Habs' Parros Suffers Concussion, Fighters Understand Role

Response to last nights on ice incident involving Montreal's George Parros. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/players-agree-parros-incident-was-ugly-but-fighting-important-part-of-game/article14653776/

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After Just One Game, I am Haunted by the Letter "D"

Ok it’s official, we are one game into the 2013-14 NHL season and I am already stressed out of my mind and agitated beyond words.

I will admit that the Leafs-Habs game was a fun game to watch. We had end to end action, teammates sticking up for one another, some beautiful saves and of course some really nice goals.

But at the end of the day, besides the handful of positives, my mind is full of questions, all of which point to the letter “D”

Danny B

Ok serious question here. I thought I remember seeing Daniel Briere being handed the torch from the great Guy Lafleur during that touching opening ceremony but then what happened?

Did he decide not to dress for the night? I swear I didn’t hear his name mentioned at all.

Brought in to help our Power Play right?

D-core

One word comes to mind, ouch !!!

The loss of Emelin and Murray is apparent.

As an overall group of 6 players out there they are small, they are soft and surprisingly they are slow.

With that said, I think that we can agree that the pairings of PK Subban and Josh Gorges, Jarred Tinordi and Francis Bouillon looked good together. If this is going to succeed then they simply cannot have Andrei Markov-Raphael Diaz playing together !!!

Michel Therrien MUST absolutely switch these guys up and fast.

Hate to say it but it’s time to put Gorges back on the right side and pairing him with #79 and let the stud D-man Tinordi play alongside #76

Decisions

Can some please explain how PK Subban is glued to the bench on the PK, yet the names Diaz and Markov are repeatedly sent out there with a man down.

Better yet, can someone please debunk the myth that Desharnais is either married to Therrien’s daughter or is somehow involved in a love triangle with the coach?

How on earth is Desharnais sent out on the ice for every PP, late in the game when you are in need of a tying goal when arguably you’re two best offensive weapons in the Gally’s receive approximately 12 minutes of ice time each?

I mean seriously, 18.30 minutes of playing time for Desharnais including 3:19 on the powerplay (2nd most on the team by the way) when Gallagher had a total of 11:09 of playing time and tied for eighth on the team (tied with Lars Eller) in PP time with just 1:29.

Diaz

I’m sorry buddy, but it’s time to go.

Yes you make nice tape to tape passes, and sometimes the forward is even expecting them but you make horrible decisions with the puck, pinch when you shouldn’t and somehow seemed to forget that to score the puck has to be on the net.

David Desharnais

Oh my GOD, two D’s.

Simply put, what the hell is wrong with you?

On the PP you are never where you should be, you cannot win a faceoff if your life depended on it, you have the body of an 8 year old boy, the muscle mass of a jelly fish and actually bring down the play of our top line.

I swear that my 3 year old son would go into the corner of the ice with you and would come out with the puck. I am fed up of the excuse that small players cannot make it in the NHL yet somehow you seem to add fuel to that fire every game.

Here is my advice to you, learn to stay on your feet, learn to battle for a puck, learnt o take a faceoff draw and actually win it because whatever it is that you do, it ain’t working.

I still cannot fathom how this guy somehow led the team in PP minutes among forward last night. Can somebody please explain this to me

The Dane

Finally a letter “D” which doesn’t give me nightmares.

The Great Dane put on a show last night. He was 50% in the faceoff circle, he was [physical, drove to the net and as we know ultimately scored 2 goals and an assist.

However despite this success somehow he was one of the least utilized forwards on the powerplay, was only the fifth most utilized forwards while short handed and was third in ice time among centers.

Did I miss something here?

Eller was our best player last night, so why was he not on the ice?

Bryan is a Marketer by day, writer for HabsAddict.com by night and full time fan of the game. Follow me on twitter @BryanWilley78 but don't bother looking for me on Facebook, I'm just too old for that now!

