Habs' Veteran Leadership Non-Existant

In three playoff games so far this year, the Montreal Canadiens have blown hot and cold. Their Game 1 loss
at the hands of the Ottawa Senators was a testament to the fact that shot output means nothing. The quality of them matters more.

The "quality" came in Game 2, when the Habs peppered Senators' goaltender Craig Anderson, going to high percentage scoring areas, providing screens and driving the net.

Last night, the Canadiens were outclassed on every part of the ice, oftentimes looking like a team already defeated after the first period. After the initial ten minute barrage of truculence on the part of the Senators, the Habs played scared. That part troubles me more than anything else I've seen so far this playoff season.

And it all begins with the team's veterans. Injured or not, they are the ones that should be providing the example to the Canadiens' youngsters, and not vise-versa. Other than Rene Bourque and P.K. Subban, not one else has stepped up to the plate.

David Desharnais: The Habs Equivalent to "Chinese Water Torture"

I think everyone can agree that Desharnais has been the biggest disappointment this season for the Montreal Canadiens. While his rise to the NHL earned him much respect in the hockey community, his standards of play have all but disappeared since he signed a four-year extension with the Canadiens on March 15th, 2013.

His greatest strengths were his ability to fend off bigger players along the boards, get possession of the puck and distribute it to his wingers for quality scoring chances. Needless to say, DD has done nothing of the sort, not having registered a single shot in three playoff games and constantly being pushed off the puck like a rag doll.

And can someone please explain why he keeps getting chances on the Canadiens' power play when he has been so ineffective for such a longer period of time? Unless we have a two-man advantage, it's still four-on-four to me when Desharnais take the ice for special teams' duty.

Pacioretty: "Wolverine" needs to sharpen his claws.

That bring us to Hab's power forward Max Pacioretty. Pacioretty once described Desharnais as "the best centre he's ever played with." Well, that's not saying much.

And with that though in mind, where did Patches' game go? Last season, he was being praised for his net drive and his fearless positioning in front of opposing goaltenders. Now, he's resorted to playing like Scott Gomez, refusing to engage the mid-ice lane, and taking useless shots from low percentage areas along the perimeter.

Granted, the quick healing winger has been dealing with different injuries for the better part of the season, but this is playoff hockey!! If you know you can't be beneficial to your team's fortunes, take a breather, and let someone else carry the load. Patches took the game off in Game 2, and it didn't go so badly for Michel Therrien's team.

Ryder: Lost In Space

Michael Ryder is one of those players (being a coach myself) I'd like to take aside and beat some sense into him. A perennial 30 goal scorer for the better part of his career, Ryder seems to play regular season games like they mean more than the playoffs. Granted, NHL players don't get anything in the playoffs unless they win the Stanley Cup, but still...

Skating like he's stuck in quicksand, and defensive liability, Ryder provides nothing of substance to the Canadiens' playoff roster. While he played well in the Boston Bruins' Stanley Cup run of a few years ago, his career playoff stats are a joke.

Plekanec: Girl's NOT Wild

Tomas Plekanec is anothere one of those players who needs to find their game. Gone are the caroussel of wingers and free-flowing excuses. The Habs' #14 has done nothing to disspell his "I played like a girl" quote from a few years ago. That comment too was in reference to another useless playoff performance.

With a minus-13 rating in 50 career playoff games, Plekanec's defensive play seems to dwindle when the chips are on the table. Other than his 2005-2006 rookie campaign, where Plek was plus-2 in 6 games, he has not had ANY success in the playoffs.

Granted, Tomas does do the "little things" right more often than not, but those same things will not help lead the Canadiens to playoff success.

Markov: Gimpiddy Doo-Da

Canadiens' veteran blue liner Andrei Markov has not come back to the lineup...yet.

Markov has a distinct inability to pivot to his right to defend the mid-ice lane. That much was clear evidence last night, when Markov decided it was easier to follow Chris Neal than keep Jean-Gabriel Pageau from streaking up the middle. On that play alone, he left both P.K. Subban and Carey Price out to dry.

