LET THE IMPLOSION BEGIN

I think last night’s game will really get the demolition ball rolling, beyond anything a potential win tomorrow night can fix. I haven’t had the guts to venture around the forum, but by some of the comments on TSN.ca, I can tell the usual parade of brain dead comments have begun.

The team last night was spectacular. Spectacularly poor. But this is still a team which is one attitude change away from a power house. It will come, I know that much. What it will take to make it happen, well I can speculate, as can the rest of us, but no one can really be sure. We have to have faith and trust in the staff to get the team through the rough patch. There are enough hockey minds within the organisation who will know better than any one of us wana be GM in here can claim to know. Furthermore, for once we have staff in place who has proven on several occasions that they are not worried, nor will they act different because of, the media and fan frenzy and all the politics that go along with it. They will do what is best for the team, and they will do it better than anyone in here, writing for Le Journal or expressing themselves as having the cure all bogus remedy this team needs. We can trust Bob, Carb and the gang to be more objective than any one of us would like to believe and will base their judgement on professionalism, and decades of Stanley Cup winning, but kicking, hockey playing experience.

So to all you certifiable arm chari GMs ready to blow the team and coaching staff up, grow up, get a life, grow a brain cell or two and shut the flanelle up.

LETS NOT FORGET DEFENCE

All the hype about a talented team, offensive super-powers, finishing with the highest number of goals for last year, and definitely due (at least on paper) to break that record this year, it appears that the team has forgotten the second half of the ice. All the attention is getting the puck up ice to create offensive chances, when what seem to be killing us are goals against. We had a pretty good, simple, and effective system last year and I don’t see why the coaching staff has not reinforced this same play. Perhaps they were liooing to try something new, which might offer a better transition game and more scoring chances. But the fact of the matter is, it’s not working, the transition is not working, players are getting frustrated and evidently NOTHING is working.

We’re all familiar with the adage of KISS: “Keep It Simple Stupid” This works for me in my daily ventures and adventures both at work and at home, it worked for the HABS last year in their defensive play, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work this year. As soon as one touches the puck in the defensive zone, just get it out into the neutral zone and let our speedy forwards fight for it. Best case they get it and create a scoring chance. Likely case the opposing blue liners will get it and dump it in, creating a delayed offside and allowing our “D” to make a better and easier play. Worse case they get the puck and come charging back in and we’re back where we started.

Maybe I’m over simplifying (who am I kidding, I am), but it seems that at a time when nothing is working and everyone is nervous, it’s the simple plays that are the way to go and get everyone back on track. Even Zorro the Beagle is with me on this one, and we usually disagree on everything unless we’re deciding on re-fried beans as the key ingredient to turn a boring taco night to an flatulently entertaining burrito night.

SOMETHING POSITIVE TO WORK WITH

Well things have gotten ugly…very ugly. Relatively speaking, ugly still ain’t that bad. Ugly three years ago would have meant last place in the East, so we should still feel fortunate that a horrible horrible Canadiens team is still fifth in the East and 7th in the league with less games played than everyone in front (except Detroit who has also played 16). Now there’s an eye opener.

Regardless of the standings, we know things are no where near as good as they can be. The team seems to have lost its identity. We went through a similar patch last year (even worse than this if we can all recall) and guess who emerged as the leader and brought this team in to heights no analyst across the league believed to be possible: Kovalev.

Some have argued that Kovy is not the same man this year, not the same locker room, etc, etc… And it’s true that things have changed in his surroundings. But Kovy hasn’t changed. He’s still a fierce competitor, and a role model to all the youngsters. He still feels the joy of playing hockey, and more importantly WINNING. A la Patrick Roy, Kovalev’s whole demeanour changes when they win, and I’m not talking about the generic happy feelings one gets for being on a winning team. He WANTS to win…he NEEDS to win, and he knows with this team, he CAN win…over and over and over again.

I may be naïve and a blind fool as a direct result of my unhealthy obsession with the Tricolore, but I think last night’s shootout scenario with Alex Kovalev scoring the game winner in true Kovale style (i.e. sending the goalie to collect his jock strap on the other side of the net) is just the type of clincher he needs to kick him self in the butt and get into gear. Once Kovalev is on the proper wavelength, the rest of the team will follow.

