Travis Moen-"Never A Night Off"
When the Canadiens added Travis Moen in the off season, it instantly added size and experience. Moen found himself all over the map in terms of lines, and filled in well on which ever one he found himself on. Most fans probably thought he would add more toughness...aka more fights, but that didn't happen. Nevertheless, he was a consistent performer all year who played on the Habs top penalty killing unit with Plekanec. He ended the year with 8 goals and 11 assists to go along with 57 PIM's. He then scored a pair of goals and added an assist in the playoffs. Guys like Moen are important pieces to winning teams and he proved his worth this season.
Dominic Moore-"A 2nd Rounder For Dominic Moore?"
Yes, I was one of the doubters who questioned PG's move to ship off a 2nd round pick for Moore. The team fighting for the last playoff spot and there was no guarantee they would even make it. Boy was I wrong about the move. Moore played great for the Canadiens, adding grit and speed to the 3rd line. He is a smart player who makes good decisions with and without the puck. Moore was a regular penalty killer and gave the Habs another option on faceoffs. He scored 2 goals and added 9 assists in 21 regular season games before scoring 4 times and picking up an assist in the playoffs. His goal in game 7 of the Capitals series may have been the biggest one of the year for the Canadiens. There is no guarantee Moore with be back in Montreal next year as he is a free agent, but I'd certainly welcome him back.
Max Lapierre-"Playoffs Brought Out His Best"
The regular season for Lapierre could be considered a huge disappointment. After a breakout 15 goal, 28 point campaign last season, Lapierre's production dropped dramatically to only 14 points. He seemed nervous with the puck and his agitating/physical game also dropped off. The trade of his buddy Latendresse seemed to spark him a bit, but he was still well off the level of play we saw the previous year. He bounced back in the playoffs with some big goals and Habs fans everywhere hope he can carry that play into the 2010'11 season. When he is playing like he can, he adds speed, physical play and the ability to get under the oppositions skin. He is a very effective 3rd line player who can win draws and kill penalties.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Bombshell! Halak Dealt To Blues
The Montreal Canadiens have traded away playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forwards Lars Eller and Ian Schultz. Halak, who is an restricted free agent, enjoyed his best season at the NHL level and carried the Habs into the Eastern conference finals. He posted a 26-13-5 record with Montreal this year along with a 2.40 GAA, a .924 save percentage and 5 shutouts. He then went 9-9 in the playoffs with a 2.55 GAA and a .923 save percentage. The move finally eliminates the goaltending controversy in Montreal, but leaves Price to face the wrath of the Halak supporters who have voiced their displeasure before.
In Eller the Canadiens get a skilled forward who was the Blues 1st choice (13th overall) in the 2007 draft. Eller played 7 games with the Blues last season, scoring twice. He played the majority of the campaign in the AHL where he had 57 points in 70 games. Previously the native of Denmark played in Sweden.
With Schultz the Habs get a big body with some toughness. Schultz played the past 3 seasons with the Calgary Hitman of the WHL and scored 21 goals and added 31 assists in 70 games along with 150 PIM's. He was the Blues 3rd round pick, 87th overall in the 2008 draft.
It's tough to know what to think about this trade. Most probably would have preferred to see the Canadiens get a more established player in return, but hopefully Eller and Schultz can make an impact someday....and soon. Eller should have a good chance to play with the Canadiens next season and by all reports he has the ability to be a top end talent. Obviously it's difficult to see a guy like Halak go. He was amazing in the playoffs and pretty consistent during his time in Montreal. My guess is the Habs decided they couldn't shell out the kind of money Halak was looking for and accomplish what they wanted to going forward in terms of signing players. Time will tell if the Canadiens made a huge mistake, or made the right move. It is clear now who the organization thinks is the goalie of the future.
In Eller the Canadiens get a skilled forward who was the Blues 1st choice (13th overall) in the 2007 draft. Eller played 7 games with the Blues last season, scoring twice. He played the majority of the campaign in the AHL where he had 57 points in 70 games. Previously the native of Denmark played in Sweden.
With Schultz the Habs get a big body with some toughness. Schultz played the past 3 seasons with the Calgary Hitman of the WHL and scored 21 goals and added 31 assists in 70 games along with 150 PIM's. He was the Blues 3rd round pick, 87th overall in the 2008 draft.
