Bleacher Report - Articles by Dominic Pampalon

Montreal Canadiens: The Good, the Bad, and the Unexpected

Dominic Pampalon — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 09:02:06 -0400

As the regular 2008-2009 season has come to an end for the Habs, it is time to assess who stood out, laid down, and who rose to an unexpected performance.

First, let’s take a look at the team’s performance throughout the season.

The Canadiens started the 2008-2009 campaign with Guy Carbonneau behind the bench. Last season, Carbonneau led his team to first place in the Eastern Conference. The team had ended the regular season atop the entire league on the power play and goals scored, and finished with an impressive 104 points. Not bad considering that many experts had excluded the Habs from a playoff spot!

When the current season started, experts said that Montreal would be the team to beat in the East and that they had a shot at the Stanley cup for the team’s centennial year. It all started pretty well. They won eight out of their first 10 games, and accumulated 19 out of a possible 20 points (one OT loss).

As the season wore off, the team suffered many casualties, something they didn’t see much of last year.

There are probably two or three players who stood out of the crowd. Halak, Lang, Gorges, and Markov are among them. But to choose one, Halak would be a good choice.

Most of the times when Halak got the call to defend the Habs’ net, he simply delivered above expectations. Think about the four straight wins he registered when Carey Price was sidelined. Playing on his head would be an understatement. He did amazing things before he had to step down because he got sick.

I think the worse player out there was without a doubt Tomas Plekanec. Comparing to his record last year, he was simply invisible throughout the entire season. The poor kid is simply trying too hard. His problem is not his skills, (he has many). The problem resides between his two ears: he thinks too much.

Plekanec was bad this season, but another player was even worse. The over sized defenseman, Ryan O’Byrne, should be playing better than that. He’s got size and should bring his physique to the opponent. In the dead season he must go out there and try to find two things: a second and a pivot. He’s always a second too late and has a hard time pivoting when the opposing team dumps the puck on his side.

Robert Lang came as a surprise. Before his injury, he was the top scorer for the team. He has a great vision and jumps to the opportunity when he sees one without hesitation. Unfortunately, Lang suffered a tendon laceration to the heel and has been sidelined since.

Montreal has a good team, it is only a matter of finding the right combinations, and probably one or two additions in order to become a competitive team in the playoffs. The Habs will face the Bruins tonight at the TD Banknorth Arena. Historically, Montreal has the upper hand, winning 24 series out of 31 against Boston. But this year, the Bruins will be a tough cookie to chew on.

This is the playoffs. All counters are reset to zero. Let the best team win.

Montreal Canadiens' Destiny Is in Their Hands

Dominic Pampalon — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 08:14:20 -0400

When the Montreal Canadiens entered the Bell Centre on Tuesday to match-up with the Atlanta Thrashers, they knew a loss would bring them closer to an exclusion for the spring waltz.

But what they did is take their lunch box and go to work.

GM/Coach Bob Gainey formed his first attacking line with Koivu between Kovalev and Tanguay.

This line produced 11 points with Tanguay notching two goals and three assist, his fifth five-points game, while Kovalev put the puck in the net twice and got an assist and Koivu amassed one goal and two assists. At the blue line Markov harvested three assists.

What is most encouraging for the team is that Gainey's troops were able to find the back of the net three times on the power play. We haven't seen this in a while.

Now is the time to build on this victory. With nine games to play, the Habs know they are walking on eggshells. The last stretch of the season is to Montreal's advantage as they will match-up with Tampa Bay tonight and Buffalo Saturday at the Bell Centre.

These two games are crucial and they can't be too relaxed. Tampa Bay is out of the playoffs but Lecavalier and St-Louis always had success against Montreal. Buffalo has always been an enigma and if Ryan Miller isn't playing, they (Montreal) have a good chance to win.

In the upcoming weeks, Montreal (eighth in the Eastern Conference) will play eight out of nine games against teams in its conference. They will face Tampa Bay (14th), Buffalo (10th), Chicago, New York Islanders (15th), Toronto (11th), Ottawa (12th), New York Rangers (seventh), Boston (first), and Pittsburgh (six).

Five of the last nine games will be on their home ice and they will play against five teams under them.

Now is the time focus, play their game and come out of this final stretch with a playoff berth secured.

Guy Carbonneau: The Sprint to the End Has Started

Dominic Pampalon — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 01:41:55 -0500

The Montreal Canadiens entered the Christmas holidays in good spirits. They know the best is yet to come when the second half of the season starts.

"Five points out of a possible six in our last three games, it is not bad at all," said head coach Guy Carbonneau. "Six would have been better."

Carbonneau said that the players will be able to spend some quality time with their families. He told them to clear their heads and recharge their batteries before getting to the midseason at the beginning of 2009.

"I want us to come back with a whole new attitude," said Carbonneau. "Something comparable to what we were last season. We can't really say that we had a bad start, but we know we can do better. Now the sprint has started."

The Canadiens should see the return of Saku Koivu and Andrei Kostitsyn in their next game on Dec. 27 in Pittsburgh.

After playing the last 10 out of 11 games on their home ice at the Bell Temple, the team will compete five out of its next six matchups on the road.

"It will be great to find ourselves together after a long home game stretch," said Carbonneau. "There will be little to no distractions."

Carbonneau wants to see more from his power play and penalty kill units.

"We will concentrate more energy on those aspects. On the penalty kill, we have to be better, especially in crucial moments," said Carbonneau.

Komisarek Sick

On Sunday's game against the Hurricanes, Mike Komisarek wasn't feeling well for the second day in a row. During Saturday's game, he was weakened by a virus, which was why he wasn't on the ice that much in the third period.