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Habs Post Game - Canadiens/Leafs October 1st 2013

While the score is the nefflwhat will be mentioned in the record books, those in attendance will never forget the image of George Parros being taken off the ice in a stretcher during an incident that took place in the third period. During a fight with Leaf forward Colton Orr his face made direct contact with the ice. Thoughts go out to him and his family as we await news of his status.

A 4-3 loss in the season opener to the rival Maple Leafs may sting in the moment. However, the Canadiens showed many positives in areas that should bring the fans confidence in their club moving forward.

If there is one thing that any Montrealer can attest, the Canadiens never fail in bringing the city together. Before the opening face-off the sell-out crowd was on their feet as the torch was brought out by Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur and passed to Danny Briere before finally making its way through the roster and finishing with Captain Brian Gionta. 

Using the momentum generated by pre-game ceremony and the home crowd, the Habs came out flying in the first. Was it the jitters that crept up on them or maybe the early season whistles from the referees? Either way the result showcased a special teams battle between the clubs.

Montreal fell back 1-0 to a goal by James Van Riemsdyk on a 5-3 in the first. Set up by newly extended Phil Kessel, the Leafs power-play made its appearance 7 times in total, this would be the only time the Habs allowed a goal down a man however. The penalty kill played very well for the Canadiens and managed to record a short-handed marker off the stick of Lars Eller.

Eller made quite the season debut posting 2 goals and a helper in the losing effort. Including one late in the third that sparked the team to attempt some late game heroics that ultimately fell short.
Making themselves known were linemates, and sophomore standouts, Alex Galchenyuk and Brandan Gallagher who, respectively, recorded; 2 assists and 1 goal.

For Montreal, the power play did fail to score on 4 opportunities but this should be a testament to the Leafs who played to their high pressure system in their zone incredibly well. Tyler Bozak was even able to catch Andrei Markov off balance by stealing the puck from the veteran and getting a breakaway, scoring short-handed.

Had the goaltenders not been on their game, the outcome could easily have been more lopside for either club. Both goalies made some spectacular saves in key moments. Carey Price made an early season highlight reel and leaving Leaf players wondering how they were unable to finish. He allowed 4 goals on 38 shots. On the other end was James Reimer, while less flashy, kept the puck out of the net numerous times, especially in the final minute holding the game for the Toronto club, he stopped 34 of 37 on the night.

P.K. Subban was noticeable despite being left off of the score sheet his presence was definitely an asset and lead all habs players in with 24:41 TOI . Leading for the Leafs, and the game, was Captain Dion Phaneuf, 27:01 TOI who put up a goal up for the club. While leading their respective teams it can be argued that Subban should find his way onto more ice time moving forward for the Canadiens.

The main criticism of the night should be that the other lines for Montreal were not able to capitalize during their opportunities in the early going. The likes of Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty, who suffered an injury setback but managed to return, need to up their play. They must find their game soon and help their respective lines produce in the coming weeks.

The Habs will take on the Flyers saturday before they go on the road for the next 4 games out in the western conference. It's important to come out of that short stretch with some wins in order to avoid falling into an early season hole in the tough Atlantic division.

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Pregame Preview: Canadiens Vs Maple Leafs (Game #1)

Match Up:
The 2013-2014 NHL season launches at the Bell Centre on Tuesday when the Canadiens (0-0-0) resume their rivalry against the Maple Leafs (0-0-0). The puck is set to drop at 7:00 and the game can be seen on CBC and RDS.
The Habs and Leafs face off five times this season with three meetings in Montreal. Last year the Habs only managed one win in four games against Toronto and were outscored 13-2 in the other three losses.

What’s at Stake:
The Habs will look to start their season off right against their rivals in the newly formed Atlantic Division. While a win isn’t vital (the Habs did win their division last year despite an opening night loss to the Leafs after all) losing to the Leafs is never fun, especially in front of an amped up, opening night Bell Centre crowd.

