Daily Habs Links - Gionta, Hamrlik, Weber, Devils...

Dec. 17, 2009

Post Game Stuff:
RDS: Habs lose boring game (French)
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/288237.html

TSN: Brodeur ties record, Devils beat Habs
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=302600

Interesting fantasy piece that talks about potential Halak trade:
http://sports.espn.go.com/fantasy/hockey/fhl/story?page=inthecrease091217





Gameday Updates:
Gionta back on skates, Weber recalled, Hamrlik is injured and won't play tonight vs. Wild
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/26088







Wild @ Habs Preview (Gazette) - the return of Gui!
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/26088

ESPN Preview:
http://espn.go.com/nhl/preview?gameId=291217010

RDS Preview:
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/288326.html

TSN preview:
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=302676

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Daily Habs Links - Dec. 16, 2009 - Leblanc, Brodeur, Halak....

As a new feature on Habs To The Top, I compile all of the links and news stories that I read, about the Habs, in one easy to find location....Habs To The Top! So, if you are looking for Habs news just bookmark http://www.HabsAddict.com, to get your daily Habs news!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Habs still without a captain but Cammalleri seems like front runner:
http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=510150

Gameday update: Price in nets tonight vs. the Devils, Martin expects bigger role from Lapierre who is back as the third line center. Metropolit is starting at the 4th line center. Martin expects Benoit Pouliot to play for the Bulldogs this week.
http://www.habsinsideout.com/main/25980


Habs Prospect Louis Leblanc is one of the final cuts from the Canadian World Junior Training camp:
http://tsn.ca/world_jrs/story/?id=302528





Martin Brodeur LOVES playing against the Habs. Of course he does.
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/288237.html And I'm sure he'd love to get a shutout and break Sawchuk's record tonight in Montreal.



The Halak situation...trade, no trade...what to do?
CKAC report:
http://corussports.com/hockey/nouvelles/halak-veut-jouer-a-montreal-ou-ailleurs-1882893.html
TSN story:
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=302443
RDS story:
http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/288206.html


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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 1 - Devils 2

Who knew, when Brodeur was selected 20th overall by the New Jersey Devils in the 1990 NHL draft, that he would go on to have such a prolific career. Clearly, he was a good player to have been selected so high in the draft but even at that I don't think anyone would have been able to predict the brilliance that this man has displayed year after year. And in continuing to pad his resume, Brodeur's start last night tied him - at 1029 games played - with Patrick Roy for the most games played by an NHL goalie in their career. Congratulations, Marty! You can add that to your record 578 career wins and 103 career shutouts. With a shutout last night against the Habs - a team that Brodeur LOVES to play against - he would have broken Terry Sawchuk's all time shutout record. But alas, it was not meant to be. While the Devils did win the game - 2-1 in regulation - Travis Moen broke the goose egg early on to ensure there would be no shutout.

The Moen goal, unfortunately, was the highlight of the game for Montreal. Apart for the Brodeur angle of historical significance, this was likely one of the most boring games I have watched in a long time. But I guess that's what happens when you have Jacques Martin coaching against Jacques Lemaire. The two Jacques' both run defence first systems and as a result we witnessed a lot of neutral zone play, much like a soccer game. There was a lot of trapping and dumping the puck into the opposing zone only to have the goalie (both Brodeur and Price) come out to play the puck and pass it right up to their defenders and up the ice to repeat the play on the other end. Bo-ring. Very few scoring chances on either end, very few dangerous shots, no hitting, lots of clogged up neutral zone...blech. At least if had got two points out of this game, it woulda been worth it. Instead, I feel that those are 2.5 hours of my life wasted.

1 - Apart from Moen's charging goal in the 1st, Montreal amassed very few scoring chances, were again outshot by their opponent (27-18), and were decimated in the faceoff circle 23-36. Losing that many faceoffs does not lead to a 'puck posession' game that Martin preaches.

2 - Penalties, penalties...when will they stop with the penalties. Like every game over the last few weeks, Montreal's mantra going into it was 'discipline'. The Habs, before last night's game, were the third most penalized team in the league. Considering that they are not a physical team and don't have many bangers, that is hard to believe. Hard to believe because physical teams often get penalized but if non-physical teams are taking a lot of penalties that means they are either slow, lazy or tired. The Habs, are definitely not a slow team so that leaves the latter two - lazy/tired - as the only logical options. The last three games that the Habs have lost have all been lost, during the third period, by taking stupid penalties and letting the opponent snatch the two point out from under their clutches. Last night, however, the Habs started early, with the penalites. Four 1st period penalites, including a 1 minutes 5 on 3 PP for New Jersey, are not the way to start a game.

3 - Continuing with the theme of bad penalties...for some reason, O'Byrne seems to have made a habit of taking bad hooking/tripping/"I'm behind the play" type penalties. Given that O'Byrne is not the most mobile guy on the team - he is not slow like Gill but he is definitely not excessively mobile - he needs to be positionally sound in order to make up for it. When he started the season and when he first came back from injury, O'Byrne WAS playing very positionally sound hockey. He seemed to always be in the right spot and was able to angle opposing forwards out of harms way. Lately, however, he always seems a step behind and is trying to make up for it with his stick. Sorry buddy, that is pre-lockout hockey you are playing and it doesn't fly.

4 - A lot of, if not most of, the Habs problems right now come down to fatigue. On top of the fact that they have second tier players playing top tier minutes - and largely playing over their heads - they also have the compressed pre-Olympic schedule that is grueling to say the least. This is the second week in a row that the Canadiens are playing 4 games in 7 nights, and it is starting to show. Now, Montreal is not the only team with this kind of schedule, as all teams are playing on a compressed timeline, however the Habs smaller less physical forwards seem to be wearing down by the time the third period comes around and it is costing them games. Yesterday's loss to the Devils was the fourth winnable game in a row that they lost due to their own malaises. That is 8 points in the standings. Those eight points could mean the difference between 5th place and 13th place in the end of year standings.

5 - Price was solid all game until he wasn't. That might not seem like a sensical sentence unless you watched the game last night. From the drop of the puck, Price matched Brodeurs work save for save. He played the puck just as often and effectively as Brodeur, was always square to the shooter and looked poised in his net. That was until he threw is glove up to catch a puck that was destined to go over his head and hit the glass behind him. With the Habs leading 1-0 in the second period and the Devils seemingly unable to get anything going offensively, Ilkka Pikkarainen - ummm....who? - flicked a shot at Price, from just over the Habs blueline. It was a high rising shot that was in the process of sailing over Price's head. However, Price threw his glove hand up, failed to catch the puck and instead deflected it down behind him, it hit the post, then hit is skate as he backed up looking for the puck, and went in the net. Price let in the same kind of goal against the Penguins a week or so ago, and it ended up being the winning goal. Last night's goal tied the game up and let the Devils back into a game that they looked to have checked out of. That set the table for Patrick Elias to pick up the rebound off of the Brian Rolston shot, to take the lead with less than three minutes to play in the game. And that, ladies and gentlemen, was all she wrote!

Overall, last night game was the brand of boring, put your to sleep hockey that they tried to legislate out of the league when they took out the red line. It is the type of hockey that the Devils have been playing for over a decade and while it is not enjoyable to watch it is usually a pretty effective strategy. You can tell how unexciting it is by the lack of people in the stands. Man, how the heck do the Devils pay their bills with a bulding that is constantly half full? But I digress....

