Game 27 - Canadiens at Wild

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (17-7-2) are in Minnesota Wednesday night to face the Wild (13-9-1) at the Xcel Energy Center. The game is set to start at 7:00 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet.

This is the second and final meeting between the Habs and Wild this season. The Canadiens scored a convincing 4-1 win when these teams met the first time this year. Lars Eller and Jiri Sekac each had a goal and an assist in the game while Brandon Prust picked up a pair of helpers.

What to Watch

Max Pacioretty picked up his team best 12th goal and 20th point of the year on Monday in Colorado, the 26-year old is now sixth in the league in goals scored.

Ex-Hab Thomas Vanek, has just two goals so far this season although with 12 assists, including one against the Canadiens earlier in the year, he does hold a share of the team lead in that department. Zach Parise leads the Wild in points with 18, but with 11 goals, it's Nino Niederreiter that leads Minnesota in that department.

What's at Stake

The Canadiens have relinquished the NHL lead after the Tampa Bay lightning lost in overtime to the Sabres Tuesday night. They are now 1 point behind their division rivals with a chance to leap-frog them by winning in Minnesota on Wednesday.

Who's Out

The Canadiens are missing Michael Bournival (shoulder) who is traveling with the team but not expected to play during this road trip.

The Wild are missing Matt Cooke (hip). The team's top defenseman, Ryan Suter, missed practice Tuesday with an illness, but is expected to be in the lineup Wednesday night.

What Else

The Canadiens lost perhaps their greatest ambassador late Tuesday night. Jean Beliveau, 10 time Stanley Cup winner, 14 time NHL All Star, two time Hart Trophy winner, Art Ross and Conn Smythe winner, Hall-of-Famer, and one of the most recognizable figures in hockey, passed away at age 83. He played his entire NHL career from, 1950 to 1971, with the Montreal Canadiens and was a constant presence at the Montreal Forum and the Bell Centre since his retirement.

The Canadiens have set up a page on their official website to share tributes to Le Gros Bill, it can be found here.

The Question Mark

In four words, what did Jean Beliveau mean to you?

Tonight's Show

Join myself, Rob Elbaz, along with Kosta Papoulias and Corey Collard for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Wild.

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Game 15 - Canadiens vs Wild

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (9-4-1) are home to host the Minnesota Wild (7-5-0) Saturday night at the Bell Centre. While the game is set to start at 7:00, there will be a ceremony to honor Guy Lapointe and raise his name and number to the rafters beginning at 6:30 (you can jump straight to the What Else section for more on Lapointe). The match will air on TVA and City.

This is the first of two meeting between the Habs and Wild this season. The Canadiens make the trip to the State of Hockey in early December to close out the series. Last season these teams each won their home games, but the 6-2 victory the Habs earned on Noveber 19 last year helped spark an impressive run by the Canadiens. Max Pacioretty picked up a hat trick in the game and the Canadiens went on to earn points in their next nine games, going 9-0-1 over the span, including the win against the Wild.

What to Watch

Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau has already paid dividends on his new team, coming up big for a third time in shootouts this season with the game deciding goal against the Sabres on Wednesday. The Canadiens have a perfect 4-0 record in shootouts this year and Parenteau has converted three of his four attempts, with each of his markers sealing the victory for the Habs.

Like the Habs, the Wild have struggled to find offense at times this season. They were shut out in their last outing against the Senators on Thursday. Former Canadien Thomas Vanek is tied for second on the team in scoring along with minute-eating defensman Ryan Suter. Both have a goal and seven assists.

What's at Stake

They may not be the prettiest victories, but the Canadiens keep finding ways to collect points and sit atop the Eastern Conference in a three-way tie with the Lightning and Penguins. There's a decent gap between the Habs and teams like the Maple Leafs, Flyers and Devils, that right now sit just outside a playoff spot, but the Bruins and Red Wings are within striking distance of Montreal, just one point back.

Who's Out

Michael Bournival was forced to leave Wednesday's game with a shoulder injury and will miss at least a couple of weeks of action. Mike Weaver did not dress last game, he was a last minute scratch due to illness, but is expected to play Saturday. Rene Bourque will be a healthy scratch for a second straight game on Saturday as Travis Moen draws back in to the line-up.

The Wild will be without their biggest offensive threat on Saturday, Zach Parise is out with a concussion and did not travel with the team. Matt Cooke (lower body) and Jared Spurgeon (shoulder) are both on injured reserve, while Keith Ballard is expected to return to action against the Canadiens after missing all but one game this season.

What Else

The Canadiens pay homage to Guy "Pointu" Lapointe tonight, by raising his name to the rafters to join Larry Robinson and Serge Savard, the other two members of the famed "Big Three". Lapointe's number 5 has already been retired, with Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion receiving the honor in 2006, so Lapointe and Geoffrion will become the third pair to share a retired number, along with Dickie Moore and Yvan Cournoyer (12), and Henri Richard and Elmer Lach (16).

Lapointe, inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993, holds a couple of records for a Canadiens defensemen. Lapointe's 28 goals in 1974-75 are the most for a Habs blueliner, and his 15 goals in his rookie season are the most for a rookie Habs defender. Pointu also has 6 Stanley Cups to his name and sits second all time in points for a Canadiens defensemen with 572 while wearing the bleu, blanc et rouge.

Lapointe currently serves as Coordinator of Amateur Scouting for the Wild, which is why this game was chosen to mark the occasion. As part of the ceremony, Serge Savard's 18 and Larry Robinson's 19 have been temporarily moved so that Lapointe's number 5 can be reunited with the other two thirds of the Big Three.

Banners for 18 and 19 moved from their usual spots for tomorrow. #Habs pic.twitter.com/nNxYnND4wG
— Heather Engel (@engelheather) November 7, 2014

The Question Mark

What is your favorite Habs memory or moment? Bonus points if it's about the Big Three.

Tonight's Show

The pregame show moves up half an hour to make room for the jersey retirement Saturday night. Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 5:30 to preview the Canadiens and the Wild.

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As The New Season Dawns ... Who Came? Who Left?

Greetings Habs Addicts!

One of my favorite days of the calendar year was yesterday: HABS TICKET DAY!

Select veterans, including Max Pacioretty
take an option skate as training camp approaches.
Photo Credit: NHL.com

So far I only managed to get one pair of tickets - vs Buffalo for the return of Josh Gorges and Brian Gionta at the end of November - but I intend to get down to Montreal for another game or two later on in the season. But ticket day also means the season is fast approaching!

There has not been much to report this summer after the draft and free agency hit. Obviously the acquisition of P.A. Parenteau for Danny Briere, the trading of Josh Gorges to the Buffalo Sabres for a draft pick, the drafting of Nikita Scherbak and the extension signed by P.K. Subban were the biggest news making events of the summer. There have been a few changes made to the coaching staff this summer, most notably the departure of Gerard Gallant to take of the role of head coach for the Florida Panthers and the addition of Dan Lacroix from the New York Rangers. Rob Ramage was also added to the front officer in a player personnel role. Marc Bergevin had a busy start to the off-season and came out of it very well.

There were some other notable moves this summer:

Who left?

• Thomas Vanek - as expected, he left to sign with the Minnesota Wild.
• Brian Gionta could not come to terms and signed with the Buffalo Sabres.
• Ryan White was non-tendered and signed with the Philadelphia Flyers.
• Louis Leblanc was discarded to the Anaheim Ducks for a draft pick.
• Danny Briere was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche for P.A. Parenteau.
• Josh Gorges was dealt to the Buffalo Sabres for a second-round draft pick.
• Francis Bouillon was not re-signed.
• Douglas Murray was not re-signed.
• George Parros was not re-signed.

