The
Canadiens (17-9-2) wrap up their road trip Saturday night when they
play the Stars (9-12-5) in Dallas. The game starts at 7:00 and can be
seen on TVA and City.
This is the first of two games between the
Habs and Stars this season. The Canadiens will play host to Dallas at
the end of January. Last year the Habs took both their games versus the
Stars including a 6-4 victory in Dallas. Max Pacioretty and PK Subban each tallied four points in the victory.
What to Watch
Sergei Gonchar
scored his first goal in a Canadiens uniform on Friday, becoming the
oldest player in franchise history to score for the team. Gonchar played
79 games over two seasons with the Stars before being traded to the
Canadiens picking up two goals and 23 points with the team, just a
fraction of the 801 career points he's earned the the NHL.
The Canadiens will have their hands full Saturday night as they'll try to neutralize the league's top goal scorer, Tyler Seguin. Seguin has 19 goals on the season and 32 points on the year. New addition, Jason Spezza, is also off to a fine start in Dallas with five goals and 21 points in 26 games.
What's at Stake
The
Canadiens are mired in a mini-slump that's cost them points and place
in the standings. The Habs have slipped into a tie for third place in
the Eastern conference with a Penguins team that holds three games in
hand. The Stars are at the other end of the spectrum, but have a
high-powered offense that could cause trouble for Montreal.
Who's Out
Lars Eller (upper body) left Friday's game with an apparent left shoulder injury; he's not expected to play on Saturday. Sven Andrighetto has been called up for from the Bulldogs and could dress Saturday night.
Rich Peverley (chest)
has not played since collapsing on the bench in March last season.
Peverley had surgery the next week to correct an irregular heartbeat but
has been limited to off-ice workouts since. Patrick Eaves (ankle) and Valeri Nichushkin (hip) are also both out for Dallas.
What Else
The
Canadiens went one-for-three on the power against the Hawks on Friday,
improving them to 11-for-74, or a 14.9% efficiency. In 12 games with
Gonchar in the lineup the Habs have gone 8-for-32, an even 25%
conversion rate and a world of improvement on their 3-for-42
effectiveness before he arrived.
The Question Mark
What is the biggest problem the team needs to address in order to find success again this year?
The
Canadiens (35-25-7) are home to host the Senators (28-25-12) Saturday
night at the Bell Centre. The game is set to start at 7:00 and airs on
RDS and CBC.
This is the fourth of five matches between the Habs
and Sens this season and the last one in Montreal. The last two games
between these team have gone to overtime. The Canadiens earned their
first win in the season series the last time these teams met, PK Subban
scored the OT winner. Tomas Plekanec scored a pair in the 5-4 win, he
has just one goal in 19 games since.
What to Watch:
It
looks like Michel Therrien will have new line combinations in place for
Saturday night. If the lines from Friday's practice hold, Brendan
Gallagher will be reunited with Alex Galchenyuk and the struggling Lars
Eller, while Thomas Vanek will play alongside Max Pacioretty and David
Desharnais. Vanek earned his first point as a Hab in Wednesday's 4-1
loss to the Bruins, an assist on Desharnais' goal.
After missing
much of last season with injury, Erik Karlsson is again the Senators
most potent threat with 17 goals and 58 points. Karlsson leads all
defensemen in points this season, with 7 more than Duncan Keith in
second. Jason Spezza has 6 points in his last two games, which brings
him up to 53 points in 60 games played this season.
What's at Stake:
The
Canadiens are looking to put an end to their three game losing streak
and keep pace with the Maple Leafs and Lightning in the race for second
place in the Atlantic Division. The Leafs are three points ahead of the
Habs with one more game played, and the Bolts hold a game in hand on the
Canadiens and are tied with them in the standings.
Who's Out:
Carey
Price (lower body) has yet to play a game since winning Gold in Sochi,
but he could be set for a return this weekend, either Saturday against
the Sens or Sunday against the Sabres. Josh Gorges (hand) and Michael
Bournival (concussion) are still out, though Bournival has been cleared
for contact and could be close to a return.
The Senators are missing starting goalie Craig Anderson (shoulder) while Cody Ceci (head) is questionable.
What Else:
The
Canadiens are playing their 13th set of back-to-back games this
weekend, they head to Buffalo after Saturday's game to face the Sabres
on Sunday. Of the 15 games left this season, the Habs will play 8 of
them in back-to-back situations. November was the team's busiest month
for back-to-back scenarios, they played 4 sets of games on Friday and
Saturday night, ending with a modest 4-3-1 record in those situations.
