Canadiens Sign Petry to 6 Yr/$33M Contract; What's Next?

After what can only be described as a stroke of genius by Montreal Canadiens' General Manager Marc Bergevin at the 2015 NHL Trade Deadline, and an above-average contribution to help bolster the Canadiens' blue line in the latter part of the season and the playoffs, it was announced today that Jeff Petry signed a six-year, $33 Million contract to remain with the Habs.

The deal includes a full no-movement, no-trade clause, which has become a standard offering by teams wishing to sign trade deadline acquisition prior to them testing the free agent market come July 1st.

Many assumed that Petry, a native of Detroit, Michigan, wanted to sign with his home town Red Wings, however this year's playoff run, and the experience of playing with the league's most storied franchise, seemed to be enough to keep the 6' 3", 196 lbs defensemen with "Les Glorieux".

The signing now solidifies the top four defensemen on the Canadiens' blue line, with Norris trophy nominee P.K. Subban, veteran Andrei Markov and up and comer Nathan Beaulieu.

The last two spots and the role of the Canadiens' 7th defenseman are now up for grabs. While Alexei Emelin is still under contract until the 2017-2018 season, many observers believe, given the chatter about the Russian blue liner being dealt during the season, that the Habs may shop him around to try and alleviate themselves of the $4.1 Million cap hit his contract represents. Emelin has not looked anywhere as good as he did prior to injuring his knee against the Bruins on April 6th, 2013.

Emelin would definitely be a player teams would be interested in. His brutal physical assaults on opponents have brought many a Canadiens fan out of their seats, and would be a welcomed addition to any blue line. One team in particular, the Edmonton Oilers, might be a good fit. With the expected selection of Erie Otters' superstar Connor McDavid in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the Oilers will have to part ways with one of their young forwards. Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov have both been rumoured to be trading chips for Edmonton, but that may all change with the arrival of their new GM, Peter Chairelli.

That said, the Canadiens are in a situation that will force them to make some very difficult decisions. Jarred Tinordi, who played the majority of last season with the Habs' AHL affiliate, nursed a wrist injury for the majority of the season. His 6' 5", 218 lbs frame is a much need commodity on the Canadiens' back end, so the organization cannot afford to make the wrong decision in his case. Tinordi is a restricted free agent, and must be signed to an offer sheet prior to July 1st.

Veteran rearguard Tom Gilbert ran hot and cold all season for the Canadiens. While he showed flashes of why Marc Bergevin signed him in the off-season last year, he also made his share of defensive gaffs in his own zone. The inconsistency in his game may relegate the 32 year-old to the role of 7th defenseman, as was the case with former Hab Mike Weaver, whose game plummeted since he resigned with the club after some fantastic play in the 2013-2014 run to the Eastern Conference finals.

Then, there is Greg Pateryn. For the last two seasons, this analyst fully expected the American-born defenseman to crack the Canadiens' roster in 2012-2013, only to see get pushed back down to the AHL by the signings of Douglas Murray and the aforementioned Gilbert. In the latter part of last season, the native of Sterling Heights, MI showed he had all the necessary tools, the skills and the mindset to remain with the big club.

Now What?

With the defense accounted for, now the daunting task of adding supplemental scoring is what faces the Canadiens' brass. While GM Bergevin was unwilling to admit what needed to be done going into next season, it's all but a foregone conclusion that the Canadiens' 1st round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Alex Galchenyuk, will need to make the move to centre at the start of next season.

Galchenyuk has spent most of his first three NHL seasons on the left wing, bouncing from linemate to linemate, and restricted to playing up and down the half wall. Having watched quite a bit of his junior career with the Sarnia Sting, it's obvious that his biggest asset is his ability to use the entire offensive zone to create scoring opportunities. Despite Canadiens' coach Michel Therrien claiming his young forward needs to improve in his own zone, Galchenyuk finished last season with a +8 rating. He is oftentimes the first forward back in support of his defenseman, unlike some of his teammates who seem disinterested in defending their own zone.

With a move to centre, the Canadiens would now need to address the need for a scoring winger. Granted, Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche last off-season in exchange for Daniel Briere to fill that need, but a string of concussion issues kept the veteran right winger from getting his game to where everyone expected it to be.

Many expect the Habs to make a move or two at the 2015 NHL draft in Sunrise, FL, and they may be right, but there is a name on the unrestricted free agent list that is definitely worth dealing a draft pick or two to get the negotiating rights for before the 2015 free agent frenzy begins.

Capitals' forward Joel Ward, who had 19 goals and 15 assists during the regular season and added another 14 points in the playoffs, can fit the bill nicely in my opinion. His size and physicality, along with his ability to finish from in tight, would be a much needed addition to the Canadiens' all but non-existent power play. His play along the boards, and ability to separate the puck from defenders would help the likes of Max Pacioretty and Galchnyuk, but allowing them to get into prime shooting areas in anticipation of Ward's puck retrieval prowess.

It's going to be a very interesting summer for Marc Bergevin and the Montreal Canadiens, and given the long term commitment given already to Jeff Petry, for once, this team will be the aggressor.

Read More

Montreal Canadiens Trade Target: Andrej Sekera

With the latest injuries to Alexei Emelin (broken collarbone or separated shoulder) and Sergei Gonchar (concussion), the Habs' blue line is in turmoil. As result, the team called up prospect defenseman Jarred Tinordi after last night's defeat to the Ottawa Senators. Tinordi will join Bulldog teammate Greg Pateryn, who was called up earlier this week, to man Montreal's blue line.

If Gonchar and Emelin are out long term, it becomes critical for General Manager Marc Bergevin to bolster his blue line in prevision of the playoffs. With about 10 days before the March 2nd, 2015, trade deadline, it becomes important for Bergevin to assess all his options before making a bold move. Also, with Jeff Petry leaving last night's game with an apparent upper-body injury, and Tyler Myers and Zach Bogosian traded for each other, the options on the back end are getting somewhat limited. Oh and let's not forget that Cody Franson was also shipped to Nashville while Marc Methot was extended by Ottawa.

Another coveted option on the blue line, is offensive defenseman Andrej Sekera of the Carolina Hurricanes. Making only $2.75 million this season, the 28-year-old rearguard is having a tough offensive season with the lowly Hurricanes, scoring 2 goals and 17 assists for 19 points and a -7 differential in 54 games. However, Sekera enjoyed the best season of his career in 2013-14 with Carolina, potting 11 goals and 33 helpers for 44 points and +4 rating in 74 contests.

The puck-moving Sekera, who is slated to become a UFA on July 1st, will not come cheap as the asking price is reportedly a first-round pick and a solid prospect. Will Marc Bergevin be willing to pay that hefty price for a rental player? I highly doubt it.

