The Montreal Canadiens will look to extend Philadelphia's 5-game losing streak to 6 tonight as they welcome the Flyers to the Bell Centre. The Flyers will then host Montreal Sunday night.
Montreal (30-19-9) will look for its 5th straight win against the Flyers (30-22-5) squad since a 4-2 loss on Nov. 25, 2006.
The Canadiens' are looking to build on their win in Florida on Wednesday, as that win put an end to a 3-game losing streak.
The Flyers may be welcoming two defencemen back to the lineup tonight, as Derian Hatcher (knee) and Braydon Coburn (Buttocks - or ASS...yeah, that one's funnier) practiced with the team this morning.
Flyers' Simon Gagne will see a neuro-specialist in Denver this week after suffering his third concussion of the year, and stated that if the specialist recommends he take the rest of the season off, "I will do it". That is not good news for the Flyers, who could definitely use his services for the stretch drive and of course, the playoffs.
Alex Kovalev (ankle) and Josh Gorges (flu) skated and are expected to be in the Canadiens lineup tonight. Defenceman Roman Hamrlik (flu, skin condition/rash) did not skate, but that was for precautionary reasons and he too is expected to play tonight. No word on who will be the healthy scratches.
Puck drop: 7:08
Showing posts with label pregame. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregame. Show all posts
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Alfredsson Returns As Habs Visit Sens
The Sens just welcomed back Dany Heatley to the ice last game after he had missed 11 games with a separated shoulder, and Heatley was able to tally 2 goals and an assist in his return...so what can we expect of Daniel Alfredsson as he makes his return from a hip injury tonight?
The Senators (33-18-4) were able to restors a 3 point lead on Montreal Thursday with their 5-4 win against the Panthers, coupled with Montreal's 4-2 loss vs. the Maple Leafs. The Sens struggled prior to Heatley's return, and have only won 1 of 7 games without Alfie in the lineup.
Since joining the Senators in 2005 following a trade from Atlanta, Heatley has recorded points in each game at Scotiabank Place against the Canadiens, totaling seven goals and nine assists while leading Ottawa to an 8-2-0 record.
Alfredsson, the Senators' leader with 32 goals and 68 points, has missed the last four games with an injured hip flexor. Alfredsson hasn't played since Jan. 29, when he logged an assist in just over 12 minutes during a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders in his first action following the All-Star game. He has three goals and eight assists during Ottawa's current five-game home win streak over Montreal.
The Senators have outscored the Canadiens 24-10 since last losing to them at home on Nov. 13, 2006.
Montreal, who got their first win of the 8-game season series against Ottawa on Tuesday, will be looking to close the 3-1 gap that Ottawa holds to one game with a win tonight at ScotiaBank Place. To do that against a team welcoming back it's biggest stars, the go-to line of AK27, AK46, and Tommy Turtleneck (hat-tip to Kev for the nickname) will have to shine brighter than ever. Some secondary scoing from Koivu and whoever he is centering will be needed as well, not to mention making the most of every powerplay opportunity they will get while staying out of the sin-bin. The Canadiens are losers of 3 of their last 5, and are trying to avoid falling into an official slump, one of their first of the season.
Montreal will be without Roman Hamrlik, who remains in quaratine while suffering from the flu. Michael Ryder will play tonight, with Mathieu Dandeneault designated as the healthy scratch. Cristobal Huet gets the call in goal.
The Senators (33-18-4) were able to restors a 3 point lead on Montreal Thursday with their 5-4 win against the Panthers, coupled with Montreal's 4-2 loss vs. the Maple Leafs. The Sens struggled prior to Heatley's return, and have only won 1 of 7 games without Alfie in the lineup.
Since joining the Senators in 2005 following a trade from Atlanta, Heatley has recorded points in each game at Scotiabank Place against the Canadiens, totaling seven goals and nine assists while leading Ottawa to an 8-2-0 record.
Alfredsson, the Senators' leader with 32 goals and 68 points, has missed the last four games with an injured hip flexor. Alfredsson hasn't played since Jan. 29, when he logged an assist in just over 12 minutes during a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders in his first action following the All-Star game. He has three goals and eight assists during Ottawa's current five-game home win streak over Montreal.
The Senators have outscored the Canadiens 24-10 since last losing to them at home on Nov. 13, 2006.
Montreal, who got their first win of the 8-game season series against Ottawa on Tuesday, will be looking to close the 3-1 gap that Ottawa holds to one game with a win tonight at ScotiaBank Place. To do that against a team welcoming back it's biggest stars, the go-to line of AK27, AK46, and Tommy Turtleneck (hat-tip to Kev for the nickname) will have to shine brighter than ever. Some secondary scoing from Koivu and whoever he is centering will be needed as well, not to mention making the most of every powerplay opportunity they will get while staying out of the sin-bin. The Canadiens are losers of 3 of their last 5, and are trying to avoid falling into an official slump, one of their first of the season.
Montreal will be without Roman Hamrlik, who remains in quaratine while suffering from the flu. Michael Ryder will play tonight, with Mathieu Dandeneault designated as the healthy scratch. Cristobal Huet gets the call in goal.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Habs, Leafs Set To Renew Rivalry
Associated Press pre-game report
LINEUP UPDATES AT BOTTOM
The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, hockey's two oldest franchises, have won a combined 37 Stanley Cups. With the way the Canadiens have played lately, they appear to be a contender for what would be their NHL-best 25th trophy.
Given their play since the new year, the same certainly can't be said about the Maple Leafs.
Montreal looks for its sixth win in eight games on Thursday when it concludes a four-game homestand against Toronto, which is coming off its worst loss since 2005.
The Canadiens (29-16-9) have been steadily rising in the Northeast Division since late December, and have closed within one point of Ottawa, which had clearly established itself as the Eastern Conference's premier team over the season's first two months.
But by beating the Senators 4-3 on Tuesday, Montreal sent a message that Ottawa is in for a fight if it wants to win maintain control of not only the division, but the conference.
