Pregame Preview: Canadiens vs Jets (Game #56)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens (29-20-6) play host to the Winnipeg Jets (26-25-5) Sunday afternoon, hours prior to Super Bowl 48. The game starts at 1:00 pm and airs on RDS and CBC.

This is the second and final meeting between these two teams this season. The Canadiens earned a 3-0 victory in Winnipeg in October. Brandon Prust scored the game winning goal 2 minutes into the game, while Carey Price made 36 saves to earn the shutout.

What to Watch:

The Canadiens had trouble producing offense against the Lightning Saturday afternoon especially with the man advantage. During their 4 power play chances the Habs had just 5 shots and allowed 4 against, giving up a shorthanded goal in the process. Previously a top-5 team on the power play the Canadiens have slipped to 15th in the league with an 18.6% efficiency and a distressing 15.5% effectiveness on home ice.

Since new head coach  Paul Maurice took over the reigns, the Jets have gone 7-2-0 with their only losses coming by one-goal deficits. Dustin Byfuglien seems to have transitioned to forward full time, except for a bit of point duty in power play situations. Buff has 2 goals and 4 assists since Maurice took over.

What's at Stake:

The OT loss to Tampa Saturday afternoon left the Habs 5 points back of the Bolts, and with the Leafs beating the Senators Saturday night they're also 2 points behind Toronto. After losing 4 straight, the Canadiens have now earned points in their last 3 games. With just one week of hockey left until the Olympic break, they'll try to keep that streak alive as long as possible.

Who's Out:

Alex Galchenyuk (hand) won't be ready to play until after the Olympic break, but Ryan White (upper body) and Davis Drewiske (shoulder) are getting close to their returns. Michael Bournival (illness) missed Saturday's game against the Bolts, and will likely be a game time decision against the Jets.

The Jets are missing Evander Kane (hand) who suffered a deep cut against the Lightning early in January, returned to action later in the month but was again forced out when the hand became infected. Grant Clitsome (back), Jim Slater (hernia) and Matt Halischuk (forearm) are also out for Winnipeg.

What Else:

The Canadiens tradition of playing back-to-back games on Super Bowl weekend dates back to 1991, that year the Bruins beat the Habs 3-1 on Super Bowl Sunday. During the Super Bowl that year, the Buffalo Bills would lose their first of four straight Championship appearances, dropping a 20-19 decision to the New York Giants. In 2011, the Habs and Jets faced off on Super Bowl Sunday and the Canadiens skated off with a 3-0 victory. In the 22 Sunday games since 1991, the Habs have gone 13-8-0 with 1 tie.

The Question Mark:

Broncos or Seahawks?

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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Pregame Preview: Canadiens vs Lightning (Game #55)

Match Up:

The Canadiens (29-20-5) will hope to keep up their winning ways Saturday afternoon when they host the Lightning (31-18-5) at the Bell Centre. Saturday's matinee starts at 1:00 and can be seen on RDS and CBC.

This is the third of four meetings between the Habs and Bolts this year. So far, each team has managed a 2-1 shootout victory in their opponent's barn. Lars Eller scored the only shootout goal on December 28, the last time these teams faced off.

What to Watch:

Max Pacioretty scored his team best 23rd goal of the season against the Bruins on Thursday. Despite missing 9 games already this season, Pacioretty is well on pace to top his career high of 33 goals, set in the 2011-2012 campaign. With a pair of assists, Brendan Gallagher had his second consecutive 2-point night on Thursday, he picked up a goal and an assist against Carolina as well.

Laval native Martin St. Louis leads the Lightning in points with 53 in 54 games. St. Louis has picked up at least a point in 11 of his last 12 games, with 8 goals and 7 assists over that span. Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman is having a career season, with 11 goals and 34 points his already topped his previous career highs, and he's matched his career best assist mark with 23. Despite their outstanding performances this season, both St. Louis and Hedman were left off their respective Olympic rosters.

