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 #76What Is This? 1949?

Details

Date: 26/3/2011
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Montreal

Loss: 0-2

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

Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Sturm, Semin

Play of the game

The Habs just make it harder and harder each game to find greatness. Thankfully, Price had some good plays, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do. The play of the game for me was a glove save that Carey made on Hendricks with 14 to go in the third. It was a great save and kept the Habs within one - something that just didn't seem right.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn
If he played like he did tonight and all those players that should be playing better did too we would be in good shape. Andrei shouldn't be our best, most dangerous looking forward each game, not with the roster we have, but that is what is happening. I am happy that Kost is playing to near his potential, but very upset that his teammates aren't doing the same.

Lars Eller
Lars, like Andrei, is actually playing some good hockey. We need to score goals and he has been our most creative centre of late. I think that it is desperation time now and I think, after 76 games it is time to let Gomez play on a 3rd or 4th line. Give Eller Kostitsyn and another talented winger (no offence Moen, well, a little) and let's see what happens. One or two games with Gionta may do everyone involved some good.

Brian Gionta
He looks tired, he looks to be out of ideas and he even looks to have no lasting chemistry with Gomez. But, he also looked like he cared tonight and seemed to be trying. Sadly, however, his best play was a sliding save in front of the open net and not a highlight reel goal or assist.

Defencemen

Paul Mara
Not Paul's best game, but I didn't notice too much wrong with his play tonight. I am not sure where he fits in to our plans for the next few weeks, but if he plays like he has the past two games (and others continue their sloppy play) I think that he could be a lock to play in every game from here on in.

James Wisniewski
I felt that James played quite well actually. I would appreciate more offence, but I can't really blame him for the PP's ineptitudes or our inability to generate a score of quality chances. He was steady in our own end tonight and his play in theirs was the best of any of our D-men.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
Carey looks tired and doesn't seem to be at his best, but is still able to put in a good, solid performance. It has been a long season and it seems that we were worrying about the wrong player getting tired. In comparison to the rest of the team, Price looks like he just had 3 months on a beach.

Comments

Goalscoring, it is always goalscoring. Over the past few (20?) years when things are going badly it always comes down to a lack of offence, a lack of depth. We always say that we have good depth and good players, but at the end of the day we only have one player who has played the whole year with us that has more than 41 points. It is amazing really that had we won 2 or 3 more games we would have a serious shot at the division. See, we obviously don't need big number players to be an above-average team (thanks to team play, defence and Price), but when things go bad it is generally due to a lack of goals. Now, I have watched some offensively challenged Habs teams in my day, but I can't say that I am old enough (I'd have to be 61) to have ever seen the Habs be shutout 3 times in a row. I am not embarrassed about nor am I mad, just a little worried maybe. I am worried that our lack of depth, injuries and fatigue have all caught up with us. I am worried that we may not wake up and find our legs and our touch in time.

So, it can be said; what good are the playoffs if you simply stumble into them? If you can't score a goal to save your life? Well, remembering last year and the struggles that we had to end the season are proof enough that things can (and do) change. All we have to do is get in and then we'll see what happens - that is when the fun begins. Unfortunately for us, however, that means that we actually need some points. We have 6 games left and I think that if we don't get at least 3 points (likely 5) we are in trouble. So, wake up Habs, let's just assume that the playoffs start a few games early this year, so score a goal or two this week please.

Game #57The World Is Alright; Habs Blank Leafs On Saturday Night

Details

Date: 12/2/2011
Opponent: Maple Leafs
Location: Montreal

Win: 3-0

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

Habs goalscorers: Pouliot, Gionta, Desharnais
Opposition goalscorers: None

Play of the game

Price's save on Grabovski's deflection at the end was nice, as were a few of his other saves, but I still go with a goal tonight. All three were nice, although the Pouliot goal stood out to me thanks to the total team-effort that went into it. First, Hamrlik caused confusion when he shot towards the net. The Leafs then got tied up in knots when Desharnais grabbed a hold of the puck behind the net. He then threw the puck out in front to a wide open Pouliot. Ben was so wide-open as White had drawn two players to himself just beside the net. The goal looked easy, but the shot, pass and support that surrounded the play were all key to pulling it off.

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
Wow, David is certainly playing great right now. Tonight he added to his hot streak with a goal and an assist. It wasn't, however, the points alone that made him stand out tonight. No, he seemed to be everywhere and seems to be getting very comfortable in this league and with his role on the team.

Scott Gomez
I was happy to see Eller dropped from Gomez's line and actually thought that they looked better throughout the game because of it. Scott and Andrei were right there on the third goal as it was Gommer's great pass that led to the marker. Once Camms is back I think that we'll be able to ice a complete second line and would expect them to contribute much more than they have been doing of late.

Benoit Pouliot
What it looks like to me is that Pouliot is realizing that he is good, he is starting to believe in himself more. The hair is growing, he is winning fight and is scoring goals. With 8 to go to 20 and 25 games to get them I am predicting that 20 will not be a problem for him. That of course will be a lot easier to do if his linemates also stay hot and keep feeding him ridiculous passes.

Defencemen

PK Subban
You don't get shutouts with good goaltending and horrible offence alone, no, it takes good D too. PK was great all night and, I felt, intimidated Toronto's fragile forwards. I am looking forward to Gill's return, but do think that PK is quite capable of being great with or without his new-found mentor.

