Habs Blow Late Lead, But Still Win-Habs 5, Laffs 4 (SO)

Well a win is a win, especially when wearing the cursed barber shop jerseys. Despite a collapse in the last 4 minutes, the Montreal Canadiens came out on top of the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4 in a shootout. The Laffs erased a 2 goal lead late in the 3rd with the tieing goal coming with their net empty and 54 seconds on the clock. Glen Metropolit, Guillaume Latendresse, Hal Gill (yes Hal Gill) and Roman Hamrlik scored in regulation. Mike Cammalleri and Scott Gomez both scored in the shootout and Jaroslav Halak stopped both Laff shooters. Halak turned aside 26 shots, while Vesa Toskala made 35 stops. Ex Hab Mike Komisarek was booed all night and ended up -3 with 4 PIM's. Craig Simpson was gushing about how good he played, not sure what classifies a bad game if that is good. The officiating was awful with the majority of the calls (or missed calls) going the Leafs way. This was proven when a non Habs fan buddy called to discuss the gong show of reffing in the second intermission. Highlights of the terrible work include Cammi skating around with a stick stuck in his earpiece after a high stick (yet no call) and the Leafs Beauchemin clocking Cammi after the Gill goal and the Habs ending up short handed (eventually leading to the Laffs 2nd goal). The Laffs scored twice on their 7 chances, while the Habs failed to score on 4 tries. Some other thoughts:

>First off, I have been to the Bell Centre and watched 4 games, 3 of them wins. There is nothing like doing the Ole chant or nah, nah goodbye. Here's a tip though, how about NOT doing the goodbye chant with 4 minutes to play in a 2 goal game.

>Another game with the Habs having trouble getting out of their own zone. Too many times the puck went back instead of chipping it out. Time to start making the easy plays.

>The offence looked better tonight. Nice to see some others scoring goals outside the big line.

>Gill had a decent game but took 2 more penalties. I never thought I would see him score, but he did. Props to you Hal.

So another Habs/Laffs game in the books. The biggest thing is getting 2 points but I would have preferred it to be in regulation. Although this may have been a tactic to give the Leafs a point and stop the Bruins from getting the first pick in next years draft. Yea that must have been it. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Tomas Plekanec. Pleks was dangerous again all night and battled for every puck. He also picked up 2 assists. Consideration was also given to Moen and Lats. Next up the Thrashers on Tuesday.

Habs Stink Up The Joint Again-Hawks 3, Habs 2

First off let me say the score was rather flattering. The Chicago Blackhawks scored late in the 3rd to secure a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Hawks outworked the Habs pretty much all night. For the second straight game the Canadiens defensive zone coverage was very poor and they had trouble with giveaways. Mike Cammalleri and Travis Moen scored late in the 2nd to tie the game and the Habs almost slipped into OT to pick up at least a point. Carey Price was strong in net, keeping the team in the game with 33 saves. He was also great moving the puck up ice with several good passes and a couple of dumps on the PK. Christobal Huet stopped 20 for the Hawks. The Canadiens couldn't put any magic together like they did last year when the Hawks visited the Bell Centre (with me in attendence). The Hawks are one of the top teams in the league and are going to be even better when they get Hossa and Toews back. Some other thoughts from another tough one to watch:

>As discussed, the coverage in the defensive zone was brutal. Too many times did we see 2 Habs converge on a Hawk in the corner leaving an open man in front of Price. Too many giveaways led to prolonged pressure in the Canadiens zone.

>The defence as a whole made several key mistakes. Bergeron had the first goal go in off his foot. Mara couldn't get to his man fast enough on goal 3. Gill was bad again, capped off with a terrible giveaway at the Hawks line that led to a breakaway, then a penalty, then the 2nd goal.

>The plan to split up the top line doesn't seem to be working. A. Kost is trying, but snakebit.

>Moen and Patches were both very good in all areas of the ice.

>The PP went 0/3 including a 3 minute chance after a dirty hit by Ladd on Dags. Chips came to his defence and got an extra 2 which was the reason for the 3 minute PP. The Hawks were aggressive and the Habs couldn't get set up. The PK was pretty good, holding the Hawks to 1 goal on 6 tries.

