The 2012-2013 off-season has been seen by many as the most important in the history of the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge. The Habs were the worst team in the Eastern Conference last season, unacceptable result for the NHL’s most storied franchise.
Pierre Gauthier was fired as General Manager on March 29th. Much of the blame for the failures of 2011-12 were placed solely on his shoulders. For that matter, many of the questionable trades made by his predecessor Bob Gainey were blamed on Gauthier's inability to identify team needs froma professional scouting perspective.
Even the way he handled Michael Cammalleri, who was quoted as saying, “I can’t accept that we will display a losing attitude this year. We prepare for our games like losers. We play like losers. So it’s no wonder we lose.” was seen by most as a knee-jerk reaction. Cammalleri was promptly traded in the middle of a game versus the Boston Bruins two days after those comments, to the Calgary Flames .
Marc Bergevin was hired as Gauthier’s replacement on May 2, 2012. After about of month of speculation, he hired Michel Therrien as the new head coach, replacing the much maligned Randy Cunneyworth. Cunneyworth worked in the most uncomfortable circumstances, but eventually was let go, along with his assistant Randy Ladouceur. Therrien filled those vacancies with Clement Jodoin, Gerard Gallant and JJ. Daigneualt. Larry Carriere returned to the front office, after his brief stint behind the bench, to resume his roles as an assistant GM and GM of the Hamilton Bulldogs. Bergavin then chose to hire Scott Mellanby, Patrice Brisebois, Martin Lapointe in the front office, along with Rick Dudley, to act as Bergavin's right hand man.
Bergevin began making on ice changes at the 2012 NHL Draft. As a result of their awful 2011-12 season, the Canadiens had the third overall pick. Bergevin and his staff used that pick to draft American/Russian center Alex Galchenyuk. Galchenyuk, is both a talented and big center, a definite need from an organization perspective. Galchenyuk has played this season with the OHL's Sarnia Sting, and leads the team in scoring. He was also part of Team USA, in their conquest of this year's World Junior Hockey Championship. Along with Galchenyuk, the Canadiens drafted RW Sebastien Collberg and D Dalton Thrower in the second round, LW Tim Bozon in the third, C Brady Vail in the fourth and LW Charles Hudon in the fifth. Their sixth round and final pick was LW Erik Nystrom.
Bergevin further put his stamp on the club through free agency, by acquiring wingers Colby Armstrong, and Brandon Prust, as well as goaltender Cedrick Desjardins, and bringng back defenceman Francis Bouillon.
Bergevin must now address what to do with high priced, and failing veterans, Scott Gomez and Tomas Kaberle. The two amnesty buy-outs proposed in the new NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement should see the departure of both of them.
There is defintely more work to be done. There is still the P.K. Subban contract that needs to be addressed, but overall, the Habs line up is tougher and have a ton more character than they did just a season ago. Along with his players acquisitions, Marc Bergavin has restructured the entire organization, giving it a totally new identity.
It seems like Markov is now taking part in full contact practices again and that, with some good fortune, he could actually make a return to competition this season.
But should he?
There is certainly an argument to be made for shutting Markov down regardless of his health status.
Why risk aggravating his pesky knee in a few insignificant, late season games? It is not like the Canadiens are battling tooth and nail for a playoff berth here.
On the other hand, Markov's return could allow management to get a much fuller picture of where this team stands vis-a-vis next season.
What do you think? Should Markov be allowed to play?
Mike Cammalleri got traded to... oh wait, everyone knows that already.
Perhaps its time to talk about something else then.
Moving away from the Habs' most recent transaction, this week's edition of Plus/Minus looks at the Canadiens new found size and notion of trading P.K Subban.
Plus:
Size on wings: It seems that, for the first time in almost a decade, the Canadiens have size on the wings. Size across all four lines.
Erik Cole and Max Pacioretty are hard charging, big men lighting it up on the Habs first line.
Rene Bourque and Andrei Kostitsyn, while streaky, are large, imposing players able to score 25 goals a year and deliver the occasional solid check.
Travis Moen is an experienced grinder with Stanley Cup experience who is unafraid to drop the gloves.
Michael Blunden has great speed and zeal, giving the squad's bottom-six a crash-and-bang element it lacked earlier this season.
The Canadiens' campaign has certainly not gone according to plan, but at the very least they seem to be building an identity as a bigger, tougher to play against group.
Minus:
Trading P.K: Many media and analysts, namely those on l'Antichambre, seem like they would seriously consider moving P.K Subban?
Why?
Part of the right package for an impact player, it is natural for the Canadiens to consider moving P.K Subban. Even then, it would seem foolhardy for the Habs to move their most talented player.
Over the years, Montreal has lost blueliners by the dozen.
Stephane Robidas, Ron Hainsey, Mike Komisarek, Mark Streit, Sheldon Souray, Francois Beauchemin and Ryan McDonagh all ply their trade elsehwere now and most of them are impact players on their respective team.
Moreover, most of the above were lost in the early stages of their careers. For various reasons, the organization was either unwilling or unable to invest time, or money, into them.
But now, some appear gun-ho about moving P.K Subban. Because he is overzealous? Because he takes to many chances? Because he lacks patience?
Wow, I am sure he is the first offensive-minded defenceman to have those flaws.
Honestly, this minus extends all the way to those who are in such a hurry to move Yannick Weber as well. He is 23 years old, not 32.
Let's learn from the organization's past mistakes. The Habs have lost enough highly competent defenders over the last ten years.
Let's give these players time to develop.
--- Louis is an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com and an Editor at HabsWorld.net. Born in Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval.
