Game #63Another Emotionless Habs Snoozer

Details

Date: 26/02/2012
Opponent: Panthers
Location: Florida

Loss: 2-4

Habs Goalie: Budaj (L)
Opposition Goalie: Clemmensen (W)

Habs goalscorers: Desharnais, Subban
Opposition goalscorers: Weiss (2), Bergenheim, Campbell

Play of the game

Desharnais did great work to keep the play alive and then to get into a dangerous position. He ended up scoring a goal, his 12th and the game's first, but it proved, again, to not be enough.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

David Desharnais - Game Puck
He scored a goal and added an assist in the first 7 minutes of the game. There wasn't much more from him after that, but, if everyone was pulling their weight it surely would have been enough. He now has 46 points and leads the Habs. It is a great accomplishment for him, but players like Plekanec, Kostitsyn and Gomez should be quite ashamed. David was undrafted, so maybe that is the way for the Habs to go from now on?.

Erik Cole
Erik played well, but wasn't his best. Regardless, he was a standout on the night. He has a look of frustration on his face, possibly the look of disbelief? Disbelief that he left a bad team for an even worse one, perhaps?

Tomas Plekanec
Why? Because I had to choose someone.

Defencemen

Tomas Kaberle
He got an assist, played nearly 20 minutes and was even on the night. Kaberle has been criticized since he arrived, but his 18 points in 34 games is no joke. That pace is better than that of Kostitsyn, Bourque, Gionta or Gomez - all players that we thought would contribute at a decent rate.

PK Subban
PK scored a goal and led the team is shots by 3. He is ticked at how the season has gone as we all are, but if I were him I would be comforted by the fact that, in his career, it won't get much worse. He is a good player who has been playing better hockey as of late.

Goaltender

Peter Budaj
Can't blame Budaj in this one. Price may have fared a bit better, but this team wasn't going to win tonight, so I can't take this rare dome opportunity away from the Slovak. That said, he looked a bit weak on a couple of the goals and that probably has a little something to do with having not played in three weeks.

Comments

I hope that the Habs don't do anything stupid in the next 24 hours. We have a few players that are key to our future and a few others that should be sold at all costs. So, I don't want to see an Emelin, Plekanec, Price or Subban go, but do think that players like Moen, Campoli, Gomez and Bourque should be moved if possible. There are then players like Darche, Kostitsyn, Eller, Diaz and Kaberle who may very well be part of the future or not. I don't think that now, however, is the time to make the call on players like that.

Kostitsyn, in particular, is a better player than we have seen since January. Early on he was one of the best forwards on the team, but didn't have huge numbers. For some reason he gets limited ice-time and PP time which now proliferates his situation. That said, are we going to get someone better than him or is he someone that, at the right price, we want on our second line? I don't know the answers and, unless those have indeed been answered, I think a hasty move could be regrettable.

Another player that I have an issue with is Bourque. He does not seem to fit into this team, he plays with no passion (granted that no one else presently is, but at least we have see it from everyone else at some point) and does not contribute (6 points in 18 games). This is the problem with trading players like Cammalleri - yes, we shed salary and get a 'similar' player, but at the end of the day this is a player that we did not really want and probably won't really want. If possible he should be moved as I think we'll regret having him as long as he is here.

Game #58Montreal Comes Back, Manages To Get A Valuable Point

Details

Date: 15/02/2012
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Montreal

Loss: 3-4

Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Thomas (W)

Habs goalscorers: Darche, Pacioretty, Cole
Opposition goalscorers: Ference, Pouliot, Bergeron, (Seguin - SO)

Play of the game

The Bruins had never lost when trailing after two, and we know what we can be like in third periods. So, it was extra special when Cole capitalized on a Chara mistake to walk in alone on Thomas. He made a nice move in close and put one upstairs on the Tea-Partyer. Embarrassing Chara, after Plekanec smacked him in the face with the puck, was certainly a highlight for me.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Erik Cole - Game Puck
Cole refused to give up, that much you could see on his face. Even though we were down to one of the best team's in the league, by two goals, he still played his heart out. He was in on Max's goal and then scored the tying goal on a very nice play. On a night like tonight, when he is that fired-up it was a mistake not to use him in the shoot-out.

Mathieu Darche
Where has this play come from? A month ago I felt that Mat was playing in his final few NHL games and now he is a resident in the dome. Like others, it could be argued that he is playing for himself, for his NHL-survival, but I don't buy that. Here is a proud Montrealer who seems to be willing to do whatever it takes for his home team to succeed. His goal was fantastic and just gives more reason as to why he should be playing as much as he does.

Max Pacioretty
Max, Max, Max, you have to lift the puck in the shoot-out. This is Tim Thomas here, no goal is a given. He had the keeper beat, but didn't bury it like he should have (I hope he looks at the way Cole finished his backhand goal tonight). Aside from the disappointment in the shoot-out Max was good. He scored his 24th and continues to be one of the main reasons that the Habs are sticking around in this race.

Defencemen

Alexei Emelin
This guy is afraid of no one. Guys like Thornton and Marchand make a living acting like idiots and scaring other NHL'ers. Alex, however, can see through these tools and beats them the only way he knows how - with solid, clean hits. With him on our side I think that Boston now has something to worry about and hopefully pre-occupy themselves with. Teams like that don't like to be shown-up in any aspect of the game, so let's hope that Emelin can continue to act as a distraction in future contests.

PK Subban
PK was another player that got under the Bruins' skin. He played a strong game in both ends and was definitely a force going forward. His play and pass on Darche's short-handed marker was superb. With Emelin, these two are forming the base of our Bruin tormenting for years to come.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Carey was fantastic towards the end of the third and in OT. He was OK the rest of the way and was his usual, sieve-like self in the shoot-out. Without him we don't get the point, but I feel that a little work on breakaways would lead to a few more wins rather than OT losses. Other players have figured out how to beat Price, can't our coaches and he himself work that out too and do what it takes to address it?

Comments

We needed a bounce-back game after the Hurricane loss and I felt that a visit from the hated Bruins would suit us. We played a strong game throughout, I thought, but got into trouble with a few careless mistakes. Their first goal was Gill at his worst and their second exposed the AHL talent hidden inside Campoli. Their third goal was a PP-marker scored after Cole, with the puck, ran into Thomas. Calls like that add up and eventually even the best PK will get scored upon. So, it is simple to say that it would have been 3-0 for us without two bad plays and a bad call. But, the reality is that players like Gill and Campoli play every night and they make many more mistakes than two per game. Mistakes will happen and, so will goals. That is why offence and goaltending are the keys to our wins. When Price is on and we score 2+ we are a great team, but when it all doesn't line up we get 2011-2012.

We knew at the All-Star break that we would lose games, we probably even thought that this one against Boston would be a loss, so by no means is anything over yet. A win against the 'Canes would have been nice, but in the end it is still 9 of a possible 12 points in our last 6 games. We have 24 games left and teams like Toronto, Florida and Ottawa that are generally better at being bad than good, also have a lot of games to go. The slope got a little steeper this week, but it is still surmountable. How about two wins this weekend though, just to make things a little easier.

