Canadiens Come Up Short Again-Sens 3, Habs 2 (OT)

Despite a great effort, the Montreal Canadiens came up on the short end of a 3-2 overtime game against the red hot Ottawa Senators. The winning goal was scored in a 3 on 3 situation after the Canadiens Hal Gill was whistled for a tripping call, followed about a minute later by a Spezza interference penalty. An overly agressive Andrei Markov got caught out of position and allowed Mike Fisher to break in on a partial breakaway to end the game. The Canadiens battled back from a 2 goal deficit, tieing the game on the power play with just under 3 minutes to play. Brian Gionta and Benoit Pouliot scored the Canadiens goals, both of which came with the man advantage. The power play was a perfect 2 for 2, while the PK ended the night allowing a goal on 3 Sens chances. Jaroslav Halak took the loss in goal making 34 saves, while Brian Elliot made 27 stops at the other end. The Canadiens once again played without Jaroslav Spacek who was replaced by Yannik Weber. But the real injury story came mid way through the 3rd, when Mike Cammalleri fell awkardly into the boards and needed to be helped off the ice. Preliminary reports are calling it a knee injury which will require an MRI to determine the extent of the damage. Some other observations:

>I really like Markov, but he made a bad decision on the winning goal, only minutes after making a terrible one with under a minute to play which led to an Sens chance on a 2 on 1. He made a great feed on the tieing goal, but the Canadiens need Markov to be their best defenceman at both ends. Enough with the bad pinches.

>Hall Gill looked extra slow tonight and seemed to cough up the puck all night. He took a pair of penalties, one which led to the Sens 2nd goal. Weber looked pretty good in limited action.

>Martin was all over the map with line combinations. We saw Pouliot taken off the Gomez line, then Gomez taken off that line and replaced by Maxwell. He then benched Metro in the 3rd and went with Bergeron and the Bulldogs. I do not agree with this tactic.

Nothing to hang their heads about, the Habs played a very good road game against a hot Sens team. Very disappointing to lose like they did though, especially considering they would have had a brief power play at the end of overtime. A point is good, but 2 would have been a lot better. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game today goes to an unsung hero. Ryan O'Byrne has been great since he returned, and I would say arguably the Canadiens best defenceman in this one. Consideration also given to Pouliot and Plekanec. Next up the Canucks on Tuesday.

Paging The Montreal Canadiens...Anyone There...-Bolts 3, Habs 0

In a complete reversal of this past weekends back to back contests, the Montreal Canadiens came up with another terrible effort in a 3-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. 24 hours after getting outworked by the Florida Panthers, it was much of the same in this one. Carey Price got the call in net and was hung out to dry on all 3 goals. The first 2 were awful giveaways and the final goal was a horrible penalty by Brian Gionta after getting steamrolled by Steve Downie. Price ended the night with 27 saves, while Antero Niittmaki stopped 33 shots, but most of those were from the perimeter. It's amazing how a team can go from playing near perfect back to back contests just a few days ago to getting dominated by a pair of teams they should beat. The loss moved the Bolts to within a point of the Canadiens and made the already airtight Eastern conference even tighter (no I will not make a "tight" joke). The Habs power play went 0 for 3, while the Lightning scored once in 3 chances. In the first real effect of having Laraque at home taking up a roster spot, the Habs played a man short as Spacek left in warmup with the flu (no word on if it was the 40 oz variety). Some other thoughts:

>Another terrible defensive effort by the whole team. Gorges gave up the puck on the first 2 goals, but he certainly wasn't alone. Markov again had an off night, the same day as word came out him and Price had a "confrontation" in the dressing room following the Blues game. Gotta love the Montreal media.

>Both "top" lines were basically silent tonight. Pouliot had probably his worst game as a Hab and the others on the top lines weren't much better.

>In one of the bright spots, a 2nd period scrum led to Gomez flipping on Hedman and O'Byrne getting in another tilt. Nice to see some emotion when you are getting outplayed. Didn't add much of a spark though.

Why does this team do this to me. They get my hopes up after playing a pair of gems, then follow it up with 2 garbage efforts. I can handle losses, but losing while getting outworked is not acceptable, especially when you are in the middle of a playoff race. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Glen Metropolit. One of the few who battled hard all night. Consideration also given to O'Byrne and Darche. The Canadiens have a few days to regroup before hitting the ice again Saturday afternoon against the Sens.