Roman Hamrlik
What a game for the Hammer. Look at this: 2 assists, 25 minutes (1st), 6 blocked-shots (1st), 5 shots (2nd) and 3 hits (2nd). This is #1 defence worthy, this is one of the best games of the year worthy. The more I think of it, the more I believe that Hammer is the key for us - this year, these playoffs and hopefully (in a slightly lesser role) for a few more years to come.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Saying that this was an easy game makes it seem like shutouts are easy, but as far as games for Price of late are concerned, this was a relatively easy game. Price was good, but didn't even have to be at his best to beat this lowly team. It is nice to know that we can play a game where we get good goaltending, good offence, good D (nothing game-stealing or outstanding from any group) and win with relative ease. 7 shutouts now for Price this year! That is incredible - think he can hit 10?

Comments

A snowy winter's night, Hockey Day in Canada, Habs blank the Leafs - now that is a good night! In a season of so many meaningless events (Thrashers games, All-Star Farce, November) it is nice to have a night like this. In fact, we are now at 25 games to go and 2 weeks from the trade-deadline - things are starting to get fun again. Tonight's game was a nice change from the Toronto games of recent memory as the Habs played like the better team that they are and didn't let the Leafs get too into it. Anytime that we can sneak by Toronto without much trouble we know that we are doing something right (it is forever implied that they are doing something wrong). This year, it seems, is now actually one of our best ever against the Leafs. In fact, for the first time since the season after their last Cup conquest (1968) we have shutout Toronto twice in a season. It is a great feeling having a good team that is moving up, but an almost as good feeling seeing just how bad and poorly managed our lowly rivals remain.

To Watch Beyond Goal 1?

Last night the Habs allowed the Thrashers the first goal.

Then for the 4th time this season, they simply couldn't do anything to answer that.

Should we be surprised? I'd say no.

If you want to look for a weakness on this Canadiens team, beyond the PP and their "second" centre that is, the proven inability to be beaten by a first goal might be it.

This season, the record is clear enough:

2-7-0 now after being scored on first.
That includes 4 shutouts against, and 6 occasions where they never even tied the game up again.

Even the two games they won were quirky in that they scored rather quickly to negate that early lead. Vs. Phoenix, they answered within 5 minutes and had the lead within 8 minutes. In Buffalo, they answered the first goal within the minute, and the same for the second.

This season, at least, this is a team that plays like champions with a lead, but rather like chumps when chasing.


There's a history here too.

In the playoffs last spring, the Canadiens let the opponents score first 8 times. They lost 7 of those games in very similar fashion to the above scenarios, again being shutout 4 times over.

Last regular season, the team was ranked 23rd among the 30 in win percentage when trailing after the first period (It isn't exactly the same thing as being scored on first necessarily, but for someone who just wants to make a quick point without doing lots of work, it's a good approximation for now). A piddly 0.256 percentage, once again indicating their propensity to find brick walls to run into.


Rivals

As all the talk these days seems to be intent on declaring the Habs true contenders based on their November run, this must be a factor to consider, a serious chink in the armor.

Good teams, well the best teams, win from in front and win from behind (again, I'll use trailing after the first to illustrate): Washington, Philadelphia, Chicago are all above 0.400 when needing to come back after 20 minutes. Washington is above 0.600.


Being beaten

All athletes will tell you there are different types of competitor. Among them these that can be beaten with an early flourish and those you can never turn your back on. My own experience is that the resilient ones, the ones you can never count out are the opponents you have to worry about. Those that win from in front when everything goes right but give up when they trail are easy enough to build a strategy for. There's no strategy to put down the ones that keep getting up.

Yesterday, I was listening to some radio guys go on about the Canadiens resilience and their apparent ability to bounce back from anything. This was evidenced by good games after bad they proposed. I think this is at serious odds with the in-game findings that show an almost total requirement for that first goal. With it, they are league contenders, without it, they are peers of the Islanders.

I only hope that the coaches and the team take these frequent shutouts as lessons for future use. To find, I suppose, ways not to fall into the typical defensive traps that leading teams create to make the appearance of offensive generation. Heck, they could learn those lessons from their own wins.


Yes, losses happen and we mustn't fret. Trends in losses, however, are worth paying attention to. If the Habs don't buck this trend, they may have enough trouble making the playoffs, let alone contending in them.

At least, I suppose, we could all save on a lot of hours watching the games if first goals continue to spell out results.

Carey Can't Shake Last Nemesis

Before this season, Carey price had numerous nemeses, glove side shots, Flyers forwards, the 0 goal game, that young bull in Kelowna and Jaroslav Halak. Most have done all they can over the years to show the young goalie up, to make him question his development.

In vanquishing his rivals one by one, the 0 goal game being the latest (as he picked up the 318th NHL shutout since his last one), he should have felt extreme satisfaction and even pride.

But you know what they say: a man with nemeses must never rest.


Halak won't let it be

Even if all Montreal fans are slowly but surely sliding into the realization that icing Carey Price game after game not such a bad thing at all, the petulant child that is Halak just won't let it go.

Like a big brother spoiling for attention he needs to prove again and again that being older also makes him abler, he seems to have a pathological need to rain on Price's parade. For the Saturday game, he left it mere minutes and then thumbed his nose in doing it.

Carey can barely win an accolade for his first clean sheet in 23 months -- something about the Senators not being a threat. Yet Jaro blanks the Pens, a team he could shutout in his sleep it seems, and comes home with leaguewide honours.


It really does show a character flaw. To be unable to go humbly into the West without flaunting his gifts. I mean really and truly? Isn't it enough Jaro that you make more money? Isn't it enough that you get unquestioned starter status? That you don't have to deal with the boo-cheer roller coaster? Can't you just leave Carey to enjoy his success?