Game #56Dominance In TO; Habs Win Big 4-Pointer

Details

Date: 11/02/2012
Opponent: Maple Leafs
Location: Toronto

Win: 5-0

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Reimer (L), Gustavsson

Habs goalscorers: Cole, Bourque, Pacioretty, Eller, Darche
Opposition goalscorers: None

Play of the game

Eller has some serious moves and they never look better than when they are made to embarrass the Leafs defensively-challenged captain. After a good play in the neutral zone, Lars came in and mocked not only Phneuf, but Reimer too. It was a great goal, but, boy, did those three players help to make it look really easy.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Tomas Plekanec
Pleks had another great game as he is certainly in that playoff-mode (no, not the girlie type) that we need him to be in. He picked up 2 points again and now has 5 in the 4 wins. This was a good night to have Moen miss as Pleks' unit had little to do, but I do hope he'll be back beside Darche and Tom soon.

Mathieu Darche
The coach likes Darche, that much is obvious. But, what does he bring to the Habs? If anything, he brings passion and a love for the CH more than anyone on the team. This guy plays with all his heart and it makes up for any lack of skill. When you play with that much heart and you get that much ice-time generally things can happen for you and they did tonight with a goal and an assist.

Erik Cole
More of the same from the Habs' top forward. With the Habs playing as well as they did and Toronto playing as bad as they did Cole wasn't needed to be outstanding tonight. He didn't mind though as he still went about his business and notched his 20th of the season (17th in last 40 games). Could it be that Cole's leadership is finally paying off? Have enough of the Habs followed his lead such that we are once again a good team? As of now it looks that way, but let's check back in couple of weeks.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
The Leafs had two PP's before we scored our first goal. Without good penalty-killing this could have been a much different game, but once again we were excellent. Other than Price, no one was better than Gorges. In all he logged 7 minutes short-handed and frustrated the Leafs on numerous occasions.

Hal Gill
This was Mats Sundin night and no Leaf, current or former, was better than soon to be 37 year-old Hal Gill. I am thrilled about that, but one would think that there should be 20 pretty ashamed Leaf players in the dressing room right now. The best part is that Gill wasn't even that good. He was great on the PK and was our second best D-man, but there just wasn't a lot to do for any of the seven tonight.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
Price may have got lucky, thanks to the posts, to get the shutout, but he wasn't lucky that we won. He was so good early on and until it was 2-0 that he made the other players' jobs so much easier. A hot Carey makes this team better and that is exactly what we have on our hands right now.

Comments

Montreal dominated a game that we needed to win tonight. We played a tight first period and relied on some good D and PK'ing to get us there. After that, when the game started to open up, we picked apart their defence and that led to a plethora of goals. They out-shot us, but there was no doubt as to which team outplayed who. Winning, especially in regulation, was huge for us and to win 5-0 makes it that much sweeter. This was a total team-effort which has been the theme of our 4 wins in 7 days week.

2 weeks ago we thought that there was a chance. Last week, there was no way we could even continue to think about the playoffs. This week, what is it? Well, we are 7 points back of 8th and we have 26 games to go. Of course, mathematically, we are still very much alive. But, is this a team that can get another 35 points in those games? Even then, would that be enough? All along I have believed that we may as well go for it and now, of course, there is no change to that. I do think that it is possible, but not because I think that we are a spectacular team or because we were unlucky earlier in the year. No, I think it because, first and foremost, we have a pretty easy schedule till the end of the year (have a look yourself) and the other reason is that we are getting better as a team and, like it or not Ontario, other teams are getting worse.

I have 26 more games to watch this year, and I know what I'll be cheering for. Go Habs.

Game #55 Habs Write Answers to Trivia Questions As They Clear The Isles in NYC

Details

Date: 09/02/2012
Opponent: Islanders
Location: New York

Win: 4-2

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Nabokov (L)

Habs goalscorers: Pacioretty (3), Gomez!!!
Opposition goalscorers: Moulson, Streit

Play of the game

Could it be anything but? The time finally came for Scott Gomez to shoot at an open net from a good position. He was instrumental in keeping the PP play alive and had just set up a few brilliant chances earlier, so when the puck flew right to his waiting stick he deserved the time afforded him to snap his first goal in 12 months and a bit home. Might I say, the goal is also a good example of some PP luck going right, as he scored from Cammalleri's spot, something we know Mike couldn't do for an 11% PP.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Max Pacioretty - Game Puck
A hat trick from two absolutely fantastic shots beating a good goalie who was ready (ish). These were goalscorers goals, so it's no surprise that Max then is poised to become the first 30-goal man in a little while for the Habs. Apart from the goals he was a threat all night on breaks as he emulated Erik Cole's outside speed and poise. He ended with a ton of shots and attempts (10 and 16, respectively) to show for the fits he gave Islanders defenders.

Mathieu Darche
The very least one can do after calling someone dead wood is admit a good performance when he sees it. Darche has turned his game around of late with some more ice time and is suddenly a noticeably positive force for the good guys. I suspect that this is a good strategy against the Jets and Islanders, but will reserve judgment on its use in Boston games. Nevertheless, he played some good two way hockey while surging for a few chances. Moreover, this pairing with Plekanec has woken the very important player within the turtleneck, a very valuable thing indeed.

Erik Cole
Cole was at ease against the Islanders as he played the sidekick to superhero this time out. Of course, he played that role by doing exactly what he does at his best, creating good chances from almost nothing. It was good to see he and Max find so many openings.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
The Islanders aren't a strong team full of depth, but as Pierre Houde rightly noted, Tavares is becoming a major handful. A testament to Gorges then that he battled with John for most of the night and came out a winner in the end analysis. I fancied Gorges chances to score that goal on another goalie, as well -- I thought the Nabokov save on him was a great glove grab.

Alexei Emelin
Whenever we complain about the Canadiens, there's usually some gripe that they are not very hard to play against (at least to the observer). But to a season's worth of evidence, Emelin offers them a defender to move towards the solution. He looks hard to play against, and the proof is in a lot of puck recovery and broken attacks. I liked him especially tonight as I noticed he was as determined as anyone. It seems like the rookie is finding his KHL form more and more every new game.

Goaltender

Carey Price
This game was a good example of how timing of goals matters. 57 minutes of shutout hockey gives a team a lot of time to build a lead against a team that also has to think attack. Carey was brilliant in allowing the breathing room for his teammates to go three up, and also to hold that as long as he did. The blemish on the record is only personal (lost a shutout he probably deserved most times). He deserves massive credit for backstopping a very important win here.

Comments

The Habs wrote some answers to future trivia questions tonight. Pacioretty scored his first career hat trick and scored possibly the latest third period goal in Canadiens history. I'm not sure if anyone has ever taken 16 attempts on net in the time it's been recorded either. Gomez, of course, broke his year-long duck. Cunneyworth went on his first three game winning streak. A few of these achievements represent some pretty big monkeys being left to stay in Long Island.

Back monkeys off-loaded, it's still hard to see where the team will go from here.

