Welcome home, José

I apologize for the lack of posting that's been going on here this year... I am following the Canadiens very intently but I've been too busy to write about it. I should be able to dedicate more time to the blog in a week or so.

I did, however, want to spend a moment talking about the occasion of José Theodore making his first return to the Bell Centre tonight. To me, José reminds me of how the Canadiens finally turned it around and made the playoffs after those dreadful Mario Tremblay-Réjean Houle days. He carried the Canadiens on his back into the playoffs, and stole a series for them. A proud Montrealer, Theodore never hid the fact that he loved playing for the often rough home crowd, whether they were on his side or not. How soon we all forget - it's been hard for many people to look past his incredibly high GAA and SV% of last year. Obviously, Canadiens fans hold their team only to the highest of standards and when Theo didn't perform, they let him know. But how often do Habs fans get to cheer for a Quebec superstar who loves the team and actually wants to play here nowadays? The answer, of course, is not very.

To anyone who is going to the game tonight and happens to be reading this, I ask you to consider what Theodore did for the team in his 10-plus years there before you jeer him. Obviously, he's a professional athlete whose job it is to not get phased by what people think of him. But at the same time, I profoundly believe that Theodore is a proud Montrealer and was a proud Canadien, and we owe it to him to show that we respect him for that - even if he does play for the team that stole Patrick Roy away from us.

Welcome home, José!

Abby in Philly

TSN is reporting that David Aebischer will make his second consecutive start when the Canadiens face off against the Philadelphia Flyers tomorrow night. After hearing mediocre reports out of the Habs' training camp, I was thoroughly impressed with the way Aebischer played in Saturday's shootout win over the Maple Leafs. He seemed confident and in control of his play, and did all he could to stymie a surprisingly ferocious Toronto attack. I'm sure part of the reason Aebischer is getting the start is that Cristobal Huet might have injured his left leg slightly in the Buffalo shootout, but Aebischer has certainly earned the start. Besides, coach Guy Carbonneau probably wants to keep both goalies on their toes by not guaranteeing them anything they don't deserve; Huet will have to keep up his play if he wants to play more than Aebischer.

As for the rest of the Canadiens, I thought they were good - but not great - in their first two games of the season. The Habs had some difficulty getting the puck out of their zone in the Toronto game, and it seemed like they were trying to do too much. Instead of making simple plays, they were looking for the perfect outlet pass or breakaway opportunity. I think this is the main problem that has dogged Alex Kovalev and Sergei Samsonov, and perhaps it would be smart to lower the level of sheer talent on the second line to avoid that perfect-play syndrome. Of course, that would have to come at the expense of the red-hot Higgins-Koivu-Ryder line, and who would want to do that!

Finally, kudos to whomever is responsible for the design of Aebischer's new mask. Just one more reason to like the guy...

Tomorrow's game at Philadelphia starts at 7:30 PM, and the Habs' next match after that is Saturday night against the divisional rival (and potential bottom-dwellers?) Ottawa Senators.

Carbo's Canadiens

In past years, Canadiens fans would be looking forward to an exciting storyline that would dominate the sports headlines and the pulse surrounding the hockey team. Be it in days past in the era of Rocket Richard or Jean Béliveau, or the modern-day spectacles of Patrick Roy, John LeClair, Mark Recchi, and, most recently, Saku Koivu and José Theodore, Montrealers always found a hero to make their own. This year, however, there is a much different flavour to the Montreal Canadiens.

Theodore is gone, having been shipped off to Colorado in the wake of a disappointing and rocky season in Montreal. The team's homegrown count has dwindled to three - four if you count the New York-born Francis Bouillon - although both goaltenders are French-speaking as well. Saku Koivu, always a source of inspiration and leadership, is on shaky ground waiting to see how his injured eye will hold up. The team's goaltending, led by the composed Frenchman Cristobal Huet, is questionable at best at the moment; will Huet continue his amazing play from last year, or will he fade back into the backup goaltender's role he had previously held? And finally, Alex Kovalev, perhaps the team's biggest star, is expected to have another mediocre, up-and-down season unless he decides to apply himself more steadily.

All this has led to mixed opinions from the people who call themselves "experts" amongst hockey circles. Both TSN and Sportsnet predict the Habs will miss the playoffs, while the Toronto Star, ESPN, and Sports Illustrated see Montreal pushing for a divisional title. This more uneven spread of predictions is pretty normal for the new NHL, where, with more parity, it has become much harder to predict who will come out on top. However, the media's obsession with big free-agent splashes and blockbuster trades often guides who they pick as Cup favourites at the start of the year. This clashes with Canadiens' general manager Bob Gainey's more quiet approach to team-building.

Speaking of Gainey's moves, the Canadiens clearly became a better team with the handful of transactions the Habs' GM made over the summer. The additions of Sergei Samsonov and Mike Johnson were upgrades over Richard Zednik and Jan Bulis, although Bulis is going to enjoy a very successful season in Vancouver. Adding Janne Niinimaa to the lineup is a plus to the Habs if only because it allowed the Habs to rid themselves of the distraction that was Mike Ribeiro. And that's where Gainey ended it, keeping the core of a team that jelled quite nicely towards the end of last season intact.

On defense, the Habs have a punishing and effective corps of players. Andrei Markov is set for another breakthrough season, and Sheldon Souray, an unrestricted free agent at season's end, should be able to bounce back from the marital troubles that distracted him from his All-Star season of two years ago. When healthy, Francis Bouillon is a reliable and talented third or fourth defenseman, and, with Mike Komisarek, Mathieu Dandenault and Niinima rounding out the pack, the Canadiens are looking strong on the blueline.

Finally, the Canadiens' young players are poised for high achievements this year. Look for Chris Higgins to play a big part in his team's success. Michael Ryder should improve on his 30-goal total now that he is free of the back problems that hampered his play last season. Tomas Plekanec played consistent and dependable hockey in the playoffs and will take full advantage of the vacancy left by the departed Ribeiro as the team's new second-line centre. Guillaume Latendresse's passion for the tricolore will drive him to bring a determination and energy to the locker room that was somewhat lacking at times in 2005-'06. The only question mark in the youth department is Alexander Perezhogin, but with the emergence of a number of other prospects waiting in the wings in Hamilton, Perezhogin might become expendable.

The success of this team will depend largely on two things: the effect of Saku Koivu's eye on his play, and the kind of goaltending the Canadiens get from Cristobal Huet. But make no mistake about it, there will be a remarkably different feel in the Habs' dressing room with former captain Guy Carbonneau at the helm. Gone are the days of the revolving coach's door, and of a lax, uninspired attitude amongst the players. These are Carbo's Canadiens, and they are in for a good fight in 2006-'07. As the Habs' new marketing slogan so accurately declares, the city is hockey, and this edition of the Montreal Canadiens is determined to do it proud. Bonne saison.