Habs Daily

Torrey Mitchell Interview With RDE When he Was a Child

2015-08-11T20:19:00.000-07:00

Torrey had a rink in his backyard as a child and dreamed of playing for the Montreal Canadiens.

This interview with RDE is really cute.

From a young age Torrey was a fan of the Montreal Canadiens and wanted to play for the Habs when he grew up.

The Power and Soul of Subban

2014-05-10T21:22:00.002-07:00

PK Subban has the heart of a lion and the determination that you can only find at the top of the NHL. He gives a spectacular second effort to keep the puck in the zone and finishes with an explosive slap shot.

This video speaks for itself.

Pacioretty gets the game winner for Montreal

2014-04-22T18:55:00.001-07:00

Max Pacioretty stands strong in front of the net to get the game winner in the final minute of the third period. "That's my first playoff goal in my career," says Pacioretty in an interview with CBC. "I've been pushing and the coach has been encouraging me," he adds.

Pacioretty had some family support at the playoff game. "This is only my dads second game this year," he says. "I always play well in front of him so it's great to have him out here," says Pacioretty. All those years at the rink definitely paid off for Pacioretty's dad, he looked as excited and proud as a parent could be.

The Montreal Canadiens sweep the first round of playoffs against Tampa Bay in 4 games. They'll have a week off before the next series.

The Habs Need Some Oiling as the Gears Grind Versus Edmonton

2013-10-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

Edmonton came into Montreal Tuesday evening missing some star talent. Taylor Hall was out with a knee injury and Ryan Smith with a groin injury. Edmonton still has a lot of scoring depth and came back from a 2-0 deficit to Montreal and won 4-3.

PK is Growing Up

People are finally cutting Subban some slack. I remember his rookie year when he was coming down the ice making beautiful moves and the RDS commentators could only criticize him because once in a while he loses the puck. The truth is that he is one of the best defensemen in the league for bringing the puck across the opponents blue line. He made some beautiful setups against Edmonton. This season the commentators finally give him some credit for the good work he's doing and cut him some slack if he occasionally makes a mistake. Overall, he's creating more opportunities for the team with 11 points in nine games so far this year. He is plus 4 (+/-).

Against Edmonton he assisted on Montreal's third goal with a nice saucer pass to Plekanec.

Trying Until the Dying Seconds

I have to give Montreal credit for trying until the end of the game. I can't think of anything worse than watching the last 30 seconds of a hockey game when the losing team doesn't even care to go after the puck. That was not the case Tuesday against Edmonton for the Habs. They were hungry for a goal right to the end. Bourque scored with 2.6 seconds left in the game. That left the score at 4-3, where it would end.

Habs Just got Taller - Another Sizeable Off-season Acquisition

2013-08-28T13:21:00.001-07:00

The Habs picked up 6-foot-3 defenseman Douglas Murray, signing him to a one-year deal. That adds to a series of moves this summer aimed at making the Habs a bigger team. The Habs drafted 6-foot-5 Michael McCarron and signed 6-foot-5 tough guy George Parros earlier this summer.

Take a look at the Murray videos we've gathered for you to see his monstrous style of play.

Murray Hammers Boyle

What happens when two big guys skate into the corner? Brian Boyle sits on his ass.

Murray is big and strong enough to make 6-foot-7 Brian Boyle go down. I'll take it.

He Can Shoot

Big hitting and hard shooting sniper? Murray is an all-star acquisition. He can do it all.

This is Why We Don't Want Him On the Other Team

In this video, Murray scores on the Habs. I'd much rather him putting the puck in for us than against us.

Murray's History

Murray's grandfather was introduced to the IIHF in 1998. He played on Djurgardens, the most decorated team in Sweden. That's part of what made Murray so excited to play in Montreal. He loves hockey's history and is excited to play on an Original Six team.

Murray had spent most of his NHL career playing with the Sharks, a total of seven seasons. Finally, he played with the Penguins last season, earning some valuable playoff experience, since the Pens made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals.

What we Can Expect

Judging by Murray's past, he not a huge points-scorer. His highest scoring season was in 2009-2010. He scored four goals and earned 13 assists playing with the Sharks.

Team Canada Won't Skate on Ice During Tryouts this Summer

2013-08-27T11:04:00.003-07:00

It appears like Team Canada ice hockey tryouts will be iceless. They have resorted to playing ball hockey on the streets. Seriously? Okay, that's the worst idea I've ever heard. Apparently, the insurance is too expensive.

If I was an insurance company I would jump in to save the day just for the free marketing. This is just pure insanity.

Team Canada playing ball hockey at the Olympic tryouts.

Team Canada wants to win a Gold medal in ice hockey at the Olympics and we're not even playing on ice? This is the only chance that these players have to play together before the Olympics. It would only make sense to take advantage.

Who will be Team Canada's Goalie?

Roberto Luongo was in nets during the gold medal game for Canada in 2010. However, he's been playing inconsistently in Vancouver. Mike Smith, Braden Holtby and Carey Price are all invited to the training camp. Critics believe that Carey Price is the best challenger for the top spot after Luongo.

If goaltending is Canada's biggest trouble, I think they'll do well. There's some pretty solid choices to protect the net.

Summer Camp Roster

Goaltenders

Corey Crawford

L/G

6'2"

208

12/31/84

Montreal, Que.

Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Braden Holtby

L/G

6'2"

203

09/16/89

Lloydminster, Sask.

Washington Capitals (NHL)

*# Roberto Luongo

L/G

6'3"

217

04/04/79

Montreal, Que.