The Question Mark:
We want to hear from you, how satisfied are you with Peter Budaj's performance in Price's absence?
Let us know what you think, leave a comment or send us a tweet by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.
Be
sure to tune into the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show an hour before
the puck drop and the Post Game Show 5 minutes after the final siren.
Join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.
The
Canadiens (24-14-4) return home to the Bell Centre Saturday when they
play host to the Senators (18-18-7). The puck drops at 7:00 and the game
can be seen on RDS and CBC.
This is the second of 5 meetings
between the Habs and Sens this season, and the first in Montreal. The
Senators won the first match 4-1 despite the Habs scoring the games
first goal. Bobby Ryan had a goal and 2 assists for Ottawa.
What to Watch:
PK
Subban and Max Pacioretty each had 4-point nights in Dallas. While
Subban still leads the team in points, Pacioretty is now second on the
team with 25 including 19 goals, despite missing 9 games with injury.
Subban is up to 33 points on the season, with 2 goals and 4 assists in
the last 2 games.
Bobby Ryan might have the most to prove in
Thursday's game, he was left off the Team USA roster when the
announcement was made New Year's day. Ryan ha 18 goals on the year, one
less than his compatriot Max Pacioretty who was named to the roster.
Like
PK Subban, Erik Karlsson leads his team in points with 38 on the
season. The Norris Trophy winner from 2011-12 is second in defensive
scoring.
What's at Stake:
This is
Montreal's first home game of 2014 and their first game in the Bell
Centre in two and a half weeks. With 52 points on the year, the Habs are
keeping pace with the Lightning and Bruins but are still a step behind
both teams.
Who's Out:
The Habs are
without, Davis Drewiske (shoulder) and George Parros (concussion). Ryan
White left Tuesday's game after a second period fight. Daniel Briere
missed the last two games as a healthy scratch.
The Senators are missing Chris Neil (lower body), while Jason Spezza (hip) has missed the last 3 games and is day-to-day.
What Else:
The
chase for Gold has heated up with Team USA naming its Olympic roster on
New Year's Day. Montreal's Max Pacioretty made the cut but Alex
Galchenyuk and Ottawa's Bobby Ryan and Craig Anderson were left off the
team. Canada will name it's lineup on Tuesday, Carey Price and PK Subban
look likely to make the team, although rumors persist that Subban is a
bubble choice. Jason Spezza and Kyle Turris are both long-shots to make
the cut, which could leave the Senators without a player on either Team
Canada or Team USA. Luckily Erik Karlsson is a pretty safe bet to make
Team Sweden.
The Question Mark:
Trade
rumors are swirling in Montreal, what type of player do the Habs need
most and what can they afford to give up to bring him to the team?
Let us know what you think, leave us a comment below or send us a tweet using the #MTLHockey hashtag.
Be
sure to tune into the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show an hour before
the puck drop and the Post Game Show 5 minutes after the final siren.
Join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.
Some hockey fans in Canada will certainly be disappointed that the Montreal Canadiens won’t meet the Toronto Maple Leaf in the first round of the playoffs, but that’s not going to happen, in the first round at least, as the Habs will face the Ottawa Senators. The close division rivals will face each other for the first time ever in the playoffs since the arrival of Ottawa in the NHL in the early 1990s. This series will probably turn into an epic goaltending battle and low-scoring affairs between two of the league’s strongest netminders in Craig Anderson and Carey Price.
Both teams had successful regular seasons for different reasons. The Canadiens, who finished dead last in the Eastern Conference in 2011-12 and went through a complete overhaul of their off-ice personnel in the off-season, managed to win the Northeast division when the Boston Bruins stumbled against those same Senators last night. As for the Senators, they were tormented by serious injuries to key players, but they never lost faith or intensity under Jack Adams trophy candidate Paul MacLean. Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza, Craig Anderson, Milan Michalek and Jared Cowan all missed significant time due to injury. The Canadiens and Senators split four games this season, with both teams winning one game in regulation and one game in a shootout, which gave each team five points (2-1-1 record) in the season series, both teams winning their games on home ice. Overall, the Canadiens finished with a 29-14-5 record earning 63 points in 48 games, while the Senators posted a respectable 25-7-6 record for 56 points during the lockout-shortened campaign. The Canadiens finished with the third best offense in the NHL, scoring 149 goals, or 3.04 GF/G, in comparison to the 116 goals, or 2.33 GF/G, the Senators managed to score. On defense, the Senators were dominant, allowing the second fewest goals in the league with 100 goals, or a 2.08 GA/G, compared to the 124 goals, or 2.58 GA/G, allowed by the Canadiens. On paper, the Canadiens have the best team, but we all know that surprises can happen and this series is no exception, yet, let’s have a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each team.
