Canadiens: Habs call up Matt D'Agostini

Sunday, 31.01.2010 / 5:15 PM / moves

Montreal Canadiens

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens announced Sunday that right winger Matt D’Agostini has been called up from the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs. D’Agostini will join the Canadiens tonight in Montreal.

D’Agostini, 23, registered four points (two goals, two assists) in 35 games with the Canadiens this season. He also recorded 44 shots on goal and served 26 penalty minutes. In 89 NHL career games he registered 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists), recorded 160 shots on goal and 44 penalty minutes.

In three games with the Bulldogs this season, the 6’00’’, 198 lbs forward recorded one assist. He added two penalty minutes and registered 10 shots on goal.

D’Agostini was the Canadiens’ fifth pick (sixth round, 190th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

YouTube: Anton Volchenkov collides with Michael Cammalleri

Anton Volchenkov collides with Michael Cammalleri
posted by NHLArchive

Canadiens-Senators: A Habs' Loss that may Hurt More than Most

Montreal 2 Ottawa 3 (Scotiabank Place )

posted by Rocket
All Habs

In the opening game of Hockey Day in Canada, the Canadiens got off to another slow start. By midway through the game, Ottawa had taken a 2-0 lead. The Habs power-play scored an important goal before the end of the second period, to keep the game close.

But that's where the game story becomes secondary to concerns for the Canadiens' season.

With about 7:16 left in the third period, Tomas Plekanec dumped the puck across the Ottawa blueline. As Mike Cammalleri chased it down, Anton Volchenkov batted the puck out of the zone with a backhand and continued into Cammalleri with a solid hit.

Was it interference? Probably, but that seemed irrelevant as Canadiens' fans watched Cammalleri fall backward against the boards, his knee buckling underneath him, in a way that the knee was not designed to bend. Cammalleri grimaced in pain and could put no weight on his right leg as he was helped off the ice by Sergei Kostitsyn and athletic therapist Graham Rynbend.

Read more »

Canadiens: Habs call up Yannick Weber

With Jaroslav Spacek and Paul Mara injured (both with upper-body injuries) and out for the game on Saturday afternoon, it was necessary to call up Yannick Weber.  Weber had an excellent camp with the Canadiens and is the logical choice.  He can fill Spacek's role on the second wave of the power- play.

Let there be no question that the Habs are up against the cap.  They waited until after 5:00 pm (the end of the cap day) for the call up to save a few dollars.

Friday, 29.01.2010 / 5:15 PM / moves

Montreal Canadiens

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens announced today that defenseman Yannick Weber has been called up from the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs. Weber will join the Canadiens tonight in Ottawa for tomorrow’s matinee game against the Senators at Scotiabank Place.

The 5’11’’, 193 lbs defenseman played three games with the Canadiens earlier this season. He was held pointless with one shot on goal, while averaging 14:50 minutes of ice time per game.

Weber recorded 23 points (2-21-23) in 44 games with the Bulldogs this season. He added 106 shots on goal and 44 penalty minutes, with a +10 plus/minus differential.

Price-Markov Spat: Much Ado About Nothing

(photo credit: Pierre Obendrauf, Gazette)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

Those of us at the Canadiens' practise today in Brossard were treated to a unique moment. While reporters spend their time challenging members of hockey teams, there is rarely an opportunity for players and coaches to send messages back. When it happens, it usually ends badly. Think Rangers coach John Tortorella with New York Post scribe Larry Brooks.

Close to the end of the practise, Carey Price skated towards Andrei Markov near center ice and gave him a big bear hug. Price then glanced up to the media gallery with a grin. Message sent, and done so brilliantly.

Read more »

Canadiens-Lightning: Going Through the Motions

Montreal 0 Tampa Bay 3 ( Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

Disinterested.

Is there any other way to describe the effort of the Canadiens tonight? Well that is, other than the title of this review "Going Through the Motions?" Did the players want this game to end as much as I did in the third period?

The Habs looked like they wished to be anywhere else other than on the ice. It was a painful game to watch.

Montreal coach Jacques Martin said that he saw some good things and that he thought it was a better effort than the previous game against the Panthers. We apparently saw different games obviously, although this isn't the first time.

Ryan O'Byrne, in addition to much better play, has become a candid voice of reason in the dressing room.

“It’s disappointing to come down here and play two, for the most part, uninspired games,” O’Byrne said.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Read more »

Canadiens-Panthers: Habs Stuck in the Sand in Florida

Montreal 1 Florida 2 (BankAtlantic Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs


"There are more roller-coaster days to come. But if the Canadiens are going to take a run at a playoff spot, let's hope that coach Martin adjusts his system to allow his players to be at their best..."

The concluding sentences of the review from Saturday's game seem to be a good starting point for tonight. While others used phrases like the Canadiens "have turned the corner", "are poised for a run", "will ride the wave of their goaltender", I remained a little more realistic in my praise.

Tonight the Habs advanced through another downturn, but many fans were not only disappointed but angry with the result. Aggressive forechecking and puck pursuit evaporated, passing and puck movement were not in sync, and the goalie, who many had been anointed by some as number one, looked ordinary.

Having had a day off in the Florida sun didn't seem to rejuvenate the players as might have been intended. The Canadiens looked slow and execution was subpar. But more significantly it seemed like the Florida coach schooled his former boss.

Read more »

Guest Article: Louis Leblanc's Development Will Require Patience

Joe Yerdon was in the broadcast booth, providing analysis and colour commentary for Saturday afternoon's game between the Harvard Crimson and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Engineers.  Montreal Canadiens' prospect Louis Leblanc scored with 2.3 seconds left to give his Harvard team a 3-3 tie with RPI.

Yerdon is the owner of the excellent website, Gross Misconduct Hockey, and he has kindly agreed to provide All Habs' readers with an exclusive report on Leblanc.

 
posted by Joe Yerdon
Gross Misconduct Hockey

I was excited to get a good look at what Habs 2009 first round choice Louis Leblanc may have to offer the Canadiens in the future when his Harvard Crimson came to Troy to take on Maple Leafs prospect Jerry D'Amigo's RPI Engineers.

Given the amount of discussion that surrounded Leblanc after his selection about whether he might stick around in Cambridge for a year or two at most, I had it planted in my mind that he could be one of those players that blows you away in how he carries himself on the ice and dominates play. After all, this season I've gotten to see a lot of D'Amigo and from Blackhawks 2009 second round pick Brandon Pirri and they've both been impressive in helping the Engineers climb out of the doldrums of the ECAC.

Read more »

THN: Cammalleri carries himself like a captain

Ryan Dixon, The Hockey News

Updated Jan 25, 2010 7:55 PM ET

When the Montreal Canadiens eventually decide to sew a 'C' on somebody, count Mike Cammalleri as a prime candidate.

The 27-year-old left winger singed a five-year deal worth $6 million annually last summer and, so far, has delivered the goods, which in his case is goals.

With five goals over his past four games, Cammalleri is on pace to tally 40 times this season after netting 39 with the Calgary Flames last year. Montreal's second line has been hurting a bit since Andrei Kostitsyn was sidelined with a knee injury that will keep him out a few more weeks. However, Cammalleri continues to find the net playing alongside Tomas Plekanec, thereby taking some attention away from the red-hot top line of Scott Gomez between Benoit Pouliot and Brian Gionta.

The Canadiens have had a couple talented goal-scorers in the recent past, but difference between Cammalleri and somebody like Alex Kovalev is the former plays with enthusiasm every night. The results aren't always there — and in fact, Cammalleri has been known as a streaky scorer in the past — but it's not for lack of trying.

