Canadiens - Islanders: Petteri Nokelainen Scores Winner, Habs Down Isles

Don't look now but your Montreal Canadiens are on a winning streak, albeit a modest two-game streak. But considering it's been a month since they last won back-to-back games (November 10 and 12th) they'll take it.

It was mostly a boring game in which the Habs helped the hapless Isles look a lot better than they are.

Despite being dominated for the majority of the game, Montreal was able to take a first period lead, largely due to the ineptitude of Isles goalie, Al Montoya.

Montreal scored five goals on the night, four with the goaltender in the net, and at least two (if not three) of them were extremely weak.

But, again, they'll take the mercy!

Final score: Habs 5 - Isles 3

Game Notes

The Kaberle Effect - Poise. That's the biggest thing that Tomas Kaberle brings to the Canadiens lineup.

I won't rehash the potential pitfalls of Montreal picking up Kaberle today. That's already been covered.

That being said, contract aside, Kaberle brings a lot of skills to Montreal's backend that they have been missing for far too long. He's smooth skating and patient and his experience is evident when he handles to puck. Moreover, it seems like he never panics and always takes his time with the play.

And that is something we haven't seen since Andrei Markov last played for the Habs.

It's pretty amazing how you forget how much the Habs miss Markov on the team. And while Kaberle is without a doubt on the back nine of his career, he still possesses some skills that should serve the Habs well.

Oh, and he assisted on the first three goals the Habs scored since they acquired him. Also, Montreal has scored one powerplay goal in both of the games Kaberle has played, and they won both games.

Coincidence?

The Good, The Bad, The Subban - P.K. Subban had the biggest giveaway of the night last night leading to the Isles first goal.

With the play in the corner, Subban just threw the puck out front, without looking, rather than putting it along the boards. Fortunately for the Isles, P.A. Parenteau was standing in the high slot waiting for the biscuit, and dished it to a streaking Matt Moulson who put it past Carey Price for a 1-0 lead.

Subban, who has struggled pretty mightily this season, has got to do better than that. I thought you learn not to clear the zone up the middle in house league?

Far too often this season, Subban looks lost or is making complete bonehead plays. But, alas, he is young and clearly suffering through a sophomore slump.

I recently wrote a piece for PowerScout Hockey talking about who the most efficient passing defenseman in the league were. Their system shows that assists are most important for defenseman. You can read the article for the details but suffice it to say that he needs to work on his first pass.

Subban simply can't be throwing the puck out front like that.

Oh, and aren't there any coaches on this team? Why is Subban still taking that windmill-like windup on his shots? Also, why are his shots constantly shoulder to head height? Shouldn't someone explain to him that the best way for a defenseman's shot to be effective is if it is one foot off the ice and on net?

Sigh.

Subban did make a beautiful slap-pass to David Desharnais who dished to Erik Cole for a tic-tac-toe goal. So you know he's got it in him!

Andrei the Bull - What an excellent season Andrei Kostitsyn is having. It seems like every time he steps on the ice he is making things happen.

Last night, he was once again engaged on every shift and one of Montreal's best forwards. Hitting, shooting, and driving to the net with conviction, Kostitsyn is a force to be reckoned with when he plays this way.

He scored his ninth goal of the season last night, putting him third on the team behind Max Pacioretty and Erik Cole—both have 11 goals. The kicker is that Kostitsyn's nine goals have come in 21 games while Pacioretty has played 28 and Cole 31.

The best part of it all is that Kostitsyn seems to have finally found that elusive consistency that has dogged him his entire career.

Pierre Gauthier will surely have his hands full trying to figure out what to do with the impending UFA. He currently makes $3.5 million per season but, as a third-liner, can you justify paying him upwards of $4.0 million a year?

Gauthier has pooped the bed on this one and must shovel his way out.

Cammalleri on the PK - Why, JM, why?

That is all.

Attaboy Skillsy! - With the Habs holding on to a one-goal lead, the Isles goaltender on the bench for an extra attacker and the net empty, Hal Gill did something he hasn't done since last season.

Score.

He flipped the puck down the ice and it went straight into the gaping net for his first of the year. And man was he ever happy. Not only that, but his teammates, who mauled him at the bench, were grinning ear-to-ear.

Gill couldn't stop grinning for the next five minutes and good on him! He's a good guy and doesn't often get on the scoreboard.

With that goal Gill surpassed Gomez for total goals this season.

I'm just saying...

Stat of the night - Five. That is the number of times P.K. Subban and Carey Price have done a triple-low-five at home this season. It's also the number of home victories the Canadiens have on the year.

Their 5-5-6 home record is one of the lowest home win total in the league. This is an area Montreal must improve on if they hope to make he playoffs.

Question of the night - Why was Alexei Emelin scratched in favour of Yannick Weber on the fourth line?

Or, more importantly, will it happen again or will Emelin be back next game?

Why not go with 11 forwards and seven D with Weber in the pressbox and Emelin on the ice? I don't get it, do you?

Up Next - I hope the Habs built up some confidence by beating the lowly Isles because they next task is monumental. They have the day off today before welcoming the juggernaut that is the Philadelphia Flyers to the Bell Centre on Thurday.

Philly is 8-2-0 in their last ten games and has won six straight games and with 41 points in the standings, are first overall in the East and second in the league.

So you think Emelin will be back in the lineup against the rough-and-tumble Flyers? Something tells me the answer is yes.

---
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 Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Canadiens - Islanders: Habs Come Out Flat, Isles Take Advantage in 4-3 Win

The Montreal Canadiens seem to be taking a page out of their 2010-2011 play book, playing Jekyll and Hyde from night to night.

Coming off a rousing 4-0 shutout victory over the Canes, the Habs laid a stink bomb tonight against the Islanders. It's not so much that Montreal looked tired playing their second game in 24 hours, but more that they were disorganized.

The defense that looked so good against the Canes was porous, not communicating and flipping and flopping all over the ice. The result was the Isles were able to run up a 3-0 lead before Montreal got on the board.

The Habs made a game of it in the third but it was too little too late.