The first one and the latter three were expected, although the rumour mill is always churning lately that Bouillon might return (in fact, he will attend camp on a PTO, more on that later). We all knew Thomas Vanek would not return. Everyone around the league knew he was going home to Minnesota. His terrible playoff performance just made it easier for the Wild to afford him and his coasting ways easily cost himself millions of dollars. Minnesota might be a very dangerous team in the Western Conference next season. Vanek makes his return to Montreal in mid-November, expect the boo-birds to be out in full force. Murray and Parros will not be playing in the NHL at all next season. Ryan White was essentially forced out after Dale Weise was acquired and took over his role. Between newcomer Manny Malhotra, Travis Moen, Michael Bournival, Brandon Prust and Weise, there was already a log-jam on the fourth line. White was expendable. His style will fit the Flyers. He also makes his return trip to Montreal early on this season. Lastly, Louis Leblanc was finally labelled a bust and was dumped to the Anaheim Ducks. Sound familiar? It should. The Habs did the same trade a few years ago with another first round failure, Kyle Chipchura. While still bouncing around the league, dumping Chipchura never came back to haunt the Canadiens. Highly doubtful Leblanc does, either. 

Who is joining us?

• Manny Malhotra signed on to be a big-bodied fourth line face-off specialist and penalty killer.
• Tom Gilbert replaces Josh Gorges and brings a right-handed shot and power-play presence.
• Jiri Sekac is a highly touted Czech prospect who could make the club out of training camp.
• P.A. Parenteau was acquired for Danny Briere.
• Andrei Markov re-signed to a three year contract.
• Lars Eller re-signed to a four year contract.
• Mike Weaver returns on a one-year deal to provide depth.

Bringing back Andrei Markov was expected and at the same salary was also expected. A three-year deal is risky for the veteran rearguard at his age; however, his 'chronic knee problems' are well in the past. He can continue to be a top pairing this season and if they manage his minutes he can be extremely productive. If by year three of the deal he is simply a power-play specialist, no harm there. He's very intelligent and is a calming presence on the blue line. An apt comparison for Markov is Kimmo Timonen. If he ages as well as Timonen has, the contract will be a bargain. Lars Eller is back for four years and is due to break out at any time. His style of game reminds me a lot of Pheonix Coyote forward Martin Hanzal: Decent size, solid defensively and plays a physical game. If he can start to break out the way Hanzal did last year, he could very well become the second-line centerman we expect him to be. Tom Gilbert is a journeyman, but he plays a solid possession game, is a right-handed shot and has a power-play presence for the second pairing. To lose Gorges and replace him with Gilbert for less money is a solid deal. What is lost in shot blocking and rah-rah leadership is replaced with offensive numbers and better Corsi numbers. Retaining Mike Weaver is perfect when Nathan Beaulieu cracks the line-up as a regular this season. That's right, I said when. They were a solid pairing in the playoffs and the veteran leader should be a steadying presence on the back end of the rotation. P.A. Parenteau is a bigger physical presence with more upside than Briere at the same salary. Suitable as a second-line winger and more of a set-up man, he reminds me of another former Avalanche forward who had a solid, albeit injury riddled season as a Canadien a few years back: Alex Tanguay. Jiri Sekac has tremendous upside and an opportunity to break camp as a third-line winger. He will be battling with Sven Andrighetti in camp, barring a late addition to the roster.

The Canadiens rookie camp started this weekend and training camp is around the corner. Francis Bouillon is confirmed to be attending the camp as a non-roster invitee. In my opinion, it should be as an on-ice player/coach because I do not believe the ageing veteran should be able to supplant any players currently on the roster. Other veterans should be inked to try-outs as the camp approaches. Stay tuned to HabsAddict over the new few weeks for more camp news as it happens.

The new season has dawned, are you excited yet!?!

---

Nick Malofy is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a contributor here at HabsAddict.com and give him a follow, as he can often be found rambling on Twitter.

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Top UFA Forwards To Target For The Montreal Canadiens

With the NHL Entry Draft about on week away and free agency looming, let's have a look at some potential free agent targets for the Montreal Canadiens. With trade-deadline acquisition Thomas Vanek slated to test the market on July 1st, the Canadiens could really use help on their top-six up front. While the team has a plethora of bottom-six forwards in the likes of Travis Moen, Brandon Prust, Michael Bournival, Rene Bourque, Daniel Briere, Dale Weise as well as impending RFAs Lars Eller and Ryan White who are more than likely to come back, Montreal could use another winger to play on the team's second line with Alex Galchenyuk and Tomas Plekanec.

So, unless Habs GM Marc Bergevin moves a center like Plekanec and David Desharnais, the Canadiens are more than likely to add a talented winger via free agency.

Potential free agents targets:

Jussi Jokinen, 31, Pittsburgh Penguins. After being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline last season, Jokinen had his second best offensive season during which he recorded 21 goals and 36 assists for 57 points in 81 games to go along with 18 PIM and a good +12 rating, Playing mostly with Evgeni Malkin and James Neal on the Penguins' second line, Jokinen can play all three forward positions and he is sound defensively. Jokinen, who made $3 million/year for the last three years, will certainly be looking for a pay raise of at least $4M annually on the open market and there will be plenty of suitors for his services. With seven seasons of at least 40 points during his underrated career, Jokinen makes for a solid second-line player who can move up and down the line-up with ease.

(Salary in 2013-14: $3,000,000)

Radim Vrbata, 33, Phoenix Coyotes. Playing in the middle of the desert where hockey is an afterthought certainly did not help Vrbata make a name for himself in the NHL. This season, the right winger scored 20 goals and 31 assists for 51 points in 80 games to go along with 22 PIM and a disappointing -6 rating. Vrbata Vrbata, who scored 20+ goals four times during his career, has had problems producing out of Phoenix where he played for the last five campaigns. Vrbata who was left off the Czech roster for the 2014 Sochi Olympics is very familiar with Tomas Plekanec, which could be a good fit. Expect the 33-year-old forward to command a similar salary and if the Coyotes can't afford his services, he is more than likely to get it somewhere else, and that might very be well in Montreal.

(Salary in 2013-14: $3,000,000)

Matt Moulson, 30, Minnesota Wild. Traded twice this season, Moulson finished the year with the Wild, after playing for both the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres. Overall, Moulson quietly enjoyed a solid campaign despite playing for some lowly teams, recording 23 goals and 28 assists for 51 points in 75 games to go with 34 PIM and a +2 plus/minus differential. While the 6'1'', 205-lb left winger is not overly physical, his size would be welcomed on the Habs. The problem with Moulson is whether he can produce offensively without his close friend John Tavares... Moulson was a healthy scratch with Minnesota during the playoffs because of his lacklustre play.

(Salary in 2013-14: $3,900,000)

Milan Michalek, 29, Ottawa Senators. After a disappointing season with the Ottawa Senators, Michalek needs a change and, as a result, he is slated to hit free agency on July 1st. After potting 60 points with the Senators in 2011-12, his offensive production has declined. In 82 games with Ottawa this season, the Czech winger notched 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points with a putrid -25 rating. The smooth skating Michalek has five 20+ goal seasons under his belt and he is eager to turn the page and move on. Michalek trains in Montreal during the summer and his wife Karen is from the area. Familiar with the media pressure, Michalek would be a good fit in Michael Therrien's as he is an adept penalty killer and boasts a great wrist shot.