After 2 losses on the road to two very good teams the Canadiens return home to play the Laffs at the Bell Centre. The Habs really had no business being in the game on Friday, but hung around anyway, which is a positive. The Hawks are quick, very quick. As for the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game, tonight it goes to Max Pacioretty. Played his best game of the year with strong defensive play and a good fore check. Honorable mentions to Moen and Price. I am looking forward to the "warm" reception Komisarek will get tonight by the Bell Centre faithful.

Giveaway After Giveaway After Giveaway-Pens 6, Habs 1

Ugly, very ugly. That is the only word I can think of to describe the Pens 6-1 hammering of the Habs. The Canadiens committed many, many turnovers...and when you play the Pens and you turn the puck over it usually ends up in the back of the net. Some former Habs fan scored three times for the Pens, making us dream of what could have been if the Canadiens would have won that dumb lottery (although I still think he is a whiner, and we don't mind our consolation prize Price). Tomas Plekanec scored the lone Habs goal on a 5 on 3 and Marc-Andre Fleury was perfect in the Pens net on the other 23 shots. Halak stopped 19 of 23 before being lifted to start the 3rd by Price, who stopped 12 of 14. The Canadiens started well for the first half of the game, despite trailing 2-0, but the second half of the game was a disaster. After Pleks goal, the Pens piled on 2 more PP goals to toss a little salt in the wound. Some other observations:

>The top line couldn't solve Fleury when they had chances but struggled most of the game. To be honest so did every line.

>The defence and the forwards both gave the puck up in all zones. It's tough enough to keep the Pens stars in check, even harder when you are serving pucks up on a silver platter.

>The PP had 3 chances and other than the 5 on 3 goal, didn't do much. The PK gave up 2 goals on 5 Pens chances, both of those coming in the 3rd. The final goal was when Hamrlik and Spacek both decided to pinch, leaving 2 Pens to waltz in on Price.

>No jam in the 3rd which hurt. When you are down by a bunch, at least throw some hits, maybe even drop the gloves. The Habs gave up, or appeared to give up.

Best after a game like this to just forget about it and move on. The Pens are a very good team, probably the best in the league. Hopefully they learned something and will be ready for Friday against another high flying team, the Blackhawks. As for the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game, that was a tough one. I could use some analogies about what it was like, but I may offend some. So my pick tonight goes to Travis Moen. He was among the best of the worst tonight. Chips and Dags got consideration as well.

Habs Appear To Enjoy Overtime-Habs 3, Isles 2

The Montreal Canadiens continued to keep fans on the edge of their seat as they pulled off another victory in OT, this time against the New York Islanders 3-2. Roman Hamrlik capped off a great rush by Tomas Plekanec to score the winner, while Jaroslav Spacek and Travis Moen also scored. The Canadiens seemed to be in penalty trouble all night thanks to some stupidity and some questionable officiating. The Islanders scored both of their goals on the PP, going 2 for 7, while the Habs could only muster 2 PP's, with one of those lasting only 22 seconds. The Isles tieing goal in the 3rd came after it appeared Mark Streit had high sticked the puck down in the neutral zone, but it went uncalled and eventually led to a goal. Jaroslav Halak was sharp in net, making 29 saves while Marty Biron turned aside 28 shots. The Islanders made some adjustments from Thursday's game and it paid off as they played much better in their own zone. Some other thoughts from another exciting game:

>The muckers continue to play great. Lats, Moen, Metro and Chips all stood out tonight....in a good way. Moen had an assist along with his goal, while Metro fought through the flu bug and had 2 more assists.

>Pleks is having a great year. Looks like the Pleks of old.

>The defence as a whole was pretty good, but Gorges and Spacek both made mistakes that led to Isles goals. Bergeron had a very good game, moving the puck well and breaking up two 2 on 1's.

>The Canadiens had 3 breakaways/partial breakaways but couldn't convert. If they could have either stayed out of the box or got a few more PP's the score might have been different.

The streak has now been extended to 4. Not a perfect game by any means, but 2 points nonetheless. Halak continues to win between the pipes, will be interesting to see who gets the call against the Pens on Wednesday. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to another player who seems to have regained his form from a couple of years ago. Roman Hamrlik not only scored the winner, but was again a rock in his own end. Consideration was also given to Moen and Halak.

