Ovechkin Capitalizes on Montreal's Shortcomings

Date: 07/10/2017
Opponent: Washington
Location: Capital One Arena
Loss: 6-1

Montreal Goalie: Price (L)
Washington Goalie: Holtby (W)

Montreal goalscorers: Gallagher
Washington goalscorers: Ovechkin (4), Oshie, Walker

Videos To Remember

Game #79 11th Habs Shootout Loss Helps Buffer Gap With Leafs

Details

Date: 31/03/2012
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Washington DC

Loss: 2-3 (SO)

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

Habs goalscorers: Cole, Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Perrault, Beagle (Hendricks, Semin, SO)

Play of the game

I think the play of the season could very well be in the making in discussions regarding the next GM. Perhaps in the same building as this contest? To also look to the future, the most encouraging play was that of Markov and Subban on the PP tonight as they really gelled for quite a long time. I have had questions about the two conductors playing together, so it is heartening to see them melding. Markov is still the grand orchestrator, but Subban now takes most cues.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Erik Cole - Game Puck
Let's face it, no shootout shot for Cole in this one was an admission of defeat. He was the most dangerous shooter all night and he's been the most dangerous all season. IN this game, he scored of course, but impressed at many other points as he recognized the standoffish defending to cut to the middle on many more occasions than usual. His best play came when he did this, had his shot blocked and proceeded to recover the puck, walk around more defense and get an even better chance away.

Lars Eller
On RDS they were talking a bit about Eller. I heard but wasn't really registering. I think they were saying that he needed some wingers. It was very apparent in this game. What Eller can do well is baffle that first defender. Often after that he opens a great passing lane or just walks into second coverage. Get him a pure scorer who knows positioning (imagine we had had one of those to gel with him...) and he'll make these plays count for more than good impressions.

Tomas Plekanec
Pleks is having a sub-par season and has played most of the time with slumping (sometimes incapable) wings. So when he notched his 16th goal and 50th point, it was an opportunity to remember his quality. In better circumstances, he's a 70-point producer who can make a scorer's life easier. He was good in this one. His goal was outstanding.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
I've already alluded to his PP skill. IN tonight's game, I thought he stepped up from recent games his defensive play as well. The Habs really did play quite a good defensive coverage after that 2nd Caps goal and Markov was a big part, often seen ushering his mar wide or stealing the puck from unexpectant stick.

PK Subban
It's perhaps a bit boring that Subban keeps getting the write ups. He is earning this recognition now by simply being the best defender on the ice. There's a lot we already take for granted with Subban. It's important we shouldn't forget that much of that are things others simply could never do. He'll be as disappointed as anyone that the season ends in a week. However, for him that lottery is guaranteed to mean something.

Goaltender

Peter Budaj
Budaj ended with a familiar clatter in the shootout. 0 saves, 1 miss, 1 loss. In the game he was adequate and was complicit in gathering the unwanted point. In the comments for yesterday's game, Bruins24 mentioned the complete black hole after Carey Price in Canadiens goaltending, and I'd include Budaj here. He's been OK, but not an option to replace Price in the event of injury. For that reason, one must think his last minutes as a Hab were played out in a Washington shootout.

Comments

When they make the playoffs, they squeak in. This team appears to want to squeak in the other way too. They played a heck of a last 40 minutes plus OT to get a point. They should have and so nearly won. Fortunately, that bad luck that placed them in this scenario made a timely return to halt the unfortunate.

All will be thrilled to hear that the Leafs also won to prepare a 4 point gap and leave the Habs in the losing seat. Minnesota have a point as I write in OT, and we'll hope for another. The Habs look poised to go bottom 5 and possibly bottom 3 with a team that really needs a defender. The possibility of Grigorenko, Yakupov or Galchenyuk is getting pretty exciting.

The big game this week, however, takes place in the boardroom as any decision on GM will be 100 times more important than even a 5-draft pick swing at this stage. The rumour is that Molson and Savard are formalizing the list come Monday for the hunt. I don't agree with CBC panels who suggest a wait for a failed GM. I think Molson would have waited to fire Gauthier if he agreed with the Milburys of the world. It could be a week as exciting as any playoff push. Hold onto your hats.

Game #62Habs in Last; But Rejoice, They Scored On The Caps This Year

Details

Date: 24/02/2012
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Washington

Loss: 1-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Bourque
Opposition goalscorers: Perreault, Chimera, Ovechkin, Ward

Play of the game

You'll only see the type of goal that we scored tonight at the only game more boring than our game was tonight: the All-Star game. Don't expect, however, to ever see multiple Habs at the All-Star game, at least not from this squad. So, tonight's goal was unique, maybe a one-off. On the PK Plekanec started a great tick-tack-toe play with Emelin and Bourque. It was Rene who finished up with his 17th.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Rene Bourque - Game Puck
A goal and two other decent chances was enough for this third-line, mid-season pick-up (slash Calgary cast-off) to take the game-puck. When a bad game by Bourque stands out our problems don't even have words.

Tomas Plekanec
Sadly an assist and only -1 isn't bad compared to the rest. If you don't believe me check the stats or re-watch the game.

David Desharnais
He had a rare sign of passion tonight. What will it take for others to catch this? Ca we build a team that cares? A team where all 20 players care every game? Sadly, looking around the league, I feel that 10 guys caring 50% of the time would be enough in the East to make the playoffs.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
Was solid on the PK and was the best of a bunch that had a few real duds. Is he key to our future though? Will he be here after Tuesday? Does he want to be? I hope that he stays, but it is clear he isn't a #1 and if he is then it is of a 25-30 team. Whether it be Markov or someone else, our D needs help.

Alexei Emelin
Alexei had a great pass on our good play of the night and I certainly took notice (there was little to make me forget that moment). Emelin can be better though, but is still better than we all thought he would be at this point.

Goaltender

Carey Price
No goalie is going to win behind the team that played tonight. It could have been 1-10 and the dome would be his. If Budaj was in and let in 10, likewise, the dome would belong to Peter. I am not one of those who never blames goalies, but come on Habs, how did you think we were going to win this game? Pathetic.

Comments

This was painful. Yes, we needed the points and this was a 4-point game, but beyond the standings it was still not an easy one to watch. That has been the Habs lately, though. They have been a bad team all year and have been hard to watch on more nights than not. I now have a deeper appreciation for real fans of teams like the Islanders and Jackets as those guys must have watched hundreds of games like this over the past few seasons.

We have 20 games to go and a trade deadline. I am not sure what if there will be much excitement left in the season, but it would be nice if we put on a few good shows as it will help keep those of of us who watch 3 games a week sane.