"We all know nobody trusted us before the season," said center Tomas Plekanec, who had two goals and an assist. "We were supposed to be in 13th or 12th place right now, and we are where we are and we know what we can do, but we're not going to get overconfident, that's for sure."
Plekanec has 19 goals - one shy of his career high - and is the Canadiens' second-leading scorer behind Alexei Kovalev.
Kovalev had only 18 goals in 73 games last season, leading many to believe the 34-year-old's days as a premier scorer were through. But he has 24 goals and 28 assists thus far, including two goals and four assists in his past three games.
After missing the playoffs last spring, Kovalev is focused on the big picture.
"It's still 35 points to make the playoffs," he said. "That's the way I look at it, so we have to keep working."
Kovalev has tormented the Maple Leafs recently - he has four goals and three assists in the teams' past three meetings, all Montreal wins. Toronto won the first two games between the clubs in the season's first month, and Kovalev was limited to one assist.
The Leafs (21-25-9) snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday with an impressive 4-2 win against Ottawa, but followed that by equaling their worst loss in more than three years, an 8-0 thrashing administered by Florida on Tuesday.
Florida scored three power-play goals to chase goaltender Vesa Toskala as the Leafs fell to 5-9-1 since Jan. 3.
"We can't roll over like that in any game," said center Matt Stajan. "It's embarrassing to lose like that on home ice. We know that in this room."
Toronto is giving up an average of 3.27 goals - only Tampa Bay and Los Angeles yield more goals per game. It's been even worse for the Leafs in their last 15 games, getting outscored 53-33 in that stretch.
One of the team's top offensive options will be missing his third straight game on Thursday. Nik Antropov, whose 18 goals are second behind Mats Sundin's 22, will serve the final game of his league-imposed suspension for hurling a stick at an official following an overtime loss to Carolina on Jan. 31.
Sundin, who has been one of the most prominent names discussed as the league's Feb. 26 trade deadline approaches, has been held pointless in four of his last five games.
He has six goals and 10 assists in his last 13 games against Montreal.
Carey Price gets the call in goal and will likely go head-to-head with Vesa Toskala. Expect some line juggling with the possibility of Chris Higgins playing on the fourth line. Francis Bouillon has an injured foot and will be a gametime decision. Should he not dress, Michael Ryder will be inserted into the lineup. Brisebois will dress in place of Roman Hamrlik, who is still out with the flu.
Puck drop scheduled for 7:08.
LINEUP UPDATES AT BOTTOM
The Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, hockey's two oldest franchises, have won a combined 37 Stanley Cups. With the way the Canadiens have played lately, they appear to be a contender for what would be their NHL-best 25th trophy.
Given their play since the new year, the same certainly can't be said about the Maple Leafs.
Montreal looks for its sixth win in eight games on Thursday when it concludes a four-game homestand against Toronto, which is coming off its worst loss since 2005.
The Canadiens (29-16-9) have been steadily rising in the Northeast Division since late December, and have closed within one point of Ottawa, which had clearly established itself as the Eastern Conference's premier team over the season's first two months.
But by beating the Senators 4-3 on Tuesday, Montreal sent a message that Ottawa is in for a fight if it wants to win maintain control of not only the division, but the conference.
"We all know nobody trusted us before the season," said center Tomas Plekanec, who had two goals and an assist. "We were supposed to be in 13th or 12th place right now, and we are where we are and we know what we can do, but we're not going to get overconfident, that's for sure."
Plekanec has 19 goals - one shy of his career high - and is the Canadiens' second-leading scorer behind Alexei Kovalev.
Kovalev had only 18 goals in 73 games last season, leading many to believe the 34-year-old's days as a premier scorer were through. But he has 24 goals and 28 assists thus far, including two goals and four assists in his past three games.
After missing the playoffs last spring, Kovalev is focused on the big picture.
"It's still 35 points to make the playoffs," he said. "That's the way I look at it, so we have to keep working."
Kovalev has tormented the Maple Leafs recently - he has four goals and three assists in the teams' past three meetings, all Montreal wins. Toronto won the first two games between the clubs in the season's first month, and Kovalev was limited to one assist.
The Leafs (21-25-9) snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday with an impressive 4-2 win against Ottawa, but followed that by equaling their worst loss in more than three years, an 8-0 thrashing administered by Florida on Tuesday.
Florida scored three power-play goals to chase goaltender Vesa Toskala as the Leafs fell to 5-9-1 since Jan. 3.
"We can't roll over like that in any game," said center Matt Stajan. "It's embarrassing to lose like that on home ice. We know that in this room."
Toronto is giving up an average of 3.27 goals - only Tampa Bay and Los Angeles yield more goals per game. It's been even worse for the Leafs in their last 15 games, getting outscored 53-33 in that stretch.
One of the team's top offensive options will be missing his third straight game on Thursday. Nik Antropov, whose 18 goals are second behind Mats Sundin's 22, will serve the final game of his league-imposed suspension for hurling a stick at an official following an overtime loss to Carolina on Jan. 31.
Sundin, who has been one of the most prominent names discussed as the league's Feb. 26 trade deadline approaches, has been held pointless in four of his last five games.
He has six goals and 10 assists in his last 13 games against Montreal.
Carey Price gets the call in goal and will likely go head-to-head with Vesa Toskala. Expect some line juggling with the possibility of Chris Higgins playing on the fourth line. Francis Bouillon has an injured foot and will be a gametime decision. Should he not dress, Michael Ryder will be inserted into the lineup. Brisebois will dress in place of Roman Hamrlik, who is still out with the flu.
Puck drop scheduled for 7:08.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Habs Eye First Win Vs. Injured Senators
The Habs run into the Senators at a very opportune moment in the season, as the Sens are dealing with injuries to multiple key players, and, of course, are dealing with a goaltending controversy from within.
The Canadiens (28-16-9) are 3 points away from division rival and Eastern Conference leading Ottawa (32-17-4) as they prepare to host them tonight at the Bell Centre. The two clubs will meet again this coming Saturday in Ottawa at ScotiaBank Place.
