On July 1st, 2014, the Montreal Canadiens signed left-handed pivot, Manny Malhotra to a one-year deal worth $850,000. The 34-year-old Malhotra was brought in to center the Habs' fourth line and replace journeyman Ryan White after the latter was a healthy scratch for the entire playoffs. White went on to sign a two-way deal with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Last season, after getting a training camp invite, Malhotra stuck with the Carolina Hurricanes the entire season, recording 7 goals and 6 assists for 13 points in 69 games. The 6'2″, 220-lb veteran is expected to play a veteran important defensive role on the team's checking line this season, allowing two-way centerman Tomas Plekanec to have increased offensive role.
The native of Mississauga, Ontario, played his junior hockey with the Guelph Storm from 1996 to 1998, year he was drafted 7th overall by the New York Rangers. Malhotra played two years in Guelph, notching 32 goals and 63 assists for 95 points and 55 penalty minutes in 118 games. Then, Malhotra graduated straight to the NHL in 1998-99 playing 73 games during his rookie season. The Canadiens will be Handy Manny's seventh NHL team.
The defensive forward's best offensive season was in 2008-09 when he recorded 11 goals and 24 assists for 35 points in 77 contests with the Columbus Blue Jackets. As you can see, Malhotra is not recognized for his offensive skills, but rather for his excellent defensive play. Malhotra, who suffered a near career ending eye injury while a member of the Vancouver Canucks in 2013, was a nominee for the Bill Masterton Trophy for his persevance and dedication to the game.
In 2013-14, the defensive specialist played a little more than 11 minutes per game on average with the Hurricanes, getting a defensive zone start 59.3% of the time. Malhotra's strength, however, is
his face-offs efficiency which stood at 59.5%, good for first place in the #NHL among qualified players, a tad better than Boston Bruins' Patrice Bergeron.
Strangely, Malhotra was never destined to become a hockey player since both of his parents are accomplished chemists. His father, Shadi Malhotra, was born in India before moving to Quebec City, Canada, to study at Laval University where he met Lise Carrier, who was from Levis (on the south shore of Quebec City where I live) in the early 70s. The couple moved to Mississauga in 1979 after spending a few years in the capital. Emmanuel (Manny), who was born in 1980 in Ontario, had to learn French as the family was very strict on that matter at home.
A veteran of 933 games in the NHL, Malhotra, who has notched 291 points during his underrated career, will mostly help the Canadiens with his size down the middle and his defensive abilities on the penalty kill.
Did you know that Malhotra is married to Joann Nash, the sister of NBA all-star Steve Nash?
Amid all the Josh Gorges rumours yesterday, Marc Bergevin did complete a trade. But it did not involve Gorges afterall. Bergevin shipped Daniel Briere to the Colorado Avalanche for P.A. Parenteau and a 5th round draft pick in 2015 in an exchange of Quebec natives who lost the trust of their respective head coaches this past season.
Parenteau was rumoured to be coming to Montreal at various points during the regular season. One rumour had Rene Bourque being offered. Another rumour had the Avalanche requesting prospect Sven Andrighetti to be included with Bourque for Parenteau. In the end, Briere moves west and the Habs get a bonus draft pick in return. Truth be told, I'm sure Bergevin would have traded Briere just for the 5th rounder alone. The 37-year-old Danny Briere has one year at $4 million left on his deal; the 31-year-old Parenteau has two years at $4 million left on his. So the Canadiens absorb an extra year of contract for a proven top-six winger who is six years younger and likely to slot in on the RW side.
Photo Credit: Canadiens.com
While the 6'0" Parenteau is not a physical player, he is a bigger player than the 5'7" Briere. Size is size. The pass-first Parenteau has a style of game similar to former Avalanche and Canadiens forward Alex Tanguay. Tanguay only played one season in Montreal, where he had 16 goals and 41 points in 50 games while suffering from various ailments. While it is too early to speculate where Parenteau fits in the line-up, it is hard to see him fitting on a line with David Desharnais and as both players have pass-first tendencies although he might mesh well with the sniper Max Pacioretty.
Briere never earned the trust of Michel Therrien and spent most of the season juggling between the bottom lines and most centered the 4th line. His 13 goals and 25 points in 69 games represented his worst statistical output since his 1999-00 rookie year and his average time on the ice of 12:46 was the lowest it was since 2000/01 with Phoenix. Briere might not be a top-6 forward any more at this point of his career, but Colorado is willing to gamble that he has something left in the tank. Briere can still contribute on the power-play.
Photo Credit: Sportsnet.ca
Parenteau briefly talked to Montreal as a free-agent prior to signing a four-year/$16-million deal with Colorado two years ago. The Boucherville, Quebec native had a 20-goal season in 2010-11 and a breakout 67-point season in 2011-12 while playing with John Tavares on the New York Islanders. His first year in Colorado saw him put up 18 goals and 43 points in a lockout-shortened 48-game season. Last season he struggled with Patrick Roy at the helm and has acknowledged there was some friction between the two. In 55 games, Parenteau had 14 goals and 33 points. Last season was also the first time in his career that he missed games due to injury as he suffered a torn MCL. He is expected to be completely healthy in time for training camp.
Parenteau has friends on the Canadiens in Dale Weise, Brandon Prust and Desharnais so he will see some familiar faces when he arrives at training camp.
Notes: The Canadiens career of Ryan White has ended, unless he signs a minor-league deal as the Canadiens declined to offer him a contract and he is set to become an Unrestricted Free Agent. White failed to crack the line-up consistently and was subsequently replaced in the Therrien circle of trust by his good friend Dale Weise. Minor leaguers Peter Delmas and Robert Czarnik were also non-tendered.
Marc Bergevin did extend qualifying offers to forwards Lars Eller and Joonas Nattinen and defenceman P.K. Subban, thus retaining their rights. While Eller and Subban are expected to sign long-term extensions, qualifying them was necessary in retaining their rights and as such, this is hardly considered news.
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Nick Malofy is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a contributor here at HabsAddict.com and give him a follow, as he can often be found rambling on Twitter.
