Ottawa Montreal Game #5: Montreal Canadiens Bounced Badly

Details

Date: 09/05/2013
Opponent: Senators
Location: Montreal

Loss: 1-6

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

Habs goalscorers: Subban
Opposition goalscorers: Smith, Conacher (2), Turris, Alfredsson, Condra

Ottawa-Montreal Game #4: A Real Kick in the Nets

Details

Date: 07/05/2013
Opponent: Senators
Location: Ottawa

Loss: 2-3 (OT)

Habs Goalie:Price, Budaj (L)
Opposition Goalie: Anderson (W)

Habs goalscorers: Subban, Galchenyuk
Opposition goalscorers:Toronto Goal Judge, Conacher, Turris

Andrei Needs To Go?

Almost couldn't believe my eyes when I read the headline this morning:

"Montreal Canadiens’ Andrei Kostitsyn has got to go"

The sensational headline will be clicked on all day by supporters and those who wanted this nascent thought reaffirmed anyway.

The problem I have is not necessarily with the headline (I understand trying to hook a reader), but as usual with the quick and dirty research that went into backing up a story with such a contentious stance.

First of all, the article uses average stats available to anyone and everyone, despite the fact the author has special access to the team. What's more, I read Puck Daddy's article last night and this one barely misses a step as it retraces arguments.

Context for instance would be nice, seeing as we all did watch this thing unfold anyway. Let's divide the season using some sense, shall we:

Games 1-12: Andrei started the season on the top line with Plekanec and Cammalleri. 6 G and 4 A in 12 games.




Games 13-19: Andrei is moved to help get Gomez going. The first game is with Gionta, the next 6 are mostly spent with Lapierre and Gomez. 1 G and 3 A in 7 games.




Games 20-29: Andrei is moved back to the new first line.




Game 30: Gomez is injured in Game 28 and misses 2 games. As a result the top 6 is now a top 4 (sorry Ben). As a result, Andrei gets another game back with Pleks and Cammalleri.




Game 31-42: Pacioretty called up and granted his wish/demand. Top 6 duty all the time (maybe Pouliot/Kostitsyn/Eller didn't notice the success of this approach?). Andrei largely finds a place on the Plekanec and Cammalleri line.




Games 43-44: Cammalleri misses two games. Total line disarray, except for Gomez/Gionta/Pacioretty. Andrei experimented on a line with Jeff Halpern.




Game 45-46: Cammalleri back for two games, Andrei stays with Halpern and Moen.




Games 47-50: Cammalleri out long term. Canadiens top 6 becomes top 5 again. Kostitsyn united with Eller and Plekanec for the most part for 4 game trial.




Games 51-60: Gomez and Plekanec swap for most games to get Gionta and Pacioretty firing. Predictable results for Andrei given last stint. This is a very big slump for Andrei on the gamelog as he only records a single assist. His PP time is 15 minutes over 10 games, half of what the top options were getting.




Games 61-67: Cammalleri back for outdoor game #59. After one game of rehab the top 6 is reassessed. Kostitsyn is adjudged to be out. Plays on a line with Eller (at the time a 3 G, 4 A rookie) and Travis (hands) Moen. But Kostitsyn makes good and is easily the hottest player on the team, Eller the second. Andrei records 4 G and 6 A from games 61 to 70.




Games 68-70: Pacioretty injured in Game 67 -- a full-time (no exceptions) member of the top 6 is removed from the deck. Pouliot trialed, Halpern trialed!!!




Games 71-74: Plekanec misses games. Out of necessity, Kostitsyn re-promoted
to Cammalleri's line, still with Eller.




Games 75-77: Plek returns. Andrei stays with Eller. Andrei turns in the best goal production in goals by forwards from games 71-77 (3 G)




Games 78-82: The line wheel is spun one last time and Andrei ends the season where he began with Pleks and Cammalleri. Line clicks well enough to keep it intact for the playoffs. Andrei has 3 assists in 5 games.





Key events:

Gomez slump
Martin determines his priority is to get Gomez going (I think we all agreed it was worth the experiment at the time too). Kostitsyn is the trial man.

Pacioretty call-up
Pacioretty gets his wish and plays with Gionta pretty much every time he steps on the ice. He mostly gets Gomez with a healthy dash of PLekanec

Cammalleri return from injury
The 5 are suddenly a 6 and the line combinations become more flexible. Kostitsyn odd man out in favour of some questionable options.

Pacioretty injury
Window of opportunity for Andrei? Think again, Pouliot and Halpern gievn the bit.


Like probably every player in the league, Kostitsyn sees things from his own point of view first. From his point of view, it seems that he had a good start and things went down from there. From his point of view it seems he was used to kick start players, but unless there was another reason (injury) there weren't really attempts to kickstart him. From his point of view Pacioretty jumped the queue, Desharnais did for a little while too. From his point of view ice time is not the determining factor of first/second/third line, who is on the line is.

Some of his point of view is fair and some isn't.

It is fair, for example, that he resents being stripped from the top line at Game 13 to help 3 point Gionta and 3 point Gomez. It is fair that he feels a bit slighted that others were tried first before him when Cammalleri got injured.

Andrei probably does need to calm down too. he did slump at a pretty inopportune time (Cammalleri injury) and this rightly coloured coaching decisions for 15 games afterwards. He may have been on the third line in his mind (Eller), but in ice time and production he should probably re-evaluate that stint and recognise Martin did a favour by letting him find chemistry with Eller.


Does he need to go?

Well of course not.

What probably does need to go is the sensational half thoughts that led to this conclusion.

Even if the GM did want to trade him (and he might have wanted that anyway with contract status and all), the timing would be at its near worst to move right now. All but the most myopic would see that.

But all stats I collect also point to the fact that Andrei is actually a winning propostion on this team at his current price. The fact that people don't like brooding Russians (Belorussians) shouldn't change that.

In my estimation, everyone should take reports like this seriously, but not always go for the knee-jerk: the player is wrong to speak response. Speaking out isn't the favoured approach and we'd all prefer if this was a private meeting with the GM instead of reporter, but what is said should be taken just as seriously because it gives a window into what one player thinks. What one player thinks might not be an isolated thought. Think team chemistry can be set by ejecting players? Think again, team chemistry is fragile and takes action and proactive moves to keep the balance.