From all signs they look like players who want to make the playoffs today and who will continue to push a bit harder to get there. But we know that even the best efforts could end in tears because of the record compiled over 52 games, and the GM may not share his players' optimism. What we do know is that no one wants the Maple Leafs in the playoffs, not players, not GM, not many people other than Maple Leafs fans themselves, and so the next game will be approached for glory. A win there and things start to get in that deceptively believable realm again.

Game #51Refs Blow It Again, Cost Habs Again

Details

Date: 02/02/2012
Opponent: Devils
Location: New Jersey

Loss: 3-5

Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Brodeur (W)

Habs goalscorers: Desharnais, Kostitsyn, Darche
Opposition goalscorers: Parise (2), Clarkson (2), Zubrus

Play of the game

I am mad that we lost, but I will try and save that for later. In here, I will be serious when I say that the play of the game was Darche's goal (Kostitsyn's a close second). After New Jersey made a mess of it at our blue-line on their PP Pleks started skating up in the hopes of getting the puck. Gill read it well and found Tomas with a great pass. Plekanec made a great move that wasn't quite enough to beat Brodeur, but was enough to seriously trouble him. Darche supplied the support and notched his third of the year.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn - Game Puck
Not sure why one of our top forwards of the season started on the 4th line and got only 2 minutes in the first, but it didn't seem to bother him. He was the most dangerous Hab all night and scored a very nice goal to give us a two-goal lead.

Erik Cole
Don't let the two pathetic penalty calls confuse you as Erik, once again, had a good game. He played a good, hard, clean game tonight, but that didn't matter to the refs. They see a head-jerk here or a plea to the ref there and it is to the box for our top player. The rest of this season is his opportunity to get more players playing like him as he knows he is here to stay (does he wish he wasn't?).

Max Pacioretty
Max competed again tonight and should be pretty happy with his game. I am not worried about the -2 when one is an empty-netter and another should not have ever happened.

Defencemen

Yannick Weber
I thought that Kaberle, Diaz and Gill were below what we need tonight and Subban and Emelin weren't at their usual high levels. One player that played above his usual, however, was Weber. He picked up an assist, was a +1 (only Gill, of the D, was also a +) and led the team in shots in a D-low 11 minutes. Whether he gets moved or will be back next year is the question; games like this help to improve both scenarios.

Josh Gorges
Our makeshift #1 was our best again tonight. I do miss a world where Gorges, a natural 3/4, could be playing on a second pairing. Let's hope that next year Markov and Subban live up to their bills.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Not the best game from Carey with 4 goals on 21 shots, but things may have been a lot different with better reffing. The first goal was weak, but after that there were two deflections and one shot that he couldn't have predicted. Tonight he wasn't any worse than Brodeur, the difference was that the luck was in Marty's corner.

Comments

The Canadiens played much better than they did on Tuesday and I think deserved to win this game. Players like Plekanec and Kostitsyn were better which added some punch to our attack. The plan, however, got derailed with poor decisions that favoured NJ. The team that can never do any wrong in the eyes of refs league-wide capitalized on a couple of those calls/non-calls and that is that.

The two worst calls of the night were the high-sticking call on Cole and the non-call on hooking against Cole. The 'high-stick' (or should I say stick accidentally to head, no matter the height of the head) call was brutal. Brodeur's head was below Erik's waist and was out of the blue plaint. The blade of Cole's stick made contact, Marty threw his head back and the ref bit. Can the NHL just change the rule and say if a stick touches a player in the head it is a penalty (if Brodeur's mask bled would it have been 4 minutes?) because they are not calling anything near what the rulebook says is a high-stick. The Devils scored a crucial goal on that PP.

The second incident involved Cole again. This time. late in the third, with the game tied at 3 (the time/situation of a game when we are told that refs can't make calls else lose their jobs) Cole was hooked badly coming out of the zone. Unlike most hooking calls, which are made to keep TV viewers happy with PP goals, this one actually had an effect on the play and on the player being hooked. Cole was unable to clear the zone. The puck was kept in, the game-winner was scored and the horns sounded. A perfect scenario for the NHL and fans in New Jersey who need wins as incentive to pump time and money into a foreign sport.

Game #34Habs Fall Short Against Impressive Thomas

Details

Date: 19/12/2011
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston

Loss: 2-3

Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Thomas (W)

Habs goalscorers: Plekanec, Cole
Opposition goalscorers: Pouliot, Krejci, Marchand

Play of the game

Price made a fantastic save on Hamill with about 8 minutes to go in the third and it was one of his best this year. We were facing some excellent goaltending throughout this game and it was Carey who answered Thomas with this stellar save to keep the game close. Without that save we would be wondering how that goal happened and who to blame, with it somehow all players are off the hook as Carey again bailed them out.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Max Pacioretty
His line was the best and he competed well tonight. A worse goalie or Thomas on an off night would have meant more than one assist from Max. The goal for him now has to be how to get back to the level that we need him to be at? Will he follow Cole's example?

Erik Cole
Would you be embarrassed if you were Camms, Gionta or Gomez? The answer is likely yes; one of the specific reasons is Erik Cole. He was brought in to be a complimentary player to our 'Big Guns', but instead has been our best. He has shown that it is not impossible to come to Montreal and to excel (even out-do) as you had done elsewhere. Erik continues to be a great role model on this team, but can he inspire?

Mathieu Darche
As Darche did with Martin (initially, not quite this year) he is trying to win a spot in the eyes of his new coach. He has been great (for a 4th-liner) over the past two games and is being rewarded for his efforts. I like when guys like Darche get going, it generally is a good sign for your team; I am hoping that that will become a reality over the next little while.

Defencemen

Raphael Diaz
If you want Emelin back (as I do) don't expect Diaz to be the one to sit. Tonight he logged the second most ice time on the team (Gorges) and was great throughout his 21 minutes. He played well at both ends and was used in all situations. The questions may have to be asked about Camploi or Gill because for now I think that Diaz has a friend in his new coach.

Hal Gill
Gill wasn't on the ice for any goals against during his 19.5 minutes and was a rock on the PK again. He led the team in blocked shots and played well enough otherwise. There were a few bad moments, but I still felt that he deserved this dome over the others.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
Price had a better game tonight than against New Jersey, by a lot. Boston, whether we like it or not, are a hard team to beat; a team that can beat you on almost every level. In fact, I think that they are a better team this year than last. So, I was happy enough that the game was close and that was mostly due to Carey.

Comments

Boston played well tonight and we were just OK. We aren't going to win too many times in Boston if that is the case. It isn't surprising given the current situation of the two teams, but it is still upsetting. It looks like the problems of our team may have gone quite a bit beyond coaching as not much (granted it has only been 3 days) has changed. I still want to give the new staff time to work things out, but do hope that they (and our players) can reach their full (or near full) potential in the not too distant future. If we aren't on a better track in about 3 weeks then I think we'll be having to find different things to do this April and a few other people will have to find different things to do come next September.

