Habs Cap Off Road Trip With Another Win-Habs 5, Panthers 4

Now all Habs fans can celebrate New Year's Eve in style. The Montreal Canadiens, in front of thousands of their own fans in Florida, defeated the Florida Panthers 5-4. The win brings their 7 game road trip to an end with 12 out of a possible 14 points in the bank. Hal Gill...yes Hal Gill, Tomas Plekanec, Mike Cammalleri, Marc Andre Bergeron and Benoit Pouliot scored for the Canadiens. Jarslav Halak wasn't especially sharp in net, but 2 of the goals were breakaways. Halak ended the afternoon with 32 saves while Tomas Vokoun stopped 37 for the Panthers. The game entered the 3rd tied but all that changed when the Panthers were whistled for a delay of game penalty at the 20:00 minute mark of the 2nd and then another just 13 seconds into the 3rd. Bergeron blasted his 10th of the year followed less than 3 minutes later with Pouliot's 2nd as a Hab. The Candiens power play was dangerous again going 2/4. The penalty kill ended the night killing 2 of 3 Panthers chances. Some other observations from an exiciting game:

>Markov had his worst game since returning, with several giveaways and a late penalty. He made up for it on the offensive side with 3 assists. Gorges also had an off night getting burnt on goal #1 and caught up ice on goal #2.

>A. Kost left the game in the 2nd after a hit by Keith Ballard. Pacs, who played tonight for S. Kost took his spot the elder Kostitsyn's spot on the top line after the injury and played well. Lapierre had a pretty good fight against Ballard later in the 2nd.

>Gomez, Gionta and Pouilot continue to shine. Their line produced 2 more goals. I'm not going to lie, I am really starting to take a liking to Pouliot.

If you would have told me when the road trip started the Canadiens would take 6 of 7 I would have been ecstatic. Having a nearly full line up makes a huge difference in all aspects of the game. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game...New Year's Eve edition goes to Scott Gomez. Loved Gomez's game tonight. He back checked hard and was dangerous in the offensive zone. Honorable mentions go to Pouliot and Gill. A rare Saturday night off but back at it Sunday afternoon versus the Sabres.

Canadiens Strike Down Bolts-Habs 2, Lightning 1 (OT)

The Montreal Canadiens worked overtime and came away with a 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tomas Plekanec was the hero in the extra frame beating Mike Smith with a shot on a 2 on 1 with teammate Mike Cammalleri. Brian Gionta had the other Canadiens goal while Carey Price stopped 34 shots for the win in net. It was another "who is the home team" atmosphere as Canadiens jersey's were everywhere at the St. Pete Times Forum. Smith ended the night with 33 saves and held his team in the game until they came to life in the 3rd outshooting the Canadiens 13-4 and tieing the game. The Bolts did a fantastic job on the red hot Canadiens power play holding them scoreless in 3 attempts. The Habs PK was perfect as well on both Lightning chances. Defenceman Roman Hamrlik returned to the lineup giving the Canadiens a nearly totally healthy lineup, only missing Paul Mara. Earlier in the day Pleks was announced as one of the players who will represent the Czech Republic at the 2010 Olympics, but teammates Roman Hamrlik and Jaro Spacek were snubbed. Some other thoughts:

>The 2nd line with Gomez, Gionta and Pouliot looked very good again. Pleks and Cammi had rough nights but obviously made up for it on the winning goal.

>The defence as a whole played pretty well. Markov played with Gorges, Hamrlik with Spacek and Gill with O'Byrne. It will be intesting to see how the pairings shake down when Mara returns.

>Pacs was a healthy scratch joining BGL who missed his 2nd straight. Bergeron played on the 4th line with Lapierre and Lil Tits.

Another big road win making it 5 of 6 on this 7 game trip. The Canadiens did a pretty good job holding the Bolts big guns in check until period 3 when the goal turned the momentum. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes tonight to Brian Gionta. Had a goal and continues to be like an energizer bunny on the ice. Consideration also given to Price and Gomez. Next up a New Year's Eve showdown against the Panthers.

Quarterly Report #2-Half Way Point

So here we are, 41 games into the season......the half way point. From a win/losses standpoint the Canadiens sit at 19-19-3 good for 7th in the east, but it should be noted that most of the teams in their conference have games in hand on the Habs. Slowly but surely we are seeing guys return from injury giving us a better look as to what this team is capable of. So here is a rundown of the good, the bad and some player grades.

The Good-Tomas Plekanec has been the best player on the Habs. Not only does he lead the team in points but he should also get some consideration for the Selke for his defensive play. His line of Mike Cammalleri and Andrei Kostitsyn has turned into a legit #1 line. The special teams have been much improved and both the PP and PK are among the tops in the league (PP currently sits #1 at 25% and the PK sits #8 at 84.2%). This without Andrei Markov for most of the season makes it even more impressive. The goaltending has been very good to this point. There have not been many games that either goalie hasn't given the team a chance to win. Martin seems to be satisified to ride the hot hand in net and I have no problem with that. The Canadiens have managed to compile a respectable record despite all the injuries in the 1st half and are in the mix for a playoff spot. Seeing some key players return from injury is a huge positive.

The Bad-Secondary scoring has continued to be a big issue. With the injury to Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez has had a revolving door of wingers and none of them seem to be able to provide that offensive spark that is needed. Overall team defence hasn't improved much since the start of the season. Too many giveaways, the inability to get the puck out of the defensive zone and poor defensive zone coverage has led to a ton of shots and scoring chances by the opposition. The Canadiens continue to get outshot most games but the return of Markov should help the defence. Penalties also continue to be a huge concern. The Canadiens continue to be league's most penalized team (in terms of times shorthanded) with 183 times shorthanded (Coyotes are next with 172 having played 1 fewer game). They also continue to have the least number of power plays with only 120 (Bruins are next with 132 in 3 fewer games). I am not going to rant about the officiating because the majority of the Canadiens penalties are legit. I am more concerned about similar infractions being missed when the opposition committs them.

Now the players report card. I based my ratings on not only play, but expectations.

Forwards
Gomez-B->With Gionta on the shelf Gomez struggled. Has started to heat up as of late.
Gionta-A>Injured most of the 2nd quarter and was missed big time. Still sits tied for 4th with 8 goals.

Cammalleri-A+>Great pickup all around. Leads team with 19 goals and has meshed well with A. Kost and Pleks.

Plekanec-A+>Continues to be a rock. Solid in both ends and a team high 44 points.

A. Kostitsyn-B>Has totally turned his game around. Sits 2nd on the team with 12 goals and has scored at will lately. Possibly the addition of his brother has helped.

Max Pacs-B->Continues to play hard every game on the 3rd line. Needs to work on polishing up his offence.
Moen-A->Moen and Pleks have been an amazing team on the PK. Continues to add grit which is why he was signed.

Metro-A->A few bad penalties have hurt his rating. Still a great surprise this year with 10 goals and responsible play at both ends of the ice.
D'Agostini-C->On the team to score and he hasn't done much of that this year with only 2 goals. Had a chance with Gomez on the 2nd line but couldn't capitalize.
Pouilot-B+>Through 3 games he has looked impressive. Good size and loves to shoot. Can't wait to see how he does in Q3.
Lapierre-C->Very disapointing season so far. Appears confidence is gone.
White-B>Back in Hamilton now but did a good job while with the big club. High hockey IQ and energy guy.
Pyatt-B->Went pointless in 19 games but was a pretty responsible player overall. Returned to Hamilton.
Laraque-D>No shots on net and only a handfull of fights in 22 games. It appears injuries have really caught up with him.
Stewart-D>Back in Hamilton.

S. Kostitsyn-C>Only 4 points in 18 games since being called up, but has been very good on the PK with Gomez.

(J.T. Wyman (3 games) and David Desharnais (1 game) also saw action)

Defence

Markov-A>Recently returned from injury and the team is 5-1 with him in the lineup. Already has 7 points.

Hamrlik-A->Continues to log big minutes and play well. Suffered an injury and has missed the last 7 games.

Spacek-C>Paired again with Markov after Andrei's return. Offence has been lacking and has taken a few too many penalties.

Gorges-B+>Has continued to play well. Not a flashy d-man but effective.
Mara-B->Suffered a pair of injuries and is currently out of the lineup. Play has tailed off a bit from earlier in the year.
Gill-C>Has played much better after coming off an injury which saw him miss 14 games. Has been a big key on the PK paired with Gorges.
O'Byrne-C>Has struggled in the last few weeks. The number of penalties he has taken has hurt the team.
Bergeron-C+>Still a liability in his own end, but his power play skill has paid big dividends. Has scored 9 goals and 21 points while seeing limited ice time.
Carle-C+>Hamilton.
Belle-C+>Hamilton.

Weber-C>Hamilton.

Goalies
Price-B+>Earned a long stretch of starts with some great play. Focus and urgency appear to be back.

Halak-A->Sat for a while after Price got hot. Was able to get a string of starts lately and has been good while seeing a ton of shots.

