What a mess...

Having lost 4 of their last five games the Montreal Canadiens are beginning to look like a complete mess out there. In Saturday night's loss to Nashville the team blew a 4-1 lead with seven minutes to go in the third period and were booed off the ice by their own fans. The Habs are having a lot of trouble scoring five on five, our defense is looking vulnerable for the first time, the coach is juggling his lines every night, and players are looking unmotivated and uninterested on the ice. Early in the season the Habs showed that they are capable of being a contending team in the Eastern Conference, though as this recent slump drags on new weaknesses are coming to light. Bob Gainey has spent the last several years drafting and developing good young players that are taking over as the new core of the team. These players are very solid building blocks (Price, Higgins, Chipchura, Komisarek etc.) and I think the Habs should remain dedicated to to those players. At the same time, the team should be looking to make a deal for a forward that will add some scoring punch to one of the top two lines, preferably a forward with size.

Quick Hits:

Does Guy Carbonneau know what he's doing? If you look back at the last several head coaches of the Canadiens you will find a list of men with no NHL head coaching experience, though all of them are able to speak French. It's not to say that these guys are not good coaches because most of them are currently coaching other NHL teams. The point is that all of them made their NHL coaching debuts with the Canadiens. I think Guy Carbonneau is doing the job to the best of his ability, but I believe that the Canadiens eventually need to hire a proven head coach who has a track record of winning in this league. Carbonneau is a great hockey guy and was a very smart player, but I see him more in the role of a top-notch assistant coach. In a city where hockey is everything and the rumour mill is constantly churning, you need a hard nosed, traditional and experienced head coach. Whats Scotty Bowman up to these days?

Size does matter. The Habs must be the only team in the league that has two defenseman playing forward. Why is that? It's because all of our skilled forwards are too small! They're trying to cover up how small the team really is by putting guys in the wrong position. This somehow doesn't seem like a good solution for a team that is having trouble scoring. The Canadiens need to somehow make a trade for a skilled forward with size.

Too many players simply aren't working hard enough. In the Habs last game against Nashville I had a hard time ignoring the laziness of Bryan Smolinski and Patrice Brisebois. Smolinski was just cruising around watching the play as it unfolded and rarely making an effort to get involved if he didn't absolutely have to. Same goes for the Breezer who still looks like he's scared to play the game. Brisebois has the skill to be a solid defenseman but for some reason he still makes the same boneheaded mistakes and refuses to play the body. The bottom line is that if this team wants to be successful with the players it has, each player has to be giving 100% every time they step on the ice.

Trade Idea... The Canadiens should trade Saku Koivu to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Oli Jokinen. I believe that Koivu is a great player and captain, but it seems like it might just be best for both parties to move on. Jokinen is big forward who is also a talented goal scorer. Yes, it would be tough to part with Saku but Jokinen would instantly help us with two of our weakest points (scoring and size).

Habs lay an egg on home ice, losing 3-0 to the Sabres.

Uh oh Habs fans. Has the inevitable slump arrived? The Canadiens put forth another lousy effort last night and lost their second in a row to the surging Buffalo Sabres and their backup goalie Jocelyn Thibault. The offense was clearly nowhere to be found including an 0 for 3 performance on the power play. Cristobal Huet played a solid game stopping 32 of the 34 shots he faced, but you won't win many games if you can't score a goal.

Quick Hits:

Where's the intensity?? For the last couple of games the Canadiens have been lacking the intensity required to win games in this league. Guy Carbonneau and Kirk Muller need to do a better job of riling up the troops for each and every game. We have a good team, but if the players aren't all working hard every night then we are bound to have some problems.

Why do we have 2 fourth lines? I have a slight problem with the current lineup configuration. The way it's set up now we only have 2 lines that are capable of scoring, while the other 2 are essentially fourth lines. Coach Carbo should take the best 3 players from the third and fourth lines and combine them into one solid third line, leaving the remaining players to play on the fourth line.

Kovalev is losing his early season fire. For the first part of the season Alex Kovalev looked like he was completely re-born into a hard working, defensively responsible sniper. Currently, it looks like he is back to being the lazy, uninterested occasional goal scorer that we all came to know and love over the past few seasons. For the Habs to be successful Kovalev has to play the way he did through the first 12 games of the season when he was doing it all.

Send Latendresse to the minors already! Take the Latendresse challenge! During the next game I ask you (viewers) to forget about the puck and just watch Latendresse when he's on the ice. If you can honestly tell me that he isn't the worst player on the team, or that he wasn't rushed past the minors and into the NHL than I would say that you now nothing about hockey. Latendresse is simply going through the motions and not bringing anything positive to the team. Call up Lapierre!

Three Stars:

1) Jocelyn Thibault

2) Tomas Vanek

3) Brian Campbell

Habs fall short on the road, losing 4-2 to the Sabres.

The Montreal Canadiens looked somewhat uninterested out there last night with the exception of a couple short lived spurts of energy that kept them in the game. The goal scorers for the Habs were Chris Higgins and Tomas Plekanec, while despite the loss rookie Carey Price turned another solid performance stopping 28 of the 31 shots he faced.

Quick Hits:

It's a question of can we play hard for a full 60 minutes. That is what it has come down to for the Habs so far this season. The games that we have won to this point have virtually all been on the nights where the majority of the team is playing hard on every shift. We have the talent, we have the depth and we certainly have the goaltending to be very competitive in the eastern conference, but it comes down to how badly the players want it. The success of our team depends almost exclusively on the effort and intensity levels of the players night in and night out.

The officiating last night was awful. The NHL and it's referees look like they need to get their act together. I'm sure it's tough on the refs given what is considered a penalty these days, but their lousy calls are deciding the outcomes of games and it simply isn't right. In last night's game Mike Komisarek was called for tripping on a play that based on the rules shouldn't have been a penalty, and on the ensuing power-play Buffalo's Tomas Vanek scores the games winning goal. BRUTAL.

