MONTRÉAL – Le directeur général du Club de hockey Canadien, Marc Bergevin, a annoncé mardi la mise sous contrat du défenseur Magnus Nygren pour une durée de deux ans (2013-2014 et 2014-2015). Tel que le stipule la politique du Club, les termes financiers de l’entente n’ont pas été dévoilés.

En 51 matchs cette saison avec le Färjestad de Karlstad dans l’Elitserien (Suède), Nygren a terminé avec une récolte de 32 points (13 buts, 19 aides). Il a dominé les défenseurs de la ligue pour les buts, et a terminé à égalité au quatrième rang parmi les arrières gardes de l’Elitserien pour les points. Il a purgé 49 minutes de pénalité tout en maintenant un différentiel de +11. Nygren a été choisi meilleur défenseur de l’Eliserien au terme de la saison, remportant le trophée Salming. Il a ajouté quatre points (1 but, 3 aides) en 10 matchs de séries éliminatoires.

Âgé de 22 ans, Nygren a obtenu 65 points (24 buts, 41 aides) en 132 matchs depuis ses débuts professionnels avec le Färjestad, en 2009-2010. Le défenseur de 6’01’’ et 191 lb a de plus amassé 63 minutes de pénalité.

Originaire de Karlstad, en Suède, Nygren a été sélectionné en quatrième ronde par les Canadiens, 113e au total, lors du repêchage de la LNH en 2011. Il a pris part à la deuxième partie du camp de développement des Canadiens, en juillet 2011.

Par ailleurs, le directeur général du Club de hockey Canadien, Marc Bergevin, a aussi annoncé mardi la mise sous contrat de l’attaquant Sebastian Collberg pour une durée de trois ans (2013-2014 à 2015-2016). Tel que le stipule la politique du Club, les termes financiers de l’entente n’ont pas été dévoilés.

En 35 matchs cette saison avec les Indians de Frölunda dans l’Elitserien (Suède), Collberg a terminé avec une récolte de neuf points (6 buts, 3 aides) et six minutes de pénalité. L’ailier droit 5’11’’ et 181 lb a également disputé 15 matchs avec Örebro HK de la HockeyAllsvenkan (Suède), accumulant huit points (6 buts, 2 passes) et deux minutes de punition. Collberg a terminé la saison à Hamilton, prenant part à deux rencontres avec les Bulldogs..

Âgé de 19 ans, Collberg a défendu les couleurs de la Suède lors du Championnat du monde de hockey junior 2013 présenté à Oufa, en Russie, aidant son équipe à décrocher la médaille d’argent. Il a complété la compétition avec six points (4 buts, 2 aides) en six matchs, terminant à égalité au premier rang de son équipe pour les buts et les points.

Originaire de Mariestad, en Suède, Collberg a été sélectionné en deuxième ronde par les Canadiens, 33e au total, lors du repêchage de la LNH en 2012. Il a pris part à la deuxième partie du camp de développement des Canadiens, en juin 2012.

Montreal Canadiens’ Press Release

MONTREAL – Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Tuesday the signing of defenseman Magnus Nygren to a two-year contract (2013-14 and 2014-15). As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

In 51 games with the Karlstad Färjestad in the Elitserien (Sweden) this season, Nygren raked up 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists). He led the league defensemen in goals, and was tied for fourth among all Elitserien rearguards in points. He served 49 penalty minutes and displayed a +11 plus/minus differential. Nygren was named Elitserien best defenseman at the end of the season earning the Salming Trophy. He added four points (1 goal, 3 assists) in 10 playoff contests.

Nygren, 22, notched 65 points (24 goals, 41 assists) in 132 games since making his professional debut with Färjestad back in 2009-10. The 6’01’’ and 191 lbs rearguard served 63 penalty minutes.

A native of Karlstad, Sweden, Nygren was selected in the fourth round, 113th overall by the Canadiens at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He took part in the second half of the Canadiens’ Development Camp in July 2011.

****

Canadiens sign forward Sebastian Collberg to a three-year contract

Montreal Canadiens’ Press Release

MONTREAL– Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin announced Tuesday the signing of forward Sebastian Collberg to a three-year contract (2013-14 to 2015-16). As per club policy, financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

In 35 games with the Frölunda Indians in the Elitserien (Sweden) this season, Collberg totaled nine points (6 goals, 3 assists) and six penalty minutes. The 5’11’’ and 181 lbs right winger also appeared in 15 games with Örebro HK in the HockeyAllsvenskan (Sweden), notching eight points (6 goals, 2 helpers) and two penalty minutes. Collberg completed his season in Hamilton taking part in two games with the Bulldogs.

Collberg, 19, suited up for Team Sweden at the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship presented in Ufa, Russia, guiding the Swedish squad to the silver medal. He completed the tournament with six points (4 goals, 2 assists) in six games, ranking tied for first on the team in goals and points.

A native of Mariestad, Sweden, Collberg was selected in the second round, 33rd overall by the Canadiens at the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He took part in the second half of the Canadiens’ Development Camp in June 2012.

MONTREAL, QC — I know a lot of things. Really, I do. But I don’t know everything. This week, I turned to a few of my colleagues to help answer your questions.

Do you have a question or a topic you would like us to discuss? Okay, here’s what you can do.

Let us know:

1. who you are
2. where you’re from
3. if you wish, send us a photo of you in your favourite Habs gear
4. and of course, your question

You can contact us via Twitter, our Facebook page or email at info@allhabs.net

We’ll feature you, and your question, in the All Habs Mailbag!

Here’s what you wanted to know this week:

Who was the best Bulldogs player this season, and who has a shot at making the Habs roster next year?

Martin, Brossard

Hi Martin! To answer your question, I turn to my colleague Dan, our resident expert on everything Bulldogs:

“It was a disappointing season for the Bulldogs, finishing last overall in the American Hockey League, but that doesn’t mean the team was without some noteworthy performances. Nathan Beaulieu got off to a slow start to the year, adjusting to the pro level and also coming from a team which dominated its league to one that struggled mightily to win games. By roughly mid-season, he was the team’s most dynamic player, forming the top defensive pairing with Greg Pateryn. He is the prospect who showed the greatest development over the course of the year.

However, Jarred Tinordi may be the prospect with the best chances to start next season in Montreal, simply because his value proposition is more in line with that the Canadiens need. With Raphael Diaz, Andrei Markov, and P.K. Subban in the line-up, Beaulieu’s offensive skills are somewhat superfluous, though he should be ready to fill in for the diminishing Markov after next season. Tinordi, on the other hand, brings size and toughness, and will only continue to get better as he becomes more comfortable with his positioning on the ice and grows into his 6’6″ frame. Among forwards, three standouts project to playing different roles in the NHL.

The first is Gabriel Dumont, an AHL veteran who was likely the Bulldogs’ most consistent forward all season. He project to play a fourth line role in the NHL, and could start the year with the Habs depending on what moves are made this summer. Next is Michael Bournival, who played a role for Hamilton not unlike Tomas Plekanec in Montreal. He is unlikely to bring Plekanec’s level of offense to the big leagues, but his two-way game is well-suited for a third line role with the Canadiens, and he’ll be available as an injury call-up at some point during the season.