He currently resides in Ottawa and works for the Coaching Association of Canada. Find him on twitter @LouisMoustakas
As the Boston Bruins were putting the finishing touches on yet another loss for the lowly 2011-12 Montreal Canadiens, GM Pierre Gauthier was finalizing the trade of left winger Michael Cammalleri.
When all was said and done, Gauthier shipped Cammalleri, Karri Ramo and a fifth round pick to the Calgary Flames in exchange for Rene Bourque, prospect Patrick Holland and a second round pick in the 2013 entry draft.
Upon announcement of this deal, the Twitterverse exploded with action to the point where I almost started to believe that the Mayans had the date wrong.
The end of the world would not be on 12-21-12 as originally thought but rather 1-12-12.
Instantly the “those for” and “those against” the trade firmly planted their feet in the sand.
Healthy debate. A lot of banter. At the end of the day, the deal was done and number 13 has been returned to the team where he had the most success.
I will not lie to you; I was never a fan of the guy.
I can respect his talent level and ability to put the puck in the net. Yet, from the get go, I was dead-set against the signing of the diminutive forward because of his checkered past.
His issues in L.A, his locker room struggles with Todd Bertuzzi and Mike Keenan, and his “selfish” persona in these cities were, in my opinion, all red flags.
Easy things to say now with hindsight being 20/20 and with most hockey analysts finally mentioning the stories or issues that they have heard over the years.
My philosophy, however, is that I can accept a player who has had issues, because hockey is about chemistry and finding the right situation for the right player. What I cannot accept is a player who plays selfishly and puts himself ahead of the team; something Cammalleri has a history of doing.
Regardless of my personal views on the individual, I like this trade, a lot.
Why? Everything points to improvement.
1) Yes, Cammalleri is the best player in this deal. But, as many have noted, the Canadiens have acquired a player who has had better production in each of the past three seasons. Bourque is coming off back-to-back 27 goal seasons while Cammalleri has struggled to reach 20 goal plateau.
2) The Habs needed to get bigger. They shipped away a soft, 5’9 forward for a grittier, 6’2 player. Bourque has a tendency to take nights off, but even when he is not producing he has the abiltiy to help in other aspects of the game.
3) If you heard the comments of the players after the game, it appears as though very few players were sad to see Cammalleri go.
4) We know there is some economic uncertainty ahead with the need to re-sign both P.K. Subban and Carey Price. Bourque makes roughly half the money of Cammalleri, meaning the team just saved almost three million dollars in cap space.
5) Gauthier also acquired a decent prospect in Patrick Holland, who is currently producing over a point per game with Tri-City in the WHL. Holland will not suddenly morph into a superstar, but he does own some offensive talent and a decent frame.
6) Holland also provides the Habs with another prospect who will be making his debut in Hamilton next season, along the with the likes of Brendan Gallagher, Nathan Beaulieu, Jarred Tinordi, Danny Kristo and Michael Bournival.
7) The Canadiens were able to acquire a second round pick in the 2013 draft from a team who looks destined to struggle. I realize it all relies on who is ultimately chosen but, this second round pick could ultimately become another Subban or Lucic. The other option is that perhaps the pick could be used as trade bait to acquire a player who can help in the immediate future.
So, if you are keeping track, let’s put this in perspective.
The Canadiens traded a struggling, controversial 5’9, 170 lbs. player making six million dollars per season, a goalie who will likely never wear a Habs uniform, and a 5th round pick to Calgary.
In exchange, the Habs obtained a cheaper, grittier 6’2, 210 lbs. forward, one of the top-ten highest scoring players in the WHL, and what looks like a high second round pick.
Yet, despite this, people are still upset at the trade?
Rene Bourque has been a 27-goal scorer in each of his past two seasons and is on pace for that total this season as well. He is a big, gritty player who, in my opinion, is better suited for the third line.
I, personally, did not see this trade as a move to acquire a first line winger, but rather one to obtain a player who can fill the void when Andrei Kostitsyn departs, and provide cap flexibility to add another top-six forward.
Although I have been down on Gauthier of late, I think this was a step in the right direction.
What about you?
--- Bryan is a Marketer by day, writer for HabsAddict.com by night and full time fan of the game. Follow me on twitter @BryanWilley78 but don't bother looking for me on Facebook, I'm just too old for that now!
(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images North America)
If you're living in Montreal you're probably still digging out from a major snow storm, the first of this winter season. But yesterday wasn't the first storm for the Habs this season.
As the dust settles on the Cammalleri-Bourque trade both teams start to settle into their new realities. While neither currently occupy a playoff spot, the Flames are only a three points out.
The Habs? Nine.
Doable, but highly unlikely. What's more likely is that we'll see more movement from GM Pierre Gauthier over the next 45 days or so, leading up to the trade deadline.
The trade aside, there is still hockey to be played and the Habs face the surprising Sens tonight in Montreal. This is the first of a rare weekend back-to-back for the Habs, as they take on the even hotter Rangers on Sunday.
Tough weekend and one in which I don't expect more than one point in the standings. But you never know!
Montreal Canadiens General Manager, Pierre Gauthier, started a serious retooling of his team last night in earnest.
His first salvo, in what is sure to see more fireworks to come, was to ship disgruntled forward, Michael Cammalleri, to Calgary with goaltending prospect Karri Rammo and a 5th round pick in this year's draft.
In return, the Habs get forward Rene Bourque, a second round pick in the 2013 draft and prospect Patrick Holland.
Despite all the hand-wringing and calls for Gauthier's head on this deal, I've got to say, I like the trade.
What they give up
The Habs are giving up a one time 39 goal scorer—incidentally he scored those 39 goals playing in Calgary. But they are also giving up a player who has now worn out his welcome in three cities—Calgary being one of them—and has a reputation as being selfish.