Game #7Montreal Takes Advantage of Another Lifeless Team

Details

Date: 23/10/2010
Opponent: Senators
Location: Ottawa

Win: 3-0

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

Habs goalscorers: Kostitsyn (2), Pouliot
Opposition goalscorers: None

Play of the game

A bad Carkner penalty gave us a PP at a time when I was afraid that Ottawa was ready to score one to tie it up. Our Power-Play, which has looked horrible, looked better on this chance, but we couldn't find the back of the net. 4 seconds after Carkner was let out of the box, however, we connected on a very nice play. Gomez started the play by controlling the puck well on the right side and then getting it back to Gorges at the point. Josh took a nice, low shot which I believe was shot wide of the net on purpose. Out the puck game, off the boards, to Pouliot who was at the goal-mouth on the other side of the net. He had little to do other than put it in, but it was still crucial. 0-2 down was enough for Ottawa to call it a night; it was a very key goal for us.

Dome hockey team

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

Andrei Kostitsyn - Game Puck
Kostitsyn picked up goals 3 and 4 in this one as he, again, looked like our best player. On the first goal he went all the way with Pleks before Tom got the puck back to the sniper in just the right spot. On his second goal he was the beneficiary of some very good work from Cammalleri as he pounced at precisely the right time. Very early indeed, but I think that this may be the start of that 30-goal season we have all been hoping for for a few years now.

Benoit Pouliot
Benoit scored his first goal of the year and also played his first good game of the year. Maybe it is easier to look good against a tired, effortless team, but the fact is that he also looked better than most of his teammates. If this can get him going we'll just have Gomez and Gionta to worry about - who would have though?

Tomas Plekanec
I liked Cammalleri and Plekanec for this spot, but chose the centre for a couple of reasons. The first being his assist on the game-winner - it was a good play that he was, again, at the heart of. The other factor was his play on the PP. We didn't score a goal on the Power-Play tonight, but I did like the way that we worked the puck around. We need Pleks (and Markov) to be in charge when we are man-up and tonight represented a step in the right direction in that department. I will forget about the horrid face-off night that he had as, I am hoping, we won't see that type of effort again.

Defencemen

PK Subban
Subban was all over the place tonight. He was yapping, shooting, hitting, skating hard and so on and so on. The energy that he brought was fantastic and was enough to throw one or two Sens off of their games. I have been very impressed in these 7 games and am really looking forward to seeing even more improvement over the next 75.

Roman Hamrlik
No Spacek yet, but we may have Hammer back. I, for one, am not surprised that Roman has had a slow start as he essentially missed all of training camp. I do, however, know how good he can be and in the absence of Markov it is hard not to expect a lot from him. He was a big reason that the Habs limited Ottawa to 19 shots tonight as he was integral in clogging things up and breaking up plays in his own end. I was also very happy with his work on the PP and look forward to him being a big part of our second unit this season.

Goaltender

Carey Price
The wait is over! After 23+ months Carey finally got another shut-out. Tonight marked his 5th career clean-sheet of which 3 have come against Ottawa. I felt that he started the game a bit cold as he very nearly cost us on a couple of occasions (most notably his puck-handling miscue - a pass right to Alfredsson). In the second period, however, he played very well and that is when the game was won. There were at least 3 posts tonight, but like we always hear, you have to be lucky to be good. He got the help from his team that he needed tonight and did a very good job of keeping up his end of the bargain.

Comments

Isn't the NHL funny? We go to Ottawa, two days after looking horrible to play against a team that was hot last night. That team that made us look horrible then hosts the team that looked bad against Ottawa last night and loses 1-6 (while healthy scratching Kovalchuk). 3 nights of hockey, 4 clubs, 8 different teams. You don't have to be a genius to see that this league is really a 6 month marathon in which each and every game is a new, winnable (and easily losable) challenge. Our win tonight, although we like to believe otherwise, really has no bearing on how we will play this coming week. One would think that two games against Long Island and one against Florida would mean a guaranteed six points after tonight's tight effort. We must, however, be mindful of what has already happened to us in a matter of two short weeks. We need Martin to prepare his team for the next 75 games as he did so tonight. We have the talent, speed and depth to win a lot of games, but so do most of the other 29 clubs. Tonight's display by us and Ottawa only helps to reinforce the notion that any team can win in this league if they really care to do so.

Game #79Back-To-Back For Halak As Habs Take It To Divison's Best

Details

Date: 03/04/10
Opponent: Sabres
Location: Montreal

Win: 3-0

Habs Goalie: Halak (W)
Opposition Goalie: Miller (L)

Habs goalscorers: O'Byrne, Pyatt, S. Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: None

Play of the game

I felt that Halak was on tonight and made some fabulous saves and I also felt that our goals were all timely and pretty, so choosing a single play for tonight was difficult. What I will go for, though, is the third goal, the goal that assured me that this wouldn't be a repeat of last week against Buffalo, a goal that deflated Buffalo's spirit. The play all started when Moore was applying a whole lot of pressure on the Sabres' D. He forced a turn-over and then, from behind the net, found an open Moen out in front. Travis struggled to control the puck, but at the last second managed to get it over to Sergei (I think that this was on purpose). Sergei now had a big chunk of the net to shoot at as Miller had committed fully to Moen. Kostitsyn made no mistake and fired a hard one (hard enough that even two deflections couldn't keep it out) to put us up by that magic number three.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Sergei Kostitsyn
I was thrilled when I saw that Sergei was taking warm-up and I am sure that some of his teammates were too. He gives a certain dimension to our third line that makes that unit a legitimate threat. It then also has the ripple effect as the 4th line now gets more space when they are on, so him coming back, to me, was more important than a Spacek return for tonight's game. Kostitsyn did not disappoint as he led the Habs with a goal and an assist, inching ever closer to the 20-point plateau.

