Game #29Excellence Witness Excellence As Habs Turn 100

Details

Date: 4/12/09
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Montreal


Win:5-1

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

Habs goalscorers: Spacek, Cammalleri (3), Metropolit
Opposition goalscorers: Sobotka

Play of the game

5 goals goals, 2 jersey retirements and tons of other possibles here, but at the end of the day I have just one play in my mind. It happened in the first period with the Habs on the Power-Play. Marco Sturm went in alone on Carey Price, but the kid absolutely robbed him with his right toe. That kept the game at 0-0 and, I felt, ended up being the biggest turning point of all. Had that shot gone in I have a feeling we wouldn't have won, but instead it allowed us to stay level with Boston. A save in the first period can sometimes set the tone and tonight that is exactly what Carey, under the watchful eyes of Hodge, Dryden and Price, did.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Mike Cammalleri - Game Puck
If someone was touched by the ceremonies tonight it would have been Mike. He obviously didn't want to send the tens of alumni home wondering what has become of their team, instead he wanted to show that, despite some recent poor results, we can still play with the best of them. 3 goals against Thomas to put him back on 40+ goal pace was just what the doctor ordered.

Scott Gomez
Unfortunately Plekanec has faded a bit since Scott's return, but at least Gomez has picked up the slack. Tonight he did it with 2 assists and some inspired play. I am not sure what Martin's plan is when Gionta gets back, but I would like to see the Habs, somehow, ice two competitive lines. That means we need Pleks and Kostitsyn firing as well, so we have to stop cutting their ice-time down as a 'wake-up' procedure.

Glen Metropolit
The enthusiasm on Glen's face after his goal says it all for me. This Toronto boy, although likely not a Habs fan until last spring, cares deeply about the history and prestige of this team. Scoring a 4-0 goal in a game that you have no real danger of losing wouldn't generally evoke that sort of excitement, but I am glad that it did as it shows some of our players have truly been caught up in all of the Centennial excitement.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
Another player who I believe truly cares about the crest on his chest is Josh. To me, he is becoming one of our best team guys and, while I search for who may be our next captain, I often conclude that it could indeed be him. Tonight he played just about the most of any of our defenders (8 seconds less than Hamrlik) and ended the game at +3.

Jaroslav Spacek
When Markov comes back we will have a very nice player in Jaro slotting into the 3/4 spot (to be shared with Gorges). I can say that with confidence because, for the most part, he has done a formidable job as a #2/3 this season, especially recently. I think we were all hoping for more than 3 goals by now (he scored in this game), but we must also be happy with his defensive play which is certainly an upgrade from Souray, Schneider or Bergeron (of course Streit would be my ideal choice for this position).

Goaltender

Carey Price
What a shame that Carey didn't get a shutout as I felt that was going to be a fitting piece to this game. He played well enough to deserve one, but I think was the victim of a bit of a team-wide nap once we were up by 5. This game could have gone the other way as the Bruins out-shot and out-chanced us, but with 37 saves he made sure that all went home happy. It was especially nice to see him enter into the spirit of the game by sporting a special mask which paid tribute to the 6 best goalies in Habs history. I wonder if he himself will be featured on the bi-centennial version?

Comments

We have become so use to seeing ceremonies that I am almost sad to see them over with. The Habs nailed it, yet again tonight and it definitely brought back some nice feelings. It started with 20 Habs taking a warm-up in full gear. Patrick Roy and Ken Dryden (who hasn't worn equipment in 30+ years) strapped on the pads and took some shots. The players skating around would have made anyone a bit nostalgic as players like Lafleur, Lemieux, Naslund and Robinson were, at last, back in Habs gear. It was then on to introductions of even more alumni; these ones simply in shoes and a jersey. The likes of McPhee, Skrudland, Henri Richard, Beliveau and Moore were just a few of the stars on hand. Gordie Howe, in the wrong jersey, was also there as he represented the Rocket (bearing a shirt of his) as well as one of our greatest single rivals. That portion of the night concluded with the retiring of two more jerseys (I am told that this was the Molson's doing and it was a surprise for all, including the players involved); Emile Bouchard (3) and Elmer Lach (16). A neat bit of the ceremony was when O'Byrne removed his own #3 sweater and handed it over to the greatest to ever sport that jersey. Needless to say that Jay Leach's #20 was available as the Habs decided a third jersey retirement could wait. A team picture of close to 100 alumni and current players was next and will likely go down as the greatest gathering of Habs players of all time.