This of course is my belu blanc et rouge two cents that are not worth very much, unless of course you’re as blind, wishful, hopeful and obsessively loyal as I am.

WILL THE STREAK GO ON?....FORGET THE STREAK…WE GOT BIGGER PROBLEMS

OK…so far this season I have (as well as many of us in here) given the HABS the benefit of the doubt. It is a long season, bad games will happen, que sera sera…But now this is starting to reek more of a team that is caught up in their own, non-proven, greatness. And this reek is worse than Zorro the beagle’s bowel movements after taco night. The players (except the fourth line) are gliding up and down the ice, EXPECTING for plays to happen. There is no fight, no fire, and the Ottawa game on Tuesday was only the fourth game I can remember us playing like real athletes.

Now let me clarify: I’m not saying all is lost and this team is over rated. I think this team is poised to represent the East in the Stanley Cup finals, and has a good shot at it as well. However that is step 12 of the 82 + games season, and we’re still stuck on step 1. Play hockey. Get in to the game. Get emotional. Talent DOES NOT win games. Hard work wins games.

I would have hoped with the way the team responded to the Toronto game against Ottawa was solid proof enough that the locker room was getting cleared up with this incessive self glorifying fog and the “better than thou” attitude we bring on the ice. Last night was proof positive it was not. What can the coaching staff do to get them on track? I don’t know what more they can do. It’s time for the veterans to speak up in the room and hold each other accountable (not finger point and make excuses, but hold the entire locker room accountable). This nonchalant attitude has to stop

WILL THE STREAK GO ON?....YES

The Booins are on a roll…woopty doo. They won again last night….big woop. They face the HABS tonight yipeeeeee!!!

With the HABS gelling once again, we can expect them to go on a tear…the first real tear of the season, and the Booins will be our second victims. The Brruins have notoriously have had psychological issues playing against the HABS. They have however come out a few games with a positive frame of mind, guns blazing, Charas playing like they should, and the offense forechecking. Unfortunatelly for them, on each such occasion, the HABS scored the first goal thanks to acrobatic saves from our goalies and an odd man rush for us against an aggressive team. With the first goal in the Booins fell apart like papier mache in a rain storm.

Moral of the story is the Bruins are feeling good and the team is working on all cylinders. They will be facing off against a team who they have not beaten in (what is it now…12?) regular season games, so you can bet they will be very aggressive and confident that given their team this year and current streak, this is where it ends. It will be up to us to start the game strong and get that first goal in to mess with their minds, before they can even get into the game. One of our weaknesses have been the slow starts, but this is one of the many things we remedies on Tuesday’s game. I can only hope (and I do believe) that tonight’s game will be no different in that sense. Tonight, the Bruins will be just another victim for the Bleu Blanc et Rouge.

TOUGHT PILL TO SWALLOW

After a long week of waiting for hockey, we were disappointed with the Friday/Saturday tandem of poor performances. Friday’s game would have been grudgingly acceptable had we blown the Leafs away on Saturday, but alas…the team’s laziness finally overcame it’s raw talent. Hard work will always beat talent and talent won’t get you anywhere without hard work, and I suppose this will be the coaching staff’s greatest challenge this year going into, and through the playoffs.

On one hand I would like to sit here and vent and trash the HABS for a lazy effort, but on the other hand I know the season is long and bad patches are inevitable for any team. However, we have all been aware since the beginning of the year that out of 12 games played we can ONLY easily name two where the team played hard. Otherwise we always got away with talent. So do we worry? Do we fire the coach and bring in someone else? Is it time to trade Kovalev while his stock is high and get some new blood? Is it time break into each other’s skulls and feast on the sweet sweet goo inside? No…not yet…not ever. All the arm chair GMs (and La Presse) who are more than eager to jump on any opportunity to rip an extremely talented team full of potential apart can go suck a lemon. All that the team needs is to play more games, get the chemistry going, and have some team building activities. Paintball is always a popular choice ;)

AN OK FAILIURE

To the intense competitor, the above statement may seem paradoxical; however a team that plays 82 games in a season is bound to make blunders, and I’m willing to accept gaffes as long as they are less ghastly than the previous error.

In our case, following our last long break we came out playing at the intensity level of the girls scout district 36 pink (a.k.a. the unicorns) hockey team. We dropped our first loss in regulation to Anaheim and hung our heads in shame.

