Player Review-Moen, Moore, Lapierre

Travis Moen-"Never A Night Off"
When the Canadiens added Travis Moen in the off season, it instantly added size and experience. Moen found himself all over the map in terms of lines, and filled in well on which ever one he found himself on. Most fans probably thought he would add more toughness...aka more fights, but that didn't happen. Nevertheless, he was a consistent performer all year who played on the Habs top penalty killing unit with Plekanec. He ended the year with 8 goals and 11 assists to go along with 57 PIM's. He then scored a pair of goals and added an assist in the playoffs. Guys like Moen are important pieces to winning teams and he proved his worth this season.

Dominic Moore-"A 2nd Rounder For Dominic Moore?"
Yes, I was one of the doubters who questioned PG's move to ship off a 2nd round pick for Moore. The team fighting for the last playoff spot and there was no guarantee they would even make it. Boy was I wrong about the move. Moore played great for the Canadiens, adding grit and speed to the 3rd line. He is a smart player who makes good decisions with and without the puck. Moore was a regular penalty killer and gave the Habs another option on faceoffs. He scored 2 goals and added 9 assists in 21 regular season games before scoring 4 times and picking up an assist in the playoffs. His goal in game 7 of the Capitals series may have been the biggest one of the year for the Canadiens. There is no guarantee Moore with be back in Montreal next year as he is a free agent, but I'd certainly welcome him back.

Max Lapierre-"Playoffs Brought Out His Best"
The regular season for Lapierre could be considered a huge disappointment. After a breakout 15 goal, 28 point campaign last season, Lapierre's production dropped dramatically to only 14 points. He seemed nervous with the puck and his agitating/physical game also dropped off. The trade of his buddy Latendresse seemed to spark him a bit, but he was still well off the level of play we saw the previous year. He bounced back in the playoffs with some big goals and Habs fans everywhere hope he can carry that play into the 2010'11 season. When he is playing like he can, he adds speed, physical play and the ability to get under the oppositions skin. He is a very effective 3rd line player who can win draws and kill penalties.

Bombshell! Halak Dealt To Blues

The Montreal Canadiens have traded away playoff hero Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues in exchange for forwards Lars Eller and Ian Schultz. Halak, who is an restricted free agent, enjoyed his best season at the NHL level and carried the Habs into the Eastern conference finals. He posted a 26-13-5 record with Montreal this year along with a 2.40 GAA, a .924 save percentage and 5 shutouts. He then went 9-9 in the playoffs with a 2.55 GAA and a .923 save percentage. The move finally eliminates the goaltending controversy in Montreal, but leaves Price to face the wrath of the Halak supporters who have voiced their displeasure before.

In Eller the Canadiens get a skilled forward who was the Blues 1st choice (13th overall) in the 2007 draft. Eller played 7 games with the Blues last season, scoring twice. He played the majority of the campaign in the AHL where he had 57 points in 70 games. Previously the native of Denmark played in Sweden.

With Schultz the Habs get a big body with some toughness. Schultz played the past 3 seasons with the Calgary Hitman of the WHL and scored 21 goals and added 31 assists in 70 games along with 150 PIM's. He was the Blues 3rd round pick, 87th overall in the 2008 draft.

It's tough to know what to think about this trade. Most probably would have preferred to see the Canadiens get a more established player in return, but hopefully Eller and Schultz can make an impact someday....and soon. Eller should have a good chance to play with the Canadiens next season and by all reports he has the ability to be a top end talent. Obviously it's difficult to see a guy like Halak go. He was amazing in the playoffs and pretty consistent during his time in Montreal. My guess is the Habs decided they couldn't shell out the kind of money Halak was looking for and accomplish what they wanted to going forward in terms of signing players. Time will tell if the Canadiens made a huge mistake, or made the right move. It is clear now who the organization thinks is the goalie of the future.

Player Review-Gionta,Gomez, Pouliot

Brian Gionta-"Who Cares About Size"
Another one of Bob Gainey's prized off season acquisitions, Brian Gionta has been told he's too small all his life. At 5'7, he certainly doesn't look down on many NHL players, but you'd be hard pressed to find a guy who uses his frame better. Gionta proved this season to Canadiens fans that he can put the puck in the and that he never quits working. He led the team with 28 goals this season, despite only playing 61 games thanks to a broken foot. He then chipped in with 9 goals in 19 playoff games. His name has been mentioned in the captain debate many times due to his work ethic and overall leadership. His chemistry with linemate Scott Gomez was evident from game 1 and it will be interesting to see what kind of numbers he can put up over an entire season.

Scott Gomez-"$7 Million Dollar Man"
I wonder how many times Gomez has been questioned about his salary since he signed his mega contract with the Rangers. Depsite the hefty cap hit, Gomez proved his worth this season with his 2 way game and feisty attitude. He scored just 12 goals but finished second on the team with 59 points, while adding another 14 points in the playoffs. There aren't many nights you can say Gomez doesn't work hard, but my only knock on him (outside of the contract) is his tendency to pass up shots and look to pass instead. The guy has a good shot, I just wish he'd use it more. Gomez is another Canadien who brings leadership and a winning attitude. One of the big reasons for the lower point total was the injury to Gionta, which saw Gomez's production almost dry up.

Benoit Pouliot-"Will The Real Pouliot Please Stand Up"
When Benoit Pouliot was acquired for the struggling G. Latendresse last season, no one really knew what the Habs would get. 39 regular season games and 18 playoff games later, most still don't know. Pouliot was a former 4th overall pick who just never got on track in Minnesota. He was put on a line with Gomez and Gionta with the Habs and it appeared the Canadiens had a true power forward. Pouliot immediately proved that he could skate and score and his physical game was something the Canadiens top 2 lines were desperately missing. He scored 15 goals in just 39 games with the Canadiens, but his play declined as the year went on. The playoffs saw him go goal less, and he was relegated to the 4th line for most of the post season. So which Benoit Pouliot will the Canadiens get next season? If it's the player we saw in the last part of the season, he may not be a Montreal Canadien for too much longer.

Player Review-Plekanec, Cammalleri, A. Kostitsyn

Tomas Plekanec-"Will He Stay Or Will He Go"
The 2008'09 season for Tomas Plekanec was a disaster. He scored just 39 points, a 30 point drop off from the previous season and was signed to a 1 year contract by the Canadiens who refused to give him a long term deal. Fast forward a year and Pleks is in line for a big raise. He led the Canadiens in scoring this year with 70 points, and played every game. He was the Habs top 2 way forward and even became a bit of an agitator. Some will question his production in the playoffs, 11 points in 19 games, but it should be noted he was going head to head with Crosby and Ovechkin most of the time. Tomas has expressed his desire (at least to the media) to remain in Montreal, but the question remains, can the Canadiens fit him under the salary cap. Then the size issue comes up, with the Canadiens top 4 forwards all being "undersized", although as we saw in the playoffs, size doesn't always matter. Plekanec proved this year he is among the top two way forwards in the game. He is durable (he has missed only 4 games the past 4 seasons) and well liked by his teammates. It's up to the Habs management to determined how much those qualities are worth.


Mike Cammalleri-"As Advertised"
When Mike Cammalleri signed a 5 year contract last summer with the Montreal Canadiens, you could immediately tell how much playing in Montreal meant to him. He seemed to be in awe of the storied past and was excited to be a part of the greatness. Cammalleri was brought in to score goals, and that's just what he did. He finished the year with 26 goals, good for 2nd on the team despite missing 17 games with a nasty knee injury. Upon his return form injury, Cammalleri didn't score in the final 9 games of the season and looked like his timing was off. The playoffs were a different story. Cammi scored 13 times in just 19 games and led the league in postseason goals. He is a candidate for the vacant captaincy and should be an important part of the Habs for the next 4 seasons at least. He has a nose for the net and never takes a night off. Chalk one up for departed GM Bob Gainey on this one.

Andrei Kostitsyn-"Head Case?"
When Andrei Kostitsyn scored 26 goals in the 2007'08 season, with several of those coming on dazzling end to end rushes, fans of the Montreal Canadiens thought they had a star. The following season his production dropped from 53 points to 41 points and he was KO'd with a devastating hit in a game against the Phoenix Coyotes. Since that hit, he hasn't been nearly as physical and his touch around the net seems to have disappeared. He scored just 15 goals this season and just 3 in the playoffs, all in one game in round 1. I'm sure the fact that his brother has been a huge distraction hasn't helped things, but it is time for Andrei to return to the form that made him a legitimate top 6 winger. He would certainly be considered the weak link on his line and for $3.25 million a year, the Habs need more than 15 goals out of him.

Hab Hits

>The Hamilton Bulldogs, the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate, were eliminated in the conference final as well, dropping game 7 to the Texas Stars 3-2. The Bulldogs finished second in the league during the regular season but appeared to run into a hot goaltender against Texas. David Desharnais had 23 points in 19 playoff games to lead the Bulldogs, while Brock Trotter had 19.
>The Cincinnati Cyclones, the Canadiens ECHL affiliate (shared with Nashville), were crowned league champions after knocking off the Idaho Steelheads in 5 games. Habs goaltending prospect Robert Mayer was named co-MVP after going 6-1 in the playoffs with a 1.54 GAA and 0.938 save percentage. Mayer played all 5 games in the final and shared the award with fellow Cyclones goaltender Jeremy Smith.
>The Canadiens announced the signing of free agent defenceman Kyle Klubertanz. Klubertanz spent last season with with Djurgardens of the Swedish Elite League. The 23 year old was originally drafted in the 3rd round by the Ducks (2004) and played college hockey at the University of Wisconsin.
>Montreal also announced the firing of 6 scouts. No word on their plan for replacements but I assume the organization didn't care for the job they were doing. To be fair the Canadiens 1st round picks in the last few years have been disapointments, but they have secured some steals in the later rounds. I am polishing up my resume to try and land one of these positions.
>The NHL announced that the Montreal Canadiens will play the Calgary Flames in an outdoor game February 20, 2011 at McMahon Stadium. I would conisder attending, but sitting in nose bleed seats when it's -40 just doesn't sound appealing.
>Guy Boucher, coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs has accepted the coaching job in Tampa. Boucher will be taking his assistant coaches with him, leaving a big hole to fill in Hamilton. The Blue Jackets also offered him the head coaching job there.

