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Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Whatever happended to Sylvain Lefebvre?



Interview with Sylvain Lefebvre:

Where do you live now?
I still have a house in the Eastern Townships but during the hockey season, I’m in Cleveland.

What are you doing now?

I’m an assistant coach with the Lake Erie Monsters, in the AHL. It’s a pretty consuming job. We start in September but you never know when the season is going to finish.

How many Canadiens games do you watch per year?
In my line of work, I watch as many as possible. I try to stay on top of what’s happening in the NHL, especially since we have so many players that get called up or are sent down. I want to get as much information as possible. And, since many if not most NHL teams employ the same system as their farm team, I watch Canadiens games to prepare our game plan against the Hamilton Bulldogs.

When was the last time you were in Montreal to watch a game?
About two years ago.


I’ve gone a few times with my sons.

Who is your favorite player on the current roster?
I played with Alex Kovalev when I was with the Rangers. He can be such a dominant player. I’ve always appreciated his talent and been blown away by his offensive skills and his stickhandling. I have really good memories of him. To have raw talent like that, that’s pretty impressive.

Of all you’ve collected and still have from your years with the Canadiens, what’s your favorite?
I still have the puck from my first goal. It’s in a little frame and it says who had the assists and how the goal was scored. It was against Clint Malarchuk and the Sabres. I have team photos as well. I also kept my sticks. Although, they’re wooden so maybe termites found themselves a feast!

Have you kept in touch with any former teammates?
Stephan Lebeau lives near me Jocelyn Thibault, who I played with in Quebec City and Colorado. He also lives near me. Mike Keane is still playing with the Manitoba Moose, and they’re in the same division as us so I see him often. Other than that, there are a few others, like Stephane Richer and Sergio Momesso, who I’ve seen as part of Canadiens Alumni activities.

How many times per year do you lace up the skates?
I put them on for every practice but as a coach, you don’t exert as much energy as you would as a player. Also, one of my sons plays for the Junior AAA Champlain College Cougars, so during the summer, he and I, along with his friends, skate together or sometimes play a game.

You won a Stanley Cup in Colorado. Where do you keep your ring?
I can’t tell you…it’s a secret! Seriously, though, I don’t wear it often, it’s too big. I take it out for special occasions; I don’t show it to just anyone. Sometimes, when I was coaching Junior AAA, I would wear it to motivate the players. Regardless of what championship it is, whether a Stanley Cup or your league’s title, you experience tough times and hardships, not only as a player but as a people too, that make you grow. It’s something I keep close to my heart.


Sylvain Lefebvre only played 4 season with the Habs through 1989-1992. He played 200 games, he had 11 goals and 42 assist in that spand.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Maxim Lapierre said it was never his intention to hurt Buffalo forward Patrick Kaleta last Saturday.


Kaleta of the Buffalo Sabers suffered a concussion three minutes into the game after being checked from behind by Lapierre. Lapierre said that he never intended to hurt Kalets.“He was close to the boards. I gave him a push and he fell harder than I thought,” the Montreal centre said. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff was not happy with the hit.You can tell the impact by the fact his helmet flew off his head,” Ruff said.

“I disagree with the lack of respect (Lapierre) showed our player. He should be suspended,"Ruff added."I have heard nothing from the NHL. Witch means this case is closed,"Gainey said.“It’s sad that (Kaleta) suffered a concussion, but I wasn’t going toward anybody. I was just doing my job,” Lapierre explained. “I slowed down, but not enough, I guess.” Lapierre Will not be suspended.

written By Andrew Di Pardo

Monday, March 30, 2009

Gainey is impressed with Price but he also would also like more from his second line (Plekanec, S.Kostitsyn, and A.Kostitsyn)



The last 3 games Price has been playing like the goalie everyone expects him to be like and as a matter of fact Price is keeping the Habs in the race for the Playoffs."He seems like the player we've seen for 50 games not games. Why that is I do not know,"Gainey Said. " He's been really working on me, telling me not to do too much like over exaggerate every move. Really, when you do that it hurts more than it helps," Price said about his save on Kovalchuk. Price is expected to start again tomorrow against the Blackhawks.

As for Plekanec, S.Kostitsyn, and A.Kostitsyn, they were the hardest working players today at practice.So far the first 3 games with Plekanec, S.Kostitsyn, and A.Kostitsyn on line 2, they have not even picked up a single point yet. "You can't expect to just put them in a room with the light off and get them to find out how to score. You need to help them set up a plan to score," Montreal G.M & Coach Bob Gainey said today.The Canadiens next game will be tomorrow against the Blackhawks.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

MOLSON'S PREZ. HAS NOT TALKED TO GILLET ABOUT BUYING THE CANADIENS


According to TSN, Molson is interested in buying the Habs. "I have not talked to George Gillett since the majority owner of the Montreal Canadiens announced plans to review his holdings,"Molson's president Peter Swinburn said Monday.When asked if Swinburn follow's the Canadiens he simply said:"I don't really follow the Canadiens." "We had engaged six investment advisers around the world and it got reported as four and that we were selling assets as opposed to estate planning. Even when you think you're doing it right it gets distorted,"Gillett said.

"There is no story yet, we'll find out what it is when we get the reports."Gillett said."I'm not going to sell my teams,"Gillett added. I think that all this speculation about the Gillett wanting to sell the Habs is all false,I mean he's denied it Manny times. I think Gillett will not be sellling the Habs any time soon.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

The Canadiens top 20 prospects for the 2009-2010 season


If the Canadiens want to become an contender for years to come they have to keep an eye on their prospects.For Example Max Pacioretty, Ryan O'Brien, Matt D'Agostini and Kyle Chipchura have all played over 4 games this season with the Canadiens, and have shown that they can play in the NHL. Another great player named P.K Subban had played on the Canadian national junior team, he got 3 goal and 6 assist for a total of 9 points. Keep an eye on these players come off season.

Top 20 Canadiens prospects:

1. (2) Ryan McDonagh, D 8.0B
2. (4) Max Pacioretty, C 7.0B
3. (7) Ben Maxwell, C 7.0B
4. (5) Ryan O'Byrne, D 7.0B
5. (9) P.K. Subban, D 7.0B
6. (8) Kyle Chipchura, C 6.0A
7. (10) David Fischer, D 8.0C
8. (12) Matt D'Agostini, RW 6.0B
9. (11) Yannick Weber, D 7.0C
10. (13) Mathieu Carle, D 7.0B
11. (14) Danny Kristo, RW 7.0C
12. (16) Pavel Valentenko, D 6.0B
13. (15) Alexei Yemelin, D 6.0B
14. (NR) Steve Quailer, RW 7.0C
15. (18) Shawn Belle, D 7.0C
16. (19) Brock Trotter, C 7.0C
17. (20) Ryan White, C 6.0B
18. (17) Cedrick Desjardins, G 6.0B
19. (NR) Greg Pateryn, D 6.0B
20. (NR) Gregory Stewart, LW 5.0A

Written By Andrew Di Pardo
Photo By Angelo Di Pardo

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Robert Lang Expected to be back for the Playoffs



According to sources, Robert Lang is expected to be back for round 1 of the Playoffs game number 5(If the Habs make the Playoffs).Robert Lang was out since Feburary 1st with an achillies tendon on the right foot.Before getting injured, Robert Lang had played 50 games and got 18 goals and 21 assist for a total of 39 points.“If everything goes well, I could be back in during the playoffs if the team goes deep enough into the spring. You just have to look right here in our dressing room at a guy like Chipper [Kyle Chipchura] who had the exact thing happen to him in junior and he came back from it. I can’t dwell on it and I just need to let it heal and stay positive.” Robert Lang should be back by the end of April.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Canadiens fall 4-3 in a Shootout to the Sabers



The Canadiens were down 2-0 going into the second period but they never game up.First it was Higgins from the top of the left circle firing home his 10th goal of the Season. Then it was Koivu on the wraparound tipped in by Kovalev to tie the game at 2-2. They were not done yet, on the Powerplay Schneider took a slap shot from the point,it was stopped by Miller but then Kovalev barried the rebound for his second goal of the game (Kovalev's 50th 2 goal game).