It was then onto the game where all in attendance just hoped that the Habs, for the first time this week, could compete. Well, compete they did and that all started with Carey Price. The kid got the ball rolling with a great save early on and that seemed to really get his teammates and the crowd into it. In fact, we would go onto score on the very same PP of that save and we never looked back. We had it all on this night - great goaltending, explosive offence, excellent special-teams (we killed off a couple of 5-on-3s including one that lasted a full 2 minutes) and most of all excitement. It was a great way to start our second century and I can only hope that the Habs can carry this inspired play into next week and beyond.

Top 100 Montreal Canadiens Players of All Time

Happy Birthday Montreal Canadiens!

As you know, we've been putting out some decade-by-decade lists of the Montreal Canadiens players from the last 100 years. The list I have for you today is the integrated version of the list, the list where you see whether I like Lafleur or Richard, Plante or Dryden, Malone or Gagnon.

I'm sure you'll all have some fun perusing the list. I encourage all to do it and come back to us with their own amendments, as the discussion today could not be about anything more than the history of the Habs – and with last night's debacle, the more distant, the better.

Just a quick note on how we came to this list. All the editorial team and some friends of Lions in Winter submitted a list and basically we averaged the picks. It was a very democratic process, and I think it shows. As a result, I think we've come up with a pretty good list. Having looked through the history in depth, i can tell you one thing – there have been more than 100 good players on this team, and picking between all of them is a sport in itself.


Without further ado, the 100:

LIW Ranking	Name	Position	Years
100	Ray Getliffe	C	1939-45
99	Billy Couture	D	1916-20, 1921-26
98	Craig Ludwig	D	1982-90
97	Brian Bellows	LW	1992-95
96	Gilles Tremblay	LW	1960-69
95	Ken Mosdell	C	1954-56, 1957-59
94	Shayne Corson	LW	1985-92, 1996-2000
93	Bill Reay	C	1946-53
92	Petr Svoboda	D	1984-92
91	Howard McNamara	D	1915-16, 1919-20
90	Floyd Curry	RW	1947-58
89	Marcel Bonin	LW	1957-62
88	Mark Napier	RW	1978-84
87	Claude Lemieux	LW	1983-90
86	Phil Goyette	C	1957-63
85	Eric Desjardins	D	1988-95
84	Jimmy Gardner	LW	1913-15
83	Doug Jarvis	C	1975-82
82	Pierre Bouchard	D	1970-78
81	Jim Roberts	D	1963-77
80	Denis Savard	C	1990-93
79	Mathieu Schneider	D	1987-95, 2009
78	Alfred Lepine	C	1925-38
77	Johnny Gagnon	RW	1930-40
76	Rejean Houle	LW	1969-83
75	Pierre Mondou	C	1976-85
74	Doug Risebrough	C	1974-82
73	Pierre Turgeon	C	1994-96
72	Albert Leduc	D	1925-33, 1934-35
71	Billy Boucher	RW	1921-27
70	Terry Harper	D	1962-72
69	Rod Langway	D	1978-82
68	Pierre Larouche	C	1977-82
67	John Ferguson	LW	1963-71
66	Yvon Lambert	LW	1972-81
65	Bobby Rousseau	RW	1960-70
64	Alexei Kovalev	RW	2004-09
63	Mario Tremblay	RW	1974-86
62	Andrei Markov	D	2000- (Active)
61	Charlie Hodge	G	1954-55, 1957-61, 1963-67
60	Jean-Guy Talbot	D	1954-67
59	Mark Recchi	RW	1994-99
58	Odie Cleghorn	RW	1918-25
57	Kirk Muller	LW	1991-95
56	Dick Duff	LW	1964-70
55	Jose Theodore	G	1995-2006
54	Michel Larocque	G	1973-81
53	Albert Siebert	D (LW)	1936-39
52	Georges Mantha	D	1928-41
51	Herb Gardiner	D	1926-29
50	Ken Reardon	D	1940-42, 1945-50
49	Stephane Richer	RW	1984-91, 1996-98
48	Rogatien Vachon	G	1966-72
47	Bobby Smith	C	1983-90
46	Bud O'Connor	C	1941-47
45	Ralph Backstrom	C	1956-71
44	Bert Olmstead	LW	1950-58
43	Pete Mahovlich	C	1969-78
42	Joe Malone	C	1917-19, 1922-24
41	Chris Chelios	D	1983-90
40	Claude Provost	RW	1955-70
39	Jean-Claude Tremblay	D	1959-72
38	Frank Mahovlich	LW	1970-74
37	Sprague Cleghorn	D	1921-25
36	Jack Laviollette	D	1909-18
35	Vincent Damphousse	C	1992-99
34	Tom Johnson	D	1947-63
33	Mats Naslund	LW	1982-90
32	Lorne Worsley	G	1963-70
31	Guy Carbonneau	C	1980-94
30	Jacques Laperriere	D	1962-74
29	Steve Shutt	LW	1972-85
28	Saku Koivu	C	1995-2009
27	Georges Vezina	G	1910-26
26	Guy Lapointe	D	1968-82
25	Didier Pitre	RW	1909-13, 1914-23
24	Sylvio Mantha	D	1923-36
23	Emile Bouchard	D	1941-56
22	Jacques Lemaire	C	1967-79
21	Bill Durnan	G	1943-50
20	Aurele Joliat	LW	1922-38
19	Elmer Lach	C	1940-54
18	Dickie Moore	LW	1951-63
17	Yvan Cournoyer	RW	1963-79
16	Bob Gainey	LW	1973-89
15	George Hainsworth	G	1926-37
14	Henri Richard	C	1955-75
13	Bernard Geoffrion	RW	1950-64
12	Serge Savard	D	1966-81
11	Hector Blake	LW	1935-48
10	Patrick Roy	G	1984-95
9	Ken Dryden	G	1970-79
8	Edouard Lalonde	C	1909-11, 1912-22
7	Jacques Plante	G	1952-63
6	Doug Harvey	D	1947-61
5	Larry Robinson	D	1972-89
4	Howie Morenz	C	1923-37
3	Guy Lafleur	RW	1971-85
2	Maurice Richard	RW	1942-60
1	Jean Beliveau	C	1950-71

