Sochi 2014: Team Snublandia

Now that all the Olympic teams have been named for the upcoming 2014 Sochi Olympics, let’s have a look at the notable omissions of each major country and form the best possible team with the talented players that have been left out by their respective countries. Luckily for us Habs fans, P.K. Subban was named to Team Canada so there will be no riots in Montreal this week.

This squad of cast-offs would be one of the most dominant teams of the Olympic tournament thanks to a mix of talent, speed and leadership. Those disgruntled players are ready to prove their detractors wrong and go for Gold in late February.

Hand picked team Canada myself so I wouldn't have to toss a hipcheck at Claude Giroux if he came close to scoring a golden goal.
— Sidney Crosby's Ego (@SidneyCrosbyEgo) January 7, 2014

Forwards:

James Neal (CAN) – Claude Giroux (CAN) – Martin St. Louis (CAN)
Alexander Semin (RUS) – Joe Thornton (CAN) – Bobby Ryan (USA)
Taylor Hall (CAN) – Logan Couture (CAN) – Tyler Seguin (CAN)
Sean Bergenheim (FIN) – Eric Staal (CAN) – Jiri Hudler (CZE)
Extras: Kyle Okposo (USA), Radim Vrbata (CZE)

-Canadian forwards with more points than Claude Giroux since the 2010 Olympics: Martin St. Louis and Steven Stamkos. This means that if Stamkos is not ready to go, all three players will be left off Canada’s roster.

-Joe Thornton not only leads the NHL with 43 assists in 42 games this season, he is also 4th in scoring with 48 points and has a lot of international experience.

-Alexander Semin, despite being a 0.86 point per game player in his career, was snubbed in favor of some unknown KHL players who are struggling to put points on the board in Putin-land.

-Talented wingers Jiri Hudler and Radim Vrbata was left out of Czech Republic’s roster in favor ofPetr Nedved who played for the Canadian National Team back in 1993-94…

Olympic snubs are trying to create their own Olympics.

Defensemen:
Keith Yandle (USA) – Victor Hedman (SWE)
Jack Johnson (USA) – Kris Letang (CAN)
Jonas Brodin (SWE) – Brent Seabrook (CAN)

Extras:

Dan Boyle (CAN) – Jan Hejda (CZE)

Paul Martin made Team USA over Keith Yandle, Jack Johnson, and Erik Johnson. Lord help us. https://t.co/irLdCWP75Q
— Drunk Patrick Kane (@Drunk_Kane88) January 6, 2014

-Kris Letang, Brent Seabrook and Dan Boyle were all left off the Canadian squad because they shoot right. Instead, left-handed Canuck Dan Hamhuis gets the call despite scoring only 13 points this year.

-Sweden decided to select washed up defenseman Henrik Tallinder instead of talented youngsters such as Victor Hedman and Jonas Brodin…

Goalenders:

Marc-André Fleury (CAN)
Ben Bishop (USA)

Pekka Rinne (FIN)

-Team Canada decided to chose Mike Smith, who has more goals than shutouts this season, over former Stanley Cup winner Marc-André Fleury. Flower also leads the NHL with 24 wins this season.

-Despite suffering from the lingering effects of an infection to his surgically-repaired hip, Pekka Rinne should have been nominated, at least temporarily, as one of the top three Finnish netminders.

Other notables:  Nail Yakupov, Brandon Saad, Jordan Staal, Mike Richards, Jeff Skinner, Sven Baerstchi, Dustin Byfuglien, Marc Staal, Mark Giordano, Erik Johnson, Dmitry Kulikov, Corey Crawford, Josh Harding, Robin Lehner.

Did I miss anyone?

Do you think this team of misfits could contend for gold in Sochi?

Follow me on Twitter to debate and talk about puck!

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Pregame Preview: Canadiens at Flyers (Game #45)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens (25-14-5) are in Philly Wednesday night to face the Flyers (22-17-4). The game is set to start at 7:30 and can be seen on RDS and TSN.

This is the third and final meeting between the Habs and Flyers this season, each team has won on home ice. Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist and Jakub Voracek had a pair of helpers for the Flyers in their 2-1 win a month ago.

What to Watch:

Carey Price saved 16 of 16 third period shots against the Panthers on Monday to preserve Montreal's 2-1 lead and secure a victory for the Habs. The performance was a welcome turnaround from his recent play, Price had allowed 13 goals in the previous 3 games although the netminder has still managed to earn at least one point in each of his last 6 starts, including Monday's win.

