Looking ahead to the Habs final 35 games and beyond

Starting this Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens have 35 games left to play. After tonight's 1-0 win over the NY Rangers, the Habs are in 2nd place in the Atlantic division, a point behind the TB Lightning. Fittingly, the Habs are scheduled to play Tampa Bay three times in the month of March. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Canadiens would face hated rivals Boston Bruins, who they defeated in a hard-fought seven game series last season.

The Month of February

The schedule makers have thrown the Canadiens a bit of a bone this month as the Habs play a bunch of teams currently out of the playoffs. In fact, 11 of the 14 teams Montreal plays in February are currently on the outside looking in. Toronto visits the Bell Center twice, on Valentine's day and two weeks later on the 28th. The Leafs fired coach Randy Carlyle January 6th and the team is in turmoil. The stiffest test will likely be February 24th vs. St. Louis. The Blues are a fast team and have players who can hit the net. One game the Habs will need to be wary of is on February 3rd against Buffalo. I say this because the Sabres are currently on a lengthy losing streak spanning 13 games and teams like this that desperately want to win a game to save face can be the most dangerous to play. Also, earlier this season, the Sabres swept a home-and-home series that was closer than it should have been thanks to the goaltending. Montreal has two back-to-backs in February, so expect Dustin Tokarski to get a couple of starts this month. It is essential that Montreal win most of the games this month. Most of the games are versus teams that have zero chance of making the playoffs. As you will see below the schedule for March is much more difficult

The Month of March

Habs fans, brace yourselves, the month of March is going to be a difficult mountain to climb. In the first week of March, Montreal goes on a California road trip where they will meet the top team in the NHL (Anaheim Ducks) March 4th and the defending Stanley Cup champs (LA Kings) the next night. Oh yeah, and March 2nd Montreal visits San Jose to start the trip. It might be a challenge not to look past this game for the players. When the Habs return home from that California adventure, they face Tampa Bay in the first of three meetings over twenty days. A quick note about Tampa Bay. I think Montreal was fortunate to sweep the Lightning. I still think they would have won last year's playoff round with a fully healthy Steven Stamkos in the line-up. However, Stamkos was barely back from his broken leg last year. This season, Stamkos has been lighting it up and he burned the Habs a few times this season. This month will be a good chance to prepare to playoff-style competition. The teams Montreal faces are the top teams in the league and Montreal needs to figure out how to beat these teams now as they will be facing teams very similar to them in terms of difficulty level a few weeks later

The month of April

At this point, Montreal should have locked down a playoff spot if they win the games they are supposed to win in February and March. If that is the case, some of the veterans such as Subban, Pacioretty and Markov may sit out a game or so to rest for the playoffs. Also, Carey Price will likely back-up Tokarski a couple of games. Three of the five games this month are against non-playoff teams (Florida, Toronto and NJ). The Habs also play Washington and Detroit. There is one back-to-back scheduled April 2-3.

Potential Playoff Match-ups

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, the Habs would face rival Boston if the playoffs started tomorrow. However, this matchup is far from certain as there is still a lot of hockey to be played. I think the current eight playoff teams will end up being the eight that eventually make the playoffs as eighth place New York Rangers have an eight-point cushion over 9th place Florida at the moment. Other potential playoff opponents are the Rangers and the Capitals. I think Montreal has the best chance against Boston, followed by Washington and then NY. Montreal faced two of the three in last year's playoffs, losing to NY in the 3rd round and defeating Boston in 7 in the 2nd round. The last time Montreal and Washington met in the playoffs was in the 1st round of the 09-10 season when the then 8th seeded Habs defeated the top seeded Capitals in seven entertaining games. One cannot make any comparisons between the teams as both Montreal and Washington have undergone significant personnel changes in the past five years, especially Washington who has a completely different coach in Barry Trotz. Anyway, Montreal should be able to beat any of these teams on any given night. Of course the challenge is to do it four times in seven games or less. I think doing so will be toughest against NY, who has pretty much the same line-up as last year and has proven to be a tough match-up this season, including a 5-0 spanking by NY back in November, but Carey Price was not in goal for that one-sided lost. Price is the X factor!

The next 35 games should be fun to watch. Go Habs Go!

Read More

Game 43: Canadiens at Senators

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (27-12-3) are in Ottawa to face the Senators (17-17-8) Thursday night. The game starts at 7:30 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the second of five meetings between the Habs and Sens this season, and the first of two in Ottawa. The Canadiens won the first meeting this season 4-1. Alex Galchenyuk had a goal and an assist, and Max Pacioretty had a pair of assists in the victory.

What to Watch

The Canadiens' power play returned with a vengeance Wednesday against the Blue Jackets, converting three of their seven opportunities. Max Pacioretty scored twice and PK Subban potted his fourth power play goal of the season to help the Habs overcome a 2-0 third period deficit en route to their 3-2 victory.

Mike Hoffman has been the biggest pleasant surprise for the Senators this season, he leads the team with 15 goals and a +18 rating. Bobby Ryan leads the Sens with 30 points on the year, he'll be the team's only representative in next week's All-Star Game.

What's at Stake

The Canadiens are back within striking distance of top spot in the Eastern Conference, sitting one point back of the Lightning and Penguins, and two points back of the Islanders. While the Senators may be division rivals, their .500 record has them 15 points back of the Habs at the midway point, so it's safe to say this isn't a four-point game for the Canadiens.

Who's Out

The Canadiens are healthy again heading into Thursday's action, despite a scare to Carey Price in Wednesday's game. Blue Jackets forward Matt Calvert was sent barrelling into Price at the end of the first period, but Price stayed in net to finish the game. Still with matches on back-to-back nights, expect Dustin Tokarski to get the call in Ottawa.

The Senators are missing noted tough guy Chris Neil (knee), along with Zack Smith (wrist) and Mark Borowiecki (leg).

What Else

The Canadiens have won six straight on the road heading into Ottawa on Thursday. Their 14-7-1 record on the road is among the best in the NHL, behind only the Islanders in terms of road wins and points. In fact, with 29 points on the road, the Canadiens have earned as many points away from the Bell Centre as the Oilers have collected so far this season!

The Question Mark

What was your first impression of the Plekanec, Pacioretty, Gallagher line?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Corey Collard for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets.

Read More

Game 40: Canadiens vs Lightning

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (26-11-2) return home triumphant after a perfect five-game road trip to play host to the Lightning (25-12-4) Tuesday night. The game starts at 7:30 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the second of five meetings between the Habs and Bolts, and the first of three in Montreal. Carey Price gave up four goals on 23 shots through two periods of play before being pulled for Dustin Tokarski who gave up another three in what was ultimately a 7-1 loss. Steven Stamkos scored a hat trick and Victor Hedman picked up a goal and three assists in the game.