Hope you enjoyed that. Do let us know where you stand, and include your top 10s if you can...

Top 100 Habs By Decade: 2. 1949-1959

In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial next Friday, we at Lions in Winter have been doing what we like best – making lists. As a precursor to publishing the definitive LIW top 100, we will be counting down the decades from least successful to most successful and naming our LIW top 10 players for the ten-year span. You should expect a few each day for the next few days.

Though this celebration has inevitably lost some steam due to relentless marketing and pre-game ceremonies for all of living memory, it would be a shame to let it pass unnoticed just because Mr. Gillett wanted to cash in before he cashed out.

1949-1959

I can only venture a guess as to what it must have been like to support a team like the 1950s Canadiens. Hundreds of games against the Leafs, Red Wings, Hawks, Bruins and Rangers. Tough rivalries night after night. Ones that more often than not the Canadiens were in a position to dominate. Would it be satisfying? Would it get tired? Judging by what fans of the time tell me, the answers to those questions are "no" and "no".

For a city that adores itself as a winner, the 1950s were a coming out party. While Toronto was overtaking Montreal in population and slowly to take the place as most important city in the country, Montreal launched a new self-image boosting pastime – winning hockey games. And did they win? First of second in the league all but one season (3rd that year) and 9 Cup finals in 10, with 5 Cups.

The players selected for the 1950s teams were banging at the door to get in. Virtually every player brings 5+ Cups to the table with a trophy, gaudy stats and a place in the Hall of Fame. These 10 names are names of Canadiens lore.

[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – Beliveau and Henri Richard, therefore will be missed]


10. Jean-Guy Talbot (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1954-67	791	36	209	245	884	AS
Decade best (Season)	1958-59	69	4	17	21	77
Habs career (Playoffs)	1956-67	105	3	16	19	112	7 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1957-58	10	0	3	3	12	SC

A mainstay of the big 1950s dynasty, Talbot could do whatever was asked of him.


9. Bert "Dirty Bertie" Olmstead (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1950-58	508	103	280	383	609	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1955-56	70	14	56	70	94	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1951-58	8	8	34	42	78	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1955-56	10	4	10	14	8	SC

The left wing plumber for some of the top lines in NHL history.


8. Claude Provost (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1955-70	1005	254	335	589	469	BM, AS
Decade best (Season)	1957-58	70	19	32	51	71
Habs career (Playoffs)	1956-69	126	25	38	63	86	9 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1958-59	11	6	2	8	2	SC

One of the best shadows in league and Habs history.


7. Tom Johnson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1947-63	857	47	183	230	897	N, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1958-59	70	10	29	39	76	N, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1950-62	111	8	15	23	109	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1952-53	12	2	3	5	8	SC

Doug Harvey's sidekick for many seasons.


6. Dickie Moore (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1951-63	654	254	340	594	575	2 AR, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1958-59	70	41	55	96	61	AR, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1952-63	112	38	56	94	101	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1958-59	11	5	12	17	8	SC

The Canadiens first back-to-back winner of the Art Ross Trophy. He set a league scoring record in 1958-59 with 96 points.


5. Bernard "Boom Boom" Geoffrion (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1950-64	766	371	388	759	636	C, H, 2 AR, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1954-55	70	38	37	75	57	AR, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1951-64	117	56	59	115	88	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1956-57	10	11	7	18	2	SC

Trophies and honours line up for the innovator of the slap shot. He was the second man in history to score 50 goals in 1960-61.


