Eller Needs To Go So Galchenyuk Can…

By Eitan Calmy (@habsaddict)

Source: Elsa/Getty Images North America

ELLER NEEDS TO GO SO “GALCHENYUK CAN PLAY CENTRE”

Lars Eller is a third line centre. He will never be anything more than that. If the organization and Lars himself don’t make that clear to each other, Eller will be another one of those players that everyone will always wonder about. What if this? What if that?

Some will say that I’m being hard, but I’m not. He has had his chances. He’s going to be a very good shut down guy with some offensive upside. As long as Eller does not accept that role he will always be playing musical chairs, on the wrong line and with the wrong teammates. He has consistency issues. When expected to produce, it's as if he cracks under pressure. He fits the third-line centre role perfectly. When on his game, extremely reliable defensively and can surprise you with speed and strength which will create some offense. 

David Desharnais and Tomas Plekanec aren’t going anywhere as long as they have contracts. Desharnais has no trade value due in part to what I write below. Plekanec is one of the best two-way players in the game. He is a good second-line centre and in a perfect world probably the best third-line centre in the game. I would hesitate to move him.

Desharnais is untouchable. For some strange reason Montreal Canadiens management and coaching refuse to entertain the possibility of playing Max Pacioretty with anybody else. It is undeniable that they have chemistry. Desharnais is a very good playmaker. But if he’s that good, then why not try different line combinations? Why not test Plekanec with Pacioretty or Galchenyuk with Pacioretty?

To be very clear, if I thought that there was any chance the organization would even consider trading Desharnais, the title of this article would be: “Desharnais needs to go so... “

Why fix or toy with something that’s not broken? Because your number one centre is undersized, because your number one centre can’t play shorthanded. Because your number one centre can’t play in crucial defensive missions; whether it’s to preserve a lead or play against other teams top

lines. David Desharnais is and always will be a one-dimensional player. In my opinion, and please know that as a fan that bleeds Blue/White/Red, it hurts to say this, but “the Montreal Canadiens will not win a Stanley Cup as long as David Desharnais is the number one centre.”

It’s becoming more and more evident that Alex Galchenyuk is a special player. He has more natural skills than anybody on the current line-up. His passes are divine and his puck control is comparable to the elite players in the league. Michel Therrien has to let him express himself. The coach needs to, has to free Galchenyuk from Plekanec. He needs to let him spread his wings and fly. Galchenyuk is ready. Game after game he shows his creativity, his passion and skill. Other than Max Pacioretty’s scoring ability, Alex Galchenyuk is the next best thing, maybe better. With all due respect to Plekanec and Gallagher, they are simply not skilled enough to play with the future star. I’d even say that there’s probably no forward on this team that’s talented enough to play at Galchenyuk’s level or simply follow his lead. One of the only players that has been able to finish what he has started was PK Subban.  

If the Montreal Canadiens won’t move Desharnais from that top line, then they have to find a way to make a trade and add a "Power Forward" to the team that can play at the level that Galchenyuk is capable of. That being said I am not saying it’s easy because every single team in the league wants those big forwards that can’t score.

Montreal will have to make the right offer, they will probably have to overpay. I am not a GM but it’s obvious that it will at the very least cost one or two established guys from your line-up + either Jarred Tinordi or Nathan Beaulieu and probably a first-round draft pick. In order to get you have to give. Those of you that think it’s too much, well it’s never going to happen.  

I have complete confidence in Marc Bergevin and I strongly believe that we are in good hands for many years to come. The Montreal Canadiens have a 14-5-1 record. The team has had a great stretch as of late; however, just as Bergevin has done so far, you can always improve and I strongly believe that the big step forward will occur when Galchenyuk becomes that #1 centre.

1.       Who do you think should be moved in order for Galchenyuk to play centre?

2.       Does Michel Therrien have what it takes to bring Subban, Galchenyuk and others to the next level or just like in Pittsburgh, the Canadiens will have to bring somebody else to finish the job?

3.        Do you think Bergevin will pull the trigger on a blockbuster trade?

4.       Will the #Habs maintain their position for the rest of the season or is this just an illusion?

Eitan Calmy ( @habsaddict  )

I’m a fan just like all you other wackos out there. These are my opinions and if you do or don’t like them tweet me or comment on the post. I often comment on referees as I was an official for over 15 years. Hockey is more than just a sport, it’s a way of life!

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The Bipolar Habs Fan: PK Subban vs Marc Bergevin

by Eitan Calmy

Source: Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America

This first edition of the Bipolar Habs Fan will be about how I feel about how Marc Bergevin got himself into a little bit of a pickle with PK Subban’s new contract negotiations.

On May 5^th, 2012 Marc Bergevin replaces Pierre Gauthier as the new General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens. His first order of business is to hire his staff. His first real order of business relating to player personnel will be to re-sign PK Subban. This is where things get a little tricky.

Without getting into too many details, let’s be extremely clear about one thing. When Bergevin signed Subban to that bridge contract he should have known that PK would hit the jackpot with his next one.

Bergevin came in and had to play hard. It was after all his first major negotiation as a general manager. PK Subban’s talent was undeniable, but the organization had question marks about his attitude, they wanted to make sure he can be part of this team, they wanted to make sure that he was a good teammate. Bottom line is they wanted to tame him, on and off the ice. Absolutely ridiculous!

Guess what? That’s a load of dog feces! PK Subban was and is a game-changer, he always will be. He can win you games all by himself. So he makes mistakes. Every single superstar in the league is a high-risk player. The key is to surround these stars properly.

Some fans were outraged when Subban was holding out before he signed his bridge deal. “He’s so arrogant.” “He hasn’t proved anything.” “He has to respect the process like all the other players.”

Oh please, spare me with that old school dinosaur mentality. Signing him to a bridge deal was a huge mistake. It was actually more than a huge mistake, it was foolish and the Montreal Canadiens are going to pay for it now.