Last night we were faced with a similar challenge to that game and I thought we played a lot better in that we were sharper….still as dull as a pair of fisher price set of play-dough scissors, but sharper. We played better than the Anaheim game and we got 1 more point than we did in our previous “long break” test. So I’ll grudgingly take it and stick it in the bank (my investment statement is above showing a sweet 135…about as many dollars left in my investment portfolio. But jokes on the MN, my portfolio value is dropping faster than it is so I’ll definitely win the race to 0 first.)

AAAAAAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No HABS games till Friday. Are you kidding me? How is a mere mortal supposed to withstand such torture? I’m yet to recover from the previous week’s long break. And this one is longer…Go suck a lemon Mr. Buttman…go suck a lemon. And I’ll continue to take out my mental aggression out on Chris Lee.

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HMMMMM…

Today is a good kind of day. Today is the day the bandwagonners are filtered from the die-hard hard core, give my first born for season tickets kind of fans. The often pretentious HFWB, short for habs fan wanna be, will be whining about how they missed an awesome come back after they changed the channel during the second intermission. Today, as the HFWBs slowly emerge from their caverns full of lies, I will be able to look them in the eye and give them a piece of my mind, guilt free.

The HFWB are one thing, but last night there was a bigger target in my eyes. Joel Bouchard made a new enemy in me last night, which mean…well absolutely nothing. I’m too lazy to even make a prank call, but he’ll still be hung out to dry in this article.

During the second intermission, he actually said, and I quote “J’espere que les Canadiens perd cette rencontre”. Translation…he’s a douche. Now I’ll admit, the context in which he said was that it would serve a valuable learning experience for the team, so this kind of lazy underestimating the opponent none-sense does not repeat its self past January. However, there are two big taboos in my eyes in the hockey world:

1) NEVER wish for a HABS loss
2) NEVER wish for a Leafs win

It was apparent that the lesson was learned after two periods of epsilonic hockey, and the team demonstrated that with their play in the third. Sure the goals started coming in the last 15 minutes, but the style changed from the face-off to begin the period. The Islanders got a dose of reality and were kept to a hand full of shots, most of which came in the last 30 seconds in a desperate attempt to un-do a colossal failure on their part.

So Joel gets one strike in my book, but once again I’m too lazy to keep track of these things, so he’ll be OK by days end. He has an extremely knowledgeable hockey mind, and he makes up for his poor TV presence with quality thoughts and constructive analysis of the teams. BUT, if he doesn’t want to go the way of Don I used motel drapes for a suit Cherry, he has to never, ever, EVER wish for a HABS loss EVER again.

I HAD A DREAM…

Last night my sub-conscious was taken to a ride to left field, when the usual suspects in my dream world consisting of the likes of Angelina JoLee, Scarlet Johanson, any of the heroines from the Austin Powers series and the double mint twins (together of course) were replaces with the storky outline of Chris Lee. Turns out Chris Lee doesn’t look as good in a red cocktail dress, but after haven subconsciously take a baseball bat to his face, forced him to sit through a whole Abba album and fed him through a wood chipper he was just as fulfilling. He was back to his antics last night, and anyone who disagrees that he is monumentally biased against the HABS is a blind fool who’s mental incapacities can rival the Crazy Cat Suit Man (speaking of which, haven’t seen Crazy Cat Suit Man yet…hope he’s OK).

With the exception of one or two, I’ll give it to the refs that they called valid penalties against us…no argument there. However they let the Wild go Wild on us and missed a few calls and decided to knit pick against the Bleu Blanc et Rouge as a direct result of a hissy fit by Jacques Lemaire. I suppose it is the reality of the game that junior refs are susceptible to the influence of established coaches.

In the meanwhile it was great practice for our PK, and a game like this can really get them on a roll and point them down the right track. Superb show for Carey Price and it was good to see Markov pot his first goal…it was long overdue and well deserved.

On a final not…I hate Chris Lee.

AROU YOU READY TO KOIVU?!

Sweet…two brothers, the captains of their respective teams, facing off against each other tonight (starting from the opening face off I presume) in the NHL. Boy would I love to be a fly on the wall during the Koivu’s Christmas get together this year. This game has bragging right written all over it. The team who wins will crown one brother as superior to the other, so we can expect both Koivu’s to play at the top of their game. This could potentially be a good thing for us, if the young Koivu lets his emotions get the better of him, and tries to attack too much, thus opening the crap trap game Minnesota likes to curse the world with.