Habs backup, Peter Budaj, playing his third game of the season, didn't get things done. It's not that the loss was his fault, mind you. It wasn't. But Budaj didn't make any key saves.

None.

Mmmm, ok maybe one in the third, but that's it.

Poor goaltending and a porous defense? Sounds like a loss to me.

Final score: Isles 4 - Habs 3

Game Notes

Some interesting non-game related numbers - Prior to the Isles game:

-Montreal had the best road penalty kill in the league—two goals against in 41 short-handed situations (95.1 percent).
-The Canadiens had allowed only six goals against over the previous four games.
-The Habs were 7-2-1 in their last 10 games.
-Michael Cammalleri scored his 27th career game winning against the Canes.
-The win over the Canes was Jacques Martin's 608th career win, placing him ninth overall in NHL history.

Protection - Erik Cole has some of the best puck protection skills in the league.

Easily top-10 if not top-5.

His combination of speed, a nose for the net and puck protection are constantly drawing penalties too. If you watch Cole cut to the net, he always kicks out his right or left leg, as needed, to protect the puck.

This move often causes opposing defenseman to haul him down as they go for the puck, hitting his skate and knocking him down in the process. Cole did as much, against the Isles, drawing the Habs second powerplay of the night.

He truly seems to have an endless supply of skills in his impressive bag of tricks.

Adrenaline ebb - The game day talk was about how the Canadiens inexperienced defense had played so well against the Canes on Wednesday.

With players like Yannick Weber, Alexei Emelin, Frederic St. Denis and Raphael Diaz in the lineup, the Habs backend looked a lot like an AHL lineup.

That being said, buoyed by the excitement and adrenaline of the moment, they played some inspired hockey against the Canes.

Against the Isles, however, things were completely different.

Montreal's inexperienced defense played the way you would have expected against the Canes; out of position, missing assignments, crossing signals and otherwise looking discombobulated.

Their defensive problems were never more evident than in the second where they allowed two quick Isles goals. Montreal pushed back a little but those two goals ultimately did them in.

I guess the adrenaline wore off.

Even the two veterans, P.K. Subban and Josh Gorges, had off nights, finishing a collective minus-4.

That's just not good enough.

Well that didn't take long - It seems that Scott Gomez has earned his way back to center. Well, at least according to Jacques Martin he earned it.

I mean how else do you explain Gomez centering the third line with Lars Eller shifted to the wing?

This is the move that I had been dreading for a while, because Eller is so much better at center. Sadly, I knew it was coming.

To his credit, Gomez played a great game against the Canes on Wednesday but come on.

He hasn't scored in 46 games. 46. And he's done little over the last two seasons to show he deserves more ice time than, say, Eller, or Cole.

Worst of all, with the Isles clinging to a one-goal lead, Peter Budaj on the bench and less than a minute to play, Gomez was on the ice. Why? For what reason? How about Max Pacioretty or David Desharnais or Erik Cole?

It seems that Martin's love for his veterans players can't be suppressed for long, no matter how ineffective they are.

Stat of the night - Scott Gomez played exactly 14 seconds more than Erik Cole—Gomez had 16:38 of ice time to Cole's 16:24. Oh, and Gomez ended the night a minus-2 while Cole was even.

Facepalm.

Question of the night - Which is the real Montreal Canadiens team: the one that smeared the Canes or came out flat against the Isles?

Up Next - The Habs have Friday off before their biggest challenge of the season on Saturday night: the New York Rangers.

These are the same Rangers who have 23 points in 16 games, are 8-1-1 in their last 10 and have won seven straight games. I guess we'll find out Saturday which version of the Habs show up.

---
Kamal is a freelance writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com and Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.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 Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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Canadiens-Islanders: Michael Grabner's Two Hands Habs Third Straight Loss

by Kamal Panesar

One day after getting thoroughly beaten physically, emotionally, mentally and, most importantly, on the scoreboard by the Boston Bruins, the bruised and battered Canadiens returned home to take on the Islanders.

New York is, by all accounts, a pretty bad team.

With 41 points in the standings prior to last night's game, the Isles were the second worst team in the league. As such, the Habs absolutely needed to win the game, put two points in the bank, and put the Boston game behind them.

The worry, however, was that Montreal would have little left in the bank after such a hard loss to the Bruins.

Unfortunately, the world was according to Hoyle last night, and that is exactly what happened.

As was feared and perhaps expected, the Canadiens looked spent. They struggled to keep up with the play, committed turnovers, missed assignments and otherwise let the Isles into the game.

To their credit, the Isles played a sleepy, nothing-doing style that put the listless Canadiens to sleep.

Montreal got on the board first with Max Pacioretty powering a David Desharnais one-time pass past Mikko Koskinen—playing his second career NHL game—to make it 1-0. But the Isles got that one back with less than four minutes to play in this first.

Montreal took the lead again in the second on Benoit Pouliot's 11th of the season, but New York again returned the score at the 17:10 mark. Tomas Plekanec finally scored a go-ahead goal on a 2-on-1 with Andrei Kostitsyn, less than a minute later.

Unfortunately for Habs' fans, the Canadiens were simply too tired to keep the Isles at bay. New York tied the game on Michael Grabner's second of the game, 4:08 into the third period.

Overtime solved nothing, and Kyle Okposo was the lone goal scorer in the shootout, clinching the victory for New York.


Final score: Isles 4 - Habs 3 (SO)

Habs' scorers: Max Pacioretty (9), Benoit Pouliot (11), Tomas Plekanec (19)
Isles' scorers: John Tavares (19), Michael Grabner (18, 19)

Three stars: 1. Kyle Okposo, 2. Max Pacioretty, 3. Tomas Plekanec


Game Notes

1. The third line continues to make a difference.

I know I sound like a broken record, but this line, anchored by David Desharnais, truly brings their lunch pail to work every night.

Never taking a shift off, this is easily the Habs' hardest working trio night in and night out.

Last night, with Mathieu Darche sidelined due to a lower body injury, Ryan White was recalled from Hamilton and slotted into the third line. The good news is that the third line, with Desharnais and Benoit Pouliot, didn't miss a beat, continuing to apply pressure in the offensive zone and create chances off their hard work.

