Thank God For The Olympic Break-Flyers 6, Habs 2

The injury riddled Montreal Canadiens limped into the Olympic break on the wrong end of a 6-2 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. It was one of those nights where all the loose pucks seemed to bounce right to the Flyers who took advantage of their opportunities. The Flyers again jumped out to a quick lead, taking a 3-0 cushion into the 1st intermission. After the Canadiens scored to make it 3-1, the Flyers took advantage of a Roman Hamrlik miscue to score shorthanded, before adding another on the power play with just seconds to go in the 2nd period. Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez scored for the Canadiens. Jaroslav Halak got the start, but was pulled after allowing 5 goals on 17 shots. Carey Price allowed a goal on 9 shots in relief. Michael Leighton continued his strong play making 26 saves for the win. The Canadiens power play went 2 for 6 on the night, while the penalty kill struggled allowing 2 goals on 3 Flyers chances. Now for my CBC rant. Why is Craig Simpson such a moron? Not one time throughout the entire game did he bring up the fact the Habs are missing Cammalleri and Pouliot. He did mention in passing they were missing Markov and Kostitsyn, but really didn't dwell on it. If this was a Leafs game and they had so many injuries, that's all we would hear about. Any team in the league missing their #1 defenceman and 3 of your top 4 goal scorers would struggle to be consistent. Grab a clue Simpson, just because you won "battle of the blades" (which after seeing your skating, I have no idea how you did...oh wait...you work for CBC) doesn't mean your not an idiot. Sorry...had to get that out. Please let Kevin Weekes to the rest of the games...please. Some other thoughts:

>PK Subban continued to electrify the crowd, picking up another assist and drawing 2 penalties. The guy has world class talent and single handedly saves the Canadiens from getting booed from the 1st period on.

>Martin continued to juggle lines, but with little success. D'Agstoni again was used sparingly. It appears his days may be numbered.

>Hamrlik and Spacek had another off night. It looks as though they are wearing down, so the Olympic break should do them good.

Dropping both of these games to the Flyers is a bitter pill to swallow, especially after the win over the Caps. The bottom line is that it is tough to compete with so many key players out of the lineup. Hopefully the team will get some help in the form of healthy bodies after the break. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Brian Gionta tonight. Had a goal and played a very good game. Honorable mentions go to PK Subban and Tom Pyatt. Now on to watching Canada going for gold!

Habs Fall Short In Comeback Attempt-Flyers 3, Habs 2

The Philadelphia Flyers jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held on for a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs scored a pair of goals early in the 3rd period to cut the lead to one, but had to kill 2 short 5 on 3's which ate up the clock. A classic Flyers cheap shot with under a minute on the clock left Jaroslav Spacek bloody and gave the Canadiens a late power play, but they could not convert. Funny how so many of the cheap shots in the NHL are delivered by Flyers players. The Flyers "fans" classed it up by booing Spacek as he left the ice with a towel on his head to stop the blood. Glen Metropolit and newcomer Dominic Moore scored for the Canadiens. Carey Price got the call in goal and played well, stopping 30 shots in a losing cause. The Flyers goal was scored after Hartnell pushed Price in the net which allowed Carter to poke in a loose puck. I still have no idea how that wasn't disallowed. Michael Leighton picked up the victory for the Flyers making 23 saves for the Flyers. The Canadiens power play struggled going 0/3, more than likely due to the absence of Andrei Markov who was a scratch with an undisclosed injury. The penalty was great killing all 6 Flyers chances, including the two 5 on 3's noted above. Some other thoughts:

>A late skirmish took place, apparently with Gomez pounding on Timonen. I quickly turned the channel as the horn sounded so I missed it. Should make for a good one tomorrow.

>PK Subban played his first NHL game and lived up to the hype. Picked up an assist and had a few great rushes. Makes the easy play when breaking out of his own zone, which is a breath of fresh air.

>Moore started on a line with Metro and Moen, but ended the night playing with Pleks and Lil Tits. Looked pretty good, he will add some depth up front with all the injuries.

Very tough loss to a team nipping at the Habs heels. Take away the 2nd period, when the Canadiens totally fell asleep, and they might have won this game. Too many giveaways and blown coverages again. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to PK Subban. He was the Canadiens best player tonight, jumping into the play and making things happen. Played just over 18 minutes and was +1 to go along with the assists. Consideration also given to O'Byrne and Price. The rematch tomorrow should be a good one.

