Habs Prospects Battle in Classic Canada/U.S Game

Excerpt from the TSN game review (Full Story) on Team Canada 7-4 thrilling win and instant classic over Team USA:

Thirty-three years to the day after the Montreal Canadiens and Central Red Army took part in the greatest hockey game ever played, Canada and the United States put together a New Year's Eve classic of their own at the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Down 3-0 early to a very strong American squad, John Tavares led the Canadians right back into the game with a hat trick as the four-time defending gold medallists defeated the United States 7-4 in one of the most exciting games ever played at the tournament.

"It was unbelievable," Canadian defenceman Ryan Ellis told TSN after the game. "After that first period, we were jumping up and down in the dressing room and going nuts - we had to settle down. There were so many momentum changes and so many emotions, but it was a fun game to play and a fun game to watch."

With the win, Canada gets a bye to the semifinals on Saturday while the Americans head to the quarterfinal round with a game against Slovakia (TSN, TSN HD and TSN.ca on Friday at 7pm et/4pm pt). Since the introduction of the 10-team, tournament-style format in 1996, teams with a bye have a record of 15-5 in the semifinals.

Video: WJHC: USA 4, CAN 7

Video: WJHC: Ups And Downs

Video: WJHC: The Big Guns

Video: WJHC: USA/CAN Extended Highlights

Video: WJHC: John Tavares 1-on-1

Video: WJHC: Jordan Eberle 1-on-1

Video: WJHC: Chris DiDomenico 1-on-1

Video: WJHC: Ryan Ellis 1-on-1

Video: WJHC: Dustin Tokarski 1-on-1

Tournament Scoring Leaders


Habster:


Without a doubt, this game will be replayed for years to come as one of the greatest games ever played between Canada and the United States at any level of hockey.


The game certainly didn't start off as being a classic game from a Canadian perspective after Team USA jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period.


Canadian goaltender/Lightning prospect, Dustin Tokarksi had a rough first period, allowing two weak goals on long shots by Kevin Shattenkirk and Jim O'Brien but settled down in the next two periods when he made some great saves. He robbed Colin Wilson with a spectacular glove save in the late stages of the third period.


In typical hard working Canadian fashion, Team Canada was able to claw their way back into the game to tie the game after 20 minutes.


John Tavares led the way with a hat trick and has the NHL scouting community drooling at the chance to draft him in the 2009 NHL entry draft in Montreal. He has clearly established himself as the perennial #1 pick by outplaying other draft eligible players like Victor Hedman, Jordan Schroeder and Magnus Svensson Paajarvi to name a few.

There were three Montreal Canadiens Prospects (P.K.Subban, Danny Kristo and Ryan McDonagh) playing in this game.

P.K. Subban handled the puck really well and his first passes out of the defensive zone were tape to tape which allowed his forwards to attack the neutral zone with speed. He also made some terrific pinches at the offensive blueline and made solid decisions on the powerplay. Subban is the tournament's leading scorer among defensemen with 8 points (G-2 A-6 +12), just one point ahead of teammate Ryan Ellis whose 2009 draft evaluation has skyrocketed with spectacular playmaking and quarterbacking of the powerplay with Subban.

Danny Kristo showed flashes of his speed, good puckhandling and played the PK which, unfortunately for him, gave up four powerplay goals, but it was hard to assess his overall game in his limited TOI.

2007 first round pick, Ryan McDonagh played tons of minutes and didn't look out of place. He broke up some odd man rushes with good positional play but was unlucky on John Tavares' second goal when his stick broke while attempting a pass which Tavares intercepted to score on a pretty play.

McDonagh is a solid two way defenseman who does everything well but doesn't quite standout with any particular aspect of his game, simply put, he's solid without being spectacular.

It remains to be seen what direction Ryan McDonagh's development will go but he's only 19 years old and still has a lot to learn before he makes the Canadiens roster in 2-3 years. The fact many teams have inquired about him in trade discussions bodes well for how he is received by the scouting community.

Canadiens.com: 2009 World Junior Championship:Canada and Sweden still undeafeated (Habs prospects stats)

Solid performances set stage for Canadiens-flavored Canada/U.S. showdown

Below are excerpts from the Hockey's Future article by Jason Menard. I only added Trevor Timmins evaluations of the Canadiens prospects participating in the tournament (for some reason, Niklas Torp wasn't mentioned in the article):

Timmins on Ryan McDonagh:

"I only saw him the first game and it wasn't much of a challenge for the team [an 8-2 victory over Germany]," Timmins said. "He's playing on the first pairing and the first PK unit. They're counting on him to be a shutdown guy and he's doing his job. He's playing physical.

"I know he's got more offensive ability in him than he's been allowed to show in this system -- I guess we'll see tomorrow night against Canada."

Timmins on Danny Kristo:

"[Kristo]'s a young player on that team and he's on their fourth line, their first PK unit. I thought he handled himself very well that first game," Timmins explained. "He hurt his knee blocking a shot in the next game and didn't get to play too much in that one, but the coaches have told me that he's going to play a lot [in Tuesday night's game against Kazakhstan]. He's a young guy and he's filling a role -- so far he's done a great job."

Pat Quinn on P.K. Subban:

"He didn't play a lot last year, but he was around and saw what the others had to do to win a gold medal," explained Pat Quinn, Team Canada's head coach, who was in attendance at last night's USA/Kazakhstan contest. "He's really an energy person. He seems to be well-liked by his teammates and he plays with a lot of heart. He's been a good addition to our team.

"You always want characters that have character and he seems to be that kind of young man. He's got a good sense of humor and the guys, you know, they really seem to like him. I mean, you can go around but if you've got a bunch of sourpusses then it's pretty hard to get through stuff. So he gives us some comic relief at times -- he and John Tavares are like Frick and Frack, they seem to have a lot of fun together and [P.K.]'s been good that way."

"I think he's been in the right place at the right time, let's say. We've got some good players here and plus/minus is a good statistic, clearly," Quinn explained. "He's been playing mostly with Cody Hodgson's line and that whole five-man unit has been pretty good. They've been not playing the other teams' better lines -- they've been mainly facing their second lines, so they have an advantage in that way. It seems to be paying off for us so far."


Timmins on P.K.Subban:

"Well, everybody loves P.K. He's had an outstanding tournament so far. He's on the first PP unit and if you look at the power play so far he's unbelievable," Timmins said. "He's tied for eighth in scoring [at the time of the interview]; he's the top plus-minus player at plus-10. I just can't say enough good things about P.K. Hopefully he keeps up this level of play and helps Canada progress through the tournament.

"It's not just at this level, but in the OHL and with us in Montreal, his development and maturity [have increased] -- he's a year older. He's developed a lot as a person, as a prospect, and as a hockey player. He's learned a lot over the past year from his experience here, to what we teach him at development camps and training camps, and his playoff experience in Belleville. He's a year more mature all around and it shows in his development both on and off the ice. You see it especially with his decision-making with the puck and his play without the puck. It's really matured and he's well on his way to becoming a good pro."