Unexpected Run Comes To An End-Flyers 4, Habs 2

The Montreal Canadiens miracle run finally came to an end with a 4-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. The loss gave the Flyers a 4-1 series win and sent them to the Stanley Cup final to face the Chicago Blackhawks who swept the San Jose Sharks in the Western Conference final. The Habs Brian Gionta scored 59 seconds in to the game, but gave up that lead under 4 minutes later. The Flyers then scored a pair of goals in the 2nd period 1:24 apart that proved too much to overcome. Scott Gomez scored in the 3rd but the Habs could not put another one by Michael Leighton despite having several great chances. Philly then scored an empty net goal to put the final nail in the coffin. Gomez and Gionta both had a pair of points. Leighton finished the night with 25 saves while Jaroslav Halak made 22 stops in a losing effort. The story of this game, like has been most of the series, was the Canadiens inability to scored on the power play. They went 0/6 on the night, as did the Flyers. Some other thoughts:

>There were just too many guys who didn't score this series. Pleks, A. Kostistyn and Pouliot were all held goalless, while Gomez had his only goal tonight.

>As I discussed before, the power play was brutal. This is directly related to the Markov injury. He is the guy who makes things happen and any team that loses their #1 defenceman would have trouble scoring with the man advantage (glad you finally mentioned the injury with 5 minutes left in the game CBC).

>Halak was a star in these playoffs and made several huge saves tonight. His biggest error came in the 1st when he came out to play the puck when it appeared Hamrlik had the Flyers player under control. This resulted in a crash between the 2 Canadiens and a short handed marker for the Flyers.

Tough loss tonight but this years version of the Montreal Canadiens gave fans a lot to be proud of. It's obviously disappointing to come so close to the Cup final, only to ultimately fall short, but knocking off the Caps and Pens in thrilling 7 game series was amazing. Hopefully they can build on this for next year, avoid injuries, and go even further. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Scott Gomez tonight. Had 2 points and was the best player on the ice for the Habs. Consideration also given to Gionta and Gorges. Good job boys, it was a great run.

Habs Come Out Flat, Now Face Elimination-Flyers 3, Habs 0

The Montreal Canadiens picked a bad time to play one of their worst games of the playoffs. The Philadelphia Flyers played a near perfect road game and came away with a 3-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The win gave the Flyers a 3-1 lead in the best of 7 Eastern Conference finals and have now put the Canadiens in a must win situation for the final 3 games. After getting whipped in game 3, the Flyers made some changes and were able to neutralize the Canadiens speed in a big way. For the first time in the series the Flyers outshot the Canadiens with the final tally being 25-17. Michael Leighton picked up his 3rd shutout of the series. Jaroslav Halak made 22 saves for the Canadiens who gave up an empty net goal late in the 3rd. The Habs got off to a decent start, but a penalty half way through the period seemed to give the Flyers the momentum. They carried that momentum into the second where they scored 2 goals and limited the Canadiens to just 1 shot. Both Flyers goals came off a pair of Habs giveaways that could have been avoided. The Canadiens went 0/2 on the PP and killed off all 3 Flyers chances with the man advantage. Some other thoughts:

>The Canadiens entire defence corp had an off game. Their passes were off and they seemed to be jumping into the play and pinching a little too much. I would assume this was a coaching decision, but I'm not sure why they would be so agressive.

>The power play, without Markov, has been pretty bad. Markov is the quarterback and without him the Habs are having trouble opening up seems and controlling the play in the oppositions zone.

>The Canadiens forwards had some chances, but too often missed the net with their shots. It was a total opposite to what they did in game 3.

Montreal now finds themselves in a familiar position. They have faced elimination 5 times so far in these playoffs and lived to talk about it. They will have to fight off the Flyers the next 3 games if they want to extend their season. First things first, focusing on Monday nights game is now the key. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Max Lapierre. It was slim pickings tonight but Lappy led the team in shots and hits. Consideration also given to Moen and Metro. Game 5 goes Monday in Philadelphia.

Habs Solve Leighton In A Big Way-Habs 5, Flyers 1

The Montreal Canadiens broke Michael Leighton's long shut out streak early and put 4 more by him enroute to a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. Mike Cammalleri sent the already loud Montreal crowd into a frenzy when he beat Leighton 7:05 into the 1st to give the Habs their first lead of the series. The Habs would open up a 4 goal lead 2 minutes into the 3rd with goals by Tom Pyatt, Dominic Moore and Brian Gionta before the Flyers would get one back. Marc Andre Bergeron added some insurance with 31 seconds to go in the game when he scored the fifth goal on a Habs 5 on 3. PK Subban had a 3 point night, while Moore, Pyatt and Roman Hamrlik each had 2 points. Jaroslav Halak was nearly perfect making 25 saves for the win. Leighton finished the night with 33 saves for the Flyers. The Canadiens power play finally got on the board, going 1 for 6 on the night, while the penalty kill was great killing all 3 Flyers chances. The game was chippy, especially late as the Flyers did what they always do and turned into thugs. Some other thoughts from a huge win:

>Lapierre drove the Flyers bananas all night. He played on the edge but did not cross it which is exactly what he has to do. His line with Pyatt and Moore simply outworked Philadelphia on almost every shift.

>O'Byrne and Pouliot returned to the lineup replacing Darche and S. Kostitsyn. O'Byrne started the game but took a penalty that shift for shooting the puck over the glass and played just 1:34 total. Pouliot showed some good things and played more than he has been.

>The entire defence corp played well tonight, especially Subban and Hamrlik. They combined for 5 points and were +7.

This was almost a must win game and the Canadiens came out with a clutch effort. They used their speed and worked extremely hard for the full 60 minutes. Now the goal is to take game 4 and even things up heading back to Philly. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game was a difficult one to pick tonight. So many guys had great games, but I settled on Roman Hamrlik. Hammer had 2 assists, was a rock in his own end and even got in a fight. Consideration also given to Lapierre and Moore (and you too PK). Game 4 goes Saturday afternoon back at the Bell Centre.

Canadiens Can't Score Again-Flyers 3, Habs 0

The Montreal Canadiens could not find away to beat Michael Leighton for the second straight game and dropped game 2 3-0. Despite outshooting the Flyers 16-6 in the opening frame, the Flyers scored the only goal on a power play after another Scott Gomez penalty cancelled out a Habs man advantage, just like in game 1. Philadelphia scored another power play goal in the 2nd before scoring a goal mid way through the 3rd to pretty much end the game. Montreal fired 30 shots on Leighton while the Flyers had 23 on Halak. You can't win games if you don't score, but Halak just wasn't able to make the big saves when needed, although I certainly wouldn't fault him on either of the first 2 goals. Special teams have killed the Habs this series as they went 0 for 4 on the power play tonight, while the penalty kill was only able to kill 2 of 4 Flyers chances. It pains me to not be able to list the Montreal scorers for a second straight night. Some other thoughts:

>Martin rolled the dice and put Sergei Kostitsyn back in the lineup. He played under 5 minutes and didn't really do anything. I would have tried him with Gomez and Gionta (although I wouldn't have put him in the lineup), but that's just me.

>The defence isn't allowing many shots, but the Flyers are taking advantage of their chances, especially with the man advantage. The guys on the back end have to do a better job of blocking shots, or getting out of the way.

>Leighton has played well, but has kicked out some rebounds. The Canadiens forwards have to get to those rebounds and put them in the net.

Another disappointing game has put the Canadiens down 2 games heading back home. In both games, the Habs have had an early power play, only to see it get nullified by a penalty of their own on which the Flyers score on. Hopefully they can get off to a better start at the Bell Centre. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to PK Subban. PK was very good tonight, with several good rushes and quality point shots. Consideration also given to Moore and Cammi. Game 3 goes Thursday night.

Flyers Hammer Canadiens And I Am Hungover-Flyers 6, Habs 0

The Philadelphia Flyers drew first blood with a 6-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens in game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. Adding to my pain was the fact I am hungover today. The Flyers scored a pair of power play goals and another just after a Canadien player jumped out of the box. Many of the Canadiens penalties were of the stupid variety, something that will have to be rectified next game. The Habs actually out shot the Flyers 28-25, but it was one of those nights where everything the Flyers put on net went in. Jaroslav Halak got the start, but was pulled in the 2nd after allowing 4 goals on 14 shots. Carey Price came in to close the game and allowed a pair of goals on 11 shots. Michael Leighton was very good in goal for the Flyers making 28 saves. The Canadiens penalty kill allowed 2 goals in 6 Flyers chances, while the power play went 0 for 4. Some other thoughts from an ugly game:

>Halak didn't have much of a chance on any of the Flyers goals. On a pair of them a Flyer was parked in front, with a Hab in front of him attempting to block the shot. You have to either block it or get out of the way.