The guy that was costing the Montreal Canadiens points in the 2012-13 season with his untimely penalties more or less every time he took the ice. Every time habs fans saw him on the ice, we'd watch with one eye, with that nervous feeling in your gut, afraid of what he would do next to cost his team yet another win. You remember, right? That game against Buffalo seemed to be rock bottom for Ryan, Steve Ott knew it was easy to get into White's head and he did exactly that. Steve looked to be going in for a hip check. Almost as soon as Ott made contact, Ryan assumed it was dirty and off came the gloves and Ryan just starts wailing punches at someone who had no intention in fighting. A 2 minute penalty for instigating, 5 minutes for fighting and a 10 game misconduct.
His night was over. A rough night would be an understatement, when he left for the showers, Montreal had a 4-2 lead. That penalty took away any momentum the Blue-Blanc-Rouge had and it would not be regained. His teammates visibly annoyed with his antics, a coaching staff that was fed up to a point where Michel Therrien had to call him out to the media.
Ryan wouldn't see much more game action beyond this the rest of the season. It was his first one way contract, making things very difficult for Canadiens General Manager, Marc Bergevin. He couldn't send him to the minors and risk losing him on waivers, he still believed in #53. He'd spend the rest of the season in the press box more than on the ice.
September 2013 is here. New season, new look, Ryan White has no hair????. That's Okay, he looks like a real bad ass now, I like it. He starts off season very well, a new Ryan White has emerged. A more calm, confident, and seemingly at peace with his role. Mr. Bergevin had a conversation with Ryan about what he needed to do, and it looks like he took it to heart.
On more nights than not, he's one of the most consistent players, not expected to score but chips in here and there with 2 goals, 3 assists this season. He was told to finish his hits, and specifically, stay out of the box. He's racked up 32 minutes this year, that includes 4 fighting majors. To do some number crunching, that's half the amount of minutes he had last year in double the amount of games, I'm impressed, you should be too. Bring energy to the lineup and he's bringing oodles of it. Can White get any better? I found myself asking this very question, Habs brass answered that question with a big YES, when a trade was made to bring childhood friend Dale Weise into the mix.
The combination of Weise and White hit it off real well from the start, and have the options of Travis Moen, whom also has really picked up his game this year or Brandon Prust onto that grinding line and Montreal Canadiens now look to have the best, most energetic 4th line in all of hockey. A line of players that other teams will grow tired of quick, after only 3 games played before the Olympic break. One can only wonder How good can this 4th line be? Will they stay consistent or will coach Therrien pull off another head scratcher and break them up before they get that chance?
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Writer for Habsolument, became a Habs fan after my father dropped me, a bruins fan, his words.
The Canadiens went a perfect 3-0-0 on their final week of NHL action be the Olympic break. Carey Price started the week off with a shutout against the Flames as the Canadiens skated off with a 2-0 win. The offense kicked in against Vancouver on Thursday, Max Pacioretty scored a hat trick leading the Habs to a 5-2 win. The week ended in Carolina where Ryan White scored the game winner in a 4-1 victory. First Star: David Desharnais
David Desharnais put up 3 goals and 2 assists this week, scoring points in each of Montreal's 3 games. After starting the year with just 1 assist in his first 19 games, Desharnais is going into the Olympic break with 31 points in his last 37 games. DD's best performance of the week cam Saturday night when he scored twice against the Hurricanes, leading the way to the 4-1 win in Carolina. Second Star: Carey Price
In his last 6 games, Carey Price has held his opposition to 2 goals or less. He opened the week off with his fourth shutout of the season, and finished it with his 26th win so far. Price hits the break with a .925 save percentage and a 2.33, he's fifth in wins and tied for second in shutouts behind just Tuuka Rask.
Third Star: Max Pacioretty
Max Pacioretty set a record this week, against the Canucks on Thursday he became the first player to draw two penalty shots in the same period. He's also the only player to miss two penalty shots in a game but still come away with a hat trick. Pacioretty finished the week with 3 goals and an assist, but he was forced out of action and did not return Saturday when he went crashing into the Hurricanes net. Despite the injury, Patch has said that he will indeed join Team USA in Sochi.
Honorable Mention: Ryan White
Ryan White returned from injury this week and provided the Habs with a huge spark in each of their three games. He was a Third Star Tuesday night versus the Flames, and again on Thursday when he scored his first goal of the season. White also scored the winning goal Saturday against the Canes, his first career game winning goal in the NHL.White had instant chemistry with newcomer Dale Weise, who the Habs picked up at the start of the week from Vancouver in exchange for Raphael Diaz. Weise picked up an assist and saw over 10 minutes of ice time each game this week.
The
Canadiens (31-21-6) are in Carolina Saturday night to face the
Hurricanes(25-21-9) before taking the next two and a half weeks off for
the Olympic break. The game starts early at 6:00 pm and can be seen on
CBC and RDS.
This is the third and final meeting between the Habs
and Canes this season. The Canadiens have collected 3 of 4 points so far
against Carolina, but when these teams met on New Year's Eve, the
Hurricanes scored 4 straight goals to nullify a 3-0 third period and
put the Habs on their heels late in the game. PK Subban eventually drew
the two teams even again but Alexander Semin's overtime goal sealed the
victory for Carolina.
What to Watch:
Ryan
White has played two games since returning from injury and was named a
Star in each contest. White was the Third Star in Tuesday's contest
against the Flames and again on Thursday versus the Canucks, when he
scored his first goal of the season. Max Pacioretty scored his second
Hat Trick of the season against Vancouver, the third in his career.
Pacioretty leads the team with 26 goals on the season.
Cam Ward's
last start was the New Year's Eve match up against the Habs. Since then,
Anton Khudobin has played all 16 games for Carolina going 11-5-0 and
posting a .930 save percentage while Ward was sidelined with a lower
body injury. Cam Ward has returned to the line-up recently but that
hasn't stopped coach Kirk Muller from going with Khodobin
What's at Stake:
What
a difference a couple of wins (or losses) can make. The Canadiens are
back within striking distance of the Lightning for second place in the
Atlantic division heading into Saturday's game. The Habs are just 1
point back of the Bolts, but Tampa Bay holds a game in hand. Montreal
has also padded the lead over some of the playoff bubble teams, but the
Maple Leafs are still tied with the Habs, though the Leafs have played
one more game.