Habs Work Overtime Again-Habs 5, Rangers 4

They were down all night but never out. Mike Cammalleri scored his third goal of the game in overtime to lead the Montreal Canadiens to a 5-4 come from behind win over the New York Rangers. Marc-Andre Bergeron and Matt D'Agostini also scored for the Habs who stormed back from a 4-2 deficit in the 2nd and neither team could score in the 3rd. Cammi's goal in OT was a great individual effort as he was 1 on 3 but managed to shelf a nasty shot on Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist ended with 26 saves, while Jaroslav Halak stopped 23. Cammi also had an assist to make it a four point night, while Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez each had a pair of assists. Some other thoughts as I try to get my heart rate down:

>As you can see from above, the top line was awesome combining for 8 points. Enough said.

>The defence was a little suspect with several bad giveaways. Hamrlik and Spacek did do a good job on Gaborik, minus the breakaway goal.

>Chips, Lats and Dags were very good. Generated several good scoring chances and were rewarded with more ice time in the 3rd and OT.

>Halak was decent, didn't have a chance on most of the Rangers goals.

>The PP went 1 for 4, the PK killed both Rangers chances. The lone PP goal was on a 5 on 3 after ex Hab Chris Higgins was called for a high stick.

The Habs push their winning streak to a respectable 3 games. The Rangers have been one of the better teams in the NHL so far this season. Nice to see the Canadiens never quit, despite trailing by 2 goals a couple of times. As for the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game, that one is pretty easy tonight. Mike Cammalleri with the hat trick gets the nod. Gionta and Gomez get honorable mentions. Shout out to Chris Higgins who appears to be in Tort's dog house. I always liked Higgy and it doesn't hurt he scored in all four games I have attended live. Next up is the Isles again on Monday.

Habs Pound Isles-Habs 5, Isles 1

Finally a game where I didn't feel like I was going to throw up for most of the 3rd period. The Canadiens offence broke out in a big way propelling them to a 5-1 drubbing of the New York Islanders. Scott Gomez, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Max Pacioretty, Mike Cammalleri and Max Lapierre lit the lamp for the good guys who outshot the Isles 43-22. The PP got on track scoring twice in 6 tries, while the PK killed all 3 penalties. Halak got the call for a second straight game and was nearly perfect. The Isles only goal came early in the 3rd after a terrible Halak giveaway. Marty Biron was peppered all night making several good saves to limit the damage. Excellent 60 minute effort, not many guys were along for the ride tonight. Some other observations:

>The top line continues to be dangerous every time they are on the ice. Scored twice in this one and Gomez was robbed on a breakaway and Cammi hit the crossbar.

>Lapierre played right wing with Pleks and Bit Tits. The line looked good all night.

>The bottom two lines did exactly what they should. Good in their own zone and produced some good offensive chances. Great game for all six (Chips, Metro, Lats, Dags, Pacs and Moen).

>Hal Gill played probably his best game of the year. Mara was also very good and Bergeron had an assist to go along with his bomb of a goal in the first. The defence as a whole was very good.

>Halak wasn't overly busy again but good when called on. It will be interesting to see who gets the call Saturday.

The Canadiens were able to finally put away some of those chances. The PP with Bergeron looks dangerous, he's got a very hard, accurate shot. The Bell Centre faithful were singing for much of the 3rd, I love when that happens. Not much else to say. Glad to see the Lil Tits saga hasn't effected the players...I know I am getting tired of it, I just imagine how his brother feels. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game could have gone to many different guys tonight. Gomez was great again, as was Cammi and Bergeron. But I have to give it to Glen Metropolit. Picked up 2 assists, was great on the PK and in his own end. Had a great start to the year before going down with a rib injury, but doesn't seem to have missed a beat. Next action is Saturday against the Rangers.

