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

Greetings Habs Addicts!

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

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

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

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

There were some other notable moves this summer:

Who left?

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

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

Who is joining us?

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

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

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

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

---

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

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Can Max Pacioretty Score 50 Goals In A Season?

Following a very solid 2013-14 campaign during which he recorded 39 goals and 21 assists for 60 points in 73 games, Max Pacioretty will be counted on to provide the bulk of the offense for the Montreal Canadiens this season.

The 25-year-old left winger, who is one the most serious candidates to become the team's next captain, is entering his prime and is ready to breakout offensively. Two years ago, during the season shortened by the lockout, he potted 15 goals and added 24 assists for a total of 39 points in 44 contests, which would have resulted in a 69-point season over a full 82-game calendar.

Last season, he finished only behind Alexander Ovechkin (51 goals in 78 games) in goals per game with a 0.534 goals per game played. If he had not miss three weeks with a left hamstring strain in late October/early November, Max Pax would have scored a prorated 44 goals in 2013-14.

Add the struggles of his friend and centerman David Desharnais to the mix and the 50-goal barrier could have been very well within reach of the power forward. After his first 12 games, Pacioretty had only potted 2 goals and 2 assists for a mere 4 points. This means that from November 19th to the end of the season, the native of New Canaan, Connecticut, recorded 37 goals and 19 assists for 56 points in only 61 games.

If we prorate this goal-scoring production over a full season we get exactly 50 goals for Pacioretty, which indicates us that it is fairly reasonable to predict the first 50-goal campaign for a Habs player since Stéphane Richard potted 51 goals back in 1989-90, which is 25 years ago!

With the arrival of Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau and the maturation of Brendan Gallagher, the David Desharnais-Max Pacioretty duo will finally be able to rely on either one of these two players to play alongside them on the team's first line.

The arrival of Manny Mahlotra will, who will take most of the defensive zone face-offs will also allow head coach Michel Therrien to start his two best lines even more in the offensive zone. Last season, Max Pacioretty started 53.6% of his shifts in the offensive zone, a number that could easily increase to 55% this season, which would allow him and his line-mates to get even more scoring chances.

Over his career, Pacioretty is scoring at a 11.1% pace, which is slightly lower than last year's 14.4%. Still, reaching the 50-goal mark is quite a feat when you consider than most sniper score about 15% of the time. Alex Ovechkin scores on 12.3% of his shot attempts over his illustrious career, but he shots from everywhere! As for Steven Stamkos, he is a true goal scorer and he is scoring on 17.5% of his shots attempts.

If you assume Max Pax scores on 15% of his shots, he will need to stay healthy and shoot more than 333 times on net to reach the 50-goal plateau. While it is quite possible to reach, it's no small feat to accomplish!

Finally, do you think Pacioretty will finally hit the 50-goal mark?

If so, will he reach the 80-point mark in the process?

Finally, who should play with DD and Max? Parenteau or Gallagher?

*******************

No Foolin' Fred Poulin
Follow me on Twitter for more Habs news and discussions.

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Habs Summer Recap + 2014-15 Prediction

Source: USA Today

Greetings Habs Nation,

After an absence of almost two years I've decided to get back into the Hab-it (see what I did there?) of writing on the going-ons of the hockey world, and more specifically, the Montreal Canadiens. And what
better time to get back into the world of hockey than the first week of September when there is not much going on and every subject has been covered by everyone with both the internet and an interest for hockey?

That being said, there are a few options when it comes to choosing a subject. First off I could cover some rumours, secondly I could do a recap of the most talked about topics regarding the Canadiens and lastly, I could give my take on the upcoming season and how I feel the Habs will fare.

Alas.... I will do all three. I'm kind of an all-or-nothing kind of guy. Now with the intro complete I will dive right into the first of my three topics... rumours.

Martin Brodeur to the Habs

Let me start this off with a quick and simple, no thank you. Unless Marc Bergevin has the Delorean parked in his garage and is preparing to reach 88 mph on his way to bringing in the veteran goaltender, this rumour should be put to rest immediately.

