Habs Eyes On The Prize

Habs Battle Oilers to a 5-4 Shootout Win

2010-03-12T03:48:36Z

The Canadiens' Travis Moen is congratulated by teammates after scoring against Edmonton Oilers goaltender Devan Dubny during the second period of Montreal's 5-4 shootout win on Thursday night.

Browse more photos »

It took a shootout, but the Montreal Canadiens managed to beat the last place Edmonton Oilers 5-4 Thursday night at the Bell Centre.

Travis Moen and Sergei Kostitsyn had a goal and and assist each fro Montreal and Jaroslav Halak made 22 saves for the win.

Oilers rookie netminder Devan Dubnyk made 21 stops, and still remains in search of his first NHL win.

The victory, combined with a Philadelphia Flyers loss to Boston, puts both teams at 74 points. The Flyers hold the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference as they have three games at hand. Boston maintains the eight position with 72 points.

The first ten minutes of the period gave an indication of a wild night on the scoreboard.

Tomas Plekanec whipped his 20th goal of the season past Devan Dubnyk at 1:20. A minute later the Oilers' Robert Nilsson scored a near carbon copy goal, beating Halak.

With Benoit Pouliot serving a holding penalty, Sam Gagner put the Oilers ahead 2-1, at 3:43 on the team's fourth shot of the night from a bad angle.

Brian Gionta closed out the first period scoring, when he deflected in an Andrei Markov shot, at 9:45, to tie the game at two. Four goals for both teams on ten shots.

"No game is easy this time of the year," Gionta said, citing that a win against a team just playing out the season is just as important as one against a playoff contender.

At 15:25 of the second period Kostitsyn and Dominic Moore assisted on Moen's eighth goal of the season. It was the big winger's first goal in 34 games, dating back to December 16, 2009.

Just 32 seconds into the third period, the Oilers' Dustin Penner kept whacking at the puck and Andrew Cogliano finally squeezed it past a stretched out Halak to tie it up.

The Moore line retook the lead for the Canadiens, at 8:05, when Kostitsyn worked his way out of the corner and ripped a wrist shot by Dubnyk, snapping his own eleven-game goal scoring slump.

"It's important to have production from different people," said coach Jacques Martin "Since the Olympics, they (the third and fourth lines) have raised their level of play, and they've contributed."

The lead was short lived, just 1:14, as Shawn Horcoff fired a shot from just inside the blueline that deflected off Jaroslav Spacek and past Halak.

The Canadiens closed out the final period with the man advantage, when the Oilers were caught with seven skaters on the ice. The power play carried into the overtime, where Montreal managed just one shot and even managed to ice the puck. They closed out the night going 0 for 7 with the man advantage.

"We have to play better on the power play," Markov said. "We have to shoot more and stay in front of the net. Sometimes it was a bit fancy, but wehave to score."

Edmonton then had a brief but unsuccessful man advantage, to close out the extra time, when Tomas Plekanec slashed Horcoff.

Shootout:

Plekanec - five hole attempt stopped

Potulny - stopped

Gomez - five hole attempt stopped

Horcoff - stopped

Gionta - five hole attempt stopped

Brule - off Halak's glove and off the post

Pouliot - as CJAD's Murray Wilson said, "Someone change the record" five hole stopped

Nilsson - Had Halak beat but coudn't get puck in

Andrei Kostitsyn - Goal!

Gagner - stopped and 0 for 7 on shootouts

"It's all about luck in shootouts, it's all about 50/50," Halak said. "It was a great great win, even though I didn't play my best, but it happens."

The Canadiens close out their three-game homestand Saturday night when they host the Boston Bruins.

Three Stars: 1. Sergei Kostitsyn 2. Shawn Horcoff 3. Andrei Markov

Oilers vs Canadiens recap

Oilers vs Canadiens boxscore

The Copper & Blue

Habs Look to Extend Winning Streak vs. Oilers

2010-03-11T11:56:16Z

More photos » John Ulan - AP

Browse more photos »

The Montreal Canadiens (33-29-6) will be looking to extend their winning streak to four games as they host the Edmonton Oilers (21-39-6) on Thursday night.

As the Canadiens continue to hold their sixth place position in the Eastern Conference by a mere two points, the Oilers are just looking out their dismal season that sees them dead last in the league overall.

A win for Montreal would match their season high win streak mark of four games, which they have done twice this season.

This will be the second, and final meeting between the two teams this season. The Oilers won the first game at Rexall Place by a 3-2 decision.

Puck drop is at 7:00 EST

Montreal comes into the game after a convincing 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. Scott Gomez had a goal and two assists in that game, and has eight points in the last four games for Montreal.

Jaroslav Halak, should get the start again after getting his first full day off from hockey and extended travel since February 8. Halak is 2-0 with a 1.73 GAA and .942 SvPct since reliving Carey Price in the second period of the Habs 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks.

Many feel that Halak needs to be the go to goalie for the Canadiens down the stretch. Longtime Canadiens writer Red Fisher is the latest to agree.

The Canadiens took Wednesday off, so expect to see the same lineup from Tuesday. Coach Jacques Martin ran the same line combinations during the Thursday morning skate.

Edmonton played a miserable game Tuesday, losing 4-1 to the Ottawa Senators, spending most of the game in their own zone, and have just four goals in regulation in their last three games.

The Oilers, beleaguered by injuries all season, found their problems get worse before and after the trade deadline. They lost defenseman Sheldon Souray for the season right on deadline day. The veteran rearguard, and subject of many trade rumours leading up to March 3, was diagnosed with an infection in his hand after surgery to repair a broken bone received in a pre-Olympic fight with the Flames Jarome Iginla.

They then lost blueliner Ladislav Smid, who will require neck surgery and is out for the season, and forward Ryan Jones (knee), this past weekend.

To top it off, left winger Patrick O'Sullivan left Tuesday's game with a hand injury and did not return.

With all the injuries continuing to mount, Edmonton recalled forward Chris Minard from the Springfield Falcons (AHL) on Wednesday.

If injury problems were not enough in Edmonton, the recent DUI charges against injured goalie Nikolai Khabibulin have also added to the teams woes. Khabibulin spoke to the media briefly on Tuesday. While advised by council not to talk about the pending court hearings, he did talk on his frustration of missing most the the 2009-10 season.

"It's not fun to rehab most of the time," he said. "Hockey is what I love to do. With the team being in last place, it's never fun."

Despite the lone bright spot in Quebec-born goaltender Jeff Drouin-DesLauriers (2-1-0, 1.62, .944 in last 3 GP), rookie Devan Dubnyk will get the start for Edmonton. Dubnyk is still seeking his first NHL win this season.

La Presse's Marc Antoine Godin has some reaction from DesLauriers on his disappointment, and understanding, in not getting the start against his home province crowd. (Note: Google Translation)

Oilers vs Canadiens coverage

The Copper & Blue

A little Habs history:

Canadiens HOFer and former captain Sprague Cleghorn was born on this day in 1890.

Thousands gather at the funeral for Habs legend Howie Morenz on March 11, 1937.

Gerry McNeil earned his first NHL shutout on this day in 1950.

Halak Finally Gets his Chance vs Lightning

2010-03-10T00:20:17Z

More photos » Chris O'Meara - AP

Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Antero Nittymaki gets the start Tuesday night against Jaroslav Halak and the Montreal Canadiens

Browse more photos »

For the first time in his career, Jaroslav Halak will get a start for the Montreal Canadiens (32-29-6) against the Tampa Bay Lightning (27-26-11) on Tuesday night.

The Lightning have owned the season series against the Canadiens, with their latest coming from a 3-0 win on Jan 27. Tampa Bay is 5-0-3 in their last eight meetings with Montreal.

The Canadiens hold continue to hold on to sixth place in the Eastern Conference standings, while the Lightning sit in 11th place, just four points back of 8th place Boston.

Game time is 7:30pm at the Bell Centre.

Halak's 21-save relief appearance was the catalyst in the Canadiens 4-3 come-from-behind shootout win Sunday night in Anaheim to rake in six points on their four-game road trip.

Before the game, Halak will be presented with the Molson Cup segment for January/February. The netminder also won it for the December segment.

Paul Mara (upper body), Michael Cammalleri (MCL) and Marc-Andre Bergereon (knee) remain on the injury shelf. THe latter two did skate Tuesday morning before the team skate. Cammalleri could return as early as March 20th and on his Twitter feed figures one to two weeks.

Look for a lifestyle feature on Cammalleri by Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada this Saturday.

Tampa snapped a five-game losing streak on Saturday night with a 6-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers.

Steven Stamkos has been on for for the Bolts, riding a 16-game scoring streak in which he has racked up 15 goals and 14 assists. Stamkos leads Tampa with 40 goals and is on pace to pass 50.

"It's definitely reachable, the way things are going," said the Lightning center. "It's definitely in the back of my mind. It would be special."

"This streak that he's on shows he's mature," Lightning head coach Rick Tocchet said.

"He's not full of himself. His professionalism is something he's picked up a lot quicker than most 19- and 20-year-olds. He just does everything right. He's a pleasure to coach."

Stamkos may posses one of the hardest shots in the league, as two panes of Bell Centre glass can attest to at Tuesday's morning skate.

"I've never done anything like that before," Stamkos said. "I was working on the one-timer and missed the net and broke two pieces of glass."

While Stamkos, Vincent LeCavalier and Martin St. Louis are typically the go to guys on Tampa's offence, Steve Downie silently has a 10-game streak with 5 goals and 8 assists.

On the injury front, defenseman David Hale is out with a broken leg, Zenon Konopka has back spasms and LW Ryan Malone is out with a upper-body injury. St. Louis (78pts, 6 assists in last 3 games) was deemed questionable, but is expected to start after taking a therapy day on Monday.

Anterro Niittymaki will get the start in goal for Tampa Bay.

Lightning vs Canadiens coverage

Raw Charge

Insane Comback Against Ducks Places Habs On The Playoff Path

2010-03-08T05:16:17Z

More photos » Alex Gallardo - AP

4 days ago: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Roman Hamrlik, right, of Czech Republic, celebrates with center Tomas Plekanec (14), of the Czech Republic, after Plekanec scored the winning goal in a shootout during an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 7, 2010, in Anaheim, Calif. Montreal won 4-3. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

Browse more photos »

Fifteen regular season games to go folks, before the real season begins. Should the Canadiens keep finding ways to win like they did in Anaheim Sunday night, they wil be part of them.

Consider that the Habs were down by three after a period and needed a pair of goals in the final two minutes to tie. With Jaroslav Halak pulled for a sixth attacker and Andrei Markov picking his glove off the ice after being whacked on the wrist by Corey Perry, Bobby Ryan hits the post on the open net. The play turns up ice and who should score but Markov.

After five minutes of overtime, the game heads to a shootout. Anaheim has a one goal lead when Sniper Teemu Selanne shoots over the crossbar. Now all Ducks' goalie Jonas Hiller needs to do is stop Brian Gionta. Hiller makes the save, but loses sight of the puck which is trapped under his arm. He slides backwards over the goal line, and the puck drops into the net. The play is reviewed and the goal counts.

With the shootout tied, everyone in the world figured that Ducks coach Randy Carlyle would send out former Canadiens captain Saku Koivu, a shootout natural if there ever was one. But no, Carlyle deduces that the man for the situation is not Koivu, nor Ryan, but defenseman James Wisniewski, who has all of three goals this season.

What on God's earth was going through Carlyle's mind?

With the win, the Canadiens jump back into seventh place, one point up on the Boston Bruins who have three games in hand. By taking six of a possible eight points on the road trip, the Habs have placed destiny in their own hands going into the final sprint.

The Rangers, in ninth place with 67 points, cannot catch the Canadiens by winning their game in hand. The tenth place Thrashers would need to win two of three games in hand to equal Montreal, who would then still have more wins. This coming week, the Habs play the Lightning, Oilers and Bruins, and it present s a golden opportunity for them to create some cushion room down the stretch.

As it stands, Montreal has the least amount of games left to play at fifteen among teams fighting for playoff spots. Nine of those games are at home and six are on the road. Additionally, only five (Sabres twice, Senators, Flyers and Devils) of those fifteen games are against teams above them in the overall standings. The Canadiens final three games are against the Eastern Conference's bottom three clubs, the Hurricanes, Islanders and Maple Leafs.

Could they ask for better?

By all calculations, Montreal would need between 87 and 89 points to qualify for the post season, which means that should they win nine of fifteen they should make it in. All they essentially have to do is beat the teams they should.

If only it were that easy!

Canadiens Hang On To Beat Kings

2010-03-07T08:37:41Z

What began in San Jose continued in Los Angeles to a certain extent. The Canadiens were up against a physical club ready to make them pay for every inch of ice. Win or lose, hard hitting, fast skating teams bring out the best in the Habs. With a playoff spot on the line, they should be welcoming such challenges, as it will season them perfectly for what is to come in the final 16 games, and hopefully beyond.

When suggesting that an equal mindset continued on to L.A., it should be noted that the Canadiens were in command of the Sharks contest two nights earlier, for large chunks of the game, carrying the lead until the dying minutes.

Against the Kings, a similar scenario looked to be playing out.

Early in the game, the Canadiens were so hungry in their puck pursuit, it looked as though they were gunning with a two man forecheck. That is hardly their usual approach. It's smart use of team speed if you ask me, and my preferred way of taking on a heady foe. On the road, a team must acclimate itself to a rival, as it is difficult to enforce one's system against a team that owns the last line change.

In other words, it's no time to be a fox in the den of lions.

On that note, the Habs would have been red meat in both games had they not scored the first goal, which they accomplished both times. Considering that the Canadiens are not only on the road, but in a western California swing, out of their time zone, after an Olympic layoff, and facing two of the top six teams in the NHL without their leading goal scorer, it should be underlined that this club's desire to win is unquestionable.

Scoring in the first minute of the game in L.A. is testament to that notion.

Now the similarities in both games played on until late in the Kings contest, and I wouldn't dare suggest that it was the Habs who made the difference. Just like the game before, they hung on for dear life as the game wound down. The Kings, after a certain time, were all over Montreal, just as the Sharks were two nights earlier. The Habs gave it all they had, but the difference maker might have been that the Kings just don't have the offensive thrust, potency and accuracy that the Sharks own.

After the Canadiens had made it a 3-1 game, seconds into the third, they laid back, and although it was said on RDS that the Kings went ten minutes without a shot, the Canadiens allowed their adversaries to tilt the rink their way.

It was inevitable then, given the Kings assets, that they would reduce the margin, which they did six minutes later. Michael Handzus duplicated Anze Kopitar's earlier goal, by muscling straight into the Canadiens crease practically unchallenged, before feeding off to Fredrik Modin, to make it 3-2.

Scary, that on both Kings goals, players were allowed to walk right in.

At this point in the game, don't you wish that Jacques Martin would call a timeout at the appropriate time one of these days?

Maybe you're like me, cause all I'm thinking here is "settle the troops, calm the nerves", but "no", good ol' placid Jacques lets it go, and I'm shittin' thinkin' that "lose this game, and the playoffs are toast."

When it was all said and done, maybe Martin understood that he was coaching against the equally easily unnerved Terry Murray, who yanked goalie Jonathan Quick without the benefit of Kings puck possession in the Habs' end. Quick sat on pine for all of 19 seconds before the Canadiens were lured like a magnet to the Kings' open net.