>The Flyers are loose cannons. They will take penalties, that's for sure. One thing the Canadiens cannot do is try to play that same style. Let the Flyers take the penalties and capitalize on the power play.

>The Canadiens had some chances to score, but just couldn't get the puck by Leighton. Not many forwards had what I would consider good nights, nor did many on defence. But with that being said, if they could have got one early it may have been a different game.

Games like this happen. At the end of the day it doesn't matter if you lose 1-0 or 6-0, a loss is a loss. Time to regroup and get back to doing what made they successful in the opening 2 rounds. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Travis Moen. Worked hard and didn't back down from the Flyer thugs. Consideration also given to Gorges and Metro. Game 2 goes Tuesday in Philadelphia....I have to go and get some sleep.

Playoff Preview-Round 3 Flyers

So who would have guessed it. The Montreal Canadiens, picked to win no games in the playoffs by most, have advanced to the Eastern Conference final. Their road to get to this point couldn't have been much tougher. Not only did they knock off the President's Cup champion Washington Capitals after falling behind 3-1 in the series, but they followed it up with a victory over the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins after trailing 3-2 in the series. After a thrilling comeback against the Boston Bruins, the Philadelphia Flyers will be the Canadiens next opponent. The Flyers finished 7th in the East with 88 points, tied with Montreal. They dispatched the New Jersey Devils in round 1 4 games to 1 followed by the 7 game win over the Bruins.

The Flyers, like the Bruins, are a physical team. They rely primarily on 4 defenceman, with the big two being Pronger and Timonen. Up front, the Flyers have solid depth despite missing Jeff Carter. The question mark for them is probably in goal. Ray Emery, the starter at the beginning of the season suffered an injury and is out. Brian Boucher started the playoffs in goal, but he too suffered an injury making Michael Leighton the starter. Leighton actually played most of the games down the stretch and was solid before suffering an ankle injury. More than likely their game plan will be to take the body and try to wear the Habs down. The Canadiens will need to continue to play like they are and take advantage of the Flyers discipline, which could potentially be a problem for them.

Schedule

Game 1 Sunday May 16 @ Phil. 6:00 pm

Game 2 Tuesday May 18 @ Phil. 6:00 pm

Game 3 Thursday May 20 @ Montreal 6:00 pm

Game 4 Saturday May 22 @ Montreal 2:00 pm
Game 5 Monday May 24 @ Phil. 6:00 pm (if necessary)

Game 6 Wednesday May 26 @ Montreal 6:00 pm (if necessary)

Game 7 Friday May 28 @ Phil. 6:00 pm (if necessary)

Habs Upset Champs To Advance-Habs 5, Pens 2

Now that I have calmed down, I can write this blog. The Montreal Canadiens shocked the hockey world yet again as they dumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. The Habs staged another comeback winning the final 2 games to take the series 4 games to 3. This ran the Habs record to 5 and 0 during elimination games after they took 3 straight against the Caps in round 1. Brian Gionta scored twice for the winners while Mike Cammalleri. Dominic Moore, and Travis Moen added singles. The Canadiens struck early and built up a 4-0 lead half way through the 2nd period before the Pens scored a pair to make things interesting. But Gionta scored half way through the 3rd to push the lead to 3 and give the Habs some breathing room. Jaroslav Halak was masterful again in net, making 37 saves for the win. Marc Andre Fleury was pulled after allowing 4 goals on 13 shots, giving way to Brent Johnson who made 6 saves. The Canadiens penalty kill was great, killing all 5 Pens chances. The Canadiens power play struck twice on 4 attempts. Some other thoughts from another big series clinching win:

>Hal Gill, despite (as per reports) of having 50 stiches in his leg returned back to the lineup. He looked a little slow and took a pair of penalties. But he showed real guts coming back, props to him.

>Gionta and Cammi were great this series picking up 12 of Montreals 19 goals. Both have a nose for the net and make good on their chances.

>The penalty kill, despite allowing some goals this series, seemed to get better as it went on. To hold the Pens 0 for 5 on the night, with Gill in the box for 2 penalties and Gorges for 1, was impressive. Halak is a big piece of this, but the others should be given a ton of credit as well.

So here we are, off to the conference finals. The experts again gave the Habs little chance to even win a game this series, but they defied the odds again. The city of Montreal will be rocking tonight after selling out the Bell Centre (in 4 hours) to watch the game on the jumbo tron. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Jaroslav Halak. He was awesome again, making a pair of huge saves in the 3rd period to keep the 2 goal lead and allow the Habs to make it 3. Consideration also given to Gionta and Cammi. Not sure when the next game is, but I can't wait!

Gutsy Effort Sets Up Game 7-Habs 4, Pens 3

The Montreal Canadiens have pushed the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins to a game 7 with a 4-3 win over the Pens at the Bell Centre. Mike Cammalleri scored just 1:13 into the game but the Pens erased the lead with a goal in the 1st and another on the power play in the 2nd. Cammalleri then brought the Bell Centre to it's feet with his 2nd of the game followed less than 3 minutes later by a Jaroslav Spacek goal to give the Canadiens the lead for good. Max Lapierre scored in the 3rd before the Pens put one behind Halak with 1:24 to play to set up a tense finish. Jaroslav Halak picked up the win in net making 34 saves, while Marc Andre Fleury made 21 in a losing cause. The Canadiens went 0 for 3 on the power play, and allowed 1 Pens goal in 5 chances on the penalty kill. Hal Gill, who has been a rock on defence all playoffs was unable to play after being cut by a skate last game. Spacek took his place in the lineup. Some other thoughts from another great effort:

>For someone who hadn't played since game 3 of round 1, Spacek didn't look too rusty. Made several key defensive plays and had a big goal. PK Subban took Gill's spot next to Gorges and played over 29 minutes.

>Cammalleri and his linemates all had great games. Cammi continues to dent the twine on a regular basis and Andrei Kostistyn had a pair of assists.

>What a goal by Lapierre that turned out to be the game winner. He is playing the same way he did last year....speed, hitting and offensive chances, and he is a very effective player when he plays that way.

So now on to another game 7. What a gutsy effort by the Habs again tonight. Losing Gill could have been the final dagger, but they refused to use it as an excuse. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Mike Cammalleri. Scored 2 huge goals tonight in the biggest game of the year. Consideration also given to Spacek and Lapierre. Game 7 goes in Pittsburgh Wednesday night.

Pens Push Habs To The Brink Of Elimination-Pens 2, Habs 1

The Pittsburgh Penguins moved within a win of a trip to the conference finals with a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The victory left the Canadiens within a single loss of being eliminated, which they will try to avoid Monday night back at the Bell Centre. The story of this game was the play of Marc Andre Fleury who made 32 saves for the Penguins. Jaroslav Halak was also sharp but not as busy, making 23 saves in a losing effort. Mike Cammalleri scored the lone Canadiens goal with just 31 seconds to go to set up a frantic finish. But Fleury and the Pens held on to secure their 3rd win of the series. The Canadiens penalty kill allowed a 1st period goal on 3 Pens chances. The power play went 1 for 3 with the goal being scored with Halak on the bench for an extra attacker. Montreal's defence corp was dealt yet another blow when arguably their best defenceman in the playoffs, Hal Gill, left the game early in the 3rd after the back of his leg was stepped on by a Pens player. No word on the severity of the injury, but he did not return. Some other thoughts:

>Both Penguins goals were scored on point shots. Good things happen when you get the puck on net, something the Canadiens d-men didn't do a good job of tonight.

>The Canadiens could sure use some offence from guys like Pouliot and A. Kostitsyn. Both seem to be off their game and their ice time is starting to reflect it.

>The Canadiens got more rubber on Fleury, but just couldn't get the rebounds to bounce their way. As noted, Fleury made some great saves and was the biggest reason the Pens won the game.

So now we are down to a win or die situation. They managed to fight off the Caps 2 times in this predicament in round 1, hopefully they can pull off the same magic here. The Habs could really use some good news on the status of their injured defenceman. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Josh Gorges. Gorges was great again, making smart plays and playing awesome shut down D. Consideration also given to Cammi and Metro. Next action is Monday night at the Bell Centre.

Canadiens Pull Even With Pens-Habs 3, Pens 2

The Montreal Canadiens scored a pair of 3rd period goals to propell them to a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. The win locked the series at 2 games a piece heading into game 5 in Pittsburgh. The Habs struck early when Tom Pyatt scored just 2:34 into the game. The Pens quickly erased that lead with a pair of goals, one of those coming on a power play just seconds after Crosby hauled down Hamrlik....but of course there was no call. The game stayed 2-1 for the Pens until Max Lapierre scored 2:07 into the 3rd, quickly followed by the eventual game winner from Brian Gionta just 1:33 later. Jaroslav Halak shut the door the rest of the way making 33 saves, inlcuding some beauties on a pair of Penguin 3rd period power plays. Marc Andre Fleury stopped 22 shots in a losing cause. The game was marred by horrible officiating against the Habs which caused Don Cherry to openly criticize it on Coaches Corner (despite his hatred of all things Canadiens) and CBC to do a montage in the 3rd showing the numerous missed calls by the officials. It got to the point where I was no longer mad about the missed calls, just shocked. The Canadiens penalty kill went 1 for 4 on the night, while the power play went 0/2. Some other thoughts from a big win:

>Despite it having nothing to do with the game, it appears Sergei Kostitsyn has been bannished from the Canadiens for being a punk yet again. The rest of the team doesn't seem to care, which shows you what they think about him.