Last night, Montreal simply got lulled to sleep by a team that plays their system even better than they do and it again cost them two valuable points. But, no rest for the weary as Montreal flew home last night to take on Gui! and the Minnesota Wild tonight at the Bell Center. I wonder what the over/under is on how many penalties the Habs will take tonight. If the trend continues, I'd say 4.

K.

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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 3 - Sabres 4

Today is the 15th of December and as we hit the official half-way point of the month we also hit the half-way mark of the Habs' 17 games in 28 nights. And how have our beloved Habs fared so far? Hmmmm, looks like a win one/lose one trend, much like the rest of the year has been for them. Sadly, this team could have a lot more points that it currently has (33 in 34 games) if not for tripping over themselves. In losing last night's game, 4-3, to the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal let another winnable two points slip away. Why? Because of stupid, undisciplined penalties late in the game. Two minutes after Cammalleri tied the game at three, with less than 8 minutes remaining in the game, Montreal took back-to-back penalties resulting in a Buffalo 5 on 3 powerplay. While Montreal's PK has been tremendous lately - currently clicking at a 83.4% good for 9th overall in the league - you cannot consistently put yourself in penalty trouble and expect to win games.

When Glen Metropolit took a pointless slashing penalty, followed by O'Byrne's high stick less than a minute later, Montreal sealed their own fate. I hear a lot of people talking about bad refereeing, but you cannot blame the refs for the lazy, indiscipline that has seemed to have crept into the Habs play, of late. While the Habs had a powerplay with 2 mins left in the game, they were ultimately unable to find the back of the net and pull even for a third time in the night. As frustrating as it was to watch, Montreal truly got what they deserved.

1 - Halak was ordinary. This is the first time in a long time that the first point of my list is not about a Habs' goalie stealing the show. Not surprisingly, then the result is that we lost the game. As we break the 30 game barrier on the season, it is more and more apparent what kind of team Montreal has. Granted, they have had a ton of injuries and they have been missing Markov and Gionta - two key guys on this team - but even with them in the lineup, this team is a little flat. So far, Montreal has developed two patterns; the first being that they win games by their goaltender standing on his head and the second is that they lose games by taking bad penalties in the third period. They did it against Pittsburgh and against Atlanta and are now on a three-game losing streak. While Halak was ordinary last night, stopping 23 of 27 shots on net, he certainly cannot be blamed for the loss. The team in front of him just hung him out to dry. You simply cannot keep making mistakes, in this league, and expect your goaltender to always bail you out. You don't win a lot of games playing that way.

2 - What has happened to Ryan O'Byrne? What happened to the confident young man who started the season, got injured, came back and played every bit as inspired as before his injury? What happend to the guy who made a steady, reliable first pass out of the zone, who never panicked with the puck, who displayed tremendous defensive coverage, who was hitting people in the corners, blocking shots, and becoming a stalwart on the backend? Unfortunately, he seems to have been replaced by a guy who's confidence is shot. A guy who makes bad passes, bad decisions with the puck and takes bad, lazy, untimely penalties. O'Byrne looks like the O'Byrne of last year, and that is not a good thing for the Habs. Unless he can find his confidence again, he could be headed on a bad path. One that will lead him to the minors or more likely dealt at the trade deadline. Either result would be terrible as I truly believe that he can be a very serviceable NHL defenceman. Only time will tell...

3 - Gomez...calling Scott Gomez...are you out there? If 'bad' or 'lacking confidence' is the way to describe Ryan O'Byrne right now, then 'invisible' would be the word to describe Scott Gomez. Gomez has simply been dismal this season. 4 Goals, 12 assist and a minus 1 rating are not the numbers an $8 Million man should be putting up. Now, to his credit, Bob Gainey got, in Gomez, a guy who is a passer and not a scorer. The problem right now, is that he has no one to pass the puck to. Since Gionta went down with a broken foot, about a month ago, Gomez has been completely ineffective and invisible on the ice. Not for lack of effort, mind you, but he simply looks lost out there without Gionta on his wing. Unlike Plekanec, who is making anyone he plays with better, Gomez is simply not able to contribute anything. In desperation, Jacques Martin has him paired with Sergei K and Maxim Lapierre. Both are good players, but neither compliment Gomez tremendously well because neither are finishers. Sergei is also more of a passer and Lapierre is a grinder. All three have the ability to get the puck to the scorer, but there is no scorer to be found on that line. Will Gionta coming back completely change that? Having Sergei and Gomez on his line will certainly help, but I think that the second line - and that is what Gomez's line is - needs another scoring punch, along with Gionta, in order to be successful.

4 - The Habs' first line of Cammy, Plekanec and AK46 is starting to clicking like gangbusters. Andrei Kostitsyn, in particular, has woken up. With 2 more goals and an assist, last night AK46 is officially on fire. Aside from having back-to-back two goal games, Andrei now has 14 points in his last 11 games. Add that to Pleks 17 points over the same 14 games, and Cammy's 14 points over the same period, and Montreal has a true, bonafide 1st line that is firing on all cylinders. Moreover, anyone watching the game last night saw some moments of pure magic, between those three. You can see that they are starting to know where each other will be on the ice and the result is simply baffling to opposing defensemen. Let's hope they keep it up! Aside from AK46 coming to life - and let it be known that he has ALWAYS been a slow starter - Cammy potted his 18th of the season (and 150th of his career). This puts him on pace for 43 goals this year. Ummm, hey, Steve Yzerman and the Olympic selection team, you guys paying attention? And Pleky? Wow. Just wow. He has 34 points in 34 games and has consistently been the Habs best player, all season. He excels in the faceoff circle, on the PK, PP, even strength, and if he keeps playing this way he should get consideration for the Selke trophy at the end of the year. Yep, that's right. I'm calling Pleks as a Selke candidate right now.

5 - Ultimately, the story of the game was bad, untimely penalties....again. Metropolit took ANOTHER game losing penalty, in the third, and was benched for the rest of the game for it. I can only surmise that with all the injuries and the compressed schedule, the Habs have a lot of guys playing more minutes than they should be, resulting in third period fatigue. This fatigue leaves them a step behind their opponents and results in hooking, tripping and obstruction penalties. Martin's style and system is allowing him to squeeze every ounce out of most of the players on the ice, but it has become apparent that Montreal just does not have the horses right now. Even when Gionta and Markov are back, the Habs will need more juice to become a factor this year.


The bottom line is that the Habs undisciplined play once again lost them the game again. Last night's loss to Buffalo was the Habs' 3rd loss in a row. The loss still leaves Montreal in the 8th and final playoff spot, but they are now tied with Florida (33points) and only 2 points ahead of Philly, NY Rangers, Tampa, Toronto and the Islanders. And, except for Florida, all of those teams have at least 1 game in hand over Montreal.

