Training Camp: Day 2

For me, day 2 of the Habs training camp started at 1pm, not the advertised 11am. Despite my lateness, I still caught a fair amount of play, and I tried to catch up on those players who I'd missed yesterday.

Once again, I've come up with one-liners... I didn't get to see Saku Koivu, Georges Laraque or Olivier Fortier (F) at all this weekend, and I missed most of Price's performance today. Koivu sat out to rest his foot and Laraque apparently has a bit of a pull in the groin. I also didn't get much on Conrad Martin (D), Mike Glumac (F). You won't find anything on them here; I guess they don't stand out.

Here goes...

Pavel Valentenko (D) - Has a strong shot and makes strong, clean passes. He really understands the game and gets what's happening and what is going to happen. His skating is definitely up to par. Sometimes indecisive when bringing the puck up through the neutral zone.

Matt D'Agostini (F) -Looks ready for the big leagues. He's got speed and is aggressive when he needs to be. Presses the opposition well. Good puck handling and smart shooting.

Mathieu Dandenault (D/F) - Looking in tip top shape with good point action and comfortable speeding up with younger forwards.

Marc Denis (G) - Apart from being a good goalie in general, he sees the rebounds really well and has no trouble controlling them.

Brock Trotter (F) - Looks smarter in play than in drills. Solid all around... The type of player that's good at everything but not excellent at anything in particular.

Cedrick Desjardins (G) - Not bad stick handling behind the net, but definitely no Price. He's got good rebound control and easily re-directs them where he wants them to go.

Ryan O'Byrne (D) - Looks solid and very aware of what's happening. He's playing smarter, it seems, and is not as overly aggressive as before... Which is a good thing.

P.K. Subban (D) - Smart at the blue line, good with split-second thinking. Killer point shot.

Christopher Higgins (F) - Rushed the net and scored in the confusion. He seems smarter, tougher and more full of energy and will not to give up on plays. Has unexpected bursts of speed that are mostly yet unseen. Looks great playing with D'Agostini.

Sergei Kostitsyn (F) - Scored on a breakaway thanks to a pass from Tomas Plekanec, while legally cherry picking, one of the many times he tried. Had 3 consecutive breakaways (including the aforementioned one). Knows how to use the body in order to steal the puck and then gets away easily thanks to his speed.

Ryan Flinn (F) - Looks better in play. You can see his experience. Still, won't make it higher than Hamilton.

Gregory Stewart (F) - Has a viable chance of making the team. He would look great on the fourth line, but has enough skill, will and potential to be so much more. Good speed, thinking, and passing, in both ends.

Chad Anderson (F) - Also better in play than in drills. Knows where to be and looks around quickly before deciding on the correct course of action.

Ryan Russel (F) - Good speed, decent positioning, but seems unsure at times of where he should be.

Maxime Lapierre (F) - Good positioning in front of the net and defensively. Passing has definitely improved... tape to tape most of the time. Seems smarter so far than last year, and faster too.

Steve Begin (F) - Ready to rock and roll and have fun doing it. The Beg we all know and love is back.

Yanick Lehoux (F) - Is speedy, sees the ice well under pressure. Excellent passing and positioning.

Patrice Brisebois (D) - Same as always. Speedy at times. Still decent positioning, which keeps him out of trouble most of the time.

Robert Mayer (G) - Young but solid. Knows when to get into the butterfly position. Great in a crowd. He does need to work on his 5-hole when he's down. Seems to just know how the puck is going to bounce.

Loic Lacasse (G) - Quick on his feet. Made a nice long cross ice pass - very Price like.

Kyle Chipchura (F) - Needs to work on his passing while in movement. He's good when he has to be, but might be over thinking. Not aggressive enough when he has the puck. Seems confused, and out of it.

Mathieu Carle (D) - Seems a bit uncertain when stuck in the defensive zone, mostly in front of the net, where he seems to have trouble playing the man if the opposing player is aggressive.

Tom Kostopoulos (F) - He's ready to step out of his goon-only role and get more involved with the play. Handles the puck well, better than last season, it seems.

Roman Hamrlik (D) Solid, as usual. Lets O'Byrne take the lead but is always there and always ready.

Some random notes...

The Tanguay-Maxwell-Pacioretty line is a great combination. Tanguay looks really comfortable playing with young speedy guys.

Begin- Lapierre -Dandenault with O'Byrne and Hamrlik works really well. They have good positioning and communication, and the passing is excellent. Seems like a viable combo.

