Canadiens Axe Six Scouts

Canadiens opt to not renew contracts of six scouts
The Canadian Press
5/31/2010 6:33:48 PM

MONTREAL -- The Montreal Canadiens are revamping their scouting department, electing not to renew the contracts of six amateur and pro scouts.

A team spokesman confirmed Monday that general manager Pierre Gauthier had parted ways with Denis Morel, Dave Mayville, Antonin Routa, Pelle Eklund, Nikolai Vakourov, and Gordie Roberts last Friday.

The contracts of all six were up at the end of June, the spokesman added.

Canadiens give Blue Jackets permission to speak to Boucher

TSN.ca Staff
5/30/2010 2:14:10 PM

The Montreal Canadiens have given Hamilton Bulldogs head coach Guy Boucher permission to speak with Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson regarding the vacant head coaching job in Columbus.

Boucher is one of four candidates for the position, according to The Columbus Dispatch. In addition to Boucher, Howson is considering Manitoba Moose head coach, Scott Arniel; Kevin Dineen of the Portland Pirates; and Claude Noel, who coached the Blue Jackets in their final 24 games last season as interim coach.

The Dispatch is also reporting that Dineen is on a list of potential new coaches for Steve Yzerman's Tampa Bay Lightning.

According to the report, Howson is expected to name his new bench boss in the next seven to 10 days.

Boucher's Bulldogs were eliminated from the American Hockey League playoffs on Wednesday, falling to the Texas Stars in Game 7 of the Western Conference final.
comscorebeacon

Flyers-Blackhawks: Last Goal Wins

Chicago 6 Philadelphia 5 (United Center) Chicago leads SCF 1-0.

posted by Rocket
All Habs

It wasn't easy watching the first game of the Stanley Cup final. The wound of the Canadiens being eliminated had not yet healed and was re-opened by seeing Habs--Flyers hi-lights in the opening montage on Hockey Night in Canada. I suspect Game 2 will be easier to watch.

Game 1 notes:

“It wasn’t the prettiest win, but we’ll take it.” -- Dustin Byfuglien

United Center soloist, Jim Cornelison, has pipes but weak intonation. Philadelphia's Lauren Hart easily will win the battle of the anthem singers. She does a fine job on O' Canada too although not this round.

CBC determined that the Flyers--Canadiens series didn't rate their No. 1 broadcast team but thankfully HNIC's Jim Hughson is in the booth for this series.

This series features one of the weakest quartets of goaltenders ever in a Stanley Cup final, namely: Antti Niemi, Cristobal Huet, Michael Leighton, and Brian Boucher.

Leighton was awful allowing four goals in the first 14 shots he faced and let in a fifth before being replaced late in the second period. Leighton looked to be no worse than in the series with the Canadiens. The Blackhawks simply exposed his weaknesses.

Flyers coach Peter Laviolette primarly went with two forward lines and four defensemen. Chris Pronger, Kimmo Timonen, Matt Carle and Braydon Coburn each played more than 25 minutes. Pronger's ice-time was over 32 minutes.  It was be interesting to monitor the fatigue factor as the series progresses.

Jonathan Toews was blanked from the scoresheet, and had a minus-3 rating. However, Toews was 18-6 on faceoffs. Patrick Kane was also minus-3.

The trio of Ville Leino, Danny Briere, and Scott Hartnell was Philly's best line with nine points.

Ryan Parent was on the ice for one shift, 41 seconds, and was a minus-1.

Dave Bolland continues to have an impressive playoffs with a goal, an assist, and a plus-3 rating.

Flyers scored once on four power-play opportunities after the Canadiens had done an excellent job shutting them down in the previous series. Philadelphia was not assessed a penalty in the entire game.

While the Canadiens had a difficult time getting shots to the goal in the Eastern Conference final, only seven of Chicago's shots were blocked by the Flyers tonight.

It was a very physical game with Philadelphia outhitting Chicago 40-37. Dustin Byfuglien had 10 hits.

The Pronger vs Byfuglien matchup play was entertaining at points but a non-factor. Pronger had a plus-2 rating with Byfuglien at minus-3 .

I find it ironic that Don Cherry pronounces Tyler Seguin's name better than Pierre Lebrun does.

Question of the night: Who starts for Philadelphia in Game 2, Leighton or Boucher?

Game 2 is Monday night at the United Center in Chicago.




Rocket's three stars

1. Troy Brouwer
2. Chris Pronger
3. Dave Bolland

Special mention: Danny Briere

Player quotes from wire services were used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)


follow All Habs on Twitter and add us on Facebook

Of Joy and Pain

posted by FlyersRule
All Habs

"For all sad words of tongue and pen, the saddest are these, "It might have been.""
-- John Greenleaf Whittier

"Real elation is when you feel you could touch a star without standing on tiptoe."
-- Doug Larson


Two drastically different feelings: ultimate disappointment and sheer joy. Utter misery and abundant glee. Sadness and happiness. Feelings which I'm sure most everyone can relate to at one time or another in their lives.

But what if you were to experience both emotions, to their fullest extent, at the same time? Would you feel torn? Confused? Undoubtedly. Couple that with one of the biggest obsessions in your life: hockey. Every hockey fan experiences the highest of highs and the lowest of lows as their team takes them on an inevitable roller coaster ride each and every season. But for the fan who diligently and wholeheartedly supports more than one team...this is a constant state of being.

Having a solid placement in two fan bases is something I'm quite familiar with (for those of you who don't know me - I'm a Flyers' fan first and foremost...perhaps my name gave that away?...but I also proudly consider myself a dedicated Habs' fan). Problems don't arise too often throughout the 82 regular season games for me... most of the time I am able to solidly support the Flyers and Habs in just about every game they play while vehemently rooting against their opponent (as any good fan is wont to do).

Thankfully these two teams don't share a division, but it's still difficult having them both in the same conference. This year my teams only faced each other four times between October and April...and those games were extremely difficult to watch.

But the true test of my blood pressure, stress endurance, and the strength of my nerves came with the 2010 Eastern Conference Finals series. Apparently I've either angered the Hockey Gods enough to make them want me to suffer through such an important series - or I've honored the Hockey Gods so much that they wanted me to enjoy both my teams on the ice at the same time....it's all in your interpretation.

Which leads me to the purpose behind this article: There are many different views on "dual-citizenship" in hockey...some good, some bad, some indifferent. I'd like to explore some of the Pros and Cons that come with supporting two organizations (and why I feel it's a positive thing overall).

• Pro: You get to watch twice as much hockey. Always a plus.
• Con: You watch twice as much hockey. And nothing else gets done around your house. And your DVR is overflowing with every other TV show you're not watching. Maybe you'll catch up this summer?

• Pro: It broadens your horizons - You get to learn about different organizations, teams, players, coaching styles...much more variety.
• Con: You have to be able to keep your facts and players straight. I mean who the heck decided that Lapierre and Laperriere should play on these teams? Honestly. Gomez, Gionta, Gorges, Gill, Giroux, Gagne,… ? Enough with the G's already!

• Pro: There's a good chance that one of your teams will be doing well, even if the other isn't.
• Con: There's also a chance that both of your teams will completely suck and bring double-duty depression.

• Pro: You can meet twice as many fellow fans and get many more points-of-view from alternating perspectives.
• Con: You'll also have to endure the abuse of listening to your friends on both sides of the coin verbally abuse, harass, and trash each other while putting down and trying to humiliate your other favorite team. Not exactly pleasant, pretty disappointing, fairly hurtful and overall BLAH. Basically, you need to learn to not take it personally. I'm working on that :) (Unless you are directly targeted, then all bets are off!)

• Pro: Your chances of having your team make it to the Stanley Cup Finals is doubled.
• Con: Your teams could end up coming back to both edge into the playoffs at the last minute, both make amazing and incredible comebacks to win their quarterfinal and semifinal series, only to face each other in the Conference Finals and battle it out to play for the Cup. Oh wait, that did happen this year. Guess what? IT SUCKS. Sure, plenty of people will say "well then it's a win/win for you, right?" Well yes...but not exactly...because it's also lose/lose.

Anyone who roots for two competing teams knows what heartache it is to watch. Even being a lifelong Flyers fan, I stayed loyal to the Habs in this series and truly wanted to see them do well. (In addition, I actually have more hockey friends who are Habs' fans than Flyers' fans - so for their sake I wanted the Habs to succeed, too.)

Every time the Flyers scored a goal, I had a MOMENT of "Yesss!" quickly followed by a sincere "Oh! Noooooo!" - I honestly felt guilty every time the Orange and Black put one in the net of the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge. I apologized profusely at my television with every goal, "Ohhhh, I'm so sorry Habs friends!!" I mean, come on - yes, I'm an avid Flyers fan. I want them to win the Stanley Cup. But, I'm also a human being and I care about my friends - which means I don't want to see them upset because of a loss. In the name of fairness (and exciting hockey) I wanted this series to go all the way to Game 7.

But as the final five minutes ticked down in Game 5...I started to accept the fact that the Habs were not going to advance. Which meant that simultaneously I started to realize that the Flyers would. I quietly offered my condolences to the Habs and their fans - they have much to be proud of - and for the first time in the series, I let it sink in that the Stanley Cup was just four wins away from coming back to Philadelphia.