LOL NHL, LOL.....-Sens 4, Habs 2

So let me get this straight. Less than a week after Ottawa coach Corey Clouston whines about his team never getting the calls and how his team has gone 3 games win which they didn't get a power play (see link attached http://tsn.ca/nhl/teams/story/?id=303315&hubname=nhl-senators) they in turn play an entire game without taking a penalty. Nah...can't be. I sure didn't see that coming. The Ottawa Senators erased an early 2 goal deficit and defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. The loss was the first in five games for the Canadiens on this long seven game roadtrip. The Senators had all 5 power plays in the game and made good on one of those chances. To be fair, the officials blew a call when they disallowed a goal due to apparent goalie interference, but that again was on a power play after a questionable call. Mike Cammalleri (with the franchises 20,000 goal) and Benoit Pouliot (his first in a Habs uniform) scored for the Canadiens. For the first time in a while, the opposition goalie outplayed the Canadiens one as Pascal Leclaire made several big saves among the 29 on the night. Jaroslav Halak stopped 24, with the last goal coming via the empty net. In other news the game looked sweet on my new big screen. Now some observations:

>Gomez, Pouliot and Gionta...yes Brian Gionta is BACK....looked good all night. They scored a goal and had 14 shots on net combined. Rumour has it Gionta got flashed by one of the many Habs fans in attendence...female I assume.

>Hey Martin. How about not playing the 4th line with the 5/6 defenceman all night. Ultimatley that combination led to the winning goal for the Sens. Didn't seem to matter as the 4th unit (Dags, Lappy, Lil Tits) was on in the last 3 minutes again.

>Markov made several sick passes, including a couple on the 2 Habs goals. But both him and Spacek had 2 penalties each. Hal Gill was bumbling the puck all night and Bergeron avoided taking a hit and the puck ended up in the back of the net.

Tough loss tonight after a very good start. The Canadiens controlled the play for the most part, but the Sens did a good job after taking the lead of limiting scoring chances. Halak wasn't all that sharp...not bad but just not sharp so I would expect we see Price next game. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Benoit Pouliot. His first goal as a Canadien and 6 shots on net. If that line can play like they did tonight every game the "secondary scoring" issue will be forgotten. Honorable mentions to Gomez and Markov. Next game is Wednesday versus the Bolts.

A Win Is A Win-Habs 3, Laffs 2 (OT)

From all reports, this game will be filed under the "stolen" category. The Montreal Canadiens blew an early 2 goal lead but came away with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. I was unable to take the game in, but talked to some others who watched it. Jaroslav Halak was the difference stopping 47 Laffs shots as the Habs picked up their 4th straight win on the road. Jonas Gustavvson turned aside 20 shots in a losing effort. Andrei Kositsyn scored the winner just 34 seconds into extra time, while Tomas Plekanec and Scott Gomez got the other goals. The power play continued it's hot play going 1/2 while the penalty kill was perfect in killing 4 Laffs chances. As noted, because I didn't see the game this post will be very brief.

Nice to get a win no matter how it happened. Next up the Sens Monday night in another road game. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Jaroslav Halak tonight. Not much doubt about this one, had another huge performance while seeing a ton of rubber (insert hooker joke here). Honorable mentions go to Pleks and Gomez. That is all.....

Canadiens Blow Away Hurricanes-Habs 5, Canes 1

So that's why the Hurricanes are in last place (I kid, I kid). The Montreal Canadiens exploded for 4 first period goals enroute to a 5-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. The win marked the first time since 1945 that the Canadiens had won a game on December 23 (useless stat of the night). After a strong first in which Cam Ward was chased after the Canadiens went up 3-1, the Habs decided to just hold on the rest of the way and ended up getting outshot badly, 47-24. Glen Metroploit with 2, Andrei & Sergei Kostitsyn and Andrei Markov did the goal scoring damage for the good guys. Tomas Plekanec and Scott Gomez each picked up 3 assists. Jaroslav Halak was pelted again in net ending the night with 46 saves. A dumb Aaron Ward boarding penalty on the first shift of the game led to the Habs first goal and Andrei Kostitsyn scored again soon after to make it 2-0. A equally as dumb Scott Gomez penalty (2 for cross checking, 2 for mouthing the ref off) allowed the Canes to make it 2-1, but that would be as close as they would get. Some other thoughts:

>Benoit Pouliot played his first game and looked decent. Nice smooth skater and a big body who isn't afraid to go to the net. I was prety confused as to who he was due to the fact he has a similar skating stride to Pacs and wears #57. He played on a line with Gomez and Lil Tits in hopes he can ignite some secondary scoring.

>Gorges Laraque only played 4:49 in the game. If he can't get ice time in a 5-1 game I'm not sure if he ever will.

>The PK was solid again allowing only 1 goal on 5 Canes tries. The PP continues to be lethal going 3 for 5.

3 road games into this long trip.....3 wins. Would have been nice to see them keep the foot on the pedal for the whole 60 minutes, but at the end of the day a win is a win. Halak continues to play well and get a lot of shots. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes once again to Tomas Plekanec. Pleks is playing unreal, that's the only word I can use to describe it. It seems like every game he is feeding someone (or some people as his assist total will tell you) a sweet saucer pass that ends in a goal. Add to that his strong 2 way play and he has suddenly become the team MVP. Honorable mentions given to Halak and Metropolit. Next up the Laffs on Boxing Day.

Canadiens Prospects At The WJHC

Tis the season to gather the family and friends around the television to watch the World Junior Hockey Championships. No where else in the world does this tournament mean so much as in Canada...frankly I'm sure most other countries don't even know it's being played. This years event will take place in Saskatoon and Regina (please god don't let Team Canada where those terrible green jerseys again...1 exhibition game is enough). Montreal Canadiens prospect Louis Leblanc (pictured above at the 2009 draft) was a late cut for Team Canada meaning there will be no Habs prospects wearing the red and white. In Leblanc's defence, his team at Harvard has only played 11 games (he has only played 9 due to injury). Junior teams have played 30+ by this point so he is at a bit of a disadvantage. Players like PK Subban and Carey Price have made the tournament even more exciting for fans of the Canadiens in the past few years with strong performances. There will be a few possible future Canadiens in the tournament. They are:

*Danny Kristo-RW (USA)-Kristo's 2nd year in the tournament. Is a freshman currently playing for the University of North Dakota. Has scored 6 goals and added 10 assists in 18 games this season with the Fightling Sioux. Had 1 goal in 6 games last year at the WJHC. Was the Canadiens 2nd round, 56th overall pick in the 2008 draft.

*Joonas Nattinen-C (Finland)-Nattinen will also be playing in his second WJHC. Had a goal and 2 assists at last years tournament. Currently playing with the Espoo Blues of the FNL where he has 0 goals and 3 assists in 18 games. Was the Canadiens 3rd round, 65th overall pick in the 2009 draft.

*Maxim Trunev-F (Russia)-Trunev is in his first WJHC with the Russians. Currently playing in the KHL for Cherepovets Severstal where he has 2 goals along with 1 assist in 21 games. The Canadiens selected him in the 5th round, 138th overall in the 2008 draft.

Best of luck to all the Canadiens prospects.....but I will still be rooting for Team Canada.

Habs Use Late Comback To Get Win-Habs 4, Thrashers 3 (OT)

It wasn't pretty to watch, but it was rather exciting. The Montreal Canadiens used a late 3rd period goal followed by another in overtime to defeat the Atlanta Thrashers 4-3. The Thrashers held a large shot advantage as well as a large scoring chance advantage but lost on the scoreboard where it matters. Marc Andre Bergeron was the hero, netting both the tieing and winning goals, while Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn added singles. Pleks ended the night with 4 points, while Cammalleri had a pair of assists. Jaroslav Halak was strong in net making 47 saves, while Johan Hedberg managed 19 stops. The penalty killing was very good again killing 5 of 6 Atlanta chances, while the power play continued to be hot going 2 for 3. This was illustrated late in the game when the Canadiens were whistled for a penalty with under 5 minutes to go and killed it successfully. The Thrashers were then assessed a minor with just over 2 minutes on the clock which led to the tieing goal. Overtime looked like a Habs penalty kill as Atlanta completely dominated, but an odd man rush ending with a Pleks pass to Bergeron finished the game. Some other thoughts:

>The top line continues to dominate, combining for 7 points tonight. The other lines....not so much.

>Markov makes a huge difference out there. Great passes, strong defensive play and a stability on back end. Gill was roasted on at least 4 occasions by the Thrashers speedy Russians.

>On the injury front, Mara left in the 2nd and did not return after taking a shot off the hand. Bergeron limped off the ice after scoring the winner. Moen limped off the ice and collapsed in the hallway, only to return a few minutes later in classic Moen "tough as nails" fashion.

Not pretty, probably not deserved, but a win anyway. The Canadiens have to find a way to limit the oppositions shots and to muster up some secondary scoring. Hopefully the return of Gionta and Hamrlik will help with that....and who knows what Pouilot will bring (recalled from Hamilton today). The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game was a difficult choice. Bergeron and Halak both were big keys to the win. But tonight I have to go with Tomas Plekanec. 4 points and great again on the PK. I hope BG can lock him up in the new year. The Canadiens visit the Carolina Hurricanes Wednesday in their last match before Christmas.

Habs Shutout Isles-Habs 3, Isles 0

Sounds like I missed a good game. The Montreal Canadiens picked up their first shutout of the season with a 3-0 victory over the New York Islanders. Jaroslav Halak made 40 saves and Andrei Markov paced the offence with a pair of goals in his first game back. The Markov story couldn't have been written any better. He once again proved just how valuable he is to the Montreal Canadiens. Glen Metropolit had the other Canadiens goal while Tomas Plekanec picked up another 2 assists. Martin Biron made 25 saves for the Isles, who went 0/6 with the man advantage, with 3 of those penalties going to Plekanec in the 2nd period. The Habs power play was on fire going 3/5.