Dominic Moore
As big of a fan of Kostitsyn as I may be I know that there is someone who likes the slick winger just a bit more...Moore. Dom was back to his old self tonight as his fore-checking was not just good for the third line, but was amongst the best that we have seen all season. We'll touch on the need to sign Moore this summer on another day as today I just want to focus on how crucial his play for us tonight was. He was the direct cause of two of our goals and picked up 2 assists along the way. His defensive game, especially on the PK, was also strong and one more reason that he was likely our best forward tonight.

Maxim Lapierre
I wanted more from Max and I got more from Max. When he can play like this and get Darche and Pyatt to follow it doesn't really matter that your top two lines are being neutralized as he can give us a very legitimate 4th option. He made a few very good rushes throughout the game including one that ended with Pyatt potting his 2nd NHL goal. I was very pleased with the offence, aggression and poise that Lapierre showed tonight and truly hope that he can be this player for us in the weeks to come.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Andrei was again outstanding for us as his play not only going forward, but in his own end too, was impeccable. When people are calling out our best payers to be our best they always tend to focus on Cammalleri and Pouliot (??) which is fine, but as much offence as you need you also need D and goaltending. Tonight our 2 best players were again, two of our best and that to me is how we have 4 points instead of 0 this Easter weekend. I can live with no stats from Markov, especially when he plays over 26 minutes of world-class hockey.

Josh Gorges
Like Markov, Josh also picked up where he left off in Philadelphia last night. He was very solid all night as he was blocking shots, moving the puck well and always seemed to be in control of what was going on around him. His 3+ minutes on the PK were about tops on the team and his play during that time helped to make Halak's job that much easier.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak - Game Puck
Wow, that is some serious goaltending. Jaro just put on 2 hours worth of the best goaltending display that we have had in years. I was never actually once scared that he would let this game slip for us as I recognized early that my confidence was eclipsed by the confidence the young Slovak had. I wouldn't expect him to play like this on all nights, but to be going into next week (and beyond?) with a goalie this good has to make all Habs fans not just hopeful, but hopefully confident. His 28 saves tonight came in all shapes and sizes as he not only made the easy saves look easy, but also made the hard saves every time that he was asked to do so.

Comments

Montreal took it to Buffalo early and, unlike last night, never took their foot off the gas. This had to be one of the best team efforts all year as we were all over them in their own end and seemed in control in our own. This wasn't one of those games that you could point to a lucky break here and there and just thank your lucky stars that we got points. No, this was a team effort and a team win and never was there any doubt that it should have been just that. I can't think of any one player that didn't play well and was thrilled that quite a few of the players that I had asked to contribute last night came through. I don't expect O'Byrne, Lapierre, Pyatt, Moore and Sergei to always be putting the puck in the net, but anytime that they do it certainly helps the process.

I knew that 4 points this weekend would go a long way for us, but I was ready to live with two. I can't, however, describe how happy I am that, for once, we haven't just gone for the minimum. 89 points will book our ticket into the playoffs and that means a week of .500 (against sub-.500 teams) is all that we must accomplish. That won't necessarily be easy, though, and I can only hope that those still present from the 2007 team will let this version know just how silly it is to try and wait until the last night to clinch. 86, 87 or 88 points may very well do it too, but I say let's aim for 90+ and aim for 6th. Going into the playoffs hot is better than not (see 2009) and getting to play the 3rd place team (likely Buffalo) would be much better for the Habs than the other top seeds. We have to play next week like there is no tomorrow as obviously playing like that (thanks Mr. Halak) has proven to be the thing to do.

Game #37 A Win, A Shutout, A Captain; Better Than A DVD Boxset

Details

Date: 19/12/09
Opponent: Islanders
Location: New York


Win: 3-0

Habs Goalie: Halak (W)
Opposition Goalie: Biron (L)

Habs goalscorers: Markov (2), Metropolit
Opposition goalscorers: None

Play of the game

Despite the Islanders territorial domination, the Habs really did give a lot to choose from tonight. Perhaps it was because things happened in a more smash and grab way for the Canadiens, rather than the settle in, stay-a-while approach from the Isles. The play of the game for me, after several reviews of the goals and plays was Jaroslav Halak's save on Matt Moulson. Which one you say? Well, indeed. The one which was built by the first passer, then Tavares, the Moulson as the tic-tac-toe candidate for goal of the month - that one. As the pass came behind the net, Halak had every reason to surge to his left to cover the post where Tavares was going. He did, and fast. But unlike some goalies who would commit all to that save, he calculated the slide to stop him at the post, taking away Tavares wrap-around dream without abandoning the shooter in front. As Tavares' sublime pass came one touch form behind, Halak moved in synchrony with it, keeping his balance so as to play the shooter with all his body. Moulson, then, was met with surprise as he did everything right in lifting the puck over the sliding pad. He was left to shake his head as Halak's blocker calmly guided the puck skyward.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Glen Metropolit
Some players take a demotion as a reason to sulk. Some actually take it as a call to wake up. Glen falls into the latter group. Following his games of costly penalties and underwhelming play, he has awoken. In the first period he was player of the game with his energy and tempo. He was stealing pucks, winning pucks in the offensive zone and creating chances (if not goals). In the end the scoresheet did this selection justice, too, as he scored a simple, yet timely goal.

Scott Gomez
If this guy was only paid $2 million a year, you can mark my words, there'd be raving reviews. His play off the puck at times is exemplary, and I'm glad Sergei Kostitsyn gets such a close up view of this. In a game where the Canadiens played mostly without control, it seems only fitting to include one of the best harrowers. His work on the PK was once again a sight to see, and if you want to understand that recent streak of stinginess look beyond just Gill and see the Gomez injury timeline. In the end, the scoresheet also rewarded Scott, as he created the insurance goal through his other main skill.

