Game 33: Canadiens vs Ducks

#MTLHockey Preview

Match Up

The Canadiens (20-10-2) are home to host the Ducks (21-7-5) and pay tribute to former captain Saku Koivu on Thursday. The game is set to start at 7:30 and airs on RDS and City Montreal.
This is the first of two meetings between the Habs and Ducks this season, and the only one in Montreal. The Canadiens actually managed to beat the top seed of the Western conference in both of their matches last season. Dustin Tokarski backstopped the Canadiens to a 4-3 shootout win in Anaheim with a little help from both posts when he faced Kyle Palmieri in the shootout.

Kyle Palmieri's penalty shot walks the goal line tightrope. Originally posted by @GregBallochST.

What to Watch

Alex Galchenyuk notched his first career hat trick Tuesday night against the Canes, lifting him up to 9 goals and 21 points on the season. Max Pacioretty picked up three primary assists, setting up each of Galchenyuk's goals on Tuesday. Pacioretty now leads the team with 25 points on the year.
Ryan Kesler is having a strong year with his new team, the former Canuck has 11 goals and 26 points in 33 games this season. Ryan Getzlaf leads the way for Anaheim, he has 34 points already this season, eighth overall in the NHL.

What's at Stake

The top of the Atlantic division is getting pretty crowded, with four teams separated by just two points for the division lead. With 42 points apiece, the Canadiens and Red Wings are sandwiched in between the Lightning at 43 and the Maple Leafs at 41.

Who's Out

Sven Andrighetto has been sent back to Hamilton after a fairly successful four-game stint with the Habs. Lars Eller (upper body), Mike Weaver (concussion) and Bryan Allen (illness) have all returned to practice and are cleared for contact, the trio should be available to play Thursday if needed.
Kyle Palmieri (shoulder) is the latest Duck to go down with injury, leaving Tuesday's game against the Leafs. He joins Corey Perry (knee), Francois Beauchemin (finger) and Eric Brewer (foot) on the sidelines.

What Else

Saku Koivu played with the Canadiens from 1995 to 2009, he wore the "C" for ten seasons starting in 1999. Koivu played 792 games in bleu blanc et rouge, scoring 641 points, tenth most in team history, and 450 assists, ranking him sixth all-time amongst Canadiens.
Of course, Koivu's most memorable moment in a Canadiens uniform came on April 9, 2002. He was diagnosed with cancer in September of 2001 and spent almost the entire season receiving treatment before returning on the third to last game of the season, receiving one of the largest ovations in team history. Koivu then led the team to an improbable playoff series win against the top-seeded Boston Bruins.

The Question Mark

Apart from Koivu's return after beating cancer, what other moment in his career stands out for you?

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 Thursday to preview the Canadiens and the Ducks.

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Three NHL Thoughts: Ducks, Oilers and the NHLPA

One of the great things about blogging is that, on occasion, you can simply share a few thoughts on diverse, unrelated topics.

Today is one of those occasions. For your consideration, three thoughts on recent events around the NHL. 

Ducks have no need to rebuild - The idea of blowing the Ducks up is ridiculous. Trading either, or both, of Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan is outright silly. 

The fact that the Ducks are so miserable is a touch confusing. Honestly, wouldn't you trade the Habs roster for the Ducks roster?

Their top-six forwards are amongst the best in the league, they possess size up front and a typically excellent goaltender in Jonas Hiller. 

Luca Sbisa and Cam Fowler are blue chip defensive prospects while Lubomir Vishnovky and Francois Beauchemin are solid veterans.

As for comparing the idea of trading Getzlaf to the Flyers' decision to ship out Mike Richards and Jeff Carter, there is one important difference to note: Ryan Getzlaf is a winner. 

The Regina native already has a Stanley Cup on his resume, as well as a Gold medal from the Olympics, World Juniors and World U18 championships.

Edmonton undeserving of a top pick - With a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars at the weekend, the Edmonton Oilers once again find themselves in the bottom five of the League standings.

Should they finish the season there, they would become eligible to win the first overall pick for the third straight year.

I understand the draft system is meant to assist struggling teams, but it must not reward incompetence either.

If Edmonton cannot win with a lineup already featuring Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent Hopkins and Taylor Hall, then it becomes management and the coaching staff to find solutions.

At this point, we should certainly not reward their ineptitude.

NHLPA should pick its battles - Clearly, the NHL tried to shove re-alignment down the NHLPA's throat. That much seems evident.

Nonetheless, it is a tad perplexing to me that the Association chose this particular issue to flex its muscles.

Guaranteed visits from top teams, more favorable time zone arrangement and, for Florida, a slew of extra Canadian visits. Re-alignment seemed poised to boost attendance, hence increasing overall league revenues, which ties in directly to the salary cap.

From a public relations perspective, this first salvo was not a coup either. In a poll on The Globe and Mail’s website 83 per cent of readers opposed the NHLPA’s position as of Monday evening.

I suppose it is mighty hard to feel bad for players who will now be "obligated" to go to markets like Florida, California and New York at least once a year.

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Louis is an Associate Editor at HabsAddict.com and an Editor at HabsWorld.net.Born in Chicago, Louis grew up in Quebec City where he earned Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration from Université Laval. 

He currently resides in Ottawa and works for the Coaching Association of Canada. Find him on twitter @LouisMoustakas

(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images North America)

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