I do not doubt that Brodeur could chalk up a few W's for the Habs in the upcoming season; however, I don't feel it's worth the circus that will come with it. There should be no goalie controversy in Montreal. Carey Price is the go-to-guy, and no matter what anybody says, the second he loses two or three (or God forbid four!!) games in a row, how could the media and a large collection of the fan base, not start to rally for the hometown, two time Stanley Cup winning goalie to step up and lead the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge to the promise land?

This organization does not need that sort of attention and distraction. Price and Peter Budaj are a more than capable duo where their roles will not be questioned and they can both focus 100% on the job at hand. Although, to be fair, Budaj may not be as comfortable after Dustin Tokarski's performance in the conference finals last year.

There is also the matter of price (monetary, not Carey).

How much will it cost to have the twenty-year veteran come home for his final season? The Habs currently have $2,651,667 in cap space according to www.capgeek.com. It's no question that Budaj would be moved to make room for Marty McFly (nickname given due to his first name being Martin as well as my Delorean reference from earlier on). Let's say Budaj is traded for a draft pick or prospect in order to not take any salary in return, that adds another $1.4 million. The Habs are now looking at $4,051,667 to play around with. That seems like a comfortable amount of money, but keep in mind the Habs may need some cash in the bank come trade deadline to either add to the roster or replace an injured player. If Brodeur is willing to sign for $1 million the way Brad Richards did in Chicago or Dany Heatley over in Anaheim than it would be a little bit harder to ignore, but still it doesn't seem worth the sideshow that would accompany the future hall of famer back to his hometown.

Phase one complete, phase two: My take on the most talked about topics over the summer

1. The $9 Million Man

P.K. Subban became the highest paid Canadien with an average
of $9 million over eight years.

P.K. Subban is extremely talented offensively, underrated defensively and hasn't yet reached his full potential. The man doesn't get tired, he has been learning the game from Andrei Markov whose vision and decision-making on the ice is better than roughly 90% of the league's rearguards and has one hell of a shot. Why is this contract an issue to anybody?

Yes, it's a ton of money. How many defensemen are there in the league like Subban? Drew Doughty in Los Angeles (the only one I would personally rate higher then #76)... I'm out. Shea Weber is phenomenal, but doesn't have the speed that Subban uses for those end to end rushes. There is Erik Karlsson, but he's on the Senators so who really cares, right?

Bottom line is, Subban's contract is a good one and will only look better in a few years when the cap is even higher and players with less than half the talent that P.K. possesses are making a bazillion dollars.

2. The Captaincy

Once again, an issue I feel has been overblown. Should it be Subban? Plekanec? Markov? Pacioretty?

Here's an even more important question... does it matter? Whether or not there is a "C" on somebody's jersey, the true leaders will make their selves heard in the dressing room and seen on the ice. Regardless, I'll give a quick rundown on my opinion of each of the candidates most often named both by the media and fans.

Subban: Not yet. I could see it happening if Bergevin decides to go a year before handing out the "C", but it seems a little bit early for a player who has yet to sign a contract without making the whole process into a gong show.

Markov: Doesn't want it.

Pacioretty: Really?

Gallagher: See "Pacioretty".

Plekanec: He would be my pick if I was relevant in any way to the organization. He's been with the team longer than anyone who isn't named Markov. He plays hard and deals with the media well, and anybody who can rock a turtleneck in a world where turtlenecks have never been anything less than silly, can lead me into battle any day.

And now for my final act.... My prediction

How Will The Canadiens Fare?

I will keep this short as I am not usually good at predictions. There are too many factors at play when stating how a team will do over an 82-game schedule. However, I already said I would do it and I don't feel like editing my article so here it goes.

Habs will take the Atlantic Divi... Conference?. There. I said it, and it's not because I'm a fan... well it probably is at least a little bit. I'll explain quickly how I came to this conclusion.