Canadiens Add Moore, Call Up the Subbanator

The Montral Canadiens announced today the acquisition of forward Dominic Moore from the Florida Panthers for a 2nd round draft pick in the 2011 entry draft. Moore has 8 goals and 9 assists this season in 48 games. His best season was last year when he split time with the Leafs and Sabres, picking up 13 goals and adding 32 assists in 81 games. He was originally drafted by the Rangers in 2000 and the Canadiens will be his 7th NHL club. Probably the key stat in this transaction is Moore's work on the face off's, with a 55.8% winning percentage. Moore should add some more depth to the 3rd line as he can also play the wing.

I'm not going to lie, right now I'm not a fan of this deal. I don't mind Moore as a player, but giving up a 2nd round pick seems a little steep for a depth player who is a unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. He bring much of the same things Glen Metropolit does...and we already have him on our team. Time will tell I guess, but I don't like the idea of giving up a pick in the first 2 rounds of any draft unless it is for someone a little more significant.

In other news, the Canadiens announced that defenceman PK Subban has been recalled from Hamilton of the AHL. Subban is tearing up the AHL, sitting 3rd among defenceman in scoring with 39 points in 52 games along with a +29 rating. This move was more than likely some insurance in case Josh Gorges is unable to play tomorrow night. To make room on the roster, Ben Maxwell has been returned to the Bulldogs.

They Call Them The Streak Killers-Habs 6, Caps 5 (OT)

Yes folks, that just happened. The Montreal Canadiens blew a 3 goal 3rd period lead, but pulled out a 6-5 victory over the Washington Capitals. The win snapped the Caps 14 game winning streak. Tomas Plekanec was the hero in the extra frame, scoring his 2nd of the night to send everyone home. Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt (with his 1st NHL goal), Glen Metropolit and Max Lapierre had the other Habs goals. Sergei Kostitsyn had a 3 point night, while Scott Gomez and Tom Pyatt each had a pair of points. Carey Price got his first start since Jan. 27, and wasn't real sharp, making 33 saves. Michal Neuvirth and Jose Theodore combined to make 33 saves for the Capitals. After opening up a 5-2 lead heading into the 3rd, the Canadiens gave up one very early, one in the middle of the period, and the tieing goal with just 19 seconds left. The tieing goal came after the Canadiens had a huge penalty kill after Metropolit was whistled for hooking with 2:32 to play. The Canadiens power play went 1/5 on the night, while the penalty kill held the league leading Capitals power play to a single goal in 7 tries. Some other thoughts from an exicting game:

>Pyatt was called up from Hamilton and made the best of his opportunity playing with Gomez and Gionta. Deshanais also picked up an assist after seeing some power play time on the second unit.

>Josh Gorges took a puck off the side of the head after another fearless shot block. He was down for several minutes in a very scary scene. The defence played a man down the rest of the way, which left either O'Byrne or Gill playing the 2nd unit PP.

>Price wasn't real sharp, but you have to remember the guy hadn't played in a while. Made some very key saves, and really didn't let in any real bad goals. The haters will be out to rip on him I'm sure anyway.

A huge win against the top team in the league, who were on a 14 game winning streak. Blowing a 3 goal 3rd period lead, then winning with 8 seconds to go in overtime isn't a textbook way to pick up a win, but 2 points is 2 points. Who would have thought the Canadiens with all of their injuries would defeat the Pens and Caps within a week. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game is a no brainer tonight. Sergei Kostitsyn had 3 nice assists, including a perfect pass on the winner. Was solid in his own zone and on the penalty kill as well. Consideration also given to Gomez and Plekanec. Next action, the first of back to back games against the Flyers Friday and Saturday.

The Gainey Era Comes To An End

The Montreal Canadiens announced today that General Manager Bob Gainey has stepped down and Assistant GM Pierre Gauthier will take over the position. Gainey will stay on as an advisor with the team. It sounds as though the decision was made by BG, but I guess we don't know for sure if he was "pushed out" or not. Gainey took over the Canadiens in 2003 and led them to the playoffs 4 out of 5 years, including finishing first in the Eastern conference in 2007-08. A true legend, Gainey played his entire career for the Habs winning 5 Stanley Cups, 4 Selke trophies and a Conn Smyth. He was captain of the team for 8 years, elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992 and has his jersey retired by the Canadiens in 2008. He won another Cup as GM of the Dallas Stars.

Gauthier has been with the Canadiens since 2003 when he was hired as the director of pro scouting. He moved up to his current post in 2006. Before coming to Montreal, Gauthier also served as GM in Ottawa and Anaheim.

My reaction to this turn of events is sadness. Gainey is a true gentlemen who bleeds blue, blanc, et rouge. His personality, although some would say overly passive, is perfect for the pressure cooker in Montreal. He thinks with his head and avoids knee jerk reactions, refusing to let the fans or media influence him. He is articulate and truly cares about the players, fans and the city of Montreal. He understands what it means to be a Montreal Canadien and what the Canadiens mean to the millions of fans throughout the world.