Ottawa has been in the news all year; sometimes for reasons that they enjoy, and, more recently/often, for reasons that are detrimental to the club overall.
Ray Emery is in the headlines AGAIN today as reports indicate that "Rayzor" Ray left practice and then left the facility early. This is the latest event in what can be considered an epic saga of events that have transpired between Emery and the Sens this season, ranging from altercations with teammats (McGratton), verbal disturbances during practice (Neil), and his own failure to arrive to practice on time on two separate occasions. Emery has been nothing but a distraction this season, and it is very unfortunate for him and the Sens as well. Slated to be the starter for the Senators this year after taking them to the Finals in last year's playoffs, Emery suffered a wrist injury which required surgery in the pre-season, which inevitably led to Martin Gerber being named the starter. Gerber took off, tallying win after win after win while Emery healed, and the emergence of Gerber solidified his position as the team's #1. Since his return, Emery has struggled when given the chance to play, and his frustrations have now carried over negatively.
As if the "Emery Situation" isn't enough, Ottawa have now been dealt significant blows in the form of injuries. Patrick Eaves, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson are all ruled out for tonight's contest against the Habs, and there is a possibility that top shut-down man Chris Phillips misses tonight's action as well, as he is listed day-to-day with a lower body injury. The Sens are winless this season without Alfie in the lineup...which is why Alfie is strongly considered to be named MVP at season's end. Alfredsson has tallied 2 goals and 4 assists in three games vs. Montreal this season.
If there's any plus for Ottawa tonight, it lies in Martin Gerber. Gerber has gone 7-1-0 with a 2.26 goals-against average in eight lifetime starts versus Montreal.
The Canadiens are looking to rebound from a heartbreaking defeat on home ice suffered at the hands of the New York Rangers this past Sunday afternoon. Montreal dropped a 3-0 lead to eventually lose 5-3. They are 1-1 in their current four-game homestand, and face an injury riddled Sens team tonight before hosting their arch-rival Maple Leafs this Thursday.
The Habs have not defeated Ottawa yet this season, recording a 0-3-o record. They have been outscored 11-6 in that span, but are definitely in their best position yet to secure their first win vs. Ottawa this season with 5 games remaining between the clubs. Cristobal Huet is expected to get the call tonight, while freshly re-called Carey Price will backup. Many believe Price will start Thursday vs. the Leafs, as he is 3-0 vs. Toronto this season. Michael Ryder will be a healthy scratch tonight, and defenceman Roman Hamrlik will be an injured-scratch as he is suffering from the famous Flu bug that the Habs and their fans know about all too well thanks to last season.
Sepcualtion continues to swirl that a deal is in the works between Atlanta and Montreal that would have the Thrashers sending over Marian Hossa. Speculation also suggests that the Thrashers are eyeing Chris Higgins, Michael Ryder, Ryan O'Byrne and prospect d-man Alexei Emelin as possible returns. Don't count on Gainey moving Higgins, but don't rule out any of the other three as the Habs have a deep pool of defensive prospects in the system - and we all know that Ryder's days in Montreal are numbered...we just don't know the actual number.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:38.
The Canadiens (28-16-9) are 3 points away from division rival and Eastern Conference leading Ottawa (32-17-4) as they prepare to host them tonight at the Bell Centre. The two clubs will meet again this coming Saturday in Ottawa at ScotiaBank Place.
Ottawa has been in the news all year; sometimes for reasons that they enjoy, and, more recently/often, for reasons that are detrimental to the club overall.
Ray Emery is in the headlines AGAIN today as reports indicate that "Rayzor" Ray left practice and then left the facility early. This is the latest event in what can be considered an epic saga of events that have transpired between Emery and the Sens this season, ranging from altercations with teammats (McGratton), verbal disturbances during practice (Neil), and his own failure to arrive to practice on time on two separate occasions. Emery has been nothing but a distraction this season, and it is very unfortunate for him and the Sens as well. Slated to be the starter for the Senators this year after taking them to the Finals in last year's playoffs, Emery suffered a wrist injury which required surgery in the pre-season, which inevitably led to Martin Gerber being named the starter. Gerber took off, tallying win after win after win while Emery healed, and the emergence of Gerber solidified his position as the team's #1. Since his return, Emery has struggled when given the chance to play, and his frustrations have now carried over negatively.
As if the "Emery Situation" isn't enough, Ottawa have now been dealt significant blows in the form of injuries. Patrick Eaves, Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson are all ruled out for tonight's contest against the Habs, and there is a possibility that top shut-down man Chris Phillips misses tonight's action as well, as he is listed day-to-day with a lower body injury. The Sens are winless this season without Alfie in the lineup...which is why Alfie is strongly considered to be named MVP at season's end. Alfredsson has tallied 2 goals and 4 assists in three games vs. Montreal this season.
If there's any plus for Ottawa tonight, it lies in Martin Gerber. Gerber has gone 7-1-0 with a 2.26 goals-against average in eight lifetime starts versus Montreal.
The Canadiens are looking to rebound from a heartbreaking defeat on home ice suffered at the hands of the New York Rangers this past Sunday afternoon. Montreal dropped a 3-0 lead to eventually lose 5-3. They are 1-1 in their current four-game homestand, and face an injury riddled Sens team tonight before hosting their arch-rival Maple Leafs this Thursday.
The Habs have not defeated Ottawa yet this season, recording a 0-3-o record. They have been outscored 11-6 in that span, but are definitely in their best position yet to secure their first win vs. Ottawa this season with 5 games remaining between the clubs. Cristobal Huet is expected to get the call tonight, while freshly re-called Carey Price will backup. Many believe Price will start Thursday vs. the Leafs, as he is 3-0 vs. Toronto this season. Michael Ryder will be a healthy scratch tonight, and defenceman Roman Hamrlik will be an injured-scratch as he is suffering from the famous Flu bug that the Habs and their fans know about all too well thanks to last season.