Who's Out:
Michael Bournival
(head) did not travel with the Canadiens to Carolina, he was forced out
of Thursday's game after getting hit hard in the face by Dale Weise's
stick. Alex Galchenyuk (hand) and Travis Moen (lower body) are also out.
The Hurricanes could be without John-Michael Liles (lower body) but are otherwise healthy.
What Else:
The
Olympics have already started and NHL players representing their
countries are set to join Zdeno Chara in Sochi after Saturday's action.
Chara was the flag bearer for Slovakia during the opening ceremonies
Friday, countryman Peter Budaj is one of seven Canadiens taking part in
the Games. Carey Price and PK Subban representing Canada, Max Pacioretty
for Team USA, Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin playing for the host
nation, and Tomas Plekanec set to wear the 'C' for the Czech Republic,
there could be as many as five medals coming back to the Canadiens
locker room at the end of the month.
The Question Mark:
Are you worried about certain Habs risking injury or burning themselves out by playing in the Olympics?
Let us know what you think, leave a comment or send us a tweet by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.
Be
sure to tune into the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show an hour before
the puck drop and the Post Game Show 5 minutes after the final siren.
Join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.
Tomas Vokoun has backstopped the Penguins to the second
round after replacing Mar-Andre Fleury in goal.
First off I would like to wish a happy Mother's Day to any and all of our readers who happen to be mothers!
And now to hockey. When the playoffs began, the one series I had no real intention of following was that of the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the New York Islanders. I know that having two teams with high flying offense has a lot of potential of being quite entertaining, but at the same time when it seems one team will just roll through another in four games a lot is taken away from the excitement of it.
The one thing that made me believe in the back of my mind that John Tavares and company could possibly upset the Penguins was the fact that Marc-Andre Fleury was in goal. Sure enough, after four games the series was tied thanks in large part to Mr. Fleury. Not to take away from the Islanders, it's just that I have no faith whatsoever in Pittsburgh's goalie.
The difference between last years early exit at the hands of the Philadelphia Flyers and their win over the pesky Islanders was Tomas Vokoun. Vokoun started game five and earned a shutout in the Penguins 4-0 victory over the Islanders. The Penguins back up was again called upon in last night's game and his 35 save performance earned his team a spot in the second round with a 4-3 overtime win.
With the win the Penguins will face the Ottawa Senators in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. As long as Dan Bylsma sticks with Vokoun against the Sens the Penguins will more than likely find themselves playing in the Eastern Conference finals soon enough.
My prediction?
Crosby, Malkin, Neal, Iginla, Kunitz, Letang and Vokoun over Anderson and a non 100% Karlsson in five.
Habs And Hockey News
- With their post season cut short, the Canadiens revealed to the media just how injured their roster was in their series against the Sens. With a list including a concussion, seperated ribs and shoulders and sprained MCL's it's hard to imagine the Habs would've went too far had they defeated the Senators.
Carey Price drops his tooth off at the bench during last night's
29 save win against the Ottawa Senators
After falling apart in game one against the Ottawa Senators following Eric Gryba's crushing hit to Lars Eller's head, the Montreal Canadiens bounced back with a convincing 3-1 win last night at the Bell Center.
With Eller, Max Pacioretty and captain Brian Gionta out of the line-up things were looking pretty grim heading into game two of the best of seven series. The Habs however played the way they needed to in order to tie the series up before heading to the nation's capital.
Carey Price played excellent, hopefully putting to rest the doubt that too many Montreal fans have in the team's number one goalie. Price made 29 saves and lost a tooth en route to leading the Canadiens past the Senators.
Ryan White played what was probably his best game in a Habs uniform scoring the team's first goal, throwing three hits and getting under the skin of the Senators. Rene Bourque threw three hits of his own and added an assist giving him two points in two games.
Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk showed no signs of playoff nerves as they teamed up for the game winning goal after being reunited on a line with Brandon Prust. The Gally's each have two points in as many games and are looking very promising in their first post season at the NHL level.
With the series tied at one, the series will resume at Scotiabank Place in Kanata tomorrow night. If the Habs show the energy they displayed last night they should have no problem banking at least one win in Ottawa.
- I have to say, I half expected the Penguins to beat the Islanders in three but after last night's comeback by the Islanders I can't help but wonder if Marc-Andre Fleury will blow it for the Pens for the second straight years. Justin Glock (@JTGlock) of thehockeywriters.com takes a look at last night's collapse by the Penguins.
- Michel Therrien is focused on the task at hand rather than showing a willingness to lose his cool as he might have ten years ago.
Ryan White will miss tonight's game after suffering a lower
body injury in Thurday's 5-2 win over the Islanders.
The Montreal Canadiens are back at it tonight gettting another crack at the Buffalo Sabres in Montreal. It is the final of four meetings between the two teams with the Sabres winning two of them including a 3-2 overtime win over the Habs just four nights back.
Both teams are coming off of victories since their last meeting with the Sabres edging the Maple Leafs 5-4 in shoot outs and the Habs finally solving the Islanders with a convincing 5-2 win on Thursday night.
Ryan White will be out of the line up with a lower body injury and while Rene Bourque and Brandon Prust are nearing their return, neither are expected to play tonight. Michael Blunden has been called up from Hamilton to replace White.
- Former Caadien Alex Kovalev retired this week putting an end to his career that saw him play 1,316 NHL games and win the cup with the New York Rangers in 1994.
The Canadiens made it five in a row yesterday, with a 3-1 victory against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Alex Galchenyuk scored the game-winner at 1:48 of the third period on a three-on-one with Brandan Prust and Lars Eller. Suffice it to say that the trio has looked pretty good together since Montreal's head coach, Michel Therrien put them together.