Markov and Gionta cannot come back soon enough, but be cautioned that I do not believe that Montreal will suddenly be an incredible team with those two back. A better team, yes, but Montreal's problem is the same right now as it has been for the last four years; we only have 1 scoring line. Even when Gionta comes back, Montreal look like a team that is in need of a top six winger in order to be a real threat in this league. The interesting thing, is that for the first time in a long time, Montreal actually has a lot of moveable assets and might be in a good position to pull off a major trade to bring in another top-6 player. Ideally, we need another scoring winger to play with Gomez and Gionta and having tradeable assests like Halak, Lapierre, Yannick Weber, Matt D'Agostini and perhaps even the Kostitsyn brother (although I seriously doubt they will be moved), Montreal can and SHOULD make a move to upgrade their team. There were apparently a lot of scouts in the stands last night and rumours are abound of Gainey talking with various teams. I think there is no question that at a minimum, the tire kicking has begun. All that is left to find out is how bold Gainey is willing to be. Usually, he ain't that bold, but with his rebuild - and in a lot of ways his own butt - on the line, something tells me that he will not stand pat this year.

Tomorrow night the Devils and Brodeur (groan....) then we welcome Guillaume Latendrese, and the Wild, to Montreal the following night. Enjoy the week, all!

K.

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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 2 - Pens 3

Wow, not THAT was an interesting game to watch. As I sit looking outside at this cold, windy Friday morning I am basking in the afterglow of last night's Habs game vs. the Pens. Not basking in a win, mind you, but rather in a 3-2 regulation loss, one in which the Habs probably deserved a better fate. While on the one hand, Montreal got what the deserved, again being outshot badly - 41 to 21 - and again taking way too many penalties - handing the pens 5 powerplay - on the other hand, the skated with the pens for a full 60 minutes. Ok, maybe not a full 60 minutes, as the Habs seem to have developed a specific M.O. which is to be M.I.A. in the first 20 minutes and to count, heavily, on their goaltender to bail them out until they find their legs in the second. Considering that this is how they opperate, one cannot be totally shocked that it finally caught up with them and that they lost.

However, this was a game that, after the 1st period, was very winnable by the Habs. An early whistle, by referee Lee, in the third - when Fleury did NOT have control of the puck and Gomez fired it into the open net - meant that the Habs were denied their comeback bid. After going down 1-0 in the first, storming back to get a 2-1 lead, letting the Pens tie it back up and taking the lead, Montreal was determined as heck to get that tying goal and they displayed a dogged determination in the process. They showed that when they want, they can play with the best of them. The more the Habs play like this, the more I can't wait to see what this team can really do once everyone - read Gionta and Markov - are healthy. Considering Markov took part in full practice lined up next to Hamrlik, two days ago, I think that that reality might happen sooner than later.

1 - Montreal's goaltending tandem continues to shine. In stopping 38 of the 41 shots he faced last night (.938 save %), Price continues his brilliant performances in the face of total onslaught. He looks so solid and confident in the net that, as a player around him, I imagine that you can't help but be buoyed by his confidence. Way to go kid! He is even starting to get whisper of Olympic mention - although in reality there is no way he will be ahead of Brodeur, Luongo and Fleury for the Olympics this year. But four years from now?

2 - Mike Cammalleri is a man possessed. He was all over the ice and shooting pucks from everwhere. While it only resulted in 2 shots on goal, Cammy had many chances, including a 2 on 1 break with Pleks, where he was beautifully setup but couldn't find the handle and hit the side of the net instead. Cammy won't miss too many of those in a season, but it happens every once in a while.

3 - SK74 continues to elevate his game. This kid needs to play with a goal scorer on his wing, because he is one of the best setup men on the team. His on ice vision is close to being unparalleled. Him and MaxPad has to be the two most improved young guns on the team.

4 - Speaking of MaxPac, he continues to be the catalyst to that third (3M) line of Metro, Moen and himself. He displays youthful vigour, he hits, he passes, he shoots and generally makes things happen for him line every time he is out there. If there is one trend that is becoming a constant, it is that our third line seems to spend most of the game in the offensive zone.

5 - While I understand that everyone is upset at the ref for blowing the whistle when it should not have been blown, we have to remember a couple of things. The first being that the ref blows the whistle when he loses site of the puck, which the clearly did. It doesn't mean it was the right call, it just means that for HIS perspective, the play was dead. My only beef with the whole thing is that they did not go upstairs to review the play, but I guess going upstairs is not done if the ref has ruled the play dead, but only if the goal is disputed. The other thing to rmemeber, is that Montreal's habit of being asleep in the 1st, and getting brutally outshot during games, was bound to catch up to them. It is not, in my opinion, a good strategy for winning. Now, to their credit, Montreal keeps getting outshot by such a high margin because they take so many penalties. When your opponent is always on the power play, then tend to have many more shots than you do. The other interesting thing, is that Jacques Martin's system means that the opponent will get a lot of shots, but most are from the outside as the Habs vigourously protect the slot and keep the opponent ot the outside. So while they get outshot, many shots are of the less harmful variety. That being said, the winning goal, last night, was of the less harmlful variety. Dupuis simply fired the puck, one step over the blue line, and it took a wierd descending trajectory and flopped over Prices glove and down into the net. This just goes to show, that the Habs' style of play can come back to bite you in the butt, and it did last night.

Overall, it was an enjoyable game and you see that this team has fire in its eyes. While on the surface, it looked like a game that the Habs' should have had at least 1 point out of, the important thing is that they showed determination in pushing for that tying goal. There are still many more games to play this season, and many more injured player yet to return. I can only imagine that the powerplay will be a few percentage points better once Markov is back.

One last note is that there has been a lot of chatter, the last few days, that Montreal is actively shopping Jaro Halak. While that might be true - as there are certainly no shortage of teams needing help in nets - it remains to be seen whether something like that will happen before the Christmas trade freeze deadline. I am more inclined to think that this kind of move will happen closer to the trade deadline. Only time will tell. Next stop, Atlanta.

K.

PS: Thanks to all that voted in the Habs To The Top poll. Check back often for other game time poll and updates!

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POLL: Who is the best agitator in the league? VOTE NOW!

Who is the best(most effective) agitator in the league?

RDS was talking about the league's agitators on a broadcast recently, and that made me think about who YOU think is the best - meaning most effective - agitator in the league.

Vote, in the poll on the right side of the screen, to let us know who you think should be named champion! You love them, you hate them, you LOVE to HATE them. So here are your candidates: Sean Avery, Maxim Lapierre and Jarkko Ruutu. VOTE (to the right) and start a discussion below!

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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 4 - Sens 1

Don't look now, but your Montreal Canadiens have a three game winning streak going! Not only that, but all three wins have come in regulation. Not only that, but their penalty killing unit has become the backbone of this team. Not only that, but their powerplay is slowly starting to get its act together. Not only that, but they seem to have 2, yes that's right, 2, starting calibre goalies in Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak. Not only that but....ok, enough of that! You get the point.

1 - The goalies have it. If it's not Carey Price stealing the show it's Jaro Halak. After getting shelled, 6-2, vs the Sabres last week, Halak turned in one of his most solid performances of the season last night. Stopping 45 out of 46 shots - the Habs were outshot 46-27, had 14 penalty minutes to Ottawa's 4, and won 24 draws on the faceoff versus the Sens' 47. We were just outplayed, again. Or rather, outshot, again. And, yet again, we were able to win. That winning all started in nets, where Halak was sensational, made the key saves at the key times, and kept the lead for his team all the way to the final buzzer.