On the scoring front, Cammalleri's goal-scoring production has dropped precipitously since being acquired by Montreal. Cammalleri had 26 goals in 65 game of an injury shortended 2009-2010 campaign, 19 in 67 games for 2010-2011, and nine, so far, through 38 games this season.
However, it is Cammalleri's 13 goals in 19 games during the 09-10 playoffs that standout. But considering that Habs have little chance of making the post-season this year or contending, that's not too much of a loss.
The Habs also give up a fifth round pick in this year's draft and goaltending prospect Karri Rammo.
The fifth rounder is nothing to write home about and, from the Habs perspective, Rammo is a player who would never have a chance to suit up in Montreal.
For the Flames, however, Rammo presents an interesting pick-up as a player who has No.1 goalie potential. But there's a long way to go from potential to hitting that mark though, so time will tell.
What they get
The corner piece of the trade is left winger, Rene Bourque. Bourque is a player who comes with his own set of baggage. Namely, he has been dogged as an inconsistent player. A guy who, like Alex Kovalev, shows up when he wants to and disappears at other times.
Habs fans are all too familiar with this kind of player and, if this turns out to be the case, Bourque will surely becoming frustrating to watch.
That being said, given that he has a rep as being inconsistent it is interesting to note that in the last three seasons (dating back to 2008-2009) Bourque has 21, 27 and 27 goals.
In addition, he already has 13 this year in just 38 games and is projected to finish around the 27-goal mark again.
I don't know, that seems pretty consistent to me.
Bourque has a long-term deal, with four more years (after this season) at an average cap hit of $3.33 million. That is a savings of almost $3 million per season on Cammalleri's $6 million cap hit.
And I think this is being overlooked by many.
The Habs have absolutely butchered things when it comes to the cap. Moreover, Gauthier, and Bob Gainey before him, have shown that they do not know how to manage a team under the salary cap.
So to be able to get rid of an underachieving, smaller player with an over-inflated price tag is actually a huge deal. Plus, Montreal will now have $8.2 million to play with at the trade deadline.
That's pretty significant.
Intangibles
Montreal also gets a second round pick in the 2013 draft—which many Flames fans are upset about this morning—and a decent, if unspectacular prospect in Patrick Holland.
Holland seems to be a player who is projected to be a solid bottom-sixer. Nothing spectacular but a nice piece with size.
Speaking of size, that is the other major factor here.
Montreal ships out a 5'9" player who plays like he's 4'2", for a 6'2", 215 pound winger. And this is not something that can be overlooked.
The Habs needed to and continue to need to get bigger and this deal addresses that issue. And Bourque is not just big, but he is tough and maybe a little dirty, as evidenced by his back-to-back suspensions.
For a team that had become "Mr. Nice Guy" under Jacques Martin, it will be nice for them to have some ornery characters in their lineup for a change.
Problems
So now that I've told you what I think about the trade I have to point out a few things that I find troublesome.
Firstly, yes, the Canadiens need to get bigger. But their need for size, as it has been for almost the last two decades, has never been more important than at center.
With Tomas Plekanec, David Desharnais, Scott Gomez and Lars Eller, only the latter posses any size to speak of. If Montreal is ever to become a contender they must get bigger down the middle.
Can you imagine how good Plekanec would be as the second line center behind, say, Ryan Getzlaf?
That being said, I don't think Gauthier is done retooling yet. In fact, I think he's just getting started.
And that brings me to another concern.
Dead man walking?
Could Gauthier have gotten a little more for Cammalleri if he had shopped him around (apparently he only spoke with Calgary)? Possibly. Maybe even probably.
But that's not what concerns me the most.
While Gauthier's inability to maximize his assets is well documented, it is the fact that he is making trades at all which is disturbing to me.
It is widely felt (by myself included) that Gauthier will no longer be the team's GM after this season. But after this trade I have to question that idea.
If Gauthier is on his way out then why would owner, Geoff Molson, let him make significant trades? He already approved bringing on board contract, dollars and term in Tomas Kaberle. And now, he is letting him trade some of the Habs biggest assets.
And I think by Gauthier press conference, you can see that it pretty clear he's just getting started.
But if a new GM is just around the corner, wouldn't it make sense for that person to be pulling the trigger? I mean it's bad enough that they have to inherit a team filled with overpaid, second-tier players, but now they won't t even have a chance to move those assets as they see fit.
To me, this all means that Gauthier has a vote of confidence from his owner. Or, at a minimum, he has been told to fix it or he's next.
Either way, I find it patently dangerous for a potential lame duck GM to be pulling the trigger on trades. Especially one who is known for his inability to maximize his assets and who has historically been a poor evaluator of pro talent.
Organizational standards
The last piece of this trade which is a major head-scratcher is that Cammalleri was traded mid-game. I mean, he was pulled off the ice as the trade was finalized, sent back to the hotel and told he was traded.
Broche à foin?
And this is not the first bizarre and strangely executed move by Gauthier this season, firing assistant coach Perry Pearn just before game time and head coach, Jacques Martin, the morning of a match.
There is no question that, under Gauthier, whatever organizational standards this team had have fallen. Badly.
Once an organization that was the class of the league, the Habs look more like the Ringling Brothers than the model to aspire to right now.
And all of this, again, makes me wonder what Molson is thinking and doing. Is he giving this Gauthier enough rope to hang himself? Does he actually believe in his GM and agrees with his moves? Is he just biding his time until he can find a replacement?
The answers to all of these questions will become clearer in time but, for now, I don't think I've ever seen this organization in such a shameful and unbecoming state.