In my estimation, Gauthier does probably need to act here thought. He needs to meet with Jacques Martin to make sure a plan is in place to optimize communication between players, coaches and management. Kostitsyn won't be the only player who likes decisions explained to him, he won't be the only player who needs his ego stroking once in a while. There really is no excuse at all for not getting this right. Egos in sports are not a new thing, and anyone with an ounce of understanding of psychology or even 10 minutes of coaching experience will know that a team of players requires a team of coaching strategies.

So let's all calm down here. Kostitsyn's status shouldn't change based on an unconfirmed report and a bit of NHL.com research.

Habs Need A New Signing

It's nearly mid-August. There's only so much one can read about Erik Cole.

Pierre Gauthier needs to come back from vacation and sign more than a goaltender for training camp drills, because the 400 blogs and 77 media personnel who cover this hockey team are gagging for some news.

Of course, there are other reasons to move: money to players that could help the team instead of Molsons, replace the bottom tier forwards that were lost, bolster Hamilton, insurance policy.


Players available

One mustn't only look at Gauthier, it's been a very slow summer from the vast majority of teams. One gets the feeling that Eklund is waiting for this domino or that domino to fall before paying for his site will be "worthwhile" again.

There are players available, though. In fact, several of the decent free agents from July 1 are still available for signing today. For those who are starting to think that people are putting too much weight of expectation on Cole, here are a few forwards that could help the team a little (and help the poor reporters a lot):

Chris Clark (RW):
He's not going to set the world on fire (or score 30 goals again), but he could probably quite capably replace Jeff Halpern and push guys like Moen to compete more for ice time.

Mike Grier (RW):
Always thought he was a good example of someone who is not only big, but can play big. As he's aged, he's also learned to be very good defensively.

JP Dumont (RW):
Let's get realistic. One of the top 6 is going to have a tough year, probably two. The GM can't take the attitude that signing a guy like Dumont will close the door. Having three good lines too much for Habs fans? It was too much for Rejean Houle...

And here are a couple of D that could make the team and make the mix back there more interesting:

Scott Hannan (D):
Wouldn't do it for his previous salary, but surely a summer of waiting has him thinking of discounting his services. Like the forwards, having an extra capable guy around couldn't/wouldn't hurt too much.

Jack Hillen (D):
25, unsigned. Maybe that's a red flag. Maybe his contract demands are sky high. But at the right price, why not Jack Hillen? It might taint the dream lineups that have been on the bulletin boards, but who cares?


All of these guys could be temporary upgrades on whoever is slotted into the spots now and (again not kidding ourselves)injuries will ensure young players still get their chances.

At the very least if we could stop hearing about Erik Cole, any signing would be a good thing.

Benching Pouliot A Question Of Priority

Benoit Pouliot took a fateful penalty in Game #3. Following 2 games and a period without a point, Ben charged into Johnny Boychuk as the second man and ended up serving 2 minutes. Although the Bruins didn't technically score on the PP, they did score their 3rd (and gamewinning) goal within 10 seconds of its end while the Habs were still scrambling.

Pouliot played 2 more shifts in that game, and with Halpern's return, none since.

While the penalty was extremely ill-advised, and warrants a lesson of the sort being handed out right now. On the cusp of Game #6, however, the banishment of Pouliot turns into something bigger: a decision on organizational priority.


To bench Pouliot now reinforces the message to Ben and to other young players that the playoffs are a special brand of hockey where concentration has to come before whimsy.

The other side of the coin is that Pouliot represents a better player than many of those in the line up. A player who can break defenses on his own, who can control quick passes, who can score goals under tight checking.

The choice for the Habs, therefore: This year or future years?


This year

To go for it this year, the Canadiens need to answer Claude Julien's defensive adaptations. No longer can the Tom Pyatts of the world just carry down the boards. That avenue of attack has been sealed off. To go for it this year, Martin has to look to increase his goalscoring and the threat of goalscoring (to push Bruins defenders to make mistakes again).

Pouliot isn't going to storm the scene and take over the series, but he does offer a known quantity in terms of offensive know how. This season he scored 13 goals while playing on different lines. Never once was he given the full benefit of Gomez or Plekanec, yet he found ways to make it work for certain periods of the season.

Over the season, Benoit scored 0.856 goals per 60 minutes of play and averaged 1.975 points per 60 minutes. As a goalscorer and point getter this places him in the top 6 on the team. Consider also that he was on the ice for a total of 41 goals this season (36 of which were at ES).

This puts him in good stead vs. the current top 6 players and a good distance ahead of the others. Tom Pyatt, who rarely misses a game, was only on the ice for 12 goals all season long. Pouliot also offers promise over Eller (0.49 G/60 and 1.19 Pts/60), Moen (0.35 G/60 and 0.92 Pts/60) and White (0.50 G/60 and 1.24 Pts/60).

I think adding Ben back in would accomplish a few things like adding a third line that can score (much like the Ryder line that has troubled the Habs so much), giving another option for when Moen dries up production on the 2nd line again and just add a little bit of danger to the minds of Boston defenders who mustn't shudder when they see Pyatt and Weber coming.

I think adding Ben back in would be an indication that the choice to win tonight and to win as much as possible this season represents as big a priority as anything else to the organization.


Future seasons

The choice to defer success now for success later wouldn't be a new choice for the Habs. Three years ago, when the team gave Price his baptism by fire, they did the same.

Benching Pouliot is more than a lesson to Pouliot. It is a signal to everyone, rookie and veteran alike, that straying from the core strategy will not be tolerated - the core strategy of course being discipline under fire.

It's a valid stance. Discipline is valuable based on the season the Habs have just had. The Canadiens worst slip ups and defeats came during moments of indiscipline and largesse. To eliminate silly penalties is to eliminate one of the team's main weaknesses.

It's also valid given the make up of the squad. Price, Eller, Pouliot, Subban, Weber, Pyatt, Desharnais, White. These are all players that will be here for a while. These are all players being molded. It's hard to see it when it's taking place, but some trouble seasons, some dead-end playoff runs are valuable learning grounds. Without losing and the pressure of having to win, the precocious talent often misses being tempered into the steel that can battle through 4 rounds. If the goal is a Cup, and it should be, then hardening the competitors for a Cup run is a vital step.