Mr. Bergevin, how exactly can you argue with Don Meehan? What can you say to Subban or his agent that will be in the organization’s favor?  

This is some of what Don Meehan has to say;

Source: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images N.A.

2012-2013 - 42 GP 11 G 27 A = 38 PTS

-Lead all NHL defensemen in the regular season.
-Won the Norris trophy for being the “BEST DEFENSEMAN IN THE NHL”

2013-2014 - 81 GP 10 G 43 A – 53 PTS (5^th in the NHL)
PK Subban gets picked to be on the Canadian Olympic team that won gold in Sochi. Although Subban wasn’t a big factor on the ice, several of his Canadian teammates have said that he was an incredible team-first type of guy. (If anybody had any doubts that all he cares about is winning, you’re all out of your mind.)

Marc Bergevin, you have nothing to counter with.

Sign Subban and sign him now!

Sign him for the maximum term and make the man happy. If the market says he’s worth $9.5 million, you don’t have a choice. Give Subban his money.

Oh yeah and give him the C. You, me and the entire Montreal Canadiens fan base knows he deserves the captaincy. He’s your best player (other than Carey Price of course), and he has as much heart as anybody in the league. He proved that he can handle the media and that he thrives under pressure.

Subban for president! Until he pisses me off and I write how we should trade him. #notgonnahappen.

You can follow me on twitter @habsaddict

*************** 

I'm a die hard Montréal Canadiens fan, but I can be objective and like all other HABS fans I'm bipolar when it comes to my team, so watch what you say!

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Habs/Sharks Post-game October 26th

Couture scoring the eventual game winning goal against price

Montreal was playing the last game of a five game home stand on Saturday night against the red hot San Jose Sharks. The game didn't provide the excitement that many had hoped as the Sharks took the game by a final score of 2-0.

The Sharks have been one of the best teams in the early going. Coming in they had a 8-1-1 record after losing the Bruins the other night. It isn't simply that they are winning games but are doing so in a convincing manner. They are not only out-shooting their opponents but their ability to box out the opposition leaves little opportunities to score on Antii Niemi.

The Canadiens, coming off of a 4-1 win against the Ducks, had the chance to evaluate their level of play against a team that is looking like a strong contender for the Stanley Cup.

Right off puck-drop the game plan was different. The Canadiens were not controlling the puck and using their speed to generate any kind of breakouts.  The fore-check was nearly invisible, few players were making an effort to finish their checks against the bigger and more physical San Jose squad.

The best way to describe the outing would be to say the Canadiens played "a good road game at home". They held the Sharks back but it was obvious which team was favored coming into this game.

This is where the game-plan should have been different. The Habs have gone up by two goals in four of their last five games, this is the mind-set coach Therrien should have instilled into his squad. It doesn't matter who you play against you stick to what has been working. That is not to say you don't make adjustments but when you're the home team and hold the final change you force your opponent to play your game, not the other way around. It isn't a sound strategy to play for overtime, the Bell Center provides one of the best ambiences in the league, and any player will tell that you that harnessing the energy from the home crowd can be a great source of motivation.

The Habs did successfully hold the Sharks out from being a dominant goal scoring machine. They played very well on the penalty kill, allowing one goal on four chances. The lone power play goal for the Sharks came off the stick of Logan Couture from Joe Thornton. Couture, who scored a pair of goals, seemed to have the hockey Gods on his side, especially the second one. Couture's second tally of the night occurred in the third period when Patrick Marleau dumped in the puck which ricocheted off the end boards catching Price by surprise as he was going to play it, it landed right on Couture's stick and he slid it in.

Besides a 10 minute window in the second period it did not look like Montreal had any kind of offense being generated. The legs seemed to drag on in the third period, but that is the result of constantly pushing back your opponent rather than force them to play on their heels.

As mentioned earlier, this game can be a kind of measuring stick as to where exactly the Canadiens stand in the league. This game says they are a team that will contend for a spot in the lower half of the playoff table and are a few years away from being in the top tier in the league.
The fact they are currently able to hold back a very strong and deep Sharks team speaks to their defense. However, the inability to produce scoring chances was their downfall. The team still has an abundance of time left in the season to make the necessary changes to their game to get them into the post season. Once you get to the dance than it only takes a timely hot streak to get you deep into the chase for Stanley's Cup.

Photo: Graham Hughes, AP

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Therrien Finally Adjusts and the Canadiens Win

By: Shawn Lavoie @SLavoie54

Shawn has contributed for quite some time and we are pleased to announce he is now part of our writing staff here at Habsaddict

Michel Therrien has the reputation of being a rather impatient coach. He is known to be unafraid to put his players under the spotlight and to shake up his lines when things aren't going his way. Since his second coming in Montreal, he has shown reluctance in giving more ice time to his young players who, since last season, have been playing some great hockey and to cut his underperforming veterans’ ice time. 

This season though, Therrien has finally started to adjust. When the Habs won in Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, and at home against Columbus, the coach gave more ice time to his younger players and cut the under-performers' playing time.
Indeed, over the last four wins, Lars Eller, who has five goals and seven points this season, has been the second most used center by Michel Therrien. David Desharnais, who has only one assist this season in seven games, saw his ice time go from over 16 minutes against Toronto on opening night and Calgary, to around 14 minutes a night over the last four games. Only Tomas Plekanec has been used more that the 24 year old Eller. The great Dane has been one of the team’s best forward so far this season.

Same thing goes for Daniel Briere, who has been mostly invisible so far this season. The Gatineau native saw his ice time constantly decline over the past five games from a season high 17:03 against Calgary to a season low 12:59 against Columbus. The small forward has scored two out of his three points on empty net goals. Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher, who have been playing well since starting their careers last season, have seen more ice than Briere since the team’s win in Vancouver. 