>Martin did a better job of getting all 4 lines involved tonight. And as a reward for more ice time, some of the guys on the bottom 2 lines pitched in on the scoresheet. Pyatt had 2 points, Darche had 1, Lapierre had 1 and Metropolit had 1.

>PK Subban had a bit of a trying 1st, but got better as the game went on. The defence as a whole did a very good job tonight, and when they faltered Halak was there to bail them out.

This win is that much sweeter considering the awful non calls that nearly screwed the Habs. Right from the start I knew we were in for a long night of questionable officiating. But the Habs found a way to pick up another huge win. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Tom Pyatt. A checking forward coming up with a 2 point night at this time of year is huge. Consideration also given to Halak and Gorges. Game 5 goes Saturday back in Pittsburgh.

Habs Can't Solve Fleury-Pens 2, Habs 0

Marc Andre Fleury stopped all 18 shots he faced to lead the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The win gives Pittsburgh a 2-1 edge in the series. The Canadiens came out flying in the 1st and hit a pair of crossbars but couldn't light the lamp. They held the high flying Pens to just 3 shots in the period. The Pens scored early in the 3rd on a power play after Hal Gill was called for holding. Josh Gorges was then given a matching minor penalty with Letang after a scrum at the 20:00 mark of the 2nd, leaving the Canadiens without their top 2 penalty killers. Pittsburgh also added and empty netter with just 15 seconds left. Jaroslav Halak was solid in net again, making 23 saves. The penalty kill went 1 for 4 on the night while the power play was held scoreless in 2 tries. Some other thoughts:

>Metropolit drew back in replacing Maxwell. Darche dressed but did not get a single shift.

>PK Subban got a huge roar from the crowd when he was announced in the starting lineup. Halak, announced just after, got an even bigger ovation.

>The Habs are really missing Markov's puck moving. The Pens did a great job in the final 2 periods of clogging up the neutral zone. But Cammalleri and Plekanec both had great chances late to tie it.

Tough loss tonight. Fleury was great and had some help from his posts. The Habs just need to put this one behind them and regroup for game 4. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Brian Gionta. Had some good chances and played a very well rounded game. Consideration also given to Cammi and Halak. Game 4 goes Thursday night back at the Bell Centre.

Canadiens Even Up Series-Habs 3, Pens 1

The Montreal Canadiens stole home ice advantage away from the Pittsburgh Penguins with a 3-1 victory this afternoon. The Canadiens will now return home for the next two games with the series knotted at 1. Mike Cammalleri scored a pair of goals to pace the Canadiens while Brian Gionta scored the other goal. The Pens struck early, scoring just 4:38 in, but were unable to get anything else past Jaroslav Halak the rest of the game. Halak rebounded nicely from Friday's game, making 38 saves. Marc Andre Fleury took the loss for the Pens making 18 saves. The Habs penalty kill that was such a huge factor in the opening round made up for it's bad performance in game 1 by going a perfect 3 for 3 on the night. The power play went 1 for 3, with the final power play coming in the final few minutes after the Pens Craig Adams threw a vicious hit from behind on MA Bergeron. He was assesed a 5 minute major for the dangerous hit. In a classic example of the double standard in the NHL, the Pens Sidney Crosby two handed the Canadiens post, breaking his stick before wildly throwing in against the boards...all this while the play was going on. Of course, no penalty was assesed on the play because apparently that is legal to do now and the Habs had the next 3 calls go against them after the tantrum. Some other thoughts after a big win:

>Martin made some lineup changes today, sitting Metropoit and moving Bergeron back to defence to replace Markov. Their replacements were Darche and Maxwell who playe 0:54 and 1:03 respectively and were -1. Not sure why he wouldn't just leave Metro in the lineup considering his experience.

>The Habs also had to make some adjustments on the back end, playing Hamrlik and Subban along with Bergeron and O'Byrne. I'm not going to lie, there were a couple of scary shift with O'Byrne and Bergeron, more specificially the one with the 4th line that led to the Pens goal.

>The Canadiens played a pretty passive game, looking satisfied to sit back with the 1 goal lead. That strategy worked but was a little nerve racking. Nice to see Cammi put another by Fleury late to make the finish a little less stressful.

The Montreal Canadiens continue to defy the experts who predicted another domination by the opposition. The Canadiens rode Halak again and he responded in a big way. Now it's time to take advantage of home ice at the Bell Centre, which I'm sure will be electric. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Mike Cammalleri. Cammi scored the game winner and the insurance marker. This honor certainly could have gone to Halak and consideration also given to Hamrlik. Next game goes Tuesday in Montreal.

Habs Penalty Kill Struggles In Game 1-Pens 6, Habs 3

The Montreal Canadiens dropped the opening game of their 2nd round series to the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3. The Pens scored 4 power play goals and chased Jaroslav Halak from the net by scoring 5 goals on 20 shots. PK Subban scored his first NHL goal to open the scoring, while Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta also scored for the Canadiens. Gionta and Scott Gmez picked up a pair of points each. Halak, as noted above made 15 saves, while his replacement Carey Price stopped all 3 shots he faced. The Penguins also added an empty net goal in the final minute. Marc Andre Fleury made 28 saves to pick up the win for Pittsburgh. After such a great opening round, the penalty kill allowed the 4 goals mentioned earlier in just 4 Pens chances. The Canadiens power play went 1 for 4 on the night. The Habs were dealt a crushing blow in the first period when all-star defenceman Andrei Markov left with a lower body injury. Early reports say he left the rink on crutches which is never a good sign. Some other thoughts from a tough game:

>Halak had a bit of an off night. He looked tired and just couldn't make the stops when needed most. Hopefully he can come back like he did after getting pulled in round 1.

>At the end of the day, you cannot allow 4 power play goals and hope to win. The coaching staff needs to make some adjustments to make sure that doesn't happen again. The Canadiens also have to avoid taking such stupid penalties (too many men, delay of game...etc.).

>Andrei Kostitsyn had a horrible giveaway that led to a too many men on the ice penalty, and then a goal. He didn't see the ice much after that. Martin moved Moen with Pleks and Cammi, while Pyatt (and sometimes Pouliot) took Moen's spot with Gomez and Gionta.

The Canadiens look pretty tired as a whole after that draining series against the Caps. Despite that, with a few saves and some better penalty killing this game could have gone the other way. Their ability to make adjustments on the penalty kill, the play of Halak, and finding a way to cope without Markov (potentially) will decide if they can win or not. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight was a pretty easy choice. PK Subban scored his first NHL goal and made great plays that led to the other two. This kid is special, that's for sure. Consideration also given to Cammalleri and Gionta. Game 2 goes Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh, thanks NHL for giving the Habs so much rest.

Playoff Preview Round 2-Pens

After knocking off the Presidents Trophy winning Washington Capitals in round 1, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves with a spot in the 2nd round of the NHL playoffs. Things don't get any easier for the Canadiens as they will enjoy a night off followed by a Friday night date with the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. So much for things getting easier. The Pens defeated the Ottawa Senators in round 1 4 games to 2 after picking up 101 points in the regular season, good for 4th in the East. They also scored the 2nd most goals in the Eastern Conference, led by Crosby with 51. Surprisingly, the Pens power play ranked 19th in the league during the regular season, while the penalty kill was 9th.

The Penguins won the season series 3-1, with the Canadiens only win coming in the final matchup at the Bell Centre. Like in the Caps series, controlling the Pens big guns will be a huge key to the series. Crosby and Malkin give the Penguins two of the more skilled centres in the league. The Canadiens defence and Halak will have to continue their strong play. Probably the biggest question mark for the Pens is goaltending, where despite Marc Andre Fleury having a cup ring, he still is considered beatable on some nights. Strong goaltending and timely scoring will be the recipe for success once again in this series. The Habs will once again be massive underdogs but I'm sure they have some confidence after taking out the Caps in round 1. Here is the schedule:

Friday April 30 6:00 pm @ Pittsburgh

Sunday May 2 1:00 pm @ Pittsburgh

Tuesday May 4 6:00 pm @ Montreal

Thursday May 6 6:00 pm @ Montreal

Saturday May 10 6:00 pm @ Pittsburgh (if necessary)

Wednesday May 12 TBD (if necessary)

Game 7 TBD (if necessary)

Habs Shock The Hockey World-Habs 2, Caps 1

I'm not sure if any expert actually picked the Montreal Canadiens to upset the Washinton Capitals in their 1st round series, but that's exactly what they did. The Habs completed the 2nd biggest upset in NHL playoff history by defeating the Capitals 2-1 in game 7. The win completed a comeback that saw the Canadiens erase a 3-1 series deficit, with 2 of the final 3 wins coming in Washington. The Capitals finished a whopping 33 points ahead of the Canadiens in the regular season standings and most experts had a great time discussing how bad the Habs would embarassed in this series. Marc Andre Bergeron and Dominic Moore scored the Canadiens goals. Moore's goal in the 3rd period made the score 2-0, but the Capitals responded 1:20 later to make things interesting. Ryan O'Byrne then took a penalty with under 2 minutes to play to set up a wild finish. Jaroslav Halak was amazing again making 41 saves for the win. Seymon Varlamov made 14 saves in a losing cause. Both teams had goals disallowed in the 3rd period. The Canadiens penalty kill continued to be another huge story, holding the Caps scoreless in 3 tries and allowed only 1 goal the entire series. The Habs power play clicked again, going 1 for 3 on the night. Some other thoughts from a great night:

>Hal Gill was awesome again tonight. I gave Gill a lot of grief over the regular season, but he has stepped up his game and been a force on the blueline so far in the playoffs. The rest of the defence was solid as well.

