Looking ahead to the Habs final 35 games and beyond

Starting this Saturday, the Montreal Canadiens have 35 games left to play. After tonight's 1-0 win over the NY Rangers, the Habs are in 2nd place in the Atlantic division, a point behind the TB Lightning. Fittingly, the Habs are scheduled to play Tampa Bay three times in the month of March. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Canadiens would face hated rivals Boston Bruins, who they defeated in a hard-fought seven game series last season.

The Month of February

The schedule makers have thrown the Canadiens a bit of a bone this month as the Habs play a bunch of teams currently out of the playoffs. In fact, 11 of the 14 teams Montreal plays in February are currently on the outside looking in. Toronto visits the Bell Center twice, on Valentine's day and two weeks later on the 28th. The Leafs fired coach Randy Carlyle January 6th and the team is in turmoil. The stiffest test will likely be February 24th vs. St. Louis. The Blues are a fast team and have players who can hit the net. One game the Habs will need to be wary of is on February 3rd against Buffalo. I say this because the Sabres are currently on a lengthy losing streak spanning 13 games and teams like this that desperately want to win a game to save face can be the most dangerous to play. Also, earlier this season, the Sabres swept a home-and-home series that was closer than it should have been thanks to the goaltending. Montreal has two back-to-backs in February, so expect Dustin Tokarski to get a couple of starts this month. It is essential that Montreal win most of the games this month. Most of the games are versus teams that have zero chance of making the playoffs. As you will see below the schedule for March is much more difficult

The Month of March

Habs fans, brace yourselves, the month of March is going to be a difficult mountain to climb. In the first week of March, Montreal goes on a California road trip where they will meet the top team in the NHL (Anaheim Ducks) March 4th and the defending Stanley Cup champs (LA Kings) the next night. Oh yeah, and March 2nd Montreal visits San Jose to start the trip. It might be a challenge not to look past this game for the players. When the Habs return home from that California adventure, they face Tampa Bay in the first of three meetings over twenty days. A quick note about Tampa Bay. I think Montreal was fortunate to sweep the Lightning. I still think they would have won last year's playoff round with a fully healthy Steven Stamkos in the line-up. However, Stamkos was barely back from his broken leg last year. This season, Stamkos has been lighting it up and he burned the Habs a few times this season. This month will be a good chance to prepare to playoff-style competition. The teams Montreal faces are the top teams in the league and Montreal needs to figure out how to beat these teams now as they will be facing teams very similar to them in terms of difficulty level a few weeks later

The month of April

At this point, Montreal should have locked down a playoff spot if they win the games they are supposed to win in February and March. If that is the case, some of the veterans such as Subban, Pacioretty and Markov may sit out a game or so to rest for the playoffs. Also, Carey Price will likely back-up Tokarski a couple of games. Three of the five games this month are against non-playoff teams (Florida, Toronto and NJ). The Habs also play Washington and Detroit. There is one back-to-back scheduled April 2-3.

Potential Playoff Match-ups

As I mentioned at the beginning of this blog post, the Habs would face rival Boston if the playoffs started tomorrow. However, this matchup is far from certain as there is still a lot of hockey to be played. I think the current eight playoff teams will end up being the eight that eventually make the playoffs as eighth place New York Rangers have an eight-point cushion over 9th place Florida at the moment. Other potential playoff opponents are the Rangers and the Capitals. I think Montreal has the best chance against Boston, followed by Washington and then NY. Montreal faced two of the three in last year's playoffs, losing to NY in the 3rd round and defeating Boston in 7 in the 2nd round. The last time Montreal and Washington met in the playoffs was in the 1st round of the 09-10 season when the then 8th seeded Habs defeated the top seeded Capitals in seven entertaining games. One cannot make any comparisons between the teams as both Montreal and Washington have undergone significant personnel changes in the past five years, especially Washington who has a completely different coach in Barry Trotz. Anyway, Montreal should be able to beat any of these teams on any given night. Of course the challenge is to do it four times in seven games or less. I think doing so will be toughest against NY, who has pretty much the same line-up as last year and has proven to be a tough match-up this season, including a 5-0 spanking by NY back in November, but Carey Price was not in goal for that one-sided lost. Price is the X factor!

The next 35 games should be fun to watch. Go Habs Go!

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Game 47: Canadiens at Rangers

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (30-13-3) are in New York to face the Rangers (27-14-4) Thursday night at Madison Square Garden. The game starts at 7:00 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the third and final meeting between the Habs and Rangers this year. The Original Six rivals have split their two prior matches, with each team winning on home ice. Martin St. Louis had a goal and an assist the last time these teams met and Henrik Lundqvist posted 21 saves en route to a 5-0 shut out.

What to Watch

The Canadiens seem to have found their way with the man advantage after struggling for most of the season. The Habs have power play goals in four of their last five games, going 8-for-23 over that span. And if the power play is working, you can bet that so is Andrei Markov. The General leads the Canadiens with 15 power play points on the season. Markov has seven assists in his last five games.

After facing Tyler Seguin and the Stars on Tuesday, the Canadiens will need to deal with another elite scorer in Rick Nash when they play the Rangers on Thursday. Nash is second in the league in goals with 28 on the year, he's on pace to handily beat his career high of 41 goals.

What's at Stake

While the Habs still lead the Atlantic division in terms of points percentage, they're also still trailing the Lightning and Red Wings in actual points. The Wings have won six straight games to lay claim to top spot in the division, but they lead the Habs by just two points in the standings, with the Canadiens holding two games in hand.

Who's Out

P.A. Parenteau (concussion) is still out for the Canadiens and they've called up AHL standout Gabriel Dumont to fill in as a 13th forward. Dumont has played 15 career games with the Habs, but hasn't played with the big club yet this season.

The Rangers may be without Mats Zuccarello on Thursday, he missed Wednesday's practice due to illness.

What Else

The Carey Price for Hart talk is heating up at the midway point, and for good reason. No less than four articles came out this week suggesting Price as a serious Hart candidate, from The Globe and Mail, The Hockey News, Puck Daddy, and Habs Eyes on the Prize. While Price is not quite a runaway Vezina lock at this point, there's no doubt he'll be a nominee if his recent play continues.

Price heads into Thursday's action with a 25-10-2 record, a .929 save percentage and a 2.15 GAA, some of the best numbers he's posted in his career.

The Question Mark

The Canadiens have just traded for the best possible player on the market to meet their needs, who did they get?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Rangers.

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Game 46: Canadiens vs Stars

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (29-13-3) return to action Tuesday night after the All Star break, playing host to the Stars (21-18-7). The game is set to start at 7:30 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the second and final game between the Habs and Stars this season, and the only one in Montreal. The last time these teams met, Dallas skated away with an easy 4-1 victory on home ice. Tyler Seguin had a pair of goals and an assist in the win.