That said, the Habs welcomed Ryan White back in the lineup, and Coach Therrien called upon the much-maligned tough guy late in the third period, as the Canadiens were killing off a late penalty to Tomas Plekanec. With all the faceoff problems the Habs have had so far this season, it was nice to see White get a confidence boost from Therrien after his early season braincramps.
White won that particular draw in the defensive zone cleanly, and it eventually led to an empty net shorthanded goal by Swiss d-man Raphael Diaz on a clearing attempt from his own zone that found the back of the Rangers' net 200 feet away.
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The Rangers only goal came in the second period while there was a delayed penalty being called on P.K. Subban for holding. The Rangers maintained possession of the puck, as Subban momentarily complained to the official, which led to Anton Stralman scoring on a mice feed from Derrick Stepan.
The biggest issue with that play was the half-hearted backcheck by Canadiens' veteran winger Erik Cole. Carey Price made a brilliant initial save on Stralman, but because Cole had his feet in cement, the Rangers' forward had ample time to score on his own rebound. That lack of secondary effort by Cole landed him on the bench for the better part of the third period, with only 3:59 TOI.
Since the beginning of the season, Erik Cole has been scrutinized by everyone surrounding the Canadiens. Some question his heart, while others maintain he has a health issue. Some even reference his propensity for starting each season slower than most.
There have been instances were Cole has indeed looked like the player he was last season, when he led the Canadiens in goals with 35, and was a major reason why his linemates, David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty were so effective.
With 33% of the season in the books, and the Canadiens leading the Eastern Conference with 23 points, Cole remains an enigma among an otherwise outstanding group of players. The combination of character and talent has Habs' fans believing that this team can do major damage in the playoffs moving forward. As ineffective as last year's best line has been so far, Pacioretty and Desharnais are beginning to find their groove, while Cole remains behind.
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Last night's edition of Montreal Hockey Talk was a hoot. With the likes of Simon Tsalikis, Mitch Gallo, Jay Ferrar and Nick Murdocco joining host Corey Collard, the laughs just kept on coming.
The Bourque-Plekanec-Gionta line has combined for 22 points
through the first ten games.
After two consecutive losses to the Bruins and Sabres, the Habs will look to return to their winning ways tonight against the Maple Leafs. The Leafs will be looking for their third straight win after defeating the Capitals and the Jets.
The win against the Jets on Thursday came with Phil Kessel finally netting his first goal of the season for the winner.
Although the Canadiens haven't banked two points in the win column since Sunday afternoon against the Senators, their losses didn't come without effort. There are some positives in the fact that if Tuuka Rask hadn't stood on his head in the first period of the Bruins, tilt the Habs easily could have finished the frame with a three or four goal lead rather than heading into the second period tied at zero.
The following night in Buffalo the two points were pretty much in the bank before Ryan White took yet another selfish penalty giving the Sabres the opportunity to bring them to within one goal of the Habs. Things went from bad to worse for Montreal as the game was tied with less than two seconds left and the breakdown was complete when they lost in the shoot out.
While tonight's line up has yet to be finalizes it should be safe to assume that White will sit after costing his team a point and Travis Moen will be in.
One thing for sure is that the Pacioretty-Desharnais-Cole line is going to have to start producing. If they can mirror the success of the Bourque-Plekanec-Gionta line, the Habs will have little trouble piling up w's.
Habs And Hockey News - Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) of lnh.com points out that Carey Price appears to be the player Bob Gainey knew he would become when he drafted him fifth overall in the 2005 draft.
How dumb and selfish could a single player be? Well...let's take a hard look at Ryan White.
Against the Florida Panthers, White decided to drop the gloves against notable NHL turtle Tomas Fleishcmann, which cost him and the Canadiens 27 minutes in penalties. You'll say, "Big deal! It was the Florida Panthers." Sure, you could, but let move forward.
Less than a week later, after Michel Therrien defended White for coming to the defense of one of his teammates, White took it a step further. In a game against the Ottawa Senators on January 30th, White was assessed a roughing penalty for in front of the Senators bench, and an extra two minutes for chirping at the officials. That double-minor lead to two Ottawa power play goals, and a complete swing in the game's momentum, which ultimately led to a 5-1 win for the Senators.
Then last night, White, in his ultimate wisdom, decided that a 4-2 lead against the Buffalo was the perfect time to lose his mind, and go after Sabres' pest Steve Ott.
Ott, being the cagy veteran that he is, used his pre-game verbal taunts to his favour, turtling in front of White, leading to a double-minor for roughing. And, as luck would have it, those penalties lead to Buffalo's resurgence, and a 5-4 victory by the Sabres in a shootout.
It's time for Canadiens' head coach Michel Therrien to crack out his bottle of "White Out!", and send an extended message to the Habs' tough guy that, while he loves character and physicality, he appetite for stupidity is quite full at the moment.
Hot dogs and soft drinks will be White's diet over the next few days...with a great view from the Bell Centre press box included.
Habs and Hockey News and Notes:
In what has been the worst week of the Habs`season so far, Montreal Hockey Talk welcomed Tim Redinger, Senior Editor on Sabrenoise.com during the pre-game show to analyze last night match-up, while the post-game gang used their mics to vent their frustration towards White, Peter Budaj and a few other Habs that are dragging their feet.
- Last night's game tying goal by Sabres' forward Thomas Vanek, was his league leading tenth of the season.
- The Chicago Blackhawks continued to roll to start the NHL season. Playing 10 of 12 games on the road to start the season, the Hawks once again won versus the Phoenix Coyotes by a score of 6-2 in Glendale. Patrick Kane continued his torrid start, adding another goal a two assists to his point totals. He is currently second in points in the NHL, behind only the aforementioned Vanek, who has 21 points.
For the better part of a decade, Montreal Canadiens fans have been begging management to make our favorite team better, tougher and meaner.
The Habs have been way too soft for way too long. Moreover, in recent years, they rarely forechecked or dropped the gloves on questionable hits.