Sergei Kostitsyn
This last position was more difficult to settle on. Plekanec likely would have had the biggest shout, but for his run in with unfortunate refereeing. In the end, it goes to a penalty killer. There was little to tease apart between the excellent work of Lapierre, Moen and Sergei here. But think a minute about that phrase: Sergei Kostitsyn? PK? Excellent? I think it's high time we recognise what a turnaround, what an achievement Sergei has here. Not only did he stow his sulk in a bus undercarriage, he has come to the Canadiens and is turning in games as the top penalty killer. He played 5:32 overall, a full 2 minutes more than Max, 3 more than Moen. Brunet may get on him for a rushed clearance, but this man of confidence causes no such complaint from Jacques Martin, I think.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
How good it feels to write this. Yet this is no sympathy vote, Markov was the best offensive player tonight, and a solid defender as well. For those who had forgotten, or stats toters who never watch players before computing their value, Markov showed why the Montreal PP though good in his absence, was once great. On defence, he played not to cut shots, but a shutout in this game is reflective at least in part to the doggedness of Andrei to hone in on loose pucks. Oh, and you'll have noticed the headline. I am convinced that our captain returned this game. There's a reason why all three letters are still 'A's for the Habs in December, and it must be linked to the fact their captain would rather take the role in all but name. His play, his celebrations, his discourse on the sidelines, I saw a captain for the first time in a while.

Jaroslav Spacek
Playing with Markov must surely help, but I think Andrei could tank his partner similarly. Apart from his early fall, I thought Spacek had a good game. What set him apart from the others for me was his exceptional puck control on the PP - it didn't directly result in goals this time, but he was on the ice for that last pretty goal. Going forward, I think it will be important to have a player who complements Markov well to really turn this system around. As you know, I feel Jaro is that player. I think our first shutout in an eon gives a lot of credence to that.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak - Game Puck
They do make us wait, don't they? The Canadiens last shutout was last February 24th vs the Vancouver Canucks - it was Jaro then, too. In the meantime we've seen goalies play in shutout form a lot - mostly against us. What a pleasure then to watch a goalie come in and keep his concentration for a whole game. There was shutout written on more saves tonight than in most games we've seen since this tandem came along for us. Jaro almost seemed to will this one. That's not to say he was lucky. not at all. All he did was take the positional instruction and execute it without flaw. Apart from the play of the game, his saves on shorthanded breakaways stood out, his quick legs on cross-crease work made impression.

Comments

How many times to repeat the cliche? Christmas has come early.

The analogy is a good one though, because like children tossing restlessly in expectant sleep, we have been anticipating the moment of Markov's return ever since he wobbled off the ice in October. And though his return would have been enough on his own to warrant such a header, he did so much better. As he skated for us, we were a better team for having a top pairing of dynamism, and better second and third pairings. As mentioned, he also brings the general back to the defence and the team - a captain in all but name.

Before we get carried away, perhaps to address the slant of the ice in this contest. The Islanders did really have the initiative, the shots and the possession. I will support Jacques Martin's men in this one though. Perhaps not a pleasure to watch, they did certain things very well here. In giving away possession for instance, I found they often forced low quality shots while being very proactive on rebounds. No they wouldn't have gotten away with sitting on a lead as they did against the Sharks, Red Wings or Hawks; but this was the Islanders and the strategy of sit and counter-attack didn't seem so crazy as I watched. Because they scored when they did, they didn't need to press extra men up, and they seemed to be acting on instruction that they shouldn't. What's more, apart from the refs who saw penalties in run-of-the-mill plays and falls on their own whims, the Canadiens were disciplined on the whole, I thought.

Together with the previous positives from losses, the team does have a direction of travel now, and with Markov (and perhaps Hamrlik soon), it looks more and more like up.

Habs Goalie Threatens Bower's Record

No this isn't an article on Carey Price, nor plea to trade Halak.

Merely to inform you all of something that has probably been completely overlooked by most fans.


Last night, the Hamilton Bulldogs won a thrilling contest in which they scored 5 goals, and won by a large margin. However after the final buzzer, coach Guy Boucher had a sour taste in his mouth. He had just been informed that the goal his team allowed was one that prevented Cedrick Desjardins from breaking a record that had stood for more than 52 years, a record of Johnny Bower's:

“Since 1957! Now I’m really ticked,” said Bulldogs coach Guy Boucher when he was told how close his goaltender was to a record that had stood for more than 50 years.

The streak that Desjardins did lay down was a mere 212 minutes and 37 seconds (or 3.5 games in the end). His bumbling teammates were too focused on their own selfish targets for goals for and allowed a breakdown to happen – for shame.

Anyway, in the midst of all this streaking, Desjardins has also managed to vault himself into the second ranking in the entire AHL for GAA and third for S%. And what numbers too, 1.57 and 0.940 respectively.

It bodes well for either the Habs goaltending depth, or the Habs defenders knowing what they need to do to make a goalie look good in the real show. Especially if you consider that Sanfor, who has played in the teams other 16 games is clocking 2.14 and 0.921 himself.

My thoughts do go out to the people who actually watch this league, though, as 14 goalies saving more then 92% of shots and 3 saving more than 94% doesn't say too much for the quality of shooters, nor bode well for the quality of the spectacle...

Habs Shut Out At NHL Awards

Not surprising by any stretch of the imagination – The Canadiens "watched" last night's awards ceremony in the hockey hotbed of Las Vegas to come away with nothing. Astute members of the team would have been prepared, as trips out west rarely produce anything but heartache and highlights of opposing players celebrating over and over again.

It got me thinking about how far this Habs team is away. Last season was a close call as Carbonneau was nominated for the Jack Adams trophy, Carey Price 4th in Calder voting and earning an all-rookie team nod and Markov and Kovalev sniffing about the Norris and Hart trophies, respectively.