The Flyers are coming off a 3-2 overtime win against the Devils Tuesday night, Brayden Schenn scored the winner and picked up an assist in the victory. Flyers leading scorer, Claude Giroux, has goals in back to back games. Scott Hartnell and Wayne Simmonds may be the hottest Flyer of late, Hartnell extended his point scoring streak to 8 games with a goal against the Devils while Simmonds has 14 points in his last 10 games.

What's at Stake:

The race for top spot in the Atlantic division is heating up, the Bruins, Bolts and Habs are separated by just 3 points with half a season of hockey left to play. Montreal is at the bottom of that pile and both teams hold a game in hand, so every win helps close the gap for the Canadiens.

Who's Out:

Alex Galchenyuk suffered a broken hand in Montreal's win against the Panthers, the early reports have him out until the end of the Olympics. Ryan White (upper body) is out for two weeks but George Parros has been cleared to play and should be in the lineup Wednesday night. Davis Drewiske (shoulder) is still out long term.

For the Flyers, Matt Read has missed the past 3 games with an upper body injury, Erik Gustafsson (knee) could be nearing a return, but did not play against the Devils Tuesday.

What Else:

The Canadiens had 8 players named to their respective national Olympic teams. Max Pacioretty for Team USA, Tomas Plekanec, the slated captain for the Czech Republic, Slovakia's Peter Budaj, Swizterland's Raphael Diaz, Andrei Markov and Alexei Emelin for Russia and Canada's PK Subban and Carey Price.

At the other end of the ice, the Flyers will be sending 5 players to Sochi in February. Kimmo Timonen for Finland, Mark Streit for the Swiss, Michael Raffl for Team Austria, Czech Jakub Voracek and Slovak Andrej Mezaros all received the honor. Missing from that list is Canadian Claude Giroux, who was not named to the team when the roster was announced on Tuesday.

The Question Mark:

We want to hear from you: what was the biggest surprise surrounding the announcement of the Olympic rosters?

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

Be sure to tune into the Montreal Hockey Talk Pregame Show an hour before the puck drop and the Post Game Show 5 minutes after the final siren. Join the live conversation by using the #MTLHockey hashtag on Twitter.

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Monday Musings: Things I Think I Think

Greetings Habs Addicts,

Photo Credit: CBC.ca

Welcome to the first of what I plan on making a weekly in-season contribution here at Habs Addict.  Since Rob Elbaz is doing a great job recapping the week that was in his Three Stars of The Week column every Sunday, I've decided to give us something to spark each new week on Monday.  Each Monday, I'll reflect on some of the events of the previous week, rumours and news that has been floating around in the media and the Twitterverse (#mtlhockey).  The hope is to spark a lively debate in our comments section with our wonderful readers.  As such, I shall commence my Monday Musings.

- In 5 of the past 7 games, the Habs have allowed 4 or more goals against; losing 4 of those games. The goaltending had been stellar up until this stretch. Carey Price has allowed 4+ goals in 5 of his past 10 starts; however he has also won 5 of those 10 starts with a shutout in the mix. While the defense surely harbors some of the blame, Price does sport a mediocre 3.01 goals against average with an .890 save percentage over those past 10 starts. Those numbers may be acceptable if you're Ondrej Pavelec of the Winnipeg Jets, but not if you're Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens who happens to be the potential starting goalie for the Canadian Olympic team next month. Expecations are higher for you in these roles. The safe assumption is that this is simply a blip on the radar and not the beginning of the second-half collapse in goal that we witnessed last season with Carey Price. With better defensive play in front of him and better coaching from Stephane Waite on the sidelines, he’ll right the ship.  He’s still going to be the starting goalie for Team Canada in Sochi.

- Speaking of the Olympics, PK Subban cemented his spot (in my eyes) on the Canadian Olympic roster with his eye-popping performance in the 6-4shootout with the Dallas Stars this past Thursday (January 2).  Subban finished the game with 1 goal, 3 assists – all at even strength – and completed many a breakout pass, contributed 6 hits and set up both of Max Pacioretty’s goals (Patches had 2 goals, 2 assists himself).  Subban is an elite puckmover, the reigning Norris Trophy winner and ESPN has Subban has its mid-season Norris Trophy winner as well.  While much fuss is made about his defensive play, it’s worth noting that Subban has never been a minus player in any level of professional hockey for his career (career +27 in 245 NHL games; +46 in 77 AHL games; +77 in 234 OHL games).  He may not be used consistently as a penalty killer, but powerplay points don’t positively affect your +/- either.  He’s making the Olympic team and he’ll be a force to be reckoned with in Sochi.