Game #52 Washington Capitalizes on Lazy Habs Performance

Details

Date: 04/02/2012
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Montreal

Loss: 0-3

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

Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Wideman, Hendricks, Semin (PS)

Play of the game

Concentrating hard, Josh Gorges uses a Jedi mind trick to convince Alexander Ovechkin that he is actually wearing a Washington jersey. At the end of a long shift, a tired Ovie succumbs to Gorges' will and passes him the puck rather then finding some creative way to score after falling on his arse or something. It was that kind of game.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Tomas Plekanec - Game Puck
A hard night to choose a game puck. Plekanec is really focusing on his back-end play this season and this has been contributing to his offensive drop-off. I really liked his play in our end and some of the great breakout passes he makes. His rush at the net off a great Subban exit pass in the last 30 seconds reminded me of what a competitor he is and how hard he works every shift, even if it doesn't necessarily show on any given scoresheet. One wonders why he wasn't matched more consistently against Ovie.

Erik Cole
One of those nights where you're stretching to fill the dome. Once again, the Cole/Desharnais/Pacioretty line provided the grand majority of our offense. I love the way this line starts periods with huge intensity, and Cole uses his size and speed to create a lot of the chances they get. Bourque can start taking notes.

David Desharnais
Could just as easily have been Pacioretty, but I liked Desharnais a little more. He's a fun player to watch and he goes hard to the net. He's got good speed and great sense, and I hope we can continue to watch him develop over the coming years.

Defencemen

PK Subban
One of Subban's major assignments was to stay on Ovechkin and not let him have a big night. The two were in each others' faces all game, and in my opinion PK definitely looked like the winner in terms of having a greater impact on the game. He seemed like one of the only Habs actually fully awake and into this contest.

Alexei Emelin
I love this player. He brings so much to the back end and really has great hockey sense. His -2 is a little unfortunate, as 1 was the Wideman goal and the other he was actually putting a body onto Laich, who was getting his stick on a rebound right in front of Budaj (while Kaberle disappeared behind the net). Made a lot of great neutral zone plays and took some well-considered shots while posting another 4 hits.

Goaltender

Peter Budaj
Again, a more than satisfactory performance from our backup in just his 3rd appearance in 17 games. The Wideman goal was a bit of a freak occurrence, and the skaters really hung him out to dry by leaving Hendricks all alone. And it doesn't matter who you are, Semin is going to score on a lot of his penalty shots. Of course, I wasn't too impressed with him drawing a penalty shot by throwing his stick at the puck, but at least he came up with the save on Brouwer.

Comments

What a sleeper. Some parts felt a bit like a soccer game, with prolonged bouts in the neutral zone that featured few scoring chances. I would have predicted that circumstances like that favour us, but instead we looked flat and lazy at times: Kaberle being out of position to allow Semin's breakaway and disappearing behind the net on the Hendricks goal, Bourque's lack of physical engagement and being a step or 3 back from Hendricks, Kostitsyn seeming to forget that offense can happen outside a power play...

You have to give the Caps credit for collapsing responsibly around their net and Vokoun for directing the rebounds very well. We never really established any kind of offensive presence despite outshooting Washington, especially through the 2nd period. Instead, Washington shut us out through the 10th consecutive period in our own building, and we frankly looked a little lazy and lackluster.

Some interesting moments, even if they weren't great. I can't remember ever seeing a goalie actually throw his stick at a puck before. The crowd was erupting into cheers every time Gomez laid his stick on the puck—tomorrow marks one year since he last scored a goal (against the Rangers). He looked more than a little embarrassed, I actually felt a little bad for him.

Game #46Habs Horrible On PP: Considering Taking Coincidentals With Each Future Call

Details

Date: 18/01/2012
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Montreal

Loss: 0-3

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

Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Perreault, Johansson, Ovechkin

Play of the game

Bourque showing some great speed in the second and hitting the cross-bar. Wow folks, it has come to this, that, in all honesty, was the best we offered tonight.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Scott Gomez
I'm not even sure if Scott is playing any better than he has over the past 18 months. In the end it was another pointless game to go with a -2 and 22% on face-offs. What was clear, however, was that he was one of our better forwards. He showed good speed and had some good chances.

Erik Cole - Game Puck
He is probably the only player that hasn't bought into the losing/sulking/we can't win attitude. Cammalleri was right, but was wrong about Erik. He played well again tonight, but must be heading home quite disappointed with where his new team is on January 18th.

David Desharnais
Plekanec should be raking in the domes this season. There is really no excuse given his pedigree, but it is not the case. Once again David out-played Pleks and has us all wondering why #14 sees those PP minutes and not Desh's line exclusively.

Defencemen

PK Subban
PK played quite a decent game actually and was heavily involved in the neutral and offensive zones. I particularly liked his speed and puck-carrying. Is he a part of the future or is he someone that could fetch an awful lot in the next few weeks via a trade.

Yannick Weber
Weber did a good job again and is, at the very least, increasing his chances of being in this league come October. For some reason it isn't working for him on the PP despite (as it seems to me) doing a lot right.

Goaltender

Peter Budaj
We need to win games and so I think we need our All-Star, our undisputed best player to be not only the best on this team, but above average, quite a bit above average for the rest of the year. That was not the case tonight. Our team didn't score, so it may be moot, but letting in 2 of 5 in the first and 3 of 16 overall just doesn't sit well with me.

Comments

If only our PP could score. Can you imagine where we would be if we even had 10 more PP goals this year? How about 20? We have proven over the past few years that an average team with a good PP can be a force. This year we are proving that an average team with a horrible PP is nothing for the opposition to worry about. So, what is it? I don't know, probably these and some: can't gain the zone; rush too many passes; always looking for the perfect shot; can't keep the puck in; shoot into traffic; have no real QB; have no confidence...the list could go on, but I am getting tired.

The season has probably been over for a month, but, for some reason, tonight it really feels like the end. It isn't impossible, but when you have watched this team as much as we all have you can't help but wonder how on earth it would be possible. We can't score enough, we can't let in few enough, we can't play from behind and we can't hold a lead. I have always felt that we have over-achieved since the lock-out, since Koivu's return from cancer really. We have been an average team all of those years, but we have rarely missed the playoffs and we often win series. So, I actually think this is the balance, the luck running out. It is nothing to get too upset about really, but it could be a long 9 months till October. My suggestion is to find what positives we can and hope that the team sees those and builds on them.

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 #70 Washington Deal Canadiens Significant Injuries: Plekanec, Lower Body; Team, Pride

Details

Date: 15/3/2011
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Montreal

Loss:2-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Moen, Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: Johansson (2), Laich, Knuble

Play of the game

The save of the night had to be the team effort that duped Brad Watson into disallowing a goal that clearly was. It starts with Price who made the initial save then flopped back just enough to give the illusion of control. Subban, who batted the puck before the myopic ref would spot it. And Kostitsyn who knocked Johansson into the net before the puck could settle without doubt into the back of the netting. Unconventional. But a certain goal didn't end up on the scoreboard for this work. I suppose some credit must also go to the league for setting the ridiculous precedent that intention to blow a whistle is as good as blowing it.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

David Desharnais
Sloppy at times before the finish, but still the player who created the most danger in close on the Capitals net. e led the team in shots and his linemates were right there with him. I think he's stretched to play a top two centre's role, but when he was tasked with the lower docket, he was impressive again.