The Russian-born defenseman still has the brains to play at this level, but his legs just aren't there. He skates up the ice without the vivacity we have growing accustomed to in previous season, and has become a defensive liability on the left side.

If Markov's season has any hope of being salvaged, perhaps taking him away from P.K. Subban as a partner (who himself showed obvious frustration last night), and pairing him up on the right of Josh Gorges or Francis Bouillon.

Veterans need to lead by example, and if this is the example these players will continue to afford their teammates....FORE!!!

Read More

Habs/ Sens Game 3, Tinordi Embraces Playoffs And More...

Good Afternoon Addicts!

Craig Anderson will need to be in top form for the Senators to
move past the Habs in round one

The Montreal Canadiens resume their first round best of seven series tonight against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Place.

Brian Gionta and Max Pacioretty traveled with the Canadiens to Ottawa but it's unsure as of yet if they will return to the lie-up tonight.

Whether or not the two top six forwards return, the Habs will need to play the way they did in Friday night's 3-1 win if they want to take the series lead. Craig Anderson will look to bounce back in goal for the Senators and if Montreal sticks to their game, he will be the main concern.

With more depth up front as well as on the blue line, Montreal will need Carey Price to outplay Anderson once again. Anderson finished the season with a .941 save%. That's a record for any goalie who has played at least 20 games in a season.

Anderson no doubt has the ability to steal a game or two in the series - hence the 48 saves in Ottawa's 4-2 game one win - and so the Habs will have to keep their offensive game going.

Habs And Hockey News

- Jarred Tinordi says the playoffs are good for his style of play

- TheActiveStick of habseyesontheprize.com  writes on whether or not the Habs window for the Stanley Cup as re-opened.

- Sal Lentile of thehockeywriters.com focuses on four players who have something to prove in the playoffs.


(Photo from ingoalmag.com)

Read More

Playoff Preview: Montreal Canadiens – Ottawa Senators

Montreal Canadiens (2) vs. Ottawa Senators (7)

Some hockey fans in Canada will certainly be disappointed that the Montreal Canadiens won’t meet the Toronto Maple Leaf in the first round of the playoffs, but that’s not going to happen, in the first round at least, as the Habs will face the Ottawa Senators. The close division rivals will face each other for the first time ever in the playoffs since the arrival of Ottawa in the NHL in the early 1990s. This series will probably turn into an epic goaltending battle and low-scoring affairs between two of the league’s strongest netminders in Craig Anderson and Carey Price.

Both teams had successful regular seasons for different reasons. The Canadiens, who finished dead last in the Eastern Conference in 2011-12 and went through a complete overhaul of their off-ice personnel in the off-season, managed to win the Northeast division when the Boston Bruins stumbled against those same Senators last night. As for the Senators, they were tormented by serious injuries to key players, but they never lost faith or intensity under Jack Adams trophy candidate Paul MacLean. Erik Karlsson, Jason Spezza, Craig Anderson, Milan Michalek and Jared Cowan all missed significant time due to injury. The Canadiens and Senators split four games this season, with both teams winning one game in regulation and one game in a shootout, which gave each team five points (2-1-1 record) in the season series, both teams winning their games on home ice. Overall, the Canadiens finished with a 29-14-5 record earning 63 points in 48 games, while the Senators posted a respectable 25-7-6 record for 56 points during the lockout-shortened campaign. The Canadiens finished with the third best offense in the NHL, scoring 149 goals, or 3.04 GF/G, in comparison to the 116 goals, or 2.33 GF/G, the Senators managed to score. On defense, the Senators were dominant, allowing the second fewest goals in the league with 100 goals, or a 2.08 GA/G, compared to the 124 goals, or 2.58 GA/G, allowed by the Canadiens. On paper, the Canadiens have the best team, but we all know that surprises can happen and this series is no exception, yet, let’s have a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each team.