I understand and appreciate all of the reasons why many Habs fans will NOT be rooting for the Flyers to win. (Thank you to the few of you who WILL be, though!) I understand, and it's OK - I won't take it personally :)

In fact, being a Flyers fan means knowing that most of the league is rooting AGAINST you. Believe me, it's nothing new and a big part of the reason why our fans are some of the most dedicated...not many people have the stomach to put up with being associated with the "hated Broad Street Bullies". But I do believe that this series will be an exciting one - the Blackhawks will prove to be a formidable opponent for the Flyers, but I think that this Philly team will also show Chicago a thing or two out there as well.

I am truly sorry that the Habs' journey ended in Philly - Montreal greatly deserves to get that much-desired 25th championship banner hanging from the Bell Centre rafters. I, too, had a period of mourning for the end of their season...wasn't ready to see them go yet and would have been very pleased to see them advance to the final round. I tip my hat to their fans (the best in the NHL) and the team for a fantastic year.

But please allow me to get really excited to see if this rough-and-tumble, Geico-cavemen-lookalike crew from South Philly could possibly bring home Lord Stanley's Cup to the Wachovia Center where we would hoist just a third championship banner. Yes, I know many of you are boooo-ing that possibility as you read this. Don't shoot the messenger, it's just another consequence of supporting two very different teams.

We may not be an original six team, we may not be a legacy team, we may not have the classiest fans, and we may have a couple of players with some questionable on-ice ethics (by the way - thank you Peter Laviolette for making the right choice in not allowing Daniel Carcillo to step onto the ice in the last two games...brought the team's credibility up a notch, y'know?) - but we are a team with a lot of heart and a love for the game.

Best of luck to the Blackhawks and the Flyers in the upcoming series - and to any fans out there split between cheering for both of these teams at once. I'm happy to say that this time, I won't be one of them!

Canadiens: 22 players to take part in Habs Development Camp

Friday, 28.05.2010 / 3:58 PM / News

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL – The Montreal Canadiens announced Friday that 22 prospects will participate in the first of two development camps, set to take place from June 1-5, at the Bell Sports Complex, in Brossard.

The list of participating players includes several players drafted by the organization, as well as players invited as try-outs.

A second development camp, to include players to be selected at the 2010 NHL Entry Draft held on June 25-26 in Los Angeles, will take place from July 6-9, also at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard. The first edition of the Canadiens development camp was presented in 2001.

The Canadiens prospects will first take to the ice on Tuesday, June 1, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. The development camp consists of two on-ice sessions daily until June 5 on both ice surfaces at the Bell Sports Complex. Off-ice conditioning sessions are also scheduled each day.

11 of the 22 players at camp are Canadiens draft selections, including 2009 NHL Entry Draft first round selection, Louis Leblanc .

Players participating in the development camp will be available daily to the media following practice sessions.

Habs 2010 Development Camp to be held in June

From Complexe Sportif Bell (Brossard) Calendar of Events:

Montreal Canadiens 2010 Development Camp

June 1-5, 2010

Development Camp for hockey players invited by the Montreal Canadiens. Stands are closed, the general public can attend using the seating area at the restaurant level as per regular season practice sessions. A.L. Van Houtte concession open, outside food and beverage are not allowed in the facility. Welcome to all!

Habs to play Winter Classic game in February 2011

NHL to announce outdoor games in Pittsburgh, Calgary on Friday

TSN.ca Staff

5/27/2010 5:21:25 PM

While outdoor hockey may well be the last thing on fans minds at the moment, the NHL will formally announce the locations of dual Winter Classic games next season.

The Pittsburgh Penguins will host the Washington Capitals at Heinz Field on New Year's Day, while the Montreal Canadiens will travel to Calgary sometime in February to face the Flames at McMahon Stadium.

This will be the second time that a Canadian city has hosted an outdoor game after Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium set the standard in the inaugural Winter Classic between the Oilers and Canadiens in 2003.

This will also be the second time that the Pittsburgh Penguins have been involved in the Winter Classic after they faced the Buffalo Sabres at Ralph Wilson Stadium in 2008.

Canadiens: Habs sign free agent Kyle Klubertanz

Thursday, 27.05.2010 / 6:34 PM / News

Montreal Canadiens

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL – Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier announced Thursday the signing of free agent defenseman Kyle Klubertanz to a one-year contract for the 2010-11 season.

The 24-year old Klubertanz is a 6’01” 180 lbs defenseman who hails from Madison, WI. In 2009-10, he played with Djurgardens of the Swedish Elite League. Klubertanz was tied for second in scoring on his team, first amongst defensemen with 31 points in 55 games (12 goals, 19 assists).

Drafted in the third round, 74th overall by the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Klubertanz graduated from the University of Wisconsin’ Badgers of the WCHA. In four seasons with the Badgers from 2004 to 2008 he recorded 72 points (12 goals, 60 assists), and served 206 penalty minutes.

Klubertanz also played with TPS Turku of the Finnish Elite League in 2008-09 and with the Portland Pirates of the American Hockey League in 2007-08.

The 2009-2010 Montreal Canadiens: The Year of What Just Happened?

One of the best parts of covering the Montreal Canadiens is getting a chance to communicate with Habs fans from all over the world via email, Twitter and Facebook. All Habs has also created opportunities for fans to get together to watch games through the very successful
Habs Tweetups.

It was my pleasure to meet theactivestick at a Habs Tweetup earlier this year. She is a knowledgeable and entertaining Habs' blogger who writes theactivestick.

I'm pleased that she has contributed the following comprehensive year-in-review article to All Habs. I'm sure that she would appreciate your comments.


posted by theactivestick
Special to All Habs

The past season, which ended both later than expected and earlier than expected, can only be described as the Year of What Just Happened?

You could argue that the What Just Happened?ness surrounding the Montreal Canadiens began with the 2008-2009 team’s slide into the depths of embarrassment (or what is known as ‘being mocked by fanbases of teams as successful as the Toronto Maple Leafs’), the unceremonious dumping of the coach, and the first round sweep by our favourite Boston Bruins. Seriously, I would rather the Habs have been swept by a composite team comprising Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and even a Quebec Nord or two than the Boston Bruins.

What just happened? Oh, nothing. The 2008-2009 Montreal Canadiens just soiled the sheets and Guy Carbonneau took the fall for it.

So Bob Gainey rolled up his sleeves, hired a coach whose only redeeming quality was that the local media would not be able to decry his lack of French-speaking skills for the duration of his tenure, and sent goodbye cards to half the roster. Players many thought would have been part of the team’s core for years to come were traded, allowed to walk, or lost to the incompetence of their agents. Then Bob went on a shopping spree.

What just happened? Not a whole lot. Except that Bob acquired some very small players for some very big money. And also, everyone knows Hal Gill sucks. And also, who’s going to score goals without Kovalev?

Training camp started, and Scott Gomez opened the preseason scoring at a sold-out Bell Centre. The look on his face as the crowd reacted to his goal said it all: What just happened?

Our Habs started their season by stealing two road games against division rivals, losing Markov in Game 1. Carey Price put on an audition for Cirque du Soleil in those games and everyone believed he was bouncing back from his sophomore slump. And then came a series of losses and an inability to win in regulation. In fact, for the first 30 games or so, the Habs looked... well, bad. Not basement bad, just run-of-the mill bad.

What just happened? Oy. No Markov, no chemistry, injuries, a couple of beat downs, your usual Habs fans jumping off balconies and calling for Gainey’s head. Oh, right, also, Sergei Kostitsyn keeps running away from home because J-Mart insists on parenting him. Apparently Sergei’s not into curfews.

Then came the Montreal Canadiens Centennial Game on December 4th. The Habs showed the world they could get up for big games, and the 2 per cent of Habs fans who didn’t already want to have Michael Cammalleri’s babies caved that night. It set off a fairly good December for the Habs, and mid-to-late December was when Halak first started to show signs of bumping Carey Price to backup purgatory. The Habs chugged along in January, with Halak stealing more and more games. February brought some losses in important games and the Olympic break, but not before Bob Gainey fired himself.

What just happened? Well, we have no idea how the Habs are doing, and they probably have no idea either, but in their defense they’re all on IR. In the meantime, Jaro put on the show of a lifetime in Vancouver, and Bob must either feel his summer experiment failed or is resigning in protest because the brass wants to trade Carey.

The Habs came back from the Olympic break and went on the not-sucking streak that would determine that they maybe possibly might have had a fighting chance at the playoffs. Whether they were coming back to win in OT in Anaheim or just eking out a win against Boston, they managed to rack up some valuable points while the IR continued to be a revolving door.

Unfortunately, their old friend inconsistency was back down the stretch, which of course meant Habs' fans were having heart attacks all over the country and your usual Habs' fan disowning of the team, jumping off of the bandwagon, etc, was in full display. As seems to have become their custom, the Habs waited until the very last possible second to decide whether or not to make the playoffs.

What just happened? For the second year in a row, the Habs made the playoffs with a loser point generously donated by a hated rival. They’re so going to get swept in the first round, right? Well, no, they’ll lose in six games.

The Habs became the first 8th seed to come back from a 3-1 deficit and win the series against a 1st seed when Halak and his defensemen pulled off a shot-blocking miracle on ice and frustrated some Very Big Stars in Washington. They shut down Ovechkin and Semin, and most importantly, the Capitals power play. Cammalleri & Co. took care of the rest.

Oh, yeah, and Brooks Laich magically sensed that a lady and her daughter were in trouble and flew through the air (in a thunderstorm) to the rickety bridge they were stranded on with a flat tire, lifted their entire car with one hand and changed the tire with a flick of his other wrist. Okay, those are not the exact details of what happened, but tell that to the mainstream media.

