whether you are a Latendresse fan or detractor, you should get a good laugh out of this video.
Link: Guillaume Latendresse Video (YouTube)
Our video for this last day of 2006 is a clip of the best Montreal Canadiens player this past year: Cristobal Huet. Huet has been simply amazing over the last 365 days, leading the Habs to the playoffs last season and to one of their best starts ever this season. Cristobal Huet is our Canadiens player of the year!
Link: Cristobal Huet Video (YouTube)
Our video for the day is a nice compilation of all 17 goals scored by Saku Koivu during the 2005-06 season. Koivu already has 14 goals this season after only 35 games; he is well on his way to a career high goals, assists and points.
Link: Saku Koivu Video (YouTube)
Today's video is a funny commercial put out by Nike a few years ago. Just like in real life, the Canadiens player can't stand Mats Sundin (cause he's a Leaf of course).
Link: Nike Canadiens Commercial (YouTube)
Today's video is a great clip of a fight between Sheldon Souray and Darren McCarty. Souray more than holds his own and even busts open tough guy McCarty.
Link: Sheldon Souray vs Darren McCarty (Google Video)
Today's video is a recap of last season along with a positive look towards this season by a hardcore Montreal Canadiens fan. This video has over 17,000 views on YouTube and a 4-star rating.
Link: Montreal Canadiens Video (YouTube)
Here is a really nice Mike Komisarek video from a Montreal-Ottawa game a little while ago. The video shows Komisarek's big hit on Ottawa's Brian McGrattan, followed by McGrattan going a bit crazy :)
Link: Mike Komisarek Video (YouTube)