Lastly, Patrick Holland is the most exciting offensive prospect with the Bulldogs. He is undersized, but is a creative playmaker whose confidence increased over the course of his AHL rookie season. The demands of a top six forward means the organization is likely to be patient with him, but he is the most likely of anyone who played the full year in Hamilton to eventually assume a scoring role in Montreal.”

Hi! Should Habs trade Tomas Plekanec?

Maryse, Montreal

Hi Maryse! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

No.

Now that the season is officially over, the Habs have their sights on the what looks to be a vintage draft. Who are potential targets?
Daniel

Hi Daniel! On this topic, I turned to colleagues Kathy and Simon for their guidance. Although Kathy has a thing for centermen, a winger might be more in line with the Canadiens needs in this upcoming draft. Simon likes Adam Erne (Quebec Remparts QMJHL), a 6 foot 200 pound natural scorer with surprising mobility given his stature. Anthony Mantha (Val D’Or Foreurs QMJHL) is another option at 6’3″, 180 lbs. He’s described as a sniper, who can be inconsistent at times and not all that reliable defensively, but he is a francophone and that might give him an edge with this new administration. Kathy also points out that he can be undisciplined and got himself suspended in the playoffs, which didn’t help his team at all and they eventually got swept.

Kerby Rychel (Windsor Spitfires OHL) is another potential draft pick for the Habs. Son of former NHLer Warren Rychel, he stands at 6’1″, 200 pounds. He’s a scorer with a physical game and the type of player you hate, unless he’s on your team. Kathy also points to a winger who might be available in the second round, Nick Sorensen, a 6’1″ point-per-game winger for the Quebec Remparts. He did spend a chunk of the season out of the lineup, and he did play for the early-exit Remparts, which is worth noting, but he is Eller’s countryman so you never know.

For even later rounds, Marc-Olivier Roy is an exciting young center for the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL), except he’s a center. That might be a little bit problematic. Ditto with Jeremy Gregoire, who was a guy everyone wanted during the trade period this year.If the habs want a goalie, there is one Kathy knows who might be available (although she does admit to being a little biased on the matter), Louis-Philip Guindon (Drummondville Voltigeurs QMJHL). He did rise to stardom this year and manage to completely erase fellow volts’ goalie Domenic Graham’s name from CSS’ rankings which is no small feat. He might not get drafted at all, but she has hope.

Habs should pick around 22nd or 23rd in the first round. Here are the CSS rankings for North American skaters, position 15 to 30.

15  Horvat, Bo Center London OHL
16  Hartman, Ryan Right Wing Plymouth OHL
17  Rychel, Kerby Left Wing Windsor OHL
18  Carrier, William Left Wing Cape Breton QMJHL
19  Domi, Max Center London OHL
20  Lazar, Curtis Right Wing/Center Edmonton WHL
21  Lodge, Jimmy Center Saginaw OHL
22  Zadorov, Nikita Defenseman London OHL
23  Morin, Samuel Defenseman Rimouski QMJHL
24  McCoshen, Ian Defenseman Waterloo USHL
25  Klimchuk, Morgan Left Wing Regina WHL
26  Erne, Adam Left Wing Quebec QMJHL
27  Morrissey, Joshua Defenseman Prince Albert WHL
28  Dauphin, Laurent Center Chicoutimi QMJHL
29  Hayden, John Center USA U-18 USHL
30  Dickinson, Jason Center Guelph OHL

And the CSS rankings for European skaters:

15  Westlund, Wilhelm Defenseman Farjestad Jr. SWE-JR.
16  Wallmark, Lucas Right Wing Skelleftea Jr. SWE-JR.
17  Mironov, Andrei Defenseman Mvd Balashikha 2 RUSSIA-JR.
18  Dahlstrom, Carl Defenseman Djurgarden U18 SWEDEN-JR. U18
19  Arvidsson, Viktor Left Wing Skelleftea Jr. SWE-JR.
20  Slepyshev, Anton Left Wing Novokuznetsk RUSSIA
21  Rafikov, Rushan Defenseman Yaroslavl 2 RUSSIA-JR.
22  Djuse, Emil Defenseman Sodertalje SWEDEN-2
23  Ikonen, Juuso Left Wing Blues Jr. FINLAND-JR.
24  Henriksson, Alexander Right Wing Farjestad Jr. SWE-JR.
25  Cederholm, Anton Defenseman Rogle Jr. SWE-JR.
26  Hansson, Niklas Defenseman Rogle Jr. SWE-JR.
27  Hogger, Fabio Center Kloten Jr. SWISS-JR.
28 Cehlarik, Peter Left Wing Lulea Jr. SWE-JR.
29  Ohman, Victor Right Wing Modo Jr. SWE-JR.
30  Stetsenko, Sergei Defenseman CSKA 2 RUSSIA-JR.

I hope this helps! Make sure you visit our website in the upcoming weeks for our complete draft coverage.

Hello. Every player can lose their confidence for stretches of time during the season and lose their game. Can a goalie “lose his game” too?

Jonathan, Quebec City

Hi Jonathan. I contacted my colleague, and ex-goalie, Stevo on this, but he got distracted playing with a puppy. He has the attention span of a kitten (Stevo, not the puppy). I’m not exactly sure what you mean by “lose his game.” Every athlete struggles at times during their career. Sometimes things just don’t go their way, their confidence is shaken and they start questioning themselves. It’s been said again and again, as much as these athletes are well oiled machines, a big part of their game is indeed, mental.

A hockey player doesn’t forget how to skate, or how to score, just as a goalie doesn’t forget how to stop pucks. I believe that in some cases, if they feel they are in a slump, they can have doubts and start changing little things in their technique, for better or worst. Eventually, they all get back to what made them successful, and comfortable out there.

They’ll all tell you that when this occurs, they just have to continue working hard, pay attention to detail and get back on their game. I’m not a high profile athlete (I would kick your arse at badminton though), and I don’t fully comprehend the mental battle that sometimes comes with the physical one, but if the athlete is dedicated and supported, he or she will always bounce back.

MONTREAL, QC—At the 2013 MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament in Saskatoon, the long weekend came to its conclusion and all four participating teams came out of it with an identical record, each recording one win and one loss.

The two teams both looking to erase the memory of their respective recent losses go head-to-head tonight: the Halifax Mooseheads take on the London Knights at 8:00 p.m. EST.

The Knights took the tournament’s opening game by the score of 3-2, at the expense of their hosts, the Saskatoon Blades. Brett Welychka, Seth Griffith and Nikita Zadorov got on the board for the OHL champions. 