Umm, except for maybe once. Cough, cough...Rejean Houle.
--- 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/
The Canadiens played and lost to the Boston Bruins last night, but that isn't the big news.
The bombshell that was dropped, if you haven't heard by now, is that Habs forward Michael Cammalleri was traded DURING the game. Yes, you read that right. He was traded between the second and third periods and pulled from the ice, destined for the hotel.
I, personally, have never seen or heard of something like this happening before.
But considering how surreal most of this season has been for the Canadiens, I think this move is just more of the same.
I'll post my analysis of the trade shortly but suffice it to say that I think Habs GM Pierre Gauthier is just getting started.
Montreal Canadiens' sniper Michael Cammalleri made the news yesterday, not because of his play on the ice, but rather because of inflammatory comments he made to journalists Arpon Basu of NHL.com and Francois Gagnon of RDS and La Presse. After practice, Cammalleri said, "I can't accept that we will display a losing attitude as we're doing this year. We prepare for our games like losers. We play like losers. So it's no wonder why we lose."
"When you display a losing attitude like we do now, you lose more often than you win and you stay in the same place. When you show a winning attitude, you are not stifled by mistakes and you respond to a mistake with 15 good plays at the other end, you win and you get out of misery. This is not what we are doing here now, " added Cammalleri.
Cammalleri, who has been a huge disappointment this season with only 9 goals and 13 assists for 22 points in 37 games, appeared frustrated during the interview and the last game during which he played only 15:01 minutes—he finished the night with a minus-2 rating.
The diminutive left-winger was directly responsible for the Blues' first two goals after a poor coverage in the Habs' defensive zone.
Cammalleri also added that he was playing well this season despite his lack of production. Production that has declined every year since his 39-goal season in 2008-09 with the Flames.
Since joining the Blue Blanc Rouge, Cammalleri has scored 26, 19 and 9 goals in 37 games this season, battling injuries and slumps along the way.
Not something I would call a steady production for the high salary he's earning this year. He still has two years to go to the five-year $30MM contract he signed with Montreal before the 2009-10 season. With a cap hit of $6MM per season and an actual salary of $7MM in 2012-13 and 2013-14, the team will be hard pressed to find a taker for his services.
Playing regularly with No. 1 pivot Thomas Plekanec in the last few games, Cammy looked disinterested and disconnected on the ice despite two wins in the past three games for the Habs.
Cammalleri’s “read between the lines” comments also suggests the unhappy Canadiens winger might welcome a trade, to a Stanley Cup contender, before the 2012 NHL trade deadline.
Earlier today, the native of Richmond Hill, Ontario, tried to clarify the situation: "Yesterday was a little bit crazy," he explained. "I'm obviously not happy. It's an emotional game and we're sitting in 12th spot. It's not fun to lose, you always want to win and you always want to do more. When asked by several reporters whether he felt he was misquoted, Cammalleri said, "I don't have anything else to say today."
Cammalleri is not making any friends in Montreal after showing such a negative attitude for most of the season, and now with his harsh comments about how the team has been playing lately.
Yet despite the turmoil he created, the 5'9'', 180-lb winger said he wants to play in Montreal: "I love Montreal," he said. "I've just built a house in Montreal. I love playing in Montreal. I think I've had somewhat of a love affair with this city. I know things can change pretty quick – but not for me. I really enjoy it here, my family loves it. I really enjoy what it means to play for the Montreal Canadiens."
The Canadiens who are 16-19-7, good for the 12th position in the Eastern Conference standings, will have to forget about the playoffs this season barring a miracle on ice in the next few weeks.
This regrettable situation will most likely lead to a fire sale by GM Pierre Gauthier, especially after the team learned that captain Brian Gionta would miss the remainder of the season with a torn right biceps muscle.
And with pending unrestricted free agents such as Hal Gill, Chris Campoli, Mathieu Darche, Travis Moen and Andrei Kostitsyn, the timing would be perfect to unload a few veterans and rebuild from scratch.
Veterans like Michael Cammalleri could also be dangled as trade bait in order to free some cap space for the 2012-13 season.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens will visit their division rivals, the Boston Bruins, tonight at TD Bank Garden in what could turn to be a blow-out against a very good Bruins team this season.
It will be a good opportunity to see how the players respond to their dismal performance against the Blues on Tuesday, and the controversy caused by Cammalleri's comments to the media.
What do you think will happen to Michael Cammalleri? Will he get traded or will he find back his heart and start producing on the score sheet?
--- Follow Fred on Twitter for more updates on the Canadiens and the NHL in general.
(Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images North America)
In what was one of, if not the most hyped game of the year, your Montreal Canadiens were completely flat.
The return of the "great" Jaroslav Halak to the Bell Centre was not enough to stir his Canadiens counter-parts to action. Or, more accurately, the Canadiens were just no match for the high-flying St. Louis Blues.
While the teams skated to a 0-0 tie after 20 minutes, this was a game that the Habs were never in.
The Blues pushed the pace and dominated in every aspect of the game. Were it not for Carey Price—who was awarded the Molson Cup for the month of December prior to puck drop—this thing might have been 3-0 after the first.
Final score: Blues 3 - Habs 0
Game Notes
Goalie battle - With Halak playing his first game at the Bell Centre since his heroic playoff run of a few years ago, you expected a big Price versus Halak battle.
And, at the end of the day Price was solid for Montreal. More so than Halak for the Blues. And it's not like Halak was bad, just that the win wasn't much of a challenge for him.
Yes, Halak got a shutout but aside for an early Tomas Plekanec breakaway, he wasn't tested by many of the 19 shots thrown his way.