- Daniel Briere ended 2013 and started 2014 as a healthy scratch.  He missed time earlier this season with a concussion and overall has appeared in 30 games, contributing 7 goals and 6 assists.  He returned to the lineup against the Senators on Saturday night (January 4) and potted 2 goals and 1 assist, to help the Habs earn a point in a 4-3 overtime loss.  Briere started the night on the checking line with Travis Moen and Michael Bournival, but played the majority of his 13 minutes with Brian Gionta and Tomas Plekanec; these two being the most talented linemates he’s had all season.   His numbers projected over a full 82-game season would be 19 goals and 35 points.  He’s not going to play in 82 games. He’s also taking up $4 million in salary cap space.  If anyone offered to take him off our hands, Marc Bergevin will be running out of the Bell Centre offices yelling “Start the car! START THE CAR!”  This is one new addition that has failed to make the desired impact.

- On the topic of the new additions, George Parros is still sidelined with a concussion.  This is his second concussion of the season, both suffered during fights.  While ESPN had a great article about Parros, his fighting style and his recovery from his first concussion earlier this season, this second one has us wondering whether its time for him to hang up the gloves entirely.  Parros has been sporadically used this season when healthy and while he brings an element of toughness to the lineup, his statline reads 0 goals, 0 assists, 1 shot on goal and 42 penalty minutes in 9 games.  In those 9 games he’s averaged 3.42 minutes of ice time and is a -5; opponents score an average of 1 goal against every 7.06 minutes of ice time Parros receives.   Montreal is 3-6 in the 9 games he’s played in.  Parros is one of the greatest heavyweights in the NHL, but the game has evolved and at 34-years old, this should be the final season for the Greek God of Fist and a disappointing one at that.

- Michel Therrien has made Alexei Emelin and Rafael Diaz healthy scratches in each of the past two games (Emelin against Dallas; Diaz against Ottawa).  This allowed Douglas Murray to be active after 3 straight games as a healthy scratch to end 2013.  Murray responded with solid play against Ottawa, setting up two Daniel Briere goals.  For the season, the quartet of Diaz, Emelin, Murray & Francis Bouillon have gone a combined 0 goals, 20 assists in 119 games collectively. They are also a combined -31 on the season.  Diaz has been the strongest of the group, collecting 11 assists in his 42 games played; however 6 of those came in the month of October.  Emelin will receive a pass, as he missed training camp and a portion of the season coming back from a nasty knee injury suffered last season.  However, outside of Subban, Markov and Gorges there’s been a revolving door of mediocrity on the blueline.  With youngsters Jarred Tinordi, Nate Beaulieu and Greg Pateryn waiting in the wings, its time to cut the dead weight (all 245 pounds of Douglas Murray) and replace some smurfs (Bouillon is only 5’8”; Diaz 5’11”) with the talented and hungry trio currently residing in Hamilton.

That concludes the things I think I think for this first week of 2014.

Three Questions from my musings:

A) Is his play over the last 10 games indicative of Carey Price collapsing again, or just a blip all goalies hit during a long NHL season?

B) Has Danny Briere received a fair shake as a member of the Montreal Canadiens?

C) Is it time to bring up Jarred Tinordi, Nathan Beaulieu or Greg Pateryn from Hamilton to replace Murray, Bouillon or Diaz?

Nick M. 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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Pregame Preview: Canadiens vs Panthers (Game #44)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens (24-14-5) play host to the pesky Florida Panthers (16-20-6) Monday night. The game starts at 7:30 and can be seen on RDS and TSN-Habs.

This is the third of four meetings between the Habs and Panthers this season, the Canadiens are still looking for their first win against Florida. Scott Clemmensen has played nets for the Panthers in both games this season, giving up just one goal in each start and stopped 48 of 50 shots in both games combined.

