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Saturday, March 8, 2014

Pregame Preview: Canadiens at Sharks (Game #66)

11:01 AM Unknown 3 comments

Match Up:

The Canadiens (35-23-7) wrap up their West Coast road trip Saturday night against the Sharks (40-17-7) in San Jose. The game starts at 10:00 pm and airs on RDS and CBC.

This is the second and final meeting between the Habs and Sharks. San Jose earned a 2-0 shutout win at the Bell Centre in October. Logan Couture scored both goals for the Sharks and Patrick Marleau picked up a pair of assists. Anti Niemi made 22 saves, while Carey Price made 35 in the losing effort.

What to Watch:

Thomas Vanek has played one game as a Hab and has yet to earn his first point with the team. He joined the Canadiens Thursday after a long night of travel and with no scheduled practice, the first chance he got to skate with his new teammates was during the game against the Coyotes. Vanek lined up with Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta and is expected to stay with those linemates on Saturday.

Joe Pavelski is having a career year in his eighth season as a Shark. Pavelski has already reached a new career high in goals with 32 on the season, and after adding 3 assist against the Penguins Thursday, he's just 4 points shy of his career high, 66. Joe Thornton meanwhile is second in the league in assists with 52. Jumbo Joe has a goal and 4 assists in 5 games since the Olympic break ended.

What's at Stake:

The Canadiens are holding down third spot in the East but they've also played more games than any team in the Conference besides the Islanders. The Leafs and Lightning are hot on the Habs' heels while the Flyers, Red Wings and Rangers aren't very far behind either.

Who's Out:

The Canadiens will be in tough against one of the league's best offenses, they're still missing Carey Price (lower body) and Josh Gorges (hand). Brandon Prust (upper body) and Michael Bournival (concussion) are also out.

The Sharks are without star rookie Tomas Hertl (knee), while Brad Stuart (upper body) has been out since the Olympics and may also miss Saturday's game.

What Else:
With 16 starts and 19 games played this season, Peter Budaj has seen the most action this year since he split starting goalie duties with Craig Anderson in Colorado during the 2010-11 season. While his won/loss ratio isn't as impressive as the 8-1-1 record he posted last season, Budaj has still maintained a respectable .911 save percentage and 2.35 GAA.
The Question Mark:
After Saturday's game the Canadiens will have finished up their toughest stretch stretch of the season and return home with just 16 games left to play. What we want to know from you is: in what place will the Habs will finish the season?
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.

Habs/Sharks Post-game October 26th

12:46 PM Unknown 2 comments

Couture scoring the eventual game winning goal against price

Montreal was playing the last game of a five game home stand on Saturday night against the red hot San Jose Sharks. The game didn't provide the excitement that many had hoped as the Sharks took the game by a final score of 2-0.

The Sharks have been one of the best teams in the early going. Coming in they had a 8-1-1 record after losing the Bruins the other night. It isn't simply that they are winning games but are doing so in a convincing manner. They are not only out-shooting their opponents but their ability to box out the opposition leaves little opportunities to score on Antii Niemi.

The Canadiens, coming off of a 4-1 win against the Ducks, had the chance to evaluate their level of play against a team that is looking like a strong contender for the Stanley Cup.

Right off puck-drop the game plan was different. The Canadiens were not controlling the puck and using their speed to generate any kind of breakouts. The fore-check was nearly invisible, few players were making an effort to finish their checks against the bigger and more physical San Jose squad.

The best way to describe the outing would be to say the Canadiens played "a good road game at home". They held the Sharks back but it was obvious which team was favored coming into this game.

This is where the game-plan should have been different. The Habs have gone up by two goals in four of their last five games, this is the mind-set coach Therrien should have instilled into his squad. It doesn't matter who you play against you stick to what has been working. That is not to say you don't make adjustments but when you're the home team and hold the final change you force your opponent to play your game, not the other way around. It isn't a sound strategy to play for overtime, the Bell Center provides one of the best ambiences in the league, and any player will tell that you that harnessing the energy from the home crowd can be a great source of motivation.

The Habs did successfully hold the Sharks out from being a dominant goal scoring machine. They played very well on the penalty kill, allowing one goal on four chances. The lone power play goal for the Sharks came off the stick of Logan Couture from Joe Thornton. Couture, who scored a pair of goals, seemed to have the hockey Gods on his side, especially the second one. Couture's second tally of the night occurred in the third period when Patrick Marleau dumped in the puck which ricocheted off the end boards catching Price by surprise as he was going to play it, it landed right on Couture's stick and he slid it in.