Game Highlights: Canadiens 2 Lightning 1 SO

TSN: Highlights: MTL 2, TB 1 (SO)

TSN: NHL : Canadiens Post Game Reaction

Price Stops Bolts to Give Habs Shootout Win

Rocket:

Three wins on a short post-Christmas road trip is cause for celebration, but perhaps only polite applause. I don't want to be a wet blanket but the Canadiens haven't been very impressive in the past two games against two teams at the bottom of the conference standings.

I want to give full credit to the play of the Lapierre/Kostopoulos/Latendresse line. Lapierre is playing with confidence and energy. Latendresse is much better with linemates who play a very simple north/south game. Kostopoulos works hard every game and is the best 'team guy' on the Habs.

Kosto's 'team first' attitude was particularly evident after Evgeny Artyukhin hit Tanguay into the boards with force enough to dislodge a pane of glass. Tanguay sustained an upper body injury and didn't return. On his next shift Kostopoulos hit Artyukhin hard in the Tampa zone. As they came back up ice, Kostopoulos fought Artyukhin. It may have been a clear decision for a much bigger Artyukhin, but Kostopoulos delivered a message on behalf of his injured teammate.

Lapierre is dangerous to score as a penalty killer but his defensive play is still rather suspect. On Tampa's first goal on the power-play Lapierre left his man, Malone, to chase the puck into the corner. When the puck got back to Malone, he was wide open to take a shot which was defected in by Prospal.

It is important that the 3rd line has finally come together but the Canadiens will not win against better opposition if the first two lines are not playing to their potential. Guy Carbonneau must do a much better job in his bench management to make sure that his top skilled players are getting more ice time.

Case in point is Matt D'Agostini. After being the top offensive threat for the Canadiens prior to the break, his production has dropped off. Some will argue that it is natural for a young player to plateau after an initial call-up spurt. But that is not what happened in D'Ags case. Seems that D'Agostini is following Carey Price's pattern from last season.

Carbonneau's massive ego doesn't allow for any player to be getting more media attention than the coach, particularly a young non-francophone player. So as was the case last year with Price, Carbonneau set the conditions to ensure that the player didn't have the opportunity to shine. In D'Agostini's case, it's a lack of ice-time, and juggling hi linemates, even though he remains a threat to score on every shift.

The Canadiens take far too many bad penalties to be a top tier team. A team lack of discipline is reflective of coaching. The first period of this game was penalty-filled and didn't allow the Habs to get on track. The referees have to be partly responsible for calling the game so closely that it disturbed the flow.

While there was a lack of offensive production, the Canadiens played well defensively particularly the tandem of Mike Komisarek and Andrei Markov. Komisarek plays a strong physical (and mental) game on the opposition's top forwards. Markov uses his skating ability, positioning and hockey sense to defend effectively. Markov made a brilliant defensive play to break up a 3 on 1 chance for Tampa early in the second period.

The biggest reason for the Canadiens strong defensive play is Carey Price. Price made a game saving stop in overtime on Artyukhin and was terrific in the shootout on Prospal and LeCavalier.

It should be noted that Patrice Brisebois delivered his first body check of the season in the third period behind the Tampa net on goalie Mike Smith.

The next few days will determine how long Alex Tanguay will be sidelined. Guy Carbonneau will have to earn his pay cheque redesigning his lines to effectively use their skills.

Pre-game:

Tampa Bay signed Team Canada Juniors goalie Dustin Tokarski to a 3 year entry level contract.

No line-up changes. Higgins, Dandenault, Koivu, Laraque out with injuries. O'Byrne is a healthy scratch for 6th straight game.

Rocket's 3 stars:

1. Carey Price
2. Vaclav Prospal
3. Mike Komisarek

(photo credit: AP photo)

Habster:

The Hamilton Bulldogs continued their steady play with a 4-0 shutout of the Baby Leafs. The Bulldogs have been without two of their key offensive contributors in Ben Maxwell and Matt D'Agostini but other players like Yannick Weber, Max Pacioretty, Mike Glumac and Yanick Lehoux have picked up the offensive slack.

From Hamiltonbulldogs.com:


The Hamilton Bulldogs defeated the Toronto Marlies 4-0 in front of 6,139 fans on Tuesday evening at Copps Coliseum. Marc Denis made 21 saves to earn his third shutout of the season while Dan Jancevski recorded three assists.

The Bulldogs opened the scoring at 9:42 of the first frame. Kyle Chipchura raced down the left side before snapping a shot over the glove of Toronto starting goaltender Justin Pogge. The 'Dogs netted their second goal on the power play at 14:13. David Desharnais fed a pass through the slot onto the stick of Mathieu Carle, who had skated in from the point. Carle waited patiently before firing a shot underneath Pogge.

Hamilton added its third goal of the game at 13:53 of the second stanza. Max Pacioretty won a race with a Toronto defender to the loose puck to earn himself a breakaway. Pacioretty used a backhand-to-forehand before sending the puck over the left shoulder of Pogge and into the top of the net. Ryan Russell netted his eighth goal of the campaign at 15:53. Jancevski fed a pass from Hamilton's zone to Russell, who was waiting at Toronto's blue line. Russell skated in on a three-on-one with two other 'Dogs before he elected to shoot the puck past the blocker of Pogge and into the net to give the Bulldogs a 4-0 lead.

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

1. HAM - Kyle Chipchura - 10 (Unassisted) - 9:42
2. HAM - Mathieu Carle - 4 (David Desharnais, Dan Jancevski) - 14:13 (PP)

2nd Period:

3. HAM - Max Pacioretty - 5 (Dan Jancevski) - 13:53
4. HAM - Ryan Russell - 8 (Dan Jancevski) - 15:53

3rd Period:

No Scoring

Scoring:
Hamilton: 2-2-0--4
Toronto: 0-0-0--0

Shots:
Hamilton: 13-5-7--25
Toronto: 6-10-5--21

Goaltending:
Hamilton: Marc Denis (21 shots, 21 saves)
Toronto: Justin Pogge (25 shots, 21 saves)

Power Play:

Hamilton: 1-for-6
Toronto: 0-for-6

Attendance: 6,139

Three Stars:
1. HAM - Dan Jancevski (3 assists, +3)
2. HAM - Marc Denis (21 shots, 21 saves)
3. HAM - Max Pacioretty (1 goal, +1, 7 shots)

Flamboro Downs Workhorse: Kyle Chipchura

Win #3000

Rocket:

The 3000th regular season win for the Montreal Canadiens is yet another special milestone achieved during the centennial year. A 5-2 victory over the Panthers, but this wasn't a memorable game. It won't be included on any Habs DVD set in the future.