Francis Bouillon is another player who hasn’t played as much as usual. Even though he hasn’t been bad, he is finally seeing bottom pairing minutes. The 38 year old defender was regularly playing over 20 minutes per game last season, which was insane. Therrien has also reduced Bouillon’s power play time, although not completely. Markov and Subban have, obviously, been heavily relied upon on the power play and for good reason. In general, the veteran rearguard is the fifth most used defenseman, which is a more appropriate role. It is good to see that Therrien has gained some sense with Bouillon’s usage. 

However, this is not to say that the Canadiens’ head coach has been perfect. David Desharnais is still seeing more power play time than Lars Eller. Daniel Briere also receives more time on the man advantage than both Gallys. Even though the Habs have the seventh best power play in the league, it’s in the team’s best interest that the kids receive more power play time than Briere and Desharnais. You can’t keep your hottest players on the bench while up a man to play your underperforming veterans. Even if this could upset them, the team comes first. As long as they can’t fix their game, Therrien has to rely more heavily on the young studs.

Another problem Therrien still has is the fact that Markov plays more than twice as often on the penalty killing. This defies all reason. It does not make sense to keep the reigning Norris Trophy winner on the bench while down a player. Subban is the team’s best defenseman in every area of the game. Yes, he still makes some mistakes, but we tend to forget that he is still only 24 years old. He is still gaining in maturity and improving his game. Markov, on the other hand, is 34 years old and it is obvious that he has slowed down. He has played very well so far, but he can’t keep on playing 23-24 minutes per game as he will get slower as the season progresses. Therrien will need to rely more heavily on Subban. The elite defenseman ranks 18th in the NHL in average ice time with 24:41. He is able to play two minutes more per game, and this can come by switching Markov and Subban on the penalty kill. 

Michel Therrien’s player usage still doesn’t make perfect sense, but he’s getting there.
(Photo by Marianne Helm/Getty Images North America)

Follow me on Twitter @SLavoie54

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Habs/Blue Jackets Post Game October 17th, 2013

The west coast trip was a success for the Habs. Rather than rest on their laurels they came back on home ice and came out strong for the 21,000 plus in attendance.

 At times it looked like the Jackets would mount a comeback after they tied the game up at 3. But a late marker from Tomas Plekanec in the final 2 minutes paired with the eventual empty netter would seal the deal for the Bleu Blanc Rouge.

They opened up the scoring early on. A power-play goal by Bourque set up by a gorgeous cross ice pass from P.K. Subban. It's becoming a habit to mention Subban and the score-sheet, he now has 10 points in 7 games this season which is tied for 2nd in the league.

Along with P.K.,Andrei Markov managed to jump start the offense tonight. Markov scored a shorthanded goal when the Blue Jackets received a power-play on a questionable elbowing call issued to Subban. During this penalty-kill the fore-check made the Jackets cough up the puck in their zone and end up right on the stick of Markov who ripped a shot by Bobvroski.

Bobrovski, the current Vezina holder stopped 31 of the 35 shots he faced and was the reason that the game didn't get out of hand much earlier as the Habs did create many difficult chances early on.

In nets for the Canadiens was Carey Price. Coming off a shutout in his last outing he put together a respectable performance and stopped 30 of 33. He was saved early on by a great defensive play by Josh Gorges, the puck was free in front of the net while the Jackets were scrambling towards the goal he cleared it away with his stick. Gorges also contributed offensively with a helper.

The Blue Jackets managed to get a stand out performance from Boone Jenner, the youngster put up a pair of goals and led the team with 6 shots on goal.

Scoring his first goal as a Canadien was Michael Bournival. He ripped a one timer fed to him from Markov. The moment,scored on home ice, will forever be remembered by the youngster who is solidifying his place on the roster as the games go by. His mix of grinding play combined with some offensive punch are quickly making him a viable option to fill in for the injuries that are quickly piling up.

On the injury front it was announced that Pacioretty would be missing at least the next 3 weeks. His natural ability to find the back of the net will be missed, this will force the team to pull together with scoring from other sources. It was a good time for Bourque to make his presence felt, as well as Plekanec.

One observation this evening, was the distribution of ice-time between the top 2 defense pairings. While Diaz led all defencemen with 23:41, Markov was a close second 23:35 and Gorges and Subban came in with 22 minutes each. The ability to provide some time to rest his stars is a not just a testament to the performance of his third and forth defenders but also help prevent any further injuries to the already decimated blue-line.

Tthe Canadiens will have much to prove being on home ice for the next few games. They are making a statement: They intend to compete for top spot in their division rather than simply fight for a playoff spot this season.

(Photo: Courtesy of SB Nation)

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He Said / She Said: The Canadiens' New Conference

Looking ahead at 2012, many questions surround the Montreal Canadiens.

Will Andrei Markov return? What will happen to Scott Gomez and his egregious contract? What fate will be reserved for Randy Cunneyworth and Pierre Gauthier? How will the new CBA impact the team?

Amidst this sea of unknowns, there is at least one item that remains certain: Montreal will play in a new conference next season, joining Buffalo, Toronto, Boston, Ottawa, Florida and Tampa Bay.

Likewise, around the league three others conferences of either seven or eight teams will be formed and the top four in each will qualify for the post-season. Once a conference champion is crowned, the idea is that the remaining four teams will face off against each other, creating the potential for some unusual semi-final matchups.

The scheduling matrix will be changed accordingly and every team will, at a minimum, play a home-and-away series against each other.

Taking a break from contemplating the many uncertainties facing the club, our resident writers, Bryan Willey and Rosalyn Roy, discuss how they feel about this re-alignment and how it might affect the Habs.

Bryan Willey: I absolutely hate it. How does it make sense to have Montreal in the same division as the Florida teams?

I understand the league wants to group the major metropolitan areas, but the Canadiens have to fly across the Eastern seaboard just to get to Florida. C'est ridicule.