It's tough to know what to think about this trade. Most probably would have preferred to see the Canadiens get a more established player in return, but hopefully Eller and Schultz can make an impact someday....and soon. Eller should have a good chance to play with the Canadiens next season and by all reports he has the ability to be a top end talent. Obviously it's difficult to see a guy like Halak go. He was amazing in the playoffs and pretty consistent during his time in Montreal. My guess is the Habs decided they couldn't shell out the kind of money Halak was looking for and accomplish what they wanted to going forward in terms of signing players. Time will tell if the Canadiens made a huge mistake, or made the right move. It is clear now who the organization thinks is the goalie of the future.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Player Review-Gionta,Gomez, Pouliot
Brian Gionta-"Who Cares About Size"
Another one of Bob Gainey's prized off season acquisitions, Brian Gionta has been told he's too small all his life. At 5'7, he certainly doesn't look down on many NHL players, but you'd be hard pressed to find a guy who uses his frame better. Gionta proved this season to Canadiens fans that he can put the puck in the and that he never quits working. He led the team with 28 goals this season, despite only playing 61 games thanks to a broken foot. He then chipped in with 9 goals in 19 playoff games. His name has been mentioned in the captain debate many times due to his work ethic and overall leadership. His chemistry with linemate Scott Gomez was evident from game 1 and it will be interesting to see what kind of numbers he can put up over an entire season.
Scott Gomez-"$7 Million Dollar Man"
I wonder how many times Gomez has been questioned about his salary since he signed his mega contract with the Rangers. Depsite the hefty cap hit, Gomez proved his worth this season with his 2 way game and feisty attitude. He scored just 12 goals but finished second on the team with 59 points, while adding another 14 points in the playoffs. There aren't many nights you can say Gomez doesn't work hard, but my only knock on him (outside of the contract) is his tendency to pass up shots and look to pass instead. The guy has a good shot, I just wish he'd use it more. Gomez is another Canadien who brings leadership and a winning attitude. One of the big reasons for the lower point total was the injury to Gionta, which saw Gomez's production almost dry up.
Benoit Pouliot-"Will The Real Pouliot Please Stand Up"
When Benoit Pouliot was acquired for the struggling G. Latendresse last season, no one really knew what the Habs would get. 39 regular season games and 18 playoff games later, most still don't know. Pouliot was a former 4th overall pick who just never got on track in Minnesota. He was put on a line with Gomez and Gionta with the Habs and it appeared the Canadiens had a true power forward. Pouliot immediately proved that he could skate and score and his physical game was something the Canadiens top 2 lines were desperately missing. He scored 15 goals in just 39 games with the Canadiens, but his play declined as the year went on. The playoffs saw him go goal less, and he was relegated to the 4th line for most of the post season. So which Benoit Pouliot will the Canadiens get next season? If it's the player we saw in the last part of the season, he may not be a Montreal Canadien for too much longer.
Another one of Bob Gainey's prized off season acquisitions, Brian Gionta has been told he's too small all his life. At 5'7, he certainly doesn't look down on many NHL players, but you'd be hard pressed to find a guy who uses his frame better. Gionta proved this season to Canadiens fans that he can put the puck in the and that he never quits working. He led the team with 28 goals this season, despite only playing 61 games thanks to a broken foot. He then chipped in with 9 goals in 19 playoff games. His name has been mentioned in the captain debate many times due to his work ethic and overall leadership. His chemistry with linemate Scott Gomez was evident from game 1 and it will be interesting to see what kind of numbers he can put up over an entire season.
Scott Gomez-"$7 Million Dollar Man"
I wonder how many times Gomez has been questioned about his salary since he signed his mega contract with the Rangers. Depsite the hefty cap hit, Gomez proved his worth this season with his 2 way game and feisty attitude. He scored just 12 goals but finished second on the team with 59 points, while adding another 14 points in the playoffs. There aren't many nights you can say Gomez doesn't work hard, but my only knock on him (outside of the contract) is his tendency to pass up shots and look to pass instead. The guy has a good shot, I just wish he'd use it more. Gomez is another Canadien who brings leadership and a winning attitude. One of the big reasons for the lower point total was the injury to Gionta, which saw Gomez's production almost dry up.
Benoit Pouliot-"Will The Real Pouliot Please Stand Up"
When Benoit Pouliot was acquired for the struggling G. Latendresse last season, no one really knew what the Habs would get. 39 regular season games and 18 playoff games later, most still don't know. Pouliot was a former 4th overall pick who just never got on track in Minnesota. He was put on a line with Gomez and Gionta with the Habs and it appeared the Canadiens had a true power forward. Pouliot immediately proved that he could skate and score and his physical game was something the Canadiens top 2 lines were desperately missing. He scored 15 goals in just 39 games with the Canadiens, but his play declined as the year went on. The playoffs saw him go goal less, and he was relegated to the 4th line for most of the post season. So which Benoit Pouliot will the Canadiens get next season? If it's the player we saw in the last part of the season, he may not be a Montreal Canadien for too much longer.