Besides a 10 minute window in the second period it did not look like Montreal had any kind of offense being generated. The legs seemed to drag on in the third period, but that is the result of constantly pushing back your opponent rather than force them to play on their heels.

As mentioned earlier, this game can be a kind of measuring stick as to where exactly the Canadiens stand in the league. This game says they are a team that will contend for a spot in the lower half of the playoff table and are a few years away from being in the top tier in the league.
The fact they are currently able to hold back a very strong and deep Sharks team speaks to their defense. However, the inability to produce scoring chances was their downfall. The team still has an abundance of time left in the season to make the necessary changes to their game to get them into the post season. Once you get to the dance than it only takes a timely hot streak to get you deep into the chase for Stanley's Cup.

Photo: Graham Hughes, AP

Will the Montreal Canadiens go Shark fishing?

8:53 AM Fred Poulin 5 comments

According to TSN/ESPN insider Pierre Lebrun, the Montreal Canadiens are looking to add size and gritto an already potent line-up before the NHL trade deadline, which is four weeks away. Currently sitting atop the Eastern Conference rankings with 32 points in 23 games, the Canadiens will most likely be buyers at the trade deadline compared to last season where they were sellers and finished dead last in the conference.

New Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has already been active this season, trading disgruntled forward Erik Cole and his three-year contract worth $4.5 million annually for impending UFA and former Hab winger Michael Ryder. The transaction freed up much-needed cap space for next season, when the salary cap will drop from $70.2 million to a mere $64.3 million. After four games, Ryder has yet to score his first goal with the Habs, but he has recorded four assists, three of which were on the power play. Bergevin also managed to receive a third-round pick in 2013 in the deal.

The Canadiens now have three 2nd round picks and two 3rd rounders this year which will come in handy when Bergevin is calling the 29 other general managers to improve his already-potent team. With Rene Bourque sidelined by a concussion, the Canadiens are severely lacking size up-front, especially with the soft and lacklustre play of veteran Travis Moen and new acquisition Colby Armstrong. Both players have been invisible for most of the season, and especially last Sunday against the Boston Bruins, recording only a combined 2 goals and 5 assists for 7 points in 45 games together.

[Also: The Canadiens Playing With A High Level Of Prust]

[Also: It’s Time to Include the Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Conversation]

Brandon Prust, who has been signed to a four-year deal worth $10 million last summer, has been the lone Canadien playing with a physical edge and ready to drop the gloves, even against much bigger opponents like Milan Lucic earlier this week. While Prust is a warrior and great team player, he will need help to keep his inspired play in the playoffs. This is the main reason Bergevin will try to get his team bigger and meaner by adding a power forward and a stay-at-home defenseman who can clear the front of the net and lay big hits.

The problem is that power forwards don’t grow on trees and that when they are made available by their own team, the phone won’t stop ringing. Yet, Sharks’ power forward and impending UFA Ryane Clowe is drawing interest around the NHL, despite his poor play this season. While Clowe plays around 18 minutes every game, he has yet to score a single goal this season, heck Scott Gomez has one more goal than him, and he has recorded only six helpers in 19 games.

Clowe even received a two-game suspension in February for leaving the Sharks bench on a legal line change before initiating an altercation with Chicago Blackhawks forward Andrew Shaw. After three consecutive seasons with at least 50 points, Clowe’s play regressed last season when he scored 17 goals and added 28 assists for 45 points in 76 games. The 6’2”, 225-lbs, forward is slated to become an UFA at season’s end is making $3.625 million this season.

Clowe would fit perfectly on the Habs’ third line with Lars Eller and rookie Alex Galchenyuk, allowing the youngsters to be creative on the ice and concentrate on scoring goals rather than taking physical abuse in front of the net. Clowe would certainly bring size on the man advantage in front of opposing goalies allowing PK Subban and Andrei Markov to benefit from the increased traffic.

Still, don’t expect the Canadiens to mortgage their future for a rental player unless the price is reasonable, such as a depth player like Yannick Weber and a middle-round draft pick in exchange for Clowe.