The last game in Pittsburgh had the feeling of a playoff game at times. This one had all of the intensity of an Old-Timers game. However, there certainly was a festive mood courtesy of the boisterous Canadiens fans who invaded the Bank Atlantic Center. Sounds of 'Ole Ole' and 'CA-REY, CA-REY' filled the arena.

Tomas Plekanec centred the Canadiens best line, had 5 shots on goal, and scored a shorthanded breakaway goal that put the Habs up 2-1. Andrei Kostitsyn had one assist but had chances to score with 4 shots. Plekanec also came to the aid of Carey Price after he was slashed on the hand by Gregory Campbell. It's about time a teammate showed that kind of enthusiasm to protect Carey Price.

Max Lapierre notched his first career hat trick through his usual hard work and a sub par night for Panther goalie Craig Anderson. After Anderson allowed another soft goal on a shot by Lapierre early in the third, he was replaced by Tomas Vokoun. Lapierre struggled in the faceoff circle at only 39% but otherwise was rewarded for his high energy effort.

Roman Hamrlik had a strong defensive game, and made a breakaway pass to set up Plekanec's goal.

The Canadiens did their best to give the Panthers a chance. The Habs penalty box was standing room only in the second period. The PK unit deserves special mention for a 5 for 5 night including killing off a Panther 5 on 3 power-play.

Expectations for Patrice Brisebois' performance are extremely low but somehow Brise continues to lower the bar. Currently Florida is not a playoff team, yet Panthers were able to wheel around Brisebois all game long. It is a mystery why Carbonneau continues to use him on the power-play. Again tonight, Brise gave up the puck a few times at the blue line to provide the opposition with short handed chances.

Ryan O'Byrne can make one mistake in a game and it is magnified beyond belief overshadowing his otherwise good play. Brisebois struggles on every shift yet somehow escapes scrutiny of the press and the coach.

Ben Maxwell has certainly not made an impact like Matt D'Agostini but he has not cost his team either...until tonight. Maxwell's miscue skating out of the way of a Sergei Kostitsyn pass led to Booth scoring the second Panther goal.

He doesn't deserve to be punished for his mistake but it is time to add Kyle Chipchura in his place.

A yawner tonight but an important two points. The Canadiens must continue their winning ways in Tampa tomorrow night against another one of the league's bottom feeders.


Pre-game:

No line-up changes. Higgins, Dandenault, Koivu, Laraque out with injuries. O'Byrne is a healthy scratch.


Rocket's 3 stars:

1. Tomas Plekanec
2. Maxim Lapierre
3. Roman Hamrlik

(photo credit: AP Photo)

Game Highlights: Canadiens 5 Florida 2

TSN: Highlights: MTL 5, FLA 2

Price & Kostitsyn Carry Habs to Win

Rocket:

A rainy, icy day in Montreal. Sidewalks and mall parking lots were best negotiated with skates. Whatever the conditions, it was a perfect night for watching Habs hockey.

The Canadiens showed some signs of the long layoff but overall played well. With both teams skating at a high pace, the game was quite entertaining.

Andrei Kostitsyn and Tomas Plekanec provided the offense and Carey Price was simply spectacular in goal. The elder Kostitsyn had his first career hat trick on 6 shots. Plekanec showed patience and great passing in setting up the first two Canadien goals. Price made 17 saves alone in the third period (32 in total) including multiple game-saving stops when the Penguins were pressing for the tie.

On the second goal, Plekanec was able to find Andrei Kostitsyn in the slot. Andrei made a perfect shot as Fleury was surrounded by 5 Penguins who had collapsed down around the crease.

The Canadiens made the most of the opportunities but only had 19 shots on goal with only 5 shots in the third period. I again question the strategy of lining up 5 players across their own blueline. It allowed the Penguins to build momentum through the neutral zone unchallenged and attack the Canadiens zone with speed.

The Canadiens also ran into penalty trouble with 5 minors. The PK unit was good but Carey Price was the best penalty killer. With only 3 minutes left, Alex Tanguay took a lazy penalty with a stick to the face of Dupuis. Price preserved the win by making enormous saves on Malkin and Crosby.

It was a quiet night for the 3rd and 4th lines. Tom Kostopoulos led the team with 4 hits. Sergei Kostitsyn played well on the PK unit.

Andrei Markov and Mike Komisarek were each above 26 minutes in ice-time. Markov was particularly effective at defending Crosby. Komisarek had 5 of the Canadiens 23 blocked shots.

Some struggles for Francis Bouillon tonight. He lost track of Sidney Crosby on the Penguins second goal. After several giveaways Patrice Brisebois' ice-time was limited.

A good start to the road trip. Continuing the winning streak will require more of a team effort by the Canadiens.


Pre-game:

Chipchura and Pacioretty called up from Hamilton briefly but returned as Andrei Kostitsyn was cleared to play.

AK-46 will play with Plekanec and Kovalev. Koivu, Higgins, Dandenault, and Laraques are injured. O'Byrne is a healthy scratch.


Rocket's 3 stars:

1. Carey Price
2. Andrei Kostitsyn
3. Tomas Plekanec

(photo credit: Dave Sandford / Getty Images)

Canada kicks off 2009 WJC with 8-1 shellacking of Czech Republic

Excerpt from the TSN game review of Canada's 8-1 victory against the Czech Republic:

John Tavares is certainly living up to his billing at the World Junior Hockey Championship, scoring Canada's first two goals on the power play and assisting on another as the defending gold medalists soundly beat the Czech Republic 8-1 in their opening game.

Angelo Esposito, Ryan Ellis, Tyler Ennis, Chris DiDomenico, Zach Boychuk and Alex Pietrangelo also scored for Canada, who are seeking their fifth straight World Junior title for the second time in tournament history.

TSN: Video: WJHC: CZE 1, CAN 8

Canada starts its drive for five against the Czech Republic

Excerpt from the TSN game review of the

Dustin Tokarski will start in goal for Canada in their opener. The 19-year-old Spokane Chiefs netminder was selected in the 5th round (122nd overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Canada has won four straight World Junior gold medals and if they can capture another at this tournament, they will tie a national record set from 1993-1997.

Team Canada is 9-0-2 over their last 11 games with the Czech Republic at the World Junior Championship.

Canada is hosting the tournament for the eighth time. Over the previous seven tournaments on Canadian soil, Team Canada has won three gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze.

Team Canada's Projected Lines vs. Czech Republic

Offence:

Esposito - Tavares - DiDomenico

Boychuk - Hodgson - Eberle

Benn - Sonne - Ennis

Kane - Cormier - Della Rovere

Defence:

Hickey - Teubert

Myers - Aulie

Subban - Goloubef

Ellis - Pietrangelo


Goal:Tokarski


Powerplay Units:

Hodgson - Tavares - Eberle - Ellis - Subban

Boychuk - DiDomenico - Ennis - Pietrangelo - Hickey


Habster:

I've been impressed with Habs prospect, P.K. Subban's play during the warm-up games leading into the WJC tournament.