What just happened? Well, the Habs are going to the second round. Are you serious? Yes. They didn’t get swept? No, in fact they came back from a 3-1 deficit. No way. Dude, did that just happen?

The Canadiens went on to Pittsburgh to dance with the defending champions, who put on a clinic in the first four periods of the series. At which point the Habs decided to put that clinic out of business, despite having lost Markov. Through patience and some really smart play, the Habs came from behind to win games and eventually, the series. Cammalleri, Gorges, and Halak really stood out in this series. Sidney Crosby only stood out if you’re just looking at pouting stats.


What just happened? The Habs eliminated the defending champs and made the conference finals for the first time in 17 years. Can’t you hear the celebrating? All I can hear is store windows being broken and shoes being stolen from the Foot Locker downtown. You can hear shoes being stolen? Yeah, man, and booze, too. Dude, did that just happen?

And along came Philly, otherwise known as kryptonite to the Habs. The Canadiens seemed to have lost steam and their ability to score on the power play. Or at all. They were not going to win a series by being shut out three times by a journeyman goaltender. They played one game well. They played miserably in the other four. Was it a letdown?

Those of us who remembered the Flyers series from two years ago or watched them at all this year could kind of see this coming. Philly is a tough, tough team, while the Habs are just not. And when you get to within four games of the Stanley Cup Final, the tougher team has an edge.


What just happened? Well, the Habs gave us a playoff run to be excited about. Dude, I meant what happened this year? Well... I’m still scratching my head.

Thank you, Montreal Canadiens, for a crazy season and an exciting postseason. See you at training camp!

Hamilton Bulldogs Lose Heartbreaker

Hamilton takes early lead, only to see Stars come roaring back for 4-2 Game 7 victory

Garry McKay

thespec.com

The Hamilton Bulldogs suffered probably the most disheartening loss in franchise history Wednesday night.

The Texas Stars overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the Bulldogs 4-2 at Copps Coliseum and win the AHL’s best-of-seven Western Conference final, 4-3.

They became only the second team in AHL history to win the sixth and seventh games of a series on the road.

The win puts the Stars in the Calder Cup final against the Hershey Bears.

It wasn’t so much that the Dogs lost the game that will eat at them for a long time — it was the way they lost it.

The Stars, who had been thoroughly outplayed for long stretches of the game and were outshot badly, rallied to score the final four goals of the game, including three unanswered in the third period to pull out the win and spoil one of the greatest regular seasons in Bulldogs history.

With a berth in the Calder Cup final on the line and three players —P.K. Subban, Mathieu Carle and Ben Maxwell — back in the lineup, the Dogs came out flying.

They dominated the first period, outshooting Texas 15-5, but didn’t get their first goal until there were only seconds left.

Aaron Palushaj got the puck to David Desharnais in front. His first attempt to get it to the net was blocked but Desharnais tracked down the loose puck at the side of the net and he banked one in off Matt Climie.

The Dogs continued their domination in the second, but only came out of the period leading 2-1 despite a 19-6 shots advantage.

Max Pacioretty made it 2-0 at 5:32 when he backhanded a loose puck into the net.

The Bulldogs appeared as though they would carry that lead or maybe even add to it before the break but the Stars got one back on a fluke play at 14:38.

Texas defenceman Ethan Green was carrying the puck into the Hamilton zone along the left boards and just dumped it at the net. It landed on edge about 10 feet in front of Hamilton goaltender Curtis Sanford and bounced over his glove into the net.

The Stars got the equalizer at 9:25 of the third when Mathieu Beaudoin beat a screened Sanford with a wrist shot from the right faceoff circle.

And Perttu Lindgren got the winner at the 14-minute mark from the back door when he knocked the puck off Hamilton defenceman Mike Vernace’s stick into the net.

Jamie Benn scored an insurance goal on a two-on-one at 18:30.

Hits and misses

Molson Cup Three Stars: 1. Perttu Lindgren, Texas. 2. P.K. Subban, Hamilton. 3. Matt Climie, Texas.

Flamboro Downs Workhorse of the Game (hardest-working Bulldog): Max Pacioretty.

Scratches: Chad Anderson, Yannick Weber, Dany Masse, Eric Neilson, Hunter Bishop, Gabriel Dumont.

Shots on goal: Hamilton 43, Texas 20.

Attendance: 5,121.

Pas de Hockey

After the Habs were eliminated from the playoffs on Monday night, there was a feeling of emptiness.

Given that it had taken 17 years to get as far as the Eastern Conference finals, being ousted in 5 games left a bitter feeling.  We were grumpy, with a touch of inner pride.

Seems that we weren't the only ones feeling that way.  Today, when asked to comment on the success of the Habs this season, Hal Gill said, "It doesn't really matter if you don't win."

Players have cleared out their lockers and there's little reason to head to Brossard.  There's a realization that Habs hockey is done for the season.  Now, I pleased to announce that depression has set in. Is that progress?

Tomorrow we will begin the review of the season just past and a look ahead.

How are you feeling?

Canadiens: Maxwell, Subban assigned to Hamilton

Tuesday, 25.05.2010 / 12:15 PM / moves

Montreal Canadiens

PRESS RELEASE

MONTREAL --The Montreal Canadiens announced Tuesday that centreman Ben Maxwell and defenseman P.K. Subban have been assigned to the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs. Both players will join their teammates in time for the decisive Game 7 of the AHL Western Conference Finals, between the Texas Stars and the Bulldogs, set to take place Wednesday night in Hamilton.

Maxwell, 22, was held pointless in 13 games with the Canadiens this season, recording six shots on goal and averaging 8:46 minutes of ice time per game. The 6’1”, 195 lbs forward was also held pointless in one playoff game, his first NHL career playoff contest, on May 2 at Pittsburgh.

Maxwell finished fourth on the Bulldogs’ scoring list with 44 points (16 goals, 28 assists) in 57 games. He also recorded 134 shots on goal, served 22 penalty minutes, while posting a +11 plus/minus differential. Five of his tallies were scored on the power play.

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

Subban, 21, played two regular season games with the Canadiens in 2009-10, including his first career NHL game on February 12 at Philadelphia, recording two points (0-2-2). Called up from the Bulldogs on April 26, the 6’0”, 206 lbs defenseman played in 14 playoff games with the Canadiens, registering eight points (one goal, seven assists). He maintained a +2 plus/minus differential, registered 23 shots on goal and served six penalty minutes, while playing an average of 20 minutes 44 seconds per game.

Subban ranked third in scoring with the Bulldogs this season, third amongst AHL defensemen with 53 points (18 goals, 35 assists) in 77 games. He scored 11 powerplay goals, added 188 shots on goal and 82 penalty minutes, while maintaining a +46 plus/minus differential.

Subban contributed to the Bulldogs victory over the Manitoba Moose in the first round of the AHL playoffs, registering nine playoff points (three goals, six assists), including two game-winning goals.

The Toronto native was the Canadiens’ third pick (second round, 43rd overall) in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Canadiens-Flyers: Power(play) Failure Ousts Habs

Montreal 2 Philadelphia 4 (Wachovia Centre) Flyers win the series 4-1.

posted by Rocket
All Habs


“Although we've come to the end of the road, still I can't let you go, it's unnatural, you belong to me, I belong to you .”


There are many different types of reactions to what happened tonight. There were tears, a good deal of anger, and disbelief.

Some fans quickly moved into problem-solving mode, speculating about possible off-season changes. Others preferred to savor a successful season.

I'm not ready to go there yet. I feel empty.

My good friend Veronica said it best, "I'm old enough (and deluded enough?) to still think that only the Cup is acceptable, every year. Still, I am proud of the Habs."

Within a few days, we will start looking back at the season, and the just-completed playoff run. You know, that All Habs will be here as we discuss potential personnel moves, the amateur draft and free agency.

What about the players?

"I think in a few days' time, when this all soaks in, we'll be able to realize some of the steps that we made and the progress that we made as an organization," said Josh Gorges. "Right now, it's hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel. All we're thinking about is the loss."

I agree with Josh. My mind is on tonight's result. So, for now, as we have done, for the pre-season, 82 regular season games, and 19 playoff games, we'll review the happenings on the ice. There's plenty of time for the rest in the days to come.

The prescription for Game 5 for the Habs was to score first and score early. A soft goal only 59 seconds by Brian Gionta filled the bill. It quieted the crowd, put another hole in the Leighton-for-MVP campaign, and restored confidence for the Canadiens. The team scoring first had won every game in this series.

Two minutes later, Scott Gomez delivered a solid hit to Kimmo Timonen knocking him to the ice. Timonen was not amused and took a roughing penalty when he retaliated.

The Canadiens power-play had been their Achilles heel in the Eastern conference final, and provided the turning point of the game. Not only did the Habs fail to score with the man advantage, they gave up a demoralizing short-handed goal.

Let's take a closer look at the power-play.

• Tomas Plekanec won the faceoff, but Marc-Andre Bergeron failed to keep the puck in. The Canadiens retrieved the puck and dumped it into the Flyers zone. Braydon Coburn cleared it past Bergeron and out of his end.
• Bergeron retrieved and slapped the puck back into the zone. Hamrlik set up Bergeron for a one-timer but it was blocked by Coburn. Chris Pronger ringed it around the boards. Bergeron tried to keep it in but was knocked to the ice by Mike Richards.
• Claude Giroux picked up the puck and set up Richards for a scoring chance. After a Jaroslav Halak save, Bergeron carried the puck and dumped it in. Glen Metropolit lost a puck battle to Giroux who cleared it down the ice with Bergeron caught at the blueline.
• Richards and Roman Hamrlik raced for the puck. They were met at the circle by Halak, who collided with Hamrlik. Halak lost his stick and the puck. Richards backhanded it in the empty goal.