(Salary in 2013-14: $6,000,000)

Ryan Callahan, 29, Tampa Bay Lightning. Acquired from the New York Rangers in exchange for veteran Martin St. Louis, the gritty Callahan scored 17 goals and added 19 assists for only 36 points and a +1 differential in 65 games between Tampa Bay and New York. A great leader and two-way player, Callahan has only recorded one 50-point season throughout his career and he is not known for his offensive attributes. More of a checker than a scorer, Callahan might very well be the next David Clarkson on this year's free agent market. A team will overpay for his services and I sincerely hope it won't be the Canadiens.

(Salary in 2013-14: $4,825,000)

Alex Hemsky, 30, Ottawa Senators. Maybe the most talented player listed here, but also the most inconsistent, Hemsky can fly on the ice and he possesses electrifying skills. A typical Band-Aid boy, Hemsky usually misses his fair share of games every year. Last season, between Edmonton and Ottawa, the right winger 13 goals and 30 assists for 43 points with a -15 plus/minus rating in 75 games. Hemsky has not hit the 50-point plateau since the 2008-09 season when he potted 66 points in 72 games for the Oilers. The Habs need size and grit on the wing, not one of the softest players in the entire NHL. Pass.

(Salary in 2013-14: $5,500,000)

Other players such as Paul Stastny and Jarome Iginla could also become UFA targets, but they are more than likely staying with their respective teams.

Who would be your choice to replace Thomas Vanek's offensive production?

No Foolin' Fred Poulin

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Season Review: The Good & The Bad

Greetings Habs Addicts,

Well the NHL season is almost over. The Los Angeles Kings are one win away from taking home their second Stanley Cup in the past three years. Very impressive considering they were one loss away from being swept in the first round by the San Jose Sharks. The New York Rangers have battled, but they are in no way on the same level as the Kings. As great as our Canadiens played this year - especially in the playoffs - it's hard to say we would have given the Kings more of a battle. They are just so strong.

The Habs had a tremendous playoff run and showed a lot of growth as a team as they went along. After miserable regular seasons, Lars Eller and Rene Bourque came on strong in the post-season. Eller was the top point-getter up front with 5 goals and 13 points in 17 playoff games. Bourque led the club with 8 goals after scoring just 9 in the regular season. P.K. Subban elevated his play back to his Norris Trophy winning form in the playoffs, leading the team with 14 points in 17 games, including 5 goals. He was a terror against the Boston Bruins, with 4 goals and 7 points in that series alone. Carey Price stood on his head and continued his tremendous season until it was abruptly cut short in the Eastern Finals after a collision with the Rangers' Chris Kreider injured his knee. Unheralded Dustin Tokarski stepped in for Price and held his own with Henrik Lundqvist, but ultimately the Habs fell to the Rangers in six games.

Photo Credit: AWinningHabit.com

But now the off-season approaches. The NHL draft is just over two weeks away on June 27-28 in Philadelphia. Free Agency begins July 1st - three weeks away. The Canadiens have a glut of free agents, including both key contributors and some spare parts. Captain Brian Gionta is unrestricted, as is defensive stalwart Andrei Markov. Trade-deadline acquisition Thomas Vanek is the biggest name available and has made his intentions known all season long that he is looking to test the waters. After a very disappointing post-season, where he failed to make an impact on offense and was playing on the fourth line by the end, it's hard to determine exactly what Vanek's value will be. Vanek claimed he was healthy but could not find chemistry with Tomas Plekanec after being removed from the Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais pairing. Most pundits have him heading home to Minnesota. Depth defenders Mike Weaver, Francis Bouillon and Douglas Murray are all unrestricted. Only one of those is expected back and for the teams' sake it better be Mike Weaver. Weaver was a tremendous pick-up at the deadline, bringing veteran leadership and a shot-blocking prowess to the line-up as well as a right-handed shot. Paired with a youngster like Nathan Beaulieu, they could make a very effective 3rd pairing next season. The biggest contract of the off-season will undoubtedly be going to P.K. Subban, whose two-year bridge contract expires. Subban will be a restricted free agent, but Marc Bergevin should be quick to sign arguably the team's best player before another NHL team submits an offer sheet to the 24-year old all-star.

It will be an interesting summer to say the least. But before all that excitement begins, lets take a look at the good and the bad that happened during the 2013/14 season.

Forwards

Good: Max Pacioretty was without a doubt the best forward for the Canadiens this season. Scoring a career high 39 goals, he finished one goal shy of being the first Habs player to reach 40 goals since the 1993/94 season (Vincent Damphousse had 40). Pacioretty finished with a team-leading 60 points in 73 games... After starting the season in a horrible funk where he had just one assist in the first 21 games and even had the mayor of Montreal calling for his demotion to Hamilton, David Desharnais responded after he was reunited with Pacioretty and finished the year with 16 goals and 52 points in 79 game... Tomas Plekanec scored 20 goals and 43 points in 81 games and finished +11 in a shutdown role for the Canadiens. Plekanec made an strong argument for a Selke nomination as one of the best defensive forwards in hockey. Paired up with Brian Gionta, they were a formidable penalty-killing duo. Captain Gionta finished the year with 18 goals and 40 points in 81 games... Brendan Gallagher saw his scoring pace slow down from his rookie year, but brought tremendous energy and drive to the net all season long. He was a presence on the powerplay with 8 of his 19 goals coming on the man-advantage. For the season, Gallagher contributed 19 goals and 41 points while appearing in 81 games... Trade-deadline acquisition Thomas Vanek found chemistry with Desharnais and Pacioretty and the trio paced the Canadiens down the stretch and into the playoffs. Vanek had 6 goals and 15 points in 18 regular season games as a Canadien... Michael Bournival made the team out of training camp and the youngster got his feet wet at the NHL level. Spending most of the season on the checking line, Bournival provided 7 goals and 14 points in 60 games, but missed time after suffering a concussion. Bournival has tremendous speed and upside and should take another step forward as a sophomore next season.

Bad: Lars Eller started the season strong as he was paired up with Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk. The "EGG line" was the team's top offensive trio for the first 18 games but Eller fell off tremendously after that line was broken up and after putting up 12 points through the first 18 games, Eller only added 14 more over the next 49. Eller was also a team-worst -15 on the year... Alex Galchenyuk started the year strong but while he showed flashes of brilliance and potential, he did not improve on his rookie season. Injuries limited the sophomore to only 65 games, and he contributed 13 goals and 31 points but was a -12 on the year. A revolving door of linemates did not aid his development either... Brandon Prust missed time due to injuries again and did not provide a similar offensive contribution as last year. He was an effective penalty killer and dropped the gloves frequently. Shoulder injuries limited his effectiveness and he was prone to taking dumb penalties at crucial times in the game. Prust finished with 6 goals and 13 points along with 121 penalty minutes in 52 games... Daniel Briere was signed by Marc Bergevin to provide scoring and did so in limited minutes. However, his minutes were limited because he never managed to earn the trust of Michel Therrien and the coaching staff nor could they seem to find a fit for him on the roster. He came up with some big goals but after signing a two-year/$8 million dollar deal, Briere provided the club with only 13 goals and 25 points in 69 games played... George Parros was a non-factor. Brought in to provide toughness, Parros suffered a horrible concussion during the season opener in a fight with the Toronto Maple Leafs' Colton Orr. This was the first of two concussions suffered on the year. Overall, Parros looked tentative and slow and was a -6 with one assist in 22 games played. He racked up 81 penalty minutes while averaging only 4:33 of ice time per game. A waste of a roster spot, essentially... Travis Moen played in 65 games and finished with 2 goals and 12 points. He played a more inspired game physically compared to last season but still contributed very little overall. A revolving door of Moen, Prust, Bournival, Parros along with Ryan White and Dale Weise comprised the fourth line all season long. They provided various degrees of toughness and the odd point here and there but were relatively interchangeable when healthy. Having six fourth liners on a 23 man roster is not a good thing in today's NHL... Lastly, Rene Bourque was acquired in a trade for Mike Cammalleri. Since that deal, he as provided nothing to the lineup except for a $3.3-million cap hit. Beyond disappointing sums up Bourque's uninspired effort this regular season. No physical presence and often a healthy scratch. Bourque went from 27 goals in Calgary to 9 this year, finishing with 16 points in 63 games. If not for his playoff performance, this year would have been a complete wash for Bourque.