He has displayed a solid defensive game by winning the majority of battles along the boards and showing a physical edge to his game with some good open ice hits.

Pat Quinn is also showing a lot of confidence is Subban's offensive game by playing him on the first powerplay unit along side PP dynamo Ryan Ellis.

A look at Hab prospects in 2009 WJC

Excerpt from the HabProspects.com article:


P.K. Subban will make his second appearance at the WJC’s, although last season he did not see a great deal of ice time, he hopefully gained some valuable experience that he can carry over to this year’s tournament. Named Assistant Captain, Subban clearly should have a much bigger role with the team, as he brings highlight reel plays in the offensive zone, while showing marked improvement in his defensive zone play.

The hope is that down the road, Subban can build off the experience of playing against top level talent in his age group , for when he turns pro next season. As one of the Habs most promising prospects, fans are justified to be excited about his future and how he will be able to help the organization down the road. Subban does it all, and while still needing improvement to his game he likely has the highest upside of any of the Canadiens prospects, so if he can continue to show good improvement in his own end the organization should have one heck of a player. Team Canada will push for its 5th gold medal in as many years, for Subban has already joined Carey Price, Kyle Chipchura, Josh Gorges and Shawn Belle in the quest for gold.

Merry Christmas!

Hello Habs fan readers!

I’m sure Habster and/or Rocket will have the official message from the website soon but I wanted to take a minute to personally wish you all a Merry Christmas.

I hope you guys will get gifts good enough to make you forget that we are a full week without a Habs game.

Oh and while I’m doing stuff for myself, how about my own poll:

What would be the most perfect gift to give a die hard Habs fan? What would you want?

Enjoy the holidays!

Bulldogs succeeding with blend of youth, experience

Excerpt from the Canadiens.com article by Heather Engel:


This year, Hamilton is looking to its solid mix of youth and experience to propel the team to the AHL postseason, after missing out in 2007-08.

While Matt D’Agostini has been proven to be quite comfortable in the NHL over the last month, Yanick Lehoux has stepped up his game and taken over the Bulldogs’ scoring lead with 31 points in 29 games. Should the pivot keep producing at that pace, he could eclipse his previous career bests in assists and points set back in 2006-07.

Lehoux is just one of 13 ‘Dogs to have hit double digits in points, including D’Agostini and Ben Maxwell. Among those in the baker’s dozen is Gregory Stewart. Though offense is far from the name of his game, the gritty winger has proven to be a valuable commodity at both ends of the ice in his sophomore campaign; the 22-year-old has scored five goals and 11 points so far, in addition to posting a plus-7 rating. His offensive totals have him just six shy of his 2007-08 output and could see him reach 30 points this season.

Currently third in the AHL’s North Division, the Bulldogs are riding a three-game winning streak into the holiday break. Cedrick Desjardins has taken the “W” in those three contests, allowing just three goals on 109 shots.

KHL in financial disarray

Excerpt from the Globesports.com article by Eric Duhatschek concerning the financial problems awaiting the KHL for next season. This could be great news for NHL teams trying to convince or keep Russian players in North America (ie- Pavel Valentenko and/or Alex Emelin):

As the NHL's pre-Christmas schedule wraps up tonight with 26 teams in action, Russia's Continental Hockey League (KHL) resumed play Monday after a 10-day international break that permitted some Canadians, including Avangard Omsk coach Wayne Fleming, to sneak home for a short holiday.

As with all start-ups, it has not exactly been smooth sailing for the KHL in its inaugural season. On Saturday, the league's board of directors met to ponder an idea that had been floated the week before – a 30 per-cent across-the-board contract rollback to cut costs for some of the most under-funded franchises.

Amid heavy opposition from the newly formed players' association (run by Andrei Kovalenko, a former NHL, nicknamed The Tank in his playing days), the proposal was put on the shelf at least for the duration of this season. KHL president Alexander Medvedev decided, according to sources, that trying to force a rollback would cause more headaches than it would solve problems.

A Canadiens Fan Wish List

Habster:

Christmas is less than two days away with millions of children around the world anxiously awaiting the arrival of the big joy fellow to deliver the "goods"........err........I mean the gifts to the children who were good throughout the year.

I will readily admit to being a big 43 year old kid who enjoys watching his kids open (more like ripping to shreds) their gifts around the Christmas tree. I've also been known to enjoy "ripping" open my own gifts in great anticipation to see if Père Noël got me any Montreal Canadiens items......hats, jerseys, sweater or a cordless drill (alright, I know the NHL doesn't sell a drill with the Habs' logo on it, but wouldn't it work better if it had one.....then again, it would only work occasionally like the Habs!!!).

More than any tangible x-mas gift under the tree is the desire of most Canadiens fans to see the Habs play a more consistent brand of hockey in the new year which would go a long way towards helping them go further into the playoffs and hopefully compete for Lord Stanley's mug at season's end.

I have compiled my annual Habs fan Christmas wish list. Please feel free to add to the list in the comment section of this article. I'll be more than happy to add it to the main article list and mail the list to Santa.

Here is my wish list in no particular order:

1. A top four defenseman in the mold of a Jay Bouwmeester, Jordan Leopold, Derek Morris, Mattias Ohlund or Eric Brewer to name a few.



2. I would give Guy Carbonneau and the coaching staff some books on game strategy, hockey systems and preparing your team for a game.



3. Free haircuts at any Montreal barber shop for Andrei Kostitsyn.



4. A longer hockey stick for Alex Kovalev which has been blessed by the Pope.



5. No more Higgins for so and so rumors!!



6. One way ticket to North America for Alexei Emelin.



7. Continued consistency from Gui.



8. A gritty, hard nosed playoff type of forward like Ian Laperriere, Colby Armstrong or Mike Grier.



9. Kyle Chipchura finally sticking with the Canadiens.



10. Pleky finding his Mojo.



11. An announcement by Bob Gainey that Mike Komisarek has agreed to a 5 year/$28.75 million contract with the Canadiens.



12. A WWE video for Ryan O'Byrne on how to take the body and slam players into the boards.



13. Same WWE video for Breezer!!!!



14. A GPS Navigator System for Jaroslav Halak to find his next destination after March 4th.

Please add to the list and may I take this opportunity to wish everyone a Happy and Safe Holiday season from All Habs!!!!

Canadiens 2008-09 AHL prospects update

Excerpt from the Hockey's Future article by Jason Menard:


While D'Agostini may have played himself out of Hamilton, a pair of new arrivals are showing that they are finding life in the Steel City quite enjoyable. Max Pacioretty and Ryan White have jumped into the roster with both skates and have accounted for 18 and 15 points respectively this year.

Defensively, Yannick Weber has adjusted nicely to the professional ranks. He's got 13 points in 26 games, while being a plus player. And that's been well received by the Bulldogs who lost a key component of their blueline earlier this season when Pavel Valentenko returned home and signed a contract with the KHL. The contract he had already signed with Montreal has caused a bit of a problem. The Canadiens retain his rights and were very high on the promising young blueliner - but his decision to bail on the organization may have caused irreparable harm on a team that's still stinging from watching Alexei Yemelin slip through its grasp.