Only having seven squads in the conference makes it slightly easier playoff wise, but the amount of travel will balance that. And don't even get me started on the general poor results the Canadiens muster on their trips to the Sunshine State.

Rosalyn Roy: My first thought when I read of the new four conference format was pretty simple and telling: Patrick, Adams, Smythe and Norris. I've never seen the need for six divisions to begin with.

I get how the restructure does not bode particularly well for Hurricanes or the Islanders, but it is the responsibility of every NHL team to improve to the point where it can legitimately contend.

Making weaker divisions for the chronic bubble or wild card teams to get a shot at the Stanley Cup does not benefit the sport, which is why the league currently has 30 teams, some of which are in markets that will never, ever be self-sustaining.

As for the Habs, not much has changed. They're still going to contend with Boston and Toronto a lot of the time, though they caught a break avoiding the likes of Philadelphia and getting the two Florida teams, who actually got the short end of that deal.

That said, I'm not sold on the playoffs format with the top four in each division contending against each other, with a reset once the division champs are crowned and they move to the semi-finals.

I'll have to reserve some enthusiasm until I see it actually play out. But a Toronto or Boston series for the conference crown is appealing.

Bryan Willey: Again, I don't like it. More travel, more games against the West, and a division featuring two teams with no relevance.

Can't wait to see the amazing playoff schedule. Let's play Boston (what else is new?) in round one and then perhaps the likes of San Jose or Anaheim down the road. Yeah that's going to make for better hockey.

And what's the deal with 16 Western teams and 14 Eastern teams. What happens when Phoenix is moved?

It also irks me that the other Eastern teams basically travel by bus everywhere yet Montreal faces two Florida teams nearly 2,500 km away.

I can understand wanting Four divisions but to have Florida and Tampa with us makes no sense except to fill the arenas with the Snowbirds.

Rosalyn Roy: All teams have to travel to some extent. For the Habs and their Jekyll and Hyde persona, I'm not sure it plays a factor anyway. They can have three days off and still come out with no zip in their skates or play four games in a week and come out firing.

Frankly, I like playing more teams in the West. I'm sick to death of Boston, Philly, Toronto and not much else rammed down my throat year after year. I'd like to enjoy players from the other conferences too.

When the Habs are in the playoffs it's exciting for me, regardless of whom they are playing against. If we can get out of the new conference at all, I'll be happy but that's a long shot at best anyway.

After that it's all gravy.

There's absolutely no doubt in my mind that Florida and Tampa Bay got jammed into this conference in hopes of making them profitable. At least we're not them and having to commute almost every game to face pretty much everyone else within the division. The NHL is nothing if not consistent in trying to sustain its non-hockey cash strapped markets.

As for Phoenix, I'm sure we'll gripe about it when it happens. In the meantime I can speculate all I want, but it's clear Bettman will likely have to tweak depending on where they go.

Bryan Willey: I could care less about playing San Jose or Columbus or Colorado. I want to see the Habs play Boston eight times a year. Same for Toronto, Buffalo and Ottawa.

I like the way baseball does it with the teams playing only same league teams except for designated periods of the season.

Like you, I'm happy when the Canadiens are in the playoffs. I want to see the best hockey, not teams fatigued because of incessant cross-continental travel. Play in the East only and then make your way to the West for the Cup. That's how it is now and how it should remain.

And why are there 14 Eastern teams and 16 Western teams? It doesn't make sense that more than 50% make the playoffs in the east.

My guess on this is that Florida folds soon because they now have 11,000 more miles to travel and that's going to be costly to them.

What about the rest of you, do you like the league’s proposed realignment? How do you think it will impact the Habs?

---
Bryan is a Marketer by day, writer for HabsAddict.com by night and full time fan of the game. Follow me on twitter @BryanWilley78 but don't bother looking for me on Facebook, I'm just too old for that now!

Rosalyn used to frequent the old Forum during her early childhood when her father was a corporate season ticket holder, where she fell in love with Larry Robinson, so her lifelong obsession with the Habs is entirely his fault.

He Said / She Said is regular column on HabsAddict slated to appear on a bi-weekly basis.

(Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images North America)

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Canadiens/Blackhawks Post-Game, Language, Sweden Cheating and More

Good morning Habs fans!  Do you have Chelsea Dagger in your heads this morning?
I don't.

But, then again, I stopped watching after the third Hawks goal.

Unprofessional for someone who writes about the Habs on a daily basis? A little bit, for sure.

Even writers get tired of losing and lackluster performances.

At least there is still reason to hope for the future. Not the imeediate future. No one really expects the Canadiens to string together a long series of wins.

Rather, hope for the mid and long-term. With three Canadiens' prospects — Michael Bournival, Nathan Beaulieu and Brendan Gallagher — on Team Canada's WJC squad as well as Jarred Tinordi representing the United States and Daniel Pribyl suiting up for the Czech Republic, the Christmas tournament should be especially interesting for the Habs faithful.

Speaking of which, Michael Bournival signed an ELC with Montreal yesterday.

Discussion

HW/HA Forum - GDT | Montreal at Chicago | December 21, 2011 | 1930 EST

Habs News

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ESPN - Flyers coast as Claude Giroux nets four points in return

Louis' Note: Between Pronger's injury, Giroux's return, a last second goal by the Rangers last week and Steve Ott shoving Peter Laviolette, it is not like the crew at HBO are having a hard time generating stories for 24/7.

Sports Illustrated - A simple way to curb concussions

TSN - Forsberg denies Sweden threw game at 2006 Olympics

Louis' Note: Sure Peter, I believe you. It's not like your coach came out publicly and suggested it would be best you threw the game. Swedish coach Bengt-Ake Gustafsson said something along the lines of "We are going to go out and play and whatever happens happens, but neither one of us will waste energy."

TSN - Fraser: Knocking the net off and sunbelt hockey


(Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America)

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Le CH et la peur

Le Canadien de Montréal est une organisation riche en histoire, une organisation qui jouit d’une position unique au sein d’une culture unique en Amérique du Nord.