What to Watch

Carey Price and Jiri Sekac return from their All-Star experiences in Columbus and the rest of the Canadiens return from their extended breaks looking to pick up where they left off. The last time the Habs played, Max Pacioretty was held pointless in a 2-1 overtime victory against the Predators, ending his seven game point streak. PK Subban and Alex Galchenyuk each had a goal and an assist in the win over Nashville.

Averaging over three goals per game, the Stars have the league's fourth ranked offense, led by the NHL's top goal-scorer, Tyler Seguin. Seguin is second overall in points with 52, 12 points more than the Stars' next most productive player, Jamie Benn, who currently has 40 points, including 13 goals.

What's at Stake

While the Canadiens are third in points in the Atlantic division, they still hold a lead over the Lightning and Red Wings in terms of points percentage. The Habs are locked into a close race for top spot in the division that's likely to last the rest of the season, so every point matters.

Who's Out

A week off is usually enough to cure what ails you, but P.A. Parenteau (concussion) is still not ready to play on Tuesday. Aside from that, the Habs are healthy as their schedule is about to kick into overdrive.

The Stars will see lots of players returning to action on Tuesday, but former Hab Erik Cole (upper body) is not one of them, he's expected to miss the match. Valeri Nichushkin (hip) is also missing, his November hip surgery has kept him out of the lineup for most of the season.

What Else

For the Habs a long break translates into a cramped schedule in their next stretch of the season. With only 45 games played to this point, only the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers have played less than the Canadiens this season. To compensate, the Habs will play 28 games between January 27 and March 21, a span of 54 days.

The Question Mark

How much of the All-Star Weekend did you watch and what was your favorite moment?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:30 to preview the Canadiens and the Stars.

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The Good, Average & Poor ... Habs First Half Analysis

Greetings Habs Addicts!

Photo Credit: latimes.com

The NHL All-Star game in Columbus was played yesterday, with Team Toews defeating the hometown team, Team Foligno, by a Lacrosse score of 17-12. That's right. There were 29 goals scored in the game, or basically a goal every two minutes of play. Whether or not they were playing with six attackers each and no goalies has yet to be confirmed. Carey Price was the lone all-star for the Canadiens this year, even though P.K. Subban and Max Pacioretty had numbers deserving of an all-star berth. Price was solid, allowing four goals on 16 shots. Price was also wearing a mike and spent most of his time answering questions from Glenn Healy and providing commentary while making saves. It was a lot of fun to watch.

The All-Star game generally marks what is considered to be the half-way point of the NHL season. As for that, it is time to take a look at the the Montreal Canadiens performance to-date.

Overall Record (29-13-3, 3rd in Atlantic; 4th in the East; 8th overall in the NHL)

The Habs are having another season that places them in the upper echelon of the NHL. Michel Therrien continues to ice a team that does not quit when down in a game, in fact the Habs have had a tendency this year to show up for the second and third periods of games while snoozing through the first periods. The Canadiens are second only to the Buffalo Sabres for least amount of first period goals. But the Canadiens are also amongst the league leaders in third-period goals as a team, illustrating a team that does not quit and gets better as the game progresses. It seems if the Habs can come out of the first period tied or trailing by one, they likely leave with a victory. If they lead after the first, they are almost guaranteed a victory. They have also won seven games in overtime or shootout. Even when they fall behind, they do not quit. Stealing point in games they have no business being in has turned into a trend. Carey Price has been the saving grace to the team this year and should be a front-runner for the Vezina Trophy at the end of the year, if not the Hart Trophy as well. No player has meant more to their team than Price means to the Canadiens.

Statistically, the Canadiens have been good but not as good as their record illustrates. Offensively, the Canadiens average 2.6 goals per game, which is 21st in the NHL. On the power-play, they have been operating at a 17% clip which is also good for 21st in the NHL. They have been inept with the man advantage for most of the season, Of the 23 goals the team has scored with the man-advantage, seven of them have come in the last four games. This may be a sign that things are picking up, in which case the Canadiens can be a force in the second half of the season. They need the power play to step up as its hard to continue winning when one-third of your victories come in one-goal games (11 in 29 wins).

Defensively the Habs have been solid. Michel Therrien has iced a defensively responsible team and the bulk of the credit goes to Carey Price. The Canadiens rank 4th overall in the NHL allowing only 2.4 goals per game. They also kill penalties among the best in the league, operating at an 84.9% clip which is 5th best in the NHL. Solid defensive play has kept the Canadiens in games they had no business being in this year. They have allowed some high shot totals on Price, who thrives with the high workload. They need the offense to catch up because Chris Kreider illustrated to us what happens when Price cannot carry the workload. Dustin Tokarski has been a decent backup, but he cannot take the reigns and run with them.

Forwards

Good - Max Pacioretty leads the team with 21 goals and 38 points in 45 games played. Patches has been consistent this year and entered the break coming off a six-game goal scoring streak ... Tomas Plekanec has been consistent this year with 13 goals and 32 points in 45 games anchoring the second line. Plekanec has had a revolving door of line-mates, but has continued to be the teams best two-way player ... Alex Galchenyuk has been coming into his own and has 12 goals and 31 points in 45 games this year. Chucky has finally moved to the centre spot on the top line where he exploded for his first-career hat-trick in December before being moved back to left wing in recent games ... Dale Weise has carved his niche in Montreal as a feisty spark plug with some skills. Fan favorite Weise has seen power-play time, top line time and has six goals and 16 points in 42 games played and has exceeded expectations of him coming into the season.

Photo Credit: usatoday.com

Average - Brendan Gallagher has continued his pesky ways and is continually driving to the net and providing screens on the power play. Gallagher has 11 goals and 25 points in 45 games, on pace for another 20 goal, 45-50 point season. Typical Gallagher ... David Desharnais struggled early on this year and lost his spot on the top line. Since being separated from Pacioretty, Davey found his niche on the third line as a winger and started shooting more. For the season he has 7 goals and 24 points in 45 games ... Jiri Sekac represented the Canadiens at the All-Star game skills competition as a rookie, but spent a stretch of games as a healthy scratch and has seven goals and 15 points in 38 games. Sekac has tremendous skills and has been one of the best players on the ice a few times. Developing consistency will be the key to his development as the season goes forward ... Brandon Prust is Brandon Prust. Chippy, scrappy and fighting as always, Prust has three goals, 11 points and leads the team with 83 penalty minutes. No one is taking liberties on the Habs young players with Prust in the line-up. For a player who has an injury history due to his playing style, Prust has appeared in all 45 games this season.