Well that mirage has passed and we're left with Markov and a team of third liners who were swept by their biggest rivals in an uncontested and largely unentertaining series. Not exactly the Canadiens of the 1970s who took temporary ownership of some awards.

If Columbus can have a surprise trophy winner and nearly a Vezina from a rookie, anything can happen, surely. But just where is our breakthrough likely to be?

To attempt to put some perspective on things, I have lined up the Canadiens candidate (selon moi) for each award next to the actual winner and nominees. Just for fun, I have also noted the player who would be nominated from our currently signed players:


Hart trophy:
Alexander Ovechkin (WAS)
Evgeni Malkin (PIT), Pavel Datsyuk (DET)
vs.
Andrei Markov (MTL) – has requisite Russian citizenship


Conn Smythe trophy:
Evgeni Malkin (PIT) – 36 playoff points and Stanley Cup
vs.
Saku Koivu (UFA) – 3 playoff points, 4 games, no wins
Yannick Weber (MTL) – 2 playoff points, 3 games, no wins


Art Ross trophy
Evgeni Malkin (PIT) – 113 points
vs.
Alexei Kovalev (UFA) – 65 points (57.5%)
Andrei Markov (MTL) – 64 points (56.6%)


Maurice Richard trophy:
Alexander Ovechkin (WAS) – 56 goals
vs.
Alexei Kovalev (UFA) – 26 goals (46.4%)
Andrei Kostitsyn (MTL) – 23 goals (41.1%)


Norris trophy:
Zdeno Chara (BOS)
Mike Green (WAS), Nicklas Lidstrom (DET)
vs.
Andrei Markov (MTL)


Vezina trophy:
Tim Thomas (BOS) – 2.10, 0.933, 5 SO
Steve Mason (CBJ), Niklas Backstrom (MIN)
vs.
Jaroslav Halak (MTL) – 2.86, 0.915, 1 SO


Selke trophy:
Pavel Datsyuk (DET)
Mike Richards (PHA), Ryan Kesler (VAN)
vs.
Maxim Lapierre (MTL)


Lady Byng trophy:
Pavel Datsyuk (DET)
Martin St Louis (TB), Zach Parise (NJ)
vs.
Chris Higgins (RFA)
Josh Gorges (MTL)


Calder trophy:
Steve Mason (CBJ)
Bobby Ryan (ANA), Kris Versteeg (CHI)
vs.
Matt D’Agostini (RFA)
Max Pacioretty (MTL)


Jack Adams trophy:
Claude Julien (BOS) – 53-19-10
Andy Murray (STL), Todd McLellan (SJ)
vs.
Guy Carbonneau (UFA) – 35-24-7
Bob Gainey (MTL) – 6-6-4


Bill Masterton trophy:
Steve Sullivan (NAS) – returned from 18 months of rehabbing
Richad Zednik (FLA), Chris Chelios (DET)
vs.
Patrice Brisebois (UFA) – Old and unbelievably hanging on to NHL employ
Glen Metropolit (MTL) – Nominated before for playing in Finland when no NHL team signed him


Foundation award:
Rick Nash (CBJ)
Alexei Kovalev (MTL), Dustin Brown (LA)
vs.
Alexei Kovalev (UFA) – actual nominee, hooray
Georges Laraque (MTL)


King Clancy trophy
Ethan Moreau (EDM)
vs.
Alexei Kovalev (UFA)
Georges Laraque (MTL)


Mark Messier trophy
Jarome Iginla (CGY)
Zdeno Chara (BOS), Sidney Crosby (PIT)
vs.
Saku Koivu (UFA)
Maxim Lapierre (MTL)


As you can see, our team was not stiffed. It just doesn't stack up to the quality of player around the NHL (with the exception of the excellent charity work, of course).

It was mostly pathetic attempts to win: see the Maurice Richard trophy, the Calder, Selke and the Vezina. The only way you see a Canadien in the running at all is if you consoder the season that Andrei Markov had – you'd have to think he's top 6 in Norris voting again.

Going into the future (next year, for example), it looks like Markov is our only shot at any silverware. Aside from the charity/leadership trophies (who would have guessed Moreau in a million years?).

Where do you think our best chance at a trophy will be for next June?

My top three would be:

1. Jack Adams trophy (Jacques Martin) – a bad end to this season already puts him in the running
2. Lifetime achievement award (Henri Richard) – one place we're stocked
   
3. Lady Byng trophy (Georges Laraque) – a fighter who asks before fighting, how gentlemanly

Game #13Habs Back on Track After Convincing Win

The Canadiens Game in Review

Date: Tuesday November 11th, 2008
Opponent: Ottawa Senators
Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC

Team Stripes

Final Score: 4-0 - Win

Habs starting goalie: Carey Price (W)
Opposition starting goalie: Alex Auld (L)

Habs goalscorers: Christopher Higgins (3), Guillaume Latendresse
Opposition goalscorers: None

Play of the game
The play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...

The Habs strung together many great plays tonight in the offensive zone that it really makes this choice quite difficult. The good thing, however, is that one of the best plays all night resulted in a great goal and made Auld look absolutely horrible - it was great!

The puck came to the point where O'Byrne was waiting and he really stepped into one. He blasted a low, accurate shot on net that made Auld stretch to his right. Because of the type and location of the shot a rebound was inevitable and out the puck came into the slot to Sergei. Reaching and then falling Kostitsyn made a great pass to the other side of the net to Higgins. Surely most people would have shot in Kostitsyn's position and that is obviously what the Sens thought he would have done too. Chris had a wide open net to fire his 2nd of the night and 3rd of the year into.