I hope he has left on his own. It would be a shame if he was forced out by the President or the new ownership. Gainey wasn't perfect in his time with the Habs, I have yet to see a GM that has been. There are moves he made I am sure he regrets, but many others that turned out to be genius. I would have been extremely happy to hear the press conference was announced to notify the public Bob had signed a 5 year extension. But now his time as the GM of the greatest NHL franchise has come to an end. Gauthier has been Gainey's right hand man since 2006, I am certainly willing to give him a shot. I wish Bob all the best in whatever he does and hope he stays on long term as a member of the blue, blanc, et rouge. When I think of class, I think of 2 people...Jean Beliveau and Bob Gainey.

The Breaks Go The Bruins Way-Bruins 3, Habs 0

Some days you get the breaks, some days you don't. The Montreal Canadiens put in a pretty good effort, but came out on the wrong end of the 3-0 game against the Boston Bruins. The shoe was on the other foot today in terms of hot goalies, as Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask had a great game, stopping all 36 shots he faced. Jaroslav Halak played well too, stopping 24 shots. Two of the Bruins three goals went in off Canadiens players sticks and both of those shots were heading wide before being deflected. The second goal was scored with just seconds left in the 1st as a point shot hit a Habs player and deflected right to a Bruin who put it in the empty net. The refs put their whistles away for most of the game, calling only 3 minor penalties and 2 fighting majors. The Canadiens actually had the lone power play in what turned out to be a very disciplined weekend for them. After entering the 2nd frame down by a pair, the Habs dominated the period, outshooting the Bruins 15-3, but came away empty handed. Some other thoughts:

>Despite what the CBC announcers will have you believe, the Habs had plenty of very good scoring chances. Hats off to the Bruins who ended a long losing streak with a solid road game. But let's not act like lady luck didn't secure this one for them. It was just one of those days when the pucks bounced over the Habs sticks around the Bruins net.

>The "Bulldog line" that brought so much energy yesterday couldn't do the same today. After the first Bruins goal went off White's stick and in, Martin gave them limited ice time, with Deshanais leading the three with only 7:39.

>As most Canadiens fans know, the team is playing without 3 of their top 4 goal scorers. It showed today with lots of chances around the net, but a zero on the scoreboard. The Bruins, like the Pens, had pretty much a full lineup.

All in all not a bad weekend. It would have been nice to knock off the Bruins again, but out shooting the opposition 2 games in a row is something the Canadiens haven't done much of all season. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game today goes to Roman Hamrlik. I thought Hammer was solid all game, making smart decisions and playing well defensively. Consideration also given to Spacek and Plekanec. Things don't get any easier, as the Capitals, riding a 14 game winning streak, invade the Bell Centre Wednesday. Here's hoping Ovechkin gets the flu.

Hamilton Canadiens Stun Cup Champs-Habs 5, Pens 3

In what can only be described as a massive upset, the Montreal Canadiens dominated from the opening face off and defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 in front of another sell out crowd at the Bell Centre. Brian Gionta scored a pair of goals, while Mathieu Darche, Scott Gomez and Tomas Plekanec added singles for the winners. Plekanec and Gionta each had 3 point nights, while Gomez had 2 points. The injury bug continued to bite the Habs who played without Benoit Pouliot and MA Bergeron who were both injured in the Bruins game. They joined Mike Cammalleri, Andrei Kostitsyn and Paul Mara in the infirmary. In their place, the Canadiens played a trio of Hamilton Bulldogs, Brock Trotter, David Desharnais and Ryan White on the 4th line, bringing the total number of forwards on the current Canadiens roster that started the year in Hamilton to 6. That 4th line provided a spark everytime they were out there, creating numerous scoring chances along with drawing 4 penalties through hard work. Jaroslav Halak picked up another victory, making 18 saves, a far cry from the 40+ shots he is used to facing. MA Fleury started, but was pulled in the 3rd in favour of Brent Johnson. The Canadiens power play went 1/7, with most of those chances coming late in the 3rd as the Pens totally lost their cool. The PK was perfect in 3 Pens chances. The Pens goalies combined for 27 saves. Some other observations from a fantastic effort:

>The story of the game was the 4th line. These kids were amazing all afternoon bringing a ton of energy to the crowd and the team. Nothing to show for it on the scoresheet, but a huge effort nevertheless. They had me smiling everytime they were out there.

>The defence was very good, minus O'Byrne falling on goal #1 and a couple of giveaways. Hamrlik and Spacek did a good job on the Pens top line.

>The only real bad part of the day was the last Pens goal. The Canadiens had a 5 on 3 and tried desperatly to set up Gionta for the hat trick. They forgot about Malkin jumping out of the box who waltzed in to make it a 2 goal game. I cursed and got yelled at by the wife.