The following night, Nathan MacKinnon recorded a hat trick on the way to a 7-4 win over the Portland Winterhawks.  Halifax was down 3-1 in the early moments of the second frame, only to power through and outlast their opponents. However, the following night, Saskatoon bounced back from their earlier letdown and handed the Mooseheads their first loss of the postseason. For this, they recruited the help of Canadiens’ prospect Darren Dietz, who scored his first goal of the tournament.  Matej Stransky scored twice, and the 2-0 score held for most of the game. Another important key was that Blades’ goaltender Andrey Makarov was able to shut down the extremely potent Halifax offense, limiting the Drouins, Frks, MacKinnons & Co. to two goals on 31 shots.

London will be playing their second game in as many nights as last night, they were unable to successfully complete their comeback against Portland and fell 6-3. Far from alien to the “down, but not out” motto this season, they found themselves down by three goals at the mid-mark of the game and took a little over two minutes narrowing the gap to one goal from there. When Alex Broadhurst tied the game at 3, the momentum switched gears—to the Knights’ opponents. Not long after, Portland put their power play to work, as Derrick Pouliot found the back of the net on the man advantage, and twenty seconds after that, the Winterhawks had a two-goal lead all over again. Ty Rattie added an empty-netter, and that was all she wrote.

Both London and Halifax are looking to avoid the dreaded tie-breaker game and opt for the semi-finals instead with a win tonight. Meanwhile, the Blades take on the Winterhawks on Wednesday night. The team with the best record earns an automatic berth to the finals on Sunday while the remaining teams either get automatically eliminated or duke it out on Thursday for the tiebreaker, then Friday in the semis.

IIHF Official Release – by Andrew Podnieks

Tre Kronor ends home-ice curse

Incredible Swiss fall, 5-1, settle for historic silver after nine wins

STOCKHOLM – Switzerland scored first, but hosts Sweden dominated the last 55 minutes to become the first home team to win gold since 1986. It is the nation’s ninth World Championship gold medal.

For the Swiss, it was their first loss of the tournament after nine straight wins and only their second silver medal ever after finishing runner-up in 1935, their highest finish at any IIHF international hockey event.

“We’re disappointed about the game,” said Switzerland coach Sean Simpson. “We lost it, and we won nine games before. Not many people believed before the tournament that we would play in a World Championship final. I’m very proud of the work our team has done and about the silver medal. Switzerland has to be proud of this team. This team is a role model with its willingness, character and energy. What we did for Swiss hockey is a sensation. To be so close to the world title is super. We’ll try it again.”

“We were able to match their intensity at the start,” said Swiss defenceman Philippe Furrer. “We had a lot of chances but couldn’t score, and they did.”

Henrik Sedin led the offence with two goals and an assist. Goalie Jhonas Enroth was excellent, stopping 26 of 27 shots. He was named IIHF Directorate Award winner as Best Goalie.

“It was a tight game,” Henrik Sedin said. “It could have gone either way, I felt. It was lucky we got our first two goals pretty quickly after their first one. After we scored our third, it felt pretty calm on the bench.”

“We had a really good start,” said goalie Martin Gerber. “We were confident, but then out of the blue they tied it up and then we had some penalties. We got lost for a while and had a hard time getting back on track.”

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. You can’t put it into words,” said Henrik Tallinder. “As soon as we got our legs and got that first goal, I thought we controlled the game pretty well.”

“To win the last game of the season and World Championship gold is amazing,” said Joel Lundqvist. “Switzerland was awesome the whole tournament. We didn’t start the way we wanted, but when we got the Sedins, they played great.”

The Swiss came out with determination and an effective forecheck and had the puck in Sweden’s end for most of the first five minutes, until they scored. It was the ninth time in ten games that they got the early lead.

Indeed, Switzerland had trailed for only 14:25 of play (5:39 vs Canada, 8:46 vs Slovenia) the entire tournament.

Roman Josi got things started at 4:45 when he eluded a lax check from Loui Eriksson at the blue line and cut in on goal, backhanding the puck along the ice past Enroth for the early 1-0 lead.

Sweden tied the game at 8:42 on the team’s first shot on goal. Erik Gustafsson found a rebound in front of a crowded crease and snapped a shot past Martin Gerber, who had lost sight of the puck. The game was on.

“I wasn’t sure where to go exactly,” said Gustafsson, “but the goal felt a little bit like a turning point. They caught us on our heels in the first ten minutes, but after we scored we were in the driver’s seat.”

The Swedes then went ahead at 11:38 on the power play, the most potent part of their game. Henrik Sedin batted the puck out of midair in the crease to give the home side a 2-1 lead.

The second period started out strategically as the Swedes went into their tight-checking system while the Swiss refused to be baited into gambling to create scoring chances.

But a power play for Switzerland midway through the period, its first of the game, resulted in renewed energy. Enroth made a great save off a one-timer in the slot by Ryan Gardner, but the Swiss kept pressing for the tying goal to no avail.

The Swiss had another excellent opportunity to tie the game early in the third courtesy of a Johan Fransson penalty, but their shooting was off and Enroth unflappable under pressure.

Soon enough, the Swedes broke the game open. Simon Hjalmarsson scored off a giveaway by Julien Vauclair at his blue line. Gabriel Landeskog took the puck to the net and Hjalmarsson jammed it in before Mathias Seger could check him.

Eriksson put the game away when a point shot went in off his skate. Video review decided there was no distinct kicking motion, so the goal stood.

Coach Sean Simpson pulled Gerber with three and a half minutes remaining, and a Sweden penalty gave the Swiss a two-man advantage. Henrik Sedin, however, scored into the empty net to seal the victory.

“To be honest,” said Landeskog, ”I don’t think I even know right now what we’ve accomplished. We’re standing here talking about it, but we don’t know what we’re going through right now. Maybe in a few years down the road, or after our careers, we’ll be able to sit back and think about this. I didn’t think I’d be standing here at 20 years old with this gold medal around my neck.”

* * * * * * * * *

IIHF Official Release – by John Sanful

Shootout win earns USA bronze

STOCKHOLM – Somewhere Andy Roach is smiling. Team USA earned its first bronze medal since 2004 with a 3-2 shootout win over Finland at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. John Gibson once again played well beyond his years in the medal winning game.

The USA last won bronze at the 2004 World Championship against Slovakia. In that game, the Americans won on a shootout. It is the 17th World Championship medal for the United States in its participating history in this tournament. It is their sixth bronze.

“It feels great. This is my fourth time playing for Team USA, and I hadn’t gotten a medal [until now],” said T.J. Oshie. “Obviously we wanted it to be gold, but that’s not going to take any excitement away from winning this.”

First period goals by Craig Smith, Paul Stastny and a game winning shootout goal by Alex Galchenyuk ensured the Americans would not leave Stockholm empty-handed.

The game started very different for the Americans today than last night’s semi-final match-up. They came out strong and took the play to Finland. Finnish goalie Antti Raanta was tested very early as the Americans used their opportunities to draw first blood.

Craig Smith scored when David Moss jumped to knock the puck down to the ice and Stastny picked up the loose puck and passed it to Smith for a backhand goal 58 seconds into the game. For Smith, it was his fourth goal of the tournament, all scored against the Finns.