When it comes to playing with the lead against strongs clubs, how is it that the Habs can practice this? It just don't happen often enough.

Some thinkings thought by me during this game

I do not see a tiring Tomas Plekanec at all, as many do. What I see are teams league wide being more aware of what Plekanec can do, and hence paying more attention to him.

Plekanec is not a 30 goal scorer. Never will be. He's a puck mover and a playmaker, with an eye on his responsabilities at both ends. One way the league is learning to neutralize him is to take away his wingers. What we are seeing and realizing perhaps, is that the Kostitsyn brothers aren't as good at hitting open spaces with stride and speed, as Mike Cammalleri does.

One last thing on Plekanec. On his empty netter that sealed the win, he had every right to celebrate the goal jubilantly. He didn't. He simply pointed over to Sergei Kostitsyn, with who he worked a perfect give and go. No fist pump. No stick raised. Not a trace of ego. Just a player's player, a teammated and leader, showing respect.

More for Moore

Dominic Moore, still think that Gauthier paid too high a price for him with a second rounder? Ask again, after he resigns with Montreal and plays another season. This guy is good.

The umpteenth re-evaluation of the Gomez trade

I've long sat on the fence as far as the Gomez trade goes, and my butt don't take kindly to barbed wire. There are games when I like this Gainey deal more than others.

With Plekanec, Gomez gives the Habs two potential centers who can notch 40 assists. Add in that Christopher Higgins has been dispatched to Calgary, and that Tom Pyatt acquired in the same deal is making an NHL contribution, and the trade is all win/win for the Habs so far.

Now that Gomez salary is a whole other gumbo.

Benny worth every penny

Benoit Pouliot scored his 13th goal in 23 games with the Canadiens since being traded for Minnesota for Guillaume Latendresse. Pouliot has missed some games due to injury, but in my mathematics, his scoring ratio is on par with a 46 goal season.

Yes, grab that calculator!

Everytime Pouliot scores a goal, his future bankers drool, because he ought to hit a handsome payday, if not this summer, then the one following. He'll be worth it.

This summer, if I am Pierre Gauthier, I offer him a five year, fifteen million dollar deal. Am I nuts, or is Benny crazy not to jump at it. Again, if I'm Pierre, I roll that dice.

Halak worth as many pennies as Rinne?

Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne has fashioned a 52-28-8 record since 2005-06, on what could be fairly termed, as defensive team. In a parallel time span, Jaroslav Halak has posted comparative numbers (47-31-4 since 2006-07) with the Canadiens.

Why I bring this up, is because Halak can take his contract offer to arbitration this summer. Rinne has recently signed a deal paying him $3.4M over the next two seasons.

Halak will argue, and likely win, that he is worth as much.

Carey Price's entry level contract also expires this summer, but he is one contract away from qualifying for arbitration.

If you believe that the Canadiens can continue on with two "goalies of the future" into next season, I sincerely hope the one you like, won't be the one you miss.

With both Plekanec and Pouliot due well deserved raises, and with a salary cap destined to shrink, one goalie is a definite goner.

A shame, really!

The Lapierre 4 game suspension and the continued pussification of hockey

Before you jump all over me on this, consider what is and isn't a hockey play.

A winger (Maxim Lapierre) is in pursuit of another winger (Scott Nichol), who is on a breakaway. The pursuant is by reknown, more fleet of foot and stride than the player being chased. The goaltender makes the save on the play, but the rebound redirects straight up into the air. The attacker (Nichol), unnacustomed as he is to breakaways, slows, and attempts to bat the descending puck at the right edge of the crease. The pursuant Lapierre, a step or more behind Nichol, makes an instinctive hockey play, by crosschecking Nichol from the area. Replays show that Nichol was already off balance by the time Lapierre gave him the stick shove. It is also apparent that Lapierre was in the final extensions of a crosschecking motion, when he made contact with an already off balance Nichol.

With an official in view of the entire play at the goal line, a penalty was not called on Lapierre.

Furthermore, a scrum ensued, without a San Jose soul going after Lapierre.

Meanwhile, Sharks players directed themselves towards Abdrei Markov

I say pussification because the NHL is so intent to cover their tails, they penalize and suspend based on the result, moreso than the actual play itself. Scott Nichol did his best Mike Ribeiro immitation after playing up the injury. Like Nichol entering the scrum, after looking like at stretcher case for a few seconds, then rising to be a scrum participant, didn't give the lark away from the get go.

It was a hockey play, nothing more, nothing less, in the heat of action and reaction, that deserved at best a two minute minor. Four games, is nothing more than the NHL disciplinarians trying to convince bleeding hearts that they are on their side.

Valiant Effort Falls Short, As Habs Lose 3-2 To Sharks

2010-03-05T06:48:12Z

The Canadiens started the game against the Sharks in ninth place in the Eastern Conference. That, after beating Boston Tuesday, to move into seventh with 66 point. On Thursday, wins by Atlanta and Boston, and an overtime loss by the Rangers created a cluster from seventh to tenth, with the Bruins at 67 points and the other three at 66.

The Canadiens will need to win 11 of 18 remaining games to give them 88 points, a likely mark to reach the post season. After the Sharks game, the Canadiens have 17 games remaining, including nine at home (Lightning, Oilers, Bruins, Senators, Panthers, Devils, Hurricanes, Sabres and Maple Leafs) and eight on the road ( Kings, Ducks, Rangers, Leafs, Sabres, Flyers, Islanders and Hurricanes).

The scenario made it imperative that the Canadiens come away with two points against San Jose, and they came prepared to battle with one of the league's best.

Notice that the Habs have started growing their playoff beards early?

The razor's edge might have been left behind, but the right edge, that of an ill mood, a bristling attitude and proud defiance was present aplenty.

It was personified in the play of goalie Carey Price and forwards Tomas Plekanec and Benoit Pouliot, who weren't about to be too impressed to be playing the elite Sharks.

It was the type of game one wishes the players were miked live, as the Canadiens were surely saying and doing things to get under the Sharks player's skins.

The Canadiens started off on the right note with a Brian Gionta goal at 10:20, and the teams played evenly in the first period, with San Jose outshooting Montreal by 15-11 margin.

A key point in the game came in the first minute of play, immediately after a power play lapse that allowed the Sharks Patrick Marleau to knot the game at one with a shorthanded goal. On the play, Habs defenseman Jaroslav Spacek took his sweet time pursuing a check along the boards, and his hesitance left the slot uncovered. Marleau's shot was deflected by a late-to-arrive Spacek, giving Price no chance on the play.

The game remained tied for all of 1:13, as a Scott Gomez pass redirected off a Sharks defender to restore the Canadiens lead.

The remainder of the middle frame was a treat for those who like their hockey on the nasty side. Nine minor penalties do not begin to tell the tale. The Sharks may have heard that the Canadiens often turn soft when bullied, but on this night, the Habs responded and administered as good as they were given.

With the Sharks gaining the edge in play, Price took over, offering one of his most solid periods in a good while. He made several astounding saves, even stopping the Sharks Dan Boyle on a penalty shot.

The second was filled with all sorts of shenanigans. A Plekanec hip check gone astray raised the ire of Sharks players, who hunted him down the rest of the way.

The third period picked up somewhat where the second left off. A cross check from Maxim Lapierre to the back of Scott Nichol after a scoring chance maintained the on ice vinegar level. Dominic Moore, minutes later took a bite out of the Sharks crossbar that also went unpenalized.

The Canadiens mission to frustrate and annoy had kept them ahead up to this point. They had won puck battles and generally played with elbows extended, but almost like an unconfidence reflex, they began sitting back. The Sharks took the play to them, and the rink soon seemed to be tilted towards the Canadiens end.

You could almost sense what was coming next. Further bottled up in their own zone, the Canadiens were pinned in by the Sharks for the majority of the next 90 seconds. Ultimately, it lead to defenseman Roman Hamrlik taken an uneccessarily hooking call on Ryan Clowe. On the replay, the foul looks to be nothing but one of many, completely ignorable penalty along the boards in this game. Hamrlik did nothing more than clamp his stick over Clowe's in a battle for possession of the puck.

The man advantage was all San Jose needed to begin wrestling control of the game away from Montreal. On the ensuing powerplay, Dany Heatley redirected a point shot past Price to make the score 2-2.

Moments after the goal, Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn, accompanied by Hamrlik, broke in three on one, with Sergei flubbing a chance to put Montreal back ahead, the pass coming from his brother off his skate.

One team's misfortune is another team's break, as it often goes. Shortly after the Canadiens glorious chance passed, the underrated Manny Malhotra put the Sharks up for good, beating Price to make it 3-2.

In the fading minutes, the Canadiens had their chances, as Glen Metropolit hit the post short side on Evgeni Nabokov.

With Price set to be pulled for an extra attacker, Andrei Markov was bltantly tripped in a play along the boards. After the similar and dubious Hamrlik call, imagine RDS's Benoit Brunet being a little more than beside himself at this non-call.

The game ended with a brief flurry around the San Jose net, with Pouliot getting a backhand chance away with mere ticks left on the clock.

The Canadiens will surely take something from the effort, althought it fell short. What they had needed to take was two badly needed points.

They might not want to shave those beards or raze that edge before hitting Los Angeles and Anaheim before the weekend is out.

Habs California trip will be no holiday

2010-03-05T00:25:56Z

Maxim Lapierre (l) will be looking to shut down Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks Thursday night. - AP Photo

View full size photo »

Here's hoping that the Montreal Canadiens (30-28-6) aren't paying attention to those celebrity-infused California tourism commercials, because the next three games in four days will be no vacation.

The Canadiens open up their three-game Golden State swing with a stop in San Jose tonight against the Western Conference leading Sharks (40-14-9). They will play a pair of back-to-back games over the weekend against the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks.

Last season, behind the goaltending of Jaroslav Halak, Montreal surprised the Sharks with a 3-2 home victory. This time around Carey Price will get the call in goal. Coach Jacques Martin is making no roster changes from Tuesday's lineup, with the exception of healthy scratch Matt D'Agostini who was traded late Tuesday night.

The Canadiens are a lifetime 4-5-2 in San Jose, with their last win coming in a 3-2 overtime win on November 23, 1999.

Game time is at 10:30 EST

The Sharks have lost their last two games, prompting coach Todd McLellan to break up the Olympic line of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau and Dany Heatley. Devin Setoguchi, who had two goals in the Sharks last losing effort, moves up to the first line.

Projected lineups for San Jose:

Forwards

Heatley-Thornton-Setoguchi

Malhotra-Marleau-Pavelski

Clowe-Nichol-McGinn

Staubitz-Mitchell-Ortmeyer

Defense Pairings: Boyle-Wallin, Murray-Blake, Huskins-Leach

Goal: Nabokov

San Jose made no moves at the trade deadline, standing pat with the team and depth they have to carry them into the playoffs. They did make one move on Wednesday, sending C Dwight Helminen and D Jason Demersback to the minors.

Their lone injury is defenceman Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who is out with a knee injury.

There will also be a familiar face in the San Jose lineup for Habs fans in the form of defenceman Jay Leach. The journeyman rearguard played seven games for the Canadiens earlier this season, while the team was riddled with injuries, before going back on waivers. Leach has one assist with the Sharks in 20 games.

It will also be an exciting evening for Sharks center Torrey Mitchell, who grew up in Montreal. The third-year forward shared his experiences of growing up a Canadiens fan with the San Jose Mercury-News.

Mitchell said he usually went to a couple games a year at the Montreal Forum growing up and remembered one time when his family filled the four seats between the two benches right on the ice. He was maybe 10 at the time and got chastised by a security guard for reaching up to give Patrick Roy a pat on the back as he skated onto the ice at one point.
Mitchell also recalled being there for a morning skate when Saku Koivu was injured and sitting in the stands. Nervously, he approached Koivu and came away with an autograph.

Halak unhappy?: According to a tweet from the La Presse's Marc Antoine Godin: "Jaro Halak is almost back to square one after Vancouver & trade deadline. You can tell he's not too happy. http://bit.ly/aJGtep (in French)"

Just be careful how you read this, as Halak refers to his last NHL performance against the Philadelphia as not feeling like a number one goalie. His reference to still not feeling like a number one is a result of his disappointment in Slovakia's finish at the Olympics.

Canadiens vs Sharks coverage

Canadiens vs Sharks preview

Fear The Fin

The Juice on Newest Habs' Prospect Aaron Palushaj

2010-03-04T20:02:23Z

Late Tuesday evening when news broke that the Canadiens had traded forward Matt D' Agostini to St. Louis for prospect Aaron Palushaj, the first thing that likely went through every fan's mind was - "Who?"

By now we've all learned that Palushaj was drafted (second-round pick, 44th overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft) the same season as Max Pacioretty, who he played with the following year at the U of Michigan. He played in the AHL this season with the Blues affiliate Peoria Rivermen and is by all means an offensive forward with untapped talent, a bit on the small side.

He is said to have had an impressive training camp with the Blues this past September, a foot laceration in October and a high ankle sprain last month have slowed his progress this season. In 44 games for the Rivermen, Palushaj has a deceiving 5 goals and 17 assists, not including scoring five shootout goals in eight chances. in 2009, Palushaj played on Team USA for the U-20 World Junior Championship in 2009.

"To be honest, I don’t know why they dealt me, but it means another team wanted me so that’s a good thing. D’Agostini is a good NHL player, so it’s an honor to be traded for him. Hopefully, I can get to Hamilton and help that team keep winning, and eventually earn a chance with Montreal."

"I had ups and downs, had a few injuries, but I was coming along," Palushaj said. "It’s tough to judge where I was at, but I can’t do any more than give my best effort every game.

"I’m not disappointed with this trade. I’m looking at it as a new opportunity for me, and I wish the Rivermen and Blues the best."

For more on Palushaj, check out these links from Bluenote Zone (off season interview),Michigan Daily, Canoe, Hockey Future and others.

In an interview on Wednesday, Canadiens GM Pierre Gauthier admitted that the Canadiens have had their eyes on Palushaj for quite some time.

"He's a young player who played at the University of Michigan at the same time as max Pacioretty. He's a good offensive player, very strong from the blue line in. He works hard in the corners, comes up with the puck and has good hands around the net."

"Our scouts, particularly the amateur scouts in our organization had seen him play before the draft and thereafter at the University of Michigan. As well, our pro scouts had noticed him this season. There was a great of of support in the organization in going after this player."

Dave Eminian from the Peoria Journal Star spoke to Palushaj yesterday.

"Absolutely, I was surprised by this (trade)," said Palushaj late Tuesday. "I’m a young guy, watching other guys get traded, never thought I’d be one of them at this stage of my career.

Goodbye Dagger

2010-03-03T08:23:58Z

It looks like another former Habs prospect is on the move.

TSN has announced that Matt D'Agostini was traded to the St. Louis Blues for prospect Aaron Palushaj. After the jump, there's a short breakdown on the deal.

It seems unlikely that Pierre Gauthier will attempt anything major before the deadline, but it's apparent he felt he'd seen enough of Matt D'Agostini. Matty started out as a promising winger, but never seemed to develop a consistent scoring touch with the big club. Given the number of veteran wingers, and his declining value as a prospect in light of the play by Ryan White, Tom Pyatt, David Desharnais and Brock Trotter, there was simply little role for D'Agostini to fill beyond that of a skilled farmhand.