Finally The Streak Ends-Habs 2, Thrashers 1 (SO)

The air seems a little fresher. Food tastes a little better. All because the Habs have put an end to their losing streak with a 2-1 shootout win over the Atlanta Thrashers. Brian Gionta gave the Habs a 1-0 lead in the 1st, but after that goalie Ondrej Pavelec was spectacular and the Thrashers managed to tie the game in the 3rd. Depsite a PP in overtime and a 7-0 shot advantage, Montreal couldn't solve Pavelec sending the game to a shootout. Mike Cammalleri missed, but Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta both found the back of the net. Jaroslav Halak, making his second start of the year, stopped both Altlanta shooters and made 22 saves. Pavelec ended up with 34 saves. The PP in OT was a result of a dangerous hit by Kozlov on Gomez that saw Gomez pop back up, drop his gloves and pound on the Russian. Kozlov ended up with 5 and a game, while Gomez picked up 2 for roughing. Apparently the rule in OT is that they take the difference, so the Habs ended up with a 3 minute PP. Pierre Maguire's hatred of the Habs is getting old, almost had to turn to RDS. Some other thoughts after the long awaited victory:

>Marc-Andre Bergeron played his first game and was on the recieving end of a huge hit. He looked shaky...mostly because of the hit. Props to Laps for coming to his defence after the hit.

>The first line was clicking tonight. Gionta scored and hit a post, Gomez hit a post and Cammi had several good chances. It does appear Cammi is gripping his stick a little tight right now.

>Overall, better team defence. Gill struggled again, but Spacek played well in his own end (but not on the PP).

>Halak wasn't busy, but played well. It will be interesting to see who gets the start Thursday.

>Chipchura and Moen were really good. Both made several excellent plays in their own end.

Win #3 is in the books. Took some time, but it has finally arrived. Pretty good 65+ minute effort overall. I can't help but think the pucks will start going in. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game was a very tough one tonight. Gomez played a heck of a game. Halak was very sharp. But I had to go with Brian Gionta. Scored the lone goal in regulation then iced the game in the shootout. He was a threat every time he was on the ice. Next action is Thursday versus the Islanders.

Kovy Returns to Haunt Habs-Sens 3, Habs 1

Alex Kovalev's much anticipated return to the Bell Centre ended in a 3-1 Sens victory and a 2 point peformance for the former Canadien. Kovy was cheered loudly after scoring in the 3rd after getting a mixture of cheers and boos throughout the game. The Canadiens dominated in the 1st, outshooting the Sens 13-3, but came away tied after a late goal by Cammi. The Sens then used the first of two 5 on 3's to take the lead before icing the game in the 3rd. A first period 5 on 3 for the Habs for nearly two minutes came up empty. Coach Martin's decison to keep Gionta on the bench and go with 5 left handed shots left me scratching me head. Pascal Leclaire was excellent for the Sens stopping 27 shots, while Carey Price played adeqaute, really not having a chance on any of the 3 goals and finishing with 18 saves. The Bell Centre crowd booed for much of the final minutes of the game and Hal Gill seemed to get jeered everytime he touched the puck. Some other thoughts after another tough loss:

>The first line generated lots of chances, but came away with only the Cammalleri goal.

>A pair of costly mistakes in the defensive zone lead directly to 2 Sens goals, the other came on a 5 on 3.

>The PP went 0/4 and the PK killed 4 of 5 Sens chances.

>The 3rd line of Lappy, Lats, and Dags worked hard, but failed to chip in with any goals. I think it is key for them to hit the scoresheet every now and then.

So 5 losses in a row. Not a good streak to be on. I would say the Canadiens held a territorial advantage overall, but again couldn't seem to pot any goal mouth scrambles. The failure to score on the long 5 on 3 hurt, but Cammi's goal to tie the game late seemed to spark the team. But 4 straight penalties to start the 2nd killed that. As for the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game, this one was a tough one. Not many guys stood out tonight to be honest. Consideration was given to Cammi and Pleks but I am going to have to give it to a guy I never thought I would. Georges Laraque was great in his limited ice time (7:12). He controlled the puck along the boards and actually generated a couple of good scoring chances. If he would have fought it would have been even better. Next up, Tuesday against the surprising Thrashers.