En raison de cette position unique, le club de hockey se retrouve souvent à l'intersection du monde sportif et du monde politique.

Ce fait a été à nouveau mis en évidence cette semaine quand, suite au congédiement de Jacques Martin, le club a annoncé l’embauche de Randy Cunneyworth comme entraineur par intérim.

Randy Cunneyworth, un anglophone unilingue issu d’Etobicoke, a vite senti les foudres des médias qui exigent un entraineur francophone.

Mais, pourquoi ce brouhaha? Après tout, d’un point de vue pragmatique, la langue de l’entraineur ne change pas grand chose.

Avec plus de 20 pays représentés au sein de la LNH, on converge vers l’anglais dans le vestiaire des joueurs. Les pratiques et les réunions d’équipe sont dirigées dans la langue de Shakespeare.

Les journalistes, eux, doivent déjà interagir en anglais avec plusieurs joueurs et entraineurs, donc ils possèdent déjà les moyens pour s’ajuster à un instructeur anglophone chez le Canadien.

Pour le partisan, que le coach livre ses banalités au point de presse dans une langue ou deux n’affectera pas sa lecture de la section des sports.

Alors, pourquoi cette controverse?

La peur. La peur de perdre sa langue, sa culture et son héritage.

« Au Québec, le Canadien n'est pas seulement une équipe de hockey. C'est aussi une institution. Et comme toute institution, elle a des responsabilités envers son milieu. Parmi elles, la défense et la promotion du français» dit Philippe Cantin, du journal La Presse.

M. Cantin souligne une responsabilité de promouvoir et protéger le français. Nous pourrions donc sous entendre que, sans cette protection, la culture francophone s’écroulera et qu’elle sera assimilée par la mer d’anglophones qui l’entoure.

Notre culture est-elle si faible? Avons-nous réellement besoin de la protection du Canadien?

Un rapport de 2007 nous indique que 83% de la population Québécoise utilise le français à la maison. Cela représente au-delà de 6 million de personnes dans la province.

Les Québécois représentent un des peuples les plus éduqué sur la planète, avec plus de 60% de la population active possédant un diplôme postsecondaire.

Plusieurs compagnies d’envergure telles que Bombardier, Alcan ou Bell ont des liens étroits avec la province. À lui seul, le Québec représente la 44e économie mondiale et presque 20% de l’économie canadienne.

Mais il y a toujours cette peur. Cette peur de perdre sa place dans le monde.

«Il s'agit de montrer aux Québécois et au monde que le français est une langue moderne et dynamique, qu'on n'a pas à abandonner pour réussir à l'échelle de la planète» renchéri le journaliste André Pratte.

Abandonner? Le français est la deuxième langue la plus enseignée au monde. Globalement, le français est une langue officielle dans plus de 29 pays et est parlé par plus de 250 millions de personnes.

Le gouvernement du Québec entretient un réseau de délégations internationales dans plus de 25 villes à travers la planète. La province jouit d’une excellente réputation et attire plus de 7 million de visiteurs par année.

Les artistes de la province continuent de rayonner à l’étranger. Au-delà des noms célèbres comme Robert Lepage ou Céline Dion, d’autres comme Denys Arcand, Marie Laberge ou Malajube connaissent également du succès.

Plus que jamais, le français et le Québec semblent avoir une place de choix dans le monde.

Mais cette peur, il y a toujours cette peur.

Notre insécurité nous mène à scruter chaque décision sous un microscope linguistique.

Notre insécurité impose une atmosphère où nous avons parfois l’impression qu’il faut choisir entre le français ou l’anglais.

Cette peur, j’en ai assez.

Si nous croyons réellement en la force et l’importance du français, nous devrions avoir la confiance qu’elle peut cohabiter avec l’anglais et les anglophones, et même ceux qui sont unilingues.

Si nous croyons réellement aux capacités et aux talents des francophones, nous devrions les laisser faire leur place sans le fardeau des politicailleries. 

Notre langue, notre culture est-elle si précaire qu’il faut la défendre contre un simple homme, un simple entraineur, parce qu’il est anglophone?

À voir la réaction des médias, il faut croire que oui.

Pourtant, il me semble que nous sommes plus forts que ça. Moi, cette réaction m’insulte.

Pas vous?

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Louis est rédacteur pour HabsAddict.com et redacteur pour HabsWorld.net. Il vit presentement a Ottawa où il travaille pour l’Association canadienne des entraineurs. On peut le rejoindre à l.moustakas@habsworld.net

L'opinion est celle de l'auteur et ne reflète pas nécessairement les opinions de HabsAddict.com 

(Photo par Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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Northeast Preview: Montreal Canadiens

by Louis Moustakas

With summer well behind us, it seems like the perfect time to contemplate the moves made by Montreal and its various division rivals. Over five parts, we will take a look at each team and venture a guess at where they will finish in 2011-12. It is now time to look at our favorite team, the Montreal Canadiens.  

Last season: 44-30-8, 96 points (2^nd in Northeast, 6^th in East)

Additions: Michael Blunden, RW; Peter Budaj, G; Erik Cole, W; Peter Delmas, G; Raphael Diaz, D; Nathan Lawson, G; Mark Mitera, D; Brock Trotter, C; Brian Willsie, RW; Jeff Woywitka, D; Alexei Yemelin, D

Subtractions: Alex Auld, G; Dustin Boyd, C; Mahtieu Carle, D; Nigel Dawes, LW; Jeff Halpern, C; Roman Hamrlik, D; Kyle Klubertanz, D; Drew MacIntyre, G; Alexandre Picard, D; Benoit Pouliot, LW; Tom Pyatt, F; Ryan Russell, C; Brent Sopel, D; James Wisniewski, D; J.T Wyman, RW;

Last year, the Canadiens managed to finish a respectable sixth in the Eastern Conference in spite of a slew of injuries that forced Andrei Markov, Josh Gorges, Jaroslav Spacek and Max Pacrioretty, to name but a few, to miss considerable time. As a result, Pierre Gauthier spent significant resources plugging holes in his lineup, especially on the backend. In the end, Gauthier would be compelled to acquire three blueliners, James Wisniewski, Paul Mara and Brent Sopel, over the course of the season.