In return, we'll be getting a younger prospect in Aaron Palushaj. Though he was a prolific scorer in college and the USHL, he seems to be having some trouble adjusting to the AHL. Through 44 games this year, he`s netted five goals and 17 assists, though to be fair, its on a bad Peoria team. A change of scenery could be beneficial.

Newly minted Hab Aaron Palushaj, while playing for Michigan:

via farm4.static.flickr.com

All in all, a minor deal, though with an upside from the Habs perspective. Palushaj could benefit tremendously, going from a last-place team to the first place Hamilton Bulldogs. Reviewing his bio at hockeysfuture.com, he seems to be a player with a solid overall game, a nose for the net, and a willingness to drive to the corners. Hopefully he'll thrive with the other young forwards already mentioned.

As for Matty, its disappointing to see him leave town like this. At one time, he seemed to be the energetic young winger who could add a spark to the team. However, he never seemed to find a good role with the Habs: not gritty enough to be a checker, but not consistent enough to play on the top lines. This season has been one to forget. He seemed to be getting increasingly frustrated, and his window of opportunity in Montreal was closing daily. All the best to him in St. Louis.

One final bit, which I'd like to open up for debate: what does this constant exodus speak of our development program? Is it working, and some players just haven't found a good fit? Or does there need to be some serious rethinking of player development and drafting?

A pic of Dagger, back in happier times:

via images.tsn.ca

Habs Fans and Pierre Gauthier - No Time To Get Caught Up In The Trade Deadline Day Delusion

2010-03-03T06:58:44Z

And so, we are at that always anticipated time of year when the easily deluded or the blissfully hopeful sit around TV sets, near to radios or spend anxious minutes texting buddies from work, all to find out the precious details of deals going down on NHL Trade Deadline Day.

This is where the seconds guessers, the Monday morning quarterbacks and the eternally speculative get to rip their individual team GM's over what they did and didn't do without factually knowing what was tried and attempted.

Call it a know-it-all's exercise in hyperbole, as the day often reaches ridiculous intentional exaggeration. Cue Pierre Maguire to Bob McKenzie....

"Bob, I have it on good authority, with three confirmed sources stating that the Bluejackets are dangling Grant Clitsome and a seventh rounder to Tampa Bay for Luca Cunti."

"It's almost a done deal, Pierre. Darren Dreger has been all over this potential deal all morning. He'll have a report shortly, as soon as it finalized. I spoke to one pro scout several days ago, and Clitsome was almost moved to the Wild before they resigned Marek Zidlicky."

Yup, you'll get lots of that today, right up until three o'clock.

If you're looking for a reality check on the Canadiens present day trade scenario, skip and scroll to the bottom of this post.

I remember in 2002 at the trade deadline, being at work, and making innmerable trips into co-worker Peter Clouthier's office for trade updates. Pete was, and is a Bruins fan, played on a team with Ray Sheppard growing up, and at the time, coached my daughter's hockey team. Pete knew his stuff, and was the only guy in the plant that I knew for sure would be logged into TSN all day, on trade deadline day.

About twenty to three that day, I was about 30 feet from his office door when he motioned to me.

"Habs picked up a useful player, for them", Pete said.

I looked at the screen. "Canadiens claim forward Bill Lindsay off waivers from Florida Panthers."

The worst part - I liked Lindsay and was excited. Pete laughed. I laughed when they beat the Bruins a month later.

Almost two years to the day, same workplace, same dude's comp, same scenario, same last laugh.

"Canadiens acquire forward Jim Dowd from Minnesota Wild for 4th round pick in 2004."

Egads! I liked that deal then too! The Habs in the post season made the Bruins their bitches once more. Who knew?

The NHL Trade Deadline?

Hype to the max.

So this is where teams win Stanley Cups, right?

Well, sometimes....with one in sixteen odds, and immeasurable shit luck!

Dozens of brilliant moves - believe it - are made on this day, but only one team's name gets scrawled into the mug each year. We forget everything else.

In hindsight, it is a lot more like: "This is where any of 29 teams mortage their futures for a longshot chance at winning a Stanley Cup."

But that in short is Trade Deadline Day. It's where the lottery ticket buyer meets the swampland real estate salesmen. Buyer beware!

We can all admit, us hockey fans are kids in candy store on deadline day, epecially post 2005 CBA, wherein more deals are made at this time than all season taken together. There will be two dozen trade made in the next few hours, and most of them will excite despite their certain future triviality.

There's an old cliche, and ain't bullshit. "Some of the best trades are the ones they didn't make."

First time I heard that one, my witty was, "Well, you don't know until you don't make them!"

Now, a new GM like Pierre Gauthier for the Habs?

I'm not dreaming of what deals he'll yank out of his rabbit's hat. I'm fearing the ones he may make.

Or, should that be, a fear of the ones he doesn't make?

Sadly, I will miss out this year's trade deadline phenomenon. I'll be listening to reports from a car radio, envisioning all the pandemonium.

Pierre Gauthier, in his first apperance as Habs GM on Trade Deadline Day, is practically destined to stink and find disfavor should he not pull off the absolute trade heist of the millenium.

Think about it.

He's damned if he budges and damned if he don't in Montreal.

Want an example, a scoop of such ridiculousness? Lend an ear to any Montreal radio talk show about now, or find some half wit message board, and you will read somewhere, that Gauthier totally blew it when:

a) he didn't acquire Alexei Ponikarovsky, dirt cheap

b) he did not land tough guy Antun Voros, off waivers

c) he failed to properly assess the Habs need for Nick Boynton

d) we could have had Jordan Leopold, Olli Jokinen, Andy Sutton, etc for a song, and any other perceived retread that makes the Habs contenders.

Doing something on deadline day is often about how little is done, and Gauthier cannot win either way. He will be ripped, second guessed, carved up, insulted and qualified in diminishing terms whether he acts to move or stand.

And all this vitriol because.....ah yes, the Habs have to win the Cup!

Like that date with destiny has been cleared on a schedule!

Personally, I highly doubt that Gauthier goes for a master brush stroke this time out. I think that whatever moves he makes are to sustain a team that has fringe playoff hopes

That would be sensible, and in Montreal, it will cause the usual uproar and frenzy.

Gauthier's best moves will be best judged years from now, and my guess is that much of what is done today will be regard to what needs to fixed for 2010-11.

Such might mean being a reluctant seller when wanting to be a buyer, but get real folks. The Habs are not poised to win the Stanley Cup this spring.

And if Gauthier is not already looking past that, he is failing us all.

UPDATE 1: Canadiens trade F Matt Dagostini to St Louis for F Aaron Palushaj.

Inventory Check: Pillars on Defense

2010-03-02T20:43:22Z

More photos » Graham Hughes - AP

Nice line matching, Jacques. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

Browse more photos »

In this feature, we’ll examine Montreal’s strengths and weaknesses as a roster going forward. In one sense, this can be viewed as what exactly former General Manager Bob Gainey left behind for his successor, Pierre Gauthier. In a more immediate sense, it examines what Gauthier might do at the NHL trading deadline. This article will focus on Montreal’s defensemen.

In stark contrast to the group of centres and wingers, Montreal’s defensemen have size, limited mobility, and are generally an older group. Perhaps that is why "pillars" is a fitting description. Not surprisingly, the team’s younger legs have stepped up this year, and a youth movement seems imminent. But how can a youth movement be set in motion? Six of the team’s top seven defensemen are signed through this off-season.

Go long, guys! You know it's going to be the Hail Mary! via www.mikelynaugh.com

Name	Cap Hit	FA	L/R	GP	G	A	P	PIM	P/-	TOI/G	SPCT	ESP	PPP	CORSI	QCOMP
Andrei Markov	$5,750,000	2011	L	26	3	15	18	12	1	24:22	5.8%	7	11	4.9	0.153
Roman Hamrlik	$5,500,000	2011	L	56	6	19	25	46	-5	23:39	7.3%	15	9	4.1	0.075
Jaroslav Spacek	$3,833,333	2012	L	58	3	16	19	44	6	22:03	3.8%	13	5	3.3	0.067
Josh Gorges	$1,100,000	2011	L	63	3	5	8	37	3	21:16	7.3%	6	2	-4.8	0.034
Paul Mara	$1,600,000	2010	L	42	0	8	8	48	-16	18:43	0.0%	4	4	-9.4	-0.079
Hal Gill	$2,250,000	2011	L	49	2	5	7	55	-6	18:34	5.7%	7	0	-8.6	-0.043
Ryan O'Byrne	$941,667	2011	R	36	0	2	2	57	-6	15:21	0.0%	2	0	-1.5	-0.035
Marc-André Bergeron	$750,000	2010	L	51	10	18	28	14	-11	14:45	10.3%	8	20	3.6	-0.092
P.K. Subban	$875,000	2012	R	2	0	2	2	2	1	20:06	0.0%	1	1	30.5	-0.236
Mathieu Carle	$850,000	2010	R	3	0	0	0	4	1	14:28	0.0%	0	0	9.8	-0.199
Yannick Weber	$875,000	2011	R	5	0	0	0	4	-5	13:52	0.0%	0	0	7.8	-0.006
Shawn Belle	$600,000	2010	L	2	0	0	0	0	-2	10:38	0.0%	0	0	-26.0	-0.258

Despite looking like he was still labouring from the injury that caused him to miss the last two games before the Olympics, Andrei Markov survived the Olympics and will again be asked to lead the Habs into the postseason. Markov is an all-world talent, producing a lot of points (mainly on the power play) while facing the opposition’s top forwards night in, night out. His importance to the team is such that fans are already fretting about the possibility he does not resign with the team in the summer of 2011. Markov, who will be 33 at that point and has played his entire career in Montreal, seems like a likely candidate to skate on Montreal’s top defensive pair for a few more years into the future.

And how exactly does this help cover my bald spot? via habsinsideout.com

Two veterans who may not have as long as Markov are Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek. Both come with substantial contracts, and both are on the wrong side of 35, but both have shown the ability to play quality minutes in a supporting role, even taking on added responsibility this year when Andrei Markov went down. The case to trade one of them is simple: to clear cap room to keep the team’s younger forwards and goaltenders in a Habs jersey. That being said, with the team’s immediate goal to make the playoffs, it seems highly doubtful either of them would be moved while they play such a lead role for this current team.

Josh Gorges, meanwhile, has continued to grow under Jacques Martin’s tutelage. He provides over 21 minutes of quality defensive hockey, somehow managing to stay healthy despite always taking hits to make plays, blocking shots and trying to keep opposing forwards out of the goal crease. His play is in sharp contrast to Paul Mara, a veteran who was brought in to stabilize the bottom pairing and potentially contribute on the power play. Mara, who was thankfully only signed to a one year deal, will be hard pressed to crack a fully healthy Montreal lineup down the stretch.

Look Zach, I was returning that purse to your mom, I swear! via nimg.sulekha.com

Hal Gill and Ryan O’Byrne play very different games, despite being of similar size. Gill is an oddity: a PK specialist who has been known to struggle 5 on 5. He uses his 6’7" frame more for his long reach than physical play, although he can still outmuscle players along the boards. O’Byrne has performed reasonably well, especially recently when paired with Andrei Markov. He is the team’s top physical defenseman, and could find a niche role on the team going forward.

Marc-André Bergeron was an emergency signing who dominated the power play in Markov’s absence, but has been limited to playing forward for the most part once the regular d-men got healthy. While his PP production has been valuable, his 5 on 5 play has been awful, be it as a forward or defenseman.

Subban: "I'd rather wear the CH on my chest." via cdn.nhl.com

AHL Stats	Cap Hit	FA	L/R	GP	G	A	P	PIM	P/-	ESG	PPG
P.K. Subban	$875,000	2012	R	55	11	29	40	66	31	3	7
Mathieu Carle	$850,000	2010	R	31	5	10	15	26	4	4	1
Yannick Weber	$875,000	2011	R	45	2	21	23	44	11	1	1
Shawn Belle	$600,000	2010	L	52	3	11	14	51	11	3	0
André Benoit	$500,000	2010	L	56	5	21	26	51	11	1	3
Alex Henry	$500,000	2010	L	46	0	8	8	90	11	0	0
Marc-André Bergeron	$750,000	2010	L	3	0	6	6	0	6	0	0

There’s a lot of reason to be excited about P.K. Subban’s potential, and fans got a taste of that when he was called up in an emergency situation for the final two games before the Olympics. He would be the Canadiens’ primary rushing defenseman right now, as even Andrei Markov prefers to pass off the puck before leaving his own defensive zone. His strong presence on the PP would also help alleviate for the loss of Bergeron to unrestricted free agency. If Hamrlik or Spacek are traded, Subban will certainly be the beneficiary next season.

Subban is not alone, however. Mathieu Carle seems likely to crack the Canadiens’ roster next season, though season ending shoulder surgery may set him back. He was Hamilton’s top defenseman before the injury, and he didn’t look out of his depth at the NHL level in his brief time there. Yannick Weber has had an interesting sophomore season, as he has been asked to refine his defensive game. His offensive numbers seem to have suffered as a result, and he will likely spend another season in Hamilton hoping to put it all together.

When Yannick Weber retires from hockey, he plans on becoming a world famous botanist. via www.tsr.ch

What is interesting about Montreal’s D corps is not just their age, but the fact that 7 of the team’s 8 NHL d-men shoot left-handed. The team’s top three prospects at D, however, all shoot right-handed and seem ready to step in almost immediately. Clearly, the Habs have the makings of a good defensive unit, but have to move some bodies out of the way and suffer through some growing pains to accomplish this.

An interesting bargaining chip for Pierre Gauthier lies in the amateur ranks. David Fischer, the team’s 2006 first rounder, has underperformed at the NCAA level and has provided little incentive to being signed by the Canadiens. As a result, he can be treated as being a 50^th overall draft pick, or a mid-second rounder. The Canadiens would get that pick in compensation if they did not sign him this summer, so despite the Dominic Moore trade, the Canadiens are still in possession of a 2011 2^nd rounder.

Centres of Attention

Earning Their Wings

Poll

Which of the team's veteran defensemen is most likely to get traded?

Roman Hamrlik

229 votes

Jaroslav Spacek

153 votes

Hal Gill

118 votes

500 votes | Poll has closed

Thrashers Add Chelios

2010-03-02T20:01:21Z

Thrashers Add Chelios

It couldn't be that Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell reads SB Nation, could it?

Only yesterday on these pages, Francis Bouchard had an interesting flashback to the time when Chelios joined the Habs straight out of the 1984 Olympics. Now Chelios, an all-time fave here, has signed to play with Atlanta at 48 years old. The NHL's Everyready Bunny joined the Habs back in '84 with a whole lot of fanfare. To take a look back at the "Coming of Chris", click here.