It was a much needed win for the Canadiens in the first game of their long seven game road trip. Markov is a difference maker, that much is true. Having him on the ice for 20+ minutes a night is going to helped this team. Brian Gionta is also close to returning, possibly by Wednesday which would be another huge boost. I didn't get to see the game, so the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the game is a tough one. On one hand it sounds like Halak was amazing, but with the return of Andrei Markov I had to give it to him with his 2 goal performance. Halak and Gomez get honorable mentions. Next up is the Thrashers on Monday.

Could It Be True?

RDS is reporting that all-star defenceman Andrei Markov will return to the lineup Saturday night against the New York Islanders. Markov hasn't played a game since opening night against the Laffs when he suffered tendon damage in his ankle after being cut by teammate Carey Price's skate. The original timetable for Markov's return was estimated to be some time in February. But it appears he is well ahead of schedule and received clearance from team doctors (I hope they know what their talking about) to play. Markov is arguably the Habs top player with seasons of 46, 49, 58 and 64 points in his last 4. He has played in 2 all star games and will more than likely anchor Russia's blue line at the upcoming Olympics in Vancouver.

In other injury news, winger Brian Gionta has resumed skating and is eyeing a return in the near future. Gionta suffered a broken bone is his foot and has missed the last 17 games. Despite that, he still sits 3rd on the team in goals with 8. Winger Beniot Pouliot will play his first game in Hamilton on a conditioning stint tonight. No word yet on how much time defenceman Roman Hamrlik will miss, but I doubt he will play Saturday.

Backstrom Leads Wild To Win-Wild 3, Habs 1

The Montreal Canadiens continued to have trouble putting the puck in the net as they were edged 3-1 by the Minnesota Wild. Niklas Backstrom was very sharp kicking out 30 Canadiens shots. Carepy Price had a bit of an off night making just 18 saves and letting in 2 he would probably like back. Despite what Pierre Maguire would lead you to believe the Canadiens carried the play for most of the game in the final 2 periods after falling behind 2-1 in the 1st. Andrei Kostitsyn had the Habs lone goal and his line with Cammalleri & Plekanec were buzzing around the Wild net all night. Trailing by a pair of goals in the 3rd led to Price being lifted with over 3 minutes to go to try to get at least one back. The Canadiens also had a late PP, their second of the night but could not capitalize. Thw Wild went 1 for 1 with the man advantage. Say what you want about tonights game, but the Canadiens worked hard. The fans were on them most of the 3rd but anyone with half a brain could see that the effort was there. Some other thoughts:

>The Canadiens need Gionta back. Secondary scoring continues to be a big issue with this team and hopefully he can help.

>Roman Hamrlik missed the game with a knee injury robbing the Canadiens now of their best 2 defenceman. Paul Mara returned from injury which helped ease the blow a bit.

>Carey Price as noted above had an off night. Regardless, the team needs to score more than 1 goal to win games. I don't know why Martin wouldn't have went with Halak tonight seeing how the team played the night before in New Jersey.

That makes 5 losses in a row. The Canadiens are hovering around that 8th seed and the next few weeks will probably have a big influence on the rest of the year. A long road trip which will see the Habs play 7 straight on the road, finally ending on New Year's Eve awaits. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Andrei Kostitsyn. Had a nice goal and several other great chances. Consideration also given to Gomez and Spacek. Next up Saturday versus the Islanders. I won't be able to watch so I will rely on my Dad for some analysis.

Habs Let Another One Slip Away-Devils 2, Habs 1

In a typical Lemaire/Martin low scoring matchup, the New Jersey Devils edged the Montreal Canadiens 2-1. It was another great crowd in New Jersey....looked about half full. The Canadiens jumped out to an early 1-0 lead as Travis Moen scored shorthanded just over 12 minutes in. The Devils enjoyed 4 1st period PP's, including a 5 on 3 for over a minute, but came away empty after some strong penalty killing by the Habs. A costly Carey Price mistake in the 2nd tied the game before the Devils got the winner with just 2:36 left on the clock. Giving up late goals in tie games seems to be a common theme for the Habs which could cost them dearly come playoff time. Neither team looked particularly sharp or energetic and the fabulous crowd only added to that. Price ended the night with 25 saves, while Martin Brodeur continued his dominance over his childhood team with 17 saves. The Canadiens, surprise, surpirse, only managed 1 power play the entire game. Some other thoughts:

>The Devils did a great job on the Habs big line who had been hot coming in. Gomez looked inspired centering Dags and Lil Tits. The few fans in attendance booed every time he touched the puck.

>Metro's bad penalties over the past 2 games cost him his spot on line 3. He played with Laraque and Pyatt, while Lapierre took his spot with his normal line.

>The defence played pretty solid, although an injury to Hamrlik late in the 2nd is cause for concern. He played just 1 shift in the 3rd before leaving for the night.

Another one bites the dust. The Canadiens have given away too many points late in games which could end up coming back to bite them later in the season. The bright spot is they played with one of the top teams in the league, which they have been doing for the last few games, but playing with top teams doesn't equal points. The Canadiens need to find a way to win games like this. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Travis Moen. Great on the PK again and had the only goal. Consideration also given to Gomez and Gorges. Next up the Wild tomorrow night. The Habs need a win.

The Latest Montreal Soap Opera-Halak Wants Out

Several media sources have reported that Jaroslav Halak has asked to be traded to team that will play him more. This was all but confirmed by Halak on TSN with his "maybe I did, maybe I didn't" comments...aka I'm not denying it so I probably did. I'm not all that surprised that this has happened, there have been rumblings in the past that Halak would like out of Montreal rather than stay and back up Carey Price. But my surprise is with the Canadiens fans reactions.

It seems the majority of Canadiens fans have the "I don't blame him" type attitude. Well, I blame him. Hockey is a team game. You do what is best for the team. If you happen to find yourself on the bench for long stretches you come to practice and work your tail off. You support your teammates and when called upon take advantage of the playing time to earn more of it. Most of all, you don't cause distractions, because a good teammate wouldn't do that. Now I think Halak is a very good goalie and a pretty good guy. But doing this hurts the team. It is a distraction and it hurts his trade value on the market. I've heard so many excuses from "he's got to do what's best for his career and family" to "being the backup in Montreal is a suicide to your career" to "he'll be a starter somewhere". First, the guy pulls in $800K a year to play the game of hockey. I'm sure his family is doing fine. Second, there are many teams where being backup is suicide if it is in Montreal (NJ, Buff, Van, NYR, Cal, ect.). Lastly if he was such a sure thing to be a started somewhere some team would have offered Gainey a good deal and we would be talking about how he was traded instead of asking for a trade.

Halak has started 11 games this year. When compared to other back up goalies, this is pretty good. Earlier in the year he had a string of good starts and appeared to temporarily dethrone Price as the starter. His stats are decent...902 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average. But it's clear Price has outplayed him as of late. After a slow start Price has improved his save percentage to .913 and his goals against average to 2.76. Halak has allowed 4 or more goals 3 times in his last 6 starts, Price has allowed 4 or more just twice in his last 17 starts.

So why not earn your ice time Jaro? Play so well when you get a chance the team can't possibly play the other guy. That's what should be done, but it appears that won't happen. Can you imagine if Price would have pulled the same stunt when Halak owned the crease earlier in the season? I want everyone to know that I like Halak, he seems like a good guy and he is a very solid goalie. But I am a Habs fan and I want whats best for the Canadiens.

It appears Halak will be traded, more than likely for a draft pick and Canadiens fans will whine how Gainey got hosed. Just remember if it does happen it can be placed square on Halak's shoulders.

Refs Decide Another One-Sabres 4, Habs 3

Unreal. Under 8 minutes to go in a tie game. Metropolit and Roy battle off a draw, some slashes are taken, a couple of punches are thrown...and the ref decides to give Metro the extra minor penalty. Ryan O'Byrne then proceeds to take a legitimate high sticking minor leading to a long 5 on 3 and the eventual winning goal. The Buffalo Sabres snuck away with a 4-3 victory. Why would the ref make the call on Metroploit. It was off setting minors, no more, no less. There are 8 minutes to go in a tie game....it's not like the game is going to get out of hand with rough stuff. Making a call like he did only makes sense early in the game after several scrums. Why play the hero card and cost one team the game. I still can't believe it. Andrei Kostitsyn continued his hot play with another 2 goals, while linmate Mike Cammalleri added a single. Kostitsyn ended the night with 3 points, while Cammalleri and Plekanec both had 2 point nights. Jarsolav Halak got the call in net and made 23 saves while Ryan Miller stopped 21 shots. Some other thoughts before my head explodes:

>The PK was strong again, holding to Sabres to only 1 goal (5 on 3) in 6 tries. The PP connected for 2 goals in 4 attempts.

>Ryan O'Byrne struggled, but the rest of the defence looked fairly sharp. O'Byrne did try to get something going with a 2nd period tilt against Adam Mair.

>Metro didn't see the ice after his penalty late in the 3rd. The top unit was very good, but the other lines couldn't generate much offence...although Lil Tits was really effective.

Tough loss again to a very good Sabres team. To look at the positives, the Habs proved they can play with one of the top teams in the league, even without 2 of their top players. Speaking of those players, Markov has resumed skating and is ahead of schedule. No word yet on Gionta but I would assume it shouldn't be much longer. Adding these 2 could be huge. Markov is not only a huge key to the PP, but also the best defender and shut down guy. Gionta is needed to help out Gomez and give the Habs some secondary scoring. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Andrei Kostitsyn. He appears to have found his groove. Honorable mentions to Pleks and Gorges. Next up, the Devils on Wednesday.

