Habs Show Signs of Life in Dallas

The third period is halfway over in Dallas and Montreal is getting chances. This game is exciting, Tanguay, Koivu, and Andrei Kostitsyn are clicking well and Kovalev shot the puck (and scored).

The team is playing good defence and they are actually playing a tough but smart game. They are not backing down but not doing anything stupid to end up in the box.

I guess being on the bubble to make the playoffs is starting to sink in and hopefully the team can finish the game strong and build from this.

Only time will tell but hopefully in the next 20 minutes we are celebrating a victory.

Trades Deadline

Hi There!

Unfortunately I have been extremely busy lately and have not had a chance to post anything but I am planning on making more time for this. I have been learning how to be a father, which is a great experience, and also trying to get my new website going which is a free online, movie organizer. You should check it out at http://www.mymovieorganizer.com.

Anyhow, what can I say about the Canadiens. They went through an absolutely horrific slump and seem to have come out of it with 4 wins a row and big reason for these wins is the power play which is ticking along at over 40% since the trade that brought back Schneider. I remember him the first time around and he has got some spunk back and is really turning around a dismal powerplay unit.

As for the insanely talented and streaky Kovalev, I was nervous that he was going to be gone, but he took his break in stride and has come back with fire and is showing why he could potentially be the most talented in the league. With out Kovalev, Montreal is not going any where in the playoffs so it is essential to keep him going or else the season is over.

Carey Price has also been an interesting player this year and I think he needs his confidence back and then he will prove everyone that he is every bit as good as our expectations and that he will bring Montreal a stanley cup. I think that Halak has been a great backup in Price's struggles but unfortunately I do not see a lot of trade market for Halak so I don't expect him to go anywhere, but then again, no one thought that Huet was going to get traded last year.

Andrei Kostitsyn is growing and is really using his quick release wrist shot, which is a canon and can be deadly from anywhere inside the blue line. I think Andrei has 50 goal potential.

One thing this season that I have been dissapointed with is Carbo's line changing. He seems to have difficulty adjusting his lines for different situations. When Kostpolous is out on the ice with 1.5 minutes left to go in a game and we are trailing by 1 goal, I don't like it. We need a goal, put out an offensive unit. Shake things up, throw out a combination of guys to go for it.

Anyhow, things are looking up in Hab land and I still think that they can make a run in the playoffs with the current squad. Don't expect Gainey to sell the farm to pick up a rental player!

This Season is Going to Rock

Well, after a long long off season, or so it seemed, the NHL season is set to begin again on Saturday. How will the Canadiens do this year? I predict that they will finish in the top 3 in the Eastern Conference and after that, the playoffs will depend on the performance of Carey Price.

We have all seen a goalie win a game or even a series and Price has the skills to do that for the Canadiens. Montreal's offence should be stronger this year with the additions of Tanguay and Lang. It would have been nice to see Sundin as a Canadien but Gainey could not afford to wait any longer on him as this team is full of unrestricted free agents and this year he wants to make a run for it. Look for some minor tinkering through the season if the requirement comes because the Canadiens have a lot of young talent to use as trade bait.

I see big strides for Plekanec and the Kostitsyn brothers. Last year they all came out and showed big promise and I expect this year will be another great leap. Kovalev appears to be at camp quicker and just as determined as last year so we will just have to wait and see which Kovalev takes the ice.

However, with all the additions of players and the advancement of others through maturity, this team will only go as far as Price. Price is a year older, a year more mature, and has experience in the playoffs with all the emotions that go with it. Price went very high in many hockey pools this year which can only mean that most people are expecting great things from Price.

The season is about to begin and Habs fans are in for a ride.

On a different note, I read that the Canadiens will be introducing a new Goal Song this year. Some song by Quebec natives Simple Plan. I am not sure I am on board with this but I have not heard the song yet. More to come later.

Sundin Sets Timeline

Well, with big Mats setting a time frame for late July or early August, us Habs fans will soon know if we are the Habs, or the HabNots. I am still confident that Sundin will come to his senses and realize that Vancouver isn't going anywhere, the Leafs will suck just like every other year, and that he doesn't need money, so his chances of winning a cup, and playing in the post season, are greatly increased if he decides to play with the Canadiens.

Gainey has assembled a team that has youth, and would benefit tremendously from a seasoned veteran with a strong work ethic. Can you imagine a powerplay with Sundin, Kovalev, and one of the Kostitsyn's? Talk about talent and power. When was the last time Sundin had a guy like Kovalev to play with on the wing?

The Habs and Sundin are a perfect fit and if he does sign, Montreal will definitely be battling it out for top in the Eastern Conference again. Lets all hope and pray, and wait, till Magical Mats makes up his mind.