“It’s tough. They wanted it, we wanted it,” said Ossi Väänänen. “We had a bad start, and there’s no excuse for that. We tried to be ready. It’s a challenge, though, for a game like this. But the USA was ready for the first period.”

The Americans playing with a sense of urgency made it hard for the Finns to unleash Petri Kontiola, Juhamatti Aaltonen and Janne Pesonen. The trio had combined for 14 goals and 34 points in the tournament coming into this game.

Stastny widened the lead at 15:58 with a one-timer in the slot off a little shovel pass from Smith. For Stastny it was his team leading seventh of the World Championship, this one coming on the power play. Jacob Trouba picked up an assist.

The Finns picked up the pace in the second period getting some quality chances on net. At 8:07 a point shot from Janne Jalasvaara was saved with Jarno Koskiranta on the doorstep. At 6:50 they continued to focus the action in the USA zone, around the net. With about two minutes remaining in the period, Kontiola send a shot through traffic that Gibson stopped.

Finland would work its way back when Lauri Korpikoski scored. The puck was heading out of the American zone when Väänänen met it at the blueline and sent a shot/pass that Korpikoski redirected to a wide open net. The goal came at 8:56. Kontiola picked up the secondary assist.

This awoke the Finnish fans in attendance as momentum shifted decidedly to Finland. Then at 9:38 Aaltonen finally got his best chance on the day. He broke through the defence and bore in on Gibson who somehow saved the puck and squeezed it between his pads.

Despite back-to-back games in less than 24 hours, the Americans looked fresh with a skated with an extra stride in their step to start but as the game wore on, especially the third period, they looked tired and the Finns elevated their attack.

Finland came all the way back when Mikael Granlund made a nifty deke move through an American defender to put the puck in front where Korpikoski scored his second of the period and the game.

Finland sustained the action in their opponents’ zone and forced overtime.

Teams traded chances through the overtime with the USA’s best chances coming early and Finland’s coming later. The 21-year-old Granlund was active throughout the third period and overtime making things happen and creating chances. A turnover by Team USA led to an opportunity just before the buzzer sounded for Kontiola.

“I think we took the game over in the second and third,” said Väänänen. “We played much better and scored two goals to even it up. After OT was scoreless, then we had the shootout. It’s like flipping a coin at that point.”

In the shootout, Janne Pesonen scored for Finland, which was matched on the last American shot by Galchenyuk. A big save by Gibson on Korpikoski brought it sudden death. A miss by Granlund set the stage for Galchenyuk who potted his second, this one securing the bronze for Team USA.

Despite being one game from the final, the tournament should still be considered a positive one for Team USA. They exceeded expectations with the run they’ve had; trounced a major rival and saw enough individual efforts from players including Smith, Stastny and Gibson to build on for the future. Matt Carle summed it up best:

“We’re a young team and we have a few guys who don’t have any pro experience coming into this. We got better as the tournament went along and got into a good position in our group. This is a good consolation.”

MONTRÉAL, QC — L’eau a coulé sous les ponts, les feuilles ont continué à bourgeonner, certaines se sont même faites avaler toutes crues par des nounours affamés que l’on croyait déjà expédiés directement sur le terrain de golf ontarien le plus proche. Les bébés ont continué à naître, les vieillards à mourir, bref la Terre a continué de suivre son axe de rotation bien trop naturellement…

Et nous – partisans du Bleu Blanc Rouge – avons dû faire face à une profonde solitude, une triste évidence… L’été va sembler bien long sans notre bien-aimée équipe chérie. Bien sûr, malgré une défaite à laquelle nous, fans peut-être un peu trop optimistes, nous ne nous attendions pas, nous sommes devenus soudainement plus confiants. Et avec raison. De la 15e place l’an passé à la 2e cette année, ce n’est pas juste la fierté qui nous habite aujourd’hui. Nous pouvons indiscutablement discerner clairement un avenir plus rose dans l’amphithéâtre du Centre Bell. Il faut rester réaliste, garder les pieds sur terre. Mais avec un Marc Bergevin, un Michel Therrien, un Alex Galchenyuk, un Brendan Gallagher et j’en passe au sein de notre équipe, nous nous devons d’être confiants en tant que fans! Nous nous devons d’être derrière notre équipe qui comprend maintenant des éléments qui constitueront dans un lendemain plus ou moins rapproché des éléments clés dans la Victoire.

Quoiqu’il en soit et à défaut de pouvoir encore vous parler des performances playoffesques de nos Canadiens, Hockey girl, je suis, Hockey girl je resterai, avec ou sans gilet des Habs sur le dos. Pouvoir encore admirer sous un soleil printanier montréalais des mâles tireurs de pucks – même s’ils ne sont plus de la bonne couleur met un certain baume sur le cœur de nous tous, partisans du CH qui sommes quelque peu restés sur notre faim.

Pour sustenter notre obsession, nous continuerons donc à jeter ici et là un regard soutenu sur l’impressionnant Sid the Kid! Nous prolongerons le plaisir en portant notre attention sur l’éblouissant Jonathan Quick ou autre Craig Anderson. Nous ne pourrons que nous extasier devant l’efficace Patrick Sharp. En tant qu’obsessif-ve du hockey, c’est plus fort que nous, nous ne pourrons pas vraiment nous en défaire… tant que la Coupe Stanley ne sera pas soulevée par un quelconque capitaine tout sourire, qui ne sera tristement et incontestablement pas cette année Brian Gionta, nous ne pourrons assurément pas faire notre deuil! Pour la simple raison, que chaque arrêt de Tuukka Rask, chaque mise en échec de Chris Neil, chaque lancer-frapper de Dan Boyle nous rappellera à tour de rôle que l’on s’ennuie irrémédiablement encore plus de Carey,  Brandon et PK. Le camp d’entraînement nous paraît soudainement encore bien loin avant de pouvoir ressentir notre cœur tatoué du logo CH rebondir frénétiquement dans notre poitrine.

Quoi qu’il en soit, la fièvre du hockey, on l’a dans le sang ou on ne l’a pas! On a bien beau ne plus pouvoir s’électriser pour nos favoris, les jeux magiques de Malkin, Bergeron ou Couture ne peuvent pas nous laisser totalement indifférents. Les batailles féroces de gardiens survoltés par l’enjeu non plus. Tout cela est bien trop beau! Une vraie magie, un spectacle exaltant pour les yeux!

Je vous avoue que j’ai ressenti un léger pincement au cœur hier lorsque Colin Greening a marqué son but victorieux, propulsant les Sens dans un 4e match où ils se voyaient déjà faire face à l’élimination. Délicatement rancunière, j’aurais aimé que les Penguins explosent cruellement et sadiquement cette équipe rouge et noir qui a détruite les espoirs de tout un peuple tricolore! Mais comme je ne suis pas foncièrement méchante et que je veux gagner mon pool, une défaite en 5 m’irait très bien et pourrait tout simplement ajouter une certaine saveur à un ciel sans nuage.