White, in particular, did not look out of place on that line and depending on the length of Darche's absence, he could be riding shotgun with Desharnais for a while.

Dare I say White appeared to be an even better fit than Darche due to hisspeed and strength down low?

White's gritty play led directly to the Habs' second goal, as they dug the puck out from behind the net and centered it to Pouliot.

It remains to be seen how long Darche will be out but, for now, White makes an already dangerous line that much better.


2. Max Pacioretty is on fire.

Pacioretty continues to improve every game and is now putting points on the board on a regular basis. Last night he played another excellent match, finishing the night with 18:18 minutes of ice time with 1:34 on the power play.

In addition, Pacioretty, who was all over the ice, finished the game with one goal and seven shots on net. And the best part? He seems to be able to play well no matter who his linemates are.

Paired with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta when he was first recalled from Hamilton, Pacioretty has been getting it done on a line with Tomas Plekanec as his center the last few weeks. Last night, he opened the scoring for Montreal when he one-timed a beautiful Desharnais setup with a one-kneed Michael Cammalleri special.

The goal illustrates his excellent positioning as MaxPac always seems to be in the right spot in front of or around the net. As such, he is often there to pick up rebounds and get scoring opportunities.

In case you were counting, Pacioretty now has 17 points (9G, 8A) in 26 games and six points (3G, 3A) and a plus-3 rating in his last five games. In addition, he is on pace to finish the year with 25 points (13G, 12A) in 38 games.

That translates to 0.342 goals per game which equals 28 goals per season.

The way he's playing right now, Pacioretty is really priming himself for a playoff breakout this spring.


3. The Habs left their hearts, and energy, in Boston.

After the free-for-all the night before against the Bruins, fans wondered if the Canadiens would have anything left in the tank. Unfortunately for the Habs, things unfolded according to the feared script. They looked spent, listless and out of gas.

Montreal left it all on the ice against the Bruins the night before, and it showed. Moreover, the Habs-Bruins game was an emotionally charged match featuring a ton of fights that left Montreal a battered team.

All of this to say: when you saw the Canadiens taking lazy hooking and tripping penalties in the first period, when you saw them constantly being second on the puck, when you saw them struggling to get anything going against a terrible Isles team, you could see that they were simply spent.

I supposed that's to be expected, and while the shootout loss to the second worst team in the league is not the result they wanted, at least they got one point out of it!

No need to panic. They'll rest, turn the page and come back strong this weekend.


4. Ryan White brings exactly what the Habs need to the lineup.

The irony of Ryan White being recalled from Hamilton the night after the Canadiens were physically manhandled by the Bruins was apparent.

This kid is exactly the type of player that Montreal needed the night before against the Bs. At six feet and 198 lbs, White is not the biggest player in the league. However, he is gritty and tough as nails.

Moreover, he is not afraid to drop the gloves to protect or stick up for his linemates and while he didn't have to do so last night, he most certainly would have against Boston the night before.

And, if all of that wasn't enough, the kid can actually play hockey.

Last night, White was a sparkplug on the Desharnais line which is itself the sparkplug for the Habs. Using his speed and grit to fight for and cycle the puck, White was able to dig the puck out of the corners for his linemates, and the result was a bevy of scoring chances.

On the Habs second goal, White won a 1-on-1 battle for the puck behind the net and centered it to Pouliot who wired it past Koskinen.

While that play seems like a normal part of any 82-game season, the Habs are far too often on the losing end of 1-on-1 battles, especially against physical opponents.

White's presence in the lineup is a boon for Montreal, and I believe the he has a place on this team whether Darche returns to the lineup or not.


5. Benoit Pouliot looks like a solid third line player.

As much as most would love to see Pouliot fulfill his potential as the fourth overall draft pick, I think it's pretty clear that that ship has sailed.

However, that's not necessarily a bad thing, because it is looking more and more like Pouliot is actually better suited to being a third line player, and a pretty good one at that.

Except for a few games here and there, Pouliot has basically played the entire season on the third line with a variety of centers and wingers. Despite the line juggling and limited time on the power play, Pouliot has quietly racked up 22 points (11G, 11A) and a plus-4 rating in 53 games.

And all of this while averaging no more than 12:10 minutes per game.

Pouliot has the fourth lowest average time on ice but is tied for seventh in team scoring and is fifth for goals scored.

Last night, Pouliot continued his excellent play and, buoyed by the younthful exuberance of Desharnais and White, looked like a very dangerous player in the offensive zone.

White, constantly hitting people and going to the net, created a lot of space on the ice for Desharnais and Pouliot to operate. As such, Pouliot often just had to get in the right spot to receive a prime scoring chance.

This is exactly how he scored his 11th goal of the season last night and, like Pacioretty, his goal scoring is timely given the continued lack of production by the Habs' second line.


Standings and Next Game

Despite the loss, the Habs did pick up one point in the standings.

Montreal is still sixth overall in the East with 66 points, two back of Washington who has one game in hand, and three back of Boston who has two games in hand.

The Habs still have some buffer room behind them as the Rangers, stalled at 62 with five straight losses, and the Hurricanes, 59 points and one game in hand, are still a good margin back of Montreal.

The Canadiens now have a well needed day off to lick their wounds before taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.


The Road to the Heritage Classic

The Team 990's Amanda Stein, who will be going to and covering the Heritage Classic, is going to be chronicling her trip and experiences on HabsAddict.com, giving us all a peak behind the scenes.

Click here to read her first article and check back often throughout the trip!