The game later went to a shootout where Lydman of Buffalo scored five hole on Carey Price for the shootout winner.Ryan Miller stopped all 6 Montreal shooters for the 4-3 victory."I was a bit disappointed in the second period for giving up 3 goals, so I wanted to be there for the boys and I'm glad I got my opportunity," said Miller.

Carey Price made 34 saves in the game and stopped 5 of 6 shots in the shootout."I felt like I am back," Price said. "This was probably the first night in a while that I felt really good.Both teams really wanted those points. I'm glad we got at least one."Montreal coach and GM Bob Gainey was happy wuth the effort by his team."You could say we gave up a lead in the third period or that we came back after we were behind 2-0," he said.

"It was a good game.Both teams had a lot riding on it. It was a like a playoff game. We came here fully committed to taking two points, but we didn't so we can't be satisfied. But we gained a point on the team ahead of us (the New York Rangers), so we can exhale."The Canadiens next game will be on Tuesday against The Chicago Blackhawks on TSN, RDS and Versus.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Friday, March 27, 2009

KOIVU DENIES AGREEING TO A 2 YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE HABS



According to Montreal's La Presse, Habs captain Saku Koivu denies recent report suggesting he had agreed to terms on a new two-year contract."It's completely false,"Koivu said."There's no contract, no agreement. There hasn't even been any discussions with myself, the Canadiens or my agent Don Baizley. With 8 games left in the season, we are in a fight for the playoffs. Do you really think it's appropriate to talk about contracts? There are a lot of us in the same situation in the last year of their contracts, and it's unthinkable to distract the team with contract talk." Captain Koivu is in the final year of his 4 year contract worth $19 million dollars.

Rumors have also been saying that Koivu will be playing along side his brother Mikku Koivu next season. But Koivu was quick to denie that rumor. "Like I said before I'm not going to talk about the off season," Koivu said.Alex Kovalev, Robert Lang, Mike Komisarek, Alex Tanguay, Mathieu Dandenault, Francis Bouillon and Patrice Brisebois can all become UFAs at season's end. Montreal GM and Coach Bob Gainey said he will not talk about negotiations for new contracts with anyone until their season is over.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo
Photo By Andrew Di Pardo

The Canadiens win 2 in-a-row due to a O.T winner by Koivu



The Canadiens were up 2-0 late in the third with goals from Alex Kovalev and Guillaume Latendresse. But the Lightning never gave up David Koci put the lightning within 1. They were not done yet,Lukas Krajicek scored to tie the game at 2-2 and force overtime. Just 1:45 into overtime,Tampa's goalie crease was crowded when Saku Koivu put the puck in the net for a 3-2 win."I saw the net was wide open and maybe I got too excited about it," Koivu said. "I think I hit his glove, but then I got the rebound and I just wanted to get it in. I think it hit someone." "I was on my knees and couldn't poke-check the puck or anything," a dejected St. Louis said.

Throught the game, the Canadiens outshot the Bolts 36-19, marking the first time this season they have gave up less than 20 shots."I didn't like the way we lost the 2-0 lead," said Koivu. "I think there was some miscommunication on their second goal.That was a tough one. But I felt with the way we played and the chances we were getting, we'd get a goal. We played a good team game. We'd like to have won 2-0 and got the confidence from that, but we'll take whatever we get at this stage of the year."

The 2 goals that Price allowed were weak shots, but Gainey said he is not going to blame anyone for blowing the lead."Preferably, we could have kept the lead, but I like the way we played," he said. "We need the points,that's important.But the most important thing is we were reliable and consistent throughout the game."With the win it was Gaineys first time this season since taking over as head coach that he lead the Canadiens to 2 straight wins. The Canadiens will look for there 3rd straight win on Saturday against the Sabers.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

Thursday, March 26, 2009

GILLETT DENIES THAT HE IS LOOKING TO SELL LIVERPOOL AND THE CANADIENS



Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett made it clear to the media that he is not selling the teams he owns."What was told to the media was that we are doing some estate planning and looking at various assets to see whether we should refinance them, sell them, buy them, nothing urgent, we were just starting the process," said Gillett to reporters at the SportAccord convention in Denver, CO.This story seems pretty odd because earlier this week Canadiens president Pierre Boivin told La Presse that Gillett was planning on selling the Habs, but then today Gillett denies all of what Boivin said.

"We had engaged six investment advisers around the world and it got reported as four and that we were selling assets as opposed to estate planning," Gillett said on Wednesday. "Even when you think you're doing it right it gets distorted. There is no story yet, we'll find out what it is when we get the reports."Gillett also admitted that he is not going to sell his sports teams."There some serious financial implications to what is going on in the world and the world economy but frankly we are fortunate to be involved in sports and sports entertainment," said Gillett.

"I can tell you the last place to lose support is entertainment and within the entertainment core the last place to lose support is sports." Right now the Canadiens currently sit in 8th in the east and will look to go 4 points up on Florida if they grab a win tonight against Tampa Bay.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Price gives Gainey confedence after a huge win over Atlanta



Yesterday afternoon before the Habs played Atlanta, the Media was saying how Gainey made a bad choice putting Price back between the pipes. Price proved to the media wrong as he made 22 saves to lead the Habs to a 6-3 win over the Thrashers."He made good saves for us in the first half of the game when the score was within a goal, he made good saves against dangerous players," said Habs general manager and head coach Bob Gainey."

"I just felt he looked calmer, he looked more like he was going to play his game," Gainey added.Prices made his biggest save off Ilya Kovalchuk with an unbelievable glove save to keep the momentum with a 3-2 lead in the second period. "I just closed my eyes and it went in my glove," said Price with a straight face. "I carried on from there." Habs captain Saku Koivu said the stop on Kovalchuk was the key play that allowed the Canadiens to control the momentum and the pace of the game."Throughout the game there are a lot of plays you can look at as a turning point, either a big hit or a block or the goalie makes a big save like that one," Koivu said.

