Bleacher Report - Articles by Rocket All Habs

Maple Leafs-Canadiens: Festive Atmosphere Snuffed Out by Toronto

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 22:34:00 -0500

"Canada's team" has a country full of disappointed fans.

Tuesday night marked the beginning of the centennial week celebrations, creating a noticeable buzz in the air. In addition, there was the presence of not only the Stanley Cup in the building but also the Grey Cup and members of the Montreal Alouettes, the CFL championship team. Last but not least, with the ink barely dry on the sale agreement, the Canadiens' new team owners, the Molson brothers, were in attendance with an eye on their prized acquisition.

In the midst of all this positive energy, the Canadiens decided to offer up one of their weakest efforts of the season. Was it the worst game this year? It was not as bad as the Nashville game, but it was close. And given the excitement in the Bell Centre, the mood of the faithful had further to fall.

The Canadiens actually out-shot the Maple Leafs 8-to-1 in the first eight minutes of the game. Who wouldn't be buoyed by the spontaneous pregame chant of the CFL champions? "Go Habs Go! Go Habs Go!" was led by the Alouettes.

An early hit and the building erupted as Ryan O'Byrne levelled Mikhail Grabovski. Then Toronto's Wayne Primeau took a boarding penalty for a hit from behind on Ryan White, and the Canadiens had the man advantage and a chance to further unnerve the shaky Leafs.

But when the anemic Habs' power play couldn't score on the worst penalty killers in the league, the tide started to turn. Two and a half minutes later, tough guy Colton Orr was left all alone to knock in a rebound after Carey Price's initial save on Tomas Kaberle. Josh Gorges was caught well out of position.

As the period progressed, the Canadiens stopped skating, weren't winning battles for the puck, and had trouble connecting on passes.

In the midst of a line change, Kyle Chipchura turned the puck over to Phil Kessel. Kessel fed Jeff Finger, who's point shot found the net with Matt Stajan screening in front. The Canadiens were guilty of a sloppy line change, a giveaway by Chipchura, Marc-Andre Bergeron off for a skate in the corner, and a goal that Carey Price would like to have back.

Price was solid after that including stopping 14 shots by the Leafs in the second period. But there would be no comeback on this night. The team that never quits, quit.

As Ryan O'Byrne said, "We got behind and we never answered the bell."

It was a total team failure with some notable standouts. Bergeron was credited with six giveaways. How does Chipchura have less than two minutes of icetime and be minus two? Glen Metropolit had one of his worst games of the year.

Let's give credit to Jaroslav Spacek, Paul Mara and Roman Hamrlik who combined for 12 blocked shots and to White with six hits. Scott Gomez played well for his first game back from injury.

Jacques Martin summed it up this way, "Tonight, we had trouble finding one guy who was playing to his potential."

Does that include the coach?

So far, Jacques Martin has mostly escaped scrutiny. But it's fair to demand accountability from the coach too, especially in those areas that he can have an impact. The following team components are coachable:

Power play: The Canadiens are tied for the fewest power-play goals in the league. They continue to struggle and look disorganized.
Faceoffs: Looking at the four centers, only Gomez was better than 50 percent at 63 percent. Tomas Plekanec was 46 percent, Max Lapierre was 33 percent and Metropolit did not win a faceoff all night.
Preparation: The Canadiens have been forced to play come back in most games. They have been outscored 20-to-13 in the first period this season.

Toronto won their first game against a divisional opponent this season. The Maple Leafs shutout the Habs, their first since October 19, 2003. The score in that game was 1-0.

The Canadiens continue to play to the level of their opposition. Tonight, that was not a good thing.

The Canadiens head to Buffalo for a game on Thursday and return for the centennial game on Friday night vs Boston.

Game notes

Jay Leach was claimed off waivers by the San Jose Sharks.

Joey McDonald replaced Jonas Gustavsson in the Leafs goal at the beginning of the second period. Gustavsson had an elevated heart rate and was taken to hospital for precautionary reasons. He will remain in a Montreal hospital overnight.

Rocket's three stars

1. Tomas Kaberle
2. Phil Kessel
3. Mat Stajan

(photo credit: Getty images)

Jaroslav Halak Can Empathize with Tomas Vokoun

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:57:00 -0500

The hockey world was abuzz today with reaction to Keith Ballard's stick swinging incident that caught Panther goaltender Tomas Vokoun in the head.

While most said that they had never seen anything like it in hockey, there is one member of the Montreal Canadiens who has first hand experience.

Last Spring, Jaroslav Halak didn't have a very good world championship tournament playing for Slovakia. Halak gave up several weak goals against Canada and was pulled. Halak ended the tournament with a 1-3 record, 3.17 GAA and .871 SV percentage.

But the ultimate insult came in a game against the Czech Republic after the Slovaks gave up their eighth goal in an 8-0 loss. Halak was struck in the head by his frustrated defenseman Tomas Surovy.

Leafs-Canadiens: Gameday Notes (No. 27)

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 12:55:00 -0500

Pre-Game Notes

Scott Gomez and Matt D'Agostini return to the lineup tonight after being out with injuries.

Hall Gill skated today and should be back later this week.

Tomas Plekanec has two goals and eight points in his last six games.

Phil Kessel has eight goals in 13 games with Toronto.

Carey Price makes his ninth consecutive start in goal.

Jonas Gustavsson makes his Bell Centre debut.

Game time is 7:30 pm. EST. at the Bell Centre.

Expected Canadiens Lineup

Plekanec, Cammalleri, Sergei Kostitsyn
Gomez, Moen, Pacioretty
Metropolit, Chipchura, D'Agostini
Lapierre, White, Pyatt

Hamrlik, Spacek
Mara, Bergeron
Gorges, O'Byrne

Carey Price starts in goal for the Canadiens; Jonas Gustavsson for the Leafs.

scratches: Wyman, Leach, Andrei Kostitsyn (foot), Pouliot (wrist), Laraque (suspended), Gionta (foot), Gill (leg), Markov (ankle)

NHL: Vote for Your Favourite Habs Blog

Rocket All Habs — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 04:46:00 -0500

We have received an email that All Habs is competing with other Canadiens' blogs to determine the most "Habs' related" blog.

If so inclined, we would love to have your support.

The link to vote and comment can be found here!

An email from theNHLarena.com :

First we wish to determine which is the most Habs' related blog (which will
then be declared the official Habs' Blog of The NHL Arena and be given a
dedicated banner in our Habs' subforum sidebar), and then the winner will go
head to head with blogs featuring other teams in your Division, Conference and
ultimately be given the chance to be the best NHL team related blog of all.

I don't know if you would like to alert your readers and give them a chance to
vote for you, or not. But in any event, I thought you might like to know that
your blog is in the running.

LeaferSutherland
Commissioner of theNHLarena.com

Capitals-Canadiens: Let's Dig Deeper to Break Down a Turning Point

Rocket All Habs — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:47:00 -0500

Photos are a very important component of the game review articles. I take great care in selecting ones that I think will help tell the story. Let's take a look at the photo that heads this article and the game situation when it was taken. I believe it depicts a turning point in the game.

It was the third period of Saturday night's game. The Canadiens had come back after being down 2-0 to score three unanswered goals. There were 15.5 seconds left on the clock.

Paul Mara had just taken a minor penalty for hi-sticking. With Semyon Varlamov pulled for the extra attacker, the Capitals had a six-on-four advantage. Washington head coach Bruce Boudreau called a timeout.

The photo shows coach Boudreau huddling with his team during the aforementioned timeout. Courtesy of some good camera work, those watching the TV broadcast were treated to a preview of the play that Boudreau diagrammed.

Boudreau sketched the following play on his whiteboard. The Capitals' best faceoff man, David Steckel, was charged with the responsibility of winning the draw back to Tomas Fleischmann. Fleischmann would pass it rink-wide to Alexander Ovechkin, who would blast it from the point. Eric Fehr and Brooks Laich would head for the front of the net.

None of the players said a word.

The camera then peeked in on the Montreal bench during the timeout. Head coach Jacques Martin was looking nervous behind the Canadiens bench. Martin fixed his tie, fidgeted with his watch, and looked up at the scoreboard.

Martin was leaving the scheme to defend against the six-on-four to assistant coach Kirk Muller. As Muller finished, there was some obvious confusion from Josh Gorges who spoke and gestured.

The timeout expired and the teams lined up for the faceoff.

Tomas Plekanec tied up the stick of Steckel on the faceoff, but Steckel kicked it back to Fleischmann. Fleischmann sent a quick pass cross ice to Ovechkin who fired a one-timer from the top of the face-off circle. Carey Price came across the crease to make a nice save but Fehr was there to put in the rebound, tying the game 3-3 with 11.4 seconds left.

It was good execution by the Capitals of a superior play design.

The Canadiens seemed less sure of their coverage. On the faceoff, Gorges seemed to take the wrong man. He should have been covering Fehr. Travis Moen eye-checked Fehr which slowed Moen in getting out to cover Ovechkin. Moen dived but was too late to block Ovechkin's shot.

When Ovechkin's shot was taken, Gorges was near Plekanec in the faceoff circle covering no one, with Fehr all alone in front of Price. When Price made the save, neither Hamrlik or Gorges could get across to cover Fehr who scored on the rebound.

It is a credit to the Canadiens that they were able to come back in this game and take a point from the Capitals. It is unexpected that the Habs' injury-depleted lineup was able to gain three of four points in their two recent games against Washington.

But looking at a detailed analysis of a game-changing play, one sees just how close they came to a second straight win over the Capitals.

Whether it was a poor play design or a mistake in execution, the Canadiens should not be satisfied.

Did Gorges know his role? Was Muller's faceoff setup appropriate for a six-on-four? Why wasn't Jaroslav Spacek on the ice paired with Hamrlik? Spacek's previous shift had ended at 1:46, which would have given him plenty of time to be rested including the timeout by Washington.

Let's hope the questions will be asked and answered by all involved over the next few days.