Lang - G. Latendresse - Kovalev is a line that takes some getting used to. At first, Latendresse seemed like a little bit of dead weight because it takes him so long to get into position if his linemates break off. However, when he is at the right spot, there is a whole lot of chemistry. Sometimes Latendresse tries to stick handle a bit more than we'd like, but it seems to work well. When this line was on the ice with Markov and Komisarek, the crowd was going nuts. Also noteworthy, Kovalev seems to talk to Latendresse a lot, pushing him to push himself on the ice.

A. Kostitsyn - Plecanek - S. Kostitsyn also had the crowd on their feet. They have so much talent and so much spark, but they need to work on their communication a bit more. They're a very fluid line, constantly moving across the ice. This combination is so full of energy and potential and just about ready to burst.

I have a feeling that not only will Chipchura not make the team this year, he never will. He'll be traded soon. Why? Well, last year it seemed that he was satisfied just to have made it through the cuts. To be playing in the NHL, as was his goal. When he got sent down to Hamilton, he could have stepped up as a leader while Ajay Baines was out with an injury, but he didn't. It's almost like he had no motivation to be better. This year, it's like something inside of him has died. He has no drive, he doesn't care. When he's on the ice, it almost seems like he doesn't want to be there. I hope he figures out what's bothering him and steps up and finds a place on the team, or that he gets traded and gets his spark back.

Well, that's it for my scouting report for now!

Stay tuned for more Habs goodies...

Training Camp: Day 1

Hockey season is upon us once again. And I am extremely ecstatic about it!

I attended Day 1 of training camp today, at the Pierrefonds Sportsplexe. It was, indeed, open to the public, which is not usually the case for Day 1. Usually the open practices at Pierrefonds happen later on during camp, starting on a Friday and ending on Sunday.

Instead of writing a long long paragraph about my overall impressions on each player, I decided that I would take quick notes on the guys on the ice and share them with all of you.
I watched Groups A and B - which means I missed out on Group C and Saku Koivu, Christopher Higgins, Ryan O'Byrne, Georges Laraque and other storied names.

So here goes...

Keep in mind: there were only drills today, no matches.

Group A:

Shawn Belle (D) - I was really impressed by Belle. He's strong and fast and has good hands. Definitely noticeable on the ice, and not because of his skin colour ;)

Josh Gorges (D) - Solid as usual... Nothing new to report, nothing old to report.

Yannick Weber (D) - A bit weak at times, needs to work on anticipating plays, but has soft hands when he wants to.

Robert Lang (F) - Looked easy going, comfortable on the ice... At first, wasn't pushing too hard but seems to be a highly intuitive player, with creative passing, which includes a good use of the boards.

Alex Kovalev (F) - Got right back into it, so ready for the season to start... Hands are soft as ever.

Alex Henry (D) - Always gave a second effort, but needs a lot of work.

Tom Kostopoulos (F) - So full of energy... I think he can be a real player this season. He's already working hard, and looks ready to start pounding the opposition.

Ryan White (F) - Solid top shelf shot. He'll definitely be a leader in Hamilton this season. His shot is pretty hard, but he needs to think faster in sticky situations, ie behind the net.

Guillaume Latendresse (F) - Trying hard but I'm not sure it'll be enough. Still needs to work on his speed. Basically, the same Gui we all know.

Loic Lacasse (G) - Wow. Impressive. He sees the puck very well, has good, quick reflexes and is very intuitive. He has good composure and looks solid in nets.

Carey Price (G) - Good reflexes/reaction time. He's much quicker on his feet and faster reaching with his stick.

Olivier Latendresse (F) - He's strong and aggressive in front of the net. Needs to work on skating backwards. Thinks well in offensive and even defensive situations, but doesn't react well in 1-on-1s.

Mathieu Aubin (F) - Plays the man well, has good speed and positioning.

Kyle Chipchura (F) - A way different player from last year. He's not into it at all. Needs to work on skating backwards. Still thinks well, but doesn't read the play well in 1-on-1s.

Brock Trotter (F) - Good positioning. Is missing that spark that really gets you noticed, but is a hard worker and seems to provide a solid, constant effort. Should fit in well in Hamilton.

Gregory Stewart (F) -A strong player with good passing. He thinks and sees the play well, but needs to get more involved at times in defensive play.

Group B

Andrei Markov (D) - Looked decent. Not in season shape yet. Mostly going through the motions, even seeming bored at times. Will probably have a slow start to the season if he doesn't pick it up soon.