Panthers Out Work Habs-Panthers 2, Habs 1

The Florida Panthers used their typical boring trapping style to come away with a 2-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. To be fair, the Panthers outworked the Canadiens for pretty much the entire night and used a stifling trap to neutralize the Habs offence. Add to that the usual horrible ice and "I can hear a pin drop" atmosphere and the game could be described as a bit of a snoozer. Montreal actually led heading into the 3rd after a late power play goal by Tomas Plekanec. But the Panthers scored on a penalty shot in the 3rd, followed by a goal that Hamrlik kicked in his own net to take the lead.....that they never relinquished. The officiating was interesting again, with Hamrlik taking a nasty stick to the cheek in the 2nd, with the official staring directly at him. Apparently he said it was on the follow through....I guess when you have 1 hand on your stick and wildly swing at the puck only to hit an opponent in the face that is considered "your follow through". Jaroslav Halak made 27 saves for the Canadiens, while Tomas Vokoun stopped 16 shots. The Habs were 1 for 1 on the power play, while the Panthers were 0 for 2. Some other thoughts from an important one that got away:

>I love Andrei Markov, but he was awful tonight. He got caught pinching several times leading to odd man rushes against. Hamrlik wasn't much better. When your top 2 defenceman have off nights it's tough to win.

>Martin's idea to use Moen on the top line needs to end. Moen is a checker. He dumps the puck in and chases it. Cammi and Pleks need someone with a little more in the way of offensive instincts.

>On the topic of ripping Martin, why on earth did he have the 4th line on in the last 1:30??? This is a line that has a defenceman playing forward. Are the top 2 lines in that bad of shape they can't double shift in the last 5 minutes of a 1 goal game?

Very disappointing night to say the least. The race in the East is too tight to come up with efforts like this. The Panthers played a smart game and outworked the Canadiens....they deserved to win. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Jaroslav Halak. He was solid and kept the team in it. Consideration given to O'Byrne and Metropolit. Next up, Tampa Bay tomorrow night.

Canadiens Thump Rangers-Habs 6, Rangers 0

I would pay a small sum of money to hear the post game speech John Tortorella berated his team with. The Montreal Canadiens offence exploded for 6 goals and a 6-0 win over the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. Mike Cammalleri scored twice for the winners while Benoit Pouliot, Scott Gomez, Max Lapierre, and Tomas Plekanec added singles. Cammalleri ended the night with 4 points, while Plekanec, Bergeron and Spacek each had 2 point nights. Jaroslav Halak was solid when called on, especially in the 1st period allowing the Canadiens to take a 1-0 lead into the intermission. He ended the night with 32 saves and his 3rd shutout of the season. The Canadiens chased Henrik Lundqvist from the net near the mid point of the 2nd after putting their 3rd goal of the period by him. Rookie Matt Zaba came in in relief and allowed 2 more goals. It was another solid defensive effort by the entire team. The discipline was excellent as well, as Avery was Avery trying his best to goat Canadiens players into penalties. The power play scored twice in 5 tries, with one of those on a 5 on 3. The penalty kill was perfect again, killing both Ranger attempts. Some other thoughts from a successful weekend:

>Mathieu Darche is making the best of his opportunity with the big club. Nothing fancy, but doesn't hurt you when he's on the ice. Picked up an assist to give him 3 points in 3 games.

>Lapierre finally broke out of a long goal scoring drought with a hard working goal in the 2nd period. Martin continued to juggle the lines using Gionta with Cammi and Pleks, while Lil Tits returned to action playing mostly with Pouliot and Gomez.

>Excellent game for every member of the defence corp. Spacek was especially good, with 2 points and a few good defensive plays. O'Byrne had a nice scrap and looked sharp in his first game on the back end in a while.

What a difference a week can make. Last weekend the Canadiens played 2 of their worst games of the season. This weekend they turn it all around and play 2 near perfect games on back to back nights. These 4 points are huge as they climb back into a playoff spot. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game was a tough one. So many great performances, but in the end Mike Cammalleri takes the award. 2 goals and 2 sweet assists. Consideration also given to Halak for the shutout and Metropolit, who, despite not hitting the scoresheet, was amazing. Worked the corners to perfection proving heart trumps size. Next action is Wednesday against the Panthers in the first of back to back games in Florida.