Ottawa and Toronto are bad.
Buffalo is worse.
Florida is..... Florida.
Tampa Bay could do it, but will be relying way too heavily on Ben Bishop to have another stellar year like he did in the 2013-14 season.
Detroit has a ton of talent up front, but not the most impressive blue line and I'm still not completely sold on Jimmy Howard.
Boston is stupid. More importantly though, Chara is not the Wookie he once was. He is still strong and possesses a hell of a shot, but he's becoming easier and easier to just skate around. Marchand is becoming more of a distraction than a help to his team due to his insistence on being the league's top jackass. Iginla walked and was replaced by... nobody. Ville Leino has been invited to the Bruins' training camp but admit it, before I mentioned his name you forgot he existed.

With all that in depth research and analysis isn't it clear that the Habs will win the divi... conference?

Bonus non-Hab related prediction: Jaroslav Halak will be traded six times in the upcoming season.

And with that my first piece back is complete, and for the record... part of me does think it would be pretty badass to see Brodeur wearing the "CH" despite everything I just said.

I'll leave you with a few questions:

1. Brodeur - yes or no?
2. Would not having a captain matter and if so, who would you give it to?
3. Where do you see the Habs finishing?
4. Is two Delorean references too many? I say it's not enough, but that's just me.

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Goalie Controversy in Montreal?

Goalie Martin Brodeur contemplates joining the Montreal Canadiens

There are rumors in the air that future Hall of Fame Goalie Martin Brodeur is very interesting in signing with the Montreal Canadiens. My opinion? This is the last thing the Canadiens should be considering. First of all, they have three goalies already under contract fighting for the back-up job: Dustin Tokarski, Joey Macdonald and Peter Budaj. The crease is already full. Adding Brodeur to the mix will just create a goalie controversy. The fact that the Habs are even considering signing Brodeur says a lot about their trust in Budaj and how ready they feel Tokarski is to get regular duty in the NHL. Habs fans will recall Tokarski keeping the Canadiens in the series vs. the Rangers late May  Tokarski has a bright future ahead of him but I think he will end up in Hamilton to start the year.

I have all the respect in the world for Brodeur. He has won just about everything there is to win in hockey from Olympic Gold, to multiple Stanley Cups. Individually, he is a four time Vezina winner as top goalie in the NHL. He has also won the William Jennings award five times for allowing the fewest goals in the regular season. His NHL resume speaks for itself. However, Brodeur is 42 years old, his regular season numbers were average last season (.901save%, 2.51GAA). Carey Price is clearly the starter so Brodeur would be relegated to backup goalie. Montreal should pass on Brodeur and look at the goalies they have under contract

Please feel free to weigh in Habs fans

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An A to Z Guide to the Montreal Canadiens

An A to Z Guide to the Montreal Canadiens

In honor of back to school week, except of course in beautiful BC, I have decided to create an A to Z guide for your Montreal Canadiens. Feel free to join in and come up with your own ideas for what each letter of the alphabet can stand for. Here we go.

A is for Assists. Generally to score a goal, someone has to pass the puck. Last season, Subban led the team with 43 assists. This is not surprising since he has a cannon for a shot and has a good breakout pass. As a team, the Habs need to better their offensive numbers if they want to succeed.

B is for Blocked Shots. Sometimes the best save is not made by the goalie but by a defending player fearlessly diving in front of a shot. In today’s NHL blocking a shot is such an essential skill. Montreal led the league in blocked shots last season with a whopping 1491 blocked shots.

C is for Carey Price. Price is coming off his best season as a starter. He led Team Canada gold at the 2014 Olympics He led the Canadiens to the Eastern Conference final where he was injured. You know he’s going to be hungry to repeat the stellar team and to prove that last season was no fluke. Despite all he accomplished last season, Price will always have his detractors who question whether he can win the big game or will always be prone to meltdowns. Until he wins the Stanley Cup, he’ll always have someone to prove wrong.