(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

---
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/

Read More

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Post Game: Isles 4 - Habs 3 (SO)

Habs Inside/Out - Game 56: Islanders play trick on Canadiens
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/46382

Happy anniversary, Jean
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/46490

The Islanders? Really??
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/46492

RDS - Ryan White a impressionné à son retour
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/314821.html

Un 3e revers de suite
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/314765.html

TSN - ISLANDERS DOWN STRUGGLING CANADIENS IN SHOOTOUT
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=353333

ESPN.com - Mikko Koskinen gets first NHL win as Islanders win in shootout
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=310210010


News
HabsAddict.com - The Road to The Heritage Classic - with Amanda Stein
http://www.habsaddict.com/2011/02/road-to-heritage-classic-with-amanda.html

What the Canadiens Should Do At The Deadline - Part I - Defense by Willey
http://aa.habsaddict.com/2011/02/what-canadiens-should-do-at-deadline.html

THN.com Blog: Breaking down a wild and wacky Wednesday
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/38290-THNcom-Blog-Breaking-down-a-wild-and-wacky-Wednesday.html

Spector's Hockey - Thursday Evening NHL Scuttlebutt – February 10, 2011
http://spectorshockey.net/2011/02/thursday-evening-nhl-scuttlebutt-february-10-2011/

NHL Rumors – February 10, 2011
http://spectorshockey.net/2011/02/nhl-rumors-february-10-2011/

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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Canadiens Game Day: Shaken But Not Stirred, Habs Take On Isles in Montreal

by Kamal Panesar

The battered and bruised Montreal Canadiens are back at home to take on the floundering New York Islanders tonight at the Bell Centre.

Montreal is coming off a raucous affair against the Bruins that saw both teams explode for a collective eight goals in the second period and 187 penalty minutes on the night. And while the Canadiens got thumped 8-6 on the scoreboard they were also manhandled physically with several non-fighters being forced to drop the gloves.

As such, you'd expect the emotionally spent Habs to be in rough shape tonight against the Isles in a game that Montreal needs to win. They need the win to keep pace with the Bruins—who now have a four point lead over the Habs for first in the Northeast—but more importantly for their morale and ego, both of which might have taken major hits last night.

For the Islanders, life in the NHL has been cruel, at least this year it has. The Isles have been decimated by injuries, most notably to their goaltenders, meaning that backups of backups of backups are being called on to play goal.

New York is coming off of a 5-3 loss at the hands of the Leafs last night, so they will also be on the back end of two games in as many days. In a season where highlights have been few and far between, playing at the Bell Centre could be seen as a treat, of sorts, for the lowly Isles.


Standings

Montreal is sixth overall in the East with 65 points in 55 games to the Islanders 15th overall position with 41 points in 53 games.

The Islanders are one point ahead of the Edmonton Oilers for the dubious distinction of being the worst team in the NHL.


Goaltenders

Carey Price will be getting the rest tonight in favour of Alex Auld, who will be making his eighth start of the season.

The goaltending picture is much murkier for the Islanders who have been hit with a rash of injuries this season. Rookie Mikko Koskinen is scheduled to get the start with Kevin Poulin sidelined with a dislocated knee cap, Nathan Lawson out with a knee problem and starter, Rick DiPietro, out for a few weeks with a broken facial bone.


Special Teams and Scoring

Even with the Habs going 4-for-8 with the man-advantage last night, their PP is only 13th overall, operating at 18.2 percent efficiency. Their PK, on the other hand, is sixth overall at 84.7 percent.

Despite their horrendous record in the standings, the Isles have a very respectable 12th overall penalty kill, at 83.1 percent, and a 15th overall power play, at 17.7 percent.

Neither team has been setting the league on fire from a scoring perspective, however, with the Habs managing 145 goals for to the Isles' 131. The big difference, however, is in the goals against department where the Habs have the ninth lowest goals-against total with 139, to the Isles' 26th ranked 174.

So while both squads are sure to be tired tonight, the Canadiens need to get on New York early and often for their best chance at squaring this one away.


Miscellaneous

Tonight marks the first time that James Wizniewski will be facing his former team and, as such, I'd expect a big game from him tonight.

The Montreal Canadiens recalled Ryan White from Hamilton but Coach Martin would neither confirm nor deny that he will be in the lineup, saying that a pregame warm-up would determine his lineup.

With Scott Gomez, Andrei Kostitsyn and Lars Eller being benched for most of the third period last night, it will be interesting to see what Martin does with his lineup combinations.

Could tonight be the night that David Desharnais starts the game as the second line center?

Game time is at 7:30 PM.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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Post game: Isles 4 - Habs 1

Habs Inside/Out - Game 36: Habs snowed under by Isles
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Boxing Day KO
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/42181

RDS - Emporté par la tempête
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/312219.html

TSN - ISLANDERS BEAT CANADIENS TO WIN THIRD STRAIGHT
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=346934

ESPN.com - Dwayne Roloson makes 37 saves as Islanders win in front of tiny crowd
http://espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=301226012


News
Spector's Hockey - Post-Christmas Rumor Roundup – December 27, 2010
http://spectorshockey.net/2010/12/post-christmas-rumor-roundup-december-27-2010/

THN.com Blog: Puzzling pieces around hockey
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/37292-THNcom-Blog-Puzzling-pieces-around-hockey.html

THN.com Blog: NHL backup far from easy
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Pregame: Habs @ Isles

Habs Inside/Out - Season resumes
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RDS - Le CH doit se méfier des Islanders
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/312219.html

TSN - Gameday
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/scores/gameday/?hubname=nhl-islanders

ESPN.com - Canadiens-Islanders Preview
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/preview?gameId=301226012


News
M. Darche célèbre enfin Noël à Montréal
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/312197.html

Le CH marqué du sceau des gardiens
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/312149.html

The Hockey News - THN.com Blog: Good deeds carried out by pro hockey teams
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/37275-THNcom-Blog-Good-deeds-carried-out-by-pro-hockey-teams.html

World Junior Tournament Tracker
http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/hockeynews/hockey/tournament.cgi?wjc2011

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Montreal-New York: Pouliot's Goal Lifts Habs to Home-and-Home Sweep of Isles

by Kamal Panesar

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you your first place Montreal Canadiens. Not just first place in the Northeast Division, but first place overall in the league.

With their win last night in Uniondale, your Habs are now officially the hottest team in the league with a 7-2-1 record and 15 points in the standings.