Habs Beat Devils At Their Own Game-Habs 3, Devils 1

Strong goaltending...check. Air tight defence....check. Timely scoring....check again. The Montreal Canadiens used a gritty effort on the road to come away with a 3-1 victory over the Atlantic division leading New Jersey Devils. Jaroslav Halak sparkled in net, making 31 saves, including 14 in the 3rd period. Benoit Pouliot, Mathieu Darche, and Mike Cammalleri found the back of the net for the winners. Darche ended the night with 2 points. Martin Brodeur turned aside 21 shots in a losing effort. The Canadiens shut the Devils down after giving up a goal just over 5 minutes into the opening frame. Cammalleri's goal with under 9 minutes to go in the game was scored just moments after a pair of brilliant saves by Halak at the other end. Both teams penalty kills were strong, although both were only tested twice each. Matt D'Agostini drew back into the lineup to replace Ryan O'Byrne on the 4th line. Dags got into a nice scrap in the 3rd against the Devils Mark Fraser, obviously trying to show the "powers that be" he wants to be a Hab. Some other thoughts from a good effort:

>After allowing a breakaway early in the game, the defence, as a whole, was solid the rest of the way. Mara left in the 2nd with an apparent shoulder injury and Bergeron filled in nicely.

>Ex-Devils Gomez and Gionta were booed each time they touched the puck by the Devils fans. Gionta had a shot at the empty cage but missed...you could tell he really wanted to score.

>Martin used a bunch of different line combo's, which seemed to work. Dags started on the top unit again, but didn't last the 1st period on that line. S. Kost is apparently close to a return.

Probably not many Canadiens fans had faith the team would win tonight, but they managed to pull it off. Anytime you can beat "Habs killer" Brodeur and the Devils in their barn, it is a bonus. To be honest, the Canadiens have played the Devils really tough this year. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Mathieu Darche. Game winning goal and excellent work in the corner to start goal #3. Consideration also given to Pouliot and Halak. Next up the Rangers tomorrow night back at the Bell Centre.

Laraque's Time In Montreal Comes To An End

According to various sources, enforcer Georges Laraque has been released by the Montreal Canadiens. The team intends to buy out the final year of his contract at the end of the season, but until then he will not play another game for the Canadiens. Laraque was brought in to add some toughness after the Canadiens 2008 playoff run which saw them lose in the 2nd round to the Philadelphia Flyers. He was coming off a nice run with the Penguins in 2008 that saw the team make it all the way to the Stanley Cup final. He also had stops in Edmonton and Phoenix where he earned the reputation as being arguably the league's top fighter.

Unfortunately for the Canadiens, the Laraque experience was mostly a failure. Plagued by back and groin problems, Laraque was limited to just 61 games over the past season and a half. These injuries appear to have taken their toll on his play as well. When in the lineup, he looked slow and could not be used in close games. As for his fighting, his "nice guy" attitude didn't appear to put fear in any opponents. He refused to drop them with anyone who didn't agree to it, leading to only 4 fights this year. His speed made it nearly impossible to punish the opposition with hits as he simply could not catch them. His bright spot came when he scored his first goal for the Habs against the Stars last week only days after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. The low point probably came soon after when against the Rangers his presence did nothing to stop them from running around all night throwing questionable hits.

I'm not sure what the future holds for Laraque in terms of hockey. It is clear that in his current state the game has passed him by. Whether it is the injuries or the speed of the game, he just cannot compete any longer. He is a long way from the player who scored 13 goals and 29 points with the Oilers in 2000-01. His time with the Habs is now over with him scoring 1 goal along with 4 assists and 89 penalty minutes (13 fights).

St. Louis Leaves Habs Feeling The Blues-Blues 4, Habs 3 (OT)

I guess when you play 23 minutes of a game, you should consider yourself lucky to escape with a point. The St. Louis Blues continued their domination on the road with a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens staged a 3rd period comeback to erase a 2 goal deficit, but couldn't finish the deal in overtime. Benoit Pouliot scored twice for the Canadiens, while Mike Cammalleri picked up the tieing goal with 33 seconds to go by tipping in a Jaroslav Spacek blast. Carey Price allowed 3 1st period goals, but was solid the rest of the game minus the winning goal...although it was a pretty good shot. He finished the night with 24 saves, while Ty Conklin made 35 for the Blues. St. Louis scored twice in the first 3:35 and took a 3-1 lead into the dressing room after 1. St. Louis knucklehead Cam Janssen ran Price over in the 1st which led to Price dropping his gloves and trying to pull teammate Roman Hamrlik off Janssen to settle the score himself. The Blues continued to blanket the Canadiens, until a long 5 on 3 late in the 2nd period for the Blues that they could not convert on....and untimately led to a shift in momentum. The Habs owned the 3rd outshooting the Blues 14-5 and had 4 more shots in overtime before St. Louis scored on their first one. The power play was 1 for 4, while the penalty kill allowed a goal on 3 chances. Some other thoughts:

>In a head scratching move, Martin drssed 8 defenceman and played O'Byrne along with Bergeron on the 4th line. Um....wow...just wow.