Vancouver Canucks (NHL)

Carey Price

L/G

6'3"

209

08/16/87

Anahim Lake, B.C.

Montreal Canadiens (NHL)

Mike Smith

L/G

6'4"

215

03/22/82

Kingston, Ont.

Phoenix Coyotes (NHL)

Defense

Karl Alzner

L/G

6'3"

217

09/24/88

Burnaby, B.C.

Washington Capitals (NHL)

# Jay Bouwmeester

L/G

6'4"

212

09/27/83

Edmonton, Alta.

St. Louis Blues (NHL)

* Dan Boyle

R/D

5'11"

190

07/12/76

Ottawa, Ont.

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

* Drew Doughty

R/D

6'1"

208

12/08/89

London, Ont.

Los Angeles Kings (NHL)

Mike Green

R/D

6'1"

207

10/12/85

Calgary, Alta.

Washington Capitals (NHL)

Dan Hamhuis

L/G

6'1"

209

12/13/82

Smithers, B.C.

Vancouver Canucks (NHL)

Travis Hamonic

R/D

6'1"

206

08/16/90

St. Malo, Man.

New York Islanders (NHL)

* Duncan Keith

L/G

6'1"

200

07/16/83

Penticton, B.C.

Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Kristopher Letang

R/D

6'0"

201

04/24/87

Ste-Julie, Que.

Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)

Marc Methot

L/G

6'3"

231

06/21/85

Ottawa, Ont.

Ottawa Senators (NHL)

Dion Phaneuf

L/G

6'3"

214

04/10/85

Edmonton, Alta.

Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL)

Alex Pietrangelo

R/D

6'3"

201

01/18/90

King City, Ont.

St. Louis Blues (NHL)

* Brent Seabrook

R/D

6'3"

221

04/20/85

Tsawwassen, B.C.

Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Marc Staal

L/G

6'4"

207

01/13/87

Thunder Bay, Ont.

New York Rangers (NHL)

PK Subban

R/D

6'0"

216

05/13/89

Toronto, Ont.

Montreal Canadiens (NHL)

Marc-Édouard Vlasic

L/G

6'1"

205

03/30/87

Montreal, Que.

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

* Shea Weber

R/D

6'4"

233

08/14/85

Sicamous, B.C.

Nashville Predators (NHL)

Forwards

* Patrice Bergeron

R/D

6'2"

194

07/24/85

Sillery, Que.

Boston Bruins (NHL)

Jeff Carter

R/D

6'4"

210

01/01/85

London, Ont.

Los Angeles Kings (NHL)

Logan Couture

L/G

6'1"

200

03/28/89

London, Ont.

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

* Sidney Crosby

L/G

5'11"

200

08/07/87

Cole Harbour, N.S.

Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)

Matt Duchene

L/G

5'11"

200

01/16/91

Haliburton, Ont.

Colorado Avalanche (NHL)

Jordan Eberle

R/D

5'10"

184

05/15/90

Regina, Sask.

Edmonton Oilers (NHL)

* Ryan Getzlaf

R/D

6'4"

221

05/10/85

Regina, Sask.

Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

Claude Giroux

R/D

5'11"

172

01/12/88

Ottawa, Ont.

Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)

Taylor Hall

L/G

6'1"

194

11/14/91

Kingston, Ont.

Edmonton Oilers (NHL)

Chris Kunitz

L/G

6'0"

193

09/26/79

Regina, Sask.

Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)

Andrew Ladd

L/G

6'2"

205

12/12/85

Maple Ridge, B.C.

Winnipeg Jets (NHL)

Milan Lucic

L/G

6'4"

220

06/07/88

Vancouver, B.C.

Boston Bruins (NHL)

Brad Marchand

L/G

5'9"

183

05/11/88

Hammonds Plains, N.S.

Boston Bruins (NHL)

*# Rick Nash

L/G

6'4"

213

06/16/84

Brampton, Ont.

New York Rangers (NHL)

James Neal

L/G

6'2"

208

09/03/87

Whitby, Ont.

Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL)

* Corey Perry

R/D

6'3"

210

05/16/85

Peterborough, Ont.

Anaheim Ducks (NHL)

* Michael Richards

L/G

5'11"

200

02/11/85

Kenora, Ont.

Los Angeles Kings (NHL)

Patrick Sharp

R/D

6'1"

199

12/27/81

Thunder Bay, Ont.

Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

*# Eric Staal

L/G

6'4"

205

10/29/84

Thunder Bay, Ont.

Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)

Jordan Staal

L/G

6'4"

220

09/10/88

Thunder Bay, Ont.

Carolina Hurricanes (NHL)

# Martin St. Louis

R/D

5'9"

185

06/18/75

Laval, Que.

Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)

Steven Stamkos

R/D

6'0"

190

02/07/90

Unionville, Ont.

Tampa Bay Lightning (NHL)

John Tavares

L/G

6'0"

199

09/20/90

Oakville, Ont.

New York Islanders (NHL)

*# Joe Thornton

L/G

6'4"

225

07/02/79

St. Thomas, Ont.

San Jose Sharks (NHL)

* Jonathan Toews

L/G

6'2"

210

04/29/88

Winnipeg, Man.

Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Subban Summer Training

2013-08-22T19:48:00.000-07:00

Subban shows off his power, and his muscles dragging some heavy-looking weights through Montreal streets.

He also smack-talks a mystery "Marc". I sure hope that he doesn't talk to Marc Bergevin like that!