Goaltending: Craig Anderson had a very strong season for the Senators and had he not missed extensive playing time, he would certainly be a top candidate for the Vezina Trophy. The veteran netminder finished with a 12-9-2 record, posting a very solid 1.69 GAA to go along with an excellent .941 save percentage. In Anderson’s absence, back-up Robin Lehner and now-departed giant Ben Bishop posted great numbers and kept the goal-starved Senators in playoff contention. For Montreal, Carey Price faltered down the stretch after a great start, seeing his overall statistics balloon at a 2.59 GAA and a less-than-stellar .905 save percentage. Price, who posted a solid 21-13-4 record despite his recent struggles, will need to avoid giving up bad goals early in the first period, something that has plagued him in the Canadiens’ past ten games. Second violin, Peter Budaj, had a great season for the Canadiens, posting a solid 8-1-1 record with a great 2.29 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 13 games played. His solid play earned his a two-year contractextension with the organization and Michel Therrien is not afraid to use him in big games, so don’t be surprise to see him start a game if Price struggles early. Edge: Ottawa
Defensive corps The Canadiens boast two of the best offensive-minded defensemen in the NHL with PK Subban (11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points in 42 games) and Andrei Markov (10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 48 games), while the Senators can count on the return of a healthy Erik Karlsson, the 2012 Norris Trophy winner, who is back from a serious Achilles injury that forced him to miss most of the shortened season. Both defensive brigades boast a solid group of defensemen that provide leadership and experience on the blue line, Josh Gorges and Francis Bouillon for Montreal, and Sergei Gonchar and Chris Phillips for Ottawa. With similar offensive punch of the power play and great defensive prowess on the man advantage, both teams match evenly in this department. Edge: None
Forward lines The injury to Jason Spezza has left head coach Paul MacLean scramble for offense, which has been the most obvious shortcoming for the Senators this season: the team only had four players with 20 points or more (Alredsson, Turris, Conacher and Zibanejad) this season. Injuries to Milan Michalek and Guillaume Latendresse have hampered Ottawa’s offensive production from its forwards all season long, but now that both have returned, and with the addition of rookie Cory Conacher acquired at the deadline, the Senators can count on a more balanced group of forwards.
On the other hand, the strength of the Canadiens and head coach Michel Therrien has been their ability to consistently roll three productive lines all year long. Eight forwards with 25 points or more for the Bleu Blanc Rouge, including über-talented rookies Alex Galchenyuk and Brandon Gallagher. Rene Bourque would certainly have made it nine if he had not missed 21 games because of a concussion. Overall, the Canadiens will benefit from their balanced line-up, especially since they don’t have a clear-cut first line, which makes it harder for the opposing coach to match up his defensive specialist against the Habs’ top weapons. Edge: Montreal
Special units The power play of the Canadiens has been deadly at times because of the dynamic duo of Andrei Markov and PK Subban on the point, who have combined for 49 points on the man advantage, helping the Habs’ PP to produce at a 22.4% rate, good for 9th in the NHL. As for the Senators, they have struggled all year on the power play, especially with Karlsson out of the line-up, producing at a paltry 15.8% clip, good for 24th in the league. As for the penalty kill, Ottawa was the best team in the NHL this season, killing penalties at an excellent 88% clip. On the other hand, the Canadiens struggled with a man down, finishing 23rd with a dismal 79.8% rate, costing them more than one game down the stretch. A good measure to assess the quality of a team’s special units is to add both percentages and come to a rate better than 100%. For Ottawa, the rate comes down to 103.8% with is very good. As for Montreal, it is slightly inferior at 102.2%. Edge: None
After analysing both teams, we can conclude this will be a pretty even matched up series, and it will probably come down to home-ice advantage as both teams won at home against the other team during the regular season.Fearless prediction: Montreal wins in 7 gamesProbable lines:
Michael Ryder-Tomas Plekanec-Brian Gionta
Max Pacioretty-David Desharnais-Rene Bourque
Alex Galchenyuk-Lars Eller-Brendan Gallagher
Travis Moen-Jeff Halpern-Brandon Prust
Healthy scratches: Colby Armstrong, Ryan White, Gabriel Dumont
Isn't it incredible? Just a week after having an emergency appendectomy, Canadien's winger Max "Wolverine" Pacioretty was back on the ice skating at Complexe Bell in Brossard on Thursday. Although the team officially had a day off, both Patches and newly resigned P.K. Subban were on the ice, going through a light skate.