4. Jacques Plante (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1952-63	556	314	133	107	2.23	58	H, 6 V, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1955-56	64	42	12	10	1.86	7	V, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1953-63	90	59	28	0	2.13	10	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1956-57	10	8	2	0	1.66	1	SC

An innovator at his position, what really set him apart was not his mask, but his gaudy statistics. He won 5 straight Vezina trophies in the late decade and 6 in 7 years in all.


3. Doug Harvey (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1947-61	890	76	371	447	1042	7 N, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1956-57	70	6	44	50	92	N, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1949-61	123	8	59	67	138	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1958-59	11	1	11	12	22	SC

People aren't laughed out of the room when suggesting he's the best defenceman of all-time. Certainly, if they had to rename the Norris trophy they could do worse than naming it the Harvey trophy. More of a classic defender than, say, Orr, he nevertheless had the nous to go forward.


2. Maurice "Rocket" Richard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	PIM	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1942-60	978	544	421	965	1285	H, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1950-51	65	42	24	66	97	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1944-60	133	82	44	126	188	8 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1957-58	10	11	4	15	10	SC

5-time leading goalscorer in the league, his legacy will never be his own personal trophy cupboard. Known for scoring in the biggest games and tightest situations, he out-hockeyed Mr. Hockey by capturing 8 Stanley Cups in his career. Iconic for the fans of the Habs, he could and would be first on many other lists.


1. Jean "Gros Bill" Beliveau (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1950-71	1125	507	712	1219	+67	(23)	H, AR, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1963-64	68	28	50	78		2	H, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1954-71	162	79	97	186		(2)	CS, 10 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1964-65	13	8	8	16			CS, SC

The enduring face of the franchise and its leading scorer and best centre-iceman. The epitome of Hart and Conn Smythe laureat, he won both in his long career.



* Awards: H = Hart trophy; AR = Art Ross trophy, C = Calder trophy; N = Norris trophy; V = Vezina trophy; BM= Bill Masterton; AS= All-star; HOF = Hall of Fame; CS = Conn Smythe trophy; SC = Stanley Cup.

Top 100 Habs By Decade: 3. 1959-1969

In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial this Friday, we at Lions in Winter have been doing what we like best – making lists. As a precursor to publishing the definitive LIW top 100, we will be counting down the decades from least successful to most successful and naming our LIW top 10 players for the ten-year span.

Though this celebration has inevitably lost some steam due to relentless marketing and pre-game ceremonies for all of living memory, it would be a shame to let it pass unnoticed just because Mr. Gillett wanted to cash in before he cashed out.

1959-1969

The 1960s are consistently sold as the forgotten dynasty or the decade of the overlooked. But just like articles that pump up the same players time after time for being underrated, so too the 1960s – all the talk of being underrated sometimes risks making pundits overrate what happened in the 1960s.

While it is true that the Canadiens won 4 Stanley Cups in the 1960s proper and 5 Cups in the decade I have set from 1959-69, generally it is fair that this span of years should be relegated behind the incredible 1950s and unbelievable 1970s. Any other team would cite the Canadiens 1960s as their Golden Age. However, the 1960s were a bit of a changing of the guard and it showed for the early years.

The players selected for the 1960s were chosen either because they represented the 1960s well. In some cases, the 1960s was the core of their career, in others the beginning and some the twilight. Here they are.

[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – so you may have to wait for the next update for your favourites]


10. John Ferguson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1963-71	500	145	158	303	(+61)	(30)	AS
Decade best (Season)	1968-69	71	29	23	52	+30	7
Habs career (Playoffs)	1964-71	85	20	18	38		(4)	5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1968-69	14	4	3	7		2	SC

The most feared man in the NHL during his time. His ability to play hockey as well made him supremely valuable to the dynasty of the 1960s.


9. Bobby Rousseau (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1960-70	643	200	322	522	(+42)	(32)	C, AS
Decade best (Season)	1965-66	70	30	48	78		4	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1962-69	78	16	29	45		(3)	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1964-65	13	5	8	13			SC

Talented scorer. Second in league scoring in 1965-66, while leading in assists.


8. Charlie Hodge (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1954-67	237	115	72	40	2.46	21	V, AS
Decade best (Season)	1963-64	62	33	18	11	2.26	8	V, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1955-65	16	7	8	0	2.39	2	SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1964-65	5	3	2	0	2.00	1	SC

Lucky enough to have a good back-up, the Habs finally got to see what Hodge was worth (and it was Vezinas) after Plante was gone.