Review of Habs Top Scorers 2012-13 Season: Max Pacioretty 15 Goals

2013-08-20T14:27:00.000-07:00

This is the third editon of the top three scorers of the 2012-2013 season. This time Max Pacioretty is the hero. Let's watch his goals from last season. Maybe, it will inspire you to buy his stick instead of Crosby's. Pacioretty is one of the best players in the league. In fact, Andrew Berkshire, of Eyes On The Prize (EOTP), statistically proves that Max Pacioretty is better than Bobby Ryan, but with less hype.

See these articles for a review of goals by Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Plekanec.

What Makes Pacioretty a Great Player?

Pacioretty was the Habs top offensive producer during the 2012-13 season. He tied Gallagher for goals with 15. Pacioretty also had 39 points, 1 more than Subban. Max is a very solid player all-around. He plays good defense and good offense. He can win battles along the boards at both ends of the ice. He sees the ice well and can set up his teammates. He has a great shot. He's often able to snipe small openings.

What's Funny About Pacioretty?

He always tries to score from center ice. See my favorite goal for more explanation.

What Type of Goals Does Pacioretty Score?

Pacioretty scores individual effort goals, however, most of his goals are plays with teammates. He is really good at moving the puck and sometimes it comes back to him to score. He's also digging the puck out of the corners and winning battles along the boards.

My Favorite Plekanec Goal

My favorite Pacioretty goal is #1. In this play, he wasn't even at center ice yet when he chips the puck forward. It's not even clear that he's trying to get the puck on net, but it takes a funny bounce and fools Carolina's goalie. What was funny about the goal was that Pacioretty took so many shots from center ice for the rest of the season. He never scored from far again. But, the boyish grin he had on his face when he tried was priceless.

Enjoy the video!

What he's lacking:

Honestly, Pacioretty is pretty well rounded. I mean he's not as skilled as Sidney Crosby and doesn't have quite as much energy or drive as Alex Ovechkin, but otherwise, it's hard to reproach Pacioretty for anything.

What I predict for 2013:

Pacioretty will be amongst the leading scorers again for the 2013-14 season. I predict that he will have 30 goals and 25 assists for 47 points. That's if he can stay healthy this season. Last year, he had 39 points in only 44 games since the season was shortened from the lockout.

Plekanec Sees Everything

Everything. If you enjoyed watching Pacioretty's goals, have a look at what Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Plekanec can do. Plekanec sees the ice so well and Gallagher is like a smiling kid.

Review of Habs Top Scorers 2012-13 Season: Tomas Plekanec 15 Goals

2013-08-16T22:09:00.000-07:00

The Habs daily is reviewing the goals of the Habs top three scorers during the 2012-2013 season. In this second edition we will watch Tomas Plekanec's goals. For Brendan Gallagher, click here and stay tuned for Max Pacioretty.

What Makes Plekanec a Great Player?

Whether you look at goals or points, Plekanec was the Habs third most productive player during the 2012-2013 campaign with 14 goals and 19 assists. What's the key to Plekanec success?

Plekanec has great vision on the ice. He is able to find an open player and make crisp cross-ice passes. He has a sniper's vision and can pick off a corner of the net. He is also a fantastic skater.

What's Funny About Plekanec?

His mustache. It's so funny that I had to add this section just for Plekanec. Does he think it's Movember all year around?

What Type of Goals Does Plekanec Score?

Plekanec is a natural goal scorer. He looks so relaxed when he scores. It's almost effortless. Often the situations that he scores from don't even appear dangerous for the opposition team, but next thing you know, the pucks in the back of the net.

My Favorite Plekanec Goal

Goals #6 and #7 in this video are my favorite. In #6 we see how explosively Plekanec skates. He also has great finishing skills on a breakaway. In #7, Plekanec shows that edgy second effort. It looks like Philly is going to stop him.... everyones flopping all over the ice... and Plekanec scores!

Enjoy the video!

What he's lacking:

Plekanec is a great playmaker, but he is missing some toughness. I would like to see him get messy in front of the net more often. He prefers sticking to the outside and sniping. I would also like to see some big hits from Plekanec. I rarely see him line an opposition player up, but he should be able to bulldoze a guy every so often.

What I predict for 2013:

Plekanec is not getting any younger. He will be 31 this season. He still has a few more solid seasons to come. However, we need some of the young guys to start taking over. Plekanec will still be a contributor to the Habs powerplay, sniping in a few shots. Plekanec is also a great leader, who can set an example for the guys coming up. I predict that Plekanec will get 60 points this season - 25 goals, 35 assists. That's less than his career high 70 point in 2009-10, but more than last season with 33 points.

Gallagher's Dazzling Puck Skills

If you liked Plekanec's goals, watch Brendan Gallaghers. The rookie scored 15 last year. He is such a passionate player who drives hard to the front of the net. I love Gallagher's energy and his childish smile.

Review of Habs Top Scorers 2012-13 Season: Brendan Gallagher 15 Goals

2013-08-15T19:25:00.001-07:00

In this series of posts, the Habs Daily will present the goals of the top three scorers during the 2012-2013 campaign. In the first of three posts, we will cover Brendan Gallagher. Stay tuned for Max Pacioretty and Tomas Plekanec.

What Makes Gallagher a Great Player?

Gallagher plays with tons of passion. He skates quickly and isn't afraid to drive hard to the net . He'll do a few side-to-side fakes, but usually drives skates North-to-South.

I also love how Gallagher celebrates his goals. He reminds me of a three year-old on Christmas the way he smiles with eyes shining bright.

What Type of Goals Does Gallagher Score?