Playing on average 22:50 per game this season, the left-handed blue liner is great on the power play and makes a very solid first pass, helping with the transition. Also, despite playing for a cellar-dwelling team, Sekera's possession numbers are pretty good with a 52.3 CF% and a 52.2 FF%. The problem with Sekera is that he is not physical at all with a mere 43 hits in 54 games.

In sum, if Bergevin wants to acquire an offensive-minded defenseman for the playoffs, Sekera is his man, but if he is looking for a physical and defensive-oriented rearguard, Andrej is really not his man. The team could also call up veterans Bryan Allen and Davis Drewiske if they don't want to mortgage the future by trading away prospects and draft picks.

Who would you want to acquire if you were Marc Bergevin?


Other options on defense include Mike Green, Jeff Petry, Zbynek Michalek and Marek Zidlicky.


*************************************************


Follow me on Twitter at @FredPoulin98

Read More

Do The Montreal Canadiens Really Need Mike Green?

According to TSN's Bob McKenzie on TSN 690 Montreal, the Washington Capitals will most likely trade offensive defenseman Mike Green before the NHL trade deadline. The 29-year-old Greenw, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, is not expected to sign a contract extension with the Caps prior to March 2nd.

As reported by McKenzie and Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, the Montreal Canadiens are one of the teams interested in his services. The right-handed blue liner has 5 goals and 26 assists for 31 points and a +7 rating in 42 games with Washington this season. The Habs are in the market for a top-four defenseman and are willing to deal mid-level prospects and draft picks for a player like Green or Cody Franson, if the Capitals are willing to accept that kind of offer.

Green, who is in the last year of a three-year pact, has a cap hit of $6,083 million, which is not easy to fit under the salary cap. The oft-injured Green is currently in his prime and will be looking to cash in on one more long-term deal in excess of $6 million annually. The problem with that rumor is that even if the Capitals believe they won't re-sign Green in the off-season, they are still in the thick of the playoff race and would be stupid to unload Green without even replacing him on the blue line. The Capitals currently hold the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 25-15-10 record as of February 2nd.

While Green is not playing on the team's top pairing any more after the acquisition of Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen in the off-season, the offensive specialist is still logging over 19 minutes of ice time per game. Green currently has 11 points on the man advantage and he is playing on the first power play unit with Alexander Ovechkin at the point. Do you really think the Caps would trade Green to the Habs with the chance of facing them in the playoffs? I highly doubt that!

The Canadiens currently don't have enough cap space to trade for Green without giving another roster player in return. Maybe if Marc Bergevin is able to convince Washington to take Alexei Emelin's off our hands, a deal could be possible, but it's not that simple since Emelin has a full no-movement clause. With Ovechkin, Dmitry Orlov and Evgeny Kuznetzov, maybe Washington is a destination that could entice Emelin to waive his NMC because of the Russian Factor...

The problem regarding Green is not that he is a bad player, it's rather that he is another offensive-minded rearguard, which is not the Canadiens need for a long playoff run, with PK Subban, Andrei Markov, Nathan Beaulieu and Sergei Gonchar all moving the puck well and able to play on the PP. The Habs need a rugged defensman who can lay out thunderous hits, clear the front of the net and kill penalties efficiently.

Who would you want to acquire if you were Marc Bergevin?

*************************************************

Follow me on Twitter at @FredPoulin98

Read More

Emelin No Boom

Formerly known as "Emelin Boom", Alexei Emelin is struggling mightily this season with the Montreal Canadiens. Currently playing on the team's third pairing with Tom Gilbert, Emelin, 28, is in the first year of a four-year contract that is paying him on $4.1 million annually, pact that also includes a no-movement clause.

The Russian native has been fairly inconsistent this season for the Habs, recording 1 goal and 10 assists for 11 points in 39 games with a +5 rating. While Emelin has 117 hits for an average of three hits per contest (on par with his career average), he seems hesitant to distribute thunderous checks in the middle of the ice like he used to do prior to the knee injury he suffered in April 2013 against Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins.

Emelin seems confused on the ice the season, making bad decisions over bad decisions, going from bad positioning to bad penalties, he has lost his confidence and it shows in his overall game. Emelin admitted to Marc-Antoine Grondin of La Presse that the hit on Brian Gionta on November 29th, hit for which he was fined $11,000, crushed his confidence. As a result of this "missed hit", Emelin is lacking the confidence to hit opponents when they enter the defensive zone, somewhat of his trademark in recent years.

Emelin is sometimes way out of position and appears lost on the ice just like on the Martin St. Louis goal in overtime last playoffs. You can see that Emelin is covering nobody and that he is on the wrong side of the ice surface...

When paired with Tom Gilbert, the two rearguards combine for a mediocre Corsi of 36.9%. 36.9%! A Corsi that low is in the George Parros/John Scott area, And when they are not together, but players have a Corsi above 47%, so it would be wise for Michel Therrien to split them. (A good Corsi rating is around 50%.)

Since the start of the 2013-14 season, Alexei Emelin has a 44.5 CF%, which ranks him 110th out of 119 NHL defensemen with a least 1,500 minutes played (according to War on ice), all that while facing a low quality of competition compared to the team's first pairing of Andrei Markov and PK Subban.

Because Michel Therrien used to play him more than 20 minutes per game when he was paired with PK Subban earlier this season, Emelin is currently on pace to play the most minutes per game on average (20:59) whereas he should only play about 15 minutes per contest with the way he has been playing recently.

With the emergence of youngster Nathan Beaulieu and the depth of the organization on the blue line, general manager Marc Bergevin could envision trading him (providing he lifts his NMC) prior to the trade deadline to get offensive help. With veteran Bryan Allen and his $3M cap hit already in the minors and his NMC, Emelin will not be demoted to the AHL for those wishing that to happen.

What would you do with Emelin? Scratch him a few games? Trade him? Or simply continue to play him, but with a different partner?

**************

Follow me on Twitter @FredPoulin98

Read More

Game 25 - Canadiens vs Sabres

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (16-7-1) return to Montreal to host the Sabres (7-14-2) and complete the home and home series between these teams. The game is set to start at 7:00 and airs on TVA and City.

The Sabres to the second game in this four-game season series Friday night in Buffalo thanks to a little bit of skill and a little bit of luck. The skill came on behalf of Tyler Ennis who combined speed, dexterity and some nifty hand-eye coordination to put the Sabres on the board. The luck also came courtesy of Ennis, who's late game dump in ricocheted off the boards in the Canadiens zone leaving Carey Price stranded and Matt Moulson alone in front with a tap-in game winner.