Clearly, as Gauthier entered the summer, he looked to avoid a repeat of that situation. While many defencemen, including Roman Hamrlik, James Wisniewski and Brent Sopel, left the organization, depth, and youth, was added to the backend.

Raphael Diaz and Alexei Yemelin, who both have considerable international experience, were brought over from Europe. Jeff Woywitka and Mark Mitera should add above-average talent to the Bulldogs. Add to that the returns of Andrei Markov and Josh Gorges along with the continued development of Yannick Weber and Brendon Nash, who was a surprise call-up last season, and the squad seems far better equipped to handle injuries to its blueline.

Meanwhile, management also landed a big fish in winger Erik Cole, who adds much needed size and scoring to Montreal’s attack. Even should his production fail to meet expectations, his addition, along with rising youngsters Lars Eller, Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais, gives the Habs scoring options throughout their top-nine. It has been a long while since we were able to sincerely make that statement.       

In short, this edition of the Canadiens appears to have a depth that was not present in recent years. This depth not only allows the team to more comfortably absorb injuries, but also creates precious competition for ice time. Beyond that, they also possess two of the league’s rising stars in P.K Subban and Carey Price, players who are both able to elevate their game and literally carry their team.  

Key players returning to health. Improved depth. Emerging youth. Sounds like a recipe for success.

And if the above does not work out as planned, there is always that four million dollars of cap space that could be handy.

Prediction: 2^nd in the North East.

What do you think? Where will our favourite team finish next season? Can they win the Division?   

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Louis is an editor at HabsWorld.net and has been writing about Canadiens and NHL hockey since 2009. Louis was born in Chicago but grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. He currently lives in Ottawa and works for the Coaching Association of Canada. He can be reached at l.moustakas@habsworld.net.

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Northeast Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs

by Louis Moustakas

With the offseason quietly winding down and summer transactions mostly behind us, it seems like the perfect time to contemplate the moves made by Montreal and its various division rivals. Over five parts, we will take a look at each team and venture a guess at where they will finish in 2011-12. Today, we will analyze one of Montreal’s oldest rivals, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Last season: 37-34-11, 85 points (fourth place Northeast, 10th place East)

Additions: Tim Connolly, C; Philippe Dupuis, C; Cody Franson, D; John-Michael Liles, D; Matthew Lombardi, C;

Subtractions: Tim Brent, C; Alex Foster, F; Jean-Sebastien Giguere, G; Christian Hanson, D; Brett Ledbda, D; Fredrik Sjostrom, W; Danny Richmond, D; Robert Slaney, LW;

A challenging first quarter last year made Toronto’s climb into the post-season a difficult one, but the team showed promise as the campaign wore on. While the Leafs were a pedestrian 8-9-3 after 20 contests, they posted an excellent 8-2-4 record in February. James Reimer was superb in net, going 20-10-5 with a .921 save percentage. Meanwhile, to the displeasure of many Habs fans, former Canadien Miklhail Grabovski continued on his upward trajectory, posting career bests with 29 goals and 29 assists, and Clarke MacArthur was a pleasant surprise last season, contributing 62 points. Nonetheless, those efforts would be for naught as the Leafs missed the spring dance for the sixth straight year.

As expected, Brian Burke was busy in the off-season, adding punch to his attack by acquiring centers Tim Connolly and Matthew Lombardi. Both should prove to be a tremendous help on a team short of skill up the middle. If they remain healthy, their additions could go a long way to making this team worthy of a playoff spot. In reality, though, it almost feels like the Maple Leafs added two players to fill one position, as they would be fortunate to get a combined 82 games out of the oft injured pivots.

And, regardless of that question mark at center, there are many other interrogations concerning the Leafs attack. Can MacArthur and Grabovksi build on their career numbers? Will Nazem Kadri and Tyler Bozak grow into solid, offensive contributors? What kind of performance will Joffrey Lupul, now on his fourth NHL team, offer?

As for the blueline, adding Cody Franson and Jonh-Michael Liles brings an element of scoring to the backend, but it is uncertain if they truly improved defensively over the past year. Subtracting Francois Beauchemin, Tomas Kaberle and Brett Ledba leaves more than a few holes to fill on the back. Improved performances from Mike Komisarek, whose stock has declined precipitously since his departure from Montreal, and Dion Phaneuf would go a long way to filling those gaps. Somehow though, Ron Wilson will have to improve upon his squad’s 19th worst shots against average and 28th ranked penalty kill. James Reimer could certainly help cover up for his teammates if he can continue his outstanding play from late last season, but that may be demanding too much from a 23-year old sophomore.

In the end, the Maple Leafs face far too many questions. Each team enters a new season with its share of uncertainty, but the uncertainty for Toronto permeates each and every position. Will the centers stay healthy? Will the wingers produce? Can the defense improve? Can Reimer continue his solid play? If the answers to the above are favorable, than the Leafs chances of qualifying for the post-season will be significantly buoyed.

If.

Prediction: 4th in the North East.

What do you think? Where will the Leafs finish next season? Can they qualify for the post-season?


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Louis is an editor at HabsWorld.net and has been writing about Canadiens and NHL hockey since 2009. Louis was born in Chicago but grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. He currently lives in Ottawa and works for the Coaching Association of Canada. He can be reached at l.moustakas@habsworld.net.