Think of this article as a companion piece to Saturday's game review .

(photo credit: Getty)

Capitals-Canadiens: Habs Pick up Another Point vs. Caps

Rocket All Habs — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 23:27:00 -0500

Montreal 3, Washington 4 SO (Bell Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

The Canadiens suffered a loss tonight, bringing their season record to 12-12-2. But is it possible that the dark cloud of despair hanging over Montreal fans is starting to lift?

After being down, 2-0, the Canadiens came back to go ahead of the Washington Capitals, and came within 11 seconds of defeating one of the elite teams in the Eastern conference.

The Habs took three of four points from Washington in their two games this season.

And is there not a silver lining in all the injury-riddled lineup? Let's be clear. The Canadiens are a better team with a healthy Andrei Markov, Andrei Kostitsyn, Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta.

However, if the Canadiens don't have a rash of injuries...

Do we really get to see the warrior-like effort by Jaroslav Spacek and Roman Hamrlik?
Can we truly appreciate the versatility of Glen Metropolit and Travis Moen?
Are we treated to the solid, give-everything-on-every-shift play by Ryan White and Tom Pyatt?

All are goood experience building situations that will bode well for the team when the injured Habs return to the lineup.

While I wish coach Martin could prepare the team well enough for a good start, one really has to admire this team, who refuses to give up.

And in the absence of a captain, we must acknowledge the leadership of their 22-year-old goaltender, who keeps the Canadiens in every game until they can get on track.

Tonight was no exception. With 1:41 gone in the second period, it was Carey Price who, with his team down 2-0, stopped Alexander Ovechkin on a breakaway. Cue the comeback!

Four minutes later, Jaroslav Spacek scored a powerplay goal with Max Pacioretty screening at the top of the crease.

Similarly, Price made a spectacular save on Jay Beagle (pictured above) at 10:35 of the second period. Bell Centre fans chanted CA-REY, CA-REY!

Three minutes later, Sergei Kostitsyn tipped a Roman Hamrlik point shot. Tomas Plekanec corralled the rebound and backhanded it past Varlamov.

Moen was the other two-goal scorer for the Canadiens. Pacioretty and Kostitsyn had strong games for the Habs.

On defense, it was another solid game for Spacek, as he defended Ovechkin. In addition to his goal and an assist, Spacek blocked six shots. Hamrlik blocked five shots to add to his two assists.

Hamrlik logged more than 25 minutes but was surpassed tonight by both Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri. Cammalleri led the Canadiens with five shots.

The large ice-time totals resulted from coach Martin shortening his bench. Jay Leach played 1:11. James Wyman played 2:50. Kyle Chipchura had only 5:09 ice-time with, curiously, 1:19 coming on the power-play.

While Ovechkin had a goal, an assist and eight shots, he was not credited with any hits, which is rare, given his style of play.

Canadiens now prepare for their first December game against the Leafs on Tuesday.

Rocket's three stars

1. Carey Price
2. Eric Fehr
3. Jaroslav Spacek

Special mentions: Ovechkin, Hamrlik, Moen

Washington Capitals-Montreal Canadiens: Game Day Notes (No. 25)

Rocket All Habs — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 15:38:00 -0500

Mike Cammalleri and Josh Gorges scuffled during practice on Friday. Both described it as a non-event.

Andrei Markov skated briefly this week and suggested that he may be back earlier than expected from his injury.

Jaroslav Spacek will be back in the lineup and wearing custom Kevlar skate protectors.

Carey Price will make his eighth straight start in goal.

Jacques Martin will go with seven defenseman, with Jay Leach getting some playing time as a forward on the fourth line.

Both teams have allowed 71 goals, but the Capitals have scored 26 more goals than the Canadiens.

Game time is 7:00 pm. EST. at the Bell Centre.

Expected Canadiens lineup

Plekanec, Cammalleri, Sergei Kostitsyn
Metropolit, Moen, Pacioretty
Lapierre, White, Pyatt
Chipchura, Wyman, Leach

Hamrlik, Spacek
Mara, Bergeron
Gorges, O'Byrne

Carey Price starts in goal for the Canadiens; Simeon Varlamov for the Capitals.

Scratches: Andrei Kostitsyn (foot), Gomez (groin), Pouliot (wrist), Laraque (suspended), Gionta (foot), D'Agostini (knee), Gill (leg), Markov (ankle)

Canadiens-Penguins: Pens Stifle Undermanned Habs

Rocket All Habs — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:38:00 -0500

Posted by Rocket All Habs .

Montreal 1, Pittsburgh 3 (Mellon Arena)

Tonight, the defending Stanley Cup champions were too much for the Calder Cup contenders.

The members of the Canadiens injury-depleted lineup, playing in their second game in as many nights, could not compete with Pittsburgh, one of the league's elite teams. The Penguins now lead the NHL with 17 wins.

While the Pens have their own injury concerns, the Canadiens still had to face the likes of Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Jordan Staal, and Sergei Gonchar.

The Habs injury list continued to grow with Andrei Kostitsyn being sidelined with a foot injury after blocking a shot near the conclusion of the Columbus game on Tuesday.

The Canadiens stayed with the Penguins in the first period. Shots on goal were eight-to-eight. Hits were 19-to-11 for the Pens. Sidney Crosby opened the scoring by firing a perfect shot into the net's top corner while using Paul Mara as a screen.

Pittsburgh took control of the game in the second period. The Pens took 16 shots to the Canadiens' seven, and a slow whistle allowed Bill Guerin to dislodge the puck from between Carey Price's pads and into the net.

Later in the period, Crosby spotted Gonchar gliding all alone in the slot and sent in a perfect backhand pass. Gonchar finished, and the Penguins led 3-0, as JT Wyman looked lost on the play for Montreal.

One must wonder why coach Jacques Martin would have Wyman, David Desharnais, Marc-Andre Bergeron, and Jay Leach out against Crosby, Staal, and Gonchar anyway.

The Canadiens did have scoring chances.

Facing an open side of the net, Michael Cammalleri simply missed the puck as it rebounded off Marc-Andre Fleury's pads from a shot off the stick of Tomas Plekanec. Max Pacioretty put a shot past Fleury, but rang it off the crossbar. Ryan O'Byrne had a short-handed chance from the slot after a rush behind the net by Plekanec, but Fleury made a good glove save.

The Canadiens tried to mount another third period comeback. Pacioretty scored on a nice setup from Sergei Kostitsyn, but fatigue and facing a superior opponent meant that it wasn't happening Wednesday night.

With back-to-back games and punishing hitting by Pittsburgh, the Canadiens just looked tired. It was an admirable effort by Pacioretty, Kostitsyn, Paul Mara, and Ryan White.

Wyman and Desharnais, each called up in the last few days from the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs, looked out of place at times. One wonders if Brock Trotter and Mike Glumac might have been better options.

It was another 30-shot game for Carey Price. While he wasn't otherworldly, he made some big saves with Penguins left alone on his doorstep all night.

Pacioretty was injured as a result of a blindside hit from Michael Rupp with seven minutes remaining and did not return to the game. While he was a little dizzy, Pacioretty expects to be available for the game on Saturday.

Rocket's Three Stars

1. Sidney Crosby
2. Sergei Gonchar
3. Max Pacioretty

Special mentions: Paul Mara, Ryan White

Blue Jackets-Canadiens: Carey Price Holds 'til Habs Mount Third Period Comeback

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:45:00 -0500

Montreal 5 Columbus 3 (Bell Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

It's odd when the game ends after the third period. Seems that we have become programmed to expect overtime and shootouts this season.

Tonight's analysis is relatively straightforward. In a game that was played rather loose by both sides, one team got superb goaltending and the other did not.

Carey Price made 25 saves in the first two periods (33 saves overall), many of the spectacular variety, while the Canadiens struggled to get on track. Even though Montreal scored first, it was a potent Columbus power-play that turned the game in favor of the Blue Jackets.

"The first half of the game our timing wasn't there and we lacked intensity," said coach Jacques Martin. "Our goalie allowed us to stay in the game."

Surprisingly, it was a power play by the Canadiens late in the second period, maybe their best of the season, that triggered the comeback. Funny thing is, the Habs didn't score during the power play. But they controlled the Columbus zone for the full two minutes, built some confidence, and wore down the Blue Jackets.

If you glanced at the pre-game notes, you would have observed that the Canadiens had eight regulars out of the lineup tonight. Even PA announcer Michel Lacroix was a scratch.

For the first two periods, the lack of bona fide NHL'ers showed. Jaroslav Spacek was particularly missed. The Habs did not have a consistent answer for Rick Nash.

Josh Gorges led the defense corps with more than 22 minutes of icetime. Roman Hamrlik, Ryan O'Byrne, Paul Mara, and Marc-Andre Bergeron all hovered around 20 minutes. Bergeron had eight shots and two goals.

The newly formed line of Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, and Mike Cammalleri were a combined plus-five and totalled a goal and three assists.

Max Pacioretty had one of his better games with two assists. With limited icetime, Sergei Kostitsyn had a strong game.

Maxim Lapierre seemed to like playing with his new linemates. Lapierre was flying to keep up with speedsters Ryan White and Tom Pyatt. Lapierre scored the insurance goal.

"When I look at some of the young guys, they bring energy, they're excited," said coach Martin. "Kids like Pyatt and White are our second unit on penalty killing and Sergei is a smart player who I felt made some contributions."

While Glen Metropolit scored his first goal of the season, it was not one of his better defensive games (which is probably the first time I wrote that this year).

It wasn't a good night for the men in stripes, Ian Walsh and Justin St. Pierre. Missed calls and phantom calls were the order of the evening. Nash's headshot on Travis Moen was probably the most blatant example.

Canadiens and their fans can thank Carey Price for this win. There was no time to celebrate this victory as the Habs were on their way to Pittsburgh soon after the game. Montreal faces the Penguins on Wednesday night.