2 - A goal and an assit for Andrei K, 3 assists for Pleks and a goal for Cammy. That is six points between them. That is Cammy's 5th goal in the last three games. That gives Pleks 31 points in 31 games this season and it gives Andrei K 4 points (2G and 2A) in his last four games. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a true #1 line. For those of you keeping track, Pleky's 31 points in 31 games ties him for 15th overall in league scoring a measly 9 points behind first place Joe Thornton and 7 points behind 2nd place Marian Gaborik. Wow. Note to Bob Gainey: You cannot sign this guy soon enough! Lock him in for 6 years with an average cap hit of 3.5 to 4Million a season...now...please...please...PLEASE!! Is it done yet?

3 - Cammalleri's 17th goal of the season ties him for 6th overall in goals scored. Cammy is in good company tied with former Flames teamate Jarome Iginla and Tampa's Steven Stamkos, and he is only four goals back of league leader Marian Gaborik (21 goals). This guy is proving all the critics wrong and is proving Gainey right. He is a bonafide goal scorer, regardless of who he plays with. Last year he scored 39 playing on Jarome Iginla's wing and the knock on him, by critics, was that he would not be able to repeat the feat without Iginla making space for him out there. Well, with 17 goals in 31 games, Cammy is currently on pace to score 45. Ummm, ya. That's right. Sounds to me like he doesn't need Iginla after all.

4 - Hamrlik and Spacek have become and outstanding duo together and will definitely be the 1st paring for the Czech Republic come the Olympics. Speaking of Spacek, he blocked a shot with his foot early in the 1st period, and did not return for the rest of the game. While O'Byrne filled in nicely for Spacek as Hamr's partner, I cannot underscore how bad a loss it would be for Montreal if Spacek is out for any prolonged period. No word yet on his condition, but he was not able to put any weight on it while leaving the ice. It certainly doesn't look good. Let's hope its just a bruise.

5 - Kill 'em all. Montreal's PK has quietly become one of their most potent weapons, over the couse of the last few weeks. Last night, the Habs' penalty killers killed off all seven Sens' PP's. This pushed the Habs PK unit to an 81.7% efficiency rate. That might not sound so great, but considering it was in the mid to low 70% range, at certain points this season, this is a huge accomplishment. From Plekanec to Moen to Metro to Gomez to SK74 to Hal Gill, all of the guys are buying in and all of them are helping the Habs' PK become stronger and stronger.

Overall, Montreal once again won a game where they were badly outshot and in which their goalie stood on his head. To their credit, the Habs were opportunisitic and good a capitalizing on their scoring chances. Also, their PP was a key component in last nights game resulting in two goals - with another howitzer of a shot by MAB.

Next stop, the Pens - who at last check have not yet arrived in Montreal. They were supposed to have an 11am practice, today, at the Bell Center but given the viscious winter snow storm that is it town, it is causing havoc on their travel plans. They now hope to be able to arrive in Montreal tonight. Ya, sure. Good luck with that boys.

K.

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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 3 - Flyers 1

After the beautiful cenntenial ceremonies and great hockey game, on Friday, I wish I could tell you that tonight's game was one for the ages too. One of those historic, earth shatter games that everyone is talking about for years to come. Sadly, that was not the case. Well, that's not entirely true because this was a historic game in that the shot totals were 15-13 for Philly, or a sum of 28 shots which is a record in Montreal Canadiens history.

A beautiful game it was not but a win it was. And, at the end of the day, that is what counts. In beating the Flyers 3 to 1 tonight, the Habs got a very important 2 points at home during game 2 of 17 over 29 days. Everyone keeps saying that this is the make it or break it month for the Habs so every point counts.

1 - For most of the first period, the Flyers looked like a team that could be had and the Habs looked like a team that had been drinking all weekend. In reality, the Flyers are a team who are in game two of the Peter Laviolette era and it is clear that his system has not yet been implanted. As for the Canadiens, they didn't play a phenomenal game but they also didn't play a terrible game. They came out flat, in the first, but picked it up in the second and ultimately were able to procure the victory by taking advantage of the few scoring chances that they had.

2 - While the shots were 15-13 for the Flyers and Price was clearly not a busy man tonight, he put in another strong performance and limited his opponent to 1 goal against, again. The one goal that the Flyers did score on Price was definitely of the weak variety. As Briere broke in on Price, drapped by two Habs defencemen, Price was not able to grab the puck with his glove as Briere flipped it over his shoulder. Not great, but not the end of the world given the final outcome. That goal aside, it was nice to see Price having an easy night, for a change. Good for you, Carey.

3 - Where is Scott Gomez? Ummm....is it me or did I dream that we traded Higgins and McDonough for a talented but overpaid center, this past summer? I could swear he was on our roster, but watching the game last night I didn't see him anywhere. Oh, except for when he coughed up the puck in the neutral zone leading to a Flyers scoring chance. So, excessive sarcasm aside, where was Gomez last night? Where has he been for most of the season? While he wasn't great before his injury he has been ten times worse since coming back. Invisible. That is the best way to to describe him. Gomez simply looks lost out there, without Gionta on his wing, even though he and SK74 have shown flashes of brilliance together. If Gomez can't turn it around soon, he will start to feel the bone crushing pressure that comes along with playing in Montreal. If he thought he had it bad in NYC, just wait till the media and fans get on his back in THIS city. For his sake, and for the sake of the team, I hope it doesn't come to that.

4 - Speaking of players changing after coming back from injury, Hal Gill looks like a different player over the last two games. Now, two games does not a season make, but after an excellent performance againt the Bruins on Friday, Gill continued his strong play last night. It is almost like Gill was nervous or out of sorts, in some way, before his injury because since coming back he is playing his best hockey of the season. Again, he has only played two games since coming back, but he has been exceptional in each one. Great on the PK, positionally solid - which compensates for his lack of speed - physical, blocking shots, clearing the crease, etc. All of which bodes well for the Habs defensive corp going forward. Keep it up Hal, you're starting for form a fan club!

5 - MaxPac! MaxPac! MaxPac! This kid was FLYING last night! While he was kept off of the scoresheet, MaxPac was the catylst for the third line of Moen, MaxPac and Metro (3M's). He was hitting, forcing plays, screening the goalie in front of the net, making passes and, generally speaking, causing havoc for the Flyers defence corp. Every time the 3M's - led by MaxPac - were on the ice, they had scoring chances. Pacioretty finished the night with 17:31 of ice time, even in the +/- column, had 3 shots on nets and 4 hits. Since had no points and a -2 rating over a s7 game stretch from October to mid-November, MaxPac has turned things around getting 8 points (2 goals and 6 assists) over his last 10 games. Shift in and shift out, MaxPac bring energy, speed, skill and grit to the ice and is well complemented by Moen and Metro. And keep in mind, that this is he second season (first full season) in Montreal and he is only 21 years old. This kid has a bright future.

Now I don't want to get ahead of myself, but it feels, in a lot of ways, like Montreal might be starting to turn a corner here. With news that Markov is taking part in full practices with the team he can't be more than a few weeks, at most, away from returning. In addition, Montreal seems to have a few lines that are jelling namely, Pleks-Cammy-Andrei and the 3M's (MaxPac, Moen, Metro). If Martin can figure out the Gomez line (with Sergei and Gionta? with Pouliot and Gionta?), then we will suddenly have three balanced lines that can score. That triple threat is one of balance that can lead to many wins down the road. Again, we are not there yet, but maybe now that the centennial celebrations are behind us, this team can really come together.