Sepcualtion continues to swirl that a deal is in the works between Atlanta and Montreal that would have the Thrashers sending over Marian Hossa. Speculation also suggests that the Thrashers are eyeing Chris Higgins, Michael Ryder, Ryan O'Byrne and prospect d-man Alexei Emelin as possible returns. Don't count on Gainey moving Higgins, but don't rule out any of the other three as the Habs have a deep pool of defensive prospects in the system - and we all know that Ryder's days in Montreal are numbered...we just don't know the actual number.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:38.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Habs Open Matinee Weekend vs. Islanders
The Canadiens are looking to continue their recently impressive home play as they get set to welcome the New York Islanders to the Bell Centre Saturday afternoon. The game goes at 2 p.m., and is the 1st of a back-to-back set which sees Montreal hosting the Rangers Sunday in another matinee matchup.
Montreal (27-15-9) has gone 4-1-1 on home ice since the calendar switched over to 2008. The Habs will look to bolster their modest home ice record in an attempt to get it to resemble their sparkling road record, which ranks 1st in the Eastern Conference. Their match against the Isles is the first of a 4-game homestand.
Their last two home games have been phenominal, and have arguably been the top 1 and 2 performances that they have put on on home ice this season. They trounced the Bruins by a season-high final score of 8-2 back on January 22nd, and then (after defeating New Jersey in come-from-behind fashion at he Prudential Center) they defeated Washington in superb fashion, shutting them out 4-0 in a game that can arguably considered as Kovalev's best in a Habs uniform.
The Canadiens lead the season series with the Isles 2-0, having won both games on Long Island and limiting the Isles to just 1 goal a game in 3-1 and 4-1 road victories. Crisotbal Huet was between the pipes for both of those contests, and all indications suggest he will man the crease tomorrow afternoon.
The Islanders are looking to end a 3 game losing streak tomorrow. Their most recent loss came last night as the Kings came into town and stole 2 points away from the Islanders, who were without Rick DiPietro due to flu-like symptoms. DiPietro is 0-3-1 in his last 4 games.
Bill Guerin and Mike Comrie, the offensive leaders on the team, have gone ice cold lately. Guerin (the Isles' leading goalscorer) is pointless in 5, whereas Comrie (leader in points) has but one helper in his last 6 outings. When they aren't scoring, it seems no one else is, as is proof in their recent games.
The game will air live on CBC and RDS, and, another reminder: puck drop is set for 2:08 p.m.
Montreal (27-15-9) has gone 4-1-1 on home ice since the calendar switched over to 2008. The Habs will look to bolster their modest home ice record in an attempt to get it to resemble their sparkling road record, which ranks 1st in the Eastern Conference. Their match against the Isles is the first of a 4-game homestand.
Their last two home games have been phenominal, and have arguably been the top 1 and 2 performances that they have put on on home ice this season. They trounced the Bruins by a season-high final score of 8-2 back on January 22nd, and then (after defeating New Jersey in come-from-behind fashion at he Prudential Center) they defeated Washington in superb fashion, shutting them out 4-0 in a game that can arguably considered as Kovalev's best in a Habs uniform.
The Canadiens lead the season series with the Isles 2-0, having won both games on Long Island and limiting the Isles to just 1 goal a game in 3-1 and 4-1 road victories. Crisotbal Huet was between the pipes for both of those contests, and all indications suggest he will man the crease tomorrow afternoon.
The Islanders are looking to end a 3 game losing streak tomorrow. Their most recent loss came last night as the Kings came into town and stole 2 points away from the Islanders, who were without Rick DiPietro due to flu-like symptoms. DiPietro is 0-3-1 in his last 4 games.
Bill Guerin and Mike Comrie, the offensive leaders on the team, have gone ice cold lately. Guerin (the Isles' leading goalscorer) is pointless in 5, whereas Comrie (leader in points) has but one helper in his last 6 outings. When they aren't scoring, it seems no one else is, as is proof in their recent games.
The game will air live on CBC and RDS, and, another reminder: puck drop is set for 2:08 p.m.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Pre-Game Buzz Should Set The Tone
The Habs will look to match a season-high 4-game winning streak tonight as they visit the Verizon Center and the Washington Capitals.
The Canadiens (27-15-8) are 10-2-2 in their last 14 games, and are fresh off a home ice victory against the Caps, having defeated them 4-0 on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. But the buzz today has been about Capitals forward Viktor Kozlov's recent comments in regards to Tuesday's contest.
Kozlov went on the record saying (and I paraphrase here as I do not have the exact quote) that the Habs were trying to embarass them Tuesday by sending out Alex Kovalev's unit on a powerplay with under 1 minute remaining with the score already at 3-0 (a game deemed out of reach for the Caps). The unit ended up scoring with just over 40 seconds remaining.
The main thing about this is the whole issue of unwritten rules in hockey. The unwritten rule states (as ironic as that may sound) that a coach of a team should not designate its top forwards to a powerplay when the game is already out of reach for the opponent. Some will argue that:
A) Carbo sent Kovalev out because he had such a strong game before hand and hadn't had the luxury of obtaining a point, and some might argue that:
B) Kovalev was sent out because he can handle the puck and put on a great show for the home-town crowd.
Some may also argue that:
C) No matter who you have, you shouldn't do something like that (as in sending in a star player when the game is already over), and others will suggest that:
D) Unwritten rules shouldn't even be followed, and that running up a score is all part of playing a 60-minute hockey game.
Well, it happened, and the great thing about it is that it will set the tone for tonight's contest in Washington. The Caps definitely have revenge on their mind, and they will come out looking to blow the Habs away on home ice. Might we be seeing the beginnings of a rivalry from such a random event? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: Emotions will run high tonight in D.C.
The Habs have won 10 straight Thursday night contests, and have only lost just one, dating back to October 18th where they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Senators in Ottawa in their 1st Thursday evening match of the season. The Habs lead the season-series 2-1 and have never scored less than 4 goals against the Caps this season, outscoring them 13-7 thus far. The Habs' #2 ranked powerplay will match up against Washington's #25 ranked penalty kill.