D is for Draft picks. The draft can shape the direction of a team, as well as adding pieces to a potential trade for a coveted player. This year, the Canadiens drafted Daniel Audette, son of former NHLer Donald Audette. Former draft picks currently in the lineup for the Habs include, Price, Subban, and Brendan Gallagher

E is for Even Strength. The vast majority of the time, hockey games are played at even strength (5 on 5 or 4 on 4). When both teams had an equal number of players of the ice last season, the Canadiens scored 155 times and allowed 150 goals giving them an even strength ratio of 1.03, good for 14th in the NHL. Ideally the Habs would like to improve on that by scoring a few more goals and allowing their opponents a few less.

F is for Face-offs. Arguably, the faceoff is the most important play in hockey because it determines which team gets control of the puck first. In 2013-14, the Canadiens won 49.6% of their face-offs as a team, putting them in the middle of the league standings. The Habs will need to improve upon this stat. Unfortunately their best faceoff man Thomas Vanek signed with the Minnesota Wild. Fortunately they signed Manny Malhotra who is strong in the faceoff dot

G is for Goals To win a hockey game you have to score at least one more goal than your opponent. As a team, the Canadiens scored 209 goals or an average of 2.55/game, good for 21st in the league. Max Pacioretty scored the most goals individually with 39 in the 2013-14 season. By not scoring a lot of goals, the Habs put a lot of pressure on the defense and Carey Price. Thankfully for them, Price had a great season last year but as a rule, you need at least three goals in a game to win most nights. Teams are excellent at coming back and the referees tend to give teams every opportunity to come back by calling more penalties against the leading team, warranted or not.

H is for Hits. A big hit can change the outcome of a game by waking up a tired team. Also, a big hit can potentially injure a key opponent or at the very least make them know that you’re there. Last season the Habs were 20th in the NHL with 1722 hits. Interestingly the team that led the league in hits with 2609 won the Stanley Cup. This proves the value of a good hit. However, hits must be done intelligently. A player shouldn’t be running out of position to hit a player, otherwise that can lead to a grade A scoring chance. Individually, defenseman Alexei Emelin led the way with 189 hits.

I is for Injury. With a long season comes the inevitably of injuries. What makes a team great is it’s ability to overcome key players or role players being lost due to injury. What happens if Carey Price goes down with an injury as he did in last year’s playoffs? As demonstrated in the third round of the playoffs vs. the Rangers, the Habs have two goalies who can be relied on in Dustin Tokarski and Peter Budaj.

J is for Jussi Jokinen. While he is not a member of the Canadiens currently, I put him here because he is a master at an important aspect in today’s NHL: the shootout. The shootouts add an extra point to a win (at the end of regulation each team gets a point and the winner or OT or the shootout gets the extra point). This can mean the difference between making or not making the playoffs Love it or hate it, the tiebreaker is here to stay for the foreseeable future. Last season, the Canadiens were involved 9 shootouts winning 6 of them. In an odd twist, all 6 of the Habs shootout wins came on the road. This is rare because the home team gets the choice of whether to shoot first. Individually last season, David Desharnais was the Habs best shooter successful on 6 of his 13 attempts.

K is for Killing Penalties. It is imperative to be able to kill off penalties at a consistent level to have success in the NHL. Kill a penalty and momentum can shift your way. Allow a goal while shorthanded and you have to fight through the letdown and try to tie the game. Last season, the Canadiens killed off 85.1% of the penalties handed to them, good for 4th in the league, 3rd in the Eastern Conference. To be successful, the Canadiens will be relying on Price to stop any shots that reach him and the PK team to clear the puck out early and often.

L is for Losses. It is unrealistic for a team to go 82-0 in the regular season oor 16-0 in the playoffs because of the parity in the NHL. Instead, teams must minimize the number of losses and the length of losing streaks. Last season, the Canadiens lost 28 games and their longest losing streak was 4 games (November 1st-7th). Repeat that consistency and their chances of making the playoffs is great.