Very nice effort all around. The Pens have pretty much a full lineup, so for the Canadiens to be able to dominate them with so many regulars out speaks volumes about the job Guy Boucher is doing in Hamilton. For once Halak didn't need to make a ton of saves to get the win. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Brian Gionta. Hard to argue with a 2 point night, but Trotter and White both recieved a lot of consideration. Even as I type this a part of me wants to give it to Trotter who drew 3 penalties. But Gionta deserves it too. No rest for the Canadiens as next action is Sunday afternoon against the Bruins.

Quick Strike Offence Leads To Comeback Win-Habs 3- Bruins 2 (SO)

Maybe it wasn't the Canadiens best effort of the year, but in the end they came away with a big 2 points. The Montreal Canadiens scored twice in 39 seconds to overcome a 2 goal deficit and used the shootout to pick up a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Glen Metroploit and Roman Hamrlik scored the Canadiens goals in the 2nd period before Brian Gionta scored the lone goal in the shootout. The Canadiens continued to ride Jaroslav Halak who made 45 saves and another 3 in the shootout to pick up the victory. Tuukka Rask took the loss for the Bruins making 23 saves. The Habs got into penalty trouble early and late, giving the Bruins 3 power plays in the 1st, another with just over 3 minutes to go in the 3rd, followed by yet another in overtime. The penalty kill and Halak held the fort though. The Canadiens went 1/2 with the man advantage and the PK ended the night allowing a single goal in 6 Bruins chances. Of note, the Bruins maintenance crew needed to repair a pane of glass in overtime which led to a delay. The puck dropped and play resumed before anyone noticed that the idiots in maintenance had left a large jagged piece of glass laying on the ice. No danger in that I'm sure. Some other thoughts:

>Jaroslav Spacek returned to the lineup and looked decent other than a dumb penalty in the 1st. The defence as a whole allowed too many quality chances again.

>Darche started the game on the 4th line, but by the end was playing alongside Gomez and Gionta. He had a nice screen on goal #2 as well, great hockey sense.

>Pleks, Pouliot and S. Kostitsyn were the most dangerous line, but the Bruins did a pretty good job (minus 39 seconds) of holding the Canadiens offence in check.

In a race this tight, it is important to pick up wins over those close to you. The Canadiens did just that tonight to keep hold of a playoff spot. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game tonight goes to Andrei Markov. Saved couple of goals and had some quality chances. Halak and Gomez also got consideration. In fact, Halak was probably the reason for the win, but I felt obligated t give Markov some props after he had a few rough games. Pens on Saturday afternoon is the next one.

Take That Skeptics-Habs 3, Canucks 2

It seemed like a mismatch on paper. Throw out the standings, the Montreal Canadiens put an end to the Vancouver Canucks 7 game winning streak with a 3-2 victory at the Bell Centre. Tomas Plekanec, Max Lapierre and Sergei Kostitsyn scored for the Canadiens who got another excellent performance from Jaroslav Halak in net. Halak was brilliant, making 45 saves, including several big ones in the opening few minutes. Pouliot and Kostitysn both had two point nights. The Canadiens opened the scoring in the 1st and had a 2-1 lead after a period. Plekanec scored mid way through the 3rd to make it 3-1, but the Canucks took advantage of a Mathieu Darche 4 minute high sticking penalty to get within a goal. Roberto Luongo got the call for the Canucks and made 25 saves. The Canadiens power play went 0 for 3, while the penalty kill allowed a goal on 4 chances. The Canadiens played their first game without sniper Mike Cammalleri and the third straight without defenceman Jaroslav Spacek. Matt D'Agostini was recalled from Hamilton to take Cammi's spot. Some other thoughts:

>Martin shuffled the lines, playing Pleks with Pouliot and Kostitsyn & Gomez with Gionta and Maxwell. As a group (all 4 lines) the forwards were able to generate a higher than usual amount of sustained pressure in the offensive zone.

>The defence gave up some quality chances, but overall played adequate. O'Byrne continues to shine paired with Markov.

>Despite a bad penalty late, Darche played another decent game. Nothing flashy, but makes smart plays all over the ice.

Another good effort and a big 2 points. The injury to Cammalleri (out for 6-8 weeks) is a serious blow, but maybe everyone can step up their game and put a streak together. God knows most thought the Canadiens were doomed after Markov went down, but they were able to stay close. The Silver Wolf Whiskey Hab of the Game goes to Jaroslav Halak. He was great again and a big part of the win. Sergei Kostitsyn was given consideration, as was Tomas Plekanec. Next action is Thursday against the Bruins.