Anybody who's paid real attention to Montreal this year can tell you Cammalleri is small, but snarly. He gets his nose dirty; heck, he's even gotten into it with a couple teammates in practice, not because he's an egotistical diva who can't blend on a team, but because he lets you know when you're not giving the type of effort required of an NHL player.

That's the kind of spirit a team needs in its captain. Quite simply, Cammalleri always looks like he cares, just the way former captain Saku Koivu rarely cheated his coach or teammates with a second-rate effort.

Cammalleri is also the kind of confident person who is comfortable speaking with the huge media contingent that covers every move made by the Canadiens. Like it or not, a willingness to engage an enormous amount of microphones and cameras simply goes with the territory for a Habs captain.

Cammalleri has done everything asked of him in his first year with Montreal and should the team decide to give him more responsibility by putting the 'C' on his No. 13 jersey, there's no doubt he'd respond the right way.

Ryan Dixon is a writer and copy editor for The Hockey News magazine, the co-author of the book Hockey's Young Guns and a regular contributor to THN.com. His blog appears Thursday and his column, Top Shelf, appears Wednesday.

Canadiens: Habs recall Maxwell, assign D'Agostini to Hamilton

Sunday, 24.01.2010 / 5:18 PM / moves

Montreal Canadiens

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens announced Sunday that centreman Ben Maxwell has been called up from the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs, while right winger Matt D’Agostini has been assigned to Hamilton.

Maxwell, 21, registered 34 points (11 goals, 23 assists) in 46 games with the Bulldogs this season. He also recorded 108 shots on goal, served 18 penalty minutes, while posting a +4 plus/minus differential. In seven games with the Canadiens last year, the 6’01’’, 195 lbs forward was held pointless and served two penalty minutes.

A native of North Vancouver, B.C., Maxwell was the Canadiens’ second pick (second round, 49th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

D’Agostini, 23, registered four points (two goals, two assists) in 35 games with the Canadiens this season. He also recorded 44 shots on goal and served 26 penalty minutes. In 89 NHL career games he registered 25 points (14 goals, 11 assists), recorded 160 shots on goal and 44 penalty minutes.

In 159 games with the Bulldogs between 2006-07 and 2008-09, the 6’00’’, 198 lbs forward recorded 127 points (58 goals, 69 assists). He added 87 penalty minutes, while posting a +3 plus/minus differential.

D’Agostini was the Canadiens’ fifth pick (sixth round, 190th overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Canadiens: Habs assign Max Pacioretty to the Hamilton Bulldogs

Sunday, 24.01.2010 / 10:54 AM / moves

Montreal Canadiens

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens announced Sunday that left winger Max Pacioretty has been assigned to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs.

The 6’02’’, 196 lbs forward registered 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) in 52 games with the Canadiens this season. He also recorded 74 shots on goal and served 20 penalty minutes. In 86 NHL career games he registered 25 points (6-19-25), recorded 131 shots on goal and 47 penalty minutes.

Pacioretty recorded 29 points (6-23-29) in 37 games with the Bulldogs in 2008-09. He added 43 penalty minutes, while posting a +1 plus/minus differential.

Pacioretty, 21, was the Canadiens’ second pick (first round, 22nd overall) of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Rangers-Canadiens: Habs Wipe Rags

Montreal 6 New York Rangers 0 (Bell Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

That's two impressive wins by your Montreal Canadiens. Saturday night home victories have been rather rare this season, so the Bell Centre faithful took the opportunity to celebrate a game where the Habs dominated start to finish.

The Rangers came out firing in the first period. Jaroslav Halak was solid making 13 saves but New York failed to convert some of their best chances with eight shots that went high or just wide. The Rangers are struggling to score and have been shut out in four of their last seven games.

Read more »

Canadiens-Devils: Solid Team Effort Delivers Habs' Win

Montreal 3 New Jersey 1 (Prudential Center)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

Imagine for a minute a Canadiens' game, where special teams weren't a factor, goaltending didn't have to be exceptional, and the team almost played a solid 60 minute game. Prior to tonight, you would be hard-pressed to provide an example. But the Habs played just that kind of game for their first regular season win in New Jersey on a Friday night since October 13, 1989.

At times, it wasn't a pretty game to watch. Both teams started rather slowly and played a sloppy brand of hockey. The second period was a snooze-fest with the two teams combining for only 11 shots on goal. And in the third period, the Canadiens played very cautiously going into full lock-down mode.

The Habs' power-play was shut-out once again and is now zero for its last 23 chances.

Coach Jacques Martin was busy mixing and matching his lines and shortening his bench. Four forwards, Matt D'Agostini, Mathieu Darche, Max Pacioretty, and Marc-Andre Bergeron, each had less than ten minutes of ice time. Darche made efficient use of his 9:49.

Against St. Louis, Darche often looked out of place and admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the system. Tonight, Darche looked out of place because he was playing Bulldogs hockey, not the familiar Canadiens system. He forechecked aggressively, created turnovers, and drove to the net. For that he was rewarded with a goal and an assist.

While Scott Gomez heard the jeers of the New Jersey fans, Brian Gionta seemed to enjoy a silent respect. Gionta had a very good game with six shots, three takeaways and an assist.

The three goal scorers for the Canadiens tonight were Darche, Benoit Pouliot and Mike Cammalleri. All are new additions to the team suggesting that General Manager Bob Gainey deserves credit for moves that he has made.

New Jersey had a record of 21-3 when scoring first coming into tonight's game. While the Canadiens allowed the first goal, Pouliot's marker with just over three minutes left in the first period was an important confidence builder for the team. The Habs also benefited from playing a team's whose passive system is similar and provides a good match-up.

Goaltending was competent but not a focus tonight. Martin Brodeur uncharacteristically gave up three goals to the Canadiens and looked awkward on several saves. Jaroslav Halak gave up far too many rebounds and was an adventure each time he played the puck but made key saves when necessary.

"I'm not sure we tested Halak too much," Zach Parise said. "He made some good saves, but I still think we could have made it a little harder for him."

The Canadiens defensive corps did an excellent job limiting quality scoring chances, particularly Josh Gorges, Jaroslav Halak, Roman Hamrlik, and Andrei Markov. Gorges had one of his better games of the year leading the team in hits and blocked shots with four each.

The Habs return home to play the Rangers on Saturday night.


Rocket's three stars

1. Mathieu Darche
2. Jamie Langenbrunner
3. Brian Gionta

Material from wire services was used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)

The Montreal Forum Opens at All Habs

Shortly, All Habs will be rolling out new features all designed to increase interaction with fans of the Montreal Canadiens, and hockey fans in general.

We are pleased to unveil The Montreal Forum, a discussion board, to voice your opinions on a variety of topics.  Discuss current Habs news, fondly remember the glory years, speculate on trades, get fantasy hockey advice, and plan your fan social events.

Its easy to register, then introduce yourself in the rookie zone, and share your opinions.

We are always interested to hear your feedback.  Stay tuned for other new features coming soon, including an announcement of our future All Habs home.

Hockey legend Jean Beliveau in hospital after stroke

It was a busy news day for the Montreal Canadiens.  But no story is more important than health of Jean Beliveau.

Beliveau is respected throughout the hockey world, from team to team and across many generations of fans.  It's not hard to understand why.  His class is unparalleled.

I have been fortunate to meet Mr. Beliveau on a number of occasions.  Like others, I cannot forget his crushing handshake, his sincerity and the feeling when his unique voice says your name.

Right now, Beliveau and his family deserve our thoughts and prayers.  I encourage you to share your good wishes for the speedy recovery of this great Canadien.