Tom Pyatt
Popped off the screen early before his ice time was limited to shift Cammalleri around. Pyatt didn't look much like scoring, but neither did many Habs forwards. At the least, he was creating rebounds and forcing the puck to danger zones. A great game by Tom's standards.

Lars Eller
Determined and dynamic. Eller continued his progression to important player for this team. His pass to Kostitsyn was a nice assist. His pass to Gomez was a pass too far. The next step is for him to find some selfish tendencies when in clear positions.

Defencemen

James Wisniewski
James had a good game at both ends, I thought. Some good moments on the PP, with a near goal in close. That goes with some moments of calm as well as at least two backchecking saves for the team. The signature moment for the man in the hockey mask was his shot block, going off in severe pain, and coming back before a shift was missed.

PK Subban
Subban had a tough assignment with Ovechkin. He handled it extremely well. I think we all thought we were getting an exciting and somewhat irresponsible offensive defender with PK. Instead, he continues to show his ability to learn and grow. I maintain that his defensive game is one of the biggest surprises of the season.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
4 (or 5) goals. Some dicey puck handling. It wasn't a banner game for Carey, yet he makes the dome because he simply was the Canadiens best. The difference between Carey Price 2011 and 2009 is in the saves he can make after a bad bounce like goal #1 and a disallowed goal so close to the start. He not only settled but played a full half game of stunning shut out hockey. Oh, and his glove. The difference for the Canadiens is that Carey can carry a team close with a standard below his best.

Comments

Chances are we were due for this moment. The coach can be angry. But his team just played a playoff rival to a standstill on Saturday and had to face the hottest team in the East. They went down on some pretty bad luck within a minute and then ended up losing two important players (the Plekanec loss could weigh heavy on this teams hopes).

What I saw was a loss to a much better team on the night. Certainly a much better prepared team. Think of all the moments you saw Hal Gill beaten outside and tell me that wasn't a targeted strategy. The Capitals defence allowed those outside shots, but kept it to that. They limited the impact of Canadiens speed by forcing very early passes from defenders that failed most of the time.

The lesson to take from this game is twofold. First, losses will still happen, there is no need to despair. Second, the Canadiens are winning on the back of some pretty basic strategic maneuvers. An intensive examination by an opposing coach (such as the ones you typically see during a playoff series) will reveal weaknesses to exploit. Luckily, there's also a third lesson. The Canadiens once again have a wildcard in goal, a player who can disregard the momentum of the game and keep it close.

Canadiens Rival Report Relative Gains And Losses After A Season Of Trades

Montreal didn't do much yesterday or the weeks before. But that doesn't mean Pierre Gauthier's team hasn't been shifting up and down in the relative arms race in the Eastern Conference. Trades all around them means that the Canadiens have lost ground and gained ground on several teams.

I look at the moves of rivals here.

First off, I don't consider Philadelphia a rival for now. They are miles clear in the standings are healthy and virtually guaranteed a playoff spot. The fact that they have eliminated the Habs two of the past 3 years in the playoffs and look to be just as daunting all season puts them a cut above in my mind. Someone else please eliminate in Round 1.

The New York Islanders are not and never really were rivals with the Habs. They are rebuilding (have been since the 1980s). Good luck to them.

The rest of the East are rivals, or were rivals at some point this season for the 7 other playoff positions. Between trades, waiver wire pickups and losses and injuries, the position of the Habs relative to each team has been in flux. With the possibility of big moves ended yesterday (not big injuries), the dust settles and we can see where the Habs stand against their rivals:


Tampa Bay Lightning (1-0-1 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Roloson, Brewer
Significant losses: None
Significant injuries: None
Drafting outlook: Unchanged

Tampa spent a bit of their future on the current season. They traded a pretty good prospect to correct their off-season goaltending choices and another to add Eric Brewer. Neither Roloson, nor Brewer seem that brilliant as additions. But the fact that Tampa made slight improvements without sacrificing from the current team means their outlook should be the same if not a bit brighter.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: Gains


Boston Bruins (1-2-1 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Kaberle, Peverley, Valabk, Kelly
Significant losses: Wheeler, Stuart, Sturm
Significant injuries: Savard
Drafting outlook: Lots of high picks sacrificed

On the surface, it looked like Boston made the right moves. They did make a lot of them. But considering Peverley and Kelly don't come close to replacing Savard and Sturm, a lot hangs on Kaberle. I like Kaberle, but his impact remains to be seen. Boston were a better looking team than Montreal this year, primarily because Lucic and Thomas turned a big corner. I think that still stands to be the difference. The mortgage of the future for these players brought on illustrates exactly what I didn't want Gauthier to do. If Boston don't make a great run this year, they will have sacrificed a potential powerhouse in 5 years for nothing.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: Slight gains


Pittsburgh Penguins (1-1-1 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Neal, Niskanen, Kovalev
Significant losses: Goligoski
Significant injuries: Malkin, Crosby, Orpik
Drafting outlook: Unchanged

Ray Shero restrained himself from making a big mess. I think he, like the rest of us, realises that whether Crosby is to come back has more impact on his team than 50 trades. Kovalev for nothing was clever with Malkin's cap space offering flex. The Neal trade brings a future piece, which was also smart. The outlook for this season hinges on injuries. But the outlook for the franchise will be bright if rehab comes through.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: Losses


Washington Capitals (1-0-1 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Arnott, Wideman, Hannan, Sturm
Significant losses: Steckl, Fleischmann
Significant injuries: Green
Drafting outlook: A few picks sacrificed

Washington must recognise a Malkin and Crosby injury scenario offers an open door. With healthy stars for now (perhaps not so for Green), Washington paid to take a run. It's an overall improvement at a relatively low cost. Will it be enough? I think Ovechkin needs a turnaround to prove that it will be.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: Gains


New York Rangers (0-3-0 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Wolski, McCabe
Significant losses: Roszival
Significant injuries: Frolov, Drury, Gaborik, Biron
Drafting outlook: Slight drop

New York is an important rival of the Habs, so the fact they didn't land the player that they wanted to pay with futures for was good for the Canadiens of this season. Injuries are the critical issue in New York, though, and some key scoring forwards out means D and Lundqvist have a lot to do. The McCabe trade is a stretch (better than Redden?) and the Wolski trade looked good on paper, but less so on the ice.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: Losses


Carolina Hurricanes (0-3-0 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Stillman, Allen
Significant losses: Samsonov
Significant injuries: None
Drafting outlook: Gained a pick

Rutherford danced around a bit and ended up with a seller's draft pick as well as Cory Stillman. Stillman over Samsonov is a big improvement and should improve the Canes. I don't think Allen is as good as the talking heads pump him up to be, but he probably can't be worse than Ian White.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: Slight gains


Buffalo Sabres (2-3-0 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Boyes
Significant losses: Rivet
Significant injuries: Roy
Drafting outlook: One pick out