So while yesterday's game against the New York Islanders—the second of a home-and-home—was not as well played by the Habs, they still managed to pull out the win in a match that was much tighter than Wednesday's night tilt in Montreal.

The ice in Uniondale wasn't very good and, at times, it looked more like keystone cops than hockey as pucks were bouncing and players were falling all over the place.

Despite the terrible conditions the Canadiens were the early aggressors in this game, taking a 9-2 shot advantage only ten minutes in. Ultimately, the Isles made adjustment, gave up fewer odd-man rushes, and ended up outshooting the Canadiens 31-26 on the night.

The Habs did a good job, however, of keeping the majority of the shots to the outside and cleared any rebounds, meaning that Auld didn't have to make a ton of heart-stopping saves. But when he was called upon he was ready.

In addition to outshooting the Canadiens, the Isles outhit them 27-22 but lost 34 of 57 faceoffs due to the strong work from Plekanec and Jeff Halpern.

The Isles, took every opportunity to drive to the net and make contact with Auld, who was playing his first game of the season. This tactic tended to draw a lot of post-whistle melees and scrums in the Habs' zone. Despite the extra attention, Auld remained calm and collected and picked up his first win of the season in the process.

Final score: Habs 3 - Isles 1

Habs' scorers: Tomas Plekanec (5), Benoit Pouliot (2), Travis Moen (2)
Isles' Scorers: Matt Martin (1)

Three stars: 1. Alex Auld, 2. Matt Martin, 3. Benoit Pouliot


Game Notes

1. He's big, he's bald, he's Alex Auld.

OK, I'm only using that line—which I did not invent—this one time. But seriously, what a game by Auld and what more can you ask for from your backup goaltender?

After sitting on the bench and watching Carey Price carry—no pun intended—the Habs to a 6-2-1 record over their first nine games, Auld took the net in the grudge match against a revenge-seeking Islanders squad.

With six power plays on the night including a 5-on-3, the Islanders held the momentum for large stretches of the game, but Auld was equal to the task as he stopped 30 of 31 shots for a scintillating .968 save percentage. Auld kept the score tied at one long enough for the Canadiens to get back into it and score the eventual game-winner in the second.

None of his saves was more key than the one he made on a shorthanded Matt Moulson breakaway when the score was still 1-0 for Montreal. That was one of those "key saves at a key time" and exactly what you need your goaltenders to do in order for your team to remain competitive.

Auld, like Price, is a big goaltender and he looked as much in the net, standing square to the shooters and giving them very little to shoot at. His rebound control was good too, either swallowing up the pucks or deflecting them out of harm’s way. When he did pop a puck out he was able to make the second save and his defense did the rest of the work clearing the rebounds.

With all of the question marks surrounding his potential play last night, Auld came out and delivered exactly the type of game you want from your backup, giving the Habs a chance to win and continuing their momentum. And it’s a good thing too, because the Habs will need a good 15-20 games out of him this season for Price to be ready for the playoffs.


2. The Habs defense was targeted for physical punishment tonight.

Usually Subban gets most of the attention from the opposition, at least over the first 9 games of the season. But last night the Isles shone the spotlight on Hal Gill and Jaroslav Spacek and hit both players as often as they could.

The result was that when Spacek wasn't making bad passes and turning the puck over, he was usually on his butt.

For his part, Gill also took a lot of hits but he responded by playing one of his stronger defensive games of the season. In addition, he stood up for Andrei Kostitsyn late in the second period, by fighting Matt Martin after he got a little too physical with the Habs sniper.

Gill, a consummate leader, took exception and when to town on Martin. It was more of a wrestling match than a fight, but hey, at least Gill stood up for his teammate.

That fight was an example of the "team toughness" that Jacques Martin is always talking about and considering the Habs lack of a heavy weight, it will continue to be an important factor going forward.


3. The plumbers continue to get the job done.

Is it me, or does the Habs bottom-six look even better since Lars Eller was switched to the third line center position?

The combination of Maxim Lapierre, Tom Pyatt, and Eller makes for a speedy, forechecking line that should start contributing on the scoresheet once they are a little more familiar with each other.

Further down the roster, the line of Jeff Halpern, Benoit Pouliot, and Mathieu Darche caused problems for the Isles defenders almost every time they were on the ice. Moreover, their determined play lead to the game winning goal by Pouliot.

On the play, P.K. Subban dumped the puck up the ice to Jeff Halpern who had Darche on his wing and Pouliot trailing in what became a 3-on-2. Halpern used Darche as a decoy and then dropped the puck to Pouliot in the slot who rifled a wrister top shelf past Dwayne Roloson for the game winner.

That was the type of goal that Pouliot absolutely must score on a regular basis if he wants to keep playing on this team. While I'd still prefer to see Pouliot playing on Lars Eller's wing on the third line, there is no questioning the chemistry that is starting to form in the bottom-six.

This chemistry cannot be understated since one of the biggest problems the Canadiens had last season was that they rarely got scoring from their bottom-six.

With the parity in this league, a team must be able to rely on multiple lines to contribute offense. Since the Gomez line is still firing blanks, it's a good thing the plumbers are getting it done.


4. Speaking of the Gomez line, they finally scored a goal!

Jacques Martin did a lot of winger shuffling on the Gomez-Gionta line again last night, but ultimately had Travis Moen playing with the duo for most of the night.

The result was the insurance marker with less than two minutes to play in the game.

On the play, Brian Gionta just winged the puck towards the net and it was deflected by Moen over a kneeling Roloson for his second goal of the year.

Gomez, who wasn't really involved in the play, continues to look like an island out there. He is doing a good job of skating the puck out of the Canadiens' zone but seems to panic at the offensive blueline and either miss a low-percentage passing attempt, or turn the puck over to the opposing team.

Given how much Gomez's game is based on clean, tape-to-tape passes, it is surprising to see his passes consistently in his winger's skates or just out of their reach.

It's a good thing the Habs' top line and bottom-six continue to contribute, because Gomez is clearly the weak link on a sputter second line. Whatever funk he is in, he has to figure it out quickly because, despite their early success, the Habs need two consistent scoring lines if they want to remain at the top of the heap.