While Pacioretty isn't expected back for at least another two weeks, history would dictate that his incredible healing ability might say otherwise. Only time will tell, but WOW!!!
Bryan Murray announced yesterday that Senators' star centre Jason Spezza will miss a minimum of two months because of surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back. According to Murray, Spezza has been playing the majority of his career with back pain, and now it has gotten to a point where he cannot sleep properly, therefore hindering his ability to recover after games.
There are those of us who are part of HabsNation would love for someone to beat the pulp out of loudmouthed Bruins' tough guy Shawn Thornton. Well, last night at TD Garden in Boston, Buffalo Sabres' heavyweight John Scott layed the smackdown on Thornton, for all of us to enjoy.
With the lack of progress in the NHL Lockout negotiations, some players are trying to keep fans happy in ways they normally couldn't during the regular season.
Montreal Canadiens' defenceman Josh Gorges, who is one of the more active players on Twitter during the work stoppage, used the power of social media, along with a helping hand from the Montreal Gazette's Dave Stubbs, to organize a game of shinny.
The game took place yesterday at Willibrord Park in Verdun, at one of the community rinks built by the Habs' organization through their Children's Foundation.
- The Spengler Cup opened on Boxing Day in Davos, Switzerland. Long considered one of the lesser hockey tournaments in the World, to the Swiss it is a bigger deal than the World Junior Hockey Championships. Canada opened their tournament against Adler Manheim.
The Montreal Canadiens, fresh off clinching their fourth straight playoff appearance, embark on their penultimate game of the season tonight in Ottawa against the Senators.
This will be the sixth and final game of the season between the two teams, in which the Sens have not fared very well. Montreal has won four of the five matches so far and outscored the Sens 11-2 in their last two wins.
The Habs have only been playing .500 hockey over their last ten games, however, and will be trying on entering the playoffs on a roll.
For the Sens, their season ends once the regular season is over. However these are still professional athletes and, as such, will be playing for pride more than anything else.
Standings
The Sens are 13th overall in the East with 72 points, only two out of the conference basement. Despite being eliminated from playoff contention—and perhaps because of it—the Sens have a 6-3-1 record over their last ten.
Their recent hot streak includes a 5-2 Tuesday night win over the suddenly struggling Philadelphia Flyers.
The Habs are in sixth overall in the East with 93 points and two games to play in the season.
There is as much fluidity in the top three as there is in the bottom three in the East. As such, Montreal can't afford to rest on their laurels and would do well to win tonight and Saturday in Toronto.
The Sabres and Rangers are one and two points back of the Canadiens respectively.
Goaltending
Canadiens MVP, Carey Price, will get a rest tonight after getting his franchise record 71st start of the year on Tuesday.
In his place, backup Alex Auld will get his first start in eight games. The last time he played Montreal rolled over the Minnesota Wild 8-1.
Montreal has won only three games since then.
Injuries have created a goaltending carousel for the Sens this season, with six goaltenders starting at various points over the year.
However with Craig Anderson starting six of the last seven while going 4-1-1, he seems likely to get the call for Ottawa tonight.
Scoring and Special Teams
The Sens goals-for and against are both in the bottom-five of the league while their special teams are in the top-15.
Go figure.
Ottawa has the 29th goals-for at 2.3 per game (188 total goals), the 25th goals-against at 3.0 per game (245 total goals), the 14th overall power play at 17.8 percent and the eighth best penalty kill at 83.7 percent.
The Habs also have difficulty scoring as their 23rd 2.6 goal-for per game (210 total goals) shows. However they are much stronger on the defensive side and have a strong PP.
Montreal has the ninth best goals-against at 2.5 per game (205 total goals), the seventh best penalty kill at 84.1 percent and the seventh best PP at 19.4 percent.
As such, if the Canadiens commit to their defense-first system and wait for turnovers and mistakes by the Sens, they should have no problem pulling out the win.
Roster Changes and Injuries
There is no official word yet on the Canadiens roster for tonight but rookie defenseman, Yannick Weber, is slotted to get back in the lineup. Veteran D-man, Jaroslav Spacek, is also ready to return from injury, but there is no indication yet if he will be in the lineup tonight.