Images of Gregory Campbell hammering away on Tom Pyatt, Zdeno Chara slamming the head of Max Pacioretty into the glass or even Andrew Ference flipping off the fans because of a "problematic glove equipment malfunction", perpetually fill my mind.
The Montreal Canadiens, lacked character, cohesion and toughness and that is where Marc Bergevin comes into play.
In a short amount of time, Bergevin has begun addressing this issue with the signings of Brandon Prust, Colby Armstrong, Travis Moen, Ryan White and Francis Bouillon. On paper, we will likely never have to see a line-up which features the likes of Yannick Weber or Rafael Diaz playing on the fourth line again.
A huge step in the right direction right? Surely, the team has a chance at the playoffs now?
I hate to play devil’s advocate here but the answer is no!
You can argue that the team has better depth, but there is no way that I am buying into the notion that the Habs got tougher.
Travis Moen and Ryan White were already part of this team last season. Only Prust, Armstrong and Bouillon have actually been added to the squad.
Brandon Prust
Prust's best asset is the fact that he has developed into an elite penalty killer. He was a key component of the Rangers PK, which sat near the top of the league in every year that Prust was part of the team.
On the physical side, Prust is one tough SOB. Though relatively small at a little over 6’0, he is a pit bull on the ice. Prust backs down from no one, sticks up for teammates and, despite his diminutive frame, led the league in fighting majors last season.
Colby Armstrong
Then there is Armstrong.
Here is a guy I have wanted in the Habs uniform for the better part of the last five years. When Colby is on top of his game, he is a skating torpedo. An agitator who absolutely lays people out with his vicious hits and then backs it up with his unwillingness to fight.
Like P.K. Subban and White, Armstrong gets under the skin of alot of players in this league.
Francis Bouillon
Finally, little Franky Bouillon, a player the Habs should never have let go. I cannot think of a single player who plays with more heart and determination than Soupy.
He is a good bottom pairing blueliner who will give his all and will serve as an excellent guide for those unfamiliar with Therrien's ways.
Still Not a Contender
All in all, the above three are players who play big and add depth to the organization. A group of players, who for some reason, most fans seem to think will help turn the team back towards playoff contention.
The problem is that their gain comes at the loss of Brad Staubitz, Mathieu Darche and Hal Gill.
Brad Staubitz
Staubitz is easily a better fighter than any of the players named above. He is bigger than Prust, meaner than Prust and led both the Habs and Wild in fighting majors last season. Like Prust, he backs down from no one, the only difference is that he usually comes out on top.
Hal Gill
Gill, although not ill-tempered, still represented a 6’7 frame capable of tying up some of the bigger bodies in this league. He was a beast on the PK, a great leader and, when called upon, was not shy to drop the gloves. Most fans were sour to see him arrive in a Habs uniform but he grew on many of them and will surely be missed.
Mathieu Darche
Darche was by no stretch a mean player, but he was a dependable role player on a 6’2 frame who still finished ninth on the team in hits despite playing just 61 games. I cannot say I am sad to see him go, yet he was an extremely serviceable player who provided grit to the bottom line.
What does this mean?
For the sake of argument, let’s remove Darche from this equation.
Anyone who even tries to argue that the Habs are tougher with Darche in the line-up has been smokin' a bit too much of the wacky tabacky.
So, what does this mean?
The team is younger — and you can perhaps argue more talented — and has a better group of fourth line players. However, the squad has definitely not become tougher and, in the process, somehow actually lost a full collective foot in height.
What is even more confusing is the fact that, despite finishing dead last in the Eastern Conference—due to a lackluster powerplay and limited goal production—the only positions addressed were the fourth line and bottom defencemen.
Where to go from here?
I firmly believe that Marc Bergevin is nowhere near finished tinkering with this line-up. Between Scott Gomez, Yannick Weber, Rafael Diaz and Tomas Kaberle, I would be shocked to see more than two of them return next season.
The organization must acquire a big, gritty, mean winger to compliment the skilled players. A power forward who can play 20 minutes a game, drive to the net, crash the boards, create turnovers and drop the gloves when called upon to do so.
The question is who and at what cost?
--- 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!
This piece will be the first of a new segment I'll be writing, on HabsAddict.com, that will take a look at the Canadiens roster heading into the 2012-13 season.
I will be including a brief look back at what each player brought to the team in the 2011-2012 season, as well as what to expect moving forward.
With some roster players yet to be re-signed and the free agent season just about to open, I will only focus on players who are currently inked with the Canadiens.
While Carey Price is rumored to be close to a deal somewhere in the $6.5 million range—for six to seven years—you can expect to have a piece focusing on him shortly.
But alas, the Habs netminder of the future—or so we can hope—has yet to sign and so I will start with another fan favorite whose ink has yet to dry on his newly signed deal: Ryan White.
Ryan White - C - 6'0'' - 193 lbs 2010-11 stats: 20GP - 0G - 3A - minus-7 - 61 PIM
The Cost
Ryan White will receive $687,500 for the upcoming season, a $62,500 raise from his previous contract, over a one-year term.
As a fan favorite, many fans had hoped that the Canadiens would commit to a longer deal with the rugged center. It would seem Marc Bergevin was weary of White's last campaign—being limited to 20 games due to a sports hernia suffered in training camp.
Performance
While White's three assists are hardly going to help the Canadiens in the win column, points are not what White was brought on board for.
In the 20 games he played last season, White managed to find a fisticuffs dance partner seven times. In fact, in a game against the Minnesota Wild on March 1st, Stephane Veilleux dropped the gloves twice with White.
Hockeyfights.com credited White with one win, one draw—both of these against Veilleux—and five losses in his seven bouts.
Hardly impressive but in hockey, winning the fight is not always the point. White is well liked by fans as well as his colleagues due to his willingness to stand up for teammates.
The Fit
New (old?) coach Michel Therrien's reputation as a guy who likes his team tough, should bode well for White. When Therrien inherited the Habs I'm sure the team's lack of physical play was something he felt needed to be addressed.
The fact that White was the first of the team's pending RFA's to be brought back supports my belief that together, Bergevin and Therrien want to add toughness to a team that has been pushed around for too long.