M is for Must-see games. With every team visiting the Bell Center at least once this season, fans will get to see every star, barring injury, at least once. Here are five must see games fans should mark on their calendars.

October 13 at Tampa Bay While the Canadiens made it look easy sweeping the Lightning in the 1st round last April, there will be a key difference this time around. Steven Stamkos should be fully recovered from his fractured leg and we all know how dangerous he is on a given night.

October 16th vs. Boston Bruins. Back in May, these two teams went head to head in a grueling, thrilling, seven game 2nd round playoff series which Montreal won by a hair in the Bruins home arena. You know the Bruins will be looking to exact some revenge.

October 25 vs. NY Rangers. It’s the Canadiens turn to exact some revenge on the team that eliminated them from playoff contention. The Habs fought hard but the Rangers speed and tenacity proved to be too much to handle.

November 4th vs. Chicago Blackhawks. Another powerful team in the ultra competitive Western Conference. The Blackhawks lost in the Western Conference finals to LA last season and won the Stanley Cup the season previous to that. Chicago has a stacked lineup that can score, defend and their goalie can stop the puck.

December 12 vs. LA Kings This is your typical measuring stick game. The defending champs, who have won the Stanley Cup twice in three season, are in town. The Canadiens will have to be playing their best hockey if they want to beat this juggernaut team.

N is for Newcomers to the team. As training camp approaches, the Canadiens will be welcoming several new faces to the fold. Center Manny Malhotra signed on July 1st. He will be centering the 3rd or 4th line as well as taking key faceoffs throughout the game. Minor league goalie Joey MacDonald was added to compete for the backup job with Budaj and Tokarski. Defenseman Tom Gilbert signed a two-year deal. He’ll be competing for a top-four defense pairing spot. Welcome to the team and good luck in the new season!

O is for Outgoing players. Sadly, Habs fans will see several players wearing a different team’s uniform having left via free agency and/or trade. On July 1st, the Habs traded the rights to Brian Gionta and Josh Gorges to Buffalo. The two will return to the Bell Center when the Sabres visit the Bell Center on November 29. LW Tomas Vanek inked a three year deal with the Minnesota Wild (returns November 8). RW Mike Blunden signed a two-way deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning (returns March 10, assuming he is in the NHL). Goalie Devon Dubnyk signed with the Arizona Coyotes (returns February 1st). LW Nick Tarnasky signed a two-year deal with the NY Rangers (returns October 25). Finally, C Ryan White signed with the Philadelphia Flyers (returns November 15). Happy trails and good luck to all the players mentioned above.

P is for Power Play. Equally as important to killing off penalties is taking advantage of the times when you are up a man. Not only can a PP goal extend or give your team the lead if the game is tied, it can also spark much needed momentum. Last season the Canadiens scored on 17.7% of its PP chances, putting them 19th in the NHL. They’ll need to improve that number if they want to be successful as a team this season.

Q is for Qualify for the playoffs. In order to have a chance at winning the Stanley Cup, Montreal must first either be one of the top three teams in the Altantic division, or battle it out with 9 other teams for the two wildcard spots. The Canadiens are best to try and be in the top three in the Atlantic division rather than risking

R is for Rookies. Generally every team has at least one rookie, defined as a player either playing his first full season or having < 1 full year of NHL experience. Last year 22-year-old Alex Galchenyuk was the team’s rookie. He finished with 13 goals and 18 assists. This year, you are likely to see the likes of Gabriel Dumont, Stefan Fournier, and Greg Pateryn as injuries occur or prospects make good impressions during training camp to the coaching staff.

S is for Subban, PK. 2013 Norris Trophy winner for the NHL’s top defenseman, just 25 years old and best of all signed for the next 8 seasons. A reminder, Subban is only entering his 5th season in the NHL. He possesses a booming slap shot, has great leadership qualities and has the tenacity to carry this team to great things. He will be considered very highly to be the next captain of the Montreal Canadiens. Habs fans salivate because Subban is already a stellar defenseman and he will only get better with time.