Gomez is the playmaker on that line and if he is always missing his passes, it is very difficult for the trio to get anything going.


5. Special teams ruled the day.

It's pretty simple: the Canadiens were 1-for-2 on the power play (50 percent), and killed all six Islanders' man-advantages.

Gill and Gorges had a lot to do with the penalty kill being so successful as they played 3:39 and 5:28 of short-handed time respectively. As was the case during the playoffs, those two are still the Canadiens top defensive penalty-killing unit.

That being said, the trio of Plekanec, Gorges, and Roman Hamrlik did a good job of killing off an early 5-on-3 where the Islanders really didn't get any quality scoring chances.

The Habs power play goal, on the other hand, was the result of a quick shot by Michael Cammalleri. The puck caromed off of Roloson and right to Plekanec, who's quick stick allowed him put the puck in the net.

The goal was scored only 18 seconds into the power play—and was Plekanec's third goal in his last three games—and it was nice to see the Canadiens trying to create something off of a shot rather than looking for the perfect pass.

With their second man-advantage goal in the last three games, maybe the Habs are starting to defrost their PP just in time for Andrei Markov's return to the lineup tonight.


Standings and Next Game

The win gives the Canadiens 15 point in the standings and first place in the Northeast division and overall in the league. It's still too early in the season to start planning the parade route and playing teams like Vancouver, L.A., and Philly this month will go a long way to determining whether these Canadiens are the real deal or not.

But so far, winning seven out of ten games with an impotent power play, without the services of your number one defensemen, and without a second scoring line is more than anyone would have expected.

There's no rest for the wicked as the Habs are back in Montreal to take on the Florida Panthers tonight at the Bell Center. The game also marks the long awaited return of Andrei Markov to the lineup.

The puck drops at 7:00 pm-ish.

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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Habs win, post game, Habs in first, Panthers preview, and more...

Post game: Habs 3 - Isles 1

Habs Inside/Out - Game 10: Auld keeps Habs rolling
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/38701

First place? Get out of here!
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/38847

RDS - Alex Auld répond présent
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/308875.html

TSN - POULIOT LIFTS CANADIENS TO HOME-AND-HOME SWEEP OF ISLANDERS
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=339179

ESPN.com - Canadiens sweep home-and-home, deal Isles first regulation home loss
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=301029012


Pre-Game: Habs vs Panthers

TSN - Gameday
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/scores/gameday/?hubname=nhl-canadiens


ESPN.com - Panthers-Canadiens Preview
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/preview?gameId=301030010

(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)

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Habs/Isles pre-game, Markov tomorrow, Auld gets the start, rumours and more...

Pre-game: Habs @ Islanders

Habs Inside/Out - A heavy week continues
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/38698

Auld tomorrow, Markov Saturday
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/38696

Le baptême d'Alex Auld vendredi à NY
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/308837.html

Qui écopera avec le retour de Markov?
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/308863.html

TSN - Gameday
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/scores/gameday/?hubname=nhl-islanders

ESPN.com - Canadiens-Islanders Preview
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/preview?gameId=301029012


News

Spector's Hockey - NHL Free Agent and Trade Rumors - October 29, 2010
http://www.spectorshockey.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1947:nhl-free-agent-and-trade-rumors-october-29-2010&catid=5:trade-rumors&Itemid=4

The Hockey News - Tom Thompson's Blog: Five points to understand the plus-minus stat
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/35961-Tom-Thompsons-Blog-Five-points-to-understand-the-plusminus-stat.html

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Montreal-New York: Canadiens' Depth Delivers Win Over Islanders

by Kamal Panesar

Ho hum, another day, another convincing Habs victory.

In defeating the New York Islanders 5-3 yesterday in Montreal, the Canadiens pushed their current winning streak to three games in a match that featured two fast-paced teams that have so far been exceeding all expectations.

For their part, the Islanders present an excellent blend of youth and talent and, aside from John Tavares, don't really have any superstars. That being said, the balance that they have across all of their lines is what is making them competitive.

One problem the Isles have is that they take a lot of chances and cheat a little defensively and as such, the Canadiens had a bunch of odd-man rushes last night.

The Habs looked like a well oiled machine and their tape-to-tape passes allowed them to make a smooth transition from defense to offense, and attack off of the rush with speed. A lot of that smooth transition started on the stick of P.K. Subban who played his best game in a Canadiens uniform.

He just seems to be getting better every game.

What made this victory so satisfying for the Canadiens, however, was that each of their five goals was scored by a different player. That is kind of depth that makes teams successful over an 82 game schedule.

The Canadiens took the lead early in the game and never ceded it but the Isles did their best to make things difficult and kept things close. Ultimately, however, the Habs were too much for the Isles, outshooting them in every period and 35-21 on the night.

Final score: Habs 5 - Islanders 3

Habs' scorers: Mathieu Darche (1), Travis Moen (1), Tomas Plekanec (4), Jeff Halpern (3), Andrei Kostitsyn (6)
Isles' scorers: James Wisniewski (2), John Tavares (6), Doug Weight (2)

Three stars: 1. Plekanec, 2. P.K. Subban, 3. Carey Price


Game Notes

1. Price is the man.

Admit it, you're getting used to hear it by now aren't you?

Last night, Price set the tone early in the game by making two quick pad saves, from in close, on an Isles 2-on-1 less than two minutes into the game. The saves were brilliant and they got the home crowd engaged and chanting Price's name.

While Price continues to look stable in the net his biggest improvement over last year is that he is making key saves at key times, and that is paramount for a No.1 netminder.

If Price hadn't made that save it would have changed the entire complexion of the game. Instead, his save brought the crowd to life and buoyed his teammates who were able to bring home a third straight victory.

And that, my friends, is the mark of a No.1 goaltender in the NHL.

Oh, Price also got his first assist of the season on Jeff Halpern's goal.


2. Finally, Lars Eller was the third line center!

I guess Jacques Martin has been reading my articles because he took my advice last night.

Ya, right!