Game #31Montreal Changes The Script In The Third, Win At Home

Details

Date: 13/12/2011
Opponent: Islanders
Location: Montreal

Win: 5-3

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Montoya (L)

Habs goalscorers: Kostitsyn, Darche, Cole, Nokelainen, Gill
Opposition goalscorers: Moulson, Bailey, Tavares

Play of the game

After New York tied it up I was sure that we were either going to OT or, worse, would lose in regulation. Kostitsyn, however, had different ideas and it was his initiative that led to the winner. A dump-in was made with about 6:30 to play and it looked like the defence would grab it, the Habs would change and the game would continue. Andrei didn't let that happen, though. Instead he chased down the puck, made a beautiful hit to win both body position and the pcuk and kept the play alive in the Isles' end. That play led to good possession which led to Nokelainen, Kostitsyn's eventual replacement, firing home his second of the year.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn
He was close to winning the game-puck tonight, he was that good. He used size and strength to win battles and win pucks, he used it to get off shots or chances that others would not be able to make. His goal was a perfect example of his drive and his incredible shot, his hit on the play-of-the-game was an example of his speed and strength. Tonight's goal was his 9th, in just 21 games.

Erik Cole - Game Puck
Erik can fly out there and because of it generates so many chances for himself and his linemates. Another thing that he does really well is shoot. He has an amazing shot and when he gets passes like he did on his goal (courtesy of the crafty Desharnais) he rarely makes mistakes. His 11th goal (coupled with his slow start) has me firmly believing in 30 from him.

David Desharnais
I must just mention Nokelainen here as his shot, the game-winner, was incredible. Overall, however, I felt that Desh had the stronger game. He picked up two assists including a fantastic one on the PP on Cole's goal. He also did well in the face-off circle at 53%. When he plays as he did tonight he is a legitimate 2nd-line centre and he then adds so much to his wingers' games. Not sure what will happen when Gomez and Gionta are back, but can't say I mind David getting 18+ minutes with a good amount of 2nd unit PP time.

Defencemen

PK Subban
PK played 26 minutes of hockey against New York's best tonight and did a formidable job of containing them. He also, unfortunately, led the team in giveaways which is something that he must work on. He did, however, contribute offensively and picked up an assist, a nice PP assist, on Cole's goal. In the end I am not too worried about his offensive or PP numbers in the end, though. If he can limit the blunders in his own end then he'll be one of the most imposing defensive D-men that we have had in years and that may just be what this team needs from him.

Tomas Kaberle
Tomas only played 17 minutes and was on (looking a bit lost) on New York's tying goal. How can I take away what he does for us offensively though? That is why we got hi, right? He can be the #5 or #6 in our end provided he does what no one else this year has done. And, for his part, he is getting his job done. He collected a third assist tonight, but, more importantly, ran our PP calmy and with authority. He is so good at controlling the middle of the ice, moving the puck and controlling it that we are getting more time in their end on the PP and more shots, just like that. As of now it is looking like a great move that Gauthier has made. But, check back in 2 weeks to see how it's going then.

Goaltender

Carey Price
It was an average night for Carey, but in the end he got the job done and delivered the Habs a rare home win. He did make some good saves down the stretch which enabled the Habs to stay tied. I am sure that he was as happy as you and I when Nokelainen, and then Gill, scored to keep this game to 60 minutes. I'd like to see Budaj get a start before Christmas, but only to give Price a rest. He has been playing well and we have to make sure that he is fit and rested enough for the second half.

Comments

You look at games like this one in October and you pencil in a win. Home to the Islanders, that wouldn't even be funny. The Isles jumped out to a lead, but good plays by both Kostitsyn and Campoli had us right back in it. The Habs then dominated the play until they were up 3-1 after a few seconds in the third. Their good PPs, strong fore-check and solid D didn't matter anymore as it was 'see if we can hang on' time. As is the custom these days the opposition tied it up as the Habs, once again, looked disorganized in their own end. After the tying goal, however, Montreal went for it. Nokelainen's goal gave us the lead again and Gill's unlikely 175' marker gave us the win. New York probably regrets tying it up so early as it lit a fire under the Habs, a fire that sometimes isn't lit until OT.

Kaberle looks like he may be the December PP specialist acquisition we were looking for. Is he the latest in a long line of players that we have found over the past few years that can get the job done? It looks like he may very well be. I am not quite sure about Campoli though. I am glad he is healthy and game-ready, but I am not convinced he is a top-6 on our team (even with Markov out). Let's not forget that Chris was brought in to do what we have now brought Kaberle in to do and I think Tomas will most certainly do it better. So, do we want Campoli over Emelin? I don't. Over Diaz? Probably not. A win is a win and I am thrilled, but I feel that we can't let a guy like Emelin sit too long as wins aren't a given and I think he is certainly part of the solution.

Game #1-2Montreal Take Firm Hold In Boston

Details

Date: 16/4/2011
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston

Win: 3-1

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Thomas (L)

Habs goalscorers: Cammalleri, Darche, Weber
Opposition goalscorers: Bergeron

Play of the game

Too many choices, how nice is that? I wanted to say the save that Price made at 2-0 on Lucic, but think that it has to be our first goal instead. Boston were fragile tonight and, so, to be able to go up early against a team that is down a game and their best player was a big deal. It all started when Wisniewski made a great play to steal the puck in the neautral zone. A big shot meant a huge rebound and on the door-step was Cammalleri the poacher. That goal cemented the doubt that they had in their heads; it was the most important Habs goal of the year thus far.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Mathieu Darche
Darche scored a very important goal to put the Habs up by 2; it ended up being the game-winner. His linemates weren't as dominant tonight, but he himself played a good playoff game. He, along with Moen, led the Habs tonight in the combined total of shots, hits and blocked-shots with 8. I have a feeling that those 3 categories will be as important in the upcoming games vs. Boston as they have been thus far.

Michael Cammalleri - Game Puck
Mike set the tone early as he was in on both goals within the first two and a half minutes (not a bad start). His line played well and I felt that Moen did a good job alongside Mike and Pleks. Cammalleri is the type of player that seems to able to score when needed, a big-game player; let's just hope that this is simply the start of it.

Lars Eller
The other two members on his line deserve a mention (Pyatt and Weber) as they competed all night long. Lars, I thought, was the best of that group, leading the charge throughout the entire game. Believe it or not this playoff rookie led the game with 4 hits.

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik
+2, filled in on the PK formidably and had a very good read on the third goal as it was his interception that led to the goal. Hammer is a good example of what we have and Boston don't. See, he can do very good work in his own end, but he can also 'relance l'attaque' better than any of the D that they had in their line-up tonight.

James Wisniewski
James got the ball rolling with an early steal and assist and kept the good play up throughout. There was a questionable hit from behind, but at least he stood up for himself when Hnidy came looking for trouble. I hope that he'll shoot more than the once that he did tonight if needed, but can see his value beyond the shots when he plays a solid game in our own end and we win by 2.