Puisque les méchants Sens ont éliminé mes gentils Habs, je ne demanderai donc rien de moins au petit Jésus du hockey qu’une finale Pittsburgh-Chicago qui, selon moi, représente incontestablement les deux meilleures équipes LNH du moment. La route est encore très longue et tortueuse avant que cela ne se produise, cependant.

Toews contre Howard, ensuite contre Quick – Crosby contre Anderson, ensuite contre Rask. Voir Chicago manger des Ailes avant de découronner des Rois; Admirer Pittsburgh défaire un Parlement avant de déchiqueter des Nounours! J’anticipe peut-être quelque peu… Mais l’image est belle et réaliste, même si encore trop hypothétique pour la dépeindre entièrement!

Si les dieux de la LNH respectent mon souhait, dans le courant du mois de juin, nous pourrons contempler Jonathan et Sidney croiser le fer! Quand un Indien rencontre un Pingouin, ça promet des flammèches délicieuses! Si par malheur, ça devait être des Chemises Bleues qui affrontent des Requins, ça peut faire la même job. La bataille ne devrait pas en être moins âpre!

Qu’importe, que le Spectacle continue, on en redemande jusqu’à la fin!

MONTREAL, QC – Though the wounds of a playoff loss to the Ottawa Senators are still relatively fresh, anyone with an objective point of view can say that 2013 was a good year for the Montreal Canadiens. A team that had finished 15th in the Eastern Conference the prior season played above all expectations, winning the regular season Northeast Division crown before sputtering out in the first round of the post-season.

It was supposed to be a development season, a year for some of the organization’s young players to gain experience, while veterans tried to re-gain their timing from off-years or injury problems, playing themselves into or out of the organization’s future plans. Yet from the first day of training camp, one got the feeling that this wouldn’t be sufficient for the new management and coaching staffs at the team’s helm. “No excuses,” they said. No keeping at an arm’s length from the players, referring to each as Mr. so-and-so, while nary being spotted outside of games and practices.

Bergevin and Therrien have reason to look satisfied with their first year together; but there remains work to be done (PHOTO: PIERRE-PAUL POULIN/QMI Agency)

No, this group was going to ensure the Montreal Canadiens were playing – and living – like professional athletes, so that they would be ready to perform at the height of their potential on any given day. And if they weren’t? This staff quickly showed it didn’t have patience to sit through a repeat of 2011-12, jettisoning bodies (and contracts) it deemed dead weight.

That’s exactly how it worked for most of the season. Fans and members of the media alike aren’t wrong to point to this revamped a culture as a major catalyst in the team’s remarkable turnaround. It is almost certainly what earned Marc Bergevin a nod as a nominee for General Manager of the Year. However, even when the team was winning, and receiving significant contributions from pillars of the future in Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk, there were some troubling inconsistencies. Certainly the men in hockey operations did their best to uphold their mantra, but anyone perceiving them as flawless is looking through unrealistic rose-coloured glasses. Thus, while most are busy singing their praises – and I’m not saying they’re wrong to do so – below is a more critical look at GM Bergevin’s rookie season and Michel Therrien‘s return to the Habs’ bench.

MARC BERGEVIN – BRINGING CLASSY BACK

I don’t known that Marc Bergevin and Pierre Gauthier have anything in common outside of the line in their biography that says they General Manager’ed the Montreal Canadiens. Right from the start, it was evident that Bergevin was ushering in a new era of work ethic and accountability, important elements missing from 2011-12′s 15th-place-in-the-East team. A coach like Michel Therrien (more on him below) and a player like Brandon Prust were key additions to embody this changing of styles, and with a few other minor tweaks, we were off to the races.

The concept of no one player being bigger than the team was put to the test with the holdout of P.K. Subban, but Bergevin wouldn’t flinch. Subban’s side eventually gave in to a two-year deal which was of tremendous value to the Canadiens. Then when Erik Cole - arguably the team’s best player in 2011-12 – was slow out of the gates and showed few signs of waking up, his contract was shipped out in return for the more productive Michael Ryder.

In keeping with his mantra of building through the draft, Bergevin also gave chances to younger players, ensuring there were roster spots for Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher out of training camp, and then providing auditions to Greg Pateryn, Jarred Tinordi, and Nathan Beaulieu when injuries created vacancies on the blueline.

Without sacrificing a draft pick, Bergevin sought to address the team’s weaknesses this season when he plucked veteran Jeff Halpern off waivers. It may be tough to expect Halpern to play every game at this stage of his career, but when in the line-up, his work on face-offs and the penalty kill were of dire importance to the squad.

However, contrary to popular belief, not everything Bergevin touched turned to gold. Keeping Subban’s salary low for these two seasons when the club isn’t looking to be a top contender won’t be as big a benefit as would have been getting him locked up at a reasonable amount for a longer term. Now the GM will have to pony up even bigger bucks to keep the Norris candidate a part of this team’s future. If he sees him fitting that puzzle, that is. Which he undoubtedly should.

Cole-for-Ryder worked in the shortest-term, and will likely pay off in the long-term given the years and amounts left on Cole’s contract. But still, it isn’t inconceivable that Erik Cole would have been a bigger help to getting the Canadiens past the Ottawa Senators in the first round of this year’s playoffs than the near-invisible and always streaky Ryder. Particularly when you factor in the play of David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty, both of whom credited their linemate Cole as playing a big part in their prior success. Would there have been a more useful addition than Ryder and a third round pick that Montreal could have obtained for Cole? Was the timing right – would he have been just as movable this summer as he was mid-season given his poor numbers? It’s easy to say that Bergevin won this trade by dumping Cole’s deal, but that doesn’t mean it was the optimal move.

I don’t think much explanation is required to say the Davis Drewiske acquisition was a failure. Sure, the price was cheap (a 5th round pick), but it may have behooved Bergevin to pony up a slightly greater asset to bring in a player who would have been a bigger help. For a 4th round pick, Toronto added Ryan O’Byrne who played a more significant role with the team, and for just a conditional 7th, Boston obtained Wade Redden. That’s without getting into the multiple picks the GM could have parted with to add a Douglas Murray or Robyn Regehr, moves that likely weren’t fits for a surprising team unlikely to challenge for a Stanley Cup. The assessment of Drewiske by pro scouting was an error, as though he had size, his defensive lapses and lack of top end physical game didn’t address the team’s true needs on the back end. Nor did he have the experience to provide net benefits over playing one of the team’s prospect d-men.

No General Manager bats 1.000, and for the most part, these are all minor/debatable misjudgments. The bigger concern, to me, was Bergevin’s re-signing choices/practices. Pundits were right to question Bob Gainey‘s policy of not negotiating contracts mid-season, but perhaps all were too quick to applaud Bergevin for taking the opposite approach. Signing a player during the season makes a lot of sense when it comes to the guys you identify as the club’s core moving forward; players your team would struggle to replace should they move elsewhere at year’s end. Unfortunately, this doesn’t – or shouldn’t – apply to any of the deals ink’ed during the 2013 campaign.