What to Watch

The Canadiens have no scored just one goal in their last two games and three in three. At 2.42 goals per game, the Habs are 23rd in the league in scoring, a stat they'll need to improve before they can truly compete with the league's best. Considering Buffalo is in the bottom four in terms of goals against, the Habs should be able to take advantage of home ice advantage to rally their lethargic offense.

The Sabres will hope that Ennis, their leading scorer with seven goals and 15 points, has another goal like this in him for Saturday night:

What's at Stake

Passing up points once against the worst team in the league doesn't bode well, but the Habs have an immediate opportunity for redemption on home ice. At 33 points the Canadiens still hold the Eastern conference lead, but Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh and the Islanders are each right behind the Canadiens with 32, and Detroit is in the mix as well with 31 points this year.

Who's Out

Michael Bournival (shoulder) is nearing a return but still might not be ready to play on Saturday. Aside from that the team is healthy, but Alexei Emelin will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety prior to Saturday's game and may receive a suspension for his hit on former teammate Brian Gionta.

The Sabres were without Josh Gorges (knee) and Cody McCormick (concussion) on Friday, although Gorges may make his return at the Bell Centre. Drew Stafford (lower body), missed part of Friday's game and may miss Saturday's action as well.

What Else

The Canadiens power play found success in Buffalo using four forwards and a 1-3-1 set up. After an ugly stretch of extra man opportunities, the Habs have found a bit of consistency with the man advantage, especially since the arrival of veteran power play specialist Sergei Gonchar. In the eight games since Gonchar joined the team the Habs are 6-for-24 on the power play, after going 3-for-42 up to that point.

The Question Mark

What are your thoughts on the "new look" power play the Habs experimented with on Friday, and the power play in general since Gonchar joined the team?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 Saturday night to preview the Canadiens and the Sabres.

Read More

Game 12 - Canadiens vs Flames

#MTLHockey Preview

 

Match Up

The Canadiens (8-2-1) return home to host the Flames (6-4-2) Sunday night after completing their Western Canada road trip. The puck drops at 7:00, and the game airs on RDS and City.

This is the second and final meeting between the Habs and Flames this year. The Canadiens took the first game less than a week ago, winning 2-1 in a shootout. Both regulation time goals were scored by defensemen in the first contest, Tom Gilbert got his first goal with the Canadiens after Flames captain Mark Giordano opened the scoring for Calgary.

What to Watch

If you're watching the Canadiens, it's a good idea not to turn the game off early. The Habs have scored 12 third period goals, just one less than they've scored in the first two periods combined. In fact, you can probably just tune in after the first. After 11 games into the season, the Canadiens have yet to take a lead into the first intermission, not altogether surprising considering they've scored just four first period goals.

Johnny Gaudreau followed up his strong game against the Canadiens last week with an even stronger one against the Predators. Tuesdat he had an assist on the Flames only goal versus Montreal and tallied six shots, while Friday night he had five shots, the game winning goal and an assist, bring him to six points on the year.

What's at Stake

With 17 points in 11 games, the Canadiens have slipped to second overall in the league, trailing the Ducks by a point but holding a game in hand. The Lightning have also caught the Habs in the standings, but again the Bolts have played an extra game.

Montreal will put their perfect home record to the test Sunday night. They'll be looking to improve on their 4-0-0 start at the Bell Centre.

Who's Out

The Canadiens got slightly banged up in Vancouver on Thursday, with a head shot to Alexei Emelin causing the most concern. Emelin did return to finish the game and it seems like he escaped without any lingering effects.

The Flames are dealing with injuries to Matt Stajan (knee) and Joe Colborne (upper body), both of whom were knocked out of Tuesday's contest against the Habs, though Colborne could dress Sunday. Mikael Backlund (abdomen) is also missing. Reinforcement arrived for the Flames on Friday in the form of Michael Ferland, but the rookie was forced out of his first NHL game with an upper body injury.

What Else

Michel Therrien brought a whole new look to his forward lines at practice on Saturday, hoping to wake up his team's anemic offense. Dale Weise, skated with David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty, the same linemates he finished Thursday's game with in Vancouver.

Alex Galchenyuk, could find himself at center Sunday if the practice lines hold. Look for him to play with Rene Bourque and Brendan Gallagher on his wings, while Lars Eller may line up beside Tomas Plekanec and P.A. Parenteau. Even the defensive pairings got a shake-up with Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu practicing together.

The Question Mark

What are your thoughts on the new lines Therrien was testing at practice?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 on Sunday to preview the Flames and Canadiens.

Read More

Game 8 - Canadiens vs Rangers

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (6-1-0) play host to the Rangers (4-3-0) Saturday night at the Bell Centre in an Eastern Conference Final rematch. The game starts at 7:00 with a special ceremony in honor of Corporal Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent that will be shown on CBC, Sportsnet ONE, City, and TVA Sports, as well as the NHL Network for U.S viewers.

This is the first of three meetings between the Habs and Blueshirts, and the only one in Montreal. Last year the teams met three times in the regular season with each game ending as a shutout. Cam Talbot, Carey Price and Peter Budaj all posted shutout wins during the series, while Henrik Lundqvist was the only goalie to give up more than a single goal in one of these games, allowing a pair in a 2-0 loss.

These teams me again in the Eastern Conference Final with the Rangers eliminating the Habs in 6 games. Carey Price was forced out of the series after just two periods when Chris Kreider collided with the Habs netminder.

What to Watch

While slow starts continue to be an issue plaguing the Canadiens, the questions about Carey Price's slow start have subsided. Price has 3 straight wins since being pulled in Tampa, and has made 59 saves on 62 shots in his last two starts. Don't look now but Alexei Emelin has quietly put up five assists in five games this season. Emelin logged a season high 24:58 Tuesday night against the Wings.

19-year-old Montreal native Anthony Duclair will be dressed for Saturday's game, the rookie has three assists in five games and is still looking for his first NHL goal. The Habs will need to keep a close watch on Rick Nash whenever he's on the ice, Nash has eight goals in seven games this year.

What's at Stake

The Habs have already faced the two teams they eliminated in last year's playoffs, now they get to try for a bit of revenge of their own. With a win on Saturday, the team will match a franchise record for most wins in their first eight games, although the 1961-62 Canadiens earned 15 of their first 16 points. A win would also help the Habs keep pace with the league leading Anaheim Ducks who sit two points ahead of Montreal after their win on Friday.

Who's Out

Nathan Beaulieu has been sent back down to Hamilton along with Michael Bournival to get at least some game action and both are expecting to be called back up after the weekend. Other than that the Habs are healthy as they look to close out their first home-stand of the season.

The Rangers are missing two big pieces in Dan Boyle (hand) and Derek Stepan (leg). Since joining the Rangers in the off-season, Boyle has played in just one regular season game seeing 14 minutes of action before breaking his hand while blocking a shot.