What to Watch

Max Pacioretty and Tom Gilbert each had a goal and an assist on Saturday in Montreal's 4-1 victory over the Penguins. Gilbert finished the night with a +4 rating.

The Lightning have found offense from more than just Stamkos this season, in fact, with 43 points in 40 games, Tyler Johnson is the team's leading scorer. Johnson has two goals and four assists in the last three games and now sits fourth overall in league scoring as well as first in plus/minus at +26.

What's at Stake

First place in the Eastern Conference is on the line Tuesday night in Montreal, with the winner guaranteed to control top spot. The Habs and Bolts each have 54 points heading into the match, one ahead of the Penguins and Islanders, although the Lightning have played two more games than the other three teams.

Who's Out

P.A. Parenteau (undisclosed/head) will not be ready to play Tuesday, he'll miss a second straight game. Bryan Allen also likely won't be available to play against the Lightning, he was placed on waivers Monday afternoon and is expected to join the Hamilton Bulldogs if he is not claimed.

The Bolts are missing Rakdo Gudas (knee), who is scheduled for surgery and is expected to miss a fair bit of action.

What Else

Carey Price is once again the Molson Cup winner for December as the team's player of the month, he was also named the NHL's Third Star of the Week for his 3-0-0 performance. Price is the only Hab to earn the Molson Cup this season, taking home the honor in October and November as well, he's also won the overall Molson Cup as the team's MVP for the season five times in his career, including the last four seasons.

The Question Mark

Do the Canadiens need to add any specific pieces do be considered a true Cup contender this season or are they already there?

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 6:30 to preview the Canadiens and Lightning.

Read More

Game 37: Canadiens at Panthers

#MTLHockey Preview

 

Match Up

The Canadiens (23-11-2) are in Sunrise, Florida Tuesday night to face the Panthers (16-9-8). The puck drops at 7:30 and can be seen on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the first of five meetings between the Habs and Panthers this season, the teams will play twice more in Florida and twice in Montreal. The Habs and Cats split their four game series last season with each team picking up a 2-1 win in Montreal and a 4-1 win in Florida.

What to Watch

Carey Price continues to make his case as team MVP posting win number 20 on the season Monday in Carolina, but his 28-save performance the night before likely means it will be Dustin Tokarski between the pipes on Tuesday. Lars Eller and Jiri Sekac looked good on a line together in Carolina, they each scored for the Habs on Monday and finished the night plus-3 and plus-2 respectively.

Last year's top draft pick, Aaron Ekblad, is making a strong case for rookie-of-the-year considerations. He's third in rookie scoring with 19 points on the season and logs an average of 22 minutes per game. Only Nick Bjugstad has more points for the Panthers this year, with 20.

What's at Stake

The Panthers aren't nipping at the Habs' heels just yet, but they are making a strong push to reach the playoffs for just the second time since 2000. The Canadiens have eight more points than the Panthers, but the Cats have three games in hand on Montreal so a loss on Tuesday would mean that suddenly Florida is within striking distance of the Habs.

Former Habs assistant coach, Gerard Gallant, has impressed in his second stint as an NHL head coach, this is his first chance to face his former team this season.

Who's Out

The Canadiens go into their final game of 2014 with a healthy roster.
For the Panthers, off-season addition Shawn Thornton (groin) is the only player missing heading into Tuesday's game.

What Else

Despite a rough stretch at the end of November and carrying into the start of December where the team went 1-5-1, the Canadiens have quickly turned things around winning six of their last seven. The Habs look to end 2014 on a high note with another win and the chance to reclaim top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Question Mark

What are your New Year's Resolutions for the Habs?

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 6:30 to preview the Canadiens and the Panthers.

Read More

Game 33: Canadiens vs Ducks

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (20-10-2) are home to host the Ducks (21-7-5) and pay tribute to former captain Saku Koivu on Thursday. The game is set to start at 7:30 and airs on RDS and City Montreal.
This is the first of two meetings between the Habs and Ducks this season, and the only one in Montreal. The Canadiens actually managed to beat the top seed of the Western conference in both of their matches last season. Dustin Tokarski backstopped the Canadiens to a 4-3 shootout win in Anaheim with a little help from both posts when he faced Kyle Palmieri in the shootout.

Kyle Palmieri's penalty shot walks the goal line tightrope. Originally posted by @GregBallochST.

What to Watch

Alex Galchenyuk notched his first career hat trick Tuesday night against the Canes, lifting him up to 9 goals and 21 points on the season. Max Pacioretty picked up three primary assists, setting up each of Galchenyuk's goals on Tuesday. Pacioretty now leads the team with 25 points on the year.
Ryan Kesler is having a strong year with his new team, the former Canuck has 11 goals and 26 points in 33 games this season. Ryan Getzlaf leads the way for Anaheim, he has 34 points already this season, eighth overall in the NHL.

What's at Stake

The top of the Atlantic division is getting pretty crowded, with four teams separated by just two points for the division lead. With 42 points apiece, the Canadiens and Red Wings are sandwiched in between the Lightning at 43 and the Maple Leafs at 41.

Who's Out

Sven Andrighetto has been sent back to Hamilton after a fairly successful four-game stint with the Habs. Lars Eller (upper body), Mike Weaver (concussion) and Bryan Allen (illness) have all returned to practice and are cleared for contact, the trio should be available to play Thursday if needed.
Kyle Palmieri (shoulder) is the latest Duck to go down with injury, leaving Tuesday's game against the Leafs. He joins Corey Perry (knee), Francois Beauchemin (finger) and Eric Brewer (foot) on the sidelines.

What Else

Saku Koivu played with the Canadiens from 1995 to 2009, he wore the "C" for ten seasons starting in 1999. Koivu played 792 games in bleu blanc et rouge, scoring 641 points, tenth most in team history, and 450 assists, ranking him sixth all-time amongst Canadiens.
Of course, Koivu's most memorable moment in a Canadiens uniform came on April 9, 2002. He was diagnosed with cancer in September of 2001 and spent almost the entire season receiving treatment before returning on the third to last game of the season, receiving one of the largest ovations in team history. Koivu then led the team to an improbable playoff series win against the top-seeded Boston Bruins.

The Question Mark

Apart from Koivu's return after beating cancer, what other moment in his career stands out for you?

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 6:30 Thursday to preview the Canadiens and the Ducks.