What to Watch:
There will be plenty of pressure on the Habs’ youngsters this season. Lars Eller will anchor a line with freshmen Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher, the trio comes into the game with an average age just over 22 years. Jarred Tinordi will also be in the line-up Tuesday. The 21-year old is expected to be paired with the team’s oldest player, Francis Bouillon. Bouillon started his NHL career with the Habs in 1999 when Tinordi was just 7.
Fresh faces Daniel Briere and George Parros will also likely be in action on Tuesday. Although some question marks remain about his ability to still make an impact, Gatineau-native Briere should get a warm reception from the Bell Centre crowd. He’ll play on a line with David Desharnais and Max
Pacioretty.

The Leafs made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2004 and they’ll be looking to improve on that success this season. Toronto also has their fair share of newcomers on this year’s roster including Stanley Cup Champion Dave Bolland, top free agent David Clarkson and goalie Jonathan Bernier. Clarkson won’t be dressed on Tuesday however, he’ll miss the first 10 games of the season serving a suspension for leaving the bench to join a preseason brawl. Leafs coach, Randy Carlyle, still hasn’t announced whether Laval-native Bernier will get the start against the Habs, or whether it will be James Reimer.

Who’s Out:
The season hasn’t even started yet and already the Habs are running low on defensemen. Free agent acquisition Douglas Murray is out 4-6 weeks with an upper body injury, Alexei Emelin is still recovering last May’s from knee surgery and Davis Drewiske is sidelined with a shoulder injury.
The Leafs will be missing Clarkson (suspension) and Frazer McLaren (hand).

What Else:
This is the fifth consecutive season that the Habs and Leafs meet in their season openers. The Leafs have earn a point in each of the past four games while the Habs have only won once, a 4-3 overtime victory all the way back on October 1, 2009.

The Question Mark:
We want to hear from you: Who is the Hab you’re most excited to watch this season? Have your say by leaving a comment below or use the #MTLHockey hashtag to let us know 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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The Montreal Canadiens Getting Ready for Season Opener... With a Few Questionable Calls

By: SHAWN LAVOIE (@SLavoie54)

Opening night is finally right around the corner, and the Montreal Canadiens are in the final stages of preparation to kick off the season at home against the hated Toronto Maple Leafs.

Here is how the lines look like:

Max Pacioretty	David Desharnais	Daniel Briere
Rene Bourque	Tomas Plekanec	Brian Gionta
Alex Galchenyuk	Lars Eller	Brendan Gallagher
Travis Moen	Brandon Prust	George Parros
Michael Bournival	Ryan White

Josh Gorges	P.K. Subban
Andrei Markov	Raphael Diaz
Jarred Tinordi	Francis Bouillon

Carey Price

Peter Budaj

If the lineup doesn’t change for tomorrow’s game, the team will feature a very balanced top-9 forward group and an extremely physical fourth line. The Pacioretty, Desharnais, and Briere line will be the line who will be most counted on to contribute offensively, with the EGG line as a secondary offensive line. Plekanec’s line will receive most of the defensive assignments while the bottom line will act as a support line. Obviously, Moen, Parros, and Prust will be counted on to swing momentum in the Habs’ favor with their physical play.

The defensive unit has a few question marks however. Gorges and Subban is a solid top pair. They can play in all situations, and should eat up a ton of minutes. Things look shaky after them though. Markov and Diaz isn’t the most reliable pairing. Markov isn’t a top level skater anymore, and Diaz isn’t the ideal partner for him. Diaz hasn’t had a great camp, and hasn’t shown that he can play top-four minutes yet. Tinordi and Bouillon are two defenders who usually play on the left side, so one of them will play on his off-wing. Therrien faces are real puzzle with his defensive corps early on this season with Emelin, Drewiske, and Murray now on the injured reserve list.

Moen-Prust-Parros as a Line, and Markov on Penalty Killing.... Really?

It is understandable that Therrien wants to have a line that can stand up against Toronto’s tough guys, but at the expense of using an actual center on the fourth line? Prust is not a natural center. Yes, he’s already been used their a few times, but he can’t win face-offs as regularly as White or Bournival, who are both natural centers.