>The Canadiens once again rolled 3 lines, with Metropolit and Pouliot seeing limited action, although Pouliot took Moen's spot in the 3rd. Not sure if there was an injury to Moen or what the deal was.

>Shot blocking was a big factor in this series and was once again tonight. The Habs had 41 blocked shots tonight, with Gill and Markov having 6 a piece.

This can only be described as a monumental upset. Going into the series I figured it would take great goaltending and timely scoring to win this series. That's exactly what the Canadiens were able to do in the final 3 games. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Jaroslav Halak again. What a performance again tonight, he was fabulous. Consideration also given to Gill and Markov. Next action, round 2 Friday in Pittsburgh against the Pens.

Habs Force A Game 7-Habs 4, Caps 1

The Montreal Canadiens refused to let their season end as they defeated the Washington Capitals 4-1 in front of a crazy sellout crowd at the Bell Centre. The win forced a game 7 back in Washington against the top seeded Caps. Jaroslav Halak was unbelievable in net for the Canadiens stopping a whopping 53 shots for the victory. Seymon Varlamov made 18 saves in the Caps goal. Mike Cammalleri scored a pair of 1st period goals 1:39 apart to give the Canadiens the early lead. Max Lapierre scored early in the 3rd followed by Tomas Plekanec icing the game into an empty net to send the crowd into a frenzy. The Canadiens penalty kill was a big factor again holding the Caps scoreless in 6 tries, including a long 5 on 3. The Canadiens power play went 1 for 5 on the night. For those who believe there is a conspiracy against Canadian teams, the Habs were assesed 3 diving penalties in the game, with 2 of those being the only call on the play, both to Max Lapierre. To put this is perspective, there were 3 diving calls made in the entire NHL regular season that were the only penalty on the play. Yes I lost it a few times because of these calls. Some other thoughts:

>The story before the game was the Canadiens recalling PK Subban from Hamilton. PK played great like he did in the regular season, picking up an assist in just over 10 minutes of ice time. During his first shift the crowd was chanting his name after knocking a Caps player down...man they (we) love this kid.

>To make room for PK, Sergei Kostitsyn was in the press box. This forced the Canadiens to roll 3 lines most of the night, with Pouliot and Metropolit seeing just over 5 minutes of ice time. Lapierre played on the 3rd line with Pyatt and Moore.

>Props to Gill and Gorges again tonight for a huge effort on the penalty kill. Both have been warriors in these playoffs and a big reason the Canadiens have been hold the Caps power play in check.

For a team that was supposed to be dispatched in 4 games, the Canadiens have made this into quite a series. The story of tonight was strong goaltending and timely scoring. Hopefully the Habs can carry this momentum into game 7. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Jaroslav Halak, no doubt about it. He was a rock tonight and the star of the game. Consideration also given to Lapierre and Cammalleri. Game 7 goes Wednesday in Washington.

Not So Fast Caps-Habs 2, Caps 1

The Montreal Canadiens have lived to play another day. The Canadiens forced a game 6 back in Montreal with a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. The Caps still hold a 3-2 edge in the series, but were the heavy favorites to wrap up round 1 on home ice. But the Canadiens had other plans as they scored twice in the opening 7:01 to jump out to a 2-0 lead. The Caps would cut the lead in half early in the 2nd, but Jaroslav Halak shut the door the rest of the way to pick up the win. Halak was remarkable, making 37 saves, while Seymon Varlamov stopped 26 for the Capitals. Mike Cammalleri and Travis Moen scored the Canadiens goals. Both teams struggled on the power play, with the Habs going 0/6 and the Caps gonig 0/4. The Caps were caught for too many men on the ice in the final minute after Varlamov made his way to the bench, only to retreat as the puck slid towards the net. The problem was the extra attacker had already joined the play. Some other thoughts from an exciting game:

>Martin moved Moen onto the Gomez line and it paid dividends. Pouliot has been struggling and Moen gave that line a physical dimension they had been lacking.

>Martin also cut the bench down in the 3rd, with Hamrlik and Bergeron seeing little ice time in the final 10 minutes. O'Byrne/Markov and Gill/Gorges were given the task to limit the Caps chances to tie the game.

>Hats off to the Caps penalty killing for doing a good job on the Habs tonight. They are forcing all over the ice and the Canadiens are making some poor decisions. Might be time to simplify things and just throw it back to the point and get some shots on net.

Nice to see the Habs come out with an inspired effort as they faced elimination. Many said this series would be over in 4 (or 3 according to PJ Stock) but we will see a game 6 back at the Bell Centre. Hopefully Halak can play well again and the Habs can come up with another strong defensive effort. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Jaroslav Halak. Halak made 37 saves and was spectacular all night. Consideration also given to Moen and Cammalleri. Game 6 will go Monday in Montreal as the Habs again try to stave off elimination.

Ovechkin Shows 6 Year Old Flag Boy Who's Boss

Last year at this time I was an Ovechkin fan. The guy was an exciting sniper who had personality. As this season went on, Ovechkin had several questionable hits. This wasn't anything new in his career, but so many in one season was alarming. I began to grow tired of the constant excuses as to why it wasn't his fault that he hurt this player and that player. Seeing him dodge suspension after suspension while others who did similar things had the book thrown at them. It had nothing to do with the Canadiens, none of these hits happened against them, it had to do with the fact he seemed to always get a free pass, no matter what he did. Suddenly I genuinely felt bad for Crosby and the flak he has taken the past couple of seasons for diving and whining. I admit I have criticized Crosby in the past for things like this. Right from the start these two superstars have been rivals, not only on the ice but in the media where one "boring" player tries to compete with the "flashy" one.

The latest Ovechkin incident has only added to my dislike for him. Before game 4, Ovechkin did his usual pregame ritual of skating directly to the bench, stopping and jumping in. The only difference was that this time there happened to be a 6 year old child living out a dream of holding a Montreal Canadiens flag in front of a sell out crowd standing where Ovechkin usually stops. Ovechkin went on with his ritual, icing the poor kid as he stood there confused. Some may not think this is a big deal, but think of how this kid felt seeing a 225 pound NHL player barreling down on him, then snowing him with ice. His reaction appeared to be fear and confusion as he glanced at Ovechkin and then tried to move over, probably thinking he was in the wrong spot. So what could Ovechkin have done differently. If he indeed "had" to do his ritual, why not stop 2 feet over and avoid spraying snow on the kid? How about tapping the youngster on the head or shin pads if you spray him with ice so he doesn't have to worry he did something wrong?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7Pv9VD_5Ew

Some will say I am over reacting, and who knows, maybe I am. But this whole incident got me thinking what the best way to determine if a situation like this is bad or not. I came up with this....anytime I am faced with a decision like this, I'm going to picture Sean Avery (the league's biggest dirt bag) doing the same thing. If Avery did this, would people stick up for him saying he was just having fun or just being "Avery"? I highly doubt it, but just like every other time Ovechkin has crossed the line, people chalk it up to him just being "Ovie". That's fine if you are shooting your mouth off in the media or performing an over the top celebration, not when you are spraying a 6 year old with snow. Time to grow up Ovechkin.

Good Effort But No Victory-Caps 6, Habs 3

The Montreal Canadiens find themselves on the verge of elimination thanks to a 6-3 loss to the Washington Capitals in game 4 of their 1st round matchup. The Canadiens controlled the play for the first 2 periods, but found themselves in a 2-2 tie thanks to a Caps shorthanded goal with just 7 seconds to go in the period. They then added a pair of quick goals half way through the 3rd to take a 4-2 lead before scoring 2 empty net goals, with a Habs marker in between. Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta and Dominic Moore scored for the Canadiens who outshot the Caps 39-38, including 21-9 in the 2nd period alone. Carey Price got the call in goal for the Habs and made 32 saves. Seymon Varlamov was great at the other end making 36 saves and holding the Capitals in it through 2 periods. The Canadiens penalty kill finally allowed a goal in 5 Caps chances. The power play went 1/4 on the night, but as noted gave up a back breaking shorthanded goal for the 2nd game in a row. Some other observations:

>Hamrlik was the direct cause of the shorthanded goal tonight, as he was in game 3. I really don't know what's going on with him, he is usually one of the more reliable players on defence. Spacek missed the game with an injury and Ryan O'Byrne drew back in to take his spot.

>The forwards had a ton of chances, but just could not turn those chances into more goals. Sergei Kostitsyn was back in, with Darche in the pressbox.

>Price played well and really didn't have much of a chance on the Caps 4 goals they scored on him. The Caps again took advantage of the Canadiens mistakes.

Other than the errors, the Canadiens deserved to win this game. They outworked the Caps most of the night, but at the end of the day if you can't score on your chances and you make mistakes at key times, you won't win. Some fans might be upset, but you really can't say this team didn't leave it all on the ice tonight. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Glen Metropolit. Had an assist and a great shot block...all this from a guy that came back 3 weeks early from injury to play. Consideration also given to Cammalleri and Gionta. The Canadiens will now try to keep their season alive Friday night in Washington.