T is for The Fans. Montreal boasts one of the loudest, most intimidating arenas to play in. Every home game, the atmosphere is incredible. When the team is winning, the fans are singing. And when the team is losing, the fans are still cheering loudly. The home record of 23-13-9 (10th in the NHL) last year reflects that atmosphere

U is for Unity. Hockey is a team sport. You win together you lose together. Teams that are successful move the puck efficiently and opponents have a hard time getting it back. This process starts in training camp and continues on the road when players get a chance to bond.

V is for Victory as in the ultimate prize (Stanley Cup). Of course this is the goal of every team but only one team can ultimately win the big prize. The Canadiens came close last season, making it to the Eastern Conference final. This season they will be in tough having lost key players via trade (Gionta) and free agency (Vanek). They will rely heavily on keeping the puck out of their net and hopefully get just enough scoring to win most nights. Once again, the West is looking very tough and deep.

W is for Weise, Dale. Acquired at the trade deadline from the Vancouver Canucks in 2013, Weise was a big contributor in the playoffs scoring clutch goals left, right and center. The question is can he do it on a consistent basis or will he revert back to the player that takes bad penalties and is hesitant physically. To be successful, Weise has to use his size to his advantage and score the odd goal.

X is for X-Factor. For the Habs, the X factor is their speed. They need to use it to their advantage if they want to win consistently. I call it the X factor because the Habs speed has caught many a team by surprise and it can be such a spark to the offense. The Habs speed gets opponents chasing the puck causing them to haul down a Habs player just to prevent a scoring chance.

Y is for Youppi. Youppi is the Montreal Canadiens team mascot. His role is to keep the fans energy levels up and to represent the team as an organization at various events throughout the year. An interesting fact is Youppi was also the mascot of the Montreal Expos when Montreal had a pro baseball team.

Z is for Zdeno Chara. The 6’9” defenseman of the Boston Bruins became public enemy number 1 for this hit on Montreal forward Max Pacioretty on March 8, 2011. Montreal fans have never forgotten this incident and loudly boo Chara whenever he touches the puck when the Bruins play in Montreal.

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Montreal Canadiens TV Schedule for the 2014-15 Season

That is official, Habs fans will be able to watch every minute of every game for the next three seasons as Sportsnet announced yesterday that it has reached a three-year broadcast rights agreement with the Montreal Canadiens, becoming the official English-language regional television rights holder.

This new agreement begins this season and will include 42 regional games. When this new agreement is combined with the national package that includes the remaining 40 games, the NHL on Sportsnet will deliver all 82 games of the regular season to Canadiens fans across nine channels. This new deal, which ends after the 2016-17 season, will make Sportsnet the exclusive Canadian English-language broadcaster of the Bleu Blanc Rouge. So goodbye TSN!

You can see the complete schedule below:
October
Wednesday, Oct. 8, Montreal @ Toronto, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet)
Thursday, Oct. 9, Montreal @ Washington, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet 360) Saturday, Oct. 11, Montreal @ Philadelphia, 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT (National – City)
Monday, Oct. 13, Montreal @ Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – City Montreal)
Thursday, Oct. 16, Boston @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet 360)
Saturday, Oct. 18, Colorado @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – City)
Tuesday, Oct. 21, Detroit @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, Oct. 25, New York Rangers @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – City)
Monday, Oct. 27, Montreal @ Edmonton, 9:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet ONE)
Tuesday, Oct. 28, Montreal @ Calgary, 9 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Thursday, Oct. 30, Montreal @ Vancouver, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet 360)