If Pouliot is benched one more time, with the threat of elimination, it will mark for me the organization's priority for the future. A recognition that the team may not be there yet and lessons gathered now may be more helpful than a second round berth.



Mutually exclusive goals?

If you know our blog, then you know our thinking on this. Losing Markov, recent trades, surges of other teams, these are all lessons that show us chances are precious. Planning for the future is nice, but there are no guarantees there will be a future (at least in the playoffs).

What's more (and you can probably tell from the undeveloped argument for the future above), lessons don't have to be contained in packages that run over a year. And there are more lessons to be learned than the one Pouliot is supposed to be soaking up in the pressbox. Think for example of the lessons that a young team could learn from a disciplined couple of games from Pouliot, think of the lessons they could learn from adding passion to discipline, think of what they could learn from winning tonight's game, tomorrow's game.

My position (although I can see the other side) is that Pouliot needs to play. As probably the fourth best pure talent on the team in front of the defenders and an unpredictable proposition, he's too important a piece to leave out of the battle plans. I believe that the Habs dearth of scoring and chance generation is a bigger problem now than discipline - particularly in light of the fact referees are taking care of discipline regardless of play by now.

I hope the team of coaches and managers think this through and graps that what may seem like a black and white choice could be a winning compromise where present and future goals are sought and achieved.

Go Habs Go.

Game #1-5Heartbreak In Boston

Details

Date: 23/4/2011
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston

Loss: 1-2 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Halpern
Opposition goalscorers: Marchand, Horton

Play of the game

Thomas' save on Gionta was probably the play of the game, the play of the series. The save was a good one, but I think the play I am really thinking about was Gionta's shot. A nice give-and-go with Moen meant that Brian ended up with a lot of the net to shoot at. He didn't get the best shot off, however, and gave Boston life when maybe they shouldn't have had any. That was our big chance and we made Thomas look great and then, a few minutes later, it came back to haunt us.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Brian Gionta
The captain gave it his all tonight and it showed on his face. He was exhausted at the end as I am sure most of the players were. He may not have scored, but did a great job to go to the net and test Thomas. In all he had 7 shots; that led the Habs.

Jeff Halpern
He scored our only goal on one of his 3 shots. Beyond that goal, which was obviously a huge moment for the Habs, he had a very strong, 2-way game. I liked what he was doing along the boards and at the top of our zone as his fight was really paying off. He also had a fantastic face-off night as his 73% was the highest in the game.

David Desharnais
I am thrilled for David that he got a shot on the second line as he once again deserved it. Although one of the smallest players on the Habs he certainly showed how big of a heart he has as he gave it his absolute all throughout the game. He kept fighting all along and almost played a hero's role on a few separate occasions.

Defencemen

PK Subban
40 minutes for PK tonight and the crazy thing is that he didn't look like he was tired. He played well throughout; smart and patient. He skated so well with the puck and each of his spins looked just too easy that you wonder why no one else can do them.

Hal Gill
Gill had some moments where he looked like his regular season self from 2 years ago, moments where I yelled at the TV. But, there were other moments, many more of them, where he made amazing plays and stopped Boston from getting anywhere near the net. He was unlucky to be there on Boston's first goal as it was the first of two bounces to go their way, a department that they beat us in by two tonight.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
He was two very unlucky bounces away from a huge shutout win. They got the bounces and the calls tonight and we didn't. Carey was the best player on either team as he was thwarting Boston every couple of minutes. It was big save after big save. He looked so calm out there, could it be that my heart, in my living room, was pumping more than his tonight? Crazy.

Comments

You can't tell me that the Bruins didn't break a rule in the last 50 minutes of this game, well, you can if you are a ref. I can't blame Boston for breaking every rule in the book (apart from the shooting the puck over the glass rule - for some reason the only callable penalty in the playoffs as we all know it is the worst thing that one can do out there) because that is the type of hockey the fans (didn't ask too many people that I know) and the league wants. At the end of the day though we got unlucky (a Ryder glove save, a Chara leg save, two bounces right to them in our crease) and they didn't. It is a shame as I felt we played as well, if not better, for the majority of this game. We didn't dominate and we were certainly dominated at times, but we did have a lot of chances and played some good hockey at both ends, especially in nets. The Habs could probably be up in this series, they could probably already have won it, but at the end of the day we aren't getting the goals we need. Every game ends up being too tight and you can't go far if you always have to go to OT or win by 1 (let's forget 1993).

Game 6 will be intense and Boston will likely come out hungrier, so let's hope the ghosts can give us a few bounces so that we can go back to Boston and try, one more time, to beat them in a winner-take-all game.

Game #68Emotional Couple of Days Ends in Loss to an Old Friend

Details

Date: 10/3/2011
Opponent: Blues
Location: St. Louis

Loss: 1-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Halpern
Opposition goalscorers: Backes, McDonald, D'Agostini, Oshie

Play of the game

We worked very hard for our only goal, all five players did. In fact, I think that it was our best burst of effort all game. Cammalleri got the ball rolling by controlling the puck very well in the Blues' end. Pleks then took over and did a good job to get in to Mara. Paul quickly got the puck to the pinching Picard. Alex then skated in and instead of shooting made an amazing pass to a wide-open Halpern who merely had to re-direct the puck in the open side.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Mike Cammalleri
Montreal didn't look too strong in this one so it is a hard dome to choose. I did, however, like Mike's effort on the goal and thought that he did an OK job the rest of the way. With Patches out we really need him to pick it up as I doubt anyone from the 3rd or 4th lines is going to score at a higher rate than they have. To me, he is a player that we must focus on in the last 14 games.

Jeff Halpern
He was our only goal-scorer tonight and that has to count for something. Any goal, in fact, from him seems like a bonus as he isn't the one you would expect to be scoring. He was also OK in our own end and on the PK.

David Desharnais
David played a good game, but I felt that we didn't use him enough tonight. Just because he is on the 4th line isn't reason enough for him to get the least amount of ice-time. I am not asking for him to be used 15+ minutes a game, but when he is on relative to the rest of the group this must be recognized.