Read More

Game 23 - Canadiens at Rangers

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The league leading Montreal Canadiens (16-5-1) are in New York to face the Rangers (8-7-4) Sunday night at Madison Square Garden. The game is set to start at 7:00 and can be seen on RDS and City.

This is the second of three meetings between the Habs and Rangers this season, the two teams that faced off in the Eastern Conference Finals last season. Montreal already picked up a 3-1 victory on home ice earlier in the season on goals by Tomas Plekanec, Lars Eller, and Max Pacioretty.

What to Watch

Carey Price may have earned his second shutout of the season and league best 13th win Saturday against the Bruins, but Dustin Tokarski is expected to get the start Sunday in New York, his fifth of the season.

Like the Habs, the Rangers are also coming off a shutout performance by their goalie, and like the Habs, that goalie, Cam Talbot in this case, isn't expected to start on Sunday. Henrik Lundqvist is expected to start on Sunday. In 28 career regular season starts against the Habs, Lundqvist is 13-12-2 with a .897 save percentage and a 2.86 GAA.

What's at Stake

The Canadiens are hot and there's no sense slowing down now. With just one loss in their last nine games, the Habs have surged to the top of the standings and are building a healthy cushion on their competition. The Rangers have been struggling in November as well, posting a 3-3-4 record this month and a 2-3-2 record in their last seven.

Who's Out

The Habs are missing Michael Bournival (shoulder) but are otherwise healthy going into Sunday's game.

The Rangers are without their captain and former Habs prospect Ryan McDonagh (shoulder). They could also be without Lee Stempniak (back) who is listed as day to day.

What Else

Andrei Markov scored career goal number 100 Saturday night against the Bruins, becoming just the fourth Canadien and 86th NHL defenseman to hit that milestone. Markov is one of just three Russian-born defenseman to hit the mark, new teammate Sergei Gonchar is another, with 219 career goals to his credit.

The Question Mark

Given his wealth of options, how would you like to see Michel Therrien set his top six (or seven) defensemen?

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 to preview the Canadiens and the Rangers.

Read More

Game 19 - Canadiens at Red Wings

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The NHL leading Montreal Canadiens (13-4-1) take their show on the road after a perfect four-game homestand that started with Guy Lapointe's Number 5 being lifted to the rafters. The Habs are in Detroit to face the Red Wings (8-3-5) Sunday night at Joe Louis Arena. The game starts at 7:00 and airs on RDS and City.

This is the second of four meetings between the Habs and Wings, and the first in Detroit. The Canadiens were held without a goal for close to 57 minutes the first time these teams played, and then Alex Galchenyuk put the Habs on the board to tie the game and set up a David Desharnais overtime winner.

What to Watch

The Canadiens power play is back on track with three goals in three attempts on Saturday. P.A. Parenteau, David Desharnais and PK Subban each scored with the man advantage, giving the Canadiens a 3-0 lead, before the Flyers broke the ice. Sergei Gonchar picked up his first point in a Canadiens uniform, and then his second, collecting a pair of assists on the night.

The Wings are coming off a 4-1 win of the Blackhawks on Friday, Luke Glendening came up big with a goal and an assist, just his second and third points on the year. Henrik Zetterberg had an assist on Friday, bringing the team leader up to 17 points in 16 games on the year.

What's at Stake

With the Habs on top of the standings, every win brings the team closer to the Presidents' trophy and first seed in the Eastern Conference. The team has won their last five straight, a season high and the longest streak in the NHL right now.

Who's Out

Michael Bournival (shoulder) is still missing for the Canadiens. Dustin Tokarski is expected to get the start Sunday night, giving Carey Price a break after Saturday night's performance.

The Red Wings are without Jonas Gustavsson (shoulder) and Stephen Weiss (groin), but the injuries to their team's core have cleared up since the last time these teams met

What Else

After being held without a power play goal for 10 games, the Habs have now converted on four opportunities in a row. Since Gonchar's arrival, the Canadiens are four for eight with the man advantage and have jumped up to 23rd in the league at a 14% success rate.

The Question Mark

Now that the power play is fixed beyond a shadow of a doubt, what do the Habs need to work on next?

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 Sunday to preview the Canadiens and Red Wings.

Read More

Game 2 - Canadiens at Capitals

#MTLHockey Preview

 

Match-up

The undefeated Canadiens (1-0-0) are in Washington Thursday night to help the Capitals (0-0-0) start their season. The game is set to start at 7 PM and airs on RDS and Sportsnet360.
This is the first of three meetings between the Habs and Caps this season, and the Canadiens' only visit to Washington. Last year, the Habs went 1-1-1 against the Capitals, although their last meeting ended in a 5-0 loss in Montreal, a game that saw the Habs take just nine shots in the first two periods.

What to Watch

While Carey Price got the job done in Toronto on Wednesday, it will be up to Dustin Tokarski to do the same Thursday in Washington. The alternate captains led the way for the Habs on Wednesday, Max Pacioretty, Tomas Plekanec and PK Subban scored all four of the Canadiens' goals in their 4-3 victory, with Plekanec tallying a pair including the final minute game winner. The trio also accounted for 14 of the team's 32 shots on Wednesday.

The Capitals are still led by Alex Ovechkin, the star Russian forward posted his fifth 50-goal season last year, with three of his 51 goals coming against the Canadiens. As the season goes on, it will be interesting to watch the dynamic between Ovechkin and new head coach Barry Trotz. Trotz is the Capitals' fourth head coach since the 2011-2012 season.

What's at Stake

The Habs are one game in to an undefeated season with just 81 games left to play.
While it may be a bit too early to worry about jockeying for position in the playoff race, the Bruins did win their first game of the season as well on Wednesday, meaning the two teams are tied for top spot in the Atlantic Conference.

Who's Out

The Canadiens are healthy after their first game of the season.
The Caps are dealing with injuries to Jay Beagle (upper body), Aaron Volpatti (neck), Dmitry Orlov (wrist) and Tom Wilson (ankle). Oft-injured defenseman Tom Green (upper body) is a game-time decision.

What Else

Nathan Beaulieu was shielded considerably in the Canadiens first game of the season, seeing the ice for barely more than ten minutes. It appears the rookies and youngsters will once again need to earn their coach's trust before being given more responsibility on ice. Jiri Sekac was the least used Habs forward in Wednesday's contest, seeing just 12:13 seconds of ice time.

The Question Mark

What, if anything, are the Habs missing to be legitimate Stanley Cup contenders this season?