White averaged 14:31 minutes of ice time per game in his 20 contests last year, and will likely see similar minutes on the fourth line in the coming season. As for his linemates, well, it's likely that they are yet to be signed.
A projected line of White alongside Travis Moen and Brad Staubitz, would bring plenty of toughness to the team's fourth line. Staubitz is set to become a UFA and Moen is unsure whether he will re-up with the Habs or test the market on July 1st.
Brandon Prust is another player the fans would love to see on White's wing, but will only be approachable when the free agency period begins on Canada Day.
How does White's contract bode with you? And where do you see him fitting in on the roster?
--- Sean is a freelance writer currently contributing to HabsAddict.com. He is also a regular blogger and frequent panelist on the Habs post game show at MontrealHockeyTalk.com
Ryan White dropping the gloves with Stephane Veilleux only 10 seconds in? Check.
Alexei Emelin throwing the hit of the night on his own teammate, Erik Cole? Check.
White dropping the gloves with Veilleux, again, after the former decided to slash Carey Price. But the kicker on that was White punching Chris Campoli in the back as the threesome fell to the ice.
And it was all topped off by a blown third period lead, and an epic shootout fail, handing the win to the Habs.
Classic.
Final Score: Habs 5 - Wild 4 (SO)
Game Notes
It's all in the numbers...
This really was a game of numbers...
Numbers like the Wild, failing to get a shot on net for the first 15 minutes of the game. Like the Habs going 3-for-7 on the powerplay. Like Montreal holding a 4-1 lead with about 12 minutes to play in the game. Like the Wild scoring three goals in the last four minutes of the game, to send it into overtime.
There were other numbers too, like Scott Gomez getting a mere 5:55 of ice time. Like Emelin finishing the night with seven hits, none more spectacular than when he accidentally lowered the boom on teammate, Erik Cole.
Friendly Fire
Didn't see Emelin take out Cole with one of his patented hip checks? Here's vid of the Emelin-boom taking out Cole:
Ouch! That's gotta leave a mark!
The Talented Mr. Setoguchi
Yes, it was a bizarre night to be sure. And, to top it off, the Canadiens won, in the shootout, on what has got to be the biggest shootout fail in the history of shootouts.
Poor Devin Setoguchi not only flubbed the puck, but he then fell to the ice trying to recover it, handing the win the Montreal.
Here, see the hilarity for yourself:
Keystone cops, to say that least.
Fail for Nail?
Yes, for two teams that rarely play each other and have little hatred between them as a result, you wouldn't have known last night.
In a lost season, for the Habs, last night's bizzaro game stood out as much for it's Dark Backward feel as for it's entertainment value. And good thing too, because Montreal fans haven't had much to cheer about this season.
The good news, for Montreal, is that the win didn't put a dent in their unofficial Fail for Nail campaign. The Habs have 60 points in the standings, good enough for 28th overall in the league.
A top three pick? Sounds like a pretty good reward for the putrid season this team has had.
So will the Habs pick in the top three or, as TSN 990's Tony Marinaro suggested, flip their pick to Florida for Jonathan Huberdeau?
Personally, I think the chance to pick in the top three trumps pretty much any trade. That being said, while the Huberdeau idea might not become a reality, it's surely thinking outside of the box!
--- 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 regular contributor to the Sunday Shinny segment of The Franchise weekend morning show, on TSN Radio 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 9 - 10 AM. Listen live at http://www.tsn.ca/montreal/
The Habs and the Bruins clashed last night, in their final match of the season. And what a game it was!
The game had the feel of a playoff match with both teams leaving it all on the ice. A fight, hits, goals, great goaltending, tons of scoring chances.
What more could a fan want?
Oh, a Habs victory would have been nice. But, to be honest, the Habs should be proud of their effort, coming from behind to tie it up in the third and force extra innings.
Ultimately, it was the Habs inability to score in the shootout that cost them the extra point. That and Carey Price's seeming inability to stop shots low, stick side. But, as TSN 990's Conor McKenna pointed out on Twitter, it's hard to win in the shootout when you don't score.
Final Score: Bruins 4 - Habs 3
Game Notes
Dropped - Less than three minutes into the first period Shawn Thornton took a run at Lars Eller in the Habs zone. Eller stood tall and Thornton bounced off him like raisins off an Oldsmobile.
Nice. Just wait till Eller puts on 10-15 pounds!
Nailed - If the Eller shoulder on Thornton was an appetizer, Alexei Emelin served the main course. Still in the first period and with Thornton gathering the puck in the Habs zone, Emelin stepped full shoulder into the Bruins' tough guy, absolutely obliterating him in the corner.
Thornton sort of had his back/side turned to Emelin, so it was kind of a borderline hit. But Thornton sure tried to sell it.
It's fair to say the Habs are a whole hell of a lot tougher than the last time they played the Bruins.
As you'd expect, Thornton was fuming after the hit, and was trying to get retribution on Emelin all night. How did the "tough guy" respond? By nailing Emelin with a dirty, blindside hit. Ya, real tough there Thornton.
And of course, the hit went unpenalized. Way to change the culture, NHL.
Go Whitey - Continuing in the toughness vain, I tweeted, before the match, that I thought Ryan White, playing his first game of the year, would drop the gloves in the first period.
And Whitey, as he is called, did not disappoint.
With just under six minutes to play in the first, Tim Thomas froze the puck on a Habs rush. White, skating after the puck, immediately got a nice neck grab from Adam McQuaid. And he wasn't having any of it.
Both players dropped their gloves and went at it. White took a huge upper cut from McQuaid near the end of the fight, but ultimately did his job and sent notice that he was back.
Moveover, he helped set the tone from what was a hard fought, physical battle.
Boy did the Habs miss him from the lineup this season.
Darche Continues to Impress - OK, disclaimer...I am not a fan of seeing Mathieu Darche on the second line with Tomas Plekanec and Rene Bourque.
Now that I've gotten that out of the way, man has Darche ever turned his game around. I'm not sure how a player can go from being so useless over the first 40 games to being so integral to the team's success since.