"I wasn't feeling good at all," said Komisarek. "I had to go vomit between shifts, between periods and after the game. Now [Sunday] I feel a little better."

As to why the Canadiens struggled so much against Carolina, Komisarek explained that the Canes applied pressure in every zone on the ice.

"They make us work very hard for puck possession and every square inch of ice. We really have to be ready to match their level of intensity," said Komisarek.

Young winger Guillaume Latendresse said the team was lacking emotion on the bench.

"We were drowsy," said Latendresse. "We didn't talk much to each other. The Hurricanes always give us a hard time. We didn't have a good game start. At least, we came out with one point in the standings."

Latendresse spoke about how important it is for the team to show more consistency. "As the coach told us, we haven't played our best hockey yet. We're not in trouble, but it is not the time to take chances."

Montreal Canadiens: No Problem Against Top Teams

Dominic Pampalon — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:47:08 -0500

DETROIT - It's difficult to explain the reasons why the Canadiens' players pay more attention to the coaches' instructions when they are playing NHL top teams. Is it that the team steps up more to the big challenges, or is it that they don't want to look bad?

"I'd like to give you an answer," Roman Hamrlik said with a shrug. "It seems that everyone is doing everything a little better. It was the case tonight (Wednesday). Everyone contributed and we all respected the game plan from first to last minute."

"We went ahead by one then two and we played well defensively. That's the style we have to adopt in every game."

"We got here in Detroit with a bad streak in the past 10 games," Coach Carbonneau said. "The Red Wings have a lot of success with only two losses in regular time before we played them. We played a honest game."

"Lately, I think we thought we were superior when we played less competitive teams and we didn't play the way we should have played."

Carey Price said the team played one of its best games this season offensively and defensively.

"We all put the effort and worked well," said the young goaltender, admitting he also had a great game between the pipes.

Carbonneau had to make changes to his lines when Alex Tanguay had to retreat to the dressing room early in the game. He kept using all four lines.

Lapierre's line continued where it left off by offering, again, a hard-working game. Lapierre notched his second goal in as many games.

"Our line is working to make the opposing defensemen work hard," said Lapierre. "Tonight I took advantage of a favorable bounce. All I wanted to do is to send the puck in front of the net."

Lapierre also highlighted that everybody chipped in for the team's win.

"We had a good roller coaster first 20 games. It was important to begin another 20 on a positive note. It's excellent for the team's confidence."

Chris Higgins only had good words to say about teammate, defenseman Josh Gorges, who continues to shine game after game.

"Josh has really elevated is game a few notches since Komisarek is out with a shoulder injury," observed Higgins. "He came out of nowhere last season, and here he is this season as our most consistent player."

Gorges, who was used for 22:33 minutes, injured his left knee when he blocked a shot at the end of the final frame.

Despite the injury, he remained in action, but had to undergo X-Rays at the Joe Louis Arena, before joining his team mates for the trip to Washington, which is the next game for the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge on Friday.

-DP

Canadiens-Islanders: When Nothing Goes Right

Dominic Pampalon — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:06:26 -0500

As the Montreal Canadiens was sailing towards a 3-2 victory with a little more than four minutes to do in the final frame, the unthinkable happened.

Steve Bégin, Josh Gorges, and Maxime Lapierre had scored for Montreal after New York's Richard Park put the Islanders up 1-0. Trent Hunter scored the second goal for the Islanders.

Montreal was doing a decent job to stay ahead, when Ryan O'Byrne attempted to pass the puck to Carey Price while being pressured by Doug Weight.

The problem with this was that Price was at the bench, since there was a delayed call against New York. O'Byrnes pass resulted in an own goal, and a 3-3 game.

What worries the most is the team's communication. How can O'Byrne not know that there was a penalty against the Islanders? All he had to do is either dump the puck behind the net if he wanted to keep the game going, or simply skate away and let Weight touch the puck for the whistle.

O'Byrne will become a good defenseman—but right now he isn't. Since the begining of the current season, he's made at least one big error per game. He is late on 90 percent of the plays by one second, and it is pathetic to watch him try to pivot when the puck is dumped on his side.

All the teams know O'Byrne's weaknesses—and they exploit them. Every time O'he is on the ice, the dump in is always on his side.

Ryan plays as if he were in Hamilton. Maybe he should be there, but becasuse of his contract, Montreal can only send him into the stands—unless they are willing to lose him on waivers.

Carbonneau cannot play him against Detroit or Washington. These teams have too much speed, and that missing second will kill Montreal. The only thing that can be done here is to scratch him for a few games, play Dandeneault in his place, and call up D'Agostini or Pacioretty.

But it would be unfair to put the blame on O'Byrne only for the loss. There are too many good players doing nothing on this team.

Kovalev insists on performing the same play over and over again, and opposing teams can anticipate his every move. Robert Lang keeps missing open nets. Since his injury, Higgins can't do anything with the puck. Yes, he had a hat trick not too long ago, but he is not consistent.

Another one who is not doing so great since he was injured after a big hit is Andrei Kostitsyn. He probably has one of the hardests shot in the league but he doesn't use it. Ovechkin has over five or six shots per game, because the only way you can score is to shoot the puck on the net. If Andrei Kostitsyn took as many shots as Ovechkin, he would be one of the top scorers on the team.

Why is it that in most games, the team's best lines are the third and fourth? Bégin and Lapierre are constantly in their opponents' face, and they always create turnovers.

Montreal cannot even hope to make the playoffs when the best lines are three and four. Koivu has been playing great—but he always does at the beginning of a season.