Tonight's Show

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

Read More

Budaj vs Tangradi Trade Analysis

Today, we learned Habs GM Marc Bergevin finally made a choice about which goaltender is going to be Carey Price's backup for the upcoming season, and it seems Dustin Tokarski has won the second goaltending spot in Montreal. The Canadiens confirmed they have traded goaltender Peter Budaj and prospect Patrick Holland to the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for journeyman Eric Tangradi. Here's my point of view on that situation.

Budaj definitely had a pretty good year last season as a backup goaltender (10-8-3, with a 2.51 goal against average and a 0.909 efficiency) and always kept a professional attitude, whatever happened. The perfect teammate, the Slovakian goalie never seemed affected by the possibility of Tokarski getting his spot as the second goaltender of the Canadiens. The reason behind the trade must be the inability of Budaj to perform under pressure. Sure, as a backup, he could definitely step up his game when asked for it, but on long trips, he always cracked up after playing two or three straight games. He could always deliver one or two good performances, but he failed to show up when he had to start many games in a row.

More than that, he had chances to show what he could do during the playoffs, but he has never been able to prove he deserved to be in the net at that crucial time of the year (7 games started, 0-2 with an awful GAA of 5.13 and a terrible 0.843 save percentage). In fact, in the only game he started last playoffs, he allowed three goals on eight shots, not to mention the year before against Ottawa, he allowed seven goals on 31 shots. With Winnipeg, he will come in the room as a veteran who has some experience, and he will be able to help their young players grow up just like Gionta will do in Buffalo. 

As for Tokarski, many people told me they were expecting Bergevin to send him down to Hamilton for another year, but what you must keep in mind is that if Tokarski had been cut, he would have had to go on waivers for 24 hours, then another team could have claimed him, and then, the Habs would have lost him for nothing and it is pretty certain a team would have claimed the young keeper. He had a pretty decent season with Hamilton last year considering their very young team (20-16-3 with a 2.38 average and 0.919 efficiency) and showed promising things when he was called up to replace Carey Price against the New York Rangers last spring (2-3 with a 2.60 average and a 0.916 save percentage). Not only that, but he has been one of the Canadiens' top players during this last playoffs run. Bergevin always said he wanted to bring as many young players as he could in the big league since he want the Habs to be competitive for a long time, so he did not have any other choice than to promote Tokarski as Price's backup and trade Peter Budaj.

We also learned today that Peter Budaj had asked to be traded after last season since he was not happy about the way the organization treated him. Still, he didn't go publicly as he is a pure professional. 

Instead of losing Budaj for nothing by placing him on the waiver wire, Montreal's general manager decided to trade him for forward Eric Tangradi. As a trade, I think it is a good fit for both teams. Former Winnipeg Jets forward Tangradi in on the last year of a two-year contract worth $1.35M. His cap hit counts for 675,000$, compared to Budaj's salary of $1.4M for the upcoming season, so Habs save $725,000 in salary. Patrick Holland is not included in these maths because he is mostly going to play in AHL. However, if by any chance he would be playing in the NHL, his salary would be a $640,000 cap hit. Financially speaking, Bergevin made a pretty good move there. Also, Budaj really couldn't bring anything else to the Habs, as though Tangradi can bring a physical presence as well as being a 4th liner and bench warmer if needed. Don't expect him to score 30 goals, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Therrien dress him against bigger opponents such as Boston or Philadelphia.

All in all, I think it is a pretty good trade. Only time will tell if Tokarski will be able to live up to his status of #2 goaltender. One thing is certain though. Our future is pretty bright in goal, with Price, Tokarski and the promising Zachary Fucale.

Follow me on Twitter here! 

Read More

Monday Musings: Rangers Shutdown The Habs

Greetings Habs Addicts,

The magical playoff run is over.

The New York Rangers proved to be too much for the Canadiens to handle as they fell 1-0 in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Final. The Rangers limited the Canadiens to 18 shots on goal, including just 5 in the third period to win the best-of-seven game series 4-2. Obviously, losing Carey Price was a big blow to the Habs but their inability to generate any consistent offense five-on-five or on the powerplay was the real story. The Canadiens are a team built around speed, but the Rangers proved to be the faster and stronger team throughout the series. As such, they now have the opportunity to lose to face the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup finals. The Kings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 in overtime of Game Seven of the Western Conference Final last night marking their third Game Seven win of this years playoffs.

Canadiens post-game salute to the fans.

- Michel Therrien was outcoached by Alain Vigneault throughout this round of the playoffs. Therrien was phenomenal against the Lightning and throughout the Bruins series. He must be commended for making the smart decision to insert Nathan Beaulieu into the lineup late in the Boston series. The kid had two assists in his two games as the Canadiens knocked off the Bruins. Therrien also made the risky decision to go with youngster Dustin Tokarski over veteran backup Peter Budaj after Carey Price was injured in Game One of the Rangers series. Tokarski matched up well with Henrik Lundqvist and was the only Canadiens player to truly show up on the ice in Game Six. But as I wrote in last weeks article:

The Canadiens are playing a tighter defensive system to shelter the youngster at the expense of the offense. The powerplay has been rendered irrelevant by the Rangers penalty-killing scheme and the ignorance of Michel Therrien to adapt has rendered the man-advantage useless. The Rangers are the best shot-blocking team in the NHL and the Canadiens continue to run the power-play through the point. Subban and Markov have not been able to get open for clean shots and most of their attempts have been blocked. The Canadiens should be trying to set up down low and have one of their defenders pinch into the slot for a similar shot, or continually cycle players around. Keeping P.K. Subban stationary at the point to hammer pucks at the Rangers shin guards is the hockey equivalent of trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole. Adapt, Therrien.

Ultimately, Michel Therrien did not adapt his offense to counter the Rangers defensive schemes. He went back to playing the dump-and-chase style that did not serve the team well during the regular season. The Rangers would have a man on the boards to block the dump-ins or often were the stronger players on the back end and recovered the puck in the corner and in turn created offense breakouts of their own. For as well as he matched lines and created good strategies in the first two rounds, he failed to capitalize on opportunities against the Rangers. Alain Vigneault had his Rangers better prepared to shutdown the Canadiens attack. Whether Therrien would have adapted his game plan better if Carey Price was healthy in goal is unknown and ultimately irrelevant.