Poor - P.A. Parenteau was an off-season acquisition that was expected to provide secondary scoring. While his Corsi stats are solid, he has not found the score sheet at all and has a measly six goals and 15 points in 40 games while dealing with concussion-like symptoms. Parenteau was expected to provide 50-60 points of offense and that has not happened. He is in position to improve in the second half ... Manny Malhotra was brought in to win faceoffs and kill penalties. That he does well. At even strength, he has one assist and is a -8 in 42 games played. That he does not do well ... Lars Eller continues to frustrate fans and coaches alike with his inconsistent play. With a second line skill-set and tons of potential, Eller is backing up his big contract with eight goals and 15 points in 40 games played ... Michael Bournival has had a season lost to injury, but has two goals and one assist in 15 games . He should improve over the second half ... Hamilton Bulldogs' call-ups Sven Andrighetto, Eric Tangradi, Drayson Bowman, and Christian Thomas have combined for two goals and three total points in a combined 25 games played with the big club this season, mostly in fourth-line roles. All three points belong to Andrighetto.

Defence

Good - P.K. Subban is playing at a high level as usual. He has really come on as of late with the recent rebirth of the power play. For the year, Subban has 11 goals and 31 points in 45 games, leading the team with 25:21 in average ice time and is a +7 as well. Subban has seen more time on the penalty kill this year and continues to electrify the crowds with his stick skills ... Andrei Markov continues to defy the clock and has been our most consistent defenseman on a game-to-game basis. Markov has lost a step, but makes up for it with sound positioning and continues to quarterback the power play. Markov has five goals and 26 points in 45 games, 14 of those points coming on the power-play. Markov should have his ice time monitored going forward, as he is averaging over 24 minutes per game, which has worn him down the past two seasons.

Photo Credit: thescore.com

Average - Sergei Gonchar was acquired in a deal for Travis Moen and has provided one goal and ten points in 29 games. Gonchar is the elder statesman on the blue-line at 40 years old and continues to QB the second unit, paired up as a mentor with youngster Nathan Beaulieu ... Beaulieu has finally cracked the line-up full time and has only four assists in 30 games, but has been solid defensively and should continue to improve as the season goes forward.

Bad - Alexei Emelin has one goal and 11 points in 43 games and is a +3. On paper, he looks solid. He continues to hit hard, but not the same bone-crushing hits we've seen in the past. He has been tentative since returning from his knee injury last year and is often out of position, turning the puck over or looking lost. Emelin has been paired up with another disappointment in Tom Gilbert, who has two goals and seven points in 42 games played. Brought in to be a puck-moving, right handed shot on the power-play, Gilbert has been mediocre at best at the two skills he was expected to possess ... Mike Weaver provides leadership and depth to the blue line, blocking shots and killing penalties when he finds his way into the line-up. Age and playing style has caught up to Weaver this season, but he still has four assists in 27 games played ... Jarred Tinordi has appeared in nine games this season, with two assists and a -5 to show for it. He has spent the bulk of his season in Hamilton where he just returned after missing games due to a concussion. This season may be lost for Tinordi at the NHL level.

Goaltending

Good - Carey Price has continued his all-world play this season, compiling a 24-10-2 record with a 2.15 goals-against and a .929 save percentage. He has two shutouts as well. Without Price, the Canadiens are not a playoff team. Period ... Dustin Tokarski took the reigns from Peter Budaj during the playoffs last year and is the backup to Price this season. In 10 games played, Tokarski has a 5-3-1 record with a 2.50 goals-against and a .917 save percentage. If Price were to be injured, Tokarski can handle the load better than Budaj, but is better served as a more than capable backup. Combined, this goaltending tandem is one of the NHL's best.

The Habs return to action on Tuesday, as the Dallas Stars head into Montreal. The Canadiens also face the New York Rangers and Washington Capitals this week and look to continue their winning ways as the latter half of the NHL season commences.

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

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Game 45: Canadiens vs Predators

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

After beating the best team in the East on Saturday, the Canadiens (28-13-3) play host to the Central division leading Predators (30-10-4). The game is set to start at 7:30 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the first of two meetings between the Habs and Preds this season, and the only one in Montreal. Last year these team played a pair of tight games, with the Habs losing the first 2-1 on a late goal by Seth Jones and winning the second 4-3 in overtime thanks to a fantastic individual effort from David Desharnais.

What to Watch

Tomas Plekanec had a career night on Saturday with two goals and two assists in Montreal's 6-4 win over the Islanders. Plekanec was playing his third straight game on a line with Max Pacioretty, who picked up a pair of assists of his own on Saturday. Pacioretty's six-game goal streak came to an end last game, but his current seven-game point streak is still intact.

Not only has Filip Forsberg been one of the biggest stories for the Predators this season, he's been a big story in the NHL as the current front-runner for rookie of the year. Forsberg has 39 points in 43 games and a third best +23 rating on the season.

What's at Stake

After beating the Islanders on Saturday, the Canadiens get another chance to prove they deserve to be considered among the league's elite by taking on the NHL's best team in terms of points percentage. The Predators have earned 72.7% of their possible points this season to lead all teams, but the Habs are hot on their heels at 67.0%, good for fifth overall.

Who's Out

All signs point to a return to action for Carey Price, who wasn't dressed for Saturday's game. P.A. Parenteau (concussion) is expected to miss Tuesday's game as symptoms of the concussion he suffered against the Devils earlier in the month have returned.

While Price may be ready to return on Tuesday, Preds netminder Pekka Rinne (knee) won't be back for at least the next few weeks. Eric Nystrom (upper body) and Ryan Ellis (lower body) are also out.

What Else

This is the last game before the Habs break for the upcoming All-Star Game this weekend. When they return to action, the Canadiens will play a stretch of 21 games in 40 days from January 27 to March 7.

The Question Mark

Last game we asked which Hab needs to step up in the second half of the season, this time we want to know which Hab has most surpassed your expectations so far this season.

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:30 to preview the Canadiens and the Predators.

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Game 44: Canadiens vs Islanders

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (27-13-3) return home to host the Islanders (30-13-3) Saturday night at the Bell Centre. The game starts at 7:00 and airs on TVA and Sportsnet.

This is the second of three meetings between the Habs and Isles this season, and the only game they'll play in Montreal. The Canadiens beat the Islanders 3-1, thanks in large part to a 37-save performance from Carey Price. The Canadiens were out-shot 38-21 in that game, and 14-3 in the first period alone.

What to Watch

Max Pacioretty has scored seven goals in his last six games. There are only five Canadiens that have more than seven goals all season. Pacioretty is now seventh in the league in goals, and with 158 shots on the season, he's up to fifth in the league in that department.

The Islanders are coming off a 6-3 victory over the Penguins on Friday. Kyle Okposo tallied four goals in the victory including three straight in the third period to put Isles ahead for good in that game. The team's captain and leading scorer, John Tavares, had three assists Friday, giving him 42 points in 44 games this season.