If the coaching staff wants to have a physical bottom line so badly, why not us Ryan White at center? He’s an extremely physical player, and he will fight anybody, like he showed by fighting Chris Neil twice against the Senators during pre-season. It is okay to use Parros as he can take care of the fisticuffs if need be, and Prust is indispensible. So why not scratch Moen and dress an actual center? Only the Habs’ coaching staff knows.

Another questionable decision is having Andrei Markov on the penalty killing team instead of Subban. Honestly, why? Why not use the Norris trophy winner on the penalty killing? Why not use the player who was one of the team’s best penalty killers two seasons ago instead of the player who obviously has lost a step and ran out of gas at the end of last season? Again, only the coaching staff knows.

If Therrien wants to maximize his assets and give himself the best chance to win, he will need to use a natural center on his fourth line and use Subban on the penalty killing instead of Markov. The Russian rearguard should now be used as a power play specialist from now on. He shouldn’t see more than 20 minutes a night, while Subban should see 25+ minutes per game, like other elite defensemen. Not using Subban in every situation is a complete lack of logic and hurts the team.

As for the lack of natural center on the fourth line, this is the perfect example of a coaching staff concentrating more on gooning up rather than putting the best team on the ice. It is okay to use an enforcer like Parros when you’re facing a big physical team with a few fighters in their lineup, but you can’t sit down your natural centers and use three wingers to have a tougher team. Even worse, Moen was used at center during a few exercises during practice. This defies any sense of logic and reason. Moen has never played center during his career. Would you seriously want to have Moen take a faceoff? Even if Therrien is smart enough to not use Moen at center, who would you rather have take a faceoff, Prust or White?

Despite all this, the Montreal Canadiens will show up tomorrow with good chances to win. They have the better offense and the better goaltender heading into the game. The Leafs have a better defense, but in the end the Canadiens’ balanced attack should be able to win the game, as long as the team stays disciplined. 

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Jarred Tinordi Making A Lot Of Noise In Training Camp

The Canadiens have played five pre-season games so far and rookie defenseman Jarred Tinordi played all five of them due to a rash of injuries on the blue line and the fact that he has been the best rookie defenseman by a mile in September. Michael Bournival and JT have been the biggest surprises in training camp for Les Glorieux and both players are making a case for the themselves to stick with the big club come October.

Drafted 22nd overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft by the Canadiens and Trevor Timmins, the 6'6'', 215-lb rugged defenseman has made great strides offensively and defensively since last season. Tinordi played eight games with the Habs in 2012-13, notching two assists, after spending most of the campaign in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs. In 67 games with the farm club, Tinordi scored 2 goals and 9 assists for 11 points to go along with 71 penalty minutes. The son of Mark worked very hard on his positioning and his skating during the lock-out with great success.

With Alexei Emelin out at least until December with a serious knee injury and Davis Drewiske slated to miss a least one month with a shoulder injury, Tinordi is bound to begin the season in Montreal, we just don't know his role yet. A left-handed defenseman, Tinordi would be guaranteed a regular spot if he was right-handed with only P.K. Subban and Raphael Diaz as RHD on the Habs' defensive brigade. 

As a result, Tinordi will have to battle with veteran Francis Bouillon and newcomer Douglas Murray for playing time on the left side (assuming Josh Gorges and Andrei Markov are the top-two defensemen on the left side).

While Josh Gorges and Francis Bouillon can also play on the right side, head coach Jarred Tinordi is not convinced the rookie would be able to make such a transition as shown last night against the New Jersey Devils when JT was tried on his unnatural side without much success. With Emelin out of the line-up, Tinordi is the best option to replace the physical element that Emelin Boom gave the team last season before his terrible knee injury. With Subban, Markov and Diaz all offensive-minded rearguards, the remaining four defensemen, namely Gorges, Bouillon, Murray and Tinordi, will be asked to provide toughness and grit in front of Carey Price and play heavy minutes on the penalty kill.