Caps Make Most Of Chances To Down Habs-Caps 5, Habs 1

The Washington Capitals capitalized on their opportunities to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 5-1 at the Bell Centre. The Habs carried the play through the 1st period, outshooting the Caps 10-7 and killing off a pair of Washington power plays. The 2nd started the same way and an early Canadiens man advantage appeared to give the Canadiens a great opportunity to get the games opening goal. But the Capitals scored short handed to go up 1-0 followed by another 2 goals to push the lead to 3. This signalled the end of the night for Habs starter Jaroslav Halak who allowed 3 goals on 13 shots. Carey Price came in to mop up and allowed a pair of goals on 23 shots. Tomas Plekanec scored the Canadiens lone goal to make it 4-1 early in the 3rd, but that's as close as they would get. Semyon Varlamov was the difference in this one, ending the night with 26 saves including several key ones in the opening frame. The Habs power play went 1 for 5 on the night while the Caps were held scoreless in 7 attempts. Some other thoughts from a tough one:

>Glen Metropolit returned to the lineup for the Canadiens relagating Sergei Kostitsyn to the press box. He played just 5:37 while linemate Mathieu Darche played only 2:22.

>Sorry to sound like a homer, but the officiating was terrible again. When Pierre Maguire questions 4 calls/non calls that went against the Canadiens, there are issues.

>Halak can't really be faulted on the Caps goals, but to win in the playoffs your goalies needs to make some of those saves. Varlamov did just that and allowed the Caps to escape the 1st before putting their chances away in the 2nd. Now let the discussions begin as to who will be in net on Wednesday for Montreal.

Sometimes games like this happen. Puck luck was on the Caps side tonight and the Canadiens couldn't get a bounce. I thought the 1st was maybe the best period the Canadiens had played in these playoffs, and the 2nd really wasn't that bad other than the score. They need to find away to put this one behind them and knot the series up at 2 heading back to Washington. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Hal Gill. Made some fantastic plays on the PK and was solid in his own end. Consideration also given to Plekanec and Cammalleri. Game 4 goes Wednesday night at the Bell Centre.

Caps Storm Back To Beat Habs-Caps 6, Habs 5 (OT)

The Montreal Canadiens built up a 3 goal lead, but ended up on the losing end of a 6-5 overtime game against the Washington Capitals. With the win, the Caps tied the series up at 1 heading to Montreal. The Canadiens started quickly with Brian Gionta scoring a minute in followed by Andrei Kostistyn at the 7:58 mark to give the Canadiens a 2-0 lead and chase Jose Theodore from the Caps net. Washington would get one back before the end of the opening frame, but Andrei Kostitsyn scored 2 more in the 2nd to finish off the hat trick. The Caps cut the lead to 4-2 and then tied it to open the 3rd period as they scored twice in the opening 10 minutes. But Tomas Plekanec again put the Canadiens ahead only to see Washington tie it with under 2 minutes to play, then win it early in overtime. A. Kostistyn ended the night with 4 points, while Mike Cammalleri had 3 and Tomas Plekanec 2. Jaroslav Halak made 31 saves in a losing effort, while the Caps goalies combined to make 19 saves. The Montreal power play went 1/3, while the PK was perfect again killing all 3 Caps chances. The TSN crew questioned the Caps 2nd goal claiming goalie interference and Maguire even disagreed with a 3rd period penalty on Hall Gill. This confirmed the refing against the Canadiens tonight was god awful. Some other thoughts from a heart breaker:

>Pleks and company were on fire today combining for 9 points. Great to see Big Tits light the lamp.

>The Caps crashed the crease all night and it appeared to affect the play of Halak. The defence is going to have to do a better job of standing up, something they did perfectly in game 1, but the last 2 goals were a direct result of the defenders giving the Caps too much time.

>Sergei Kostitsyn didn't see the ice in the 3rd after the Caps 2nd goal. With the leash Martin has him on I would say there is a good chance we could see him in the press box for game 3.

I'm not going to lie, that game was a pretty big disappointment. The Habs built a nice lead, but couldn't hold on. Taking both games in Washington would have been massive, but a split isn't too bad either. Hopefully they can get off to a good start in Montreal and get the Bell Centre rocking. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Andrei Kostitsyn. Not much doubt about this one, hat trick and 4 points overall. Consideration also given to Gionta and Plekanec. Game 3 is Monday night at the Bell Centre.

Habs Take Game 1-Habs 3, Caps 2 (OT)

I can't wait to hear what the "experts" who predicted a sweep have to say tomorrow. The Montreal Canadiens weathered the storm early and came out on top 3-2 in overtime victory over the Washington Capitals in game 1 of their Eastern conference quarter final. Jaroslav Halak was great between the pipes for the Canadiens, ending the night with 45 saves including 18 in the first period alone. As expected, the Caps fed off their fans and came out blazing in the 1st period. Despite being outshot by a wide margin, the Canadiens went into the intermission locked up at 1 after a goal by Mike Cammalleri. That score held up until the 3rd when the Caps took the lead under a minute in. But the Canadiens got back on even terms when Scott Gomez scored at the 7:34 mark. The hero of the day was Tomas Plekanec who ended the game with just under 7 minutes to play in the first overtime, giving the Canadiens first blood in the series. Jose Theodore made 35 saves for the Caps in a losing cause. The power play went 1/4 on the night while the penalty kill was perfect in 4 Caps chances. One of the big story lines was the Habs holding superstar Alex Ovechkin to 0 shots on the night, something that is unheard of. Some other thoughts from a fantasitc start to the playoffs:

>What an effort by the defence corp. Spacek was amazing tonight against Ovechkin and the rest of the crew played almost as good. If they can keep it up all series the Canadiens have a good chance to win.

>Nice to see Cammalleri break out of his slump with the opening goal. Great rush as well by Gomez which led to goal #2. And who can forget Pleks who backed up his words with the winner.

>Halak made some incredible saves in the 1st and allowed the Canadiens to escape into the intermission with a tie. After that I thought the Canadiens found their legs and gave the Caps all they could handle.

Taking game 1 is exactly what the doctor ordered. This one should give the Habs the confidence to know they can play with the Caps when they are on their game. There sure weren't too many passengers on this night. But no time to dwell on the victory, it's time to look forward to game 2. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Jaroslav Spacek. Did a great job on Oveckin, broke up a 2 on 1 in overtime and for good measure set up Pleks for the game winner. Consideration also given to Halak and Pleks. Next game is Saturday back in Washington for game 2.

Playoff Preview-Round 1 Caps

The regular season is officially in the books and when the dust settled the Montreal Canadiens found themselves with the number 8 seed in the Eastern conference. Their reward? A 1st round match up with the President's Trophy winning Washington Capitals. The Capitals lead the NHL with 121 points and a total of 318 goals scored, 101 more than the Habs. They also sported the league's top power play along with 7 20+ goal scorers and a pair of players with over 100 points. Scoring hasn't been a problem this season for the Capitals, but despite a hot run by former Hab Jose Theodore, keeping goals out remains a bit of a question mark.

The Canadiens went 2-1-1 against the Caps this season and held Ovechkin in check....or at least as in check as can be expected. There will be a ton of speed in this series and the Canadiens can't get into a track meet trading chances if they want to have a chance. Against a team like the Capitals, you will get scoring chances, that's for sure. But the key is to capitalize on these chances and minimize the opportunities the other way. Halak and/or Price will be one of the, if not the biggest key to the Canadiens success. Here's hoping the Habs can give the Caps a run for their money.

Schedule:

Thursday April 15 @ Washington

Saturday April 17 @ Washington

Monday April 19 in Montreal

Wednesday April 21 in Montreal

Friday April 23 @ Washington (if necessary)

Monday April 26 in Montreal (if necessary)

Wednesday April 28 @ Washington (if necessary)

Habs Take Care Of Business....Sort Of-Laffs 4, Habs 3 (OT)

The Montreal Canadiens punched their ticket to the post season by picking up a single point in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. With the point, the Habs will either finish 7th or 8th in the East depending on the outcome of the Rangers/Flyers game tomorrow. Brian Gionta, Andrei Markov and Marc Andre Bergeron scored the Canadiens goals. Markov ended the night with 3 points, while Scott Gomez had a pair of assists. Jaroslav Halak had an off night, giving up a pair of goals that I would consider weak. He ended the night with 24 saves, while J.S. Giguere made 34 saves for the Laffs. The Canadiens hit 3 crossbars and a goal post or this one might have gone the other way. The Canadiens power play went 1 for 5 on the night, while the Laffs failed to score on their only chance with the man advantage. The Canadiens played without Sergei Kostitsyn who saw his spot taken by Darche. The CBC tandem of Bob Cole and Greg Millen were extremely pro Laffs, with Cole confused about pretty much everything about the game tonight. Some other observations:

>Ryan O'Byrne appears to be still paying for his rough game the other night, as he dressed but saw only 1:46 of ice time. His spot was taken by Bergeron who to his credit played a good game.

>With Bit Tits struggling badly all night, Martin made a move late in the 3rd to replace him with Darche. Seemed to work, as that line had some great chances in the 3rd.

>The Gomez, Gionta and Pouliot line was pretty good all night. They created a ton of chances and hit a couple of posts. Gomez was a monster on faceoffs, winning 58% of them including a number of key ones on the power play.

It would have been nice to get a win, but who cares the Montreal Canadiens are playoff bound! Looks like it will either be the Caps, Devils or the Sabres in round 1. All three provide stiff competition, but I think both can be beat if the Canadiens (and their goaltending) are at the top of their game. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Andrei Markov. When the chips were down he had a huge night. Consideration also given to Gomez and Gionta. Not sure when the next game will be, but I can't wait.