Defense

Good: P.K. Subban followed up his Norris Trophy winning season by contributing a career high 53 points while playing a full 82-game season. His shooting percentage was down this season and he only managed to score ten goals with four of them coming with the man advantage. Subban was a member of the Canadian Olympic team as an alternate and won a gold medal in Sochi. While his lack of playing time may have irked him, he was the ultimate professional in how he handled the situation and certainly learned from the experience which served him well in the playoffs this year. Subban is one of the most electrifying players in the NHL and easily one of the most dynamic skaters of any blueliner... Andrei Markov had another solid yet unspectacular season. The veteran workhorse logged an average of 25:14 minutes per game, playing both power-play and penalty kill and contributed 7 goals and 43 points in 81 games. Markov has certainly lost a step in terms of speed at his age, but proper positioning has allowed him to continue to play at a high level, as evidenced by his +12 rating on the year... Josh Gorges provided leadership and shot-blocking while providing next to nothing offensively. Another typical Gorges season... Mike Weaver was a solid addition at the trade deadline, blocking shots and adding a valuable right-handed shot on the 3rd pairing.

Bad: P.K Subban clearly regressed defensively compared to last season. This is one of the reasons why Team Canada coach Mike Babcock did not trust him with regular minutes at the Olympics. Habs coach Michel Therrien benched him on various occasions throughout the year due to poor play hurting the team. Subban did not see very much time killing penalties and this hurt him in the Norris voting this season as his offensive numbers ranked right up there with the league leaders... Alexei Emelin returned from a serious knee injury suffered last season and was a shell of his former self. He was a liability on the right side when paired with Markov and turned the puck over far to often. He was still a ferocious hitter but jeopardized positioning on order to do so... Douglas Murray proved to be one of the worst defensemen in the NHL this past season. After not being re-signed by the Pittsburgh Penguins, 'Crankshaft' signed a one-year deal late in training camp with the Canadiens. Corsi and Fenwick ratings proved his ineptness but were not needed as the naked eye could see that Murray cannot skate and was a tremendous liability at even strength. While he remained a skilled penalty killer and at-times ferocious hitter (just like Steven Segal, if you came right at Murray he would hit you hard but cannot hit a moving target) he provided 2 assists offensively and was a -12 in 52 regular season games. Highly unlikely he returns to Montreal or any other NHL team next season... Francis Bouillon played big minutes on big pairings for Michel Therrien, much to the chagrin of pundits everywhere. Bouillon, 38, should have been nothing more than a reserve defenseman this season but in turn saw the ice in 52 games while providing the club with 2 goals and 8 points while finishing at a -5 rating. His high water mark was the overtime winner in the huge late-season comeback win against the Ottawa Senators that sparked the Habs torrid pace entering the playoffs... Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu each enjoyed a cup of coffee at the NHL level while excelling for the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. Tinordi and Beaulieu each contributed 2 assists in 22 and 17 games, respectively. The Canadiens would have been better served having these two rookies play bigger minutes and gain valuable expereince over the time given to ageing veterans Murray and Bouillon but that was Therrien's decision... Raphael Diaz had 11 assists in 46 games with Montreal but was most often a healthy scratch before he was finally traded to the Vancouver Canucks during the season for forward Dale Weise. Diaz was a Corsi standout, often ranking as the Habs best defender according to the metric. To show that advanced stats do not always tell the story, Diaz was subsequently dealt to the New York Rangers for a 5th round pick at the deadline by Vancouver and has been a healthy scratch for most of the playoffs. His lack of physical game and turnover prowess earned him a spot in coach Michel Therrien's doghouse right from the beginning.

Goaltending

Good: Carey Price. Olympic gold medalist. All-World goaltender. Price appeared in 59 games this season, and did miss some time directly after Sochi to heal an injury suffered at the Olympics. Price had a record of 34-20-5 with a 2.32 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage. Price also notched 6 shutouts and kept the Canadiens in many games they had no business participating in. Price took the necessary steps this season to cement his status amongst the elite at the position. His calmness and leadership took over. This was the player the Canadiens drafted 5th overall... Peter Budaj had another solid year in a backup role. Great in the locker room and a good mentor for Price. Statistically, Budaj was average with a 10-8-3 record and a 2.59 goals-against and a mediocre .909 save percentage. Budaj had one shutout... Dustin Tokarski appeared in three games for the Canadiens before his breakout playoff performance. Tokarski had an impressive start against the Anaheim Ducks, which he stood tall and made 39 saves in a 4-3 overtime win. Tokarski also had a surprise start against the Buffalo Sabres, where he notched a shutout in a 2-0 win. Overall, Tokarski had a 1.84 goals-against and a .946 save percentage while going 2-0 on the year. Tokarski should battle Peter Budaj for the job of backup to Carey Price, provided the club does not trade Budaj this off-season.

Bad: Peter Budaj showed in the post-Sochi stretch that he cannot handle the bulk of the work load if Price is injured and is better suited as an occasional starter. The goal-tending was consistently solid all year long and without the goal-tending being what it was, this club would not have had the season it did.

Front Office/Coaching Staff

Good: Marc Bergevin is in the running for General Manager of the year and for all the right reasons. His off-season moves did not pan out as expected. George Parros' days as an NHLer are over. Douglas Murray no longer has the speed to play at the NHL level without being extremely sheltered by the coaching staff in terms of usage. Daniel Briere produced when given the opportunity but did not mesh with his line-mates nor did he seem to gain the trust of the coaching staff. Briere did as much as he could with his limited minutes and limited line-mates, but when the team is investing $4-million per season in you, your coaches better get maximum value out of that deal and Michel Therrien certainly did not. While his off-season acquisitions did not pan out well, his in-season moves did. Trading future free-agent Rafael Diaz, who had fallen out of favour with the coaching staff for speedy grinder Dale Weise was brilliant. Weise was a force in the playoffs and turned into a fan favorite for his tenacity. He reminds a lot of fans of Steve Begin. Landing Thomas Vanek for Sebastian Collberg was fantastic work at the trade deadline and to top things off, he also brought in Mike Weaver for future considerations. Bergevin also signed future backup goaltender Dustin Tokarsi to a contract extension before his playoff experience could have upped the cost of signing him... Stephane Waite was brought in as the goaltending coach and his work showed immediate dividends as Carey Price had a breakout season and both Peter Budaj and Dustin Tokarski were solid. A change was needed and bringing in the guy who mentored Antti Niemi and Corey Crawford to Stanley Cup wins wasted no time getting the best out of Carey Price... Michel Therrien took some risks in the playoffs, inserting Nathan Beaulieu into the lineup for Game 6 and 7 against the Boston Bruins and the rookie responded with an assist in both games. He also made the decision to start Dustin Tokarski over Peter Budaj after Carey Price went down and the rookie did all he could as the Habs fell in the playoffs.