Will Michel Therrien go with the experience and defensive awareness and dress Bouillon and Murray, or will he go with speed and toughness and dress Tinordi? With two exhibition games remaining before the start of the season on October 1st, I'm fairly certain we'll see Tinordi at least one more time, especially if Douglas Murray is unable to go as he is still nursing a groin injury.

I consider Tinordi to be the team's fourth best defenseman already behind Subban, Markov and Gorges, and you where do you see him?

No Foolin' Fred Poulin

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Impressions on the Montreal Canadiens’ Training Camp Thus Far

BY: SHAWN LAVOIE (@SLavoie54)

First off, I was as surprised as anyone when I learned that Leblanc was cut by the Montreal Canadiens. I thought that he was having a decent camp, but as Therrien mentioned, Leblanc was going down early no matter what. Could he have been able to force the team’s hand by having an amazing camp? Maybe, but the team’s idea was already made. Some people are starting to write off Leblanc, but I still believe in the Pointe-Claire native to eventually develop in a decent third liner. To give himself better chances, the forward will need to develop some kind of specialty, like a PK specialist for example.

As for the other cuts, I was at first to see the likes of Reway and Hudon among the cuts, since they were impressive with their talent level. However, it’s logical that they were cut early since they would have never made the team.

Now, about the players that are still here, I had the chance to see the inter-squad scrimmage, see Monday’s game against Buffalo, and Wednesday’s practice. I can tell you that I would make room for Jarred Tinordi on the team. The kid has improved tremendously since last season. He is a much better skater, enough to keep up with most forwards, and is obviously stronger. So far, in my opinion, he looks much better than Murray and Drewiske, who are slated ahead of him in the depth chart.

Speaking of Murray, he is slow, reeeeeeally slow. I don’t know if he really has a lower body injury­­ – which could explain his turtle like pace – but I get the feeling that this is just a cover up because he is in the middle of trade talks since Tinordi has been outperforming him.

That or it’s Drewiske leaving, once he comes back from that injury he suffered in a weird accident with Bouillon.

Watch out for Galchenyuk. The 19 year old phenom is obviously bigger, stronger, and faster. His talent level is completely insane and he looks confident. Forget the sophomore jinx for him; he will have a great season.

Gallagher also won’t suffer from the sophomore jinx. He’s too much of a hard worker to see a decrease in his production.  Gallagher, Eller, and Galchenyuk could become the team’s top offensive line.

Andrei Markov looks much more comfortable on the ice now compared to last season. Having a full summer to work-out without rehabbing an injury has obviously helped him. He looks quicker and more agile, which can only be good news for the Habs. He still shouldn’t see more than 23 minutes of ice time per game, nor heavy penalty killing minutes, but he should still be the team’s best point producing defenseman after Subban.

Speaking of which, P.K. is a bull! During Wednesday’s practice, Subban and Galchenyuk would battler along the boards, and it was quite the thing to see. You could see their talent level on display, and I can tell you that both of these young franchise players won’t disappoint this season. Subban looks as quick as last year and stronger.

Michaël Bournival is very impressive this year so far. Scoring two goals against the Sabres is good way to impress, but it’s his work ethic and awareness that impresses. He always seems to know where to position himself and he isn’t shy to play the physical game. He may very well have taken Louis Leblanc’s spot on the depth chart and earn himself the right of being the first injury call-up this season.

Even though lots of people compliment McCarron’s game, and with good reason, he still has ways to go before being an NHL player. Yes he skates well for his massive frame, but he still kind of looks awkward on his skates. He doesn’t seem to have a fluid stride like Tinordi has, or his agility. He still has lots of work to do on his skating and his puck skills. However, he does seem to have good instincts on the ice and he uses his large body effectively. I’m looking forward to see how he fares when he goes back in the CHL.

Now let’s hope the Habs start winning some games.

(Photo by Clause Anderson/Getty Images North America)

Follow me on Twitter at SLavoie54

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