What's at Stake

Saturday night, the Habs have a chance to prove themselves against the best team in the East (it's still hard to get used to that). The Isles are four points ahead of the Habs with the Canadiens holding a game in hand. There's still a lot of hockey left to play this season, but a win on Saturday will give Montreal a big boost heading into next week's All-Star break.

Who's Out

Carey Price is day-to-day with an upper body injury, most likely suffered when Pacioretty shoved Matt Calvert into him during Montreal's 3-2 win over Columbus on Wednesday. The injury likely isn't serious and Price will probably be back in action soon so there's no reason for Habs fans to panic, but don't let that stop you.

The Islanders are without Mikhail Grabovski (lower body), Lubomir Visnovsky (upper body), and Matt Carkner (back).

What Else

The Canadiens are still trying to find their groove in 2015. After wrapping up last year on a 7-1-0 run, they've been less successful in the new year, going 3-2-1 so far this month, and 1-2-1 in their last four games. With the Detroit Red Wings catching the Habs in the standings, and teams like the Bruins, Capitals and Rangers hot on their heels, the team will need to pick up their play to defend their spot in the conference.

The Question Mark

With Carey Price and Max Pacioretty leading the charge recently for Montreal, who else needs to improve their recent play the most to help the Habs to victory?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Islanders.

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Zachary Fucale: Memorial Cup, Gold Medal...Stanley Cup next?

Habs prospect Zachary Fucale was scheduled to start his first game with his new team (Quebec Remparts) last night. After having won the Memorial Cup in 2013 along with the Junior World Championship earlier this year, I thought it would be a good idea to take a look back at Fucale's career and stats to give us an idea of how well he is doing, since many are thinking he is our future in terms of goaltending.

Let's start by looking at his QMJHL regular season stats. Over the past three years (from 2011 to 2014), he managed to keep a record of 113 wins, 32 losses, 12 overtime losses, 8 shootout losses while keeping a 2.59 goal against average and a 0,903 save %. This year, he is going on a 13-9-2 record with a 3.20 GAA and a 0.890%. While he seems to be slumping statistically, we must not forget he was playing for Halifax Mooseheads, who lost their two star players (Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin) over the past two seasons. Let's keep in mind he will now be playing for the Quebec Remparts, who will be the host team for the upcoming Memorial Cup. These Remparts have built up a competitive team in order to win the Canadian championship by getting back forward Anthony Duclair from the New York Rangers and trading for defenseman Matt Murphy, so technically, Fucale should start getting more consecutive wins as well as dropping his GAA and raising his save %.

As for his playoffs stats, he went 35-12, keeping a 2.54 GAA and a 0,903%. What this basically means is that whatever the game or the situation he is in, he will be the same goaltender, pressure or not. By keeping pretty much the same stats throughout the entire season (playoffs included), he is proving that he is a reliable goaltender over the long term. 

Not only that, but Fucale went undefeated during the latest Junior World Championship, being Canada's #1 goaltender. During the gold medal game, he had an opportunity to show everyone how he would do under pressure, and he did very good, protecting a one-goal lead up until the very end of the game for a 5-4 win over Russia, especially considering Canada's defense was invisible after their fifth goal.

Last night marked his first start with the Remparts. Fucale got a pretty quiet, albeit solid night, stopping all 11 shots he faced. However, let's just say his entire team played very well, giving pretty much nothing to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. To give you an idea of how one-sided this game was, at one point during the game, Quebec had more goals than Acadie-Bathurst had shots on Fucale. With 16 more wins, the Rosemere native will be ranked #1 in terms of all-time wins by a goaltender in the QMJHL. Not a small feat

If you were in Marc Bergevin' shoes, would you trade one of Montreal's current goaltenders? Considering Price is being a top 5 NHL goaltender, Tokarski being very promising and Mike Condon doing pretty good with Hamilton, what would you do ?


Follow me on twitter: @Azgarde54

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Game 43: Canadiens at Senators

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (27-12-3) are in Ottawa to face the Senators (17-17-8) Thursday night. The game starts at 7:30 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the second of five meetings between the Habs and Sens this season, and the first of two in Ottawa. The Canadiens won the first meeting this season 4-1. Alex Galchenyuk had a goal and an assist, and Max Pacioretty had a pair of assists in the victory.

What to Watch

The Canadiens' power play returned with a vengeance Wednesday against the Blue Jackets, converting three of their seven opportunities. Max Pacioretty scored twice and PK Subban potted his fourth power play goal of the season to help the Habs overcome a 2-0 third period deficit en route to their 3-2 victory.

Mike Hoffman has been the biggest pleasant surprise for the Senators this season, he leads the team with 15 goals and a +18 rating. Bobby Ryan leads the Sens with 30 points on the year, he'll be the team's only representative in next week's All-Star Game.

What's at Stake

The Canadiens are back within striking distance of top spot in the Eastern Conference, sitting one point back of the Lightning and Penguins, and two points back of the Islanders. While the Senators may be division rivals, their .500 record has them 15 points back of the Habs at the midway point, so it's safe to say this isn't a four-point game for the Canadiens.

Who's Out

The Canadiens are healthy again heading into Thursday's action, despite a scare to Carey Price in Wednesday's game. Blue Jackets forward Matt Calvert was sent barrelling into Price at the end of the first period, but Price stayed in net to finish the game. Still with matches on back-to-back nights, expect Dustin Tokarski to get the call in Ottawa.

The Senators are missing noted tough guy Chris Neil (knee), along with Zack Smith (wrist) and Mark Borowiecki (leg).

What Else

The Canadiens have won six straight on the road heading into Ottawa on Thursday. Their 14-7-1 record on the road is among the best in the NHL, behind only the Islanders in terms of road wins and points. In fact, with 29 points on the road, the Canadiens have earned as many points away from the Bell Centre as the Oilers have collected so far this season!

The Question Mark

What was your first impression of the Plekanec, Pacioretty, Gallagher line?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle 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 Blue Jackets.

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Does the Future Look bright for the Habs... or Not?

Trevor Timmins, what has he done for our Habs since taking over as head of scouting in 2003?

As any one who follows hockey will tell you, getting the draft selections right can make you a Stanley Cup contender.

However, if you get them wrong too many times then you will be a perennial bottom-half dweller.
So getting back to Mr. Timmins, how has he done?

His first go around was in 2003, a stacked draft year. In my opinion he real messed it up at his first draft. At the 10th pick overall, he selected Andrei Kostitsyn. At the 40th and 61st picks he selected Cory Urquhart (who you ask) and Maxim Lapierre. Andrei was okay when he played with Kovy and Pleky a few years back, but then disappeared. Lapierre was never more than a fourth liner at best and Urquhart is a no show.

Who could have Timmins selected? Well, it is an impressive list I am about to share, and it makes you cry when you think we could have had even one of these guys instead of what we did get. How about Jeff Carter, Dustin Brown, Brent Seabrook, Zach Parise, Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Keslar, Corey Perry, Patrice Bergeron, Shea Weber, and David Backes. Anyone of those guys would be a huge help to our Habs today. How he could have missed this talent pool and picked what he did I will never understand.