He gets a lot of give-and go goals. Gallagher and his linemates are constantly setting each other up. Gallagher also scores in situations where other players would not, providing a unique contribution to the team. He always gives a second effort.

He also scores a lot of goals from the slot. He's always getting right in front of the other teams goalies and sometimes even behind them!

My Favorite Gallagher Goal

I like it for all the wrong reasons, but #8 in this video is my favorite Gallagher goal of 2012-2013. Pacioretty does a wrap around the oppositions net, passes out front to Subban who gives the puck right back. Pacioretty does a nice move and beats the Sens goalie five-hole Finally, as the puck is about to cross the line, Gallagher pokes it in, stealing Pacioretty's goal. He just never gives up.

Enjoy the video!

What he's lacking:

I think Gallagher's only downside is his size. He get hammered when he goes in front of the net. He still gets the job done, but if he could manage to grow a few inches it would help out!

What I predict for 2013:

Gallagher is coming of age. It's only his second season in the NHL and Gallagher is going to come out faster and stronger than last season. He managed 15 goals and 13 assists last season. This year, I predict that Gallagher will manage to score 25 goals and 30 assists for 55 points. I think he'll be getting a lot more powerplay time this year along with Galchenyuk. They both showed that they deserve it last season.

New Draft Pick With Size

What Gallagher lacks in size, McCarron has. The 6'5" player was drafted by Montreal in the first round this summer. To learn more about Montreal new giant read this: Habs Prospect McCarron.

Habs Prospect Michael McCarron: Video during the IIHF U18 Gold Medal Game USA vs. Canada

2013-08-11T11:00:00.001-07:00

This video follows Michael McCarron, a player the Habs acquired during this year's draft. The footage is from the IIHF U18 gold medal game in April 2013. Team Canada went on the win the game against the United States but McCarron's Team USA put on a good fight. He scored during the second period at 2:30 in this video.

If you have never seen him play, this is a great opportunity to see his style of gameplay. He's a big guy and not afraid to park himself in front of the net. He's number 24.

Update on the Habs Offseason: Draft picks, Olympics

2013-08-08T19:11:00.004-07:00

Six Habs Tryout For Olympic Teams

The Montreal Canadiens have six players trying out for their respective countries Olympic squads. That's a pretty impressive number and shows the depth of our team. Subban and Price were invited to the Team Canada camp. Galchenyuk and Pacioretty were invited by Team USA. Finally, Markov and Emelin are trying out for Team Russia, the host nation.

Other than Price Team Canada has four other goalies trying out. Robert Luongo, Mike Smith, Corey Crawford and Braden Holtby are all fighting for the two open spots with Price.

Top two Draft Picks

Montreal’s 1^st pick, 25^th overall, was Michael McCarron. The six foot five inch tall right winger is part of the United States Development squad. One of McCarron’s greatest accomplishments to date is winning a Silver Medal with Team USA at the 2013 IIHF World U18 Championships. He scored three goals and had two assists during seven games at the tournament. I'm excited about drafting McCarron primarily because he's big. The Habs definitely need some size up front and this guy can do it.

Jacob De La Rose was Montreal’s second pick. He was chosen 34^th overall. He is a 6 foot 2 inch left wing player from Sweden. He is a big hitter, but isn’t a natural goal scorer. I’m not too sure why we picked him so high, but I hope he proves me wrong. If he can check like Emelin, I think he'll be able to help us out.

To learn how All-Star hockey works see click here.

How Does All-Star Hockey Work?

2013-08-01T16:03:00.001-07:00

The All-Star game is an annual match played in the NHL by the top players in the league. The format of the All-Star game has been frequently changing as the league tries to find a format that is most suitable for the fans and players.

To hear about PK's first All-Star game: PK is an All-Star Monster

Skills Competition

Since 1990, there has been a skills competition the day before the All-Star game. The events have varied over the years but certain events are mainstays, such as the fastest skater, determined by skating one-lap around the rink, the most accurate shot, determined by who can hit four targets in the least amount of time, the hardest shot, with pucks flying over 100 mph, and a breakaway competition.

All-Star Game

The All-Star game plays with similar rules to a regular hockey game, however, the players self-limit body contact and often play without helmets. There are three periods each 20 minutes in length and the team with the most goals at the end of the game wins. If needed there is a five minute sudden death overtime period followed by a shootout if no one scores in overtime.

Best Players

In the past, the league decided which players would make the All-Star game single-handedly. Currently, the process is more open and opaque as there is a fan balloting process, which makes it appear like the fans get to choose who the best players are, however the NHL’s Hockey Operations Department still has the final word. There are also certain rules that affect the lineup of the All-Star game. For example, every team must have at least one player present at the All-Star game. However, with 30 teams in the NHL and only 42 players at the All-Star game this means that few teams can send more than one player.

Deciding Team Captains

The players who are selected to play at the All-Star game are allowed vote for the game’s captains. The voting is by secret ballot. Often a player from the host team gets chosen as one of the captains, for example Eric Staal in 2011 when the game was in Carolina, and Daniel Alfredsson in 2012 when the game was in Ottawa.

Drafting Players

Since the 2011 All-Star game, the teams have been selected by a fantasy draft by the team captains. The captains take turns selecting the players that they want on their teams. This differs from traditional NHL All-Star game formats, which have been either Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference, or the North America vs. the World.