What Else

The Canadiens, Maple Leafs and Senators will hold a special, coordinated tribute in their home buildings for slain Canadian soldiers Corporal Nathan Cirillo and Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent. The event is being described as a show of solidarity and a way to show appreciation for the men and women whose selfless actions stopped the attackers and aided the victims. Senators owner, Eugene Melnyk, had this to say on the event in his statement posted on the Ottawa Senators' Website:

As we continue to reflect on the tragic circumstances surrounding the deaths of two our country’s soldiers on Canadian soil, we do so with heavy hearts. But what doesn’t break us, makes us stronger. Today our country stands more united than ever and so does the entire NHL family. We are very pleased to join forces with the Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs in coordinating a unique and special tribute prior our game on Saturday in honour and recognition of these two brave soldiers, their families and all members of our Canadian military.

The Question Mark

After having several month to look back, how do you feel about Chris Kreider and his collision with Price last Spring?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 tonight to preview the Canadiens and the Rangers.

Read More

Interview With Habs Defenseman Alexei Emelin

In this interview, originally appearing on the popular Russian portal Sport-Express right before his return on ice, Alexei Emelin talked about playing with P.K. Subban, life in Montreal, and recovering after the Olympic Games debacle.

- Alexei, did you recover from all the old injuries?

- All is good now. The most important thing is that the season started in a good way.

- How did you like the move to the left side? You shoot left, maybe the left side is more natural for you.

- I don’t have any preference, I feel good on either side. I had to part ways with Andrei Markov, with whom I always played on the same pair, but it hasn’t been terrible. Changes happen every time and maybe this one will even go to my advantage.

- More so if we consider that you were moved to the first pair with P.K. Subban.

- You need to earn the coaches’ trust. We don’t have such a thing like a first pair. On a given game, the first pair is Subban and I, then the day after Andrei [Markov] and Gilbert. I don’t read the press and I don’t know what kind of meaning they all give to this.

- Is playing with Subban harder than playing with Markov?

- There are no cardinal differences. The coaches split us for a very simple reason: they wanted to have a right-handed and a left-handed defenseman in each defensive pair.

- Is your reputation of simply a hard-hitting defenseman just a stereotype?

- I think yes. Even more so if we consider that our coaches don’t limit defensemen and are happy if we join the rush.

- In the KHL you did it quite often…

- Yes, but here I’m just starting. The fact is that here [in the NHL] you won’t survive without battling for the puck. The game is much harder due to the small ice surface.

- How do you feel in Montreal?

- All is good, I’m at ease. Of course, in Canada people feel hockey in a different way [than in Russia].

- What do you exactly mean?

- It’s simply much more popular. Even if Kazan is one of the biggest hockey centers in Russia, in Canada there are much more fans. Especially in Montreal. At the start it was hard to get used to the fact that in the locker room we had more journalists, than players. I was also shocked by the fans. Then I got used to it. It was much easier for my family too, once they grasped the language a little bit more.

- Do you talk in French?

- No, for now in English only. But I think that soon my daughter will speak both languages. She attends an English language school, but French language is in the mandatory program.

- Is it easier to play in a non-Olympic season?

- Yes, of course. Last year I felt so much pressure. I was always thinking if I would get a sport on the Olympic roster, also because it was our home Olympics.

- Is that bitter after-taste still there?

- Yes. And it will stay there for my whole life. You don’t have many of those chances in your life. I can only blame myself and I think that everyone should search the reasons of that debacle in himself.

- How did you spend the summer?

- Nothing special, at home. I went to the seaside, I just rested. And I watched the FIFA World Cup.

- And how do you feel yourself?

- I still have to fully recover. This season has been very upsetting.

***************************

Translation by HabsAddict's Russian Correspondent Alessandro Seren Rosso @AlexSerenRosso.

Read More

Game 5 - Canadiens vs Bruins

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

After a week on the road, the Canadiens (3-1-0) will finally play their home opener Thursday night when they host the Bruins (2-3-0). The game is set to start at 7:30 and the Habs' home opener will be shown on RDS, Sportsnet 360, NESN and NHLNetwork-US.

This is the first of four matches between the Canadiens and Bruins. They Habs won three of four meetings during the regular season last year and beat the Bruins in the second round of the playoffs, winning Game 7 in Boston. At the end of the series, Milan Lucic had a few choice words for Dale Weise and Alexei Emelin.

Where we left off

 

What to Watch

The Canadiens have yet to score their first power play goal of the season and not that's it been for a lack of opportunity. The team has managed just 13 power play shots while going 0-for-14 with the man advantage.

Carey Price has had a slow start to the year despite a 2-1-0 record. He's given up three goals or more in each of his first three starts, including four in two periods on Monday against the Lightning.

While the Canadiens have struggled to score on the power play, the Bruins have struggled scoring altogether with just six goals in five games. Reilly Smith has two goals playing alongside Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, he's the team's only multiple goal scorer. The Bruins responded to their lethargic start by signing Simon Gagne to a one-year deal worth $600,000.

What's at Stake

The Canadiens were handed their first loss of the season by the team they knocked out of the first round of the Playoffs last spring, they'll be trying to avoid losing their second game to their second round victims.

It feels a bit strange that the Habs have not yet played a home game with the season more than a week old, but the 2014-2015 Montreal Canadiens will be greeting their faithful for the first time on Thursday.

Who's Out

Marc Bergevin sent Michael Bournival down to the Bulldogs prior to the weekend, but indicated he'd be brought back to the team before next week. Alexei Emelin has missed the last two games with an upper body injury, but could be ready for action on Thursday.

The Bruins are missing Gregory Campbell (upper body), he has yet to play a game for the Bruins this season.

What Else

On Monday, Tomas Plekanec was named the NHL's First Star of the week for the first week of the season, it was the first time of his career he was named to the three stars of the week. Last season, Lars Eller was the league's Second Star in the first week of play. Only Carey Price earned First Star of the week honors among Canadiens players last year. Max Pacioretty earned Second and Third Star nods during the season.

The Question Mark

With the way these two teams ended last season, how should Michel Therrien set his line-up for Thursday's game?

Tonight's Show

Join myself, Rob Elbaz, along with Kosta Papoulias and Corey Collard for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:30. Jimmy Murphy from Sirius XM and Web Sports Media's Top Shelf Radio will join us to break down the game from the Bruins perspective.