Two stories from CTV follow.

Hockey legend Jean Beliveau in hospital after stroke

CTV.ca News Staff

Date: Thu. Jan. 21 2010 9:39 PM ET

Former Montreal Canadiens hockey great Jean Beliveau has been taken to hospital after he suffered a stroke Wednesday night.

Beliveau, 78, is being cared for in the neurological department at Montreal General Hospital.

There are no details yet concerning his condition, but Beliveau's life is reportedly not in danger.

During his 20-year NHL career, Beliveau won the Stanley Cup 10 times. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and has been named the honourary captain of Canada's 2010 men's Olympic hockey team.

Beliveau played for the Montreal Canadiens for his entire career, earning 1,219 points in 1,125 games with the team. He retired from the NHL in 1971, without having represented Canada in any international tournament.

The first major international competition involving NHL players took place in 1972, which Canada beat the USSR to win.

Off the ice, Beliveau became known as "Gentleman Jean" for his honourable conduct and untarnished private life.

In 2005 he was named a Companion of the Order of Canada, and became an Officer of the National Order of Quebec a year later.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper paid tribute to Beliveau at a March 2007 dinner.

"For over half a century you have been one of the most respected ambassadors of Canada's great game," Harper said at the event. "But you have also been by example an ambassador of the ideals Canadians see in themselves and the qualities we wish to instil in our children."

Hockey great Jean Beliveau has suffered a stroke.

Updated: Thu Jan. 21 2010 3:51:13 PM

ctvmontreal.ca

CTV News has learned the Montreal Canadiens legend suffered a stroke Wednesday night and was transported to the Montreal General Hospital.

He is now in the neurological department, and doctors believe at this point his life is not in danger.

They say they will have a better indication of the 78-year-old's prognosis in the next 24 to 48 hours.

Donald Beauchamp, VP Communications with the Canadiens, will only say that Beliveau was taken to hospital for tests and would not confirm the reason for Beliveau's hospitalization.

Late Thursday afternoon the MUHC issued the following statement: Jean Beliveau was admitted overnight to the Montreal General Hospital of the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) for investigation and is currently in stable condition. More details will be released if they become available.

Former teammate Rejean Houle was supposed to meet Beliveau this past Monday, but Beliveau had to cancel because of a doctor's appointment.

Houle found out this morning that Beliveau was in hospital when he talked to his daughter, Helene.

Meanwhile another former teammate, Dickie Moore, was not aware Beliveau was in hospital, and told CTV News: "I am relieved to hear it's not life threatening."

Hockey legend

Beliveau was one of the greatest members of the Canadiens.

He played on ten Stanley Cup-winning teams, and has been a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame since 1972.

"Le Gros Bill" was called up to play for the Canadiens in the 1950-51 and 1952-53 seasons, finally joining the club full-time for the 1953-54 season.

By the end of 1971, Beliveau had scored 507 goals, made 712 assists in regular season games, with another 79 goals and 97 in the playoffs.

He served as captain for 10 years -- a record tied by Saku Koivu.

When he retired from the ice, his jersey was too, with #4 placed in the rafters on Oct. 9, 1971.

Beliveau then went on to join the Canadiens management team, and as a result his name appears on the Stanley Cup 17 times -- ten times as a player, and seven as an executive.

Beliveau is also the honourary captain of the 2010 Men's Olympic Hockey Team, and of course, his statue is one of four that stands outside the Bell Centre.

Life outside hockey

Beliveau was twice offered a seat in the Senate, and twice turned it down.

He did accept a nomination to the Order of Canada.

In June 2009, Beliveau teamed up with CTV anchor Mutsumi Takahashi to be the public face of the superhospital's fundraising campaign

At the time, Beliveau said that he was inspired to join the campaign because of the cancer treatment he received at the MUHC.

He has long been active in health care.

Back in 1981, Beliveau and Claude Mouton started the Canadiens blood drive, which is one of the more popular drives benefiting Hema Quebec.

In 2006, Beliveau auctioned off some of his memorabilia to benefit his foundation for disabled children.

Other health issues

In 2000, Beliveau was successfully treated for a malignant cancerous tumour.

The battle was difficult -- Beliveau reportedly lost 30 pounds while being treated.

In December 2008, Believeau was taken to hospital after collapsing while attending the funeral service for Father Paul Aquin.

He was soon released, having suffered nothing more than a drop in blood pressure.

Fireworks at Brossard

posted by Rocket
All Habs


While most of the camera crews and media were off covering Bob Gainey's new conference about the departure of Georges Laraque, there was action on the practise ice at Brossard.

Sergei Kostitsyn practised on a line with Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri. The younger Kostitsyn looked good and should be ready to go this weekend making his return against the Devils or the Rangers.

Carey Price did not practise. It was explained that it was a therapy day for him. Goaltender coach Pierre Groulx filled in.

But what caught my attention was the dispute between Cammalleri and Max Lapierre. It wasn't clear what started the disagreement but there was a marked difference in the moods of the two players. Lapierre was very casual and was laughing, and joking. Cammalleri was intense perhaps upset by Wednesday's loss and the team's recent poor play.

The verbal jousting between the players went on for quite some time. The players came close and tussled with Lapierre losing his helmet. At one point it got a little more physical with Cammalleri losing his stick which slid into the path of the players drills.

The two were separated by teammates but the yelling continued. Lapierre and Cammalleri came together once more. Travis Moen acted as a peacemaker.

Following the altercation, Cammalleri went off by himself and focused on stickhandling skills. Lapierre joined a group doing shootouts from the blue-line.

The entire incident was handled by the players. Coaches stayed out of it other than Groulx who tapped Laps on the pants afterwards.  Cammalleri was involved in a similar incident with Josh Gorges in November.

When asked about the fight in the practise coach Jacques Martin said: "It bodes well, I am not happy that we have lost a point yesterday, and the players aren't either. It is this energy that will bring us to New Jersey. We must prepare for a very important game."

There is an expression "hated by the opposition yet loved by his teammates" that is often said about players who similar style to Lapierre. Unfortunately, the saying doesn't apply to Lapierre. It appears that his attitude is starting to wear thin with his teammates.

Despite all the criticism of players like Matt D'Agostini, there is no one on the team who has been a bigger disappointment than Lapierre this season. Max showed some promise last season, but other than a few shifts, has been completely invisible this year.

Lapierre has been given opportunities on every line, and special teams and has done nothing.

Cammalleri clearly loves being in Montreal and hates to lose. It seems that he could no longer tolerate Lapierre's pitiful contribution to the team coupled with an indifferent attitude.


While cameras didn't capture the entire incident, there is a short clip here:


Watch TSN video here

YouTube: Cam Janssen's Hit On Carey Price + Benoit Pouliot's Goal

Blues-Canadiens: Late Surge Can't Make Up for Habs' Missteps

Montreal 3 St Louis 4 OT (Bell Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

There was one player that made the difference in tonight's game.

Was it Mathieu Darche? Darche is a journeyman who was called up for tonight's game from the Hamilton Bulldogs. At 33 years old, he got his first opportunity to play for the Canadiens. Darche is one of a select few McGill University graduates to wear the bleu, blanc et rouge. The list includes Jack McGill (1934-37), Nels Crutchfield (1934-35), and Ken Dryden (1971-79).

Darche was replacing Matt D'Agostini on the Canadiens top line with Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri. A common complaint about D'Agostini is that despite possessing a good shot,he rarely uses. it. Darche is a player who is unafraid to go to the front of the net and leads the Bulldogs in shots on goal.