Thashers Hand Habs OT Loss-Thrashers 4, Habs 3

Family holiday commitments made it impossible for me to catch any of this game, so this post will be pretty short and stats based. The Atlanta Thrashers scored on the power play in overtime to come away with a 4-3 win. The Canadiens blew a 2 goal lead and spent too much time in the penalty box. Andrei Kostitysyn continued his hot play scoring twice while Glen Metropolit added a single. Carey Price stopped 30 shots (and after watching the highlights made 3 "you have no business stopping that" saves) while Johan Hedberg turned aside 16 shots. As noted above, the Habs PK was tested again and finally gave up the overtime winner after killing 33 straight chances to that point. The power play scored on 1 of it's 4 chances. Other than that, not much to say. Laraque got into a tilt, as did Lapierre. NHL network provides some solid highlights, which is good.

As for the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game, that honor for this game goes to Andrei Kostitsyn. Big Tits had a couple of goals, both pretty nice to be honest. No honorable mentions because I really don't know who else played well. Next up Monday at the Bell Centre against the Sabres.

Refs Hand Pens Victory-Pens 3, Habs 2

Now I don't often complain that officials cost the Canadiens games. If you thumb through my posts you can see that. But tonight at the Bell Centre, the referees handed the game to the Pens. Whether it's just horrible officiating or the NHL has some agenda to give the Pens as much help as they need, who knows. The Montreal Canadiens came out on the short end of a 3-2 score against the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the score tied 2-2 heading into the 3rd, the Habs were assessed 3 straight minor penalties (2 of them were questionable calls), and although they killed them all, the Pens scored to take a 3-2. One of the calls occured when Hal Gill slid and knocked the puck away. Crosby then stepped on his glove and fell.....and that's a triping call? I'm sure it had nothing to do with it being Crosby. The Pens committed several infractions as bad if not worse than what the Canadiens were called for but did not recieved a single penalty in the 3rd. Then with just over 6 minutes to go, Maxime Lappiere threw the puck on net. It sat beside MA Fluery's pad until Lapierre chipped it across the crease to Scott Gomez who potted the tieing goal. Referee Chris Lee appeared to begin to signal a goal, only to stop at the last moment and wave it off. The reason I guess was that he lost sight of the puck. THERE ARE 3 OTHER REFEREES ON THE ICE, ASK FOR SOME HELP! The puck was never frozen, the goal was scored before any whistle blew, he refused to consult other officials or go to video review, & the call cost the Habs at least a point. Matt D'Agostini and Roman Hamrlik scored for the Canadiens. Carey Price stopped 38 shots while Fleury made 19 for the Pens. Some other thoughts from a tainted game:

>The PK again was very good holding the Pens scoreless in 5 attempts. The Habs PP went 1/3.

>Lil Tits had his worst game since being called up, with several giveaways and limited hustle. Dags got his first goal in a while which was nice to see.

>O'Byrne again looked nervous and ended the night with 2 penalties. Hamrlik, Spacek, Gorges and Gill did a pretty good job on the Pens top 2 lines.

Horrible way to lose a game. Chris Lee has screwed the Canadiens before and he did it again tonight. When an official makes a mistake like this and refuses to seek out the assistance of the other refs and/or video review officials he should be disciplined. Mistakes happen, no one is perfect, but the reason they put the 2 referee system in place is to prevent travesties like this. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Roman Hamrlik. Hammer had 8 blocked shots and a goal. Consideration also given to Moen and Pleks. Next up Saturday against the Thrashers. We'll cross our fingers Chris Lee isn't one of the refs.

Special Teams Carry Habs to 3rd Straight Win-Habs 4, Sens 1

The Montreal Canadiens used a strong goaltending performance from Jaroslav Halak and strong special teams to come away with a 4-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The win was the 3rd in a row for the Habs and second in as many nights. Despite the game being in Ottawa, the Canadiens fans seemed to outnumber the Sens faithful with several "Go Habs Go" and "Ole" chants. The Sens held the territorial advantage throughout but the game was won and lost with the power play. The Canadiens went 2 for 3 with the man advantage while the Sens couldn't convert any of their 7 chances. Mike Cammalleri, MA Bergeron, Andrei Kostitsyn and Scott Gomez scored for the winners. Tomas Plekanec picked up 3 more assists, while Big Tits and Bergeron both had 2 point nights. Halak ended the night with 45 saves, while Brian Elliott made 23 saves. Jaro Spacek left in the 1st with what appeared to be a foot injury and did not return leaving the Habs short on the backend. Ryan White was recalled from the Bulldogs but was forced to leave as apparently the Canadiens didn't recall him correctly. He ended the night playing around 3 minutes, but all reconrd of him being in the game is now gone. If the Canadiens would have happened to have scored while he was on the ice the goal would not have counted. Some other thoughts:

>The officiating was god awful. The Habs deserved most of the penalties they got, but the Sens should have been called for about 4 or 5 more. A too many men penalty by the Sens late in the 3rd led to a Canadiens goal and the final nail in the coffin.

>Pleks, Moen, Gorges and Gill were once again the most effective unit on the PK, but Gomez, Lil Tits, Hamrlik and whoever he was paired with were execellent as well.

>The big line produced 2 more goals tonight (3 if you include Bergeron's). Pleks and Cammi build more and more chemistry every game and Big Tits appears to be heating up.

Nice to get 2 wins on back to back nights. Props to the Habs fans who turned Scotia Bank Place into the Bell Centre tonight. The game wasn't pretty, but a win is a win. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Jaroslav Halak. Halak was a rock in net, making several highlight reel saves among the 45 stops. Consideration also given to Pleks and A. Kost. Next up Thursday versus the Pens at the Bell Centre. Hopefully the Habs can keep the momentum going.

Text Book Defence Leads To Victory-Habs 3, Flyers 1

If you like defensive hockey, this game was for you. The Montreal Canadiens used some timely goal scoring and stingy defence to come away with a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The two teams combined for only 28 shots, the Habs 13 and the Flyers 15, including 1 by the Canadiens in the 1st and 2 by the Flyers in the 3rd. The Habs had possibly their best defensive game of the year with air tight d-zone coverage and strong work along the boards. Andrei Kostitsyn, Mike Cammalleri and M.A. Bergeron scored for the Canadiens. Tomas Plekanec and Roman Hamrlik both had a pair of assists. Carey Price was strong again stopping 14 shots for the victory. After allowing the Flyers to score the midway through the 1st, Montreal potted 2 in the 2nd before a power play goal by Bergeron in the 3rd iced the game. In typical Canadiens fashion they took a penalty with under 2 minutes to go leading to some tense moments. The Flyers failed to get new coach Peter Laviolette his first victory in his second game since taking over from John Stevens. Paul Mara left the game in the 1st with an undisclosed injury (I would guess "upper body"). Some other observations:

>Gill and Gorges were once again very effective on both the PK and at even strength. O'Byrne had a rough night with a bad penalty and several giveaways. Hamrlik and Spacek were also solid.

>Pacs, Moen and Metropolit continue to play strong. All 3 work hard and play physical. Pacs seems to be getting better and better each game. Laraque got in a 1st period scrap and had an assist.

>The PP went 1 for 3 with Bergeron also hitting the crossbar with a blast in the 1st. The PK was great holding the Flyers scoreless in 4 chances.

Nice win over a hungry Flyers team. Anytime a team replaces a coach they usually play lights out for a few games at least. The Canadiens were able to match Philly's physical play and limit the number of chances by their skilled forwards. Tonight the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Roman Hamrlik. 2 assists and 10...yes 10 blocked shots. Honorable mentions go to Pacs and Pleks. Not much rest for the boys as they travel to Ottawa to take on the Sens tomorrow night.

It's A Celebration Bitches-Habs 5, Bruins 1

What a night. The 100th year celebration came to an end on the date 100 years ago the Montreal Canadiens were officially created. The Canadiens didn't disapoint the sell out crowd or the many fomer Habs in attendance with a 5-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. The night began with many of the Canadiens greatest players taking a warm up, full gear and all. Then it was onto a ceremony recognizing the past greats, followed by the retiring of Butch Butchard and Elmer Lach's jerseys. Current and past players then got together for a photo before the action began. Special guests Viggo Mortensen and Gordie Howe helped introduce some of the legends. Another top notch ceremony celebrating 100 years of the greatest NHL franchise. Mike Cammalleri scored his 2nd hat trick of the year while Jaro Spacek and Glen Metropolit added singles. Carey Price was great in net stopping 37 shots, while Tim Thomas managed only 18 before being yanked to start the 3rd. A big stop by Price on a shorthanded breakaway followed by the Spacek goal got the crowd into it early. Then with the score still 1-0, the Habs killed off a 5 on 3 for a full 2 minutes. Mike Cammalleri scored his first soon after and the ball was rolling. The Canadiens tried to give the Bruins life in the 3rd by giving the Bruins 2 more long 5 on 3's, but the PK was too strong, ending the night 7 for 7. The Canadiens went scoreless in 3 tries with the man advantage. Some other thoughts from a great night all around:

>Gorges and Gill were excellent all night, especially on the PK. The 2 combined for 5 blocked shots and Gill had a pretty nice assist feeding Metro back door.