"Instead of giving the momentum to their team he kept it on our side and gave us a second chance to take that two-goal lead,"Koivu added. Gainey will look to go with Price for the rest of the season if he continues to play like that.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Bouillon attended practice today for the first time since getting injured



Bouillon attended practice today for the first time since getting a shoulder injury“It feels good to get on the ice with the guys, even if they weren’t all there,” admitted the veteran defenseman. “I had been working alone with Scotty, our strength and conditioning coordinator. Now I just have to get my rhythm back.”Bouillon will play a NHL game tomorrow for the first time since Febuary 16th.I’m at about 75-80% of my abilities and I think I’ll likely return when I hit 95, given where we are in the season. I feel it a little when I skate but patience is key with these types of injuries. It’s always risky to rush things. We saw that last year when some tried to come back too quickly and ended making the situation worse.”Before Bouillon got injured he had scored a season high 5 goals in 51 games. He will return to play tomorrow against the lighning at 7:00pm E.T on RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

HABS SNAP FIVE-GAME LOSING STREAK WITH A 6-3 WIN OVER THE THRASHERS



For the first time this season Montreal veterans Alex Tanguay, Alex Kovalev and Saku Koivu played on the same line the top line. Alex Tanguay got 2 goals and 3 assists for a total of 5 points,Alex Kovalev scored 2 goals for a total of 2 points and Saku Koivu had a goal and 2 assist for a total of 3 points. In total, that line had 11 points all together in the 6-3 victory over the Thrashers."We were desperate," said Tanguay after the third five-point game of his career and the first since 2004 against Vancouver. "We didn't have time to wait a couple of games for it to click.We need to win now."Glen Metropolit also scored for the Canadiens, who scored 6 goals for the first time since a 6-2 win over Toronto on Jan. 8.

Going into the game against Atlanta, the Habs has only scored 3 powerplay goals in the last 9 games, but last night it finally woke up, as the Habs were 3 for 6 on the man advantage."We had to open up on the power play," added Tanguay "We were too stationary.When the shot comes in from the point, we need to get to the net a hopefully, get some bounces and rebounds."Gainey said he was happy with the performance of their top line."Koivu's line certainly performed in the role we put them in," he said. "They were a good working trio of players.We need that offensive threat on the power play. They played like they wanted to play with each other."

"The focus was to play a good strong game based on positional play," Gainey added. "In the last two periods, we were difficult to pass through.We took plays away from them before they entered the zone, so we had about 15 shots less." Carey Price played a pretty solid game last n ight with 22 saves on 25 shots and got his first win since March 10th against the Oilers.The Canadiens will hope for more games like this for the rest of the season.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Gainey Has Made A Few Changes to The Habs lineup for Tonights game



Today Bob Gainey has announced that Carey Price will start tonight against the Thrashers.“Carey will get the start tonight and I hope we will end the night with a victory,” said Gainey after the morning skate. “As for the rest of the lineup, I’ve turned to our more experienced players like Mathieu Dandenault and Patrice Brisebois who have both played in such important situations in the past.” Gainey also announced that Saku Koivu will play along side Alex Kovalev and Alex Tanguay.“It’s going to be exciting to see all that talent on one line,” said Kostopoulos. “All three of them want to win at all cost. I think fans are going to have fun watching those guys go, just like we will from the bench.”

Saku Koivu says he can't wait to play beside Tanguay and Kovalev.“It important for us veterans to lead the way for our young guys and that’s what we’re going to do tonight,” said Koivu. “We haven’t played together much and we will have to quickly find our rhythm, but a win tonight will not be just up to the three of us. It’s going to take a team effort.” Tonight the Canadiens will be focusing on scoring first,the Canadiens record when scoring first is 12-21-4. As for the Thrashers there record when scoring first is 6-28-3. The puck drop for tonights game is 7:38pm E.T on RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo
Photo By Andrew Di Pardo

Monday, March 23, 2009

CANADIENS SEND PACIORETTY BACK TO THE AHL


Today Canadiens interim coach & General Manager Bob Gainey announced that he has sent Max Pacioretty back to the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs.Paciorety had 3 goals, 8 assists over his 34 games with the Canadiens this season.Pacioretty started this season in the AHL, getting 3 goals and 17 assist through 26 games with the Hamilton Bulldogs.Pacioretty was selected in the first round by the Canadiens, 22nd overall in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

GILLETT MAY CONSIDER SELLING CANADIENS


Canadiens president Pierre Boivin, reported tooday owner George Gillett is considering selling the Habs."We're not hiding it; we're going through a very difficult economic period," Boivin told La Presse."The Gillett family has retained the services of financial advisers to assess various strategic alternatives to optimize the value of its corporate assets," said Boivin in a statement on Monday. "In Canada, the family has retained the services of BMO Capital Markets and the process is underway."

Gillett purchased the Canadiens and the Bell Centre back in 2001 for $181 million. He also co-owns Liverpool soccer club and the Gillett Evernham racing team in NASCAR. I think that Gorge Gillett is just felling the pressure in Montreal of owning a franchise team,that's why he may be considering to sell the Franchise.We will know by next season at the lastest if Gillett is going to sell he Canadiens.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Canadiens call up Sergei Kostitsyn from the AHL



Today,the Montreal Canadiens interim coach and General Manager Bob Gainey announced that he has called up Sergei Kostitsyn from the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL.S. Kostitsyn started the 08-09 season on the Habs by getting 23 points which includes 8 goals, 15 assists and served 64 penalty minutes in 52 games before being sent down to the Bulldogs on February 17, 2009. During Kostitsyn's time in the minors he's played in 16 games getting 15 points which includes 5 goals, 9 assists. Kostitsyn is expected to play on the 2nd line with his brother Andrei Kostitsyn and Glen Metropolit. Kostitsyn will play his 53rd game on the Habs this season on Tuesday in the Bell Center against the Thrashers.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

HABS FANS CHANT CARBONNEAU, AS THE HABS FALL 5-2 TO THE LEAFS



The Montreal Canadiens were down 4-0 when the Hab fans were chanting Carbonneau (who was fired by Gainey on March 6th). last night when the Habs were down 3-0 Gainey did what Carbonneau was criticized for shuffling his lines (which lead to 2 goals by Maxim Lapierre). But the Canadiens could not complete the comeback as they fall 5-2 to the Leafs."The NHL is a lot about momentum and we don't have it now, or we have it, but it's going in the wrong direction," said Gainey. "We've allowed it to go against us.Until it's stopped, until we have more players playing better for a bigger chunk of a 60-minute game, we'll continue to have problems."

"I have called individual meeting, to players who are just not cutting it,"Gainey added. With the lose the Canadiens have lost five in a row for the first time since the 2006-07 season."We didn't show the emotions that we needed to show in a game like this at this point in the season,"Koivu said. " Their were times that we let things go in that should not have went in. But Toronto has a good team,they just out played us."The only good news for the Habs is that the Panthers did not win, because if they were to win the Canadiens would be in 9th place. So the big question is are they going to call up Marc Denis from the Bulldogs before the Playoffs start? Well Just have to wait and see.

Race for the Playoff scores:
BUF 3, NYR 5
WAS 1, CAR 4
CLB 3, FLA 1

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Saturday, March 21, 2009

More Problems with The Canadiens


According to L'organisation du CH,Higgins is being investigated for a rape that happened in a club. Carey Price is being investigated for having relations with a minor. According to L'organisation du CHthe charges have been droped. L'organisation du CH is also saying Gainey is trying to buy some time for the investigation." It's typical of CH to spread rumors,they should know better to be watching what they say," Jacques Demers of RDS said about L'organisation du CH. It's still a unknown factor if what L'organisation du CH say is true but only time will tell if it is true.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Gainey Has Made A Few Things Clear to The Media



This Morning after the Canadiens practice, Bob Gainey announced that the next Canadiens coach has to be French Speaking."I don't think it's a surprise to anyone that the coach of the Canadiens would preferably be able to address everybody in their language," Gainey said Friday. "It is part of the reality of this franchise and the community we work in." When asked by the media who would be the next Canadiens coach he simply replaied:"I have not even thought about that yet, he said. "Right now I'm focusing on getting my team into the Playoffs."