What to Watch:

Daniel Briere spent the beginning of 2014 in the press box as a healthy scratch, but when he came back to play Saturday night, he factored in all 3 Montreal goals, scoring 2 and assisting on the third. The line of Briere with Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta combined for 3 goals and 6 points. For Gionta and Plekanec, they each broke out of 4-game scoring droughts against the Sens.

For the Panthers, rookie Aleksander Barkov has a goal and 5 assists in his last 5 games, bringing him up to 21 points on the year to lead the Cats. Brad Boyes has 2 goals and 3 assists in his last 3 games, he's up to 19 points in his first season with the Panthers.

What's at Stake:

The Habs haven't beaten the Panthers yet this season and there's no time like the present. While the Canadiens earned points in each of their last 3 games, they can't be satisfied with the pair of OT losses to the Hurricanes and Senators last week. A pair of missed opportunities that have the Habs sitting in fourth place in the East, a point behind the Lightning.

Who's Out:

The Habs are missing Davis Drewiske (shoulder), while George Parros (concussion) and Ryan White (upper body) are day-to-day.

Ed Jovanovski played his first game this season last Saturday, but Erik Gudbranson (orbital bone), Dylan Olsen (lower body), Jesse Winchester (hand) and Alex Petrovic (upper body) were still sidelined. Gudbranson traveled with the Panthers to Montreal and could play Monday night.

What Else:

The Canadiens only managed one win in their past 3 games but they piled up 13 goals over that span. The team scored the same amount in their previous 9 games, starting with a 6-0 loss against the Kings. Max Pacioretty led the way last week with 4 goals and a pair of assists. His 4-point night in Dallas Thursday earned him a nod as NHL.com's second star of the night.

The Question Mark:

During the past week, have you been more encouraged by the increased offense the Habs have put up or discouraged by their shaky defense and slack discipline?

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

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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Montreal Canadiens Three Stars of the Week - Dec 30 to Jan 5, 2014

The Canadiens had an up and down week as 2013 gave way to 2014. With a 3-0 lead headed into the third period in Carolina, the Habs still found a way to end last year with a 5-4 overtime loss. It took a late PK Subban marker to even salvage a point in the match. Things got better as the Canadiens earned a wild 6-4 victory against the Stars Thursday. A solid final frame at home against the Senators on Saturday allowed the team to secure at least 1 point in each of the 3 games this week. All told, the Habs ended the week with a 1-0-2 record.


First Star: Max Pacioretty

Max Pacioretty had himself a 6-point week with a pair of goals in Carolina to go along with 2 goals and 2 assists in Dallas. The 4 goals moved Pacioretty into a tie for twelfth in that department, despite missing 9 games so far this season. To make the week that much more special, Pacioretty was nameed to Team USA for the upcoming Olympics, his first chance to fight for Olympic Gold.

Second Star: PK Subban

Despite ending the week in the penalty box while the Senators scored in overtime, PK Subban still had an impressive week for the Habs. Subban had 2 goals and 4 assists on the week, including a 4-point night in Dallas. He came up biggest in Carolina on Tuesday, scoring the third period goal that helped the Habs salvage a point against after the Canes opened the third with 4 straight goals.

Third Star: David Desharnais

When Max Pacioretty is producing, you can bet that David Desharnais is right there with him. The diminutive center had himself another strong week, racking up a goal and 4 assists over three games. Desharnais finished third in the chase for the Molson Cup for December as the Canadiens player of the month, with 11 points in 14 games.

Honorable Mention: Daniel Briere

Daniel Briere ended 2013 and started 2014 as a healthy scratch, but he made the most of his playing time when re-inserted into the lineup on Saturday. Briere scored 2 goals and added an assist in Montreal's 4-3 OT loss to the Sens. His goal in the opening minutes of the third period sparked a Canadiens comeback and helped them earn a point in each of their 3 games this week. Briere skated on a line with Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta, the linemates he played his best hockey with so far as a Hab.

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Pregame Preview: Canadiens vs Senators (Game #43)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens (24-14-4) return home to the Bell Centre Saturday when they play host to the Senators (18-18-7). The puck drops at 7:00 and the game can be seen on RDS and CBC.

This is the second of 5 meetings between the Habs and Sens this season, and the first in Montreal. The Senators won the first match 4-1 despite the Habs scoring the games first goal. Bobby Ryan had a goal and 2 assists for Ottawa.