Goaltender

Carey Price
This is the type of goaltending that wins playoff games and playoff series. 1 goal in 2 games to go along with some of the most relaxed, confident and positionally-sound 'tending that I have ever seen from any NHL goalie. He got a bit lucky with some posts tonight, but had those shots gone in I am sure that he would (as well as his teammates) have been up to the task of taking Boston down.

Comments

This is a dream start for Montreal. We now head back home with 2 wins in the bank and 3 of the next 5 games (if needed) in Montreal. Like I said, though, it is a start, not the end. Winning 2 more games won't be any easier because we have won these 2. We have collapsed before from this kind of lead and must be careful to not let that happen again. The positive is, of course, that we are playing Montreal Canadien hockey which is a better product and more successful type of hockey than Boston Bruin hockey. They can keep hitting us after the puck is gone as much as they like because that is the point, the puck is gone. We are moving the puck up, through their team and they seem to always be one step behind, always playing catch-up. We've lost to this team though, we've lost big, so I would still be worried. We have to be worried that things may not always go our way. The big saves may go Thomas' way, not Price's, the posts at their end may be the ones ringing, not ours and the refs may start giving them more of the benefit of the doubt. So, we must keep the foot on the gas. Scoring early is, and always will be, key and that must be our only priority on Monday night. I like watching the Bruins play catch-up hockey, simply because they are not very good at it at all.

Game #79 Habs Milk Jersey for Vital Two Points

Details

Date: 2/3/2011
Opponent: Devils
Location: New Jersey



Win: 3-1

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Brodeur (L)

Habs goalscorers: Darche (2), Subban
Opposition goalscorers: Kovalchuk

Play of the game

It's not often I'll get to say this, but the play of the game happened twice tonight: two identical exchanges between Gionta and Darche in the first and third periods on opposite sides of the ice. Rushing down the ice in a 2-on-2 situation, Gionta took an outside lane with the puck while Darche drove to the net. Perfect puck placement from the captain allowed Darche to basically ignore his coverage and beat Brodeur on both his backhand and forehand in the same game, a feat not many players can boast of!

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Mathieu Darche - Game Puck
Darche was solid tonight, marking two goals by simply driving the net like a good power forward should. He made some great defensive plays and showed up strong in the neutral zone. Great teams are made of great role-players and Darche is proving his worth beside Gionta and Gomez.

Brian Gionta
Besides creating both of Darche's goals, Gionta led his line to be the most effective threat of the night. He contributed to most of our best chances and played well in his own zone. A character night from our captain.

David Desharnais
This spot could just as easily have been taken by Plekanec, who made two amazing steals and won some key faceoffs, but I thought that Desharnais was the main factor in making his line look at least as dangerous as Plekanec's. He works well in the corners to create chances, and looks like a player who's third in scoring for the Habs since the All-Star break (17 points, behind Gionta and Subban with 18 each). Some solid defence in the third period sealed his dome appearance for me.

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik
Once again, we have our #1 defender playing like our #1 defender. Hamrlik has a gift for the smart, simple plays and making great defence look easy - like when he just forced the shooter outside to defuse a dangerous 2-on-1 in the second. He also played extremely well on the Devils' blue line to keep the puck in the offensive zone.

PK Subban
Despite being responsible for the giveaway that led to the breakaway and subsequent penalty shot in the first period, Subban recovered well and did a lot of things right tonight. His goal, a rocket of a shot past an excellent screen by Kostitsyn, came at a key time as did some solid defensive play late in the third.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Price started the game with a little luck on his side, getting some help from his post on the penalty shot about 5 minutes in. A bobbled puck in the first caused some panic, but I was more concerned about the team's reaction than Price's. He made the key saves at the key times and when challenged in the third, he didn't once look shaky while in his net. Outside the net, however, his puck-handling remains somewhat questionable and he committed an atrocious giveaway halfway through the third.

Comments

Overall a good showing from the Habs, the team as a whole played well together. Nobody looked bad, but we're going to need more from the Plekanec/Cammalleri/Kostitsyn line than we got tonight. They especially shined in the transition game, playing well in the neutral zone and doing a great job of creating offensive rushes. They also cleared the puck from the defensive zone quickly and didn't allow many dangerous plays to develop.

The Habs opened the game looking hungry and dominated the first period almost completely; doing an excellent job of keeping the puck out of their end and creating good chances on Brodeur. Things were a little more even through the second, and we squandered our first power play with terrible passing. The second PP was a different animal altogether, as we thoroughly dominated the Devils and came back from the locker room to score a welcome PP goal just seconds into the third. I was extremely happy to see the team not collapsing back into their zone after the goal to protect a 2-0 lead, instead they kept the pressure up and the puck in the other end. Hopefully we'll learn from this success. A strong game and a very welcome two points, we'll only need one more to clinch the playoffs.

Game #77Montreal Can Breathe a Little After Solid Team Effort

Details

Date: 29/3/2011
Opponent: Thrashers
Location: Montreal

Win: 3-1

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Pavelec (L)

Habs goalscorers: Hamrlik, Darche, Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: Antropov

Play of the game

Price made a great save on Byfuglien in the first minute of play. The Habs came out a bit slow and Atlanta came out strong. That chance was a result of us not quite being ready for their urgency. The save, however, calmed things right down and perhaps saved the game for us. After that the Habs took control of the game and it was much nicer to be able to do that being tied at 0-0 than being down 0-1.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn
He played a good solid game and was very involved physically. The chances weren't there as much as they have been, but I felt that it was always a positive shift when he and his linemates were on. He did, however, get a goal right at the end, a goal that sealed it; it was an empty-netter from his own blue-line, his 20th of the year.

Mathieu Darche
Darche was at his best tonight. It was for games like this that we re-signed in and why we let Lapierre go. It had been a tough return from injury, but after missing 5 weeks I can't say that I am surprised. Tonight he was a weapon to be reckoned with in the offensive zone and, once again, played smart hockey.

Scott Gomez
Scott was our best centre tonight, just ahead of Desharnais (didn't see anything too special from Pleks). He was on right from his first shift and set a good example for others to follow. This is the type of play that will help us in the playoffs - speed, aggression, passes and the ability to get under his opponents' skin.

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik
I had a feeling that someone like Hammer (my instinct, for some reason, said Sopel) would score the goal that we had all been waiting for. It was a good team goal and with four people in as close as they were you could tell how badly we wanted it. Aside from the goal Hammer played a solid, reliable game as he logged the second most ice on the team. Tonight may have been a reminder from him and to us fans that he is still our #1. Who knows what will happen in the future, but for now it seems like he will do his best to lead us throughout the remainder of the season.

James Wisniewski
Wide-open games against a weak defensive team is the type of game that James must love - at least it looks that way. I am not sure if he will be as effective as he was tonight against tighter (playoff) competition, but I am sure he'll still find a way to contribute. The good thing is we have Hammer, Subban and Gill ahead of him who are ready to carry huge loads. Add to that the fact that Mara and Sopel have been decent, Weber and Picard can do the job and Spacek will, if he is healthy, be well rested and all of a sudden our D seems to be in good shape (just imagine Markov and Gorges were around).