But somehow, Darche has done just that.
He scored the Habs first goal of the game on a beautiful pass from P.K. Subban to tie the game at one. It was a play that exemplifies the way Darche has to play: crash the net.
Darche finished the night with one goal, three shots on net, two blocked shots, and six, yes six, body checks.
Not a bad night's work! Moreover, Darche now has three goals and three assist in his last eight games.
What gives with Chara and Pacioretty? - I find it amazing how timidly both Max Pacioretty and Zdeno Chara have played this season when the two teams clash.
I imagine there is hesitation in both players' minds due to "the incident". But you'd figure they'd get over it eventually.
Speaking of getting over it, Pacioretty scored the Habs second goal of the game. It was his 24th of the season and first of the year against the Bruins.
Monkey off his back?
Hit parade - With the teams playing their sixth and final regular season match of the year, the game had the feel and intensity of a playoff match. Both teams went hard at each other and the physical play was on full display.
In total, there were 43 body check thrown, 16 by the Bruins and 27 by the Habs—yes, the Canadiens outhit the Bruins.
And there were a ton of real nasty ones in there, many between Emelin and Thornton.
For the Habs, the hits read as follows:
Darche with six, Eric Cole with five, Emelin with three, Andrei Kostitsyn with three, Hal Gill with two, P.K. Subban with two, and six others with one each.
When was the last time the Bruins had to keep their heads up when playing against the Habs? Ya, I don't remember either.
It's just too bad that this was likely the final game of the year between these two teams. I mean, how entertaining would a seven game series between these two hated foes be?
Stats of the night - 27. Back to the body checks. The Habs severely outhitting the Bruins was one of the stories of the night.
Question of the night - Will Brad Marchand be suspended for his low-bridge hit on Emelin? Marchard was skating right at Emelin and went low, taking him out at the knees.
Listening to TSN's Bob McKenzie's take, he said you cannot go low on a player when you are moving towards them. That is Tucker on Peca territory. Check out the replay, that is exactly what Marchand did.
Here's the vid:
Fortunately, Emelin wasn't injured but you have to think that only weeks after being suspended for a similar offense, Marchand will have a hearing with Brendan Shanahan.
As a repeat offender he should get a longer suspension. Should. But why is it that my gut tells me he will only get a $2500 fine?
Up next - The Habs have the day off before taking on the Sabres, in Buffalo, on Friday. It will be yet another must win for the Habs who are actually playing some of their best hockey of the season.
Too bad they didn't start playing this way 30 games sooner, because we would be talking about playoff positioning instead of an early tee-time.
--- 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 segment of The Franchise weekend morning show, on TSN Radio 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 9 - 10 AM. Listen live at http://www.tsn.ca/montreal/
Well, if nothing else, that was an exciting contest last night, wasn't it?
And, to boot, the Habs won a rare shootout contest on the strength of Carey Price's goaltending. Refereshing stuff.
However, for some, there was still some disappointment yesterday.
Many, including yours truly, were hoping the Canadiens would put in a claim for Anthony Stewart, who was put on waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes.
An inexpensive, still young player, Stewart is a bulking winger able to provide decent, secondary scoring.
While there are questions about his conditioning, he could have been an interesting option to replace Travis Moen and Mathieu Darche, two impending UFAs who are likely on their way out. And he certainly would be an upgrade over Michael Blunden or Petteri Nokelainen.
As a bonus, he could have been had for free via waivers and is a native of LaSalle, Quebec.
Were you as surprised as me? Surprised that the Montreal Canadiens, who were missing eight regulars, rolled into Minnesota and over the Wild with an 8-1 trouncing?
Surprised that a team with one of the lowest goals-for in the league managed to score eight times with six different players getting goals? Surprised that the usually defensive-minded Canadiens scored 30 seconds into the game and never looked back?
Ya, so was I.
And so in destroying the pitiful Minnesota Wild 8-1 last night "the little team that could" continues to surprise everyone except for themselves.
Granted the Wild are a team in a tailspin, extending their losing streak to six straight games, so the Canadiens weren't exactly playing the cream of the crop. Still, Montreal's offensive explosion, including a Gordie Howe hat-trick by Ryan White—a goal, an assist and a fight—and a normal hat-trick for P.K. Subban, was just what the doctor ordered for this team.
As much as the Wild looked disorganized, demoralized and disjointed the Canadiens looked like a tenacious, hungry team who was intent on getting the two points from the drop of the puck. The Canadiens received contributions from throughout their lineup with only six players failing to register a point.
Hopefully for Montreal, the scoring frenzy will help ignite their offense going forward because with games this week against the Sabres, Bruins and Capitals, they have much bigger fish to fry.
Final score: Habs 8 - Wild 1
Habs scorers: Ryan White (1), Andrei Kostitsyn (19), P.K. Subban (9, 10, 11), James Wisniewski (10), Travis Moen (6), Tom Pyatt (2)
Wild scorers: Mikko Koivu (17)
Three stars: 1. P.K. Subban, 2. Ryan White, 3. Benoit Pouliot
Game Notes
1. Ryan White is a true sparkplug for the Habs.
The more White plays the more he reminds me of a faster Aaron Asham.
Fast, gritty, always mixing it up physically, will never back down from a fight, has decent offensive instincts and, like Asham, isn't the biggest guy in the world. At 6'0" 198 lbs, White is not exactly a small guy but he is certainly not a heavyweight. But also like Asham, White bring a never-quit in-your-face style that can be catalytic to a team's success.
White is the type of bottom-six player that all teams covet come playoff time, and last night he got the game rolling for Montreal along with linemate Benoit Pouliot.
White opened the scoring only 30 seconds in on his first career NHL goal off a beautiful feed from Pouliot. If that wasn't enough to set the tone, shortly after his goal with the Wild's Clayton Stoner running around a bit, White challenged him to a fight after a big hit on Aaron Palushaj.
It was a pretty even fight with both players landing some good shots, but it sent a message that Montreal wasn't going to be pushed around. After Stoner came out of the box, he was quiet and stuck to playing hockey rather than going for big hits.