Goaltending: Craig Anderson had a very strong season for the Senators and had he not missed extensive playing time, he would certainly be a top candidate for the Vezina Trophy. The veteran netminder finished with a 12-9-2 record, posting a very solid 1.69 GAA to go along with an excellent .941 save percentage. In Anderson’s absence, back-up Robin Lehner and now-departed giant Ben Bishop posted great numbers and kept the goal-starved Senators in playoff contention. For Montreal, Carey Price faltered down the stretch after a great start, seeing his overall statistics balloon at a 2.59 GAA and a less-than-stellar .905 save percentage. Price, who posted a solid 21-13-4 record despite his recent struggles, will need to avoid giving up bad goals early in the first period, something that has plagued him in the Canadiens’ past ten games. Second violin, Peter Budaj, had a great season for the Canadiens, posting a solid 8-1-1 record with a great 2.29 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 13 games played. His solid play earned his a two-year contractextension with the organization and Michel Therrien is not afraid to use him in big games, so don’t be surprise to see him start a game if Price struggles early. Edge: Ottawa

Defensive corps The Canadiens boast two of the best offensive-minded defensemen in the NHL with PK Subban (11 goals and 27 assists for 38 points in 42 games) and Andrei Markov (10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points in 48 games), while the Senators can count on the return of a healthy Erik Karlsson, the 2012 Norris Trophy winner, who is back from a serious Achilles injury that forced him to miss most of the shortened season. Both defensive brigades boast a solid group of defensemen that provide leadership and experience on the blue line, Josh Gorges and Francis Bouillon for Montreal, and Sergei Gonchar and Chris Phillips for Ottawa. With similar offensive punch of the power play and great defensive prowess on the man advantage, both teams match evenly in this department. Edge: None 

Forward lines The injury to Jason Spezza has left head coach Paul MacLean scramble for offense, which has been the most obvious shortcoming for the Senators this season: the team only had four players with 20 points or more (Alredsson, Turris, Conacher and Zibanejad) this season. Injuries to Milan Michalek and Guillaume Latendresse have hampered Ottawa’s offensive production from its forwards all season long, but now that both have returned, and with the addition of rookie Cory Conacher acquired at the deadline, the Senators can count on a more balanced group of forwards.

On the other hand, the strength of the Canadiens and head coach Michel Therrien has been their ability to consistently roll three productive lines all year long. Eight forwards with 25 points or more for the Bleu Blanc Rouge, including über-talented rookies Alex Galchenyuk and Brandon Gallagher. Rene Bourque would certainly have made it nine if he had not missed 21 games because of a concussion. Overall, the Canadiens will benefit from their balanced line-up, especially since they don’t have a clear-cut first line, which makes it harder for the opposing coach to match up his defensive specialist against the Habs’ top weapons.
Edge: Montreal

Special units The power play of the Canadiens has been deadly at times because of the dynamic duo of Andrei Markov and PK Subban on the point, who have combined for 49 points on the man advantage, helping the Habs’ PP to produce at a 22.4% rate, good for 9th in the NHL. As for the Senators, they have struggled all year on the power play, especially with Karlsson out of the line-up, producing at a paltry 15.8% clip, good for 24th in the league. As for the penalty kill, Ottawa was the best team in the NHL this season, killing penalties at an excellent 88% clip. On the other hand, the Canadiens struggled with a man down, finishing 23rd with a dismal 79.8% rate, costing them more than one game down the stretch. A good measure to assess the quality of a team’s special units is to add both percentages and come to a rate better than 100%. For Ottawa, the rate comes down to 103.8% with is very good. As for Montreal, it is slightly inferior at 102.2%.
Edge: None

After analysing both teams, we can conclude this will be a pretty even matched up series, and it will probably come down to home-ice advantage as both teams won at home against the other team during the regular season.Fearless prediction: Montreal wins in 7 gamesProbable lines: 