The Hockey Gods Seem To Hate The Habs-Aves 3, Habs 2

The Colorado Avalanche spoiled the home opener as they continued their winning ways with a 3-2 victory over the Canadiens. The Aves broke a 2-2 tie with less than 7 minutes to go and held on for dear life for the rest of the game. Craig Anderson was excellent for the Aves, stopping 29 shots. Carey Price stopped 20, but 2 of the Aves goals went off Habs players. The first hit Gomez's stick, then Gorges skate and trickled between Price's legs. The second hit newcomer Shawn Belle's skate and deflected top shelf. Roman Hamrlik and Tomas Plekanec scored the Habs goals, with Pleks's goal coming after the refs had missed the puck hitting the mesh and allowed play to continue. A late penalty by Hal Gill seemed to all but end the game, but Darcy Tucker took a highsticking minor soon after. Despite a flurry of shots in the final minute, Anderson shut the door. The pregame ceremony was a let down. The Habs all introduced themselves using a mic on the ice. Quality was poor, I wasn't a fan. Some other observations:

>Pleks and Big Tits played very well. Pacs took over on their line in the 3rd when Cammi was moved up and look solid as well.

>Shawn Belle, despite putting one in his own net, played a smart game. Very strong on the boards.

>Gomez, Gionta and Cammi had their worst game of the year. Couldn't seem to get any sustained pressure.

>Harmlik and Gorges played excellent on the back end. Gill had another off night.

>The PK was very agressive and killed all 4 chances. The PP lit the lamp once in six tries.

>Martin had BGL on the ice again with under 5 minutes, trailing by a goal. Not sure what that's all about.

This could be considered another that slipped away. Like the Oilers game, the Canadiens outplayed their opponent and came up short. Eventually the bounces will start going our way....right?? As for the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game, despite very solid efforts by both Andrei Kostitsyn and Roman Hamrlik, the shot goes to Tomas Plekanec. Pleks was everywhere tonight, picking up an assist on Hamrlik's goal before tieing the game in the 3rd himself. He was also great on draws and in the corners.

Road Trip Ends On Losing Note-Oilers 3, Habs 2

The Habs 5 game road trip to start the season finally came to an end with a 3-2 loss at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers. Despite outshooting (and outplaying) the Oilers 35-19, the Habs couldn't overcome a 3 goal deficit despite several quality scoring chances in the 3rd. Brian Gionta scored late in the 2nd and Roman Hamrlik got the team within 1 in the 3rd, but that's as close as they could get. Nikolai Khabibulin was spectacular in the Oilers net, while Carey Price had a decent game, but couldn't make the big save when it was needed. The story of this game was capatilizing on mistakes. The Oilers did just that, capitalizing on virtually every Montreal error.

Another story from the game was coach Martin's benching of Andrei Kostitsyn in the 2nd period. Big Tits turned the puck over and the Oilers scored to make it 3-0 and didn't see the ice after that. Now I'm not against benching players when they made a mistake, that's part of the game. But when Gorges Laraque is on the ice with 2 minutes to go in the 3rd and the team trailing by a goal there is something wrong. Bit Tits is probably the 3rd best sniper on the team (at worst). Why not give him a chance to redeem himself instead of throwing BGL on the ice, who by the way hasn't scored this year....and didn't score last year. There is teaching someone a lesson, but at that point in a game it's time to have the players that give you the best chance to tie the game on the ice. He then threw Hal Gill out in the dying seconds, who then bobbled the puck on the blue line and ended the game. Gill should be the last d-man out in that situation. Now that I have vented, here are some other thoughts:

>The PK was good, killing all 3 Oiler chances. The PP wasn't, going scoreless on 2 chances.

>The first line was dangerous all night again. Gionta scored and had several other good chances. Cammi had numerous good chances but just couldn't put one past Bulin.

>Chips and Pacs played probably their best games.

>The defence again look shaky, despite limiting the Oilers to 19 shots. Hammer and Gorges looked good, but Weber, Gill and Spacek didn't have their best games. Mara took a 2, 5 and 10 in the 2nd after a big hit on Chips so saw limited ice time.

Next up, finally, the home opener. 2 and 3 on the road isn't bad, but isn't good either. Great crowd of Habs fans at Rexall Place, and in all 5 cities they have played in for that matter, but it's time to hear the Bell Centre faithful. As for the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game, it goes to Brian Gionta. Scored a beautiful goal after stripping Brule of the puck and had some other great chances. Honorable mentions go to Gorges and Cammi. Also, shout out to Scott Gomez for another clutch interview when asked about the "size" of the Canadiens 1st line. That was funny stuff.