Matthieu Carle has also shown continued development as a blue-line quarterback and offensively gifted defensive presence. In 19 games he's accounted for three goals and seven assists. A minus-two rating points to his continued need to refine his game in his own end, and he's working his way back to full speed following a concussion suffered in the pre-season.

Refs Play Grinch; Habs Lose in OT

Rocket:

Let's be honest. The Canadiens didn't deserve to win the game based on their effort. Actually, there was a lack of intensity by both teams.

Having said that right up front, the Habs were still in this game, but the standby officials were just horrendous tonight. Snow, blowing snow, bitter cold and last minute Christmas shopping prevented the regular crew from getting to Montreal. So we were treated to a real gem from the subs, led by Francois St Laurent and Marc Joannette (I'm really not impressed by this guy's work).

In addition to some inconsistent penalty calls, the Canadiens had two goals waved off. The first was in the second period. Mike Komisarek's wrist shot hit Cam Ward in the chest and dropped. He never had possession of the puck. Tom Kostopoulos knocked in the rebound. However, the goal was disallowed as there was a quick whistle. The ref thought that Ward had caught the puck. Bad call.

Later, the puck was banged in after a goal mouth scramble with Kostopoulos and Latendresse right in the middle of it. The referee was calling a delayed penalty on Carolina and claimed that the whistle had gone even though Carolina had not gained possession of the puck.

Justin Williams was also the recipient of a gift from the officials as he tripped Serge Kostitsyn in full flight. No penalty call was made.

Though it wasn't a popular decision with the Bell Centre crowd, I have to say that the slashing call on Max Lapierre was deserved. Lapierre is a high risk, high reward type player on the penalty kill as he tends to look for short handed offensive opportunities. His penalty put the Canadiens two men down and the Hurricanes scored on the long 5 on 3 power-play.

Beyond the officiating, it was a listless effort by the Canadiens. For the first two and a half periods, they weren't skating or pressuring the puck. The hit totals flattered the Habs. The official scorer seemed to be in a generous Christmas mood.

For the first 10 minutes of the third period, the Canadiens only managed two shots on goal. Sensing that the could still get their week off with a win, the team came to life in the last half of the period directing 10 shots at Cam Ward.

Robert Lang tied the game on one of those shots; a one-timer with Matt D'Agostini creating havoc in front of the net. D'Agostini scored the first Canadiens goal after a nice play by Lang. Tanguay picked up to assists and this line was responsible for all of the Canadiens scoring this night. D'Ags led the team with 6 shots.

With the Lang line playing so well, it was disappointing that poor bench management meant that their ice-time was limited. Lapierre's line, with Latendresse and Kostopoulos, played the type of game they needed to, but should have had fewer shifts.

Roman Hamrlik and Francis Bouillon were paired up tonight and the combination was not good for either player. Whether from a lack of communication or an unfamiliarity, both struggled at times. On the Hurricanes first goal, Samsonov entered the Montreal zone on a 1 on 2 with both Bouillon and Hamrlik back. It would become a 1 on 3 as Lapierre was there to backcheck. After Carey Price made the initial save on Samsonov's shot, neither Bouillon nor Hamrlik got the rebound nor did they stay with the former Hab. Samsonov scored on the rebound.

Carey Price's timing was not sharp in the first 10 minutes after missing 6 games but played well the rest of the way and was outstanding in the third period. He made two huge saves, on Larose and Staal with a few minutes left.

It was a disappointing night at the Bell Centre after two strong games previously where the Habs worked hard for 60 minutes. This was the type of game that we saw early in the season where the Canadiens would coast for a few periods and then turn it on for the win. They couldn't quite create the miracle tonight, in part, due to some costly mistakes by the guys in stripes.


Pre-game:

Price will start in goal after missing 6 games with injury. Halak will be the back-up. O'Byrne is a healthy scratch. Higgins, Koivu and Dandenault injured.


Rocket's 3 stars:

1. Matt D'Agostini
2. Eric Staal
3. Robert Lang

(photo credit: AP)

Game Highlights: Hurricanes 3 Canadiens 2 OT

Bulldogs tame Wolf pack in 6-2 win

From Hamiltonbulldogs.com:


The Hamilton Bulldogs defeated the Hartford Wolf Pack 6-2. Cedrick Desjardins made 39 saves on 41 shots to earn his third win in as many games.

The Bulldogs opened the scoring at 9:12 of the opening frame. Ryan Russell sent a pass to Chad Anderson, who had skated in from the right point. Anderson took a wrist shot that sailed over the glove of Hartford starting goaltender Miika Wiikman to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

The Wolf Pack tied the game 1-1 at 13:18 of the first period. Jordan Owens blasted a shot that bounced off the post and past Hamilton starting goaltender Cedrick Desjardins. Mike Ouellette and Tom Pyatt also earned assists on the goal.

Alex Henry regained the lead for the 'Dogs at 14:30 of the first frame. Henry received the puck from Yanick Lehoux before blasting a shot past Wiikman. The goal was Henry's first goal the season and first goal since February 21, 2008 when he was with the Milwaukee Admirals. Brock Trotter added to the Bulldogs lead at 15:38. Yannick Weber blasted a shot that was saved by Wiikman. Trotter grabbed the rebound and buried it past Wiikman to make the game 3-1.

David Desharnais recorded two goals in the middle stanza to give Hamilton a 5-1 lead.

Max Pacioretty dangled past a Hartford defender before sending a pass to Desharnais, who one-timed the puck past Wiikman at 4:51. Desharnais added his second goal of the game while on the power play at 19:24. Desharnais received the puck from Mathieu Carle, before rifling a shot from the high-slot that beat Wiikman.

The Hartford Wolf Pack pulled Miika Wiikman in favour of Matt Zaba to start the third period.

Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau scored the Wolf Pack's second goal at 1:13 of the final frame. Parenteau stripped the puck off Chad Anderson behind the net. He skated out from behind the net before stuffing the puck under Desjardins.

Yanick Lehoux added his second goal in as many games at 17:33 of the final frame. Lehoux intercepted a pass before breaking alone on goal and beating Matt Zaba to give the Bulldogs a 6-2 lead.