Montreal needs to wake up really soon—because if the slide continues, it will become difficult to catch up. Montreal is playing three games in four days. Detroit tomorrow, Washington on Friday, and Buffalo on Saturday. Nothing too encouraging for the Bleu Blanc Rouge.

Montreal Canadiens: A Sense of Urgency

Dominic Pampalon — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:50:34 -0500

Montreal - After a great start to the season, having gone 8-1-1 in their first 10 games, there seem to be a few problems arising in the last six games.

Since November 7th, Montreal has been producing a measly 2-3-1 record. One of the main problems this team has been facing, is it's performance on the powerplay, or lack thereof. During the last two seasons, the Canadiens were ranked first on the powerplay.

Two years ago, it was defenceman Sheldon Souray who made the man advantage such a big success. However, with Souray's departure to the Edmonton Oilers, no one knew how Montreal would do without his impressive shots. But then came along the small, but effective, Mark Streit. Nobody predicted that Streit would eventually fill Souray's skates at the time, but he did!

Montreal was lucky to have a player like Streit, who could be used both defensively and offensively. Last year, the team finished the 2007-08 campaign atop the Eastern Conference. They had the best scoring team, as well as the best powerplay record in the NHL.

Now, Streit has gone to the New York Islanders, leaving the team with a big gaping hole. Thus, the team's powerplay has become one of the worst in the league rather than the best. Coach, Guy Carbonneau really needs to sit down and see what he can do for this team.

The major problem regarding the powerplay, are the players used on the first wave. Look back at last year. Who was used mostly? Carbonneau used Markov, Streit, Kovalev, Plekanec, and Kostitsyn. How many times did we actually see Markov pass the puck to Kovalev for a goal or, at least, for a great scoring opportunity. OK! OK! OK! This year we don't necessarily have Streit, but we still have the four other ones mentioned. The team needs to find the right guy to replace Streit.

There's no doubt that the best player to fill this role right now, is Alex Tanguay. Not necessarily for his shot, 'cause he has a good one, but it's more for his great vision and pass accuracy.

On a further note, Andrei Markov is playing on the wrong side. He should be on the left. I don't see why Carbonneau isn't using his best guys for the entire two minutes. Once you gain the zone, you don't really get tired playing on the powerplay. Everybody knows Kovy can stay on the ice for the entire time.

The team has to step it up and raise their play a notch. Latendresse has scored between 33 to 34 goals since joining the NHL, where most of them were scored within 10 feet of the net. He needs to go back to that stage. Get in traffic and look for rebounds, either passes or deflections. Maxime Lapierre has had a great start this year, but lately he's been a serious minus player. He should continue doing what he started at the beginning of the season: apply pressure and create turnovers.

Price and Halak are great goalies. Probably the best goaltending pair in the NHL. However, they need to give us huge performances when the team is not scoring tons of goals. Price is good, but still very young, and far from maturity. Halak could represent a good trade option for Gainey.

I personally would be very happy if Halak had the chance of becoming another team's N.1 netminder. He definitly has the potential. With Marc Denis doing extremely well in Hamilton, he could easily be Price's backup, and act as a good mentor.

There are many good players on the team, but they really need to step up. The team has great depth, but also have many young guys pushing in Hamilton.

So, what is the solution? A trade? Call ups? I was going to say only Gainey will tell, but we have a better chance if we just let time do all the talking before Bob Gainey does.

-DP

EA Sports Gives a Wink to Montreal Canadiens Legends

Dominic Pampalon — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 15:59:46 -0400

As the NHL authorities denied an outdoors game to the most glorious franchise of the history of the league in its 100th-anniversary season, a video game maker has decided to add a "dream team" consisting of the top 21 players who ever played for the Montreal Canadiens.

Electronic Arts (EA) has renewed the NHL series, and Montreal fans are going to be delighted. Just imagine taking control of "The Rocket" to fill up the opposing net. Or having Dryden use Patrick Roy's butterfly style to keep the puck out.

The 2009 edition of NHL '09 will bring together many of the great Montreal players from different eras, such as Guy "Flower" Lafleur, Bernard “Boom Boom” Geoffrion, Toe Blake, Dickie Moore, Bob Gainey, Yvan Cournoyer, Steve Shutt, Henri Richard, Howie Morenz, and Jacques Lemaire—as well as defensemen Emile “Butch” Bouchard, Jacques Laperriere, and Doug Harvey.

This dream team will be available in all game modes and will be featured in the Centennial Tournament.

In the Centennial Tournament, players will have to go through an eight-team bracket to earn the chance to lace up their skates against these legends of hockey.

EA has given a glimpse of the past to the younger generations, so they can see a piece of this great franchise's history.

I welcome this not only as a great feature, but more importantly as a backhander across the NHL's face—especially to half-man Bettman who is now half of a half-man.

Congratulations to EA—and THANK YOU!

Please see http://www.easports.com/nhl09/ for more details on the game.

I will buy this game for sure since I have joined an online league. There are many online leagues ou there. If you want to know how it works, see http://crashthenet.ca/community/. Come on in and enjoy the greatest sport on earth: HOCKEY!

Montreal Canadiens Have a Good Mix of Players

Dominic Pampalon — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 05:35:04 -0400

While everybody is waiting for Mats Sundin to say something meaningful, the Habs have little to worry about.

Bob Gainey did some great work in the offseason when he signed Alex Tanguay and big Georges Larque. Guy Carbonneau will have the opportunity to mix and match his lines using what I call a “top of the crop” roster.