Inventory Check: Earning Their Wings

2010-03-02T18:01:22Z

More photos » Graham Hughes - AP

My hero, Travis Moen, celebrates with a Giant. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

Browse more photos »

On any given night, you can dress eight different wingers, most of any position. But even with that, it’s hard to believe that the Montreal Canadiens have had to dress fifteen natural wingers so far this season, not counting the centres and defensemen who have been used as wingers at various points of the season. Only one winger has dressed for every game so far, and that’s Travis Moen. No position has seen less stability, so it’s a good idea to step back and see how they’ve been used so far, and to what degree of success.

www.cbc.ca

Name	Cap Hit	FA	L/R	GP	G	A	P	PIM	P/-	TOI/G	SPCT	ESP	PPP	CORSI	QCOMP
Michael Cammalleri	$6,000,000	2014	L	56	26	22	48	14	10	19:33	13.6%	33	15	10.5	0.087
Brian Gionta	$5,000,000	2014	R	42	17	14	31	20	-1	20:45	11.6%	20	11	4.1	0.082
Andrei Kostitsyn	$3,250,000	2011	L	40	12	13	25	20	3	15:39	14.0%	18	7	6.1	0.026
Benoit Pouliot	$803,250	2010	L	34	13	5	18	29	4	16:46	17.8%	13	5	3.5	0.086
Travis Moen	$1,500,000	2012	L	63	7	7	14	51	-6	15:26	8.1%	11	1	-3.0	-0.018
Sergei Kostitsyn	$816,667	2010	L	30	2	8	10	6	0	14:51	5.7%	10	0	4.0	0.123
Mathieu Darche	$600,000	2010	L	13	2	3	5	4	2	12:27	8.7%	5	0	-7.2	0.008
Matt D'Agostini	$500,000	2010	R	40	2	2	4	26	-12	9:53	4.2%	4	0	-2.2	-0.037
Max Pacioretty	$910,000	2011	L	52	3	11	14	20	-5	12:42	4.1%	11	3	5.5	-0.026
Ryan White	$850,000	2011	R	16	0	2	2	16	-6	11:09	0.0%	2	0	-19.1	-0.123
Brock Trotter	$875,000	2010	R	2	0	0	0	0	-1	9:02	0.0%	0	0	-8.3	-0.020
Georges Laraque	$1,500,000	2011	R	28	1	2	3	28	-6	5:45	50.0%	3	0	-25.0	-0.089
J.T. Wyman	$550,000	2010	R	3	0	0	0	0	-2	4:23	0.0%	0	0	-30.8	-0.073
Gregory Stewart	$500,000	2010	L	5	0	0	0	11	-3	4:11	0.0%	0	0	6.3	-0.123

Montreal relies heavy on their wingers to put the puck in the net, and for good reason. Four of their most prolific shooters play on the team’s top two lines, scoring with high efficiency. Benoit Pouliot’s 17.8% shoot percentage has him ranked ninth in the entire league, even ahead of the player he was traded for, Guillaume Latendresse (who has a 16.8% SPCT). It’s actually a pretty strong group, led by Mike Cammalleri’s strong numbers at even strength. Brian Gionta actually leads all Montreal forwards in average icetime, despite being usually partnered with Scott Gomez, who is the team’s second centreman.

Youth has been served on the wings, with Georges Laraque mercifully phased out and Sergei Kostitsyn finding his way out of Jacques Martin’s doghouse. The younger Kostitsyn brother has actually been given the toughest minutes of all the Canadiens’ forwards, and has proven worthy of the task. With his name continually mentioned in trade rumours, it’s noteworthy how much trust Martin has placed in the young forward since his callup.

The group predictably thins out after the third pairing of Moen – S. Kostitsyn. Journeyman Mathieu Darche currently occupies the next spot in the depth chart, mainly because the team would rather have Max Pacioretty develop in the minors. Pacioretty’s numbers don’t look awful for a depth winger, but more is expected of him in the future, and since he couldn’t crack the top three lines, he’ll have to try again to crack the team in September. Matt D’Agostini has shown no ability to hold down a roster spot of any kind this year, while callups like Ryan White and Brock Trotter have shown flashes of effectiveness, but not enough to stick with the club. Indeed, the numbers show that while White continues to get opportunities, he hasn’t added a whole lot to the team to date.

Players playing out of position often occupy one of the wing positions on the fourth line, and for the remainder of the season expect to see the likes of Max Lapierre and Marc-Andre Bergeron get starts over the likes of D’Agostini and Darche.

Brock Trotter photo via 4.bp.blogspot.com

AHL Stats	Cap Hit	FA	L/R	GP	G	A	P	PIM	P/-	ESG	PPG
Sergei Kostitsyn	$816,667	2010	L	16	4	9	13	2	2	3	1
Mathieu Darche	$600,000	2010	L	32	16	9	25	4	7	11	5
Ryan White	$850,000	2011	R	42	12	8	20	102	9	10	2
Brock Trotter	$875,000	2010	R	54	28	31	59	44	25	17	9
J.T. Wyman	$550,000	2010	R	54	10	15	25	10	7	8	2
Gregory Stewart	$500,000	2010	L	39	5	5	10	79	6	5	0
Max Pacioretty	$910,000	2011	L	8	1	3	4	4	6	1	0
Matt D'Agostini	$500,000	2010	R	3	0	1	1	2	-1	0	0
Benoit Pouliout	$803,250	2010	L	3	1	2	3	4	6	0	1
Mike Glumac	$600,000	2010	R	53	13	13	26	52	10	8	4
Andrew Conboy	$550,000	2012	L	46	4	2	6	51	0	3	1
Dany Massé	$531,667	2012	L	8	0	1	1	2	-1	0	0

We’re definitely familiar with most of the prominent Hamilton Bulldogs wingers this year. Brock Trotter leads the Bulldogs offensively, and offers a tantalizing package for next season in Montreal: Goal scoring ability, speed, and a right handed shot. With Glen Metropolit becoming an unrestricted free agent, Trotter could find an opening on the power play if he can crack the roster in 2010-11. Ryan White’s gritty play has earned him the respect of the coaching staff, but his contract situation could work against him next year, as he will again not have any waiver restrictions. At the very least, White appears to have pushed Gregory Stewart way down the team’s depth chart.

Pacioretty: "I can't believe they think I'm worse than D'Agostini" via www.cyberpresse.ca

There is a bit more size on Montreal’s wings than down the middle, but there seems to be a lack of concern about size at forward in general. However, the future looks fairly strong with the likes of Benoit Pouliot, the Kostitsyn brothers, and Max Pacioretty coming up. If the Canadiens are to trade any young assets, a winger might be what they offer up.; Prospects in the amateur ranks include Danny Kristo, Steve Quailer and Alexander Avtsyn, none of who are expected to turn pro next year.

If the team opts to deal some of their younger assets at wing, look for the team to target some low maintenance types to fill out the bottom spots. Travis Moen could soon become the norm in the system, not the exception. Adding more right-handed shots has to be considered a priority as well, as only Gionta has proven to be both right-handed and reliable this season.

Poll

Should Montreal deal one or more of their young wingers?

Yes, they have a lot of options for the future.

164 votes

No, they need to know which players fit long term.

127 votes

291 votes | Poll has closed

Pierre Gauthier - An Interesting Track Record In Ottawa and Anaheim

2010-03-02T15:13:27Z

While many Canadiens fans are familiar with new GM Pierre Gauthier, few may be up to speed on his career path leading him to his new role. Back on February 8, when Gauthier assumed the torch from Bob Gainey's failing hand, part of the Canadiens official site's bio and promo on Gauthier read like this:

"With over 30 years of experience under his belt, Gauthier has drafted, signed and developed some of the best players in recent memory. He got his feet wet in the NHL as the head of pro scouting with the Quebec Nordiques in 1981. During his 12 years with the franchise, Gauthier drafted the likes of Joe Sakic, Eric Lindros and Mats Sundin."

RL Note: Since the appearance of this article, the Canadiens official site has contacted Pierre Gauthier to verify that he in fact was not the Nordiques head of pro scouting, but in fact its director of amateur scouting. The article has been corrected.

The fact of the matter is, Gauther was never the Nordiques' head scout, per se. Martin Madden, who later worked for the Canadiens in the Rejean Houle era, headed the Nordiques scouting department at that time. Other scouts who worked for the Nordiques during those years included names such as Bob Mancini, Bill Underwood, Orval Tessier, Simon Nolet, Frank Jay, Don Paarup, Sheldon Ferguson, Guy Lafrance, Don Boyd, Yvon Gendron and owner and GM Maurice Filion himself. Gauthier, a highly respected scout even then, was but one of many working in the Nordiques scouting department at the time. In looking back, nowhere have I seen "head scout" or "director of pro scouting" attached to his Nordiques resume.

Difficult not to imagine somewhat, Gauthier not wanting to be tarnished by the Nordiques' stains of that era. It's hard to forget the Nordiques of that time blatantly tanking to get three successive number one picks. Aside from that, the Nords weren't all that astute, selecting first round duds as Wade Belak, Jeff Kealty, Todd Warriner, Daniel Dore, Curtis Leschyshyn, Ken McRae, David Latta, Trevor Steinberg, and Bryan Fogarty. In fact, in the 1987 draft in which Fogarty was chosen 9th overall, the Nords then set their hopes on Stephane Quintal, who went 14th to Boston. Filion then expressed disappointment at not grabbing the Quebec league blueliner, saying in passing that they would in turn settle for Sakic.

In sum, a director of amateur scouting as Gauthier was in his final tenure in Quebec, is responsible for the work of his bird dogs. He would of course had put in the miles himself, seeing many of the top picks in person, and permorming much of the homework in their regard himself. Drafting will always be what it is, an inexact science.

Nonetheless, what Gauthier did, he apparently did well, but let's not so easily credit him alone with the brilliance of drafting Sakic, Lindros, Sundin and Owen Nolan. He was hired away from the Nordiques by Anaheim, cementing his reputation there before moving onto Ottawa and back to Anaheim again. He is often pointed to for the Senators turnaround, but it is conviently forgotten that Ottawa bagged five top 5 picks before Gauthier came on board. His work with Anaheim, although he was fired one year before the team surprisingly reached the Stanley Cup final in 2003, might be the most impressive thing on his resume.

An expansion club, the Mighty Ducks had five top ten picks by Gauthier's arrival, but only Paul Kariya truly packed a punch. In three short years, Gauthier picked the club to pieces, discarting spare parts at a fanatical pace, often turning them over for better players. He did have a few glaring misteps, but hindsight shows that he often knew the players he was acquiring better than the GM's who were trading them.

Needless to say, Gauthier's hockey acumen and bird dog reputation will be put to the test in Montreal, as the team has no such stockpile of past draft picks to build upon or barter with. This will mark the first time that Gauthier assumes the reigns of a club already in playoff standing. To his credit, Gauthier's stamp is already well imprinted on the Canadiens from having been at Gainey's side for six seasons. Much has been made of the Habs hiring a francophone manager rather than the best one of for the job. This time, it is the english factions getting their shorts in a needless knot. It's doubtful there was a candidate available that knows the inner details of the Canadiens system of players better than Gauthier. Fans often preach of transition through the timely passing of players; this is the managerial version.

What follows is a disecting of Pierre Gauthier's era's as GM in Ottawa and Anaheim. As a warning, there are few grand and bold strokes at work, so what you will be paying attention to is the subtle. Gauthier is known in the trade as a micro-manager, with detail being one of his obsessives. Heck, in Ottawa, there is even the tale of his cookie counting at media briefs!

Gauthier's good moves are in bold, his bumbles in italics. The remainder are not to be considered insignificant, but merely lesser deals. Free agent losses not inclusive in the final tally of good versus bad moves.

Here is a rundown of the Gauthier regime in Ottawa from December 11, 1995 to August 6, 1998, followed by his work with Anaheim from August 6, 1998 to April 20, 2002.

1995-96 Gauthier Season 1 Ottawa

Pierre Gauthier was hired as GM of Ottawa on December 11, 1995, 27 games into the team's season. The Senators had been spinning their wheels as badly as they had been during the first three seasons of their existence, and at the time owned a 7-19-1 record. Rick Bowness had started the season as coach, and was fired by then GM Randy Sexton after Game 19 with a record of 6 wins and 13 losses. His replacement, Dave Allison, would go winless in six before guide the club to a win on December 7. Four days later, Gauthier would take over as manager of the team.

Allison's teams would endure an eight game losing streak before winning another on December 27 in Buffalo. From there, another nine game skid would ensue, at which time Gauthier replaced Allison with Colorado Avalanche assistant coach Jacques Martin (January 24, 1996), who would steer the Senators to a 10-24-4 record in the final 38 games. Despite the woeful record, the 41 points (18-59-5) was a four year franchise high, yet the club still had the first pick overall in the June Entry Draft, and chose defenseman Chris Philipps, the team's third number one overall choice in four seasons.

Coaches:

Rick Bowness (6-13-0)

Dave Allison (2-22-1)

Jacques Martin (10-24-4)

41 points (18-59-5)

Standing: 6th in Northeast Division

Hired Jacques Martin on January 24, 1996.

From December 11th and on, when Gauthier took over, these were the players who dressed for the Senators that first season.

1995-96 Roster: (36) Daniel Alfredsson, Alexei Yashin, Randy Cunneyworth, Steve Duchesne, Radek Bonk, Tom Chorske, Martin Straka, Dan Quinn, Sean Hill, Jaroslav Modry, Pavol Demitra, Alexandre Daigle, Ted Drury, Anti Tormanen, Kerry Huffman, Trent McCleary, Rob Gaudreau, Stanislav Neckar, Dave Archibald, Michel Picard, Lance Pitlick, Troy Malette, Dennis Vial, Frantisek Musil, Pat Elynuik, Jean-Yves Roy, Phil Bourque, Chris Dahlquist, Janne Laukkanen, Scott Levins, Dave McLlwain, Patrick Traverse, Dan Laperriere, Damian Rhodes, Don Beaupre and Mike Bales.

Transactions: (7)

1996 January 23 - Martin Straka traded to NY Islanders by Ottawa with Don Beaupre and Bryan Berard for Damian Rhodes and Wade Redden

1996 January 23 - Dan Quinn traded to Philadelphia by Ottawa for cash

1996 January 26 - Janne Laukkanen traded to Ottawa by Colorado for the rights to Brad Larson

1996 March 1 - Dave McLlwain traded to Pittsburgh by Ottawa for Pittsburgh's 8th rd choice (Erich Goldmann) in 1996 draft

1996 March 19 - Kerry Huffman traded to Philadelphia by Ottawa for future considerations

1996 March 20 - Jaroslav Modry traded to Los Angeles by Ottawa with Ottawa's 8th rd choice (Stephen Valiquette) in 1996 draft for Kevin Brown

1996 May 21 - Michel Picard traded to Washington by Ottawa for cash

New faces brought in by Gauthier: (2) Damian Rhodes, Janne Laukkanen.

Free agents signed and lost: None acquired by Gauthier during the 1995-96 campaign (December to May)

1996-97 Gauthier Season 2 Ottawa

Coach: Jacques Martin

77 points (31-36-15)

Standing: 3rd in Northeast Division

1996-97 Roster: (31) Alexei Yashin, Daniel Alfredsson, Alexandre Daigle, Steve Duchesne, Randy Cunneyworth, Andreas Dackell, Shaun McEachern, Wade Redden, Sergei Zholtok, Tom Chorske, Shaun Van Allen, Bruce Gardiner, Jason York, Janne Laukkanen, Denny Lambert, Radek Bonk, Lance Pitlick, Jason Zent, Christer Olsson, Denis Chasse, Frantisek Musil, Dave Hannan, Radim Bicanek, Phil Crowe, Phil Von Stefenelli, Dennis Vial, Sean Hill, Stanislav Neckar, Mike Bales, Damian Rhodes and Ron Tugnutt.