One potentially bad note from last night was Paul Mara leaving the game in the 1st period and not returning for the rest of the evening. Let's hope it is nothing serious because Paul has become a stable, reliable addition to the Habs blue line this season and we've already lost enough defensive man-games. A little break would be appreciated by the hockey gods!

Tonight is Kovy and the Sens. I think that payback is in order. Here's hoping Kovy is held off the score sheet and the Habs' offence can dominate!

K.

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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 5 - Bruins 1

Wow. Just wow. What a prefectly stupendious night at the Bell Centre last night. Starting with the beaufitul pre-game ceremonies to commemorate the 100th birthday of the Montreal Canadiens and culminating with the rousing play of the current edition of the team, resutling in a 5-1 thumping of the Boston Bruins. For the purposes of this post I'll stick to the game, rather than the ceremonies, but suffice it to say that no organization is better at honoring their past than the Montreal Canadiens. Happy bday!

1 - Carey Price has arrived. A few posts ago I mentioned how this can no longer be called a streak, with Price, and that he has taken his game to another level. Well one more game and 38 more shots later - many of the miraculous variety - Price continues to prove me right. From his lateral movement to his historically weak glove hand, Price seems to have righted the ship and looks like a young man who is coming into his own. Scotty Bowman was interviewed, on CBC, during the 1st intermission and he specifically mentioned Price and how he saw him play during the Bulldogs Calder Cup win in 2007. He also spoke about how he thought this kid was "...the real deal..." Bowman brought up Marc-Andre Fleury, of the Pens, who took about 4 years before finding his game and pointed out how Price seems to be following the same path. All of this to say, that Price looks like the Phoenix, rising from the ashes of last season and the Habs will continue to need those kind of performances from him if they are going to have success this year. It says here that Price will finish in the top ten for GAA and Save Percentage as well as getting 30 wins. You can bank on it!

2 - Mike Cammalleri continues to be a leader for this team on and off of the ice. He was the offensive catalyst for the Habs, last night, potting his second hat trick of the season and showing why Gainey was right to sign this guy long term. He is quite simply the best sniper that the Habs have had on their team since Stephane Richer, and is currently on pace to score 42 goals this season. So much for him "needing" Iginla to be successful, eh? Off the ice, Cammy talks, walks and acts very much like a Captain and he really seems to be embracing what it is to be a Hab. I said it in the off season and I'll say it again, he seems like the leading candidate to become captain of this team. Or does he?

3 - Speaking of captain and despite my comment above about Cammy, I have noticed that the Habs seem to maybe be pushing Markov in the direction of captaincy. I know that Markov is not necessarily the best communicator with the media, but he has definitely stepped up this year. His words may still be sparse but he has been making an effort to speak to the media. Last night, when they were about to retire the jersey's of Lach and Bouchard, it was Markov that walked out there with O'Byrne, to help with the ceremony. That used to be Saku's job. Does it not seem conspicuous to anyone else that a) they didn't ask Cammy or one of the active players to do that task and b)that they have not yet named a captain. I think that there is a distinct possibilty that they might not name a captain at all, this year. I also think that there is a distinct possibility that they are waiting for Markov to come back from injury to name HIM captain. Time will tell...oh, and did you know that Markov took part in his first full practice with the team, yesterday? To think that we have almost weathered the Markov-less storm and are still hovering around .500. Wow!

4 - Hal Gill played his best game of the season and showed what his talents are. While he has been lambasted for most of the season for being too slow and for making bad decisions with the puck, Gill was a warrior last night. If you watch the replays of the two 5 on 3's that Boston had, Gill was one of, if not THE, main penalty killer last night. He used his huge 6'7" body and he long stick to block the cross crease pass that is so popular and effective on a 5 on 3. He must have blocked 10 passes and/or shots in those two PKs. I actually saw him lying down on the ice, to block the lane, at one point. It was hilarious but also extremely effective. While he did turn the puck over that caused the one Boston goal against, he put in a yeoman's effort for the rest of the game. If he continues to play like that he will be a very useful part of the Habs blue line.

5 - Tomas "the mechanic" Plekanec (yes that is a lame nickname but I stole it from Tony Marinnaro of the Team 990) continues to be as steady as a metronome. Passes, hits, shots, blocks, PK, PP....this guy is all over the ice and makes his linemates better every night. Someone said to me, and it bears mentioning, that if he keeps playing like this, Pleky could get consideration for the Selke Trophy at the end of the year. Amen, brother.

6 - Sergei Kostitsyn - who left the ice in the third with a leg injury and didn't return - is playing inspired hockey. He and Gomez look like an excellent fit on the ice. They are probably two of the best passers on the Habs and when they are on the ice together they seem to be creating magic. Last night, they were flanked by Dags who did a pretty good job himself. But, just imagine when Gionta comes back and jumps on the wing with those two. That will make our first two lines: Sergei-Gomez-Gionta and Cammy-Pleks-Andrei. Nice. Very nice. We will finally have a two-pronged attack and teams won't be able to shut us down as easily. Needless to say, this is all because Sergei manned-up. He swallowed the bitter pill that Gainey and Martin force fed him, and he is a better man - and hockey player - for it.

Overall, this was an incredibly special night for Habs fans and even non-Habs fans. I cannot imagine that anyone would not have been moved by the pre-game festivities and the game itself. Montreal was simply a dominant team last night and when they got into penalty trouble Price was there to bail them out. It was likely the best game they have played all season and you can't help but notice the effect that the ceremonies had on the team. All the glee aside, this begs the question of why the Habs played so well last night and so poorly against the Leafs and Buffalo. Which of the two is the real team? Are they the team that destroyed Boston last night and beat the Caps about ten days before or are they the ones who can't beat the league's cellar dwellars? Its hard to say but if the team can play like they did last night then they have to find a way to bring that game every night. If they can, then maybe this will become a turning point to their season.

One last note that came from an intermission interview of Ken Dryden, by CBC. He said that it is enough. That the weight of 100 years of history was too much for the current edition of the team to bear and that we need to move forward and stop looking in the past. He said that we should hope for another 24 cups over the next 100 years but that we can't hold the current edition of the team accountable to the ghosts of the past. Dryden has always been a smart, articulate man and has said many brilliant things in his life, but I hope that this specific comment reverberates around the city of Montreal, this morning. Yes, we have an incredibly rich history but let's stop heaping it on the current team. Let's let them breathe and give them space to write their own chapter. Onward and upwards.

K.

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Should Koivu's jersey be retired?

With all the centennial celebrations taking place, I couldn't help but feel that Saku should have been there tonight. There was something wrong about him not taking part in the ceremonies. With that in mind and how much Koivu did for the Habs organization, is he someone who's jersey should be retired once HE retires? What do you think? Vote in the poll on the right side of the screen and write your comments at the bottom!

K.

UPDATE: Thanks to all that voted. Final tally: 56% YES his jersey should be retired and 43% said no. I tend to lie on the side of yes and seeing this TSN feature on him just confirms it to me. Enjoy:

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Is there something rotten in the state of Habland?