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:

1. HAM - Chad Anderson - 3 (Ryan Russell, Mike Glumac) - 9:12
2. HFD - Jordan Owens - 5 (Mike Ouellette, Tom Pyatt) - 13:18
3. HAM - Alex Henry - 1 (Yanick Lehoux) - 14:30
4. HAM - Brock Trotter - 6 (Yannick Weber, Olivier Latendresse) - 15:38

2nd Period:

5. HAM - David Desharnais - 7 (Max Pacioretty) - 4:51
6. HAM - David Desharnais - 8 (Mathieu Carle, Mac Pacioretty) 19:24 (PP)

3rd Period:

7. HFD - Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau - 12 (Unassisted) - 5:31
8. HAM - Yanick Lehoux - 8 (Unassisted) - 17:33

Scoring:

Hamilton: 3-2-1--6
Hartford: 1-0-1--2

Shots:

Hamilton: 20-4-4--28
Hartford: 18-11-12--41

Goaltending:

Hamilton: Cedrick Desjardins (41 shots, 39 saves)
Hartford: Miika Wiikman (28 shots, 22 saves)

Power Play:

Hamilton: 1-for-3
Hartford: 0-for-4

Attendance: 3,368

Three Stars:

1. HAM - David Desharnais (2 goals, +1, 3 shots)
2. HAM - Max Pacioretty (2 assists, +1, 5 shots)
3. HAM - Cedrick Desjardins (41 shots, 31 saves)

Habs Battle Back and Win in OT

Rocket:

A frigid night in Montreal. Weather advisories are posted. Snow storm and the 'Hurricanes' on their way and due tomorrow.

But tonight it was Ryan Miller and the Sabres. The Buffalo goaltender was coming off a 40 shot shutout against the Kings last night. Tonight Miller made 42 saves but it wasn't enough as the Canadiens scored 4.

The Canadiens had to overcome 3 Sabre leads. The reunited KPK line had the younger Kostistyn in place of an injured Andrei. But Sergei was a terrific substitute and was the game's first star.

A preview of the game came in the first two shifts. Sergei used his speed to beat a Sabre defenseman to the puck to set up Alex Kovalev for a good chance. Jaroslav Halak left his crease to get the puck and fell down. The puck rebounded through the blue paint.

Sergei K scored 2 goals and was very effective again playing the point on the power-play. Kovalev had an up and down game. Kovy set up the tieing goal, scored the winner, and had 8 shots on goal. But his two penalties led to two Sabre goals.

Jaroslav Halak had another game full of adventure. He was out of position a number of times and surprised by Sabre shots. Three goals beat him on the glove side. But Jaro was also there to make timely saves.

After the line combinations had worked so well against the Flyers, Carbonneau went back to tinkering again. Tanguay and Lang played well but really missed Matt D'Agostini. For too many shifts, Carbo substituted Georges Laraque in D'Agostini's place. To my shock Laraque was sent out on that line with 3 minutes to go in a tied game. When D'Ags was reunited with Tanguay and Lang, the line had 2 good scoring chances in the last 30 seconds of the 3rd period.

Tanguay had a goal and an assist. Plekanec, Lang and Lapierre were dominant at the face-off dot. Josh Gorges is getting more comfortable and looks like a good candidate to replace Brisebois on the 2nd unit of the power-play. Gorges is also playing much better since being moved off the 1st defense pairing.

Laraque had a meaningless fight on his first shift of the game. I suppose that Peters met Laraque's code but it was nothing more than a sideshow. 32 games into the season and we are still waiting for Georges to come to the aid of his teammates. Laraque did help to provide a screen on the Canadiens 2nd goal but it was Tanguay deflecting Hamrlik's shot from the point.

Ben Maxwell had his best game with the big club. He had several good shift and seems much more comfortable. He probably should have been centering the third line.

Steve Begin led the team with 7 hits but was also on the ice for two goals against. Begin is not a good penalty killer and should have taken the point man on Sekera's goal.

Patrice Brisebois was also on the ice for two Sabre goals. Brise screened Halak on Derek Roy's goal. On the Sabres second goal, Brisebois took neither the man nor the pass as Pominville set up MacArthur.

The referees and the NHL war room completely blew the call on what would have been Lang's goal in overtime. He was set up with a great pass by Tomas Plekanec. The official ruling "after review, the net was dislodged by the attacking player before the puck crossed the line." Actually the net was bumped by Lang but came down on its pegs. It was only then that Tallinder used his stick to push the net back.

Another full game effort by the Habs. One more win tomorrow night and the Canadiens will get the week off promised by the coach. They will be motivated and should get a boost if Carey Price returns to the line-up.


Pre-game:

Halak will start his 6th straight game. Price will be the back-up. Denis was returned to Hamilton. Higgins, Koivu, Dandenault out with injuries. O'Byrne is a healthy scratch.

Dave Jackson will referee his 1000th game in the NHL.


Rocket's 3 stars:

1. Sergei Kostitsyn
2. Ryan Miller
3. Andrei Markov

(photo credit: AP)

Game Highlights: Canadiens 4 Sabres 3 OT

TSN:

Maxwell in, AK-46 out with injured leg and Price backing up

From TSN:

Goaltender Carey Price took part in his first full practice since suffering a lower body injury last Wednesday. He says he feels 90 per cent healed but head coach Guy Carbonneau says Price will not play on Saturday. Price may be ready for Sunday and says he'd like to get in at least one start before Christmas. Doctors say there is no damage to Andrei Kostitsyn after he collided with Scott Hartnell, but Kostitsyn will miss the Canadiens' game on Saturday and possibly Sunday's game as well.

Video: Sabres vs. Canadiens Ice Chips

Practice Lines:

Forwards:

S. Kostitsyn - Plekanec - Kovalev

Tanguay - Lang - D'Agostini

Latendresse - Lapierre - Kostopoulos

Begin - Maxwell - Laraque

Defence:

Markov - Komisarek
Hamrlik - Gorges
Bouillon - Brisebois

Goaltender: Halak

Backup: Price

Desjardins, Bulldogs blanks Monarchs 2-0

From Hamiltonbulldogs.com:


The Hamilton Bulldogs defeated the Manchester Monarchs 2-0. Mike Glumac had the game-winning goal as well as an assist while Cedrick Desjardins made 35 saves for his second shutout of the season. While on the power play, Hamilton opened the game's scoring at 18:45 of the opening frame. Shawn Belle sent the puck to Mike Glumac, who rifled a shot under the right arm of Manchester starting goaltender Jonathan Bernier. The goal was Glumac's team-leading seventh power-play goal.