New faces: (17): Radek Bonk, Wade Redden, Shaun McEachern, Jason York, Shaun Van Allen, Christer Olsson, Andreas Dackell, Sergei Zholtok, Bruce Gardiner, Denny Lambert, Jason Zent, Denis Chasse, Dave Hannan, Radim Bicanek, Phil Crowe, Ron Tugnutt and Phil Von Stefenelli.

Not returning from 1995-96: (13) Joe Cirella (released by Sexton), Anti Tormanen, Rob Gaudreau, Dennis Vial, Phil Bourque, Martin Straka, Dan Quinn, Dave McLlwain, Kerry Huffman, Don Beaupre, Jaroslav Modry, Michel Picard and Chris Dahlquist.

Transactions: (4)

1996 June 22 - Trent McCleary traded to Boston by Ottawa with Ottawa's 3rd round choice (Eric Naud) in 1996 Entry Draft for Shaun McEachern

1996 October 1 - Ted Drury traded to Anaheim by Ottawa with the rights to Marc Moro for Jason York and Shaun Van Allen

1996 November 27 - Pavol Demitra traded to St. Louis by Ottawa for Christer Olsson

1997 March 18 - Denis Chasse traded to Chicago by Ottawa with the rights to Kevin Bolibruck and Ottawa's 6th round choice (later traded back to Ottawa - Ottawa selected Chris Neil) in 1998 Entry Draft for Mike Prokopec)

Free agents signed: (7)

1996 July 10 - Ottawa signs Sergei Zholtok as a free agent

1996 July 17 - Ottawa signs Phil Von Stefenelli as a free agent

1996 July 29 - Ottawa signs Phil Crowe as a free agent

1996 July 29 - Ottawa signs Denny Lambert as a free agent

1996 August 14 - Ottawa signs Ron Tugnutt as a free agent

1996 September 5 - Ottawa signs Denis Chasse as a free agent

1996 September 13 - Ottawa signs Dave Hannan as a free agent

Free agents lost: (6):

1996 July 12 - Dan Laperriere signed as a free agent by Washington

1996 July 15 - Jean-Yves Roy signed as a free agent by Boston

1996 July 24 - Troy Malette signed as a free agent by Boston

1996 September 6 - Pat Elynuik signed as a free agent by Dallas

1996 October 3 - Scott Levins signed as a free agent by Phoenix

1996 October 10 - Dave Archibald signed as a free agent by NY Islanders

1997-98 Gauthier Season 3 Ottawa

Coach: Jacques Martin

83 points (34-33-15)

Standing: 5th in Northeast Division

1997-98 Roster: (33) Alexei Yashin, Shawn McEachern, Daniel Alfredsson, Igor Kravchuk, Andreas Dackell, Magnus Arvedson, Sergei Zholtok, Wade Redden, Janne Laukkanen, Denny Lambert, Shaun Van Allen, Bruce Gardiner, Radek Bonk, Alexandre Daigle, Chris Phillips, Jason York, Randy Cunneyworth, Lance Pitlick, Chris Murray, Vaclav Prospal, Pat Falloon, Stanislav Neckar, Phil Crowe, Derek Armstrong, Sean Hill, Per Gustafsson, Marian Hossa, Ivan Ciernik, Damian Rhodes, Radim Bicanek, Ron Tugnutt, Dennis Vial and Jason Zent.

New faces: (10) Igor Kravchuk, Magnus Arvedson, Chris Phillips, Chris Murray, Vaclav Prospal, Pat Falloon, Derek Armstrong, Per Gustafsson, Marian Hossa and Ivan Ciernik.

Not returning from 1996-97: (8) Steve Duchesne, Tom Chorske, Christer Olsson, Denis Chasse, Frantisek Musil, Dave Hannan, Radim Bicanek and Mike Bales.

Transactions: (5):

1997 August 25 - Steve Duchesne traded to St. Louis by Ottawa for Igor Kravchuk

1997 November 18 - Sean Hill traded to Carolina by Ottawa for Chris Murray

1998 January 17 - Alexandre Daigle Traded to Philadelphia by Ottawa for Vaclav Prospal, Pat Faloon and Dallas' 2nd rd choice (previously acquired, Ottawa selected Chris Bala) in 1998 draft

1998 March 9 - Frantisek Musil traded to Edmonton by Ottawa for Scott Ferguson

1998 March 17 - Per Gustafsson traded to Ottawa by Toronto for Ottawa's 8th rd choice (Dwight Wolfe) in 1998 draft

Free agents signed: (1)

1997 July 28 - Ottawa signs Derek Armstrong as a free agent

Free agents / players lost: (2):

1997 September 9 - Mike Bales signed as a free agent by Buffalo

1997 September 28 - Tom Chorske claimed by NY Islanders from Ottawa in Waiver Draft

1998-99 Season Gauthier Season 4 Ottawa

1998 June 26 - Denny Lambert claimed by Nashville from Ottawa in Expansion Draft

1998 August 6 - Pierre Gauthier resigns Ottawa managerial position to take post as team president (and later GM) with Anaheim.

Gauthier drafts:

While with Ottawa, Gauthier presided over three NHL Entry Drafts, with seventeen of twenty-four picks eventually reaching the NHL for at least one game.

1996 Ottawa: (6/7) Chris Phillips*, Antti-Jusi Niemi*, Andreas Dackell*, Francois Hardy, Erich Goldmann, Ivan Ciernik*, Sami Salo*.

1997 Ottawa: (5/8) Marian Hossa*, Jani Hurme*, Josh Langfeld*, Magnus Arvedson*, Heffrey Sullivan, Robin Bacul, Nick Gillis, Karel Rachunek*.

1998 Ottawa: (6/9) Mathieu Chouinard*, Mike Fisher*, Chris Bala*, Julien Vauclair*, Petr Schastilvy*, Gavin McLeod, Chris Neil*, Michel Periard, Sergei Verenkin, Rastislav Pavlikovsky.

Beneficial transactions and signings: 8

Non-beneficial transactions and signings: 4

Total player transactions and signings: 23

On August 6, 1998, Gauthier shocked Ottawa fans when it was announced that he had accepted the position of president (and later GM) of the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim. The team he would be taking the helm of had just finished sixth in the Pacific Division with a record of 26-43-13, good for 65 points under coach Pierre Page. One of the reasons for Anaheim's dip in play was attributed to the loss of star player Paul Kariya, who had missed 60 games suffering from the effects of a consussion.

Gauthier replaced Page with Craig Hartsburg and the Mighty Ducks improved by 18 points, finishing the next two season with 83 points. While the club made the post season in 1998-99, they would not qualify for the playoffs again under Gauthier's reign.

The team Gauthier inherited from Page had employed 42 players and 3 goaltenders during the 1997-98 season. It was a scenario he was familar with from his first season with Ottawa. During the course of the 1997-98 season, the Mighty Ducks had parted ways with the following 14 players:

Dmitri Mironov, Sean Pronger, Joe Sacco, J.J. Daigneault, Warren Rychel, Mark Janssens, Darren Van Impe, Shawn Antoski, Bobby Dollas, Mikhail, Shtalenkov and Tony Tuzzolino. Scott Young signed with St. Louis Blues as a free agent just prior to Gauthier taking over

Upon being named GM of the team on August 6, 1998, Gauthier's roster was as follows:

1997-98 Roster: (32) Teemu Selanne, Steve Rucchin, Paul Kariya, Matt Cullen, Tomas Sandstrom, Ted Drury, Travis Green, Ruslan Salei, Dave Karpa, Frank Banham, Josef Marha, Kevin Todd, Jeff Nielson, Jason Marshall, Jeremy Stevenson, Pavel Trnka, Drew Bannister, Mike Crowley, Jean-Francois Jomphe, Brent Severyn, Espen Knutsen, Doug Houda, Peter LeBoutillier, Richard Park, Jamie Pushor, Dan Trebil, Antti Alto, Mike Leclerc, Marc Moro, Barry Nieckar, Bob Wren, Guy Hebert, and Tom Askey.

1998-99 Gauthier Season 1 Anaheim

Coach: Craig Hartsburg

83 points (35-34-13)

Standing: 3rd in Pacific Division

1998-99 Roster: (27) Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya, Steve Rucchin, Fredrik Olausson, Marty McInnis, Tomas Sandstrom, Travis Green, Matt Cullen, Ruslan Salei, Ted Drury, Jim McKenzie, Jeff Nielson, Antti Alto, Johan Davidsson, Jason Marshall, Kevin Haller, Pascal Trepanier, Mike Crowley, Pavel Trnka, Stu Grimson, Jamie Pushor, Scott Ferguson, Dan Trebil, Josef Marha, Mike Leclerc, Dominic Roussel

New faces: (10) Fredrik Olausson, Marty McInnis, Jim McKenzie, Johan Davidsson, Jason Marshall, Kevin Haller, Pascal Trepanier, Stu Grimson, Scott Ferguson and Dominic Roussel.

Transactions: (5)

1998 August 11 - Dave Karpa traded to Carolina by Anaheim with Anaheim's 4th rd choice (later traded to Atlanta - Atlanta selected Blake Robson) in 2000 draft for Stu Grimson for Kevin Haller

1998 October 5 - Marc Moro traded to Nashville by Anaheim with Chris Mason for Dominic Roussell

1998 October 9 - Doug Houda traded to Detroit by Anaheim for future considerations

1998 October 27 - Marty McInnis traded to Anaheim by Chicago for Toronto's 4th rd choice (previously acquired, later traded to Washington - Washington selected Ryan Vanbuskirk) in 2000 draft

1998 December 10 - Drew Bannister traded to Tampa Bay by Anaheim for Tampa Bay's 5th rd choice (Peter Podhradsky) in 2000 draft

1999 January 28 - Josef Marha traded to Chicago by Anaheim for Chicago's 4th rd choice (Alexandr Chagodayev) in 1999 draft

Free agents signed: (1)

1998 August 28 - Fredrik Olausson signed as a free agent by Anaheim

Free agents / players lost: (3)

1998 August 24 - Richard Park signed as a free agent by Philadelphia

1998 August 26 - Brent Severyn signed as a free agent by Dallas

1998 August 27 - Barry Nieckar signed as a free agent by Phoenix

1998 October 5 - Pascal Trepanier claimed by Anaheim from Colorado in Waiver Draft

1999-2000 Gauthier Season 2 Anaheim

Coach: Craig Hartsburg

83 points (34-33-12-3)

Standing: 3rd in Pacific Division

1999-2000 Roster: Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya, Steve Rucchin, Oleg Tverdovsky, Fredrik Olausson, Ted Donato, Marty McInnis, Kip Miller, Ladislav Kohn, Matt Cullen, Mike Leclerc, Jeff Nielson, Antti Alto, Pavel Trnka, Tony Hrkac, Ruslan Salei, Niclas Havelid, Kevin Haller, Ted Drury, Jim McKenzie, Pascal Trepanier, Stu Grimson, Jorgen Jonsson, Jason Marshall, Vitaly Vishnevski, Johan Davidsson, Jeremy Stevenson, Ed Ward, Frank Banham, Jeremy Stevenson, Maxim Balmochnykh, Dominic Roussell and Guy Hebert

New faces: (11) Oleg Tverdovsky, Ted Donato, Kip Miller, Ladislav Kohn, Tony Hrkac, Niclas Havelid, Jorgen Jonsson, Vitaly Vishnevski, Ed Ward, Frank Banham, Jeremy Stevenson and Maxim Balmochnykh.

Not returning from 1998-99: (7) Tomas Sandstrom, Travis Green, Mike Crowley, Jamie Pushor, Scott Ferguson, Dan Trebil, and Josef Marha.

Transactions: (8)

1999 June 18 - Antti-Jussi Niemi traded to Anaheim by Ottawa with Ted Donato for Patrick Lalime

1999 June 26 - Travis Green traded to Phoenix by Anaheim with Anaheim's 1st rd choice (Scott Kelman) in 1999 draft for Oleg Tverdovsky

1999 September 27 - Ladislav Kohn traded to Anaheim by Atlanta for Anaheim's 8th rd choice (Evan Nielsen) in 2000 draft

1999 October 29 - Ted Drury traded to NY Islanders by Anaheim for Tony Hrkac and Dean Malkoc

2000 January 29 - Kip Miller traded to Anaheim by Pittsburgh for Anaheim's 9th rd choice (Roman Simicek) in 2001 draft

2000 March 11 - Jorgen Jonsson traded to Anaheim by NY Islanders for Johan Davidson in 2000 draft and future considerations

2000 March 14 - Ed Ward traded to Anaheim by Atlanta for Anaheim's 7th rd choice (Colin Fitzrandolph) in 2001 draft

2000 March 14 - Dan Trebil traded to Pittsburgh by Anaheim for Pittsburgh's 5th rd choice (Bill Cass) in 2000 draft

Free agents signed: (1)

1999 March 31 - Greg Naumenko signed as a free agent by Anaheim

Free agents / players lost: (3)

1999 June 25 - Jamie Pushor claimed by Atlanta from Anaheim in Expansion Draft

1999 August 24 - Mike Crowley signed as a free agent by Long Beach (IHL)

2000 January 20 - Jim McKenzie claimed on waivers by Washington from Anaheim

2000-01 Gauthier Season 3 Anaheim

Coach: Craig Hartsburg

Record: 33-11-15-4-3

Coach: Guy Charron

Record: 49-14-26-7-2

66 points: (25-41-11-5)

Standing: 5th in Pacific Division

2000-01 Roster: (35) Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya, Steve Rucchin, Oleg Tverdovsky, Marty McInnis, Matt Cullen, Tony Hrkac, Mike Leclerc, German Titov, Petr Tenkrat, Vitaly Vishnevski, Niclas Havelid, Jeff Friesen, Jim Cummins, Mike Crowley, Pascal Trepanier, Dan Bylsma, Pavel Trnka, Ladislav Kohn, Marc Chouinard, Jason Marshall, Sammy Pahlsson, Ruslan Salei, Jonas Rundqvist, Antti Alto, Antti-Jussi Niemi, Andy McDonald, Andre Nazarov, Patrick Traverse, Kevin Sawyer, Bob Wren, Greg Naumenko, Dominic Roussell, Guy Hebert and Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

New faces: (17) German Titov, Petr Tenkrat, Jeff Friesen, Jim Cummins, Dan Bylsma, Marc Chouinard, Mike Crowley, Sammy Pahlsson, Jonas Rundqvist, Antti-Jussi Niemi, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Andy McDonald, Andre Nazarov, Patrick Traverse, Kevin Sawyer, Bob Wren and Greg Naumenko.

Not returning from 1999-2000: (16) Fredrik Olausson, Ted Donato, Kip Miller, Jeff Nielson, Kevin Haller, Ted Drury, Jim McKenzie, Stu Grimson, Jorgen Jonsson, Johan Davidsson, Jeremy Stevenson, Ed Ward, Frank Banham, Jeremy Stevenson and Maxim Balmochnykh.