Bad: Michel Therrien was a tale of two coaches this year. His dump and chase preference proceeded to hamper the offensive output of his team, as the squad was built around speed puck possession and not large grinders who can win corner battles. He was often outmatched by opposing coaches in terms of line match-ups and his preference to play ageing vets Francis Bouillon and Douglas Murray over the youth of Jarred Tinordi and Nathan Beaulieu was mind-boggling at times. Young forwards Lars Eller and Alex Galchenyuk did not show many signs of development and P.K Subban seemed to regress after his Norris Trophy season. For a coach who was brought in because of his ability to work with young players having coached Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin in Pittsburgh, his reliance on ageing veterans was frustrating. At times it seemed the Canadiens were winning despite Therrien and not because of Therrien. He stepped up his game in the playoffs and had the team firing on all cylinders against the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Boston Bruins however could not seem to adjust his style of play against the New York Rangers. His insistence of using a point-shot strategy against the NHL's best shot-blocking team was like hammering a square peg into a round hole. Or P.K Subban hammering a puck into the shin guards of Ryan McDonagh. His inability to adapt against the Rangers cost his team in the series. Overall, Michel Therrien has the trust of his players and never lost his locker room. The comeback win against Ottawa proved that and this team came back to win a bunch of games in the third period this year. Michel Therrien had this team playing hard for him, which is a credit to him despite all the questionable decisions he makes.

Overall, this was a very satisfying season for Habs fans. The bitterness of the playoff loss to Ottawa subsided as the team came out and developed into one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference despite many media types predicting a non-playoff season for the squad. This will be a pivotal off-season for Marc Bergevin but should be an exciting one as well. There is lot of promise on this roster and the 2014-15 season should show our young players take more strides towards greatness.

Have a great off-season, Habs Addicts!

Thanks for reading and following the team all year long!

---

Nick Malofy is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a contributor here at HabsAddict.com and give him a follow, as he can often be found rambling on Twitter.

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Monday Musings: Rangers Shutdown The Habs

Greetings Habs Addicts,

The magical playoff run is over.

The New York Rangers proved to be too much for the Canadiens to handle as they fell 1-0 in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Final. The Rangers limited the Canadiens to 18 shots on goal, including just 5 in the third period to win the best-of-seven game series 4-2. Obviously, losing Carey Price was a big blow to the Habs but their inability to generate any consistent offense five-on-five or on the powerplay was the real story. The Canadiens are a team built around speed, but the Rangers proved to be the faster and stronger team throughout the series. As such, they now have the opportunity to lose to face the Los Angeles Kings in the Stanley Cup finals. The Kings defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-4 in overtime of Game Seven of the Western Conference Final last night marking their third Game Seven win of this years playoffs.

Canadiens post-game salute to the fans.

- Michel Therrien was outcoached by Alain Vigneault throughout this round of the playoffs. Therrien was phenomenal against the Lightning and throughout the Bruins series. He must be commended for making the smart decision to insert Nathan Beaulieu into the lineup late in the Boston series. The kid had two assists in his two games as the Canadiens knocked off the Bruins. Therrien also made the risky decision to go with youngster Dustin Tokarski over veteran backup Peter Budaj after Carey Price was injured in Game One of the Rangers series. Tokarski matched up well with Henrik Lundqvist and was the only Canadiens player to truly show up on the ice in Game Six. But as I wrote in last weeks article:

The Canadiens are playing a tighter defensive system to shelter the youngster at the expense of the offense. The powerplay has been rendered irrelevant by the Rangers penalty-killing scheme and the ignorance of Michel Therrien to adapt has rendered the man-advantage useless. The Rangers are the best shot-blocking team in the NHL and the Canadiens continue to run the power-play through the point. Subban and Markov have not been able to get open for clean shots and most of their attempts have been blocked. The Canadiens should be trying to set up down low and have one of their defenders pinch into the slot for a similar shot, or continually cycle players around. Keeping P.K. Subban stationary at the point to hammer pucks at the Rangers shin guards is the hockey equivalent of trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole. Adapt, Therrien.

Ultimately, Michel Therrien did not adapt his offense to counter the Rangers defensive schemes. He went back to playing the dump-and-chase style that did not serve the team well during the regular season. The Rangers would have a man on the boards to block the dump-ins or often were the stronger players on the back end and recovered the puck in the corner and in turn created offense breakouts of their own. For as well as he matched lines and created good strategies in the first two rounds, he failed to capitalize on opportunities against the Rangers. Alain Vigneault had his Rangers better prepared to shutdown the Canadiens attack. Whether Therrien would have adapted his game plan better if Carey Price was healthy in goal is unknown and ultimately irrelevant.

- Thomas Vanek did not help his free agent stock this post-season. Vanek finished up the playoffs as a member of the fourth line while continuing to see power-play time. Overall, he averaged only 14:53 of ice time; a number strengthened by his top-line minutes in the first two rounds. In 17 playoff games, Vanek contributed 5 goals and 5 assists. Four of those goals came in a pair of two-goal games against Boston. Vanek often looked lost against the Rangers and often displayed a lack of intensity and effort. Vanek battled hard in Game Six but that was it. The sniper also failed to shoot the puck on goal when the opportunity presented itself, preferring to pass to teammates who were either not expecting it or covered. After the series, Vanek attributed his playoff performance to the inability to find chemistry with his new linemates after he was removed from the Pacioretty-Desharnais line and not to injury or lack of effort. While the honesty is commendable, a superstar in the league should be able to create offense and make their linemates better. Vanek turned down a $50 million dollar extension from the New York Islanders earlier this year and is still the biggest name available on the market. But his inability to contribute when the stakes are at their highest might be enough to make Minnesota other teams pause about handing out the max-length contract the 30-year old is looking for.

- P.K. Subban is one player who certainly helped his stock this post-season. Subban was the best player on the ice on a nightly basis for the Canadiens. Subban led the team with a 27:26 in ice time throughout the playoffs and led the team with 5 goals, 9 assists in 17 playoff games. Subban has 10 goals and 30 points in 43 career playoff games and is one player who raises his game substantially when the stakes are high. Since signing his bridge contract - which expires this off-season - Subban won the Norris Trophy as the leagues best defender during the strike-shortened 2012/13 season and this year had a career-best 53 points. He experienced on growing pains and ended up benched or in Michel Therrien's doghouse a few times throughout the season and his shooting percentage was down this season. At times it looked like Subban should be clashing with Therrien over how he was being handled but always maintained a smile and positive energy as well as a level of humbleness that showed a level of maturity. Being the extra defender at the Olympics in Sochi was tough, but he handled it well and was proud to represent the country even if his role was more of cheerleader than scoring leader. This side of Subban certainly goes against the brash and cocky persona the media has labelled him with.