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik - Game Puck
This wasn't the best game that Roman has played this season, not even the best in the past few weeks, but I did feel that he was there to compete. He made quite a few very solid plays in his own end that stood out to me and likely saved the Habs a few goals-against. He had the most ice-time on the team which I think is encouraging as we need him to be on his game now more than ever and we need him to be ready to play big minutes down the stretch.

Alexandre Picard
Alex stayed out of trouble in his own end and made up a decent first-time partnership with Mara. Those two would likely be the two I would sit if given the choice, but it is nice to know that they are ready and capable. His pass to Halpern on the goal was fantastic and was another reminder that he indeed has some decent offence in him.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Carey started with some great saves and kept the Habs within striking distance for most of the game. The third goal was very nice and confirmed the loss that we were all expecting. It was a slow, unemotional and somewhat dull game, but Price was there, as usual, to give his team a chance.

Comments

I think that the players, like me, found it hard to get into this game. We have all spent 48 hours worrying about Pacioretty and questioning our faith in this league and this game. To then have to travel halfway across the continent and face a good team and good goalie is a tall task. We certainly had our chances and could have won, but I think on this night the better, more focused team won. I can, however, live with this loss as it is a no consequence game really. My focus really has shifted away from results over the past few hours and I still need a few days to start thinking that they really matter. I am happy with our spot in the standings and feel that we should make the playoffs. I do expect that my interest and the players' passion and energy level will return, though as it can only go up from here. This game, however, did offer one bright spot as it was a chance to see Halak again. Jaro played a solid game and deserved the win. His season, and the Blues', isn't what he had hoped for, but I think that that team will improve over the next few years and it will be interesting to see if he'll do for them what none of us can forget he did for us.

Game #62Habs Play Well, Leafs Refs Play Better

Details

Date: 24/2/2011
Opponent: Maple Leafs
Location: Montreal

Loss: 4-5

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

Habs goalscorers: Halpern, Cammalleri, Wisniewski, Pacioretty
Opposition goalscorers: Kessel (2), Lebda, Bozak (2)

Play of the game

Cammalleri's goal was a beaut, and boy did we need a goal from Mike. It started when PK made a great play to gain the zone and then attack it. Most players would have given up on the play, but Subban kept it going. He couldn't get to the goal, but just before rounding it left the puck for Kostitsyn. Andrei then made a great pass to Mike who was able to place a perfect shot by Reimer.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Jeff Halpern - Game Puck
I haven't seen Jeff play this well since early in the season. I wonder if the trade deadline makes a journeyman veteran pick it up a bit? Proving he wants to stay? Proving why another team wants him? Nah, I don't really think it was that, but he did play a fantastic game. Towards the end he seemed to be very active around the Leaf goal and I wasn't surprised that he was in on Pacioretty's marker.

Tomas Plekanec
Pleks is certainly picking it up of late. Tonight was another great example of how good of a player he is as he, at times, dominated in both ends. He was on the ice for three of our goals, but did so much more than that. His best stuff was his one-on-ones that he seemed to be winning with fairly good regularity. Making Komisarek look like a fool, even though it isn't that hard, is always welcome with me.

Max Pacioretty
If there is one thing that has been bothering me of late with Max it is that he always tries to go inside then outside on every defender he faces. It isn't working for him and, unfortunately, often ends in a turn-over. That, however, isn't enough to deter me tonight. In fact, I do quite like that he at least is getting the puck and trying stuff with it. What I did like was that he wanted to be at the net all game long and he wanted to take shots, as many as he could. In all he took 9 and it, therefore, isn't surprising that one finally went in.

Defencemen

James Wisniewski
James probably wants to make sure that he is still with this team in a week and what better way to do that than score your first of 2011. He did very well on the PP and laid some nice hits too. It will be interesting to see what our D will be next week (it looks like Spacek it out long-term), but I am hoping that James is a part of it because he adds an element that when we don't have it, we all complain that we need it; so much so some even wanted MAB back.

Roman Hamrlik
This was another fantastic game from Roman. He played 28+ minutes which may seem like too much, but for all the assumptions about him getting tired, he isn't really showing it. He has had some down times over the season, but, for the most part, has been very reliable in every aspect of play. Like the Wis, I hope that Hammer is part of this team next week and I think that he is making a very good case to be on it next year too.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Not too much to choose tonight. Both goalies played and Price played better. Auld got unlucky, but so did Price. I would like to say that had Price started we would have won, but that is taking the blame off the refs and putting it on Auld. Tonight I really don't think that either goalie was a major deciding factor.

Comments

4 refs to supervise 12 players. 4! How on earth they can get the majority of calls wrong, I'll never know. The refs in this league are horrible, we all know that, but tonight they went beyond their usual farce, they were putrid. This game would have been so different had Gionta not been called for lifting a stick and having a Leaf player catch an edge. For starters we should have been given a PP on that very play and, the real kicker, Gionta could have scored as he had a 2-0n-1 going when that call was made. Two quick PP goals by Toronto gave them a lead that they really had no business taking. We played better than the Leafs tonight and deserved a better result. I felt that we played some of our most intense, chance-ridden hockey late in the third period; a type of hockey that would overwhelm any team. It is upsetting that we didn't come out of this with a point and I can only hope that the coaches saw the same thing that I did and side with the players, and not against them, in this case. Carolina is never easy for us, but with them so close behind us I feel that we really need a regulation win, no if, and or refs about it.

Game #59Montreal Overwhelmed By Young Oilers

Details

Date: 17/2/2011
Opponent: Oilers
Location: Edmonton

Loss: 1-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Halpern
Opposition goalscorers: Hemsky (2), Eberle, Jones

Play of the game

A Subban shot towards the end that went wide was, disappointingly, our best play of the game. Right after we killed a 5-on-3 we seemed to show some life. Weber did a good job to flip a high one in the air into the neutral zone. Their Gomez did an excellent job of controlling the puck and got it to Gio before getting it back. He then found a streaking PK who made a nice move to get in close. It was the story of the night, however, as the eventual shot went wide.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Scott Gomez - Game Puck
Is this the start of something? Camms could be back which means we could have two real lines (man, is Moen ever brutal or what?). If Scott plays like he did tonight with Cammalleri and Kostitsyn on his wings there would likely be very different results. A game like tonight wouldn't just be a good game in our eyes, but likely also in those who value stats above anything.