There is no doubting David Desharnais is a skilled forward, but for a team that’s been saying for years that it needs to get bigger, he shouldn’t be considered a long-term fit. His contract extension was a mistake from the day it was signed, made further evident as his play worsened down the stretch. Having a Desharnais in the line-up handicaps the rest of your roster, as you’re forced to pair him with big, tough scoring wings, and ideally ones just as responsible in their own end as they are in the offensive zone to make up for the center’s defensive shortcomings. The problem is that these ideal linemates are generally top line players, which means Desharnais has to follow along to a top line. Center depth isn’t a bad thing, but this forces a team into awkward combinations, particularly given Tomas Plekanec, Lars Eller, and Alex Galchenyuk may ALL be better options at the position as early as next season. Sure, moving the 5’6″ pivot to wing is a possibility, but why not wait to see how he handles that challenge before committing to him for four years? The term combined with the not insignificant dollar amount likely make him impossible to trade if it doesn’t work out. Debatably, this makes him a more sensible compliance buyout target than even Tomas Kaberle given the lone season left on his contract. Desharnais is a depth scorer at this point; a nice-to-have complimentary type, but not the guy you want your team depending on for significant minutes in a leading role. He’s the kind of guy who steps in temporarily to produce a bit, but then gets replaced/upgraded as your team improves. Let’s hope it doesn’t take four more years for this team to improve.

You can’t hate Francis Bouillon. He seems to be a good team veteran, and certainly his effort level is there night after night. But he represents yet another diminutive player on a defense not overflowing with big bodies, as tough as he tries to play. Moreover, contrary to what many claim, he isn’t that perfect partner for the youth who come up from Hamilton, a role he was pressed into this season. Sure his veteran presence and leadership are welcome, but he isn’t the Roman Hamrlik of a few years back, a defensive stalwart in his own zone able to cover for rookie mistakes of a young partner. In fact, the rookies themselves had to cover for Bouillon virtually as often as Franky would help them out on the ice. He is a favourite of Therrien’s, and at least partly as such, was overplayed for a majority of the season beyond what his true role should be, limited to No. 6 ice time with occasional visits to the press box when everyone is healthy. As it stands, with his confirmed return and the likely graduation of one of the D prospects to full-time duty in the Fall, there is no roster spot available to bring in outside help for a defensive group that struggled mightily down the stretch. It’s not that Bouillon returning is necessarily a mistake, or that his one year extension is a big problem, but would there really have been so many teams banging down his door when the UFA market opens July 5th that the team couldn’t wait to explore other upgrade options first?

Peter Budaj had a solid season. Statistically, his save percentage declined from a year ago to this year, but that’s due in part to a slow start from which he recovered nicely. He seems to be a good teammate, and content with his role in backing up Carey Price. Given a lack of quality options on the goaltender market this summer, most are happy to see him returning. But it comes down to once again odd timing of an extension for a player who will play likely no more than 20 games next year. The two-year term has to also have prospect Dustin Tokarski questioning his future in the organization. Tokarski is another one handled weirdly by the coaching and management staff, as he showed real promise when first acquired, but was never made a true starter in Hamilton and then was left apart from the team in the playoffs, with the staff opting to sit Robert Mayer on the bench and in the dressing room instead when Carey Price was injured. Budaj is likely the best available fit as Price’s back-up, and thus this isn’t a bad signing, but it just further builds the strange case of extending non-core players at unnecessary times.

The problem with these signings, particularly those of Desharnais and Bouillon, is that they were done when the team was winning. Anyone can look good when your team is on the kind of run Montreal was for the first three-quarters of the season. You see another side of players when your team is struggling, and rather than helping stabilize the situation, Desharnais and Bouillon are players who slid into the hole along with their teammates. If there is one learning Bergevin can take away from this season as a corrective measure for future moves, hopefully it’s that.

In sum, yes Bergevin played a big part in Montreal’s turnaround from fifteenth in the East to second, but so did, for example, the health of key players on the roster. It is really premature for him to have gotten such high recognition as a nomination for General Manager of the Year, as he still has room to grow into his role, but he was wise in holding on to his stockpile of picks for the coming entry draft, and there is reason to be hopeful that he will guide this team towards contendership in the coming seasons.

MICHEL THERRIEN – A LITTLE NEW, A LITTLE OLD

Not everyone was thrilled to see Michel Therrien returning to the team with whom he broke into the NHL as a head coach. While he improved in his tenure with the Pittsburgh Penguins, multiple coaching errors can be pinpointed back to him throughout his career that it was unclear whether or not he had used as a learning opportunity. Certainly he propagated Bergevin’s winds of change within the locker room, and thus if this is the GM’s biggest contribution to the team’s improvements, credit should also go to Therrien. But the work of he and his staff this year can also be questioned on a number of fronts.

It’s no secret that Therrien has favourites. The additions of Bouillon and Colby Armstrong as players Therrien is very familiar with were no coincidences. However, he seemed to rely on an old crutch in overplaying them through much of the season, showing bias in forcing those he knew less to earn that same degree of trust. While Bouillon and Armstrong may bring intangibles to the locker room – not an entirely ignorable factor – it isn’t a reason for them to be in the line-up nightly when better options may be available, or for them to receive greater minutes than others outperforming them.

Speaking of players deserving of larger roles, Therrien was right to limit/shelter the minutes of green rookies Alex Galchenyuk and Brendan Gallagher early in the season. But towards the end of the year, when it was evident the two were among the team’s best forwards every game, the coach was highly reluctant to let them off their leashes. While the likes of David Desharnais, Brian Gionta, Michael Ryder, and Max Pacioretty struggled at times during the team’s slump, the coach continued to lean on them rather than giving the energetic youth a bigger opportunity to revitalize a squad lacking in drive and emotion. Would it have been too much pressure to put on two first year pros? Perhaps, but there is nothing in the game or attitude of either player to indicate they wouldn’t have been able to handle it, and perhaps it would have allowed some of the vets to refocus their games.

If we are to believe Therrien in his claims of giving a lot of freedom and responsibility to the rest of his staff, it’s only fair to also be critical of J.J. Daigneault. Daigneault’s experience prior to joining the Montreal staff was limited to Assistant Coaching at the AHL level, leaving him the least qualified (based on past credentials) of the new NHL hires. A solid NHL D-man in his own day, he was put in charge of managing the defense and the penalty kill, and didn’t thrive in either role. In addition to Bouillon, Andrei Markov played far too many minutes right from the start of the season, a trend many hoped would end once P.K. Subban‘s holdout was resolved. But it didn’t. Markov continued to take on the lion’s share of the load, and it was Subban whose minutes were initially limited, even once he had gotten an expected couple of games of adjustment/catching up under his belt. Rookies inserted into the line-up later in the season were also not given true opportunities to succeed, quickly seeing their ice time dwindle to six to nine minutes a game. The penalty killing was a weakness all year long, falling dramatically from 2nd in the league (88.6%) in 2011-12 to 23rd in the league (79.8%) this season. Despite the passive diamond system clearly not working, few alterations were made to try to right the course.