References

NHL.com: NHL Skills Competition All-Time Results, 1990-2011

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=67157

NHL.com: All-Star Game to Feature New Fantasy Draft

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=543059

NHL.com: Slap shot the weapon of hockey's hardest shooters http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=640429

NHL.com: Alfredsson, Chara named All-Star Game captains

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=612384

NHL.com: E. Staal, Lidstrom named 2011 All-Star captains

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=549747

The Anti-visor Advisor

2013-04-01T21:48:00.003-07:00

Crosby and Full-face Protection

The Pittsburgh Penguins were looking stronger than ever this week after obtaining Jarome Iginla from the Calgary Flames. That is, they looked stronger until Crosby took a puck in the face at 1:28 into the first game that Iginla played with the Penguins. For now, Crosby is out indefinitely with a broken jaw. It seems like the poor Canadian can never stay healthy, having suffered a few bad concussions the last couple seasons.

I was watching the Lang and O'Leary exchange today on TV. Kevin O'Leary is that annoying Canadian Economist. Did I mention he's annoying? Anyways, they were weighing in on the Crosby injury and O'Leary says "Injuries of this sort are inevitable, they should keep researching better equipment to prevent this type of injury." HELLO! The type of cage that any amateur has on their helmet could have prevented the face injury that Crosby suffered. I don't understand why NHL players aren't allowed wearing full-face protection. It doesn't make sense. Crosby's injury could have been prevented had he worn the same style of helmet WITH A FACEMASK that every amateur grows up wearing.

Tonight, in the Habs game versus Carolina, Bouillon took a stick in the face. Bouillon was also wearing a visor (which only covers half the face). He was okay afterwards, but it's just another example of the risks that professional hockey players are taking for no reason. Implement the full-face cage! Make it mandatory.

The Habs Make Carolina look like an AHL team

Another victory for the Habs tonight. The win helps to secure their hold of second position in the Eastern conference. Pittsburgh is in first place and is in the middle of a 15 game winning streak. Carolina on the other hand is out of a playoff spot with 34 points in 35 games.

Carolina scored the first goal of the game five minutes into the contest. Other than that brief lead, they were smothered by the Habs who outscored them 4-1 and outshot them 29-19. Carolina only managed two shots on five powerplay opportunities!

Habs first goal was scored by Markov on the powerplay in the first period. He took a powerful shot from the point which hit a defender and went top corner. Subban assisted on the play, making him the league leading defenseman in points-scoring.

Halpern scored his first goal of the year. His goal would be the game winner bringing the Habs up 2-1. Beaulieu, Habs rookie defenseman, assisted on the play. It was his first NHL point in his second game.

Pacioretty scored the next two goals including an empty netter. Pacioretty's first goal of the night was a true beauty that showed his level of confidence, patience and skill.

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Armstrong Rips his First Goal with the Habs!

2013-03-16T20:46:00.000-07:00

Armstrong scores his first tonight with the Habs versus the New Jersey Devils. It was an important goal, bring the Habs up 1-0. They went on to win the game 2-1.

Montreal is the Best in the East - Get Used to it!

2013-03-13T23:35:00.000-07:00

The Habs are sitting on top of the Eastern Conference again, and this far into a 48 game season, many of the doubters are converting into believers. The Habs have been at or near the top of the Eastern Conference all season and many non-believers have said that Montreal is not truly a first-place team and that things would get worse. After 27 games, the Habs have managed to prove that they have more than a little luck on their side, they actually have a very deep and talented roster.

One of the keys to Montreal's success is that everyone is producing. The Canadiens are not relying on a single line for scoring chances - everyone is contributing. Paciorety is looking like the NHL player of the week, which he earned at the beginning of March, week-after-week. He is playing with so much confidence it is ludicrous. It also works. Players like Galchenuk and Gallagher can no longer be called Montreal's rookies - though they are. They've both proven that they can produce and are in the big league to stay. Eller too, another youngster keeps proving that he is an NHL caliber center. He scored twice tonight including the game-winning goal in the shootout.

At first when the Habs traded for Ryder I was very excited. Then, I saw him play a few games and was turned off. However, the success of the Habs seems to be wearing off on Ryder as he has really stepped it up recently. He still only plays decently most nights, but that's at least as decent as Erik Cole, who we traded for Ryder.

Montreal's defense is also playing extremely well. Subban, Markov and Emelin are all showing that they are amongst the league's top defensemen. It's certainly great to be able to say that about three of our denfensemen.

In tonight's matchup against the Senators, Eller, Gallagher and Subban scored in regulation. In overtime, Therrien trusted Galchenyuk, Desharnais and Eller to get the job done. Galchenyuk and Eller both scored to give the Habs the win.

It's great to be able to turn on the Habs game expecting a win. I have trouble remembering the last time I felt that way with such certainty.

Canadiens play in New Jersey on Saturday at 7PM (ET).

Good Riddance Cole

2013-02-27T21:06:00.001-08:00

The Montreal Canadiens traded Erik Cole for Michael Ryder on Tuesday.

Cole has shown terrible sportsmanship this year and I think it's a very positive thing that he's on his way out. He had a strong season last year, but is playing terrible so far this season and has a reputation for being inconsistent.

Micheal Ryder, brings a lot of scoring potential to the Habs lineup. He had 35 goals last season and is capable of making things happen. He provides some depth to our powerplay too as he is known for being a great sniper.

To Cole's credit he also had 35 goals last season. However, this year Ryder's 14 point (6 goals and 8 assists) is a much stronger start than Erik Cole's 6 points (3 goals and 3 assists).

Habs Show Up the Leafs 5-2

In their third meeting with the Leafs this season the Habs win 5-2. It was a needed win for the Habs after losing the previous two meetings with Toronto. The Leafs outscored Montreal 8-1 those games.