Let’s speculate and see the combination Carbonneau could use:

Line 1: Kostitsyn – Plekanec – Kovalev
Line 2: Higgins – Koivu – Tanguay
Line 3: Latendresse – Lapierre – S. Kostitsyn
Line 4: Chipchura – Bégin – Laraque

Defense 1: Markov - Hamrlik
Defense 2: Komisarek - Bouillon
Defense 3: Gorges – O’Byrne (or Dandenault or Brisebois)

Goalie 1: Price
Goalie 2: Halak

Aside from the first two lines, Carbo can mix and match his lines any way he wants. What I like most is that if the Habs play a team with players like Avery or O’Neil who intimidate the top two lines, Carbonneau can insert Laraque along side Kovy or Koivu if things should get out of hand.

Last year, Price did a great job between the pipes and was a key factor to the team’s success. After being eliminated by Philadelphia, Price was shaken up.

I think it was a natural reaction for him. After winning everything in the minors, a gold medal in a world tournament, and the Calder Cup, this kid is not used to losing. He will bounce back in the upcoming season and, once again, lead this team to the playoffs.

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Jaroslav Halak leave the franchise. Halak is an excellent goaltender—too good to be a backup. So during the season, fans will see Halak transferred to another team and Denis will come in as Price's back-up.

Now just imagine Mats Sundin in the mix—that would probably complicate things for Guy Carbonneau in setting up his lines. The only spot he could take is Lapierre’s on the third line, but would Sundin accept that? Not sure.

Mats Sundin or Robert Lang: Who Is the Answer for the Montreal Canadiens?

Dominic Pampalon — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 05:32:11 -0400

With Mats Sundin still in limbo and unable to come up with a decision as to whether he'll play next season or not, Montreal Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey must move on to plan J. Or is it plan K? Or maybe in this case plan L would be appropriate. Plan L as in Plan Lang; Blackhawk Robert Lang.

In comparison, both guys are similar in size. Lang is 6'3" and 220 pounds, while Sundin weighs in at 6'5" and 225 pounds. Skill-wise, there is less of a comparison. Any GM would rather land Sundin than Lang. Age is not a factor since they are just a few months apart.

If Sundin decides to simply retire or sign with another team, Lang could do the job in Montreal.

The Habs need a big center. Lang recorded 21 goals and 54 points in 76 games last season. He has a plus-9 differential and only 50 penalty minutes. Lang could bring lots of experience to the team.

Of course, Sundin had a better record last year with 32 goals and 78 points in 74 games. But can he be as good next season if he comes back?

I would have no problem with getting Lang in Montreal if the Habs can't get Sundin. I think Gainey will get him through a transaction, so the $4 million spent on Lang would probably be absorbed in part by the Montreal player traded, which would leave some cap space for another good player.

I wouldn't want to be in Bob Gainey's shoes right now. We all know that if Gainey fails to land Sundin and trades a prospect for Lang, Montreal fans will want to crucify him.

Good luck Bob!

NHL: 2008-2009 Schedule Posted

Dominic Pampalon — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:06:18 -0400

Find it here:

http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app?service=page&page=SubseasonSchedule

NHL - Mats Sundin to Come to a Decision in the Next 72 hours?

Dominic Pampalon — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:37:27 -0400

Rumors are that Mats Sundin could be on the verge of coming out of the basement and reveal his next destination.

It looks like it would be a two team dilemma for the swede—most likely between remaining a Leaf or pack his bags to Pierre-Elliot Trudeau Airport.

Not that the Canucks and the Rangers are out of the picture, but this rumor leans more towards the Leafs or the Habs.

This rumor makes total sense.

1- Mats love to play (and live) in Canada—that would rule out the blue shirts.

2- He is getting old and, although the Canucks is a Canadian team, we all know the amount of traveling involved in the west. If he wants to play for more than one year, he would probably run out of gas as the season comes close to the end.

He could remain a Leaf, but I doubt he'd have a chance to win the well-deserved cup to wrap up his career. The Leafs are in full blown reconstruction, and I think Sundin's mentoring years are over.

His best shot at winning the cup is to sign with Montreal. The team's reconstruction is pretty much over. Last year, Gainey's team were sitting on top of the eastern conference, had the best offense, and the most devastating power play in the league.

Can you just imagine adding Sundin to the current roster?

We'll see what he says!

The Price is Right

Dominic Pampalon — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:52:57 -0400

After an amazing 2007-08 season, and leading the Montreal Canadiens to the top spot in the eastern conference, will Carey Price shake off his down fall in his first NHL post season?

It was said that Carey was quite shaken up after his team was eliminated against the Flyers. We can all understand why he was depressed - the kid is a winner. Lets take a quick look at his road map prior to move up to the big team:

2006-2007 - WHL West First All-Star Team
2006-2007- Del Wilson Trophy (WHL Top Goaltender)
2006-2007 - CHL Goaltender of the year
2007- Jack A. Butterfield Trophy (AHL Playoffs MVP)
2007 - Calder Cup (with the Hamilton Bulldogs)
2007 (October) - Molson Cup
2008 (March) - NHL Rookie of the Month
2007-2008 - NHL All-Rookie Team

Last year, with the Canadiens, Price played 41 games, posted 24 wins, 12 losses, and 3 overtime losses, with a 2.56 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. Not bad for his rookie year.

After last season, Price had said that he wasn't 100% physically and mentally during the 2nd playoff round against the Flyers. He needed to go away for awhile to rest. So, he turned off his cell and went back home (British Columbia) to go fishing.

Without a shred of a doubt, Price will be back next season bigger and stronger. Bob Gainey signed Marc Denis earlier this month, which is good news for Price.