The Habs play Buffalo again tonight in Montreal. Cristobal Huet will get the start in nets as the Canadiens hope to avoid being swept in this home and home series with the Sabres. Look for the Habs to come flying out of the gate in front of what will be a frenzied crowd tonight at the Bell Centre.

Game Hero's: Plekanec, Higgins, Komisarek, Kostopoulos, Price.

Game Zero's: Latendresse, Ryder, Koivu, Brisebois

Three Stars:

1) Ryan Miller

2) Daiel Paille

3) Tomas Plekanec

Habs strike early and beat the Isles 4-1

The Habs came roaring out of the gate last night taking the lead just 56 seconds into the game. We took the listless Islanders by storm and once we got them down they had no chance of getting back up. Credit a strong start to the game for the Habs and some very solid goaltending from Cristobal Huet who stopped 44 of 45 shots on the night. The scoring for the Habs came from Begin(2), Higgins and Tomas Plekanec.

Quick Hits:

The Habs played a great road game. The way our team is built I think that we are a very good road team. Lately we have been scoring early and when we do that we're able to concentrate on the defensive side and shut down the opponent for the rest of the game. The team played physical enough, stood up to the oppositions tough guys when needed and never allowed the Islanders to gain any momentum. We did however start to slump a little in the third period but by that time the fate of the game was already sealed.

Solid performance from Huet. Huet was in the zone last night and came very close to recording the shutout. He has been a real hot-cold goalie lately but it seems that he is more often hot than not. Just when you think he's losing it a little bit he comes right back with a great performance to silence his critics. Huet knows he can't afford a few bad games in a row because we all know who is waiting in the wings (Price).

How about Hamrlik! Roman Hamrlik is proving to be a great defenceman for the Canadiens and we are very lucky to have him. 'The Hammer' never seems to make bad plays or decisions out there and he always plays a physical game. Keep an extra eye on him next game and you will see how solid of a player he really is. I think that it's safe to say that we are a much better team with him wearing the #44 instead of Sheldon Souray.

Ah oui Steve! It was nice to see grinder Steve Begin get a couple of goals last night. Stevey-B is known as a hard-nosed grinder but last night he showed us a little offensive flair with two top-corner snipes both coming at even strength. Those goals will be a nice confidence booster for #22 and we might see him shooting the puck a little more often now...

Game Hero's: Begin, Huet, Hamrlik, Higgins, Komisarek, Dandenault.

Game Zero's: Latendresse, Brisebois, Smolinski.

Three Stars:

1) Cristobal Huet

2) Steve Begin

3) Matthieu Dandenault

Habs fall flat, lose 4-2 to the Senators

The Senators are the best team in the NHL right now and last night they showed us why. The Sens got on the board early (3:47 into the game) and the Habs were never really able to get back in the game. Goal scorers for the Habs were Latendresse and Higgins, while Cristobal Huet had a very mediocre performance in nets stopping 25 of 29 shots on the night.

Quick Hits:

We were too soft. To beat a team with as much talent as the Senators you have to play the body and plant the big hit whenever the chance arises. Other than Komisarek, there wasn't one player on the Habs that played a physical, hard-nosed game. All our defenceman were very soft and consistently allowed the Sens' forwards to dance around in our zone without paying any type of physical price. Our coaching staff should have had the team prepared to battle harder and hit a lot more because no matter how good you think the Habs are, the Sens are faster and more skilled with the puck. Hit somebody...

Brisebois is back to his old ways. When I heard this off season that the Breezer would be coming back to play for the Habs I decided I was ready to forget my old perceptions and give him a clean slate to work with. I was happy to have him back on the team and found myself pulling for him to win back the support of the fans. Well, I can officially say that I'm done with all of that. After a decent start to the season it looks like the excitement has worn off and he is back to being the lousy defenceman that was booed out of town a few seasons back. He's not hard on the puck, doesn't hit anyone, makes bad decisions and just really sucks right now. I hope he steps it up, but I honestly don't see that happening any time soon. Boooooooo...

Ryder is slowly coming around. It finally looks like Michael Ryder is beginning to hit his stride. After a horrendous start to the season Ryder looks like he has a little extra jump in his step and he's starting to shoot the puck again. This is good news for Habs fans as we need this guy to be potting 30 goals a season. Keep it up Ryder...

Anybody seen our captain? Saku Koivu was nowhere to be found out there last night. I have a tough time understanding how such a high caliber player can be so non existent in an NHL game. He wasn't involved, looked terrible with the puck, and simply couldn't do anything to get his line going. I love Koivu, but if he's gonna be our first line center and wear the 'C', he's got to be much more consistent. Come on Saks...

Latendresse is brutal. I'm sorry, but this guy should not be in the NHL right now. He is a terrible skater, has lousy instincts and just looks completely lost on the ice. Forget the fact that he's a young French Canadian prospect and let's call a spade a spade. This kid was rushed into the league because of fan and media pressure and it's now time to send him to the minors where he belongs. Not only is he not playing well, but he looks afraid to do his job. Not impressed Guy...

Game Hero's: Higgins, Komisarek, Kovalev, Chipchura.
Game Zero's: Brisebois, Grabovski, Smolinski, Streit.

Three Stars:
1) Danny Heatley
2) Chris Neil
3) Chris Higgins

Carbonneau shakes things up...

Word on the street is that Michael Ryder will be moved down to play on a third line with Steve Begin and Bryan Smolinski, while Tom Kostopoulos will get his shot at the glory moving up to play on the first line with Higgins and Koivu.

Analysis:

Something had to be done about the slumping Michael Ryder and I think that this is a good move for everyone. I believe Kostopoulos will bring a nice physical presence to that first line and potentially free up more space for the talented Higgins and Koivu to operate. I don't know that this combination will last for a long time but you really never know. Kostopoulos has proven to be a very solid all around player for the team this year so don't be surprised if he boosts the production of the first line and stays up there for a little while. That being said, I also believe that if Ryder finds his game on the third line and starts scoring again that he will eventually be moved back up to his original spot. Only time will tell the story of this shake-up, but it seems like it's the right way to go...