- Thomas Vanek did not help his free agent stock this post-season. Vanek finished up the playoffs as a member of the fourth line while continuing to see power-play time. Overall, he averaged only 14:53 of ice time; a number strengthened by his top-line minutes in the first two rounds. In 17 playoff games, Vanek contributed 5 goals and 5 assists. Four of those goals came in a pair of two-goal games against Boston. Vanek often looked lost against the Rangers and often displayed a lack of intensity and effort. Vanek battled hard in Game Six but that was it. The sniper also failed to shoot the puck on goal when the opportunity presented itself, preferring to pass to teammates who were either not expecting it or covered. After the series, Vanek attributed his playoff performance to the inability to find chemistry with his new linemates after he was removed from the Pacioretty-Desharnais line and not to injury or lack of effort. While the honesty is commendable, a superstar in the league should be able to create offense and make their linemates better. Vanek turned down a $50 million dollar extension from the New York Islanders earlier this year and is still the biggest name available on the market. But his inability to contribute when the stakes are at their highest might be enough to make Minnesota other teams pause about handing out the max-length contract the 30-year old is looking for.

- P.K. Subban is one player who certainly helped his stock this post-season. Subban was the best player on the ice on a nightly basis for the Canadiens. Subban led the team with a 27:26 in ice time throughout the playoffs and led the team with 5 goals, 9 assists in 17 playoff games. Subban has 10 goals and 30 points in 43 career playoff games and is one player who raises his game substantially when the stakes are high. Since signing his bridge contract - which expires this off-season - Subban won the Norris Trophy as the leagues best defender during the strike-shortened 2012/13 season and this year had a career-best 53 points. He experienced on growing pains and ended up benched or in Michel Therrien's doghouse a few times throughout the season and his shooting percentage was down this season. At times it looked like Subban should be clashing with Therrien over how he was being handled but always maintained a smile and positive energy as well as a level of humbleness that showed a level of maturity. Being the extra defender at the Olympics in Sochi was tough, but he handled it well and was proud to represent the country even if his role was more of cheerleader than scoring leader. This side of Subban certainly goes against the brash and cocky persona the media has labelled him with.

On the ice, teams keyed on Subban as the season wore on and the Canadiens needed to do a better job utilizing their asset. The Nashville Predators' Shea Weber has a very similar style to Subban as both have rockets from the point and both are right handed. The Predators did not boast the strongest power-play in the NHL, but Weber had 23 goals, including 12 on the man-advantage. They cycle their players around a lot and manage to get Weber open in various spots on the ice and in turn generate more scoring opportunities. As was evidenced against the Rangers, the Canadiens needed to adapt their power-play strategy as keeping Subban relatively stationary at the point is not going to work anymore.

Subban had an incredible playoffs and will certainly be receiving a huge payday this summer. As a restricted free agent, Subban does not have the leverage to go any place he chooses and there will not be a bidding war for his services like there will be for Thomas Vanek. However, general managers are not shy to give offer sheets to players of Subban's ilk. Shea Weber was signed to a huge offer sheet by the Philadelphia Flyers that Nashville matched and last season Avalanche forward Ryan O'Reilly signed one with the Calgary Flames that Colorado matched. If Marc Bergevin does not sign Subban to a contract close to his terms, the terms may be set for him by another NHL club. With lesser players making big money (Dion Phaneuf earns $7 million per year in Toronto) the price for P.K. will be high and deservedly so. The future captain (in my opinion) of the Canadiens wants to end his career in Montreal and will probably sign an 8-year deal worth around $60-64 million dollars.

With the season being over and the news surrounding the Habs begins to dwindle throughout the summer months, Monday Musings will continue to provide you with links and insight into developments that happen, including the NHL draft, free agency and player news and rumours. Thank you for reading this season, it was an enjoyable one. The Canadiens are just a few pieces short of their end-goal: A trip to the Stanley Cup.

Enjoy your summer, Habs Addicts!

---

Nick Malofy is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a contributor here at HabsAddict.com and give him a follow, as he can often be found rambling on Twitter.

Past Monday Musings 

• Habs Need To Dig Deep
• Subban; Price Have Habs Heading Home Tied
• Why The Habs Are Nearing A Sweep Of Tampa
• 82 Games Later, Habs Are Tampa Bound
• Subban is in Therrien's Doghouse
• How Sweep It Was

Read More

Monday Musings: Habs Need To Dig Deep

Greetings Habs Addicts,

Monday Musings is back after a two week hiatus where it was replaced by a recap of the Boston series as well as a preview of the New York Rangers series.

It looks like the Eastern Conference Final will have to go seven games this year for the Montreal Canadiens to win it. The New York Rangers currently have a stranglehold on the series 3-1. But as we have already seen in the playoffs this year, leading a series 3-1 is no sure sign of victory. Last round, the Pittsburgh Penguins had a 3-1 series lead against these very same Rangers, only to drop the final three games and lose. In the West, the Kings were down 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks in the opening round before rallying back to win the final four games.

The Habs are going to have to dig deep if they want to come back and win this series. After all their regular season dominance over the Rangers the past two years, this Rangers squad is challenging Montreal with tremendous speed through the zones and puck possession down low. For as well as Dustin Tokarski has played, losing Carey Price early in the series has been a difference maker in both the confidence level of the Canadiens as well as their style of play. The Canadiens are playing a tighter defensive system to shelter the youngster at the expense of the offense. The powerplay has been rendered irrelevant by the Rangers penalty-killing scheme and the ignorance of Michel Therrien to adapt has rendered the man-advantage useless. The Rangers are the best shot-blocking team in the NHL and the Canadiens continue to run the power-play through the point. Subban and Markov have not been able to get open for clean shots and most of their attempts have been blocked. The Canadiens should be trying to set up down low and have one of their defenders pinch into the slot for a similar shot, or continually cycle players around. Keep P.K. Subban stationary at the point to hammer pucks at the Rangers shin guards is the hockey equivalent of trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole. Adapt, Therrien.

Dustin Tokarski makes a pad save.
Photo Credit: NationalPost.com

Some musings from the series so far:

- Thomas Vanek has been largely invisible for long stretches so far in the playoffs. The soon-to-be free agent sniper has not been playing a very inspired game this post-season. Through 14 games, he has 5 goals and 9 points with 3 of those goals coming on the power-play. In this round, Vanek has been held to only 1 assist through four games and has relegated to the fourth line. Michel Therrien and the team still have faith in Vanek to produce, but for a guy who is expected to command an eight-year/$60 million contract this off-season (Minnesota has been the rumoured destination all season long), his lack of production and effort on this big stage could be costing him money. Minnesota will free up cap room with the underperforming Dany Heatley coming off the books at season's end, do they want to risk taking on a potential Heatley 2.0 by giving a max deal to Vanek? Considering the money they owe Zach Parise and Ryan Suter and cash-flow being an issue already for the Wild, do they even want Vanek or would they try to sign a similarly skilled Matt Moulson who they traded for at the deadline. Only time will tell on that front. Meanwhile, Vanek is losing the fanbase and the media in Montreal. The Canadiens need him to put forth an effort. Max Pacioretty has struggled this post-season as well, but has been contributing hits, killing penalties and when he has scored, it has won games. Big difference in the effort level for a player with a similar stat line to Vanek. David Desharnais has struggled offensively as well, but has been putting forth tremendous effort and often times has been the best player on the ice. Its easy to forgive these two players because they are competing hard and contributing. Vanek is floating around and often looks lost without the puck. He is talented enough to take over a game (two two-goal games in the Boston series) but has yet to truly do so.