Game 3 - Monday Night

Well, I have to admit, playing the Phillidelphia Flyer's is not as scary to watch as the Boston Bruins. Although the series is tied 1-1, they don't create a lot of chances that make you twist in your seat and think, wow, that was close. There was never a moment in either game, until the fourth goal in game 2, where I thought we wouldn't be able to score.

The forwards are fast and Phillidelphia is relatively slow, especially with big ogre's like Hatcher. We generated lots of chances on Biron but Biron won that game for the Flyers.

With game 3 going tonight in Philly, you can expect a really hard fought game. The corners are going to be well patrolled and expect to see some big hits. Montreal has really stepped up in the toughness category and has really impressed me with their ability to finish off checks. We have come to expect that from guys like Boullion and Komisarek but the whole team is now in on the action. Hamrlik, the Kostitsyn brothers, even Streit, are trying to punish the opposition.

Kovalev has been hot and cold. Game 2 I thought he dominated most of his shifts but had a couple shaky ones. I expect to see Carbonneau putting him on both the first and second line to switch things up and try and throw off Stevens and the Flyers. For the most part, he generated a number of chances when changing things up with Kovalev.

Plekanec needs to play better. He hasn't played poorly, but this is the NHL playoffs and he needs to generate more offense. Price has been uncharacteristically inconsistent and I expect him to improve on his game...

Well, enough of the mumbo jumbo, it's playoff time and game time is 7:00pm est.

Kovalev puts on a Clinic

Well, if there was any doubt that Alex Kovalev was not a top notch player in the NHL, he sure showed last night that those doubts are unwarranted. Not only did he get two goals and an assist, he made Chara look foolish on both of his goals. Chara, the 8 foot ogre, was virtually useless on both plays as Kovalev's quickness and speed exploited Chara's size and slowness.

The other thing that we need to look at when considering Kovalev's season is his impact on the other players. Look at Plekanec, look at Kostitsyn, both of those guys are talented, but Kovalev makes them better.

Alex is playing with fire in his eyes this season and he is being rewarded for it. Not to mention, those of you who remember Kovalev in the playoffs two years ago. When he was dominant at times. How is he going to step it up for the playoffs this year? He is already dominating most games. All I can say is, watch out, he is going to light some fireworks come playoff time.

The Price is Right....Again

I think most Habs fans were thinking that the Huet trade seemed like a little bit of an odd trade but if the last games since the trade are any indication of the outcome, we are in for a real treat.

My personal opinion was that Bob was trading Huet to free up room to make a splash in the trade market for possibly two talented players. However, we ended up with none. That is ok because I would not want to see any of our youngsters leave, especially Higgins or the Kostitsyn brothers. After seeing what Pittsburgh had to give up for Hossa, I am happy with the team today.

I will miss Huet because he was a comforting feeling after dealing with the unpredicatable play of Jose Theodore and wish him well in Washington. There wasn't going to be room on the team next year for him as the Price era has begun.

Get ready fans, the cool, collective, and consistent goaltender has now solidified his spot as the starter and only has things to prove. Come playoff time, he is going to be poised to go for the cup, and he has played in some big games so he should be able to handle it.

First place in the Eastern Conference this morning. The predictions at the beginning of the season were 12-13 place in the East, totally missing the playoffs. I hope those analysts got fired!

Where Are All these Goals Coming From?

It is halfway through the game tonight and Montreal is winning 3-0. The thing that I can't seem to figure out is where are all these goals coming from? Previous versions of the Canadiens have always lacked offence and have gotten by on strong defence, not strong offence.

I think most of it is coming from the system. Draft picks such as Higgins, Plekanec, the Kostitsyns, and Markov are delivering on a regular basis. Veterans such as Koivu, Kovalev, and Hamrlik are also showing why they deserve to be leaders for this young team.

When I look at the goals for in the conference stats, you can see that Montreal is not having too much trouble putting the puck in the net although if you look at the point leaders, you don't see any Canadiens near the top. This is directly related to the fact that the Habs put out a balance offence game in and game out which makes it difficult for any team to shut down the first line becase the second line is just as dangerous.

If this scoring keeps up, watch out for the playoffs because these boys mean business.

Habs Looking at Sundin....

There was a rumour I heard that the Canadiens were looking at Leafs center Mats Sundin. This rumour is the most bogus thing I have ever heard. Lets not say that I don't think Sundin would be unwanted in Montreal but it isn't happening.

Mats has been a consistent point per game player for his entire career. This would be a much added bonus for the Habs but what would a team have to give up for that type of talent? You can start with a minimum of one or two first round draft picks. After that, you will need to add either a proven youngster such as Komisarek, Higgins, or Kostitsyn. The only other player that could meet the requirements would be a born to be type player such as Price. There is no way the Habs would trade their franchise player in a package for Sundin.

Why else is this not going to happen? They are in the same conference, and even more, they are in the same division. If you are going to play eight games a year against a team, you don't want to making any big trades with each other.