Another Sharks player who could interest the Canadiens, is rugged defenseman Douglas Murray. The 6’3”, 245-lbs, rearguard is mostly known for his thunderous bodychecks and his defensive play alongside offensive Dan Boyle. However, this season, Murray has played less and has been mostly paired with young defenseman Justin Braun instead of Boyle. Slated to become an UFA like Clowe, the 32 year-old Swedish blue liner is only making $2.5 million in 2013, which the Bleu Blanc Rouge can easily fit under the salary cap this season, with currently $4,363,433 of room.

Douglas Murray – Fights and hits

The only physical player on the Canadiens blue line this season is Alexei Emelin, with Francis Bouillon and PK Subban laying the occasional hit. Murray’s presence on the blue line would make the Habs tougher to play against and the addition of both Clowe and Murray for the playoffs, depending on the price, would give a few more inches to every Habs player, especially guys like Gionta, Plekanec, Markov and Desharnais.

Do you think the Habs will go Shark fishing? If so, what should they give for the above players?

Owners & Players To Meet Tuesday, Winterhawks Wings Clipped, More...

8:30 AM Coach K No comments

Good Morning HabsAddicts!!!

It took the whole weekend, but the NHLPA decided to take Gary Bettman up on his offer to get the owners and players to meet without Bettman or Donald Fehr present.

Helene Elliott of the L.A. Times examines who might be involved in the meeting from the owners' side, and why removing the "egos" from the equation may just allow for some real progress.

Can a resolution really be found without the main players in the negotiations? We won't know for sure until late Tuesday, but the fact that Jeremy Jacobs, the owner of the Boston Bruins, will be involved isn't exactly filling my heart with that much confidence.

Habs and Hockey News and Notes:

- Elliotte Friedman of CBC Sports looks at how the Portland Winterhawks were given severe sanctions for alleged illegal payment violations. Was that the truth, or was it because of shear jealousy from other WHL owners?

- The Calgary Herald's Amanda Stephenson examines the gauntlet of emotions NHL fans have had to deal with during the lockout.

- While most NHL players have contemplated going to play in Europe, Scott Burnside of ESPN.com looks at how Ryane Clowe of the San Jose Sharks has used his free time to give back at the grass roots level.

(Cartoon: Mike Spicer)

Sens, Caps push Bruins, Rangers to brink, Blues bounce Sharks, Habs prospects and more

8:08 AM Unknown No comments

Man, are the 2012 NHL playoffs ever not playing out the way I thought they would. Most of the series aren't over yet—except for the Blues who eliminated the Sharks last night.

That series aside, the underdogs are mostly winning or leading their respective series'. And that is surprising, to say the least.

Phoenix leading Chicago? Check.

The Caps leading the Bruins? Check.

The Sens leading the Rangers? Check.

Who woulda thunk it? Especially with the Bs and Rangers. But hey, that's why they say the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win. You can do so much during the regular season and, in the playoffs, it doesn't mean squat.

Can you imagine the Sens eliminating what looked like an unstoppable juggernaut in the Rangers? How about the lowly Caps, barely squeaking into the playoffs, bouncing the defending champion Bruins? They'll get that chance, today and man will that ever be a good game.

Will you be watching? I know I will.

Habs News

Hockey's Future - Hard work and character headline the first edition of Montreal Prospect Awards

RDS - Dernier hommage pour Émile Bouchard
Hockey News

Hockey Inside/Out - Rangers teetering vs Senators, Blues advance, Caps can bounce Bruins today

TSN - SPEZZA'S GOAL THE DIFFERENCE MAKER AS SENATORS SINK RANGERS

TSN - CAPITALS PUSH DEFENDING CHAMP BRUINS TO BRINK OF ELIMINATION

TSN - PANTHERS BLANK DEVILS TO MOVE A WIN AWAY FROM SECOND ROUND

TSN - TORRES SUSPENDED 25 GAMES FOR LATE HIT TO HEAD ON HOSSA

TSN - VIGNEAULT: CANUCKS NEED MORE CLUTCH PERFORMERS IN GAME 5

TSN - WINGS' LIDSTROM SAYS HE NEEDS TIME BEFORE DISCUSSING FUTURE

ESPN - Rising Blues close window on Sharks

THN - Thomas' play has Bruins on brink; Devils own deeds their undoing; Anderson doing Lundqvist impression; Sharks window closes

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images North America)

Quick Picks: Western Conference Quarterfinals

1:31 PM Louis Moustakas No comments

Roberto Luongo - Boston Bruins v Vancouver Canucks - Game Two

After revealing my picks for the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, I will continue my exercise by looking at the four series in the Western Conference.