Rocket's three stars:

1. Carey Price
2. Rick Nash
3. Marc-Andre Bergeron

Special mentions: Tomas Plekanec, Max Pacioretty

(photo credit: Getty)

What Will the Montreal Media Do Without Their Poster Boy, Guillaume Latendresse?

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:18:00 -0500

posted by Rocket
All Habs

There is no denying that Guillaume Latendresse has enjoyed an extraordinary amount of media attention well in excess of what a player with his skills and his numbers would normally deserve.

So, who is this player who received so much ink and broadcast time? Is he really one of the greats in Canadiens history? Are the rest of us just not seeing it?

Latendresse has 48 goals and 37 assists for 85 points in 232 NHL games. Latendresse is one behind Charlie Sands and one ahead of Bert Corbeau on the Canadiens' all-time point list.

Who?

Sands was a diminutive center who wore No. 9 for the Habs from 1939-1943. Sands was the last player to wear the number before Rocket Richard arrived in 1943. Sands was born in Fort William, Ontario and was a solid two-way player—sorry, those words would never be used to describe Latendresse. Sands' 86 points were scored in just 159 games.

Corbeau was a defenseman from Penetaguishene, Ontario who tallied 84 points in 167 games for the Canadiens from 1914-1922. Again, a player who achieved similar points in far fewer games than Latendresse.

Corbeau is described as a player "who made effective use of his size." Are you listening, Gui? Corbeau's career ended when he was sent to the Hamilton Tigers in 1922. Perhaps Latendresse's career could have been extended with the Canadiens if he had been sent to Hamilton for a year or two.

So, was Latendresse really the special player with unique talents that RDS and others would have us believe? No disrespect to Sands and Corbeau, but they aren't exactly household names among the Canadiens' faithful.

Chuck Lefley is a name some may remember. A superstar? No. But even Lefley had 20 more points in far fewer games: 174.

If the question was asked, which Canadiens player selected No. 1 overall was the biggest bust in the NHL, who would that be? Universally, the answer is the late Doug Wickenheiser. Wickenheiser was selected first in the 1980 NHL amateur draft.

Even the much-maligned Wickenheiser had better numbers than Latendresse: 115 points in 202 games and a plus-minus rating of 46. For his career, Latendresse is a minus 22.

The player that RDS would like to compare Latendresse to is Andrei Kostitsyn. Skills-wise, it should be obvious that these two players are in different worlds, perhaps different universes. They are also different categories of players.

Kostitsyn is a pure offensive threat. He has the best shot on the team, employs his speed, and isn't afraid to go to the front of the net or get involved in heavy traffic. None of those qualities are found in Latendresse's game.

When making the comparison, certain media conveniently exclude other factors. While Kostitsyn has had to work his way through the normal hoops of the organization, including time in Hamilton, opportunities were simply handed to Latendresse.

Even this year, Kostitsyn has been publicly and loudly dressed down by the head coach in practise. The worst Jacques Martin ever said about Latendresse was an indirect comment about him not being "willing to go to war." Latendresse was not even identified by name.

While Latendresse has enjoyed a daily ego boost from the French media, Kostitsyn had to endure vicious and unwarranted attacks. Some media even went so far as to manufacture stories about him and his brother last season. They talked about a scandal so serious that it would shake the foundations of the organization to an unrecoverable point. As we now know, the rumours were false.

For Latendresse, the praise was overzealous. In Kostitsyn's case, some of the coverage has been cruel.

Let's be frank. Latendresse was a power forward in stature only. He refused to go to the front of the net and did not make effective use of his size. He was slow and was not defensively responsible.

Latendresse certainly had a desire to be on the top line, but when given opportunities, he did nothing to show that he belonged. Gui lacks hockey sense and doesn't play well without the puck. He often looked lost with linemates who did not play his very simple north-south game.

In addition, Latendresse did nothing to earn a spot on the top line. His poor work ethic and negative attitude meant he was not willing to improve his slow foot speed or his level of physical conditioning. Despite ongoing requests from team management, Latendresse participated in only a token amount of power skating instruction.

One wonders if Latendresse's replacement, Benoit Pouliot, is prepared for the media attention that is waiting for him.

After learning of the trade, Pouliot said, "I do not come very far from Montreal. In my corner, when you're young, you look at the Canadiens games. My family and friends should be happy for me right now. I have never been traded in my career. It's going to be new, exciting."

The French media has not wasted any time in attacking Pouliot even before his plane has landed in the city.

Already, we have heard comments from Norman Flynn, who said, "Until now, [Pouliot] is a bigger flop than Latendresse. If the transaction is not working for the Canadiens, it will be easier to get rid of Pouliot than Latendresse."

Flynn is assuming that Pouliot will be a failure in Montreal and is looking ahead to the day he is dealt again.

Gaston Therrien said, "Personally, I do not think Benoit Pouliot is the ideal player for the Canadiens."

Perhaps that should be an indication of how little value there was for Latendresse outside the studios of RDS.

Other media comments were blunter. "We lost one and didn't gain one." "Pouliot is not a real Quebecker. He's from the other side of the border."

At least this is giving us insight into the myopic and insular view of some media. Doug Harvey, born in Montreal, couldn't even meet their narrow definition. Now we know that players of Francophone origin born just across the Ontario-Quebec divide don't count in their eyes.

Latendresse will not face a media onslaught when he arrives in Minnesota. He will not be falsely praised on every broadcast. He is about to get a very rude awakening. The name on the back of his sweater is not a golden scepter making him untouchable like it was in Montreal.

Latendresse will have to work hard and earn his ice time. Will Gui answer the wake-up call, put in the effort, and turn his career around like a Mike Ribeiro? Or will he fade away, never reaching his potential, like a Gilbert Dionne?

Time will tell—and if Gui becomes a star, RDS will be there to tell us that a mistake was made.

For Montreal Canadiens' Latendresse: The Fairy Tale has Ended

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:11:00 -0500

posted by Rocket
All Habs

It was the fall of 2008, and the Montreal Canadiens' training camp was all abuzz about the pre-season performance of a young power forward. He seemed to have all the tools: a unique blend of size, power, speed, and intensity.

"He's been a nice surprise since the beginning of camp in the sense that he's adapted to every position and to every role we've assigned him," said coach Guy Carbonneau.

This player was smart, gritty, initiated contact, and had a terrific shot.

“He really understands the game, too. Sure he makes mistakes, but that’s normal at his age. We will definitely have a tough decision to make,” concluded Carbonneau.

The coach was speaking about Max Pacioretty. The 19 year old Pacioretty was bringing an element to the Canadiens line-up that had not been seen for some time.

It was truly an 'Emperor-has-no-clothes' moment.

You see, we had been told that we already had a power forward, Guillaume Latendresse. It must be true because Gui had told us himself. It had been confirmed by some in the media. Why else would they keep mentioning his name, and rolling his highlights? And, what about all those fans who would chant his name just for stepping on the ice?

But this Pacioretty kid was different. It was obvious to many, including the coach and general manager. The rookie attending his first pro camp was challenging an established player for a spot in the lineup...and winning, hands down.

Even Latendresse seemed to sense it. When asked by a reporter about starting the season with the Bulldogs, Gui scoffed at the suggestion, curtly responding that it couldn't happen to a third year player.

Latendresse's response was very interesting. He didn't talk about his skills, his performance, or his desire. Instead, he surmised that he was entitled to stay in Montreal due to his tenure.

Carbonneau and Bob Gainey decided to send Pacioretty to Hamilton. But the decision had more to do with concern for Pacioretty's long-term development.

Most knew that Latendresse had not earned the right to stay with the Canadiens. For Gui, the decision probably only served to confirm his view that he didn't need to win the competition. He was entitled to the roster spot.

Today, November 23, 2009, Bob Gainey put an end to Latendresse's illusion of his entitlement.

Following the trade announcement, we witnessed a scene reminiscent of a spoiled child after HIS toy has been taken away. Latendresse was bitter, and before departing took the opportunity to lash out at the organization that had given him opportunities without the demands and restrictions they placed on others.

Latendresse claimed that he wasn't given a chance this season, and the reason was personal. The coach didn't like him. Gui said, "I knew it was coming, I was not a favorite of Jacques Martin. I understood it for a long time. For me it was easy to see."

But that is certainly contrary to the fact that coach Martin gave Latendresse every opportunity to shine. He was far more patient with Gui than with some of his other players.

But this isn't the first time Latendresse has complained about a coach. Last year, Gui said that the coach hadn't made it clear what he wanted from him. "I really don't know what more (coach Guy Carbonneau) wants. It came as a surprise, I really didn't understand 100 percent. He may be expecting me to bring more to the offense. I must just carry on and try, despite my lack of confidence," said Latendresse.

Yes, when one has an entitlement, they feel that they don't have to be accountable or bear any responsibility.

Throughout the pre-season, Latendresse received plenty of first line ice-time. But Gui looked out of place and had trouble keeping up. Nevertheless, for the first 16 games of the season, Latendresse averaged 13 minutes of icetime per game. On most nights, he was on the first wave of the power play getting a chance to line up with the Canadiens' best players.

But didn't Gui infer that the coach didn't like him? Didn't he say that he hadn't been give a chance?

The truth is that even though there was little or no production from Latendresse, the coach had been very generous with his icetime.

However, all that changed on November 7th. In a game against Tampa Bay, Martin benched Latendresse and Maxim Lapierre. Martin explained, "I went with people that I felt were ready to go to war." Clearly, Latendresse was not one of them.

Martin's patience had been exhausted. During a stretch of seven games, Latendresse's icetime was cut to eight minutes per game. Gui seemed to respond with indifference.

When the coach announced to Latendresse that he would be spending a game watching from the press box, Gui decided that a team rule to be at the arena an hour before game didn't apply to him. He was sound asleep in his hotel room.

How would Latendresse be punished? Sergei Kostistyn was late for a bus and was sent to Hamilton for 20+ games. How would coach Martin deal with a player who broke a rule and intended to sleep while his teammates played a game?,

As we know, Latendresse was rushed into service at the last minute to replace an ailing Brian Gionta. No consequences.