We have had difficulty last year against teams that play this style of game, and are repeating the same patter this year. I will be hoping in a pessimistic fashion that we can not only deal with this style of game, but dominate it. The key is to score the first goal and score on the power plays, thus forcing the opposing crap trap to open up in an attempt to increase scoring chances. Our problem of course has been to score first and on the power play. Here’s hoping we can win this one without chewing through what little remains I have on my finger nails.

PS Some members have been having trouble refreshing the MN Table and NL standings. If the refresh button doesn’t fix it, we found that logging off and back on to the forum helps fix the problem.

IT’S MY FAULT IT’S SNOWING, BUT IT’S ALL ABOUT THE CHEMISTRY

My apologies MN-Nation…I am the one responsible for the snow. I had my winter tires installed on the car yesterday, winterized my car (which is a fancy way of saying I threw my brush and scraper on the back seat), set-up my Tempo, and BOOM! Snow. I feel aright about it knowing that I am ready for the winter, but I am sure I have burdened many of you who are yet to tackle the winterizing issues around the house and the car.

To make up for the white stuff, I struck a deal with the All Might Sponge Bob. He told me the HABS were poised to loose the game against the Canes, because they were unable to give as a team, and this will lead to failures in the transition game, defensive end as well as turn-over’s in all three zones of the arena. The big yellow porous guy owes me one so he said he’d hook us up with another “phew…at least we got the two points” win, like a few other we already got in this early season.

I’m not worried about the team performing, but I am beginning to wonder when the team will get going. It’s a chemistry thing IMHO, and once the chemistry is there, the passes will be crisp, which will help the transition game and allow our defence-men to NOT look like a bunch of McCabe’s on the ice. The chemistry will also help our special teams, especially on the scoring end. The chemistry is what this team is missing, and perhaps it has to do with all the attention around the centennial celebrations. It can, and most probably is, a major distraction to the locker room. Furthermore, the media pinned them as the Eastern Champions before the puck even dropped, so I can imagine it would be fairly difficult to remain in “the here and now” and remain focused on the game.

We couldn’t have asked for better role models for the locker room than Bob Gainey, Guy Carbonneau, Kirk Muller and Doug Jarvis in helping them stay focused on the game instead of the media and marketing circus happening around them for our entertainment. Such is the plight of a professional athlete competing in a town where the team surpassed all major religions in the hierarchy rector scale, but it is an issue that must be tackled none the less.

In the meanwhile I’m happy we’re on the receiving end of the two points, because we just as easily could have been 3-4-1. Hopefully a nice road trip will help the boys come together, away from all the distractions that Montreal throws their way.

DO IT FOR THE TEUS’

Mateus is back and can watch the game in peace with no guilty conscience. So go out there and give us lots of goals to watch…or so help me…

TIME IS NOT ON MY SIDE

Phew…what a weekend and what a start to the week. I am all for 50 hour days so I can get around to the more important things in life…such as the HABS and the forum.

A quick recap of Saturday would be to say the lazy plays on our end were expected. Not justified but expected. The guys had entirely too long between games. No one is gelling yet this early in the season, and an elongated six days from game day to game day just cooled everyone off. Might as well have been the first game of the season. As for the refs, I didn’t agree with a few of their calls and missed calls (what’s new there) especially on the penalty shot.

However there is a sliver lining to this loss. We were down and we caught up. We got ahead and let it slip out of our hands. We left our goalies out to dry and it was an all around disappointing and pathetic loss. The locker room was pretty demoralised I’m sure, and the coaching staff must have (should have / hopefully did) pull a John Tortorellaesqu tantrum after the game. So what’s so good ni all this. This is our first significant adversity in the season. It might be just two points lost against an out of Conference team early in the season, but mentally and emotionally it was a pretty hard blow. It will be interesting to see how the team and locker-room react to this, and I’ve got my money on a Dominant (with a capital “D”) win over the Canes.

I NEED HOCKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!!!!!!!

All work and no hockey make HLD something something…

As tough as a week I’m having at work, and as hard as it is having two poopers at home to look after, and as sleep deprived I am, the agony would have been significantly more bearable had we had a proper dosage of Les Habitants to numb the pain.