Of course Halak also signed, but it is quite obvious that Halak has no intention to be second goalie - he is too good to be second. Halak will probably be dealt in the course of the 2008-09 season and Denis will be called up.

Denis is an experienced veteran of 9 season in the NHL. He was a first round draft pick by the Colorado Avalanche in 1995. He didn't play his first NHL game with Colorado until the 1998-99 season.

He was eventually dealt to Columbus, where he spent five years before he was traded to Tampa Bay.

Last year Denis had his share of trouble posting a record of 1-5-0 with a 4.05 GAA and a .859 SV% in 10 games with the Lightning.

Once Denis joins the big club to backup Price, he will act as a great mentor to the youngster. Denis' experience is "priceless" to help Carey get better, and he WILL be better. In fact, he'll be dominant. It wouldn't be surprising to see Price win the Vézina Trophy this year.

Habs' fans are not to be worried. Last year the team finished first in the east, had the best offense, and the best powerplay. And did that without guys like Tanguay and Laraque.

There's no doubt the Canadiens will clinch a playoff spot with ease next season, thanks to Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau.

Montreal Canadiens: Getting Taller and Heavier

Dominic Pampalon — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 04:11:13 -0400

Montreal - The Montreal Canadiens added another heavy weight to its roster.

GM Bob Gainey knows what next season is all about. The greatest franchise in NHL history is celebrating its 100th anniversary in 2009.

Everything done by Gainey since the trade deadline on February 26th 2008 is obviously towards going all the way next year.

After acquiring Laraque, who is 6'3" 243 lbs., Gainey signed defenseman Shawn Belle from the Minnesota Wild. At 6'2" and 232 lbs, the whole team got a few inches taller and a few pounds heavier. That's good news for the team and Habs' addicts.

Belle, 23, played in the AHL in the past three seasons. He played nine games for the Wild during the 2006-07 season, scoring an assist (0-1-1).

The Edmonton native was drafted first round, 30th overall by the St. Louis Blues in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft. His rights were traded to Dallas for Jason Bacashihua in 2004. The Wild acquired him in 2006 with Martin Skoula, in return for Willie Mitchell and a second round pick in 2007.

He played alongside Carey Price with the Tri-City Americans in the WHL from 2003 to 2005. He won the gold medal with Team Canada at the 2005 World Junior Championships.

Shawn Belle was traded for Corey Locke.

Next season will be quite interesting for the fans. The new editions to the Habs will be taller and heavier. With pocket-size "paster" Bouillon, Komisarek, rising O'Byrne, and with the addition of Belle, Carbonneau will be in business at the blue line.

I don't recall the last time we had such a well balanced team in every position, but I know for sure that the opposition will certainly not be able to rattle the Hab's cage the way they did in previous years.

Montreal Canadiens: Bob Gainey to Activate Plan B?

Dominic Pampalon — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 07:44:43 -0400

In a previous article, I raised the possibility of Bob Gainey signing Brendan Shanahan. I might have overlooked a player who, for some reason, just disappeared from the rumor chart after July 1.

This rumor was quite alive in Montreal during the last season—and especially in the last few days before the trade deadline.

Many people wonder "what if Gainey is unable to land Sundin?" There is about $8 million of cap space for Montreal to offer to the caught-in-limbo Swede. There would be no problem for the Montreal GM to make any needed moves, or send guys to the AHL, to free up the missing $2 million needed to match Vancouver's offer.

But should Mats Sundin decide to go elsewhere, what then?

Well, it is obvious that there is a plan in place. It appears it would have something to do with the often-rumored Patrick Marleau. Naturally, Marleau would have to waive his NTC—but it rumors are that he may seriously consider Montreal as his next destination should the deal details be right for him.

Another contingency may be Anaheim defense-man Mathieu Schneider. Markov is a great D, but Mark Streit is in Long Island—and no one can score the way he scored form the point on the power play.

Will the Canadiens be as strong as last year on the power play without Streit? We can argue that until the next coming of Jesus. Montreal fans were worried when Souray left for Edmonton, but it turned out that the only reason why we remember Sheldon is because Hamrlik wears his number.

Bringing Schneider might just put a placebo on the void left by Streit departure. Schneider is an aging player—and the main question is if he will be able to take the pressure on and off the ice.

NHL: Habs Ask Plekanec to Give up His Number in an Attempt to Lure Shanahan

Dominic Pampalon — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 07:50:00 -0400

Montreal - Two years ago, Bob Gainey tried to sign Brendan Shanahan. No effort was spared to unroll the red carpet for him. But all efforts were vain when Shanahan took a ticket to New York (Rangers).

Can Gainey give Shanahan a second chance to play for the greatest franchise in NHL history? Since July 1st, the New York Rangers winger is an unrestricted free agent. Now, he is two years older and the need of a player like him will obviously bring the Canadiens team to the next level.

This year, Montreal started to show the surface of their potential. The playoff loss to the Flyers showed a team lacking in tenacity and grit but on a positive note, young players gained valuable experience for the next seasons. Brendan Shanahan should bring all that to the Canadiens.

We all know that Shanahan is aging and will turn forty next season, but in many ways, adding Shanahan to the Canadiens roster can only be beneficial to the organization.

Gainey could easily offer Shanahan a 1-year contract with a 1-year option at a base salary of 2.5M$ (salary he earned with the Rangers last season) with performance bonuses. Once signed, place Shanahan next to Koivu and Higgins. That would give two solid front lines for the team.