Jaroslav Halak is going to get the start in goal tonight against the Leafs. Halak has a 2-0 record versus the Maple Leafs this season.Mike Komisarek and forward Andrei Kostitsyn are expected to be healthy scratches for tonights game."He's hesitating in his play," said Gainey about Komisarek. "When he has a chance to be first on the puck along the boards, he doesn't get there." The puck drop for tonights game will be at 7:08pm E.T on CBC and RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Friday, March 20, 2009

Guess who will not be playing tomorrow when the Habs host the Leafs.



After Jaroslav Halak had to replace Carey Price in the 5-4 lose to the Senators on Thursday, Gainey has decided that Halak will start on Saturday against the Leafs.Bob Gainey has also decided to change the defensive pairings, he will put Mike Komisarek with Mathieu Dandenault and Roman Hamrlik will be playing alongside Ryan O’Byrne. Gainey is also going to keep most likley keep Andrei Kostitsyn and Matt D’Agostini out of the lineup.Montreal tough guy Georges Laraque could make his return to the lineup on Saturday night against the Leafs, and he is expected to play alongside Glen Metropolit and Gregory Stewart.

“The only thing that is certain right now is that Jaroslav will be in nets,” explained Gainey. “With the exception of Francis Bouillon, I have all of our players available to me right now. Three or four players played below their potential on Thursday in Ottawa and that influenced the three or four other players they were out there with. I haven’t decided 100% what my lineup will be yet, but I will be able to confirm that after tomorrow’s morning skate, when I know whether or not certain players have gotten the message.”

Bob Gainey also had talked about Josh Gorges needing to have a better attitude about getting the puck away from the oposition.“At this point in the season, battles aren’t as much about technique as they are about your attitude. You need to go in with the attitude that “It’s my puck”. You need to have that killer instinct.” The game between the Leafs and the Canadiens will be at 7:08pm E.T on CBC and RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo
Photo By Angelo Di Pardo

Mike Komisarek wants to stay in Montreal



This summer, Montreal Defenseman Mike Komisarek will be an unrestricted free agent, but Komisarek will like to stay in Montreal for a long time. "I would like to stay in Montreal for at least for a few more years at least,"Komisarek told the media.Matt Keator (Komisarek's agent) said that contract negotiations will not take place until this summer. Komisarek is only making $1.9 million dollars this season, and is expected by sources to make double if he stays on the Canadiens next year.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

HABS DROP 4 STRIAGHT, DUE TO BAD PLAY BY PRICE



Thought the game, the Montreal Canadiens were playing great hockey, but they got absolutely no help from Goalie Carey Price. Price was pulled from the game just 3 minutes into the second period after giving up 4 goals on 15 shots. Jarolslav Halak was put in goal, and he played a great game givinng up 1 goal on 24 shots in the 5-4 lose to the Senators. After the game Price was near tears about his performance. "I'm not happy about it, especially at this time of the year, you know. It's not very much fun," said Price, who's lost both of his previous two starts and battled the puck often Thursday against Ottawa. "I've got to take responsibility. I can't be letting goals in. It's a group effort, but I've got to play better."

Jasion Spezza had 2 goals in the Sens victory."We played a good game and they played pretty solid, too," Spezza said. "We had lots of chances, they had lots of chances, it was a bit of an open game, something that we haven't had lately, so it's a good game to win." Danelil Alferson and Jarko Ruttu also Scored for the Sens. Guillaume Latendresse had two goals for Montreal, Tom Kostopoulos had a goal and two assists and Alex Tanguay also scored."It just felt like the opportune time to try and get the momentum of the game stopped by changing goalies," Gainey said. "Halak took the brunt of the momentum when he went in the net. He faced four or five really difficult scoring opportunities and held us there. We did get back in the game." The Canadiens next game will be on Saturday against the Leafs.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Do The Canadiens Have A Stanley Cup Team?



The Big question is still yet to be answered,Will the Canadiens go far in the Playoffs? The answer could either be a yes or a no. If the Canadiens do go far in the Plyoffs it would be because Carey Price plays well, If the Canadiens powerplay starts to score, and if they get goal from the back end. So far this season the Canadiens Powerplay (Which sits 18th in the league right now) has inproved due to Andrei Markov and Matthieu Schenider who constantly pick up either Powerplay goals or assist almost every time the Canadiens play.Kovalev scored around 15-16 Powerplay goals last season, but this season it was a different story, he has only score 3 powerplay goals this season.

If the Canadiens want their powerplay to be like the 06-07 season or the 07-08 season Kovalev has to get more powerplay goals then he has right now.Even thought the Canadiens powerplay is 18th in the league, they are still doing some positive things on the powerplay like for E.X Andrei Markov leads the league in Powerplay assists.The Canadiens will also need to have not a single injury in the playoffs. I'm telling you right now if Robert Lang does not return by playoff time they will have problems offensivly. Time will only tell if the Canadiens have will host the Stanley Cup this year for the first time this decade.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo
Photo By Andrew Di Pardo

The Canadiens sign Olivier Fortier to a 3-year contract



Today the Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced that he has signed forward Olivier Fortier to a three-year contract, Which will last from 2009-2012.Oliver Fortier was selected in the third round by Bob Gainey (the Canadiens coach & General Manmager), 65th overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. This season, Fortier is the captain of the Rimouski Oceanic. Fortier has 35 points which includes eight goals and 27 assists this season. The five-foot-10 182-pound centre has returned on Febuary 11th 2009 after missing 40 games with a knee injury. He will most likley not finish this season with the Habs as he will look to finish the season with the Rimouski Oceanic.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

CANADIENS WILL LOOK TO GET BACT ON TRACK TONIGHT IN OTTAWA


The Canadiens fired coach Guy Carbonneau on March 9 to start fresh from their losing ways, but losing has continued. Bob Gainey has lost 3 of 4 games since talking over as coach. The Canadiens latest lose was on Tuesday against the Rangers in a shootout."We had guys who were working hard,"Montreal center Maxim Lapierre said. "I know we didn't get the two points, that's not a good thing, but we did get one big point that keeps us in the race."Gainey was not at all disappointed with the lose."It was a good game for us," Gainey said "We didn't give up, but it was hard because we never had a lead.We were always trailing. I thought we should have attacked and scored more goals, especially at home in a very important game. But we gave ourselves a chance to win after three periods,and that's a good thing."