Last night JM has Eller penciled in as the third line center between Maxim Lapierre and Tom Pyatt. While I'd prefer to see Benoit Pouliot on that line instead of Pyatt, it was a good start.

Both Lapierre and Pyatt have the foot speed to keep up with Eller, while Lapierre also has enough offensive skill that he should be able to score a few off of Eller's passes.

You could see that they were a little off last night which is normal given that they haven't played together much. That being said, I think that given a few games and a little chemistry, that line will become a fast, tenacious third line that can chip in offensively.

The amazing thing to me is how many people were saying that Eller played his first good game last night and that he finally looks engaged. Really? Don't you think that has something to do with him having half decent linemates to play with for a change?


3. Andrei Kostitsyn is playing better than anyone thought he was able to.

Not only is he contributing in the offensive zone—he potted his sixth goal into an empty net—but AK46 is also performing in the defensive zone.

I guess some of what Jacques Martin was preaching and berating Andrei about last year has sunk in because lo-and-behold, he is becoming a pretty solid two-way player.

Now we're not going to start seeing him on the penalty kill mind you, but watching him rush up the ice for a scoring chance and then skate back to help break up a play in his own end, is a thing of beauty.

Love him or hate him, JM demands that all of his forwards are responsible at both ends of the ice. He was, after all, the man that turned Marian Hossa into one of the best two-way player in the game.

Kostitsyn's line, with Plekanec and Michael Cammalleri, is firing on all cylinders and have a combined 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists, plus-21) over nine games and account for 52% of the Canadiens' goals for.

What will be interesting is to see how they fare on the road against the better teams in the league as Martin, who loves to match lines, will not have the luxury of last line change.

If this trio can fight through tough defensive matchups and still produce consistently against elite teams on the road, they will be on their way to becoming one of the most dangerous lines in the league.


4. P.K. Subban seems to have found his groove.

I still can't get over how quickly Subban went from playing his worst game as a Canadien to his best, in the span of a week.

Subban has settled his game down and has found a groove for himself. As such, he is getting better and better each game and Jacques Martin is leaning heavily on the youngster.

Getting 19:29 of ice-time over 29 shifts, Subban had one assist, a plus-one rating, five shots on goal, two blocked shots, and was the Canadiens best defenseman all night.

Not only is Subban making great first passes and setting up plays on the offensive side of the puck, but he is absolutely shutting down the opposition in the Habs zone. Last night, he broke up a few 2-on-1's and 1-on-1's without taking a penalty and without the opposition getting a shot on goal.

Moreover, Subban is taking less chances and doing a better job of picking his spots and it is making him so much more effective in both ends of the rink.

So the big question is who will he be playing with when Andrei Markov returns to play this weekend? With the Gill-Gorges and Spacek-Hamrlik duos seemingly set, perhaps JM will put together the super duo of Markov-Subban.

That would be a sight to see!


5. Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez looked a lot better!

OK, neither of them registered a point in the game but both of them looked calmer and more engaged. To his credit, Gionta has been engaged since the beginning of the season but he has looked frustrated at times over the course of the last few games.

Last night, however, he looked calmer and more even keeled.

Gomez, on the other hand, has looked lost and out of sync so far this season but last night we saw flashes of the speed and stick handling that can make him such a dangerous player.

Now if only Coach Martin could stick with one winger on their line for a few games, they might be able to build some momentum.


6. The real first star of the game was the Canadiens' depth.

While their power play continued to fire blanks, going 0-for-3 on the night, the Canadiens scored five 5-on-5 goals with a different author for each one.

Plekanec, Halpern, Darche, Moen, and Kostitsyn all scored for the Canadiens with assists from Halpern, Subban, Plekanec, Hall Gill, Benoit Pouliot, Price, Kostitsyn, and Hamrlik.

Halpern, in particular, is having a good season so far with three goals and two assist over nine games played. Those numbers are not insignificant if you consider that he had a total of nine goals and eight assists over 71 games split between Tampa and L.A. last season.

All in all, ten Canadiens got their names on the score sheet and that's the kind of depth that the elite teams of the league count on to win on a consistent basis.

If the Habs can find consistency from their bottom-two lines and a winger for Gionta and Gomez, they could become a three to four line offensive team which is very difficult defend against.


Standings and Next Game

The win moves the Habs to 6-2-1 with 13 points in the standings and a share of first place overall in the league.

They now fly to Long Island to take on these same New York Islanders on Friday in what is sure to be an intense grudge match. The game will be the first of a back-to-back for the Canadiens who fly home to welcome the Florida Panthers on Saturday.

Most reports are indicating that Andrei Markov will be back in the lineup on Saturday against the Panthers, but Habs Inside/Out's Pat Hickey seems to believe he will be back on Friday.

Either way, it's good news for the streaking Canadiens.

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Habs win, post game news, Halpern, Darche, Moen, Price, rumours and more...

Post Game: Habs 5 - Isles 3

Habs Inside/Out - Game 9: Supporting cast helps Habs down Isles
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/38564

Three 3s
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/38694

RDS - Une contribution de tous
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/308731.html

Le CH connaît un bien meilleur départ
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/308824.html

Auld aime l'ouverture d'esprit de Price
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/308783.html

TSN - HALPERN'S WINNER HELPS SURGING CANADIENS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=338922

ESPN.com - Canadiens top Islanders for third straight win
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/recap?gameId=301027010


News

Spector's Hockey - Latest NHL Trade Rumors - October 28, 2010
http://www.spectorshockey.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1945:latest-nhl-trade-rumors-october-28-2010&catid=5:trade-rumors&Itemid=4

NHL Free Agent News - October 28, 2010
http://www.spectorshockey.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1944:nhl-free-agent-news-october-28-2010&catid=5:trade-rumors&Itemid=4

(Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images North America)

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Game Day: Canadiens and Islanders Face Off In Montreal

by Kamal Panesar

The mood surrounding the Montreal Canadiens practice yesterday was light following their well earned win against the tenacious Phoenix Coyotes on Monday.

Even Jacques Martin, normally known for his stoic, monotone ways, was cracking jokes with the media while sporting an ear-to-ear grin.