What's at Stake:

The Canadiens are looking to extend a 2-game win streak Saturday afternoon while the Lightning will be trying to put an end to their 2-game losing streak. Tampa Bay is just 4 points ahead of the Habs in the Atlantic division standings but perhaps more importantly, a win would vault the Canadiens ahead of the Maple Leafs prior to Toronto's 7:00 pm game against the Senators.

Who's Out:

The Habs are missing Alex Galchenyuk (hand) and Davis Drewiske (shoulder). Ryan White (upper body) has been taking part in practices and could be ready to play this weekend after missing most of January. Brandon Prust did not practice with the team Friday due to illness.

The Lightning had both their goalies suffer injuries Thursday night against the Senators. Ben Bishop was hit in the head by the skate of teammate Nikita Kucherov and left Thursday's game in the opening 2 minutes. To make matters worse, Anders Lindback may have sprained his ankle later that same came when ex-Lightning Cory Conacher collided with him. In response, the Bolts have called up Cedrick Desjardins and Kristers Gudelvskis from their AHL affiliate.

Valtteri Filppula was also injured in Thursday's game and could miss Saturday's tilt. And of course, Steven Stamkos is still recovering from a broken leg, but his return seems imminent.

What Else:

The Canadiens defense seems to have stabilized, giving up 1 goal in their last 2 outings after allowing  27 in their previous 6. They've dropped down to 9th overall in terms of goals allowed per game, one spot ahead of the Lightning. In 54 games, the Habs have allowed 132 goals to Tampa's 133. On the offensive side of the puck, the Bolts are outpacing the Habs with 154 goals for to Montreal's 132, which puts Tampa Bay 15 spots ahead of the Canadiens in goals per game.

The Question Mark:

We want to hear from you, after convincing wins against the Canes and Bruins how confident are you that the Habs can win at least one playoff round?

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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Should The Montreal Canadiens Go After Ryan Callahan?

Callahan is an impending UFA.

It is been said that Ryan Callahan is available, or rather, that New York Rangers GM Glen Sather is entertaining the idea of trading him if he feels they are not close to reaching an agreement in their contract negotiations. Sather would rather get something for him now, than lose him and get no significant return. Makes sense.

It is rumoured that Callahan is looking for a long-term deal in the 6-7 year range and an average annual salary of around 6 million dollars.

Here are the implications, both negative and positive of the Canadiens making a move to acquire the services of New York Rangers' Captain Ryan Callahan via trade or signing him in the summer.

The good

1) Callahan would fit nicely on the right wing in lieu of Brian Gionta over the next few seasons.

2) Ryan Callahan is a stereotypical Marc Bergevin type player. Gritty, hard nosed, plays with a lot of heart, not afraid to block shots or to stick up for his teammates and be a leader. The “C” is for CHARACTER!

3) Callahan is a former teammate of Brandon Prust. When they last united their efforts, their team went deep into the playoffs.

4) On a line with Thomas Plekanec they would form one of the hardest duos to play against in the NHL. #plekanecforselke

5) The salary cap is supposed to go up considerably in the next few years.

6) His acquisition would undoubtedly make the Habs better right now.

The bad

1) Callahan's production has diminished quite a bit recently, he has had 51 points in his last 83 games. Not bad but not worth over 6 million a year for 6 years.

2) His size (5'10”) combined with his style of play have led to numerous injuries in his case.

3) His salary demands are quite hefty for a 28-year-old forward who has never achieved more than 55 points at the professional level. Yes, that includes the AHL.

4) Trading for Callahan would cost the Habs at the very minimum a high pick and a prospect. All that and you're not even guaranteed to retain his services after this season. And they could still miss the playoffs! That's a worst case scenario, and a grim one indeed!

5) A long-term contract for a player of that calibre would tie up money that would go towards Alex Galchenyuk, Brendan Gallagher, and any other Habs player who should get a raise over the next few seasons. It would also hinder the ability to sign other bigger name free agents or even trade for a high-impact player. Of course, this all depends on how much the cap goes up over the next few years.

6) He could become the Habs' version of David "water bottle" Clarkson .An overpaid, under-producing winger who has leadership qualities. (For those of you who don't know about the water bottle incident with Todd Bertuzzi, I strongly encourage you to Google it.)