Komi to the rescue! Habs beat the Leafs 4-3 in overtime

OOoooo baby! Habs fans everywhere can collectively breathe a sigh of relief on the heels of our big win over the maple losers last night in Toronto. The game itself was fairly boring and slow moving, but we came out with the 2 points which is all that matters. The goals came from Markov, Kostitsyn, Kovalev and Komisarek(ot), while Carey Price had another very solid performance between the pipes stopping 37 of 40 shots on the night.

Quick Hits:

Price shines yet again. I feel like a broken record these days describing the performances of our goaltenders and I'm lovin it. Once again Pricer looked about as cool as a frozen cucumber in nets, giving the Habs a chance to win the game. What I love about Price is how relaxed he looks out there. He makes every save look so easy that when watching him I feel like I could be out there playing goalie for the Habs. Well, maybe that's a tad ridiculous, but you know what I mean. He positions himself brilliantly and just lets the puck hit him. His style isn't flashy, but it's money in the bank! Way to be Pricer...

The 'new-look' second line is lighting it up. I'm so happy that coach Carbonneau decided to give Kostitsyn a chance on the second line because it really seems to be working out. Latendresse was absolutely brutal in that spot and Kostitsyn seems to really be finding his game. I believe that this line (Plekanec, Kovalev, Kostitsyn) will remain intact for a while as they continue to steal the spotlight from the first line with their strong play. Great coaching decision Carbo...

How about Tomas Plekanec! Pleks is turning heads with his strong play and relentless effort. He is the driving force behind the second line and is largely responsible for the resurgence of Alex Kovalev. Plekanec is a speedster with good hands and great vision and will continue to be an asset to this team for many years to come. You da man Pleks...

Hey Leafs fan, sucks to be you!. Habs fans, it's our time now. It used to be that every year the Leafs would be loading up on veteran stars at the trade deadline to make a big push into the playoffs while the Habs management never seemed to do anything. I always used to wonder why isn't our GM making moves and signing some big name players? Well the answer is upon us and it's never better. You see, while the Leafs were busy trading away all of their draft picks and prospects (in exchange for washed up former stars) the Habs were staying calm, drafting well, and developing their young players. Look at Komi, Pleks, Higgy, Pricer and Chips. I tip my hat to Bob Gainey for staying the course and not giving in to the pressure of the fans and media. He may not say much, but have faith, the guy knows whats up. Bob for prez...

Game Hero's: Komisarek, Price, Kovalev, Plekanec, Kostitsyn, Chipchura.

Game Zero's: Ryder, Brisebois.

Three Stars:

1) Alex Kovalev

2) Kyle Wellwood

3) Mike Komisarek

Senators edge out the Habs 3-1

During the first two periods of this game the Canadiens looked like a legitimate playoff contender. The Habs came flying out of the gate taking the Senators completely by storm. All lines were skating hard, we were generating lots of scoring opportunities and the Sens seemed like they didn't know how to respond. Well, in the third period they figured it out scoring 3 unanswered goals including an empty netter to seal the deal. Cristobal Huet once again turned in a phenomenal performance only to have it spoiled by a couple of late goals.

Quick Hits:

The Habs were awesome in the first two periods. The first two periods of the game were unreal. The Canadiens looked like a real contender out there playing with a 'playoff-like' intensity and keeping the NHL's best team at bay. It was two of the best periods I have seen from the Habs this season and I hope we can play like that more often. The game didn't work out in our favour but I think there were a lot of positives to be taken away from the way we played.

Huet kept us in the game. The 'Price-lovers' in this city will be very quick to place the blame on Cristobal Huet for 'choking' late in the game. This type of assessment would be ridiculous and unfair. If you watched the game then you saw Huet standing on his head and making highlight reel saves all game long including stopping Daniel Alfredsson on a key penalty shot in the second period. Huet managed to preserve the slim 1-0 lead until late in the third period when we simply couldn't contain the Sens in our own zone. Bottom line is that he played a great game and shouldn't be taking the blame for the loss.

Habs score early, lose late. Typical. This trend has been going on for several seasons now and it's becoming a little tiresome. The Canadiens have a lot of trouble playing with the lead. Whenever we have the lead in the third period the team goes into 'stand around and dump it out' mode. This strategy is brutal and clearly doesn't work. The Habs need to learn to continue to play the style that gets them the leads that they are playing with. When we sit back and let the other team do as they please it always ends up backfiring. If the Habs want to be an elite NHL team then we have to learn to bury our opponents instead of letting them creep back into the game.

Ryder sucks, it's official. You always have to have patience with a slumping 'goal scorer' but I really can't handle it anymore. Ryder looks terrible out there and is holding back Koivu and Higgins who are both playing great this season. I think Ryder should be moved to another line and eventually traded. You would think that Ryder would be lighting it up this year because he becomes a free agent at season's end, but that is certainly not the case. He can't seem to do anything right out there and it's only a matter of time before the sh*t hits the fan.

Game Hero's: Huet, Higgins, Koivu, Markov, Hamrlik, Dandenault.

Game Zero's: Ryder, Latendresse, The Power Play.

Three Stars:

1) Martin Gerber

2) Daniel Alfredsson

3) Cristobal Huet

The Price is right. Habs beat Bruins 2-1

The Habs started their 4 game road trip off on the right foot last night with a 2-1 win over the struggling Boston Bruins. It was the new-look second line that provided the offence with each player (Plekanec, Kovalev, Kostitsyn) picking up 2 points and Carey Price had another strong performance in nets stopping 28 of 29 shots on the night.

What you need to know:

Carbonneau has a new dilemma on his hands after Kostitsyn's strong play last night on the second line. No offense to Latendresse, but in my mind Kostitsyn having a big game last night was the best thing that could have happened for the Habs. Now we actually have a good reason to either demote Latendresse to the fourth line or send him down to the minors. Let's hope that Kostitsyn keeps lighting it up and working hard because he can easily earn that spot with a couple more strong games.