Lars Eller
I wondered if this could be Lars' last game with the big club this season, but then he went and played well enough to justify his spot. I can't however, really see a place for him long-term as it seems the third line is already set and I am not sure if he is a fourth-liner. I think that everyone involved would benefit from him being a top-6 in Hamilton rather than a bottom-3 up here.

Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei was our most dangerous forward tonight and I wasn't the only one who thought so. JM was using him more and it seemed to help him with his confidence. He was connecting well with Gomez throughout, but I would still like to see him reunited with Pleks as that combo worked so well for us early on this year.

Defencemen

Yannick Weber
Yan was our best defenceman tonight and he was rewarded with an insane amount of minutes. Our D continues to drop which means the young Swiss rearguard, who started the season as our #8, is up into our top-3. He is doing a formidable job, but it would be nice if he could go back to learning his trade on the third pairing.

Roman Hamrlik
I almost put the Wis in here, but thought that that was a bit silly, so went with the least bad of the remaining four. That, tonight, happened to be Hamrlik. I wasn't too big on his defensive play, but did quite like what I saw from Roman in the offensive zone. With all the injuries we have we have to be very careful with him as at his age he is the most likely one to pick something up as fatigue must now surely be becoming an issue. Is Chelios available? He can't be too much worse than Nash or Mara.

Goaltender

Carey Price
This was a bit of an off game from Carey. He has saved much harder stuff than he let in tonight. Edmonton, however, is never a good place for him and it showed again tonight. With a tighter D corps this could have been a win and we wouldn't have noticed any weaknesses as those shots would have never been so dangerous; so, much is forgiven.

Comments

We lost the winnable game which in a way may not be a bad thing. We still have two more games to play in the west and I am sure that we will play better now having lost to the league's worst team. A win would have been nice, but maybe this loss will serve as a reminder to us in the coming weeks. It can be a reminder that no opponent should be taken lightly, a reminder that constantly pinching our D-men will bite us and a reminder that we must be much more efficient as we are too vulnerable; our lack of depth is starting to show on the face of the team. Sunday will be a good game, but now it has to be more than a shinny game, it has to be a win. We can't slide too much and I would much more comfortable heading to Vancouver off a win rather than off 3 losses in a row.

Game #47More Quality Refereeing On Display Tonight

Details

Date: 18/1/2011
Opponent: Sabres
Location: Buffalo

Loss: 1-2 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Desharnais
Opposition goalscorers: Ennis, Pominville

Play of the game

You don't see this type of play often, so I thought that it had to be mentioned. The play of the game really has two parts though, the play, and the touching aftermath. The play happened when Price was beat, there to make the save, however, was Subban who slid across and saved the day. The very warm moment that followed was when Price put his glove over PK's head and them tapped him on the bum to thank him for a job well done. How sweet.

Dome hockey team

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

Brian Gionta
Brian played well throughout this one, especially in the offensive zone. I haven't seen him in so many scrums all year and I think that was a captain telling his team that no matter how many players were missing this team was here to play.

Scott Gomez
I thought that Scott was a warrior tonight. Like Gionta, he was very active in Buffalo's end and was very involved after the whistle. I have never seen him so angry as when he was called for high-sticking in the dying minutes. Can't blame him though, wouldn't you too be upset if you were the guy called out to allow Buffalo to complete the comeback.

Tomas Plekanec
Pleks was our best forward tonight and did it without Cammalleri by his side. He led the team in shots and was also very effective on the PK. He had one play at the end which basically enabled us to go to OT as he single-handedly held the puck in Buffalo's end as the clocked ticked up to 60.

Defencemen

PK Subban
PK made the game-saver which was his highlight in this one. It was, however, back to big wind-ups as he must have forgotten just how hard and accurate his wrister can be. He again logged the most minutes on the team and rightly so as he was our best defender out there. I am becoming very pleased with his work on the PK as it always seems like an unexpected surprise.

Yannick Weber
This was the best game that I have seen Weber play in the last little while. Tonight he didn't stand out as a rookie, but instead looked like a very good, NHL-ready, D-man. He is moving the puck well and is also playing soundly in his own end. His 4 blocked-shots led the team and his penalty can be forgiven as it was bound to be someone in white getting called.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
Price played a great game tonight and, thanks to him, is the reason that we are heading home with an extra point in the bank. Buffalo didn't put forth their best effort, but it was enough that a lesser goalie may not have held up. I feel bad for him on the winner as what could he really have done? An OT penalty, I mean it is almost as though the refs did want to affect the outcome.

Comments

Tonight there are built-in excuses like you wouldn't believe. The first has to be that we are tired after last night's win. Then, the fact that we lost 3 forwards early, 3 effective forwards that is. The last excuse has to be that the officiating was, yet again, a joke. After the first period it was 4 PPs for them and none for us. I could live with that (and would welcome it) if Eller wasn't hit from behind and cross-checked 3 times in a row, if Gaustad and Vanek got out of Price's way, if Gaustad stopped hitting everyone and everything after the whistle and if Gerbe (who?) didn't fake his way to a call with a minute to play. As long as the reffing is like this then the team getting the calls will always have the advantage. We had a good chance to win, despite this charade, and did well to only let in 2. The end result is an OT loss against a pretty pathetic team, though, so all is not lost. More importantly will be finding out how our players are and if we'll need Dustin Boyd to rescue us or not.

Game #46Suddenly Subban!

Details

Date: 17/1/2011
Opponent: Flames
Location: Montreal

Win: 5-4 (OT)

Habs Goalie: Auld, Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Kiprusoff, Karlsson (L)

Habs goalscorers: Eller, Cammalleri, Kostitsyn, Halpern, Subban
Opposition goalscorers: Bourque, Bouwmeester, Kotalik, Tanguay

Play of the game

The best play (from a non-timing perspective) had to be the goal that put the Habs up by two. We had just killed off a Cammalleri penalty and it was he who ended up scoring the goal. It takes a few things to happen to get a breakaway out of the box. You need their D to forget about you, you need your team to be aware of the situation and you need to get yourself in a good position to get a pass. All of those happened and with a great pass from Halpern, Camms was in alone. The shot that came was the type of shot that we need Mike to be taking and need him to be scoring; it was simply blistering.