However, I will give him a little bit of a break since it was his first time at the draft table. What about his second sit down at the draft table? In 2004 he selected Kyle Chipchura at the 18th selection. Who could he have selected instead and was still available instead of Chipchura? How would Travis Zajac look with the CH on his chest? What about Andrej Meszaros, Jeff Schultz, Mike Green, or David Krejci. So in my opinion year two was another big bust.

In 2005, we had the 5th pick overall and selected Carey Price. Nicely done Monsieur Timmins. Our next pick at the 45th spot was Guillaume Latendresse. Big G. never did pan out now did he? Who could be in a Habs uniform instead of Big G.? How about Kris Letang, Adam McQuaid, Keith Yandle, or Mason Raymond. Anyone of these guys could have been had instead of Latendresse.  But he did give us Carey Price, so we will forgive him for 2005 misses. Can you imagine Letang and Subban on the power play today, man that would be something special to watch. And throw in McQuaid's mean streak (which we dearly lack in our line-up today), boy would Price drool at having those two defend his crease today instead of what we currently have.

In 2006, Timmins' fourth time at the draft table. What did he do this time? So far the only good thing he has accomplished is Carey Price. Well in 2006 Mr. Timmins did not do well again. He had the 20th pick and he selected David Fischer. Another colossal failure. He followed that selection with Mathieu Carle (not Matt Carle) and Ben Maxwell. Neither of these two are doing anything significant today to warrant any excitement at their future contributions to the Habs. Now who could  have Monsieur Timmins giving us instead? How would Claude Giroux fit our needs today? Or how about Nick Foligno? And here is a real kicker; as much as I despise these two because they play for the Bruins I would have loved to have them join the NHL in a Habs uniform. Picture what a difference a Milan Lucic and a Brad Marchand could have done for us if they were selected instead of Maxwell and Carle. As much as I detest Lucic now, I would have loved him in a Habs uniform from day 1. So 2006 is another bust of a draft year for Mr. Timmins.

In 2007, his fifith draft I would say Mr. Timmins redeemed himself. He had the 12th pick and selected Ryan McDonagh. (Unfortunately Mr. Gainey in his infinite wisdom traded him away for a bag of hockey pucks (Gomez) to the Rangers.) He followed that up with Big Max Pacioretty and PK Subban. So 2007 was a win no matter how you look at it. He gave us two of our present day superstars who should be around for a long time.

For 2008, we did not have any first round picks because we traded those away. In the second round we received from Mr. Timmins, Danny Kristo and Steve Quailer. Neither of these two would make the Habs's current edition. Who could have been selected in this weak draft year? Well Zack Smith was available along with Adam Henrique and T.J. Brodie. I know, no big super stars but again much better than what we received. So 2008 we can say was a white wash since we never had a first round pick.

Mr. Timmins once again had a weak draft in 2009. We had the 18th selection and picked Louis Leblanc. Leblanc as his name may suggest was a huge blank. Never materialized into anything resembling a prospect. The very next pick was a guy named Chris Kreider. Remember him? He totally destroyed our cup dreams last year when he ran over Price and over our defense every time he entered our zone. After Leblanc we received Joonas Nattinen and Mac Bennett. Who could have been selected? How about Marcus Johansson or Ryan O'Reilly. So 2009 a lost draft year for the Habs.

In 2010, Timmins' 8th try was a good one. He gave us Gallagher and Tinordi. So it is safe to say that no matter who else was available we are definitely happy with Gallagher and the big potential of Tinordi.

As we get to the present years of 2011-2014 the jury is still out on the talent selected. Here are the highlights of those draft years. In 2011, we drafted Nathan Beaulieu in the first round and then did not have a pick until the third round. In 2012, that is when we had the third pick overall and selected our future #1 center in Alex Galchenyuk. That same draft we selected some high potential players in Tim Bozon and Charles Hudon. Both are doing very nicely in their present clubs (Kootenay and Hamiton) and should challenge for positions on the big club in the near future.

2013 saw the Habs get bigger with the 25th pick on Michael McCarron who says he wants to be compared to a Milan Lucic type of player). The next selection was Jacob De La Rose followed by Zachary Fucale and Sven Andrighetto with Martin Reway shortly after. Each one of these selections has high potential to make the big club and make an impact soon. Andrighetto already has several points in his short stint with the big club and showed he has NHL calibre speed and the hands to go with it. Reway had an excellent juniors tournament over the Christmas break as did De La Rose. The only knock I have against Reway and Andrighetto is they are both small players, neither stands over six feet. 2014 saw the addition of Nikita Scherbak, a big fast forward that the Habs need. So far he is excelling with the junior team (Everett Silvertips of the WHL) and looks to have huge potential in the next year or two, plus his 6' 2" frame will definitely be welcomed to the Habs line-up.

So the jury is still out on the last few draft years. We will wait and see how these selections mature and if they can contribute to the big club; and not as a fourth liner either. We have an abundance of fourth liners. Our best draft years were 2005 with Price; 2007 with Max Pac and Subban and 2012 with Galchenyuk. Other than that, the selections by Timmins have not really helped our club. Now I know there are some out there who say Timmins has one of the better records on his selections making the NHL. Yes but how many fourth liners does a club need. The draft is where you find your future stars. Other clubs have done a much better job at selecting players who can be a top-six forward or a top-four defenseman. Just review all the missed opportunities we have had with Timmins in charge. I say he needs to re-evaluate his scouting team because they are not up to were they need to be if the Habs are going to win another Stanley Cup.

What do you think? Are you happy as a Habs fan with what Timmins has brought to the table since 2003 or do we need to revamp the scouting department? Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

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Game 42: Canadiens at Blue Jackets

#MTLHockey Preview

 

Match Up

The Canadiens (26-12-3) are in Columbus Wednesday night to face the Blue Jackets (18-19-3). The game is set to start at 7:00 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet.

This is the first of three meetings between the Habs and Jackets, and the first of two in Columbus. Last season the Canadiens won two of their three games against the Blue Jackets, including a 3-2 shootout victory in Columbus. The Habs erased a two-goal deficit and David Desharnais scored the only goal in the shootout to seal the victory.

What to Watch

It looks like the Canadiens will try a new look on the man advantage in Columbus, as coach Michel Therrien looks to spark the fourth worst power play in the league. In their last seven games, the Habs have scored just once in 21 opportunities.

Look for PK Subban to play the point on the first unit with Desharnais, P.A. Parenteau, Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher up front, while the second unit should consist of Andrei Markov, Sergei Gonchar, Tomas Plekanec, Lars Eller and Alex Galchenyuk.