Carey Price is looking very good. Carey Price turned in another rock solid performance last night without even breaking a sweat. It's unbelievable, he's a 20 year old rookie but he looks like a 30 year old veteran. I think Huet is playing very well, but I'm ok with Price seeing a little more playing time that he is right now.

Alex Kovalev is back! I don't know what's gotten into him but I like it. Not only is he scoring (8 goals), but he's working hard, back checking and using his size. This is a big change from the lazy and uninterested Kovalev that we all came to know and love the past few seasons. I think Kovy is really enjoying playing for the Habs right now and it looks like there's no stopping him out there. Way to be Kovy...

Tomas Plekanec is a rising star. Pleks is blossoming into a great hockey player. I don't know where we found this guy but props to the scout that did. I think he has a lot of talent, is a very smart player and will be around for a long time to come. Last season he had 47 points, and so far this season he's tallied 13 points through 15 games.

Game Hero's: Plekanec, Kovalev, Kostitsyn, Higgins, Price.

Game Zero's: Ryder, Grabovski.

Three Stars:

1) Tomas Plekanec

2) Chuck Kobasew

3) Carey Price

Gameday: Habs @ Bruins 7:30pm

The Habs will be looking to start their four game road trip on a positive note tonight in Boston against the Bruins. Our record is currently 8-3-3, with a 4-1-1 record on the road.

Quick Hits:

Carey Price gets the start in nets. The Habs rookie goaltender with take to the crease tonight against Boston looking to improve on his solid numbers to start the season. Huet did just play his best game of the season against Buffalo but Price is the logical choice for tonight's game. Look for Price to have another solid game and continue to make his case for more playing time despite the strong play of Cristobal Huet. Let's go Pricer...

Praise the lord, Latendresse down to the fourth line: Guillaume has been struggling badly so far this season and the decision has finally been made to take him off the team's second line. Andrei Kostitsyn will be taking his place along side Plekanec and Kovalev. Look for Kostitsyn to be wheeling and dealing out there as everyone knows that's what he has to do to be successful in this league. Here's your shot Andrei...

Patrice Bergeron still sidelined. The Bruins star took a bad hit from behind last week and has reportedly been coming to the arena in a wheelchair. Needless to say he will not be in the lineup against the Habs tonight, but it once again raises the issue of the number of hits from behind and head shots taking place in the NHL these days. There is no place for that type of garbage. Poor Patrice...

Will Ryder snap out of it? Every game I find myself secretly hoping that Ryder is going to start playing like a professional and begin producing at the level that we all expect him to. Right now he is absolutely brutal and it kills me to watch him out there, but as a true Habs fan I am always pulling for all of our players to succeed even if I don't like them at all. We shall see...

GO HABS GO!!

Hip hip Huet! Habs shutout the Sabres 2-0

Whoever was worried about Huet after he let in a couple softies against Toronto is feeling a lot better now. The Habs #1 netminder turned away all that Sabres could throw at him and earned his 14th career shutout. Plekanec scored a beauty in the second period and Smolinski iced it late with an empty-netter.

Quick Hits:

Cristobal Huet had another great game. Cristobal Huet once again reminded us all why he is still without question our number one goaltender. He stole the two points for us tonight as we were out shot 29-18.


Kostitsyn showed flashes of brilliance. With Latendresse struggling badly, Kostitsyn got the chance to play much of the game on the second line. He played a very solid game and we got to see his speed and talent with the puck shine through. Expect Kostitsy to build on this strong performance and look for him to continue to appear on one of the two top lines.

Carey Price wins the Molson Cup? It must have been a little awkward for Cristobal Huet as he stood in nets to watch the Habs bring out Carey Price to honour him as the winner of the Molson Cup for the month of October. Price played very well in his last few starts, but it just didn't seem right for him to be out there winning the award while the main reason for our early season success (Huet) stood in the crease and watched. I think it actually served as motivation for the under appreciated Huet who turned in a brilliant performance. I am all for Carey Price and think he's going to be an amazing goalie and a monster star, but right now we need to respect and support Cristobal Huet.

Habs need to be getting more shots. The Habs have been showing a tendency to start games very slowly and in turn have not been getting lots of pucks to the net. It may have to do with the fact that we have a lot more playmakers than snipers at forward but it's no excuse for the teams lack of shots on net. Tonight, the Habs shot totals per period were 8, 9 and 2.

What to do with Ryder and Latendresse? I have no idea. What I do know is that right now neither of these guys are contributing and it is becoming painful to watch them out there. As I have been saying for a while now, it's time to send 'his tendreness' to the minors and bring up the gritty Maxim Lapierre.


Game Hero's: Huet, Plekanec, Komisarek, Gorges, Chipchura, Begin, Dandenault, Kovalev.

Game Zero's: Latendresse, Ryder, Brisebois.


Three Stars:

1) Cristobal Huet
2) Tomas Plekanec
3) Derek Roy

I hate the Leafs. Habs lose 3-2

I'm going to keep this short and sweet because nothing gets to me like discussing a loss to the Toronto Maple Losers. Despite the loss, the Habs played a very solid game out there. We were working hard and doing all the little things right. Unfortunately it was a few bad breaks that handed the Leafs this game on a silver platter. The Canadiens dominated for the majority of the game and really deserved to win.

Quick Hits:

Is Huet cursed against Toronto? I know it's a terrible thing to suggest, but for a goalie who is always so calm and composed Huet always seems to look rattled when we play the leafs. He played a good game overall, but the goals that went in were pretty soft. I don't know what it is, but I wouldn't mind giving Price the next game against Toronto.

Chris Higgins is a machine. What a game from Higgins. This guy impresses me more every game. He works his ass of, gets his nose dirty, and plays with passion. If we hang on to Higgins for a long time he will eventually be our next captain.