Dome hockey team

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

Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei scored tonight and was probably unlucky to only get one. He was strong throughout the entire game whether it was helping out in his own end or making things happen in their end. He led the team in shots and hits and was one non-Subban OT winner away from a Game Puck.

Jeff Halpern
This one was a toss-up between Jeff and Gomez. I really liked Gomez's offensive play tonight as there were a few great passes; especially his assist on the winner. Both players also did well in the face-off circle (JH: 7-4, SG: 13-2), but I gave it to Jeff as he scored what turned out to be a very crucial goal. His goal is a great lesson in why you should never, ever let up. He, like Scott, also made a great pass as it was Halpern that fed Camms with the long bomb when Mike was out of the box.

Tomas Plekanec
Early on in this one Pleks was by far our best player. He continued to play well throughout, but other players rose up too. He was such a force down low and in the corners as he was winning battles, creating chances and simply dominating those covering him. His whole line played well tonight and that is what you need from your top line when there are crucial games, like tonight's, on the line.

Defencemen

PK Subban - Game Puck
Had Wisniewski not broken his stick, rushed to the bench and had the puck come to his feet then PK would have never jumped on the ice. Had that never happened then PK would have basically had the perfect game tonight. He was making great defensive plays all game, played well on the PK and PP and added an exclamation point with a thrilling OT winner. The goal, his fourth, is a highlight of what is becoming a very good season for the rookie. Points aside, if he plays like this from now on (27+ minutes tonight) then he'll have to be a favourite for the Calder.

Hal Gill
Hal is playing better with PK beside of him and so is PK. It just shows that not every partnership (Gill-Gorges) is always the best fit, even if it is a very good fit. He did cough the puck up on Bouwmeester's goal, but like PK that was his one big mistake in an otherwise good game. He and PK both played 6+ minutes of shorthanded hockey and both did an excellent job of keeping the Flames at bay (0/4).

Goaltender

Carey Price
Auld was given what every goalie dreams about; a 4-goal lead and the sound of iron ringing in his ears. I would say that the Canadiens were lucky to be up by so much early and Auld's luck, unfortunately was the first to run out. 4 goals over a 9:30 span were enough for JM to watch and in came Price. Carey only faced 4 shots, but did what he had to. I think that Mr. Auld was lucky that we scored and that they kept hitting the post, but also that we won; people will be quick to forget this off-game. I hope.

Comments

Calgary showed tonight why they are in the basement over in the West (the Oilers are beneath the foundation...). It started with weak goaltending, but it quickly became apparent that their defence was weak too. Add that to the fact that they have a weak offence and all of a sudden it adds up. In fact it reminds me so much of what we have seen, at times, from the Habs over the past 20 years. Tonight's game will never be one that is remembered for its defensive tone or goaltending as both teams struggled to really impose any sort of system. It is, therefore, lucky that we did win in the end as the Habs, when forced to play another team's game, can sometimes lose the picture. It was certainly lost at times, but when Calgary scored that fourth goal it was almost like a blessing. With the tying goal they went to sleep and we woke up. In fact, I believe that had they scored that goal 5-10 minutes later we may have had a hard time re-taking control of the game.

In the end Subban put home a wonderful shot and we can all go home happy. The best part, of everything, for me has to be how we scored goals 2, 3 and 5. All of those were hard and precise shots that came from 3 of our top players. Those 3 players can all be huge difference makers and when they play like they did tonight they are just that. We'll next see Calgary in a month when we face-off outdoors and if, by that time, we are still on about these three players (for good reasons) then we should be right back to where we want to be in the standings.

First Half Check-Up Other Forwards

Finally, the checking forwards. our supposed depth. For posterity, here's how they did in the second 20 game stretch of the season.

Legend:

G, A, Pts, Dome - you know already
PM - Plus/minus
Ch +/- - Differential in scoring chances at even strength
Fenwick - Shots and missed shots for minus those against at ES
Corsi - Shots, missed shots and blocked shots for minus those against at ES

Jeff Halpern

Grade:

B+

Jeff was a different player in the first twenty games than he was in the second. That said, the surprise from him was the first twenty and not the second twenty. Even if he's no longer an offensive contributor, he still brings what the team supposedly sought when they signed him -- a solid NHLer who can play in a few different roles.

Mathieu Darche

Grade:

A-

Darche has had a very nice second quarter season. Playing from a variety of lines, he has more often than not provided a spark. Have a look at his Corsi and Fenwick columns to see that he completely outclassed whoever he was on against. The trouble that remains is that for all this, he is even in plus minus -- perhaps witness to the fact he is still a third line type scorer. Still an incredible asset to have found in the way the team did.

Travis Moen

Grade:

C+

Moen is quite a consistent player. I would never expect a horrible game from him. Nor would I expect to be blown away. When the team signed Travis, it was thought he could contribute in small bits when the other forwards might be on down cycles. I think we now know that is not what he can do. You hope in a slump that the 4th line might provide some spark. instead in these back to earth 20 games, Travis was outchanced as badly as almost anyone else.

Tom Pyatt

Grade:

B-

Last time I said something about how every team needs a player that can just play a responsible game, not get scored on and take a small salary for doing it. Pyatt does that. I don't have much more to say about him.

Lars Eller

Grade:

B+

Eller's been doing a lot of things right. Ultimately, though, at some point he has to learn how to turn doing a lot of things right into numbers that will help the team -- pushed in goal here or there, a penalty drawn. Despite what looked like a good improvement on first quarter numbers, Eller actually gets a downgrade. This is because in the second quarter he was promoted on several occasions and just failed to seize the moment. I'm not talking about not scoring gamewinners here, I'm talking about the fact his play suffered when he was moved up a line. he needs to work this out to make the next level.

David Desharnais

Grade:

N/A

The cat may be out of the bag now, but at 41 games there wasn't much evidence. David shows extraordinary skill at times, but is yet to show the St. Louis or Briere ability to make us forget he is small. We need more time to view him.

Maxim Lapierre

Grade:

D

This is a bit of a different review. He's getting a D mostly because he proved himself to be an unreasonable person who took a lot for granted. For a guy who had a horrible first season with the coach and then followed with a horrible opening 20 games, I was a bit shocked to hear he asked for a trade because he felt cheated of ice time. I think at times we felt cheated because he was getting too much ice time, no? It's a shame that Max asked for that trade, i never thought self-interest was what he was about.