34 hours till HABS puck drop tomorrow seems entirely too far and I’m going slowly crazy I am slowy going crazy slowly crazy I am…

In the meanwhile, no news about Andrei coming back…not good. On an individual level he is a human being and the life style as well as the level of comfort for the rest of his life hangs in the balance. More importantly, on a selfish level, he is an integral part of the team, and if we are to push for a cup this year we need him in the line-up – no questions. Here’s hoping for a solid and 100% recovery.

MN NUMBERS LOOK GOOD

MN Playoff didn’t drop last night, but MN TO sure did. It’s already at 140. I have a feeling MN TO NO GO will be clinched far earlier than MN Playoffs this year.

That’s all I have to say for today. Short, sweet, uplifting and yet another backhanded pimp slap at the Maple Turds :D

JEKYLL AND HYDE

Dr. Jekyll:

Well that’s another two points! I’ll take them any way they come…no matter how ugly. Winning against a defensive and trap style team like Florida is very promising, given that we have had troubles against such teams (had a high loosing ratio against “trap” teams last year). This of course re-iterates the growth and maturity of this team. We have now shown we can play high flying games, rough physical games and slow trap-like games, and we’ve come out victorious in all of them to begin this young promising season.

This is the mark of a championship team: Always find a way to win, regardless of the circumstances and teams we play.


Mr. Hyde:

Yeah we won, but barely…against one of the weaker teams in the league. Our Power Play is non-existent, our key players are off the score sheet, and turnovers are being handed out by the bushels in the neutral and defensive zone. It was a hard game to watch. It was difficult to see turn over after turnover, giving up all those shots to Florida, and struggling against Florida…FLORIDA! If it wasn’t for Halak this game would have been our first loss, and loosing to a team like Florida is NOT something a Stanley Cup team should be doing.


Final consensus:

It was a difficult game for our boy, because the well prepared Florida team played a well designed strategy to the “T” They played their very best (and did a heck of a job) and really slowed down the injured Canadiens. Kudos to them.

However, the Canadiens with three starters injured, and two of the top players playing their worst hockey in recent history (Kovy and Plecks) still managed to fight, claw and battle for the win. This shows grit and character. All the technical stuff can be worked out in practices, however the collective will of the locker room is something that is there ot not. We have it…and how. We are blessed with a team that possesses the more unique assets and the intangibles. Now we have over five months to work out the strategies, tactics, and special teams plays in our ultimate goal of winning the Cup.

Most importantly, let us all rejoice in claiming the top spot in NL standings. Now let us stay there till the end of the season :D

FLY KITTY KITTY KITTY…

I feel as rushed as a parent doing the entire Christmas shopping on the 24th. Super busy start to the week this morning so I’ll keep it short. The HABS have made a statement with the start to the season we have had. During the summer most agreed that we were the #1 team in the East, and we’re showing that now. However tonight is an important test.

Tonight’s game is against the Florida Panthers. A team ranked as one of the lowest in the East. A team with one of the weakest offenses in the entire league. A team with whom we have no rivalries or ill feelings. Basically it’s just a game…nothing special.

Even though on paper we should blow this team away, in the past we have had issues facing weak teams. Even last year we were guilty of playing to the level of our opponents, thus allowing weak teams to remain in the game and often upset us. This year is about playing our game and letting the league catch up to us. So far we have played our game (albeit lazy at times, but we imposed our style regardless of the opponents). Today we will see if the locker room has developed the mental maturity that champions possess: “Just play your game…period”. Can we keep the foot on the gas pedal? If we do this should have a 4-5 goal differential with a dominant and comfortable win for the HABS (kind of like the Maple Turds game earlier ni the season).

I will be watching and hoping that team lays it on for 60 minutes regardless of how far up we are on the score board. I will also be hoping that the Power Play gets some momentum once again and that Kovalev’s lin e can get on the scoreboard. Not only will this line’s productivity be pivotal to our success this year, but Kovalev’s in my pool and I’m getting murdered :(. Whenever Kovalev touches the puck, the poor guy is covered by two-three, sometimes four players. This means that the ice is wide open for Plecks and Kostitsyn (the younger one tonight) and it will be up to them to help out their mentor and draw some players to open up the ice for Kovy by potting a few .