Derek Roy has been a big loss to swallow, but the addition of Boyes should really help with that. Buffalo made few moves relative to their rivals in Toronto, but did more to actually progress.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: Slight gains


Toronto Maple Leafs (3-2-0 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Lupul
Significant losses: Kaberle, Versteeg, Beauchemin
Significant injuries: None
Drafting outlook: Greatly improved

Toronto's recent winning streak, on the back of a Kessel scoring blip (trust me, I have him in my pool) is the mirage that obscures the fact Burke sold up for picks. Toronto can go for the playoffs all they want, because their pick is in Boston, and Boston's is in Toronto, but even if they make it, it would be hard to say they were a better team than they were before the trades. The real bad news for Montreal in this case was that Burke didn't decide to turn in those picks for a run. But hey, it's probably better to have high picks with a team that can't draft than with one that can.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: Lost ground


Atlanta Thrashers (2-0-0 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Wheeler, Stuart, Dvorak, Schremp
Significant losses: Peverley, Valabik, Sopel, Modin, Bergfors, Rissmiller
Significant injuries: Burmistrov
Drafting outlook: Unchanged

Atlanta are a desperate team. Given their fall from what was an inflated position, they should have sold up. It was a half-hearted sale that means their future will likely put them behind the teams that committed to the future now. It's more of the same from the Thrashers as they fight for fans with the dream of 4 playoff losses.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: Lost ground


Florida Panthers (1-1-1 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Samsonov, Sulzer, Skille
Significant losses: Allen, Wideman, McCabe, Higgins, Stillman, Frolik
Significant injuries: None
Drafting outlook: Greatly improved

8 points out of the playoffs. Who knows how many years without. It took guts (or insanity) to blow this apart. Tallon did that. The result is a shell of an NHL team, but a lot more draft picks. The puzzle in all this is trading Frolik and Salak who could be parts of a bright future. The Canadiens couldn't have asked for draft picks to land in less capable hands.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: No longer a rival


New Jersey devils (2-1-0 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Steckl
Significant losses: Arnott, Langenbrunner
Significant injuries: Parise
Drafting outlook: Slight improvement

New Jersey hasn't given up. And why should they? Their core is built to compete now and if they can make the playoffs from that far back, you'd have to count them as a serious contender. New Jersey has never required high draft picks to build before, so it seems they don't care about those now, instead relying on their above average scouting. Arnott and Langenbrunner out reflect the bad season they were both having. NJ taking a player means they won't lose much ground.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: Slight losses


Ottawa Senators (1-4-0 vs. Habs)Significant additions: Anderson
Significant losses: Elliott, Kovalev, Ruutu, Kelly, Campoli, Fisher
Significant injuries: Alfredsson, Gonchar
Drafting outlook: Improved

Considering the fanbases total acceptance of trades, Murray made little of this. Essentially nothing for Kovalev and Ruutu is not good trading. What's more, the valuable trade chips were held, and for what? Chris Phillips could have fetched something. Spezza even more. Sentimentality in Ottawa has botched a rebuild opportunity. The scouts that found them Hossa, Alfredsson, Havlat and co. aren't there anymore, so this should be interesting.

Relative movement vs. Montreal Canadiens: No longer a rival


Montreal's relative shift

From what I see, the Habs have lost some ground to 5 teams in all and gained some ground on 7 teams.

The good news for Habs fans is that many of the teams behind the Canadiens in the standings look to have packed it in a bit for this season. Toronto is pushing in games, but that belies their loss of quality. The only playoff outsiders that seem to be making a decent stand are the Buffalo Sabes, who I now think might make the post-season.

The bad news is that the teams ahead of them have made more serious pushes than the Canadiens to make serious runs in the playoffs. Philadelphia was already the class, and still are. Boston, Washington and Tampa Bay's GMs were more serious than Gauthier about this year vs. future years. Pittsburgh made interesting moves, but just aren't the team the standings say they are without Malkin and Crosby. They seem to realise that and didn't go wild.

The Habs currently stand 6th and look pretty good to finish about there. With a bit of luck, they'll compete well in the playoffs.
I will note that the Washington capitals must be watched from here. Last season they cruised to the playoffs, and the same team hasn't exactly struggled to remain in the top 5 this season. Arnott and Sturm are good late additions for them. Strangely losing Green for Wideman may also help.

Game #51 Canadiens Do It the 2011 Way: Comeback, OT

Details

Date: 25/1/2011
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Washington

Win: 3-2 (SO)

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

Habs goalscorers: Gionta (2, SO)
Opposition goalscorers: Perreault, Knuble

Play of the game

The play of the game tonight came early. Price opened the game with a February 2010 number, but he quickly redeemed himself. Marcus Johansson took the very next Washington shot (a breakaway), and Price stoned him with a great leg save. The message to the team was clear enough: "I've made up for my mistake, your turn".

Dome hockey team

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

Brian Gionta - Game Puck
Off the puck, he had competition for recognition. On it, he was money tonight. On a team that wants to defer to everyone and anyone before taking an obvious shooting opportunity, Brian stands out. He shoots, and importantly tonight, he scores. There's not much more to say.

Benoit Pouliot
This comeback began not long after Knuble scored. For me the symbolic moment was when Pouliot lost the puck but then doubled back to strip it from Ovechkin. This led to a penalty and a change in momentum. other than this, Pouliot was solid throughout the contest, his line was dangerous at times, and he was the leader.

Tomas Plekanec
TSN said Tomas had 4 or more scoring chances in the game. Not sure about that, but he did play well after the turn of the tide. Like many forwards, chances he had went missing (AK missed more) -- he'll need to be better on future nights.

Defencemen

PK Subban
Subban is making friends in Washington. He really got under Ovechkin's skin in this game and for the vast majority of the time, he contained him too. Did we just read that? Subban contained Ovechkin? Subban the rookie offensive defenceman. It was a game for PK to show off his true talent and I thought he vastly outshone Carlson, who for some reason gets wider praise. It was another great game in a string of great games for the rookie since his second benching. Say what you will about Martin and young players, the evidence is piling up here with Subban.

Jaroslav Spacek
With the depleted defence we have, its taking some strong efforts and discipline from vets to hold this season together. Spacek deserves a significant amount of recognition for the way he allows Weber to operate. What's more, I thought Spacek had his best game in a long while, with some good hits and even a good shot.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Goal on first weak shot used to spell a night of sulking and days, if not weeks spent recovering. Not so anymore. As I said above, his rebound was immediate. And, apart from a beautifully prepared second goal, Carey was perfect. The icing on the cake was the fact he got to win the game with a save on Ovechkin in the shootout. The celebration of this win was much more sincere than a statue pose.

Comments

This could have been a loss. Coming back from the break, teams take time to find the groove again, passes go awry (AK) and timing is a bit off. It would have been forgivable against a resurgent Capitals team, too. Instead, we were all treated to an outstanding show of resilience and bullheadedness. The Habs simply refused to lose. They did it conventionally, by peppering the goalie with shots and doing it till goals went in.