>Cammalleri double shifted on a line with Gomez when Lil Tits left in the 2nd with an injury. Gomez ended the night with 2 assists.

>White and Pyatt were in the stands tonight with Laraque back from suspension and Bergeron playing the wing. No word yet on Pouilot or Gionta, but when they come back moves will need to be made.

Only in Montreal could they pull off such a great night. Tons of past heroes made the ceremony special and the current team began the next 100 years on a high note. Only PJ Stock's dumb "only 6 teams" comment (followed by him getting put in his place by Dick Irvin......nice work Dick, why is PJ on television again?) and Ron Maclean's stupid comments to pretty much every person he interviewed were small black marks on the evening. As for the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game, that honor goes to Mike Cammalleri. Had a hat trick...enough said. Consideration also given to Josh Gorges and Carey Price. Great to see the boys put on a nice show for the fans and the past players. Next game is Monday against the Flyers.

Habs Add Another One To The Loss Column-Sabres 6, Habs 2

The Montreal Canadiens pretty much let the Buffalo Sabres do whatever they wanted for the first 2 periods, and ended up getting thumped 6-2. It what is now becoming the norm, the Habs spotted their opposition a 2 goal lead and saw that increase to 4 before finally netting a couple of their own. Defensive zone coverage was again terrible......you'd think by this point some progress would have been made. Jaroslav Halak got the nod in net, and although his rebound control was questionable, he was pretty much hung out to dry, facing 29 shots in the 1st 2 periods alone (while the Habs only managed 8 of their own). Halak ended the night with 31 saves, while Ryan Miller stopped 21. Scott Gomez and Josh Gorges had the Canadiens goals. Not much else to be said, another poor effort. You cannot continue to give teams first period leads and expect to comeback. Some other thoughts from a tough game to watch:

>The line juggling continued again tonight with pretty much everyone playing with everyone. No combination was real effective. Nice to see Gomez end his draught.

>Hal Gill was healthy enough but did not play. After the effort of most of the defence tonight expect him to be in the lineup tomorrow. At times it was a comedy of errors. Nice to see Mara get the mitts off late in the game.

>The lack of PP's continued with the Habs getting just 1. The Sabres only had 2. Neither team could take advantage of their opportunities.

So there you have it, the losing streak is now up to 4. It appears preparation is an issue, as noted with the almost nightly slow starts. A team that has trouble scoring can't spot teams leads. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes tonight to Josh Gorges. Had a goal and saved another by sweeping a puck off the goal line (which for a former d-man like myself is at least equal to a goal). Consideration also given to Gomez and A. Kostitysn. Next up, the 100th year game against the Bruins tomorrow night at the Bell Centre. Hopefully the home team can pull out a win.....or the city may riot.

Chipchura a Duck

The Canadiens announced today that former 1st round pick Kyle Chipchura has been traded to the Anaheim Ducks for a 4th round pick in the 2011 draft. As I mentioned in yesterdays post it appeared his time in Montreal was nearing the end so this move is really no surprise. The Habs picked Chipchura 18th overall in the 2004 draft hoping he would continue to develop as a top notch checking forward. A sliced achilles tendon the season after his draft year appeared to hurt his skating even further and he was never able to solidify a full time spot with the big club because of it. A former captain of the Canadian World Junior gold medal winning team, many felt he would develop into a Bob Gainey type leader. This season has been a disaster for Chipchura going pointless in 19 games with 16 PIM's and a awful -10. He leaves the Habs with 4 goals and 10 assists in 68 career games along with 31 PIM's and a -17.

It's always difficult to give up on a former 1st round pick, but it was clear that Chipchura wasn't in Martin's plans for this team going forward. The games he did play he was used sparingly, especially in his last 4, playing less than 6 minutes each game. He appeared to be trying to do too much in his last few games with his limited ice time, causing turnovers by holding on to the puck for too long. Best of luck to Chips, you were a guy that always worked hard, but had limited upside due to skating issues.

Maguire Won't Be Able To Stand Up For A Week-Laffs 3, Habs 0

Pierre Maguire's hard on probably won't go away for a while. He got his ultimate wish, the Laffs beat the Canadiens. His "Leafs fans get excited" quote that he used in game 1 versus Montreal, only to see the team lose that game and their first 50 games (okay I'm exaggerating) was uttered many times again. Ron Wilson and Brian Burke are geniuses. Kaberle, Tlusty, Kessel, Stajan, Komisarek (who he called a steady defence partner for Kaberle....LOL) and Macdonald all should go to the hall of fame. Now that I have ranted about the pro Laffs coverage on TSN (although props to them for the 100th stuff on the Habs) I will discuss the game. The Canadiens did not play well, this I can admit. But it wasn't the domination the Maguire would have led viewers to believe, thank god he wasn't broadcasting on the radio. The difference in the game was the Leafs got a couple of bounces, the Habs didn't. The Laffs probably did have a territorial advantage, and any time you get shutout against a cellar dwellar like the Laffs it is emabarrasing but it's nothing I'm too worried about. Carey Price was decent between the pipes stopping 28 shots, while the Laffs tandem faced 26. Some other thoughts:

>Dags returned to the lineup and struggled...I hope it's just rust. Gomez also returned and had a few scoring chances but nothing to show for it. Chips continues to struggled badly and I would assume his time with the Habs is nearing the end (giveaway on goal #2, -2 in 1:59 of ice time).

>Leach was picked up on waivers by the Sharks leaving the Habs with just 6 healthy defencemen. As a whole, the group didn't play bad, but had trouble getting the puck out (blame can also be shouldered by the forwards).

>Martin tried all kinds of combinations on forward, so many I can't name them all. The PP went 0/2 and the PK killed both Laffs chances. An early PP in the 1st generated a ton of chances but no goals. The Laffs then followed that up with a pair of quick goals and the rest is history.

The Bell Centre fans were jacked up after the Als made an appearance with the Grey Cup, but by the end were booing the home side throughout much of the 3rd. Losing to the Laffs is unacceptable to most, especially on home ice, and for good reason. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight was a tough one. Not many guys deserved the recognition, but I'll go with Travis Moen. Mentions also go out to White and Pyatt. Next up the Sabres in Buffalo on Thursday before the 100th year game against the Bruins back home Friday.

Habs Drop A Heartbreaker-Caps 4, Habs 3 (SO)

The Montreal Canadiens blew a late lead and eventually lost in a shootout to the Washington Capitals 4-3. With the Habs up a goal late in the 3rd, Paul Mara was whistled for the usual Habs late penalty (questionable call, battling with a Cap in front...both or neither could have been called) with 16 seconds to go. The Caps took advantage of the 6 on 4 and tied the game and then won in a shootout. The Habs spotted the Caps a 2 goal 1st period lead before storming back and finally taking the lead just over 5 minutes into the 3rd. Jaro Spacek, Tomas Plekanec and Travis Moen scored for the Canadiens in regulation. Caps goalie Semyon Varlamov stopped all 3 Habs shooters in the shootout with Price allowing a single goal. Price ended the night with 20 saves, including a couple of beauties on Ovechkin, while Varlamov stopped 21 shots. The Canadiens played a solid defensive game until the last minute when all hell broke loose leading to the tieing goal. Spacek returned to the linuep and Leach played forward due to injuries. The Habs PP went 2 for 3, while the Caps went 1/3. Some other thoughts:

>Spacek and Hamrlik drew the task of playing against Ovechkin. Both rearguards had 2 point nights. Ovie had a goal and several good chances but that's to be expected.

>Bergeron was roasted on a 1 on 1 with Ovie and struggled again with giveaways. Overall the defence as a whole played pretty well, limiting the Caps to just 23 shots.

>Props to Ryan White for a huge shot block late in the game. Him and Pyatt appear to have earned a regular spot. Lil Tits was impressive playing with Pleks and Cammi. Chips was barely on the ice again, yet playing on the 2nd unit PP.....I'm confused.

Overall a pretty good effort against a tough Caps team considering the list of wounded players. It hurts to lose a game after giving up a late goal, but the team showed a lot of heart again to battle back from 2 down. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Jaroslav Spacek. He had a Goal and an assist as well as several strong defensive plays (we'll forgive you for the cough up leading to the Ovechkin breakaway). Consideration also given to Pacs and White. Next action is Tuesday against the Laffs. Rumor has it Komisarek might return from injury....we'll keep our fingers crossed.

Short Staffed Habs Come Up Short-Pens 3, Habs 1

The defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins took advantage of a injury plagued Habs team enroute to a 3-1 victory. The Canadiens played the night before in Montreal and lost yet another player to injury, this time Andrei Kostitsyn, making the lineup even thinner for tonights game than it was before. Despite a good effort, Montreal couldn't put away some excellent scoring chances which could have made it a different game. Max Pacioretty scored the only Canadiens goal mid way through the 3rd to cut the Pens lead to 3-1. Carey Price made 27 saves while Pens goalie Marc Andre Fleury stopped 18 shots. David Desharnais took Big Tit's spot playing his first NHL game. Sergei Kostitsyn was reported to have a sprained ankle and would be scratched, but played anyway. The Canadiens went 0/1 on the PP and killed both Pens chances. Some other observations from the game tonight:

>I really like Roman Hamrlik, but he had a pretty bad game tonight. Several giveaways, including 1 that led to the first Pens goal.

>The injury to Big Tits forced some line juggling for most of the night. The Pens did a good job on Pleks and Cammi (and whoever they were out with that shift).

