Season Over

Well it is official. Montreal's dominating win over the Toronto Maple Leafs appears to have been the most costly game of the season with both Markov and Schneider out for long periods of time.

Schneider, who has brought life back to the powerplay is out for the season after a shoulder injury. I believe it was caused in the first period by a hard hit from Brad May behind the Canadien's net. Markov was injured by the hit from the pain in the ass Garbovski who is already hated by the entire team and now will be hated even more. Markov has injured his knee and is expected to be out for 3 weeks.

Markov will be impossible to replace so the team needs to come together and buy into a team defence strategy and Price will have to come up with some unbelievable goal tending.

It is possible that Markov will be back for the second round of the playoffs, if we were to make it that far.

That top line of Kovalev, Koivu, and Tanguay will need to be on fire and maybe the habs should bring up a guy like Weber who should be able to play quarterback for the Canadiens.

Habs Looking Great

Well, what can I say. I have been embarrased to write anything lately because we were on such a terrible stretch that there was nothing nice to say at all about the Canadiens. Fortunately, they seem to be coming out of the slump and getting into a grove at the optimal time in the season.

With a few games left in the season, it is looking very promissing that they will be playing in the post season again this year and hopefully they do not end up with New Jersey as their opponent. I would prefer the Bruins or the Capitals, just not the Devils.

When Gainey put Kovalev, Tanguay and Koviu together, a spark seemed to turn into a flame and the team just put it in high gear. The best thing about it was that it was the entire team who picked it up. Komisarek was having trouble earlier and seems to have gotten out of his funk. Schenider started being smarter and Markov stepped it up a notch as well. And of course, the most important piece is the goal tending and that seems to be improving as well. I expect Price to be healthy for Monday nights game in which we almost lock up the playoff birth.

What can I say about Kovalev? Well, when Kovalev is hot, he is hot. He scored last night against the Leafs, on the power play, the same way he scored on the powerplay last year. I don't know about the rest of you, but when Kovalev is out of the linup, the offence is horrific. I know some will disagree, but I am really hoping they sign him for next year as he is a piece of the puzzle that will be very difficult to replace.

But don't forget, there are still many who believe a trade is already in place to bring in big Vinny Lecavalier from Tampa before the no trade clause kicks in. I am not keeping my fingers crossed, but, who knows, we will have to wait and see.

I have so much to say right now that I will have to post more later today or tomorrow. This is the best time of year!

Carbonneau Fired!!!!!!!!!!

It is official, Guy Carbonneau has been fired by the Montreal Canadiens and Bob Gainey will be taking control of the coaching duties.

There are a number of theories as to why the firing happened but my guess is that it will never be public knowledge. Some of the rumours stem from the Kovalev situation, the Price situation, and the idea that Gainey needs to make the playoffs or might find himself out of a job in the summer.

I think this move is a shocker and I did like Carbo. However, as I have mentioned before, I did not like the way he managed ice time for players, especially because he had trouble changing his game plan when they were down by a goal with minutes left or something similar to that. Gainey and Carbo were friends and Gainey said earlier this year that the best thing he did as a GM was hire Carbo. Is it possible that something like Kovalev drove a spike between the two and things became too severe to proceed? I do not know. However, I do know that the offence has struggled for most of the year and hopefully this will really get the boys moving and scoring goals. After all, last year they were the highest scoring team in the NHL last year.

One of the issues was possibly that Carey Price was not playing up to his potential and Carbonneau was unable to get him going. There is no question that Price has struggled. Does Price need a different coach to get him going. What about a coach like Patrick Roy? Is Gainey considering St. Patrick as a potential coach? That would be pretty wild, Patrick Roy is my favorite player of all time.

I don't know what to say right now about this decision because I really liked Carbonneau. But as always, I have faith in Bob Gainey so we are going to have to hope that this is a good move.

Habs Lose a Snoozer

Montreal's game last night against the Atlanta Thrashers was a boring game to watch and left me with a bad feeling that Montreal can't seem to score goals.

It was nice to see Tanguay back in the line up and he was banging away showing no signs of hesitation which is important after coming back from an injury. He passed the puck very well and made the line with Higgins and Koivu much stronger.

Price was the bright spot on a dismal game because he came up big time after time and kept the game close from beginning to end. The offence really let Price down.

It was nice to see some toughness finally from a team that has always been considered soft and that they tend not to stick up for each other, like when Kovalev got rocked in Buffalo. Ryan O'Byrne laid the beats down on some poor thrasher.

Lets hope the Habs find their offence or else it is going to be a struggle just to get into the playoffs.

Trade Deadline Came and Went

Well another trade deadline has come and gone and Montreal and Bob Gainey specifically has made no changes. Montreal was reportedly linked to a number of players such as Bill Guerin and Olli Jokinen, but these players went else where.

I trust Gainey that he made the decisions based on future and present requirements and that in the long run, it will be best for the team. It would have been nice to see a big center come in and fill the role that Robert Lang had but it didn't happen and I will not cry over it.

Remember last year when Gainey traded Huet and most people were like 'huh'. Well, that worked out just fine. The other thing to keep in mind is that he did improve the team with Schneider, it just didn't happen on trade deadline day.