And why not?

His team is playing well despite some egregiously glaring holes in their play. This brings to mind the old sports adage that you are never as good as you seem when you are winning and never as bad when you are losing.

Despite a 5-2-1 record and a share of first overall in the Northeast Division, the Canadiens have a few problems that need fixing as they prepare to take on the surprising New York Islanders at the Bell Centre tonight.

The Isles, with a 4-2-2 record, have ten points and are one point behind the first place—in the Atlantic Division—Pittsburgh Penguins.

While it is still very early in the season, a match-up against a conference rival is always important whether in October or in March.


Offensive contributions

On offense, the Canadiens have been receiving some fine play from the likes of Andrei Kostitsyn (five goals, three assists), Michael Cammalleri (three goals, three assists), and Tomas Plekanec (three goals, four assists) who is clearly the offensive catalyst for the Habs.

Their second line, however, has been flatlined as Scott Gomez (one goal, two assists) and Brian Gionta (one goal, one assist) have struggled to get going. Their difficulties are compounded by the carousel of players who have played on their wing—Benoit Pouliot, Tom Pyatt, Travis Moen, Mathieu Darche—in an attempt to find chemistry.

While the Habs' penalty kill has been excellent so far—three goals allowed on 32 chances—their power play has left much to be desired—2-for-29, 6.9% efficiency—and it should benefit from the return of Andrei Markov this weekend.


Strengths and Weaknesses on the back end

On the backend, Jaroslav Spacek has been struggling while his partner, Roman Hamrlik, has been a steadying influence playing a team high 24:55 on Monday against the Coyotes.

Youngster P.K. Subban seems to be settling into a groove after an up and down pre-season and first few games of the regular season. He seems to have taken everyone's advice and simplified his game and the result is that he is the Canadiens best defenseman right now.


When will we see Alex Auld?

Montreal wouldn't be Montreal without some discussion of the goaltenders and, despite Carey Price's brilliant performance so far this season—five wins, 2.23 GAA, .918 save percentage—a lot of the talk yesterday was about backup goaltender Alex Auld and when he will play his first game of the season.

In my mind, the only reason to start Auld is because you don't want him to get too rusty sitting on the sidelines. The idea is that he should play every once in a while, regardless of how well Price is playing, so that he stays sharp.

Given that the Canadiens are playing four games in six nights this week, I think there is a very real possibility that Auld could get his first start in Long Island on Friday.

While I understand the logic of playing Auld, Price is on fire right now and unless he tells the coaches that he is tired or they have some reason to believe he needs rest, I would keep playing him.

Price is only 23 and tonight is only the Habs' ninth game of the season, so there is no fatigue factor going on right now.

Price is in a groove right now so why not keep him there?


What to do with Lars Eller?

Eller played a few shifts with some talented wingers, for a change, and the result was the winning goal in overtime. While one game does not make a season, there is no denying that Eller's considerable talents seem to be wasted on the wing—as he is a playmaker—and on the fourth line.

I said in my post-game analysis, that I would either try him between Gionta and Pouliot, or slot him as the third line center between Lapierre and Pouliot, and see what happens.

That being said, all indications are that Coach Martin is going with the same lineup that won Monday night, meaning that Eller will start on the fourth line. Don't be surprised, however, if we see him shifted up a line or two at certain points in the game, depending on how the game plays out.


The puck drops at 7:30 pm tonight and the game is being broadcast on RDS.

So what would you do with the Alex Auld? What about Eller? Would you play him on the wing or at center and with which wingers?

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

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Pre-game Primer: Habs in Driver's Seat, Will they Trip on their Dog too?

As I took my dog—a cute as a button, 23-pound Cocker Spaniel—for a walk yesterday, everything seemed like it has always been.

The weather was nice, the dog was happy and my back—which up until recently has been giving me tremendous problems due to a herniated disc—was feeling great. The last few months of physiotherapy have done wonders!

So, as the dog started becoming excited, I decided to try out my back by picking up the pace and turning the walk into a run.

Much to my surprise, my back felt great! The dog, seemingly sensing my comfort level, started to increase her speed, and I matched it.

Then, just I was hitting my top running speed she randomly decided to dart from my left to my right, between my legs.

Needless to say, this was a very bad thing for yours truly.

In an effort NOT to step on and crush this little dog, I lifted the foot that I was about to put weight on, almost by instinct. The result was a head first tumble that sent me flying a good six to ten feet across the concrete.

While I don't really remember the fall that much, I do remember falling kind of like a stunt man; rolling with it instead of landing with a thump.

The result was that while I was dazed and injured, I didn't hit my head but am left with a pretty badly sprained wrist, lacerations on my back, elbow and thigh, but am otherwise fine.

So, as I limped back to my house cursing the dog the entire way, my immediate thought was the Montreal Canadiens.

Ummm, ok, well maybe that's a lie. I think my immediate thought was something like "must...get...to...couch. Must...lie...down."

But after that passed, I thought about the Habs and how their 10-4-2 record is the second best in the league since the Olympic break.

I thought about how by winning two games over the weekend, they have put themselves in a favourable position heading into the last week of the 2010 NHL regular season. Now with 86 points in 79 games, the Habs likely need two or three more points to lock down a playoff spot.

Given that they are playing the Islanders tonight, Carolina on Thursday and finishing the season off in Toronto on Saturday, it looks like the Habs should be able to easily qualify for the post season dance. Right?

Likely. But if there is one thing that we have learned from the new hyper-parity NHL, it's that any team can beat any other team on any given day.

So, while the Canadiens shouldn't have too many problems picking up those extra two or three points out of the remaining six that are up for grabs, there is always the possibility that they will trip and fall.

The possibility that their dog will also decide to dart between their legs just when they are feeling good, and take them down too.

The Canadiens would do well to win their game in Long Island tonight. Win tonight—and avoid the proverbial dog—and the Habs make their lives easier. Lose—and trip over their metaphorical beast—and they will start feeling the pressure.

Tune in tonight to see who wins this round of Man vs. Dog.

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