A perfect result. It's not to say this was a perfect game -- there is plenty of tape to review. Only to say that when the playoffs come, and the team finds itself down by two in an important situation, you wouldn't want to have had a season without moments like these.

The stretch coming up is being termed the sprint by everyone and their auntie. Clearly these people who call the season a marathon have never done a spot of distance run. The Canadiens certainly need to be in position for a sprint when the time comes (and that means winning a fair share f the next 20-odd games), but sprint from now and there'll be fade. The goal should be to avoid the sprint if possible by doing what they were doing in November -- burying chances, burying games. They did it tonight with a sprint to the finish, a comeback, with OT. And this has been the way of 2011 (8 OT games in 13). But I hope 2011 has more in store for these Habs, because this kind of hockey does not a rested playoff squad prepare.

Game #37 Gauthier Admits He Needs Help, Habs Prove It Again

Details

Date: 28/12/2010
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Washington
Loss: 0-3

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

Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Beagle, Green, Ovechkin (EN)

Play of the game

Making it hard for poor bloggers, these Habs. I thought the play of the game (yes, the whole game) was Pacioretty's drawing of a penalty in the final frame. The Canadiens desperately needed someone to step up. And in his own way (by falling down actually) he did it. It took little more than putting the puck behind a defender and then looking like he wanted to retrieve it. Play of the game? See score above.

Dome hockey team

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

Andrei Kostitsyn - Game Puck
On a night when there was far too much floating, it was the master floater who stood out most. I think it would be a fair assumption to say, however, that Kostitsyn floats on purpose - in order to find open ice in little coverage. The most dangerous shot in the game was Andrei's, the three most dangerous shots in the game were Andrei's. He even made some passing plays that almost resulted in goals.

Scott Gomez
Of the other forwards, I thought G-Love stood out. He used speed to exploit some weaker Caps Dmen and create a bit of confusion. Not enough, but enough to be noticed as a stand out on his team.

Jeff Halpern
Because his teammates were so liberal with their penalty taking, Halpern played more minutes shorthanded than at even strength in this game. And shorthanded play was the one area where one could say the Habs excelled. Because he barely played at ES, he was also unable to undo to good he did killing penalties like Plekanec did for himself.

Defencemen

Jaroslav Spacek
By far the best defender on the night. By far the hardest assignment, too. Spacek looked good all night as he kept Ovechkin quiet and disinterested for the most part. Spacek blocked 5 shots and had a lot of unscored bodychecks as he faced off against the Caps' top line. He also continues to exhibit his uncanny talent for being checked face first into the boards and drawing some important penalties in the process.

Roman Hamrlik
Hammer was the best of the rest. For the first time this season, I thought the Habs dressed 4 pretty poor defencemen. Subban was diving as if he never learned a lesson about that, Weber hasn't learned anything about blind passes, Picard is showing he needs support to thrive and Gill had some serious Gill moments. Hammer wasn't that good and he took another really costly penalty, yet he wins the dome and the battle for real ice time for a lack of options.

Goaltender

Carey Price
My word, Carey also needs to go back to October and try to remember how he prepared for the season, because he's losing his mojo. Officially he let in 2 goals, but the third was somehow disallowed again, the caps hit a post on an open net and then missed on a glorious 2-on-1 and somehow got a whistle to stop play. Carey played a good game, but the team probably needed better to halt the streaking Capitals. He's often liked playing the Lightning, and the Panthers aren't known for their outbursts, so a back on track game is in sight.

Comments

Oops. Can't beat the best team in the East still battling back from a bad losing streak without a bit of coordinated effort. The team left a lot to be desired in their play. The defence and goaltending, I've covered. The forwards? Wow, pretty poor. Probably time to resort to following up their shots, maybe.

Besides this, the coaching and personnel decisions were poor on the part of the coach again. Plekanec was having an off night and sitting in the box for 6 minutes yet still played 10 minutes more than Eller, Pouliot, Darche, Moen, Lapierre and Halpern. Pacioretty may have been brash enough to demand the time, but has he really earned twice Pouliot's chance. We've seen more NHL level stuff now. Martin can't coach from behind and it is killing the team at the moment. When his top lines are neutralized, he's not trusting enough to play his lower lines and only butts the proverbial head against the wall. It's quite painful to watch, and if this goes on, I think I'll reconsider watching beyond goal goal one, as it really is becoming a senseless waste of my time.

Two games in two nights before the New Year will be quite critical for this fragile group. Another two losses will just about completely undo any faith they had of accomplishing things without Markov (sorry Wisniewski). A couple of wins, or points from a couple of hard fought games could restore right back to where they were. Call them must wins, pivotal, potential turning points, watersheds, whatever - you need to watch the next two games because they'll define where this season goes.

Oh Dear, Not Again NHL

Is the NHL trying to solidify its reputation downin the US as a farce?

This story from Puck Daddy shows how the league can't even keep track of the winners of the 4 team trophies it hands out every year (4 a year...).

Pretty comical, and their cockamamie excuses for the error and for their cover up are just as bad.

I'll chalk it up with inability to make proactive decisions on contracts, lack of agreement (or will to sign an agreement) with the IIHF, ridiculously inconsistent officiating (seaon v.s playoffs) and lack of consequence for going over the salary cap as reasons the league needs to take a seriously look at its operations and the people conducting its business.

The Spacek Debt

In the summer, I was amazed at the reaction to the Canadiens signings. There was at once unbridled optimism and unchecked pessimism. Every fan content only to occupy one extreme or the other.

While, divergence of opinion seemd to reign over Gomez, Higgins, McDonagh, Gionta, Kovalev, Cammalleri, Koivu and Tanguay there was also broad convergence for others. Jaroslav Spacek, for example, was almost universally ignored. Funny so much ink was spilled over departing Komisarek, unsigned Beauchemin and yet so little reserved for another top 10 option UFA Dman.

At the time, I wrote on the subject in great detail, such was my amazement at the coverage. I pointed out how he had always climbed through hi teams’ depth charts, was always missed when he left and how generally he was the prototype for underrating in this league.

"No one really knew how good of a hockey player he was because he was playing for obscure, losing teams," agent Stephen Freyer said from his office in Beverly, Mass. "The exposure in Edmonton helped, but the new NHL was incredible for his game. He's the prototypical post-lockout defenseman. He can skate, pass, get the puck out of the zone. He's got a boomer from the right point." (Source article here)

Well, here we are once again in media report melee. Once again, there’s ten stories a day with plenty of optimism and pessimism from all quarters. Gill is getting well deserved praise, as is Gorges. Markov’s injury is being watched as closely as possible through the iron curtain. Once again, Spacek in injury as in play, or in signing is being largely overlooked.

Over the year, I kept some interesting statistics that weren’t available on the NHL website. There was the Goals Created project that LIW undertook, but on top of that, I played with plus/minus figures to deconstruct and reconstruct stats I thought might be more meaningful.