Benjamin Maxwell (F) - Good hands. His shots are clean and he gives a second effort. Definitely a finisher.

Mathieu Carle (D) -Very impressive. One of my favourite guys to watch so far at camp. He aims well, has a strong shot and is a good forward skater. He's got those seeing-eye passes. He should be the number 1 D in Hamilton and the first to be called up to the big league.

Chad Anderson (D) - Good backwards speed, but sometimes commits to the play too soon in a 2-on-1 situation. He's pretty good defensively in the zone, and has good positioning.

Tomas Plekanec (F) - Hasn't lost his spark at all. Looks like he never stopped for the summer. He knows how to pace himself though, giving a solid effort when needed and relaxing when not. Will, once again, be great.

Mike Komisarek (D) - Strong skating from Mike. Looks his opponent right in the eyes... with a freakish amount of intensity. He is ready to be fantastic and was very focused throughout practice.

David Deharnais (F) - Impressive, just like last year. He has a solid shot and good hands. Knows how to deke, and when not to. He's small but smart - reminiscent of Koivu.

Sergei Kostitsyn (F) - As fast as ever. The finesse is still there, as is the intensity and grit.

Alex Tangay (F) - He's got really soft hands. He sees the plays well, knows how to make those key passes in front of the net. Also has an uncanny ability to find the holes in the goalie's stance... and hits net more often than not.

Ryan Flinn (F) - Was very average. Didn't stand out much, but has good positioning. He should be a good veteran in Hamilton.

Max Pacioretty (F) - Consistently made good clean shots, but needs to work on passing - both making them and receiving them, especially in motion. He doesn't seem to like passing very much, in fact. He has good speed and nice hands, but doesn't seem to be able to finish when chooses to deke.

Thomas Beauregard (F) - Needs to work on his aim. He's got strength but only average to poor skating... Much like Guillaume Latendresse. Also has trouble staying up to speed when skating backwards.

James T. Wyman (F) - An average skater, with an average shot. The kind of player you don't dislike, but don't necessarily like either because he doesn't stand out positively or negatively.

Cedrick Desjardins (G) - Has solid positioning. Makes the key saves and sees well when his net is crowded.

Jaroslav Halak (G) - Needs to work on cross-crease movement when he's doing the splits. Looks a little slow and out of practice, and didn't seem to be focused enough.

And now, some random observations:

- Carey Price was wearing white pads again. In fact, the only goalie I saw with a bit more colour than white with some accents was Lacasse.
- Ryan Flinn had some kick ass facial hair
- The Plekanec - Kostitsyn x2 line looks like it's ready to take over the league... They're sparking and sparkling!
- Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn had a nice little 2 on 1 with Pleky in D... Andrei roughed him up a bit but they laughed about it later... That's good chemistry!
- Halak was being really hard on himself... I wonder if he's sick or injured, or just out of it. Personal issues, perhaps?
- Similarly, Markov didn't look like his head was all there... though it got better as we went along.

Looking forward to intersquad matches tomorrow... if I can make it!

Stay tuned...

What I've been up to

Finally, after much anticipation, here's that 2 minute wrap of the past 6 months...

1- I graduated! I'm all done with school for now, having finally obtained my B.A. Specialization in Journalism (Print and Broadcast) from Concordia University, in my hometown of Montreal. As much as I love school, I was ready to get out in the real world, where people are theoretically as committed to their work as I am. How naive of me! Still, I have the stamped piece of paper, and I'm not planning on going back to school until the summer of 2010 so as to not compromise any chances of working on the Winter Olympics in Vancouver in that same year.

2-In early July, I made my way to Calgary for a trip I will remember for the rest of my life. Not only did I meet some wonderful youth in my community, I made some very good friends, albeit much younger ones ;) Though that shouldn't come as a surprise to those who know me well! The purpose of the trip was for the National ISTAR (aka Ismaili Student Total Academic Recognition) Awards. It was the first time these awards were handed out on a national scale. Though I was nominated in a couple of categories, namely Arts and Culture, I didn't make any finalists list or win any prizes. That experience helped me realize that no matter how creative journalism is, most people don't consider it to be an art. I guess it is more of a technical trade in the mind of the general public. But then again, journalism isn't as well regarded a profession as it was in the time of legends like Edward R. Murrow or Walter Cronkite.