Oh and did anyone else notice that Pleky just slide the puck along the ice into Halak's pad?
Great save indeed.
Price, on the other hand, had to contend with serious speed, grit, net crashing and constant pressure on his D. The Blues made the Habs defense corps look like what it is: a rag tag collection of inexperienced young and untalented, lead-footed and/or over the hill veterans.
It was really no contest.
Lars Eller versus D'Agostini - The other story line to watch was at forward with Eller and Matt D'Agostini facing their former teams.
With so many players crossing enemy lines you know there had to be a lot of money at stake behind the scenes!
Out of these two players, Eller was without a doubt the one that had more of a focus on him. And man did he, and his linemates of Andrei Kostitsyn and Travis Moen, ever fall short.
They were completely manhandled by their Blues counter-part, often being physically dominated by the likes of David Backes and co.
As for D'Agostini, he was mostly a non-factor too aside for one good scoring chance from in close.
Talk about your classic lunch bag let down!
The power-less forwards - If there were two players who could match the size of the Blues and who needed to step up for Montreal, it was Max Pacioretty and Eric Cole.
However, like their teammates these two were completely ineffective. If the only two "big" guys in your forward ranks can't get it done then what hope do the handful of smaller players have?
Pacioretty finished the night with two shots to Cole's one. Hooray.
From bad to worse - On man, is Michael Cammalleri ever dogging it out there. Wow. For a guy who looked like he might have been turning thing around over the last two games, he was completely ineffective last night.
And it's not just that he was shutdown by the opposition, but that he has become a perimeter player. He seems like he never makes any attempt to get to the dirty areas. Moreover, as an outside floater, when he does get a chance at a one-timer it is usually from close to the boards, where it is ineffective.
As quick a release as Cammy has, his strength is shooting the puck from 15-feet in or less. From inside the two faceoff dots. That is when he is effective. He simply doesn't have a hard enough shot to score from outside that range.
Is there a player on the team who looks more like they need a change of scene?
Oh and I'm sure Habs fans would be happy to oblige at this stage, booing Cammalleri throughout the third period.
Ugly.
Nice shooting, Tex - I've said it before and I'll say it again: P.K. Subban does not know how to shoot the puck in the NHL. And his windmill slapshot windups and high and wide wristers are a large part in the the Habs powerplay woes.
Subban had only two shots on goal last night. But he took three that missed the net and two more that were blocked. That is just not going to get it done.
Less velocity, more accuracy. That's what's needed but apparently no one in the Habs camp sees fit to communicate this to the youngster.
Sigh.
It wasn't all bad for Subban, though, as he threw his best check of the season on Barret Jackman, sending the Blues player crashing into the boards and off to the dressing room for the night.
It was one of the few bright spots for Habs fans. Here, check it out:
Adding injury to insult - Playing in only his second game back and his 30th of the season, Habs Captain Brian Gionta was once again bitten by the injury bug.
He took a shift after what looked like an innocuous collision with the boards, and then left for the dressing room, throwing his stick down the hall in anger.
As of this morning, they are saying Gionta has an upper-body injury and will be reevaluated Wednesday.
If I was a betting man, I'd say from his reaction that the injury is bad and he'll be out indefinitely.
Stat of the night - 12.8 percent. After going 0-for-3 on the powerplay last night, that's the Habs PP success rate this season. In case you're wondering, that ranks dead last in the NHL.
It seems that adding Tomas Kaberle to the lineup has had the exact same effect on Montreal's PP as it did on the Bruins' last spring.
Question of the night - So did you break your leg yet jumping on and off the bandwagon?
This past weekend on the Sunday Shinny, Gary Whittaker took the angle that, after two straight wins, the Canadiens would turn things around and make the playoffs.
That might still happen and, last night aside, they are playing better hockey. But I think that the hole they got themselves into over the first half of the season is just too deep.
Barring a miracle, which I don't see happening, I don't see how they can make the playoffs.
Do you?
Up next - The Habs have the day off before going from the frying pan to the fryer. If the Blues weren't enough of a juggernaut, Montreal plays the Boston Bruins on Thursday night in Boston.
Boston is one of the hottest teams in the NHL having gone 8-2-0 in their last ten and owning a ridiculous plus-70 goals-for/against rating. That is tops in the league.
Moreover, the Bruins are the top offensive team with 147 goals-for, and the top defensive team with 76 goals against. Does this ever sound like a team that is ready to repeat.
--- 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/
Greetings puck addicts! Sorry I've been under the radar for a while now but I'm dealing with illness on the homefront.
Not me personally and nothing of the serious nature, but both my wife and 6-month-old son have been sick as dogs with whatever flu is going around, the last few weeks. As such, I've been running my own triage clinic at home and have been mostly unable to write.
But that doesn't mean that the league has stood still for me!
Over the last week or so, there have been a bunch of interested developments on the Habs and NHL (in general) front.
Montreal had their first convincing win of the year, under new coach Randy Cunneyworth, this past week. It was a 7-3 drubbing of the Winnepeg Jets signed by a foul goal, five point night from Lars Eller.
Has there been a player who is more positively affected by the firing of Jacques Martin than Lars Eller?
This kid is playing with gusto and is not being punished for mistake, a common theme for youngsters in the Martin era. As a result, his confidence is sky high and it shows on the ice.
We've seen flashes of the tremendous skillset that Eller has since he was acquired, but with his performance over the Jets, Eller clearly had his coming out party.
While fans were naturally excited by the blowout win and Eller's performance, I think people need to temper that excitement with a little realism.
There is always a mathematical chance but let's be honest here, Montreal is not about to win twice as many games as they lose till the end of the season.