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Player Review-Plekanec, Cammalleri, A. Kostitsyn
Tomas Plekanec-"Will He Stay Or Will He Go"
The 2008'09 season for Tomas Plekanec was a disaster. He scored just 39 points, a 30 point drop off from the previous season and was signed to a 1 year contract by the Canadiens who refused to give him a long term deal. Fast forward a year and Pleks is in line for a big raise. He led the Canadiens in scoring this year with 70 points, and played every game. He was the Habs top 2 way forward and even became a bit of an agitator. Some will question his production in the playoffs, 11 points in 19 games, but it should be noted he was going head to head with Crosby and Ovechkin most of the time. Tomas has expressed his desire (at least to the media) to remain in Montreal, but the question remains, can the Canadiens fit him under the salary cap. Then the size issue comes up, with the Canadiens top 4 forwards all being "undersized", although as we saw in the playoffs, size doesn't always matter. Plekanec proved this year he is among the top two way forwards in the game. He is durable (he has missed only 4 games the past 4 seasons) and well liked by his teammates. It's up to the Habs management to determined how much those qualities are worth.
Mike Cammalleri-"As Advertised"
When Mike Cammalleri signed a 5 year contract last summer with the Montreal Canadiens, you could immediately tell how much playing in Montreal meant to him. He seemed to be in awe of the storied past and was excited to be a part of the greatness. Cammalleri was brought in to score goals, and that's just what he did. He finished the year with 26 goals, good for 2nd on the team despite missing 17 games with a nasty knee injury. Upon his return form injury, Cammalleri didn't score in the final 9 games of the season and looked like his timing was off. The playoffs were a different story. Cammi scored 13 times in just 19 games and led the league in postseason goals. He is a candidate for the vacant captaincy and should be an important part of the Habs for the next 4 seasons at least. He has a nose for the net and never takes a night off. Chalk one up for departed GM Bob Gainey on this one.
Andrei Kostitsyn-"Head Case?"
When Andrei Kostitsyn scored 26 goals in the 2007'08 season, with several of those coming on dazzling end to end rushes, fans of the Montreal Canadiens thought they had a star. The following season his production dropped from 53 points to 41 points and he was KO'd with a devastating hit in a game against the Phoenix Coyotes. Since that hit, he hasn't been nearly as physical and his touch around the net seems to have disappeared. He scored just 15 goals this season and just 3 in the playoffs, all in one game in round 1. I'm sure the fact that his brother has been a huge distraction hasn't helped things, but it is time for Andrei to return to the form that made him a legitimate top 6 winger. He would certainly be considered the weak link on his line and for $3.25 million a year, the Habs need more than 15 goals out of him.
The 2008'09 season for Tomas Plekanec was a disaster. He scored just 39 points, a 30 point drop off from the previous season and was signed to a 1 year contract by the Canadiens who refused to give him a long term deal. Fast forward a year and Pleks is in line for a big raise. He led the Canadiens in scoring this year with 70 points, and played every game. He was the Habs top 2 way forward and even became a bit of an agitator. Some will question his production in the playoffs, 11 points in 19 games, but it should be noted he was going head to head with Crosby and Ovechkin most of the time. Tomas has expressed his desire (at least to the media) to remain in Montreal, but the question remains, can the Canadiens fit him under the salary cap. Then the size issue comes up, with the Canadiens top 4 forwards all being "undersized", although as we saw in the playoffs, size doesn't always matter. Plekanec proved this year he is among the top two way forwards in the game. He is durable (he has missed only 4 games the past 4 seasons) and well liked by his teammates. It's up to the Habs management to determined how much those qualities are worth.
Mike Cammalleri-"As Advertised"
When Mike Cammalleri signed a 5 year contract last summer with the Montreal Canadiens, you could immediately tell how much playing in Montreal meant to him. He seemed to be in awe of the storied past and was excited to be a part of the greatness. Cammalleri was brought in to score goals, and that's just what he did. He finished the year with 26 goals, good for 2nd on the team despite missing 17 games with a nasty knee injury. Upon his return form injury, Cammalleri didn't score in the final 9 games of the season and looked like his timing was off. The playoffs were a different story. Cammi scored 13 times in just 19 games and led the league in postseason goals. He is a candidate for the vacant captaincy and should be an important part of the Habs for the next 4 seasons at least. He has a nose for the net and never takes a night off. Chalk one up for departed GM Bob Gainey on this one.