Michael Ryder-Tomas Plekanec-Brian Gionta 

Max Pacioretty-David Desharnais-Rene Bourque 

Alex Galchenyuk-Lars Eller-Brendan Gallagher 

Travis Moen-Jeff Halpern-Brandon Prust 

Healthy scratches: Colby Armstrong, Ryan White, Gabriel Dumont 

Defensive pairings: 

Andrei Markov-P.K. Subban 

Josh Gorges-Raphael Diaz 

Francis Bouillon-Jarred Tinordi 

Healthy scratches: Tomas Kaberle, Davis Drewiske, Yannick Weber 

Injured player: Alexei Emelin (knee, out for the season) 

Goaltending: Carey Price Peter BudajProbable lines: Milan Michalek-Kyle Turris-Daniel Alfredsson 

Guillaume Latendresse-Mika Zibanejad-Jakob Silfverberg 

Colin Greening-Zack Smith-Chris Neil 

Cory Conacher-Jean-Gabriel Pageau-Erik Condra 

Healthy scratches: Matt Kassian, Peter Regin, Jim O’Brien 

Injured player: Jason Spezza (back, out indefinitely) 

Defensive pairings: Marc Methot-Erik Karlsson 

Sergei Gonchar-Patrick Wiercioch 

Jared Cowen-Chris Phillips 

Healthy scratches: Andre Benoit, Eric Gryba, Mike Lundin 

Goaltending: Craig Anderson Robin Lehner 

Calendar of the series: 

1 OTT @ MTL May 2, 7pm et/4pm pt 

2 OTT @ MTL May 3, 7pm et/4pm pt 

3 MTL @ OTT May 5, 7pm et/4pm pt 

4 MTL @ OTT May 7, 7pm et/4pm pt 

*5 OTT @ MTL May 9, 7pm et/4pm pt 

*6 MTL @ OTT May 11, 7pm et/4pm pt 

*7 OTT @ MTL May 12, 7pm et/4pm pt

Read More

Canadiens - Senators: Opportunistic Habs Score Six, Snap Losing Streak

What a difference a win makes, eh?

The Canadiens, losers of five-straight games prior to last night, rolled into Ottawa for the fourth game of their current six-game swing. Things started off poorly for Montreal, with the Sens opening the scoring only 1:42 into the first.

And admit it, at that point you thought "here we go again," right?

But it wasn't to be, as Lars Eller got the Habs on the board with a wicked wrister, short handed, at 5:08 of the first. After that, the floodgates opened.

In total, Montreal scored four goals on their first seven shots, chasing Ottawa goalie Craig Anderson from his cage. Alex Auld didn't fare much better as the Habs received scoring all three of their top lines.

Ottawa dominated play for the first 30 minutes but, ultimately, Montreal was able to build momentum off their opportunistic goal scoring to seal the deal.

The win was coach Randy Cunneyworth's first as head coach of the Canadiens. Good on you Randy. This is a guy who is in a no-win situation and who a ridiculous amount of pressure on his shoulders. So it's nice to see him get the first 'W' under his belt.

Final score: Habs 6 - Sens 2

Game notes

The Price is right - While there is a lot of attention on the Habs explosive offensive last night, the win, once again, was signed by Carey Price. He continues to be the uncontested MVP of this team and, without him, they would probably be in the NHL basement.

Against the Sens, Price made 33 saves including 13 in the first and 29 over the first 40 minutes. And all this while the Habs were managing a measly five shots in the first.

The win was Price's 13th of the season. 11 of those wins have come when Price has let in two or less goals against.

Montreal has only won once, with Price in the net, when he has allowed three or more goals. That is at once a testament to Price's importance to this team and a condemnation of Montreal's inability to score.

The best players were the best players - We've all heard that sports cliche that in order to win, your best players have to be your best players.

Well, last night for the Habs, they were.

Coach Cunneyworth, in an effort to jump-start his team, shuffled the deck and came up with some interesting combo's that bore fruit.