Read More

Game 3 - Canadiens at Flyers

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (2-0-0) are in Philadelphia Saturday night to face the Flyers (0-2-0) at the Wells Fargo Center. The puck is set to drop at 7:00 and is being broadcast by City, TVA and CSN-Philly.
This is the first of three meetings between the Habs and Flyers, and the only visit to Philadelphia this season. Last year the Canadiens dropped two of three to Philadelphia, but did manage a 4-1 victory in the only Bell Centre game. Alex Galchenyuk had a pair of assists in the game while Lars Eller, Rene Bourque and Brian Gionta had a goal and assist each.

What to Watch

Don't look now, but Tomas Plekanec is tied for the lead in goals with three in two games. Alex Galchenyuk has been a force on Plekanec's wing with two assists and several scoring chances so far this season. Galchenyuk also led the Habs with five hits in Thursday's 2-1 shootout win over the Capitals. The pair is expected to start with Jiri Sekac on their wing, a spot in the line-up the rookie found himself occupying midway through Thursday's tilt.

Wayne Simmonds is coming off a strong performance against the Devils with a pair of big second period goals to draw the Flyers level and an assist on Vincent Lecavalier's third period marker. In the end the Flyers lost their second straight game to open the season. Steve Mason gave up five goals in the 6-4 loss.

What's at Stake

Despite a pair of slow starts, the Canadiens are going into Philadelphia undefeated to start the season. In just two game the Canadiens have been out-shot 26-8 in the first period and outscored 3-1. While the primary objective has been met each game it stands to reason that Michel Therrien will want to make starting strong a main focus in Saturday's game.

Who's Out

The Canadiens are healthy and Carey Price is expected to start in nets after watching Dustin Tokarski get the job done in Washington. Alexei Emelin will miss the contest with an upper-body injury (ribs) and Jarred Tinordi will make his season debut tonight. It looks like Dale Weise and Michael Bournival will be healthy scratches.

The Flyers are missing star defenseman Chris Pronger, although with his recent appointment to the NHL Department of Player Safety, it doesn't appear as though he'll return to action any time soon. They could also be without Braydon Coburn (lower body) and former Hab Ryan White (chest). Kimmo Timonen (blood clots) may be sidelined for the entire season.

What Else

Despite seven power play opportunities in the two games the Habs have played, they have yet to score with the man advantage. The Canadiens ranked 19th in the league in that category last season and are hoping to get a boost this year from newly acquired defenseman Tom Gilbert and the prospect of Nathan Beaulieu playing a full season with significant power play responsibilities.

The Question Mark

Which part of the Habs game is the most solid and which needs the most improvement?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 p.m. Saturday to preview the Canadiens and Flyers.

Read More

Montreal Canadiens Player Profile: Tom Gilbert

On July 1st, 2014, the Montreal Canadiens and their general manager, Marc Bergevin, signed right-handed defenseman, Tom Gilbert to a two-year pact worth $5.6 million, or $2.8 million annually. The 31-year-old Gilbert was brought in to replace fan favourite and veteran rearguard Josh Gorges after the latter was traded to the Buffalo Sabres for a 2nd round draft pick. Gilbert scored 3 goals and added 25 assists for 28 points in 73 games with the Florida Panthers before a sports hernia ended his season prematurely. The 6'3″, 205-lb blue liner will slide nicely alongside his new defensive partner Alexei Emelin, who will finally be able to play on his natural side.

The native of Bloomington, Minnesota, played his college hockey at the University of Wisconsin from 2002 to 2006 after the Colorado Avalanche drafted him 129th overall in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft. But he never played for the Avs as In March of 2004, he was traded to the Edmonton Oilers. Then, after a single season in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Gilbert graduated to the NHL with the Oilers, playing 12 games in 2006-07, notching 1 goal and 5 assists for 6 points. Did you know that Gilbert was a forward in high school before he made the switch to defense?

The lanky defenseman then spent the next five seasons with the Oilers, averaging 80 games with 7 goals and 26 assists for 33 points. Gilbert had his best season in 2008-09 when he recorded 5 goals and 40 helpers for 45 points in 82 games to go along with a +6 +/- rating. Gilbert was then traded to the Minnesota Wild where he played for 1 1/2 season before signing with the Panthers prior to last season.

In 2013-14, Gilbert played on average 21:20 per game, good for third among Panthers players, trailing only Brian Campbell and Dmitry Kulikov. Not a power play specialist by any means, Gilbert can still man the point on the second unit, which he will definitely asked to do, probably along with Nathan Beaulieu when PK Subban and Andrei Markov decide to come off the ice, as the righty got on average 2:13 of PP time each game with Florida.

On the defensive side of the puck, Gilbert is not as quite effective as he was scarcely used on the penalty killing, logging a mere 0:52 of ice time per game with a man down. With the departure of Francis Bouillon, Douglas Murray and Josh Gorges, the Habs expect Mike Weaver and PK Subban to pick up the slack on the PK along with Alexei Emelin and Andrei Markov.

Despite his imposing frame, Gilbert is not a very physical defenseman as shown by his 59 hits in 73 contests last season. His 95 blocked shots ranked him second among Panthers players last season, but that number would have ranked him seventh among Canadiens players last year. The Canadiens seem to emphasize much more on shot blocking that the Panthers, which explains the big gap between the two teams in that category.

The puck-moving Gilbert will help with the Habs' transition game on the second pairing and allow Andrei Markov to move up alongside PK Subban on the team's first pairing, which should log around 25 minutes of ice time per game all season long (barring any serious injury). The arrival of Gilbert, combined with the revelation that was Mike Weaver (also a former Panther), allowed Marc Bergevin to trade Josh Gorges and his bloated salary ($3.9M/year). The move will also allow the organization to groom youngsters Jarred
Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu on the team's third pairing alongside the defensively-reliable Weaver.

Moreover, last season, the Campbell/Gilbert pairing has been one of the NHL’s very best, with the Panthers posting a Corsi% north of 55% when the two of them were on the ice, which is considered elite by advanced stats expert Tyler Dellow. Despite this excellent statistic during his whole career even with the Oilers, when Gilbert became a free agent after being bought out by the Wild, he boasted a pretty lengthy track record of outperforming his team’s Corsi% while playing top four (and most of the time top two) minutes for his team.

Last year was a rebound season for Gilbert after he struggled mightily with the Wild in 2012-13 because of a pneumonia he suffered before the season that hampered his play all season, leading him to be frequently scratched by Minnesota and appearing in only 43 games.Still, there is every indication that Gilbert will prove to be a valuable player for the Habs as he is a right-handed shot on a team without much right-handed defensive depth. Did you know that Gilbert was 42nd in the NHL in points at the time of his season-ending injury? Subban finished 5th with 53 points while Markov finished 17th with 43 points.