Vancouver Canucks (1) vs. Los Angeles Kings (8)

My pick: Vancouver Canucks in six games

Why? Los Angeles simply cannot score. In fact, they are downright brutal, sitting 29th overall in league scoring.

If it weren’t for Jonathan Quick – who should probably win the Vezina but won’t by virtue of playing on the West Coast – this team could have easily been in last night’s lottery conversation.

And, after 82 games of offensive ineptitude, it is a tad unreasonable to expect the Darryl Sutter led Kings to suddenly find their scoring touch.

Conversely, Vancouver has been one of the most consistent teams in the league, sitting in the top-six in important categories such as goals for, shots for, goals against and special teams.

While the dual-headed monster of Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider may cause controversy down the road, it seems unlikely that the goal-challenged Kings will stoke those fires.

St. Louis Blues (2) vs. San Jose Sharks

My pick: San Jose Sharks in seven games

Why? The Blues are playing with the pressure of expectation now, which may not necessarily suit this still young squad.

Conversely, the Sharks – who have often crumbled under said expectations – are playing with house money, having barely squeaked into the post-season themselves.

For all of St. Louis' goaltending and defensive achievements – they allow the fewest shots in the league and commit the fewest giveaways – scoring may also be problematic for Ken Hitchcock’s squad.

David Backes leads his team with a rather conservative 52 points and is their only forward to reach the 50-point plateau.

Should the Sharks be able to shut down Backes’ unit, then it could prove exceedingly difficult for the Blues to get the necessary offense to prevail.

Phoenix Coyotes (3) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (6)

My pick: Phoenix Coyotes in seven games

Why? As a Chicago native, it is difficult for me to hide my preference for a Chicago victory.

Yet, when looking at the situation dispassionately, the shaky goaltending situation in the Windy City is an obstacle that cannot be easily overlooked.

Both Corey Crawford and Ray Emery’s save percentages hover at .900 and their numbers contrast starkly with Mike Smith’s shining statistics, which include a .930 percentage and eight shutouts.

It would also be foolish to believe that the Blackhawks’ offense can overpower the Coyotes. No doubt, the Hawks’ attack is more potent, but with only four players above the 50-point plateau, their scoring is not nearly as balanced as it once was and their powerplay is a dismal 27th overall. Simply put, they are not the same dynamic, attack-oriented team they were in 2010.

With Mike Smith’s excellent goaltending and blueliners like Keith Yandle and Oliver Ekman-Larson, the Coyotes have the ability to neutralize the Hawks. Offensively, they should be able to squeak by on their scoring-by-committee approach, especially if Crawford or Emery concedes the weak goal or two.

Nashville Predators (4) vs. Detroit Red Wings (5)

My pick: Nashville Predators in seven games

Why? These teams are ridiculously close. Separated by a mere two points in the standings, their offensive and defensive numbers are also distinguishable by only the thinnest of margins. Even the season series between the two does not offer any great clues, with each squad winning three contests.

However, if it is true that special teams and goaltending win series, than the Predators have what it takes to prevail.

Nashville ranks first overall in power play efficiency and is the tenth best team on the penalty kill. Meanwhile, Detroit has been surprisingly abysmal in both categories, ranking in the bottom half in each.

In addition, of all the first round series, home ice could prove to be most important in this one. Detroit has been subpar on the road, posting a 17-21-3 record. To put that in perspective, those 37 road points are only slightly better than Montreal’s yield of 36 road points.

After 82 games of road woes, the raucous Bridgestone Arena does not seem like the ideal place to correct the situation, does it?

Assuming Nashville’s offense does not go ice-cold as it did in their series against the Vancouver Canucks in 2011, there should be enough scoring to power past the always dangerous Red Wings.

What are your predictions for the Western Conference?

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Louis is an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com. Born in Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. Find him on twitter @LouisMoustakas

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images North America)

NHLTrade Rumors Galore - Deadline Edition - Part III

7:28 AM Fred Poulin No comments

Curtis Sanford - Columbus Blue Jackets v Pittsburgh Penguins

With the trade deadline upon us, rumors are swirling all over the Internet, and especially on Twitter, as fake insiders try to get the attention of hockey fans by spreading false information. I will try to dissect some of the hottest rumors around and tell you which players are most likely available.