- With the news that Carey Price was lost for the series with a lower-body injury, the Canadiens turned to youngster Dustin Tokarski over veteran back-up Peter Budaj. The youngster has a big-game pedigree, having backstopped teams to a Memorial Cup championship and World Junior Hockey Championships as well as a Calder Cup win in the AHL. While none of this equates to the NHL level, pressure games are pressure games. Peter Budaj has been solid, but unspectacular as a backup to Price and has struggled when forced to shoulder the load for multiple games in a row. Michel Therrien felt there was more potential upside to starting the NHL-inexperienced kid over the veteran who has 8 career playoff wins in his 13 year career. The Anaheim Ducks turned to rookie John Gibson against the Los Angeles Kings over starter Jonas Hiller and nearly stole the series.

Tokarski had a solid debut in a 3-1 loss in Game 2, stopping 27 of 30 shots. Two of the goals went in off defenders. Game 3 was a different story as Tokarski stood on his head, stopping 35 of 37 shots in a 3-2 overtime win. The gamble was starting to pay off for Therrien. Last night was different, however. Tokarski stopped 26 of 29 shots in the 3-2 overtime loss. This loss cemented a 3-1 series lead for the Rangers. Most notably, the Rangers began to exploit the 5'11'' netminders tendency to go down early and give away the top part of the net. Both Derrick Brassard and Martin St. Louis in overtime had clear breakaways and both times opted to wire the puck top shelf. Tokarski had no chance to make the save on either attempt. This is the same weakness the Bruins thought they could exploit on Carey Price. If the Bruins thought they could capitalize by shooting high on a 6'4" goalie, no doubt the Rangers will be taking liberties on a 5'11" goaltender playing a similar style of game. And if the Canadiens keep allowing them clear breaks at Tokarski, Game 5 could be ugly.

Truth be told, the Price injury forced the Canadiens' hand with Tokarski. By adding him to the active roster for the playoffs instead of being one of the so-called "Black Aces" he would be on the 23-man roster at season's end. As such, heading into next season they would be unable to send him back down to Hamilton without him first clearing waivers based on his age/experience level at the professional level. He will never clear waivers, especially after performing as well as he has. As such, the future is now for the Canadiens and Tokarski is going to be the back-up goalie next season. Ever the consummate professional, Peter Budaj has continued to support the youngster and has not displayed any outward disappointment he may have over not being given the nod. Budaj will be dealt this summer and continue to thrive in a back-up role for another team.

- The veteran scorers have not been contributing any offense this round. On defence, Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin have been exposed by the Rangers. Markov has been disappointing thus far in the playoffs, failing to contribute much in the way of offense after another typically sound regular season. Markov and Emelin have a combined 1 goal, 9 points in 15 games and each have a -4 rating. The Rangers have been beating the two in one-on-one races for pucks. Up front, Thomas Plekanec is a team-worst -7 while contributing only 3 goals, 8 points in 15 games. Our best shut-down centre has not shut down anyone very effectively. Secondary scoring has been an issue after being the strength of the Tampa series.

• Thomas Plekanec: 1 goal in last 10 games (vs Bruins, Game 3).
• Rene Bourque: 1 goal in last 10 games (vs Rangers, Game 1)
• Brian Gionta: 1 goal in 15 games (vs Tampa, Game 1)
• David Desharnais: 1 goal in 15 games (vs Tampa, Game 2)
• Brendan Gallagher: 1 goal in last 10 games (vs Boston, Game 5)

The Canadiens have had a hard to time putting pucks past Henrik Lundqvist and the lack of offensive contribution from experienced veterans has contributed to this. Brian Gionta was expected to be a contributor in this series based on his experience playing the Rangers from his days with the New Jersey Devils. This has not occurred. Rene Bourque was a force for the entire Tampa series after a disappointing regular season but while the effort level has been there, the production has ceased. 

Brandon Prust's hit on Derek Stepan
Photo Credit: Modelsportsfan.com

- Michel Therrien needs to make some changes to his game plan. As touched on earlier in the article, the Habs have been forced to play a slightly tighter defensive scheme to shelter the young goalie in a way they do not need to do with Carey Price. Overall, Therrien has been outcoached by Alain Vigneault throughout the series and while he has made some big, risky decisions - inserting Nathan Beaulieu into the line-up against Boston; starting Tokarski in goal over Budaj - his in-game management has regressed as the rounds move on. His insistence of relying on dumping the puck off the boards as well as funnelling the offense through the point has allowed the patient Rangers to continually block shots and dump-ins along the boards while generating turnovers. This has in turn lead to fast breaks and scoring chances against. With Brandon Prust out of the lineup after being suspended two games for a late, violent hit that broke the jaw of the Rangers' Derek Stepan, the physical game that the Canadiens displayed against the Bruins has been largely invisible against the speedier Rangers. In Game 4, the Canadiens had only 18 hits which was essentially one period's worth against the Bruins. Therrien needs to change his game plan because after four games, he has not found any sustained offense, even when there has been sustained pressure.  

The pivotal Game 5 will be played on Tuesday in Montreal. Therrien needs to adapt and the Canadiens need to playing a strong 60-minutes or else next week's Monday Musings will be a season recap. 

---

Nick Malofy is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a contributor here at HabsAddict.com and give him a follow, as he can often be found rambling on Twitter.

Past Monday Musings 

• Subban; Price Have Habs Heading Home Tied
• Why The Habs Are Nearing A Sweep Of Tampa
• 82 Games Later, Habs Are Tampa Bound
• Subban is in Therrien's Doghouse
• How Sweep It Was
• Are We Winning Despite #TherrienLogic

Read More

Playoff Preview: Canadiens vs Rangers (Round 3, Game 4)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens and Rangers hook up for Game 4 in the Eastern Conference Finals Sunday night in New York. The Habs are down 2-1 in the series with a chance to go home on even terms after dropping the first two games.