>Mathieu Darche was recalled from Hamilton and took Dags spot in the lineup and on the 1st line. He was mostly ineffective.

>Pouliot is turning into a god in Montreal. "Pouliot" chants echoed after goal #2. The crowd was very close to turning on Price, but him dropping the mitts with Janssen earned him a "Carey" chant and forgiveness for the first 3 goals.

Another frustrating night, but the team did show some heart with a big 3rd and a nice comeback. But in order to actually qualify for the playoffs, you must win games. Back to back games this weekend against the Devils and the Rangers will be a big test. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Benoit Pouliot. 2 huge goals and a nice play on the tieing one. Consideration also given to Spacek and Lapierre.

One Word Sums Up This Weekend...Disaster

The Montreal Canadiens ended an awful weekend with a 6-2 loss at the hands of the New York Rangers. In the process the Canadiens missed a huge chance to jump ahead of the Rangers in the tight Eastern conference. The Canadiens jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but then quit working and were completely dominated the rest of the game, allowing 6 unanwsered goals. To play like they did the last 2 games raises serious concerns about this team. Both the Sens and Rangers were opponents that I consider very beatable. I am usually pretty positive, but this weekend was huge and pretty much the entire team forgot to show up. Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta scored the Canadiens goals, while Jaroslav Halak stopped 28 shots in net. To be fair, he really had no chance on 4 of the goals. Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 18 shots, with just 2 of those coming in the 2nd period. The power play again struggled, giving up a short handed goal to tie the game (and turn the momentum) to go along with a goal of their own in 4 chances. The Rangers had 6 power plays and scored once. Good old Chris "screw you Montreal" Lee was one of the refs, and again made some questionable calls. Case in point:

*Markov races to a loose puck and touches it for an icing. Voros for some reason punches Markov after the whistle and a scrum ensues. Josh Gorges comes to Markov's aide, but is clothes lined by Avery and a fight starts. The result...Travis Moen who tried unsuccessfully to get to Voros gets a minor penalty evening everything up.

*Plekanec levels a Ranger without the puck. A delayed penalty is being called but the Ranger is on top of Pleks and begins driving his head into the ice. A scrum ensues, with Lapierre getting into it along with Boyle. Pouliot lays a beating on Redden and Boyle, after things calm down is still trying to get at Lappy, leaning over the ref to cuff him in the head. The result....both Pleks and the inital player get minors, but Lappy gets a roughing penalty and Boyle gets only a 10 minutes misconduct, again leaving the Habs on the short end of the stick.

Now for some other thoughts:

>The defence coughed the puck up all night and overall played awful. I can't think of any one player on the back end that had a decent game. How about in the offensive zone just tossing a puck on net rather than shooting a bomb 10 feet wide???

>Metro was domoted to the 4th line, with Lappy moving up. Neither line did much.

>Martin should have put Laraque out to settle the score, even if it was when the game was out of reach in the 3rd. Boyle and Voros were running around nailing guys with 3 minutes left. For the love of god send Laraque on the ice and tell him to grab someone.

With 2 losses this weekend the Canadiens are once again thrown back in the fire. 2 wins would have vaulted them up the standings and given them a bit of breathing room. Now the Habs find themselves tied for 8th with all the teams around them with games in hand. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Mike Cammalleri. Had a nice goal and played decent. Consideration also given to Gionta and Pouliot (for the fight mostly). Next up the Blues on Wednesday.