Ranked 45th in the NHL among rearguards with a CF% of 51.7 (Corsi For% = Corsi For / (Corsi For + Corsi Against)), Gilbert would have been the best possession defenseman in Montreal, PK Subban posting a CF% of 49.9 last year.

Finally, do you like Tom Gilbert's signing or would you rather have kept Josh Gorges around until the end of his long contract? 

Read More

Pregame Preview: Canadiens vs Sabres (Game #74)

Match Up:

The Canadiens (40-26-7) return home after a triumphant two game road trip to host the Sabres (20-43-8) Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. The game starts at 7:30 and airs on RDS and TSN-Habs.

This is the fourth and final game between the Habs and Sabres, and the Canadiens are looking for a season sweep. The Habs have won 3 of 3 in regulation so far, 3-1, 3-2 and 2-0. Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher both have 2 goals against the Sabres this season, and Dustin Tokarski earned his first NHL shutout in the last meeting.

What to Watch:

Alexei Emelin scored the only regulation goal for the Habs in Boston and Brian Gionta and Danny Briere picked up assists. For Gionta, it's his third point in two games since being put on a line with Briere and Rene Bourque. Carey Price is expected to return to the crease to face the Sabres, a night after Peter Budaj came up big with 28 save and 4 shootout stops against the Bruins.

It's been a rough year for the Sabres, a team more or less guaranteed to finish dead last in the league. Buffalo has just 2 wins in March out of 11 games. Chris Stewart, picked up from the Blues at the trade deadline played just 2 games for the Sabres before being forced out for the season with injury, goalie Michal Neuvirth also played just two games for Buffalo before going down as well.

What's at Stake:

The Canadiens are tied with the Lightning now for the second seed in the Atlantic division, but Tampa is holding a game in hand. Buffalo is the worse team but after a long and somewhat painful night in Boston, the Habs will still be tough pressed to earn a victory Tuesday. With the tight race for second and time running out on the season, Tuesday's outcome could have a big impact on playoff positioning.

Who's Out:

Travis Moen and Dale Weise both were forced out of Monday's game, essentially on the same play. Boston's Kevan Miller sent Weise sliding into the boards, and Moen was knocked out of the game on his ensuing fight with Miller. No word yet on whether the duo will be ready to play on Tuesday. Brandon Prust (upper body) and Josh Gorges (hand) are out long term while Lars Eller (lower body) is day-to-day.

The Sabres are dealing with injuries to both their top goalies, Michael Neuvirth (lower body) and Jhonas Enroth (leg). Enroth was injured the last time the Habs and Sabres met when Brendan Gallagher was sent crashing into him. Tyler Myers (arm), Chris Stewart (ankle) and Alexander Sulzer (upper body) are out, Zemgus Girgensons (lower body) is questionable for Buffalo.

What Else:

By beating the Bruins on Monday the Canadiens laid claim to Reddit's NHL Championship Belt. The belt is earned by beating the previous owner, it started the season with the Stanley Cup Champion Chicago Blackhawks and has now found it's way to the Canadiens for a second time this year. The Canadiens managed to keep the belt for four games after a big win over the Minnesota Wild, but eventually the Capitals claimed it with a 3-2 shootout win at the end of November.

The Question Mark:

We want to hear from you: How much would long term injuries to the Habs entire fourth line affect the team's chances at winning?

Make your voice heard by leaving a comment or sending us a tweet with 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.

Read More

Habs/Rangers Post Game Saturday Nov. 17th

The Habs were shut-out by the Rangers 1-0 who visited the Bell Center Saturday night.

The Canadiens who are currently 4-4-2 in their last ten games were coming off a victory in a shoot-out against the struggling Blue Jackets but looked lost against a rising New York team.

With Price in nets, the Habs were unable to get anything by backup goaltender Cam Talbot. Talbot has only appeared in a hand-full of games this season but has put up good numbers in those efforts, after the game Saturday night he is posting a 1.58 GAA and a .943%. The Canadiens shot 22 pucks in his direction but still weren't able to get any scoring done in front of the home crowd.

What is worrisome about the inability for the Canadiens to score is that in consecutive games they have played against the oppositions backup. There should have been extra incentive to get those pucks on net and test these goalies who are not regularly between the pipes. The Rangers blocked 21 shots to help their goaltender's work load.

While there was a lot of reaction from the media and the public with regards to the David Desharnais shoot-out winner against the Jackets. It appeared to only gave him a boost in the first period, the following two periods were filled with more of the same from the center-man who has been struggling progressively for the better part of the last calendar year.

Alexei Emelin made his Habs debut this season. While he has yet to play a game his play over the years has earned him an extension in the eyes of general manager Bergevin. In his first game back, he appeared a little rusty but did manage to log over 16 minutes of ice time. Given the severity of his injury, he will take a few games to fit into the line-up as the effective hard hitting presence he is famous for in the city. He came in replacing Douglas Murray who was benched for a large portion of the previous game.

The game for both teams was sloppy. Neither team was regularly finding a groove to challenge the other. The Rangers, one of the leagues hottest teams of late, played a physical, heavy hitting game against the Habs. They let Montreal come to them and waited for mistakes before reacting to them. They were playing their first game of a back-to-back and are playing against the strong LA Kings squad on Sunday.

Subban logged the most time on ice for the Canadiens again. The night before he had put up 29 minutes and Saturday he was on the ice for a little over 25. He and Markov were the team leaders in that category and while they are very good at producing points, especially on the man-advantage. The Rangers were disciplined and only took two penalties limiting those chances for the Canadiens.

The Rangers on the other hand used their power-play to score the only goal of the game. Pacioretty went to the box in the second period for tripping, and captain Ryan Callahan tipped in a Brad Richards shot which eventually became the game winner.

The efforts of Carey Price were rewarded with a third star selection. In his last two starts he has allowed 2 goals against but the team in front of him just cannot put it together and score to give him the win. Earlier on in the season he was able to keep them in games long enough for the Habs to generate the one important scoring chance that they capitalized on to get the win. Lately though, the Canadiens are not making the most of their chances.

Perhaps their success on special teams has left them searching for answers five-on-five. They are a middle of the pack 5/5 scoring team but have used their 4th ranked power play to compensate for that short-coming.

The lines for the Habs may need a shake-up. While the Eller/Gally(s) line was doing very well in the beginning they seem to be finding themselves in a short term rut. Their production was heavily relied on in the early goings but has since been lost. Maybe it's time for Coach Therrien to juggle the lines and see if there are new combinations that will produce goals.

The next three games are all big match-ups for the Habs. First they take on the Minnesota Wild who are quietly posting one of the better records in the west. Then they see Ovechkin and Crosby in consecutive nights as the Capitals and Penguins are on the docket.