I hate the Leafs. There's nothing I hate more than the Leafs and their obnoxious fans. Making it worse is the fact that they always seem to have their best game of the season when they come to Montreal. Hey Leafs fans, your team sucks, your general manager is even worse, and we will win another cup before you guys do.

Game Hero's: Koivu, Komisarek, Higgins, Dandenault.

Game Zero's: Kostitsyn. Latendresse, Ryder.

Three Stars:

1) Mats Sundin

2) Chris Higgins

3) Tomas Kaberle

Habs look sharp winning 5-2 over the Flyers

Oh what a night it was. The Habs looked like they had something to prove out their tonight, playing a full 60 minutes of high intensity hockey. It was a very exciting game featuring a couple of fights, a penalty shot and the frenzied Montreal crowd. The scoring was spread around nicely with goals from Koivu, Kovalev(pp), Kostopoulos(sh), Latendresse and Higgins(pp). Cristobal Huet turned in another very solid performance in nets, but it was Captain Koivu who stole the show silencing his critics with his best game of the season.


Quick Hits:

What a performance by Saku Koivu. There was alot of pressure on Koivu to have a good game tonight and he delivered. Koivu was all over the ice, scoring a goal and setting up another neauty. Saku rose to the occasion and reminded us all why he is the captain of our team. You da man Saku...

The fans gave Danel Briere a rough ride. In the off season Briere was given the opportunity to sign with the Canadiens and he decided to join the Flyers instead. The fans in this city, francophone's especially, were pissed off and they really let him know it. Every time he touched the puck he was met with a loud chorus of boos and it seemed to energize our own team. Way to go fans...

The Habs bounced back nicely from a very poor effort in Tuesday's loss to Atlanta. It was really encouraging to see the team play hard all game long. I think the Habs are beginning to realize that hard work on a consistent basis is the recipe for winning hockey games. Way to go Habs...

He did score, but it's time to send Latendresse down and bring Lapierre up. Latendresse just isn't getting it done out there. I would like for him to be sent down to Hamilton and see how he does there. Right now it doesn't look like he should be in the NHL, let alone on a line with Alex Kovalev. He needs some time to work on his game away from the spotlight in Montreal. It's ok Guy...

The Flyers are a dirty team. Once the Canadiens were leading by a few goals the Flyers starting throwing cheap shots all over the ice. Philly has already had a couple of players suspended this season for dirty plays and they continued to play that way tonight. They showed disrespect for their opponents and the game of hockey and it made me sick just watching it. You suck Flyers...


Game Hero's: Koivu, Kovalev, Hamrlik, Huet, Chipchura, Komisarek, Higgins, Dandenault.

Game Zero's: Ryder, Latendresse, Kostitsyn, Smolinski.


Three Stars:

1) Saku Koivu
2) Roman Hamrlik
3) Mike Komisarek

Get off captain K's back!

This is a perfect example of why players do not want to come play in Montreal. Saku Koivu, the captain of the Montreal Canadiens, has once again come under fire for not speaking enough french. This is absolutely ridiculous and it really pisses me off. The guy is an elite hockey player, he's given his heart to this team and city for many years, and he doesn't deserve this type of scrutiny. Saku is from Finland, not Saint Jean sur Richelieu.

People must realize that sports and politics do not mix well. It's unacceptable that a francophone politician came out and publicly disrespected Koivu based on his own political agenda. Saku Koivu is payed to play hockey and lead his team, not to satisfy the political interests of the public. I have no problem with francophone's or separatists, but I do have a problem with them attacking a professional athlete for no reason. If you want this team to win, it's time to treat all the players with the same level of respect no matter where they're from or what language they choose to speak.

Let captain Koivu do his job, and direct this nonsense elsewhere...

Habs lucky to get a point, lose 3-2 in a shootout

The Habs came out as dead as a bag of doornails against the struggling Atlanta Thrashers last night at the Bell Centre. It was a reminder that despite the early season success, there are no easy wins in this league. I went to the game, and found myself tearing my hair out until late in the third period when the Habs actually decided to start trying. If the Habs had put forth that type of effort against a half decent team they would have been blown out badly. Carey Price played very well between the pipes keeping the game close and giving the Habs the chance to tie it up late.

Quick Hits:

Take Gorges, Ryder and Latendresse, and nail them to the bench! Josh Gorges just doesn't look like he's ready to be in the NHL. He looked very confused out there, refused to play the body, and made a brutal giveaway that lead directly to an Atlanta goal. I think he could use some time in the minors. Much of the same can be said about Michael Ryder. Ryder is a shadow of the player that scored 30+ goals in each of the last two seasons. He's not skating hard, looks uninterested, doesn't finish his checks, and is overall bringing nothing to our first line. The best part of this is that Ryder took the Habs to salary arbitration this off season looking for more money! Hey Ryder, WAKE UP, or you will soon find yourself in the minors. Last but not least Guillaume Latendresse should be sent down to Hamilton. Like Ryder, Latendresse is bringing nothing positive to his line or the team. He's slow, weak on the puck, doesn't hit, and really just looks like a waste of space out there. Latendresse needs to start using his size, rough up the opposition a little, and start driving hard to the net. I see Latendresse being sent down to the minors in favour of Maxime Lapierre.

No effort + no intensity = a loss. Aside from three or four players the Habs looked tired and played a very soft game. They came out flat and only managed a lousy 3 shots in the first period. Maybe they were tired from the back-to-back games this past weekend, but that is no excuse against a weak team like the Thrashers. It was a lazy, uninspired effort..

Kudos to Alex Kovalev for his hard work and strong play. That's right people, Kovy is actually working hard out there! He has been skating hard, back checking nicely, using his size, and it actually looks like he cares again. He scored another goal last night and has 10 points through the first 11 games of the season. Keep it up Kovy...