Team Hangs Price Out To Dry-Canucks 7, Habs 1

Well I hope that is the worst effort us Habs fans will have to watch this year. The Canadiens were hammered 7-1 by the Canucks who picked up their first win of the season. We all knew it was going to be a tough game considering the critism the Canucks and Luongo had been getting for their slow start. The Habs let them off the hook with many, many glaring errors leaving Price with little chance on most the of 7 goals. Add to that some nice bounces the Nucks way and it was a perfect storm. Price ended up making 25 saves before being rescued by Halak mid way through the 3rd. Luongo was very good stopping 27 shots in the win. The Montreal PK was awful allowing 2 goals on 5 chances. The Habs PP was a bit of a bright spot as it generated their only goal and looked good on the other 3 chances. Some other, mostly negative, thoughts:

>Weber struggled badly. He was responsible for 2 of the first 3 Canucks goals and after that I stopped keeping track. The rest of the defence look very shaky as well, especially Gill, Mara and Spacek.

>Lappy, Lats and Moen had by far their worst game, ending the night a combined -7.

>Pacs looks like he needs some more time in the AHL.

>The first line generated some good chances but didn't hit the scoresheet for the first time this season.

>BGL had the Canucks scared all night, but of course no one would fight him. Ray Ferrero was kind enough to say that the Canucks bench told Hordichuk not to fight. 7-1 game and your excuse not to fight is that you don't want to give the opposition any momentum? Get real Ray, it's called fear. Reminded me of Lucic last year.

So the record is now even at 2 and 2. Next up the Oilers on Saturday night. A couple days rest can't hurt, in addition to looking sloppy, the Habs also looked tired after playing the night before. As for the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game, that's a tough one. Very, very few bright spots, if any that game. But after some consideration, I will give it to Mike Cammalleri. Cammi played hard the whole night and had several quality chances. Honorable mention to BGL.

Flames Burn Habs-Flames 4, Habs 3

Cheesey headline, I know. I was hoping for a Habs win so I could use the "Habs Douse Flames". But the Canadiens came out on the short end of a 4-3 game against the Flames in Calgary. The Flames are still undefeated and picked to be one of the contenders in the west. The Habs played arguably their best game thus far but couldn't solve Kipper in the 3rd, despite outshooting the Flames by a large margin. Halak got the call in net and was good, not spectacular, stopping 24 of 28. The Habs managed 30 shots on Kipper. Scott Gomez and Lats (too hard to put his whole name) both scored their first of the season 32 seconds apart in the 1st, while Pleks potted his first of the year late in the 2nd to tie the game at 3. The Habs did not have a PP the entire game (despite Gomez getting a nasty crosscheck across the face late in the 1st), with the Flames only getting one. The refs blew what turned out to be a big play (seeing how the Habs lost by a goal) when the whistled down a scramble in front of the Flames crease just as Gomez banged home a rebound. Other thoughts from the game:

>Stewart struggled badly and didn't see the ice after making a pair of mistakes on the Flames 3rd goal. When you are on the 4th line, you can't make mistakes in your own end. Chips played his first game, got in a fight and played pretty good I thought.

>The first line was buzzing again. They scored a goal and generated many other chances, especially in the 3rd.

>The defence was noticably better, but still has work to do getting the puck out of Canadiens zone. I thought Mara had a great game and Weber played solid for his first action of the season.

>The 3rd line of Lappy, Lats and Moen did their job again. Owned the boards and controlled the puck in the Flames end. Even chipped in with a goal.

>Pleks had his best game of the year. Not only did he score a goal but he battled all night winning races to the puck and taking hits to make plays. Big Tits looked better than he has.

A pretty good effort on the road despite the loss. The 2nd period was a little tough to watch, but Pleks saved the day with the late tieing goal. Anytime you can enter the 3rd tied on the road with a team like the Flames it's a good thing. Just couldn't put one past Kipper in the 3rd. As for the Silver Wolf Hab of the Game, that honor goes to Tomas Plekanec. Pleks was all over the ice, really good game for him. Honorable mentions go to Mara and Cammi. Next up, Canucks.

Bergeron a Hab

To help deal with the injury riddled blue line corps, the Canadiens announced the signing of free agent defenceman Marc-Andre Bergeron to a 1 year $750,000 contract. Bergeron has a bomb from the point, but is undersized at 5'10, 197 lbs. by NHL standards. He's spent time with the Oilers, Islanders, Ducks, and last year with the Wild. He scored 14 goals and added 18 assists last season in 72 games. In looking at those numbers, I would assume that he was still a free agent because he is suspect at best in his own end. Regardless, picking up a guy like this who will help the PP and add some more depth to the back end, all for $750K is a very good move. No word on when he will be playing his first game with the Habs.