Read More

Davis Drewiske Out

Montreal Defenceman Davis Drewiske has undergone shoulder surgery. The injury originally occurred during training camp this season. His initial window of rehabilitation was around a month's time.

After surgery his expected recovery time is 5-6 months.

He has yet to play a game this season but his loss drains the Habs pool of NHL experienced defencemen. With Douglas Murray yet to play and Alexei Emelin still sidelined this means that Tinordi and Beaulieu will continue to be with the team for some time.

The Canadiens have done well in their absence but will need for the young duo to continue playing at an NHL level in order to maintain their recent success.


Drewiske Out: TSN

Drewiskie Blesse: RDS

(photo courtesy of: awinninghabit.com)

Read More

Emelin Out 6 Months, Habs At The 2013 Awards, Future Of The Canadiens And More...

Good Morning Addicts!

Alexei Emelin tore a ligament in his left knee after bouncing off
of Bruins forwards Milan Lucic in April.

When Alexel Emelin tore a ligment in his left knee after a hit on Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic went wrong in April, it became evident just how important the hard hitting Habs defenseman was to the team. The absence of Emelin created a void on the blue line that no other defender on the Habs could fill.

Andrei Markov's play proved that his age and multiple injuries have caught up with him and his play showed that he was less confident on the ice without the protection of his younger, tougher counterpart. Francis Bouillon is well like in Montreal for his heart and willingness to play a much tougher game than his 5'8" 197 lbs frame should allow. Bouillon however doesn't have the bruising effect that Emelin brings to the ice and so the team's lack of size and toughness once again became a  glaring issue.

News came out earlier this week that Emelin's surgery on Friday will keep the Russian blueliner out for six months. This blow will make Marc Bergevin's summer a little more stessful as he will need to find a way to bolster the back end so the Habs can be competitive at the beginning of next season until Emelin returns.

There is no question that regardless of Emelin's injury the team needed to add some size and toughness. What this news means is that it is all the more important now to make changes in the offseason. Douglas Murray of the Pittsburgh Penguins will be a UFA at season's end, if the Penguis fail to re-sign him perhaps Bergevin will take a shot at him.

Habs And Hockey News

- Last week I posted an article on Michel Therrien's Jack Adam's snub, here's a piece I wrote over at TheHockeyWriters.com focusing on the Canadiens who did recieve nominations and which ones have a chance at bringing home some hardware at the 2013 NHL awards.

- Robert Rice of HabsEyesOnThePrize.com writes up on six Habs who can shape the future of the club.

- Seeing as how it was the Ottawa Senators who eliminated the Habs from the post season, I figured I would post five reasons the Senators were eliminated from NHL.com. Also, how good did every Habs fan feel last night when Brendan Morrow of the Penguins blatantly kicked the puck in the net for the Pens first goal on their way to their 6-2 victory. I have to admit I would've been quite displeased if the referee's were to have disallowed the goal.


(Photo by Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press)

Read More

Vokoun Good-Fleury Bad, Habs Not Too Small? And More...

Good Morning Addicts!



Tomas Vokoun has backstopped the Penguins to the second
round after replacing Mar-Andre Fleury in goal.

 First off I would like to wish a happy Mother's Day to any and all of our readers who happen to be mothers!

And now to hockey. When the playoffs began, the one series I had no real intention of following was that of the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the New York Islanders. I know that having two teams with high flying offense has a lot of potential of being quite entertaining, but at the same time when it seems one team will just roll through another in four games a lot is taken away from the excitement of it.

The one thing that made me believe in the back of my mind that John Tavares and company could possibly upset the Penguins was the fact that Marc-Andre Fleury was  in goal. Sure enough, after four games the series was tied thanks in large part to Mr. Fleury. Not to take away from the Islanders, it's just that I have no faith whatsoever in Pittsburgh's goalie.

The difference between last years early exit at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers and their win over the pesky Islanders was Tomas Vokoun. Vokoun started game five and earned a shutout in the Penguins 4-0 victory over the Islanders. The Penguins back up was again called upon in last night's game and his 35 save performance earned his team a spot in the second round with a 4-3 overtime win.

With the win the Penguins will face the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. As long as Dan Bylsma sticks with Vokoun against the Sens the Penguins will more than likely find themselves playing in the Eastern Conference finals soon enough.

My prediction?

Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Iginla, Kunitz, Letang and Vokoun over Anderson and a non 100% Karlsson in five.


Habs And Hockey News

- With their post season cut short, the Canadiens revealed to the media just how injured their roster was in their series against the Sens. With a list including a concussion, seperated ribs and shoulders and sprained MCL's it's hard to imagine the Habs would've went too far had they defeated the Senators.

- As disappointing as the Habs first round exit was, fans in Montreal have plenty of reason to be optimistic heading into next season.

- Andrew Berkshire @AndrewBerkshire argues that the Habs are not too small, an argument that is not often heard.


(Photo by Jason Cohn/Reuters)

Read More

Willey's Look At The Habs Beyond The 2013 Playoffs

BY Bryan Willey - Habsaddict.com (@bryanwilley78)

So this morning my wife wakes up and overhears the score of the Habs-Sens game last night and upon hearing the outcome quickly turns to me and asks if I am upset.

 

I cannot speak for all Habs fans with this, but without hesitation I told her, “No”.

Perhaps it is just my own opinion, but I like to consider myself a knowledgeable hockey fan without bias and with realistic expectations.  I am not one of those band wagon fans who come to life in the playoffs but rather just a regular guy who bleeds Bleu Blanc Rouge, 365 days a year. 

My expectations, you might ask, were realistic yet disappointing as I expected a first round exit in what I thought would be a 6 game series. 

This prediction was made without even knowing  of the injuries to Max Pacioretty, Brian Gionta  and Brandon Prust or that Lars Eller would be lost for the playoffs with his devastating injury of game 1.

You see, there is an old adage in hockey that you need to learn how to lose before you can learn how to win.

 

Perhaps it is nothing but BS but if you take a look at recent victors of Lord Stanley’s Cup and you’d see a Pittsburgh Penguins or Chicago Blackhawks team, to name but two that needed to face playoff disappointment before ultimately hoisting the cup.  With such a history why would I expect the Canadiens to be different?

Hell No. 

Yes we finished second in the Eastern Conference but this team has way too deficiencies  at this stage which need to be improved upon before truly making the next step.

First let’s discuss experience.

In Game 4 of the first round of the 2013 playoffs our lineup consisted of Brendan Gallagher, Alex Galchenyuk, Gabriel Dumont, Jarred Tinordi, Max Pacioretty, and Raphael Diaz who were all disputing their first playoff series.

Add these names to the likes of Ryan White, Rene Bourque, Lars Eller, Colby Armstrong and David Desharnais who are all surprisingly only playing in their 2^nd career playoff series.