Transactions: (9)

2000 May 25 - Espen Knutsen traded to Columbus by Anaheim for Columbus' 4th rd choice (Vladmir Korsunov) in 2001 draft

2000 June 10 - Jean-Sebastien Giguere traded to Anaheim by Calgary for Anaheim's 2nd rd choice (later traded to Washington - Washington selected Matt Pettinger)

2000 June 12 - Ed Ward traded to New Jersey by Anaheim for New Jersey's 7th rd choice (Tony Martensson) in 2001 draft

2000 June 12 - Patrick Traverse traded to Anaheim by Ottawa for Joel Kwiatkowski

2000 September 26 - Andre Nazarov and a 2nd round choice in 2001 (later traded to Phoenix - later traded back to Calgary - Calgary selected Andrei Taratukhin) traded to Anaheim by Calgary for Jordan Leopold

2000 November 18 - Patrick Traverse traded to Boston by Anaheim with Andrei Nazarov for Sammy Pahlsson

2001 February 9 - Ladislav Kohn traded to Atlanta by Anaheim for Sergei Vyshedkevich and Scott Langkov

2001 March 5 - Teemu Selanne traded to San Jose by Anaheim for Jeff Freisen, Steve Shields and San Jose's 2nd rd choice (later traded to Dallas - Dallas selected Vojtech Polak in 2003 draft

2001 March 13 - Jason Marshall traded to Washington by Anaheim for Alexei Tezikov and Edmonton's 4th rd choice (Brandon Rogers) in 2001 draft

Free agents signed: (6)

2000 April 3 - Andy McDonald signed as a free agent by Anaheim

2000 July 1 - German Titov signed as a free agent by Anaheim

2000 July 5 - Jim Cummins signed as a free agent by Anaheim

2000 July 13 - Kevin Sawyer signed as a free agent by Anaheim

2000 July 13 - Dan Bylsma signed as a free agent by Anaheim

2000 December 8 - Mike Crowley signed as a free agent by Anaheim

Free agents / players lost: (12)

2000 May 24 - Jorgen Jonsson signed as a free agent by Farjestad (Sweden)

2000 June 23 - Jeff Nielson claimed by Minnesota from Anaheim in Expansion Draft

2000 July 3 - Kevin Haller signed as a free agent by NY Islanders

2000 July 5 - Scott Ferguson signed as a free agent by Edmonton

2000 July 6 - Stu Grimson signed as a free agent by Los Angeles

2000 August 11 - Peter LeBoutillier signed as a free agent by Los Angeles

2000 August 17 - Ted Donato signed as a free agent agent by Dallas

2000 September 24 - Kip Miller signed as a free agent by Pittsburgh

2000 September 25 - Jeremy Stevenson signed as a free agent by Nashville

2000 September 29 - Tom Askey signed as a free agent by Rochester (AHL)

2001 January 10 - Dominic Roussel claimed on waivers by Edmonton from Anaheim

2001 March 7 - Guy Hebert claimed on waivers by NY Rangers from Anaheim

2001-02 Gauthier Season 4 Anaheim

Coach: Bryan Murray

69 points: (29-42- 8-3)

Standing: 5th in Pacific Division

2001-02 Roster: (31) Paul Kariya, Matt Cullen, Mike Leclerc, Jeff Friesen, Oleg Tverdovsky, Andy McDonald, German Titov, Jason York, Marty McInnis, Steve Rucchin, Sammy Pahlsson, Dan Bylsma, Patric Kjellberg, Ruslan Salei, Keith Carney, Pavel Trnka, Marc Chouinard, Denny Lambert, Niclas Havelid, Sergei Krivokrasov, Timo Parssinen, Vitaly Vishnevski, Kevin Sawyer, Drew Bannister, Aris Brimanis, Jim Cummins, Antti-Jussi Niemi, Petr Tenkrat, Ilya Bryzgalov, Steve Shields and Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

New faces: (11) Jason York, Patric Kjellberg, Keith Carney, Denny Lambert, Sergei Krivokrasov, Timo Parssinen, Drew Bannister, Aris Brimanis, Ilya Bryzgalov, and Steve Shields.

Not returning from 2000-01: (14) Teemu Selanne, Tony Hrkac, Mike Crowley, Pascal Trepanier, Ladislav Kohn, Jason Marshall, Jonas Rundqvist, Antti Alto, Andre Nazarov, Patrick Traverse, Bob Wren, Greg Naumenko, Dominic Roussel and Guy Hebert.

Not returning from 1997-98: (15) Dave Karpa, Frank Banham, Kevin Todd, Jeremy Stevenson, Drew Bannister, Jean-Francois Jomphe, Brent Severyn, Espen Knutsen, Doug Houda, Peter LeBoutillier, Richard Park, Marc Moro, Barry Nieckar, Bob Wren, and Tom Askey.

Transactions: (4)

2001 June 19 - Keith Carney traded to Anaheim by Phoenix for Calgary's 2nd round choice (previously acquired, later traded back to Calgary - Calgary selected Andrei Taratukhin) in 2001 Entry Draft

2001 July 2 - Denny Lambert traded to Anaheim by Atlanta with Atlanta's 9th rd choice (Francois Caron) in 2002 draft for Anaheim's 8th rd choice (Tyler Boldt) in 2002 draft

2001 November 1 - Petr Tenkrat traded to Nashville by Anaheim for Patrick Kjellberg

2001 November 1 - Sergei Krivokrasov traded to Anaheim by Minnesota for Anaheim's 7th rd choice (Niklas Eckerblom) in 2002 draft and a conditional choice in 2003 draft

Free agents signed: (3)

2001 July 3 - Jason York signed as a free agent by Anaheim

2001 July 27 - Drew Bannister signed as a free agent by Anaheim

2001 August 1 - Aris Brimanis signed as a free agent by Anaheim

Free agents lost: (7)

2001 April 24 - Frank Banham signed as a free agent by Jokerit Helsinki (Finland)

2001 April 26 - Antti Alto signed as a free agent by Jokerit Helsinki (Finland)

2001 May 24 - Fredrik Olausson signed as a free agent by Detroit

2001 July 24 - Bob Wren signed as a free agent by Toronto

2001 July 25 - Tony Hrkac signed as a free agent by Atlanta

2001 July 25 - Mike Crowley signed as a free agent by Minnesota

2001 September 1 - Pascal Trepanier signed as a free agent by Colorado

Gauthier drafts:

During his time in Anaheim, Gauthier presided over three NHL Entry Drafts, with thirteen of twenty-four picks eventually reaching the NHL for at least one game.

1999 Anaheim: (3/7) Jordan Leopold*, Niclas Havelid*, Alexandr Chagodayev, Maxim Rydin, Jan Sandstrom, Petr Tenkrat*, Brian Gornick

2000 Anaheim: (3/5) Alexei Smirnov*, Ilya Bryzgalov*, Jonas Ronnqvist*, Peter Pidhradsky, Bill Cass.

2001 Anaheim: (7/12) Stanislav Chistov*, Mark Popovic*, Joel Stepp, Timo Parssinen*, Vladimir Korsunov, Brandon Rogers, Joel Perreault*, Jan Tabacek, Tony Martensson*, Martin Gerber*, Pierre-Alexandre Parenteau*.

Beneficial transactions and signings: 13

Non-beneficial transactions and signings: 4

Total player transactions: 38

Inventory Check: Centres of Attention

2010-03-01T16:16:12Z

More photos » Frank Gunn - AP

Tomas Plekanec is the best centre the Montreal Canadiens have. Is that good enough? (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)

Browse more photos »

In this feature, we’ll examine Montreal’s strengths and weaknesses as a roster going forward. In one sense, this can be viewed as what exactly former General Manager Bob Gainey left behind for his successor, Pierre Gauthier. In a more immediate sense, it examines what Gauthier might do at the NHL trading deadline. Our first look is at the organization’s depth at the centre position.

Aside from the never-ending goaltending controversy, there hasn’t been a position of more contention in recent years amongst Montreal Canadiens fans and management than down the middle. Bob Gainey’s most lasting legacy to the team was his inability to land the big, star #1 centreman (i.e. Vincent Lecavalier), and in the end settling on Scott Gomez as Saku Koivu’s successor. Winning without a top centre isn’t impossible, but it isn’t all that common. That’s why Tomas Plekanec’s season has both surprised Habs fans and been the subject of much debate: is Plekanec a legitimate top line centre, or is he just having one of those "contract seasons?"

Centre	Cap Hit	FA	R/L	GP	G	A	P	PIM	P/-	TOI/G	SPCT	FOPCT	ESP	PPP	CORSI	QCOMP
Tomas Plekanec	$2,750,000	2010	L	63	17	43	60	36	4	20:15	10.1%	47.6%	36	24	-0.2	0.095
Scott Gomez	$7,357,000	2014	L	59	10	32	42	48	-5	19:45	7.6%	50.9%	29	13	10.1	0.071
Dominic Moore	$1,100,000	2010	L	50	9	9	18	37	-7	15:00	10.7%	55.8%	15	2	2.9	0.003
Glen Metropolit	$1,000,000	2010	R	57	13	11	24	24	-1	14:18	12.9%	50.3%	13	11	1.3	-0.059
Maxim Lapierre	$687,500	2010	R	63	5	6	11	54	-13	12:29	6.4%	47.9%	11	0	-12.5	-0.063
Tom Pyatt	$850,000	2010	L	22	1	1	2	6	-10	11:39	3.3%	45.2%	2	0	-10.0	-0.028
Ben Maxwell	$850,000	2011	L	8	0	0	0	4	-1	9:33	0.0%	50.0%	0	0	-29.4	0.046
David Desharnais	$512,500	2010	L	6	0	1	1	0	-1	8:26	0.0%	57.1%	0	1	-10.9	-0.088

Tomas Plekanec is producing at the best clip of his career, but it’s not a severe aberration for him. The assists totals are higher than anticipated, but without constantly deferring to Alex Kovalev (his linemate for the better part of the previous three seasons), he’s taken more initiative in creating plays. He’s emerging as the team’s top passer and has also been a huge part of the team’s PK success. He also plays the toughest minutes of all the Habs’ centres, yet still leads the team in even strength production (as well as on the power play). Projecting him to be "Mr. Everything" for years to come is definitely hard to believe, but he has shown multiple dimensions to his game that can prove valuable going forward. With Gauthier’s stated desire to retain him, coupled with his strong performance at the Olympics, it’s doubtful the 2009-10 Canadiens will move him on Mar. 3. Whether he and the Habs can agree on a contract extension is another story.

Scott Gomez’s contract is definitely hard to accept, but he has done reasonably well in his first year as a Hab. His Corsi numbers are amongst the best on the team, though he also takes more offensive zone faceoffs than anyone else on the team, which skews the results. While the salary doesn’t justify the results, he is a decent #2, and hardly the source of Montreal’s mediocre record. Pierre Gauthier’s first move was to add a 3^rd line centre who could take some of the defensive responsibilities off of Plekanec, and targeted the relatively cap friendly Dominic Moore as a result. He’s now the team’s top faceoff man, and has been a solid contributor defensively this year. Glen Metropolit provides a RH option for Jacques Martin, and the team has tapped into a surprising source of power play acumen with the journeyman. Nevertheless, at 36 years old, don’t expect Metropolit to be re-signed. As for Moore, he’s a rental who has some potential to be re-signed.

Maxim Lapierre photo via cdn.bleacherreport.com

Part of the reason for the Moore acquisition was the poor play of Maxim Lapierre this year. In every aspect of the game he has struggled and his minutes have been cut severely as a result. As the only centre on the NHL roster over 6’1", he still holds some value and he will remain a cap friendly asset despite his RFA status. For the rest of the year, he will likely skate as a 4^th line winger. None of the team’s callups have impressed to the point where they have earned a spot on the team, but Tom Pyatt has shown some versatility and may fair better as a winger. Ben Maxwell played out of position on left wing during his callup, so it is tough to judge his performance as a result. David Desharnais showed impressive skills, but his lack of size may get him moved to the wing if he is to crack the NHL roster next fall.

AHL Stats	Cap Hit	FA	R/L	GP	G	A	P	PIM	P/-	ESG	PPG
David Desharnais	$512,500	2010	L	39	19	32	51	24	11	10	8
Tom Pyatt	$850,000	2010	L	38	11	21	32	5	15	9	2
Ben Maxwell	$850,000	2011	L	50	12	25	37	18	7	8	4
Ryan Russell	$503,333	2010	L	56	11	13	24	4	11	9	1
Mikael Johansson	$875,000	2010	L	20	3	3	6	2	0	2	1
Olivier Fortier	$875,000	2012		0

In the AHL, all three of Desharnais, Pyatt and Maxwell have been impressive. Maxwell overcame a slow start and has shown great chemistry with winger Brock Trotter, but it’s hard to see the Habs leaving a roster spot open for Maxwell next season. Deharnais is now one of the AHL’s top point producers, and Pyatt has shown enough offensive pop to help him in his future as a potential third line forward in the NHL. Ryan Russell has yet to see NHL action, but has had two solid campaigns in Hamilton in a checking role. Mikael Johansson has returned to Sweden, and Olivier Fortier has yet to play this year due to injury.

Ben Maxwell photo via habsinsideout.com

The one glaring conclusion when looking at the team’s centre depth is something that has been pointed out ad nauseum by media and fans league wide: this team has no size to speak of. Kyle Chipchura was dealt due to ineffectiveness, and Maxim Lapierre has struggled after having a strong 2008-09 season. Ben Maxwell is the "big centre" in Hamilton at all of 6’1", 195 lbs. Outside of Hamilton, Swedish centre Andreas Engqvist is the only centre of impressive size, a lanky 6’4", 199 lbs. He will join the Canadiens’ pro ranks next season.

What Montreal’s centre corps does boast is speed and versatility. Plekanec and Gomez aren’t world-beaters, but they are legitimate top 6 forwards who are solid defensively and use their teammates well. Dominic Moore gives the team a forechecking option they didn’t have previously, and perhaps even the beleaguered Max Lapierre will thrive as a forechecking winger, without the responsibilities of staying high in the offensive zone. If that doesn't sound like a Stanley Cup contending combination, you're probably on to something. In the end, the question is whether Pierre Gauthier can create a contending team with a Plekanec-Gomez tandem down the middle, or do major moves have to be made to make it work?

Poll

Can the Montreal Canadiens win with Plekanec and Gomez signed long term as the top two centres?

Yes - Them with great goaltending is good enough

95 votes

No - Them vs. Crosby/Malkin for the next 4-5 years? Are you serious?

287 votes

No idea, but I'm willing to give it a try (the Gainey answer)

70 votes

452 votes | Poll has closed

Flashback: From the Olympics to the Habs: "The Coming of Chris"

2010-03-01T05:02:45Z

I’m sure just about everybody will agree that the participation of NHL players in the Olympics is a great thing. But there was an era, different than today, when Canadian and United States Olympic hockey teams included many young prospects that would soon join the ranks of NHL teams after the games were done. In the case of one future Montreal Canadiens Hall of Famer in 1984, this scenario provides for an interesting flashback and some good story-telling.

Especially in the 1980’s, some of these young players made an impact with their teams in the stretch drive and the playoffs. Many might recall defenseman Ken Morrow who was part of the Miracle On Ice United States Olympic hockey team that won gold in the 1980 Lake Placid Games and then went on to win the Stanley Cup that spring with the New York Islanders. That same year, many Canadiens fans (myself included) might remember that a certain Steve Christoff, of that same US team, joined the Minnesota North Stars and contributed to the Habs playoff elimination that spring. Another example is Canadian goaltender Sean Burke, who, after the 1988 Calgary Olympics, guided the New Jersey Devils to their first playoff birth and to a run to the semi-finals.