Price played a great game. Carey Price looked like an experienced veteran in nets for the Habs last night. He made the key saves, handled the puck very nicely, and gave his team a chance to win the game. What more can you ask for from a 19 year old rookie goaltender?? The Price is right...

Dandenault looks great at the forward position. Dandy really stood out last night as one of the few players who gave their best on every shift. I have been impressed with his efforts all season, and think that Guy Carbonneau made a great decision to play him as a forward this season. He skates very well, uses his size, and really seems to take pride in wearing the Canadiens jersey. Way to be Dandy...

Game Hero's: Price, Kovalev, Dandenault, Higgins, Hamrlik.

Game Zero's: EVERYONE ELSE.

Three Stars:

1) Carey Price

2) Marian Hossa

3) Alex Kovalev

Price makes home debut tonight against Atlanta

Do you remember when the Habs used the 5th overall pick in the 2005 draft to get another goalie? At the time, Jose Theodore was at the top of his game and there appeared to be no reason to be drafting another one. With our highest pick in a long time, it was expected that Bob Gainey would go get a forward with goal scoring potential. Instead, he decided to draft Carey Price. When I first heard that news I was pissed. I had no idea who Carey Price was, and I was very upset that we didn't get some badly needed scoring help. Needless to say I feel pretty stupid about all that now...

Rookie Carey Price will make his second consecutive start, and home debut tonight against the Atlanta Thrashers. This will be Price's third start of the season and he will try to improve on his respectable 2-1 record and 2.93 goals against average. He hasn't been spectacular thus far, but you can tell by watching this kid that he is really something special. Take a look at how big he looks in the net, watch how quickly he moves from post to post, see how well he moves the puck, and last but certainly not least, try and pay attention to how calm this kid stays at all times.

I will be in attendance tonight at the Bell Centre, and I'm hoping some day I will be able to look back and brag: "I was there when he played his first game in Montreal".

Sheldon who? Habs power play ranked number 1.

Remember how we all panicked about the state of the power play when news broke that Sheldon Souray would be signing elsewhere this off season? I do. My first thought was that the team would be fine because Gainey was going to sign a goal scoring forward to pick up the slack. When that didn't happen, I began to wonder.....

Through the first ten games of the season the Habs are scoring on 30.4% of power plays, good for number one in the NHL. Mark Streit and Andrei Markov are proving to be a nice blue-line tandem on the PP, and Alex Kovalev appears to be the new quarterback of the unit dictating play from his home on the right boards.

Souray's booming slap shot is certainly a force to be reckoned with, but it seems clear that the Habs are a better team without him. The power play is on fire, and we are a much better defensive team with 'The Hammer' now wearing Souray's old number 44.

Kudos to Bob Gainey for realizing that Souray was a lousy defenseman, and not worth the kind of money he was asking for. We as Habs fans should be happy that the priority this off-season was to re-sign Andrei Markov, not Souray. Well played Bob.

Habs hold off the Pens, win 4-3 in a shootout.

For the second night in a row the Canadiens came roaring out of the gate and then held on for dear life squeaking out the win. Carey price played a solid game in nets and really shone in the shootout against a hand full of talented Pittsburgh snipers. It was really nice to see another quick start for the Habs, but it is quickly becoming clear that the we have trouble finishing off our opponents.

Goal scorers for the Habs were Dandenault, Markov and Ryder, and it was Markov who sealed the victory scoring in the 8th round of the shootout.


Game Hero's:
Markov, Koivu, Higgins, Komisarek, Dandenault, Price.

Game Zero's:
Begin (bad penalty late), Latendresse, Ryder.


Three Stars:
1) Evgeni Malkin
2) Mathieu Dandenault
3) Andrei Markov

Gameday: Price gets the start tonight in Pittsburgh

Carey price will look to build on his solid start to the NHL season with a good test tonight against the offensive minded Pittsburgh Penguins.

What to look for:

Look for Carey Price to try and make a case for more playing time. I don't think that Price is uncomfortable with the current goaltending situation in Montreal, but he must know that if he plays very well we will get more and more playing time. Let's hope that Price has a good game and that we can have a good two-goalie system running throughout the season.

Look for the Habs power-play to keep producing. After last nights game in Carolina the Habs are boasting the number 1 power play in the NHL. Look for Kovalev, Streit and Plekanec to keep racking up the PP points.

I wonder who Carbo will play against Crosby. Look for our third and fourth lines to be in charge of covering the dangerous Crosby and his line mates. Also, don't be surprised if Komisarek and Markov are playing against Crosby's line all night long.

Can the Habs win on back-to-back nights? Winning on consecutive nights is always a tall order in today's NHL, but it's even tougher to do it on the road. It will be interesting to see how the Habs handle this game, I can't remember the last time we won on back-to-back nights.

Go Habs Go!

Habs beat 'Canes 7-4 in a wild one...

When was the last time you remember the Habs scoring 5 goals in the first period? Exactly..


The Habs came out flying in this one and scored 5 goals in the first period, with 4 of them coming on the power play. The game featured all sorts of entertainment including a few decent fights, tons of penalties and even a penalty shot by Eric Staal, which he converted nicely. As the game wore on though, the intensity began to sink lower and lower and it looked as if something bad was going to happen. In the end the Habs skated away with an impressive 7-4 win and move on to a tough test tonight in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.


Three Stars:

1) Tomas Plekanec
2) Mark Streit
3) Eric Staal

Gameday: Habs @ Hurricanes 7pm

The Habs hit the road this weekend with back to back games starting tonight in Carolina. This will already be the third meeting of the season for these two teams with each squad winning one. The Habs will betrying to play a safe road game tonight in order to save some energy for tomorrow night's game in Pittsburgh against king Crosby and the Penguins. Huet will be in nets tonight in Raleigh, while Carey Price will take to the crease tomorrow in Pittsburgh.

Keys to tonight's game for the Habs:

1) Lots of shots.

2) Win lots of face-offs.

3) Contain Staal, Whitney and Stillman.