The Senators, will look to win there 3 straight game, but the Canadiens have won 6 straight games against the Sens. The Senators will have their work cut-out for them tonight." Every time we faced the Canadiens they were ready and came out with effort, we just have to match that effort tonight if were going to win," the Senators coach Cory Clouston told the media. Brian Elliot will start in goal tonight for the Sens. As for the Canadiens Carey Price will start for them. The game will start at 7:08pm E.T on Sportsnet-W and on RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo
Photo taken By Andrew Di Pardo

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

CARBONNEAU ADDRESSES MEDIA FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE BEING FIRED



Today, Former Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau adressed the media for the first time since being fired. So the media asked Carbonneau "Why did you wait untill to today to talk to the media?" SO he responded: "I wanted to have a people at my Birthday party."Put all jokes aside, it was clear that a part of him still hurt."I'm definitely not happy," he said of general manager Bob Gainey's decision on March 9 to fire him. "I didn't expect it.I thought we were going in the right direction, despite the fact that we were struggling for a while. Upset? It's the first time I got fired, so it's new to me.

"But everybody that knows me knows I'm a pretty positive person. The sun always comes up, and gives you another chance." Carbonneau also said how proud he was of what he accomplished the past 2 seasons as head coach. There are rumors that if the Stars don't make the playoffs this year, Carbonneau will be the next coach of the Stars.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

Other NHL news:Martin Brodeur broke Patrick Roy's record last night in New Jersey`s game against the Blackhawks.

Habs battle hard, but fall 4-3 in a shootout against the Rangers



Thought the game, it was all back and forth hockey action. Antropov scored his 25th of the season to put the Rangers up 1-0 early in the Second.I was at the Canadiens morning skate and Kovalev was practicing his 1 timers, so guess what Kovalev did in the game he scored a one timer on the powerplay (his 17th goal of the year) to tie the game at 1-1. Then early in the second the Canadiens were down 2-1 when Maxim Lapierre scored for the Canadiens on a great deke to tie the game at 2-2. Chris Drury later put the Rangers up a goal, until Andrei Markov tied the game again. The game eventually went to a shootout,when Markus Naslund, Nik Antropov and Chris Drury all scored for New York. while Alex Kovalev and Andrei Markov scored for the Canadiens, but Andrei Kostitsyn was stopped by Lunquist.

"It's a tough building to play in and we knew they'd come out strong with some of the things that have gone on here," said Rangers coach John Tortorella. "We found a way to win.""It was a good game for us," Gainey said "We didn't give up, but it was hard because we never had a lead.We were always trailing. I thought we should have attacked and scored more goals, especially at home in a very important game. But we gave ourselves a chance to win after three periods."Thought the game, the crowd booed Sean Avery of the Rangers each time he touched the puck. The Canadiens next game will be tomorrow against the Senators.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo
Photo taken By Andrew Di Pardo

Monday, March 16, 2009

YOU WILL NEVER GUESS WHY KOMISAREK ISN'T PLAYING WELL



sources say, ever since komisarek got nailed into the boards on January 29th 2009, he has been playing with cracked ribs. Montreal coach and GM Bob Gainey does not want to take him out of the lineup beacuse there's no other defensemen in the Bulldogs lineup that can play like him. komisarek is expected to play tomorrow against the Rangers.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Higgins got his "A" taken away due to a Club Incident



In January, Chris Higgins went to a club and got drunk. He got his bill back and the price was over $8000.00 dollars,so he said "Are you Crazy I'm not paying this." So the owner of the club did not want to adress the media about this issue so they told Gainey to take Higgins "A" away from him. This is just 1 of the many problems the Canadiens had this season.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

P.S Sources for this story can not be adressed to the media

Sunday, March 15, 2009

BRODEUR TIES ROY'S ALL TIME WINS RECORD


Martin Brodeur made history in Montreal last night, by winning game 501 in his career. Brodeur now shares the All-time win record with St.Patrick (Patrick Roy).Brodeur received a long post-game standing ovation from the sellout crowd at the Bell Center."This is definitely the best setting there was for me to tie Patrick's record - in Montreal," said Brodeur. "With the attention of the media, people could get a taste of it.I don't want to offend anyone, but Montreal is what hockey's all about, and for me to be here for this, it's definitely a perfect day for me." Patrick Roy took a night off from coach in the Quebec league to come down to the Bell Center and see if Brodeur would tie his record.

"It was important for me to come and talk to him and express to him how happy I am for him," said Roy. "I know how hard he had to work to get there. He deserves it all.I'm very happy to be here to see that moment. I think it's great for the game of hockey."Patrick Elias and Brian Rolston scored in the first period and Jamie Langenbrunner added a late goal in the 3rd period for the Devils.Tomas Plekanec scored the lone goal for Montreal in the 3-1 lose. Brodeur can brake Roy's record on Tuesday in New Jersey against the Blackhawks.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Saturday, March 14, 2009

BRODEUR LOOKS TO TIE ROY'S RECORD TONIGHT IN MONTREAL



Tonight in Montreal, Brodeur will look to tie Roy's record for most career wins. The Canadiens Interim Coach & General Manager Bob Gainy will look to get his players to make Brodeur wait another day to Tie Roy's Record."I think we will be doing our best to see that what ever millstone he's trying to get to doesn't happen tomorrow,"Gainy told the media on Friday. When Gainy was asked by a TSN reaporter: where does Brodeur rank under star goalies like Roy and Dryden? He simply responded:" I don't have an opinion." Brodeur is ecstatic about trying to tie Roy's record in his home town."There's something to be excited about now," Brodeur said. "I'm happy I get to go to Montreal for a chance to tie the record. It just adds to the story. You can't ask for a better script to a certain extent."

After the Devils beat the Coyotes 5-2 on Thursday, he looked at the schedule relizing he could tie the record in Montreal and then come back home and beat the Record. "I looked at the schedule, and everyone said, "You can do it in Montreal." I thought, "Well, I've got to win seven games, and that's a lot of games to win after you don't play for four months.Tonight's game is going to be emotional not just for me, but for my friends and family who have been around me for all of these years - to see that happening in front of their eyes," Brodeur said. "I've been fortunate to have a lot of success and this game will have a bit of pressure. I'm happy I'll be able to live it with my friends and family."The puck drop for tonights game will be at 7:08pm E.T on CBC-M,RDS And MSG-NewJersey.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

Friday, March 13, 2009

Who will play tomorrow against the Devils?



Bob Gainy had made the decision to give Jaroslave Halak another go tomorrow night against the Devils(Halak had won 4 straight games before sitting out with the Flu). Alex Kovalev will sit out for the second straight game, due to the team doctors saying that he is "considered to be contagious." Tom Kostopulus will miss the next game due to a therapy day. So that means that Guillaume Latendresse will plahy tomorrow against the Devils.“Guillaume is among the forwards available to me on Saturday,” said Bob Gainey. “We will make a decision on Saturday as to who will make up our lineup against the Devils."

Patrice Brisebois is set to play his 1,000th career game tomorrow.“There are milestones in a player’s career that deserve to be recognized and playing 1,000 NHL games is one of them,” explained Gainey, who will make room for "Breezer" by sitting Ryan O'Byrne, “It’s a testament to Patrice's longevity and his performance and to be able to stay and compete and to be a good enough player to be in the NHL and play 1,000 games. I’m glad Patrice can reach that milestone here where he started his career.”