We hadn’t really had any Spacek time at that point of his signing. We’d known him from Buffalo and from Corsi leader charts, but not much else. A season into his tenure in Montreal, we are now in a better position to confirm or adjust what praise we offered in the summer. While he came to the team as Buffalo’s offensive engine from the back, the year did not play out in the same way as it did in Upstate NY for Jaro. His points totals were down, his goals were minimal, his PP contribution was near meaningless. By conventional statistical methods he was a bit of a bust at the salary.

Strangely though, he still stood out and was an interesting player to watch in my spreadsheets over the year.

#3 choice defenceman

Even strength minutes per game, for example. Spacek was second to his partner with 18.56 minutes a contest. Hamrlik and Markov the horses, again, but Jaro was third in overall TOI/game as well.


On the ice

Good things also seemed to happen when Spacek was on.

He led the team in even-strength goals he was on the ice for with 64 (a whopping 9 more than Cammalleri, Hamrlik and Gomez). He led the team in 5-on-5 GF and 4-on-4 GFwith 52 and 7 respectively. By minute, he can’t approach the forwards rates of production, but trails only Markov in making good things happen per game (2.796 ESGF/60 vs. 3.442 ESGF/60).


Solid foundation

I am not sure what to make of all this quite yet, but like the Corsi adherents, I think there’s a lot of credit gone missing for players who are on the ice for goals, yet only contributing through their sound positioning, back-checking, coverage and other non-offensive play.

Spacek is the poster boy for the silent contribution. In all, he was on the ice for a whopping 51 goals without statistical credit (other than +/-). The next closest teammates were on for 39 and 38 (Hamrlik and Gorges), after them Markov at 29 and then a sharp drop to 20.


Better than team average at D

All that might be for naught if he was Shawn Belle going backwards. But he wasn’t. On the ice for 65 goals against, all told, his GAA translated to a respectable 2.42. At even strength, considering he was on for nearly a third of every game, his 2.19 GAA was a very welcome addition to the Habs team.


Continued in the playoffs

The cherry on this cake is that Spacek continued his steady excellence into the playoffs. Over 3 games, he managed to find himself on the ice for 3 more ESG and though matched against Ovechkin and Backstrom was not torched for GA.


On the eve of the crunch game of the year, a game against most peoples’ Eastern power, the wire is all aflutter with injuries and possible returns. As Spacek looks set to lace up, I present to you a large dose of optimism as to what this means for the team. We get a leader back, a top-tier pairing and a complement for Hamrlik who thrives with support.

I’ll be watching intently to see if this other Jaro can weave the magic that led to 54 goals at even strength so far this season as the Habs try to break the ice and then break the back of the game.

Enjoy the show. GHG.

Game #1-7The Team Effort We've Always Wanted; Habs Win, Habs Win!

Details

Date: 28/04/10
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Washington

Win: 2-1

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

Habs goalscorers: Bergeron, Moore
Opposition goalscorers: Laich

Play of the game

With 3:30 left and millions of fans wondering if 1-0 would be enough something very good happened for all of us. It started with a very good Hal Gill clearance that, instead of being whistled for icing, ended up being a winnable puck for the fast Max Lapierre. Max had just had a goal disallowed and I think we all know the type of warrior he can be when he is pissed off. Well, it was that emotion that fueled him as he barreled in on Mike (Norris?) Green and won the puck easily and fairly. Moore then flew in himself to pick up the loose puck and to head in alone on Varlamov. A perfectly placed shot on the far-side ended up being the winner; it was a goal that we apparently needed more than anything.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Scott Gomez
No forwards were used more than Gomez and Gionta tonight as their composure and experience went a long way in this one. Scott ended up taking 34 of the 65 face-offs in the game and did a formidable job by winning 50% of them. His defensive play was outstanding tonight and without it we wouldn't be moving on. His offensive play, limited, yes, was also good at times - especially when he made a beautiful pass to Bergeron on our first goal.

Maxim Lapierre
It baffles me that a lot of people didn't even think Max should be in the line up in these playoffs. It isn't, however, those peoples' opinions that trouble me, rather, it is the fact that Lapierre actually deserved those assertions. After this series, though, I think that it is clear that he is playing the best hockey of his season, quite possibly of his career. Towards the end of the game he truly stood out with an impressive 'assist' and a very courageous and timely shot-block in the dying minutes.

Dominic Moore
What a steal this move turned out to be for the Habs. For a second-round pick we found ourselves a played that could play a position that you only hope will one day be filled by a second-round pick of your own. And, we didn't have to wait 6 years to find out. Scoring the game-winner tonight, in game 7, in his first playoff series in which he had a significant role to play must be a highlight for him and it is most certainly good reward for all of the hard work he and his line did against the Caps. Tonight he kept up the good work that we have seen since his arrival on the eve of the Olympics as he was truly a force in his own end. I'm not surprised that his ice-time has creeped up to 15+ and hope that he is used in the same was as we go forward.

Defencemen

Hal Gill
Tonight was a clear example of what a farce the Norris trophy is. Why doesn't the league cancel the vote and just award it to highest scoring winger who calls himself a defenceman and get it over with. Hal Gill showed a lot of people what defence, real defence is tonight. He has gone from defensive-liability to quite possibly one of the best signings of Gainey's career in a matter of a few weeks. He was all over Ovechkin's line, again, and, once again, was coming up huge on shot-blocks. Obviously he is now a sung hero, but how about unexpected hero? Will that do?

Andrei Markov
Nothing against Gorges, who played a great game, but Markov, I thought, was so good tonight. He played with such poise in his own end as he made clearance after clearance, break-out pass after break-out pass look easy. He picked up an assist, led the Habs in ice-time and tied Gill for the team lead with six blocked-shots.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak - Game Puck
I thought that the defence did an awesome job, but let's face it, where would we have been without Jaro tonight. Their 42 shots were 3 times more than our total and when you consider the quality of their shooters the word 'steal' certainly comes to mind yet again. This game may not have been as jam-packed with highlight reel saves as Monday's, but when you remember that it is a game #7, on the road, against a team that topped you by 30+ points in the table, this may be the best performance of a Hab goalie since 1993.

Comments

Washington started this game as tentatively as we did as they knew very well that, thanks to our better goaltending, a Hab-lead could mean the end of their season. So, in the early going they weren't as lively as one would expect. They did control the flow of play, but it seemed like that was an easier period for Halak and the D than one would have expected. A late break led to a 1-0 lead for us and, so, we were off. Washington, however, came out in the second period to play and they kept that up for the remainder of the game. In all they out-shot us 31-8 over the final 40 minutes of their season, but only managed a 1-1 draw. That, of course, is thanks to the very hard work of Halak, our D and all of forwards, who all bought into the defensive system and did their best to shut down the machine. The refs tried their best to be even during those last 2 periods as both teams had a goal disallowed for goalie interference (was anyone at all shocked when they waved ours off???). Also, to make the PP-chances even, O'Byrne drew a very timely penalty (for the Caps) late in the third. It was, quite possibly, one of the weakest calls I had ever seen. You can't underestimate the power of TV revenues (OT) and of Ovechkin in the next round - the refs know that. The Habs, however, were up to the test as, once again, their PK, was beyond excellent. The game couldn't end soon enough as the palms couldn't stop sweating, but in the end we got what we came for.

