Game 12 - Canadiens vs Flames

#MTLHockey Preview

 

Match Up

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

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

What to Watch

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

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

What's at Stake

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

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

Who's Out

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

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

What Else

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

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

The Question Mark

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

Tonight's Show

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

Read More

Habs/Rangers, Ryan Clowe, 'Dogs Lose Again And More...

Good Morning Addicts!



Nathan Beaulieu will make his NHL debut tonight against
the New York Rangers

 The Montreal Canadiens are back in action tonight as they host the New York Rangers. it will be the third and final meeting between the two teams with the Habs winning the first two games by a combined total of 6-1.

It seems Brandon Prust will return to the line up for Montreal after missing eight games due to a shoulder injury. His timing is quite fitting as he is back on time to face his former team. Prust is a +4 against the Rangers this season and has also notched an assist.

With Prust returning to the roster, Gabriel Dumont was sent back to the Hamilton Bulldogs along with defenseman Jarred Tinordi. Tinordi played six games during his stint with the Habs earning one assist, two penalty minutes and a +2 rating while averaging 10:32 minutes of ice time.

Nathan Beaulieu was called up from Hamilton to take Tinordi's spot on the blue line. Beaulieu has six goals and 19 assists for 25 points in 62 games for the 'Dogs. His style is more offensive than that of Tinordi and will be called upon to help the Canadiens second powerplay unit.

Habs And Hockey News 

- There has been lots of talk about the Habs interest in San Jose's Ryan Clowe as the trade deadline approaches but is he a player the Habs should acquire?

- Eric Engels (@EricEngels) takes a look at who he thinks the Habs should target on April 3rd.

- The Hamilton Bulldogs continue to struggle as they fell 4-3 to the Abbotsford Heat last night for their sixth loss in their last ten games.

(Photo By Bernard Brault, La Presse)

Read More

Canadiens - Flames: Rene Bourque Pots Two, Habs Fall in Home Opener

Flat.

That is the best way to describe the Montreal Canadiens play in their 4-1 home opening loss to Calgary Flames last night.

You could also use the words disorganized and undisciplined.

There were a few flashes of positivity that will hopefully become more plentiful as the season progresses. That aside, this team looks like they need to find their timing and learn the system.

They also look like injuries, especially those on the back end, are hurting them right now.

Montreal got on the board first but sloppy play and bad penalties gave the Flames a 3-1 lead going into the first intermission.

The Habs were never able to recover as the major weakness of the Jacques Martin system—the inability to come from behind—reared it ugly head again.

PSH numbers: The Habs dominated 69 percent of the game to the Flames 31 percent. They also carried the momentum with a 237 rating to the Flames 152.

Final score: Flames 4 - Habs 1

Game Notes

Goaltending stats - It looks like Carey Price will have to wait for his 100th win afterall. He currently sits at 99 for his career.

At the same time, Flames goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff became the winningest goalie in Calgary Flames history, picking up his 263rd win last night.

Did he do that on purpose?

Max Pacioretty assisted on Andrei Kostitsyn's first period goal, by shooting the puck off the board behind the net. The puck caromed out the opposite side where AK46 put it into the empty net from a severe angle.

It looked like Pacioretty did it on purpose until you saw the replay which showed Kiprusoff getting a piece of the puck, deflecting it behind the net himself.

Still, it was a nice goal!

Nice shot!

Rene Bourque got the Flames on the board at 7:15 of the first on the powerplay. On the play, he grabbed the puck near the right faceoff circle, turned and fired a zinger past the Habs defender and over Price's glove hand. Top corner.

It was a sick shot but, I've got to admit that Price was a little deep in his net on the play.

Same deal for Price on the Flames second goal.

Loosey-goosey

What happened to the Habs hermetic defensive zone coverage? Isn't that what Jacques Martin is known for?

So why then was there always a free Flames player in the slot? Especially in the first period?

The Habs gap control was non-existant in the first frame, and that was the difference at the end of the day.

When the Habs are playing well they move through each zone as a five-man unit. Last night, they were far too often out of position and had too much space between players. Especially in the defensive zone.

That sloppiness is what allowed the Flames to capitalize on their chances, burying the Habs in the first period.

Mark Giordano, David Moss, Rene Bourque and Miikka Kiprusoff

Those four players were the story of the game for Calgary.

With Kiprusoff making the saves he had to, Moss always in the slot with the puck, Giordano constantly in the thick of things, defensively, and Bourque burying the biscuit, the Habs had more than they could handle.

Bourque finished the night with two goals and three shots on net, Moss had a goal and four shots on goal and Giordano finished the night was 24:09 of ice time, tops among Flames skaters.

Finished.

Erik Cole and Tomas Plekanec look good together

I know, I know, Cole made a ton of turnovers last night, was sloppy defensively and hasn't yet been the player Montreal was expecting when they signed him.

That being said, last night there was several shifts in the offensive zone where you could see how well these two players fit together.

They work well because Plekanec finally has a big, burly winger who can create room for him to work his magic.

As a result, Plekanec often had as much time as he needed in the offensive zone, with Cole barreling into the corners and the front of the net.

And did anyone else notice how fast Erik Cole is? For a big man, this is a guy who can motor.

Hopefully for Montreal, Coach Martin will keep the duo together because if they can find some chemistry, they will make a deadly combo once Michael Cammalleri is back in the lineup.

Once they jel...

The Habs second line (or first?) of Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Max Pacioretty also looked good. You can see that their timing is off a little but once they get it going and once Cammalleri is back, the Habs could have themselves a very potent one-two punch.

Settle down P.K.!

The Habs are only three games in but, so far, Subban's play has left much to be desired. He seems to be trying to do too much and, as a result, is getting caught out of position a lot.

Last night was no different.

Moreover, Subban's overzealousness is part of the reason why the Habs PP is sputtering right now. As I said after last game, I'm not a fan of Plekanec on point on the PP because he isn't a shooter and that limits the Habs options.

But with P.K. running around a bit, Plekanec's job is even harder on the PP, having to cover for his wayward blueline partner.

Like everything else, the PP will eventually fall into place for this team. But, I don't think it will do so with Plekanec on the point.

Up next: The Habs have the day off before taking on the Colorado Avalanche at the Bell Centre, Saturday night.

Colorado is coming off a 7-1 drubbing of the Ottawa Senators so Montreal better be ready for a big game.



---
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 Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

Read More