On the ice, teams keyed on Subban as the season wore on and the Canadiens needed to do a better job utilizing their asset. The Nashville Predators' Shea Weber has a very similar style to Subban as both have rockets from the point and both are right handed. The Predators did not boast the strongest power-play in the NHL, but Weber had 23 goals, including 12 on the man-advantage. They cycle their players around a lot and manage to get Weber open in various spots on the ice and in turn generate more scoring opportunities. As was evidenced against the Rangers, the Canadiens needed to adapt their power-play strategy as keeping Subban relatively stationary at the point is not going to work anymore.

Subban had an incredible playoffs and will certainly be receiving a huge payday this summer. As a restricted free agent, Subban does not have the leverage to go any place he chooses and there will not be a bidding war for his services like there will be for Thomas Vanek. However, general managers are not shy to give offer sheets to players of Subban's ilk. Shea Weber was signed to a huge offer sheet by the Philadelphia Flyers that Nashville matched and last season Avalanche forward Ryan O'Reilly signed one with the Calgary Flames that Colorado matched. If Marc Bergevin does not sign Subban to a contract close to his terms, the terms may be set for him by another NHL club. With lesser players making big money (Dion Phaneuf earns $7 million per year in Toronto) the price for P.K. will be high and deservedly so. The future captain (in my opinion) of the Canadiens wants to end his career in Montreal and will probably sign an 8-year deal worth around $60-64 million dollars.

With the season being over and the news surrounding the Habs begins to dwindle throughout the summer months, Monday Musings will continue to provide you with links and insight into developments that happen, including the NHL draft, free agency and player news and rumours. Thank you for reading this season, it was an enjoyable one. The Canadiens are just a few pieces short of their end-goal: A trip to the Stanley Cup.

Enjoy your summer, Habs Addicts!

---

Nick Malofy is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a contributor here at HabsAddict.com and give him a follow, as he can often be found rambling on Twitter.

Past Monday Musings 

• Habs Need To Dig Deep
• Subban; Price Have Habs Heading Home Tied
• Why The Habs Are Nearing A Sweep Of Tampa
• 82 Games Later, Habs Are Tampa Bound
• Subban is in Therrien's Doghouse
• How Sweep It Was

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Playoff Preview: Canadiens vs Rangers (Round 3, Game 5)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens are home to host the Rangers Tuesday night at the Bell Centre in a critical Game 5 with the Habs trailing 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Martin St. Louis pushed the Habs to the brink of elimination with his overtime winner a little over 6 minutes into the extra frame. The Rangers also got goals from Carl Hagelin and Derrick Brassard, who missed the previous two games, in the 3-2 win. Montreal went 1-for-8 on the power play and gave up a short handed goal.

The game starts at 8:00 and airs on CBC and RDS.

What to Watch:

The Canadiens haven't got much scoring in this series from their big threats up front. The team has only 5 goals in 4 games from their forwards and none have scored more than once. Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta have no goals on a combined 18 shots, Thomas Vanek has 4 shots and 1 assist in the series.

Carl Hagelin opened the scoring Sunday night with his sixth goal of the playoffs. St. Louis' game winner also gave him 6 goals, tops among the Rangers in the playoffs. New York's success however continues to hinge on the stellar play of Henrik Lundqvist, the playoff leader in GAA (1.98), Save Percentage (.931) and wins (11, tied with Jonathan Quick).

What's at Stake:

The Canadiens are once again in must-win territory after surviving two elimination games against the Bruins last series. The Rangers know what the Habs are going through, they came back from a 3-1 series deficit against the Penguins in the second round, which could make things even harder for Montreal.

Who's Out:

Carey Price (knee) is still out of action for Montreal, although he did find himself back on the ice in practice on Monday, albeit without his goalie equipment. Brandon Prust will serve the second game of his two-game suspension for his late hit to Derek Stepan.

Stepan (jaw) joined the Rangers in Montreal and could be ready to play on Tuesday. Daniel Carcillo remains out with a suspension.

What Else:

The Canadiens power play finally managed to solve the Rangers penalty kill on Sunday, but only once and on 8 chances. The good news for the Habs is that after a disastrous Game 1, they've only allowed 1 goal on 8 power play attempts to the Rangers in the next 3 games.

The Question Mark:

Tell us what you think, what's been the biggest positive for the Habs in these playoffs, where do they need the most improvement?

Let us know by sending us your answers on Twitter using the #MTLHockey hashtag, or leave a comment below.

The Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show starts an hour before puck drop, join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter. And don’t miss the Post Game Show starting 5 minutes after the final siren.

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Monday Musings: Habs Need To Dig Deep

Greetings Habs Addicts,

Monday Musings is back after a two week hiatus where it was replaced by a recap of the Boston series as well as a preview of the New York Rangers series.

It looks like the Eastern Conference Final will have to go seven games this year for the Montreal Canadiens to win it. The New York Rangers currently have a stranglehold on the series 3-1. But as we have already seen in the playoffs this year, leading a series 3-1 is no sure sign of victory. Last round, the Pittsburgh Penguins had a 3-1 series lead against these very same Rangers, only to drop the final three games and lose. In the West, the Kings were down 3-0 to the San Jose Sharks in the opening round before rallying back to win the final four games.

The Habs are going to have to dig deep if they want to come back and win this series. After all their regular season dominance over the Rangers the past two years, this Rangers squad is challenging Montreal with tremendous speed through the zones and puck possession down low. For as well as Dustin Tokarski has played, losing Carey Price early in the series has been a difference maker in both the confidence level of the Canadiens as well as their style of play. The Canadiens are playing a tighter defensive system to shelter the youngster at the expense of the offense. The powerplay has been rendered irrelevant by the Rangers penalty-killing scheme and the ignorance of Michel Therrien to adapt has rendered the man-advantage useless. The Rangers are the best shot-blocking team in the NHL and the Canadiens continue to run the power-play through the point. Subban and Markov have not been able to get open for clean shots and most of their attempts have been blocked. The Canadiens should be trying to set up down low and have one of their defenders pinch into the slot for a similar shot, or continually cycle players around. Keep P.K. Subban stationary at the point to hammer pucks at the Rangers shin guards is the hockey equivalent of trying to hammer a square peg into a round hole. Adapt, Therrien.

Dustin Tokarski makes a pad save.
Photo Credit: NationalPost.com

Some musings from the series so far:

- Thomas Vanek has been largely invisible for long stretches so far in the playoffs. The soon-to-be free agent sniper has not been playing a very inspired game this post-season. Through 14 games, he has 5 goals and 9 points with 3 of those goals coming on the power-play. In this round, Vanek has been held to only 1 assist through four games and has relegated to the fourth line. Michel Therrien and the team still have faith in Vanek to produce, but for a guy who is expected to command an eight-year/$60 million contract this off-season (Minnesota has been the rumoured destination all season long), his lack of production and effort on this big stage could be costing him money. Minnesota will free up cap room with the underperforming Dany Heatley coming off the books at season's end, do they want to risk taking on a potential Heatley 2.0 by giving a max deal to Vanek? Considering the money they owe Zach Parise and Ryan Suter and cash-flow being an issue already for the Wild, do they even want Vanek or would they try to sign a similarly skilled Matt Moulson who they traded for at the deadline. Only time will tell on that front. Meanwhile, Vanek is losing the fanbase and the media in Montreal. The Canadiens need him to put forth an effort. Max Pacioretty has struggled this post-season as well, but has been contributing hits, killing penalties and when he has scored, it has won games. Big difference in the effort level for a player with a similar stat line to Vanek. David Desharnais has struggled offensively as well, but has been putting forth tremendous effort and often times has been the best player on the ice. Its easy to forgive these two players because they are competing hard and contributing. Vanek is floating around and often looks lost without the puck. He is talented enough to take over a game (two two-goal games in the Boston series) but has yet to truly do so.