The goalies slated to get the starts are Crisotbal Huet for Montreal and Olaf Kolzing for Washington. No lineup changes for Montreal, as Brisebois and Dandeneault continue to sit it out.
Pcuk drop goes at 7:08. Enjoy the game!
The Canadiens (27-15-8) are 10-2-2 in their last 14 games, and are fresh off a home ice victory against the Caps, having defeated them 4-0 on Tuesday night at the Bell Centre. But the buzz today has been about Capitals forward Viktor Kozlov's recent comments in regards to Tuesday's contest.
Kozlov went on the record saying (and I paraphrase here as I do not have the exact quote) that the Habs were trying to embarass them Tuesday by sending out Alex Kovalev's unit on a powerplay with under 1 minute remaining with the score already at 3-0 (a game deemed out of reach for the Caps). The unit ended up scoring with just over 40 seconds remaining.
The main thing about this is the whole issue of unwritten rules in hockey. The unwritten rule states (as ironic as that may sound) that a coach of a team should not designate its top forwards to a powerplay when the game is already out of reach for the opponent. Some will argue that:
A) Carbo sent Kovalev out because he had such a strong game before hand and hadn't had the luxury of obtaining a point, and some might argue that:
B) Kovalev was sent out because he can handle the puck and put on a great show for the home-town crowd.
Some may also argue that:
C) No matter who you have, you shouldn't do something like that (as in sending in a star player when the game is already over), and others will suggest that:
D) Unwritten rules shouldn't even be followed, and that running up a score is all part of playing a 60-minute hockey game.
Well, it happened, and the great thing about it is that it will set the tone for tonight's contest in Washington. The Caps definitely have revenge on their mind, and they will come out looking to blow the Habs away on home ice. Might we be seeing the beginnings of a rivalry from such a random event? Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure: Emotions will run high tonight in D.C.
The Habs have won 10 straight Thursday night contests, and have only lost just one, dating back to October 18th where they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Senators in Ottawa in their 1st Thursday evening match of the season. The Habs lead the season-series 2-1 and have never scored less than 4 goals against the Caps this season, outscoring them 13-7 thus far. The Habs' #2 ranked powerplay will match up against Washington's #25 ranked penalty kill.
The goalies slated to get the starts are Crisotbal Huet for Montreal and Olaf Kolzing for Washington. No lineup changes for Montreal, as Brisebois and Dandeneault continue to sit it out.
Pcuk drop goes at 7:08. Enjoy the game!
Monday, January 28, 2008
Habs Open Up Home-&-Home Hosting Capitals
The NHL's leading goalscorer comes to town as the Habs open up a home-and-home series against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.
The Caps found themselves dead last out East early on in the season. With Glen Hanlon behind the bench, the Caps were a dismal 6-14-1, and were looking like they were going to miss out on yet another post-season appearance.
And then they fired Hanlon, and replaced him with the then farm team head coach Bruce Boudreau...and they never looked back.
Since Boudreau has been at the helm, the Capitals have gone an astounding 17-8-4, and have averaged more than 1.1 goals a game...and Alexander Ovechkin has been playing his best hockey since the coaching swap.
Ovechkin has registered 25 of his 39 goals and 17 of his 26 assists since Boudreau took over. Ovechkin is also on pace for 64 goals this season - no one has scored 60 in one season since Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux (69) and Jaromir Jagr (62) in 1995-96.
Also breaking out have been rookie standouts Mike Green on defence, who leads ALL NHL defenders with 14 goals, and Nicklas Backstrom at center, who has been racking up points (mostly assists) playing alongside super-sniper Alexander the Gr8. Backstrom is second in the rookie points race, behind Chicago's Patrick Kane, therefore throwing his name back into the Calder mix.
The Caps are red hot lately, as they have gone 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. They will, however, be facing another red-hot Eastern Conference team that is oozing confidence.
With 60 points through 49 games, the Habs are surprising many of their pre-season critics - including, myself. Yes, I'm embarassed to admit it and I'm ashamed to have had lost faith in the first place, but I wasn't the only pessimistic fan. Many pundits had the Habs missing the playoffs, and I am in effect thrilled to see that they are going out there night after night and earning point after point. They are a confident bunch, but they are definitely not satisfied with where they stand just yet.
Chris Higgins said: "There's still a team ahead of us in the standings and it's dangerous thinking, thinking that we've accomplished something. We haven't accomplished anything. We still have 30 something games remaining and you don't accomplish anything with that many games left. None of our markers or goals have been met yet. When we make the playoffs, that's a marker. The ultimate is to win the Cup and that's our goal."
Added Chris: "The goal is to finish as high as we can in the standings. That's something we've talked about recently since we've been playing better. Before, we were talking about separating ourselves from the pack below but, now, it's about catching who's in front of us. That's a healthy way to think about things."
The Habs find themselves with the 2nd most points out East, yet they are 4th in the conference as Ottawa has 66 points. They are 6 points out of 1st spot...but, looking at this in a glass-half-full kind of way, they are also 6 points ahead of the 9th place New York Rangers. These are crucial times now, and every team will be leaving the extra effort on the ice from here on out. Games will be much more intense and points will be much harder to come by, so expect some things to change for some teams.
As the going gets tough, we will see if the tough can get going...or if the tough will soften and fall out of the race.
Puck drop: 7:38
The Caps found themselves dead last out East early on in the season. With Glen Hanlon behind the bench, the Caps were a dismal 6-14-1, and were looking like they were going to miss out on yet another post-season appearance.
And then they fired Hanlon, and replaced him with the then farm team head coach Bruce Boudreau...and they never looked back.
Since Boudreau has been at the helm, the Capitals have gone an astounding 17-8-4, and have averaged more than 1.1 goals a game...and Alexander Ovechkin has been playing his best hockey since the coaching swap.
Ovechkin has registered 25 of his 39 goals and 17 of his 26 assists since Boudreau took over. Ovechkin is also on pace for 64 goals this season - no one has scored 60 in one season since Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux (69) and Jaromir Jagr (62) in 1995-96.