Sorry about that weak Shakespeare referrence, but it was my attempt at cleverness. Guess it didn't work out too well, eh? Much like Kyle Chipchura's career with Montreal didn't work out too well.

Nice segue! Heh. But I digress...

Kyle Chipchura - selected 18th overall in the 1st round of the 2004 NHL draft - was picked by Montreal as much for his tangible as his intangible skills. While there is no question that Kyle was never supposed to be a 30 goal scorer, his leadership skills were seemingly his biggest asset. This guy had been a captain at almost every level he had played, most recently at the helm of the Prince Albert Raiders. When the 2006 World Junior Championships came around - those are the ones where Carey Price made a name for himself and won tournament MVP - Chipchura was again named captain of the team, further illustrating why the Habs chose him. The kid had leader and future captain written all over him.

The problem started for Chipchura when in 2005 his achilles tendon was cut, in practice, by an errant skate blade. This sent his season, and by extension his career, into disarray. Skating was never Kyle's strongest skill and while he would make a full recovery from the sliced tendon injury, it would take a notch off of his already weak stride. This, I believe, was ultimatley his undoing - at least in a Habs uniform.

Since joining the Canadiens AHL affiliate - the Hamilton Bulldogs - in 2005, Chipchura has failed to solidify a spot on the big club. Having taken part in three Habs training camps and not being able to hold down a spot each time, you had the sense that this year would be his last kick at the can. This year, due to his tenure and contract, Montreal no longer had the option of sending Chipchura back to the minors without him having to clear waivers. A situation which would surely have seen him claimed by another team. As such, when he was hurt during training camp, he stayed with the team and started the year in Montreal.

Well, needless to say, his time in Montreal this season was horrible. So far, this year, Chips has played in 19 games and has 0 goals and 0 assists and is a -10. As you can see, these are horrible numbers. This culminated in last nights 3-0 shutout at the hands of the Toronto Maple Leafs, where Chips had less than two minutes of ice time and ended the night a -2. Brutal.

Now, Chipchura is gone and the sad part of it is that this is yet another 1st round draft pick that Montreal has seemingly squandered. From Chris Higgins, to Mike Komisarek and Kyle Chipchura, Montreal is either picking the wrong player or letting the good ones get away once they have them. This is not the way to build a contender. Chipchura's downfall was ultimately his ankle injury which left him permanently affected. Recently, on the Team 990, hockey analyst Pierre McGuire explained how Chips could have been a very useful Brian Skrudland-type player if it hadn't been for the injury. Unfortunate, but seemingly true.

Looking at this trade at face value, Montreal traded a non-achieving 1st round pick for a 4th rounder. That is just brutal. However, there could be more to this than meets the eye. This trade relieves the Habs of 500K of cap space. That, by itself, is not that great but if Gainey is preparing to make soem kind of major move, then cap space is a necessary commodity. Again, this is no guarantee that a trade is immenent, however given Montreal's lack of scoring ability, I wouldn't be surprised if Gainey was looking to make a change. Only time will tell.

The final piece of this Chipchura story has to do with the dismantling of the team that Gainey undertook, starting at the draft this past summer. He evaluated the team that HE had put together and thought that it was filled with bad apples. This is evidenced by the departure Kovalev, Koivu, Higgins, Komisarek, Tanguay, etc. Now, starting this year, I believe that there were a few players who were on the bubble, namely Latendresse and Chipchura, both of whom are no longer with the team. So are there any other bubble boys on the team now?

I think so...

If there is one thing we have seen with Martin it is that he wants people to work hard and play smart. The other thing we have seen is that when you do not play as Martin wants you to play, your ice time quickly gets reduced and you end up on the 4th line. The next step after that is being shown the door. This was the fate the befell Latendresse and now Chipchura. The only other player on the team that is going through a similar fate is Lapierre, and he might be the next bubble boy.

Now that his wingman - Latendresse - is gone, Lapierre has been removed from his comfort zone. He showed last year that he can be an excellent 3rd line center, but this year he is lacking the jam. If he can't get his game back in order he might be the next one out the door. With Gainey at the helm of this organization, you never know what to expect. So I say that you should just expect the unexpected. That is the only safe bet here!

K.

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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 0 - Leafs 3

Tonight, the Habs took on the Toronto Maple Leafs in Montreal, to kick of the week of celebration in honour of 100 years of the Montreal Canadiens organization. Sadly, the currenty edition of the Habs laid a goose egg and looked like a tired, disorganized and overall bad team in the process. Hey, when the Leafs make your team look bad, you know things are bad.

From the beginning of the game, Montreal was a step behind the Leafs and was losing battles. Once the pucks started to go in, the team lost more and more momentum until this one was over. While the night started with the fabulous news that the NHL board or governers had approved the Molson's as owners of the Habs, and the Als were welcomed to thunderous applause for their victory this past weekend, it ended with a shower of boos rained down on the home team who looked more like an expansion team than one that has been around for 100 years.

Ok, on with it then...

1 - Montreal simply came out flat. While Toronto was the team that played two games in two nights, Montreal was the team that looked tired and slow. For most of the game, Montreal was being beaten to loose pucks, losing battles along the boards, missing defensive assignments and generally playing like a disorganized bunch. The Leafs, to their credit, pressed hard and got the goals they needed to seal the deal.

2 - Everyone was invisible tonight. While you could see that Plekanec, and a few others, were trying, no one really stood out. With all the pre-game pomp and the boisterous crowd, you would imagine that the Habs would have been jumping to start the match. Instead, it was Toronto that took the play to Montreal from the opening faceoff.

3 - Gomez was back and no one noticed. RDS announced, at one point, that Gomez has gone 43 periods without scoring a goal. Ya, that sounds like an $8 Million man to me. While Gomez was clearly trying, he just looks lost out there without Gionta on his wing. When those two are together, good things happen, but Gomez has got to be able to produce and be successful with a variety of line mates if he is going to be the #1 center on this team.

4 - Price was less than stellar. While he did make some great saves, the second goal he let in was weak. The problem with that goal is that you could tell that it was very deflating to the team. Granted, that is not an acceptable excuse for the players, but the reality is that after the second goal went it, the momentum shifted markedly in Toronto's favour and never came back. Key saves at key times is what makes a goal an elite goal, and tonight Price wasn't able to deliver the goods. That being said, if the team in front of him scores ZERO goals, then the team isn't going to win regardless of how many saves he makes.

5 - MaxPac has got to stop taking bad penalties at bad times. He took one less than two minutes into the game and one right off the bat to start the third. Both penalties inhibited the Habs ability to setup any early momentum. It is errors like that that cost teams points and lose teams games.

On a personal note, there is nothing quite as painful as watching the Habs lose against Toronto. In a week when we are supposed to be celebrating the deep history of this fabled organization, I would say that this game is one that we surely wish we could strike from their history. The Habs vs. Leafs it was, but a classic is was not!

K.

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Lots of news in Habland as we wait for game vs. Toronto

Today was a busy news day for the Montreal Canadiens, so without further ado, here are a bunch of things that happen in Habland today:

Carey Price awarded Molson Cup for November: http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=508144&navid=DL|MTL|home









Molson brothers are offical owners of Habs! http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=508194&navid=DL|MTL|home
I wonder how long till they fire Gainey and replace him with Pierre McGuire? :-)







Habs prospect, Leblanc, gets invited to 2010 Team Canada Junior camp: http://www.rds.ca/lhjmq/chroniques/287260.html






That's all for now. Enjoy the game tonight, all!