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Other NHL News:BRODEUR PULLS WITHIN ONE WIN OF ROY'S RECORD



Last night in New Jersey, the Devils beat Coyotes 5-2. The win has put Brodeur in position to return to his home town (Montreal)and play for something more important than just a win, Patrick Roy's record for most career wins by a goaltender."Now, there's something to really get excited about, with the possibility of tying it on Saturday," Brodeur said after the Devils set a franchise record with their ninth straight home win. "I'm happy we won and I'll be very happy to tie it in Montreal.It just adds to the story. You can't ask for a better script. Everything happens for a reason. I just want to be able to put this all behind me. It feels good to be back playing and to get a chance like this." The Montreal Canadiens were the first team that Patrick Roy Played on.Patrick

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

P.S.Roy has 551 wins, and Martin Brodeur has 550 wins.

Canadiens get booed after a 3-2 O.T lose to the Islanders



After Kyle Okposo (of the Islanders) scored in O.T, the fans of the Canadiens booed the Canadiens off of the ice. This was a disappointing lose for the Canadiens against the worst-team in the NHL. "I think our team is hard to read," Gainey said. "Our guys are trying, but they're not always trying the right way. It's difficult for them when we play five, six, seven consecutive minutes and we're not able to generate anything except moving the puck out of our own zone. But our players are ready to play. They want to play, they want to do well," Montreal interim coach & General Manager Bob Gainy told the media.Mike Iggulden got the first of his NHL career and Frans Nielsen also scored for the Islanders."We've been playing really well lately," Okposo said. "I think that we're one of the hardest working teams that I've seen in the league this year and it's really paying off now."

Tomas Plekanec and Tom Kostopoulos scored for the Habs (who have won 2 of there last 3 games). Montreal goalie Carey Price played a great game for the Canadiens with 36 saves. Price came up big in the second period making 28 saves in that frame. "It seems like in the second period we give the teams a chance to grab momentum.We can't get the puck out of our sown, that's somthing we need to improve on." Saku Koivu told TSN."We were outplayed all over the ice for pretty much the whole game," Gainey said. "Our goaltender was the difference for us after the first period."The Canadiens next game will be on Saturday against the Devils.

Upcoming Habs game:

Saturday:V.S New jersy Devils at 7:00pm E.T
Tuesday:V.S New York Rangers at 7:30 pm E.T
Thursday:A.T Ottawa Senators at 7:30pm E.T

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

BETTMAN WOULD LIKE TO TALK WITH LARAQUE ABOUT FIGHTING



Yesterday at the G.M's meeting, the topic came up about eliminating fights that happen off of faceoffs."The GMs need to find ways to make fighting safer instead of taking fighting out of the game," Laraque said Tuesday in Montreal. "With the instigator rule, you have more cheap shots in the game than ever. Having a 10-minute misconduct won't stop that. They should look at helmets or whatever to make it safer, not more penalties."The NHL commissioner thinks he might be able to convince the Montreal Canadiens tough guy that rule changes proposed by general managers this week aren't actually so bad."I'd like to talk to George about it 1-on-1," he said.

"I think with an in-depth discussion, these rules aren't so far off the mark from things that he would be comfortable with." All the G.M's agree with this idea, but not all of the players are happy about it." safer think it's stupid,It's not going to make fightning, Sean Avery of the New York Rangers said.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Saku Koivu scores game winner in O.T, On Bob Gainey's debut



Thought the first 2 periods of play, the Oilers were dominating the Canadiens (who only had 9 shots though 2 periods). But the Canadiens came out into the 3rd period with a load of confidence, getting 16 shots on Roloston.Koivu scored the tying goal and the winner in overtime, as the Canadiens won 4-3 last night.Gainey (the general manager) went behind the bench last night after firing Guy Carbonneau on Monday to try to get the Canadiens out of a slump that had lasted more than six weeks. "When a team is not as confident as it should be, especially with what happened (the coaching change), just getting that trust back in each other is what we're looking for," said Koivu. "The way he talked to us after the second period, he was not about panicking."

Alex Tanguay and Glen Metropolit also scored for the Canadiens (who have won 2-in-a-row).Andrew Cogliano, Sheldon Souray and Sam Gagner scored for the Oilers. The Oilers have just finished a four game road trip with a record of 1-1-2."We just have to continue to get points and we'll be fine," Oilers forward Shawn Horcoff said. "We have to think positive.They came out hard with their coaching change, but I thought we did a good job in the first period controlling their attack and we did a good job in the second. In the third, I think we sat back to much." The Canadiens next game will be on Thursday against the Islanders.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Gainey's calling the shots



Today at the Canadiens practice, Gainey (the Canadiens G.M &interim coach) called the shots,and made the drills harder than usual.Montreal Captain Saku Koivu knew before the practice fully well that it wouldn’t be your average practice. “All that happened yesterday is a wakeup call for all of us. It’s too bad that Carbonneau ended up paying the price in the end. We all feel responsible and we know that we need to be more consistent with our performances. Hopefully we well get to that point before the playoffs,"Montreal Captain Saku Koivu told RDS.

After talking to his assistants this morning, Gainey has decided to make only a few changes to his lineup.Carey Price will make his third straight start and Patrice Brisebois will be a healthy scratch for tonight's game. Mathieu Dandenault will make his return and take Max Pacioretty’s spot.“Bob has a gift of making any player feel like they’re the best player in the world,” explained Dandenault. “He’s always direct and you always know what to expect from him. Even down to the role players, it’s important to Bob to let them know they are an important part of the team.”

Gainey will reunite defensemen Mike Komisarek and Andrei Markov for tonights game. Mathieu Schneider is going to line up alongside Josh Gorges. Roman Hamrlik will be plaing alongside with Ryan O'Byrne.“I think Andrei and Mike are a great combination: one brings finesse and the other brings grit and toughness,” explained Gainey. “Mike realizes that he has struggled a little bit recently, but he’s ready to get his game back. I’m hopeful that Mathieu and Josh are going to make a great pair back there, too.”

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Monday, March 9, 2009

Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey fires Guy Carbonneau


The Montreal Canadiens have fired head coach Guy Carbonneau and replaced him behind the bench with general manager Bob Gainey. Carbonneau was let go after being the Canadiens coach for 3 years,and being a finalist for the Jack Adams Award last year."Not long ago, I responded to a question: What was the best decision I made as (Canadiens) GM? And hiring Guy was my best decision," Gainey said. "Today this decision might seem contradictory, but in the last eight weeks our performance has been below average, and I believe that a change of the direction at ice level was necessary. With 16 games left in the season, I believe that the change was necessary to maximize our chances of being one of the teams to participate in the playoffs this spring."After finishing first in the Eastern Conference last year, the Canadiens' 100th anniversary season in 2008-09 has had alot of ups and downs. With this change Gainy will try his best to make the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup this season.