Still, the Eller performance is/will arguably be the high point of the year for Habs fans.
A system takes time
The outcry over Cunneyworth's appointment as (unilingual) Habs head coach has died down a little. This even those a political group is organizing a protest in front of the Bell Centre tonight.
But what hasn't been discussed a lot is that we are slowly starting to see some changes on the ice.
You have to remember that Cunneyworth took over in the morning and coached his first game that evening. Couple that with a compacted schedule and a six-game road trip, and he didn't really get many practices in which to implement his system.
What we saw over the Habs extended losing streak was a team trying to adapt to a new style of play without having practiced it. We also saw a bunch of players who were programmed to think a certain way (defensively) under Martin, struggling to embrace a new, more open style.
Now, I don't think the Habs will win 7-3 every night, but the seven-goal outburst showcases the more offensive system that Cunneyworth is putting in place. And if Eller is the player who has benefited the most by playing under a new coach, Michael Cammalleri is a close second.
After going through a stretch of 10 games without a goal, the Habs highest paid sniper now has three goals, four points and a plus-2 rating in the last four games. Moreover, Cammalleri scored his first powerplay goal of the year against the Lightning last week.
Again, I don't think this suddenly makes the Habs a playoff team, but it's nice to see some positive signs for a change.
Realign this!
If you haven't heard by now, the NHLPA rejected the league's proposed division and playoff realignment for next season.
To summarize, the league feels the PA has unjustly and unfoundedly rejected the proposal. The PA, on the other hand, feels that they asked the league for more info and were stonewalled.
And so it starts.
This is the first real confrontation/negotiation between Gary Bettman and PA head, Donald Fehr in what is surely a prelude to CBA discussions. The two are supposed to sit down at the All Star game this month, to start talks on renewing the expiring CBA—it expires as the end of this season.
If this first volley is any indication of the way things are going to play out, I think fans can expect to miss at least part of next season due to a lockout.
This move, to me, feels like the PA gathering a bargaining chip. The realignment is sure to come up again in CBA talks and the PA can/likely will use it as leverage.
The problem is that Bettman is known to be as stubborn as a bull and doesn't like being manipulated. As such, he is likely to revert to the petulant style he routinely displays when challenged.
That being said, I truly feel that the owners will have no choice but to bend more than the PA this time around. After the Olympics in 2010 and the recent cup wins by the Pens, Blackhawks and Bruins, the NHL is at an all time high, popularity-wise, in the U.S.
As such, the owners and the league simply cannot risk losing the tenuous momentum they currently have.
Either way, I can see things getting pretty spicy over the next six months.
--- 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/
The Montreal Canadiens played and lost to the San Jose Sharks yesterday, extending their streak of futility against their Western conference foes.
The last time Montreal won in San Jose was November 23, 1999. But yesterday's game was one that was winnable.
In fact, the Habs held the lead three times during the game before allowing a late goal and losing in the shootout. So this really was their game to win (or lose) but they once again let victory slip through their fingers.
Montreal had a much better effort than their sad-sack performance against the Ducks on Wednesday. But ultimately, the results was the same: another W and another shot to their already fragile confidence.
But at least they got a point. California dreaming indeed.
Final score: Sharks 4 - Habs 3 (SO)
Game Notes
A lift for Leblanc - It never ceases to amaze me how predictable Jacques Martin can be.
Prior to the Habs game against the Ducks, Pierre McGuire was discussing Louis Leblanc with Mitch Melnick, on TSN 990. They were talking about how it is useless to play Leblanc on the fourth line for six minutes and that he should play an offensive role in order to have success.
Result?
Leblanc played 7:52 in 10 shifts on the fourth line against the Ducks.
Hooray.
Last night, however, Martin changed his rigid ways, playing Leblanc on the third line with Lars Eller and Travis Moen, and it made a big difference.
In contrast to Wednesday, Leblanc played 8:56 after two periods against the Sharks and 14:25 for the game. And the best part? It looks like he and Eller are starting to develop some nice chemistry together.
That and he didn't look out of place at all playing against NHLers.
As much as Leblanc was drafted as a center, he is projected by most in the know to be a strong top-six winger. Against the Sharks we saw why.
Leblanc is not only big—even though he could use some more meat on his bones—but he is also incredibly quick and has excellent stick-handling skills. While he didn't score last night, his speed seemed like the perfect complement for Eller.
With Max Pacioretty serving his third and final suspension game tomorrow against the Kings, it will be interesting to see what Montreal does going forward. Will they keep Leblanc in Montreal once Pacioretty is back? Will they send him back down to the AHL?
I'm thinking that latter but, for a team sorely lacking in scoring ability, perhaps keeping Leblanc around might not be such a bad idea.
A Cammalleri Christmas - Well, well, well, look who decided to join the party?
With five goals in 20 games—prior to last night—Cammalleri was on pace to score 19.5 goals this season—he missed four games so far this season. Moreover, the Habs supposed sniper had scored only twice in the previous 14 games while looking mostly disinterested and unhappy.
Last night, however, he came to life opening the scoring with a beautiful deflection from in front.
But it wasn't on a patented Cammalleri-one-knee-special, but rather a dirty, in the crease type goal.
On the play Cammalleri was standing one foot in front of Antti Niemi and had a Sharks defender draped all over him. He fought off the check long enough to get his stick on a P.K. Subban blast, tipping it past the Sharks netminder.
And that is something we have seen far too infrequently from Cammalleri this season: him standing in front of the opposing goaltender.
Moreover, if that wasn't enough proof that he was fully engaged, Cammalleri made a sliding shot block in the dying seconds of the first period. His block broke up what could have been a prime scoring chance for the Sharks.