Again, Gui's claim of being victimized by the coach doesn't seem to hold up.

Instead, we see evidence of a player who had alienated himself from the rest of his teammates and his coach by his performance and his attitude. As Latendresse said himself today, "My mind was already elsewhere."

Latendresse was given an opportunity that few ever get and he took it for granted. He was blessed with size. His fans adored him. Many in the media were prepared to trade their credibility to become his cheerleaders. Yet, Gui wasn't willing to do his part and provide the necessary effort.

While Latendresse is quick to point fingers, it may be time to be responsible and do some objective self-reflection. As in the Hans Christian Andersen book, by looking in the mirror, Latendresse could discover that the pretense of him as a first line power forward in the NHL, is quite unrealistic and empty.

For further reading: Latendresse as a Power Forward: Myth or Potential (Nov. 27, 2008)

Hurricanes-Canadiens: Carey Price, Andrei Kostitsyn Bail Out Weak Habs' Effort

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:37:00 -0500

Montreal 3 Carolina 2 (Bell Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

Wow! Andrei Kostitsyn scored with just over two minutes left in the third period to tie the game. In overtime Carey Price was brilliant as Carolina outshot Montreal 7-to-1. Price shut down each of the six Hurricanes' shooters making some spectacular saves in the shootout. Maxim Lapierre scored the lone shootout goal for the win.

Bell Centre fans left happy and the Canadiens had two points, their first win at home in November.

But, wait a minute. Prior to the shootout, overtime, and last three minutes of the third period, this game was a dud. Other than for a handful of players, it was a lackluster effort by the Canadiens.

Let's not forget that Carolina came into the game last in points and goals scored in the conference and without a win on the road. It should also be noted that the Canes were without Cam Ward, Eric Staal, and Joni Pitkanen.

One more not-so-minor detail. Carolina's starting goaltender, Michael Leighton was injured in the second period while stretching making a glove save. He was replaced by Manny Legace who was winless in four starts. The Habs weak offense proceeded to make Legace look like a star. In fact, it was the first time in 13 games that the opposition had scored fewer than three goals against the Hurricanes.

The Habs were outhit 24-14 and outplayed for the majority of the game. Only the heroics of Carey Price game them a chance to win. There was a standing ovation for Price at the end of overtime. Chants of CA-REY,CA-REY filled the Bell Centre to start the shootout.

Coach Jacques Martin was more modest in praising his goaltender, "Carey played a good game but is still a work in progress. He has lots of things to improve and work on."

Besides Price, Kostitsyn had one of his better games of the year. In addition to scoring the tying goal, he was physical, created scoring chances, and was good on the forecheck and backcheck. Kostitsyn didn't appear on the scoresheet for Habs first goal but he made the play by going to the net, taking the defense and providing a screen. Andrei even won a draw in his own end against the vaunted face-off man, Rod Brind'Amour.

Tomas Plekanec had two assists and continues to be the Canadiens most consistent forward. Max Pacioretty played with Plekanec and Kostitsyn and scored his first goal in the last 12 games. The second line was the Canadiens best of the game.

None of the other Habs were deserving of positive mention for this game. It would be a reach to credit Jay Leach for his steady play or to recognize that Guillaume Latendresse awoke from his season-long snooze to deliver four hits.

The Canadiens fourth line struggled in the game and was limited in ice time. Being caught in the offensive zone created an an odd man rush for Carolina. Josh Gorges couldn't catch Brandon Sutter and the Hurricanes had their first goal.

Due to the depleted defense corps Jaroslav Spacek is playing more than he should. Spacek also seems to be nursing an injury. A stretch pass from Spacek in the second period was intercepted creating a 3-on-2 for the Carolina and their second goal.

Canadiens will have to raise their level of play with Washington and Detroit on the schedule this Friday and Saturday.

Rocket's three stars

1. Carey Price
2. Andrei Kostitsyn
3. Tomas Plekanec
3. Brandon Sutter
3. Matt Cullen

(photo credit: Getty)

Hurricanes vs Canadiens: Game No. 20 Pre-Game Notes

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:03:00 -0500

Pre-game notes

Brian Gionta will not play for the second straight game with an undisclosed lower body injury. Gionta took a Mike Cammalleri shot off his foot a few games ago. Gionta is the Canadiens leading goal scorer with eight.

Canadiens are 0-3-0 at the Bell Centre in November.

Hurricanes are 7-0-1 in Montreal since the lockout.

Carolina recently ended a 14-game losing streak, the longest in franchise history. Hurricanes are winless on the road this season.

Tom Kostopoulos will face his former teammates for the first time.

Fourteen Hurricanes players' fathers will be in attendance.

21 scouts from 15 NHL teams will attend the game. Scouts are taking a break from the QMJHL All-Stars vs Team Russia games.

Game time is 7:30 p.m. EST. at the Bell Centre.

Expected Canadiens lineup

Gomez, Metropolit, Cammalleri
Plekanec, Pacioretty, Andrei Kostitsyn
Lapierre, Moen, Latendresse
White, Stewart, Pyatt

Hamrlik, Spacek
Mara, Gorges
Bergeron, Leach

Carey Price starts in goal for the Canadiens; Michael Leighton for the Hurricanes.

Scratches: Carle, Chipchura, Stewart, Gionta (lower body), D'Agostini (concussion), Laraque (upper body), Gill (leg), Markov (ankle), O'Byrne (knee)

Canadiens-Predators: Habs Waste Record-Tying Performance by Carey Price

Rocket All Habs — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:49:00 -0500

Montreal 0, Nashville 2 (Sommet Arena)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

Canadiens coach Jacques Martin may have been hired for his language skills but not because he is a good quote. On his goaltender's effort, Martin was master of the obvious, "He performed well, there is no doubt."

Martin was describing Carey Price's 53-save performance that tied a Canadiens franchise record first set by Wayne Thomas in March 1974 vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins. Price was brilliant with numerous highlight reel saves.

Price turned away the Predators, who were on a shot per minute pace for the first two periods.

Granted, tonight's game was not in the same class as Team Canada's 47-0 win over Denmark at the 1949 World Hockey Championships in Stockholm.

Yet, shot totals of 24-to-4 after one period, and 42-to-10 after two are indicative of the lopsided level of play.

Pekka Rinne commented on the lack of Habs' shots saying, "I should have brought my iPod." Indeed. Or perhaps he could have been live tweeting from the crease. Hmm.

With Price making save after save, the Canadiens found themselves only one goal down for most of the game. Steve Sullivan scored his second goal of the game on a 5-on-3 power play with just over seven minutes left in the game.

As coach Martin said, "It's unfortunate that his (Price) teammates didn't take advantage of a performance like that."

Predators coach Barry Trotz chalked it up to a solid game plan. "You break down teams' defense when you put it on net. They are scrambling for pucks, they are reaching, and we are being firm in their offensive zone."

But let's not confuse Nashville with a contender. Coming into tonight's game, the Predators were tied for last in the league in goals with 37.

While the Predators can be credited for their offensive pressure, the Canadiens didn't even look like they were trying. Besides Price, Tomas Plekanec and Jay Leach are the only two players who deserve a positive mention.

Guillaume Latendresse was supposed to spend tonight's game in the press box but got the equivalent of a last-minute call from the governor when Brian Gionta couldn't play.

So what did Latendresse do with the reprieve? It was another uninspired effort leaving the coach no option but to limit his ice-time to just under eight minutes.

Similarly, Max Lapierre was given the opportunity to start on the first line to fill the spot of Gionta. Lapierre was not up to the task and promptly found himself on the fourth line.

Travis Moen and Tom Pyatt were the recipients of extra minutes. Even Ryan White got a turn on the no. 1 line. Andrei Kostitsyn was invisible.

Jaroslav Spacek, still suffering the effects of his leg injury, was not himself. Marc-Andre Bergeron was, which meant two egregious giveaways in the first 10 minutes of the game.

Roman Hamrlik continues to log huge minutes but that is no excuse that both he and Spacek gave up on the play that led to the first Nashville goal. Sullivan was left alone to pot his own rebound after Price made the initial save. It was downhill from there.

Injuries aside, the talent level on the Canadiens is not as poor as this team looked tonight. Perhaps after the 20-game mark, it's time for the coach to find a way to get the best out of his players.

Rocket's three stars

1. Carey Price
2. Steve Sullivan
3. Shea Weber

Montreal Canadiens vs Nashville Predators: Game No. 20 Pre-Game Notes

Rocket All Habs — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:01:00 -0500

Pre-game notes

Guillaume Latendresse will be a healthy scratch tonight. Finally, Jacques Martin's patience has been exhausted. Kyle Chipchura will take his place.

Jaroslav Spacek has a leg bruise and will be a game-time decision.

Carey Price will use the tribute mask to his country music idols Garth Brooks and George Strait for the game in Nashville.

Canadiens are 7-2-1-1 lifetime against the Predators.

Habs are looking for their first three-road-game win streak.

Francis Bouillon will face his former teammates for the first time.

Game time is 8 p.m. EST. at the Sommet Center.

Expected Canadiens lineup

Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri
Plekanec, Pyatt, Andrei Kostitsyn
Metropolit, Moen, Pacioretty
Lapierre, White, Chipchura

Hamrlik, Spacek (GTD)
Mara, Gorges
Bergeron, Leach

Carey Price starts in goal for the Canadiens; Pekka Rinne for the Predators.

Scratches: Carle, Latendresse, Stewart, D'Agostini (concussion), Laraque (upper body), Gill (leg), Markov (ankle), O'Byrne (knee)

Montreal Canadiens-Phoenix Coyotes: Special Teams are Truly Special

Rocket All Habs — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:57:00 -0500

Montreal 4 Phoenix 2 (Jobing.com Arena)

It was a good night for the Canadiens' special teams. The Habs scored two power play goals, on two opportunities, and a four-on-four goal. Their final goal was scored into an empty Phoenix net.