It is less clear who was principally in charge of the powerplay between Gerard Gallant, Clement Jodoin, and Therrien himself, but personnel decisions there were equally as mysterious. Despite their play, Lars Eller and Alex Galchenyuk couldn’t buy PP time for most of the season, no matter how big of a man-advantage slump David Desharnais or Tomas Plekanec were going through. Perhaps most peculiar was the staff’s sudden decision to start Galchenyuk on the powerplay… in the final playoff game of the year! After giving him almost no time to work within the team’s systems in such circumstances, in the most critical of situations trailing the series 3-1 to Ottawa, suddenly Galchenyuk was on the first wave. It felt almost like a concession to placate critics rather than an actual admission that he had earned such an opportunity.

Was it the curse of Joe Juneau that saw Desharnais tossed from the face-off circle in game four? (PHOTO: Canadiens.com)

Speaking of that playoff series, let’s flash back to Therrien’s last tenure in Montreal. Remember that playoff meltdown against the Carolina Hurricanes? Where Therrien took an unsportsmanlike penalty, and then sent out Joe Juneau and Bill Lindsay for an overtime defensive zone face-off, leaving draw expert Yanic Perreault on the team’s bench? And Juneau was tossed out, with no second centerman on the ice. Carolina won an easy draw against a winger, scored, won the game, and never looked back? Flash forward to game 4 between the Sens and Habs this year. With the controversy of the wrong side face-off, kicked-in goal, and later poor icing calls, a similar Therrien miscue has been overlooked. The Canadiens led 2-0 with under ten minutes to play, looking to even the series at two games a piece. Carey Price froze a puck leading to a defensive zone draw. And Therrien decides to send out David Desharnais with Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher. Desharnais, always weak on face-offs in the best of times, had been thrown out of the circle over and over again all series long as Ottawa players continually badgered referees to monitor his leaning in/cheating. So it was no random happenstance that he was thrown out on this draw as well, leaving Gallagher to unsuccessfully try to win one away from Zack Smith, and moments later, the puck was behind Price. Where were Tomas Plekanec or Jeff Halpern?

Therrien is a fiery coach, almost as opposite from Jacques Martin as Bergevin is from Gauthier. Coaches of that ilk tend to have a shelf life after which they begin to get tuned out. There isn’t much evidence of this happening this quickly, but something to monitor is the behaviour and mannerisms of P.K. Subban. We saw a reserved Subban for much of the season, playing some of the best hockey of his career, but in the home stretch and into the post-season, he visibly lost his cool on more than one occasion. I’m not suggesting the Canadiens should fire Therrien after a single season. Certainly he was working with a very average roster, and managed to get the most out of many of his players for most of the season. But there are some troubling tendencies mixed in with all the success that he must tighten up to avoid regressing back to mediocrity in 2013-14.

BUILDING ON YEAR ONE

I don’t mean for this all to come off as overly negative. With few holding true playoff expectations or even hopes back in January, Therrien and Bergevin were certainly important to the resurrection of a team that looked lost a year ago. They are competent hockey men, and have surrounded themselves with many other experienced and successful subject matter experts who will only help steer them to improving on their first year exploits.

But it’s also important for that staff to take a hard and critical look at this season rather than being carried away with their regular season division title. Neither Bergevin nor Therrien seem the type to settle for average results, which is reason to be hopeful that this summer brings the right changes to ascend to the next level towards being able to compete with the league’s best.

Posted by Chris G, Special to All Habs Hockey Magazine

The Habs360 podcast 2013 Canadiens season in review was hosted by Chris G (@chrisg1980) and Peter (@PeterGalanos)

Topics discussed:

• Player ratings
• Off season needs
• Canadiens UFA and RFA
• and lots more!

Listen to the capsule of the Habs360 podcast in the player above.

For our entire review, you will find it here .

Habs360 returns in September for season #4 of the podcast. Follow @Habs360 for more details.

OAKVILLE, ON — Despite signing with EHC Biel in Switzerland for next season, Robert Mayer has decided to nullify his contract in hopes of staying in North America for next

(Photo by Adam Carter/CBC)

season. Mayer had originally signed a two year contract with the Swiss team in February, however the pact included a clause that would prohibit him from leaving the team during his deal. Biel decided, after hearing the news that Mayer would not join for the upcoming season, to sign Lukas Meili, a 21 year old netminder who would have been stuck behind Martin Gerber with the Kloten Flyers.

Biel stated in their press release that the two-year contract signed in February with Mayer, who would replace Calgary Flames goaltender Reto Berra, is still not terminated, however they ”will assert its claims against the player by a lawsuit if necessary, in case (its) application for damages would not be satisfied”.

Mayer, 23, signed a three year entry-level deal with the Montreal Canadiens back in 2008. Mayer has mainly struggled for the  Bulldogs but recently has picked up his game. In 38 games this season, he has a 16-17-3-0 record with a 2.93 GAA and .908 save percentage. During the 2011-2012 campaign as the back-up to Nathan Lawson, Mayer recorded a 14-18-1 record with a 2.94 goals against average and a .909 save percentage. With solid positioning and a great glove hand, Mayer has the potential to be much better than what he has shown so far, however after three seasons in the AHL, his time wasn’t all too impressive. He did steal multiple games for the Bulldogs this past season that saw the team miss the playoffs, but his reliability is still questioned.

The acquisition of Dustin Tokarski from Tampa Bay in return for Cedrick Desjardins offered Montreal a reliable starting goaltender, which is likely the reason why Mayer chose to sign in Switzerland in the first place.  The Canadiens still own his rights, and with Peter Budaj signed as the backup in Montreal, it’s likely Mayer will just return to Hamilton, while Peter Delmas sticks in the ECHL. Mayer did get a bit of NHL action this year, replacing Budaj in the final playoff game of the year against the Ottawa Senators.  Also in the mix will be former Princeton goaltender Mike Condon who was recently signed to a two-year deal by the organization.

Quick and fundamentally-sound, Mayer doesn’t tend to slide out of position when following a pass, and his glove hand is just magnificent. Mayer comes out of his crease quickly to play the angle, something Desjardins didn’t do all too well, but he does let in his fair share of soft goals. He has the potential to be a decent NHL goaltender, but the question is whether he can develop some consistency.

Follow me on Twitter, @StevenEllisNHL.

Swiss to Final Four

Josi’s goal, Gerber’s saves set up semi-final vs. USA

STOCKHOLM – Switzerland has done the improbable. Paced by exceptional defence and timely scoring, Switzerland defeated Czech Republic 2-1 in the first quarter-final game of the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Stockholm, Sweden.

Switzerland now faces Team USA in the semi-finals on Saturday.

Head coach Sean Simpson has taken this team from 11th place in 2012 to its first semi-final appearance since 1998 on the momentum of eight straight wins in this tournament.

“It’s nice to be back in the quarter-finals,” said Simpson. “This time we had a different game for the result and the team really showed that it wanted to go further in the tournament. Switzerland has often been stuck in the quarter-finals and couldn’t make the hump to the semi-finals. I’m proud that this team has done it.”

