Only 24 short hours after handing the Ottawa Senators their sixth straight home loss in a 7-1 drubbing in Kanata, the Montreal Canadiens are back home tonight to take on the Anaheim Ducks.
This will be a game between two teams that have a lot of similarities.
They boast similar records in the standings—Montreal is 27-17-4 with 58 points in sixth overall in the East and Anaheim is 26-20-4 with 56 points in sixth overall in the West—have each had their ups and downs this season and are both trying to solidify their playoff spots.
In the net, no goalie in the league has played more games than either Carey Price or Jonas Hiller, with 44 and 43 respectively. These two netminders are also one and two for most wins among NHL starter with Price having 24 to Hiller's 23. As such, this should be one heck of a goaltending battle between two teams who lean heavily on their netminders.
Up front, the Canadiens have a bevy of players with points in recent games but no one is hotter than Tomas Plekanec, who has six points in his last six games. Rookie sensation, P.K. Subban is not too far behind with five points in his last five.
For the Ducks, it is Lubomir Vishnovsky who is bringing the heat with 10 points in his last seven games while Jonas Hiller, 8-4-0 in his last 12 starts, has a.940 save percentage in his last 13 starts.
In the special teams department, the Ducks are operating at a scintillating 23 percent efficiency on the power play, third overall in the league to the Habs' 11th ranked PP (19.3%). For the penalty kill, the numbers are reversed with the Habs' second ranked PK running at a 85.9 percent clip while the Ducks are floundering in 15th overall with a 82.4 percent efficiency.
Needless to say, special teams and goaltender are the keys to tonight's match.
The last and most poignant similarity that these two teams have is the presence of a player named Saku Koivu. Well, the Canadiens don't have Koivu on their team anymore but he will be making his return to the Bell Centre tonight in a Ducks uniform.
Koivu, who played 13 season with the Montreal Canadiens, nine as captain of the team, will be making an emotional return to Montreal for the first time since being let go as a free agent two summers ago.
While Koivu left Montreal with a whimper, he will be returning with a bang as 21,273 fans eagerly wait their former captain. If you don't know or haven't heard, Koivu had a tumultuous career in Montreal, marred by injury, illness and language controversy.
The Montreal Canadiens team slogan, a passage from In Flanders Fields, is "...to you from failing hands we throw the torch, be yours to hold it high."
Saku Koivu is the player who carried the torch through the dark years of the late nineties and early 2000's, when the team was being mismanaged and run into the ground. A warrior on the ice, Koivu's accomplishments perhaps pale in comparison to the charity and community work that he did outside of the rink, like setting up a charity that raised over $8 million to buy a PET scan machine for the Montreal General Hospital. That being said, Koivu was the captain of a generation of fans who scarcely remember any Stanley Cups being won in Montreal and he is loved, to this day, because of it.
So, with fans organizing a Facebook group to vote Koivu as the first star of tonight's game, the Montreal Canadiens organization is planning a pregame montage to honour Koivu's years with the organization.
Koivu is, was and always will be the epitome of class, as evidenced by his press conference in Montreal yesterday afternoon. And while I truly believe that at some point the Canadiens will bring Koivu back into the fold of the organization, perhaps as an ambassador, tonight the fans get to once again show the man who beat cancer how much he still means to this city.
For the Canadiens' players who have become part of this organization since Koivu's departure, they are about to witness the definition of adulation when Koivu steps on the ice tonight. They will truly see how much love the Habs' faithful can have for one person and, if that doesn't motivate them to be even better, I don't know what will.
The Team 990's Matthew Ross, who also does some work for Bodog.com sent me the following interesting betting odds for tonight's game:
Will Saku Koivu (ANA) score a goal?
Yes +325 (or 13/4)
No -450 (or 2/9)
Will Saku Koivu (ANA) record a point?
Yes +140 (or 7/5)
No -170 (or 10/17)
Will Saku Koivu (ANA) be the first star of the Game?
Yes -150 (or 2/3)
No +110 (or 11/10)
So from looking at those numbers, it seems that the odds are on for Koivu to be named first star of the game but to be shut off of the score sheet.
Whatever the odds are for tonight, I have one more stat and that is the chance of tonight being an incredible emotional evening: 100 percent.
Here are a few clips, audio files and videos to get you primed for what is sure to be another incredibly poignant night in Montreal Canadiens history.
The Montreal Canadiens were in Ottawa last night to take on the Senators, losers of five straight games at home—make that six after last night.
True to form the rapidly imploding Senators provided little resistance, allowing Montreal to score two goals before the four minute mark of the first period.
After Montreal missed on a few more scoring chances the Sens quickly turned things around, with Chris Kelly scoring his 10th of the season to cut the Habs' lead in half.
