Live From Montreal: Sheldon Souray, Mark Streit, Big Georges and Sean Avery

The Montreal Canadiens are currently preparing to face the Columbus Blue Jackets next Friday. Untill the next Umberger—Price match up, here are is some news from the oldest franchise in the league.  

“We’re missing a guy like Sheldon Souray or Mark Streit. But we believe Andrei Markov can play their role.” – Guy Carbonneau, La Presse.

The Montreal Canadiens are currently ranked 19th in Power Play, behind the Nashville Predators and…Radek Bonk!

At least the team gets the Bronze Medal so far in the league, with 35 goals scored in ten games (seven on the PP and one shorthanded).

La Presse’s Marc Antoine Godin gives a look at a few possible candidates to fill the PP-missing spot, and to fix the fourth defenseman’s situation that Dominic Pampalon also pointed out in his latest article:

Francois Beauchemin (Anaheim Ducks); Philippe Boucher (Dallas Stars); Matthias Ohlund (Vancouver Canucks); Jay Bouwmeester (Florida Panthers); Cam Barker (Chicago Blackhawks); Jordan Leopold (Colorado Avalanche); and Derek Morris (Phoenix Coyotes).

Where have the “Mark who?” and “Sheldon who?” comments gone? We want to see more of those!

“(Sean) Avery is a player I’ll never respect; I’ll never play for the same team as him. Everytime I became a free agent, I always said to my agent I don’t want to play with a player like that. I’ll never protect a player like that.” – Georges Laraque, RDS.

NHL fashion—guy Sean Avery drew another one of those waves of debate and controversy around the League, after the Dallas Stars’ 5-1 loss to the Boston Bruins last Saturday. Avery got an unsportsmanlike conduct, a fighting penalty, and ten minutes for misconduct.

When asked about his opinion on the matter, Georges Laraque certainly did not weight his words when talking about the Stars’ new agitator; saying that he would not protect a player like him.

Well, for Avery, I believe it was just another day at the office. As Bruins Andrew Ference said it himself to the Boston Globe, “he is a guy that does his job very well.”

Can anyone please explain me what the fuss is all about? What? It’s Sean Avery!

“A lot of times, I got criticized. As soon as I made a mistake, I was out of the line-up, or I was benched.” – Mark Streit, Newsday.com

The Montreal Canadiens made an amazing comeback (again!) against the New York Islanders, last Saturday. Victims of a 4—1 deficit in the first two periods, their four unanswered goals brought even more misery to the Islanders than they already have.

It was special for Mark Streit and Yann Danis, two former Montreal Canadiens who could not fulfill their “top defenseman” and “NHL-starter” dream with the team, due to the enormous line on both spots.

In his pre—game interview, Streit had a few remarks on Guy Carbonneau’s type of coaching; pointing that he never had the chance to prove himself as a defenseman.

Certain things had to come out, didn’t they? Dear diary, today, the coach benched me...

“Sundin is not part of our plans anymore, since September.” – Bob Gainey, Le Journal de Montreal

TSN published today that the Anaheim Ducks are in an active race for Mats Sundin.

One thing that struck me from the article (and it is NOT that Sundin considers playing!): “there are plenty of other teams interested as well; most notably the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens and potentially the Chicago Blackhawks.”

I thought Robert Lang was supposed to fill the spot of the missing center? Well, apparently Koivu filled what was supposed to be Sundin’s role, Plekanec took Koivu’s, and Lang took Plekanec’s. Was that it?

Sundin can't play a fourth defenseman, cant he? Ah shoot!

PLEASE BE AN EXAMPLE FOR OTHERS AND CAST YOUR VOTE ... for the NHL All-Star games!

Six Montreal Canadiens players have been chosen to be among the All-Star ballot this year. The event will take place at the Bell Center next January 25th.

Carey Price, Mike Komisarek, Andrei Markov, Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev, and Alex Tanguay all figure on the list.

The votes will start on November 12th. Please spread around, write articles, make tributes, advertise!