Montreal continues to be without the services of Andrei Markov, Josh Gorges, Max Pacioretty, Jeff Halpern and Alex Picard.
The Sens are no strangers to injury either with seven players on the sidelines.
Daniel Alfredsson, Sergei Gonchar, Matt Carkner, Peter Regin and Erik Karlsson are all listed as day-to-day, while Marek Svatos and Pascal Leclaire are gone for the season.
Key to Victory
The Senators, freed of the burden of pressure, have been playing some inspired hockey lately. Still, with Daniel Alfredsson out of the lineup the offensive responsibilities lie squarely on Jason Spezza's shoulders.
If the Habs can shut down Spezza they should be able to skate to victory.
Montreal needs to make sure they use their speed to draw penalties and create pressure on the Sens defenders.
For Ottawa, they need to attack the Habs slower defenders with speed. In addition, given the Habs tendency to shut down the slot area, they absolutely must get bodies to the net.
If the Habs can play their usual hermetic defensive game, this should end up being a low scoring victory for them.
Game time is 7:00 PM.
The Franchise and HabsAddict.com Playoff Party Contest - Enter Now!
The Franchise every Saturday and Sunday morning on Montreal’s Sports Authority The TEAM990, The Franchise in conjunction with HabsAddict.com are throwing a Playoff Party and we want you to join us!
We taking qualifiers for YOU and 4 of your friends to join us at Gianni Café Bistro (6329, boul Couture, Saint-léonard, QC, H1P3J5 ) for one of the playoff games!
The party will take place for Game Two of the Montreal Canadiens First Round series (date and time of event to be confirmed once the NHL releases the 2011 playoff schedule).
--- Kamal is a freelance Habs writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com and Habs writer on TheFranchise.ca. Kamal is also a weekly contributor to the Sunday Shinny on The Team 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 8 - 9 AM. Listen live at http://www.team990.com/
(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)
The Ottawa Senators have been having a rough time of things lately with star forwards Jason Spezza and Daniel Alfredsson each having gone seven games without a point. In addition, Alex Kovalev—whose name has been circulating in rumours as a possible trade acquisition target by the Montreal Canadiens—has gone five games without a point. It's no wonder then that the Sens are currently outside looking in on the playoff picture.
The Canadiens, riding a two-game winning streak, showed no mercy for their struggling opponent, dominating the neutral zone to outshooting the Senators 13-6 in the first period. Michael Cammalleri opened the scoring on the power play when he picked up his own rebound and put it high past Pascal Leclaire. The goal marked the 19th time the Habs have scored the first goal in 28th games.
Their record when scoring first now stands at 16-2-1.
A Habs turnover on a late first period power play allowed the Sens to tie it up with nine seconds to play. With an assist on the goal, Jason Spezza finally broke his seven-game pointless drought.
Unfortunately for the Canadiens, they stopped skating in the second period and allowed the Sens to dominate play. In addition, they fired blanks on a five-minute and four-minute power play, handing the momentum over to the Sens.
These big penalty kills swung the momentum towards the Senators but Carey Price was there to ensure his teammates didn't fall behind, as they were being outshot 13-9 in the second frame.
The Habs started skating again in the third and broke the 1-1 tie on a brilliant individual effort from Jeff Halpern. That goal seemed to put the Sens back on their heels and the Habs responded by potting two more goals in the third to seal the deal.
Final score: Habs 4 - Sens 1
Habs' scorers: Michael Cammalleri (9), Jeff Halpern (6), Brian Gionta (9), Roman Hamrlik (3)
Sens' scorers: Nick Foligno (2)
Three stars: 1. Michael Cammalleri, 2. Brian Gionta, 3. Jeff Halpern
Game Notes
1. Oops, Price did it again.
While Carey wasn't tested much over the first twenty minutes of play, he had to be solid during a second period where the Sens were outshooting the Habs 13-9. As the Sens seized the momentum off of two strong PKs and dominated play through the neutral zone, the reeling Habs allowed the Sens to barrage their netminder for 13 shots.
But Price, the iceman, was calm, cool and collected, as he has been all season, turning aside shots, swallowing pucks and letting out nary a rebound. The positionally-solid Price forced the swarming Sens to mostly hit him right in the crest with the puck.