The Canadiens were actually outshooting the Sens 6-3 at one point in the first, but Ottawa turned the tables on them finishing the first period with a 12-6 shot advantage. In a period where the score could easily have been 4-0 Montreal, they ended up being lucky to escape with a 2-1 lead.
Fortunately for Habs fans, the Senators are just not a very good team right now and Montreal took advantage of that fact, scoring 1:16 and 5:33 into the second period and chasing Mike Brodeur from the net in the process—in favour of Brian Elliott.
Elliott didn't fare much better, and after the Habs' third goal it was all Montreal as the Canadiens blitzed the porous Ottawa defense to score goal after goal after goal.
Ottawa did have some occasional push back but Carey Price was there to shut the door each time they came knocking, sealing the blowout victory.
Final score: Habs 7 - Ottawa 1
Habs' scorers: Benoit Pouliot (10), Tomas Plekanec (15,16), Brian Gionta (16), Max Pacioretty (4), Andrei Kostitsyn (13), P.K. Subban (5)
Sens' scorers: Chris Kelly (10)
Three stars: 1. Tomas Plekanec, 2. Andrei Kostitsyn, 3. Carey Price
Game Notes
1. Andrei Kostitsyn came to play.
From the start of the game you could see that AK46 was once again fully engaged. Whereas Kostitsyn has the maddening ability to lose focus and look lost out on the ice, in recent games he seems like a new player.
Kostitsyn has actually looked good in every game since having a face-to-face meeting with Jacques Martin last week, and has four points (3G, 1A) and a plus-4 rating in his last four games.
Given that Kostitsyn tends to be a streaky player it is almost like fans are constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Well that shoe may still drop but Andrei made sure it wasn't going to happen last night.
From the start of the game he looked fast, focused and furious, dolling out a few solid body checks, driving to the net with conviction and using his blistering fast release to cause havoc to create scoring chances.
Kostitsyn made a great play on Plekanec's first goal, stripping the Ottawa defender of the puck and centering it in the high slot to his centerman.
Almost more importantly than his production is the fact that Kostitsyn, for the first time in years, actually looks like he is enjoying himself. He looks happy out on the ice and that can only be a good thing for him and the team.
Oh and AK46, who was already leading the Canadiens with a plus-9 rating prior to last night's game, finished the game a plus-3.
He now leads all skaters with a plus-12.
2. Andres Engqvist looks real big out there.
OK, admit it, this was not the player you thought the Canadiens would recall this week.
Despite not being the odds on favorite to get a call up to Montreal, rookie Andres Engqvist made his NHL debut last night against the Sens. More importantly, he didn't look out of place and was a solid anchor to the Habs' fourth line with Ryan White and Travis Moen.
While Engqvist is known more as a defensive player, he does have some offensive upside. In addition, his 6'4" frame is a welcome addition to a Canadiens lineup that is desperately lack in size.
The big Swede played an excellent defensive game and used his huge size to add a much needed dose of thump to the Habs bottom-6. He even came close to scoring his first NHL goal by driving to the net and just missing a Ryan White rebound.
Paired with Travis Moen and White, Engqvist finished the night with 12:30 of ice time—1:07 short handed—and went six for twelve in the faceoff circle for an acceptable 50% efficiency rate.
Not a bad night's work for his first NHL game!
3. Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta are men of their words.
When Michael Cammalleri went down to injury this past week and news came out that he would be gone for a minimum of four weeks, the spotlight was quickly shone on Scott Gomez.
Mostly underwhelming since the beginning of the season, Gomez would need to pick up his game in Cammalleri's absence and provide a constant offensive spark for the second line.
To his credit, he and Gionta took time aside to discuss the matter together on the ice the next day, and they both agreed that they can, should and need to give more in Cammy's absence.
Elevate their games, as it were.
Now all athletes tend to say the right thing in a situation like this but to actually walk the walk is another matter altogether. So on the same day that former No.11 and Habs captain, Saku Koivu, was giving a press conference about his return to Montreal, the current No.11 decided to step up.
Last night, Gomez played his best game of the season and was involved, engaged and paying the price in all three zones. Along with Gionta and Max Pacioretty, the Habs' second line played with dogged determination all game and were rewarded with Gionta's 16th and Pacioretty's fourth goal of the season.
Their line finished the night with five points (2G,3A) and 10 of the Canadiens 35 shots on net. Also, Gomez went 8-5 in the faceoff circle for a scintillating 61.5% efficiency.
This line will have to continue to provide consistent performances like last night in order for the Canadiens to keep rolling in the absence of key players.
4. Speaking of elevating your game, Tomas Plekanec was sublime.
Playing a team high among forwards of 17:33 with 1:08 on the power play and 2:39 short handed, Plekanec finished the night with two goals, a plus-3 rating and six shots on net.