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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 3 - Caps 4 (SO)

Wow, what a game and what a comeback and what an unfortunate tying goal by Caps with 11 seconds to go and what a heartbreaking loss in the shootout. Ummm, ya. The Habs basically came out flat in the first period and Washington used their speed to back up the Montreal defence. It resulted in a 2 - 0 Caps lead, and it would have been even worse had Price not played another solid game. This match, in many ways, came down to Price vs. Ovechkin and the two of them did not disappoint!

Ok, on with my observations from the game...

1 - Carey Price has found a new gear. This can no longer be called a streak. Price has simply taken his game to another level. He looks calm, cool and collected in the net but also displays the intensity needed to succeed as an elite goalie in this league. When Markov went down in the first game of the season, everyone said that in order for Montreal to have ANY chance, Price was going to have to carry them. Well, in his last 7 games, Price has let in 3 or less goals, per game. He is centainly doing his part! Interesting fact: Steve Yzerman was in attendance at the game, scouting for team Canada for the olympics. Given his rebirth, does Price get consideration as the thrid goalie for Team Canada?

2 - Roman Hamrlik continues to be one of the unsung heros of this team. Playing more than 20 minutes a night, every night, Hamrlik is better compared to a metronome than a hockey player. Constant, constant, constant. He is a stabilizing force on the blue line and is Montreal's best defenceman game in and game out.

3 - In the two games Montreal has played against the Caps, Spacek has done a phenomenal job of shutting down and shadowing Ovechkin. Yes, Ovy scored tonight, but the number of times that Spacek shut him down or took the puck away or block one of his shots, could have been the difference between losing in shootout or in regulation.

4 - Sergei Kostitsyn looks like a new player. He puts his head down and works, shift after shift. He makes great defensive players, dusplays excellent vision on the ice, and is, generally speaking, a key contributor on the team and will continue to be until at least the injured players come back. That brings up another quandry, and that is what do you do with Sergei when Andrei K, Gionta and Gomez are back?

5 - Ovechkin is simply a stupifying player. Unbelievably fast, incredible strength, wicked shot...this guy can do it all, and that was evidenced as he undressed Marc-Andre Bergeron and almost scored. This guys is a treat to watch every time he steps on the ice and hockey is a better game with him in it. Now if we could only get him to sign in Montreal!

6 - Montreal has to stop taking stupid penalties. From the MaxPac penalty less than 3 mins into the game to Mara's penalty with less that 20 seconds left in a 3-2 game, Montreal takes too many bad, untimely penalties and they have to stop. If not for Mara's penalty, Montreal would likely have won this game in regulation. Sadly, however, the Caps won the o-zone faceoff and scored the tying goal with 11.2 seconds left in the game, to force overtime. No goals in overtime led to the shootout where Backstrom was the only player to score for either team, and the Caps sealed the deal.

The bottom line is that Montreal, a team decimated by injuries, was down 2-0 in the first and Price held them in the game long enough to get their offence going. While the second point in the standings would have been great, there were a lot of positives to take out of this game, not the least of which is that Montreal continues to win and/or get points with one third of their regular players out of the lineup. I don't know how, but Jacques Martin is performing miracles with this lineup. Let's hope the miracles keep rolling in December!

K.

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Habs' Markov COULD be back by late December!

According to RDS, Markov skated yesterday and for about 10 minutes today and is ahead of schedule, from a healing perspective. If things keep going on the right track he could actually come back around late December which would put him about 4-8 weeks ahead of schedule. He will be interviewed by the press today. Here is the rds link (French only):

http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/286942.html

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Post Game Quick Hits: Habs 1 - Pens 3

Last night, the banged-up Pittsburgh Penguins beat the even more banged-up Montreal Canadiens 3 - 1, in regulation. The streak is dead. Long live the streak! Ok, it was a meager streak but the way things have gone so far this year, you have to make each baby step a celebration or you'll be waiting too long to rejoice! So without further ado, here are a few observations from last night's game:

1 - Despite losing the game and being outshot 30 - 19 and outhit 45 to 34, Montreal didn't actually play that bad a game. This team - which looked more like the Hamilton Bulldogs than the Montreal Canadiens - competed on every shift despite having played the night before. However, they looked over match and tired. You could see the effects of missing 8 regulars from their lineup and having played the night before. By the third period, they looked like they needed a collective nap!

2 - Pittsburgh did an amazing job of keeping the Plekanec (with Sergei K and Cammy) off of the scoresheet. Starting with Jordan Staal's line - who was on the ice almost every time Pleky stepped out there - and following through the rest of the lineup, the Pens used the home ice advanatage effectively to get that last line change and hence, the match-ups they needed.

3 - Plekanec continues to establish himself as a top notch center in the NHL. Despite being shut off of the score sheet, Plekanec played inspired hockey all night. He made hits, dug the puck out of the corner, setup plays and was generally combative. Despite having the larger Pittsburgh forwards leaning on him heavily, he was still able to create some chances and even gave Crosby a shot in the chops while battling for the puck.

4 - Price strong play continues. Despite only having a .900 save percentage last night, Price looked confident and firm in the net. He is handling the puck masterfully - which is always a sign of good confidence with Price - he is fighting through screens and traffic to track the puck, and he is moving nicely in his crease. The only blemish on his game last night was the second goal. On that play, Price had stopped a shot from the side of the net but didn't cover the puck up properly. It was loose enough that when Guerin poked at it, it squeezed through his pads and in to make the score 2 - 0. That is one that I am sure Price would like to have back.

5 - The oft heralded organizational depth of the Montreal Canadiens is starting to show. With a bunch of AHL players replacing the missing regulars, in the lineup, we can see that this organization has a bunch of NHL capablity guys. There are not really any superstars among them but they are definitely servicable NHL players. If you look at Pyatt, White, Desharnais and Wyman, these are all guys who are showing that they have the ability, smarts and right attitude to be players in the NHL. Going forward, this could be good for Montreal on the trade front. While these guys can all play in the NHL, most of them are the same or very similar type players. This means that some of them can become expendable.

6 - Sergei Kostitsyn looks like a new man. From his humble interviews with the press to his 'put your head down and work' attitude, he seems, and I do emphasize the word 'seems', to be a player reborn. With two assists and a +3 rating over two games, Sergei looks like he means business. Give him a week or so to further acclimate, and I believe the Montreal might get back a much better player than the one they sent down at the beginning of the season, in Sergei. If he continues to show the right attitude, contribute and play smart hockey, he should definitely have a spot somewhere on this team.

Overall, this past week has shown that, in my opinion, Jacques Martin is a really good coach. Love or hate him or his style there is no questioning the results. Martin has taken a team decimated by injuries and drilled a system into their heads that has resulted in wins over Washington, a shootout loss to Detroit and an insipred comeback win versus Columbus. That was 5 out of a possible 6 points. With the Pittburgh game, that gives them 5 out of 8 points. With one more game - in Montreal on Saturday vs. the Caps - to close out the month of November, Montreal still has a chance to get 7 out of 10 point in five games where I, personally, thought they would get none. Montreal can use the two day break before facing Washington on Saturday, to lick thier wounds. Hopefully they can get back some of their walking wounded from Team Clinic!