Also breaking out have been rookie standouts Mike Green on defence, who leads ALL NHL defenders with 14 goals, and Nicklas Backstrom at center, who has been racking up points (mostly assists) playing alongside super-sniper Alexander the Gr8. Backstrom is second in the rookie points race, behind Chicago's Patrick Kane, therefore throwing his name back into the Calder mix.
The Caps are red hot lately, as they have gone 7-3-0 in their last 10 games. They will, however, be facing another red-hot Eastern Conference team that is oozing confidence.
With 60 points through 49 games, the Habs are surprising many of their pre-season critics - including, myself. Yes, I'm embarassed to admit it and I'm ashamed to have had lost faith in the first place, but I wasn't the only pessimistic fan. Many pundits had the Habs missing the playoffs, and I am in effect thrilled to see that they are going out there night after night and earning point after point. They are a confident bunch, but they are definitely not satisfied with where they stand just yet.
Chris Higgins said: "There's still a team ahead of us in the standings and it's dangerous thinking, thinking that we've accomplished something. We haven't accomplished anything. We still have 30 something games remaining and you don't accomplish anything with that many games left. None of our markers or goals have been met yet. When we make the playoffs, that's a marker. The ultimate is to win the Cup and that's our goal."
Added Chris: "The goal is to finish as high as we can in the standings. That's something we've talked about recently since we've been playing better. Before, we were talking about separating ourselves from the pack below but, now, it's about catching who's in front of us. That's a healthy way to think about things."
The Habs find themselves with the 2nd most points out East, yet they are 4th in the conference as Ottawa has 66 points. They are 6 points out of 1st spot...but, looking at this in a glass-half-full kind of way, they are also 6 points ahead of the 9th place New York Rangers. These are crucial times now, and every team will be leaving the extra effort on the ice from here on out. Games will be much more intense and points will be much harder to come by, so expect some things to change for some teams.
As the going gets tough, we will see if the tough can get going...or if the tough will soften and fall out of the race.
Puck drop: 7:38
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Polar Opposite Rival For Habs Tonight
Montreal continued its domination of the Bruins a couple of nights ago, as expected. But will the Devils continue their domination of the Habs at the Prudential Center, as expected?
As the Habs earned their 9th straight win over Boston on Thursday, the Devils are looking for their 10th straight against Montreal. This is clearly a North/South situation for the Habs with regards to their opponents this week.
Here's where it gets particularly ugly.
The Habs' statistics for games played in New Jersey are down right humiliating. When playing host to Montreal, Jersey has gone 21-1-4 over their last 26 games! The Habs' most recent win in New Jersey dates back to February 5th, 2002, when Jose Theodore was able to shutout the Devils in, (you probably guessed it), a 1-0 win. If you think that's long enough ago, then you probably wouldn't want to know the date of the last Habs victory in N.J. prior to that one, but I'm going to tell you anyway, because here at Habs Hockey-Talkey, we do humiliation right!
Patrick Roy was able to shutout N.J. as well in a victory earned WAY BACK on October 26th, 1993!!!
If that isn't alarming enough, or isn't enough of an indication of DOMINANCE of one team over another, then I don't know what is. Boston should feel pretty damn good in comparison to that dreadful record.
Cristobal Huet has never earned a single point against New Jersey, going 0-6-0 career against the Devils with a 3.29 GAA.
And to SOMEHOW make matters even WORSE than what they already are for Montreal? The Devils were on the winning end of a 7-3 drubbing of the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday night in Philadelphia, another team they have been dominating this season. The surprise there (in case you don't know) is that New Jersey is not an offensive team, in fact, they're far from it. They have been relying on living legend Martin Brodeur to backstop the defensive minded to team to win after win, year after year, and it has more than paid off, with Jersey claiming a couple Stanley Cups over the years.
No word on any lineup updates yet, as I am writing in the wee hours of the morning now. I will update tomorrow should any changes be made to Tuesday's lineup, of which I doubt heavily.
Puck drop: 7:08
As the Habs earned their 9th straight win over Boston on Thursday, the Devils are looking for their 10th straight against Montreal. This is clearly a North/South situation for the Habs with regards to their opponents this week.
Here's where it gets particularly ugly.
The Habs' statistics for games played in New Jersey are down right humiliating. When playing host to Montreal, Jersey has gone 21-1-4 over their last 26 games! The Habs' most recent win in New Jersey dates back to February 5th, 2002, when Jose Theodore was able to shutout the Devils in, (you probably guessed it), a 1-0 win. If you think that's long enough ago, then you probably wouldn't want to know the date of the last Habs victory in N.J. prior to that one, but I'm going to tell you anyway, because here at Habs Hockey-Talkey, we do humiliation right!
Patrick Roy was able to shutout N.J. as well in a victory earned WAY BACK on October 26th, 1993!!!
If that isn't alarming enough, or isn't enough of an indication of DOMINANCE of one team over another, then I don't know what is. Boston should feel pretty damn good in comparison to that dreadful record.
Cristobal Huet has never earned a single point against New Jersey, going 0-6-0 career against the Devils with a 3.29 GAA.
And to SOMEHOW make matters even WORSE than what they already are for Montreal? The Devils were on the winning end of a 7-3 drubbing of the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday night in Philadelphia, another team they have been dominating this season. The surprise there (in case you don't know) is that New Jersey is not an offensive team, in fact, they're far from it. They have been relying on living legend Martin Brodeur to backstop the defensive minded to team to win after win, year after year, and it has more than paid off, with Jersey claiming a couple Stanley Cups over the years.
No word on any lineup updates yet, as I am writing in the wee hours of the morning now. I will update tomorrow should any changes be made to Tuesday's lineup, of which I doubt heavily.
Puck drop: 7:08
Thursday, January 17, 2008
15 & Counting?
The Canadiens' 15 road wins rank them 1st in the East and 2nd in the NHL, looming in San Jose's shadow with the Sharks having 16 wins away from home.
Earning that 16th road win will be no easy task tonight in Atlanta as the Habs wrap up their road-trip.