Think about that for a second.  11 players who suited up for this team in the past 4 games were either playing in their first or second playoff series in their career.

Does this sound like the make-up of a team destined for success this time around?

Then let’s talk about our D-core. 

Our top five defensemen are currently Francis Bouillon, Andrei Markov, PK Subban, Raphael Diaz and Josh Gorges.

Now I do not know about you but when I see this group I see some experience and some very good movers but I also see a list where four of the five players are 6 feet or smaller. With only Gorges coming in at 6’1. 

I also see a gaping hole with the loss of the 6’3, 220 lbs. Alexei Emelin.  There were numerous complaints about him this season but Alexei Emelin I might point out is our biggest, meanest, hardest hitting and one of the leading shots blockers. 

Did fans really expect to see a level of success in a playoff battle of attrition missing this key element?

We need to be realistic here guys and girls, the Montreal Canadiens are on the right track but this was not our year. We cannot let the success of the regular season blind us, because we are not ready to make that next step, yet.

However as each of you read this piece, I don’t want you to leave with a sense of ill will or negativity because this team is on the verge of something bigger.

Yes we are down 3-1 and yes I still believe that this team will put up a fight for game 6 and maybe even game 7 but my optimism is what will be in 2013-14.

I salivate at the thought of a blue line patrolled by Jarred Tinordi, PK Subban, Alexei Emelin, Nathan Beaulieu et al.

I drool as I envision a more experienced Galchenyuk, Eller and Gallagher or a playoff battle with a healthy Prust, Pacioretty or the Emelin #Boom.

Be wary Eastern Conference, the Habs are coming !!!

Read More

Marc Bergevin Drops The Ball As Canadiens Lose Alexei Emelin

Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in the following article are those of the writer, and do not reflect the opinions of HabsAddict.com.

Despite a very important 2-1 win against their division rivals on Saturday at Bell Centre, the Canadiens lost a key element of their defensive brigade when bruising defensemen Alexei Emelin left the game midway through the first period. He sustained a left knee injury in a thunderous collision while taking a run at big Boston Bruins forward Milan Lucic in the neutral zone.

Alexei Emelin will miss an extended period of time (Jerome Davis/Icon SMI)

The injury forced the team to play newcomer Davis Drewiske more than 23 minutes, something he was not accustomed to doing with the Los Angeles Kings. Drewiske finished the game with four blocked shots, two hits and a minus-1 rating. Following Emelin’s injury, Therrien had to deploy the remaining five defensemen in various combinations, and the rearguards rose splendidly to the challenge.

After the game, head coach Michel Therrien said that Emelin had a lower body injury, and unfortunately for the Habs, the news got worse Monday, as it was announced that Emelin would be sidelined for the rest of the season.

With that blow to the lineup, there are numerous factors that have to be examined.

Who will replace Emelin Boom?

As a result of the injury, the Canadiens called-up puck-moving blue liner Nathan Beaulieu from the AHL to fill the void left by Emelin’s untimely injury. Beaulieu played two games with the Habs earlier this season, notching his first NHL point, an assist, to go along with a +2 rating. The left-handed rearguard has 7 goals and 21 assists for 28 points with 56 penalty minutes in 64 contests with the Hamilton Bulldogs this season.

While Raphael Diaz has resumed skating, he has yet to participate into a full practice with his teammates, so we still don’t know when he will be able to return to the line-up. As for Tomas Kaberle, the team does not want to play him as they don’t want him to suffer a major injury which would prevent the organization from buying him out this summer. The other option would be Swiss defenseman Yannick Weber who has only played two games this season, more often relegated to the healthy scratch sheet and sustaining a lower-body injury that sidelined him for a few weeks. 

The problem with the right-handed defenseman is that Michel Therrien doesn’t have any confidence in him or he would have used him more often after the injury sustained by Diaz. According to Renaud Lavoie reporting on RDS, the Blue Blanc Rouge, who were shopping Weber at the trade deadline, was asking a 2nd or 3rd round pick for Yannick Weber… no wonder they didn’t find any takers! This was the first mistake by GM Marc Bergevin as he should have let Weber go for a lower draft pick as he doesn’t seem to fit into the organization’s long-term plans.

Who will play with Andrei Markov? (photo by azarius@Flickr)

Bergevin’s mistake

Bergevin’s other mistake at the trade deadline was to be very passive and only acquire a journeyman defenseman who didn’t play a single game last Spring during the Los Angeles Kings’ magical playoff run. Drewiske was the team’s eight defenseman after the acquisition of veteran Robyn Regehr. While Drewiske can do the job in a short period of time, he is not a top-four defenseman by any means. With Andrei Markov, PK Subban and Josh Gorges all playing great hockey this season and Francis Bouillon being paired with the team’s sixth defenseman on the third pairing, whether it is Drewiske or a youngster called up from Hamilton, the Habs are left with a gaping hole in their top four slots.

Montreal could also decide to call up a more physical rearguard for the playoffs, namely Jarred Tinordi, but the way they will use that defenseman is still a mystery to most fans and journalists. The problem with Tinordi is that he was very soft during his first six-game stint with the Habs earlier this season, recording a paltry three hits despite his big 6’6”, 205-lb frame. Tinordi will have to be more physical if he gets the nod in order to replace Emelin’s physical presence on the Habs’ blue line.

Bergevin should have acquired more than a journeyman defenseman at the deadline, and his inertia will come to bite him in the behind as injuries to key players always happen during the season. With Rene Bourque close to return to action and a lot of depth at forward following the waiver-wire pick-up of Jeff Halpern, I understand that Bergevin didn’t want to pay a premium to acquire a rental forward before the deadline. The team’s general manager had already made his move, acquiring Michael Ryder and a third-round pick in exchange for disgruntled forward Erik Cole. Ryder has been terrific for the Habs, notching 10 goals and eight assists for 18 points in 18 games with the team. Ryder’s acquisition has improved the power play drastically, with him scoring half of his points (6 g and 3 a) on the man advantage.

What now?

The team better pray Drewiske is the next Josh Gorges and turns into an efficient shutdown defenseman able to log more than 20 minutes a game every game, playing alongside Andrei Markov. The Canadiens are only three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins with one game in hand for the Eastern Conference lead, so they have a great chance to go very deep in the playoffs this season as they could begin each series on home ice where the team has had great success in 2013.

The problem with Bergevin looking at the parade, is that the team might struggle mightily and suffer serious injuries next season, pushing the team outside the top eight teams in the East, making them miss the playoffs… The window of opportunity was open wide, but Bergevin decided to close the shutters instead of looking at the bigger picture and add more depth to his blue line!

Read More