It is now off to Pittsburgh for yet another huge test. The team must be on a high right now, but I really hope they understand what they have gotten themselves in to. The Pens are just as good, if not better, than the Caps and, so, we'll have to be better than we were. We won this series thanks to Halak and quite a bit of luck. No one can expect those two things to always line-up, so I think we must work harder. We have to go back to playing hockey in the offensive zone, we have to stop allowing 40+ shots and we have to believe that we too are a good team. Good enough to do it all again.

What's In A Name? PK Subban Must Feel NHL Playoff Debut

karl c.
1. man (male human)
2. husband
3.(male) member of a work force, employed to perform some particularly heavy or physically demanding job

PK Subban has been recalled for the Canadiens as a replacement to Jaroslav Spacek, and hopefully an on-ice replacement for Marc-Andre Bergeron. I applaud the move by Gauthier on the eve of the Washington showdown. It shows hope, tactical thinking and an acknowledgment of how winning in the new NHL may be changing.


Karl: Swedish for NHL-ready

Karlsson, Carlson, Pernell Karl. All three young defenders making an impact in professional leagues long before perhaps it was expected of them. But what’s in a name?

The name Carl/Karl seems to be found in many languages and has many meanings. For hockey etymologists, the roots of most interest come from the hockey hotbed of Sweden. As I noted above, the name Karl in Sweden means man, or thereabouts. Notes on the origins of the name go further, talking about connotations of manliness (to the extent that it is frowned upon by believers in gender equality) and of of possessing abilities to perform certain tasks.

According to the wiktionary, you can use Karl in an expression: karl för sin ... (with some attribute). This denotes someone who is up to par with his role, and is able to perform at least by some minimal standards on his own. Karl för sin hockey is quite apt in this case.


Leveraging young talent

I don’t want to criticize what the Canadiens did with Subban this season, I think it was right. But there is an onus on a team with its collective back against the wall to evaluate all options and come up with the best solution – whatever it takes. In this case, whatever it takes means calling up the mercurial scoring talent from the recently conquering Hamilton Bulldogs after his 9 points in 6 AHL playoff games.

Those with fear in their hearts as they think of a free-roaming Subban coming in and throwing a wrench in the works need only remember two things:

1) We already have a wrench in the works, so unless MAB and PK play together we’re no worse off
2) Teams around the league have shown that going against the conventional wisdom that Dmen age like a fine wine can be bucked with success

We don’t need to even look far for inspiration.

Our nearest rivals and underdogs in arms, the Ottawa Senators, just successfully initiated their defenceman of the future (Erik Karlsson) by entrusting him to play in all situations. His recent playoffs show that the 19-year-old has learned enough to hold his own, even if he does show plenty of room for improvement.

Even closer for now, is John Carlson. Like his namesake in Ottawa, Carlson has made a clean start to his NHL career – he currently tops Capitals defencemen in playoff scoring.

Watching Karlsson and Carlson has been a learning experience for me. As a firm adherent to the notion that rookie defenders can come and see me when they are 25 (coloured quite significantly by years of watching the Habs, no doubt), these recent upstarts have made me question these beliefs. Karlsson with a K was lively and creative from the Ottawa blueline and simply found avenues through the Penguins defenders that others may just be too jaded to consider. He looks like the best defender going forward in Ottawa and doesn't make me think of early hainsey much at all. Carlson with a C has been a standout too by skating out of trouble and confidently playing the game to win. If the Caps didn't have names on their shirts, I think most Norris voters would think this guy they'd voted for.

In both cases, I think that the brash confidence of the young draftee is showing through. Both youngsters have come through the ranks with success upon success. Neither has been tainted too deeply yet by the terror of losing. This played to their advantage this season and these playoffs as they play from pure instinct – something that is sometimes lacking in defenders.

For me, both successful career launches reinforce a trend that some younger players can play with the big boys, it’s just a matter of identifying which ones.


Enter then Pernell Karl Subban, The clear star of the Canadiens propect pool last season, NHL-capable based on his showings in September, and the leader and dynamo for the dominant Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL so far this season. As the Canadiens sit at the edge of the precipice that is a summer too long, P Karl’s promotion was a question on the tip of many tongues.

As much as Karlsson or Carlson, it seems that PK Subban is ready to play with the NHL men, to test his smoothe skating and his bottomless energy at the top level. We know the boy can score, we know the boy can pass and we know he can win. The question that remains is whether he can be mature enough, sophisticated enough to play in the man’s league when weak hockey players are sent back to the career counselor. Players across the league, his Bulldog excellence and a name that his parents borrowed from Viking marauders suggest he’ll be just fine.


For those interested in getting more re-acquainted with Subban, I recommend reading this article from an admirer in Manitoba Moose country for a start.

Game #1-5BOOMSHAKHALAK!

Details

Date: 23/04/10
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Washington


Win: 2-1

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

Habs goalscorers: Cammalleri, Moen
Opposition goalscorers: Ovechkin

Play of the game

Choosing the player to give the play of the game to was the easy part, but choosing the save turned out to be the hard thing. The save I went with was in the third and, like many others, was a game and series-saver. This one in particular was on Semin who unloaded a heavy one-timed slap from very close in. Jaro made a perfect displacement from left to right and got all of the puck, sending it to the corner. In reality, though, it was one of a series of saves that were the plays of the game for me, but this one, for one reason or another, stood out to me.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Dominic Moore
Martin trusted less than 9 forwards at the end of the game and Moore was amongst the group that he turned to the most. Shift, after shift he was asked to fore-check hard, keep the puck in the offensive zone and allow no one to burn him. I would say that it was mission accomplished as he did exactly what we needed him to do.

Travis Moen
Moen did tonight what Pouliot hasn't been able to do all series (and for most of the end of the regular season) - score. It didn't take long either as the feisty winger got on the scoresheet, with the game-winner, 7 minutes in. In all he played 18 minutes, mostlty with G+G, and held his own. There were moments when I certainly wished that he had better touch, but others when I was thankful that he could play soundly in his own end.

Scott Gomez
Scott had a great first period as he picked up an assist and then almost another on a very great pass to Markov (Andre hit the post). I also really liked when he followed up an impressive AK46 rush and fought to get a shot on net. Tonight Scott was the ultimate playoff warrior as he was our best forward and seemed very capable of getting people to follow in his footsteps.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
We needed the real Markov, Markov at his best and he was there for us tonight. On a day when Mike Green was nominated as the best defenceman (i.e. winger) in the league Andrei was able to outplay the kid at both ends. His assist was great and he came so close to making it 3-0 on a shot of his own. I can't however, overlook his defensive play as he was outstanding tonight. Both he and O'Byrne played well, but it was Markov who really stood out. Martin didn't restrict him to play the same minutes as Bergeron tonight as he nearly tripled the time of his former partner. Having Andrei on for 27 minutes sure makes the game go faster and makes it that much easier to watch.