"There were certain games when I had a real confusion about the overall performance,it showed up as effort, but I felt like it was emotional engagement to a game," said Gainey. "Our team did not seem to be emotionally engaged."Carbonneau's coaching record with Montreal is the record for most wins as a Canadiens Coach with 124-83-23.In Carbonneau's first 2 seasons as head coach the Canadiens missed the playoffs. But in his 3rd year the Canadiens finished in first place but got elimanated in the second round against the Philadelphia Flyers. Bob Gainey will make his coahing debut tomorrow against the Oilers.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

Sunday, March 8, 2009

The Canadiens beat the Stars by the score of 3-1, with help from Carey Price



Tonight in Dallas, Montreal killed off 10 of 11 penalty's that Carey Fraser (the ref.) called. Montreal goalie Carey Price made 31 saves in the 3-1 victory over the Dallas Stars tonight.The goal scorers for the Habs in tonight's game is as followed, Andrei Kostitsyn (his 23rd goal of the season), Alex Kovalev (his 16th goals of the season) and Chris Higgins (his 9th goal of the season).With the win the Canadiens went up from 6th place in the East to 5th place in the East and improved to 4-12-1 in their last 17 road games. The biggest save of the game was when Price stopped Mike Modano with 16:12 left and made a glove save on James Neal with 10:32 remaining in the 3rd period. Loui Eriksson had the loan goal for the Stars in the 3-1 lose.With the lose, the Stars lost their sixth straight game at home to tie a franchise record set in 1970 in Minnesota.

The Stars got the early goal when Eriksson scored his 32nd on a 5 on 3 powerplay at 4:52 of the first period.Montreal tied it 5 minutes into the second period Kostitsyn scored his 23rd from the slot off Saku Koivu's pass.Dallas had just killed a penalty when Kovalev took a slap shot from the top of the left circle to give the Habs a 2-1 lead. Higgins would add a goal in the 3rd period which would eventually lead to a 3-1 win. The Canadiens will go back home on Tuesday to face the oilers.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

P.S-Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau and assistant coach Kirk Muller are former Stars players. Montreal GM Bob Gainey is a one-time Dallas coach and now the gm of the Habs.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

The top 100 moments in Habs history


1.Retired number worn by Jacques Plante
2 Retired number worn by Doug Harvey
3. Team record for most power play goals in one period, Yvan Cournoyer
4. Retired number worn by Jean Beliveau
5. Retired number worn by Boom Boom Geoffrion
6. 50-goal and 100-point seasons by Guy Lafleur
7. Retired number worn by Howie Morenz
8. Players to win the Conn Smythe (total of nine awards)
9. Retired number worn by Maurice Richard
10. Retired number worn by Guy Lafleur
11. Norris trophies won by Canadiens defensemen
12. Retired number worn by Dickie Moore and Yvan Cournoyer
13. Largest margin of victory in team history, 16-3 over the Quebec Bulldogs on March 3, 1920
14. Patrick Roy’s team record for most consecutive home wins, 1988-89
15. Number Maurice Richard wore at the start of his NHL career
16. Retired number worn by Henri Richard
17. Newsy Lalonde playoff goals in 1918-19, a team record
18. Retired number worn by Serge Savard
19. Retired number worn by Larry Robinson
20. Team record seasons Henri Richard played with the Habs
21. Spot where Saku Koivu was selected overall in 1993
22. Michel Larocque’s team record unbeaten streak, 20-0-2 in 1977-78
23. Retired number worn by Bob Gainey
24. Stanley Cups won by Canadiens
25. Captains or co-captains in team history
26. Maurice Richard regular season hat tricks
27. Road wins in 1976-77
28. Goals by Guy Lapointe in ’73-74, a team record for defensemen
29. Retired number worn by Ken Dryden
30. Head coaches in team history
31. Playoff series against Boston
32. Kjell Dahlin’s team rookie record for goals, 1985-86
33. Spot where 1993 playoff hero John LeClair was selected in '87
34. Bill Durnan career shutouts
35. First-place finishes
36. 40-plus win seasons
37. Year Howie Morenz passed away
38. Wins recorded (reg. season and playoffs) by Steve Penney following his great 1984 playoff
39. Henri Richard’s age when he retired
40. Most losses in a season, ’83-84 and ’00-01
41. Career playoff assists by Pete Mahovlich as a Hab
42. Team record for goalie victories in season; Jacques Plante (’55-56 & ’61-62) and Ken Dryden (’75-76)
43. Frank Mahovlich’s high for goals in his four seasons with Montreal, 1971-72
44. Goals scored by Joe Malone in 1917-18 – in 20 games
45. Playoff points for Claude Lemieux as a Canadien
46. Regular season shutouts by Ken Dryden
47. Jean Beliveau’s career high for goals, 1955-56
48. Career regular season losses by Michel Larocque in 231 games as a Canadien
49. Regular season goals scored by John LeClair with Montreal
50. Maurice Richard became the first player in league history to score 50 goals in a season – ’44-45
51. Goals scored by Stephane Richer in 1989-90, the last Canadien to post 50.
52. Playoff assists by Chris Chelios as a Canadien
53. Wayne Thomas’ team mark for most saves, one game, Mar. 10, ’74 (5-4 win vs PIT)
54. Habs Hall of Famers, including builders
55. Year of the Richard Riot -- March 17
56. The year that started record run of five Cups, 1956-60
57. Team reacord number of shots Wayne Thomas faced March 10, 1974
58. Frank Mahovlich playoff points (in 49 games as a Hab)
59. Playoff assists by Doug Harvey in a Montreal uniform
60. Team record for most goals in a season: Steve Shutt (1976-77) and Guy Lafleur (1977-78)
61. Most shots on goal in game: Feb. 2, 1990 vs PIT (11-1 win)
62. Jacques Plante’s last of six Vezina trophies
63. Brian Engblom’s plus/minus in 1980-81
64. Career playoff goals by Yvan Cournoyer
65. Points for leading scorer two straight seasons: '03-04 (Mike Ribeiro), '05-06 (Alex Kovalev)
66. Assists by Larry Robinson in 1976-77, a team record for defensemen
67. Assists by Mats Naslund in 1985-86, a team mark for left wings
68. Patrick Roy's career-high games, 1993-94
69. Year Serge Savard won the Conn Smythe
70. Patrick Roy playoff victories
71. Team record for points by a rookie: Mats Naslund (’82-83) and Kjell Dahlin (’85-86)
72. Home points in 1976-77; 33-1-6
73. Career playoff points Bob Gainey
74. Maurice Richard’s career high for points, 1954-55
75. Shutouts by George Hainsworth in seven-plus seasons with Montreal
76. All-time postseason appearances
77. Year Larry Robinson won his first of two Norris trophies
78. Jacques Lemaire’s career playoff assists
79. Playoff goals scored by Jean Beliveau
80. Team record playoff victories by Ken Dryden
81. Vincent Damphousse’s team-leading point total, 1996-97
82. Pete Mahovlich’s record for most assists in a season, 1974-75
83. Points compiled by the 1943-44 team, the most in the NHL’s pre-70-game era
84. Bobby Smith’s playoff points as a Hab
85. Points by Larry Robinson in 1976-77, a team record for defensemen
86. Year Patrick Roy won his first of two Conn Smythe’s
87. All-time playoff series victories
88. Keith Acton’s career-high for points, 1981-82
89. Guy Lafleur’s career-best plus/minus, 1976-77
90. Joe Juneau is the Canadien to sport this number.
91. Jean Beliveau’s career high for points, 1958-59
92. Victories by Gump Worsley as aCandien
93. Last time NHL All-Star Game was played in Montreal; Wales 16 Campbell 6
94. Years since “In Flanders Fields” was written (“To you from failing hands we throw the torch; be yours to hold it high”)
95. Consecutive regular games without being shut out, 2/15/06 – 3/10/07
96. Year Bell Centre opened
97. Seconds it took for the Habs to score four goals against Washington on Feb. 4, 1977
98. Playoff games by Chris Chelios when he was with Montreal
99. Number worn by three players on the 1933-34 team, the only time the now-retired number was worn in team history
100. Guy Lafleur became the first Hab to record 100 points in a season when he scored a goal against Washington on March 7, 1975

THRASHERS SHUT OUT CANADIENS BY THE SCORE OF 2-0



The Canadiens were playing a great game, getting pucks to the net, playing great defense, but the problem was they just could not beat Lehtonen (Who made 25 saves)."He was awesome," Thrashers rookie Zach Begosian said. "If he hadn't been on, it could have been a different story." The Canadiens are 2-11-1 in their last 14 games away from Montreal.With Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak out with the flu, Carey Price made 26 stops but fell to 0-6-1 in his last seven games."With a good performance like this from Carey, unfortunately we can't score goals," Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said.