Dustin Boyd

Grade:

D

Not a very good start to his Habs career so far. And to be in the shadow of a player with 11 goals and 20-odd points makes it worse. Dustin can't get such a low mark for his play, but I can only surmise that in practice and elsewhere he can't have impressed the coaches too much, as there would have otherwise been plenty of opportunity for him to play a few more games. With depth being as thin as it is in Habsland, don't be too surprised if Boyd makes a glorious recovery from Hamilton and is called back into the team.

Game #44Montreal Outclassed By Pens And Bylsma

Details

Date: 12/1/2011
Opponent: Penguins
Location: Montreal

Loss: 2-5

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

Habs goalscorers: Plekanec, Desharnais
Opposition goalscorers: Goligoski (2), Kennedy, Staal, Letang

Play of the game

When the game was still within reach Price made a very good save on Malkin. It was the type of goal that you would expect a superstar to score which made the save even better. Malkin was uncovered on Price's left and received a great pass. The next step was to put it into the open net, but with a quick slide over Carey denied him that privilege.

Dome hockey team

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

David Desharnais
Scoring on a tip-in isn't normally enough for recognition, but on a bad night like tonight when that goal happens to be your first ever you get cut some slack. He wasn't bad the rest of the way, but aside from that goal I don't remember much, good or bad.

Jeff Halpern
I noticed quite a few good moments and no real bad ones from Jeff tonight. It is becoming more unclear with each shift what his role is, but at least he is taking it all in his stride. Obviously the PK is to forget, but I was happy with his 83% face-off winning percentage.

Tomas Plekanec - Game Puck
I felt that Tom was the only player who actually played well tonight. Had his teammates followed then we probably would have won. He scored a nice goal (a quick answer to the Pens' first) and also did well in the face-off circle. As I suggested last night Darche is a band-aid and I think, even though it may hurt sometimes, Pleks needs regular linemates that remain as his linemates for more than 6 minutes at a time.

Defencemen

Yannick Weber
With the most attempted shots on the team and no major miscues (eh Hammer, Spacek, Wis and Subban?) Weber gets the nod. He, for the most part, stayed out of trouble in his own end and wasn't on the ice for any of Pittsburgh's goal (not his fault that he doesn't play on the PK).

Hal Gill
5:38 of PK time and no goals were scored while he was on. Not bad considering that the Habs let in 4. His beer-league like offence and shot were noticed tonight, but at least that meant he was involved. As usual, though, his strong defensive and PK play earned him this dome..

Goaltender

Alex Auld
Carey has to be better than that. It is unfortunate that there were so many PPs, but 4 PP goals against in a 27-minute stretch will kill you every single time. At least two goals were soft and were goals that we all know he can save (defensive miscue or not). His puckhandling was again bad and actually directly led to the insignificant 5th goal. A night to forget, for sure, as it was Fleury doing the super-lame pose tonight, six nights after Price made a bit of a fool of himself crossing his arms against the Pens.

Comments

After the first period the game was tied, but more significantly we had 2 PPs and they had had none. Now, to a regular observer of sport there is no real problem with this, but with an NHL coach there is. That is because the NHL is meant to hand-out penalties at an even rate and is supposed to allow all teams an equal chance on the PP. So after the first Bylsma had a long chat with the refs (to no doubt complain about this). I, by the way, am not making this up as Pierre Houde commented on it at the start of the 2nd. Well, they always say that arguing will get you nowhere, but I know from playing, coaching and reffing that that is bull. Yes, a ref will never change his mind (the rules simply don't allow for it), but he can certainly change the way he calls the rest of the game. So, an argument is generally worth it. We'll never know what was said and what the ref was thinking, but if a ref (french ref to boot; Justin St. Pierre) wants to prove to the visitors that he is unbiased and that he isn't calling in favour of his boyhood team then he may just start to see things a bit differently. In fact, the best way to prove that you aren't punishing one team unfairly is to punish the other team (unfairly).

What followed after Bylsma made his point were 6 calls against the Habs and none against the Pens. Now, everything, as usual, was a callable offense, but these were calls that don't usually get called and were things no worse (for the most part) than what Pittsburgh was doing. The refs, therefore, haven't not called a penalty correctly (so they are safe some review time), they just have failed to be consistent (surprise, surprise) and have used their 'discretion' differently than they usually do. So, well done Bylsma you got what you wanted and did exactly what I would have done or what I wish we would do more often. Arguing a call is the best way to get the next call. It may not always pay off, but if you can get 6 PPs to the opposition's 0 then you may just end that losing streak. To the refs: I thought that you didn't like effecting the outcome? I thought that a slash was a slash was a slash? Sure Pouliot slashed a Pen, but did you even notice the bigger 2-handed retaliation?

Every night in the NHL is a joke so it is a shock that any night stands out, but tonight does. It really makes you wonder why we all tolerate our favourite game being played and officiated like this? If it weren't for the Habs retaining my devotion to hockey I don't know if I could tolerate this farce as much as I do.

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.

Game #28Habs Have Fun Against A Team With No D

Details

Date: 7/12/2010
Opponent: Senators
Location: Montreal

Win: 4-1

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

Habs goalscorers: Cammalleri, Halpern, Gionta, Hamrlik
Opposition goalscorers: Foligno

Play of the game

The first 3 goals were all similar, but I thought that the third goal, the one that iced it, was the nicest of all. It all started with a fanned-shot at Ottawa's point and an alert play by our captain. He was able to take the puck; he and Kostitsyn were off on a 2-on-1. Brian played it well as he saw the D-man cheating and that Leclaire was way off of his angle. It may have been an easy shot to score on, but the play, in its entirety was very good.

Dome hockey team

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

Michael Cammalleri - Game Puck
Was there anywhere on the ice that Camms wasn't tonight? I felt that early on he was the one playing with the most energy and the player who was getting our best chances. He only scored the one goal, but I felt that he did a good job of keeping the Sens on their toes throughout.