Unfortunately Darche was not the spark that coach Jacques Martin hoped for when adding him to the line-up. Darche played almost 10 minutes, took two shots, and was a minus one. Darche was partly responsible for the second goal by the Blues. He looked lost and failed to pick up coverage in the defensive zone.

In a surprise move, coach Martin inserted Ryan O'Byrne in a forward role in place of Georges Laraque. Not that sitting Laraque was a surprise. Laraque, D'Agostini and Max Lapierre are the worst players for the Canadiens' game in and game out and are deserving of more press box time.

Laraque didn't even involve himself last game against the Rangers when Plekanec and Andrei Markov were being abused. It was left to Benoit Pouliot and Josh Gorges to stand up for their teammates. In fact, Laraque has only four fighting majors the entire season. All have taken place in the first period and all have been staged, meaningless fights.

No, the surprise was that Martin chose to put O'Byrne on the fourth line with Glen Metropolit and Marc-Andre Bergeron. What was Martin expecting to happen with four of five players on the ice being defensemen? While O'Byrne is an upgrade over Laraque, it was unfair to put him in that role. O'Byrne played only six shifts and was not a factor.

Some may suggest that Carey Price was the stand-out player. Certainly Price did everything he could to keep his team in the game especially in the second and third periods.

Price was even willing to take on Cam Janssen, who had left his feet to level Price as they were racing towards a loose puck. Price pulled Roman Hamrlik away to try to get at Janssen. Price's courage immediately rejuvenated the Bell Centre crowd and sparked his teammates who scored a power-play goal only eight seconds after the incident.

"It was the right play to come out and play it," coach Martin said. "The player hit him and it started something. I thought he reacted well. He gave us a strong game."

Goaltending could not make up for the truly awful play by the Canadiens and the inability to get the puck out of their own end. In the first period alone, the Habs committed seven defensive zone turnovers.

"I didn't like how we played in the first two periods, but we battled in the third," coach Martin said. "We were playing too much in our own zone in the first two."

Benoit Pouliot had a good game but is not the player that comes to mind. Pouliot had two goals on seven shots and set a pick to clear a lane for Spacek for his point shot on the tying goal.

The player who had the most impact on tonight's game was Scott Gomez. Gomez was on the ice for five of the seven goals scored. Not only was he on the ice, but Gomez played an active role in each goal.

Gomez stole the puck and made a nice pass to set-up Pouliot for Montreal's second goal. Gomez was standing in front of the net with Cammalleri on the Canadiens' third goal and seemed to tip Spacek's shot.

But it isn't all bouquets for Gomez. His inability to ice the puck while short-handed directly resulted in St. Louis' first goal. Gomez's lazy back-check is responsible for Alex Steen's goal for the Blues. And Gomez's brutal giveaway to Paul Kariya was the difference-maker as he set-up Andy McDonald for the winning goal in overtime.

Coach Martin also deserves an assist for his curious game plan, and his inability to prepare his team to be ready to play.

The Habs deserve credit for coming back to gain a point. They were hoping for more with two tough games upcoming against the Devils and the Rangers.

“It’s a huge point for us,” Pouliot said. “The standings are tight right now. We need to gain a little ground but we’ll take any points right now, that’s for sure.”

The Canadiens leave Montreal on Thursday afternoon for New Jersey where they will play on Friday night.


Rocket's three stars

1. TJ Oshie
2. Alexander Steen
3. Benoit Pouliot

Material from wire services was used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)

Habs call up Mathieu Darche

Tuesday, 19.01.2010 / 5:15 PM / moves
Montreal Canadiens
PRESS RELEASE


MONTRÉAL --The Montreal Canadiens announced Monday that left winger Mathieu Darche has been called up from the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs. Darche will join the Canadiens tonight in Montreal and will be available for tomorrow’s game against the St. Louis Blues at the Bell Centre.


Darche, 33, participated in his first training camp with the Canadiens last September. He played two of the club’s seven preseason games before being assigned to Hamilton on September 21. In 32 games this season with the Bulldogs, the 6’01’’, 215 lbs forward recorded 25 points (16 goals, 9 assists), with 127 shots on goal and a +7 plus/minus differential. Darche missed 12 games this season due to a shoulder injury.


A native of Montreal, Darche signed with the Canadiens as a free agent on July 2, 2009. In 101 NHL career games with Columbus, Nashville, San Jose and Tampa Bay, he registered 24 points (8 goals, 16 assists), while serving 24 penalty minutes.


In 552 career AHL games, Darche registered 443 points (212 goals, 231 assists) serving 290 penalty minutes.

Canadiens-Rangers: One Period is not Enough

Montreal 2 New York Rangers 6 (Madison Square Gardens)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

After 20 minutes, the Canadiens went to the dressing room with a 2-0 lead, having played one of their best road periods in recent memory. Sure, there was the road winning streak before Christmas, but those games were against the NHL's bottom feeders. Tonight's game was against a team that the Habs were competing with for a playoff spot.

The Canadiens controlled the first period with goals from Mike Cammalleri and a power-play marker from Brian Gionta. While the shot clock read nine for the Rangers, none were difficult saves for Jaroslav Halak who had an easy period. The Canadiens did a very good job in their own zone.

Perhaps it shouldn't have been too much of a surprise. The Rangers had scored only one goal in their past three games. But all that changed. Somehow, during the intermission, New York rediscovered their scoring touch, and the Canadiens forgot all the good things they had been doing in the first period.

“It’s just one of those things where it wasn’t our night,” said Scott Gomez. “They beat us to everything in the second.”

The Canadiens were outshot 15-to-2 in the second period and allowed three New York goals. The backbreaker was a short-handed goal midway through the period.

On a 4-on-3 power-play, Tomas Plekanec cleanly won the faceoff back to the point. The puck went past Marc-Andre Bergeron and was picked up by Ryan Callahan who skated the length of the ice for a shot on Halak with Markov chasing him down. Bergeron didn't bother to take the trailer, Brandon Dubinsky, who scored on the rebound.

So, the Rangers, a team who had only managed five goals in the previous five games combined, scored six unanswered goals in the final two periods tonight. And the Habs, who had a strong first period, collapsed.

"We played a strong very period and then we gave it away," coach Jacques Martin said. "We had turnovers and a bad play selection. I think it's a matter of us playing the type of hockey we are capable of."

How does that happen? Some say that the Canadiens don't have the talent. But, its then hard to explain why the team can play so well at times. Certainly, the passive system that the Habs use has to be one factor. They do not dictate the pace of the game, at least not for a full 60 minutes.

Also, this seems to be a team with fragile confidence. When things begin to go badly, there isn't the leadership to turn momentum around. While coach Martin called a timeout in the second, it did nothing to rally his team.

And when the Rangers started to take liberties with Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec, it was Josh Gorges and Benoit Pouliot who stepped in to fight and protect their teammates. Georges Laraque played just over three minutes in the entire game. Laraque is not the deterrent that some would have you believe.

Jaroslav Halak didn't play his best game and gave up a few soft goals but wasn't at fault for the loss.

The Canadiens played a sloppy game against Dallas but won anyway. Against Ottawa and New York, their mistakes cost them. And instead of their power-play bailing them out, it has contributed to the problem with short-handed goals against in two consecutive games.

The Habs lost two games they needed to win. Its too early to know, but this weekend could prove very costly to the Canadiens' playoff chances.


Rocket's three stars

1. Ryan Callahan
2. Brandon Dubinsky
3. Marion Gaborik

Material from wire services was used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)

Senators-Canadiens: Ottawa Shuts Down Habs' Vaunted Power-Play

Montreal 2 Ottawa 4 (Bell Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

Carey Price allowed three goals. Ottawa Senators won the game.