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De gros enjeux cette saison pour Benoît Pouliot et Andrei Kostitsyn

par ZoneHabs

Benoit Pouliot  PHOTO: ANDRÉ PICHETTE, LA PRESSE

Il n'y a pas que Carey Price qui devra subir énormément de pression en ce début de saison: Benoît Pouliot et Andrei Kostitsyn sont deux attaquants qui se retrouvent agents libres avec restrictions à la fin de la saison 2010-2011 et ils doivent prouver leur valeur à la direction de l'équipe. Maintenant que le camp d'entraînement terminé, il semble pratiquement certain que les deux attaquants auront l'avantage de commencer l'année sur l'un des deux premiers trios.

Andrei Kostitsyn Photo: Dave Sandford/NHLI

En plus de terminer leur contrat au terme de la présente campagne, les deux joueurs partagent aussi d'autres points en commun. D'abord, parmi les attaquants offensifs du tricolore, Pouliot et Kostitsyn sont les seuls à amener une certaine présence physique. Le franco-ontarien mesure 6 pieds et 3 pouces et pèse 199 livres tandis que AK46 mesure 6 pieds et fait vaciller la balance à 214 livres.

Pouliot, 24 ans, a été le quatrième choix au total lors du repêchage de 2005. Kostitsyn, lui aussi un choix de première ronde, a été sélectionné dixième au total en 2003 est maintenant âgé de 25 ans.


* Voici les statistiques en carrière de Benoît Pouliot et de Andrei Kostitsyn dans la LNH.

                        Benoît Pouliot

                        Andrei Kostitsyn

Leur plus grande ressemblance si situe toutefois dans le fait qu'ils sont deux joueurs énigmatiques pour l'organisation du Canadien. Dans les deux cas, ils connaissent des séquences nous laissant croire qu'ils exploseront et s'imposeront comme des attaquants de premier plan dans la ligue ... avant de sombrer dans une léthargie profonde.

Leur inconstance irrite les partisans qui veulent régulièrement les échanger contre un paquet d'arachides déjà entamé. Les entraîneurs, quant à eux, cherchent des réponses en jonglant avec leurs trio dans le but de trouver la recette pour que ces deux joueurs produisent.


Selon vous, qu'adviendra-t-il de Benoît Pouliot et de Andrei Kostitsyn à la fin de la saison?

L'un d'eux se démarquera-t-il pour se mériter un contrat avec l'équipe l'été prochain?

Les jeunes comme Eller, Pacioretty, Palushaj sont-ils prêts pour prendre la place de ces deux gros attaquants?

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Louis Leblanc ne doit pas percer l’alignement du Canadien cette année

Par Alexandre Desjarlais

Gilles Courteau, le commissaire de la Ligue de Hockey Junior du Québec (LHJMQ), déclarait le 31 août dernier que le Canadien ne faisait pas sa part afin de promouvoir le talent québécois dans sa ligue. Formellement, il accuse l’équipe montréalaise de nuire au développement des jeunes joueurs et de la LHJMQ en n’ayant pas assez de dépisteurs dans la ligue.

Mais Courteau ne semblait pas réaliser que le Canadien, en repêchant Louis Leblanc au premier rang en 2009, allait faire une immense faveur au Junior de Montréal et à la LHJMQ.

Leblanc savait avant son repêchage qu’il allait rejoindre les rangs de l’équipe de l’Université Harvard à Boston pour au moins une année avant de prendre décision sur son avenir. Les droits d’utilisation du jeune joueur de Pointe-Claire appartenaient à ce moment aux Saguenéens de Chicoutimi, par contre une transaction a envoyé ses droits au Junior de Montréal le 5 juin dernier.

Cet échange allait piquer l’intérêt des Montréalais pour le Junior de Montréal, puisqu’un premier choix du Canadien allait jouer pour une équipe junior compétitive dans une ville où l’on ne vit que pour le tricolore.

Imaginez! Les gens de Montréal pourront désormais suivre le développement d’une future vedette locale, dans un club junior de la région et qui évoluera pour l’équipe professionnelle de Montréal!

Comme scénario, ça ne peut qu’être bénéfique pour la LHJMQ de Courteau. La présence de Leblanc avec le Junior moussera la vente de billets, de marchandise et de gilets à l’effigie de l’équipe en plus d’ouvrir une fenêtre sur une ligue qui a grandement besoin d’un coup de marketing.

C’est pourquoi il est extrêmement important que Leblanc ne perce pas l’alignement du Canadien dès cette année comme tant d’amateurs l’espèrent. Ça ne serait pas bénéfique à son développement, car il n’aurait pas suivi les étapes nécessaires pour être un joueur complet dans la LNH.

Aussi, parce que la LHJMQ ne peut pas se permettre de perdre un joueur de sa trempe, un joueur qui pourrait ramener la coupe du président dans la région de Montréal pour la première fois depuis 1993. Une coupe chez le Junior dès cette année pourrait générer beaucoup de revenus pour la ligue dans les années à venir.

Il faut dire que les équipes juniors dans la grande région métropolitaine n’ont jamais été gage de succès dans les 40 dernières années. La dernière équipe à avoir plié bagage, le Rocket de Montréal en 2003, n’a été en opération que pour 4 ans et a quitté pour l’Île du Prince-Édouard.

En 1998, après 27 ans de succès relatif, le Titan de Laval a dû déménager à Acadie Bathurst parce que l’amphithéâtre était rendu vétuste par rapport au reste de la ligue.

La longévité d’une équipe vient avec l’intérêt de son public et cet intérêt arrive avec les victoires, ainsi que des championnats. C’est pourquoi le Titan est resté en place aussi longtemps, puisque l’équipe a été championne de la LHJMQ 4 fois entre 1984 et 1993 et s’est rendue à la finale de la coupe mémorial en 1994.

Si Courteau veut que sa ligue ait du succès, la présence de jeunes provenant de la LHJMQ chez le Canadien peut certainement aider, mais le succès premier d’une équipe découlera toujours la présence d’une équipe compétitive sur la glace. Les gens ont une certaine fierté à encourager une formation gagnante après tout...