Thursday the first major traded happened when the Columbus Blue Jackets traded disgruntled center Jeff Carter to the goal-starved Los Angeles Kings in exchange for blue liner Jack Johnson and a 1st round draft pick in 2012 or 2013.

You can find part 1 here and part 2 here. Below you will find part 3 of 3.

Philadelphia Flyers

In the thick of the playoff race and with Chris Pronger out for the year, the Philadelphia Flyers have already acquired two defensemen in Pavel Kubina from Tampa Bay and Nicklas Grossman from Dallas.

The Flyers are tight against the cap and could be willing to sacrifice winger Jakub Voracek and his $2,250,000 salary in order to land the impact player they need to contend for the Cup. Voracek will be a restricted free agent at season’s end and the Flyers will have problems keeping him. While their main issue is in goal, Ilya Bryzgalov and his hefty contract are not going anywhere, and the team will most likely keep Sergei Bobrovsky as an insurance policy.

Phoenix Coyotes

The league-owned Phoenix Coyotes have caught fire lately going 9-0-1 in their last ten games and, as a result, the team now leads the Pacific Division with 73 points. The Coyotes have already made their big trade, acquiring two-way pivot Antoine Vermette from Columbus for two draft picks. Don't expect another major move because of their budget restrictions, but the acquisition of a depth player is not out of the equation. Veterans UFAs such as Shane Doan, Daymond Langkow, Ray Whitney, Taylor Pyatt, Michal Rozsival and Adrian Aucoin should finish the season in the desert.

David Jones will certainly draw interest if the Avalanche decides to trade him.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Thanks to Evgeni Malkin‘s great play and Kris Letang‘s return from his concussion, it is safe to say the Pittsburgh Penguins will be buyers at the deadline as GM Ray Shero has always been very active in the weeks leading to the trade freeze. With Sidney Crosby‘s return this season less than certain, one would think the Penguins would look to add a quality forward to its already potent offense, but right now the team is looking to add a back-up goalie to replace under-performing veteran Brent Johnson.

Names like Curtis Sanford and Chris Mason have been mentioned. Also, if David Jones is moved by the Colorado Avalanche, look for the Penguins to push hard to obtain his services.

San Jose Sharks

After acquiring two-way forward Dominic Moore from the Lightning, the San Jose Sharks are looking to bolster their blue line as they need a steady defensive rearguard such as Bryan Allen or Johnny Oduya to improve their dismal penalty kill (77.5% efficiency). Jim Vandermeer and Colin White have been major disappointments and the team has lost confidence in them. The club could also be looking for another top-nine forward to replace Martin Havlat, who has been battling injuries all season.

St. Louis Blues

After signing goalie Brian Elliott to a two-year contract extension, it is clear the St Louis Blues did not see Ben Bishop in their soup and have just traded him to the Ottawa Senators for a 2nd round draft pick in 2013. With the return of Andy McDonald, the Blues received the offensive boost they were looking and should be pretty quiet at the deadline.

However, they could dangle unproductive RFA Chris Stewart for defensive help as the team would like to add a left-handed shooting defender to its already stellar defensive group, especially with Kris Russell suffering from concussion-like symptoms.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Eight points out of a playoff spot, the Tampa Bay Lightning will obviously be sellers at the deadline, especially since their goalies have been less-than spectacular and their defensive corps has been ravaged by injuries to key players like Mattias Ohlund and Victor Hedman.

Steve Yzerman knows that last season was a fluke and wants to be patient with his team. He has already traded forward Dominic Moore to the Sharks and defender Pavel Kubina to the Flyers for draft picks. He also traded super-pest Steve Downie to the Avalanche for rearguard Kyle Quincey, who he then immediately shipped to the Red Wings a first round pick in 2012.

Two-way forward Adam Hall is drawing a lot of interest and could be traded next, while blueliners Brett Clark and Matt Gilroy could find a taker looking for depth on the blue line. Ryan Malone is also on the market, but with four more years at $4,500,000 and a full no-movement clause until next season, he’s going nowhere.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Rumors are swirling about the Toronto Maple Leafs and their talkative GM Brian Burke, who’s reportedly trying to add a big name to his forward group. Obviously, Burke is looking to add size and is interested in James Van Riemsdyk, Dustin Brown, Rick Nash, and even Ryan Malone to a lesser extent. The Leafs are willing to part ways with a defender such as Luke Schenn, Carl Gunnarsson or Cody Franson to acquire that big forward.