Injuries have taken their toll on the Blue Jackets this season, but Nick Foligno and Ryan Johansen have managed to stay healthy and lead the way this year. Foligno has 40 points in 39 games including ten points in his last seven. Johansen is right behind him for the team lead with 39 points on the year, he's in the midst of a ten-game point streak.

What's at Stake

Although they earned a point Saturday night against the Penguins, the Habs lost their second consecutive game for the first time since the first week of December. The losing streak hasn't hurt the Canadiens too badly yet, they're still the top team in the Atlantic in terms of point percentage, but they still trail the Lightning by three points heading into Wednesday's action.

Who's Out

With Parenteau set to return, the Habs are healthy again. The only other change to the line-up could be on defense, where Mike Weaver might play Wednesday in place of the struggling Alexei Emelin.

The Blue Jackets have been without Nathan Horton (back) all season. Ryan Murray (knee) has also missed most of the year, but he has started to practice again. Artem Anisimov (triceps), Brian Gibbons (knee), Boone Jenner (back) and Jack Skille (lower body) are also out.

What Else

In just over a week, Columbus will play host to this year's NHL All -Star Game. Only Carey Price was named to the All-Star team from the Canadiens, although Jiri Sekac was selected to take part in the rookie skills competition, filling in for an injured Tanner Pearson. Despite an impressive first half of the season, PK Subban was not named an All-Star this year, although there is a chance he'll be called to fill in for the injured Victor Hedman.

The Question Mark

We want to hear from you, express your outrage at the fact that PK wasn't selected as an All-Star this season.

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets.

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Emelin No Boom

Formerly known as "Emelin Boom", Alexei Emelin is struggling mightily this season with the Montreal Canadiens. Currently playing on the team's third pairing with Tom Gilbert, Emelin, 28, is in the first year of a four-year contract that is paying him on $4.1 million annually, pact that also includes a no-movement clause.

The Russian native has been fairly inconsistent this season for the Habs, recording 1 goal and 10 assists for 11 points in 39 games with a +5 rating. While Emelin has 117 hits for an average of three hits per contest (on par with his career average), he seems hesitant to distribute thunderous checks in the middle of the ice like he used to do prior to the knee injury he suffered in April 2013 against Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins.

Emelin seems confused on the ice the season, making bad decisions over bad decisions, going from bad positioning to bad penalties, he has lost his confidence and it shows in his overall game. Emelin admitted to Marc-Antoine Grondin of La Presse that the hit on Brian Gionta on November 29th, hit for which he was fined $11,000, crushed his confidence. As a result of this "missed hit", Emelin is lacking the confidence to hit opponents when they enter the defensive zone, somewhat of his trademark in recent years.

Emelin is sometimes way out of position and appears lost on the ice just like on the Martin St. Louis goal in overtime last playoffs. You can see that Emelin is covering nobody and that he is on the wrong side of the ice surface...

When paired with Tom Gilbert, the two rearguards combine for a mediocre Corsi of 36.9%. 36.9%! A Corsi that low is in the George Parros/John Scott area, And when they are not together, but players have a Corsi above 47%, so it would be wise for Michel Therrien to split them. (A good Corsi rating is around 50%.)

Since the start of the 2013-14 season, Alexei Emelin has a 44.5 CF%, which ranks him 110th out of 119 NHL defensemen with a least 1,500 minutes played (according to War on ice), all that while facing a low quality of competition compared to the team's first pairing of Andrei Markov and PK Subban.

Because Michel Therrien used to play him more than 20 minutes per game when he was paired with PK Subban earlier this season, Emelin is currently on pace to play the most minutes per game on average (20:59) whereas he should only play about 15 minutes per contest with the way he has been playing recently.

With the emergence of youngster Nathan Beaulieu and the depth of the organization on the blue line, general manager Marc Bergevin could envision trading him (providing he lifts his NMC) prior to the trade deadline to get offensive help. With veteran Bryan Allen and his $3M cap hit already in the minors and his NMC, Emelin will not be demoted to the AHL for those wishing that to happen.

What would you do with Emelin? Scratch him a few games? Trade him? Or simply continue to play him, but with a different partner?

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Follow me on Twitter @FredPoulin98

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The Flaw in Picking the All-Star Teams

How does one decide who is worthy of playing in the NHL All-star game. Do you go by individual stats, popularity, or the strength of teams?

Popularity rules when it comes to picking the starting line-ups, as the starters are determined by fan votes. Largely, you see the same players year after year, such as Sidney Crosby or Patrick Kane. Occasionally, you will see a less popular player get voted in if they are having a stellar season

For the rest of the line-ups, GM's and other NHL executives pick the players. Of course, a big challenge is representing all 30 NHL teams. A lot of times, players that should make the team due to individual stats are left off the roster because of the need to pick players from other teams. For example, PK Subban was not picked for the 2015 all-star game. In my hometown of Vancouver, the Sedin Twins were left off the roster. Looking at this issue from a team performance standpoint, 1st place Montreal has only goalie Carey Price going to the all-star game. On the other hand, Columbus, currently in 12th place has three players playing in the all-star game. Yes, I recognize that Columbus is hosting the all-star game this year. However, that should not be reason enough to send three players to the all-star game. I think individual stats and position of team in the standings should carry more weight than merely hosting the game.

There is still a chance Subban could be added to the roster if a player (defenseman) pulls out of the game due to injury, personal reasons, or simply needing to recharge the batteries. Congratulations to Carey Price for making the all-star team. He is a great choice to represent the Habs based on another outstanding start to the season. Price has been the MVP of the team, allowing the Habs to win games they should have lost.

#GoHabsGo

A Habs Fan blogging from BC

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Game 41: Canadiens vs Penguins

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (26-12-2) wrap up the first half of the season Saturday night when they host the Penguins (24-10-6). The game starts at 7:00 and will be broadcast on TVA and CBC.

This is the third and final game this season between the Habs and Pens, they've played a game each in their home building already this season. After losing 4-0 in Montreal, the Habs got a measure of revenge last week when they beat the Penguins 4-1 in Pittsburgh. Max Pacioretty and Tom Gilbert each had a goal and an assist in that game.

What to Watch

Carey Price had an off night Tuesday against the Lightning, allowing four goals on 16 second period shots, but the Habs netminder is having a career year this season. With 22 wins in 33 games, a 2.20 goals against average and a .927 save percentage, Price is on pace to match or set personal records in each of those categories.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are always players to watch when the Penguins come to town. The duo has 88 points between them, 45 for Malkin and 43 for Crosby, that's more than the top three scorers combined for the Canadiens (Pacioretty, Alex Galchenyuk and PK Subban combine for 86 points so far).

What's at Stake

The Habs and Pens are both chasing top spot in their division after falling behind the Lightning and the Islanders respectively. The Canadiens are four points behind the Bolts with three games in hand while the Penguins trail the Isles by a single point and have played one game less.