The Flyers short-handed goal resulted from an an obvious puckhandling blunder by Halak. But, the descriptive analysis reveals that there were a handful of errors leading up to it. It was Flyers' men versus a boy. Bergeron is simply not an NHL-caliber defensemen, offensively or defensively.

Late in the third period, the Canadiens had a chance to tie the game with a four minute man advantage, but couldn't mount any attack with only one shot on goal. Glen Metropolit ended the advantage early by taking a tripping penalty.

If looking for a single culprit for the loss, it is the power-play that was 0-for-6 tonight, and 1-for-22, in the series. (The single goal was meaningless and scored at the end of Game 3 with a 5-on-3 advantage.)

The Canadiens have struggled all season to score 5-on-5 and relied on one of the best power-plays in the league. With it floundering against Philadelphia, the Habs could not compete. Credit should also be given to Fortress Flyers (borrowing a page from Montreal) who prevented the Canadiens from exploiting Philly's goaltending deficiencies.

Montreal spent far too much of their time in the defensive zone and had trouble generating scoring chances on transition.

Some will be quick to knock Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn and Scott Gomez. Plekanec has shut down opposition top forwards and is the key to Canadiens' penalty killing. Kostitsyn has a hard time getting in a groove when the coach is playing yo-yo with his line assignment and ice-time.

Gomez played well tonight making the game close with a goal in the third period. Gomez and Gionta each had a goal and an assist. Gionta led the team with seven shots on goal. Hal Gill was the star on defense with eight blocked shots.

While Halak could only be faulted on Philadelphia's first goal, his save percentage in the game was .880 which is close to his series' statistic. That's not close to his performance earlier in the playoffs or what was required for the Canadiens to advance.

It should also be mentioned that the Habs just didn't have the proper personnel in the line-up or in the right spots. Mathieu Darche wasn't up to the pace or the challenge of playing on the first line.

The loss brought an abrupt end to a playoff run that was tantalizingly close to the Habs competing for the Stanley Cup. The only disappointment is that it has taken 17 years to get back here. In a 30 team league, with salary cap constraints, one wonders when the Canadiens will get their next chance.

"This hurts," defenceman Josh Gorges said as he fought back tears. "To work this hard to get to where we are and then to come up short is tough to swallow because we know how close we were to where we were going.

Again, Josh is right. This hurts.

But Canadiens' fans can be proud of their team who did not give up right to the end.

"We played hard for each other, we played hard for the organization, we played hard for the fans back in Montreal. There was no quit in us," Gorges said.


Rocket's three stars

1. Mike Richards
2. Arron Asham
3. Jeff Carter

Special mention: Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, Hal Gill

Player quotes from wire services were used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)


follow All Habs on Twitter and add us on Facebook

~This article is available for your listening convenience via All Habs OUT LOUD. Use the player below or download to take it with you from the link in the sidebar.~

Canadiens-Flyers: ECF5 Victory Checklist

posted by Rocket
All Habs


"Fake fans come and go. True fans stick with the team and say, 'til death do us part, Habs! I'm married to them and it's stronger than ever! We've all signed this invisible contract with the Habs. Win or lose, we stick with them. We've been on this road before." -- @jennisamson


Have you noticed? With the Flyers leading the series three games to one, there is suddenly much more room on the Habs' bandwagon as casual fans have bailed. Some playoff beards are being shaved, lucky jerseys are being laundered, and car flags are coming down.

But, last I heard the series isn't over. So, what's the rush?

As Habs fan @jennisamson points out, supporting the Canadiens even when its not easy is part of the deal.

Preferably, you still have the faith. With the Canadiens sporting a 5-0 record in elimination games this playoff season, they have given you no reason to think otherwise. But even if your hope is fading, its important that your support stays strong. It's the least you can do.

Given what they have already accomplished in the playoffs, the Canadiens deserve it.

The work isn't done. It will be a formidable task to advance, but at this point, the Habs must focus on winning one game, Monday night in Philadelphia.

How can the Canadiens leave the Wachovia Center with a victory? Coach Jacques Martin will certainly keep his game plan secret. But we've prepared an individual player's guide to contribute to a win.


Checklist for a win in ECF Game 5:

Mike Cammalleri -- Be a Jedi. Habs have nine wins in the playoffs. You have scored in seven of them. Get the picture?

Andrei Kostitsyn -- We like that you have been physical and digging the puck but you have one of the best shots on the team. Shoot the puck!

Tomas Plekanec -- Win faceoffs and shut down Philadelphia forwards whether penalty-killing or at even strength. Your offensive contribution can be an empty-netter.

Scott Gomez -- Carry the puck and pressure the Flyers' defense. Two assists would help. No dumb penalties. You have almost double the number of penalty minutes of Chris Pronger.

Brian Gionta -- Continue to be a leader. Force turnovers. You are second in the NHL playoffs in shots and experienced enough to know to put them where Leighton isn't.

Benoit Pouliot -- Get over your allergy to blue ice. How about hypnosis? No more fly-bys. Use your size and park yourself in front of the net.

Dominic Moore -- Goals in three Habs playoff wins, four in total. One more would be welcome. Start by winning your faceoffs, two thirds is acceptable.

Max Lapierre -- The Flyers have their game faces on, you should too. Be physical on every shift but keep your mouth shut and lose the clown show.

Travis Moen -- Hit. Block shots. Take up space. Go to the net.

Tom Pyatt -- Get well. You're defensive play is needed.

(Note to JM: If Pyatt can't go, his replacement should be Sergei Kostitsyn. He is an excellent penalty-killer, and could be useful on the second line if Pouliot falters.)

Glen Metropolit -- Faceoffs. Faceoffs. Faceoffs.

Hal Gill -- Be a warrior for one more game. We're thinking that six blocked shots sounds like a good number.

Josh Gorges -- Ditch the Kevlar skate guards and flimsy velcro straps. Play like you are wearing an 'A' on your sweater.

Roman Hamrlik -- Remember Game 3 in this series? We would like one more of those please.

Jaroslav Spacek -- Find two kids in red Canadiens' jerseys just before puck drop. Bump gloves. Now you're ready.

Ryan O'Byrne -- Hit anything that moves and keep the play in front of you. Play with the confidence that you earned in the regular season.

Marc-Andre Bergeron -- Bring a good book and volunteer for the press box. With a league-worst minus-11 rating, and only two playoff goals, it's far too risky to have you in the line-up.

P.K. Subban -- One-man rushes, high-risk passes, and fancy moves may work in the AHL, but are a recipe for disaster in the big show. Play a simple game.

Jaroslav Halak -- Despite all the comparisons to Roy and Dryden, we know you aren't at that level. But, for one night, do your best to resemble your newspaper clippings.


Jacques Martin -- Defer to Muller's advice. Implement every one of his adjustments. Oh, and wear the yellow tie.

Kirk Muller -- The players on this team respond to you. Motivate them and put them in the best situation to win. Oh, and wear the red tie.

Perry Pearn -- Your power play system from your days with the Rangers is not working. Change it up. Demand quicker puck movement. Get Leighton moving east-west.

Guest Article: Habs Love from Southeast Asia

posted by shutterpaws
Guest article to All Habs

People have been asking me lately why I love the Habs. And while I think my answer of "Why the hell not?" is perfectly acceptable, maybe I should answer it more articulately now. Possibly. If I could think of the words that is.

Now, the Philippines is not a big hockey country. I don't know of any other fans here though I'm sure there are maybe three or four more somewhere. All probably rooting for any other team than my Habs. Hell, only two or three ice rinks in the country don't give us much opportunity eh.

Anyway. So it started one day 13 years ago. I was hanging out with some friends at my brothers' school, playing around with my hockey stick. Just really hitting the ball around as I had no clue about what to actually do with it on grass as previous experience was limited to watching the Mighty Ducks LOL. (Stick was a gift from dad.)

I was minding my own business, just hitting the ball around when this random extremely tall freak comes up and tells me: "You're too short to be playing with that, kid". Exact words.

Now, I have a temper. I admit it. And I suppose I was feeling really pissy that day... or I was just being a normal teenager. I took a whack at him with the damn stick LOL.

That's how I met my De Luna brothers. That was Christopher Glenn. And he has two other brothers, Joshua Ripley and Jason Robert. Little did I know that these three would really end up being "brothers from another mother". That one little thing started the puck drop, so to speak.

For anyone doing the math, you'd realize I became a fan AFTER '93. So... why the Habs then? Now these three are total Habs fans. Born and bred. I suppose that's a big part of it. But...Over the next few months, those brothers taught me to love the sport. And anything I love, I learn.

What did I learn? Oh so much. Not just the game and rules. Not just names like Lafleur, Richard, Beliveau, and Koivu. Not just great games. Those also but more importantly, heart, will and determination. And incredible dedication.

Now fast forward to the present. I hadn't been overtly following hockey lately. I was still keeping up, but not really too obviously as like I said, not many people to share it with.

Then came Facebook and Twitter and lo and behold, the Habs knock off THE NUMBER ONE and TWO teams in the damn league. Boy did that get my blood going again. (I suppose everyone on my Facebook knows that now unfortunately for them LOL.) So now I've been proudly sharing my nuttiness with everyone in my world. LOUD AND PROUD.