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
On a normal night beating the Thrashers 3-1 at home wouldn't be a big deal. But, after 3 straight shutouts and in need of points for the plyoffs this game was huge. Carey knew this and did not let anyone down. In fact, this game was a shutout whether the NHL believes it was or not (once again 4 men miss an obvious play by the puck-carrier) and that just shows how key Price is. We have 5 more games and with 3 points likely being enough I would like to see Carey sit 1, maybe 2 of those just to be safe.

Comments

I am not going to say that all is good and that we are back on track, but there are certainly some positives here. First off, however, Atlanta are a pretty weak team (when compared with the current competition in the East), maybe only slightly better than Florida, Ottawa and the Islanders. So, beating them, at home, is more like a must than a big deal. Add to that the fact that they played like a team that was already on vacation and that makes this win not that special. What is important to note, however, is that the Habs did play a good game and I think that this was true despite Atlanta. The significance of this isn't the win, but the fact that we had played 2, maybe 3, pretty passionless games over the past week. We had looked tired, out of ideas and sloppy, but tonight looked re-energized and ready for what lay ahead. So, it doesn't matter who the opponent was or what the score was as it was the effort that mattered.

Tomorrow is our last back-to-back game of the season and after that we'll have 4 games in 10 nights. Hopefully we'll get enough points to breathe even easier next week so that we'll be able to rest (either by press-box, limiting ice-time or giving easier assignments) some key players. It is looking like our last two games (in Ottawa and in Toronto) will (thanks to all the other games that will be played by then) simply be for form and placement as I anticipate us being in and both of them being out by then. That means we have one week to make it count and then a pretty easy 7-9 days as we wait for the real season to get going.

The Hierarchy Of Canadiens Forwards

The other night David Desharnais was the best player on the ice for the Canadiens. Undrafted, discarded, discounted, hardened by challenge and 18 games into an NHL career, David became the top rookie forward on the team with that display.

It seems Jaroslav Halak provided an ironic parting gift. The return on his trade is facing a Carey Price scenario from an undrafted Halak emulator. The first rounder is tested by the untouted, and results are starting to trump sentiment just as before.

Desharnais's stats are staring to impress. These are his stats and rankings among Canadiens forwards compared to those of his fellow rookie:



Desharnais has great numbers, and he’s displayed some great talent the past couple of games. But though it’s pretty certain he could at least survive in this league now, what’s not clear is how this looks after a big slump to match his hot streak. I like his attitude and I like his creativity, but I wouldn’t like the team’s chances really if they entered the playoffs with DD on the second line.

Like Plekanec, Eller has shown the ability to put distance between himself and teammates (only in the opposite direction). Whatever he is doing hasn’t been working. The lessons he is being exposed to are good, but he must show he can learn from them. The only category where he even flirts with the position he currently occupies in the top 6 is Corsi. Corsi is useful for some things, but when every other indicator tells you something else, you dismiss it. Eller is not just unlucky, he’s unprepared.

At this point, a healthy Cammalleri and a much more enticing Desharnais mean Eller will be demoted and won’t see NHL playoff action. This may be good for Eller, it will certainly be good for the Habs.


Habs forwards by tiers

Interesting as this is, how one rookie fares against another for this Canadiens team is probably about as important as Guy Carbonneau's playoff ties at this point. The really important stuff will happen with the non-rookie forwards, particularly those on "scoring lines".

Eller is relevant within this conversation, as he currently occupies a plum position on what some may still be calling the second line. Desharnais' recent displays vault him into consideration here too.

For forwards entering into scoring line discussions, I looked at much the same stats as those above and have included the ranks below. Using those, I broke the forwards into tiers. There's no big surprises (bar maybe one), but the numbers might interest some of you, and certainly fuel some discussion.


Star forward

1) Plekanec
(2nd goals, 1st points, 1st GC, 1st ESGC, 3rd GC/60, 2nd ESGC/60, 6th GF/60, 2nd ESGF/60, 9th CORSI, 1st LIW/60, 8th GA/60, 7th ESGA/60, 2nd ES+-/60)

Plekanec is pretty much the best forward from both an offensive and defensive perspective this season. This makes him by far and away the best forward on the team, probably even the best player at any position, and certainly the only star forward on the team at the moment. It’s impressive that he has been able distance himself like this from his peers, even with all the continued PK duty that he was supposed to be relieved of. The C isn’t sewn on his chest, but it is on his heart.


Top-liners

2) Cammalleri
(3rd goals, 2nd points, 3rd GC, 5th ESGC, 6th GC/60, 8th ESGC/60, 5th GF/60, 8th ESGF/60, 10th CORSI, 5th LIW/60, 2nd GA/60, 3rd ESGA/60, 4th ES+-/60)

Cammalleri isn’t even having a particularly good year by his standards, but his numbers still show that he’s a cut above the rest, even if he’s a cut below Pleks. Playing with Plekanec has its benefits, as Camms defensive numbers show, but he’s no disaster on defence, as he obviously plays the winger’s assignment better than others.

3) Gionta
(1st goals, 2nd points, 2nd GC, 2nd ESGC, 8th GC/60, 3rd ESGC/60, 8th GF/60, 10th ESGF/60, CORSI, 3rd LIW/60, 7th GA/60, 9th ESGA/60, 8th ES+-/60)

Gionta is the second best offensive forward and has been average in the defensive aspects of the game this season. His clutch play is second to none sometimes, yet when he’s not needed to score a clutch goal, it seems his luck has been averaging out. Add to this, the distinct lack of assists, and he is a clear level below Plekanec.


Scoring forwards

4) Kostitsyn
(4th goals, 4th points, 4th GC, 3rd ESGC, 7th GC/60, 4th ESGC/60, 9th GF/60, 9th ESGF/60, 8th CORSI, 2nd LIW/60, 3rd GA/60, 4th ESGA/60, 6th ES+-/60)

Considering lines have yet to be juggled to get the most from the Belarussian, he’s done OK. Goals created at ES is a strength for him, and defence is near top among forwards. The deciding factor to elevate Andrei is his ability to be the best forward on the ice. Not an ability shared by all on this team.

5) Pouliot
(5th goals, 6th points, 6th GC, 4th ESGC, 4th GC/60, 1st ESGC/60, 7th GF/60, 6th ESGF/60, 4th CORSI, 8th LIW/60, 5th GA/60, 8th ESGA/60, 5th ES+-/60)

Stats show Pouliot has been very proficient considering his lot this year. Without significant time with a full-time passer, he’s slowly made a season for himself and pretty consistently now heads out on the second best line of the night. Tobalev and I think he should proclaim his total disinterest in playing anything but first line hockey. Seems to be a strategy that can work.


6th forward

6) Pacioretty
(6th goals, 9th points, 8th GC, 8th ESGC, 2nd GC/60, 10th ESGC/60, 1st GF/60, 4th ESGF/60, 2nd CORSI, 4th LIW/60, 11th GA/60, 13th ESGA/60, 9th ES+-/60)

Pacioretty is in a class of his own I feel. Since his renaissance, he has been quite a spark offensively. He currently leads the team in goals for when on the ice. However, unlike Kostitsyn and Pouliot, he hasn’t shown sustained offensive generation on his own. Nor has he shown that he can limit the risk he takes up from to curtail goals against. He’s young, this is normal.