Canadiens' penalty killers were perfect on four power play chances by the Coyotes. The Canadiens had several short-handed scoring chances, most notably by Scott Gomez and Tomas Plekanec.

The driving force behind the power-play and penalty killing unit is Plekanec. No Habs' forward plays more minutes on the two units than Plekanec. He tallied three assists to become the Canadiens' leader scorer for the season with 17 points.

Plekanec's consistent, high-level effort is deserving of the number one center spot, in my opinion. The Canadiens would be far more effective icing a first line with Plekanec, Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri. Gomez could be matched with Andrei and, dare I say, Sergei Kostitsyn, on the second line.

Cammalleri had a goal and an assist on a team-leading four shots. Gionta also had two points with an assist and an empty net goal. Glenn Metropolit was the other Habs' scorer on the power play.

Marc-Andre ended his eight game scoring slump. While Bergeron continued to struggle in his own zone tonight, he contributed a goal and two assists.

As has been written on these pages before, strong special teams' play can compensate for a number of team shortcomings. Tonight, it helped some overlook a weak first period in which the Habs had three shots on goal. By the end of the second, that number had only climbed to ten shots.

"There are two factors in determining a game: special teams and goaltending," said coach Jacques Martin. "Both of them tonight were key factors."

Carey Price faced only 20 Phoenix shots but had a solid game when called upon. Luck was not on Price's side for the two goals by the Coyotes. Price was accidentally stabbed in the throat by Paul Mara's stick, knocking him into the net. With Price out of the way, former Hab Robert Lang scored into the open side.

Phoenix's second goal was directed in off the skate of Paul Bissonnette.

On defense, Jaroslav Spacek left the game in the second period with an unspecified injury and did not return. His load was picked up by Mara, Roman Hamrlik, and Josh Gorges.

The announced attendance was 10,064, the fourth-highest total in nine home games this season. Arizona-based media report that the fans in the arena numbered approximately 6,500, with a significant portion donning red Habs gear.

Chants of "Ole Ole" were heard throughout the night, with fans singing the traditional "Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye" near the end of game with the Canadiens ahead.

Rocket's three stars

1. Tomas Plekanec
2. Mike Cammalleri
3. Adrian Aucoin

(photo credit: Getty)

Game No. 19: Canadiens vs Coyotes -- Pre-Game Notes

Rocket All Habs — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:07:00 -0500

Pre-game notes

On today's Twitter topic of unpublished NHL books, my entry: "Tips for Promoting Your Client. Hmm." by Allan Walsh.

Carey Price plans to wear the Remembrance Day mask tonight that will later be auctioned to support Canadian Forces' families.

Robert Lang will be in the Phoenix lineup to face his former team for the first time after a season-ending achilles injury against the Bruins.

No targets on the jersey of Kurt Sauer, who won't be in the lineup for the Coyotes. Sauer delivered a vicious head-shot that put Andrei Kostitsyn out for a few games out with a concussion last season. It was also memorable as Georges Laraque decided to pass on fighting Sauer. BGL said that Sauer, at 6'4" 225 lbs.,was too small to meet 'the code'.

Game time is 9 pm. EST.

expected Canadiens lineup

Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri
Plekanec, Pyatt, Andrei Kostitsyn
Metropolit, Moen, Pacioretty
Lapierre, White, Latendresse

Hamrlik, Spacek
Mara, Gorges
Bergeron, Leach

Carey Price starts in goal for the Canadiens; Ilya Bryzgalov for the Coyotes.

scratches: Carle, Chipchura, Stewart, D'Agostini (concussion), Laraque (upper body), Gill (leg), Markov (ankle), O'Byrne (knee)

Calgary Flames-Montreal Canadiens: Habs Lack Firepower versus Flames

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:44:00 -0500

Montreal 0 Calgary 1 (Bell Centre)

You have to give the Canadiens credit. It could have been worse. Much worse. Calgary is a very good hockey team. They have size, skill and three all-star caliber defensemen. And let's not forget a demanding coach in Brent Sutter who obviously designed the superior game plan tonight.

For a change, the Habs didn't leave their goaltender high and dry. They were able to play good defensive hockey. But it would seem that the Canadiens are not a team that can play well at both ends of the ice in the same game.

With a better defensive performance, Jaroslav Halak wasn't required to be spectacular, but he was solid all game long. The goal that beat him wasn't a hard shot but it was fired through the screen of Josh Gorges by Jarome Iginla.

Halak padded his stats with three wins in the third week of October though he wasn't a factor in any of the games. Tonight, Halak played very well and was challenged more than in those three games put together, yet didn't get the win. Welcome to the world of Carey Price.

It's simple. You can't win if you don't score.

The Canadiens kept the game close, and were even on the verge of tying the game had Scott Gomez not lost the handle on a breakaway. But more-so, the Flames seemed poised to break the game open at several points in the game with the Habs just holding on.

You have to love the hometown enthusiasm of the off-ice officials at the Bell Centre. The goal judge, perhaps hopefully, flashed the goal light in the third despite the fact that the Habs didn't come close. In addition, inexplicably, the official score-sheet shows that the Canadiens outhit the Flames 26-21.

For those watching the game, you will probably agree that the Habs were out-muscled in every zone of the ice. A telling statistic is that Ryan White led the Canadiens with five hits in only 5:19 of ice time.

For his part coach Jacques Martin didn't seem disappointed with his team's performance. "We need to create more on offence, but you have to give credit to the Flames—they have one of the best defences in the league," said Martin. "We need more of a presence in front of the net, but that's something we'll have to work on."

Let's hope that Martin also starts to give some attention to the Canadiens' struggling special teams. The power play went 0-for-3 and didn't threaten. Marc-Andre Bergeron is a nightmare in his own zone and is not contributing to the power play.

The Habs were able to kill of all five Flames' power play opportunities but Calgary seemed to have their way in the Montreal zone with the man advantage.

While Jay Leach didn't make any glaring errors in his first game as a Canadien, he can't continue to be shutout in hits and blocked shots in future games if he hopes to stay in the lineup.

The Canadiens head out on the road for their next two games in Phoenix and Nashville.

Rocket's three stars

1. Miikka Kiprusoff
2. Mike Cammalleri
3. Jarome Iginla

(photo credit: Getty images)

Game No. 18: Calgary Flames-Montreal Canadiens: Pre-game Notes

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:04:00 -0500

Pre-game notes

Canadiens will wear the green and red sweaters of the 1910-11 Le Club Athletique Canadien.

Jay Leach makes his debut for the Habs in place of Mathieu Carle. Leach will wear No. 20, which was most recently worn by Robert Lang. Most notable No. 20s for the Habs include Peter Mahovlich and Phil Goyette. On his first game as a Canadien, Leach says, "I hope to be a non-factor in this game." (as per Marc Antoine Godin of La Presse)

Expected Lineup:

Gomez, Gionta, Andrei Kostitsyn
Plekanec, Lapierre, Cammalleri
Metropolit, Moen, Pacioretty
Pyatt, White, Latendresse

Hamrlik, Spacek
Mara, Gorges
Bergeron, Leach

Jaroslav Halak starts in goal for the Canadiens; Miikka Kiprusoff for the Flames.

scratches: Carle, Chipchura, Stewart, D'Agostini (concussion), Laraque (upper body), Gill (leg), Markov (ankle), O'Byrne (knee)

UPDATES: Player Agent Allan Walsh Controversy

Rocket All Habs — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:17:00 -0500

Dave Stubbs of Habs Inside/Out has an excellent article in today's National Post and Montreal Gazette regarding Allan Walsh:
Agent creates instant goaltending controversy in Montreal

It would appear that Allan Walsh miscalculated the outcome of his tweet about Carey Price. Perhaps he hoped to ignite the brush fire, then be out of sight by the time other users fuelled the blaze by re-sending his message throughout the twitter-verse. He probably didn't count on being challenged, and, as a result, got burned.

Maybe it shouldn't be a surprise that Walsh deleted the Price tweet and all messages sent to All Habs from his Twitter account. However, here's a screen shot of Walsh's account prior to the deletions. (Thanks to @miss_georgia)

You can watch Kelly Hrudey's reaction to my back and forth exchange with Allan Walsh in the following video clip at CBC. Discussion begins at about 5:15.

Hockey Night in Canada - Coast to Coast, Nov 7

Here's another perspective on the controversy from Steven Hindle at Hockey Buzz:

Bad for Business - CBC and Allan Walsh Stir Habs Goalie Controversy

The original article detailing the issue at All Habs:

Hockey Night in Canada Takes Interest in All Habs' Feud

Rocket All Habs — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:17:00 -0500

Shortly after the final siren to tonight's game, as disappointed Habs fans were 'licking their wounds', Twitter users read the following message:

"Interesting stat of the night....Price is 10W, 32L in last 42 starts. Hmm."

There was a fair bit of blame to go around for the loss, but this one couldn't be pinned on Price. But this is Montreal, and with no shortage of Price-haters, the "interesting stat" began to be re-tweeted.

Unknown to many Twitter users was that the source of the original message was none other than Allan Walsh, player agent for Jaroslav Halak. Walsh isn't exactly an objective source or a disinterested party.

I decided to reply to one user who had re-tweeted Walsh's original message and copied it to Walsh. My message set off a short back and forth between Walsh and I.

All Habs: "Not exactly an objective source. That stat came from Halak's agent. Advocacy like that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. @walsha"

Walsh: "Sorry you don't like the stat, if the stat was wrong, you may have a point..I was pointing out an interesting stat for fans."

All Habs: "I think we both know what the intent was. I would prefer seeing you present to fans, stats for your own client."

Walsh: "It's no secret who my client is....and very relevant stat as it relates to my client."

The Twitter conversation was monitored by Jeff Marek at Hockey Night in Canada. He raised it during the Coast to Coast segment during the first intermission of the Calgary Flames-New York Rangers game.