Par contre, le commissaire de la LHJMQ est un peu mal informé par rapport aux jeunes qui quittent sa ligue une fois leurs stages juniors complétés. Le bleu blanc rouge compte plusieurs autres joueurs qui sont au camp d’entraînement du Canadien et qui sont membres ou ont été membres d’équipes de la LHJMQ. Ils n’ont pas tous été repêchés, mais l’important dans tout ça c’est qu’ils fassent parties de l’organisation du Canadien de Montréal.

Philippe Lefebvre, coéquipier de Louis Leblanc chez le Junior, Gabriel Dumont, Olivier Fortier, Jimmy Bonneau, David Desharnais, Mathieu Carle, Frédéric St-Denis, Marc-Antoine Desnoyers, Nicholas Champion, Alexandre Picard, Benoit Pouliot et Maxim Lapierre tous francophones ou québécois qui ont été formés par le système de la LHJMQ.

Ce ne sont certainement pas de futurs marqueurs de 100 points par saison, mais c’est tout de même des francophones qui ont eu l’honneur d’être repêchés par le Canadien ou invités à se joindre à leurs rangs.

D’ailleurs, durant son point de presse, Gille Courteau affirmait : « Les gens du recrutement de la ligue me disent de me préparer. Il n’y aura pas de vedette montante… » Il sait que le problème ne tient pas seulement du Canadien. Donc, ne serait-il pas important de trouver un autre bouc émissaire en mettant le blâme du sous-développement des jeunes joueurs de talent sur Hockey Québec?

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Alexandre Desjarlais fut exposé au phénomène du Canadien de Montréal dès un jeune âge, depuis il a développé une passion presque obsessionnelle pour le hockey en général.

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Étude: Comment se classent les meilleurs buteurs du Canadien?

Suite à une de nos innombrables discussions sur le CH, nous nous sommes questionné quant à savoir si Cammalleri se retrouverait parmi les 15 meilleurs buteurs du moment dans la ligue nationale. La seule façon d'en avoir le coeur net était malheureusement d'effectuer une recherche exhaustive des performances des meilleurs franc-tireurs de la LNH (nous nous sommes contenté des 75 premiers afin de préserver notre fragile santé mentale). En compilant les données des trois dernières saisons, nous avons pu répondre à cette question et même faire quelques découvertes intéressantes.

Voici tout d'abord le tableau détaillé des 75 meilleurs buteurs des trois saisons:

Quelques observations:

• Premièrement, nous sommes très déçus de constater que Cammalleri se classe 29e et non dans les 15 premiers comme nous l'avions prédit... Évidemment, sa dernière saison écourtée et une campagne 2007-2008 décevante lui ont grandement nui. Il est tout de même le premier membre du tricolore dans cette liste.
• Bien que l'on savait qu'il se situerait au premier rang, Ovechkin est carrément dans une ligue à part avec 3 saisons de plus de 50 buts et 35 buts d'avance sur son plus proche rival, Kovalchuk. Pour renforcir cette statistique: seulement 4 autres joueurs ont atteint le plateau des 50 buts et ils n'ont pas répété l'exploit au cours de la période 2007-2010 (Kovalchuk, Iginla, Crosby et Stamkos).
• Kovalchuk est le seul, mis à part Ovechkin évidemment, à avoir marqué plus de 40 buts lors de chacune des saisons.
• Green en 63e position est le seul défenseur à avoir percé la liste.
• Plekanec (47e) et Gionta (55e) ont tous les deux obtenus 3 saisons de 20 buts et plus.
• Seulement 2 anciens Canadiens toujours actifs figurent au classement: Kovalev (37e) et Ribeiro (62e).

Puisque les blessures viennent ralentir la production de certains joueurs, nous avons compilé les statistiques en fonction du nombre de matchs joués. Ainsi, le prochain tableau classe les joueurs selon la moyenne de buts qu'ils marqueraient en une saison s'ils avaient disputé toutes les rencontres (toujours en tenant compte des résultats des 3 dernières années).   

De nouvelles observations:

• Cette fois-ci, Cammalleri grimpe au 22e rang (plus près de notre projection initiale).
• Si en santé, Alexandre le Grand marque 60 buts en moyenne par saison...(sans commentaires)
• Le talent de marqueur naturel de Gaborik est mis en évidence puisqu'il passe alors du 14e au 3e rang.
• Même chose pour Semin qui voit son rang augmenter de 7 positions (de 13e à 6e).
• Andrei Kostitsyn étonne en présentant des chiffres semblables à Kane, Getzlaf et Havlat. Critiqué à maintes reprises par les partisans montréalais pour sa production défaillante, le premier choix du CH en 2003 fait quand même bonne figure en s'appropriant le 68e rang. Ce n'est pas le talent mais plutôt la constance qui fait défaut dans son cas comme le démontre sa séquence de 10 buts en 11 matchs (7 au 26 décembre) suivi immédiatement après par 13 sans toucher la cible (28 décembre au 22 mars) lors de la saison 2009-2010. À sa défense, les Jeux Olympiques ont perturbés le calendrier régulier et le grand frère Kostitsyn a dû composer avec une blessure. Force est toutefois d'admettre que AK46 en santé marque environ 25 buts par année ce qui est tout à fait acceptable pour un ailier de deuxième trio.

Le Tricolore possède donc 4 joueurs dans les 75 meilleurs buteurs du circuit avec Cammalleri, Plekanec, Gionta et Kostitsyn. Aucuns de ceux-là ne se hissent parmi les 20 premiers, mais ils se partagent à quatre environ 108 buts en moyenne par saison. Gageons que si Mike Cammalleri connaît une saison à l'image des séries éliminatoire du primtemps dernier, il se retrouvera bien plus haut dans cette liste l'année prochaine.

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