HLD frantically out…

THE MULTI TALENTED HABS

Now we’re on a roll. Now we seem unstop able. Now we’ve proven we can aply and win tough games. Another great game…another two points off the MN…another proud day to be a HAB.

Now to deal with the 500 lbs elephant in the room. Sauer’s hit on Kostitsyn was a close hit. Let me come out and say it: “I don’t think it was intentional”. Sauer definitely wanted to “ring Kostitsyn’s bell” as they say, but he is NOT the type of guy to go head hunting. The hit was high however and did deserve a 2 minute beyond a shadow of a doubt…but no major or suspension…at least IMO. What was more cowardly and disgusting than the hit was Sauers response after the hit. If one wants to play tough..fine. It’s the NHL for frigs sake and that’s the way it should be played. However, if you’re going to go hit someone like that, have the jewels to stand up for your actions. Sauer kept skating away from Laraque and hiding behind reffs (yes…literally hiding). Then one shift later he drags Kostopolous, someone who he has 40-60 pounds over, in to a fight as a whipping boy. I had no problem with Sauer for the hit, but after that move, he is now enemy number one on the Phoenix team who has not learnt (or learnt too much) of game behaviour and honour from the great one behind the bench. This shameful display of cowardness deserves a curse, and I hope you all join hands and repeat the following with me 12 times:

“May his crotch be infected with the fleas of a thousand camels, and may his arms be too short to scratch it”

Now with that out of the way, that whole incident is behind us and is neither here nor there. It’s done, it’s in the past, let look at the future. There are two very important points that resulted from hit that affects our next games:

1) As was the case several times last year, when a team fell behind, or lost the momentum, they tried to gain it back via physical play and intimidation. We valiantly tried to hold our own last year by pushing back (albeit a smaller push than what we usually received) and by scoring on the power play. Unfortunately there were games (especially in the playoffs), such as last night, where the whistles pull a Houdini act and disappear, except for holding and hooking calls. When it counts, such as an OT period or a playoff game, the refs always revert back to the old adage of “Let em’ play”. Last year when they “let us play” we lost the exchange more often than not and the playoff series against the Flyers was the final proof that convinced even the most animated supporters of NOT needing Enforcers.

Last night, Phoenix pushed (hard) and we pushed back harder. We won the exchange, and the momentum, the scoreboard, and Phoenix’s reluctance to play rough in the third was proof positive beyond an elephant’s shadow of a doubt. This team just proved we are ready for the cup. We are ready to play in the trenches because Laraque will break your face! OK too much…

2) The most important thing from last night’s incident of course is the health and well being of Andrei Kostitsyn. I wish him a speedy recovery and hope to see him back to his USUAL self soon. I have seen too many careers ruined at stifled at a young age as a result of concussions fro hits just like this, and I sure hope for his and his family’s sake this is not nearly as serious as those. Let us all pray to the Holy Sponge Bob for Kostitsyn’s speedy and FULL recovery.

SABRES ARE GOOD…NOT THAT GOOD

I’ve heard rumblings around the forum and elsewhere (believe it or not there is an elsewhere) that there is some worries with respect to the 4-0 start the Sabres have had. I’ll agree that many analysts have underestimated this team (IMO at least) since I had them fighting for second in the Division with Boston and Ottawa, and not dwindling away in the depths of the Eastern Conference, dancing with the likes of Toronto and Atlanta. I do NOT however se them as contenders for the Division title. This title firmly belongs to us, and despite having dropped our first game of the season to the Lindy and his crew, I don’t believe they have yet proven to be a consistent contender.

Mind you stranger things have happened, and the start to the season they have had with a solid offensive core and one of the better goalies protecting “le fillet” they could and will exceed many expectations. Division title however is out of reach. I don’t se them upholding this tempo and record for a whole season. They don’t have the depth or raw talent or size to get them through an 82 game season without hitting a couple of slumps along the way.

On another note I am totally impressed with the third period the Coyotes mounted against the Sens last night. They are a young team and so fatigue may not play an advantageous role for us even though they played last night. They have an offensive punch, but not too much defensively. This very well (and hopefully) turn out to be a fun and exciting “shoot em’ up” type of game with a total over 10. Make sure you got your seatbelts on for this one.