Plekanec continues to be the best player on the ice not named Carey Price, night in and night out. Moreover, he continues to get things done offensively as well as being the Canadiens' best defensive forwards.
Plekanec now has 38 points (16G, 22A) and a plus-10 rating in 47 games and has been the Canadiens' most consistent forward all season. Regardless of who he is playing with and whether they are streaking or slumping, Plekanec continues to answer the bell.
Last night, his first goal was a zinger from the high slot off a great pass from Kostitsyn, where he picked the top corner to beat Mike Brodeur. On his second goal, Plekanec picked Mike Fisher's pocket at the Canadiens blueline and skated in alone on Brian Elliott, firing a quick shot past the Sens netminder to make it 5-1 Montreal.
Plekanec continues to show that he is one of the best two-way players in the game by excelling on all situations and in all three zones. As such, as the playoffs get closer and the end of the season nears, his name has to be part of any Selke Trophy conversations.
5. The Sens are a team and organization in disrepair.
From their own, Eugene Melnyk, saying before the season that his team would be a competitive playoff team, to the constant coaching changes, to terrible free agents signings like Alex Kovalev and Sergei Gonchar, the Senators look like a team primed to hit the reset button.
The sad result of all the tumult behind the scenes is disarray on the ice and while you have to give full marks to the Canadiens for taking it to the Sens, Ottawa just looked horrible last night. They are simply not playing as a team and seemed to be employing more of an "every man for himself" scheme.
With everyone pulling in a different direction, disorganization, missed assignments and bad defensive zone coverage were the catch of the day. The result was, well, a blow out by the Canadiens who, before last night, were the fifth lowest scoring team in the league.
The Ottawa players truly look like they have quit on their coach and GM and are just waiting for them to be fired. If they keep playing like they did last night, their wish should come true soon enough.
Standings and Next Game
This win was huge for the Canadiens and not just because it was a blowout. The Habs, who have suddenly won six out of their last eight games, gained two precious points on the idle Boston Bruins, 4-2 losers the day before against the Sabres.
Montreal now has 58 points in the standings with a 27-17-4 record and they are within striking range of the third, fourth and fifth overall spots in the East.
Ahead of the Canadiens are the Capitals with 60 points, the Penguins with 62 points and the Bruins with 59 points and one game in hand.
Behind Montreal are the usual suspects; The Rangers with 57 points and one more game played, the Thrashers with 54 points and one more game played and the Hurricanes with 52 points and one game in hand.
Montreal returns home to take on the Anaheim Ducks at the Bell Centre tonight. This is a match that will feature the return of former Habs' captain, Saku Koivu, to Montreal for the first time since being let go as a free agent two years ago.
When I originally set out with this little rant I asked myself a simple question: Have the Montreal Canadiens lost touch with the fan base?
Although the answer to this question certainly differs from one person to the next, I stand firm with my feelings that they have.
In the past week and a half I have tried to examine or at least protest against some of the things that really bother me about the Montreal Canadiens; the disconnect between the general manager and coaching staff, the lack of pro development with many of our younger players and a pro scouting department which, in my opinion, is seriously lacking.
So, have I answered the very question that I originally set out to answer?
On the surface it may not look like I have but the reason I mentioned these various aspects is simple. The Montreal Canadiens were once a representation of a city, a province and a culture, but what they have become is just a business.
The day things started to change
In recent years I have heard much ill will towards our current President, Pierre Boivin. Whether the discussion originated from Twitter, Facebook, HockeyBuzz or here at HabsAddict.com, the chatter was constant; Pierre Gauthier is not the right man for the job.
Fans argued that the team lacked a French-Canadian superstar or any superstar for that matter, which ultimately hurt this club. I have heard discussions calling for Boivin's resignation after publicly saying that the coach of the Montreal Canadiens had to be French. Moreover, there are those who look at the revolving coaching carousel as a sign of a man who has lost control of his GM and ultimately his team.
Are any of these actions a means to fire the President and CEO of the Club de hockey Canadien, evenko and l'Aréna des Canadiens inc.?
Not a chance.
The Montreal Canadiens have the absolute best president in hockey!
I am sure there are those of you out there who are laughing at the notion, but you have to look beyond the day-to-day operations of this team to see why.
When George Gillett took an 80% majority share in the Montreal Canadiens in January of 2001 at a cost of $180 million US, he took on a team in despair.
The building was partially empty, tickets could be had at the drop of a coin, the team struggled on the ice and the people as a whole seemed to have, well, almost lost interest in the Bleu Blanc Rouge.
On a personal level, I remember calling the ticket office when I had a break in class at Dawson College and inquired into season tickets. A simple question was asked from the other end; where do you want to sit? Well my friends try that now and you like many of us will be told that a $200 and a $35 administration fee per year is now required to have your name maintained on what is now a 7-8 year waiting list for season tickets.