Yes I am a hockey chick. Proud of it. And no matter what happens this year, or any other, I BELIEVE. Feels like '93? I wouldn't really know though I LOVE the song. To me, it just feels AWESOME. That is all.

Oh and... GO HABS GO!

Flyers-Canadiens: Outwit, Outlasted, Outplayed

Montreal 0 Philadelphia 3 (Bell Centre) Flyers lead the series 3-1.


posted by Rocket
All Habs


"Never confuse a single defeat with a final defeat." -- F. Scott Fitzgerald


Peter Laviolette is a smart coach. On the off day on Friday, Laviolette tasked his players to pass along organizational messages to the media. Philadelphia complained about being shortchanged by the officiating in Game 3, particularly Josh Gorges elbow to the mouth of Claude Giroux.

Whether or not the coach's strategy was effective is open to conjecture , but the Canadiens did not receive a power-play opportunity until the third period.

Canadiens were also on the defensive for so-called poor sportsmanship as Mike Richards whined about the Habs' first power-play unit being on the ice at the end of the game.

But in addition to the communication offensive, Laviolette broke down film identifying several areas for improvement.

Your Montreal Canadiens had a good start to this game and even had the upper hand on the Flyers, for about ten minutes this afternoon. Shots were 5-to-2 with the Habs attacking with speed. The Bell Centre crowd was loud but seemed on edge.

Marc-Andre Bergeron took a penalty for holding and the tide seemed to turn. It wasn't because the Flyers scored, because they didn't. It was just one of those penalties where the Habs looked outmatched.

Slowly Philadelphia started to take over the period like an angler reeling in his catch. Specifically, the Flyers began to choke off the neutral zone.

The first period ended with scoring chances at 2-2. In the intermission, Laviolette tweaked his game plan and his team tightened the noose further. By controlling the space between the blue lines, Laviolette knew it would eliminate Canadiens' transition scoring chances.

Jacques Martin had no response. The Habs were unable to mount any attack and ended the second period with one shot, a weak one by Max Lapierre.

"We were pretty tight defensively," Laviolette said. "We didn't allow a lot of opportunities. The neutral zone was really tight, which eliminates rush opportunities."

For their part the Flyers scored two opportunistic goals taking advantage of mistakes by the Canadiens, namely giveaways by Lapierre and P.K. Subban. Straps on the Kevlar skate guards were also partly to blame as a loose one impeded Gorges' inability to make a play.

Scoring first in the playoffs has been crucial for Montreal throughout the playoffs, giving them a 8-2 record. When trailing first they have only managed one victory in eight games.

Following this pattern, the Canadiens managed only nine shots in the third period but none dangerous. While Michael Leighton was credited with the shutout, there was little for him to do. For most of the game he could have lounged in a hammock texting with his parents, who were on hand as part of the 21,273 Bell Centre crowd.

While the Habs had three power-plays in the final frame they could only manage one shot on goal for the first two opportunities. They are now 1-for-16 with the man advantage in the past four games.

For the most part, referees Stephen Walkom and Kelly Sutherland were inclined to let the teams play. It was a disadvantage for the Canadiens who were slowed by Flyers' interference. More serious infractions also went uncalled such as James Van Riemsdyk with a stick to the face of Brian Gionta, Chris Pronger boarding Scott Gomez, and Mike Richard's blind side head shot to Hal Gill.

Philadelphia played the left-wing lock to perfection. As a result, the Flyers were able to dictate play for the majority of the game.

As Gomez said, "You gotta give them credit. We couldn't get the flow going."

53 minutes into the game, the Canadiens had not reached 10 shots on goal. When Lapierre leads the team in shots, the Habs aren't going to win many games. Mike Cammalleri was the worst of the top six forwards. Despite playing 24 minutes, he only managed one shot and had a minus-2 rating.

Canadiens' centers were abysmal at the faceoff dot. Gomez, Plekanec and Moore ended the day at 27, 26, and 25 per cent, respectively.

Philadelphia blogs and discussion boards have already moved on to discuss a Stanley Cup final against Chicago. The Canadiens must focus on winning a single game.

The Habs have not scored in 9-of-12 periods in the series. On Monday, they must score first, preferably before the game is ten minutes old. They must use speed to beat the Flyers' defense and dictate play. The Canadiens are 5-0 in elimination games this playoff season.

Game 5 will take place on Monday night at the Wachovia Center.


Rocket's three stars

1. Claude Giroux
2. Chris Pronger
3. Ville Leino

Special mention:

Player quotes from wire services were used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)


follow All Habs on Twitter and add us on Facebook

~This article is available for your listening convenience via All Habs OUT LOUD. Use the player below or download to take it with you from the link in the sidebar.~

Outwit, Outlasted, Outplayed

Flyers-Canadiens: ECF Game 4 Preview

Game 4 Notes:

Ian Laperrière, who has been injured with a brain contusion, plans to be in the line-up for the Flyers. Concussion symptoms being unpredictable, a decision will be made on Saturday. He would provide a boost to Flyers' penalty-killers against an already struggling Canadiens' power-play.

Continuing with the injury report, Flyers forward Jeff Carter is skating but will not be in the line-up on Saturday.

Montreal recording sensation Nikki Yanofsky will be singing the US and Canadian anthems. Nikki is a enthusiastic Habs' fan and should provide inspiration to the team and energy to the Bell Centre.

Keep an eye on both the Canadiens and the referees to see if the Flyers Friday media offensive was successful. Peter Laviolette and Flyers' players complained about missed calls in Thursday's game. Mike Richards whined about the Canadiens using their number one power-play unit at the end of the game.

“I'm not sure what they were trying to do,” said Richards. “Obviously, score is the first thing. Maybe stick it to us a little bit because we were running around a bit. But karma sometimes comes back to you, too, at some point. Hopefully, we can use that bitter taste in the mouth from them trying to do that and channel it into energy that we can use in a positive way.”

It will also be interesting to see if Daniel Carcillo makes good on promises to retaliate for Canadiens' players who disrespected him notably Mike Cammalleri. If Carcillo decides that he has a different mission than playing hockey, it could play to the advantage of the Habs.  Carcillo and Scott Gomez lead their respective teams in playoff penalty minutes.


ECF Game 3 review via All Habs OUT LOUD (audio clip) is here:
Flyers-Canadiens: Speed Kills

Anakin Slayde's Feels Like '93 (2010 version) is here:
Feels Like '93

The Cheese of Philadelphia song parody by Daniel Iorio can be found here:
The Cheese of Philadelphia

Flyers-Canadiens: Speed Kills

Montreal 5 Philadelphia 1 (Bell Centre) Flyers lead the series 2-1.

posted by Rocket
All Habs


"The Great Oz has spoken. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain....the...Great...er...Oz has spoken." -- from The Wizard of Oz


You really have to feel for Gary Bettman and his pals in the NHL offices. They are staying up late in the editing room trying to manufacture a hero.

No Crosby or Ovechkin as your pitch man? No worries. Just take a journeyman goalie add some big sound, smoke and video effects and you have yourself an Oz. Or in Bettman-speak, the "History Will be Made" commercial.

How touching is the "What if Leighton didn't seize the moment" spot? Hang on, I need a tissue.

The one compelling part of the story is that Leighton is that the 29 year old Canadian happens to be a genuinely nice guy. But there's a reason that the Goalia from Petrolia (who came up with that nickname?) is a career-minor leaguer. While Leighton has the size, his game breaks down when he is forced to move.

Leighton credits the Good Witch of the North named Jeff Reese for improving his game since coming to Philadelphia. But a stroke of Reese's magic wand is not enough to counter the lack of skill and technique.

In our previous game review, big rebounds and slow lateral movement were identified as two key weaknesses to Leighton's game. Tonight, the Canadiens exploited both in the first two goals of the game.

Puck tracking and transition gaps were exposed in Leighton's third and fourth goals allowed.

There was an illustrative example of Leighton's shortcomings right at the end of the second period. Mike Cammalleri attempted a pass to Andre Kostitsyn but it was blocked by Chris Pronger. Cammalleri got the puck back and sent it through a second time to Kostitsyn who redirected it just wide.

Watch Leighton face Cammalleri, who went for the first pass, came back across the crease, and then back again dreadfully late for the second pass. You'll think that your DVR is in slow motion.

The criticisms are certainly not to suggest that Leighton deserves the blame for tonight's loss. It's simply to counter the "saviour of our season" fairytale that some are trying to peddle.

Rather than blame, we can look at the unstoppable force that was the Montreal Canadiens tonight. They used their speed and puck pressure to play a possession game. One wonders why Jacques Martin doesn't permit his troops to play this way more often?

We recall the first Saturday in February against the Penguins and the Centennial game in December against the Bruins as the most obvious examples. The Canadiens can dominant when allowed to use their biggest weapons, speed and skill.

"I think at times this year we've gotten ourselves into trouble when we've gotten the lead and sat back," said Brian Gionta. "Tonight I thought we did a good job, especially going into the third with a 3-0 lead. Obviously, (if) they scored a quick goal, it could change the whole outcome. But we kept pushing, we kept forechecking, and we're a much better team when we're doing that."

Flyers assistant coach Craig Berube even noticed the Habs' switched to a two man forecheck from a single man system used in the first two games. Philadelphia's bigger, slower defense had a tough time coping.

The quick-footed Habs created Flyers' turnovers and caused them to take penalties.

"Turnovers in any sport will kill you," said Flyers' coach Peter Laviolette. "We've got to do a better job of fighting for the puck and keeping the puck. We will be better on Saturday."