Even a little physical contact and crease crashing by the Sens was not enough to throw Price off of his game, and he was even seen yapping at the Ottawa players after making a few great saves, a la Patrick Roy. This is a player who is in full possession of all of his faculties and is completely dominating the league as a result.
Price's GAA and save percentages are both third among all starters at a sparkling 1.92 and .936, respectively. In addition, the win was Price's 17th of the season in 26 starts, first among all goaltenders.
Is now a good time to start including Price's name in the Vezina and Hart trophy discussions?
2. Michael Cammalleri was the Habs best player.
With one goal, five shots on net and 18:43 of ice time, Cammalleri was the Habs best player not named Carey Price last night. He was all over the ice, combative, aggressive around the net and looked like the Michael Cammalleri who was tearing up the ice during the 2010 playoffs.
Driving to the net and working some stick handling magic, Cammalleri was a sparkplug on the second line and showed that "never quit" attitude that he's been missing since being teamed up with Scott Gomez.
While Cammalleri played some excellent hockey the weakness of his linemates was still evident. Cammalleri sprung Travis Moen clear in front of the Senators goalie with a beautiful pass, but Moen wasn't even able to get a shot off, let alone score.
The play illustrated the dire need for a scoring winger to play on that line.
Despite their recent struggles, the Cammalleri-Gomez-Moen line actually played one of their best games together until Gomez left the game with a lower-body injury in the second.
With Gomez now listed as day-to-day it will be interesting to see how Jacques Martin composes his lines going forward. Given the strength of the third line with Lars Eller, logic would dictate that Jeff Halpern, who scored a beautiful goal last night, will get the spot. But Jacques Martin doesn't always do what I feel is logical, so who really knows.
3. Brian Gionta has really come back to life.
With two points (1G, 1A) four shots on net and a plus-2, Gionta now has seven points (4G, 3A) and a plus-4 rating over his last seven games. While he struggled at the beginning of the season playing with Gomez, rather than withering away, he put his head down and worked his butt off. The points weren't coming and he was getting frustrated, but he was still doing the little things right to help his team win.
Since being switched to the Tomas Plekanec line, however, Gionta has rediscovered his scoring touch and has eight of his nine goals in the last 15 games. Add to that the fact that he is still leading by his quiet, hardworking example and you have a player who is a true leader on this team.
4. The Habs have surprising scoring depth.
The boon for the Canadiens and the secret to their scoring success has been the contributions from all four lines. While the Habs' second line has struggled—largely due to Gomez's ineffectiveness and Travis Moen's lack of top-six skills—the Canadiens have a bevy of players contributing on the scoreboard.
After last night's game, the Habs now have four players who have scored nine goals—Plekanec, Gionta, Cammalleri and Andrei Kostitsyn—and are each on pace to score 26 this season. In addition, Benoit Pouliot has six goals and is on pace to score 18 this season—all of this from the third line while averaging 11:55 of ice time. Jeff Halpern too has been getting in on the action, scoring his fifth goal last night and is on pace to pot 15 this season—while averaging 13:16 of ice time.
Finally, each with four goals scored so far, both Maxim Lapierre and Scott Gomez are on pace to score at least 12 goals. Add it all up and the Canadiens currently have eight players who are on pace to score at least 12 goals, six on pace to score at least 15 and four that are on pace to score 25 or more.
When the Habs won the cup in 1993, they had 13 players who scored 10 or more, 11 who scored 12 or more, seven who scored 15 or more, four who scored 20 or more and two who score 30 or more.
While the current edition of the Habs are not quite at the depth level of the 1993 Stanley Cup Champions, if they can find a bonafide top-six scoring forward to play on the second line while still leading the league in goals against, the Habs will continue to be a top-tier team in the NHL.
5. Scott Gomez was injured last night, so now what?
Fans' wishes to no longer have Scott Gomez centering the second line came true last night when he left the game with a lower-body injury. Gomez went to the dressing room near the end of the first period, player two shifts in the second and was done for the night.
There is no official word on the extent or nature of the injury except that it is to his lower-body, likely his back, and Gomez is listed as day-to-day. While in theory, it is good that someone else will get a shot at centering the second line, in a way it was kind of unfortunate, because for a rare occasion the Gomez line was actually playing like a cohesive unit last night.
Jeff Halpern seems to be the heir apparent to the second line and not a moment too soon. I mean isn't it about time Canadiens management found a center to play with Cammalleri?
There is a slight temptation is see what Lars Eller can do playing on the second line and, perhaps even let him bring his winger, Benoit Pouliot with him. That being said, he has slowly been progressing well and I would be surprised if Martin decided to vault him into the top-six.