Andrei Kostitsyn-"Head Case?"
When Andrei Kostitsyn scored 26 goals in the 2007'08 season, with several of those coming on dazzling end to end rushes, fans of the Montreal Canadiens thought they had a star. The following season his production dropped from 53 points to 41 points and he was KO'd with a devastating hit in a game against the Phoenix Coyotes. Since that hit, he hasn't been nearly as physical and his touch around the net seems to have disappeared. He scored just 15 goals this season and just 3 in the playoffs, all in one game in round 1. I'm sure the fact that his brother has been a huge distraction hasn't helped things, but it is time for Andrei to return to the form that made him a legitimate top 6 winger. He would certainly be considered the weak link on his line and for $3.25 million a year, the Habs need more than 15 goals out of him.
Monday, May 31, 2010
Hab Hits
>The Hamilton Bulldogs, the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate, were eliminated in the conference final as well, dropping game 7 to the Texas Stars 3-2. The Bulldogs finished second in the league during the regular season but appeared to run into a hot goaltender against Texas. David Desharnais had 23 points in 19 playoff games to lead the Bulldogs, while Brock Trotter had 19.
>The Cincinnati Cyclones, the Canadiens ECHL affiliate (shared with Nashville), were crowned league champions after knocking off the Idaho Steelheads in 5 games. Habs goaltending prospect Robert Mayer was named co-MVP after going 6-1 in the playoffs with a 1.54 GAA and 0.938 save percentage. Mayer played all 5 games in the final and shared the award with fellow Cyclones goaltender Jeremy Smith.
>The Canadiens announced the signing of free agent defenceman Kyle Klubertanz. Klubertanz spent last season with with Djurgardens of the Swedish Elite League. The 23 year old was originally drafted in the 3rd round by the Ducks (2004) and played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin.
>Montreal also announced the firing of 6 scouts. No word on their plan for replacements but I assume the organization didn't care for the job they were doing. To be fair the Canadiens 1st round picks in the last few years have been disapointments, but they have secured some steals in the later rounds. I am polishing up my resume to try and land one of these positions.
>The NHL announced that the Montreal Canadiens will play the Calgary Flames in an outdoor game February 20, 2011 at McMahon Stadium. I would conisder attending, but sitting in nose bleed seats when it's -40 just doesn't sound appealing.
>Guy Boucher, coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs has accepted the coaching job in Tampa. Boucher will be taking his assistant coaches with him, leaving a big hole to fill in Hamilton. The Blue Jackets also offered him the head coaching job there.
>The Cincinnati Cyclones, the Canadiens ECHL affiliate (shared with Nashville), were crowned league champions after knocking off the Idaho Steelheads in 5 games. Habs goaltending prospect Robert Mayer was named co-MVP after going 6-1 in the playoffs with a 1.54 GAA and 0.938 save percentage. Mayer played all 5 games in the final and shared the award with fellow Cyclones goaltender Jeremy Smith.
>The Canadiens announced the signing of free agent defenceman Kyle Klubertanz. Klubertanz spent last season with with Djurgardens of the Swedish Elite League. The 23 year old was originally drafted in the 3rd round by the Ducks (2004) and played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin.
>Montreal also announced the firing of 6 scouts. No word on their plan for replacements but I assume the organization didn't care for the job they were doing. To be fair the Canadiens 1st round picks in the last few years have been disapointments, but they have secured some steals in the later rounds. I am polishing up my resume to try and land one of these positions.
>The NHL announced that the Montreal Canadiens will play the Calgary Flames in an outdoor game February 20, 2011 at McMahon Stadium. I would conisder attending, but sitting in nose bleed seats when it's -40 just doesn't sound appealing.
>Guy Boucher, coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs has accepted the coaching job in Tampa. Boucher will be taking his assistant coaches with him, leaving a big hole to fill in Hamilton. The Blue Jackets also offered him the head coaching job there.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Unexpected Run Comes To An End-Flyers 4, Habs 2
The Montreal Canadiens miracle run finally came to an end with a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The loss gave the Flyers a 4-1 series win and sent them to the Stanley Cup final to face the Chicago Blackhawks who swept the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference final. The Habs Brian Gionta scored 59 seconds in to the game, but gave up that lead under 4 minutes later. The Flyers then scored a pair of goals in the 2nd period 1:24 apart that proved too much to overcome. Scott Gomez scored in the 3rd but the Habs could not put another one by Michael Leighton despite having several great chances. Philly then scored an empty net goal to put the final nail in the coffin. Gomez and Gionta both had a pair of points. Leighton finished the night with 25 saves while Jaroslav Halak made 22 stops in a losing effort. The story of this game, like has been most of the series, was the Canadiens inability to scored on the power play. They went 0/6 on the night, as did the Flyers. Some other thoughts:
>There were just too many guys who didn't score this series. Pleks, A. Kostistyn and Pouliot were all held goalless, while Gomez had his only goal tonight.
