Byrne, baby, Byrne!

So how about Ryan O'Byrne and the Habs? I know, it's just one game, but here comes this guy who's supposed to shake up a game or two with his fists to wake up the recently slumping Canadiens. If you ask me, when I first saw his picture I was sure he was some sort of Irish redneck - the Brian McGrattan or Georges Laraque type that doesn't involve too much talent, just 100 % intimidation.

Turns out he brought a bit more than that. The type of player who doesn't mean to chip in offensively, but shows up on the scoreboard anyway becuase of a stray pass or two. Byrne, baby, Byrne. With 2 assists in his first NHL game, is he the next Norris Trophy winner for top defenceman?

Mmm... maybe more like the next Kamil Piros, who as a late-season callup had 3 goals and 2 assists in 3 games in 2003 for Atlanta. He played 17 more NHL games, scoring a total of 2 points during the rest of his short career. Last I heard was that he was playing for some obscure hockey teams in Switzerland and Russia.

But maybe that's a bit harsh for O'Byrne. Let's just say he won't evolve into an offensive defenceman, but I like his chances for a good NHL career.

Though I think this year's not the year for Montreal and its faithful. I predicted before the season began that Montreal would not make the play-offs. I still stand by that prediction, as a number of Habs have hit slumps and Carey Price can only do so much in net. The Canadiens rely too much on their power-play, and once Alex Kovalev decides he's too tired to play well anymore, the losses will start accumulating.

So until next time, try finding some actual documentation about Kamil Piros. It's bound to be wasteful of your time.

Sir Barbeton