See the video highlights here: http://video.canadiens.nhl.com/videocenter/console?hlg=20122013,2,284&event=TOR45&lang=en&navid=DL|MTL|home

Allergic to the Leafs

2013-02-11T12:35:00.001-08:00

It's the Second visit from the Maple Leafs to the Bell Center, and the second game the Habs want to forget.

Like its home opener against the Leafs, the Habs had a pitiful start to the game Saturday night.

At least, the first time it had been a close game until the end. This time, it was a blowout, 6-0, which pleased all the Leafs fans who occupied the building.

James Reimer, Toronto's goalie, made 37 saves, earning the seventh shutout of his career and his second against the Canadiens.

“Every time a goalie gets a shutout, it is a matter of team work", pointed out the Leafs' masked man. "This evening [Saturday night], I saw 90% of the shots easily.”

Michel Therrien's gang has now lost five games out of seven against Division rivals, of which one was a shootout. Not very good for the standings.

Speaking about Saturday’s game Therrien said, “We got lots of shots, especially in second period, but very few good scoring chances”.

Toronto was Much Better

This victory, the third straight for the Leafs, pushed the Leafs ahead on Montreal in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Habs can only be encouraged by knowing that they're not the only one to have troubles when the Maple Leafs visit. The Leafs have now won six of the seven matches they played on the road.

"If I knew the recipe, I would use it everywhere. Our fans in Toronto deserve more victories. They are the best fans in the world”, declared Randy Carlyle, whose team obtained only one win in five home games at the Air Canada Centre.

Stuck in their own territory during the start of the game, the Habs had multiple blunders.

“It was our worst match since the beginning of the season. We started flat, and lost all our one-on-one battles. However, I felt that we were ready before the game”, said Francis Bouillon.

During the first minute of play, Leo Kamarov benefitted from a lack of communication between Alexei Emelin and Andrei Markov to score his first goal in the NHL.

Next, Tyler Bozak, forgotten by Erik Cole in front of the net, did not have any difficulty to double Toronto's lead, 2-0.

Cole on the bench

It was a terrible shift for Cole who, a few seconds before letting Bozak score, lost the face-off to the left of Carey Price.

Overall, it was not a great match for the 34 year old veteran. Therrien quickly realised and relegated Cole to the fourth line towards the end of the first period.

After Brandon Prust and Travis Moen were given a chance, Brendan Gallagher was selected to complete the Habs second line with David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty.

The rookie took advantage of the opportunity, not missing his chance to show his presence while being on the attack and refusing to let himself be bullied after the whistle blew. He even started a fight against Michael Kostka.

An Attempted Comeback

The Canadiens had their best moments during the second period. At this time, James van Riemsdyk had already put Toronto ahead 3 to 0. Cole, who ended up showing signs of life, and Brian Gionta obtained the best scoring chances for the Habs.

Phil Kessel, Korbinian Holser and Dion Phaneuf finished off the 6-0 massacre for Toronto, Kessel and Phaneuf scored on the powerplay.

The Canadian play their next two games in Florida. First, they play Tampa on Tuesday and then the Panthers on Thursday. Both games are at 7:30 PM (ET).

• Yannick Weber, for the 10^th time in 11 matches, and Thomas Kaberle, for the fourth game in a row, were left on the side. In the stands, the two defenders were joined, with little surprise to anyone, by Ryan White whose double minor penalties against Buffalo on Thursday did very little to help his team win.

A Heartbreaking Loss

2013-02-07T23:43:00.001-08:00

The Habs were up 4-2 tonight. But, they lost the game. They deserved a better finish.

In a postgame interview, coach Therrien summed it up, "Everything was under control. We were up 4-2. Then someone's lack of discipline cost us the game." His harsh words were directed towards Ryan White who got a double minor for roughing at 7:32 in the 3rd period. The Buffalo Sabres capitalized on the man-advantage, bringing the score to 4-3 in favor of Montreal.

White's penalty was absolutely deserved. He was checked into the boards coming into the Sabres zone and decided to drop the gloves against a cowering Sabres defensemen. The referee broke it up immediately. And, White had to sit four minutes in the box.

Despite allowing the goal on the Sabres powerplay, the Habs seemed to have everything under control, holding a 4-3 lead for the rest of the third, until the dying seconds. With two seconds left on the clock the Sabres Tomas Vanek bangs in his second of the night, and league leading 10th goal on the season.

The 5 minute overtime was exciting with both teams getting good scoring chances, but no one was able to score, meaning that the game would be decided in a shutout.

The Sabres first shooter was Tomas Vanek. Who, obviously scores the way he's been on fire. He does a fake shot, then rips it top corner.

Galchenyuk answers for the Habs, tying things up 1-1 on the shootout.

Finally, the Sabres third shooter Pominville scores. Gionta gets a final chance to tie things up. He pulled a nice move but it wasn't enough to beat Ryan Miller, who came through with the save.

Plekanec scored twice tonight, making him the Habs lead goal-scorer with 6 goals on the season. Subban and Gallagher each had a goal. It was Subban's second of the year and Gallagher's fourth.

The Habs next game is Saturday against the Leafs in Montreal. The Leafs won the last time the two teams met in the season opener, finishing 2-1.

Habs First Big Test: Failed

2013-02-07T00:40:00.003-08:00

The Habs failed at what many were calling their biggest test of the season to date. That's because they were playing the Boston Bruins who have been sitting at the top of the Eastern conference this season. The Habs could have moved into a tie for first place in the Eastern Conference with Pittsburgh had they won tonight. But they lost. So, they are instead sitting in 6th place in what is still a very close Eastern Conference race. Boston moves back into first place.