The team is also considering bringing a goalie like Evgeni Nabokov, Nikolai Khabibulin or Josh Harding into the mix as James Reimer and Jonas Gustavsson have been inconsistent this season. UFA center Mikhail Grabovski presents an interesting case as he could become available if Burke decides to unload the shifty Grabovski who is rumored to be looking for a long term deal averaging around five million dollars per year.

Vancouver Canucks

Currently at the top of the Western Conference, the Vancouver Canucks are open for business and are looking to add an impact player up front after placing defender Keith Ballard on the LTIR and freeing $4.2 millions in cap space. The team is dangling RFA Mason Raymond and prospect Jordan Schroeder as trade baits in order to acquire a bigger fish like Dustin Brown or Steve Ott. The team could also add a depth defenseman as insurance.

Young goaltending stud Corey Schneider is not going anywhere.

Washington Capitals

Washington Capitals blueliners Jeff Schultz and Roman Hamrlik could be traded for offensive help as they have both been in Dale Hunter's doghouse recently. With all-star center Nicklas Backstrom still battling concussion symptoms, the team will certainly consider adding an offensive-minded pivot to play with Alexander Ovechkin as the team is currently counting on unproven youngsters Marcus Johansson and Mathieu Perreault to carry the offensive load at center.

Veteran UFA Mike Knuble could also be sent packing. The 39 year-old winger as been playing on the team's fourth line in the last few weeks.

Winnipeg Jets

With the Winnipeg Jets back in the thick of the playoffs race and fighting for the Southeast Division lead with the Capitals and the Panthers, the team will most likely keep defenseman Johnny Oduya, an impending UFA, instead of trading him for a high draft pick. However, the Jets could try to unload UFA Randy Jones and veteran goalie Chris Mason to teams looking for depth.

RFA Eric Fehr might also on his way out thanks to his poor play since his return from a shoulder injury. If the Jets decide to add a player, they will most likely look for depth players such as the Blue Jackets' Samuel Pahlsson or Habs' Mathieu Darche.

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Follow Fred on Twitter for more updates on the trade deadline and the NHL in general.

(Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images North America)

The Ten Most Expensive Defensive Units In The NHL: Habs not there

2:28 PM Fred Poulin 1 comment

NHL General Managers all use different philosophies to build their teams.

Some, like George McPhee in Washington, build their team with a lot of offensive punch, while others, such as the Minnesota Wild, prefer to use a strong goaltending tandem.

Others still prefer to build their team with a very deep defensive corps.

Two months into the 2011-12 season, I thought it would be a good time to take a look at the top-10 most expensive defensive brigades in the NHL and where they rank overall.

I’ll use the top seven defensemen of each team as a reference and will take the financial numbers from CapGeek.com.

Players that are injured are included in the calculation.

1. Philadelphia Flyers – $24,33 millions 25 games 15 wins 7 losses 3 OTL 33 points (5th EC)
Kimmo Timonen – $6,333,333
Chris Pronger – $4,921,429
Andrej Meszaros – $4,000,000
Matt Carle – $3,437,500
Braydon Coburn – $3,200,000
Matt Walker – $1,700,000
Andreas Lilja – $737,500

2. Los Angeles Kings – $22.56 millions 26 games 13 wins 9 losses 4 OTL 30 points (7th WC)
Drew Doughty – $7,000,000
Jack Johnson – $4,357,143
Willie Mitchell – $3,500,000
Rob Scuderi – $3,400,000
Matt Greene – $2,950,000
Alec Martinez – $737,500
Davis Drewiske – $616,667

3. Winnipeg Jets – $22.30 millions 26 games 11 wins 11 losses 4 OTL 26 points (11th EC)
Dustin Byfuglien – $5,200,000
Ron Hainsey – $4,500,000
Tobias Enstrom – $3,750,000
Johnny Oduya – $3,500,000
Zach Bogosian – $2,500,000
Mark Stuart – $1,700,000
Randy Jones – $1,150,000