Impressions & Possibilities

I think Callahan is a solid hockey player who leaves it all on the ice and would be useful in Montreal.

We are also desperate for a good right winger. That being said, Marc Bergevin has quite a few things to figure out before he can chase down a player whom, if acquired via trade, would probably have to be signed to a new, hefty, long-term contract. As we know, Callahan for the Canadiens, would be a longer term solution and not a rental player. That, in all likely hood, would mean making him one of the top-three most paid players in Habs history. If you're thinking: “That doesn't seem right.” It doesn't, it would be outrageous!

Bergevin has his work cut out for him. He still needs to sign P.K. Subban, sign or trade Andrei Markov, Lars Eller and Raphael Diaz. Try and get Rene Bourque to produce or send him away to anywhere for anything. (At this point I would trade Bourque for a sack of potatoes from Aaron Downey's family farm.) He is pretty useless out there. I am excited to see Christian Thomas, hopefully, take his spot in the line-up.

Bottom line is: Bergevin needs to paint a clearer picture of the future of the Canadiens before he goes chasing players, paying them handsomely and sacrificing youth. After those issues are addressed and Bergevin knows what kind of cap space he will have this summer, he will be able to sign guys like Callahan, Moulson, Orpik or Nikitin. But I don't see a trade happening right now, even if Callahan is a Bergevin type player.

Thanks for reading.

-Mike Gowing

Folllow me on twitter @habsosaurus

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Fighting in Hockey Must End Now.

I want to take a break from talking about the Montreal Canadiens' latest drama involving Therrien and the team’s overall mediocre play for the last few weeks. I want to talk about our friend George Parros. Has anyone seen him lately? You probably glanced at him in the dressing room or watched him giving an interview on RDS. We barely see Parros dressed in uniform for game nights… unless you consider his uniform to be a suit. The story of Parros and the Canadiens is definitely no Cinderella story. By all means, injury on the first game is getting off on the wrong foot. Despite being cleared for play earlier this month, the enforcer has not seen much action on the ice. In my opinion, it is for the best. After his fight with Eric Boulton, it became clear to me that Parros should stop fighting, completely. As an athlete in a high contact sport, you are more likely to face multiple blows to the head, whether you are an enforcer or not.

With BellLetsTalk hashtags floating around Twitter this week, I can’t help but think about the millions of people suffering from mental illness in silence, living under the perpetual shadow of darkness which reigns over their consciousness day in and day out. The scary part is that a person suffering from depression could be the happy-go-lucky fellow you see every day at work, the individual whose life seems so perfect, who you might even secretly envy. In hockey, the losses of Wade Belak, Rick Rypien, and Derek Boogaard, serve as constant reminders of how little we really know about people, beyond the surface of the skin. You look at a guy like Belak, for example, and his story doesn't sound as typical as those of Rypien’s and Boogaard’s. In fact, he openly talked about his battle with depressive symptoms to his close friends, which is something you don’t see very often with people suffering from depression. Despite his openness and overall cheery mood, something was churning deep inside him that led him to suicide. Something so horrible that overcame any desire to live took over these three men to death. Yes, Boogaards’ death was accidental; his addiction to painkillers was not. More and more research is showing the increased risk for developing clinical depression after suffering multiple concussions. But hey, why should the NHL care? They’re only dealing with people’s lives here…

All three men, like Parros, were enforcers. They have each suffered multiple concussions. Unfortunately, fighting in the NHL is welcome and used to promote a tough and exciting image for the league. You just need to go down to Boston or Philadelphia, where a large portion of their pre-game graphics involve their players beating the crap out of their opponents, rather than demonstrating the skill so many have cultivated and developed since they were children. The essence of hockey shouldn't be based on a culture dependent in violence; hockey, more than ever, needs to embed its identity in that of the talent, strategy, and dedication players express game in and game out.