Another interesting option that was discussed on RDS's L'Anti-chambre last night, was to bring up both David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty from Hamilton. Both players have been playing together in the AHL, have great chemistry and are absolutely tearing it up.
While they clearly deserve a shot at the NHL level, the Habs seem to be taking a more cautious approach with young players of late. I personally have no problem with that and think that maybe it is a sign that Habs' management has learned from the errors of rushing too many young players through the system.
Either way you have to think that Pacioretty seems destined for a tryout on the Habs second line. All that remains to be seen is at what point of the season that will happen. If I was a betting man, which I'm not, I wouldn't anticipate Pacioretty getting a chance before the new year.
Standings and Next Game
The Habs are now riding a three-game winning streak, have an 18-8-2 record and 38 points in the standings. They are currently tied for third overall in the East with the Flyers, but sit in third in conference standings in virtue of their first place overall in the Northeast division.
The Boston Bruins are five points back of the Canadiens with two games in hand.
The Canadiens will enjoy two days off before perhaps their biggest test of the season: a Friday night matchup against the Detroit Red Wings, in Detroit. The Red Wings are 10-2-2 at Joe Louis Arena this season, so it will be no easy feat for the Habs.
Who will be the second line center? Will P.K. Subban be back in the lineup? Are the Habs ready to call up a player from Hamilton?
Tune in Friday to find out.
Sunday Shinny on The Team 990
A quick footnote to let you all know that I now have a regular radio segment on the Team 990 (http://www.team990.com) every Sunday from 8 am - 9am, on The Franchise Montreal Weekend morning show.
The segment is called Sunday Shinny with Gary Whittaker, Nick Murdocco, Amanda Stein and yours truly. We will be reviewing the Montreal Canadiens but also looking at happenings around the league.
Tune in on Sundays and send me your feedback!
(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)
Well, that was a much better effort, don't you think?
After stinking up the joint in back-to-back games last weekend, the Habs finally showed up for their Saturday afternoon tilt against the Senators. Unfortunately for the Habs, they ended up losing the game, 3-2, in overtime. Despite the loss, this was a heck of a good game. The speed and skill of both teams shone yesterday, and it made for an excellent spectacle.
Plekanec’s line in particular, with Sergei Kostitsyn on his wing, looked great right out of the gate. SK74 played probably his best game of the season by using his speed and skill, taking shots, making passes and even throwing his weight around. His best hit came in the third period when he leveled Jason Spezza with an open ice hit in the Sens zone.
Halak too looked his same cool confident self making great saves and looking like he wasn't breaking a sweat.
Kovalev, who was dancing last night, opened the scoring at 17:21 of the first, as he was left open on the side of the net to sweep in a Filip Kuba pass from the point.
While that was the only goal of the first, it certainly wasn't the only excitement as Ryan O'Byrne—who is quickly helping fans forget about a certain Mike Komisarek—lowered the boom on Milan Michalek in the Senators zone. The hit drew a crowd and resulted in offsetting minors.
The second period took on a different look as the Senators took the play to the Canadiens. At around the midpoint of the period, Gill was called for high sticking allowing Spezza to tip in his ninth of the season off a Filip Kuba shot, with Michalek screening Halak, to make it 2-0.
While the Habs weakness 5-on-5 was evident all night, their special teams continued to be special. After the second Sens goal, the Habs responded by ratcheting things up themselves. With their third line on the ice and causing havoc in the Sens zone, Matt Carkner hooked Travis Moen for the Habs first powerplay of the game, and they capitalized. Benoit Pouliot, who was parked in front of the crease, finished off a nice criss-crossing passing sequence from Cammy to Pleks to Pouliot and in. The goal was Pouliot's 13th of the season and it made it a one goal hockey game.
There was a brief intermission in the third as the glass was knocked off of the boards on a solid Pouliot hit. Speaking of big hits, there was a scary moment for the Habs as Anton Volchenkov nailed a streaking Cammalleri about three feet away from the boards. Cammy went flying into the boards and his leg seemed to buckle under him. He left the ice in considerable pain and was not able to put any weight on his leg.
Here is the clip of the hit:
Cammalleri was in a leg brace after the game with suspected knee/MCL problems. He was scheduled to have an MRI ,and we should know more on the injury today or tomorrow. Suffice it to say that if he is out for anything more than a game or so, it will turn out to be a huge loss for the team.