When the Broad Street Bullies resorted to the physical game, the Habs refused to wilt. Andrei Kostitsyn led the team in hits, with Max Lapierre contributing as well. All of the Habs came to the aid of their teammates when Flyers' frustrations ended in scrums.

With Philadelphia taking far too many penalties, the Habs had an opportunity to put this game out of reach much earlier than they did. Unfortunately, the power-play woes continue, ignoring the last minute meaningless tally. Assistant coach Perry Pearn must make adjustments before the end of this series.

Kirk Muller was able to tweak the penalty-kill to help his unit have a perfect night.

Mike Cammalleri's goal broke Leighton's shutout streak. Gionta was all over the ice and had a tremendous game with a goal on seven shots.

But it was the lesser lights that shone tonight, namely Dominic Moore and Tom Pyatt, who combined for four points. Glen Metropolit took 14 faceoffs in his 16 shifts, and remarkably, he won 12 of them.

The Canadiens defense, led by Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek, were stellar tonight. They blocked shots, cleared rebounds and sharply moved the puck out of their own zone. The defense was far more inclined to join the rush than in the first two games of the series.

Jacques Martin's handling of Ryan O'Byrne only supports his reputation as a coach who picks favorites and destroys the confidence of younger players. With O'Byrne having been held out of the past three games, adrenaline got the better of him early in the game.

O'Byrne accidentally cleared the puck into the crowd earning him a penalty for delay of game. He rarely saw the ice after that playing only 1:34. O'Byrne's mistake was certainly far less egregious than the dozens made by Marc-Andre Bergeron but to no avail.

It appeared to me that Martin nailed O'Byrne to the bench not for fear of another error but in case he did something right. The coach has been second-guessed and peppered with questions about not using O'Byrne in this physical series.

With O'Byrne's penalty, and no further chance to redeem himself, Martin was able to make himself look like he was right all along. It's a sad way to manage a team, and partly responsible for the coach's mediocre career record.

This was the first game officiated by Paul Devorski since the Game 4 debacle against Pittsburgh. Devorski and his partner Brad Watson were only slightly better tonight. Both teams had reason to complain about missed calls. In fact with the inconsistency of the referees, it's very difficult to know what a penalty is anymore.

Game 4 will take place on Saturday afternoon at the Bell Centre.


Oh, and Gary, if you are looking for a substitute story for your three golfing Staal brothers, try Tom Pyatt. He's from Thunder Bay too.


Rocket's three stars

1. Roman Hamrlik
2. Brian Gionta
3. Tom Pyatt

Special mention: Dominic Moore, Jaroslav Spacek, P.K. Subban

Player quotes from wire services were used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)


follow All Habs on Twitter and add us on Facebook

~This article is available for your listening convenience via All Habs OUT LOUD. Use the player below or download to take it with you from the link in the sidebar.~

Markov Out Until November?

Habs defenceman Markov has knee surgery

The Sports Network

5/19/2010 5:41:58 PM

Montreal, QC (Sports Network) - Montreal Canadiens defenseman Andrei Markov underwent surgery Wednesday to repair a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee.

Markov, who suffered his injury during the first period of the opening game of the playoff series against Pittsburgh, is expected to need six months of recovery time.

The 31-year-old Markov had six goals and 28 assists during 45 regular season games for the Canadiens this season. He missed 35 games due to a cut foot, which he suffered during the season-opener against Toronto.

Canadiens-Flyers: Haven't We Seen This Movie Before?

Montreal 0 Philadelphia 3 (Wachovia Center) Flyers lead the series 2-0.

posted by Rocket
All Habs


“I went to a fancy French restaurant called "Deja Vu." The headwaiter said, "Don't I know you?"” -- Stephen Wright


Two special occasions so close together. What to buy? Well, when you have given the perfect gift the first time, why not give it again?

The factors that handed Philadelphia a gift-wrapped victory in Game 1 were again problematic for the Canadiens tonight: special teams, goaltending and discipline.

The first periods of the two games were almost a carbon copy of each other.

In each game, the Flyers took an early penalty, before the game was two minutes old. Scott Gomez negated the Canadiens' power-play with a penalty before the three minute mark. Philadelphia scored a power-play goal approximately four minutes into the game.

That's a remarkable similarity.

It continues. Philadelphia only managed six shots in the first period of each game, yet took a 1-0 lead to the dressing room. In both games Montreal dominated using their speed, had plenty of shots, but could not generate dangerous 5-on-5 scoring chances.

Jacques Martin's mantra all season long was that the Canadiens need to win on the backs of goaltending and special teams. In the Eastern Conference finals, both are failing the team.

Coming into the third round, the Habs have the worst penalty-killing and power-play efficiency of any of the remaining teams. The coaching staff has not done enough to make adjustments and design new schemes tailored to exploit the opposition's style of play.

The Canadiens are 0-for-8 on the power-play in this series. By contrast, the Flyers had only two shots on the first two chances with the man advantage tonight, but scored twice.

The power-play woes have been apparent for some time. It is predictable, deliberate and lacking a quarterback.

The popular school of thought is that Marc-Andre Bergeron's playoff worst minus-11 rating is tolerated because of his contribution to the power-play. However, Bergeron has only one goal in the playoffs with the man advantage, and a total of two in the calendar year 2010.

Bergeron's play at the point can generously be described as casual. His passes are intercepted, shots don't hit the mark, and is guilty of turnovers at the blue-line. Yet Bergeron played more than 18 minutes tonight.

On many occasions this season, coach Martin has said one thing and done the opposite. Prior to the game, Martin said that his primary responsibility at this time of the season was to have the best players in the lineup to win.

Ryan O'Byrne should be in the line-up every game. His play in the regular season on the top two defense pairings, often leading the team in hits and blocked shots, has earned him a place. O'Byrne could be particularly useful in this series being strong around the net where the Flyers like to play.

Bergeron or Mathieu Darche wouldn't be missed with O'Byrne filling the spot.

Martin did make one line-up change. Sergei Kostitsyn replaced the struggling Benoit Pouliot. It was only a token change as Kostitsyn was relegated to the fourth line and received less than five minutes of ice-time.

Kostitsyn should have been reunited with Dominic Moore and Travis Moen who were an effective combination during the month of March.

It's also puzzling that Martin continues to use Tom Pyatt on the top line. Pyatt is a smart player and works hard but just doesn't have the offensive skill and creativity to be effective.

With the Canadiens offense sputtering Michael Leighton is playing the role of an NHL goalie on TV. No one has had an easier path to back-to-back playoff shutouts.

In the usual exaggerated comparisons, Leighton's name is being used in the same sentence as Bernie Parent. At age 65, Parent could likely have similar success against a weak offensive effort.

Much has been made of the fact that the Canadiens are not going to the net allowing Leighton to see all the shots. While that is true, the players who could play that role like Pouliot, and Darche are struggling. It's unlikely that will change soon.

But there's more than one way to score. It's probably fair to say that a journeyman goaltender's lateral skills aren't top caliber. But given the lack of crisp puck movement by the Canadiens, Leighton hasn't been tested going cross-crease.

While the Flyers' defense is making life miserable for the smaller forwards trying to screen in front, the Habs haven't had much of a presence in the slot. That seems to be the favorite landing spot for Leighton's juicy rebounds.

Better puck movement and second-chance opportunities should lead to a dam burst, and the appearance of Philadelphia back-up Johan Backlund.

While many will jump to the defense of Jaroslav Halak to fend off any criticism, the truth is that he hasn't been sharp in either game of the series. It's reasonable to counter that the Canadiens can't win if they don't score. Granted. But neither can they win if their goaltender has a save percentage of .806, his current third round statistic.

Halak has been struggling with the small-ice game of the Flyers which creates close-in chances and capitalizes on his lack of rebound control. Also, it's rather clear that Philadelphia has figured out that Halak can be beat up high.

The Habs have dug a huge hole. When the Flyers are up 2-0 in a series, they are 16-0. In the modern NHL, when a team has won the first two series in seven games as the Canadiens have, none has won the third series.

With two games at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens can tie up the series. To make adjustments to the line-up and special teams, the Habs need coaches Martin, Muller and Pearn to deliver their very best efforts of the season. So far Flyers coach Peter Laviolette is winning the battle hands-down.

Game 3 will take place on Thursday at the Bell Centre.


Rocket's three stars

1. Ville Leino
2. Simon Gagne
3. Danny Briere

Special mention: Brian Gionta

Player quotes from wire services were used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)


follow All Habs on Twitter and add us on Facebook

~This article is available for your listening convenience via All Habs OUT LOUD. Use the player below or download to take it with you from the link in the sidebar.~

The Worst Fans in the NHL

posted by Rocket
All Habs

“Stereotypes are devices for saving a biased person the trouble of learning”


Philadelphia Flyers' fans are the worst in the NHL.

On that there is no debate, right?

How could one come to any other conclusion as we read about the despicable incidents of the past few days happening in and around the Wachovia Center. Canadiens' fans have been mocked, children have been spat on, and TV equipment was damaged.

Habs' fans who made the trip to Philadelphia have been threatened, physically and verbally assaulted, and told by Wachovia security that their safety could not be protected.

Some Canadiens' players were informed by teammates to be prepared to hear some of the most vile taunts from Flyers' fans during the warm-up.

Everything so far seems to support the initial statement. Obviously, its an open and shut case.



I really hate to ruin such a perfect hypothesis by expanding my field of view but I feel compelled to take a virtual trip down Interstate 87 South.


Imagine my surprise to come across this headline.

Montreal Canadiens' fans are the worst in the NHL.

