Happy New Year 2012

My Meanderings on this first afternoon of 2012.

*So long, farewell, our feet are stained, goodbye to 2011. Wish I could say been good to know you..but frankly not so much.

*Good things to happen in 2011...ummm let me see.... I would have to say going to Halifax to meet and visit my friend Roz and her fabulous family and certainly visiting the area and of course taking a ton of pictures.

Hal Gill

*Getting to see my beloved Habs play live in the preseason tilt - even though suckage does not even begin to describe their play. The highlight of the game - a nice shot and goal by one Scott Gomez....no really...you can look it up.

*The thing about the holiday to celebrate the earth making its way around the sun once is that it brings about the sense of renewal - a rebirth as it were. So I am starting my year off right with the first hangover I have had in over thirty years. Oy talk about your concussion-like-symptoms. So already this makes 2012 different from 2011.

*The Habs have been sucky for this season - there is no doubt about it. The fanbase were clamouring for the outright dismissal of the coach - was granted and lo and behold new guy has had even less success. I do admit though the product is more exciting (for two periods) even if the results are not there.

*Where oh where is the strength and conditioning coach- look at all the groin pulls and running out of energy in the third period. Or is it the biosteel they use not up to the rigours of an NHL game? - there I said it - now cammy will probably not sign those cards I sent him - oh well.

*Speaking of Cammy - when is someone going to tell him hey you are a member of the Habs - if you insist on wearing a ball cap please make it have the Habs logo on it. The world knows that he is a big biosteel spokesman but he is also a member of the team that pays him way too much money and when giving interviews in the room - part of the uniform. When I mentioned it on twitter I was sent messages that it is a sponsor of his etc....hey so are the Habs - main employer. Just sayin.

*Last two goals scored by PK Subban - showed very different celebrations. The first one - and it was a long time coming showed no celebration at all....nothing not even a smile or a sh*t-eating grin. He accepted the congratulations from his team mates on the ice then skated over to the bench. C'est tout folks - nothing to see here. The last goal he scored he did the jump into the glass ovi/skinner celebration - subdued by his standards but better than the previous one. For an emotional guy playing an emotional game - it is weird.

Erik Cole

*The best thing to happen to the Habs this season I would say in Erik Cole. It took him a little bit to get accustomed to playing with a new team and a new system, but has flourished so far so good.

*Other good things on the Habs is the discovery of Diaz, and Emelin and the emergence of Eller - sick hands wish he had more finish - hopefully that will come. Perhaps the defence of the future will centre around those two finds we shall see what happens.

*Hopefully Geoff Molson et al decide to blow up some of the veteran corps and bring in new ideas and a new way of doing business. Clearly the current path is not working.

*I am hoping for a new direction for my favourite team and a philosophy that failure is not an option. I live in the Toronto area and have seen a team go through this - the no trade contracts crippled them for years - the last of the "no I will not waive my NTC" left the Leafs in 2010 - won a cup and is now with the Habs and played for four NHL coaches in a month and six in 2011. Hopefully the downturn in Montreal does not take as long to turn around as those in the Queen city.

*I have no predictions for the eventual Stanley Cup winner this season, I just hope the league does not puck it this season with calls and non calls in the eventual winners direction. Oh yes - NHL all calls good and bad affect all the teams not just the ones playing.

*New Years Resolution: I resolve not to make a New Years Resolution - oops that did not take long did it?

Let me wish all of you (my five readers) a Happy 2012 filled with all the good things and an abundance of Love, Luck, and Laughter. Thank you for reading in 2011 and will resolve to blog more often in 2012.