Game puck
Trophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Christopher Higgins
What a performance! Higgs was at his best tonight as he was flying all over the ice and was involved in every aspect. He scored his first career hat-trick and I think calmed some people down who already were calling for a 3rd line demotion. 2 of his goals were scored on breakaways - both were great goals and both showcased his incredible speed. With Chris playing like this his line, and the Habs, looked unstoppable.



Dome hockey team
We're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Saku Koivu
Koivu and his line played exceptional tonight. Over the first 2 periods Koivu was everywhere and was really creating some serious chances. He made a lob pass, while short-handed, to Higgins on the Habs' first goal and it was truly amazing. You don't see many people pull that kind of thing off, or even think about it, so it just shows how alert Koivu was.

Andrei Kostitsyn
I thought that Kostitsyn got a little unlucky tonight by not registering a point. He played very well and was taking a lot of good, quality shots on Auld. I liked how he was throwing his body around as it really opened things up for Kovy and Pleks. There was one hit in particular on Fisher that was a real bone-crusher. He was the complete package tonight and I think the Sens took notice by the end.

Christopher Higgins
Wait a minute, all of a sudden Higgins has 7 points in 7 games, 4 of which are goals. Is he all of a sudden having a good season? Can one game do that? Well, despite not showing up too often on the scoresheet and contrary to what the media has been saying, I think that Chris has had a good start to the season. Tonight what happened, however, was that he put everything together. His skating, hitting, checking and especially shooting were all at their best. It is nice to once again have a Chris Higgins who is on pace for 40+ goals and 75+ points - just the kid we remember.

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik
Oh how we missed Hammer against Toronto. He was an absolute rock in our own end tonight as he settled things down almost every time he was on the ice. He played over 22 minutes and blocked 4 shots; both team-highs. O'Byrne seemed the happiest out there as a full game alongside the Hammer put him at ease and he actually played some decent hockey. It would be nice for both players if we could keep this tandem alive and maybe, just maybe Roman will have the same positive effect on Ryan that he did on Phaneuf.

Josh Gorges
He played 2 seconds less than Komi tonight and a hell of a lot better. I think that Carbo is starting to notice just how good Gorges can be. The problem, however, is that unlike Markov or Hamrlik he can't quite carry a dud. Gorges needs to be paired with Bou or someone better, carrying O'B, or Brisebois would be too much as he isn't that dominant type of defenceman. I think he plays a very similar style to Francis and that is why they work so well together. A nice bonus was 2 assists for Josh tonight - he deserved them.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Very solid performance by Carey tonight. I think as fans we needed to see this type of game from one of our goalies to assure ourselves that we are a complete team after all. His positioning was very sharp and he seemed to get up and down and up again for shots faster than I have seen all year. This was the type of game that, as a fan, there were absolutely no nerves. I was confident with Carey and the D in front of him all night and I think it was pretty clear that the rest of the team was too.



Eye-Openers
In this new section we are going to try and shed some light on certain plays or events that would otherwise go unnoticed

Does momentum exist? Well as we know that term is used in hockey almost as much as 'back-to-basics', '110%' or even 'keep your head up and stick on the ice', but what does it mean? Momentum is defined as mass x velocity (p=mv). So, on a hockey team let's assume that the mass of a team remains constant throughout a game, so are we really talking about speed? Is it speed that can change and shift games? You know what, in a way it is, or at least that is where it starts. From speed come chances, comes excitement, comes noise and generally come goals.

If you ever wanted to see momentum being created and sustained then you must look no further than the midway point of tonight's second period. Out to kill a penalty were Kovalev, Koivu, Hamrlik and Gorges and it really looked like we were the one with the extra man. It was chance after chance from the K brothers as Ottawa were hand-cuffed in their own zone. A loud cheer of appreciation came after this display (which easily killed 30 seconds of a penalty) as it almost seemed at that point the crowd were fueling the players. 'p', or momentum was on our side and it was only a matter of time until we scored our second goal. It seemed, after that, that we were in complete control and there was no turning back.

So in what was considered a Must Win (Victory) game it was really Momentum, as the equation states, that got us those all important 2 points.

Overall Comments

As fans we knew that the Habs needed not only 2 points, but a good win and I think that, thankfully, as a team, the Habs knew that too. Right from the start of the game it was obvious that we were going to play some good hockey and that we were not going to roll over for the Sens. We drew an early penalty and, because of that, were able to set the tempo from the get-go. Our whole team played well tonight which meant we had continuity going throughout the game. One thing that we have had trouble with so far this year is playing a good full 60 minutes, or even good for a whole period at a time. Tonight I think that we had 3 good periods and that 4-0 may not really do justice to how well we actually played. The most encouraging part for me tonight was the play of our defence. Goaltending has, for the most part, been pretty strong for us this year, so I was never too worried. Offensively we have been scoring all year, even when we lose, so never a worry there. But, it was defence that had me worried. Did we have a corps good enough to play with and beat the big boys of the league? Well, I know this is just one game, but I think I'll sleep a little easier tonight after seeing that performance from our blue-liners. We shut down 3 of the league's best tonight and really had full control in our own end. It was a long time coming, but was still great to see.

We couldn't have really asked for a better start to the week, so I for one am very happy. We got 2 points, but more importantly, for the first time in weeks we dominated a game. We can now all breathe a little easier, but we still must keep our foot on the gas. We need 2 more points from our next 2 games, but nothing is stopping us from going for 4. I still want/need to see the Habs perform like they did tonight on a more regular basis, but am very happy at how they reacted to last weekend's games. They played like a top team should at home by punishing the suddenly very-average Senators.