7. Dick Duff (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1964-70	305	87	85	172	(-12)	17	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1967-68	66	25	21	46	+6	8
Habs career (Playoffs)	1965-69	60	16	26	42		(2)	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1968-69	14	6	8	14		1	SC

Brought in to replace Dickie Moore's scoring, Duff produced well. 1967-68 was his highlight for the Habs, where he shot 22.5% with 8 GWGs.


6. Rogatien Vachon (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1966-72	206	110	56	30	2.65	13	V
Decade best (Season)	1967-68	39	23	13	2	2.48	4	V
Habs career (Playoffs)	1967-69	19	14	5	0	1.94	1	2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1968-69	8	7	1	0	1.42	1	SC

His brief stint with the Canadiens was notable for its consistency and excellence in the playoffs. Only the arrival of Dryden kept him from more.


5. Ralph Backstrom (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1956-71	844	215	287	502	(+28)	(17)	C, AS
Decade best (Season)	1961-62	66	27	38	65			AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1959-69	100	22	26	48		(3)	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1965-66	10	3	4	7			SC

The pan-dynastic talent is perhaps best remembered as the Candiens 3rd fiddle behind Beliveau and Richard. However, he had plenty of offensive talent himself and contributed much. One of the most interesting contributions he made to the Canadiens were his 27 points in 33 games to close out the season for the LA Kings in 1971, lifting them out of the cellar and granting the Candiens a first overall pick in the process.


4. Jean-Claude Tremblay (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1959-72	794	57	306	363	(+130)	(11)	AS
Decade best (Season)	1968-69	75	7	32	39	+29	1	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1961-72	108	14	51	65		(5)	5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1965-66	10	2	9	11			SC

Slick skating, smart defenceman who QBed a successful PP for more than a decade.


3. Lorne "Gump" Worsley (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1963-70	172	92	44	25	2.42	16	2 V, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1967-68	40	19	9	8	1.98	6	V, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1965-69	39	29	7	0	1.91	4	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1967-68	12	11	0	0	1.88	1	SC

The vet brought in to man the fort after Plante's departure. He kept the young goalies honest and the fans of goalies satisfied with 2 Vezina trophies himself.


2. Jacques Laperriere (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	2001-06	691	40	242	282	(+241)	(5)	C, N, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1965-66	57	6	25	31		2	N, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1963-73	88	9	22	31		(1)	5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1967-68	13	1	3	4		0	SC

The intelligent, stay-at-home, big defender we all hope all of our current players could be.


1. Henri "Pocket Rocket" Richard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1955-75	1256	358	688	1046	(+126)	(28)	BM, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1962-63	67	23	50	73			AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1956-75	180	49	80	129		(3)	11 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1959-60	8	3	9	12			SC

Always a bit lost in Canadiens lore. No player had more to overcome than he, with a small stature and a big shadow from his older brother. That he went on to become the winningest athlete in hockey and North American sports history is a feat. That he did it with modesty and grace is an all-too seldom mentioned accomplishment.



* Awards: N = Norris trophy; V = Vezina trophy; C = Calder trophy; BM= Bill Masterton; AS= All-star; SC = Stanley Cup.

Stanley Cup Drama

"Game 7, Stanley Cup final". How many kids have uttered this line?
The stuff of NHL legend is the stuff of street hockey routine.


On the eve of the 4th Stanley Cup Final game 7 of the decade, i thought it was a good time to talk about the hockey that's actually being played once again.

Contrary to what you might expect with 2 months of hockey played on the back of 6 months of hockey, it's rare for Stanley Cup finals to go the distance. In fact, only 14 series have gone to Game 7 in 69 runnings of that format. Prior to that, there were 8 Games 5's over 20 seasons sing that format.

Now, for all of us neutrals watching tomorrow, I don't think anything less than a close contest will do. And for anyone else who's lived out this dream on the street, unleashing the final buzzer beating shot in Game 7 (in OT, no doubt), a game with a late and dramatic goal is the only tonic to replace the team we actually care about.

Don't hold your breath for that either. Only 2 of those 22 series that went the entire distance were forced into overtime. On top of that, only 5 were settled by a goal coming any time after 10 minutes in the third (and one of those was at 10:30). In reality, it's just as likely that the game winning goal will come when you are settling down to watch in the first (4 have) or at least within the first two periods of the game – allowing for a 3rd period of clock-watching – as 9 Game 7's and 4 deciding Game 5's have done.

The good news is that the Detroit Red Wings are there. This is their NHL-leading 8th Stanley Cup Game 7, albeit their first in 45 years. Detroit has won 4 (one behind Toronto's record 5) and lost 3 (one behind Vancouver's city record of 4). More to the point, in the past at least, Detroit liked leaving it late. Both OT games featured Detroit, both also featured a Red Wings Cup parade. The 1950 final vs. the New York Rangers, with a winning goal in second overtime, must have been the perfect tension we are looking for. Their win 4 years later vs. us was alright, but for the obvious flaw.