The Thrashers (23-22-2) have really taken form since the firing of Bob Hartley and hiring of interim head coach and GM Don (or 'The Don') Waddell. After starting the season 0-6 and finding themselves dead-last out East, the Thrashers have heated up significantly, and now own an over .500 record. Most impressively, thanks to Tuesday night's romp of the Red Wings, the Thrashers now sit tied for 1st with slumping Carolina in the sub-par Southeast Division. In fact, if it weren't for seeding the top team in every Division 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the Thrashers would find themselves behind the Bruins and in 9th place, one spot out of a playoff berth. Not to mention, the Bruins currently would have 3 games in hand on the Thrashers, but I'm beginning to digress too much here...let's get back to it.
The Thrashers have 2 wins in 2 games against the Habs this season, both by 3-2 scores, and both results of shootouts. Rookie defensemen Tobias Enstrom has been an unsung hero for the Thrashers. Having seen his role increase dramatically with the arrival of bench-boss Waddell, Enstrom now finds himself complementing deadly shooter Ilya Kovalchuk on the point on the man-advantage. He is the league leader amongst all NHL rookies in average ice-time per game, averaging just over 24 minutes a game. And, most suprisingly of all, Enstrom ranks 4th on team scoring, as his 28 points (3 + 25) rank him ahead of such veterans as Slava Kozlov, Mark Recchi, and Bobby Holik, not to mention more than doubling the output of winger Pascal Dupuis, who's 13 points in 46 games is downright embarassing.
The Canadiens (23-14-8) had a good outing Tuesday night on Long Island, posting a 3-1 win to improve their current 4 game road-trip record to 2-1, all the while improving their overall road record to 15-7-3. But, the Habs visit to Atlanta could not have come at a worse time.
The Thrashers strolled into Detroit on Tuesday as the major underdog on the road to the league's top team, yet came away with a convincing 5-1 win, riding a Marian Hossa hat-trick. No matter how tired a team is, or how badly it had been playing prior, a team that goes into the top team's building and comes away with a huge win is bound to carry over that momentum.
Unfortunately for Montreal, the Thrashers got a rest Wednesday, and had been playing relatively well already in their previous matches, suggesting that the win in MoTown will only boost them further.
The Habs will need to make the most of their powerplay chances (if they are given any), and must refrain from taking un-necessary penalties (coughSAKUcough) against a team that boasts the likes of such superstar snipers in Hossa and Kovalchuk, the latter of whom is currently riding a 10-game points streak, tallying 8 goals and 8 assists over that span.
However, the Habs have gone 6-1-2 in their previous 9 games overall, therefore have pointed in all but one...should I remind you which game it was in which they failed to earn a point? Didn't think so...
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:08 P.M.
-Steve Begin has been cleared to play, and x-rays were officially negative on Patrice Brisebois' foot (sorry, negative means NO FRACTURE...), but no word yet on who will be scratched this evening.
Earning that 16th road win will be no easy task tonight in Atlanta as the Habs wrap up their road-trip.
The Thrashers (23-22-2) have really taken form since the firing of Bob Hartley and hiring of interim head coach and GM Don (or 'The Don') Waddell. After starting the season 0-6 and finding themselves dead-last out East, the Thrashers have heated up significantly, and now own an over .500 record. Most impressively, thanks to Tuesday night's romp of the Red Wings, the Thrashers now sit tied for 1st with slumping Carolina in the sub-par Southeast Division. In fact, if it weren't for seeding the top team in every Division 1st, 2nd and 3rd, the Thrashers would find themselves behind the Bruins and in 9th place, one spot out of a playoff berth. Not to mention, the Bruins currently would have 3 games in hand on the Thrashers, but I'm beginning to digress too much here...let's get back to it.
The Thrashers have 2 wins in 2 games against the Habs this season, both by 3-2 scores, and both results of shootouts. Rookie defensemen Tobias Enstrom has been an unsung hero for the Thrashers. Having seen his role increase dramatically with the arrival of bench-boss Waddell, Enstrom now finds himself complementing deadly shooter Ilya Kovalchuk on the point on the man-advantage. He is the league leader amongst all NHL rookies in average ice-time per game, averaging just over 24 minutes a game. And, most suprisingly of all, Enstrom ranks 4th on team scoring, as his 28 points (3 + 25) rank him ahead of such veterans as Slava Kozlov, Mark Recchi, and Bobby Holik, not to mention more than doubling the output of winger Pascal Dupuis, who's 13 points in 46 games is downright embarassing.
The Canadiens (23-14-8) had a good outing Tuesday night on Long Island, posting a 3-1 win to improve their current 4 game road-trip record to 2-1, all the while improving their overall road record to 15-7-3. But, the Habs visit to Atlanta could not have come at a worse time.
The Thrashers strolled into Detroit on Tuesday as the major underdog on the road to the league's top team, yet came away with a convincing 5-1 win, riding a Marian Hossa hat-trick. No matter how tired a team is, or how badly it had been playing prior, a team that goes into the top team's building and comes away with a huge win is bound to carry over that momentum.
Unfortunately for Montreal, the Thrashers got a rest Wednesday, and had been playing relatively well already in their previous matches, suggesting that the win in MoTown will only boost them further.
The Habs will need to make the most of their powerplay chances (if they are given any), and must refrain from taking un-necessary penalties (coughSAKUcough) against a team that boasts the likes of such superstar snipers in Hossa and Kovalchuk, the latter of whom is currently riding a 10-game points streak, tallying 8 goals and 8 assists over that span.
However, the Habs have gone 6-1-2 in their previous 9 games overall, therefore have pointed in all but one...should I remind you which game it was in which they failed to earn a point? Didn't think so...
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:08 P.M.
-Steve Begin has been cleared to play, and x-rays were officially negative on Patrice Brisebois' foot (sorry, negative means NO FRACTURE...), but no word yet on who will be scratched this evening.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Looking for the W on L.I.
The Habs will have to completely flip last Saturday's effort inside-out to have a chance against the Islanders on Long Island tonight.