With Americans being fed a steady diet of video clips showing "Habs fans" rioting in downtown Montreal, it seems that most have determined that their northern counterparts arrive at the rink with their Canadiens' jersey, a ski mask, and a section of steel pipe.

Add to it stories of Bell Centre patrons who just can't wait to boo the U.S. national anthem, and the evidence is starting to mount in support of the claim by the other side.


So where do we go from here?

On Monday, Montreal talk radio asked listeners for their reaction to Flyers' fans chanting "Ol-e Ol-e" in sarcastic fashion during Sunday night's game with Philadelphia well ahead. The radio hosts stirred the pot by asking the question about a retaliatory response.

Good idea. I can hear the boo-birds warming up now.

Local media flogged Pat Hickey's account of his slashed tires and stolen license plates while parked outside the Wachovia Center. It was some red meat to a rabid base and the response was predictable.  Hey, it's tough to sell newspapers these days.

The story, reprinted in Philadelphia, ended with the author suggesting a new variation to the Flyers playoff slogan: "Relentless in the pursuit of idiocy."

That's not exactly a Hands Across North America gesture, Pat.

But seriously, is there any sense in attacking an innocent reporter's vehicle?

Some in Philadelphia will point to Hickey's colleague at the Gazette, Mike Boone, as the catalyst for the attack. You may remember Boone wrote the following passage in February expressing his feelings about the Flyers.

"There's not a franchise in sports I hate more than the Philadelphia Flyers. Not the Toronto Maple Leafs. Not the New York Yankees. Not the Dallas Cowboys or L.A. Lakers.

No, you'd have to have an Olympic Games flashback to 1936 and watch the pride of Hitler's Germany marching into the Berlin stadium to match the feeling of revulsion I experience every time I see the Flyers play."

Yes, I can see how using a Nazi metaphor may have raised the hackles of the Flyers faithful.

As there seems to be no way to calm this fire, I'll just say, 'Carry on' and step out of the way.

But hold on just one minute. I promise that I will stop asking questions and take cover while the two sides duke it out, but allow me one or two more, if you please.

As fans and the media continue to point fingers of blame and ratchet up the tension, may I just ask: To what outcome? How are we expecting this story to end?

As you give those questions some thought, I'll recap.

In Montreal, we know that violent thugs took advantage of a Game 7 fan celebration and deliberately chose it as a time to engage in looting and rioting.

In Philadelphia, I'm told that most residents love Santa Claus despite the actions of a few at Franklin Field over 40 years ago.

At the Bell Centre, a small minority of morons have boo'ed the U.S. anthem. Chants of USA - USA could be heard at the Wachovia Center even though the current Flyers' roster includes 19 Canadians and four Americans.

So, I think it's fair to say that there are idiots on both sides of the divide among fans and media alike.  But is it safe to assume that they are in the minority?

Before anyone tries the "they started it first" nonsense with recounts of incidents involving Ron Hextall, Chris Chelios, Bobby Clarke or Pierre Bouchard, let me remind you that phrase hasn't worked since pre-school, if even then.

It is easy to hate when you don't venture outside of your own cocoon. There are few who will challenge the prevailing opinion even if it isn't accurate.

Trust me. I'm the last person who would suggest that a rousing chorus of Kumbaya will solve everything and help us all to be friends. Frankly, I don't even think that's the goal.

I am simply suggesting that people should take a moment to communicate with a fan from the opposing team. Are the two of you going to agree? Probably not. But I suspect you will be less inclined to douse each other with beer or do something worse afterward.

You can talk about how cowardly Dan Carcillo is. Rate Maxim Lapierre's diving form. Who knows? Soon you will be exchanging poutine and cheese steak recipes.

Or better still. You will probably discover that beyond the stereotypes, we are more similar than it appears.  A surprise for some will be that we speak the same language.

You may say, no thanks, I have no interest in an international sociology experiment.

Far from it. This is a way of improving your fan experience. When discussing and debating the game with supporters and new media from all over the league, you can become a more knowledgeable, engaged fan.

Can it work?

Recently, a Flyers' fan posted this message on Twitter, "Dear Habs fan, Don't tweet in French, it makes you look even more effeminate, if that's possible. Sincerely, Flyers fan."

Within one day of challenging his statement and starting a dialogue, "Flyers fan" called All Habs a great blog. Contrary to what you might expect from his initial message, he is a decent guy and knowledgeable hockey fan.


I know, you are probably rolling your eyes right now.

But think about this. Knowing how it hurts our American friends, would Habs' fans be more inclined to ostracize the idiots at the Bell Centre who boo anthems? What if Flyers' fans demanded better security in the Wachovia Center for their Canadiens' friends (and themselves)?

At the very least, isn't it a better alternative than what you are hearing from the regular sources? That is, an escalation of the rhetoric that makes us hate each other.

Come on. Let's take this down a notch.

We should remember that being a fan means being there to support the home team first and foremost, and then doing little more than showing a healthy disdain for the visitors.

Canadiens-Flyers: Unprepared Habs Gift Wrap Game 1

Montreal 0 Philadelphia 6 (Wachovia Center) Flyers lead the series 1-0.

posted by Rocket
All Habs


"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." -- George Santayana

It was an ugly game, the worst of the playoffs for the Canadiens.

It's no big deal. Hey, it's just one game. We'll bounce back, we always do. It's better to lose 6-0 than 1-0. It was just an off night, we'll get them next time. The Habs were going to lose tonight, no matter who was in the line-up. Now that we have this game out of our system, we're ready to start the series.

Did I miss any cliches? If any of those phrases help you sleep at night, have them embroidered on your pillow. With respect to tonight's hockey game, they are pure gibberish.

Each win in the playoffs is precious. No team can afford to give one away as the Canadiens did in this game.

Jacques Martin's NHL coaching career began in 1986. This is only his second time his team has advanced to the conference finals. Opportunities like these are rare and should not be squandered.

The Canadiens were simply unprepared. How many times this season in the post-game presser did coach Martin say, "Well, I didn't think we were ready to compete." Tonight was no different.

The Habs looked lost, disorganized and caught off guard. For that, the coach must be accountable. How bad was it? The loss is the worst to start a series for the Canadiens since 1919.

Granted, the Montreal coach was playing the part by looking concerned and taking copious notes. But Martin didn't need scribbles to remind him of lessons that should have already been learned in the playoffs.

We only have to think back to the first game of the Pittsburgh series for an example of a team that looked baffled and trying to make it up on the fly. At that time, we gave the team the benefit of the doubt that coming off a difficult series with Washington, there was no time to prepare for the Penguins.

What is the excuse this time, coach? Your team hasn't played since Wednesday.

In addition, do we remember that the Capitals were causing havoc in front of the net for Jaroslav Halak in the first round? From game four on, it was a non-issue. For whatever reason, it took three games for Martin to realize that his defense was better, and his goaltender safer with Ryan O'Byrne on the ice rather than in the press box.

In this series the Flyers game plan, as if it was any secret, was to create traffic in front of the Canadiens goal and screen Halak, not unlike Washington. So O'Byrne, the Canadiens only physical defenseman, being in the line-up is a no-brainer, right? With O'Byrne being a healthy scratch to start this series, what does that say about the coach?

With all the talk about physical superiority of the Flyers, the Canadiens were beat in all aspects of the mental game taking dumb penalties and committing unforced errors. These are further indicators of an unprepared team.

Coach Martin's assessment sounded familiar, "What brought us success in the first two rounds was our ability to compete and tonight we didn't compete at the level we're able to."

At times in the playoffs, P.K. Subban has excited fans with glimpses into the player he might become in the future. But tonight, the exaggerated comparisons to Doug Harvey came crashing to earth. Subban tried to play an individual game and was awful.

Subban was on the ice for four goals against, including, most importantly, the first three. The Flyers seemed to be targeting him and took advantage of Subban's blunders. Subban was not only on the ice but made mistakes that led to all four goals.

If there was a worse defenseman on the ice, it was Marc-Andre Bergeron. He is supposed to excel on the power-play but even had trouble with the basics tonight. Keeping the puck in the offensive zone was even an adventure.

It's getting harder to rationalize Marc-Andre Bergeron being in the line-up. He has one goal in 15 playoff games, and has a minus-10 rating. To provide some perspective, of the 341 players from 16 teams involved in the playoffs, Bergeron is tied for the worst plus-minus rating (with Vladimir Sobotka of Boston).

So let's be honest. Bergeron is the worst defensive player in the playoffs and a liability every time he is on the ice.

Hats off to Hal Gill. He is a true warrior, but is clearly laboring and needs to be spot-played. Jaroslav Spacek was the Canadiens' best defenseman this night.

Scott Gomez and Maxim Lapierre were both guilty of taking dumb penalties.

Philadelphia made the Habs pay for their undisciplined play scoring two goals on the power-play, and one shortly after a Canadiens' penalty expired. With the man advantage, the Habs' looked anemic against aggressive Flyers penalty-killers.

The loss can't be attributed to bad goaltending but Halak didn't resemble his press-clippings by allowing four goals on 13 shots. He was pulled in the second period and replaced with Carey Price.

"We have no concern about our goaltending," said Mike Cammalleri. "Jaro's had pucks go in on him before and come back and played spectacular. Carey's someone else we have confidence in. I don't think he's let in a goal in practice in two weeks. We love our goaltending."

At the other end Michael Leighton recorded his first career playoff shutout without being tested. At times he looked shaky and his puckhandling was rusty. While the Canadiens had 28 shots on goal, there wasn't more than one memorable save.