Anyway, let's see. Triple OT?


Montreal in Game 7's

Over the years, Montreal has featured prominently in Game 7's. Of our 24 Cup victories, 2 have come in Game 7's, while 2 others have come in the 5th game of a 5-set (3 of which featured Blackhawks as losers).

Montreal is the only team to lose in two consecutive Game 7's. Those 2 came in 1954 and 1955. Quite remarkable to think that team was an OT goal in 1954, and perhaps a late second period save in 1955 to prevent a momentum shift, away from 8 consecutive Stanley Cups. In any case, it does mean the team played in games they could have walked away with the Cup an astounding 8 years in a row.

While the Habs played in the very first 5-game series to go the distance (and won their first Cup), their other claim to notoriety must surely be the fact they staged the most anti-climactic of all Game 7's when they beat Chicago in 1965. To mirror the rest of the series, the Canadiens pushed their home ice advantage home within 14 seconds of the opening faceoff in a Game 7 non-contest that ended 4-0 (their 3rd shutout of the finals). It makes one who wasn't there wonder what on earth was going on.


Game-winning goals

The other feature of tomorrow night's show is the stars on offer. The repeat final is giving us another chance to watch the best offensive flair against the best defenceman in a generation. It also pits 2 high scoring teams with many scoring stars against each other.

If you were sitting in the Detroit equivalent of a Molson zone, fans might be shoving for position in the Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Franzen or Hossa areas – that Stanley Cup winning free beer all the sweeter. The equivalent in Pittsburgh for those watching on Jumbotron will see jostling for Crosby, Malkin, Gonchar and Staal.

But despite the fact that stars win Cups and stars get to finals (and into the HHOF). Is your bet best placed on a shooter? Or do the nerves of the occasion lend to a chippy and unlikely goal source. The list is peppered with legends, that is until a 6'6" German named Uwe showed us in 1996 that, actually, anyone is eligible to score that goal. Since that time, it's been a parade in second-tier players, particularly in Game 7s (no offense Tanguay). This article I read this morning takes note and suggests some of the likely unlikelys to watch as potential Rupps.

The complete list of Game 7 winning goalscorers is here, with time of goal and final score, opponent and year:

Pete Babando (8:31 OT2, 4-3 Detroit over NYR, 1950)
Tony Leswick (4:20 OT, 2-1 Detroit over Montreal, 1954)
Babe Pratt (12:14 3rd, 2-1 Toronto over Detroit, 1945)
Pete Langelle (9:48 3rd, 3-1 Toronto over Detroit, 1942)
Henri Richard (2:34 3rd, 3-2 Montreal over Chicago, 1971)
Gordie Howe (19:49 2nd, 3-1 Detroit over Montreal, 1955)
Jari Kurri (14:59 2nd, 3-1 Edmonton over Philly, 1987)
Ruslan Fedotenko (14:38 2nd, 3-1 Tampa Bay over Calgary, 2004)
Mark Messier (13:29 2nd, 3-2 New York over Vancouver, 1994)
Alex Tanguay (4:57 2nd, 3-1 Colorado over New Jersey, 2001)
Frantisek Kaberle (4:18 2nd, 3-1 Carolina over Edmonton, 2006)
Michael Rupp (2:22 2nd, 3-0 New Jersey over Anaheim, 2003)
Andy Bathgate (3:04 1st, 4-0 Toronto over Detroit, 1964)
Jean Beliveau (0:14 1st, 4-0 Montreal over Chicago, 1965)

Those last 2 guys had to wait near a full hour to realise what heroes they had become on the night. Not the stuff of street hockey legend...


For tonight, though, money's gotta be on experience – Fedotenko in 3rd OT?

A Trophy Less Likely

The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is an annual award under the trusteeship of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association and is given to the National Hockey League player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey. The winner is selected in a poll of all chapters of the PHWA at the end of the regular season.

Today, it was announced that Patrice Brisebois would be the Canadiens nominee. Having not suffered major injuries of last season, and trading last season's nominee (Mark Streit – whose nomination is meant to hark back to a time when dedication meant more than rehabbing), they turned to Patrice.

These days, there is certainly a conception (probably based on the winners from the past 18 odd years) that the trophy is awarded to a player who has come back from career- or even life-threatening illness or injury. This is not strictly true. But it would be hard to imagine a player who had overcome a massive obstacle losing to someone whose nominating quality is that they are old.

Only 10 nominees have been revealed to date. There is a chance a Patrice would win, but it won't be ours:

Just a year and a half ago, Patrice Bergeron was nearly paralyzed and suffered a severe concussion from a hit from behind. His determination to be back by the 2008 playoffs nearly paid off, as he amazingly would have been ready to take the ice had the Bruins reached the second round last spring.