Walsh's comments struck a nerve with HNIC's Kelly Hrudey.

Hrudey jumped on Walsh's comments saying, “It makes me sick. I hate it and I’ll tell you why. I have no problem with an agent sticking up for his client and telling management and whomever that this is what I think about my guy, the team and the direction and all that, but to make that public really annoys me."

Hrudey continued, "If I’m Carey Price, that’s already starting a fight between me and the other guy. I would actually go to the goalie the next day and say ‘You know what? Tell your agent to shut up!’

"You know what, we have to work together in this whole thing and we do need competition and we have to battle through this but don't start doing that. Don't pit us against each other. Don't make a separation between the two of us that are in this together. That annoys me!”

Ron MacLean added,"It's a good point about the feud he's beginning without really knowing it."

I don't object to player agents advocating on behalf of their clients. It's their job. Whether they should be making a case to an NHL general manager rather than trying to shift public opinion is up for debate. But what I really object to is Walsh posting disparaging statistics about another player in order to indirectly promote his client. And it was done in a way that many fans would not recognize it was coming from the Halak camp.

Now Walsh is a self-described Sports Agent/Lawyer so a glib remark might be that its unrealistic to expect ethical behaviour. But I prefer to believe otherwise. In my opinion, it is outrageous to trash a client's teammate in public. It's also very unprofessional. Walsh was out of line trying to turn fans against Price in order to promote Halak's standing.

As Hrudey said, it could also ignite a dressing room controversy between Halak and Price. Is Walsh really trying to pit the two against each other?

It's not in Halak's best interest to have an agent who is creating drama. Jaro should be reigning Walsh in.

After the segment aired on CBC, Walsh sent the following Twitter message to Marek:

"It was a tongue in cheek comment not meant to be taken seriously, forgot it was Montreal and everyone loses a sense of humor."

So within the time period of a few hours, Walsh's description of his original message went from a "very relevant stat as it relates to my client" to essentially, a joke. And according to Walsh, it was the kind of joke that was lost on the citizens of Montreal.

Dave Stubbs, of Habs Inside/Out replied to Walsh on Twitter:

"Allan, Habs goaltending is NEVER a laughing matter, hasn't been since the days of Georges Vezina."

Stubbs is right. This is Montreal. Everything hockey-related is taken seriously. Walsh should and does know better. He knew exactly what he was doing. He is well aware that people are ready to pounce on any goalie controversy in this city.

But by doing it in a public way, Walsh wasn't doing his client any favors. This will hurt Halak in the end. I don't expect that his underhanded techniques are going to be good for business either.

After a Canadiens loss where goaltending was not to blame, Walsh's low maneuver was rather unwelcome. The last thing the Habs need is someone stirring up controversy for selfish reasons.

Tampa Bay Lightning-Montreal Canadiens: Habs Strangled by Bolts

Rocket All Habs — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:27:00 -0500

Montreal 1 Tampa Bay 3 (Bell Centre)

Uninspired. That's the single word that comes to mind to summarize the Canadiens' effort in tonight's game.

How could that be? The Habs were coming off a big win over Boston on Thursday night. It was a game that they probably didn't deserve to win but for the brilliant play of Carey Price. Tonight the team had a chance to repay the favor.

They did not.

The game summary will show that the Canadiens outshot the Lightning 37-to-21, including 15-to-4 in the third period. I suppose that's why I slotted Bolts goaltender Antero Niittymaki in the third star slot. But as I write, I wonder if he needed to be there at all. Because what the game summary won't tell you is that very few of the Canadiens' 37 shots were good scoring chances.

Tonight's game summary also shows the Habs with a respectable 17 hits versus the Lightning's 23. But the Canadiens were getting knocked off the puck in all zones.

Given the way his team was playing, Price needed to be spectacular to have a chance to win. But tonight,he couldn't make up for the miscues of his teammates.

Shots after the first period may suggest a rather even play. But after a good start, the Canadiens were outshot 10-to-2 in the final 13 minutes.

The Canadiens had trouble clearing Tampa Bay forwards from in front of the net. On the Lightning's first goal, Ryan Malone was able to stand among three Habs and score after Price made two good saves.

Alex Tanguay scored his first career goal against the Canadiens to make it 2-0 after Price failed to steer a rebound to the corner and Roman Hamrlik lost coverage.

The third Tampa goal was scored in the last two minutes of the second period and resulted from some soft play in the Lightning's end. Coach Jacques Martin assigned blame to Guillaume Latendresse and Maxim Lapierre. The pair didn't see the ice in the third period.

"When we shortened the bench, I thought we've got to win some battles and get some production and I went with the people who were willing to go to war," said Martin.

Tomas Plekanec was the target of Vincent Lecavalier all night. Plekanec took the punishment (some penalty-worthy, yet uncalled) and played a good game. He finished at 79 percent in the faceoff circle.

In the second period, Plekanec was joined by Andrei Kostitsyn and yet another new linemate, Ryan White. Kostitsyn got the biggest ovation of the night when he destroyed two Lightning players on the same sequence while racing for a loose puck.

A disappointing game for all Habs fans which resulted in a few unanswered questions.

The fact is that the Canadiens have only scored one goal in each of their last two games. They were fortunate to win one of the games due to Price. Is Martin's system hampering the offense?

After a day or two of practise, will Jay Leach be a stop-gap measure until Ryan O'Byrne and Hal Gill are ready to return? Because Marc-Andre Bergeron is just not getting it done in his own zone.

And will Martin assign White to one of his top six forward positions for Tuesday's game or will he finally relent and admit it's time for Sergei Kostitsyn to rejoin the team?

Pre game

Marie-Anne Fiset's rendition of the anthems left ears bleeding and most wishing for a quick return by Charles Prevost-Linton.

Expected lineup

Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri
Plekanec, Lapierre, Latendresse
Metropolit, Moen, Pacioretty
Pyatt, Andrei Kostitsyn, White

Hamrlik, Spacek
Mara, Gorges
Bergeron, Carle

Carey Price starts in goal for the Canadiens; Antero Niittymaki for the Lightning.

scratches: Chipchura, Stewart, Leach, D'Agostini (concussion), Laraque (upper body), Gill (leg), Markov (ankle), O'Byrne (knee)

Victor Hedman did not play for Tampa Bay.

Rocket's three stars

1. Ryan Malone
2. Tomas Plekanec
3. Antero Niittymaki

(photo credit: AP)

Canadiens-Bruins: Carey Price Grabs Two Points with a Sneer

Rocket All Habs — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:37:00 -0500

Montreal 2, Boston 1 SO (TD Bank Garden)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

This was a statement game. The Canadiens, winless in nine previous games versus the Bruins, were able to leave Boston with an important two points.

But it wasn't the Canadiens who delivered the statement—it was goaltender Carey Price.

Price has been unfairly maligned for a variety of non-performance-related reasons by fans and media alike. On most nights, he has suffered the critical consequences of his teammates' poor play.

But in this game, Price would not let anything separate him and the Habs from a win. His intensity and determination was evident all game, but particularly in the shootout.

The Canadiens have three wins in eight road games. Price, almost singlehandedly, has been responsible for all three wins.

The Canadiens' defense did not have a good night, giving up too many shots and quality scoring chances. Price made 42 saves on 43 shots by the Bruins and stopped all three in the shootout.

While defense was the focus in practise prior to the Boston game, it appears that coach Jacques Martin's system and methods are not very effective. The Canadiens' defense did not play well particularly in the second period.

It was a quiet night for the "big" three. The Bruins were effective in shutting down Mike Cammalleri, Brian Gionta, and Scott Gomez, who collectively were limited to five shots on goal. Cammalleri, with only one shot during regulation time, scored the game-winner in the shootout.

Glen Metropolit continues to shine. Metropolit had a goal waved off in a controversial play that was ruled goalie interference on Travis Moen. But Metropolit would get another goal on a tap-in set up on a beautiful rush by Andrei Kostitsyn.

Kostitsyn played physically and had a strong game at both ends of the ice. He even provided direction to his two young linemates, both playing their first game in the league.

Tom Pyatt and Ryan White didn't look out of place in their NHL debuts and were an upgrade on Kyle Chipchura and Greg Stewart. White led the Canadiens with four hits and picked up his first NHL point with an assist on Metropolit's goal. Pyatt even found himself earning brief penalty-killing duty.

The Canadiens' penalty killing was perfect on three chances by the Bruins. However, Boston was ranked 29th in the league on the power play coming into the game.

The Habs missed the services of Hal Gill (or Ryan O'Byrne) in the last minute of the game on the tying goal by Boston. Jaroslav Spacek was no match for Zdeno Chara, who had parked himself at the lip of the Montreal crease.

Spacek gave the Canadiens a scare when he went into the boards heavily after helping to break up a Bruins three-on-one rush. Spacek didn't appear to be 100 percent but would return to the game.

Spacek's brief absence put additional pressure on an already depleted Montreal defensive corps. Mathieu Carle was steadier in this game. Marc-Andre Bergeron continues to be a train wreck on defense; his signing was a giant mistake by the organization.

But this game belonged to Price. His continued good goaltending was finally rewarded with a win. Price proved that he was the right choice as a starter and will find himself between the pipes for the Saturday night game against Tampa Bay.

Pre-game

Expected lineup

Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri
Plekanec, Lapierre, Latendresse
Metropolit, Moen, Pacioretty
Pyatt, Andrei Kostitsyn, White

Hamrlik, Spacek
Mara, Gorges
Bergeron, Carle

Tom Pyatt and Ryan White called up from Hamilton and make their NHL debuts.

Carey Price starts in goal for the Canadiens; Tim Thomas for the Bruins.