Habs Sneak Away With Another One-Habs 2, Sabres 1

So the first two games haven't been pretty. But like a wise man once said, they don't ask how, they just ask how many. The Canadiens were outshot again, this time 35-17, but managed to work some more OT magic with a 2-1 win in Buffalo. Brian Gionta was the hero tonight, batting a puck out of mid air off a Scott Gomez shot that came off the back boards. Travis Moen tied the game with a short handed goal in the second after the Sabres took the early lead just two minutes in. Carey Price was very sharp again making 34 stops in the victory. The Habs PP didn't look great, going 0/6, but the PK was better, allowing on 1 goal on 7 Sabre PP's. Some other thoughts from tonight's win:

>Moen continues to impress with his physical play and nose for the net.

>Carey Price, as noted above, continued to look confident between the pipes. He deserves a lot of credit for the Habs being 2 and 0 right now.

>Gionta never takes a shift off and plays like he's 6'4.

>Hamrlik was solid in his first action of the season. Gill and Mara also looked better than last night.

>Martin likes to play his big guns a lot which is fine by me. We saw a lot of different line combinations.

>Both O'Byrne and Metro left with injuries. No word on how serious they are.

So there you have it. 2 wins in 2 tries. Not a bad start to the year. Still a lot of work to do, but finding a way to win is huge, especially when you are playing two teams on their opening nights. Tough trip out west is next. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight is once again Carey Price. Not much doubt again about this one. Honorable mentions go to Travis Moen and Brian Gionta.

Habs Steal One In T.O.-Habs 4, Laffs 3

First things first. A big shoutout to former Hab Mikey K..... Thank you Mike Komisarek. Thank you for taking a 4 minute high sticking penalty in the 1st which led to a PP goal. Thank you for taking another dumb one in the third that allowed the Habs to tie the game. You made an excellent contribution to the Canadiens victory tonight and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Hey at least you played "tough" right...Burke will be happy!

Depsite a bit of a lackluster performance, the Montreal Canadiens leave Toronto with 2 points after a 4-3 OT victory. The Leafs held a big advantage in shots but Carey Price held the fort. Brian Gionta, Travis Moen, Glen Metropolit and Josh Gorges with the winner scored for the Habs. Mike Cammalleri and Thomas Plekanec both had a pair of assists in the win. As usual, it doesn't matter who scored for the opposition so I won't mention it. BGL had a fight in the first and an assist (yes an assist..he is currently on pace for 82 points), and Travis Moen got in a fight and then a wrestling match in which he got another 5 minutes aka typical Mike Komisarek fight. Andrei Markov left in the 3rd and Habs fans everyone hold our breath he won't be out for too long. Now the observations:

>Carey Price was the difference in the game. Looked cool and confident making 43 saves.

>Cammi and Gionta are pretty good, yep, they can play. Martin used them with Gomez most the of the game and they were dangerous. Cammi made a beautiful feed on the first goal to Gionta and then a great 1 on 3 rush in OT which led to the Gorges winner.

>Moen is exactly what I thought he was. Bruising winger, not afraid to fight and good on the PK. Preseason was no indication of what he will do for the Habs this year.

>Lappy and Lats both played well. Worked the boards and forechecked well. Metro also had a very strong game centring the 4th line.

>Hal Gill struggled. Bad giveaway on Leafs goal #1 and a few others throughout the game. Looked pretty slow. Mara looked slow as well. O'Byrne continued to look confident. Hopefully Hamrlik will be back soon.

Now for the Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game. I've decided to give out this award based on who I think plays the best for each game. I decided to name it after the cheapest whiskey on earth (I think it has since been taken off the market, but it got my through university). Pretty cheesy I know, but I live a sheltered life. Honorable mentions go to Cammi and Gorges. But on this night the hardware goes to Carey Price. Rock solid between the pipes, looked like the Price of old.

**Update** Andrei Markov will reportedly miss up to 4 months. Huge loss. Time for the others to pick up the slack.