Josh Gorges
I don't want to take anything away from Gill, as I felt he played a great game, but Josh was just too good tonight to overlook. Maybe someone is listening to us here or maybe the common sense that we have been preaching about the D is finally being adopted by our coaches. I say that because tonight Gorges was used more than any other player and was very, very solid throughout. With Spacek out and Hamrlik limited to 12 minutes (for some reason) we needed Josh to be our #2. Tonight he had no problem being a go-to guy in all situations as he helped shut things down as much as he helped to get the puck up the ice.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak - Game Puck
That is the type of performance that can win you games, the type of game that can turn things around for a team that needs a few things to go their way. Tonight Halak was on fire and very nearly got a shutout for his efforts. There was big save after big save as he showed no signs of nerves, fatigue or lack of focus. As well as the team played tonight there was no question who our best player was as time, and time again, he kept us ahead in the game. Monday now seems very doable knowing that we have the potential of excellent goaltending...we had all been wondering where that had gone for the Habs for the past 3 weeks (Game #1 excluded).

Comments

Montreal did tonight what they weren't able to do in games #2 and 4 and that is hold a lead. They started the game very well and never really looked back. Of course good 'tending makes this a good game rather than a bitter exit, but when I look at the other 18 players I genuinely did like what I saw. We were out-shot and were maybe slightly outplayed at times, but all in all I felt that we had a strong game against a very tough opponent who certainly wanted a win in their home rink. The best thing for me tonight, other than the sustained effort, had to be the line deployments by Martin. For example Bergeron was only used for 10 minutes, only 4 of which were at even-strength - excellent. He saw that Hammer wasn't playing well and cut his time in half. He was able to tell which forwards were on tonight (Moen, Moore) and which weren't (Sergei, Metro, Pouliot) and he made the right calls. He knew what players to have out when we had a lead, but still wanted goals. I really liked what the coach did tonight and would have put him in the dome too, if I could have.

It is now back home for another no-tomorrow game. The Caps, however, must be a bit frustrated with themselves and maybe a bit nervous. Could they really let a President's trophy season come down to a game #7 against the 8th seed? Should they mix things up to beat the suddenly hot Halak? The great news is that we may have Washington re-thinking things and that we seem to have a clearer view for ourselves. Well done Habs, now let's do it again.

Winning The Game The Probability Of The Improbable

On February 10th, 2010, Lions in Winter carried this headline: Habs Put An Unlikely End To Caps' Streak.

It was a stumbling team beating a surging force. It was a more unlikely win than anything this Canadiens team faces now. The team was without Andrei Kostitsyn, Mike Cammalleri and Benoit Pouliot. The GM hadn't yet traded for Dominic Moore. Matt D'Agostini, David Desharnais and Ben Maxwell, they all played.

It now also stands as a prime example as to why the Canadiens have no course in giving up just yet, and neither do their fans.


You heard it here first

I don't Tobalev would ever claim to be prescient of outcomes. He merely takes some pride in learning from his experience. I like to think I am the same. If there's one thing that the internet has taught me, it is that "You heard it here first" is the most commonly uttered phrase (or some variation thereof) from sports fans.

This attitude is especially common come times like these, times where outcomes seem to be written in the stars. It was around in February as it is today:

After the game on Sunday most people thought that a loss tonight was a certainty. People, more interested in being right than supporting their team, were writing the Habs off and predicting 2 points, max, from this week. I can't, however, stress it enough how the Habs are the type of team that can do this. They can lose to the worst and can beat the best.

There must be a certain irony in quoting one's own material from months ago to prove how others can be wrong in these situations. It's not my point to prove our point of view, especially as I think that "Anything can happen" is about as vague a point of view as anyone can have. There's simply a frustration in me when all the fans I read and respect reach automatically and frantically for the "It's over, you heard it hear first" line. And, having learned from our loyal readers that a positive outlook is sometimes welcome in these hours of doom, we prefer only to support the team, their 45% chance of winning (or whatver it is) and the knowledge that there will be plenty of time for it to be summer when summer comes.


Reasons to put your hope on the line

Last season, the Canadiens found themselves in an elimination game against the top team in the East as well. At that time, we rallied for hope (and there was genuine hope). The situation was more dire than this. Down 3-0. No Andrei Markov. 10 straight losses to the Bruins. A Vezina goalie and a Norris defenceman to go with the top offense in the league.

This season is a bit different. For one thing, the Canadiens have rallied in games. A realist will say this series could be 2-2. Someone extremely optimistic would say it could be 3-1. That is nothing in and of itself, only wins count here, but at least we know the team has belief.

Another reason for hope is this game is taking place in Washington. The first time the Canadiens played there, Price played his best start of the autumn and the Canadiens won 3-2. They lost the return affair, but have since managed to take two games to OT in the Capitol city. The Habs haven't been slouches in Washington at all. If you take the Capitals home record seriously, then you'll know that the Habs have actually been near league-leading in their Verizon Centre play.

We have written and read about the Canadiens need to exploit Washington's weakness – their back end. I think having now experimented with two goalies (one small, one big) the coaches now know where the strategy lies. There is reason to hope that lessons learned from a 1-4 comeback, a 5-1 drubbing and a 6-3 will trickle through. I don't think even Jacques Martin can deny this now, and Montreal may actually set out on a gameplan that may even suit their forwards best – try to score as much as possible. The hope in this is that Pouliot might actually been unfettered, the Kostitsyns driven, the others right there with them.

There's also hope from other series in this spring's competition. The players watch results around the league as well and if they're anything like the rest of us, probably take some inspiration/comfort from what they see. Philly beating the Devils, Boston pushing Miller aside till now, LA running with Vancouver, Ottawa dogging out a win. Ottawa's win last night was of particular relevance. Ottawa took a defensive approach to facing some fantastic talent. For a game it worked. For three games, the lunacy of the thinking was exposed. Last night, the Senators just floored it. They took the lead, extended it and should have extended it more. When the Penguins stormed back and evened it up, the Senators never forgot that keeping the initiative was the key, and for 3 OT periods they pressed until they won.


The Montreal players can take a lot of hope from all this. They can learn from their experience of losing repeatedly only to step out some night later to look like a contender. They can draw form the experience of Markov (1-3 down before), Gomez and others who can explain the wackiness of playoff probabilities and certainties.

As fans, we can do the same. In fact, there's no point doing it any other way. As we've said, there'll be plenty of time for summer when it's summer. Nobody will care if you or I are right or wrong. Let that go. Enjoy the possibility of a win tonight.

Go Habs Go. GHG.