The 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics in Yugoslavia featured another group of NHL prospects. For one, the defending Stanley Cup champion New York Islanders were awaiting the arrival of two of their high draft picks, American Pat Lafontaine and Canadian Pat Flatley. Meanwhile, the Montreal Canadiens and their fans had their eyes on U.S. defenseman Chris Chelios.

After playing junior hockey in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, the Chicago native was the Canadiens fifth pick, 40th overall, in the 1981 draft. He followed that with two strong years at the University of Wisconsin where he helped his team win a national championship in 1983. That year, Chelios postponed turning pro and committed to the U.S. National team for whom he would play a series of exhibition games to prepare for the ’84 Sarajevo Olympics.

There was no miracle for the 1984 U.S. Olympic team in Sarajevo as it finished a disappointing seventh but Chelios, along with Lafontaine, were among the bright lights for the team.

The arrival of the 22 year-old with the Canadiens was highly anticipated as indicated by The Montreal Gazette’s Red Fisher in a February 16 1984 article, a week prior to the defenseman joining the team.

The fanfare associated with the one-time University of Wisconsin all-star has been so great, his arrival in the NHL is generally regarded as The Coming of Chris. Immediately, - and without any magic words – Chelios becomes a regular member of the roster even though he has never played a game in the NHL.

First-year General manager Serge Savard and Club President Ronald Corey had travelled to Sarajevo during the Olympics to conclude a deal with Chelios and also hoping to obtain the services of another draft pick, Soviet goaltender Vladislav Tretiak.

The U.S. team played their final game at the Olympics on February 17 th. Chelios arrived in Montreal on February 22 where he signed a three year contract. The next day, The Montreal Gazette featured a big photo of Chelios being welcomed by Canadiens coach Bob Berry. Here is that entire page view. Clicking on the article pages will enlargen them for easier viewing.

Suffering from a bruised ankle after he got hit by a shot during the Olympic tournament, Chelios could not play right away for the Habs. But, he who had only been to Montreal once in his life for a pre-olympic game, quickly found out about the expectations regarding the Canadiens. Two days after his arrival, Savard fired coach Berry because of the team’s poor results and replaced him with then assistant Jacques Lemaire.

Chelios finally made his debut with the Habs on March 8th at the Forum as the Canadiens beat the Hartford Whalers 3-2. Right away, he impressed, showing good passing abilities and a hard shot. Thanks to the mentoring of Larry Robinson and Craig Ludwig, he improved steadily. He collected two assists in the last 12 games of the season.

But the Habs struggled during that period with four wins and eight losses, including six in a row to end the season. For the first time since the 1950-51, the Canadiens finished the season below .500 but still earned a playoff spot. In the first round, they were huge underdogs in a best-of-five series against the Boston Bruins, having finisthed 29 points behind their rival who had clinched the Adams division title with 104 points.

In a move that ressembled Ken Dryden’s playoff debut in 1971, coach Lemaire chose to start rookie goalie Steve Penney, who had been called up a few weeks earlier from the Nova Scotia Voyageurs and who had played just a few regular season games. The move paved off as Penney was spectacular. Chelios scored the Habs first goal of the series, on a power play, his first NHL goal, as the Canadiens took the first game 2-1. They followed that with a 3-1 win the next day and swept the Bruins with 5-0 shutout in Montreal.

In the following Battle of Quebec, the Canadiens continued their winning ways, downing the Nordiques in six-games (the clincher being the famous Good Friday brawl game) to advance to the semi-finals against the 4-time Stanley cup champions, New York Islanders, the team of former olympians Lafontaine and Flatley. While Lafontine had been a teammate with the U.S. Olympic team, Flatley had been one at the University of Wisconsin. After winning the first two games at the Forum, the Canadiens lost the next four to the Islanders. But, so unexepected was that playoff run that it was even more satisfying and it restored pride and hope to the fans.

Penney’s heroics and Lemaire’s defensive system were certainly two major factors in the Habs success that spring but Chelios was a dominant force who played with the poise of a veteran in moving the puck out of his zone and acting as a quarterback on the power play. He finished second to Mats Naslund in Canadiens playoff scoring with ten points (one goal and nine assists).

It was a great start to what would become a long and successful career. The following season he was the Calder Trophy runner-up to Mario Lemieux before winning his first Stanley cup the season after that. As a Hab, he won the first (88-89) of his three Norris trophies and earned the first of five first-team all star berths. At the start of the 89-90 season, Chelios was voted Canadiens co-captain with Guy Carbonneau to replace retired Bob Gainey. Then, during the summer of 1990, he was traded to Chicago for Denis Savard, apparently because of his off-ice troubles. His career included many other international competitions: three Canada Cups, Rendez-Vous 87, the World Cup and three more Olympic games.

As part of this flashback, there are two videos below. The first one shows Chelios and a few other notable players from the U.S. and Canadian Olympic hockey teams from the opening game for both teams of the Sarajevo Olympics, February 7th 1984. The team featured future Habs players, Russ Courtnall, Kirk Muller and Jean-Jacques Daigneault, the last two not even drafted at the time and who would be part of the ’93 Stanley cup winning Habs.

The second video features Chelios in Habs hi-lites during the 1984 playoffs, starting with his first NHL goal in game 1 of the Canadiens-Bruins series.

Hockey Gold Caps Off Unbelievable Olympics For Canada

2010-02-28T22:55:14Z

Team Canada's 3-2 win over the United States in today's Gold medal game is a fitting close to an unforgettable two weeks of Olympic games, national pride, and heart wrenching personal triumphs of unimaginable proportions.

Fourteen Gold medals aren't simple a Winter Games record, it is a virtual pipe dream. What Canada has managed to accomplish for a country its size is no mean feat.

Maintaining and restoring its hockey supremacy was but one order of these games for Canada. That on its own would have made these games special. Canadian athletes exceeded themselves, and it was not simply their respective wins that capativated imaginations, it was their personal achievements and stories that Canadians embraced.

Across the nation, into our living rooms, we welcomed the lives of Alexandre Bilodeau and his brother; Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who thrilled us in the pairs skate; skiers Jasey Jay Anderson, Ashleigh McIvor, Jennifer Heil and Maelle Ricker; bobsledders Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse; Kevin Martin's men's curling team, finally hitting the top step of the podium; Denny Morrison, Mathieu Giroux and Lucas Makowsky of the men's team pursuit speed skating team and Francois and Charles Hamelin 500 metre short track speed skating; and Hayley Wickenheiser and her band of hockey girls who never fail to disappoint.

Perhaps no story captivated Canadian more than that of Joannie Rochette. The darling figure skater overcame the death of her mother in Vancouver only days before her skate. With hearts in throats across the country, we watched as she bravely found the werewithall to skate her routine to perfection, earning so much more than a silver medal.

Rochette will be Canada's flag carrier during the closing ceremonies, and there is no doubt as to why. Her every gesture throughout the past week seemed to suggest, "You want courage, I'll show you courage you can understand!"

One story passed on to me last week regarding what Rochette inspired happened at a local rink very late one evening. A crew of oldtimer hockey players well into their fifties had just come off the ice after a late night pickup game. It was 11:30, and in their various workdays had not seen Rochette's skate.

The rink rat closing the arena up for the night, told one of the boys that a replay of the event was about to play on TV, so one by one, a team's worth of sweaty hockey players lined up and crowded around the tube just outside their dressing room, many in various stages of undress. They watched, some silently, others cheering, as Rochette nailed her routine. As the rink rat put it, there wasn't a dry eye to be found. Now there's a sight!

It's been that kind of a week. For many Canadians, there are two requisite events in which Canada has to take gold, and that is the women and men's hockey.

In a record setting Olympics for the nation, after the girl's win, the men could not let the country down. The team didn't need the added pressure. What's heavier than the weight of the world?

Goals by Jonathan Toews and Corey Perry put Canada ahead by two before Ryan Kesler tipped a shot that found it's way past Roberto Luongo midway through the second. Canada clung to a one goal lead until late into the third period.

Two goalposts and a foiled breakaway chance by Sidney Crosby kept the American's hopes alive. The seconds ticked away with shots of Brian Burke and Steve Yzerman, nervously looking on. With Ryan on Miller on the U.S. bench, the final seconds trickled down. As it did, a nation stood up in unison, prepared to unleash itself in united euphoria.

But like all good stories, this one had an added twist and an extra chapter. Zach Parise spoiled Canada's party, or at least put it on hold, with the tying goal with twenty seconds left on the clock. This game, like all classic, would be settled in four on four overtime or a shootout.

Seven or so minutes in, Sid the kid Crosby did the trick, scooping a feed from the boards and riffling a low shot past Miller.

Canada gets it's euphoria and medla record after all!

The hockey was a clean, crashing and hurling final, played with great desperation and pride by two nations. It's an old cliche, but it's unforetunate that one team has to go home disappointed.

I've yet to mention American athletes, many of whom helped push their Canadian counterparts to great heights. It happened on the hockey rink, and virtually every other field of play in Vancouver. Canada may have set a Gold medal record at these games, but American and Canadian athletes shone equally throughout the two weeks of events.

Sometimes the best parties are with your neighbours!

Canada Owns A 12-2-1 Record All-Time Against U.S. In Olympic Play

2010-02-28T08:36:59Z

Will Canada have history on their side in Sunday's gold medal game or will the United States reverse the trend in Vancouver 2010's Olympic hockey finale?

And just what is the trend?

In 15 previous meetings with the United States going back to 1920, teams from Canada own a dominating 12-2-1 record. Canada have outscored their rivals south of the border by a 59-33 over meeting in 14 Olympics games, but consider that the United States have twice kicked off a decade with an Olympic Gold. It happened in 1960 and 1980, the only years since 1920 that the Winter Games were held in a year that began the decade.

Trends mean nothing, and sometimes history is not very relevent. Oh yeah, and the pressure is hardly ever on the underdog.

Two diverse opinions heading into today's game are that the Americans have nothing to lose, having already overachieved in the eyes on many.

Tell that to the players with USA emblazoned on their jersey fronts!

Another thought, with respect to the States win against Canada last week, is that can the U.S., who won despite being outplayed, turn the trick twice against Canada in such a short span?

In overall medal counts, Canada have 7 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze, while the U.S. have 2 gold, 7 silver and 1 bronze. Anyway you slice it, an edge history may not translate into one presently. Here are the scores of all meetings since 1920:

February 24, 2002: Canada 5 United States 2

February 16, 1998: Canada 4 United States 1

February 17, 1994: Canada 3 United States 3

February 7, 1984: Canada 4 United States 2

February 11, 1968 Canada 3 United States 2

February 3, 1964 Canada 8 United States 6

February 25, 1960 United States 2 Canada 1

January 31, 1956 United States 4 Canada 1

February 24, 1952 Canada 3 United States 3

February 6, 1948 Canada 13 United States 3

February 16, 1936 Canada 2 United States 1

February 13, 1932 Canada 2 United States 2

February 4, 1932 Canada 2 United States 1

February 3, 1924 Canada 6 United States 1

April 25, 1920 - Canada 2 United States 0

1920 Antwerp, Belgium

The sport of ice hockey (is there really any other kid?) made its debut at the Antwerp, Belgium games at the 1920 Summer Olympics. The seven participating countries were Canada, the United States, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, France and Switzerland.

Canada and the United states first met in Olympic play on April 25, 1920 in the semi-finals of Gold medal round. Canada were represented by the Winnipeg Falcons, and they won the game 2-0 on goals by Frank Fredrickson and Konrad Johannesson. Goalie Walter Byron earned the shutout for Canada.

1924 Chamonix, France

Hockey moved to the Winter Olympics in 1924 at Chamonix, France. Canada, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, and Switzerland formed Group A, while France, Great Britain, Belgium and France formed Group B, with the top two teams in each group advancing to the medal round. Canada won Gold a second time, with the U.S. placing second and Great Britain third.

Canada were represented by the 1923 Allen Cup winning Toronto Granites, which included Reginald "Hooley" Smith, Cyril Slater, Harry Watson, Harold McMunn, Dunc Monro, Beattie Ramsay, Jack Cameron, Ernie Collett and Bert McCaffery. Canada and the U.S. met on February 3 in the medal round, with Canada taking the game 6-1

1928 St. Moritz, Switzerland

Canada, represented by the Conn Smythe coached Toronto Varsity Grads won the Gold medal in hockey for a third time. Harold Ballard was assistant team manager. A U.S. hockey team was not entered in these Olympics.

1932 Lake Placid, New York

At Lake Placid, New York, a double round-robin format was employed for the four participating countries, which included Canada, the United States, Germany and Poland, with a total points system being used to determine the winner. Canada defeated the U.S. in double overtime in the first contest on February 4 by a 2-1 score. It was the only U.S. loss in the tournament. The two nations met again in the final game for Gold on February 13, and again the teams went to overtime. After six full period, the game was a draw and Canada had won its fourth Olympic Gold Medal.

1936 Garmisch-Partenkirch, Germany

For the 1936 Olympic games in Garmisch-Partenkirch, Germany, Canada and the United States were joined by teams from Austria, Latvia, Poland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Belgium, France, Great Britain, Sweden, Japan and Hungary divided into 4 pools. Two winners from each group advanced, with relevant results from earlier rounds carried over into the medal rounds.

Germany and Canada were both in disagreement after the final medal round, and protests they had launched were igored. An earlier win by Britain over Canada in the semis gave them the Gold. Canada, represented by the Port Arthur Bearcats, and the U.S met in the medal round's anticlimatic final game on February 16, with Canada winning 2-1.

1948 St. Moritz, Switzerland

After World War II forced the cancellation of the Olympics in 1940 and 1944, the games resumed in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Confusion arose over the U.S. entry in the hockey competition, as it was proven it had been an openly professional club. The team, known as the Brundage entry, was ruled ineligible for medal competition but still allowed to play in tournament games.

In the nine team tournament, Canada and the United States were joined by Austria, Poland, Italy, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Great Britain and Sweden. Canada were represented by the Royal Canadian Air Force Flyers team, and they defeated the U.S squad 13-3 on February 6. The goal margin was an important deciding factor for Canada, as the Gold medal was settled on goal differential between themslves and Czechoslovakia when the nations finished with identical won loss records and played to a scoreless draw.

1952 Olso, Norway

At the Olso, Norway Olympics in 1952, nine teams again competed for medal, with Finland and Norway replacing Italy and Great Britain in the tournament. Canada were represented by the Edmonton Mercurys, winners of the 1950 World Hockey Championship in London.

Canada were undefeated in the round, winning seven of eight games to claim the Gold once more. On February 24, Canada lost its only point in a 3-3 tie with the U.S. Incidentally, this would be Canada's last Gold medal until 2002.

1956 Cortina, Italy

The 1956 Winter Olympics were held in Cortina, Italy and featured a 10 team 3 pool playdown. Canada were represented by the Kitchener - Waterloo Dutchmen, champions of the Senior Ontario Hockey Association. Their goaltender was Denis Brodeur, father of future goaltending legend Martin Brodeur.