Game #591 Goal is Enough, Price Shuts-Out Flyers

The Canadiens Game in Review

Date: Saturday February 16th, 2008
Opponent: Philadelphia Flyers
Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC


Team Stripes


Final Score: 1-0 - Win

Habs starting goalie: Carey Price (W)
Opposition starting goalie: Antero Niittymaki (L)

Habs goalscorers: Andrei Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: None



2007/08 first
There's a first time for everything, so they say. What they didn't tell you is that every game, something happens for the first time, you just have to look harder in March...

1st Career Shutout for Carey Price



Play of the game
The play you're straining to see on the press catwalk monitor...

Have you seen Ovechkin's unbelievable goal that he scored while on his back? Want to see it again?

On a PP (1 of our 7) Kovalev took a great pass from Markov. Alex then broke into the zone and deked out a couple of Flyers before losing the puck. At that moment Kostitsyn came flying in to pick up the loose puck and work his magic. He cut in front of the net from left to right and tried to stuff it in, but Niitty got the leg out. Then, as he was falling Kostitsyn reached back behind himself and slid the puck in while falling to his back. It was absolutely fantastic.



Game puck
Trophies are for the end of the year, play well in the game, you get a lovely puck...

Carey Price

Carey just played his best game as a Hab and considering he has never played at such a high level I would argue that it was his best game ever. He made 34 saves and was definitely deserving of his first goose-egg. During a third period 5-on-3 Price was unbelievable. At one point during the two-man disadvantage both he and Hamrlik had lost their sticks, but that was no problem as he just did what he had been doing all night - he stood on his head.



Dome hockey team
We're going into the last minute with these 6 (and they're attached to the ice, so they're not coming off)...

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn
- His goal was something quite special and I urge you all to try and see it if you missed it. The goal was his 18th of the year; quite something for a prospect that 90% of Habs fans had written off. Hopefully that will make people think twice about the value of Koivu, Ryder and Higgins and the potential of Chipchura, Halak and Locke. Andrei looked threatening all night, he used his speed very well

Maxim Lapierre
- Max didn't back down from the bullies tonight showing that he has what it takes to be an NHL agitator. He showed a lot of zip around the ice and hit everything that moved. Finding him permanent linemates may be a project that will have to wait till next year as I feel his offensive potential is still being under-exploited

Saku Koivu
- Another good game from Saku. The chances were there for him and his linemates, but a stingy Flyers D and keeper would have none of that. He excelled on the PK, especially during the 5-on-3. He was used in the last 1:20 for his face-offs and defensive play and he didn't let us down - winning key draws and clearing the puck twice himself in the last minute

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik
- We have missed Roman over the past 5 games (1-4 in his absence). He was a calming influence all night and looked like he hadn't missed a shift. I had forgotten just how much he means to our team, sometimes taking him for granted. With Markov and Komi shining every night it is easy to forget Roman, but that would have been hard tonight. He played a very smart game in both ends and was our best penalty-killer

Francis Bouillon
- He stepped up while Roman was away and the good news for us is that he didn't let Hamrlik's return slow him down. He hit absolutely anything he could tonight, never at the expense of his defensive responsibilites. With Streit at forward Bou can make a good #4, but would be best as an above average #5 as we should build around a solid core of 6 which includes Mark

Goaltender

Carey Price
- This is what we have all hoped for for as long as I can remember. Carey stole a win for us on a night that could have easily been a 1-5 loss. He got lucky a few times with some early whistles and some goal-mouth clearances, but luck is a big part of being good. He was hounded when we were killing our penalties, but he stood his ground and never looked intimidated. His positioning was perfect; he stood up, moved with the shooters and best of all rarely left his net



Eyes on Kovalev
Did he flit and float? Someone ought to keep track...

Kovy had an assist tonight, but that goal was about 99.9% Kostitsyn. Kovalev usually plays well against the slow Flyer defence, but tonight he failed to get into his groove as the penalties stopped the flow of the game on many occasions. His penalty-killing was the best part of his game tonight, especially during the 5-on-3. It is great that your top offensive player can be called on to play defence - a complete hockey player.

Kovalev's Assessment - Good



Overall Comments

The Habs needed to get at least 2 points this weekend agaisnt Philly, so, mission accomplished. We will try and get two more tomorrow, but at least now the pressure is off. After losing 4 of our previous 5 games we could ill-afford another regulation loss. We probably cut it way closer than necessary by only scoring 1, but luckily Price was at the top of his game. The game was really just a series of power-plays and had no real flow other than that. The NHL wants each team to get their fair chance with the man-advatage to make sure the maximun amount of fans are interested. This baseball type of your-chance/my-chance works for the league, but is hard to watch as a fan. It doesn't seem to matter how dirty (or clean) a particular team may play as the penalties will always even out. Why do you think Carbo/Gainey saw the necessity to have a potent PP?

With our 2 best D in the box Carbo had a choice to make during our 2-man penalty-kill. He had to choose 2 units of 3 to hopefully kill off the penalties - the league's attempt to force OT. He looked to his 2 best available D (Hammer and Bou) and his 4 best forwards (Sak, Kovy, Higgs, Pleks). I liked how Carbo didn't get sucked into the idea of playing defensive forwards (aka bad forwards) in a 2 D/1 forward unit. He made the call that Kovalev was a better choice than O'Byrne or Kostopoulos and so on. It worked really well for the Habs, although without Price it may have been all for nothing. Carey did well to get us the win, but let's not forget recent history - Price has only won twice since mid-December (the Habs past 2 games). Huet, on the other hand, is the reason we are where we are - just 2 points out of 1st. We got the 2 points we needed out of this deal, the pressure is off, so it is time to call on Cristo for tomorrow's game. If we neglect him like we have done at least 3-4 times already it will kill his confidence and that is not something that we do not want to be doing at this stage of the season.