This season, Bergeron suffered yet another concussion, but has since returned to approach the high-caliber level of play for which he was known before the injuries. His credo of respect and "playing the right way" is reflected in his style on the ice -- always hard, always physical, always clean.

Brisebois is a decided outsider even among the ten, behind Beregeron, Numminen, Clemmenson and Mark Eaton. I think if old Patrice has his heart set on a trophy this year he'd better gear up for a run at the Conn Smythe...

Come on, be honest, even if you are a Brisebois supporter, it's hard to see him winning this one. I mean unless the NHL recognises his long career despite having to overcome a total lack of NHL level skill (couldn't resist).


Though the nomination isn't exactly front page news, it sure beats harping on and on about which of the four lines isn't scoring.

Plus, it gave us an opportunity to get some classic Brisebois quotes only a couple of days after looking as slow as he ever has in his career (think Hamrlik penalty...):

"Some media, some people say, 'He's getting old, he should retire,'" Brisebois said yesterday. "Not that it hurts, but I'm like, 'I'm still doing the job. I'm not slow on the ice. I watch myself on video and I don't look a step behind.'

"Sometimes, I'm going to get caught, for sure. The game is fast and I try things on the ice. If you don't, nothing's going to happen. We have fast forwards who need the puck on the tape. Sometimes, you see the opening and you try."

You can't say the guy isn't good for anything. He still makes me laugh (and cry)...


Incidentally, for those interested here are the previous Canadiens winners of Masterton award, and the wikipedia reasoning as to why:

Claude Provost – "Embodied the definition of perseverance and dedication to hockey" throughout his 15 year career
Henri Richard – This honoured a career with 11 Stanley Cups
Serge Savard – Awarded for "dedication to hockey", after he won his eighth Stanley Cup in eleven seasons
Doug Jarvis (while he was with Hartford) – Awarded after he beat Garry Unger's record for consecutive games played, with 914 games
Saku Koivu – Overcame non-Hodgkin lymphoma

Careers of Numbers: Amazing Habs Feats

This week is a rare chance for the Habs and their families to be together for an extended period over the holidays. It is rare that we don't have a game on the 23rd or 26th. That, of course, also means that these are slow times for us here at Lions in Winter as there is little going on in Habsworld.

We have, however, been conducting some research for an upcoming piece on the greatest players in team history and through that we have stumbled across some very astounding and fun stats. The following is a list of 20 achievements over the Habs career of certain players. Some you may know, some may be news to you, but I urge you, nevertheless, to take a look and remember just how good of a team we have been over the past 99 years.


Centres


Newsy Lalonde
We don't hear much about the Habs' first star, but before Morenz there was Lalonde. He only suited up for the team in a total of 218 games, but during that time he accumulated 353 points. He played in the inaugural season and went on to play in 11 of the first 12. He led the team 9 times in regular season scoring and led the league a total of 3 times.

Howie Morenz
Among Howie's major achievements are the fact that he led the Habs in both goals and points a total of 7 times each - twice he led the league. More impressive was the fact that he won an astonishing 3 Hart trophies as league MVP; more than any other Hab.

Henri Richard
The pocket-rocket was team captain for 4 years, is a hall-of-famer and is one of the very few to have his shirt hanging from the rafters. The one stat, however, that I believe he will never lose or share is the fact that he won 11 Stanley Cups. Just think of that for a second, think of Roy and his 4, Gretzky and his 4, Messier and his 6 and it just makes this that much more special.

Jacques Lemaire
Before the trap in New Jersey there was a fire-wagon in Montreal, and, don't be fooled, Jacques was definitely among the flying frenchmen. His 139 career playoff points ranks second in team history, only le Gros Bill has more.

Saku Koivu
Koivu will hopefully, if we get him signed, become the longest ever serving captain in team history. Saku's leadership, however, extends beyond the ice. In 2006 he became the only player in team history to win the league's King Clancy Award, given annually, since 1988, to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.

Right Wingers


Didier Pitre
Don't be alarmed if this name isn't familiar as I too learned it for the first time a few days ago. In 274 games alongside Lalonde on the earliest versions of the Habs (playoffs included) he managed 296 points for a point/game average of 1.08. He ranks 4th all-time on the team in points/game, of players who have played at least 250 games, behind Lafleur, Frank Mahovolich and Beliveau.

Claude Provost
Claude ranks 5th all-time in games played for the Habs and most notable has played more games in the bleu-blanc-rouge than any other right winger - notably Maurice Richard, Lafleur and Cournoyer.