For all you Toronto Maple Leafs fans out there, your franchise needs to rebuild by trading Sundin, but don't come knocking on our door because we are not interested unless you are going to give him to us for a bag of pucks. Then again, you have done this in the past. John Kordic for Russ Courtnall....oops!

Competing in the Spring?

While the Canadiens head into the All Star break, it seems like they might escape their typical collapse after the new year. The team is playing as well as ever and Michael Ryder, the highly unproductive goal scorer, is playing better and bounces are starting to go his way.

The other things that are really great to see is the play of Plekanec, Kovalev, and Kostitsyn. This line is putting pucks in the net left, right, and center. Kovalev is playing with the talent he has, Plekanec is scoring and showing real potential, while the young Kostitsyn seems to be finding some real goal scoring prowess and some excellent offensive skills.

Huet is going to be able to play comfortably in the net with Price back in Hamilton. The pressure is off and he can focus on playing hockey and winning games.

Points wise, they are close to second place in the east, which if they can continue on the same pace, will give them a decent seeding in the playoffs and allow for a good match up.

However, we can talk all we want, but there is still half a season to go and the east is as close as ever, so they need to focus on each game and hopefully come playoffs, we will get some magic.

Habs Win!!! Komisarek Scores in OT

The Habs beat the Leafs tonight 4-3. My prediction was 4-2 but 4-3 is pretty close. Komisarek had a great game and finished off with an overtime break away goal to win the game.

Kovalev had an outstanding game along with Kosty and Pleks. Price played a great game with 40 shots although the top line with Koivu, Higgins, and Ryder was mostly ineffective. The Canadiens will need productivity from this line going into the all star break to ensure that the playoffs are reached.

Time to make fun of all those Leaf fans you know!!

Samsonov, Going, Going.....

The word on the street is that Gainey is about to continue his offseason tune up by buying out the contract of unhappy, non-productive Sergei Samsonov. This should cost the Canadiens 1.2million for the next two seasons.

The most important part of this buyout should be to remove the bad attitude which can be contageous. The other thing it does is ensures an open roster spot for some of those up and coming Bulldogs like Kostitsyn, Chipchura, or possibly Grabovski.

I am really looking forward to seeing who is going to move up from the Bulldogs to replace some of the open roster spots.

Habs Offseason So Far

Bob Gainey and company have been rather busy since the Montreal Canadians season was ended by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

After deciding to let Jaroslav Halak go play in the World Championships for team Slovakia he immediately signed 19 year old goaltender out of the WHL's Tri-City Americans Carey Price to play for the Hamilton Bulldogs.

He then went on to sign Andrei Kostitsyn's younger brother Sergei from the OHL's London Knights and Matheiu Carle out of the QMJHL. Price, Kostitsyn and Carle have all been with the surprising Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL who are currently beating the Hershey Bears in the Calder Cup finals with a 2-1 series lead.

After that Gainey moved on to probably the 2 most important issues, trying to resign both Andrei Markov and Sheldon Souray. Souray coming off a 26 goal 64 point campaign where he also broke the NHL record for PPG scored by a defencemen in one season with 19. With all these good stats Souray had there was also some bad ones. He was a team worst -28 and made his way on the highlight of the night a few times but for the wrong reason. It is believed he could make more then 6 million over 4 years on the open market but the Habs will likely be looking to sign him for something much less. Reports are that he was offered a 4 year deal worth anywhere from $4.25-$5.25 per year. Markov on the other hand had another solid season with 49 points and a +2 rating. He was given a 4 year deal worth $5.75 million a year which was more than I personally thought he would get but then again Montreal NEEDS him more then they need Souray.

Some smaller moves by Gainey was trading for the twin brother of WJC stand out Kris Russel, forward Ryan Russel from the New York Rangers and went on to sign him to a 3 year pro contract. NYR were unable to come to terms on a conract with Russel so they accepted a 7th round pick in this years draft instead of losing him for nothing. Last year he played for The Kootney Ice of the WHL and was on a line with current Montreal draft pick Ben Maxwell. He is a good offensive player with good vision but is small which is his weak spot.

The Habs also signed Finish Elite League player Janne Lahti to a 1 year contract. The 25 year old had a solid season for HPK last year netting 20 goals and 14 helpers. He is a big (200lbs, 6'2) winger who also has a scoring touch. Both players are expected to start in the AHL next year with Lahti maybe cracking the big clubs roster.

It is said that Montreal will try to be active in the free agent market. If they can get rid of underachieving winger Sergei Samsonov's salary that will free up some valuable cap room to help them sign players like Chris Drury or Daniel Briere. If they are unable to sign Souray look for the Habs to turn they're attention to Nashville's defencemen Kimmo Timonen or San Jose's Scott Hannan.