3-While I was in Calgary, I got to attend my first ever Stampede. The quick version? LOVE! The awards were purposely timed to correspond with this exceptional Calgary event. The country music fan in me was totally and utterly thrilled. I caught my first ever country shows, Emerson Drive at Nashville North and Dierks Bentley at the Coca-Cola Stage. I also went behind the scenes at the Stampede grounds thanks to my press pass, obtained because of my participation in a documentary on the Stampede that used the Ismailis' values of volunteerism and community as a central character. I was one of three young girls who were chosen - mostly due to timing and availability - to be stalked over three days in Calgary. It was an experience on several levels. I made good contacts with the staff working on the documentary, and I learned a lot about shooting in the field. To be able to understand both sides of a documentary was extremely interesting to me, and I have to admit I had a lot of fun secretly communicating with Mike the sound guy!! For days after the shooting finished, I actually missed knowing someone was listening to my random conversations and lame jokes. Oh, the tapes are going to be a hilarious listen...

The documentary was made for CityTV and should be broadcast nationally sometime before Stampede 2009. I can't wait to see what made the cut, how silly I look and speak, and what ends up on the cutting room floor! And, of course, I wouldn't mind flying out to Calgary for the premiere ;)

4-On my way home from Calgary, I made a pit stop in Toronto, where I got started on my Olympics contract. That's right! I had the honour of working on the 2008 Beijing Olympics with CBC. For the month of August, I was working night shifts covering the events in Beijing - but from Toronto. Basically, with a producer, announcer and editor, we put together 2 minute video highlight updates based on what the main network was putting out. The updates were due every hour and a half, which amounts to about 6 a shift. It was a lot of fun because I got to keep track of a lot of the Olympic happenings. I also got to get re-acquainted with a lot of the people I met and worked with during the NHL playoffs last season.

I'm very proud of myself for achieving my Olympic goal 2 years earlier than anticipated. I'm still working on making a bigger impact for 2010, but as Scott Moore, head of TV Network Sports at CBC said at the wrap party, "Every element, every person who worked on the 2008 Beijing Olympics contributed to our success and made it that much better a product."

That's a loose quote, of course.

This most recent trip to Toronto made me realize that I was psyching myself up for a potential move to Canada's main business hub. And so, I thought I actually wouldn't mind living there too much. What I realized, once I came home, is that the city itself is toxic. In fact, I wouldn't enjoy living there. What I like about Toronto is the people that I know there. I have a whole lot of really good friends in that city, and that's what I miss when I miss Toronto. Also, it helps that whenever I'm there, I have a job and a certain amount of independence that I don't get in Montreal... but that aside, Toronto is no more spectacular than it was before.

My Olympic experience also helped me build new contacts and regain my faith in the ability to successfully work in sports (and media in general) in a city other than Toronto. Hopefully, some of this networking will pan out sooner rather than later!

Also when I was in Toronto, I attended the first ever (hopefully annual) Rhinestone Country Music Festival at Downsview Park. What a blast it was!!! I only went for day 2, but I got to see a bunch of new artists and current favourites: Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, and Jason Aldean specifically. Those who have seen the pictures know how much fun I had wearing my cowboy boots, enjoying the sun and singing along to every song.

The trip as a whole helped me centre myself and re-discover my priorities. It wasn't just hanging out with friends I hadn't seen in a while or making new ones. It was about having the time and ability to ask myself what I really wanted and what I really care about. A lot of those conclusions are having an impact on the decisions that I take daily, and in a positive way.

All in all, I'm very satisfied with my summer, although I sometimes wonder where the time - and sun - went! Now back in Montreal after my quick trip to New York City, I have to reacquaint myself with the changing downtown landscape of my city. But with hockey season just around the corner, the city is starting to come alive again like it does in the middle of the winter.

And that's what I love about MY Montreal.

NYC: Day 1

Let us now ignore all the previous updates I have promised. I vow to keep that promise - just not now.

Day 1 (or 2, I guess, since I got in yesterday) was absolutely amazing.
It got off to a bit of a rocky start with my cousin's academic trials and tribulations (that's med school!) but we finally made our way out around 3pm and all was forgotten.