>Not sure what Martin was thinking putting Wyman, Desharnais, Bergeron and Leach on the ice a couple of times together. This led to chaos. Chips again was the low man on the totem pole when it came to ice time...not sure why that is.

A loss, but nothing to hang their heads about. Back to back games ending with the Penguins in Pittsburgh would be tough for any team, especially one with so many injuries. The list of wounded now includes Markov, Gomez, Spacek, Gionta, Gill, D'Agostini, Pouliot and A. Kost. Hopefully some of those guys will be back soon. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Travis Moen. Moen was great again tonight, hitting guys and blocking shots. Shout out to Pacs and Metro for strong efforts as well. Another tough test next when the Caps come to Montreal on Saturday.

Sorry To Disapoint You TSN-Habs 5, Jackets 3

Listening to Pierre Maguire and Gord Miller it was doom and gloom. The highly skilled Columbus Blue Jackets were schooling the Montreal Canadiens. There was nothing the Habs could do to stop them. It was like men versus boys. Who cares about injuries, no one could stop Rick Nash. 3 out of the top 7 d-men out, 2 of the top 4 forwards, no excuse, the Habs would have needed 10 guys on the ice to stop the Jackets on this night. And then the tide turned. The injury riddelled, resiliant, gutsy Montreal Canadiens pulled out a 5-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Marc Andre Bergeron scored twice, while Mike Cammalleri, Glen Metropolit and Max Lapierre added singles. The Canadiens trailed 3-2 heading into the 3rd, but exploded for 3 goals and gave Carey Price some goal support. Price was great again making 33 saves, while former Hab Mathieu Garon stopped 24. The Jackets scored twice on 4 PP's and while the Habs went 0 for 3. The turning point may have come with the game tied in the 2nd. Rick Nash pasted Travis Moen from behind, yet because he's Rick Nash there was no penalty on the play. Moen then jumped up and "tried" to deliver a shot to Nash's head, only to completely miss....yet get a penatly leading to the Jackets 3rd goal. After that it was all Habs. Some other thoughts from a solid win:

>Sergei Kostitsyn...Lil Tits....played his first game and looked good picking up an assist. J.T. Wyman played his first NHL game, but only played 4:21. Chips looks to be on his last legs with the Habs, playing only 3:53.

>Spacek is on the shelf so Leach drew back in on defence. Bergeron played over 20 minutes and was good in all areas. Mara left late in the 3rd after getting hit with a puck in the face.

>Ryan White came close to getting his first NHL goal but missed the net (only to centre it to Bergeron for goal #4). Pacs had a couple of assists, as did Pleks who continues to roll.

I can hear in his voice how bad it hurts Maguire when the Habs win, and I take joy in it. A great effort by a severely undermanned team. Not too many passengers tonight. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to a guy who stepped in beautifully after the injury to Spacek. Marc Andre Bergeron picked up 2 goals and was great in his own end. Smart passes, good work in the corners, he really did it all. Honorable mentions go to Price and Lapierre. Next up, tomorrow night on the road against the Pens. Should be another tough test.

Latendresse and Pouliot Swap Uniforms

The Montreal Canadiens traded forward Guillaume Latendresse to the Minnesota Wild today for forward Benoit Pouliot. This brings an end to Latenresse's much scrutinized time with the Habs. In 232 games over 3 plus seasons with the Canadiens Lats scored 48 goals and added 37 assists along with 137 PIM's. He was a 2nd round selection of the Habs in 2005 and made the jump to the NHL in 2006. His spot of the Habs was constantly debated as many felt he was rushed in because he was French. Lats has never played a game in the AHL. He came to camp in 2006 and won over fans and coaches with his punishing hits and ability to finish around the net. It looked like the Habs finally had a true power forward. But his development slowed in his second year and many wondered if time in the AHL would be a worthwhile option. During his 3rd season he teamed with Maxime Lapierre on the 3rd line to be 2 of the clubs better players for most of the year. His play this season had disappointed many, scoring twice and adding an assist in 23 games.

In Pouliot the Canadiens get a player that was drafted 1 spot before Carey Price in the 2005 draft at 4th overall, but has struggled to earn a regular spot at the NHL level. He has played just 65 career NHL games and has scored 9 goals along with assisting on 9 others. He also has 30 career PIM's. Pouliot is currently injured with a wrist problem. A classic underachiever that I hope will find new life in Montreal. The Canadiens also announced that forward Sergei Kostitsyn aka "sir quits a lot" has been recalled from Hamilton.

So what do I think about this trade...hmmmm. I'm not going to lie, I was very critical of Lats when he first came up with the Habs. I think he was rushed, but had a great camp and the snowball started rolling. I think there were several times in his second year he could and should have been sent to Hamilton, but what's done is done. In year 3 I really started to like his game. Other than the fact he was a 3rd liner after most projected he would be a first line power forward, he was pretty impressive. Very tough to knock off the puck, threw some big hits and had a decent touch around the net. But this year he seemed to be in Martin's doghouse from the start and never got out. He just never really got on track. I would love to say I think Pouliot will reach the massive potential he once had, but that seems unlikely. If he couldn't crack the offensive starved Minnesota Wild lineup on a regular basis can he make an impact with the Habs? I guess time will tell, but at this point I think I am going to miss Lats. Here's hoping the gifted Pouliot can finally live up to his hype.

Extra Time Streak Finally Ends-Wings 3, Habs 2 (SO)

Well I think this weekend can be considered a success. The Montreal Canadiens overcame a 2 goal deficit after 2 periods, only to end up on the short end of a 3-2 shootout loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Mike Cammalleri scored both 3rd period goals after a penalty filled 1st period ended with the Wings up by a pair. The Canadiens took 6 first period penalties, including 3 at one time for Gorges Laraque after an accidental high stick followed by a dangerous knee, which could have easily been a 5 minute major. The Wings enjoyed 2 long 5 on 3's and converted on 1 as well as on 1 of the Laraque minors. The Habs refused to give up though after a scoreless second. Cammi potted his first just 9 seconds into the 3rd, followed by the tieing goal at the 8:45 mark. Lack of power plays continue to be a frustrating trend as the Wings were only whistled for 1 minor penalty the whole game. The refs missed a highstick on Laraque in the 2nd which would have been a 4 minute penalty (although after his 1st period penalties I have no idea why BGL was on the ice at all). Carey Price was solid again making 32 saves(14 in the first), while Jimmy Howard made 16 saves for the Wings. Some additional thoughts from another exciting game:

>Cammi moved onto a line with Pleks and Big Tits for the 3rd after starting with Moen & Metro and that move led to both goals. Big Tits had a pair of assists, including a beautiful goal mouth feed on the tieing goal.

>With Gomez out, Chips took his spot and saw limited ice time on a line with Lats and Laraque. White and Pyatt continued to impress. Pacs also had a very good game.

>With the Wings sending guys like Datsyuk and Zetterberg in the shootout, victory was going to be tough. Add to that 2 of the 3 regular Habs shooters are hurt (I got a little concerned when I saw Pleks was a career 1/10 in the shootout), and the result was expected.

Very good weekend by the blue, blanc et rouge....although they were just blue et blanc tonight sporting vintage jerseys. 2 very tough teams and 3 out of 4 points. The team should be proud of themselves for hanging with 2 of the better teams in the league. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Mike Cammalleri. This guy is a scorer and a great signing by Mr. Gainey. Shout out to A. Kostitsyn and Pacs for solid efforts as well. Another set of back to back games starting Tuesday against the Blue Jackets.

Very Impressive Win On The Road-Habs 3, Caps 2

I'm not sure how many people actually gave the Habs a chance to win tonight, but they did. The Canadiens held off the high flying Washington Capitals and came away with a 3-2 victory. Carey Price was great again in net making 32 saves including several in a frantic last 2 minutes when the Caps had a late power play and eventually a 6 on 4 advantage. The Caps got within a goal with under 3 minutes to go to set up the wild finish. Roman Hamrlik and Jaro Spacek did a great job on Alex Ovechkin holding him off the scoresheet. Travis Moen, Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri scored for the Habs, with Pleks and Cammi both having 2 point nights. Scott Gomez left the game in the 3rd with an undisclosed injury and Ryan O'Byrne returned from injury sending Jay Leach to the press box. Michal Neuvirth got the call for the Caps in goal and made 19 saves. The penalty kill was great tonight, killing all 3 Caps chances while the PP went 1 for 2. Some other observations from a very good road win over a very good team:

>As noted above, Hamrlik and Spacek were great against Ovie. Hammer also added an assist. Mara and Gorges also saw some time against #8 and performed well. Bergeron needs to stop passing the puck in front of his own net.

>Pleks, Bit Tits and Pacs saw a lot of the Caps big line as well. They created numerous scoring chances, including Pacs missing an open net on a 2 on 1 along with the Canadiens goal #2.

>Lats and Lappy didn't have their best nights. Both took penalties (although Lats ended up being evened up) which won't get them out of Martin's doghouse. Laraque returned to the lineup and got in a fight (sort of).

Big win tonight for the Canadiens. Of course they couldn't hold a 2 goal lead and took a late penalty to really make things interesting, but I like excitement. The Caps are regarded as a Stanley Cup contender and an even tougher team to beat at home. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight was a tough one. My choice is Travis Moen, who had a goal but also some big hits, blocked shots, and great penalty killing. Honorable mentions go to Spacek and Price. Another tough test next as the Wings invade the Bell Centre Saturday night.