Habs Stink Up The Joint-Sens 4, Habs 2

In the biggest game of the season so far, the Canadiens didn't anwser the bell. The Ottawa Senators got a boost from the return of their captain and defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 in front of a sell out crowd in Montreal. The two teams entered the night tied for 7th in the East, but a strong Sens penalty kill ended up making all the difference in the world. Not only did Ottawa hold the league's top rated power play off the scoresheet in 6 tries, they even scored a short handed goal in the 1st. Montreal seemed off most of the night and appeared frustrated by the tight checking Senators. When you are playing a "4 point" game like this you'd think there would be some urgency....but there wasn't. Benoit Pouliot and Tomas Plekanec found the back of the net for the Canadiens and Carey Price stopped 24 in what I would call a very average performance. Mike Brodeur made 30 saves against the Habs including a pair of key ones late in the 3rd on Brian Gionta. A bright spot fot the Canadiens was the penalty kill who were perfect on 2 Sens chances. Some other thoughts:

>It's time to move Dags off the top line. I don't know who should be there but something has to give. Gomez's line continues to play well, but Cammi and Pleks have been somewhat quiet after Big Tits went down.

>Why does Martin continue to put out Mara/Gill with the 4th line? How about putting out Gorges and Markov with that line?

>The power play, as noted, struggled. The Sens obviously did there homework and pressured the Canadiens all night when down a man. It seems like the Habs have trouble getting into the zone and setting up if they ever lose the face off to start the PP.

Very disappointing effort on a night that was so important in the standings. Defensive zone coverage and getting the puck out seem to be problems that flare up more often than not. A solution to the problem with the top line is needed...and fast. I expect to see Halak get the call tomorrow night against the Rangers in another huge game. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Scott Gomez tonight. Had an assist and was good in both ends again. Consideration also given to Hamrlik and Gorges.

Habs Leave Stars Dazed-Habs 5, Stars 3

The Montreal Canadiens scored twice in the 3rd period to break a 3-3 tie and come away 5-3 victory over the Dallas Stars. Brian Gionta led the offence with a pair of goals, while Benoit Pouliot, Mike Cammalleri....and.....I can't believe I am typing this.....Gorges Laraque added singles. Pouliot, Gionta and Cammalleri all ended the night with 2 points. For Laraque, it was his first goal in a Canadiens uniform and his first shot of the season (he ended the night with 2 shots). Carey Price shut the door when he needed to and ended the night with 33 saves. Marty Turco made 23 stops for the Stars. The Habs league leading power play was again a big factor going a perfect 2 for 2 on the night. The penalty kill gave up one early, but killed a pair of penalties in the 3rd period when it mattered. Cammalleri's goal with under 4 minutes to play gave the Canadiens some breathing room with the Stars pressing. Some other thoughts after a big win:

>Gionta, Gomez and Pouliot had another big night, combining for 5 points. The chemistry these 3 are building is great to see. With A. Kost out, the former big line has struggled....D'ags doesn't appear to be the awnser. Moen started the game with Cammi and Pleks, but Lappy also saw some action with them.

>Despite potting a goal, the 4th line was on the ice for 2 Stars goals. You won't win many games when your 4th line gives up a pair, but tonight it worked out.

>The defence didn't play bad, but gave up WAY too many odd man rushes in the first two periods. Props to Spacek and Mara for nice open ice hits.

The race for the playoffs in the East continues to be tight, so this was a big 2 points. I was kind of surprised to see Price get the call in net after Halak's play the last couple of games, but I really don't care whose in net as long as the end result is a win (although my fantasy team likes to see Price play all the time). The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Brian Gionta tonight. A pair of goals including the game winner and some excellent penalty killing. Honorable mentions go to Gomez and Hamrlik. Saturday night against the short staffed Sens is the next one.

Devils Steal Extra Point-Devils 2, Habs 1

It was a solid performance against the top team in the East that came up a little short. The New Jersey Devils scored in overtime to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in front of another sell out crowd at the Bell Centre. Martin Brodeur and Jaroslav Halak each turned in excellent performances between the pipes. Brodeur ended the night with 29 saves while Halak stopped 26 shots. Scott Gomez scored the lone Canadiens goal on a power play in the 2nd period to tie the game up at 1. A weak 1st period goal on Halak gave the Devils a 1-0 lead, despite the Habs having several golden opportunities in the period. The Devils overtime winner came after Parise lost his stick in the Canadiens end and then on the way back was fed a pass which led to a breakaway. The Canadiens were pressing just before that and obviously forgot to check over their shoulders. The power play went 1 for 4 on the night, while the PK was perfect killing all 4 Devil opportunities. It was another classic low scoring Lemaire/Martin battle. The Canadiens played without Gorges Laraque who missed the game with an upper body injury. Ryan White was summoned from Hamilton to take his spot on the 4th line. Some other thoughts:

>Cammi and Pleks appear to be a little snake bit right now. Not sure if it is the absence of Big Tits, but they just seem a little off.