4) Play a full 60 minutes.

5) Tight defence, especially in front of Huet.

6) Use our speed.

A few things to look for tonight:

Alex Kovalev will be playing his 100oth career NHL game tonight. Kovalev isn't looking at this game any differently than he would any other. Look for him to continue his strong play and to be quarterbacking the power play from his office on the right wing boards.

Look for the Habs to throw a lot of rubber at red-hot Cam Ward. After a sub-par year in defence of the Stanley Cup title, Cam Ward has lost 15 pounds and is looking as good in nets as ever. Ward is yet to lose a game in regulation this season, and I'm sure he'll be doing his best to keep that streak alive tonight.

Look for Michael Ryder to respond to his critics with a strong performance. Ryder has been dogging it to this point in the season and everyone knows it. He knows that the only way to silence the doubters is to produce, so let's hope he does just that. Keep an eye on him and watch to see if he's working hard out there.

Watch out for Brind'Amour in the face-off circle. To be successful against Carolina you need to be able to beat Brind'Amour on face-offs. 'The Nose Beast' is a force to be reckoned with on the draws and we'll need to do well against him, especially on the power-play. Look for Koivu to be taking a lot of the face-offs against him.

GO HABS GO!

8 games in... Where do we stand?

Our beloved Habs are playing very well right now. Here are some early season thoughts on each player currently on the roster:

Forwards:

Steve Begin: 1 goal, 1 assist, +2 rating. Steve had a slow start to the season, but since he was scratched for one game he's taken his game to another level.

Kyle Chipchura: 1 goal, o assists, +1 rating. Chips seems to be making good progress getting used to the NHL game. Playing solid defensive hockey, but still making some mistakes.

Mikhail Grabovski: 1 goal, 1 assist, even rating. Grabovski started slow, but it seems like he has found his home on the wing (not centre). Good talent and great speed. Lots of potential.

Chris Higgins: 3 goals, 4 assists, +2 rating. Higgins is playing great hockey. He's working hard every shift and seems completely invested in the success of the Canadiens.

Saku Koivu: 2 goals, 6 assists, +3 rating. Saku has been playing hard and winning tons of face-offs. He continues to be a great leader and a great player.

Andre Kostitsyn: 1 goal, 0 assists, even rating. Kostitsyn is the odd man out right now. He didn't make a great impression during his first few games, but look for him to try and prove himself when he next makes it into the lineup.

Tom Kostopolous: 0 goals, 2 assists, -2 rating. Tom made some very costly mistakes early, but he's now playing with a purpose and using his size. Looking like a valuable 4th liner.

Alex Kovalev: 4 goals, 3 assists, +2 rating. Kovy seems more interested in winning than ever. He's doing what we all expect him to do and maybe even a bit more.. Lets hope he continues it.

Guy Latendresse: 1 goal, 0 assists, -1 rating. Guy had a brutal start to the season. He responded well to being benched and is starting to use is size to his advantage. The jury is still out on 'his tendreness', but hopefully he can live up to our expectations.

Garth Murray: Murray has only played one game and is currently sidelined due to injury.

Tomas Plekanec: 1 goal, 5 assists, -1 rating. Pleks is getting better with every game. He's showing great vision and has the potential to be a real force for the Habs as we move forward.

Michael Ryder: 1 goal, 3 assists, even rating. Ryder is really struggling right now. Don't give up on him just yet, but don't be surprised if you hear that Bob Gainey is shopping him around.

Bryan Smoliski: 1 goal, 2 assists, -1 rating. Smokes has been a great surprise so far for the Habs. Doing well in the face-off circle and on the penalty kill. He's playing his role nicely.

Defence:

Francis Bouillon: 0 goals, 0 assists, +2 rating. Franky is playing decent hockey. No glaring weaknesses night now but certainly could be playing better.

Patrice Brisebois: 1 goal, 2 assists, even rating. The breezer is making a few too many mistakes in his own zone, but he's working hard and desperately wants to succeed. We'll see...

Mathieu Dandenault: 1 goal, 1 assist, even rating. I'm loving Dandy as a forward. He's skating well, using his size and doing a good job on the penalty kill.

Josh Gorges: Odd man out on the crowded blue line. He's only played one game this season and didn't look ready for the NHL just yet. I could be wrong, but looks like he needs some work.

Roman Hamrlik: 1 goal, 4 assists, +2 rating. Playing great defensive hockey and even chipping in offensively. He isn't making mistakes and looks very calm and comfortable out there. Great pickup by Gainey.

Mike Komisarek: 0 goals, 1 assist, +2 rating. Komi's been excellent thus far. He's been playing a very physical game and intimidating the opposition. Keep it up Komi.

Andrei Markov: 3 goals, 3 assists, even rating. Who thought we should have kept Souray over Markov this off season? If you did, you now see why Gainey made the choice he did. Markov is playing very well.

Mark Streit: 1 goal, 3 assists, -3 rating. Streit has yet to find his game this season. I don't know what the answer is, but he needs to step it up a notch.

That's it for now...

Do you agree? Disagree? Post a comment!

Habs bust the Bruins 6-1

It was a great night to be a fan of the bleu blanc et rouge as the habs poured in 6 goals in front of a frenzied crowd at the Bell Centre. 6 different players got in on the act including Mikhael Grabovski potting his first career goal, Breezer with his first of the season, and Steve Begin also getting his first of the young season. The other goal scorers for the Habs were Kovalev, Markov and ChrisHiggins. Cristo-Wall Huet turned in another strong performance stopping 31 of 32 Bruins shots on the night, including a show-stopper against Glen Murray, robbing him of an easy open net goal. Overall it was a great team effort by the Canadiens with goals coming from all four forward lines.

Game Hero’s: Huet, Higgins, Plekanec, Grabovski, Kovalev, Kostopolous, Begin, Smolinski, Komisarek, Markov, Hamrlik.

Game Zero’s: Ryder, Bouillon, Streit.