Yanick Lehoux snapped an 11-game goal-less streak with his marker at 5:31 of the final frame to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead. Max Pacioretty fed a pass to Lehoux, who was stationed in front of the net. Lehoux fired a shot that bounced past Bernier. Mike Glumac earned an assist on the goal, his second point of the night.Cedrick Desjardins earned the second shutout of his AHL career and has now made 70 saves on 71 shots in his past two games. Scoring Summary:1st

Period:

1. HAM - Mike Glumac - 12 (Shawn Belle, Yannick Weber) - 18:45 (PP)

2nd Period:

No Scoring

3rd Period:

3. HAM - Yanick Lehoux - 7 (Max Pacioretty, Mike Glumac) - 5:31

Scoring:

Hamilton: 1-0-1--2
Manchester: 0-0-0--0

Shots:

Hamilton: 15-4-6--25
Manchester: 10-16-9--35

Goaltending:

Hamilton: Cedrick Desjardins (35 shots, 35 saves)
Manchester: Jonathan Bernier (25 shots, 23 saves)

Hockey's Future Fall 2008 Organizational Rankings, #1-10

Excerpt from the Hockey's Future article which ranks the top 10 NHL organizations according to their prospect depth:


8. Montreal CanadiensStrengths: Despite on-ice success in recent years, the Canadiens still host a deep, talented prospect pool. They have a plethora of valuable blueliners that cover many different roles. Offensive-minded players like P.K. Subban, Yannick Weber and Mathieu Carle are complimented well with physical defensive players like Ryan O'Byrne, Alexei Yemelin and Pavel Valtenko. Don't forget the next big thing on the Montreal blueline: Ryan McDonagh. They still possess a fairly strong group of forwards, despite recent graduations. Maxwell and Chipchura are the organization's top two-way centers, while Max Pacioretty made his mark as a talented power forward who is progressing quickly. Weaknesses: The forward depth, while not awful, has taken some big losses, even if Danny Kristo becomes the sniper he's projected to be. Despite a deep defense, the huge stalwart that eats minutes isn't really there. There aren't many prominent world-beaters, in terms of speed, left in the organization. Top five prospects: 1. Ryan McDonagh, D, 2. Max Pacioretty, LW, 3. Ryan O'Byrne, D, 4. Jaroslav Halak, G, 5. Ben Maxwell, C. Key losses to graduation: Carey Price, Andrei Kostitsyn, Sergei Kostitsyn, Maxim Lapierre.

Happier Habs Rediscover Talent & Winning Ways

Rocket:

Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to your 2008-09 Montreal Canadiens. For a multitude of reasons (most of which stem from coaching), the Habs have been MIA for about 20 games or so.

For fans, writers, media, coaches and others who have been trying to convince the rest of us that the Canadiens have been playing well but haven't won for a variety of reasons, we will try to refrain from saying 'we told you so'. We will gladly forgive you if you admit that tonight's version of the Habs is closer to their potential than what we have been forced to put up with for the past month.

The difference tonight was dramatic. The Canadiens looked motivated. But why?

Was it because the KPK line was reunited?

Was it because Mike Komisarek was in the line-up for the first time since November 22nd?

Was it because Guy Carbonneau promised next week off if the team earned it through effort?

I'm not sure.

What I do know, is the following:

Tomas Plekanec has played hard all season, but he is much more valuable to the team as a 1st line center than a 3rd line center. Plekanec was terrific tonight (including faceoffs).

The power-play still needs work but is much better when using skilled players and set lines. As I have been saying for some time, Sergei Kostitsyn is a viable point option. Josh Gorges was serviceable too.

Someone should tell Carbonneau that it is not a good idea to have the team's hottest scorer, Matt D'Agostini, on the bench for the power-play. After 9 games, D'Agostini is the Canadiens impact forward. He makes things happen and is always involved in the action.

Josh Gorges is more comfortable and effective when used on the third defense pairing.

Alex Kovalev is more inspired to play well when he has chemistry with his linemates. Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn are more effective when they play with skilled players.

Guillaume Latendresse plays his best games as a 4th line winger. Kelly Hrudey agrees "Latendresse plays better with simple linemates. It makes his game (role) really easy to understand."


The game didn't start well for the Canadiens. Halak bobbled the puck. Jaro gave the puck to Gagne. Laraque's giveaway went right to Richards. Damn. It wasn't looking good.

But then an energetic shift for D'Agostini. He used his speed to penetrate the Philly zone and made a shot to the net. Tanguay had a chance on the rebound. Later, D'Agostini drew a penalty as Alberts went for interference. The KPK line came over the boards with Gorges and Markov on the point. No goal but some chances on the power-play with much better puck movement.

Then Kovalev took a penalty. Had we seen this movie before? But this time, on the 4 on 4, D'Agostini used his great speed to go in alone and with a good shot made the score 1-0. D'Ags was set up by a nice pass from Max Lapierre.

On their next power-play the Canadiens took a 2 goal lead on an accurate shot from the point by Sergei Kostitsyn. The team seemed to gain confidence and played very well after that.

Some kudos:

Matt D'Agostini provided a spark on every shift and was the Canadiens best forward for the first two periods. D'Ags had several chances for a second goal. He showed great patience followed a quick release ringing one off the post after Alex Tanguay had created a turnover in the Philly zone.

Mike Komisarek provided leadership, protected Halak, blocked shots and made solid hits.

Sergei Kostitsyn had a goal and an assist and looked very good when substituting for his injured brother on the 1st line.

Each member of the KPK line played well. Andrei Kostitsyn was playing a good, aggressive game with 4 hits until he left with an injury.

Steve Begin in addition to 5 hits, made two skilled plays, a deflection for the Canadiens third goal and a terrific stretch pass to spring Alex Kovalev for their 4th goal. It was Kovy's 900th career point.

Robert Lang played well with 2 assists.

Guillaume Latendresse had a goal, an assist and 6 shots. As mentioned earlier, this was one of his better games playing with north-south linemates. He still needs to work on his defensive game as he was on the ice for both Flyer goals.

Guy Carbonneau deserves mention for using a timeout strategically in the third period.

I almost had the opportunity to add Patrice Brisebois to this list. He made a very good play to keep the puck in at the Flyer blueline during a power-play, but then immediately turned over the puck to create a shorthanded chance for Hartnell. Truth is that Brise was out of place in this game. He was knocked around all night. O'Byrne would have been a much wiser choice.

As far as Jaroslav Halak, using a positive spin, I can say that the puck hit him 29 times tonight. Everytime the Flyers shot the puck near the net, they had an opportunity to score. It wasn't pretty but Jaro got the win. He really struggled with rebound control, his glove hand and seemed to have a hard time tracking the puck. He should handle the puck as little as possible outside his crease. Get well soon Carey!


The Flyers were 12-1-2 in their last 15 games coming into tonight. This was a huge victory and a statement game for the Canadiens. In upcoming games, they need to remember what it took to win.

Comic Relief:

Mike Milbury, the hands-down winner as the worst GM in NHL history let HNIC viewers know the players he would and wouldn't build a team around.

Pet Peeve:

My favorite anthem singer of all time is Roger Doucet. Not only for the Canadiens, but league-wide...probably my favorite in any sport. When I heard his voice a few weeks ago, it brought back some fond memories.

Having said that, enough with the Roger video. Bring back Prevost-Linton. Nikki Yanovsky would be even better. The problem is that there isn't a recording with Doucet singing the Canadian National anthem. What is being played is the goofy version with a 1970's variation on the words.


Pre-game:

Koivu, Price, Higgins, and Dandenault are injured. Komisarek and Laraque return to the line-up. O'Byrne is a healthy scratch. Maxwell is returned to Hamilton.

Andrei Kostitsyn, Plekanec and Kovalev are reunited.