What to Watch:

PK Subban and Max Pacioretty each had 4-point nights in Dallas. While Subban still leads the team in points, Pacioretty is now second on the team with 25 including 19 goals, despite missing 9 games with injury. Subban is up to 33 points on the season, with 2 goals and 4 assists in the last 2 games.

Bobby Ryan might have the most to prove in Thursday's game, he was left off the Team USA roster when the announcement was made New Year's day. Ryan ha 18 goals on the year, one less than his compatriot Max Pacioretty who was named to the roster.

Like PK Subban, Erik Karlsson leads his team in points with 38 on the season. The Norris Trophy winner from 2011-12 is second in defensive scoring.

What's at Stake:

This is Montreal's first home game of 2014 and their first game in the Bell Centre in two and a half weeks. With 52 points on the year, the Habs are keeping pace with the Lightning and Bruins but are still a step behind both teams.

Who's Out:

The Habs are without, Davis Drewiske (shoulder) and George Parros (concussion). Ryan White left Tuesday's game after a second period fight. Daniel Briere missed the last two games as a healthy scratch.

The Senators are missing Chris Neil (lower body), while Jason Spezza (hip) has missed the last 3 games and is day-to-day.

What Else:

The chase for Gold has heated up with Team USA naming its Olympic roster on New Year's Day. Montreal's Max Pacioretty made the cut but Alex Galchenyuk and Ottawa's Bobby Ryan and Craig Anderson were left off the team. Canada will name it's lineup on Tuesday, Carey Price and PK Subban look likely to make the team, although rumors persist that Subban is a bubble choice. Jason Spezza and Kyle Turris are both long-shots to make the cut, which could leave the Senators without a player on either Team Canada or Team USA. Luckily Erik Karlsson is a pretty safe bet to make Team Sweden.

The Question Mark:

Trade rumors are swirling in Montreal, what type of player do the Habs need most and what can they afford to give up to bring him to the team?

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

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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Pregame Preview: Canadiens at Stars (Game #42)

 

Match Up:

The Canadiens (23-14-4) kick off the New Year in Dallas when they face the Stars (20-12-7) Thursday night. The game is set to start at 8:30 and will be broadcast on RDS.

This is the second and final game between the Stars and Habs this season. The Canadiens already defeated the Stars on Bell Centre ice, claiming a 2-1 victory at the end of October. Raphael Diaz had a pair of assists in the game while Michael Bournival and Rene Bourque had the goals. Carey Price held down the fort with a 27-save performance.

What to Watch:

David Desharnais capped off an excellent month of December with 3 assists against the Hurricanes Tuesday night. Desharnais had a goal and 10 assists in his 14 games last month, factoring in almost 40% of Montreal's December goals. Max Pacioretty had himself a 2-goal night in Carolina, it was his fifth multi-goal game of the season.

In his first season with the Stars, Tyler Seguin is looking like the dominant scorer that he was expected to become when he was drafted second overall by the Boston Bruins in 2010. The 21-year old has 20 goals and 39 points in 37 games to lead the Stars. Erik Cole is on a 3-game point streak, the former Hab has 4 goals and an assist in that span.

What's at Stake:

The Canadiens suffered an epic third period collapse against the Canes Tuesday night, losing in overtime after bringing a 3-0 lead into the third period. The loss capped off a disappointing run for the Habs that started with a 6-0 loss to the Kings and saw them go 4-5-1 in their last 10. A solid performance against the Stars will help the Habs get over their sloppy end to 2013 and set them up for the second half of the season.

Who's Out:

The Canadiens are missing Davis Drewiske (shoulder) but are otherwise healthy enough to force Michel Therrien into leaving several bodies in the press box. Against the Hurricanes, Douglas Murray and Daniel Briere were left out of the line-up.

The Stars are without veteran defensemen Sergei Gonchar (concussion), Stephane Robidas (leg) and Trevor Daley (ankle).

What Else:

With exactly half the season in the books, the Habs are on pace for a 100-point season, a mark they haven't reached since 2007-08 when they were the top team in the Eastern Conference. Last year, Montreal finished the shortened season with 63 points in 48 games, a record that had them on pace for about 108 points. If they maintained that pace, the Canadiens would have enjoyed their best season since 1988-89 when the team finished with 115 points.

The Question Mark:

We want to hear from you: What grade would you give the Habs on the first half of their season? Who were their A+ players?

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

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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