Poor Effort Leads To Bad Loss-Canes 5, Habs 2

Apparently somebody forgot to tell the Montreal Canadiens they had not clinched a playoff berth yet. The Carolina Hurricanes dominated the Montreal Canadiens enroute to a 5-2 win in Raleigh. The Habs had little jump until the 3rd period, but it was too little too late. The Canes jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd before Brian Gionta scored to cut the lead to one. A Carolina power play goal to start the 3rd was quickly neutralized with a Marc Andre Bergeron blast to get the Canadiens back within a goal. But a pair of late Canes goals, including one into an empty net iced the game and left the Canadiens still without a playoff spot. Jaroslav Halak got the call in net and stopped 28 of 32 shots in a losing effort. Cam Ward was great in goal for the Canes, especially in the 3rd period, and ended the night with 30 saves. The power play went 0/2 while the penalty kill gave up a goal on the Canes only attempt. The TSN crew was able to rip the Canadiens all game in case anyone blind was watching the game...thanks for that. Some other thoughts from a tough game to watch:

>The Canadiens had all kinds of trouble with giveaways. Too many lazy clearing attempts and passes back into their own zone. Sometimes it's best to make the easy play....

>Martin juggled the lines playing Cammi with Gomez and Gionta. They looked pretty good, but couldn't finish. Pleks was stuck with A. Kost. and Pouliot who both had off nights. Both O'Byrne and Sergei Kostitysn were benched in the second, but they certainly weren't the most deserving 2 of this treatment.

>Sorry to pick on Martin again, but with 2:23 to go in a 2 goal game and a face off in the oppositions end is a pretty good time to pull the goalie. Of course he did not, instead waiting until there was 1:38 on the clock.

The Canadiens can never make things easy on themselves. For the second straight year the playoff race will come down to the final weekend. I just hope they don't leave themselves in a must win situation in the last game of the year. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Marc Andre Bergeron. Bergeron had a solid game which included a goal. Consideration also given to Markov and Moore. Next up, the final game of the season against the Laffs.

Habs Fail To Clinch A Playoff Spot-Isles 4, Habs 3 (SO)

The Montreal Canadiens picked up a point, but failed to punch their ticket to the postseason by dropping a 4-3 game to the New York Islanders in a shootout. With the Rangers losing, the Canadiens could have secured their spot in the top 8 with a win. They came within 2:01 of doing so, but gave up a goal to send the game into extra time. Tomas Plekanec, Maxime Lapierre and Brian Gionta scored for the Canadiens, who could not solve Martin Biron in the shootout, going 0/2. Jaroslav Halak made 40 saves for the Habs, but allowed a pair of goals in two chances in the shootout. Biron ended the night with 28 saves for the Islanders. The Canadiens also had to kill a penalty in the extra frame, when Andrei Kostitsyn was called for a hook with just under 2 minutes to play. The Canadiens were perfect on the penalty kill, going 3 for 3, while the power play was 1/2. Jaroslav Spacek missed another game with an illness. Some other thoughts:

>Some quesitonable coaching tonight left me with a bad taste in my mouth. First, having Pleks, Pyatt and Gionta on the ice late in the game, which eventually led to the tieing goal. I have no problem with these 3, but none of them play regularly on the same line. Also, putting Lapierre in the shootout was a dumb move in my opinion.

>The defence didn't play particularly well. Outside of O'Byrne and Gorges, the rest struggled. Too many turnovers, although I will give the Isles credit for working hard and being pretty quick.

>Cammalleri hasn't scored since he returned from injury. Seems to be a little off still. I'd like to see him fire some more pucks on net. I think if he gets one, he'll start to score in bunches.

Tough game against a determined Islander team. The Isles are playing loose, with nothing to play for and it showed tonight. The Canadiens missed an opportunity to clinch, but are still in fairly good shape in terms of getting into the playoffs. I won't even try to figure out the various scenarios. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game on this night goes to Tomas Plekanec. Pleks had a goal and was solid all over the ice as usual, including part of the penalty kill in overtime. Consideration also given to O'Byrne and Lapierre. Next action is Thursday in Carolina.

Habs Knock Off Panthers-Habs 4, Panthers 1

The Montreal Canadiens used a tight defensive effort to defeat the Florida Panthers 4-1 at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens took a 2-0 lead into the 1st intermission and that lead held unil the Panthers struck with less than 4 minutes to play to make it interesting. But Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta both scored into the Panthers empty net in the final 2 minutes to secure the victory. Gionta also scored in the 1st, while Benoit Pouliot scored the other Canadiens goal. Jaroslav Halak was sharp when called upon, making 23 saves for the win. Tomas Vokoun made 27 saves in a losing effort for the Panthers. The Canadiens penalty kill was excellent all night, holding Florida scoreless in 5 tries, including a 5 on 3 near the end of the 2nd period for almost a minute. The power play struggled going 0 for 2 on the night. The Canadiens got an emotional boost when Travis Moen returned to the lineup sporting just a visor and 50 new stitches coutesy of the Ottawa game. Some other thoughts:

>The defence was impressive again, blocking shots and breaking up 2 on 1's. Gill fell asleep on the Panther goal to ruin an almost perfect night. Spacek crushed forward David Booth with a clean hit in the 2nd. Booth, who had major concussion problems earlier in the year needed to be helped off the ice.

>It seems like the top 2 lines are taking turns having big games. After Pleks and company scored both goals last night, Gomez and the crew scored 3 tonight. They could be pretty dangerous if they could both light it up on the same night.

>Moore, Moen and S. Kostitsyn continue to be a great 3rd line. They are good defensively and create offence with hard work.

Another 2 points in the bank puts the Canadiens that much closer to a spot in the post season. After the late collapse last night it was nice to see them successfully hold a lead in this one (although of course they had to give up one to keep everyone on the edge of their seats). The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game was a tough one. I went back and forth, but on this night will give it to Josh Gorges. He had a great night blocking shots and making great plays all over his own zone. He's so underrated it's not even funny. Consideration also given to Moen for his gutsy effort and the buzz saw Gionta. The Devils are next for a Saturday night tilt.

Habs Blow Late Lead-Sabres 3, Habs 2 (SO)

For 57 minutes, the Montreal Canadiens played a textbook road game. But a late penalty allowed the Sabres to get within a goal, then they tied it with just 48 seconds on the clock. After a scoreless overtime, Buffalo came out on top of the shootout for a 3-2 win over the Canadiens. The Canadiens controlled the game for the most part despite giving up 40+ shots. After starting the game with 4 power plays through the first 25 minutes of the game, the Canadiens didn't get one after that while the Sabres got 6 straight, including the one with under 4 minutes to play and another in overtime. The reason....Lindy Ruff lost it on the refs after their 4th penalty and they were obviously intimidated. Regardless, the Canadiens deserved the 2 points tonight. Andrei Kostistyn scored both goals for the Habs. Carey Price got the call in net and made 40 saves, but could only stop 1 out of 3 Sabres shooters in the shootout. Ryan Miller was great as well at the other end making 26 saves, including several point blank chances to keep Buffalo within striking distance. He also stopped both Kostitsyn and Cammalleri in the shootout. Some other thoughts from a disapointing outcome:

>Price, seeing his first action in a while, was awesome. His teammates should be apologizing for the final 3 minutes. Nice to see him have a solid start after so much time off.

>Cammelleri was back in the lineup, and despite not registering a point, sparked his line which produced both goals. Big Tits hadn't scored in a long time, so nice to see him get the monkey off his back.

>Tom Pyatt was a surprise entry into the lineup, forcing Max Lapierre to the press box with Bergeron back in. He made the most of his opportunity with a good effort. Travis Moen also sat out after needing 50 stitches to close a cut on his face from a skate against the Sens.

To look on the bright side, the Canadiens did get a point. But not getting the 2nd one could haunt them in the end. They deserved to win this one, but I remember them stealing one in a similar fashion from the Ducks. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Dominic Moore. Clutch on the draws and great in his own end. Consideration also given to A. Kostitsyn and Price. Quick turnaround time as the next game is tomorrow night back in Montreal against the Panthers.

Canadiens Can't Solve Elliott-Sens 2, Habs 0

The Ottawa Senators used a hot goalie and a great penalty kill to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 2-0. Brian Elliot got the shutout for the Sens, making 29 saves and the Sens penalty kill was perfect in 5 tries. The Habs had their chances, but just could not put anything by the Sens tender. Ottawa also did a great job on the faceoffs, especially on the penalty kill. Jaroslav Halak got the call in goal for the Habs and made 25 saves in a losing effort. The Habs penalty kill allowed a goal in 2 Sens attempts. Canadiens forward Travis Moen left the game in the 2nd after taking a skate to the face. No word on the severity of the injury, but it look pretty scary. The Habs also played without Mike Cammalleri and Marc-Andre Bergeron despite both being given medical clearance to dress. Some other thoughts:

>The defence was above average most of the game, but did give up a pair of 1st period 3 on 1's that Halak bailed them out on.

>Martin shuffled the deck in the 3rd, playing Lil Tits with Gomez and Gionta, while moving Pouliot with Pleks and Big Tits. As you can tell by the score, this did not work.

>The power play needs to start putting the puck on net. The Sens pressured hard the entire night while shorthanded. When the Canadiens did get a chance to throw one on goal they either passed up the chance or missed the net.

Really not a bad effort, just no luck in putting the puck in the net. Hats off to the Sens who did a good job defensively, but the chances were there. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Brian Gionta. 5 shots on goal and as usual worked his bag off. Consideration also given to O'Byrne and Halak. Next game goes Wednesday in Buffalo.