>Scott Gomez has picked up his play considerably in the past 15 or so games. His line has produced much of the offence as of late.

>The defence did a very nice job all night on the Devils. A few breakdowns here and there, but for the most part they were very stingy.

Nothing to be ashamed of after a game like that. Played with the best in the East, but just couldn't sneak another by Brodeur who always seems to bring his 'A' game in his home town. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Jaroslav Halak. Several big saves throughout and really no chance on the 2nd goal. Consideration also given to Gomez and Spacek. Next up the Stars on Thursday...that's right a 4 day break without a Canadiens game. Not cool NHL...not cool.

Canadiens Shut Out Panthers-Habs 2, Panthers 0

The Montreal Canadiens used a strong defensive effort to come away with a 2-0 victory over the Florida Panthers. Just over a week ago these 2 teams combined for 9 goals in Florida, but both goaltenders were a lot sharper tonight. Jaroslav Halak was great in net for the Canadiens stopping 38 shots, while Tomas Vokoun stopped 38, with the second goal coming with him on the bench for an extra attacker. Benoit Pouliot and Brian Gionta scored for the Canadiens. Neither team had much in the way of power plays, but the Canadiens let a huge opportunity slip away in the 1st by failing to convert on a long 5 on 3. That would end up being their only 2 power plays, while the Panthers only managed 1. Jaroslav Spacek made a game saving play with under a minute to go when he swept away a puck off the goal line that had trickled by Halak. Some other thoughts from another nailbiter:

>D'Agonstini was moved to the 1st line, and despite a bad 1st period, played pretty well. That line again came away empty with Cammalleri ending the night with 9 shots.

>The second line produced both goals tonight and continues to impress. Pouliot looks to be a pretty good pick up so far. You can tell why he was a #4 overall draft pick.

>The defence allowed quite a few shots, but not many excellent scoring chances. Spacek, as noted above, made a great play to save the game. I have noticed that he passes to Hammer on pretty much every breakout. Last time I saw a strategy like that was Komisarek to Markov.

A big 2 points tonight against a team nipping at the Canadiens heals. Equally as important was a win on home ice for the first time in a while. Only 7 points separate 6th from 13th in the east so picking up points is a must. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Jaroslav Halak tonight. Played a very good game, great positioning and rebound control. Honorable mentions to Pouliot and Laraque, who played his best game in a long, long time. Made a sweet feed on a 2 on 1 and another rush that lead to a good chance for Gill. Next up Brodeur and the Devils invade the Bell Centre Saturday night.

Caps Prove Why They Are Among The Best-Caps 4, Habs 2

The Washington Capitals outshot the Montreal Canadiens badly and came away with a 4-2 victory. The Caps once again proved why they are a Stanley Cup contender. Carey Price got the call in goal for the Habs and made 39 saves, several of the spectacular variety. Josh Gorges and Benoit Pouilot scored for the Canadiens, who appeared to be afraid to make a mistake most of the night. The officiating continued to be "interesting". Case in point on the Caps first goal, Travis Moen took a high stick in the face (which was missed) and then Andrei Markov had his stick broken with a slash as he attempted to clear the puck. Washington was able to score shortly after leaving me cursing at the TV. The Habs were able to tie the game, but a brutal shift by Hal Gill led to a pair of Caps goals....1 off his foot and the other through his legs as he backed in on Price. A power play in the 3rd got the Canadiens within a goal, but another with under 7 minutes to go generated nothing close to a tieing strike. Michal Neuvirth made 24 saves in the Caps net. The PP went 1/3 while the PK gave up one questionable goal (as Moen was skating around with a stick in his eye and Markov with a broken stick). Some other thoughts:

>Pleks and Cammi had some cahnces, but couldn't capitalize. Pacs seemed to be a step behind them the whole game. Let's hope Big Tits isn't out for too long.

>Dags had an off night, serving the puck up on several occasions to Caps players. He certainly wasn't the only one, but 3 passes on Ovechkin's stick deserves mention.

>Gill and Mara continually backed in on top of Price which led to scoring chance after scoring chance. Spacek should avoid one timing the puck at all costs.