After Canada won their pool in a clean sweep, they lost for the first time to the U.S. team by a 4-1 score on January 31. A second loss, a 2-0 shutout at the hands of the USSR on February 4, relegated Canada to a silver medal in hockey for the first time.

1960 Squaw Valley, California

The Winter Olympics were held for a second time on U.S. soil, this time in Squaw Valley, California with nine nations competing. Canada, represented again by the Kitchener - Waterloo Dutchmen, swept through the preliminaries as expected and advance to the six team medal round where it posted a 4-1 record.

The loss, Canada's second in as many Olympics, came at the hands of the U.S team on February 25, a 2-1 defeat. It gave the Americans, after five Silver medals and one Bronze in Olympic play, their first hockey Gold. The moment is known today as the "Forgotten Miracle."

1964 Innsbruck, Austria

The 1964 Olympic hockey tournament at Innsbruck, Austria was the first to result with no metal standing for Canada or the United States. In retrospect, the event was badly managed. Canada had initially been awarded the bronze medal, but organizers revised the goal differential format for breaking standing ties.

With three nations tied with 10 points, Czechoslovakia were award the bronze over Canada based on head to head competition. However, the same method did not apply regarding Canada's game, which it won against silver medalist Sweden. All three teams had finished the round with 10 points, with Sweden holding the best goal differential. The United States finished fifth in the tournament, losing 8-6 to Canada on February 3.

1968 Grenoble, France

The USSR's dominance at Olympic hockey had begun in 1960 and continued in Grenoble, France and Canada's National Team were no match. Canada earned Silver with a 5-2 record, defeating the United States 3-2 on February 11.

1980 Lake Placid, New York

Canada returned to the Olympics in 1980, but the spotlight was stolen by the United States, with their surprising upset of the five-time defending champion Russia club. Often forgotten in the "Miracle On Ice" story, is that Canada, with a 3-2 record, failed to qualify for the medal round, and thus never met up with an American team and its date with destiny.

1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia

Neither Canada, nor the U.S. earned medals at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia in 1984. Both nations were grouped in the B pool, and met on February 7 with Canada winning 4-2. The Russian club reclaimed the Gold medal, with Czechoslovaki and Sweden finishing second and third respectively.

1988 Galgary, Alberta

Canada and the United States were grouped apart for the 1988 Calgary Olympics, with only Canada advancing to the medal round. The team did not in round play.

1992 Albertville, France

In Albertville, France in 1992, Canada and United States were on a collision course for Gold medals after each winning their respective pools. Each nation won their quarter-final match, but when the U.S. lost their semi-final to the Unified Team (Russia) and Canada won their contest with Czechoslovakia, the Americans headed for a loss in the bronze medal game, while Canada settled for silver after losing to the Unifieds.

1994 Lillehammer, Norway

Canada and United States were grouped together in pool B at the Lillehammer, Norway Olympics in 1994. Canada would go on to win the silver medal while the U.S. failed to qualify for the medal round. Along the

1998 Nagano, Japan

Star-studded lineups graced both the Canadian and U.S. Olympic teams at Nagano, Japan in 1998, as for the first time in history fully professional squads from both sides of the borders were filled with NHL talent. Both teams were grouped in the A Division and met on February 16, with Canada winning 4-1. Neither nation, despite the NHL stars, earned a medal, Canada came closest, being ousted in a semi-final shootout game with Czechoslovakia and losing the bronze medal game to Finland.

2002 Salt Lake City, Utah

In Salt Lake City, Canada earned its first gold medal in 46 years, with a 5-2 win over the U.S. in the gold medal game on February 24. Both teams took a different path to the final, with the United States going endefeated until encountering Canada, who stumbled through the qualifying round with a 1-1-1 record.

2006 Torino, Italy

In Torino, Italy in 2006, both Canada and the United States were eliminated from medal competition with semi-final losses and did not meet as they were in separate groups.

Any Of Nine NHL Teams Could Have An Olympic Medalist Of Every Mint

2010-02-26T06:28:58Z

As hockey fan's gazes are firmly set on tonight's semi-final games at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, it is curious to note that eight different NHL teams have representation from at least three finalist countries.

Paring down the tableau of NHL team player representation by country from this nhl.com link, one can see that eight NHL clubs have a shot at having a gold, silver and bronze medalist within their ranks come Sunday night's gold medal game.

As it stands, the rosters of Team Canada, Finland, Slovakia and USA comprise a total of 77 NHL players.

The Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, Chicago Blackhawks, Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning all have players on three country's rosters. The worse case scenario for all seven of these teams is that they will have no less than two each.

It surely must be Vancouver Canucks' year, as there is no such mystery in terms of their medals chances. The Canucks have representation on all four surviving Olympics teams and three of those are destined to have medals hung from their necks come Sunday. Oddly, none will be named Sedin.

The Canucks are represented by Roberto Luongo (Canada), Ryan Kesler (USA), Sami Salo (Finland) and Pavol Demitra (Slovakia). Come the Canucks next home game, one of these four will be a spectator to an ice ceremony honouring the team's Olympic medalists. As luck, both good and bad, would have it, Vancouver are on an NHL record length road trip (14 games) thanks to the city hosting the Olympic games. With six road games left to play out, that Canuck ceremony isn't slated until March 14, against the Calgary Flames.

Rather than listing countries in order of potential gold, silver and bronze finishes, let's take an odd man out approach.

If Finland finishes fourth:

Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago will have a medalist of every mint.

Boston are represented by Patrice Bergeron (Canada), Zdeno Chara and Miroslav Satan (Slovakia) and Tim Thomas (USA)

Los Angeles are represented by Drew Doughty (Canada), Michal Handzus (Slovakia), Jack Johnson, Jonathan Quick and Dustin Brown (USA)

Chicago are represented by Marian Hossa and Tomas Kopecky (Slovakia), Patrick Kane (USA) and Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and Jonathan Toews (Canada)

If Slovakia finishes fourth:

Anaheim and Carolina will have a medalist of every mint.

Anaheim are represented by Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne (Finland), Scott Niedermayer, Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf (Canada), Bobby Ryan and Ryan Whitney (USA)

Carolina are represented by Tim Gleason (USA), Joni Pitkanen and Tuomo Ruutu (Finland) and Eric Staal (Canada)

If Canada finishes fourth:

Buffalo, Tampa Bay and the Rangers will have a medalist of every mint.

Buffalo are represented by Toni Lydman (Finland), Ryan Miller (USA) and Andrej Sekera (Slovakia)

Tampa Bay are represented by Ryan Malone (USA), Andrej Meszaros (Slovakia) and Antero Niittymaki (Finland)

The Rangers are respresented by Chris Drury and Ryan Callahan (USA), Ollie Jokinen (Finland) and Marian Gaborik (Slovakia)

If the United States finishes fourth:

Only the Canucks (Oh, the irony!) will have a medalist of every mint.

In other Canadian hockey cities, only the Calgary Flames are guaranteed a medalist among Jarome Iginla (Canada) and Miikka Kiprusoff and Niklas Hagman (Finland)

Edmonton Oliers hopes rest with Lubomir Visnovsky (Slovakia), Ottawa Senators have Jarkko Ruutu (Finland) and Toronto Maple Leafs have Phil Kessel (USA).

In Montreal, Canadiens fans are Canadian hockey fans, and although Habs faithful wish nothing but the best for Slovakian goaltender Jaroslav Halak, the cheering will almost entirely for the Canada side.

Team Canada Ends 50 Year Russian Drought

2010-02-25T07:56:42Z

Whatever the fate of the 2010 men's Olympic hockey team, it did manage to put one horrendous losing streak to bed with a 7-3 crushing of Russia on Wednesday night.

Perhaps the context is difficult to grasp, but Canada had not defeated the Russians in Olympic play since 1960.

"Huh?", you say. "That's longer than the Leafs Stanley Cup drought.

Of course, the scales of play have not always been balanced since that last, long ago win. Canadian professionals were long denied entry into the Olympic event, while Russians who were essentially equal to the Canadian pros were dubiously regarded as amateurs.

Everyone on Canadian soil knew the deal stunk, hence the neccessity of the 1972 Summit Series to settle the score.

Several Canadian squads over the past fifty years have claimed victory of Soviet Union teams numerous times. There have been World Junior Championship wins, Canada Cup wins and World Championship tournament wins, just none on the Olympic scale

Here is a rundown of a half century of Canadian Olympic hockey futility:

In 2006 at the Turin, Italy Olympics, a team of Canadian NHL professionals were beaten 2-0 by Russia on February 22, in the quarter final round. On that night, Canada was shut out by San Jose Sharks netminder Evgeni Nabokov. Sweden would go on to win the gold medal, with Finland placing second and the Czech Republic third. It was a tournament to forget for the Wayne Gretzky managed team.

Salt Lake City in 2002 was a watershed moment for Canadian Olympic hockey, and a true high point for Canada as both the mens and womens team won gold. It hardly hurt Canada's chances that they did not meet the Russian squad, who were eliminted by the United States team on February 22, by a 3-2 score. Thanks, Yanks!

Nagano, Japan in 1998 marked the first time true Canadian professionals appeared in the Olympics, and Canada came oh-so-close to winning it all. In the end, they settled for a fourth place finish, after losing 3-2 in a shootout to the Czech republic on February 20. Fans who watched the game will forever recall in angst, the moment coach Marc Crawford elected to use Ray Bourque in the shootout over team captain Wayne Gretzky. The move surely stirred one of the greatest second guessing arguments in Canadian Hockey history. Canada was then relagated to the bronze medal game the next day, and promptly lost 3-2 to Finland. Again, Canada avoided playing the Pavel Bure lead Russians, who lost the gold medal game to Dominic Hasek's Czechs.

The 1994 Lillehammer, Norway Olympics saw a Canadian National team entry win silver. The team was comprised of star collegiate and university players and bolstered by several NHL bound prospects such Paul Kariya, Brian Savage, Adrian Aucoin, Petr Nedved and goalie Corey Hirsh. Although gold was not achieved, the tournament was considered a success for Canada, who lost the final game on a shootout goal by Peter Forsberg that has been immortalized on a sramp in Sweden. Canada were all set to meet the Russians in the final, when they were snuffed out by the Swedes 4-3 in the semi-final.

Canada also took silver at the 1992 Albertville games, with a lineup that included future NHLer Eric Lindros and reinstated amateur goalie Sean Burke. Close but n0 cigar again, as Canada lost the final to the Russians, who were so named the Unified Team, as the walls of Soviet communism were then crumbling. Canada in fact lost twice to the Unifieds in 1992. The first came in the Group B preliminaries on February 16 with a 5-4, and again in the final on February 22, by a 3-1 score. The tournament leading scorer was Joe Juneau, with 6 goals and 9 assists in 8 games. A Czechoslovakian team lead by Robert Lang earned bronze.

On the home turf of Calgary, Alberta for the 1988 games, Canada placed out medal contention, due to a 2-2 tie with Sweden on February 22. The knot, in a game played prior to the medal round, gave the Swedes one position point higher in the final standings, and Canada finished fourth. The Soviet Union emerged victorious in the gold medal game with Finland, and in retrospect it isn't hard to see why. The Soviet team was stacked with Red Army legends such as Krutov, Makarov, Kamensky, Kasatonov, Larionov, Semenov and future NHLer Alexander Mogilny. Canada faced this powerhouse lineup on February 24, and were slammed with a 5-0 loss.

The 1984 Sarajevo, Yugoslavia Olympics saw the debut of the Dave King coached Canadian National team. After a 4-1 record in the preliminary round saw them advance to the medal round, Canada was in for a reality check. Dumped 4-0 by the USSR on February 17, Team Canada was then shutout by the Swedess two days later. An earlier carried over game from medal round group matches was a 4-0 whitewash at the hands of the Czechs. Not a resilient debut for King, who would return twice more to coach Canada.

The 1980 Lake Placid, New York Olympic games will forever be recalled as the momentous "Miracle On Ice" games for the U.S hockey team, who claimed a surprise and stunning upset of the Soviet Union club in the semi-finals. Although the Americans beat Finland to claim gold, Finland was the fourth place finisher based on standing points. The Soviet Union won silver and Sweden the bronze at the games, while Canada barely cause a ripple. A 4-3 loss to Finland on February 16 was the game that eventually eliminated Canada in a tie breaker with the winners. The coup de grace for the Canucks in relative terms was a 6-4 loss to the USSR on February 20. Althouth the fourth place finish for Canada was something of a disappointment, Canadian hockey fans were pleased to see a return to the Olympic stage after a 12 year protest.

In 1970, two years prior to the Munich, Germany Olympics, Canada withdrew from official International Ice Hockey Federation events such as the Olympics. The National Team program was suspended in light of the IIHF's refusal to allow Canada to use semi-pro players that would put them on par with other nations doing the same through duplicitous manoeverings. It would return in 1977, shortly after the Montreal Olympics, in an agreement that allowed the use of professional players to enhanc their World Championship teams late in the NHL hockey season. The agreement also paved the way for future Canada Cup tournaments.

Canada claimed a bronze medal at the 1968 Grenoble, France Olympics, with a 5-2 record after seven games. Once again, the Soviet Union had finished first, with Czechoslovakia second. The tournament was an eight team round robin with Canada's final match against the Soviet Union on February 17, ending in a 5-0 loss. The Canadian roster was made up of a bevy of minor pro castaways who had hung onto or applied for amateur status. The lineup looked like a roll call for future NHL journeymen and included names such as leading scorer Marshall Johnston, Fran Huck, Brian Glennie, Danny O'Shea and Wayne Stephenson. The loss was likely the last straw for the outmatched Canadians.

Similar to 1968, Canada again finished fourth at the 1964 Innsbruck, Austria games with a 5-2 record. They got off to a promising 5-0 start before losing 3-1 to Czechoslovakia and 3-2 to the Soviet Union on February 8. That particular loss began the interrupted 50 year drought that ended February 24, 2010.

At the 1960 Squaw Valley, California Olympics, Canada was a pre-tournament favorite, along with the Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia and Sweden. To the surprise of many, all four clubs were defeated by the U.S hockey team, in a win that is rightfully now regarded as the Forgotten Miracle. Canada's entry at these games was comprised of a club known as the Kitchener-Waterloo Dutchmen, which included Harry Sinden, Cliff Pennington and future Montreal Canadiens sharpshooter Bobby Rousseau. Three pools of nine clubs eliminated three teams in a preliminary round and the final round standing determined the medal winners. Canada, for all intents, lost gold on February 25, with a 2-1 loss to the U.S. They defeated Sweden two night later before settling in for a match with the Soviet Union onm February 28. Little did Canada know that the ensuing 8-5 win over the Russians would be their last in Olympic play for the next 50 years.

In all, the losing streak to the Soviets stretched to eight games over 10 Olympic years. They were outscored 30-11 during the drought. The individual scores are as follows:

2006, February 22: 2-0

1992, February 16: 5-4

1992, February 22: 3-1

1988, February 24: 5-0

1984, February 17: 4-0

1980, February 20: 6-4

1968, February 17: 5-0

1964, February 8: 3-2

For some truly in depth coverage of hockey Olympics past, check out Joe Pelletier's Greatest Hockey Legends. Trust me on this, International Hockey is where Joe excels! Enjoy.