Second tier forwards

7) Gomez

(9th goals, 4th points, 5th GC, 7th ESGC, 9th GC/60, 12th ESGC/60, 10th GF/60, 12th ESGF/60, 7th CORSI, 7th LIW/60, 9th GA/60, 11th ESGA/60, 13th ES+-/60)

Slump once, bad luck. Slump twice, start looking for reasons. We know that Gomez can do lots right. He has a knack for skating through the neutral zone, he can pass very well, and he knows the time to hold the puck at the back end instead of starting a dead-end rush. These he can do. He sits here at second tier forward because over time that is proving to be too little. His defenders will invoke luck, but his shooting percentage isn’t lacking a regression to the norm because he’s bounced too many shots of goalies flailing stick nubs, it’s because his shots are easy to save. If you invoke luck after 60 games, you’d better have a pretty good explanation as to why Mathieu Darche is miles better at GF and GA/60, as to why those who supposedly play better competition anyway are putting better numbers at both ends. Sooner or later, the answer has to be the player himself. The case is mounting here. And Gomez is falling behind three forwards he was previously ahead of.

8) Darche
(7th goals, 7th points, 7th GC, 6th ESGC, 5th GC/60, 5th ESGC/60, 2nd GF/60, 5th ESGF/60, 5th CORSI, 9th LIW/60, 4th GA/60, 2nd ESGA/60, 3rd ES+-/60)

Darche at any time is probably the 6th best forward on the team. He is pretty reliable for a good shift at both ends, and the numbers show that. The reason he will never jump a tier is that he rarely exceeds this sort of baseline scoring forward play. Others beat Darche for the exceptional games, and the potential that those are around the corner at any time. A team needs reliable forwards. On the third line. That’s where Darche fits.

9) Desharnais
(Stas above)


Needs work

10) Eller
(Stats above)


No need to mention

As a group the rest have proven very well that they occupy the checking role and shouldn't be asked to take on more. Halpern, Moen, Pyatt and White are all useful players, but not in a discussion about scoring.

Game #50Penalties Kill Montreal

Details

Date: 25/1/2011
Opponent: Flyers
Location: Philadelphia

Loss: 2-5

Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Bobrovsky (W)

Habs goalscorers: Desharnais, Darche
Opposition goalscorers: Carter, Timonen, Carcillo, Giroux, Briere

Play of the game

This wasn't an easy choice tonight, so will just go with the obvious; our first goal. Hard work from Darche kept the play going and it was he who got the puck to Gill on the half-boards. Hal found Desharnais who was covering at the point and it was the kid's turn to show how well he can shoot. With Mat and Eller passing in front of Bobs it seemed that the puck just floated on, into the net.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Mathieu Darche - Game Puck
Darche was never expected to have 20 points before the All-Star break, be on the PP and see time on a scoring line, but thanks to hard work he has done all that. What he brings to the ice, and what he brought tonight, is hard work and a willingness to do jobs that others fear or don't want to do. He isn't a fancy player, but is still a very useful one. Tonight he chipped in with a goal and an assist and both were thanks to hard work.

David Desharnais
I liked that he scored a goal tonight, but also liked the way in which he played. He, although tiny out there, doesn't seem to be afraid of anyone and when you can play that way against Philly that says something. I am not sure what the next few weeks/months hold for him, but if he can keep playing smart and keep putting up numbers I have no problem with him as our permanent 3rd or 4th centre.

Scott Gomez
RDS didn't like Scott tonight, but then again, when do they? After thinking about that I tried to think of positives and what I determined was that he was one of our best forwards tonight. It wasn't one of his best games, but he was still better than most. I felt that he created some good opportunities in the offensive zone and fed his linemates quite well. 16 minutes of ice is a little harsh, so I am hoping that was more as a rest. We'll need Gomez to preform well in the next 32 games, so I hope he enjoys his week off now before the big push.

Defencemen

PK Subban
I loved PK tonight for not backing down and for not being affected by the boos. When you can get under a team's skin like he has done you are doing something right (I mean, when was the last time Tom Pyatt got booed on the road?) and that will help us as we go forward. He played quite a sensible game and I felt that he was an asset throughout.

Roman Hamrlik
I am happy that Hammer finished the first half with a good game. The next few days will hopefully be rest time for the veteran as his coach hasn't been giving him much of that lately. With him playing well we look good. Subban and Gill are doing the job and Wis is certainly (although not so in the defensive end tonight) a quality player. Spacek and Weber are getting 5/6 duties and minutes and it is actually suiting them well. So, I think that Hammer has done a good job leading this group, but I hope he knows that his job is not nearly complete.

Goaltender

Carey Price
His teammates let him down a bit by taking so many penalties, but when you play a team like Philly these things happen. Yes, Price let in 4 and took the loss, but it wasn't his fault that we lost tonight. The dome is his because had his teammates played as well and as smart as he did we would have won.

Comments

A loss on the road to the best team in the league isn't that devastating; it is kind of expected. Positives have to be, however, that we tied them when the game wasn't 5-on-3, they have a good line-up, but are pretty much healthy, we are missing Camms and we proved again that size doesn't matter. Yes, they are bigger than us and yes, they are tougher than us, but that doesn't always mean that they'll win. We had some nice rushes where we used our speed and showed that their goalie is no Carey Price. In fact, there were two posts from us which, had they gone in, could have made this quite the interesting affair. The last thing to be happy about is that Philly consider us a rival and, because of that, are at their dirties against us. That (and this is a big, likely false assumption) means that over time they will take more penalties on us than we will on them. If this were ever the case, and could hold true, and if we could get our PP clicking again then I know that we could beat them. Don't forget that in Philly's case size only refers to the body size and not brain size. Talented players like Briere, Giroux and Zherdev will all go out of their way to slash, punch or hit a player and that will always be an advantage that we hold as we are a smart team, our good players go for the puck, not the body.

Game #49Saku Wins; Helps Us Get A Point

Details

Date: 22/1/2011
Opponent: Ducks
Location: Montreal

Loss: 3-4 (SO)

Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Hiller (W)

Habs goalscorers: Pacioretty (2), Darche
Opposition goalscorers: Fowler, Ryan (1, SO), Perry

Play of the game

The comeback goal, was of course a highlight for the Habs, but if we look at the event on a whole then the play of the game has to be the ovations that Saku got. He got a huge ovation before the first face-off and then another when he was announced as the second star (robbed of the first star thanks to Habs' questionable policy of making OT goalscorers (even in the shootout), regardless of how they played, the first star). It was great to see how much Montreal means to him and how much he means to Montreal. Who knows, maybe one day he'll be back.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Max Pacioretty - Game Puck
There was some great fight from MaxPac tonight and it paid off with two goals. 3 in 2 nights is a lot better than any Hamilton call-up would (or has) done which is why it is great that Tuesday's injury wasn't as bad as initially expected. If he keeps playing like this until, and when, Camms is back we'll be quite alright.