The play was significant if you consider Cammalleri only had three shot blocks all season prior to last night.
He finished the game with two.
If Cammalleri is blocking shots that can only be a good thing for the Canadiens fortunes going forward.
You kill me - Tomas Plekanec and Travis Moen make an excellent duo on the penalty kill. That is all.
The hit heard around the world - Well maybe not the world, but certainly the NHL milieu.
When Alexei "I'm gaining more fans by the game" Emelin stepped, shoulder first, into the chest of Joe Pavelski during the first frame, he again showed why his presence is desperately needed in the Habs lineup.
Here's the hit if you didn't see it:
Talk about dropping the hammer!
Not only is Emelin constanly physical—he finished the night with five hits—but he is solid defensively and has an excellent first pass. And we are being treated to more and more of the latter two skills lately.
Emelin still has defensive lapses and growing pains, but I feel that he makes the Habs a better team. That and unlike Yannick Weber and Raphael Diaz, he seems to be getting better every game.
Clearly Jacques Martin and co. are paying attention too because Emelin saw 22:39 of ice against the Sharks, third only to Josh Gorges (23:39) and P.K. Subban (25:43).
Oh, and Emelin is currently 17th overall in the league for hits, with 65 in only 18 games.
What a night for Desharnais - The Habs second line (first?) of David Desharnais, Erik Cole and Michael Cammalleri were responsible for all of the Canadiens offense last night.
While all three played well Desharnais was the clear catalyst, playing his best game of the season.
Their line finished with seven points (3G, 4A), 10 of the Habs 32 shots on goal and a collective plus-6 with Desharnais seeing 19:44 of ice with 1:28 on the powerplay.
Desharnais' strength has always been his playmaking abilities combined with outstanding work ethic and hustle. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to show those skills on a game-by-game basis so far this season.
But last night he did.
It was never more apparent than on the Habs third period go-ahead goal, where Desharnais out-worked Joe Thornton for the puck in the corner. He then proceeded to skate behind the net and fire a cross-crease pass to a streaking Cole for his eighth of the year.
At 5'6 and 175 pounds, Desharnais winning a one-on-one battle with 6'4, 240 pound Thornton is no small feat.
Despite his offensive prowess, DD continues to struggle on the defensive side of the puck and in the faceoff circle. Last night, he was a brutal five for 13 (38.5 percent success rate) in the dot.
In addition, his poor defensive zone coverage continues to be an Achilles Heel; Desharnais was unable to cover Ryan Clowe on the Sharks tying goal with 87 seconds to play.
And this dichotomy shows why Desharnais can never be a long-term solution for the Habs. He is just too small and not quick enough to defend with any authority.
WTF of the night - Travis Moen in the shootout. I know he's got a seemingly impossible eight goals so far this season, but Moen has no place being a SO shooter.
Moen scores most of his goals by driving to the net and causing massive collisions, not with fancy footwork and stick handling abilities.
So unless they are going to put traffic in front of the goaltender during the shootout, I just don't understand the logic of letting him shoot instead of, say, Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, Louis Leblanc or even Lars Eller.
I shake my head in disgust.
Stat of the night - Four. That is the number of games, in a row, that Montreal has held the lead but ultimately lost.
Defensive hockey indeed.
Question of the night - What is going on with Andrei Markov?
No, seriously. Prior to the game speculation was rampant that he had reinjured his knee, that he was traded or that he was even still back in Montreal.
It turns out that he is in Los Angeles, where the Canadiens play tomorrow night, meeting with one of his doctors.
So all is good then, right? Maybe not.
Word this week was that Markov was practicing with the team and would return the week, quite possibly yesterday against the Sharks. Now, however, it seems he hasn't practiced in a few days and is visiting his doctor.
So does this mean that something has gone awry? We'll never know with the Gestapo-like lockdown the Canadiens have on information flow. That being said, I'm not sure there is anything good about him stopping practice to go visit with his doctor.
Up Next - The have the day off today before continuing their Western road swing with a stop in L.A. The Kings represent the strongest and most difficult opposition of the three team Montreal is facing, and the Habs have already lost the first two.
The amazing thing is that despite that Canadiens sub-500 record and apparent ineptitude, they are only one point out of the eighth and final playoff spot in the East—Montreal has 25 points and the Sens are in eighth with 26.
So all hope is not lost. Yet.
--- 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/
As you've likely heard by now, Habs sniper Michael Cammalleri is poised to make a return to the lineup tonight as Montreal takes on the Penguins.
Despite only missing three games with a cut above his knee, Cammalleri's return is much needed for a team that has too many sputtering parts.
While no lineup has been confirmed, expect Cammalleri to start on the top line with Tomas Plekanec and Erik Cole. This will be a great test for this line that was penciled in to start the season together until Coach Martin had a change of heart and inserted Andrei Kostitsyn into Cole's spot.
Since then, AK46 has found a nice home on the second line with David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty.
The combo of Pacioretty and AK provides the diminutive Desharnais with two big, strong scoring wingers who can create room for him to work his magic. And so far, the experiment has been a great success.
It kind of reminds me of the Boston Bruins' top line with Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton flanking David Krejci.
If the Plekanec line can get rolling tonight and the Desharnais keeps doing their thing, the Habs will have a formidable one-two punch.
Take Lars Eller and put him on the third line wing with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta (yes, that is the third line now) and the Habs might have three solid lines to roll out.
Eller, who has looked great since coming back from offseason shoulder surgery, should provide that spark of life and skill that the Gomez/Gionta combo is badly missing. No disrespect meant to Travis Moen on that one, but he doesn't have anything on the skill and speed of Eller.