Kovalev will wear the 'C'. Komisarek and Markov get the 'A's.


Rocket's 3 stars:

1. Mike Komisarek
2. Matt D'Agostini
3. Sergei Kostitsyn


(photo credit: AP photo)

Sundin a Canuck.....about &%^&*#! time!!!!

From TSN:


After six long months, the Mats Sundin saga is finally over as the unrestricted free agent has agreed to a one-year contract with the Vancouver Canucks that's pro-rated for $10 million.

"I am truly excited to be joining the Canucks," said Sundin in a team statement. "Once I made the decision to return to play a few weeks ago, the Vancouver opportunity was simply the best overall fit. I want to thank Mike Gillis and the entire Canucks organization for their professionalism throughout this entire process."

The signing ended months of rumours and speculation around the coveted centre, who was undecided on whether or not he would return to the National Hockey League for an 18th season.

"We are very excited to have Mats join the Vancouver Canucks," said general manager Mike Gillis. "Playing previously in two Canadian markets and consistently being among team and League leaders in scoring, Mats has proven that he can excel under pressure. He adds a wealth of experience, leadership and skill to the Canucks."

The downward plunge of the Habs' power play

Rocket:

I've never been a big fan of Farber's fluff pieces. His articles are often written so simplistically and politically correct (to the extreme) that he ends up conveying nothing of value for the sake of widespread circulation .

It is amusing to me to observe that the worse the Canadiens power play gets this year, greater grows the legend of Mark Streit. Let's give Streit his due recognition. He filled a hole in the power-play unit, and he did so quite well, for a time. But let's not get carried away.

It is correct that Streit had 62 points last year, which ranked 3rd among NHL defensemen. But that stat is rather misleading as almost half of Streit's points were scored as a forward. As a defenseman, on the point of the power-play, Streit had 7 goals and 27 assists for 34 points.

Assuming that Streit's contribution is the main reason the power-play is struggling is rather naive. It seems common on sports radio these days to mythologize the value of Streit.

Farber tosses out the $2.5 million figure to resign Streit last year without any justification. With Gainey's reluctance to negotiate contracts during the season, the amount probably would have been closer to what he received from the Islanders: $4.1 million. Streit was simply unaffordable at that amount given Gainey's other pressing needs. BG certainly couldn't have added Tanguay and Lang if so much money was committed to Streit.

Even if Streit could have been signed for less money, was he worth it? Perhaps last year, the Canadiens could devote a spot to a one-dimensional player. Not this year. The size of a NHL roster does not lend itself to space for a special teams' player, like the NFL does.

Besides, Streit let it be known that Gainey would have to guarantee him a spot on defense to re-sign him. Given Streit's defensive liabilities, it was something Gainey was not prepared to do.

Sports commentators and fans also forget that Streit did not play well the last month of the regular season and was ineffective in the playoffs. The Montreal Canadiens power-play has also struggled since last Spring. I believe that it was teams like the Flyers and the Bruins who analyzed the Habs power-play and devised a scheme to stop it.

The missing ingredient is that the Canadiens coaching staff did not undergo the same kind of analysis to adjust the power-play strategy. Certainly a big shot from the point is an important component of a successful power-play but that could come from someone like Andrei or Sergei Kostitsyn, if either of them was given time to adjust to the role.

The personnel for the power-play units should be deployed tactically and with a scheme that has been devised to exploit the Canadiens strengths and the opposition weaknesses. The head coach must be more accountable for the success or failure of the power-play.


From the SI.com article by Michael Farber:

There are some fascinating numbers swirling around the NHL -- 82.8 (the value of the Canadian dollar in U.S. cents, a dip that is hurting the six bulwark Canadian franchises), 24 (the number of goals that Buffalo's resurrected Thomas Vanek has scored) and .938 (Boston goalie Tim Thomas' other-worldly save percentage) -- but the most perplexing of any of them is 29. That's the Montreal Canadiens' power play ranking prior to their 3-2 loss on Tuesday in Carolina.

Now some teams must be among the NHL's bottom feeders in any statistical category. (Only in Garrison Keillor's Lake Wobegon are all the children above average.) But Montreal's status with the man advantage is shocking considering that the Canadiens ranked first in power play efficiency the past two seasons.

In 2006-07, Sheldon Souray was blasting pucks from the point, absolutely undressing goalies. Of his 26 goals, 19 came on the power play -- a record for an NHL defenseman. But general manager Bob Gainey let Souray, also a minus 28 that season, walk to the Edmonton Oilers for a five-year, $27 million deal. No problem. The following season, Montreal bumped defenseman/forward Mark Streit, who had been on the second power-play unit, up to replace Souray. He didn't have Souray's industrial-strength shot -- few do -- but he had a quality shot and was a slicker passer than Souray. The result was 90 Montreal power play goals, split evenly between home and road.

Gainey probably could have negotiated a multi-year deal worth an average of $2.5 million if he had moved on Streit early in the season. But Streit, whom the Canadiens often played on the wing because they didn't trust him even on the third pair, moved into a higher-rent
neighborhood with a 62-point season, which included seven power play goals. Streit, who wanted more five-on-five time strictly on defense, signed with the New York Islanders for five years at $20.5 million. Although he's now a minus seven on a scuffling team, Streit has seven goals and is on another 60-point season pace. He is also playing mega-minutes, about the 25 per game that are worthy of a No. 1 defenseman.

This season, faced with replacing another power play catalyst, the Canadiens slid Andrei Markov from the left point to the right, the trigger spot. And ... splat.

Montreal's power play, with two goals in 37 chances over the past nine games, has been in a funk since the first weeks of the season, lacking the sharp cross-seam passes that Markov used to make to Alex Kovalev on the right half boards. But it most tellingly lacks the big blasts from the point.

Neither Markov nor veteran Patrice Brisebois has been the weapon the Canadiens have sought. Because penalty killers don't have as much respect for the Habs' point shots, they have been sagging in their box, putting extra emphasis on defending the ever-dangerous but thoroughly snake-bitten Kovalev. He is seeing more bodies and sticks in the shooting lanes than he ever has, which forces him to try to pick the far corner.

The result: Kovalev had not scored in 19 games, since Nov. 1, until getting a short-handed goal against the Hurricanes. On Montreal's lone power play -- Carolina had 11 -- Kovalev started on the point, a position he played regularly in Pittsburgh.

After an 0-for-8 dud in a one-goal home loss to Washington last Saturday, coach Guy Carbonneau said the Canadiens are being outworked when they have the man advantage. Perhaps. Hard work always has been viewed as a panacea in hockey. But there is a structural problem with the power play that rival teams like Boston, with big points shooters like Zdeno Chara and Dennis Wideman, don't face. A breakout night, one of those three-for-five explosions, might alleviate some of the problems. And maybe the law of averages will simply take over on a power play that features gifted offensive players like Alex Tanguay, Robert Lang and Kovalev.

But right now, it looks like the law of averages has been repealed.