>As I discussed before, the power play was brutal. This is directly related to the Markov injury. He is the guy who makes things happen and any team that loses their #1 defenceman would have trouble scoring with the man advantage (glad you finally mentioned the injury with 5 minutes left in the game CBC).
>Halak was a star in these playoffs and made several huge saves tonight. His biggest error came in the 1st when he came out to play the puck when it appeared Hamrlik had the Flyers player under control. This resulted in a crash between the 2 Canadiens and a short handed marker for the Flyers.
Tough loss tonight but this years version of the Montreal Canadiens gave fans a lot to be proud of. It's obviously disappointing to come so close to the Cup final, only to ultimately fall short, but knocking off the Caps and Pens in thrilling 7 game series was amazing. Hopefully they can build on this for next year, avoid injuries, and go even further. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Scott Gomez tonight. Had 2 points and was the best player on the ice for the Habs. Consideration also given to Gionta and Gorges. Good job boys, it was a great run.
>There were just too many guys who didn't score this series. Pleks, A. Kostistyn and Pouliot were all held goalless, while Gomez had his only goal tonight.
>As I discussed before, the power play was brutal. This is directly related to the Markov injury. He is the guy who makes things happen and any team that loses their #1 defenceman would have trouble scoring with the man advantage (glad you finally mentioned the injury with 5 minutes left in the game CBC).
>Halak was a star in these playoffs and made several huge saves tonight. His biggest error came in the 1st when he came out to play the puck when it appeared Hamrlik had the Flyers player under control. This resulted in a crash between the 2 Canadiens and a short handed marker for the Flyers.
Tough loss tonight but this years version of the Montreal Canadiens gave fans a lot to be proud of. It's obviously disappointing to come so close to the Cup final, only to ultimately fall short, but knocking off the Caps and Pens in thrilling 7 game series was amazing. Hopefully they can build on this for next year, avoid injuries, and go even further. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Scott Gomez tonight. Had 2 points and was the best player on the ice for the Habs. Consideration also given to Gionta and Gorges. Good job boys, it was a great run.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Habs Come Out Flat, Now Face Elimination-Flyers 3, Habs 0
The Montreal Canadiens picked a bad time to play one of their worst games of the playoffs. The Philadelphia Flyers played a near perfect road game and came away with a 3-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The win gave the Flyers a 3-1 lead in the best of 7 Eastern Conference finals and have now put the Canadiens in a must win situation for the final 3 games. After getting whipped in game 3, the Flyers made some changes and were able to neutralize the Canadiens speed in a big way. For the first time in the series the Flyers outshot the Canadiens with the final tally being 25-17. Michael Leighton picked up his 3rd shutout of the series. Jaroslav Halak made 22 saves for the Canadiens who gave up an empty net goal late in the 3rd. The Habs got off to a decent start, but a penalty half way through the period seemed to give the Flyers the momentum. They carried that momentum into the second where they scored 2 goals and limited the Canadiens to just 1 shot. Both Flyers goals came off a pair of Habs giveaways that could have been avoided. The Canadiens went 0/2 on the PP and killed off all 3 Flyers chances with the man advantage. Some other thoughts:>The Canadiens entire defence corp had an off game. Their passes were off and they seemed to be jumping into the play and pinching a little too much. I would assume this was a coaching decision, but I'm not sure why they would be so agressive.
>The power play, without Markov, has been pretty bad. Markov is the quarterback and without him the Habs are having trouble opening up seems and controlling the play in the oppositions zone.
>The Canadiens forwards had some chances, but too often missed the net with their shots. It was a total opposite to what they did in game 3.
Montreal now finds themselves in a familiar position. They have faced elimination 5 times so far in these playoffs and lived to talk about it. They will have to fight off the Flyers the next 3 games if they want to extend their season. First things first, focusing on Monday nights game is now the key. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Max Lapierre. It was slim pickings tonight but Lappy led the team in shots and hits. Consideration also given to Moen and Metro. Game 5 goes Monday in Philadelphia.
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