November
Sunday, Nov. 2, Calgary @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – City)
Tuesday, Nov. 4, Chicago @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Wednesday, Nov. 5, Montreal @ Buffalo, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet) Saturday, Nov. 8, Minnesota @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – City)
Tuesday, Nov. 11, Winnipeg @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Thursday, Nov. 13, Boston @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet 360)
Saturday, Nov. 15, Philadelphia @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Sunday, Nov. 16, Montreal @ Detroit, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – City)
Tuesday, Nov. 18, Pittsburgh @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Thursday, Nov. 20, St. Louis @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – City Montreal)
Saturday, Nov. 22, Montreal @ Boston, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Sunday, Nov. 23, Montreal @ New York Rangers, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – City)
Friday, Nov. 28, Montreal @ Buffalo, 7 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, Nov. 29, Buffalo @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)

December
Monday, Dec. 1, Montreal @ Colorado, 9 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Wednesday, Dec. 3, Montreal @ Minnesota, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet)
Friday, Dec. 5, Montreal @ Chicago, 8:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, Dec. 6, Montreal @ Dallas, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada) Tuesday, Dec. 9, Vancouver @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Friday, Dec. 12, Los Angeles @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Tuesday, Dec. 16, Carolina @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Thursday, Dec. 18, Anaheim @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – City Montreal)
Saturday, Dec. 20, Ottawa @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Tuesday, Dec. 23, Montreal @ New York Islanders, 7 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East) Monday, Dec. 29, Montreal @ Carolina, 7 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Tuesday, Dec. 30, Montreal @ Florida, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)

January
Friday, Jan. 2, Montreal @ New Jersey, 7 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, Jan. 3, Montreal @ Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Tuesday, Jan. 6, Tampa Bay @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, Jan. 10, Pittsburgh @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Wednesday, Jan. 14, Montreal @ Columbus, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet) Thursday, Jan. 15, Montreal @ Ottawa, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, Jan. 17, New York Islanders @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Tuesday, Jan. 20, Nashville @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Tuesday, Jan. 27, Dallas @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Thursday, Jan. 29, Montreal @ New York Rangers, 7 p.m. ET(Regional – Sportsnet East) Saturday, Jan. 31, Washington @ Montreal, 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (National – Sportsnet)

February
Sunday, Feb. 1, Arizona @ Montreal, 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (National – City) Tuesday, Feb. 3, Buffalo @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, Feb. 7, New Jersey @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Sunday, Feb. 8, Montreal @ Boston, 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet)
Tuesday, Feb. 10, Philadelphia @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Thursday, Feb. 12, Edmonton @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, Feb. 14, Toronto @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Monday, Feb. 16, Montreal @ Detroit, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Wednesday, Feb. 18, Montreal @ Ottawa, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet)
Thursday, Feb. 19, Florida @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, Feb. 21, Columbus @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Tuesday, Feb. 24, Montreal @ St. Louis, 8 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Thursday, Feb. 26, Montreal @ Columbus, 7 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, Feb. 28, Toronto @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)

March
Monday, March 2, Montreal @ San Jose, 10 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Wednesday, March 4, Montreal @ Anaheim, 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet) Thursday, March 5, Montreal @ Los Angeles, 10:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East) Saturday, March 7, Montreal @ Arizona, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Tuesday, March 10, Tampa Bay @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Thursday, March 12, Ottawa @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, March 14, Montreal @ New York Islanders, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Monday, March 16, Montreal @ Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Tuesday, March 17, Montreal @ Florida, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Thursday, March 19, Carolina @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, March 21, San Jose @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Tuesday, March 24, Montreal @ Nashville, 8 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Thursday, March 26, Montreal @ Winnipeg, 8 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, March 28, Florida @ Montreal, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)
Monday, March 30, Tampa Bay @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)

April
Thursday, April 2, Washington @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Friday, April 3, Montreal @ New Jersey, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet)
Sunday, April 5, Montreal @ Florida, 5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT (National – Sportsnet)
Thursday, April 9, Detroit @ Montreal, 7:30 p.m. ET (Regional – Sportsnet East)
Saturday, April 11, Montreal @ Toronto, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (National – Hockey Night in Canada)

This means that the Canadiens’ 82-game season breaks down as follows:
39 regional games on Sportsnet East
3 regional games on City Montreal
10 national games on Sportsnet East/Ontario/West/Pacific
8 national games on City Montreal
4 national games on Sportsnet 360
1 national game on Sportsnet One
17 national games on Hockey Night in Canada, channels TBA

Also, Mark Messier and Rogers promise fewer blackout restrictions on NHL GameCentre Live.