That sounds like a job well done by White and his presence in the bottom-six makes the Canadiens a much better team.
If David Desharnais is the straw that stirs the drink on that line, White is the ice cubes. The drink just isn't the same without them.
2. What's Auld the fuss about?
CBC's coverage of the game started with them implying some kind of mystery involving Montreal's decision to start Alex Auld in place of Carey Price.
This was more than a little surprising to me since every indication prior to the game yesterday was that Auld would play. And why not?
Price has already played 64 games this season. In addition, with huge matches against the Sabres, Bruins and Capitals this week, yesterday was the only opportunity for Montreal to rest Price for a long time, perhaps even till the end of the season.
In addition, the game against the Wild was an inter-conference match meaning that its outcome could not negatively affect the Habs' standings, except for potentially failing to pick up two points.
If that wasn't enough, the Wild are a non-playoff team who was on a five-game losing streak so starting the backup made perfect sense.
I don't know about you but it sounds like a pretty open and shut case to me.
Perhaps the CBC needs to hire someone who actually knows something about the Canadiens to do their research, because the only thing mysterious about Auld starting was their angle on the story.
3. Pouliot followed the script.
Just like the hero in a Disney movie who overcomes adversity, Benoit Pouliot played exactly the way you hoped he would in his first game against his former team.
He got the party started by making a nice fake then dishing off to Ryan White who put his first NHL goal past Jose Theodore only 30 seconds in.
About six minutes later, after Andrei Kostitsyn was flattened in the offensive zone by a Wild defender, Pouliot grabbed the loose puck and chipped it free for AK46 who blasted it past Theodore from the high slot. But Pouliot wasn't done yet, finishing off his night with an assist on P.K. Subban's spectacular first goal of the game, making it 3-0 Montreal.
On all three plays and for the entire game, you could see that Pouliot wanted to prove himself and he played with a determination and focus that has been lacking far too often from his game.
If he could show that kind of drive on a consistent basis, he could be a top player for the Canadiens. I guess the fact that he hasn't or isn't able to explains why he is better suited in the bottom-six.
Pouliot finished the night with three assists, a plus-4 rating, one shot on goal and 12:17 of ice time.
4. Holy offense!
The fact that Montreal had five goals before the 12 minute mark of the second period and eight on the night, speaks as much to the Habs' tenacious play as it does the ineptitude of the Wild.
No disrespect to the Wild, but they just looked horrible last night in extending their current losing streak to six games. Whereas they have a bunch of talented players, it was apparent that they were all pulling in different directions. This lack of cohesion meant that their goaltenders were largely left to their own devices.
Still, you have to give credit where credit is due with Montreal playing their strongest offensive games of the season. With teammates feeding off a determined performance by Pouliot and a great fight by White, even slumping forwards like Michael Cammalleri—who hasn't looked good since returning from injury—got into the action, collecting two assists on the night.
Moreover, the blowout win was the perfect remedy for their six-goal shellacking at the hands of the Rangers on Friday.
Montreal scored eight total goals by six different players, with assists going to nine different players. That the Habs continue to get things done despite icing a lineup that looks more AHL caliber than NHL, it truly amazing.
5. Subban should get Calder consideration.
P.K. Subban, who has been one of the most talked about players in the league this season, just seems to be getting better each game.
We have seen how well this kid can play defensively while under the tutelage of Hal Gill, but what is often forgotten is his all-world offensive skills.
Last night after getting the puck from Pouliot in the corner, Subban skated the puck around and through the Wild's zone with Cal Clutterbuck shadowing him. Subban displayed his excellent puck protection, mobility and stick handling skills as he bobbed and weaved for a good 20 seconds before taking it to the net. He flipped the puck at Theodore from the side and it deflected off the Wild defenseman's skate and in, only 51 seconds into the second period.
Then with Montreal leading 5-0 and about four and a half minutes to play in the second, Subban took a James Wizniewski pass and blasted it past Jose Theodore to make it 6-0. But he wasn't done yet, picking up a free puck at the blueline in the third and blasting his third of the game past Niklas Backstrom to make it 7-0.
The goal marked his first career hat-trick and gives him 35 points (11G, 24A) in 68 games, 24th overall among defensemen—one point behind Zdeno Chara and one ahead of Jordan Leopold. Moreover, his 11 goals puts him only four behind Guy Lapointe—he scored 15 in 1970-71—for most goals by a Habs rookie defenseman.
Subban finished the night with four points (3G, 1A), four shots on goal and a plus-3 rating. Despite being hated by opposing fans and players, he is on his way to becoming one of the very best defenseman in the league.
Keep in mind that this wunderkid is only 21!
So while I don't expect Subban to beat out either Jeff Skinner or Logan Couture for the Calder Trophy, I think that he should definitely get considering for rookie of the year.
Standings and Next Game
The victory gives Montreal 40 wins on the season with a 40-26-7 record, good for 87 points and sixth overall in the East. The Habs inch ever closer to the idle Bruins who have 88 points but two games in hand.
Montreal is also only two points back of the Lightning, who have 89 points and are in fifth overall in the East.
Behind the Canadiens in the standings are the usual suspects: the Rangers with 82 points, the Sabres with 79 points and one game in hand and the Hurricanes with 76 points and one game in hand.
With nine games left in the season Montreal now embarks on their most pivotal week of the season.
The Habs have a Tuesday night Bell Centre tilt against the Sabres, a Thursday night grudge match against the Bruins and a Saturday night game in Montreal against the red-hot Capitals.
This week could very well determine if the Canadiens can overtake the Bruins for first overall in the Northeast or are destined to finish in fifth or lower.
--- Kamal is a freelance Habs writer, Senior Writer/Editor-in-Chief of HabsAddict.com, Montreal Canadiens Blogger on Hockeybuzz.com and Habs writer on TheFranchise.ca. Kamal is also a weekly contributor to the Sunday Shinny on The Team 990 (AM 990) every Sunday from 8 - 9 AM. Listen live at http://www.team990.com/
(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images North America)