For Price-haters, you can fore-go the rest of the article. You have read the words that will keep you blissfully immersed in your delusion. However, the rest of us will look at the real reasons that the Canadiens were on the losing side tonight.

The post-game rhetoric from those in the anti-Price camp was pathetic, mindless and misplaced, yet unfortunately, predictable.

From his perspective, coach Jacques Martin said, "Our goaltending was excellent. Special teams was the difference -- not our goaltender."

I will agree with Martin's second sentence wholeheartedly, as the Canadiens power-play was awful tonight, and was the primary reason that the Habs lost the game. But I'm not sure I would use the word "excellent" to describe the goaltending.

Price made some big saves and cannot be faulted on the three Ottawa goals. It can be said that, uncharacteristically, Price's rebound control, was not sharp. The irony of that is probably lost on his critics.

For the first Ottawa goal, we can point the finger at Benoit Pouliot for his brutal giveaway.

It was a Pouliot mistake again ahead of Ottawa's second goal. He was soft on Mike Fisher as the Senator crossed into the Montreal zone . Pouliot curled instead of taking the puck carrier. Fisher made an easy pass to Matt Carkner. Carkner's point shot was stopped by Price but Daniel Alfredsson was all alone to bury the rebound. Gorges was caught out of position and got tangled with Nick Foligno on the left edge of the crease. Markov was unable to come across quickly enough to cover Gorge's spot.

The third Ottawa goal started on a Matt D'Agostini giveaway to Alex Kovalev. Kovalev's feed was shot by Chris Phillips from the point. The shot went off the stick of Tomas Plekanec and high into the net.

"I’ll take it,” Phillips said. “You know, you’ve got to be lucky to be good.”

Giveaways were a problem throughout the game but most evident in the second and third period. Poorly executed passes and disorganized play gave the Canadiens the dubious honour of holding a 30-to-12 advantage in giveaways. The Habs also had a 24-to-14 advantage when it came to firing pucks into opposition shin guards. When reversed the statistic is known as blocked shots, but it seemed that the Canadiens weren't working very hard to get into good shooting lanes.

Other than those two categories, the statistical comparison was relatively equal. For their part, the Senators had their own mistakes. Mike Brodeur played well but wasn't challenged with high quality scoring chances and gave up a soft goal to Tomas Plekanec. The Senators took far too many penalties but the Canadiens couldn't capitalize.

Despite a reasonably well-played first period, the Canadiens resumed bad habits from the start of the second period and continued the sloppy play displayed in the Dallas game. Assistant coach Kirk Muller said that the Canadiens allowed Ottawa to dictate the flow and pace of the game. Muller also said that the Habs were too nonchalant against aggressive Ottawa penalty-killers.

The Canadiens' power-play was 0-for-6 and gave up a short-handed goal. It was completely ineffective against the Ottawa defenders who pressured the puck carrier. As coach Martin said, the Habs' power-play was the difference in the outcome of the game.

On a positive note Matt D'Agostini had one of his better games in quite some time. D'Agostini was much better in the offensive zone, and was second only to Mike Cammalleri in shots on goal with five. For his part Cammalleri continues to struggle mightily with Andrei Kostitsyn not in the lineup to create space for him. Despite his poor play in the defensive zone, Benoit Pouliot had a goal on a nice setup from Scott Gomez.

For this game, fans should blame the loss on: the Canadiens inability to move the puck; their defensive zone coverage; the power-play; or the coaching strategy. Anything else would be misplaced criticism.

The Habs left immediately after the game for New York where they will play on Sunday night.


Rocket's three stars

1. Daniel Alfredsson
2. Tomas Plekanec
3. Mike Fisher

Material from wire services was used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)

100 years of memorabilia on display at Canadiens new Hall of Fame

By Bill Beacon

Canadian Press

MONTREAL — To see the skates worn by goaltending legend Georges Vezina nearly 100 years ago or a game-worn Howie Morenz jersey from the 1930s used to require a trip to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

But at the Montreal Canadiens Hall of Fame, which opens to the public on Saturday, those same items and hundreds of other pieces of memorabilia from the NHL's oldest and most successful club can now been seen through a side entrance of the team's own rink, the Bell Centre.

Team president Pierre Boivin said the goal in having their own museum was not to compete with the Hockey Hall of Fame, but to help fans "connect" with the team. In fact, the Hall in Toronto collaborated with the team on the project and provided some of the artifacts on display.

Boivin called it the "icing on the cake" of the team's 100th anniversary celebrations.

"We wanted to make sure there was a legacy for years to come," he said. "We've had this project in our hearts for a long time."

Boivin and vice-president Ray Lalonde, accompanied by former players Serge Savard, Yvan Cournoyer and Rejean Houle, led the media on a tour of the Hall, which was completed just before the team's 100th birthday on Dec. 4, but didn't have staff and other details in place in time to open to the public.

Visitors enter into a space with a floor painted to look like centre ice at the old Montreal Forum, with a dome overhead covered in pictures of the 54 players and builders the team has sent to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Down some stairs is a wall done up like the old Forum's Atwater Street facade, but in front are life-size mannequins of current Canadiens players celebrating a goal. The net in the display is the one used for the final game at the Forum in 1996.

There is also a replica of the Canadiens dressing room from its dynasty days in the 1970s, with players jerseys from Savard and Cournoyer to goalie Ken Dryden and superstar Guy Lafleur hung up at their seats.

There is a rail car from earlier days showing how players travelled in the days before charter flights became commonplace.

But mostly, there are glassed in displays with all-manner of nostalgic items.

There is a battered set of pads with the chest protector used by goalie Bill Durnan in the 1940s, the leather cap 1920s star Aurel Joliat wore during games, the crutches Morenz used just before he died tragically in hospital after breaking his leg in 1937, and a faded woolen game-worn jersey from 1912 - five years before the NHL was formed.

Full sets of gear are displayed from greats like Maurice (Rocket) Richard, Jean Beliveau and Dickie Moore to more modern players.

There is even the puck Yvon Lambert scored the game-winning goal with in Montreal's come-from-behind victory over coach Don Cherry's Boston Bruins in Game 7 of 1979 semifinals.

Many of the rare artifacts came from Montreal collector Allan Rubin, including hundreds of hockey cards in pristine condition, some going back to the Canadiens first season in 1909-10. Former players donated other pieces.

It is not all Canadiens memorabilia. There are some of Wayne Gretzky's sticks, pucks and jerseys, and artifacts from rivals like the Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Another large display came as the result of the club's appeal to fans for Canadiens-related souvenirs, from plastic discs with player pictures, to old table hockey games, game programs and a Cornflakes box featuring the team's 1993 Stanley Cup triumph.

A theme throughout the Hall is to have all eras are covered in each display, so there is plenty of recent stuff as well to appeal to young fans who don't remember the club's glory years.

And there are interactive displays, including one in which Beliveau, shown on a screen, can answer questions from visitors.

"We felt that over the course of 100 years there have been so many accomplishments and some of the legendary moments in hockey belong to the Montreal Canadiens, so it was fitting for us as we complete the centennial to have a place in the building where fans can experience that history," said Lalonde.

Tickets cost $10 for adult and $7 for children and seniors. Fans with a ticket for that night's game get in for $5.

The Canadiens have feted their centennial by wearing vintage-style jerseys in games and retiring the numbers of a handful of their past greats. They also had the street in front of their arena named after them, where they had a plaza built with statues of legendary players.

Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved

Guest Article: It's All About Hockey (An Australian Perspective)

All Habs is pleased to feature a guest article with an Australian perspective of hockey.  Steve correctly points out that real fans don't use the redundant term "ice" before hockey.  I wish some of our American friends would learn that easy lesson.  Is it "court basketball"?  Of course not.  But I digress.

Steve was fortunate to be introduced to the game at the Bell Centre.  It offers the best experience in the NHL.

Please enjoy Steve's take on hockey, Montreal, the Olympics and other musings.  I'm sure he would welcome your comments.


posted by Steve Cram

It's All About Hockey

Growing up as a kid in and around Melbourne, whenever anybody asked which team you follow (in Australia the question would be “who do you barrack for?”) you knew exactly what they were asking. It wasn’t about which basketball team you supported, or which Rugby League team you liked. It was about football – Australian Rules Football. To many people it was – and to some still is – the only sport worth caring about.

It’s a little bit the same here in Canada, except instead of football, its all about Hockey.

I am of course, talking about Ice Hockey, as it is known everywhere else in the world, not field hockey which is more popular in Australia and the non iced over parts of Europe.

Don’t get caught calling it ice hockey in Canada though. You’ll just end up looking foolish. They cant get their heads around the fact that anyone would ever play field hockey – that’s a girls game isn’t it?

Coming to Canada, I knew I would have to embrace hockey. I’d only ever been to one hockey game before – a second tier game in Olomouc in the Czech Republic, and while it was a fun night, it didn’t exactly hook me in.

Within days of arriving in Canada, I would realise that I would have no choice but to enjoy this game. Like Aussie Rules footy in Melbourne, if you’re not watching the hockey, you’re kind of left out. Your team plays every couple of days, and everyone meets up at the pub to cheer on their local team. This is something I could learn to love. Hockey you say?

While I do love watching the games at the pub, nothing does it for me like seeing the game live, so I bought a couple of tickets and went along to watch the Montreal Canadiens host the New York Islanders.

Ok, I’m hooked.

The game is awesome. I was a little worried about being able to even see the puck on the ice, but that wasn’t a worry at all. What I loved about the game more than anything was that, unlike all other major North American Sports (American Football, Baseball, and NBA Basketball) the action is virtually non stop. Its fast paced end to end action with virtually no let up, and with our game going to overtime – with the home team Montreal winning in sudden death – the crowd was amazing.

Me & a Buddy at the Canadiens game

The Montreal fans are known for being some of the most passionate in the NHL, and its any wonder considering they have won the league a record 24 times. It really is the only show in town, and sports wise it’s the only thing of interest to anyone. Montreal actually won the Canadian Football League this season, and yet I didn’t meet one person in Montreal who would choose a football game over a hockey game. The game on ice wins every time.

It’s not only Montreal that loves hockey though, it’s a nation wide obsession. There are six Canadian teams in the NHL, however there used to be more, which is something of a sore point to the people of Winnipeg and Quebec City.

Everyone here can skate. Even those that say they cant, can. They’re just used to comparing themselves to the rest of Canada. Kids grow up wanting to be hockey players and as a result they’re one of the best teams in the world.

With the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics fast approaching – just one month away now – all of Canada is hoping their mens and womens hockey teams can take home the gold. The womens team is virtually assured a spot in the final against the USA who are obviously the number one rival. The men will have a more difficult assignment, with the depth of talent in the world much higher, and teams from Europe providing tough opposition along with the Americans.

The big game in the group stage will of course be the US against Canada on February 21st.  While other teams, such as world powerhouse Russia will come into it when the medals are handed out, the game against the USA is the one that all Canadiens want to win.

It's sometimes easy to forget that the Winter Olympics provide a chance for some of the minor winter sports of the world – such as curling – to have their moment in the spotlight, because everyone knows that in Canada, its all about the hockey.

Stars-Canadiens: Habs Play with Fire but Prevail over Stars

Montreal 5 Dallas 3 (Bell Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs


There's the scene in a disaster movie. You know the one. The alarm goes at the station. Firefighters scramble to get to the trucks. Guys bump into each other, and some stumble as they struggle to put their gear on. Adrenaline is pumping but is competing with the fog of being awakened from a deep sleep.

Now imagine that the firehouse alarm is the drop of the puck to start tonight's game. That will give you some idea about the play of the Montreal Canadiens. Quite simply, it was a train wreck. Can professional hockey players forget how to play together without a game in four days? It makes one wonder if they were burning the candle at both ends during their mini vacation.

Simple things like puck-handling and accurate passing proved to be very, very difficult tonight (as if smoke was clouding their vision).

So who came to the rescue? (is it time to end the firefighter analogy? no?) It was the usual sources, special teams and goaltending that led the way, with one important addition. A very emotional Georges Laraque scored his first goal in his 59th game in a Canadiens jersey on his first shot on goal of the season.

"It was embarrassing that it went on so long," said Laraque. "Every team I've been on I score six or seven goals a year."

Laraque has had his mind on the disaster in Haiti, which is the birthplace of his parents. Laraque's goal seemed to wake up the Canadiens' bench as well as the Bell Centre faithful.

"To have that happen tonight was almost a miracle," Laraque said.

Special teams, especially the power-play, was very effective going 2-for-2. Brian Gionta got both power-play goals in his 500th career game.

“Obviously, it makes it a little more memorable,” Gionta said. “I’m just fortunate to be here. I’m happy that I’ve been able to play that many games. I’m pretty blessed to be in the league for that long.”

Gionta's linemate, Benoit Pouliot had a goal and an assist and was deserving of the second star. Mike Cammalleri, who hasn't exactly been setting the world on fire lately, had an assist and a goal after a nifty spin move. Tomas Plekanec both played their best games of the new year.

With the Canadiens defense in disarray most of the game, Carey Price was left alone and came up with a solid effort making 33 saves. On the opening tally of the game, Price overplayed a potential pass on a Dallas odd-man rush. It was a weak goal as he wasn't in position to make the save. After that, Price bailed out his teammates with his strong play, particularly the defensemen, and earned his fourth career assist on Cammalleri's goal.

The Canadiens giving up odd-man rushes was far too common. Bad passes, reckless decisions, and poor positional play characterized the mental breakdowns by the Habs. Max Lapierre, Paul Mara, Hal Gill, Josh Gorges, and Marc-Andre Bergeron were the worst culprits.

The Canadiens poor play got coach Jacques Martin so hot under the collar that in teh second period he took a timeout to rake his team over the coals. Perhaps they just thought the coach was blowing smoke, as the mistakes and the odd-man rushes continued afterwards.

Martin will have one day of practise to hopefully have the Canadiens much better prepared for their next game. His team can't risk another sloppy effort.

The Habs end their four game homestand on Saturday night when they host Ottawa. Alex Kovalev will rekindle an old flame as he gets to play once again at the Bell Centre.


Rocket's three stars

1. Brian Gionta
2. Benoit Pouliot
3. James Neal

Material from wire services was used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)

Canadiens Goalie Controversy: The End is Near?

posted by Rocket
All Habs


Adrian Peterson and the Minnesota Vikings are busy preparing this week for their NFC semifinal game with the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. The Vikings have been one of the favorites all season to emerge as the NFC's representative to the Super Bowl. Adrian Peterson is the Viking's franchise player who some Minnesota fans love to hate.

The Vikings are blessed with a terrific offensive line and two talented running backs, Peterson and Chester Taylor. Peterson and Taylor are considered one of the NFL's top running back tandems. In fact, many were surprised when the Vikings selected Peterson in the 1st round of the 2007 draft with the seventh pick overall. Taylor was coming off a 2006-07 season where he rushed for a career high 1216 yards.