Pour ce qui est du calendrier en français, les matchs seront présentés sur deux chaînes à partir de la prochaine saison. RDS conserve les droits régionaux du Canadien et présentera ainsi 60 matchs de la Sainte-Flanelle. De son côté, TVA Sports aura le plaisir de vous présenter les 22 matchs restants, ainsi que tous les matchs des séries éliminatoires.

Le match d'ouvertue et les matchs du samedi soir seront présentés sur TVA Sports, tandis que la grande majorité des matchs en semaine seront diffusés sur RDS.

Vous trouvez le calendrier complet des matchs du Bleu Blanc Rouge ici sur toutes les chaînes, que vous souhaitiez regarder la partie en français ou en anglais. De plus, tous les matchs pré-saison seront diffusés sur RDS, ce qui est une bonne nouvelle pour les mordus du Tricolore! Voici l'horaire de ces sept matchs. (Pre-season schedule on RDS (in French).

You can also get a downloadable calendar here, if you are already mixed up and dizzy after reading the above. Pour la version française des calendriers téléchargeables, cliquez ici.

Enjoy your 2014-15 season!/Profitez de votre saison 2014-2015!

Follow me on Twitter @FredPoulin98

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Dustin Penner on a Professional Try-out?

On Sunday , the rumors were swirling on the social media that unrestricted free agent Dustin Penner, who is still without a contract, was looking to get a professional try-out from several NHL teams in order to land a gig for the upcoming season, and the Montreal Canadiens would be one of the interested teams.

The hulking left winger scored 14 goals and 21 assists for 35 points in 67 games between the Anaheim Ducks and the Washington Capitals, posting a +25 plus/minus rating in the process along with 30 penalty minutes. Penner had much more success before the trade, posting a 0.65 PPG ratio in Anaheim before recording a putrid 0.16 PPG pace with Washington.

The 31-year-old winger is looking for a last chance to prove he still belongs to the NHL after seeing his offensive numbers decrease over the years, having his best offensive season in 2009-2010 with the Edmonton Oilers when he potted 32 goals and 31 assists for 63 points in 82 games. The 6'4'', 242-lb is exactly what the Habs need in their bottom-six as Penner's former teammate, Travis Moen, is now a shadow of his former self.

Bringing Penner to the Habs' training camp would also be a very inexpensive option to challenge other players vying for a roster stop, especially rookie Jiri Sekac and inconsistent winger Rene Bourque. The native of Winkler, Manitoba would give everything he can to land another professional contract and the worst that could happen for the organization would be a disappointing showing. Should that happen and Penner doesn't live to the expectations, they could simply release him before the season and Ta-dam, no harm's done!

On the other hand, if Penner plays very well and finds chemistry with someone like Lars Eller, then Marc Bergevin would have the option to sign him at an affordable one-year contract and try to trade a more expensive contract such as Travis Moen (owed $1.85M/year over two years) or Rene Bourque (owed $3.33M/year over two years).

Fun fact:
Did you know that Dustin Penner and former Hab winger Richard Zednik have one thing in common? 

They have the same ex-wife, actress Jessica Welch, who is a native of Montreal! Penner and Welch even tied the knot in Montreal during the 2011 All-Star break so Dustin is very familiar with the area.

Penner, who is a pretty colorfoul player on Twitter (@dustinpenner25), would certainly be a fan favorite in Montreal, much like Mike Weaver since his arrival last season.

Do you think Penner will trade the pancakes for the poutine if the Canadiens offer him a contract?

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