Montreal Messed Up: Gut Check Needed for Canadiens to Make Playoffs

The Maple Leafs went into the Bell Center last night ready to face a team they thought would be tough and hungry for two points considering the Canadians were fighting for their playoff lives. What Allsports saw and what the Leafs encountered was a team in total disarray with no heart or drive to compete.

It must be driving Bob Gainey crazy to see the total lack of effort being displayed by his squad. Heart was one thing you could never accuse Gainey of not having during his playing career.

The Maple Leafs jumped all over the listless Canadians and before the Montreal faithful could catch their breath the home side was down 4-0. Jaroslav Halak got the start for the Canadians, in place of an ineffective Carey Price, but the results were the same.

I am sure there were at least two goals that Halak would like to have had a mulligan on. The Leafs fired 37 shots at Halak in the eventual 5-2 win. Gerber was steady again for the Leafs stopping 26 of 28 shots.

Jaroslav Halak

The Montreal fans as usual, booed Mikhail Grabovski without mercy but it did not take long for the wraith to get directed at the home side. Grabovski got the last laugh recording a goal and three assists. Grabovski, Kulemin and Ponikarovsky were the best players on the ice and contributed 11 points in the victory.

Allsports was torn in his opinion of the game result. Although a die hard Leafs fan, part of me wanted the Canadians to win considering they are the only Canadian team in the Eastern Conference with a realistic chance at a playoff spot.

Mind you if the Habs keep playing the way they are it won’t matter, even if they back into the playoffs much like Ottawa did last year it won’t take long for them to be gone. Gainey can do nothing more to right the ship.

The players themselves have to look in the mirror and get back the heart and desire to compete in the last ten games of the season.

For the complete sports on the web news story on the game, go Here.

Previously this past week the Leafs played 500 hockey on their trip through Florida. They lost 3-1 to a very hungry Florida Panthers team chomping at the bit to make the playoffs.

Vokoun was strong between the pipes for Florida as they swept the season series against the Leafs for the first time since 1995. The Leafs started three rookies on defence and they could not handle the speedy Panthers fore check.

Last Tuesday Toronto was in Tampa where they got off to a sluggish start against the Lightning. It was 3-0 for Tampa and could have been much worse if not for the work of Curtis Joseph in the cage.

Toronto got one just before the end of the second period, then came out in the third like a totally different team. The Leafs stormed back to tie the score 3-3, led by Jason Blake and John Mitchell. Overtime solved nothing but the Leafs went on to win 4-3 in the shootout.

In other sports news on the web, it didn’t take Martin Brodeur long to claim the most career victories for a goaltender. He beat Chicago at home in his very next game to stand alone at 552 career wins. Congrats Marty you deserve it. Great goalie and a very humble and nice guy too. Not anything like Patrick Roy.

Walt Poddubny died suddenly at home yesterday in Thunderbay. He was 49, that makes you take notice as he was the same age as I am. Just goes to show that you never know when your number comes up so make your days on this earth count.

Poddubny played for five years with the Leafs in the early '80s. The Toronto Sun has more sports news on the web for this story.

“No Guts No Glory”

Walt Webb