Tomas Plekanec
He only got one assist tonight, but I thought played a very good game. He was instrumental on the tying goal which got the Habs an always welcome point. There were a lot of chances which developed thanks to his quick foot speed, all of which made him look so much better than Anaheim's defencemen.

Saku Koivu
Why not? Two years of not being able to write in here about him, I may as well now. Saku didn't have the best game, but I'd have him on the ice all night as he invoked so many special memories. Every time that I heard his name it took me a second to remember that he didn't play for us; I guess it still hasn't sunk in. He certainly contributed to the Habs success tonight as his 3 penalties led to 2 PP goals, one of which was the tying goal. Iam sure that he was thrilled that both teams got points as both teams need him. For you purists, I have chosen a third Hab for the dome and Topham has the selection marked in his statistics.

Defencemen

PK Subban
There were times that PK looked pretty awkward tonight on some of his pivots, but those low points were overshadowed by his strong offensive presence. He attempted an incredible 16 shots which shows just how much this kid wants to shoot. Only 6, however, got through, so he is still having that same release problem, but I do think that it is getting better. He has so much energy and is so fit that I am glad he is getting tons of ice time. He should be able to chew up a lot of regular season minutes as resting our veterans in the press-box isn't a very likely scenario with the injuries, so we have to find ways to get their ice-time down.

James Wisniewski
I wasn't a huge fan of the Wis tonight in his own end, but did like what he did in their half. Hammer, Spacek and Gill all showed signs of fatigue tonight so it was good that James was good to go. In fact, he played a whopping 30 minutes and was able to kill a big chunk of our D's ice-time. Knowing that, in general, he can hold his own in all aspects of play makes using him that much quite a good thing.

Goaltender

Carey Price
This was an average game from Price, but certainly he did enough to make the dome. I can't say that he really stood out for being that bad or that good tonight, he kind of just blended in. Knowing that he doesn't get a week for the All-Star break off (like his teammates) may have been good reason to give him last night against Ottawa off (I mean, I could have been in nets and we still would have won), but that is done. I may rest him on Tuesday, but have a strong feeling that JM won't.

Comments

It was funny that Lapierre got booed tonight. The former poster-boy of this club probably didn't expect that, but apparently we boo anyone who used to play for us (other than Saku). I suppose that I am not that surprised myself, though, as he did request a trade and made a lot of people think that he thought he was way better than he was. Maybe he thought that he was the type of player that we saw last April/May and not the one that we saw the other 120 games of the past 2 seasons. The night was still Koivu night, though, and Max's appearance didn't really matter.

There was still hockey to be played, though, and early on the Habs weren't doing much of that. Luckily for us, however, the Ducks weren't firing on all cylinders so on the game went. On a whole we probably ended up playing better than them, and Hiller better than Price, so a tie was just about right. We have one more game before the break and it would be nice to pick up points, but road games in Philly are never that easy. Win or lose, however, won't really matter. What matters is that after 50 games we will have at least 59 points in the bank (a 97-point pace). The 32 games after the break will certainly be tough, but I honestly believe that our fate is in our own hands. If we want to make the playoffs, there is no reason to believe that we won't.

Game #45 Habs Surge To Take Points From Playoff Rival

Details

Date: 15/1/2011
Opponent: Rangers
Location: Montreal

Win: 3-2

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Lundqvist (L)

Habs goalscorers: Hamrlik, Plekanec, Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: Boyle, Zuccarello

Play of the game

PK Subban came alive on the PP tonight. Of all the elements of the game we probably were expecting to see after his junior and AHL careers, this has taken the longest to come. With Wisniewski being guarded, PK can get the clear shots. On one early opportunity he showed that he's not just a pretty face though, a he faked that clear shot and instead picked out a fully open Plekanec. Pleks had a little work to do to control the pass, but otherwise had a gaping net to shoot at. Beautiful. Pierre Houde said it was flashes of Brisebois and Markov? I think he meant Markov.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Brian Gionta
Noticeable on nearly every shift. he once again led in shots, but that's no barometer for Brian - he always does at least that. What I particularly enjoyed was his ability to shake defenders like "all-star" Staal with ease to win deep puck and keep the play alive.

Mathieu Darche
I wouldn't go quite to the lengths of some professional commentators to heap on praise, but Darche played well. He was critically involved in the two quick comeback goals and made sure the PP was outstanding all night through. He played a decent few shifts at ES too, though his best work came on 5 minutes of well-earned PP action.

Andrei Kostitsyn
Whatever happens next practice, someone make sure Andrei gets some time to chat to Jacques Martin. Whatever was said seemed to work as Andrei was back to finding his old form. His goal was a predator's goal and a critical one in retrospect. The best part is he had better chances than that. I think he'll appreciate both the goals and the vote of confidence from the 500 or so fans who bother to pay Bell to choose 3 stars.

Defencemen

PK Subban - Game Puck
Some outstanding moments at either end of the ice tonight for PK. We've noted the play of the game. The PP was eye-catching all game and PK was a big part of that as he kept hard passes in, distributed and even got shots through on Lundqvist. At the back, he was a welcome change from the easy dump out as he took responsibility several times to get the puck all the way out of the trouble areas.

James Wisniewski
Playing the most minutes on a team he wasn't even a part of three weeks ago. this is impressive stuff. Critical to PP success, despite not a shot from his stick, keeping the puck in and offering the omnipresent threat to open space for others. His defending (apart from that crazy late pass) was mostly sound as well, and I've started to appreciate his stand up checks on players who used to go around previous Habs.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Earning a dome tonight with some game savers along the way. It was a game full of everything for Carey. Great highlight saves, great positional saves, that good puck handling Subdoxtastic raved about, the questionable puck handling we ranted about and another win celebration. This wasn't the ice cold Carey of November, but the way he battled for a win, especially late, who really cares?

Comments

Another early hole didn't get the team down, as they continue to play comeback kids for the New Year. I don't like the recipe, but if their answer to an early deficit is always an impressive surge as it was tonight, I won't question the approach.

The most impressive element of the win tonight for me was the way the PP really seemed to thrive. Those I watched the game with at home were particularly taken with the attractive passing and the productive tactics the Canadiens employed. Really, were it not for Lundqvist (and I'm not just saying this) the game would have been done and dusted well before the end of 2 periods.

The third period is going to produce a lot of rants (I write this instead of watching the spew from l'Antichambre) because the Canadiens appeared to lose it. But one could look at it another way. The Habs have to learn to hang on under pressure, just as they needed to get more experience on coming from behind. The win is positive. The fact they hung on is positive. Yes, we'd all prefer a stroll to the finish with a dominant display of blue line stopping checking, but in close games, it sometimes just won't happen.

It's especially positive as a win in light of the opponent. I said the other day, and I don't want to retract, that the Habs will be in a fight for the playoffs. I predict that one of the teams will be the Rangers. Points from teams in direct rivalry for those last points for post-season entry are like gold. This may yet be a clincher if we look back in April.