Pre-season Hockey Talk

This is my favorite time of year; the dead end of summer, right before fall. Everything is so new and fresh. You get a first look at how the season is going to be. Of course, I’m referring to the hockey season. With the Habs pre-season in full swing, there’s a lot to look forward to. Gomez got a goal last night. Pacioretty got 2 (also hit the goalpost once and the crossbar once). Not impressed with Price’s play lately but I’m not going to fret over it. After all, noone’s winning the Stanley Cup in September, right? Granted, he’s not solely to blame. I mean, often, his defensemen didn’t step up to the plate and left him carrying all the weight himself. The goalie can only make so many saves until one gets past him. Still, I guess I expect more from him, after seeing how spectacularly he played last season. When the regular season gets underway, no more excuses!

What also has me impressed is Shanahan’s ‘video explanation’ for the suspensions he hands out. So far, so good, but they were easy calls. Shelley, for one, was a no-brainer. 10 games was indeed a little harsh but not when you look at the man’s history of abuse! What I’d really like to see is how he handles the star players, those first-time offenders and players specifically on the Bruins and Maple Leafs teams. Certain teams tend to have a ‘get out of jail free’ card when it comes to being dealt suspensions. With Shanny at the helm, I’d like to see that bias abolished once and for all. This is no longer Campbell’s corner!