Quick Hits:

The Habs showed off their speed and depth at the forward position. When you a get a goal from each of your four lines you know you’ve got some depth at forward. Last night we even saw Kostopolous and Begin flying in on a two-on-one looking like a couple of veteran snipers with Kostopolous showing great patience and then throwing a gorgeous pass across to the streaking Begin who had no problem banging it in to the back of the net. After a few games of line juggling, coach Carbo seems to have found a place for everyone and the lines are beginning to click nicely.

Bottom Line: Good job by Guy Carbonneau with the lines, and a nice effort from all the forwards last night (except Ryder, but I’ll get there….).

Michael Ryder should be ‘ryding’ the bench. I feel the need to start by saying I have nothing against Michael Ryder and if he were playing hard I would leave him alone. That being said, right now Ryder is looking like a 4th line AHL player. So far this season he has brought absolutely nothing to the table, and I’m thinking Carbo should scratch him for a game or two. Ryder looks like he thinks everything will just come to him and that he doesn’t have to work hard..WRONG! Hate to tell you Mikey but it doesn’t work like that when you’re in the NHL playing against the best hockey players the world has to offer.

Bottom Line: Ryder needs to wake up and realize he needs to play hard every game otherwise he could become expendable very quickly.


Anyone ready to give Huet the credit he deserves? For some reason Cristobal Huet has had a hard time earning the respect and confidence of the fans and media in Montreal. The guy has been a very good goalie for the Canadiens since he arrived to save us from the Jose ‘I fell down the stairs’ Theodore meltdown. Last season he was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team, this was no fluke people. I am very much looking forward to the Carey Price era in Montreal, but right now Huet should continue to get most of the playing time for the Habs.

Bottom Line: Another great performance by Cristobal Huet.

Take some time to appreciate Mike Komisarek, he’s money in the bank. Komi is looking more and more like an All-Star defenseman every day. Nothing but respect to Canadiens management for turning a great draft pick into a great player. It’s not often that the Habs draft a player and develop him properly, but they hit the nail on the head with this one. It took him a couple of seasons to put it all together, but right now Komisarek is playing very good hockey and we are lucky to have him.

Bottom Line: Way to be Mike, keep dishing out the hits!

Gameday: Bruins @ Habs 7:30pm

Big game tonight habs fans, here are a few things to look for....

Look for Roman 'the hammer' Hamrlik to continue his strong play and log lots of ice time. He may not have the howitzer that Sheldon Souray used to wow us with on the power-play, but he does know how to play the defensive game properly. Hamrlik doesn't seem to get rattled, he makes good decisions and plays tough in our own zone. Hamrlik was a great addition to our blue line and look for him to continue his solid play as he continues to get more comfortable wearing the CH.

Bottom Line: We should be thanking our lucky stars that we went out and got a new #44. The old one is sidelined with a separated shoulder, not scoring goals, and sporting a -3 in the plus/minus category.

Look for Brian Smolinski to play an inspired game as he celebrates his 1000th career NHL game. I was certainly skeptical when I heard the habs had signed Smolinski in the offseason, thinking it was just a cover up for not being able to land a big name free agent. Truth is it might have been, but through the first bunch of games I am becoming more and more of a Smolinski fan. He seems to be a responsible veteran player that kills penalties, wins key face-offs, checks against top lines, and overall a good guy to have around our up and comming young players. Congrats to Brian for reaching this milestone in his career, it is no small feat.

Bottom Line: Smolinski was brought in to replace Radek Bonk, but he is certainly an upgrade from the slow skating Bonkers. Smolinski has been around the block and back, and is certainly the kind of guy the Habs need both in the locker room and on the ice.

Look for Latendresse and Begin to build on Saturday nights performance and continue to prove that they belong in the starting lineup. 'His Tendreness' and 'Stevie-B' both started this season playing like ****, though as I mentioned in my last post they both look like they've benefited greatly from being healthy scratches for one game early in the season. Let's keep a close eye on them and make sure they are working hard and hitting everything in sight because that's what we need them to do.

Bottom Line: These two guys have to give 100% every single game to effective. Let's hope they do.

Habs best the toothless Sabres 4-2 on home ice..

Quick Hits:

* Kudos to Mathieu Dandenault for embracing his new role as a forward and working hard all game long. I am very impressed with the way Dandy has embraced his role as a grinding forward. He really stood out last night beating players to the puck, throwing his weight around and overall just looking like he was giving everything he had every time he stepped on the ice. Other players should take notice.. *cough* Ryder.

Keep it up Dandy...

* Much respect to Guy Carbonneau for healthy scratching Begin and Latendresse the other night because it really looks like it made a difference. All of a sudden the old Steve Begin is re-born. Last night he was out there looking like his old self hitting, intimidating, and forcing the opposition into making mistakes. Similar good things can be said about Latendresse. After one game in the press box he also looks like a new player. 'His Tendreness' is skating hard, finishing checks and getting pucks to the net..

Keep workin hard Guillaume...

You da man Steve....

* Where on earth is Michael Ryder? Ryder is clearly yet to find his game this season. He seems uninspired and even confused on the ice. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I can tell you that he does not look like a first line NHL'er out there, not even close. Ryder needs to start working harder and taking more pride in his game. We all know that he can snipe that top corner with the best of them, but it's not going to happen if he doesn't put in the effort.

Wake Up Ryder...

* Huet continues to shine with Carey Price waiting in the wings. As many current and ex Habs players could tell you playing under the microscope in Montreal isn't the easiest of tasks. That being said, even with the 'heir to the crease' (Price) on the teams roster, Huet doesn't seem phased and continues to play very well. I think Huet deserves a little more respect and recognition that he's been getting from the fans and media. I am certainly very excited about Carey Price (He's the real deal) and would love to see him in the net more often, but as a Habs fan I can recognize that the way Huet has been playing it would be unfair to dethrone him from the "Number 1' role just yet.

Way to be Cristo-Wall...