Switzerland’s last quarter-final appearance was in 2010, losing 1-0 to Germany.

Last year the Czech Republic made the quarter-finals where they beat Sweden here in Stockholm on their way to a bronze medal.

The game started slow as both teams were cautious and feeling out the other. As teams employ their system driven game plans, the quarter-finals reveal those teams most successful in adhering to and improving upon their system.

Switzerland made it 1-0 when Denis Hollenstein scored.

Severin Blindenbacher’s thread the needle pass to Hollenstein out the Swiss out in front. Hollenstein continued his consistent offensive contributions to his team. For Hollenstein, who was tied for the team lead in scoring coming into the game, it was his fourth goal of the World Championship.

Shots were low in the period but both sides had chances down low. The next best chance of the period went to Switzerland.

Swiss forward Reto Suri left the penalty box and found himself on a breakaway. Suri went forehand backhand but could not control the final move before getting a shot off. He lost the puck before he had the chance for a shot on Ondrej Pavelec. If he were to score, the game might have had a very different complexion and the Czechs in a deeper hole to come back from.

Switzerland was forced to employ their shorthanded special teams units in the first. Three minor penalties were killed off between the first and second period. Their power play that’s been the catalyst for their run in the tournament was important in the middle period and help to establish a two-goal lead.

Roman Josi, also having his finest individual performance at this tournament, made it 2-0 on the power play at 13:08. Up with a two goal lead, Switzerland would further close the door on the Czechs.

Ryan Gardner and Raphael Diaz got the assists. This was Diaz’ second game for his team after the Montreal Canadiens were eliminated from the playoffs.

“It is a real team,” Simpson said of his side. “Whatever happens on the ice, they react to it. It’s not easy to play against the Czech Republic. They’ve been World Champions many times.”

The Czech Republic cut the lead in the third with Zdenek Kutlak’s power play goal at 5:29. With the assist, Tomas Plekanec has four helpers in his only two games of the tournament.

Czech Republic continued to press in the period and the Swiss looked off their game. When Blindenbacher was called for a penalty, the Czech power play went to work again, gaining some additional opportunities to work their offence.

With just under four minutes left in the game, Radim Vrbata forced a turnover and took the puck in for a golden chance but lost control of the puck just before he was able to shoot.

At this point in the game with the Czechs trying to force a tie, the Swiss were trying all they could not to make a big mistake and keep the puck out of their zone.

With a minute left in the game, Pavelec went to the bench for an extra skater. Though they tried to equalize the game, the Czech Republic would fall short.

“We knew we were just 20 minutes from winning, but they got a goal on the power play,” said Nino Niederreiter. “We tried to protect the lead, and it worked out well.”

When the final buzzer sounded, Swiss fans in attendance were jubilant.

For Martin Gerber it was sweet vindication. He started Switzerland’s last quarter-final game that his team lost in 2010. Getting the win for his team and moving to the semi-finals against Team USA brought satisfaction.

“Our team stood together under big pressure and we also had big goaltending,” said Simpson. “The team did something very special for the country today.”

* * * * * * * * *

IIHF Official Release – by Risto Pakarinen

USA books trip to Stockholm

HELSINKI – It’s been nine years since Team USA returned from a World Championship tournament in Europe with a medal, and they’ve only made it to the top four just three times in the last fifteen years. But they’re in top-four now, and after an impressive 8-3 win over Russia, they are also a gold medal contender.

Last year, Team USA lost their quarter-final game to Finland, the hosts of the final four games of the tournament, so this year, the team came into the tournament determined to get past that hurdle.

“I think we wanted to get to Sweden. To me, the quarter-final game was always the most important. To forget about the way we played against Slovakia [in a 4-1 loss] and play like we did today was great for our team,” team captain Paul Stastny said.

Not only did the U.S. beat Russia, they also delivered last year’s world champions the worst loss of their World Championship history. Never before had Russia – or the mighty Soviet Union team – let in eight goals in a World Championship game, and only once had they lost a Worlds game by five goals.

“If you’d told us that this morning, we’d have started laughing. We’ve lost by eight goals sometimes, and sometimes it’s nice to be on the team that scores eight goals. What comes around goes around sometimes,” Stastny said.

“It’s great, but we were very fortunate to score that many. They’re a great team. I think we caught them off-guard a bit,” added T.J. Oshie.

Off-guard or not, scoring eight goal against Russia is impressive. The game was 4-2 early in the second period, with Alexander Ovechkin & Co. pushing hard to get within a goal, and get a chance to tie the game before the end of the third period. But the young Americans kept their cool, and instead, scored 5-2 while shorthanded.

“I think we easily could have pressed the panic button there when they scored right away in the third period. But to get the next one and make it 5-2, I think, settled the fellows a little bit. It changed things in our favour again,” said Ryan Carter, who scored that important goal.

“We expected to win this game. It’s another feather in our cap. But we want to roll forward. We’re a confident group. We think we can win a medal, and we want to win the gold medal. This is just a stepping stone,” he added.

Of course, when you score eight goals in a game, you’ll win a lot of games, but the U.S. also had something else the Russians didn’t have tonight. They had solid goaltending, provided by the 19-year-old John Gibson, who’s spent most of the season in the Ontario Hockey League, and had played just one AHL game – none in the NHL – before Thursday’s start against Russia.

His save percentage after his two starts in the tournament was 98.4, and while he did let in three goals in the quarter-final, his save percentage in the game was a respectable 91.2.

“He’s been unbelievable. He’s calm. He plays a steady game. I don’t think he cares who he’s playing. He’s always going to play a steady game. That’s why we have the utmost confidence in playing a 19-year-old in, so far, the biggest game of the tourney for us,” said Stastny.

The unflappable young goalie was low-key even after the win.

“I just took it like every other game: just go out there, have fun, play your game. You’ve just got to be ready for the next shot. I mean, it seemed we responded well. That obviously helps with the confidence,” he said.

“I was excited. Obviously, you want to play every game possible. It’s obviously a lot better [compared to World Juniors]. You’re playing against some of the best players in the world,” he added.

Paul Stastny scored two and added two assists in the quarter-final and is now tied with Ilya Kovalchuk for lead in tournament scoring, with 13 points in eight games. His linemate Craig Smith picked up five assists, but Team USA also got goals from five players who hadn’t yet scored in the tournament: Oshie, Carter, Alex Galchenyuk, Jacob Trouba, and Nate Thompson.

“We have some gamers on our team, if you want to call it that. Guys step up in big games. Obviously, five guys had their first goals, and that’s huge. To have scoring all the way through the lineup is huge,” said Justin Faulk.

Team USA will play their semi-final against Switzerland. The Americans know they haven’t won anything yet, and their focus is just in the here and now.

“I think we’ll know how to handle ourselves going over to Sweden. I can tell you one thing: we’re pretty excited to get over there. I don’t know what the days are here. I don’t know if it’s Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or whatever. Then I found out it was Thursday. We’re excited and I think we’ll be ready to go,” said Justin Faulk.

On Saturday.