Not only did the Canadiens hand the Flyers a victory, it was an easy win. Philadelphia was able to rest some players. For the first time in the playoffs, the Habs showed signs of quitting when they were down.

"You have to stay grounded. It's just one game," said Daniel Briere. "We know they're going to come back a lot better, a lot stronger in the next game."

And the Flyers will be stronger too. Reports say that one or both of Jeff Carter and Ian Lapierriere may be back as early as Game 3.

If you sensed more than the usual emotion in this critique, it is because the Habs wasted an opportunity with a lackluster effort. Watching Cammalleri in his post-game interview, his tight jaw, cold eyes, and restrained tone masked a similar anger.

"Our game wasn't as sharp as it needs to be," said Cammalleri, who was doing his best to control his inner volcano.

The Canadiens obviously have a number of things to work on when they practise tomorrow: going to the net, discipline and special teams to name a few. Given that the coach announced it will be an optional workout, I expect that O'Byrne, Ben Maxwell and Sergei Kostitsyn will have a full plate.

Game 2 will take place on Tuesday at the Wachovia Center.


Rocket's three stars

1. Ville Leino
2. Braydon Coburn
3. Claude Giroux


Player quotes from wire services were used in this report.

(photo credit: Getty)


follow All Habs on Twitter and add us on Facebook

~This article is available for your listening convenience via All Habs OUT LOUD. Use the player below or download to take it with you from the link in the sidebar.~

Feels Like...

ECF: Did You Get Your Tickets?

Tickets for home games at the Bell Centre, Games 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary) went on sale at 2 pm. Saturday and were sold out within two hours. Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final is at 7 pm. Sunday from the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia.

Guest Article: From Brazil, Hockey at 37C

Habs fans are everywhere!  It is a pleasure to communicate with passionate supporters of the Montreal Canadiens from around the world.

Uly Neves has agreed to share her perspective (in English and Portuguese) about being a Canadiens' fan in Brazil.  I'm sure that she would be pleased to receive your comments.


Hockey at 37C


posted by Uly Neves
Special to All Habs

There are more than 190 countries all over the world, each one with a different culture and a specific sport, both affected and developed by the weather and the region’s tradition.

In Europe, for example, we have soccer’s first country. Little and cozy England is also known because of cricket, a very peculiar weather, a very hard winter and a soft summer.

Big Asia promotes the Asian Games that occur every four years, a kind of an Asian Olympics.  South America and her typically tropical weather with rainy winters and dry summers is known for many sports, mainly soccer.


Right above, the USA is a big country divided in 50 states with very varied weather and also varied sports just like baseball, American football and hockey.


Hockey is one of the mainly sports of Canada who besides its hard winters and low temperature even in the summer, is a country that looks a lot like Brazil. Believe it or not.

In 2004, a forest park was created in Sao Paulo in honor of the city Toronto with vegetation typical of the Canadian city. Obviously, the project involved political interests but there was more Canadian participation than we could imagine.

After the Winter Olympics, one of the sports that became more known in our country was hockey. It’s a little weird, because the Brazilian weather is typically tropical. It’s possible that the lowest temperatures in Brazil will bring a little frost but nothing compared with the big amounts of snow that fills the globe at the north zone.  It wasn’t just the Canadian hockey team games and the desire of a lower temperature sport that stimulated a group of Brazilian people to develop a passion for the sport.

The international band, known and loved among Brazilian people is Simple Plan.   They are so loved that the band’s guitarist Sébastien Lefebvre said in an interview on his last trip to the country that he and his band mates feel like The Beatles during the concerts in Brazil.

The love and dedication of the fans didn’t stay with their music, autographs and photos. To relate even more with their idols, Brazilian fans adopted similar hobbies.

The favorite sports of the band members are: golf, baseball and hockey.  But the most of them, Sébastien Lefebvre, Patrick Langlois, Frenchie, Chuck Comeau and David Desrosiers are admittedly hockey lovers.

And which one is their favorite team? The Montreal Canadiens.

Just one of the band members, Chuck Comeau, cheers for the Capitals, eliminated by the Canadiens at the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

From the formula sports plus music, a big fan group of Brazilian people was created who support hockey.

Despite the huge difference between Brazilian and Canada weather, you can tell the involvement and interest of the population in this “new” sport. In Twitter, many of Simple Plan’s fans and non-fans adopted Habs’ logo in their avatars.

For being a sport that is not popular throughout 100 per cent of the population, hockey is not displayed on national TV, so the Brazilian Canadiens’ fans who can’t watch the games on ESPN America have to keep themselves informed or search for online transmissions like Justin.tv.

To keep up-to-date on information about the team and the cultural, most of the hockey fans, specially the Montreal Canadiens fans, follow the official All Habs page on Twitter.  All Habs is also one of the leading sources responsible for the hockey’s dissemination in Brazil.  All Habs provides a connection for fans who are not Canadians to create a big bond of coexistence which is very important for both sides.

A new and intense passion is being built between the traditional sports fans of Brazil with some in social media communities.   A big repercussion after the end of the Winter Olympics, is that hockey is the greatest emerging sport in the Brazilian sports scene.

If you liked "Hockey at 37C", be sure to read Brazil Loves the Habs Too! by Ana Elisa.


Hockey a 37º C


Em todo o mundo são mais de 190 países, cada um com sua cultura específica e esportes específicos, ambos afetados e desenvolvidos em cima do clima e da tradição da região. Na Europa encontramos, por exemplo, o país pioneiro no futebol. A pequena e for Inglaterra que também é conhecida pelo críquete e por temperaturas amenas no verão e invernos rigorosos.

A grande Ásia promove os jogos Asiáticos que ocorrem de quatro em quatro anos, uma espécie de Olimpíada Asiática.

América do sul, clima tipicamente tropical, com invernos chuvosos e verões secos, é conhecida por diversos esportes, o mais conhecido deles é o futebol.

Logo a cima, no norte do globo, temos os Estados Unidos, um grande país divido em 50 estados com climas variados, com esportes variados também, tais como: baseball, futebol americano e hockey.

Hockey que é um dos – se não o mais – importantes esportes do Canadá.
Com invernos rigorosos e baixas temperaturas até mesmo no verão, o Canadá é um dos países que tem mais a ver com o Brasil. Acredite ou não.

No ano de 2004, foi criado em São Paulo um parque florestal em homenagem a cidade de Toronto, com vegetação típica da cidade canadense. Obviamente esse projeto envolveu interesses políticos, mas há mais participação canadense no país do que se podia pensar.

Após as Olimpíadas de Inverno, um dos esportes que mais se popularizou no Brasil foi o hockey.

Um tanto estranho, já que o clima predominante em todo o território brasileiro é o tropical típico. Sendo assim, em temperaturas mais baixas o máximo que pode ocorrer é uma geada, uma leve geada. Nada comparado às tempestades de neve presentes no extremo norte do globo. Porém, não foram apenas os jogos da seleção canadense de hockey e o desejo de um esporte com temperatura mais amena que incentivou um grupo de brasileiros a criar uma paixão pelo esporte.

A banda internacional mais conhecida e amada por terras brasileiras é o Simple Plan, tão amados que o guitarrista Sébastien Lefebvre disse em uma entrevista na sua última vinda para cá, que ele e seus companheiros de banda sentiam-se iguais aos Beatles durantes os shows no Brasil!

O amor e dedicação dos fãs não pararam apenas nas músicas, autógrafos e fotos, para se identificarem ainda mais com os seus ídolos, os fãs brasileiros adotaram hobbies parecidos.

Os esportes favoritos dos integrantes da banda são: golf, baseball e hockey. Porém a maioria dos integrantes - Sébastien Lefebvre, Patrick Langlois, Frenchie, Chuck Comeau e David Desrosiers – são assumidamente apaixonados por hockey. E o time? Montreal Canadiens. Apenas um dos membros citados a cima não se encaixa no quadro do Habs, o baterista Chuck Comeau é fã do time Capitals, eliminado pelo Canadiens na primeira rodada da Stunley Cup.

Da fórmula: esporte + música, foi criado um grande grupo de brasileiros adeptos do hockey. Apesar da diferença gritante de clima entre Brasil e Canadá, pode-se notar o envolvimento e interesse da população sob esse ‘novo’ esporte.

No Twitter, vários fãs de Simple Plan e também não-fãs adotaram o logo do Habs em seus avatares.

Por ainda não ser um esporte popular entre 100% dos habitantes do país, o hockey não é transmitido nos canais de TV, sendo assim os seguidores dos Canadiens que não podem acompanhar os jogos pela ESPN America, tendem a se informar e até mesmo buscar transmissões em canais on-line como o Justin.tv.

Uma forma de manter as informações e o intercâmbio entre as duas nações – intercâmbio cultural e pessoal – grande parte dos fãs de hockey e particulamente fãs do Montreal Canadiens, seguem o perfil oficial do All Habs no Twitter, este que é também um dos principais responsáveis pela disseminação do Hockey em terras brasileiras, por sempre dar espaço a fãs que não são necessariamente canadenses se manifestarem, criando um laço de convívio importante para ambas as partes.

Uma nova e intensa paixão está sendo construída entre os esportes tradicionais do Brasil, com algumas comunidades em redes de relacionamentos e grande repercussão após o fim das Olimpíadas de Inverno, o hockey é o maior esporte em emergência na grade esportiva brasileira.


If you liked "Hockey at 37C", be sure to read Brazil Loves the Habs Too! by Ana Elisa.