Lars Eller, playing with Erik Cole and Max Pacioretty looked like a good combo, but so was the line of David Desharnais centering Louis Leblanc and Michael Cammalleri. Desharnais' vision coupled with Leblanc's tenacious play resulted in two markers.

On the first, the rebound off Leblanc's shot to the net was potted by a lurking Cammalleri. And on the second, Leblanc simply beat the netminder by himself.

The bottom line is that with players like P.K. Subban, Cammalleri, Cole and Tomas Plekanec getting on the board, Montreal got scoring from the people who should be scoring.

And all on the same night. How many times has that happened this season?

Josh Gorges - Stalwart. That is all.

How do you like them apples? - Benched as healthy scratches the previous game, both Eller and Subban roared back with strong games. Eller was finally getting a chance with two top-six wingers in Cole and Pacioretty, and he did not disappoint.

Moreover, his laser-wrister that dinged in off the post to open the scoring, was a thing of beauty. A goal scorers goal.

Eller continues to make a legitimate case for playing in the top-six on this team and, with no sign of Scott Gomez anywhere in sight, that shouldn't a problem for now.

Subban too bounced back, with a solid defensive effort and an equally strong offensive game. He was solid in front of his own net, played a much simpler game than we've seen in recent weeks and was rewarded with a goal and an assist.

Love him or hate him, it's a breath of fresh air to see Coach Cunneyworth generously leaning on his young players.

Stat of the night - Seven. That is the number of Canadiens players who had multi-point nights—Raphael Diaz led the whole pack with three assists. When was the last time that happened?

If the Habs are going to continue to win and turn their season around, they're going to need more offensive outbursts like last night.

Question of the night - What's going on with the injured players?

Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Andrei Markov to be specific.

What exactly is Gomez's injury? And Gionta's? They're skating, they're not skating. It's an arm injury, it's a groin injury.

Gionta, who looked like he injured his hand, apparently has a groin injury. Gomez, who is also supposedly suffering from a groin injury, doesn't seem to skate like a man who's groin is injured. At least according to many who have seen him skate recently.

And what about Markov?

We're about four weeks into the 4-6 week timeframe for him to be back on the ice—according to GM Pierre Gauthier. But no one's seen hide or hare from him. Also, Canadiens management hasn't released any info on Markov with no apparent updates in sight.

It's seems that Gauthier's Omerta is still in full effect.

Up next - The Canadiens have the day off before taking on the Tampa Bay Lightning in Tampa tomorrow night. It will be the first of a back-to-back against the two Florida teams, with the Habs wrapping up their road-trip on Saturday against the Panthers.

---
Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com and featured columnist on PowerScoutHockey.com. Kamal is also a weekly contributor to the Sunday Shinny on TSN Radio 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 9 - 10 AM. Listen live at http://www.tsn.ca/montreal/

Follow Kamal on Facebook and Twitter

(Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images North America)

Read More

Canadiens Game Day: Alex Auld Gets the Call for Habs Against Sens

by Kamal Panesar

The Montreal Canadiens, fresh off clinching their fourth straight playoff appearance, embark on their penultimate game of the season tonight in Ottawa against the Senators.

This will be the sixth and final game of the season between the two teams, in which the Sens have not fared very well. Montreal has won four of the five matches so far and outscored the Sens 11-2 in their last two wins.

The Habs have only been playing .500 hockey over their last ten games, however, and will be trying on entering the playoffs on a roll.

For the Sens, their season ends once the regular season is over. However these are still professional athletes and, as such, will be playing for pride more than anything else.


Standings

The Sens are 13th overall in the East with 72 points, only two out of the conference basement. Despite being eliminated from playoff contention—and perhaps because of it—the Sens have a 6-3-1 record over their last ten.

Their recent hot streak includes a 5-2 Tuesday night win over the suddenly struggling Philadelphia Flyers.

Montreal, on the other hand, is coming off a 2-1 overtime win against the defending champion Chicago Blackhawks.