Who's Out

P.A. Parenteau (head) is skating on his own, but doesn't appear ready to rejoin the team yet. Special mention as well to Jarred Tinordi who was injured in a fight Friday night while playing with the Hamilton Bulldogs.

The Pens are missing Patric Hornqvist (lower body), Olli Maata (upper body), Blake Comeau (wrist) and Pascal Dupuis (blood clot).

What Else

Not only did Montreal's seven game win streak come to an end Tuesday night against the Lightning, their perfect streak of wins after scoring first was broken as well. The Habs went into Tuesday's game with a perfect 16-0-0 record when scoring the first goal, but after they opened the scoring, four straight goals from the Lightning ended that streak.

The Question Mark

What are your thoughts on fighting in professional hockey and do the Habs need more muscle in their lineup?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Penguins.

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The Canadiens' Lack Of Depth At Forward Is Bound To Hurt Them

The Montreal Canadiens have been playing fairly well in recent games going 8-2 in their last ten games and currently sitting second in the Atlantic Division, only two points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning and with two games in hand.

Currently in the midst of a span of only two games in ten days, the team will be well rested to host the powerful Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. I don't know if it's the water they drink, but the Canadiens are currently 30th in the NHL with only 34 games lost to injury this season after 40 games.

Compared to other teams such as the Columbus Blue Jackets (249 games lost) and the Anaheim Ducks (241 games lost), we can obviously say that Montreal has been fairly lucky to avoid the infirmary so far in 2014-15.

On defense, the Habs have been able to keep their core healthy with Alexei Emelin being the only regular rearguard to miss games (2) as Tom Gilbert missed two games but that was as a healthy scratch. Only veteran Mike Weaver missed more time due to an injury, but his impact has been minimal on the team this season being a regular healthy scratch in recent games.

With Weaver as the #7 defenseman in Montreal, the Canadiens decided earlier this week to demote veteran defensman Bryan Allen to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL. Jarred Tinordi and him make nice insurance policies in case injuries happen to the team's defensive corps.

The problem for Marc Bergevin and the organization is by acquiring Allen and Sergei Gonchar for two forwards (Rene Bourque and Travis Moen, respectively), is that the team's depth at forward has basically vanished. Now with the injury to Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau, the team's lack of depth is even more obvious.

Michel Therrien is forced to mix his assets and Tomas Plekanec is now playing with a natural center at left wing in David Desharnais and a grinder at right wing in Dale Weise; that will not be a very effective offensive line in the long term. Should PAP miss an extended period of time, the Canadiens will dearly miss his contribution on the ice and especially in the shootout.

The team lacks a true talented prospect ready to contribute when called upon as the group composed of Drayson Bowman, Eric Tangradi and Sven Andrighetto has combined for 2 goals and 1 assist in 20 games this season. Moreover, the team announced it has called up another small forward, Christian Thomas, from the Bulldogs last night. While Thomas was very efficient and surprising during the training camp, he has been less than stellar this season. Thomas has only 9 goals and 5 assists for 14 points in 29 contests in the AHL this year, nothing to write home.

The team's best prospect in camp, Jacob De La Rose, just finished playing for Sweden at the World Junior Championships in Toronto and Montreal, but his tournament, along with his season in the AHL, have been disappointing to say the least. In 27 AHL contests, De La Rose has only 3 goals and 2 assists for 5 points.

The only team prospect that is doing fairly well in Hamilton right now is winger-turned-center Charles Hudon, who is also scoring at a point-per-game pace with 33 points (10g, 23 a) in 35 games. The caveat with Hudon is that the organization just asked his to adapt to a new position and unless more than one injury occurs to the team's centermen (Galchenyuk, Eller, Plekanec, Malhotra and Desharnais), there is no point to call him up and ask him to move back to the wing... Hudon will be best served by playing a full season in the AHL for his development.

With the lack of size and talent on the wings, which impending UFA winger would you like the Habs to acquire before the NHL trade deadline on March 2nd, 2015?

Jaromir Jagr? Chris Stewart? Jordan Nolan? Erik Cole? Jiri Tlusty? Drew Stafford? Kyle Brodziak? Curtis Glencross?

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Follow me on Twitter @FredPoulin98

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Lucky or What ?

How long can the Habs luck holdout?

Hello my fellow HabAddicts. As much as I love the Habs, I am really worried that the wheels are going to fall off real soon.
We have been very fortunate with the injuries so far, and those late game rallies in the first 15 games put us into a false sense of 1st place holders.

Our defense is very weak. Watch any game and our defense is running around in our end trying to get the puck back from the opposition. Then you watch the opposition's defense and they waltz out of their end unopposed. Very frustrating to watch.

Our power play used to be feared and very deadly. Now the opposition takes liberties with our smaller players because they know the power play will not result in a goal. And so they continue to punish our smaller players. I don't know how much more Gallagher can take.

Our puck control is non-existent. It drives me crazy watching our team always chasing the puck and never controlling it. You need puck possession to win. What I do not understand is how our coaching staff can not adapt to playing conditions. No matter what is happening in a game Therrian and staff can not change strategy to beat the opposition's game plans. Look at our power play, everyone knows the key is Subban's power blast from the point, but no one has been able to come up with a strategy to overcome that and still utilize your best weapon. And why do we keep putting little guys like Gallagher, Plekanec and Desharnais in front of the net. Guys like Weise and Eller should be allowed to crash the net on the PP.

The only real bright spot this season has been our goaltending. It has been the key to our success so far, but how long can we allow 35-45 shots on our goalie every night. Why is Tinordi still in the AHL? He needs to be playing now in the NHL, the AHL cannot teach him anything new. And speaking of teaching, I liked JJ.D as a player but as a coach he has no idea what needs to be done on the ice or adapt to playing conditions. Our defensive game plan needs an update also. (Why did we ever let Mr. Robinson get away?)

We need a new game plan to control the puck. We are not built for the dump and chase game; we need to control the puck because once we lose it we don't get it back.

Bottom line the coaching staff have let us down on not adapting to the changes in the game, we are not utilizing the strengths of our players and too quickly punishing mistakes by high potential players (ie. Sekac).

Tonight begins a new year for our team, Hopefully the staff have NEW ideas to keep us near the top, otherwise get ready for a long painful descend out of the playoffs.

What do you think, are we in need of new ideas or should we just continue to ride on Lady Luck's coattails?

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Game 40: Canadiens vs Lightning

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (26-11-2) return home triumphant after a perfect five-game road trip to play host to the Lightning (25-12-4) Tuesday night. The game starts at 7:30 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the second of five meetings between the Habs and Bolts, and the first of three in Montreal. Carey Price gave up four goals on 23 shots through two periods of play before being pulled for Dustin Tokarski who gave up another three in what was ultimately a 7-1 loss. Steven Stamkos scored a hat trick and Victor Hedman picked up a goal and three assists in the game.