Dustin Tokarski outshone Henrik Lundqvist in Game 3, making 35 saves to help the Canadiens pick up a 3-2 overtime win. Alex Galchenyuk head-butted home the winning goal off a Tomas Plekanec rebound just 1:12 into overtime.

Sunday's game starts at 8:00 and airs on RDS and CBC.

What to Watch:

Daniel Briere scored his third goal of the postseason Thursday night, bring him up to 7 points in 13 games. Briere was skating on a line with Tomas Vanek and Rene Bourque and both wingers picked up assists on the goal. Andrei Markov found the back of the net for the first time in these playoffs, just his fourth career postseason goal in 68 games.

Laval-native Martin St. Louis picked up his fourth point of the series on Thursday with an assist on Carl Hagelin's goal. St. Louis has 2 goals and 2 assists against the Habs in these playoffs, but Dustin Tokarski was able to keep him goalless on Thursday despite 5 shots on goal and some prime scoring chances.

What's at Stake:

The Rangers out-shot and out-worked the Canadiens in Game 3, but the Habs still managed to get their first win of the series to give the team some life. They'll look to draw even with a win on Sunday and maybe even take a chunk out of the Rangers' confidence after they went up 2-0 in Montreal.

Who's Out:

The Habs are still without Carey Price (knee) who is expected to miss the rest of this series. Brandon Prust has been suspended for two games following a late hit on Derek Stepan in Game 3.

Stepan (jaw) is out for the Rangers but Derick Brassard (upper body) could return to the lineup after missing Games 2 and 3. Daniel Carcillo was served a 10-game suspension for abuse of the officials in Game 3.

What Else:

The Habs power play remained ice cold Thursday night, going 0-for-2 on the night and 0-for-9 on the series. Montreal converted 8 of their 25 man advantage opportunities against the Bruins last round over a goal a game. PK Subban and Thomas Vanek have 3 each of Montreal's 10 power play goals but neither has lit the lamp in this series.

The Question Mark:

Should the Canadiens continue to focus on the physical game with Prust out of the lineup?

Let us know what you think, send us your answers on Twitter by using the #MTLHockey hashtag, or leave a comment below.

The Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show starts an hour before puck drop, join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter. And don’t miss the Post Game Show starting 5 minutes after the final siren.

Read More

Western Roadtrip Debuts Some New Faces

Photo Credit: MontrealGazette.com

Greetings Habs Addicts!

The NHL trade deadline was on Wednesday and the Habs were relatively quiet. On Tuesday, they acquired defenseman Mike Weaver from the Florida Panthers in return for a 5th round pick in the 2015 draft. On deadline day they made a minor move to acquire goaltender Devan Dubnyk from the Nashville Predators for future considerations. Marc Bergevin made one last deal at the deadline, sending Swedish forward prospect Sebastian Collberg and a conditional second round pick to the New York Islanders for forward Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth round pick. Ho hum; another day at the office for Bergevin.

Truth be told, Bergevin stole Vanek from Garth Snow and the Islanders. When the trade was announced, fans on Twitter were concerned that it cost the Canadiens at least forward Lars Eller, knowing the price for Vanek would be steep. In case you forgot, the Islanders acquired Vanek earlier this season in return for forward Matt Moulson - he of three straight 30+ goal seasons and a close personal friend of Islanders franchise centre John Tavares - along with a 1st round pick and 2nd round pick. When the trade was announced and fans realized that we did not lose a single roster player or 1st round pick, they were dancing in the streets. Theoretically, anyway. It was -10 degrees Celsius in Montreal after all. Top-line snipers of Vanek's pedigree should not be available for a good but not great prospect and a conditional draft pick (should Montreal fail to make the playoffs, the draft picks do not change hands, turning this trade into simply Vanek for Collberg straight up). When you look at the price Snow paid for Vanek at the start of the season compared to what he received back from Bergevin at the trade deadline, it is absolutely incredible that Snow still has a job.

The trade deadline came in the midst of a four-game Western Conference road trip for the Habs. After starting the week with a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday, the Habs added the three new faces Wednesday prior to their match-up with the Anaheim Ducks (Dubnyk was sent down to the Hamilton Bulldogs immediately after being acquired and has yet to appear in a Canadiens uniform). With the injury to Carey Price, Bulldogs goaltender Dustin Tokarski had been backing up Peter Budaj since the return from the Sochi Olympic break. Tokarski received his first start in two years (his previous seven NHL appearances came as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning) against the NHL-leading Ducks. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. However, Tokarski stood on his head and outlasted a Ducks onslaught, stopping 39 shots in a 4-3 shootout win. Tokarski had some bad luck in the second period, as a fluke dump-in by Francois Beauchemin ricocheted of a stanchion on the glass and into the net. The Hockey Gods made good with Tokarski in the shootout when Kyle Palmieri beat him on the glove side, but couldn't beat the iron as the puck hit both posts and trickled along the goal-line before Tokarski batted it down the ice. Two attempts later, Andrei Markov buried the shootout winner. The undersized Bulldog's netminder earned his first win as a member of the Canadiens.

Both Mike Weaver and Thomas Vanek made their Canadiens debuts last night against the Pheonix Coyotes. Neither one did very much in the 5-2 loss. Weaver subbed into the line-up in place of Josh Gorges. Gorges - who suffered a fractured hand blocking a shot against the Pittsburgh Penguins last week and tried to play through the pain - re-aggravated the injury against Anaheim and has since returned to Montreal. Michel Therrien didn't do Weaver any favors in his first game as a Hab, pairing him up with Douglas Murray. The duo each finished the game a -1 at even strength, but were also on the ice for a power-play goal against and Weaver was in the box when Shane Doan scored a power-play goal to ice the game midway through the 3rd period. Pheonix was able to get skaters in front of Budaj that neither Weaver nor Murray could move.  Thomas Vanek slotted into the line-up on the wing with Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta, finishing a -1 and firing a shot on goal in 15:34 seconds of ice time. Vanek only arrived in Pheonix at 3:30 AM and did not have an opportunity to practice with the club. Expect a much better performance on Saturday, as the Habs wrap up their west-coast swing with a match-up against the San Jose Sharks.