Game time is 7 pm with the puck dropping about ten minutes after that.
--- 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/
Michael Cammalleri emphatically declared himself ready to play tonight, and in French no less. "Allons-y" were his exact words.
His return will hopefully spark an inconsistent Habs offense. In between five goal outburts against both Winnipeg and Colorado, Montreal has only managed two goals in its other three contests.
Pittsburgh will certainly be weary of his return. The Richmond Hill native has four goals and four assists in his last ten contests versus the Penguins.
The Importance of Scoring Early
One of the main reasons for Montreal's lack of success so far has to do with their inability to capitalize on their early chances. They could have rapidly built significant leads against both Toronto and Buffalo, but failed to do so.
As a result, both teams eventually found a way to fight their way into the game and take two points away from the Canadiens. This trend will need to change in a hurry or else Montreal may quickly find itself out of playoff contention.
- Last year, teams who scored first were 844-233-149.
- Teams leading after the first period also combined for a 604-123-79 record last season.
- Beyond the rather damning statistics above, failing to score early affords the opposition goaltender the chance to build his confidence and gives time for the rest of the opposition team to find its legs.
- Failing to score on early, high-quality chances also dents the confidence of Montreal's shooters. Tomas Plekanec must have been rather frustrated after missing that gaping net against Buffalo.
- How often do we see a team come out flat in the first period and then, after their coach rips them in the intermission, come out blazing in the middle frame? I'm sure Ron Wilson and Lindy Ruff were happy campers.
- Speaking of the importance of early starts, according to Eklund, only 15% of teams out of the playoffs on Halloween make it to the big dance. And, perhaps even more worthy of note, Elliotte Friedman pointed out that, since the lockout, only 7% of teams who were more than three points out of the playoffs on November 1st recovered to make the playoffs.
Montreal sit 13th right now.
--- Louis is an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com and an Editor at HabsWorld.net. Louis was born in Chicago but grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. He currently lives in Ottawa and works for the Coaching Association of Canada. He can be reached at l.moustakas@habsworld.net.
The Jets also carried the momentum, scoring a 226 to the Habs 126 rating.
However as the end result shows, games are not won or lost by momentum or dominance, but by goals.
Final Score: Habs 5 - Jets 1
The good news: Montreal won and are back at the .500 mark. Other good news, Michael Cammalleri is on pace to score 41 goals this year. Cough, cough.
The bad news: The Habs list of walking wounded continues to grow with Cammalleri and Jaroslav Spacek both leaving the game with injuries.
Game Notes
You've got to be kidding me Part I - What a sick goal my Michael Cammalleri. No, seriously, that was a sick. Grabbed the puck one step inside the Jets blueline, took one stride and whipped a quick wrister post to post and in.
(Highlights below).
You've got to be kidding me Part II - Jaroslav Spacek took a hit early in the first period, slamming what looked like his ribs into the boards at the player bench.
He went to the dressing room and didn't play another shift.
And so another defenseman joins Team Clinic it would seem.
Hooray.
You've got to be kidding me Part III - Michael Cammalleri, after scoring a beautiful goal to put the Habs up 1-0 in the first, took what looked like Yannick Weber's skate blade just above his knee.
He rushed to the bench, bleeding badly.
He went to the dressing room and didn't play another shift.
Hooray.
The Price is Right - Carey Price was in the zone yesterday. He was in the zone against the Leafs, for that matter. This guy, who established himself as one of the best goaltenders in the league last season, looks primed to top all of his numbers from last year.
As is always the case when Price is feeling good, he was playing the puck every chance he got, acting as a third defenseman and helping quicken the transition from defense to offense.
But that wasn't the best part.
Price's calm demeanor helped keep his team calm as they continued to lose important players from their lineup. That is a huge intangible. Huge.
Price gave up one or less goals 25 times last season. Mark last night as No. 1 for the 2011-2012 NHL season.
The Night of Pretty Goals - Michael Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec scored two real good looking goals last night
Real good looking.
Cammalleri's goal I already explained above and it was sweet.
But later, with the Habs up by one in the second period, Plekanec got a pass from Travis Moen, lost it, regained it, tipped it past the Jets defender, drove to the net and went roof daddy on Ondrej Pavelec from in close.
Sweet.
The Little Man Who Could - What a game from David Desharnais.
At 5'6, Desharnais is a player who has always had the odds stacked against him at every level of play.
What makes Desharnais successful is that, in absence of size, he has become an incredibly smart hockey player. Moreoever, he is one of the most positionally sound players on the Canadiens.
While DD finished the night with no points and a minus-1 rating, watching him play you can see how intelligent this player is.
The perfect example was in the third period where he was battling with Dustin Byfuglien for the puck.
Desharnais, realizing he couldn't win the physical battle with the hulking Jets defender, gained body position on him and squeezed the puck out.
With all the injuries, the lines are sure to be juggled. But once Lars Eller is back, likely this Thursday against the Flames, the Habs will have some interesting options on their third line if they place Eller and DD on the same line.
We'll see what Coach Martin does.
Settled - Well I guess we don't have to worry about whether Erik Cole or Andrei Kostitsyn are going to play in the top-six now, eh?
While nothing is confirmed in the case of Cammalleri, the word floating around is that he'll be out for about two weeks. That means that both Cole and AK46 should end up flanking Plekanec on what could be a very interesting first line.
Up next - The Canadiens will have a few days off to lick their wounds, before taking on the Calgary Flames Thursday night at the Bell Centre in their home opener.
So what did you think of the game? Highlights? Low lights? Did you like what you saw from the Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, Max Pacioretty line? What about the Jets?
--- 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/