Habs Fall Short In Shootout-Laffs 3, Habs 2 (SO)

In a game I was unable to watch, the Toronto Maple Leafs put an end to the Montreal Canadiens 6 game winning streak with a 3-2 win in a shootout. Brian Gionta scored with under 8 minutes to go in the 3rd period to tie the game at 2. Gionta also scored the first Canadiens goal, while Scott Gomez had a pair of assists. Jaroslav Halak got the call in net and made 31 saves in a losing cause. He allowed 2 goals on 3 shots in the shootout. Jonas Gustavsson picked up the win at the other end making 25 saves, along with another 2 in 3 Canadiens attempts in the shootout. The Habs power play apparently struggled going just 1 for 6 on the night, while the penatly kill allowed a goal on the Laffs only chance.

Despite the loss, the Habs picked up another point to pull into a tie with the Sens and Flyers for 5th in the East. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to the statistical leader on the night, Brian Gionta. Consideration also given to Gomez and Pouliot. Next action, a big game against the Sens Monday night.

Habs Pick Up Another Big Win-Habs 3, Rangers 1

The Montreal Canadiens continued their hot play with a dominate 3-1 win over the New York Rangers at MSG. With the Rangers sitting in 9th in the East, the game was very important for both clubs. But it was the Canadiens who carried the play, outshooting the Rangers 35-20. Despite the big discrepancy in shots, the Habs needed a goal by Sergei Kostitsyn 5:59 into the 3rd to break a 1-1 tie. Tomas Plekanec iced the game into an empty net with the Canadiens shorthanded, while Glen Metropolit scored on the power play in the 1st. Jaroslav Halak made 19 saves for the win, while Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist kept his team in it, making 32 stops. The Canadiens did an excellent job on Gaborik and Joikinen, holding them to 0 points with only 2 shots. The penalty kill was very strong, killing off all 5 Rangers opportunities. The power play went 1/4 on the night. In typical Sean Avery fashion, with under 10 seconds to play he was assessed a cross checking minor along with a slashing major and a game misconduct. Tortorella along with Avery should be disciplined for this. Classesless, that's all plays like that are. Some other thoughts from a great performance:

>The 3rd and 4th lines continue to add a ton of value. Not only are they chipping in with goals, but they are playing a physical brand of hockey and using their speed to create chances.

>The defence as a whole was excellent. I thought O'Byrne was a rock again tonight. He is easily the most improved Canadien.

>Halak wasn't tested much, but made some big stops, especially late. Any rebounds he did kick out were cleared away quickly.

What a big win for the Canadiens tonight. The win not only put some more distance between Montreal and the 9th place Rangers, but also moved the Canadiens into 6th, within a point of the Sens. This was a complete victory and they deserved to win. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Tomas Plekanec. Pleks scored an empty net goal, but was great again in both ends. And to think he was a game time decision. Consideration also given to Moore and O'Byrne. Next up, the Laffs on Saturday night....which I will have to miss.

Canadiens Take Another From Bruins-Habs 3, Bruins 2

The Montreal Canadiens continued their dominance of the Boston Bruins this season with a 3-2 victory Saturday night at the Bell Centre. The win gave the Canadiens their 5th in 6 tries against the Bruins after a disastrous record against them last year. Due to other commitments, I was only able to catch the 1st period of the game, which saw the Habs jump out to a 2-0 lead. Sergei Kostitsyn scored a pair of goals for the Canadiens, while Andrei Markov added a single. Kostitsyn, Markov and Dominic Moore all had 2 point nights. Jaroslav Halak got the call in goal again and made 21 saves for his 5th straight victory. Tuukka Rask took the loss, making 24 saves. The Canadiens power play went 1 for 3 on the night, while the penalty kill was perfect in 3 chances.

Seeing how I didn't get to watch the whole game, my Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game will be based on stats. Sergei Kostitsyn gets the title tonight, scoring a pair of goals including the game winner. Consideration also given to Markov and Moore. Next up for the Canadiens, another important match up, this time against the New York Rangers.

Definition Of An Ugly Win-Habs 5, Oilers 4 (SO)

Tonight's game will need to by filed under the "they don't ask how, they just ask how many" category. The Montreal Canadiens edged the last place Edmonton Oilers 5-4 tonight in a shootout. This game can be summed up by one word....ugly. A couple of factors contributed to this. The power play was awful. Not only did it go 0 for 7 on the night, one of those was a long 5 on 3, to go along with a pair of chances in extra time. Second, Halak had an off night, allowing a couple of pretty weak goals. But he totally redeemed himself in the shootout stopping all 5 Oilers shooters. Halak finished the night with 21 saves while Oilers goalie Devan Dubnyk made 22 saves and failed to record his first NHL victory. Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta, Travis Moen and Sergei Kostitsyn scored in regulation, while Andrei Kostitsyn scored in the shootout. Moen and Andrei Markov both had 2 points on the night. The penalty kill allowed a goal on 3 Oilers chances. Some other thoughts:

>Two 4 on 3's in overtime, and Martin uses the same 4 guys both times, Gionta, Gomez, Plekanec and Markov. That's 3 passers and 1 shooter. Why not throw Pouliot or Big Tits out there instead of one of the passers?

>Another nice contribution by the bottom 2 lines tonight. Moen and Lil Tits both scored and their line with Moore was dangerous all night.

>After scoring early, the Canadiens gave up 2 in just over a minute to give the Oilers the lead. After grabbing it back, the Canadiens gave it away twice more which pushed the game to extra time. The inability to hold a lead really hurt in this one.

Two points is two points, but that was tough to watch. The Oilers clearly were playing loose with nothing to lose and the Canadiens quite possibly took them lightly. Regardless, another big win to hold fort in the standings. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Andrei Markov. He was awesome all night, shredding the Oilers with tape to tape passes from his own end. Consideration also given to Travis Moen and Dominic Moore. Next action, a Saturday night date with the Boston Bruins.

Habs Continue Winning Ways-Habs 5, Bolts 3

The Montreal Canadiens ran their winning streak to 3 games with a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Bolts entered the night just 5 points back of the Canadiens in the fight for the final few playoff spots. Mathieu Darche scored a pair of goals for the winners, while Scott Gomez, Glen Metropolit and Benoit Pouliot added singles. Gomez finished the night with 3 points, while Markov, Darche and Metropolit all had 2 points. Darche's second goal of the night early in the 3rd gave the Canadiens a 3 goal lead, but the Bolts pressured late and got within a goal with 1:03 to play. Jaroslav Halak got the call in net and made 28 saves for the win. Antero Niittymaki started for the Lightning, but was pulled half way through the 2nd, giving way to Mike Smith. The two goalies combined for 23 saves. The Canadiens power play scored a goal in two chances, while the penalty kill went 3 for 4. Some other thoughts:

>The top line of Gomez, Gionta and Pouliot continued their strong play. Gomez was on fire tonight and the entire line swarmed the Bolts all night.

>Hal Gill had a rough night, highlighted by a terrible giveaway on the Bolts first goal. Jaroslav Spacek had an excellent night making several key defensive plays on the Lightning's top players.

>The "4th" line combined for 3 goals. Now not all of these goals were scored with all three of them on the ice, but anytime your muckers can contribute offensively it is a huge boost.

Another solid effort by the Habs tonight. At this time of year, a winning streak of any kind is huge. Tonight was a good, hardworking game. The Bolts pressed late, but the Canadiens were able to hold them off. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight is a no brainer. Scott Gomez was the best player on the ice, no doubt about it. He put up points and mixed it up. Consideration also given to Darche and Spacek. Next up, another home game against the Oilers.

Habs Use Late Comeback To Edge Ducks-Habs 4, Ducks 3 (SO)

The Montreal Canadiens scored twice in the final 1:50 to send the game to overtime and eventually defeat the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 in a shootout. The Habs came out flat in the first, allowing 3 goals and finding themselves on the wrong end of a 3-0 score. Tomas Plekanec score on a breakaway mid way through the 2nd frame to cut the lead to two. Brian Gionta scored with 1:50 left followed by a goal by Andrei Markov with just 11 seconds to go to send the game to extra time. Props to Markov for the point and laugh celebration directed towards Corey Perry. Tomas Plekanec ended the game in the shootout beating Jonas Hiller for the second time in the game. Jaroslav Halak replaced Carey Price at the start of the second and stopped all 21 shots he faced along with stopping 3 of 4 Ducks shooters in the shootout. Price allowed 3 goals on just 11 shots, and although none of the goals were particularly bad, he needed to stop at least 1 or 2 of them. Hiller made 40 saves in a losing cause. The Canadiens power play went 0/3 on the night, while the Ducks scored on their lone power play. Some other thoughts from an exciting game:

>Martin had me scratching my head again when he replaced Pouliot on the top line with Ben Maxwell. I have no idea why he would put Maxwell with Gomez and Gionta. Darche, maybe I could see. I would have just left Pouliot on that line considering the way they have been playing.

>Offensively, the Canadiens played really well all game. All 4 lines were creating chances and if my math is correct the Habs hit 4 posts. The issue in the 1st was part goaltending, but mostly bad defence.

>Great job by Halak in relief. Made the saves when needed and came up with a couple of game savers in the shootout.

Tidy little road trip for the Canadiens which saw them take 6 of 8 points, and hold a lead for most of the game in the one they lost. Great comeback tonight showed this team has heart. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Tomas Plekanec. Was great all over the ice again and scored in regulation to go along with the shootout winner. Consideration also given to Markov and Halak. The Bolts invade the Bell Centre Tuesday as the Habs try to make it 3 in a row.