Habs Pull Off Late Comeback-Habs 3, Canes 2 (SO)

Now that was exciting. The Canadiens scored with under 3 minutes to play in the 3rd and came away with a 3-2 shootout win over another injury plagued team, the Carolina Hurricanes. Andrei Kostitsyn beat Manny Legace with a shot from behind the goal line to send the game to extra time. This came after the Habs killed off 2 penalties in the last 10:30 and then had to kill another for the final 1:59 of overtime. Max Pacioretty had the other Canadiens goal and Max Lapierre scored the lone goal in the shootout for either side after 5 team mates missed before him. Carey Price made 30 saves along with 6 more in the shootout. Leighton and Legace combined for 33 saves for the Canes. After jumping out to 1-0 lead after the 1st, 2 mistakes in the 2nd cost the Habs a pair of goals and the lead, despite holding a 16-6 shot advantage in the period. The crowd at the Bell Centre booed for parts of the 2nd and 3rd but were electric in overtime and the shootout. Montreal played without Brian Gionta for a second straight game as he awaits the results of an MRI. Some other thoughts:

>The line juggling continued with Metro playing on the big line. That line was mostly ineffective tonight.

>Pleks, Pacs and Big Tits formed the second line and all 3 played well (and produced both goals). Lappy, Lats and Moen made up the 3rd line with Pyatt, White and Stewart on the 4th unit.

>Again, a couple of mistakes cost the Habs both goals, a bad giveaway by Spacek on goal 2 and a bad pinch by Gorges on goal 1. Mara and Spacek were both particuarly bad tonight.

>The PP struggled going 0/3. With Gionta out, I think Martin should try Gomez with Pleks and Cammi...but what do I know. The PK was great killing all 4 chances including the 4 on 3 to send the game to the shootout.

In closing I will say it was a good character building comeback win. The Canes are in the basement of the league so a loss would have probably caused a riot in Montreal. Sounds like O'Byrne may be back on the weekend tough back to back Caps/Wings games. I gotta give the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight to Andrei Kostitsyn. He was dangerous all night and it looks like he actually has a bit of confidence. Honorable mentions go to Lats and Pleks, who had a pair of assists. The Caps in Washington will be a tough one Friday.

Quarterly Report

So here we are, 20 games into the season. I think some fans are surprised the Habs are doing this well after losing MVP Andrei Markov (and looking back at the teams record in previous years without him). But at 9-11, this season has been far from perfect.

The Good-Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri have been very good, combining for 16 goals and 29 points. Both know how to put the puck in the net. Tomas Plekanec has been arguably the teams top player, regaining his form from 2 years ago. Roman Hamrlik has seemed to put last season behind him and has been solid on the back end. Glen Metropolit has been great on the 3rd line, averaging close to a point a game, earning him PP time. Travis Moen has been all we hoped for....a bruising winger and has even chipped in with some offence. The goaltending duo of Price and Halak has given the team a chance to win most games. 4 on 4 the team has been deadly with the team going 5-0 in overtime and outscoring opponents 5-1 overall with 4 aside. The Habs are also 2-0 in shootouts.

The Bad-Secondary scoring has been non existent. Let's put it this way, last year Latendresse, Lapierre, A. Kostitsyn, Max Pacs, and D'Agostini combine for 67 goals last season. This year those same 5 players have lit the lamp 6 times. The power play has struggled badly without QB Markov, ranked 23rd in the league. The PK has been better as of late, but still only ranked 18th. Defensive zone coverage has been awful for the most part (forwards and defensmen), although when you have used 12 different players on defence, that's bound to be a weakness. The inability to get the puck out of the defensive end has also been a big concern. It seems rather than make the safe chip out, too many players and throwing it back to a teammate, and chaos ensues. The Habs have also taken WAY to many minor penalties, trailing only the Canes with 105 through 20 games. Overall, the Canadiens have had 64 PP's and been short handed 88 times.

Now the players report card. I based my ratings on not only play, but expectations.

Forwards

Gomez-B>Hasn't played bad, but $7+ million cap hit needs to have more than 11 points.

Gionta-A>Possible captain, 8 goals and continues to prove size doesn't matter.

Cammalleri-A>Pure scorer, worth every penny so far.

Plekanec-A+>Great in all areas, despite having a bunch of different linemates.

A. Kost-D+>Seems lost without his Russian friends. Previous seasons of 26 and 23 goals, but only 1 so far.

Max Pacs-B->Has played very well on the 3rd line, but most fans hope he is a top line power forward.

Moen-A>Grit, grit, grit. Great on the PK and has chipped in with 4 goals.

Metro-A+>Chance he would be the odd man out, has earned PP time and has 10 points while playing great 2 way game.

D'Agostini-C>Out with a concussion, has only played 11 games, but has just 1 goal & 1 point.

Latendresse-C->Still playing physical, but not scoring.

Lapierre-C->One of the Habs top players a year ago, has been mostly ineffective this year.

Chipchura-C+>Started on the IR, but returned only to have his spot grabbed by Pyatt.

White-B>4 games in, is a responsible player with some grit.

Pyatt-B>Gomez deal "throw in" hasn't looked at all out of place through 4 games.

Laraque-D>Injured again, who would have thought. 8 games and only 1 fight.

Stewart-D>Disasterous start, has taken bad penalties and made costly errors in his own zone.

Defence (I have not included Markov)

Hamrlik-A->Back to his old form. Steady and playing big minutes with Markov out.

Spacek-B->With only 6 points, more offence is needed, but he has been forced to log big minutes as well.

Gorges-B>Pretty steady again this year, but play has dropped a little from last season.

Mara-B+>Big body, works the 2nd unit PP and has been above average overall.

Gill-C->Has taken too many penalties and made too many mistakes. Still hasn't played as bad as Komisarek!

O'Byrne-B+>Played great in the little action he saw.

Bergeron-C->Has added offence with 6 points, but is a liability in his own end.

Leach-C+>Waiver pick up plays a simple game. Doesn't look out of place.

Carle-C+>Struggled in game 1, but was good the other 2.

Belle-C+>Good skater, strong on the boards. Was decent in his 2 games.

Goalies

Price-B+>Has stolen a few games and had some bad luck on others. Appears to be closer to 2 seasons ago's form than last years.

Halak-A->Has got some better goal support than Price and has given the team a chance to win in most of his starts. Record is 5-3.

No Title Will Do That Beating Justice-Preds 2, Habs 0

I often wondered what it would be like to see 1 team out hustle, out muscle and out think another team for a whole game at the NHL level. Tonight was probably the closest I will come to seeing that. The Nashville Predators dominated from the opening faceoff and came away with a 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. If this was the Penguins or the Wings or the Sharks, you can see them getting outplayed by a top team. But the Preds, wow, just wow. I am usually a pretty positive guy about my Habs, hence the name of the blog. I can take mistakes, those happen. But when a team shows no effort, no hustle and no fight for a whole game, that is unacceptable. I would say every Predator outworked every Hab tonight, with the exception of the goalie. The rest of his teammates should be buying Carey Price drinks and giving him back rubs all the way home for putting him through that massacre. Price was unreal, stopping 53 shots, including 23 of 24 in the 1st alone. Pekka Rinne made 20 saves, and I can't believe the Canadiens got that many shots. The Habs were only down by a goal until the Preds capitalized on a 5 on 3 with just over 7 minutes to go in the game. Brian Gionta did not play, meaning Lats was back in after being announced as a healthy scratch. Some other thoughts before I go pour a stiff drink:

>Without Gionta, Ryan White played with Gomez and Cammalleri. Listen Martin, White is a 3rd line player, put a guy with a little more skill on the big line for the love of god (nothing against White, but he was a little behind the play with those 2).

>The defence turned the puck over many, many, many times. Gorges had probably his worst game I have ever seen and Spacek wasn't much better.

>The whole team got beat to pretty much every puck. The rare instances when they were able to get it out of the defensive zone, it was usually turned over in the neutral zone instead.

So that is that. Probably the worst game I have seen my Canadiens play in....well.....it might be ever. Other than Price, there were no bright spots in white jerseys tonight. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Carey Price. Not much more to say, he stopped breakaways, 2 on 1's, point blank chances...you name it. No real honorable mentions but I feel obligated to give them out since I have in every blog up until this time. So I will say Moen and Mara weren't as bad as the rest. Next up, the Canes on Tuesday. Things can't go any worse than they did tonight....right......right?!?!?

Canadiens Get Back On Track In The Desert-Habs 4, Coyotes 2

The Montreal Canadiens got back in the win column with a 4-2 victory over the Hami....I mean Phoenix Coyotes. After a quiet first 2 periods with both teams combining for a total of 22 shots, the Habs broke a 1-1 tie with 2 goals in a 1:02 early in the 3rd. The Yotes got one back mid way through the 3rd before the Canadiens iced it with an empty net goal. Mike Cammalleri, M-A Bergeron, Glen Metropolit and Brian Gionta scored for the good guys. Tomas Plekanec and Bergeron both had 3 point nights. Former Hab and all around nice guy Robert Lang scored the Coyotes first goal after Paul Mara accidently speared Carey Price in the neck.....at which time I thought....here we go again. Price ended up with 18 saves, while Ilja Bryzgalov stopped 16. The Habs PP was on fire going 2 for 2 and the PK was also perfect killing all 4 Yotes chances. Jaroslav Spacek was injured and did not play the 3rd. Some other thoughts before hitting the hay:

>Tom Pyatt was the latest player to audition on the 2nd line with Pleks and Big Tits. He wasn't bad, but I don't think he is much of an offensive guy.