Under the guidance and direction of Boivin however, the team has seen a complete 180 degree change in fate, regardless of the lack of a Stanley Cup since 1993.
What has Boivin done?
Pierre Boivin decided that the Montreal Canadiens could no longer be viewed as a passion or a cultured symbol but rather a business; a business which needed to be redefined and ultimately re-branded.
As such, Boivin’s primary focus was brand recognition.
Surely the Habs logo has been around long before you are I, but Boivin saw an opportunity of re-building it through the community.
Billboards scattered across the city, public speaking events at various schools, ball hockey tournaments, the creation of the Montreal Canadiens Hockey School, the building of community based hockey rinks in under-privileged areas and ultimately, city wide campaigns which focused on player familiarity with a sense of belonging.
Boivin essentially brought the Montreal Canadiens back to the people with a cunning business model focused on mass awareness, which ultimately resulted in sky rocketing profits.
His brilliance however did not stop with the Canadiens.
Pierre Boivin helped with the creation Gillett Entertainment Group (GEG)—now Evenko—a company which redefined the Montreal arts scene and focused on bringing in some of the biggest acts in the world at a time when Montreal more often than not was being passed over.
This change of philosophy re-positioned the Bell Centre from a rarely used facility to now the second busiest arena/stadium in the world behind only Wembley Stadium in London, England.
Under the guidance of Pierre Boivin, which saw the team sold on two separate occasions—to George Gillett in January of 2001 and to Geoff Molson on June 20th, 2009 (the day the NHL Board of Directors approved the sale)—the value of the brand grew by more than 240%, eventually selling for $575 million.
This while giving the perception that “Les Glorieux” remained nothing more than a team and passion.
What about the Fans?
It is perhaps unfortunate but the opinions of the fans do not matter.
As a simple task try to reel off some of the fan favorite players that have laced up the skates since the lockout in 2005. I would say Jaroslav Halak, Alexei Kovalev, Mike Komisarek, Cristobal Huet, Sheldon Souray, Guillaume Latendresse, José Theodore, Saku Koivu and I would argue now Carey Price and P.K. Subban.
With the exception of Price and Subban, none of those people are playing in Montreal. Do you see a theme here?
Yet people continue to buy jerseys and T-shirts of their favorite players, they continue to buy game tickets and spend $11 on a freaking beer or $4 on a hot dog.
Yet despite these considerable dollars being spent, the fans collective voice does not have a say.
Is it fair for an individual making $40,000 a year to spend $200 on a jersey and another $300-500 for a game to simply have management let that favorite player walk away at the end of the season?
Should we expect management to listen to us when there is a public outcry because PK Subban is forced to sit in the press box for three consecutive games?
Why is it that since the departure of Patrick Roy we have been starved for the acquisition of a French Superstar, a sentiment even further echoed by the president, yet to this day the closest thing to filling that void is Benoit Pouliot or Mathieu Darche?
We have to start facing the facts here folks. It is not that management does not care about the people, it’s that they can’t.
There is a disconnect between the organization and the fans but nothing else can be expected because hockey is a business.
Conclusion
The world has changed.
In the Golden years of the NHL, superstars like Maurice Richard lived normal lives. During the day they paid bills by working at industrial factories and at night they practiced with the team and played a game in front of a 15,000 people.
There were no systems for players to follow, no player development or regimes to follow. Hockey was a game. It was a game played by normal everyday people for normal everyday people.
The players had very little rights, made very little money and ultimately played a game because they had an undying passion for it.
What once started as a pastime however has since evolved to the point where a fourth line player, like a Georges Laraque, makes $1.5 million per season. Is it fair that such a player, with limited abilities, makes more than 3000% what the national average salary is in Canada?
Likely not, but we are in no position to complain.
Fans continue to flock to the arena and spend millions of dollars annually on memorabilia and merchandise. In Canada, whether a team is a basement dweller or a contender for the Stanley Cup generally has no impact on tickets sales or revenues.
If we are displeased with the moves management makes, or the roster that we ice on a nightly basis, ultimately we still come to the arena.
Is there a disconnect between management and the fans?
Yes, without a doubt. But this is not in the hands of management but rather the fans as a whole. The game of hockey has evolved and with it so have the players, management and ownership.
The fans however have not.
Sure we know there is a business angle to the game but most of us still see the Habs as our team.
When you are management you must take the emotion away from your decision making.
But for the rest of us, the Habs are so deeply rooted in our culture and our spirit that it is hard to come to terms with the fact that they are no longer just a means of enjoyment.
--- Willey was the shinning light among the wicked growing up as the lone Habs fan in Toronto. Pray to Holy Ghosts of the old forum and all shall be answered I was told, and just like that my family was transferred back to Montreal and away from the damned. Olé Olé Olé.
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