Yvan Cournoyer
Of all the impressive stats that the roadrunner put up in his career one in particular stands out to me. He is the all-time leader in playoff game-winning goals with 15. I really don't know if there is more crucial stat than that at the end of the day.

Chris Nilan
When you think of Chris you think of knuckles, fighting and thus PIM. However, did you realize he leads the Habs in all-time penalty minutes by over 1000 minutes over his next closest rival; Shayne Corson. Nilan averaged over 4 minutes in the box, per game, during his Hab career.

Left Wingers


Toe Blake
The coach right? Well before the coach came the player. Did you know there are only 6 players in team history to lead the team in scoring at least 5 times? 4 of those players are now immortalized in bronze outside the Bell Centre, the others are Lalonde and Toe Blake. Blake holds the distinction of being the only LW to achieve this feat.

Bob Gainey
Was Scotty Bowman a LW too? Apparently great hockey minds started their journeys on the left sides of ice rinks. Once called the greatest player in the world by the Soviets (at a time when they were also playing against Lafleur, Dryden, Orr, Esposito etc.), Bob has the distinction of having a trophy made for him. That trophy is the Selke; awarded annually to the best defensive forward. In all Bob won a league-record 4 of those and that doesn't include all the ones he would have won while he convincing the league he deserved such an honour.

Defencemen


Doug Harvey
Doug was regarded as the best defenceman in the world before a certain Bobby Orr came along, but still likely ranks in the top-5 of all time. In fact, many consider him the best player to ever suit up for Montreal. It, therefore, is no wonder that he has won an impressive 6 Norris trophies as the league's best defenceman - more than all other Habs combined.

Jacques Laperierre
I remember Jacques as a long time defensive coach for the Habs, but little did I know just how good of a player he had been. In all he played 779 games for the Habs and put his name on the Cup 5 times. He is the only defenceman in team history to ever win the Calder Trophy, as the league's best rookie. This trophy is usually reserved for forwards and goalies as defencemen usually take years to develop into NHL-capable blue-liners. In all the Calder has been won by 8 other defencemen, including Orr, Potvin, Bourque and Leetch.

Larry Robinson
I took an interest in the career +/- of Habs players and I found that the top-ranked player is miles apart from Sheldon Souray, whose -44 ranks as a team worst. Larry's +/- is a whopping +700! I can't even believe how that is possible as it ranks over 200 points better than any other player in team history. Robinson clearly was a lot more than a big hitter and high point-getter.

Goaltenders


Bill Durnan
Luongo isn't the only goalie to be the captain of a team. In fact, we had 2: Vezina and Durnan. Bill, however, seems to be one of those players that has got lost in the history books. Few Habs fans would put him on a top-5 of our team's all-time best goalies as few even know the name. His most impressive stat, however, could change a few minds. He played over 200 games less than Plante with the Habs, but matched his 6 Vezina trophies nonetheless.

Jacques Plante
The numbers would probably suggest Plante was the Habs' best ever goalie and he may very well be the best the league has ever seen. Despite all the accolades there was still one number that amazed me. In 646 career games he recoded 68 shutouts - more than 1 every 10 games.

Ken Dryden
He came in at the top and left even higher. In only 8 years he accomplished more than any other goalie before or since. His Stanley Cups and 5 Vezina Trophies are mind-boggling considering the length of his career. I was most taken, however, by his 0.737 winning %. In every 2 games he played he came away with about 3 points - forget losing streaks!

Jose Theodore
We all know the drama that came with Jose, but at his core there was a fantastic goalie. Rarely has that player been seen since the 2002 season, but so long as he isn't facing the Habs I hope he one day rebounds with the Capitals to the form we all know he had. In that magical season of 2002 he became the 12th Hab goalie to win the Vezina, but more impressively was just the second (Plante) to win the Hart as the league's MVP. We waited 24 years to win this trophy, our longest ever wait, let's hope the next one comes a bit sooner.

Cristobal Huet
Of all the great goalies we've had few have impressed me the way Cristo did. He was a fierce competitor and a true gentleman. But, above all he was an excellent goalie. He, in fact, is the Habs all-time leader in save % as he is the only player to stop 92% of shots he faced.

A Question

The last of the 20 pieces on numbers is something that has always bothered me. According to my NHL guide (1995-1996) the Canadiens had at that time retired 2 more numbers than they now claim to have done. Along with the 15 players we honour now, I believe there are 2 that we are forgetting. Both Aurele Joliat (4) and Elmer Lach (16) had, according to the league, their sweaters retired. These 2 players' career numbers would leave any other team calling them franchise players and even on the Habs I believe they are amongst that illustrious group. If anyone knows the story behind all of this I would love to hear it.


That is all for now. From us hear at Lions have a great Christmas and we'll be back in touch on Saturday as the Habs get back at 'er.