I don’t want to undermine the role of enforcers in the National Hockey League. Clearly, it is the hardest, most physically and psychologically taxing role to willingly take on. The sacrifices that players, like Parros, make to stay in the league are a testament to their devotion to the game. Taking away this role can ruin the dreams of many players whose skill level is inadequate to get them very far in hockey. In the grand scheme of things, an enforcer is lucky to stay in the league for an extended period of time anyway. Statistics have shown that the average career span of a professional ice hockey player is 5.5 years. In the grand scheme of things, all players retire and move on with their lives, much more centred on family. Is it worth it then, even if it’s for a brief period of time, to fight and risk the state of your long-term and immediate health, for a taste or a few more bites at the dream of playing in the NHL? From a player’s perspective, probably. And you can’t blame them for wanting to chase a dream,.but at what cost?

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Pregame Preview: Canadiens at Bruins (Game #54)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens (28-20-5) are headed to Boston to take on the rival Bruins (34-15-3) Thursday night. The game is set to start at 7:00 and airs on RDS and TSN-Habs.

This is the second of four games between the Habs and Bruins this season. The Canadiens already earned a 2-1 victory over the Bruins on home ice at the start of December. Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty each scored in the second period to put the Habs ahead and Carey Price shut the door with 32 saves on the night, including 16 in the third period.

What to Watch:

Brendan Gallagher, Max Pacioretty and David Desharnais combined for 2 goals and 5 points against Carolina on Tuesday in Montreal's 3-0. Each of the three finished the night at +2, while Gallagher led the Canadiens with 5 shots. Carey Price was the game's first star, earning his third shutout of the season.

The Bruins are coming off a 6-2 win over the Panthers on Tuesday, David Krejci led the way with a goal, 2 assists and a +5 rating in the game. Krejci now has 7 points in his last 4 games bringing him up to 45 points on the year to lead the Bruins. After scoring 9 points in 37 games with the Stars last season, Reilly Smith already has 40 this year with the Bruins. The 22-year old is in the midst of a 7-game point streak, with 3 goals and 5 assists for 8 points over that span.

What's at Stake:

The Habs should have plenty of motivation heading into Thursday's game against the Bruins. Aside from the fact they're facing off against one of their oldest rivals, Boston is also atop the division and a win would be a big confidence boost after a rough stretch. The Canadiens will be looking to win back-to-back games for the first time in January.

Who's Out:

The Habs are still missing Alex Galchenyuk (hand), Ryan White (upper body) and Davis Drewiske (shoulder).

The Bruins are without Dennis Seidenberg (knee) and Adam McQuaid (leg).

What Else:

When the Habs beat the Bruins in December, the victory vaulted them into first place in the Atlantic division. Now, less than two months later, the Bruins have a 10-point lead over the Canadiens. The Habs have dropped to fourth in the division with the Lightning and the Leafs both sitting between them and the division leading Bruins. Montreal has gone 10-11-2 in the 23 games they've played since beating the Bruins, while Boston has 16-7-1 over 24 games in that same span.

The Question Mark:

Unless they're re-signed beforehand, Brian Gionta, Andrei Markov, George Parros, Raphael Diaz, Francis Bouillon and Douglas Murray are all slated to become unrestricted free agents this summer. Who among those should Marc Bergevin be trying to move before the trade deadline and who should he be focused on re-signing?

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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The Struggling Lars Eller

After starting off the season one of the hottest players in the NHL, Lars Eller has seriously tapered off as the season has gone on. It is hard to say that he is struggling solely because he is one of few Habs players who have continuously played a solid game throughout the seasons struggles. In my opinion, he embodies what most Habs fans, and coaches are looking for in a player. He has a good size, can throw some big hits, battles hard, is excellent defensively, and has some good hands to boot. Now, with all of these assets its hard to fathom why he could be having so many struggles this season in tallying points. Really, there are several reasons, and some are controllable, others are not.

First off, lets take a look at how Eller played last season. I thought that he played well, and showed that he is a serious contender as a number one centre. He hit a career high in points with 30 (8 G, 20 A) while playing well defensively, and spent a lot of time on the Habs penalty kill units. He has been known to score in bunches, and last year he never went more than four games without a point. He played well in all areas of the game and was rewarded for it.