4. Toronto Maple Leafs – $22.04 millions 26 games 14 wins 10 losses 2 OTL 30 points (6th EC)
Dion Phaneuf – $6,500,000
Mike Komisarek – $4,500,000
John-Michael Liles – $4,200,000
Luke Scheen – $3,600,000
Carl Gunnarsson – $1,325,000
Jake Gardiner – $1,116,667
Cody Franson – $800,000

5. Phoenix Coyotes – $21.48 millions 25 games 13 wins 9 losses 3 OTL 29 points (9th WC)
Keith Yandle – $5,250,000
Michal Rozsival – $5,000,000
Rotislav Klesla – $2,975,000
Derek Morris – $2,750,000
Adrian Aucoin – $2,000,000
Kurt Sauer – $1,750,000
Oliver Ekman-Larsson – $1,750,000

6. Detroit Red Wings – $20.96 millions 25 games 16 wins 8 losses 1 OTL 33 points (4th WC)
Nicklas Lidstrom – $6,200,000
Brad Stuart – $3,750,000
Jonathan Ericsson – $3,250,000
Niklas Kronwall – $3,000,000
Ian White – $2,875,000
Mike Commodore – $1,000,000
Jakub Kindl – $883,333

7. Vancouver Canucks – $20.53 millions 26 games 15 wins 10 losses 1 OTL 31 points (5th WC)
Kevin Bieksa – $4,600,000
Dan Hamhuis – $4,500,000
Keith Ballard – $4,200,000
Alexander Edler – $3,250,000
Sami Salo – $2,000,000
Andrew Alberts – $1,225,000
Aaron Rome – $750,000

8. Chicago Blackhawks – $20.31 millions 27 games 16 wins 8 losses 3 OTL 35 points (2nd WC)
Brent Seabrook – $5,800,000
Duncan Keith – $5,538,462
Niklas Hjalmarsson – $3,500,000
Steve Montador – $2,750,000
Nick Leddy – $1,116,666
Sean O'Donnell – $850,000
Sami Lepisto – $750,000

9. Calgary Flames – $19.75 millions 26 games 11 wins 13 losses 2 OTL 24 points (13th WC)
Jay Bouwmeester – $6,680,000
Mark Giordano – $4,020,000
Cory Sarich – $3,600,000
Anton Babchuk – $2,500,000
Chris Butler – $1,250,000
Scott Hannan – $1,000,000
Derek Smith – $700,000

10. Washington Capitals (TIED) – $19.07 millions 25 games 13 wins 11 losses 1 OTL 27 points (8th EC)
Mike Green – $5,250,000
Dennis Wideman – $3,935,500
Roman Hamrlik – $3,500,000
Jeff Schultz – $2,750,000
John Erskine – $1,500,000
Karl Alzner – $1,285,000
John Carlson – $845,833

10. San Jose Sharks (TIED) – $19.07 millions 23 games 14 wins 8 losses 1 OTL 29 points (8th WC)
Dan Boyle – $6,666,667
Brent Burns – $3,550,000
Marc-Edouard Vlasic – $3,100,000
Douglas Murray – $2,500,000
Jason Demers – $1,250,000
Jim Vandermeer – $1,000,000
Colin White – $1,000,000

In comparison, the league-leading Minnesota Wild with 37 points, are spending only $12.36 millions on their defensive brigade.

As you can see, there is no guarantee of success even if you spend a lot of money on your defensive unit. In fact, amongst the biggest blueline spenders, only the Chicago Blackhawks lead their division.

2010-11 rankings
1. Philadelphia Flyers – $24,89M
2. Toronto Maple Leafs – $24.28M
3. Vancouver Canucks – $23.35M
4. Detroit Red Wings – $21.83M
5. Calgary Flames – $21.59M
6. Chicago Blackhawks – $21.29M
7. Atlanta Thrashers (Winnipeg Jets) – $21.06M
8. Montreal Canadiens – $20.25M
9. Pittsburgh Penguins – $19.11M
10. Boston Bruins – $18.58M

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Fred is a freelance sports write and translator, as well as a featured Montreal Canadiens blogger on http://hockeyindependent.com/blog/ and a baseball columnist on http://www.dobberbaseball.com/. Fred also joined HabsAddict.com in time for the 2011-12 season.

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Canadiens - Sharks: San Jose Ties it Late, Drops Habs in Shootout

10:26 AM Unknown No comments

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.

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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/

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(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images North America)