Scratches: Chipchura, Stewart, D'Agostini (concussion), Laraque (upper body), Gill (leg), Markov (ankle), O'Byrne (knee)

Rocket's three stars

1. Carey Price
2. Patrice Bergeron
3. Andrei Kostitsyn

Thrashers-Canadiens: Habs Comeback Falls Short

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:11:00 -0500

Montreal 4 Atlanta 5 (Bell Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

Ilya Kovalchuk is a true sniper and superstar in the league. With him in the lineup, the Atlanta Thrashers are a potent offensive team. With Kovalchuk on the sidelines due to injury, what would happen?

It was lesser-known names like Peverley and Little who would supply the offense for the Thrashers. Let's not sugar coat it. Tonight, the Canadiens defense was terrible.

Hal Gill has been a target of criticism by an unnamed sports network and a number of fans. He wasn't even in the lineup tonight. But Marc-Andre Bergeron was. Gill may have shortcomings, but Bergeron is a liability in his own end on every shift.

Tonight, Bergeron had only 10 minutes of ice time tonight. It was painful to watch. Whatever his limited contribution to the power play, it is not worth it.

Bergeron was not alone in his poor play. Josh Gorges has been struggling for several games, and was out of position too often tonight. Mathieu Carle is simply not ready for the NHL. Carle, Roman Hamrlik and Jaro Spacek had five giveaways each.

Special teams continue to be ineffective. The penalty killers gave up a goal to Atlanta and the Canadiens power play did not score on three opportunities.

Carey Price was left alone much of the game. Price was brilliant in the first period and was the sole reason that the game was close.

"They had some really good opportunities," said Brian Gionta, "too many back door and too many open in the slot. That's defensive breakdowns."

Ondrej Pavelec was also very good. But his aggressive play allowed the Canadiens more opportunities than they advantaged.

Tomas Plekanec, Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri and Scott Gomez were stars for the Habs. The Canadiens showed character in coming back from a two goal deficit.

There was not much to be positive about tonight. The Canadiens have a problem on defense and despite having a coach who is considered defensive-minded, he has not been able to do anything to solve the problem.

Pre-game

expected lineup:

Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri
Plekanec, Lapierre, Latendresse
Metropolit, Moen, Pacioretty
Chipchura, Andrei Kostitsyn, Stewart

Hamrlik, Spacek
Mara, Gorges
Bergeron, Carle

Matt Carle called up from Hamilton will make his NHL debut.

Carey Price starts in goal for the Canadiens; Ondrej Pavelec for the Thrashers.

scratches: D'Agostini (concussion), Laraque (upper body), Gill (leg), Markov (ankle), O'Byrne (knee)

Rocket's three stars

1. Rich Peverley
2. Brian Gionta
3. Brian Little

(photo credit: AP)

Hockey, Numbers, and Comedy at RDS

Rocket All Habs — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:59:00 -0400

We like to ridicule some "homerific" coverage of NHL teams. NESN and Leafs TV are two of the worst offenders. But in a category all by themselves is RDS. While NESN may present coverage of the game heavily slanted towards the Bruins, RDS warps their broadcast in favor of certain players and against others. We all know who they are.

Golden boy Guillaume Latendresse was applauded by RDS last game for having gone 31 periods without a penalty. Apparently this was more important for us to know than the fact that Latendresse had only scored one goal in 19 games (20 after tonight's game).

Tonight, Francois Gagnon presented a chart comparing Marc-Andre Bergeron with Andrei Markov. Outrageous? Apparently not to RDS.

For fairness, here it is:

(These are post-lockout numbers)

	Bergeron	Markov

Goals	52	44
Power play goals	35	28
Power play points	77	127
Power play points/5 on 5 points	57%	58.50%

Statistics buffs will know that if one selects carefully and narrowly enough, they can make an argument for almost any case.

Gagnon offered the disclaimer that some statistics can be deceiving. No kidding. Like these ones? In that case, why air them?

Why would Gagnon select a narrow range of statistics and present them as if they had meaning, if not to deceive a viewing audience? What purpose did this comparison serve?

Is Gagnon naive enough to not realize that he is only fueling the extreme and bigoted views of the disciples of Bob Sirois?

Does Gagnon not realize that Markov is one of the top five defenseman in the league? Does he not recall that 30 NHL teams passed on offering Bergeron a contract during free agency? Has he forgotten that the only reason that Bergeron is employed by the Canadiens is that they lost two defenseman to injury.

Perhaps he does remember all of these facts, and it was just all in good fun. Really?

For those who like comedy with their hockey, be sure to tune in next game as RDS features Gagnon's comparison of Patrick Traverse to Doug Harvey.

I jest. They wouldn't. Would they? Well up to tonight, I would have never imagined that even RDS would attempt to make a comparison between Bergeron and Markov.

Canadiens-Penguins: Despite Winning Ways, Habs not Yet Ready for Pens

Rocket All Habs — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 04:45:00 -0400

Montreal 1 Pittsburgh 6 (Mellon Arena)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

About five weeks ago the Montreal Canadiens played an exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was the first game of the pre-season that resembled a NHL-calibre game. The Canadiens dressed 14 regulars.

The Canadiens were down early and needed three goals in the third period to come from behind and beat the defending Stanley Cup champions 4-3. The turnaround started started when the line of Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez and Mike Cammalleri skated together for the first time. This line, along with Andrei Markov, were dangerous every time they were on the ice. Gionta finished the night with two goals and an assist.

Tonight, the Penguins got an early lead—but this time there was no Andrei Markov. The big line did not score. There would be no comeback. In fact, only rarely did the Canadiens look like a team who could compete with the Penguins.

Against one of the better teams in the league, all of the Canadiens faults were exposed. You know the ones. The ones that the Habs, as a team, had worked on and improved. Despite some saying that the recent winning streak was due to goaltending, it was quite obvious that this wasn't true. The bubble of Jaroslav Halak as a savior was burst.

When the Habs didn't play well as a team tonight, Halak wasn't able to do anything to turn the tide. That's not to say that Halak played poorly. The faults reside with the usual suspects: defensive turnovers, inability to clear the zone, giving up too many shots, not competing along the boards, dumb penalties, and ineffective special teams.

These were two fast-skating, non-hitting teams. The Habs had eight hits total in the game with only one by a defenseman.

Every player on the Canadiens was at least a minus one tonight. Gomez must have wondered why he dragged his flu-ridden body out of bed to be part of this game.

There wasn't much to be positive about tonight. The Habs kept it close for a period and created some good chances to score in the first period. But Marc-Andre Fleury was better.

The second line of Tomas Plekanec, Andre Kostitsyn and Max Lapierre looked good. Plekanec had a goal to bring his point total to 11 in 12 games.

But it was Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz and Bill Guerin who would tally 10 points and dominate the game.

The Canadiens play another top team on Friday night in Chicago. While the Blackhawks are far less talented in goal, the Habs can expect a much more physical game.

Pre-game

expected lineup:

Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri
Plekanec, Lapierre, Andrei Kostitsyn
Metropolit, Moen, Pacioretty
Chipchura, D'Agostini, Latendresse

Hamrlik, Spacek
Gill, Gorges
Bergeron, Mara

Jaroslav Halak starts in goal for the Canadiens; Marc-Andre Fleury for the Penguins.

scratches: Laraque, Stewart, Markov (ankle), O'Byrne (knee)

Rocket's three stars

1. Sidney Crosby
2. Bill Guerin
3. Chris Kunitz

(photo credit: AP)

A Less Jaded View of Andrei Kostitsyn

Rocket All Habs — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:38:00 -0400

Posted by Rocket

All Habs

Andrei Kostitsyn could be the most talented offensive player on the Montreal Canadiens. He may have the best shot. What is certain is that he is the most maligned Canadiens' forward.

There is no dispute that Kostitsyn is struggling at the moment. But he isn't alone. Whereas Kostitsyn has played well in games this season, especially against Colorado and Ottawa, others have not. Yet, they remain without criticism.

Guillaume Latendresse has had a terrible start to the season, remaining invisible other than during a handful of shifts. Going back to last season, in his last 19 games, Latendresse has one goal and one assist. In the third period of Monday night's game, RDS ran a set of clips of their golden boy rather than hi-light game stars like Travis Moen or Glen Metropolit. Such is the unfounded praise afforded to the hopes of a nation.

It sickens me to hear the media on both sides of the language divide use Kostitsyn as a speed bag or a punch line to a joke. It is certainly overzealous. It is probably bigoted. It is mostly inaccurate.

Both Kostitsyn brothers and Roman Hamrlik were the victims of rumours, embellished associations, and shoddy journalism by the Montreal media last season. To date, there has been no public apology for the outrageous accusations made by certain journalists and commentators. Some even continue to defame the three by referencing the false stories.

But back to this season. Many fans and media are ready to write-off Andrei Kostitsyn.

This is the same player who has proved he is capable of 25 goal and 50 point seasons. Yet, they are willing to give a free pass to the chosen one who has yet to cross the 30 point threshold.

Some would like nothing better than to see the Kostitsyn brothers shipped off as a package. There is obvious interest from a number of teams. Edmonton Oilers Assistant General Manager Kevin Pendergast has had an extended stay in Montreal over the past few games. Word is that Pendergast had his eyes on Andrei Kostitsyn and that the Oilers may be interested in both Kostitsyn brothers.

Is the situation with Sergei upsetting to Andrei? Undoubtedly so. But when asked, Andrei responded by saying, " It's tough for me that he left ... But I want to focus on my season. I am happy in Montreal."

The intention of this article is not to absolve Kostitsyn.

He is responsible for his play, his attitude and his work ethic. It's simply to encourage a more balanced assessment of all players regardless of their birthplace.

It is a coach's responsibility to get the most from his players and to find the best method to motivate each player.

A coach with the experience of Martin should have more in his bag of tricks than line juggling. Clearly, Martin has to do better. By all accounts, the Canadiens are short a top six forward.

It would be a shame to lose another one.

Islanders-Canadiens: Roman Hamrlik's Goal Gives Habs Another Overtime Win

Rocket All Habs — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:19:00 -0400

Montreal 3, NY Islanders 2 OT (Bell Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

The Montreal Canadiens won their fourth game in a row and maintained their perfect record in overtime this season. The Habs are now 5-0 in the extra frame.