>Lappy and Lats played with White. That line was on for the Coytoes 2nd goal and didn't see the ice in the 3rd. Lats had one of his better games in the last little while.

>The defence was pretty stingy. With Spacek hurt, Bergeron and Leach both played more than usual, which was kind of scary when trying to protect a lead. Hamrlik and Mara both played 24 minutes +.

>Price was pretty good in net. Didn't have much of a chance on either of the goals, the second of which went in off a Coyotes foot. Didn't have to make many big saves which was a nice change.

Nice to get another win on the road. It was certainly a Martin/Tippett game with both teams focusing on defence first. Nice to see the special teams come up big. As for the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game, that goes to Tomas Plekanec tonight. Easily the best player on either team this game. Not only did he pick up 3 assists but had a couple of quality short handed chances as well. Consideration also given to Cammi and Bergeron. Next up is the Preds Saturday night in the home of country music. Price will be pumped.

Habs Drop Low Scoring Affair-Flames 1, Habs 0

The Canadiens had trouble finding the back of the net again as they dropped a 1-0 decision to the Flames at the Bell Centre. Miikka Kiprusoff was perfect in the Flames net stopping all 25 shots he faced. Jaroslav Halak allowed a first period goal but was unbeatable after that, finishing with 30 saves. The game was a physical affair with a couple of fights and several big hits. The PK for both teams were very good, with the Flames going 0/6 with the man advantage, while the Habs went 0/3. The Canadiens sealed their fate with 2:11 to go in the 3rd when Josh Gorges was sent off for holding, making a late comeback unlikely. The Flames have one of the best, if not the best defence corp in the league and it showed. Some other thoughts from the game:

>Martin broke up the big line and played Big Tits on the top unit with Gomez and Gionta. Gomez missed a breakaway in the 2nd or it could have been a different game.

>Lapierre played with Pleks and Cammi. Cammi showed some flashes of brilliance, but like everyone else came away empty. Pleks continued to play well and get under the other teams skin.

>The defence was pretty good. Jay Leach made his Habs debut and didn't make any glaring mistakes.

>Ryan White got into his first NHL fight and threw the body around all night. Lats played on the 4th line with White and Pyatt.

Another tight game, but another loss. The Habs record now drops to 8-10 on the season with the next 2 games coming on the road. Saw some good things tonight, but you can't win if you don't score. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Jaroslav Halak. Really good start for Halak, probably wants the lone Flames goal back, but made several other great saves. Honorable mentions go to Moen and Cammi. Thursday night against the Coyotes is the next one.

Habs Run Into A Hot Tender-Bolts 3, Habs 1

The story of the game was lots of chances, yet only 1 goal. The Canadiens came out on the losing end of a 3-1 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Antero Nittymaki was stellar in goal for the Bolts stopping 36 shots. The Habs fell behind early and went into the first intermission down by 2. Despite dominating the 2nd and 3rd periods, outshooting the Lightning 30 to 11 over that time, the Canadiens could only put 1 by Nittymaki, a power play goal by Brian Gionta in the 2nd. The Lightning restored the 2 goal lead late in the middle frame and held on for dear life in the 3rd. Carey Price stopped 18 shots in the Canadiens goal. CBC mouthpiece Greg Millen thought the Bolts played just a bit better than the Habs on this night...wow....just wow. Maybe I was watching a different game. Don Cherry then was ranting about Big Tits knocking 2 Bolts to the ice during a race to a puck on an icing. Both Tits and Walker of the Lightning hit each other, Tits was just stronger. Get a life Cherry, you too Mclean (who said he could have killed both guys). Maybe they should have "protected themselves" just like Mclean said players need to do on the hot stove. The Canadiens killed 2 of 3 Lightning PP's and scored on their SINGLE PP opportunity. Regardless, TB won. Some other thoughts:

>Newcomer Ryan White moved onto a line with Pleks and Tits after period 1. All 3 played well. Lappy and Lats were demoted after starting the game with Pleks and didn't see the ice in the 3rd.

>Metro, Pacs and Moen played hard again, had lots of chances but nothing to show for it.

>The defence was pretty good, but overall everyone (forwards included) could have done a better job at getting the puck out....again. Hitting the net with point shots is also something that needs work.

>Pleks was in Vinny Lecav's face all night, I loved it. Crowd was booing him as well, nice to see them giving him some normal opposition treatment.

With the loss the Habs drop back below .500 at 8-9. Just needed to put away some of their many chances to win this one. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Glen Metropolit. Metro had a great game, lots of good chances and solid as usual in his own end. Consideration was also given to Gomez and Moen. The Flames invade the Bell Centre on Tuesday. It will be a tough one, but hopefully they can get a win.

Habs Give A Point Away Late, But Get 2-Habs 2, Bruins 1 (SO)

The Montreal Canadiens finally ended their losing streak against the Bruins with a 2-1 shootout victory. The Habs opened the scoring in the 1st with a goal by Glen Metropolit and held the lead until the Bruins tied it with less than a minute to go in the 3rd. Carey Price sparkled all night and was perfect in the shootout stopping all 3 Bruins shooters. Mike Cammalleri beat Tim Thomas on the Habs first try and that's all they would need. The Bruins carried the play most of the night but Price was the difference making 42 saves. Thomas stopped 25 Montreal shots. The Habs actually appeared to take the lead early in the first, but Metropolit's first goal was disallowed, apparently for Travis Moen being in the crease. With a Bruins defenceman pushing him in there, I'm not sure what he was supposed to do to get out. Another head scratcher came late in the 3rd when Brian Gionta was whistled for an intentional offside, which didn't appear intentional at all. This led to a faceoff in the Habs zone and allowed the Bruins to pull their goalie, eventually leading to the tieing goal. The Bruins also had a goal disallowed as a rebound was poked by Price and slipped under the side of the goal while the net was being lifted. Some other observations:

>The big line was neutralized by that freak of nature Chara. They just couldn't seem to get on track all night.

>The 3 young guys, Matt Carle along with Ryan White and Tom Pyatt (both making NHL debuts) were solid. White picked up an assist for his first NHL point.

>Big Tits had his best game in a while. Threw some hits, set up Metro and was involved all night. Metro was also very good upfront again.

>The defence overall allowed a lot of shots, but didn't coughed the puck up as much. Bergeron struggled in his own end and Spacek didn't seem 100% after crashing into the boards in the 2nd.

So a road win over the Bruins. How ever it happened, I'll take it. Both teams have some injuries so certainly not a true picture of how good either team is. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game on this night is a no brainer. Carey Price was a rock in net, coming less than a minute away from a well earned shut out. Consideration was also given to Roman Hamrlik and Glen Metropolit. Next action is Saturday against the Bolts. Hopefully their French duo doesn't play lights out like they usually do against the Canadiens.

How About Playing Some Defence? Thrashers 5, Habs 4

What a display of defensive zone coverage that was. The Canadiens battled back several times, only to give the lead right back and eventually lose to the Thrashers 5-4. Carey Price was actually pretty solid in net and had little chance on 4 out of the 5 Atlanta goals. The Habs trailed by a goal heading into the 3rd, but Brian Gionta quickly tied it only to give a goal right back less than 3 minutes later. Tomas Plekanec then tied it again but the lead was handed back 34 seconds later. Too many blown coverages, too many point blank chances. Gionta scored twice while Pleks and Mike Cammalleri had the other Habs goals. Price stopped 25 of 30 shots. A few so called fans gave him a mock cheer after making a save after goal #5....nothing like mocking your own players....stay classy idiots...stay classy. Ondrej Pavelec continued his strong play making 34 saves. The Canadiens played without veteran defender Hal Gill who is on the shelf with a foot injury. Matt Carle made his NHL regular season debut and looked lost. Of course that didn't stop Martin from playing him to the bitter end, even after whiffing the puck at the Atlanta line and taking a penalty leading to goal #4. Matt D'Agostini also sat out his 2nd straight game with a concussion. Some other thoughts:

>The big line was rolling tonight picking up 3 goals and many other chances. Cammi missed a golden chance at the end of the 2nd only to steal the puck and score anyway a few seconds later. He then tossed out a "nice pass" to Peverley who coughed the puck up after a scrum.

>The defence and forwards both were awful in their own zone. Again, too many times did 2 Canadiens chase 1 Thrasher into the corner and get beat on a pass to a wide open guy standing in front.

>Carle and Bergeron both looked pretty bad. Bergeron sat for most of the 3rd before returning to the ice for Atlanta goal #5. Carle fell several times and look very nervous, which is understandable (the nerves, not the falling). I just don't know why Martin continued to put him on the ice. Can Spacek, Mara, Gorges, and Hamrlik not handle rolling 4 d-men for a period?

>Metro, Moen and Stewart also saw limited action in the 3rd. Metro has a point a game and Moen 4 goals. Might want to spot them in in place of Chips and Pacs every now and again.

Losing to the short staffed Thrashers is a tough pill to swallow, especially after battling back all night. You need to take advantage of teams that have depleted lineups and without Kovachuk the Thrashers are depleted. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes tonight to Brian Gionta. The guy was all over the ice tonight, scoring goals and setting up teammates. He could have had 4 assists if guys could have finished. Honorable mentions go to Cammi and Pleks. Next up the evil Bruins in Boston.