Photo Credit: AWinningHabit.com

An intriguing under the radar move involves the acquisition of goaltender Devan Dubnyk from the Nashville Predators for future considerations. Dubnyk began the season as the starting goaltender for the Edmonton Oilers - a role he assumed after posting a solid season in 2013 - but struggled mightily in that role out of the gate. Edmonton subsequently signed Flyers' castoff Ilya Bryzgalov to platoon with Dubnyk. Eventually Bryzgalov took over the starting role and Dubnyk was traded to the Predators, who were looking to replace injured starter Pekka Rinne. Dubnyk fared no better in Nashville and was waived prior to the trade deadline. After going unclaimed, he was subsequently sent down to the Milwaukee Admirals; the Predators AHL affiliate.

By trading for Dubnyk instead of claiming him, Nashville retained half his salary ($1.7 million; each team pays $850,000) and it allowed Montreal to send him directly to Hamilton without first having to pass through waivers. With the injury status of Carey Price unknown, a proven NHL goaltender waiting in the wings is nice depth to have. It should be added that both Dubnyk and Tokarski are free agents at the end of the season. Dubnyk is only 27 years-old and is a former 1st round draft pick (14th overall) by the Oilers in 2004 and last season posted a 14-16-6 record with a 2.57 goals-against average and .920 save-percentage for a horrible defensive team. The 6'5" goaltender fills the net more than the 5'11" Tokarski and, if re-signed, he could spend the off-season working on his game with goaltending coach Stephane Waite. Dubnyk could provide the team with a capable veteran backup to either battle Peter Budaj for the backup role next season, or be an above-average starter for the Hamilton Bulldogs while providing injury insurance. It is not very often that goaltenders with first-round pick pedigrees end up on waivers entering there prime years (ages 27-30). Struggling as he may be this season, it is far too soon to give up on his talent, especially considering goaltenders tend to take a while to fully mature into their role. Hamilton backup Robert Mayer is a non-prospect, so if Bergevin is able to sign both Dubnyk and Tokarski this July, its a tremendous upgrade in the system. A system that also includes Zach Fucale. Incredible!

Heading in the deadline, fans were extremely frustrated with the lack of moves made by Marc Bergevin. Adding veteran depth on the blue-line and in goal, while adding an elite top-line sniper to fold - even if he does just turn out to be a rental - for the cost of a prospect and 2 draft picks made Montreal the big winner on deadline day.

Now here's hoping Michel Therrien figures out how to properly use his new toys.

---
Nick M. is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a contributor here at HabsAddict.com and give him a follow, as he can often be found rambling on Twitter.

Read More

Habs/Penguins Explode For 13 Goals, Tokarski Blanks Monsters And More...

Good Morning Addicts!

Canadiens captain Brian Gionta seems to have found his groove
scoring three goals in his last two games.

The Canadiens may have lost but last night's 7-6 overtime defeat at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins was one hell of a game.

It's never easy to accept a loss when your team scores six goals but there is something comforting in knowing that this team does not give up. When Matt Cooke gave the Penguins a 4-2 lead with just under seven minutes left in the first period it was hard for any Habs fan to remain positive. Therrien's group however didn't stop pushing and with just under one second left in the frame P.K. Subban tied the game just two and a half minutes after captain Brian Gionta brought the Canadiens to within one.

Carey Price did not have his best showing. There's no doubt there were a few goals that he would've liked to have back but no one can expect any goalie in the league to go through a full season - or half in this case - without at least a few off nights.

Price, however, can take comfort in the fact  that his team did not give up on him. It's encouraging for any netminder to know that if they let in a softie or two, the guys in front of him will do all they can to get the W.

Brian Gionta scored twice giving him three goals in his last two games. Previous to his empty net insurance marker against the Leafs on Wednesday, the captain had gone seven games without a goal.

Max Pacioretty extended his point streak to three games with a goal and an assist. Patches has now notched 12 points in his last eight games.

Andrei Markov's assist on David Desharnais' fifth tally of the year marked the first time this season the defender earned a point while not on the powerplay.

Tomas Kaberle finished the night with two assists, two shots and a +3 rating. Let's hope some scouts were in town.

The Habs have now gone ten games in a row in which they've earned at least a point. In that span they have a 7-0-3 record and can regain the top spot in the Eastern conference tonight with a win against the visiting Bruins.

Habs and Hockey News

- Dustin Tokarski who was recently acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Cedrick Desjardins earned his fourth shutout of the year and his first as a Bulldog in Hamilton's 2-0 victory over the Lake Erie Monsters last night.

- With Tyler Seguin and the Bruins in town, here's Andrew Berkshire's comparison between the young Bruin star and the Habs own promising prospect, Alex Galchenyuk.

- Tim Wharnsby breaks down the Habs' recent hot streak.


(Photo by The Canadian Press/Jacques Boissinot)

Read More

Habs/Flyers, Bourque's Resurgence And More...

Good Morning Addicts!




Carey Price, who's coming off his first shutout of the season, will
miss tonight's matchup against the Flyers with the flu.

 After collecting four points in the Sunshine State, the Habs are back home tonight to face the Flyers. The Broad Street Bullies are coming off of a 5-3 loss against the Devils in New Jersey last night in which they squandered a 3-1 lead. The Flyers have struggled on the road putting up a dismal 2-7 record.
The Habs have had relative success on Bell Center ice so far with a 5-3 record. The Canadiens have too often in the past helped teams put an end to slumps, but if they can make it a game focusing on special teams then they should have the advantage.

The Habs rank 10th in the league on the powerplay and 15th on the penalty kill while the Flyers have struggled with the extra man sitting in 15th and are 19th while short a man.

Carey Price is coming off his first shutout of the season but will miss tonight's match-up due to the stomach flu. Peter Budaj will look to earn his first win of the season in his third start. 

A win tonight would balance out the three games they lost prior to their four point sweep in Florida and will have a huge effect in convincing fans - and themselves - that their three game skid was nothing more than a slight bump in the road rather than a taste of what's to come over the course of the shortened season.

More importantly, a win tonight would put the Canadiens atop the Northeast Division after the Sabres defeated the Bruins 4-2 last night. The Bruins however will still hhave two games in hand.


Habs And Hockey News

- Rene Bourque's OT winner in Tampa was his fourth goal and eighth point in his 13th games this year. As Arpon Basu pointed out on twitter yesterday, that's as many points as he collected in 38 games with the Habs last year. Bourque's play 13 games in is quickly erasing the bad impression he made upon joining the team last season.

- In case you missed it, the Canadiens traded goaltender Cedrick Desjardins to the Tampa Bay Lightning, again, in exchange for 23 year old netminder Dustin Tokarski.

- This may not be Habs related but I've always been a fan of ageless wonder Teemu Selanne.


(Photo from http://www.habsnews.ca/montreal-canadiens-players/carey-price.html)

Read More