This season, Minnesota was cruising along with an 11-2 record. Then the Vikings lost two in a row against the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears, two non-playoff teams that should have been easy wins. With a berth into the Super Bowl less assured, the knives came out.

While there was lots of blame to go around, a very vocal group of Vikings' fans directed their anger at Peterson, and his league-leading six fumbles lost. They were upset that all of the fumbles had occurred against division rivals with half of them versus the lowly Detroit Lions. Some suggested that coach Brad Childress should rely more on the less risky, Taylor.

Fans have their favorites, and fanaticism is not rational. Those in the Taylor camp while focusing on one statistic, too easily dismissed the fact that Peterson led the NFL this season with 18 touchdowns and was 2nd in rushing in the NFC with 1,383 yards.

Statistics aside and fan's blind loyalty aside, there is not one NFL general manager who would dare to say that the two running backs are close to being equal in talent. Taylor is a very competent and underutilized backup, but he is not a thoroughbred.

Is any of this sounding familiar?

Such silly comparisons are not the monopoly of fans of the NFL. In Montreal, we witnessed fans and media alike advocate that Michel 'Bunny' Larocque should start over Ken Dryden and that Brian Hayward was the more consistent option over an emotional Patrick Roy.

For those who have been following the current goaltending situation in Montreal, there should be obvious parallels when reviewing Vikings' running backs or reminiscing about Canadiens' goaltending greats of the past.

At the time, speaking about Larocque in the same breath as Dryden only served to artificially inflate his perceived value. But when we look into the rafters of the Bell Centre, we see the sweaters of Roy and Dryden while Hayward and Larocque are no more than an afterthought.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves. There's a lot of hockey to be played but there is only one of the two current Canadiens' goalies who has the potential to be honoured in that way.

Until then, we have a so-called "goaltender controversy." Is it a true controversy with two equal goaltenders competing for the number one job? No, but this is Montreal. As explained above, fan choices are made for a variety of reasons and are certainly not driven by logic.

In short, Price has been given a calculus test and Halak one on basic arithmetic, and some are trying to compare the results, sometimes in excruciating detail.

There is no one who assesses talent with an NHL team that believes that Halak is on par with Price. That presents a challenge to Bob Gainey given his team needs when he tries to shop Halak. He needs more than a second round pick (probably fair value) in exchange for Halak. But Gainey is a smart general manager. He has used the controversy fueled by fans, media and partly engineered by the Canadiens, to improve the perception of Halak.

While pro scouting departments from other teams generally focus on the play on the ice, they aren't completely immune to hype. And right now there is a buzz around Halak that might make general managers say "I wonder..." Besides, Gainey doesn't have to convince every GM in the NHL that Halak has the potential to be a number one goaltender. He needs just one trading partner.

Gainey and his team have done a masterful job in creating interest in Halak. They have carefully managed Halak's starts giving him the best opportunity to look good against inferior opposition. When it was publicized that Halak has only won two games against teams over .500 all season, Gainey and Martin gave him a start at home against New Jersey.

New Jersey is an elite team in the league, but what was the worst thing that could have happened by starting Halak? Despite their lofty position in the conference standings, the Devils are 21st in the league in goals scored on the road. It's unlikely that a Jacques Lemaire coached team was going to fill the net and expose Halak's weaknesses. While Halak allowed a soft goal and looked shaky early on, the Canadiens got the spin that they were looking for. Based on a strong third period, some media painted the picture that Halak went "toe-to-toe" with Brodeur despite recording another loss against one of the league's better teams.

Being spoken of in the same sentence as Brodeur and Price only helps fuel the mystique of Halak. Some media are doing their part in promoting Halak driven by a desire to punish Price for "stealing" the job of their golden boy, Cristobal Huet. Despite a mediocre career primarily spent bouncing around the European leagues, and never having one even a single playoff series, Huet enjoyed his best press while in Montreal. Some still carry his torch in their persecution of Price.

Fans have always been kind to Halak, choosing the side of the underdog. The Slovakian goaltender has never been subjected to the same pressure and scrutiny as Price. They have been willing to overlook Halak's career struggles on the road and against better opposition given that he was quiet and likable. His goaltending style is quirky, and creates a lot of rebounds, but he is a battler.

Even Halak's loose-cannon agent, Alan Walsh, played a part in fueling the goalie controversy. The jury is out on whether Walsh helped or hurt his client when he publicly trashed Price via Twitter and then chose to insult all Montrealers rather than apologize for his inaccurate and unprofessional tweets. Whatever Walsh's intent, the comments were clearly divisive yet shone a league-wide spotlight on the Canadiens' goaltending tandem.

Certainly not to be forgotten is Halak's contribution himself. With the assistance of a carefully managed schedule, Halak has performed very well. He has helped the Canadiens win the games that they were expected to win while improving his individual statistics. We are probably seeing the best that Halak has to offer right at the time that he is being showcased to potential suitors.

Its the perfect storm. Halak's trade value will probably never be higher than it is right now.

It would seem obvious that now is the best time to trade Halak although some suggest waiting until March 3, 2010. While the trade deadline often brings the best return for forwards and defenseman, the rules are a little different for goaltenders. The trade market for goaltenders is mostly determined by need and availability.

There are even some Halak supporters who hold on to the illusion that the Canadiens will keep both goaltenders. That won't happen for many reasons. Market value means that Price is entitled to a large raise at the end of the season. Bumping up Halak's salary would mean that Canadiens would have too much money tied up in goaltender salaries. In addition, the Canadiens' tight cap position means that it is simply not a realistic scenario. In addition, it is not healthy for the development of either goaltender to live under the fear of a single mistake determining wherther they start or sit on the bench.

Lastly, there is the important detail that Halak has asked for a trade. It marks the second occasion that such a request was made although this time, it was much more public. While some fans in the Team Halak camp choose not to read between the lines, Jaro and his agent did everything short of erecting a billboard on the corner of René Lévesque Boulevard and de la Montagne to signal his desire to leave Montreal in the hopes of securing a number one position elsewhere.

The Olympics also complicate matters this season. Halak will be competing with Peter Budaj for the starting job with Team Slovakia. Halak won't be protected from playing the stronger teams as has been the case with the Canadiens. Although its possible that Halak could continue his strong play, he did not enjoy much success in his last international tournament. Last Spring, Halak struggled at the 2009 World Hockey Championships posting a 1-3 record, with 3.17 GAA and .871 SV%.

While predicting Halak's performance at the Olympic is impossible, it is the lack of control that must be worrying Gainey and his team right now. They have worked so hard to build a sellable story. All that could be exposed in the Olympics.

It is clear that the window on ensuring the best trade offer for Halak is closing rapidly.

Is it possible that while Peterson and the Vikings are taking on the Cowboys this Sunday, and the Canadiens prepare to play the Rangers, that we could hear news that the Montreal goalie controversy, which has been both organic and artfully engineered, is finally over?

Canadiens assign Ryan White to the Hamilton Bulldogs

Sunday, 10.01.2010 / 5:43 PM / moves

Montreal Canadiens

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL --The Montreal Canadiens announced Sunday that forward Ryan White has been

assigned to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs.

White, 21, had been recalled yesterday from Hamilton. The 6’00’’, 193 lbs forward played 14 games with the Canadiens this season. White played his first NHL game on November 5 against the Bruins in Boston. He registered two points (0-2-2), recorded 42 hits and blocked 13 shots, while playing an average of 11 minutes and 35 seconds.

White recorded 14 points (9-5-14) in 26 games with the Bulldogs this season. He added 52 shots on goal and 63 penalty minutes, while maintaining a +7 plus/minus differential.