What to Watch

Max Pacioretty and Tom Gilbert each had a goal and an assist on Saturday in Montreal's 4-1 victory over the Penguins. Gilbert finished the night with a +4 rating.

The Lightning have found offense from more than just Stamkos this season, in fact, with 43 points in 40 games, Tyler Johnson is the team's leading scorer. Johnson has two goals and four assists in the last three games and now sits fourth overall in league scoring as well as first in plus/minus at +26.

What's at Stake

First place in the Eastern Conference is on the line Tuesday night in Montreal, with the winner guaranteed to control top spot. The Habs and Bolts each have 54 points heading into the match, one ahead of the Penguins and Islanders, although the Lightning have played two more games than the other three teams.

Who's Out

P.A. Parenteau (undisclosed/head) will not be ready to play Tuesday, he'll miss a second straight game. Bryan Allen also likely won't be available to play against the Lightning, he was placed on waivers Monday afternoon and is expected to join the Hamilton Bulldogs if he is not claimed.

The Bolts are missing Rakdo Gudas (knee), who is scheduled for surgery and is expected to miss a fair bit of action.

What Else

Carey Price is once again the Molson Cup winner for December as the team's player of the month, he was also named the NHL's Third Star of the Week for his 3-0-0 performance. Price is the only Hab to earn the Molson Cup this season, taking home the honor in October and November as well, he's also won the overall Molson Cup as the team's MVP for the season five times in his career, including the last four seasons.

The Question Mark

Do the Canadiens need to add any specific pieces do be considered a true Cup contender this season or are they already there?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:30 to preview the Canadiens and Lightning.

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Game 39: Canadiens at Penguins

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The red-hot Canadiens (25-11-2) are in Pittsburgh on Saturday to close out their five game road trip against the Penguins (24-9-5). The game starts at 7:00 and airs on TVA and City.

This is the second of three meetings between the Habs and Pens this season, and the only one in Pittsburgh. The season series wraps up in Montreal next Saturday. Beau Bennett had a goal and two assists and Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves to power the Pens to a 4-0 shut out victory over the Canadiens the last time these teams met.

What to Watch

Michael Bournival had to wait until the 38th game on the Habs schedule (his eighth of the season) to score his first goal of the year, but didn't wait nearly as long to pot his second, earning his first career multi-goal game in the NHL on Friday despite playing less than ten minutes.

PK Subban had three assists on Friday, inching him closer to Max Pacioretty for the points lead in Montreal. Pacioretty is still on top with 29, but Subban is right behind him with 26 points in 38 games.

Sidney Crosby earned four assists in Pittsburgh's 6-3 win over the Lightning on Friday giving him 42 points in 35 games on the season. New acquisition David Perron should be in uniform Saturday night for the Pens. Perron had five goals and 19 points in 38 games for the Oilers this season.

What's at Stake

With their win in New Jersey on Friday, the Canadiens moved into a tie with the Tampa Bay Lightning for top spot in the Atlantic Division. Now they have a chance to leapfrog the Penguins for top spot in the conference. A win in Pittsburgh would also give the Habs a perfect road trip, extend their winning streak to six games and keep them undefeated in 2015. No pressure.

Who's Out

P.A. Parenteau was knocked out of Friday's game in New Jersey when he took a hit to the head from Tim Sestito, and may not be ready to play on Saturday.

The Penguins currently have seven players on injured reserve: Blake Comeau (wrist), Pascal Dupuis (blood clot), Patric Hornqvist (lower body), Olli Maatta (upper body), Paul Martin, Zach Sill (upper body), and Scott Wilson.

What Else

The Habs are in the midst of a five-game win streak, the longest current streak in the NHL. What's more impressive is that the Habs have won four of those five on the road, with a chance to close out a perfect road trip by beating the Eastern-leading Penguins. With an 8-1-0 record in their last nine games, the Habs have surged up the standings after a rough start in December, moving them into a tie for fifth place with the Chicago Blackhawks for the best points percentage in the league.

The Question Mark

The Canadiens have plenty of options on defense, but Michel Therrien has had trouble pleasing Habs fans recently. How would you set up the Montreal's three defensive pairings with what the Habs have available?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Penguins.

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Game 38: Canadiens at Devils

#MTLHockey Preview

 

Match Up

The Canadiens (24-11-2) are in New Jersey to start the New Year against the Devils (13-19-7) Friday night. The game starts at 7:00 and airs on RDS and Sportsnet East.

This is the first of three meetings between the Habs and Devils, and the first of two in New Jersey. Last season, the Canadiens took two of three games against Devils, losing their final meeting 4-1. David Desharnais had a goal, two assists and a shootout goal in three games against the Devils last season.

What to Watch

The Canadiens ended 2014 with four straight wins and look to keep their streak alive in the new year. Lars Eller has points in his last three games, including his league-best fifth game winning goal scored against the Hurricanes on Monday. Nathan Beaulieu played over 19 minutes for just the third time this season on Tuesday against the Panthers, but it was his second game in a row reaching that mark. The 22-year old defenseman seems to be slowly earning the trust of his coach, gaining more responsibility with each game.

With 21 points, Jaromir Jagr leads the way for the Devils at age 42. Jagr is fifth in all-time scoring with 1,776 points, and sixth in goals with 711. Former Hab Mike Cammalleri leads New Jersey in goals with 11. The Devils could certainly use more help in the goal scoring department, the team is 28th in goals per game, averaging just 2.08 so far this season.

What's at Stake

With 33 points on the season, the Devils are having a tough time keeping up in the Eastern Conference playoff race. The Canadiens have fallen two points back of the Lightning and a point back on the Penguins and Islanders, but with the Bolts and Pens playing each other on Friday as well, even a win means the Habs won't catch up with all their competition.

Who's Out

The Canadiens are healthy to start off 2015.

The Devils on the other hand are the latest team to be hit by the mumps, Patrik Elias and Michael Ryder both missed the team's last game with the illness, but could be ready for Friday's game. Steve Bernier (leg) is doubtful to play on Friday, while Stephen Gionta (hand) and Bryce Salvador (lower body) are out long term.

What Else

Carey Price is expected to start against the Devils on Friday, his 400th career start, and 400th in a Habs uniform. Price will be only the third Canadiens goalie to reach 400 games, passing Ken Dryden's 397 just before the holiday break. Price will be trying for win number 200, as he moves up that list as well, he's currently fifth all time in wins for the Canadiens.

The Question Mark

The holiday season is a great time for hockey with marquee events like the Winter Classic and the World Junior Championship both taking place this week, so what we want to know from you is: what is your favorite hockey related event?

Tonight's Show

Join host Steven Hindle along with Kosta Papoulias and Rob Elbaz for the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show as we go live at 6:00 to preview the Canadiens and the Devils.

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