Brendan could bring so much leadership size and toughness, things the Montreal Canadiens was lacking in the passed couple of years. One of the major aspects of the game, which Montreal showed weakness, was to send a player to pay the price in front of the opposing net.

Shanahan demonstrated many times that he is not afraid to get into traffic. He would also bring his well-known power play abilities and can easily notch 25-30 goals per season.

He could also act as a great mentor for the rising young players.
Shanahan has absolutely NOTHING to lose in signing in Montreal. Centennial year, the signing of Tanguay and Laraque, the team being a major Stanley cup contender, and everybody know that he loves Montreal. I think Brendan should seriously think about it.

If Mats Sundin can just come out and tell everyone if he will return to the game next season so Gainey can move on to plan B: Brendan Shanahan!
DP

Georges Laraque Signs with Bob Gainey and the Montreal Canadiens

Dominic Pampalon — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:38:49 -0400

Montreal - GM Bob Gainey landed UFA right winger Georges Laraque from Pittsburgh. Gainey signed Laraque to a three year deal evaluated to $1.5M per season with a partial no trade clause.

The coming of tough guy Laraque will bring some much needed weight to the team. This is good news for the team. Players will be able to play with some more ease knowing that Laraque will be there to calm down little trouble makers such as Chris Neil, Sean Avery, or Darcy Tucker.

Yes, Laraque is big and can bring some "discipline" on the ice, but he can also play hockey.

Carbonneau will, without a doubt, be thrilled by this great move from his boss. Although Carbonneau always said that he didn't need tough guys to win, and he proved it, we all know he will welcome big Georges with open arms.

This is in preparation to the 2009 playoff run.

Let the season begin NOW!

Montreal Canadiens: Where Should They Go from Here?

Dominic Pampalon — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:54:09 -0400

As the gap between the Montreal Canadiens and Mats Sundin widens by the hour, there are not many options available to help GM Bob Gainey land the ideal big center to complete the 2008-2009 team's edition.

I don't think hopes are totally gone. But considering the offer made by Vancouver of $20 million for two years and, most of all, the fact that Sundin himself doesn't even know if he wants to return to action for the upcoming season, I think Montreal needs to have a back-up plan.

If Montreal fails to sign him, they will be in for a challenge. The pool of available good players (center) has thinned out since Hossa turned his back on the Pens (who offered him a multi-year contract at over $7 million per year) to join the Detroit Red Wings for a $7.4 million in a one-year contract.

From the pool of available good players we find:

RW—Teemu Selanne: It was reported that Koivu was trying to romance Selanne to join Montreal.

C—Peter Forsberg: Somewhat too fragile.

C—Joe Sakic: Will retire in Colorado.

C—Bryan Smolinski: Wasn't a consistent player last season, but still managed to score a few important goals.

C—Josef Vasicek: Big player.

RW—Georges Laraque: Oh yes...HUGE player who can somehow play hockey.

LW—Markus Naslund: Risky?

If I were in Gainey's shoes, I would probably keep the team the way it is (unless Sundin decides to head to Montreal). I would try to go get the missing link through a transaction during the season.

I truly believe Sundin should seriously consider coming to Montreal. Let's just look at his situation and the best-case scenario.

Mats' Situation

He played for the two teams that were and still are the greatest rivals to the Habs (Maple Leafs and Nordiques). In his 18 year career, he never won the Stanley Cup. Last season at the trade deadline, Toronto wanted to trade him, but Mats refused to waive his no trade clause.

Best-Case Scenario

Sundin signs with Montreal for two years at $7 million a piece. This season the team does as well as last season and ends in first or second in the East.

Then going into the playoffs, the team's chemistry is just great and Montreal reaches the Stanley Cup Finals. Imagine the frenzy in Montreal. Imagine Montreal winning the Stanley Cup on its centennial year. Wouldn't Sundin be happy to finally win the cup and be part of the greatest team's history?

Come on, Mats! You still have at least two years of good hockey in you! Just look at Chris Chelios. Come to Montreal and you will not regret it. I am positive about that.

Montreal Canadiens: Do You Speak French?

Dominic Pampalon — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:27:08 -0400

MONTREAL - I am blessed to speak both English and French, and every day I listen to our local sports channel on AM 730 in French.

Every now and then (too often), I hear the redundant subject of discussion about the fact that the Montreal Canadiens don't have enough Quebec native players.

Every time I hear this, I feel heat on my ears, my heart rate skyrockets to 200 beats per minute, and I feel like screaming...I don't know why...NOT!

I'll tell you why I feel that way. Yes, Quebec produces great hockey players. Just look at Mario Lemieux, Martin Brodeur, Daniel Brière to name just a few. But here, in Montreal, the mass population would like to have 20 Quebec native players on the team and this, even if it means to get the second-best player available.

Gainey tried to bring Daniel Brière in Montreal, but Brière decided to go play in Philadelphia. Plain and simple, French Canadian players already playing for other teams DO NOT WANT to play in Montreal. Why? Fans (or so-called fans) are completely out of their minds. Here are two examples.

The first is defenseman Patrice Brisebois, who started his career in Montreal and played for many years. Like any other players in any teams, he had some difficulties in few games but overall was a good defenseman.

Montreal Canadiens "Fans" were always on his back and eventually booed him out of Montreal. Everybody were saying "good riddance!" Last year, Patrice returned to Montreal and guess what? He had a standing ovation when he was introduced at the first game at the Bell Centre.

The second example is right wing Alex Kovalev. Last year, Alex had some problems producing points. Everybody wanted him crucified and traded. At the end of the 2006-2007 season, I was listening to the radio and 99.999 percent of callers to a radio show were saying "The team has to get rid of Kovalev."