- With the news that Carey Price was lost for the series with a lower-body injury, the Canadiens turned to youngster Dustin Tokarski over veteran back-up Peter Budaj. The youngster has a big-game pedigree, having backstopped teams to a Memorial Cup championship and World Junior Hockey Championships as well as a Calder Cup win in the AHL. While none of this equates to the NHL level, pressure games are pressure games. Peter Budaj has been solid, but unspectacular as a backup to Price and has struggled when forced to shoulder the load for multiple games in a row. Michel Therrien felt there was more potential upside to starting the NHL-inexperienced kid over the veteran who has 8 career playoff wins in his 13 year career. The Anaheim Ducks turned to rookie John Gibson against the Los Angeles Kings over starter Jonas Hiller and nearly stole the series.

Tokarski had a solid debut in a 3-1 loss in Game 2, stopping 27 of 30 shots. Two of the goals went in off defenders. Game 3 was a different story as Tokarski stood on his head, stopping 35 of 37 shots in a 3-2 overtime win. The gamble was starting to pay off for Therrien. Last night was different, however. Tokarski stopped 26 of 29 shots in the 3-2 overtime loss. This loss cemented a 3-1 series lead for the Rangers. Most notably, the Rangers began to exploit the 5'11'' netminders tendency to go down early and give away the top part of the net. Both Derrick Brassard and Martin St. Louis in overtime had clear breakaways and both times opted to wire the puck top shelf. Tokarski had no chance to make the save on either attempt. This is the same weakness the Bruins thought they could exploit on Carey Price. If the Bruins thought they could capitalize by shooting high on a 6'4" goalie, no doubt the Rangers will be taking liberties on a 5'11" goaltender playing a similar style of game. And if the Canadiens keep allowing them clear breaks at Tokarski, Game 5 could be ugly.

Truth be told, the Price injury forced the Canadiens' hand with Tokarski. By adding him to the active roster for the playoffs instead of being one of the so-called "Black Aces" he would be on the 23-man roster at season's end. As such, heading into next season they would be unable to send him back down to Hamilton without him first clearing waivers based on his age/experience level at the professional level. He will never clear waivers, especially after performing as well as he has. As such, the future is now for the Canadiens and Tokarski is going to be the back-up goalie next season. Ever the consummate professional, Peter Budaj has continued to support the youngster and has not displayed any outward disappointment he may have over not being given the nod. Budaj will be dealt this summer and continue to thrive in a back-up role for another team.

- The veteran scorers have not been contributing any offense this round. On defence, Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin have been exposed by the Rangers. Markov has been disappointing thus far in the playoffs, failing to contribute much in the way of offense after another typically sound regular season. Markov and Emelin have a combined 1 goal, 9 points in 15 games and each have a -4 rating. The Rangers have been beating the two in one-on-one races for pucks. Up front, Thomas Plekanec is a team-worst -7 while contributing only 3 goals, 8 points in 15 games. Our best shut-down centre has not shut down anyone very effectively. Secondary scoring has been an issue after being the strength of the Tampa series.

• Thomas Plekanec: 1 goal in last 10 games (vs Bruins, Game 3).
• Rene Bourque: 1 goal in last 10 games (vs Rangers, Game 1)
• Brian Gionta: 1 goal in 15 games (vs Tampa, Game 1)
• David Desharnais: 1 goal in 15 games (vs Tampa, Game 2)
• Brendan Gallagher: 1 goal in last 10 games (vs Boston, Game 5)

The Canadiens have had a hard to time putting pucks past Henrik Lundqvist and the lack of offensive contribution from experienced veterans has contributed to this. Brian Gionta was expected to be a contributor in this series based on his experience playing the Rangers from his days with the New Jersey Devils. This has not occurred. Rene Bourque was a force for the entire Tampa series after a disappointing regular season but while the effort level has been there, the production has ceased. 

Brandon Prust's hit on Derek Stepan
Photo Credit: Modelsportsfan.com

- Michel Therrien needs to make some changes to his game plan. As touched on earlier in the article, the Habs have been forced to play a slightly tighter defensive scheme to shelter the young goalie in a way they do not need to do with Carey Price. Overall, Therrien has been outcoached by Alain Vigneault throughout the series and while he has made some big, risky decisions - inserting Nathan Beaulieu into the line-up against Boston; starting Tokarski in goal over Budaj - his in-game management has regressed as the rounds move on. His insistence of relying on dumping the puck off the boards as well as funnelling the offense through the point has allowed the patient Rangers to continually block shots and dump-ins along the boards while generating turnovers. This has in turn lead to fast breaks and scoring chances against. With Brandon Prust out of the lineup after being suspended two games for a late, violent hit that broke the jaw of the Rangers' Derek Stepan, the physical game that the Canadiens displayed against the Bruins has been largely invisible against the speedier Rangers. In Game 4, the Canadiens had only 18 hits which was essentially one period's worth against the Bruins. Therrien needs to change his game plan because after four games, he has not found any sustained offense, even when there has been sustained pressure.  

The pivotal Game 5 will be played on Tuesday in Montreal. Therrien needs to adapt and the Canadiens need to playing a strong 60-minutes or else next week's Monday Musings will be a season recap. 

---

Nick Malofy is a transplanted Montrealer, currently living in evil LeafLand. He is a contributor here at HabsAddict.com and give him a follow, as he can often be found rambling on Twitter.

Past Monday Musings 

• Subban; Price Have Habs Heading Home Tied
• Why The Habs Are Nearing A Sweep Of Tampa
• 82 Games Later, Habs Are Tampa Bound
• Subban is in Therrien's Doghouse
• How Sweep It Was
• Are We Winning Despite #TherrienLogic

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Playoff Preview: Canadiens at Bruins (Round 2, Game 7)

 
Match Up:

Wednesday night, the Canadiens and Bruins square off one final time this season, for the 12th time this season and the 903rd time overall. Boston will host Game 7 for the third time in the last four meetings, dating back to 2004 when only Andrei Markov and Patrice Bergeron were in the lineups for Montreal's 2-0 win.

Max Pacioretty, Lars Eller and Thomas Vanek pitched in with the offense in Montreal's 4-0 win on Monday to force Game 7, while Price posted 26 saves for the shutout, with a little help from David Desharnais.

The game starts at 7 and airs on CBC and RDS.

What to Watch:

The Habs have found some serious production from their defensemen in this series. PK Subban has 4 goals and 3 assists, Weaver and Bouillon have both chipped in with goals, Markov has all of his 5 assists in the in these playoffs against the Bruins and even Nathan Beaulieu chipped in with an assist in his first ever NHL playoff game. The better news for the Habs was that in Game 6 the offensive stars kicked in, as Vanek, Eller and Pacioretty took care of the scoring. Vanek had his second two-goal game of the series on Monday.

The Bruins stayed true-to-form in this series, they haven't relied on one hero for success and spread the scoring around. Reilly Smith has led the way with 3 goals, as many as the top-line of Jarome Iginla, Milan Lucic and David Krejci have scored combined. Krejci led the Bruins in points this year with 69, but he has just 3 assists in 11 playoff games so far.

What's at Stake:

Game 7. Win and move on, lose and go home.