Brian Gionta
I wasn't really seeing much out of Gionta in the first two frames, but really liked what I saw in the last period. It was during the third that he got more involved (as seams started opening up) and collected a couple of points. His goal was very nice and, to me, was the goal that sealed the win; his assist on Hammer's goal was icing on the cake.

Jeff Halpern
I thought about Pleks and his passing/77% face-off percentage, but went with Jeff instead. The main reason that I went with Hamburger Halpern was that I liked what he did on our 2nd line. With him and Moen there that could have been our 4th line, but I felt that it was Halpern that kept them going. His goal, scored with other linemates, was like that of Gionta as in he stole the puck and did well to beat a very beatable Leclaire.

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik
Can we change his name to Doman? He is not just standing out, but is standing out on a very good team and D corps. He led the D in shots and scored a very nice goal. His play in our own end was perfect throughout the game. He may be playing the best hockey of his Habs career; is it even the best of his life?

Jaroslav Spacek
6 weeks ago no one would have guessed that Subban would be in the press-box, Markov on the shelf and Jaro a dome-regular, but here we are 28 games in and that is the case. Tonight he was a +3 and played just as well as Hamrlik in his own end. Not too much going on offensively tonight, but when we score 4 goals and let in less than 2 that doesn't really bother me at all.

Goaltender

Carey Price
That was a 9-5 type day for Carey. He showed up, got his work done, and called it a day. We talk about fatigue, but how tiring can a game like that be? My guess is that our goalies are probably playing half as hard this year as last and that is one of the main reasons they look fresh and ready at all times. Tonight was simply win #17 and an improved GAA and Save %...see you tomorrow.

Comments

Montreal played well early, but failure to capitalize combined with a PP marker with 10 seconds left in the first by Ottawa had me wondering as we went into the second. I wouldn't say that we got owned in the middle period, but we weren't playing well (luckily, neither were the Sens). The worst part of that period had to be the 7 PP minutes with only 3 shots. In years past we lose this game, we let it slip away, this year my confidence actually grew during the second. Why did it grow? When I saw that Ottawa had nothing going I was sure that we would strike. And, strike is what we did. Three goals in the third and shear domination let everyone know who the better team was. It seemed like it was odd-man rush one after the other as we made the Sens look like amateurs at times. We have two big games this weekend and may be down Gomez, so if we can grab two points and avoid anything drastic we'll be in good shape for next week.

Other Forwards At The Quarter Pole

Moving on now to the forwards. Finally up are the other forwards without whim, the Habs record might look a whole lot different.

The legend again:

G, A, Pts - you know already
PM - Plus/minus
Ch +/- - Differential in scoring chances at even strength (these chances combined by Olivier are basically shots, misses and blocked shots that happen from danger areas)
Fenwick - Shots and missed shots for minus those against at ES
Corsi - Shots, missed shots and blocked shots for minus those against at ES
Dome - Dome for that game = 1

Jeff Halpern

Grade:

A-

At 20 games, I think it's fair to say Halpern was a good signing. For minimum salary he provides a good third line option, a penalty killing deputy for Plekanec and, so far at least, some surprising offense.

That said, he has had his low points. Off games where he seems to lose the assets he brings in other games. He'd have full marks if not for these.

Dustin Boyd

Grade:

C

Through a combination of missing a golden opportunity to take a top line spot and then being benched for missing that opportunity, Boyd was rendered pretty well useless. It's a hard read to know if he could recover from this point. I tend to think he might deserve a chance

Still, one can't give marks for aspirations. Over his limited playing time, Boyd made little to no impression. Some fans think he is called Justin. He was pretty consistently negative in all categories and unable to score except in game one. Still, he sat tight, did what he was asked and played in a few wins. He gets a boost for that.

Travis Moen

Grade:

B+

Moen tries. my goodness he tries. And I admire that. I just wish it wouldn't be reason to keep giving him scoring line duty. The guy for all his effort has stuffed many a scoring play already because he either never expected a pass (not used to playing with people who deliver) or can't handle it if it comes (not used to having to deal with passes).

Moen still gets a good grade as a role player on this Habs team.His ideal role resides on the fourth line, doing what he is told for 10 minutes an outing.I didn't hold Gomez's salary against him, so i won;t here. But it's worth considering if Moen brings an extra million to the table on a cap-strapped team.

Maxim Lapierre

Grade:

C

This is Dustin Boyd's profile pro-rated to 20 games. There's little to get excited about. It is more reminiscent of the Lapierre that went about 40 games without making a contribution last regular season than the one who scored clutch goals in the playoffs.
I am happy to say that Lapierre is already on his way to upgrading though, as Game #21 was an inspired effort from the guy who would seem set to make me look a fool with my grading.

Mathieu Darche

Grade:

B

Four excellent games get Mathieu a B. In those four games, he was truly among the outstanding Habs. He helped Halpern look better and helped Pouliot finally score a goal.
Still, not every NHL GM of the last decade missed out on something here. Mathieu is what he is. What I think that might be is a guy with some talent, but not enough to push through tight checking. He's an excellent option for third line duty, however, and a reason the Habs have the record they do. I'd like to see my fellow Redmen back in the lineup.

Lars Eller

Grade:

A-

You know, it takes a lot for a rookie to play 20 games under Jacques Martin with only a single benching. Even more in an environment where goals are scarce and he's not providing any. That is the testament to Lars Eller's start. Though he hasn't made the impression of a Jeff Skinner on the NHL web page, his play has been good all around apart from that inconvenient truth.

If you think an A grade is high, I'd only justify it by saying that taking the minutes he's given without complaining or skating a single sulky shift, together with the way he thoroughly has outchanced, outshot and out-attempted his opposition is enough.

Tom Pyatt

Grade:

B-

Blah. It's entirely possible that an AHLer might be worse than Pyatt, that he might bleed shots and chances against. but at this point, this fan is willing to find out. Pyatt is Mr. Responsible at times, but he cheats on D like MAB would cheat on O. His tendency to turn back before pressing forward belies his statistics that do him a favour.

At the end of the day, I suppose one can't be excited about every player on a 19-man outfit. I suppose every team needs a quietly effective and mostly dull option to send out for 10 minutes. Pyatt does this well, and doesn't seem to complain or seek out more. Maybe I'm too hard on him. I still think I might like to see Palushaj, though.