Devils-Canadiens: Power Outage Not Just a New Jersey Problem

Montreal 1 New Jersey  2 OT (Bell Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

Goaltenders. We spend a disproportionate time talking about them, particularly in Montreal. Game in and game out, the Canadiens' offensive shortcomings are masked by the focus on what is happening in the Habs' crease. Mainstream media have all but ignored the complete failure of the head coach's so-called "puck-possession" system as they report the latest tidbit of information designed to reignite the Montreal goalie controversy.

So let's get the goaltending comments out of the way first. Jaroslav Halak didn't bring his A-game tonight. In the first period he looked nervous and shaky. There was no argument that first New Jersey goal scored by Zajac was soft.

"After the first goal they scored I knew I had to better, because it was a pretty weak goal," admitted Halak.

As the game went on, Halak mostly righted his goaltending ship although he continued to struggle with rebound control. In that regard, Halak owes a big debt of gratitude to his defense who cleared away everything not allowing second chance opportunities for New Jersey. In the third period, Halak made some tremendous saves to keep the Canadiens in the game.

At the other end, it was a typical Martin Brodeur game at the Bell Centre. Translation: he was sensational and deserving of the number one star.

But Brodeur playing well was to be expected, and hopefully built into Jacques Martin's game plan. The Canadiens needed bodies in front of Brodeur, and needed an effective power-play tonight to come away with a win. Unfortunately, neither happened.

While the Scott Gomez scored a power-play goal, the Canadiens were 1-for-4 and often seemed disorganized with the man advantage. Tape-to-tape passes were rare. Andre Kostitsyn, the player normally in front of the net and the finisher, is missed more and more each game as he is out with injury.

"We stuck right in there, played a patient game and got the point out of it, we needed that," Gomez said. "We can play with anyone when we're all healthy."

But unfortunately the Canadiens were not at full strength. In addition to Andrei Kostitsyn recovering from knee surgery, Sergei was out with injury and Ryan O'Byrne was home dealing with a family matter.

Despite the players out of the lineup and difficulties on the power-play, the Canadiens showed their best five-on-five play in quite some time. The Canadiens' defense was also strong tonight, particularly Andrei Markov, Jaroslav Spacek and Roman Hamrlik. Markov had more than 28 minutes of ice-time.

But as Mike Cammalleri is fond of saying "There are no moral victories."  The bottom line is that excluding an empty net goal, the Canadiens have scored a total of four goals in their last four games.  With Andrei Kostitsyn out, the Habs have a major problem putting the puck in the net.

So, perhaps we can give the goaltending debate a rest for a spell, and turn our attention to how the Canadiens can generate offense.

The Canadiens will have the next two days off and will return to practise on Tuesday. They play next on Thursday hosting the Dallas Stars.


Rocket's three stars

1. Martin Brodeur
2. Andrei Markov
3. Zach Parise

Material from wire services was used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)

Canadiens recall Ryan White from the Hamilton Bulldogs

Saturday, 09.01.2010 / 4:07 PM / moves

Montreal Canadiens

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens announced Saturday that forward Ryan White has been called up from the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs. White will join the Canadiens today in Montreal for tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils at the Bell Centre.

White, 21, played 13 games with the Canadiens this season including his first NHL game on November 5 against the Bruins in Boston. The 6’00’’, 193 lbs forward registered two points (0-2-2), recorded 40 hits and blocked 12 shots, while playing an average of 11 minutes and 58 seconds.

White recorded 14 points (9-5-14) in 26 games with the Bulldogs this season. He added 52 shots on goal and 63 penalty minutes, while maintaining a +7 plus/minus differential.

The Score: Gerry Dee With Mike Cammalleri

Gerry Dee tries to show an intern the ropes at the Air Canada Centre.

Goaltending Again

The game's number one star.


posted by habsbloggergirl

So I just got back from my first (and most probably last) game sitting in the Molson Ex Zone at the Bell Centre.

When my friend got these tickets, I was excited! We had actually seen Florida a couple of times in past years, but still, they always tended to be somewhat interesting games.

Tonight was an experience to say the least, but I’d hardly call what happened on the ice tonight interesting. To be honest, it was actually a pretty boring game.... Or rather it would have been, had we not been sitting where we were.

We were actually in the 300-level seats so it was equivalent to grey, which was great, or so we thought. I was at the end of the row, which I liked, although sometimes it’s annoying since you have to get up so many times to let people through and miss parts of the game.

Anyway, the game starts and this girl comes and sits on the steps right next to my seat, and unpacks a bag of signs and Habs memorabilia. Of course, she was one of the Molson Ex people... and had the goal of getting everyone up and screaming. Before she got there, our area was relatively quiet. I mean there were a few loud people and everyone was cheering, but nothing too intense. However, that soon changed. First, the two guys behind me would not stop screaming, booing... you name it, they did it. Second, Molson Ex lady was giving away things to people who were loud, so of course these two guys got even louder. And to top it off throughout the entire game she was smashing around a tambourine (part of the job description unfortunately). I can’t tell you how many times I looked over, wanting so badly to take that tambourine and throw it at the two guys behind me.... and I seriously don’t think I was alone in that line of thinking.

You’d think during the breaks in game, we’d get a break too... but in fact, just the opposite occurred. Every single break was filled with that damn tambourine, followed by more screaming.

It wasn’t all bad... We actually saw Bob Gainey right above us walking (I got a blurry picture!), the goaltending was fabulous on both ends of the ice, and I’m happy my section was a little bit enthusiastic at least (though it went way overboard at times).

Back to the goaltending, it pretty much led to all the highlights of the game. Jaro was amazing, and definitely earned his shutout, and Vokoun did a stand-up job as well, so much so that it could have gone either way. Luckily Pouliot got a goal, because honestly had it been 0-0 until the end I’m not quite sure we would have won in OT.

The rest of the team was abysmal. Markov really did not have a good night (though he did made some a few nice defensive moves (I mean, he’s Markov!) but there were some defensive errors), and Plekanec and Cammalleri looked completely out of sync. Speaking of line #1, during the game, I turned to my friend and said something I thought I’d never say: “I miss Kostitsyn”. Not that I’m not a fan, I actually really like Andrei, and he’s been doing great this year, it’s just that he seems a little space-y on the ice, and I know that he can do even better. However, perhaps I was wrong... maybe this space-iness allows for Plekanec and Cammalleri to have more time (I’m just grasping at straws here), but without him they were the ones who looked “dans la lune”, so I’ll be glad to have him back ASAP.

Laraque was really bad tonight too... It made me miss Kostitsyn (Sergei this time) because honestly, anyone could have done a better job than he did. I still rue the day that Gainey gave him a no trade clause (or a 3 year, 4.5 million dollar contract for that matter). When he came he told us he was a good fighter who would help protect our team and that he also was skilled hockey-wise. I’ve yet to see him perform in either of those categories and the three years are almost up...

The three stars were predictably Halak, Vokoun and Pouliot. Why? Because there was actually no one else. Every other player was either invisible, or doing something wrong. I just hope that we can get our acts together, and quickly. We are very fortunate because Halak and Price have been playing well of late, but that doesn’t give the rest of the team the right to put in absolutely no effort.

On that note, I think I’m going to get to bed since I’m still hearing tambourine sounds in my ringing ears. Hopefully sleeping it off will do the trick, though I doubt it will be erased from my memory anytime soon.

So we’d better hope for some stellar goaltending Saturday night against Jersey... and someone’s gonna have to get a puck past Marty B., and to be honest I have no idea who that will be. We seem to be lacking in scorers lately. Either way, it should be an interesting one.