K.

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Ho-hum another boring Monday in Montreal...or was it?

With the weather starting to slowly feel like winter outside and the sky getting a little gloomy on a sleepy Monday morning, the Montreal Canadiens had a flurry of activity to wake everyone up. Latendresse was traded to the Minnesota wild for Benoit Pouliot, Sergei Kostitsyn was recalled from Hamilton, Carey Price was named the 2nd star of the week by the NHL and Georges Laraques gets a 5-game suspension for his knee-on-knee hit on Detroit's Kronwall.

Wow. Where to start? Well why not start in chronological order. Or at least the chronological order that I heard about the events, in. So here goes....

Carey Price named 2nd star of the week by the NHL:
http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=507153 - offical release

With a 1.89 GAA and a .940 save percentage, Price stormed out to a 2-0-1 week with the Habs. What the release doesn't mention is that Price has let in 2 goals or less in each of his last five starts. Now, I don't think that fans should start bouncing off the walls too soon, as five games is a long way from an entire solid season. That being said, I think a combination of factors might be getting Price back into the groove.

The first step in the right direction was management getting rid of Roland 'quick drop to your knees' Melanson, as the Habs' goaltending coach, and replacing him with Pierre Groulx. Under Groulx, you can see that BOTH goaltenders have less of a tendancy to drop to their knees, something that was prevalent under Melanson. If you watch Price, over his last 5 games, he is playing much more of the hybrid style that is so well suited to his bigger frame, than the butterfly style. He is standing up tall, more often, challenging shooters and giving them very little to look at. As a result, he has been making those keys saves at key times and that, after all, is what separates elite goaltenders from regular ones. They make that key save at the key time. Again, Price is not there yet so let's not get over excited. However, he is taking steps in the right direction.

The other factor, which is even more important in my opinion, is that Martin has refused to give Price the soft seat. Like Martin or hate him there is no question that he has demonstrated an ability to take young, talented players and help them reach their full potential. Just look at Alfredson, Hossa, Redden, Vermette, Havalt, etc. What Martin has done differently from all the previous handlers of Price, is that he has forced him to earn his spot and not just assumed that it is his. I have always maintained that if you make Halak and Price "fight" over the starting postion that Price would beat Halak, hands down, as he has a much higher level or raw talent. Right now, it looks like this scenario is exactly what is starting to play out.

If you remember, there was a stretch of 10 days, at the beginning of the season, where Price did not play. During that stretch, Halak won four games in a row. It was around that time that Price realized or Martin showed him, that he was going to have to earn his starts. By extension, Martin showed every player on the team that he doesn't care what the name is on the back of your jersey. If you play well, work hard and produce, you will be rewarded. Umm, can anyone say Glen Metropolit? By taking this approach, with Price, I think Martin is pushing the buttons that needed to be pressed to get Price to start reaching his potential. Let's hope it continues!

Latendresse traded to Minnesota for Pouliot:
http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=507209 - official release

This one is a bit cut and dried. The headline could easily read: Montreal and Minnesota swap big, underachieving players. Pouliot, drafted 4th overall in 2005 - one spot ahead of Price - has been largely a bust since he broke into the league while Latendresse has shown some flashes but has largley shown that he is not a top 6 winger. This looks like two players who needed a change of scenary in order for them to have any success.

Over the last 5 games, or so, it has been clear that Latendresse's role with Montreal was diminishing by the shift. To Montreal playing Detroit and see how Holmstrom - also a big bodied, slow footed player - was always parked in front of Price and to watch his supposed counterpart, Latendresse skimping around the perimeter was sickening. Holmstrom has no more skill than Latendresse but he just 'gets' it. While, given every chance to succeed, being told EXACTLY where to be on the ice and what his role was, Latendresse just was never able to pull it all together. That is not to say that he won't be able to do it in Minnesota. In fact, it is quite possible that he WILL be able to pull it off in Minne. Sometimes a player has to be traded once in their career before they can really get it going. And that goes the same for Pouliot.

While it is likely that Pouliot was overrated and not worth a 4th overall pick, he still has the size and skill to have been a 1st round selection, just not so high up the board. Now, coming to Montreal, Pouliot gets a fresh start. Whether he will ever be a top notch power forward or not, is beside the point. In Montreal, Pouliot does not come with the expectations of a 4th overall pick - because Montreal did not choose him 4th overall. He now has the chance to show that he can be an effective player, whether that is on the first line or the third line is irrelevant. He, like Price and the other young'ins, should benefit from playing under Martin. Let's see if Martin can turn this piece of coal into a diamond or not.

Sergei Kostitsyn recalled from Hamilton:
http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=507201 - official release

After begin demoted to Hamilton, refusing to report to the team, changing his mind and reporting to the team, going AWOL from the team, having a face-to-face meeting with Gainey and 'choosing' to return to the team then proceeding to put up 13 points (4 goals, 9 assists) and being +2 in 16 games, Sergei Kostitsyn's time in purgatory is finally over. And, if you ask me, this is the right move.

Jacques Martin said, at the beginning of training camp, that his two biggest projects were the Kostitsyn brothers. If you look at what has happened with Sergei and Andrei, since the start of the season, you have to believe that his strategy was "divide and conquer". I think that Martin did his assessment and determined that he had to separate and 'break' both brothers. Sergei needed to be taken down a peg, to eat some humble pie and learn that he does not hold any cards.

I believe that point was further driven home with Gainey's face-to-face meeting where he likely told him that A) the Habs hold his rights B) if he flees to play in the KHL it would mean he is no longer eligible to play in the Olympics C) his options were to play in Hamilton, show he is a good player in order for Montreal to trade him, play in Hamilton, show he is a good player in order for Montreal to trade him, OR demand a trade at which point Gainey would simply let him sit on the shelf and play NO hockey for an entire year. It was after that meeting that Sergei finally stopped crying and just started playing hockey. And, by all accounts, he looks like he has got his mojo back and just in time too, because Montreal needs his combination of skill and grit, in the lineup. Let's see if he has learned to check his ego at the door or not, because if he hasn't his time with Montreal will truly be done.

And last but not least - or actually it is least - Laraque is suspended for 5 games (and there was much rejoicing):
http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=507235 - official release

Who cares? Not me. Laraque is a relic in this league and is, in my opinion, struggling to show that he still belongs. His knee-on-knee against Kronwall is proof that he is too damn slow for the modern NHL. While I am sure that he didn't mean to hurt Kronwall, there is no question that Laraque was just too slow to keep up with the Detroit player, the result of which was his desperate move to keep his leg out and kneecap Kronwall. Laraque has been out of action for weeks and since he has been back he has lost a fight to Washington's John Erskine (the fight on HockeyFights.com http://www.hockeyfights.com/fights/88933) and taken six minutes of penalties on 1 shift, allowing Detroit to take a 2 - 0 lead. Wow. This guy is SO unnecessary for Montreal. While he was out, Montreal showed that they have team toughness and refused to be pushed around.

Sorry George, but if I were Gainey I would buy your contract out immediately. Either that or send you down to the minors to go beat up on some 18 year-olds. Gone for 5 games? Too bad it is so few!

K.

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