This season seems to be a different story. He is playing the same, if not better, hockey as last season, yet he has been having a difficult time putting up points. He has had shots on net in 46 of 52 games, but just can't seem to find the back of the net. Part of the reason for me, is that he has not been used in the right way as of late. I noticed Eller starting to taper off from the score sheet in early December. He started playing a more defensive game, and playing with different linemates. When Therrien had the "EGG" line together, Eller was playing his best offensive hockey. Every time his line stepped on the ice their were scoring chances galore, and the momentum of the game was completely shifted. After Therrien's attempt to get players like David Desharnais, Rene Bourque, and Daniel Briere going, Eller was thrown around the line-up. Since then, he has not been able to find his groove with his linemates, and is playing the wrong role for his type of player.

Currently, he is playing on the wing (yes, the wing) with two-way forwards Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta. If Therrien wants to see Eller produce points, this has to change. With the team struggling in scoring, you'd think Therrien would do his best to set lines up to create the most offense. By utilizing Eller in this position, he is creating a line based around playing against the top line as a shut down offense. I think Eller should be playing with Pacioretty and Gallgher, creating a dynamic trio of offensive capability, but with enough hockey sense to be able to play defensively as well. Eller has the ability to do it all, he just needs to be put in the position to do so.

I believe that at some point Therrien will realize Eller's potential as an aggressive threat. When this happens, expect a huge improvement in points by Eller, as well as a big boost in Montreal's offense. Lars is an excellent player, and he should be used for his strengths. If Eller stays in the same spot as he is in right now. I don't expect to see much offense coming from him. I, for one, would like to see the dominant offensive force that could be, Lars Eller.

By Darrin Harmsworth

@darrinharmy

@darrinharmy

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Pregame Preview: Canadiens vs Hurricanes (Game #53)

 
Match Up:

The Canadiens (27-20-5) will look to end their 4-game losing streak at home against the Hurricanes (24-19-9) Tuesday night. The game starts at 7:30 and can be seen on RDS.

This is the second of three games between the Habs and Canes, and the only one at the Bell Center. The Hurricanes erased a 3-0 third period lead on New Year's Eve with four straight third period goals, including a pair of Jeff Skinner power play goals to start the rally. PK Subban brought the game back level, but Alexander Semin scored the overtime winner to cap off the comeback for Carolina.

What to Watch:

The Canadiens held a players-only meeting following their 5-0 loss against the Capitals on Saturday. Peter Budaj relieved Carey Price for the second time in three games. The Canadiens have given up 4 goals or more in their last 6 matches, a total of 28 of the 131 goals they've allowed in 52 games this season.

The Hurricanes are trending in the opposite direction of the Habs, they've won their last 4 straight to draw within 2 points of Montreal and are now holding down a playoff spot. A pair of third period goals by Eric Staal followed by the game winner by brother Jordan helped the Canes overcome the Blue Jackets Monday night for a 3-2 win.

What's at Stake:

The Habs are stuck in their worst losing streak and their worst stretch of play all season. They've lost their last four and have gone six games without winning in regulation. Tuesday's game is a chance for the Canadiens to bounce back in front of their home crowd before heading off  to Boston on Thursday. It's sixth and final home game of January, where the Habs have gone 2-2-1 so far this month.

Who's Out:

The Habs are still without Alex Galchenyuk (hand), who should be back after the Olympic break. Ryan White (upper body) and Davis Drewiske (shoulder) are also out.

The Hurricanes are missing starting goalie, Cam Ward (lower body), he hasn't played since beating the Habs a month ago. Anton Khudobin was in nets Monday night, which means young netminder Justin Peters should get the start in Montreal.

What Else:

During the lockout-shortened 2012-2013 campaign the Habs never lost more than 3 straight games, their last 4-game slide started March 23, 2012 when the Canadiens were beaten 4-1 by the Flyers. Daniel Briere was the first star in that game, with 2 goals including the game winner for Philadelphia.

The Question Mark:

Rumors of a Habs trade abounded on Monday. According to TVA's Louis Jean, Colorado's PA Parenteau (25 points in 41 games this season) was on the table for Rene Bourque and another unknown piece. We want to hear from you, how much would you be willing to give up along with Bourque to land a Parenteau type player?

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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