First, we headed to Chinatown and the famous Canal street. We were starving and had looked up places to eat on an absolute NYC resource in the matter: menuplaces.com

We chose to eat at Vegetarian Dim Sum, and it was awesome. There were so many options to choose from, and all of them vegetarian! They had mock meats, but there was no need to even dive into that. The portions were huge!! I mean, absolutely humongous! We ordered Spinach dumplings, spring rolls, and some Napa roll thing. And a fried noodles with spicy tofu dish. And a broccoli, bamboo shoots and black mushrooms platter. And brown rice. And some red bean cake for dessert. Also, based a the menuplaces review, we split a large glass of kiwi juice, and it was absolutely stunningly delicious. You could taste and feel the kiwis.

Needless to say it was way too much food and so we ended up bringing half of it home for a supper we're only now devowering.

Then we walked back to Canal street. I had a very important mission: find a new purse. It took many stores and a bit of haggling, but I got a gorgeous two toned blue purse for $25. Along the way, Aleha (the cousin in question) found a blue and black stunner - and we got that for $30 or so. And of course, who could resist the rows upon rows of sunglasses... especially at 2 for $10! Aleha and I tried on many pairs and made many funny faces. And now, I have red sunglasses. Awesome.

Eventually, we abandonned our original plan to go to SOHO - don't worry, it'll get done before I leave!

Instead, we went to the Lower Upper West Side (confused? Tell me about it!), searching for a bakery and a chocolate shop. We eventually found the Jacques Torres chocolate shop - what an amazing smell that place had - and got an ice cream cookie cake. It's heavenly. Especially on a hot muggy day like today.

We then decided to do groceries. At 9pm. Which I find totally awesome. In fact, the whole Upper West Side neighborhood was gorgeous. After groceries, we went to a 24h bagels place and bought some goodies for breakfast/brunch tomorrow. Then walked about 20 blocks to take the crosstown bus. Again, great walk. Easy too, despite the weight of all our bags.

So far, this has been an amazing trip. Aleha and I are having a blast together, and we actually get along super well - which is great given that we're sharing a really small space, and we've known each other for just under a year.

Tomorrow, I'm heading to Yankee Stadium to catch the Blue Jays in action, then meeting Isabelle and her crew for dinner in Times Square, before heading off to the Neatherlander Theatre to see RENT one last time. A night of goodbyes, it seems.

Stay tuned...

On trade deadline 2008

I am actually not that disapointed. I never believed in this Hossa thing, but I've got to admit that in the last couple of days, the rumours and the hype got to me.

But I urge you (and everyone else) to find the clip where Gainey says he's looking for an "impact player". If you've seen the whole segment, you know that answer was pulled out of him. At first, a journalist asked him if he intended to make any moves. He evaded the question. A second journalist pushed, and asked him if, hypothetically, he was going to make a move, what sort of move it would be. And that's when the "impact player" quote was born.

I don't think Gainey ever intended to shop for an "impact player", as in, it wasn't his MUST MAKE move. It was something he was open to. It was not make or break, and I'm glad.

Marian Hossa would never have signed in Montreal, and we would have given up way too much for him. I'm not ready to let go of the youth and young vets that this team has built. Also, I think Pittsburgh totally got the raw end of the deal. In my eyes, Atlanta is the definite winner in this transaction, picking up a trio of young talents who will develop into impact players.

And yes, Montreal is now stuck with two goalies who are rookies and have no NHL post-season experience. But these are both guys who thrive under pressure. They'll work with each other, pushing each other to the brink. That's the kind of pressure Carey Price needs, not this "it's all your fault" pressure we've been giving him.

I think it could definitely be beneficial for this tandem to be so young, and it also means the team is going to rally around them because they won't necessarily trust that they can let the pucks get all the way to the net every time. And Halak is pretty impressive. He's been rocking the Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL and forcing them to keep competing for a playoffs spot. Who's to say he won't do the same here?

I also think that by keeping the core we have now, these guys are going to come together. They know there's no option, and that the only changes will be caused by call ups. Like Mikhail Grabovski, whom I hope will not be spending the majority of his time on the press gallery.

And while we will probably miss Huet in the room, at least we won't have to worry about him letting in that stinker. And this is good news. It's like if Saku Koivu were to never take offensive zone penalties again! We've got something to cheer about!

As for the 'Dogs, they've got Yann Danis and other solid goaltending prospects to pick up the slack, and so I'm not at all concerned about their playoff position... As long as everyone who is still down there keeps scoring now that Grabs is likely to finish the season in Montreal.

Meanwhile, the Habs have a game to play tonight. The good news is, no Hossa or Pascal Dupuis and no Colby Armstrong, Erik Christensen, Angelo Esposito or that elusive first round draft pick to worry about!