While the shots were pretty even through the first two periods, it was clear that the Sens had dominated the game to that point.
Things changed in the third when Chris Kelly took a high-sticking penalty on Maxim Lapierre allowing the Habs powerplay to go to work again. With less than three minutes to go in the game, Markov made a cross-ice pass to Plekanec who shuttled the puck to Gionta in the slot who tapped the puck in for his fourteenth goal of the season. The goal tied that game at two and swung the momentum back into the Canadiens hands.
The Habs had a bunch of shots but couldn't score, ultimately sending the game into OT. After Hall Gill had hauled down Jason Spezza to give the Sens an overtime powerplay and after Spezza had pushed Hamrlik's fallen stick away from him, negating the man-advantage, Mike Fisher finished the Habs off with a beautiful play.
Picking up a loose puck in the neutral zone, Mike Fisher drove hard to the net swinging to the outside of Markov, swept from left to right on Halak and jammed it past him for the OT winner. Senators 3, Canadiens 2.
The win was a franchise record ninth consecutive for the Senators, while the loss was a third in a row for Montreal. But at least the Habs got one point out of it and can say that they played a strong road game. They came close, but as the saying goes, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.
Game Notes:
1. Halak is the Habs' No. 1 goalie. If it wasn't apparent up till now, Halak has grabbed the reigns of the No. 1 goalie seat and is running with it. Game after game after game after game, Halak is calm, cool and collected. He makes excellent saves to keep his team in the game, is outstanding positionally in the net, and overall looks like he is a first string goaltender.
If there is one fault to Halak's game, it is that his rebound control is not the best. He often puts the puck right back into the slot, often resulting in additional scoring chances or goals against. That is one aspect where Price is better than Halak, as he is always steering the rebounds into the corner or smothering the puck.
2. Pouliot continues to impress. With his goal last night, Pouliot now has 12 points (11G, 1A) in 18 games with the Canadiens. The thing I like the most about him is that he is always around the net. He is using his considerable 6'3" frame to make room for himself and his teammates on the ice. Last night he continued to get involved physically, throwing his weight around and driving to the net whenever he could. He was rewarded for his hard work by scoring the Habs first goal of the game from the crease. It's good to finally have a pseudo power forward on this team.
3. Sergei Kostitsyn likely played his best game of the season. From the start of the game, SK74 looked like a great compliment to Plekanec and Cammalleri. As such, the Habs had two attacking lines for the first time in a long time. Sergei was moving his feet and using his head, a combination that usually results in good things for the youngster. While he has looked lazy at certain points this year, he certainly seems to have turned it up on the first line, and not a moment too soon.
4. Will Gainey be forced to make a deal if Cammalleri's injury is long term? With 26 games left in the season and with so many tough games to go, the Habs season could very well be decided over the next few weeks. If the Habs have to play the next month with Andrei Kostitsyn (injured, out six weeks) AND without Cammalleri, they will be dead in the water. So, will Gainey be forced to make a deal? Will it be before the Olympic break? Will it be after? You'd have to think that he needs to make a deal sooner rather than later, but with Gainey, you never know what he has planned.
5. Mike who? With every game that passes, Ryan O'Byrne is asserting himself more and more on the ice. He has taken the role of mean, intimidating defenseman over from Komisarek as his throws he weight around and isn't afraid to drop the gloves. In addition, he is quietly becoming much more reliable with his defensive responsibilities. Being paired with Andrei Markov can't hurt either. I mean look what it did for Komisarek!
Standings and Next Game:
The Habs, after yesterday's game, are in the eighth overall spot in the East with 56 points. With 26 games left in the season, the Habs likely need 90-plus points to make the playoffs. That means they need 34 points over their final 26 games, or approximately 1.3 points per game. This, for a team that is averaging 1.0 points per game. This feat is not impossible, but if the Habs have any chance of making it, they must ride Halak as much as possible. The time for playing favorites has long passed as each game from here to the end of the season is a playoff game.
The Habs hold on eighth place is tenuous with Boston, Tampa, Florida and the Rangers all having 54 points and holding three, three, two and one game in hand, respectively. Just ahead of the Habs is Atlanta, also with 56 points but holding two games in hand, and Philly with 57 points and three games in hand. It doesn't take a math whiz to see that the Habs could easily fall far down the standings if their competition capitalizes on their games in hand.
The Habs have two days off before taking on the Canucks, in Montreal, on Tuesday night.