Montreal (22-14-8) are 1-1 through two of their four straight games on the road, and both 1's represent polar differences (apart from the fact that one means a Win and one means a Loss).
The Habs victory last Thursday in Boston represented a hockey team that was driven and determined to dominate in every aspect of the game, including shooting, scoring, passing and hitting. Playing that way is what gets good teams not only through the regular season, but it gets good teams through the post-season gauntlet as well. However, any team can perform the way the Habs did last Thursday...but any GREAT team knows how to carry over such a performance on a nightly basis, defining the word "Consistency", and the Habs were most certainly not consistent in their transferred efforts from Thursday's win to Saturday's loss in New York (to be more accurate in my vocabulary use, the Habs were INCONSISTENT.)
Rest assured, this isn't English class, but I feel it had to be stressed that what we saw on Saturday must never be seen again if we hope to make it to the post-season.
If history is any reference, the Habs should definitely impress us once again. They were able to hammer the Islanders 4-1 in a game where the Isles outshot Huet and co. 45-33. And, as always, Chris Higgins found success in that game back on November 21st, notching his first road goal of the season. Chris has 7 goals in 8 games versus his hometown team, with 4 of them coming on the road at Nassau Coliseum, and we would definitely love to see continued domination over the Isles from Higgins as he is looking to score goals more regularly, with just 2 in his last 13 games.
Also native to Long Island; Mike Komisarek. The man who can do no wrong lately, Mike is developing into one of the premier defensive defensemen in the league. He leads the league in blocked shots, and ranks 3rd overall in hits with 147 dished out (behind 1st place Dustin Brown; 206, and, tonight's opponent, Trent Hunter; 150). The 25 year old has broken out this season, responding as well as possible to all the added responsibilities bestowed upon him. Playing alongside 1st time All-Star Andrei Markov, Mike knows his role is to shut down the streaking forwards in opponent colours, and man the line when Markov gets offensive. Mike's punishing play has drawn interest from the staff, the fans, and the rest of the league.
Sources indicate that Patrice Brisebois will be scratched tonight as a result of an injury. He took a puck off the inside of his left foot and will undergo X-rays tonight. It is expected that Mark Streit will take his place on the blue line, and Tom Kostopolous will dress and figure in on the fourth line.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:08 P.M.
Montreal (22-14-8) are 1-1 through two of their four straight games on the road, and both 1's represent polar differences (apart from the fact that one means a Win and one means a Loss).
The Habs victory last Thursday in Boston represented a hockey team that was driven and determined to dominate in every aspect of the game, including shooting, scoring, passing and hitting. Playing that way is what gets good teams not only through the regular season, but it gets good teams through the post-season gauntlet as well. However, any team can perform the way the Habs did last Thursday...but any GREAT team knows how to carry over such a performance on a nightly basis, defining the word "Consistency", and the Habs were most certainly not consistent in their transferred efforts from Thursday's win to Saturday's loss in New York (to be more accurate in my vocabulary use, the Habs were INCONSISTENT.)
Rest assured, this isn't English class, but I feel it had to be stressed that what we saw on Saturday must never be seen again if we hope to make it to the post-season.
If history is any reference, the Habs should definitely impress us once again. They were able to hammer the Islanders 4-1 in a game where the Isles outshot Huet and co. 45-33. And, as always, Chris Higgins found success in that game back on November 21st, notching his first road goal of the season. Chris has 7 goals in 8 games versus his hometown team, with 4 of them coming on the road at Nassau Coliseum, and we would definitely love to see continued domination over the Isles from Higgins as he is looking to score goals more regularly, with just 2 in his last 13 games.
Also native to Long Island; Mike Komisarek. The man who can do no wrong lately, Mike is developing into one of the premier defensive defensemen in the league. He leads the league in blocked shots, and ranks 3rd overall in hits with 147 dished out (behind 1st place Dustin Brown; 206, and, tonight's opponent, Trent Hunter; 150). The 25 year old has broken out this season, responding as well as possible to all the added responsibilities bestowed upon him. Playing alongside 1st time All-Star Andrei Markov, Mike knows his role is to shut down the streaking forwards in opponent colours, and man the line when Markov gets offensive. Mike's punishing play has drawn interest from the staff, the fans, and the rest of the league.
Sources indicate that Patrice Brisebois will be scratched tonight as a result of an injury. He took a puck off the inside of his left foot and will undergo X-rays tonight. It is expected that Mark Streit will take his place on the blue line, and Tom Kostopolous will dress and figure in on the fourth line.
Puck drop is scheduled for 7:08 P.M.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Rangers host Habs at MSG
The Canadiens are in New York looking to improve to 2-0 on their current 4 game road trip.
The Rangers are mired in a 5-game losing streak, their longest of the season. Henrik Lundqvist hasn't won since December 30th, when the Rangers came from behind to win 4-3 in overtime against, that's right, you guessed it, the Canadiens. Brendan Shanahan was the hero in OT, as he took a feed from Chris Drury for a breakaway and unloaded a wrister from way out that beat a frozen Cristobal Huet.
The Habs are the reciprocal of the Rangers at this point in time. They are having no trouble scoring goals, they are getting solid goaltending, and they are winning games, as they are 5-0-2 in their last 7. Alex Kovalev has 10 points (4-6) in that span. He is the league leader in Power Play points with 25.
No lineup changes are expected as of now.
The Rangers are mired in a 5-game losing streak, their longest of the season. Henrik Lundqvist hasn't won since December 30th, when the Rangers came from behind to win 4-3 in overtime against, that's right, you guessed it, the Canadiens. Brendan Shanahan was the hero in OT, as he took a feed from Chris Drury for a breakaway and unloaded a wrister from way out that beat a frozen Cristobal Huet.
The Habs are the reciprocal of the Rangers at this point in time. They are having no trouble scoring goals, they are getting solid goaltending, and they are winning games, as they are 5-0-2 in their last 7. Alex Kovalev has 10 points (4-6) in that span. He is the league leader in Power Play points with 25.
No lineup changes are expected as of now.
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