The win punched their ticket to the post-season.

The Habs are in sixth overall in the East with 93 points and two games to play in the season.

There is as much fluidity in the top three as there is in the bottom three in the East. As such, Montreal can't afford to rest on their laurels and would do well to win tonight and Saturday in Toronto.

The Sabres and Rangers are one and two points back of the Canadiens respectively.


Goaltending

Canadiens MVP, Carey Price, will get a rest tonight after getting his franchise record 71st start of the year on Tuesday.

In his place, backup Alex Auld will get his first start in eight games. The last time he played Montreal rolled over the Minnesota Wild 8-1.

Montreal has won only three games since then.

Injuries have created a goaltending carousel for the Sens this season, with six goaltenders starting at various points over the year.

However with Craig Anderson starting six of the last seven while going 4-1-1, he seems likely to get the call for Ottawa tonight.


Scoring and Special Teams

The Sens goals-for and against are both in the bottom-five of the league while their special teams are in the top-15.

Go figure.

Ottawa has the 29th goals-for at 2.3 per game (188 total goals), the 25th goals-against at 3.0 per game (245 total goals), the 14th overall power play at 17.8 percent and the eighth best penalty kill at 83.7 percent.

The Habs also have difficulty scoring as their 23rd 2.6 goal-for per game (210 total goals) shows. However they are much stronger on the defensive side and have a strong PP.

Montreal has the ninth best goals-against at 2.5 per game (205 total goals), the seventh best penalty kill at 84.1 percent and the seventh best PP at 19.4 percent.

As such, if the Canadiens commit to their defense-first system and wait for turnovers and mistakes by the Sens, they should have no problem pulling out the win.


Roster Changes and Injuries

There is no official word yet on the Canadiens roster for tonight but rookie defenseman, Yannick Weber, is slotted to get back in the lineup. Veteran D-man, Jaroslav Spacek, is also ready to return from injury, but there is no indication yet if he will be in the lineup tonight.

Montreal continues to be without the services of Andrei Markov, Josh Gorges, Max Pacioretty, Jeff Halpern and Alex Picard.

The Sens are no strangers to injury either with seven players on the sidelines.

Daniel Alfredsson, Sergei Gonchar, Matt Carkner, Peter Regin and Erik Karlsson are all listed as day-to-day, while Marek Svatos and Pascal Leclaire are gone for the season.


Key to Victory

The Senators, freed of the burden of pressure, have been playing some inspired hockey lately. Still, with Daniel Alfredsson out of the lineup the offensive responsibilities lie squarely on Jason Spezza's shoulders.

If the Habs can shut down Spezza they should be able to skate to victory.

Montreal needs to make sure they use their speed to draw penalties and create pressure on the Sens defenders.

For Ottawa, they need to attack the Habs slower defenders with speed. In addition, given the Habs tendency to shut down the slot area, they absolutely must get bodies to the net.

If the Habs can play their usual hermetic defensive game, this should end up being a low scoring victory for them.

Game time is 7:00 PM.


The Franchise and HabsAddict.com Playoff Party Contest - Enter Now!

The Franchise every Saturday and Sunday morning on Montreal’s Sports Authority The TEAM990, The Franchise in conjunction with HabsAddict.com are throwing a Playoff Party and we want you to join us!

We taking qualifiers for YOU and 4 of your friends to join us at Gianni Café Bistro (6329, boul Couture, Saint-léonard, QC, H1P3J5 ) for one of the playoff games!

The party will take place for Game Two of the Montreal Canadiens First Round series (date and time of event to be confirmed once the NHL releases the 2011 playoff schedule).

Go here to enter the contest for a chance to win!

---
Kamal is a freelance Habs writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com and Habs writer on TheFranchise.ca. Kamal is also a weekly contributor to the Sunday Shinny on The Team 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 8 - 9 AM. Listen live at http://www.team990.com/

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

Read More