Their opponents tonight, the Islanders, have played six overtime games this season and lost five times. What Habs' fans may find sobering is the difference in the standings between the two teams is a direct result of their overtime records.

The margin of victory or defeat is just that slim. Welcome to the world of a Jacques Martin coached team.

Tonight it was Roman Hamrlik playing the role of hero. Hamrlik buried a perfect feed from Tomas Plekanec for the overtime winner. Plekanec beat Mark Streit along the boards and then feathered a pass by Bruno Gervais.

Streit was also victimized by Mike Cammalleri with a nifty move as he set up Travis Moen for his goal early in the third period. Glen Metropolit got the other assist.

Metropolit was a surprise starter after reports earlier in the day suggested that he would be scratched due to the flu. Metropolit not only played but tallied two assists. His linemate, Moen had a first period assist to add to his goal.

The third player on the line, Max Pacioretty, played just under eight minutes but was instrumental in setting up the Canadiens' first goal.

While the third line was shining, Plekanec was being treated to a carousel of mates on the second line. Guillaume Latendresse started on his wing but was dropped to the fourth line after some lacklustre play and a number of giveaways. Andrei Kostitsyn led the team with three hits, which was penance enough for Martin to return him to Plekanec's line.

Jaroslav Halak had a much better start to this game. He made a great save on Matt Moulson early in the first period. Halak was solid when he needed to be throughout.

However, it was Martin Biron who garnered the goaltending attention. Biron had much tougher saves, kept the game close, and tonight replayed the form of the 2008 playoffs when he was with the Flyers.

The Canadiens defense played well with the exception of a few lapses by Hal Gill. Since his arrival in Montreal Marc-Andre Bergeron's defensive play has alternated between steady and awful. Tonight it was Bergeron-the-good who had a solid game with his partner Paul Mara. Jaroslav Spacek and Hamrlik each played in the neighbourhood of 25 minutes and both had goals.

It was mostly a dull game with inconsistent officiating and lazy play by both teams. The Canadiens took two too-many-men penalties.

The Canadiens power-play was 0-for-2 tonight and the penalty killing units gave up two goals on seven chances by the Islanders.

The Canadiens have won their three previous games with the help of improved special teams and the firepower of the first line. While that wasn't the case tonight, the support players helped the Habs eke out a victory over a team that they should be able to beat at home.

Pregame

expected lineup:

Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri
Plekanec, Lapierre, Latendresse
Metropolit, Moen, Pacioretty
Chipchura, D'Agostini, Andrei Kostitsyn

Hamrlik, Spacek
Gill, Gorges
Bergeron, Mara

Jaroslav Halak starts in goal for the Canadiens; Martin Biron for the Islanders.

scratches: Laraque, Stewart, Markov (ankle), O'Byrne (knee)

Rocket's three stars

1. Travis Moen
2. Jeff Tambellini
3. Glen Metropolit

New York Rangers-Montreal Canadiens: Cammalleri Caps Canadiens' Comeback

Rocket All Habs — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 21:53:00 -0400

Montreal 5 NY Rangers 4 OT (Bell Centre)

Bob Gainey must have been proud tonight. His "big" acquisitions from the summer free agency period, Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta, and Mike Cammalleri totaled eight points in the Canadiens victory. But it was Cammalleri who was the sniper for the Habs with a hat trick. Cammalleri scored the tying goal in the third period and then the winner in overtime on a beautiful end to end rush.

“He did a great job controlling that puck and cutting to the middle on that play and then he wired one heck of a shot,” said Gionta. “We’ve been getting our chances so far and pucks have just found ways not to go in for us. Cammy always goes to the net and it sure paid off tonight.”

With a four point game, Cammalleri takes over the Canadiens' scoring lead from Tomas Plekanec who is having a great start to his season,picking up an assist tonight. Scanning through the list of the top scorers, one finds Cammalleri, Gomez, Gionta, Paul Mara and Jaroslav Spacek, all recent additions by Gainey.

Facing their former team for the first time, Gomez had two assists with Mara blocking three Ranger shots. Chris Higgins was benched for the third period by coach John Tortorella in his first trip back to the Bell Centre as a Ranger.

Matt D'Agostini and Marc-Andre Bergeron were the other two goal scorers for the Canadiens. D'Agostini created a turnover by pokechecking the puck from Brandon Dubinsky and then finished the play by scoring on a feed from Max Lapierre. Bergeron partially atoned for some dreadful defensive play with a blast from the point which found the back of the net on a five-on-three power play.

Canadiens were unsuccessful on three other power play chances and didn't look very good. They need much quicker puck movement and more traffic in front of the net.

The Rangers had scored a power play goal in eight straight games but were blanked in their two opportunities by some strong penalty killing by the Habs.

Goaltending was not stellar at either end with Henrik Lundqvist making 26 saves and Jaroslav Halak with 23. Halak was not at his best giving up three first period goals while struggling with his rebound control.

Poor defensive zone coverage and careless turnovers by the Canadiens gave the Rangers far too many chances. Bergeron, Hal Gill and Josh Gorges all had difficulty with the agressive Ranger forecheck. However, the third New York goal was a stoppable one.

Adjustments in the second period had Habs' forwards coming back deep to help the defense. Halak played better but it was the players in front of him who limited the Rangers to five shots in the third period and only one in overtime.

The Canadiens are starting to gel. After a tough first period filled with bad habits, they used their speed to come back from a two goal deficit. The Rangers were a tough test but the Habs showed that they can compete with the better teams in the league.

After tonight, it would appear that the Halak hype has come back down to earth. Expect to see Carey Price start the Canadiens next game on Monday versus the Islanders.

As proud as he was of his team tonight, let's hope that Gainey has one more move up his sleeve. Imagine the potential of this team with one more top six forward.

Pre-game

Expected lineup:

Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri
Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, Lapierre
Metropolit, Moen, Pacioretty
Chipchura, Latendresse, D'Agostini

Hamrlik, Spacek
Gill, Gorges
Bergeron, Mara

Jaroslav Halak starts in goal for the Canadiens; Henrik Lundqvist for the Rangers.

Scratches: Laraque, Stewart, Markov (ankle), O'Byrne (knee)

Rocket's three stars

1. Mike Cammalleri
2. Brian Gionta
3. Michael Del Zotto

(photo credit: Getty images)

Islanders-Canadiens: Welcome Back, Metro!

Rocket All Habs — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:16:00 -0400

Montreal 5, NY Islanders 1 (Bell Centre)

posted by Rocket
All Habs

Let's play: Who Am I?

I play on the Canadiens special teams, both power play and penalty killing units.
The power play is much more effective when I am in the line-up.
One of my roles is to shut down opposition forwards.
The Habs are unbeaten when I play.

The obvious answer is Andrei Markov. He is clearly the Canadiens' best player, and they are a much better hockey team with Markov in the line-up.

But what may be somewhat surprising is that you would also be correct if you guessed Glen Metropolit.

Last season, in Guy Carbonneau's system, Metropolit was little more than a spare part with an undefined role. This year, Jacques Martin expects Metropolit to be the shut down center.

It's similar to the responsibility that Metropolit was given when Bob Gainey went behind the bench last season. Gainey also had Metropolit killing penalties as he is doing this year.

But coach Martin also has Metropolit on the power play and tonight, gave him more than 18 minutes of ice time. The result was two assists for Metropolit and he was chosen the game's first star.

Metropolit also helped to elevate the play of his linemate, Max Pacioretty, who scored and had his best game of the season.

"I've played power play before, but my role has changed over the years. But it was good to be back there. I'm just trying to make room on the ice in front of the net," said Metropolit.

The Canadiens were 2-for-26 coming into the game on the power play. The power play unit connected twice on six opportunities. Metropolit was on the ice for both Canadiens goals.

Metropolit now has four points, and is the Canadiens' fifth best scorer after appearing in only three games, due to his rib injury.

The Canadiens won for the first game in regulation time this season, and the first regulation victory in 16 games going back to last season. They dominated from start to finish and out shot the Islanders 43-to-22.

Brian Gionta, Mike Cammalleri, Scott Gomez, and Tomas Plekanec continued their excellent play. Cammalleri and Gomez each had a goal, while Plekanec tallied two assists. Gionta led the team with six shots on goal.

Kyle Chipchura and Max Lapierre both played better than in recent games. Lapierre broke his scoring slump with a goal and Chipchura squared off with Nate Thompson.

The Habs defense were very good at closing off scoring chances from the Islanders. Paul Mara had one of his best games as a Canadien.

It was a great bounce back game for Marc-Andre Bergeron who looked much more confident and recorded a goal and an assist.

Jaroslav Halak had another easy night, seeing only 12 shots over the first two periods. It was a puck-handling error by Halak that resulted in the single Islanders goal.

There is the temptation to diminish the win as it came at the expense of the lowly Islanders with a slow defense. But the Habs lost to the Long Island team last season. It was important for the Canadiens confidence not only to win, but win decisively.

The Habs followed Martin's game plan to sustain offensive pressure on the Islanders. The Canadiens' attack sent 82 shots in the direction of goaltender Martin Biron. Biron has had some success at the Bell Centre when he was a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Canadiens now prepare for the game against the New York Rangers on Saturday night at the Bell Centre.

Pre-game

expected lineup:

Gomez, Gionta, Cammalleri
Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn, Lapierre
Metropolit, Moen, Pacioretty
Chipchura, Latendresse, D'Agostini

Hamrlik, Spacek
Gill, Gorges
Bergeron, Mara

Jaroslav Halak starts in goal for the Canadiens, Martin Biron starts for the Islanders.

scratches: Laraque, Stewart, Markov (ankle), O'Byrne (knee)

Rocket's three stars

1. Glen Metropolit
2. Max Pacioretty
3. Tomas Plekanec
3. Marc-Andre Bergeron

(photo credit: AP)