This year, Kovalev was the team's top scorer and played amazing all year. Guess what? 99.999 percent of callers said the Kovalev is untouchable.

It looks like these so-called "fans" are suffering from bipolarity.

I was listening to that same show this morning and everybody were saying that the Canadiens HAVE to draft Quebec native players.

I haven't missed many Habs games this year, and I saw Latendresse and Lapierre play. Frankly, I wasn't impressed.

Latendresse skates with a grand piano on his back and a fridge tied to his skates. Lapierre works hard but plays like a headless chicken. To be honest, I would rather have Teemu Selanne than these two guys.

This has been a major problem for the team for many years now. How many times have I heard complaints about the fact that Koivu doesn't speak French, or that there are not enough "Quebecois" on the team?

The fans says a coach MUST speak French to be behind the bench. A politician even tried to get involved.

I understand that people want to preserve their language and heritage, but they also need to face reality.

Hockey is a business. The Montreal Canadiens Hockey Club is owned by an American, the business language is ENGLISH but more importantly, language has NOTHING to do with the performance of a player or a coach.

As long as the organisation will keep bend over to satisfy these "fans" and make sure they have a minimum of French Canadian players, make sure that the coach speaks French, even if it means to get 2nd best for that reason, the Montreal Canadiens will only come close to going all the way.

Montreal Canadiens: The 'No Problem' Problem

Dominic Pampalon — Wed, 07 May 2008 08:24:46 -0400

MONTREAL - Saying that the Montreal Canadiens have no problems between the pipes would be a lie. Of course, Halak and Price are very good goalies, but there's nothing like having a good, older veteran goalie to act as a mentor and, at the same time, be able to take the net when needed.

There's no doubt that Carey Price is THE goaltender for the Habs. Yes he has been one of the key elements to bring the team to the playoffs and go through the first round against Boston. But, in the series vs Philadelphia, it was clear the kid ran out of gas. It is not criticism but rather an observation. And it was good for him.

Carey Price now knows that NHL playoffs is a full flight of stairs higher than the AHL. The intensity, emotion and speed skyrockets when you step into the NHL. But all that happened to him from the day Crisotbal Huet was traded up to the last game he played was all great experience.

Should the Canadiens look to sign a good 35-36 years old veteran to backup Price? Can we get such element in a trade involving Halak? Should we keep Halak? This is a happy problem but at the same time a mind wrecking problem.

Signing a free agent?

If (Bob) Gainey signs a free agent goalie, what do we do with Halak? There's no way Halak will accept to return to Hamilton. He will most likely ask to be traded or, worse case, go play in the European league.

Trade Halak?

What could the Canadiens get for Halak alone? Nothing much I think. So if this is the option Halak will have to be traded along with another prospect or a high draft pick or a combination of both.

Keep him?

This would be a dangerous option. Halak will be 23, and Price 21 when the 2008-2009 season will start. This would probably be the youngest goalie duo in the NHL.

Bottom line

One of the two current goalies have to leave. I will bet a twonie that Price is not going anywhere. So the only option for Bob Gainey is to trade Halak with another prospect and/or a high draft pick. Who could we get?

These are my choice (in no particular order):

Olaf Kolzig (Washington)
Curtis Joseph (Calgary)
Chris Osgood (Detroit)

Montreal Canadiens: Take a Look at the Finished Masterpiece!

Dominic Pampalon — Wed, 07 May 2008 03:40:08 -0400

Many Habs fans are quick to point fingers at what went wrong in the playoffs... But what happened to what went right to bring that team in the post-season waltz?

If you order a painting, chances are, you will wait for it to be completely finished to make a judgement. It is easy to criticize the finished product but you have to appreciate the effort that was invested to get to the job done.

At the beginning of the 2007-2008 season, "experts" predicted the Canadiens to be out of the playoffs and not even close to the eighth spot. Well, "experts" have been fooled! Montreal finished champion of not only their division but took the eastern conference title.

The awakening of players like Kovalev, Streit and Plekanec along with the blossoming of the young Kostitsyn brothers not to mention energy line's Bégin, Kostopoulos and Smolinski, were all the right colors used by coach Carbonneau to paint this edition of the Montreal Canadiens masterpiece.

Reaping 104 points in the regular season, most goals scored in the league with 257, combined with the most devastating power play (90 goals) this team has fooled not only the "experts" but also fooled themselves. I don't think, when the season started last October, this team thought they would end it 1st where it counts.

They've done it... and it was a job well done.

The 2nd round playoffs' elimination by the Flyers is just part of the learning process. You have to learn to lose before you learn to win. They just did that in the series against Philadelphia.

Now it is time for GM Bob Gainey and coach Guy Carbonneau to work on a new canvas and perfect their painting skills and most importantly, find some new color mixes to get the perfect masterpiece that would put Leonardo DaVinci to shame and make the Mona Lisa look like a dollar-shop item.

Summer of all summers

This summer will be a busy one for Gainey. We can all say that the team needs a playoff player who will not be afraid to get his hands dirty. The team needs at least 2 excellent forward and needs to buff-up the blue line.

As for the energy lines the players in place right now can easily do the job. Montreal cannot touch Bégin or Kostopoulos. Lapierre is sitting on the fence but he would be a great asset.

Guillaume Latendresse is an enigma. He skates as if he's pulling a grand piano. If he wants to compete in this league, he'll need to take some power skating lessons this summer.

The good news is that the Habs have good young players pushing from the AHL. Carle, D'Agostini, Coté, Ferland and Valentenko to name just a few are rookies that could make the team for the next season.

