Written by Chantal, AllHabs.net
One of my favorite hockey writers is Adam Proteau. Adam is a columnist for The Hockey News. He’s knowledgeable, hilarious, and kind of cute. In fact, I like him so much I asked him to marry me a couple of weeks ago in his weekly “Ask Adam” mailbag. Every Friday, Adam answers questions sent by hockey fans. It inspired me. I decided to do a similar exercise via twitter. Many of you sent in great questions, and I chose a few of my favorites. In no way do I proclaim myself an expert here, but I thought it would be fun to exchange ideas.
@bMacdonald8
@habsgirl4life Question from a #Bruins fan. How do you think Pouliot will fit in with the team and do you think he can succeed? #curious
After exchanging a few tweets with Brandon the Bruins fan, he emailed me his thoughts on the Pouliot signing. Brandon is the editor of NHLHotStove.com.
So Brandon, to be completely honest, I don’t have much faith in Benoit ( who we affectionately nicknamed Chicken Boy in Montreal) but, maybe Claude Julien can figure him out. I know Coach Julien gets mixed reviews from the Bruins fanbase, but he might hold the key to the mystery that is Pouliot. He’s a talented player, no doubt, and if CJ can figure out why he has never lived up to expectations, that pickup could be the bargain of the summer. The last paragraph of the email you sent me pretty much sums up my thoughts :
“All in all, what the Bruins can expect from Pouliot this season is around 15-20 goals, provide some physical play and plug holes throughout the lineup when need be. But expect him to round out the bottom six for the majority of the season. If he is willing to be physical and play the “Bruins style” of hockey he will see ice time, if he is timid and a passenger on the ice, he will get the best seat in the house — in the press box.”
Then, a few of you sent in trivia questions.
@Peterg11742
@habsgirl4life How many sticks and pucks do the Habs go through in a season ?
Peter, after much research, bothering my friends and contacts, and a pretty epic headache, I still have no clue. If anyone out there does have the answer to this question, drinks are on me.
@bourassamr
@habsgirl4life What is the longest streak for at least one goal in every game in a row!
Martin, here’s the breakdown :
Pre-NHL, in regular season, the streak is 80 games ; from January 10th 1914 to March 3rd 1917.
In the NHL, in regular season, the streak is 185 games. From March 6th 1971 to November 8th 1973. During this time, Habs recorded 116 W –34 L – 35 Ties.
A HUGE thank you to my friend Simon who calculated these stats.
@stephmartel
@habsgirl4life only players of montreal habs history to wear #13
Stephane, as you know, there were four ( who played at least one regular season game ). Lorenzo Bertrand, Edmond Bouchard, Alex Tanguay, and Michael Cammalleri.
@SimServ92
@habsgirl4life Who scored the first ever Montreal Canadiens goal?? Who scored the first Montreal Canadiens goal in the NHL??
Simon, First ever is Newsy Lalonde, First in the NHL is Joe Malone.
Also, thank you for sending the answers with your question; saved me a bit of research. Ha!Ha!
@Max_Habs
@habsgirl4life Will the Habs win the Stanley Cup ??
Dear Max, no.
I mean, they will one day.. but I don’t see a cup in Montreal in the near future. At the beginning of the season, technically, 30 teams have a shot at it. After five minutes, we can rule out the Islanders, Maple Leafs, Panthers, Blues, Stars, Senators and Wild. Montreal would need everything to go their way; a very healthy roster, a spectacular goaltender, great offensive input from the top six, a solid and impenetrable defence and a whole lot of luck.
Your job as a fan is to never stop believing.
@nightscrabbler
@habsgirl4life Now that the Jets are back, what are the chances of seeing the return of the Nordiques in the near future?
Shan,
There is nothing I would want more than to see the Nordiques back in Quebec. I am thrilled for Winnipeg. In bringing them back, the league scored major points in my books, for once. But, I don’t think Quebec is any closer to getting their team back than they were last year. The city still lacks a building ( the major sticking point with Mr. Bettman ), and with all the political pissing going on at the moment, I doubt Quebec is on top of the league’s list for a potential franchise. I do believe hockey will be back in my hometown one day, but not within a year or two. Expansion is not an option at the moment. As for relocation, I expect the Coyotes to finally get out of Phoenix next year, but I’m unsure of their destination. In that case, everything would have to go Quebec’s way, including a possible intervention from the Hockey Gods.
Now, my job as fan is to never stop believing.
@GuillaumeL_MTL
@habsgirl4life Are the #Habs going to be more competitive next season against the Western teams and the bigger teams?
Guillaume,
My major concern is figuring out if Habs can be more competitive against their own conference. We all know Habs lack size. But funny enough, when playing Western conference teams, I find Habs are outplayed in other areas, namely speed. Western teams tend to play a fast, open game; something Jacques Martin sometimes seems to have trouble adjusting to. Add to that strength and size, and it can become overwhelming for our little guys.
That being said, any team can beat anyone on any given night. Habs do have their strengths and when everyone is on the same page, they can produce little gems of games. It will be interesting to see what Cole and a healthy Pacioretty for a full season can bring up front. And with the General back on defence, I expect a smoother transition game. So to answer your question, I guess we’ll see as soon as the season starts!
Feel free to leave your thoughts, and tweet me up @habsgirl4life if you have a question or topic you would like to discuss.