Who's Out:

Alex Galchenyuk (knee) might be just a few days from being game ready, but he'll miss his second straight playoff series for the Habs.

The Bruins won't get any of their wounded back for Game 7 either, Dennis Seidenberg (lower body), Chris Kelly (back) and Adam McQuaid (ankle) remain out.

What Else:

As they've done for several big games in the past, the Habs are opening the doors to the Bell Center to watch Game 7. Tickets went on sale at 10 dollars apiece with proceeds going to the Montreal Canadiens Children's Foundation.

The Habs and Bruins meet in Game 7 for a 9th time in their histories, the most in professional sports. Patrice Bergeron and Andrei Markov have both played in 3 of the 8 prior meetings, Carey Price and Tomas Plekanec have played a pair, as have Milan Lucic, David Krejci, Shawn Thornton and Zdeno Chara.

The Question Mark:

Who are your series MVPs picks and who will be the star on Wednesday?

Let us know what you think, leave a comment or send us a tweet using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.

The Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show starts an hour before puck drop, join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter. And don’t miss the Post Game Show starting 5 minutes after the final siren.

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Playoff Preview: Canadiens vs Bruins (Round 2, Game 3)

Match Up:

The Canadiens welcome the Bruins to the Bell Centre Tuesday night when they host just their third home game of the playoffs, the fewest of any team still fighting for the Cup. The game starts at 7:00 and will air on RDS and CBC.

The series is tied 1-1 after the Bruins once again overcame a 2-goal deficit in the third period Saturday afternoon. This time around the Bruins were able to complete their comeback when Riley Smith beat Carey Price with a wrist shot after receiving a cross-ice pass from Torey Krug. An empty-net goal from Milan Lucic pushed the final score to 5-3.Zdeno Chara had 1 assist in Game 2 and finished the match with a plus-5 rating.

What to Watch:

For the second straight game, the Canadiens tallied a pair of power play goals on Saturday, both were Thomas Vanek deflections of PK Subban shots. The Habs are 4-for-9 with the man advantage in 2 games against the Bruins after going 2-for-13 against the Lightning in Round 1. On the penalty kill side of special teams the Habs have not only shut down the Bruins through 2 games (thanks largely to some stellar play from Carey Price), they've also been well-disciplined. The Canadiens have allowed just 12 power plays against in 6 games, less than any other team so far this postseason.

The Bruins were shut out in their first playoff game this year, a 1-0 loss to the Wings, but Patrice Bergeron has found the scoresheet in every game since. Bergeron has 2 goals and 6 assists in his last 6 games, picking up a helper in each. Brad Marchand was held pointless in the opening round but has 4 assists already in 2 games against the Canadiens.

What's at Stake:

By splitting the first two games in Boston, the Canadiens return to Montreal with home ice advantage but they'll need to win the next 2 games to keep it. Both teams will be looking to improve after the opening two games, the Bruins found themselves trailing by a pair in the third period of each game while the Habs were unable to hold onto those 2-goal leads despite stellar goaltending.

Who's Out:

Alex Galchenyuk (knee) has started skating on his own but does not seem close to a return. Rene Bourque (flu) missed Monday's practice, there's been no word yet on whether he's expected to miss Tuesday's game.

Michel Therrien will have some choices to make in terms of healthy scratches for Game 3. On defense, Douglas Murray skated in Francis Bouillon's spot during Monday's practice. Meanwhile Travis Moen was scratched in Game 2 after playing his first game since returning from injury in Game 1, and Ryan White has yet to play in the playoffs, both were on the fourth line in practice. Brandon Prust was skating as an extra forward in the latest practice, there's speculation that he's been playing injured throughout the playoffs.

The Bruins are still missing Dennis Seidenberg (lower body), Chris Kelly (back) and Adam McQuaid (ankle).

What Else:

After getting called for icing a stunning 12 times in Game 1, the Canadiens improved dramatically in Game 2 icing the puck just 3 times. For their part, the Bruins have hardly had trouble in that department, they've iced the puck just 5 times in two games against the Habs. The Canadiens will  want to avoid defensive zone faceoffs as much as possible, they've been out-dueled at the dot 88 to 68 so far in the series. That's a mere 43.6% success rate for Montreal.

The Question Mark:

We want to hear from you: Has this Habs-Bruins series lived up to your expectations so far or has there been something missing?

Let us know what you think, leave a comment or send us a tweet 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.

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Which Habs Players Have Success Against The Bruins?

Now that we know that the Montreal Canadiens will square off against the Boston Bruins in the second round of the Stanley Cup finals, why don't we have a look at which players of the current Habs edition have had success against the Big Bad Bruins during their career.

The 30-year-old Austrian, who had played his entire career for the Buffalo Sabres (another fierce rival of the Bruins) prior to being moved to the Islanders earlier in the season, was GM Marc Bergevin's biggest acquisition at the trade deadline. Without any surprise, we see that Vanek leads all players with more than on point per game against Boston during his career. Quiet during the first round against the Tampa Bay Lightning (1 g and 2 a for 3 pts), Vanek will need to continue his dominance of the Bruins if the Canadiens have any hope to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

Player	POS	Games	Goals	Assists	Points	PPG	Plus/Minus
Thomas Vanek	LW/RW	55	30	32	62	1.13	22
Daniel Briere	C	50	14	28	42	0.84	-6
Brendan Gallagher	RW	8	1	5	6	0.75	4
David Desharnais	C	19	5	9	14	0.74	6
Max Pacioretty	LW	22	8	7	15	0.68	11
Tomas Plekanec	C	56	11	26	37	0.66	-1
Andrei Markov	D	59	9	27	36	0.61	-2
PK Subban	D	20	4	8	12	0.60	-1
Brian Gionta	RW	46	13	12	25	0.54	0
Alex Galchenyuk	LW/C	7	1	1	2	0.29	-2
Alexei Emelin	D	11	2	1	3	0.27	-2
Lars Eller	C	18	3	1	4	0.22	-7
Josh Gorges	D	32	0	6	6	0.19	2
Travis Moen	LW	28	0	5	5	0.18	-2
Brandon Prust	LW/C/RW	16	0	2	2	0.13	1
Ryan White	C/RW	8	0	1	1	0.13	-4
Francis Bouillon	D	44	1	4	5	0.11	-3
Mike Weaver	D	21	0	2	2	0.10	-6
Rene Bourque	LW	8	0	0	0	0.00	-4
Michael Bournival	C	3	0	0	0	0.00	0
Dale Weiss	RW	3	0	0	0	0.00	-1
Douglas Murray	D	11	0	0	0	0.00	1
	Total	545	102	177	279	0.51	6

Another veteran who has had tremendous success against the Bruins during his career is playoff performer Daniel Briere. The veteran who struggled mightily during the regular season was pivotal during the first round's sweep of the Lightning, feeding Dale Weiss in overtime for the game-winning tally in Game 1 and scoring a big goal in Game 4 to give the Habs the lead. The 36-year-old centre, who now has 111 points in 112 career playoff game will be instrumental against Montreal's arch-enemy.

Other players such as Rene Bourque and Lars Eller are struggling against Boston and will need to raise their level of play to chip in offensively if the big guns are not producing.

Who do you think will be the Habs' offensive heroes against the mighty Bruins?

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Fred is a professional freelance translator/writer;#NHL #MLB Lead Editor at http://  dobberbaseball.com/  & Lead Editor and Senior Columnist at http://habsaddict.com 

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