I give a 9/10 for the overall result of the 2007-2008 season.

Alex Kovalev: I Am Confident for the Future

Dominic Pampalon — Tue, 06 May 2008 05:34:55 -0400

MONTREAL - Alex Kovalev is determined more than ever to win the stanley cup as a Montreal Canadien. Nobody can argue that Kovalev was Montreal's best player in the 2007-2008 season. Alex believes that the team is capable to de even better next season after concluding this season atop of the Eastern Conference.

"I can't wait for next year, says the Russian forward before leaving the Bell Centre, Monday. It wasn't the last year. There was all sorts of negative things. I even lost all enthusiasm when the team was excluded of the series last year."

"This year, the team progressed constantly, he added. We can only look ahead. We can become contenders to the Stanley cup and even win it."

Kovalev, 35, recall that young players have acquired experience during the season as well as in the post-season series. He also notes that the team possesses a good offense, scoring the most goals in the entire league, not to mention the best power play.

"All we need to do now is to be more solid defensively, he says. We need to display more regularity at the blue line. That's what we lacked in the series against Philadelphia."

"We'll also remember what we did good during the season. We will then start the new season the same way we played the last. If it's the case, we'll have no problem."

"To me, we have no reason to look back, he continued. All we can do is get better and create our own success. This team has everything it needs to be successful. I even hope all the players will be back."

A Dream Season

Kovalev has been the best through the season. He tallied 35 goals and 84 points to conclude the season 11th in the points column. He has a team high plus-18. Despite this excellent production, Kovy thinks he can do even better. Maybe we will see a sequel to his DVD.

"I try not have have negative thoughts. Personally, I can do better. I will take two or three weeks to rest and train hard during the summer."

Kovalev didn't play with the same energy during the series.

"Young guys responded well, he noted. But when things don't go your way, you sometimes try to do too much. That's probably what happened to me."

In 12 games in the playoffs, Kovalev scored five goals and amassed 11 points. But he shows a minus-4.

"The series against Boston was a tough one. The Bruins forced us to play their game. We ended up winning the series in the seventh game. But it is never easy to come back to your game afterwards, he explained."

During an interview, Kovalev was asked about his relation with captain Saku Koivu. According to a Montreal news paper, the room has become too small for both of them.

"It is another rumor, he laughed. Whoever said that is trying to ignite a fire. I don't know why."

Niet!

Kovalev was hoping to represent his country at the world championship in Quebec City. But the Russian hockey authorities decided otherwise.

"Somebody sent me a text message before the playoffs. Some leaders think that I am not fast enough. I think I will have to work on my skating during the summer, he said ironically."

"I would have liked to be part of it. I am sure many Habs' fans would have drive down to Quebec. It was a great occasion for me. I am obviously disappointed. On the other hand, it will give me more time to get ready for the next season.

NHL Playoffs: Montreal Canadiens' Fall Was To Be Expected

Dominic Pampalon — Sun, 04 May 2008 05:51:42 -0400

If any of you Montreal Canadiens fans expected your favorite team to go all the way, I think you were asking for a little bit too much.

Remember, the experts didn't even think Montreal would earn a playoff spot. Not only did the Habs win the division, but they also became the regular-season Eastern Conference champs. Everybody must recognize and appreciate what coach Carbonneau accomplished with this young team.

Jack Adams for Carbonneau should be the icing on the cake for him. Many people I spoke with feel that if anybody deserves it, Carbonneau does.

Class! We have witnessed of one of the greatest show of affection by Habs' fans toward their beloved "Sainte-Flanelle." No one left the arena before they could show their team, with a standing ovation, that they will support them for next year's centennial anniversary and the return of Lord Stanley's Cup to Montreal.

One thing is for sure, it is going to be a very busy summer for GM Bob Gainey. He will look to sign at least two big names in order to achieve his 2008-2009 goal: Bring home the big bowl.

Stay tunes for season and playoff analysis.

Can Habs Repeat 2004?

Dominic Pampalon — Fri, 02 May 2008 05:04:59 -0400

After suffering a third loss in a row in Philadelphia, the Habs are back home trailing the series 1-3. Carbonneau's men will work hard to avoid early vacations on Saturday at the Bell Centre.

The good news is that Montreal did not lose more than three games in a row in the regular season.

The challenge is enormous for the team, but it is far from being impossible. On 20 occasions, we've seen teams come from a 1-3 deficit to win a series. It happened five times since the year 2000. The last team to accomplish such thing was in 2004, and Montreal was that team to eliminate Boston in seven.

"There are teams that were successful in winning a series after trailing 1-3, says Guillaume Latendresse. We have played better than them (Philadelphia) in the last three games. We remain positive and we all know we can win this series."

Eight actual Habs' players were among that 2004 group when the team eliminated the Boston Bruins in seven games. Captain Saku Koivu knows better than anybody else that coming back is not impossible.

"All we need to do is continue to do what we do well, says Koivu. We dominated our rivals in all four games but they won three."

Habs' players enjoyed a day off yesterday to recharge batteries and spend some time with family.

"The important thing is to be mentally ready," added Koivu.

"The most important thing, is to forget what just happened to us. We are coming back home and we're getting ready for Saturday," Mike Komisarek said.

There are some similarities between this series and the series against Boston in 2004. Montreal was up against the magic of Boston's goaltender Andrew Raycroft who was almost perfect in the first four games, to concede only seven goals. Then the Habs exploded with 12 goals in the following three games to send Boston on the golf course.

Will history repeat itself? Or will we just have to rewind the tape?