The Habs started off the first period dominating. They had many good scoring chances including a partial breakaway by Plekanec. He put on a wonderful move and nearly found the back of the net, but soon after Bourque got a bad penalty crashing into Boston's goalie.

Before Bourque's penalty was complete, Prust was able to draw a penalty against Boston's Tyler Seguin. Prust got a breakaway during the penalty kill, put on a rather unglamorous move and then got smashed into Boston's netminder by Seguin. In fact, Prust was at least a little lucky that he didn't end up with the penalty to give Boston a 5 on 3 powerplay. The referee could have also easily penalized both players, giving them offsetting minor penalties.

Boston had another powerplay in the first after PK Subban got two minutes for hooking. At the end of the first, the game was scoreless.

To start the second period Boston gets a penalty, but Montreal cannot capitalize. Next, the Habs get a penalty. Plekanec was on a breakaway, which affected Montreal's line change, and there were 6 men on the ice. In the end Plekanec didn't even get a shot away on his breakaway. Not because of the penalty, that came after, he just seemed to forget the puck. Focus Plekanec!

Plekanec goes on a breakaway but loses control of the puck. Photo: Richard Wolowicz. Source: habseyesontheprize.com

Luckily, Boston did not capitalize on the penalty. Soon after it was the Habs chance on the man advantage after Lucic gets called for hi-sticking. This time they pulled through with a bullet from the point. PK Subban's monster shot bounced off a Boston stick and made its way into the net. One to zero for the Habs.

Lucic gets another penalty, for slashing this time. Apparently, he did not learn his lesson after Subban's goal on the last powerplay. The Habs couldn't score on the man advantage and go into the 2nd intermission up 1-0.

Less than 10 seconds in to third period, Seguin ties the game up, 1-1. Then, two minutes later Krejci scores a rebound goal, 2-1 for Boston. And, that's how the night ended for the Habs.

There were a few good chances at the end of the game, but it was too little, and too late.

Okay, my title saying that the Habs failed is a little harsh. They actually played very well and could have won the game tonight. In particular, they really dominated the first period outshooting Boston 11-4. But, they didn't keep up the heat as the final shot count was 23-21 in favor of Boston.

The Habs really needed better discipline from PK Subban. He spent 4 minutes in the penalty box tonight, including the last two minutes of the game, ruining any chance of a comeback.

Pacioretty, who underwent surgery just over a week ago, was playing in his second since the procedure. In a pregame interview, Paciorety said, "I didn't want Boston to be my first game. It's nice going into tonight with a game under my belt." He played 16 minutes on Sunday against the Senators and 18 minutes tonight. He looks like he has recovered very well and rather quickly. We should consider giving him the nickname Wolverine.

In the pre-game ceremony Galchenyuk was awarded the Molson Cup for January. Good for the young forward and bad for Carey Price who almost always wins it.

Montreal visits the Sabres Thursday at 7 PM (ET) and they host the Leafs Saturday February 9, at 7 PM (ET).

Hockey on a Snowy Evening

2013-02-04T23:52:00.000-08:00

1:02 AM - Montreal - Feb. 3, 2013

Dear Habs fans,

Playing hockey at your local rink on a lightly snowing evening after midnight has to be one of the most enjoyable activities imaginable. It was nice and quiet. There was a light dusting of snow covering the ice. The underlying ice was smooth and the whole rink was mine.

The rink with the grafiti of local artists.

The hockey rink, a wide open space to explore.

Some guy who looks happy to be playing hockey in the park. (That's me!)

All in all, it was a great experience. So, if you ever see an empty rink after midnight, you know what to do. Hockey rinks get lonely too you know!

Best,

Patrick

Habs do it again!

2013-02-03T17:40:00.003-08:00

The Montreal Canadiens win against Ottawa with stylish ease. After a rough start to the game, that is. With a strange call by the referee, Plekanec landed a two minute goalie interference penalty just 30 seconds into the game. It was unfortunate and undeserved as Plekanec barely contacted the goaltender at all, was clearly trying to stop and was clearly shoved by Ottawa's defensemen.

Ottawa took advantage of the powerplay situation. Their special teams has been on fire this year. Silfverberg scored for them less than two minutes into the contest. And, no, I did not make a typo. I double check three times! That's acutally his name! He should drop the 'f' in my opinion. Silverberg seems much more appropriate. My last name isn't any better.

Thirty-five seconds after Ottawa opened the scoring, Montreal responds, and ties up the game. Desharnais, driving hard to the net receives a nice pass from Pacioretty and tips it into the net. That was Desharnais' third of the season. It was also really nice to see Pacioretty involved in the offense in his first game back since having surgery last weekend. Originally, the team's doctors said he would be out for four weeks.

Later in the first period Cole bangs in the rebound to bring the Habs up 2-1, assists going to Bouillon and Subban. Cole looked particularly big netting that goal. i suppose that 6'2" makes him a pretty big guy.

It might be the Habs general lack of size that makes Cole look so big. They are a bunch of small guys; Gallagher is 5'9", Bouillon 5'8", Desharnais 5'7", to name but a few of the short ones. However, they are playing like a tough, physical team. Gallagher and the others are going out and throwing big hits on guy that are way taller and heavier.