Not only did the Canadiens come up short, but the Canadians also lost at the WJHC. Congrats to Habs prospect Danny Kristo, but that was a tough loss....both games. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Benoit Pouliot. Had a goal and several other good chances. Consideration also given to Gomez and Gionta. Next up the Panthers Thursday night at the Bell Centre.

6 Canadiens Picked To Go For Gold

Slowly but surely each country has released their rosters for the upcoming Olympic hockey tournament in February. Six members of the Montreal Canadiens organization are among the names that will try to bring gold to their respective countries. Andrei Markov appears to have fully recovered from his injury which is good news for Russia as he is the key to their defence corps. Tomas Plekanec will hope to continue his great play as he represents the Czech Republic. Jaroslav Halak was named to the Slovakian team and will try to win the #1 job in net. Andre and Sergei Kostitsyn will represent Belarus, no word on if they will have to room with Grabovski. Finally, Yannick Weber joins former Hab Mark Streit on the Swiss team who will hope for another big upset like in the 2006 games when they defeated Canada.

Those who didn't made the grade will enjoy a long break before gearing up for a playoff run. The players that we can make an argument for are:

Mike Cammalleri-Only 5 Canadian players have more goals than Cammi, and only 2 of those are wingers. For a team that had all kinds of trouble scoring at the last tournament, you'd think he would be a lock. But let me guess....a roster like the one Canada has isn't going to have trouble scoring (which is what I'm sure was said in 2006 as well). I figured he, despite his stats, would be a long shot, but I thought he would get mentioned a little more in the hundreds of "mock teams" over the past year by the experts.

Scott Gomez-Currently sits 12th among American born forwards with 25 points (meaning their are 11 players with as many or more points than him). Had a very slow start but has been hot as of late. Brian Burke as the GM of the US team made the odds of a Montreal Canadien making the roster very, very, very slim.

Brian Gionta-9 goals puts him 24th among American born players, but that is in only 23 games. Take that over a full schedule and he would have about 17, good for a 2nd place tie with the likes of Kane and Parise. Add leadership into the equation and he seems like a pretty good pick. But good old Burke was picking the team...I forgot.

Roman Hamrlik-Solid vet with a ton of international experience. Having a very good year for the Habs, but I guess not good enough to make the Czech team. Apparently the guy that plays in the KHL that made the roster will give them a better chance to win.

Jaroslav Spacek-Not having an exceptional year, but the way him and Hamrlik have played some games, especially when Markov was injured, should have got him some consideration. Another player with a lot of international experience.

Hal Gill-Okay I'm joking. But after Burke put Komisarek on the American team I thought he might get a look....lol. Can't wait to see Komi get turned inside out by Team Canada's forwards. I'm sure his inclusion on the team had nothing to do with any "arrangement" made during negotiations in the off season. There will be plenty of 4 assist, -9 players at the Olympics....

Habs Can't Solve Miller-Sabres 1, Habs 0

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller proved why many feel he is the top goalie in the NHL this season as he made 30 saves to lead his team to a 1-0 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens had several good chances in the 1st and 3rd periods, but couldn't get one by Miller. Carey Price was solid but allowed a 2nd period goal which proved to be all the Sabres would need to secure the victory. The Canadiens top ranked power play went 0/2, while the Sabres were scoreless during their only chance. Buffalo is among the lead leaders in points and have allowed just 93 goals this season. The injury bug bit the Canadiens again as they played without both Kostitsyn brothers. Ryan O'Byrne also missed the game for personal reasons, but his spot was taken by Paul Mara who returned from a hand injury. Some other thoughts from a lazy Sunday afternoon:

>Pleks had an off day, but when you've played so many great games this year you are allowed a one of those every once in a while. Pacs played along side Cammi and Pleks, but Moen was moved up late in the game to shake things up.

>The defence did a pretty good job overall, with the lone goal coming as a result of a 2 on 1 rush. Gill and Mara were paired together and played well.

>Gomez, Pouliot and Gionta were dangerous again, but had nothing to show for it.

Close but no cigar on this one. Miller made several great stops with the Canadiens net empty. It seems like when he is on his game he is nearly impossible to beat. He better be good come Olympic time if the US wants to have a shot at gold...especially with Komisarek playing in front of him. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game today goes to Roman Hamrlik. Played another solid game, nothing flashy but an effort a former "not flashy" defenceman like myself can appreciate. Consideration also given to Pouliot and Gionta. Next up Tuesday in Washington against Ovechkin and the Caps.