Tonight Montreal will be playing against a Sabres team that is missing the number one goalie and will be missing another player because of trades so lets hope that the team can rally together and get Price a win and get him rolling.

Look for Price to play with an edge to make sure Carbonneau thinks twice about play Halak when he is healthy.

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!

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.

Achievers???

Well, with a 3-1 lead on the Boston Bruins, it is safe to say that we are looking good and in a good position to move on to the next round. However, the team needs to play better as they are not playing up to the potential of the Canadiens.

The Smolinski line is playing great, and even better than they should. Carey Price is playing better than anyone could expect. He made some stops in game 4 that were unreal. Not to mention, he still hasn't appeared to ever have to regain his confidence and composure because he never seems to lose it. There is no doubt that Price is one of the reasons, if not the main reason, that we are up in the series.

The Plekanec and Kovalev line however is really not playing that well. It is true that they are playing against the top defensive unit of the Bruins but they need to find ways to be better, quicker, and smarter. They need to contribute on the scoreboard or else this playoff run is not going to last. Lets hope that tomorrow nights game puts this line back on the scoreboard and gives them something to build off for the upcoming games.

Price Out Plays Brodeur

With yesterdays 4-0 win over the New Jersey Devils, the Canadiens have labelled themselves as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. They easily beat the second place team in the East and have tallied the most goals in the NHL so far.

Price remained calm and collected as he collected a shutout while Plekanec battled the flu and was not as effective as normal. Fortunately, Ryder seams to be slowly breaking out of his horrific season collecting his 13th or so goal of the season. As I have said before, to compete for the cup, you need balanced scoring, and getting Ryder going is essential if they want to go anywhere.

As the team to beat, the Canadiens will be up to their ears in energy so lets hope they can turn that energy around and destroy everyone in their way!

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!

Price Recalled....Back in the Bigs

Carey Price was recalled today by Gainey and was replaced on the Hamilton roster by Halak. Could this be to get Halak some playing time in the AHL to encourage a trade?

I don't see Price being the number one goalie in Montreal with Huet so it doesn't really make sense that they would be bringing price up to play too many games.

Who knows, maybe the Leafs will trade Sundin for Halak? (remember Kordic for Courtnall?)

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!

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!!

Leafs Tonight...Price vs. Raycroft

The Habs face the Leafs tonight in the most storied rivalry in all of sports. For Montreal, they have young hot shot Carey Price in net while the Maple Leafs counter with under achieving Andrew Raycroft.

I would look for the Canadiens to use their speed to over power the slow moving Leafs. With Kubina injured, expect McCabe and Kaberle to get over worked and likely run out of gas. Montreal will look to lay a spank down early after the weekends collapse to the Senators. I expect Kovalev will have a great game as he was mostly ineffective in the game with the Senators. I would look for one of his patented wrist shots from the outside hash marks in the top of the net.

Ryder is also due and if he can get some shots quick and one scores, expect the flood gates to open right up and the Habs to ride that momentum. Ryder is getting chances, he just needs to put the puck in the net and give the Canadiens another dangerous weapon up front.

The Habs will have to rely heavily on Komi and Markov to contain Mats Sundin, the Leafs only real threat. If Sundin is contained, Price could pull out some good numbers.

My prediction is a 4-2 win for the Habs.

Vinny Lecavalier to the Habs?

Price Starting at Home for the first Time

Well Carey Price has officially started his first game in the NHL at home in Montreal. It seems as though he will continue to play with his cool, calm, and collected nerves. It ensures consistency.

There is no doubt that Gainey and Carbo are grooming Price for the starters position. The question is, when will this 'Change of the Guard' begin? Is Huet going to get traded before the trade deadline?

I would argue that if Huet and Price continue to play they both are now and no injuries plague either players, I predict that Huet will complete the year in Montreal. However, if Price gets hot, and starts a number of games in a row, watch out, you might see Huet dealt to a team that has an injury or a team that is lacking goaltending....possibly the leafs?

The bottom line is that Price is going to be the future of the Habs and Price is going to be good enough to take the Habs to the big dance during his career.

The Price is Right Bob!

Last night I had the pleasure of going to the Bulldogs game in which they took a commanding lead on the Calder Cup finals with a 3 games to 1 advantage. The entire team impressed me. However, there was one player inparticular that really caught my attention.

Carey Price the 19 year old who still played in the WHL this season looked like a seasoned veteran. The amount of confidence this guy shows reminded me of the good old days with Patrick Roy guarding the net. Price also showed how calm he was and had to do very little acrobatic saves because his positioning was sound and he as always right in the right place to make the stop.

I do not suggest that Carbo and crew should be rushing this kid up to the NHL but Habs fans you can be certain that this guy is the real deal. Hopefully he gets another year or two to mature in the AHL before he gets bumped up to the big club. We would not want to rush him and cause a similar fate for him as Marc Andre Fleury faced. However, when the time is right, you can be sure that Price is for real and that he is going to be an elite goaltender in the NHL.

Expect to see Price bringing home the playoff MVP when the Bulldogs bring home the Calder.

As for Bob Gainey and his decision to draft this guy, well done, and we can't wait to see the full potential of Price.

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.