I was only able to watch the first period tonight, due to prior engagements, but it doesn't seem like I missed too much. At least I saw all the scoring. However, I heard Price played a fantastic game making 32 saves on 33 shots. He is really tall and uses his size to his advantage to block the whole net.

In a postgame interview Price said, "We knew that we had to play a solid game because Andy's [Ottawa's goalie] been hot." He added that the 2 points they earned tonight were very important for the standings because "everyone's trying to get into the top 8 spots right from the start since it's a shorter season, this year." The Habs are currently tied for second place in the eastern conference, but they are tied with two other teams. Boston Bruins sit as the kings of the Eastern Conference, but only have a one point cushion and the Habs have a chance at jumping ahead of Boston at their next game.

The Habs play Boston on the road Wednesday February 6, 2013 at 7:30 PM. The Boston Bruins are (6-1-1) this season and the Habs are (6-2), both very solid records. The game promises to be an exciting battle for the top spot in the East.

The Habs Young Fowards Destroy the Sabres

2013-02-02T14:20:00.001-08:00

The Habs nearly blew the Buffalo Sabres out of their own rink today, as they went up 5-0 before Buffalo answered with a goal and the game finished 6-1. They could have ran the score even higher, but failed to convert on several breakaways and 3-on-1 rushes. Overall, the Habs looked great, outshooting the Sabres 15-1 in the first period was a good start.

It was a night of youngsters for the Habs with goals from Gallagher, Desharnais, and Eller.

Rene Bourque and Desharnais scored twice each. That was Desharnais' first goal of the season, and the young player looked very relieved. Another young player, Lars Eller also scored his first goal of the season tonight.

Rene Bourque earned the 2nd star for his performance tonight. Both his goals looked rather similar as he knocked in a one-timer while driving hard to the net. He almost scored on a couple other plays by driving hard to the net. Price got a gratuitous third star for a solid, but not so special performance in nets. Alex Galchenyuk got the 1st star for the game. Yet another young player with the Habs, he has points in all seven games with the Habs this year. He got two assists tonight. I was a little surpised Eller didn't get a star after earning 3 points tonight (1 goal, 2 assists).

PK Subban played his first game of the season tonight with the Habs. He got 1 assist and was on the ice for a couple Habs goals, and Buffalo's, finishing at with a plus/minus rating of +1.

The Habs celebrated the game by saluting the crowd, by raising their sticks, as a team. Coach, Michel Therrien, requested that the team showed respect to the crowd after a win, because it's the fans that deserve credit. He found that PK Subban and Carey Price's "Triple-low five" was disrespectful to the other team and was too focused on Subban. He wanted to promote the team spirit.

While, I understand Therrien's position on the "Triple low-five", I was personally a pretty big fan. At least Therrien can't stop amateur hockey players from using the cheer that they've learned to adore.

Coach Therrien in a post-game interview said that, "Eller and Desharnais used their speed tonight. Eller looked like a real hockey player after game, with various cuts on his face, battle scars showing he drove to the net." The other thing he said is that Pacioretty might be playing Sunday.

Montreal is playing in Ottawa tomorrow versus the Senators at 2 PM.

PK Likely to play Saturday

2013-02-01T17:28:00.001-08:00

PK Subban was at the Habs practice today playing alongside Francis Bouillon. This is a good sign that he will be playing Saturday.

Coach Michel Therrien has been unwilling to say when the youngster will get his first shot to play this season. Although during a press conference he admitted that "sooner or later PK will have to play".

Thomas Kaberle who had been paired with Francis Bouillon in recent games was practicing in a pairing with Yannick Weber, who has been a regular scratch for the Canadiens so far this season. He only suited up for one out of six games this season.

Subban has been a fan favorite in Montreal the past couple seasons. However, Michel Therrien is trying to rein in Subban's boasting. He has disapproved of PK and Price's Triple-low five, a fan favorite move where Carey Price and PK Subban would slap each other's hand three times after a victory. Teams and players in minor hockey have started doing the routine, but Therrien doesn't want to see any more of it. It has to be about the team he believes.

Another player likely to return to the lineup shortly is Max Pacioretty. He had a surprise appendectomy last Saturday and it was expected that he would be out for three to four weeks. However, Max is a gladiator and doctors said that it was okay for him to return to play at his own pace. If the pain was too much, he should take it easy doctors said. However, Max was out at practice today and looked great. He was skating well, and seemed to have normal flexibility in his upper body. Getting Pacioretty back in the lineup could be a major boost for the Habs. He scored 33 goals for the team last season.

The Habs play twice this weekend. First they faceoff against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday and then they play Ottawa again Sunday. Both games are at 2 PM.

Stay tuned this weekend for more hockey updates!

Best,

Patrick

The Habs get Buried by the Sens

2013-01-31T23:28:00.001-08:00

Wednesday nights game between Montreal and Ottawa was a little one-sided to say the least. Ottawa destroyed Montreal 5-1.

Noteably, PK Subban, who has signed his contract with Montreal was missing from the lineup. Maybe, the coaches want to give him a little practice time with the team before suiting him up. Hopefully, he will be in the lineup Saturday, against Buffalo. The Habs play the Buffalo Sabres at 2 PM, in Buffalo, before facing off against Ottawa again on Sunday, also at 2 PM.

Hopefully, the Habs show up for the next game against Ottawa. The last game was so bad, I couldn't stand to watch the third period, nor was I able to blog about the game until today, two days later after I was able to recover from the traumatizing experience.

For an interview with PK Subban, check out the Montreal Canadiens website: http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=652979&navid=DL|MTL|home

See you this weekend,

Pat