This is just the second shutout Montreal has faced this season. The last one was a 3-0 defeat against the Capitals in November."It's frustrating for him and us, but I think our effort tonight was better than at Buffalo."Carbonneau said he was encouraged that his team "worked for 60 minutes and gained confidence" against Atlanta."We keep working like this, we'll be OK," he said. The Canadiens next game will be on Sunday against the Stars at 6:00pm E.T on RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Thursday, March 5, 2009

WHAT'S WRONG WITH PRICE? HE GIVES UP 5 GOALS AGAIN


Montreal goalie Carey Price was not playing that great last night as he gave up 5 goals on 27 shots as the Sabers blow-out the Canadiens by the score of 5-1.Price has gone 0-5-1 in his past six games, allowing 28 goals."It's just the way it's going right now," Price said. "I didn't feel that great to be honest. I felt a little rusty. I have to play better." The Canadiens were dominating the Buffalo Sabers for the majority of the game but just could not score on Sabers goalie Patrick Lalime (who made 38 saves on 39 shots)."If we can't adjust to play on the road, then we don't deserve to be in the playoffs," coach Guy Carbonneau said."I mean 18 shots in the first period and we were down by one goal. We had chances, but we didn't get the bounces we deserved. ... We just didn't sustain it in the second period."Since Halak is out with the flu, Marc Denis will most likely jet the start on Friday against the Thrashers.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

GAINEY DECIDE NOT TO DEAL ANYONE ON DEADLINE DAY


The Montreal Canadiens general manager (Bob Gainey) made no moves today, as he already made moves because he already made moves in the previous two weeks."We weren't out kicking tires," Gainey said. "I think it's a message to our players, a vote of confidence for the players that we have, that many of them that have been sidelined with injuries or were not having the seasons they hoped for, that now is the time to get there.We weren't anxious to move players." When Gainy was asked: Why didn't the players that wanted to be moved be moved? He simply responded:"The player who asked if they could be moved found no takers among the 29 other clubs." He said. Mathieu Dandenault( who asked Gainey to be traded),will sit the rest of the season in the dog house.

Two weeks ago, he sent two draft picks to Atlanta for 39-year-old Mathieu Schneider to help out the Canadiens powerplay.Last week, Gainey picked up Glen Metropolit on waivers from Philadelphia to add a center to take Lang's place until his return. They also trade Begin to the Stars for Janik. Gainey had no intention of add any more players today."We feel we have good depth at each of the positions - in goal, on defence and with our forwards," Gainey said. "I think the crisis we went through where we were losing a string of games may have been part of the motivation to make changes earlier rather than later.We've got some results from those moves that have taken us out of that and now we're on the other side, we're winning games."

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Tradedeadline 2009


The Trades in bold are the best deals of the day.

4:18 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Toronto Acquires:
– Olaf Kolzig
– Jamie Heward
– Andy Rogers
– 4th round pick

Tampa Bay Acquires:
– Richard Petiot


4:17 pm,Wednesday March 4, 2009

Edmonton acquires:
-Ales Kotalik

Buffalo Acquires:
- 2nd round pick

3:50 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Carolina Acquires:
– Patrick
– Erik Cole

Edmonton Acquires:
O'Sullivan


3:50 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

San Jose Acquires:
– Travis Moen
– Kent Huskins

Anaheim Acquires:
– Nick Bonino
– Timo Pielmeier
– Conditional pick


3:48 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Carolina Acquires:
– Patrick O'Sullivan

Los Angeles Acquires:
– Justin Williams


3:41 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Philadelphia Acquires:
– Kyle McLaren

San Jose Acquires:
– 6th round pick


3:38 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Carolina Acquires:
– Erik Cole

Edmonton Acquires:
– Patrick O'Sullivan
– Ales Kotalik


3:36 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Florida Acquires:
– Steve Eminger

Tampa Bay Acquires:
– Noah Welch
– 3rd round pick


3:36 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Florida Acquires:
– Steve Eminger

Tampa Bay Acquires:
– Noah Welch
– 3rd round pick


3:33 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Anaheim Acquires:
– James Wisniewski
– Conditional pick

Chicago Acquires:
– Samuel Pahlsson


3:30 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Columbus Acquires:
– Kevin Lalande

Calgary Acquires:
– 4th round pick


3:18 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Anaheim Acquires:
– Erik Christensen

Atlanta Acquires:
– Eric O'Dell


3:06 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Buffalo Acquires:
– Dominic Moore

Toronto Acquires:
– 2nd round pick (via Carolina)


2:56 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

NY Rangers Acquires:
– Derek Morris

Phoenix Acquires:
– Nigel Dawes
– Dmitri Kalinin
– Petr Prucha


2:50 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

NY Rangers Acquires:
– Nik Antropov

Toronto Acquires:
– 2nd round pick
– Conditional draft pick

2:44 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Philadelphia Acquires:
– Daniel Carcillo

Phoenix Acquires:
– Scottie Upshall
– 2nd round pick

2:00 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Pittsburgh Acquires:
– Bill Guerin

NY Islanders Acquires:
– Conditional draft pick

1:22 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Boston Acquires:
– Mark Recchi
– 2nd round pick (2010)

Tampa Bay Acquires:
– Matt Lashoff
– Martins Karsums

12:49 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Boston Acquires:
– Steve Montador

Anaheim Acquires:
– Petteri Nokelainen


12:44 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Calgary Acquires:
– Olli Jokinen
– 3rd round pick

Phoenix Acquires:
– Matthew Lombardi
– Brandon Prust
– 1st round pick


12:29 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Toronto Acquires:
– Erik Reitz

NY Rangers Acquires:
– Waiver claim


12:27 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Dallas Acquires:
– Brendan Morrison

Anaheim Acquires:
– Waiver claim


12:24 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Pittsburgh Acquires:
– Craig Adams

Chicago Acquires:
– Waiver claim

12:21 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Toronto Acquires:
– Martin Gerber

Ottawa Acquires:
– Waiver claim

12:02 pm, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Buffalo Acquires:
– Mikael Tellqvist

Phoenix Acquires:
– 4th-round pick (2010)


1:43 am, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Calgary Acquires:
– Jordan Leopold

Colorado Acquires:
– Ryan Wilson
– Lawrence Nycholat
– 2009 2nd round pick (from Montreal)



11:33 am, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Pittsburgh Acquires:
– Andy Wozniewski

St. Louis Acquires:
– Danny Richmond


9:56 am, Wednesday March 4, 2009

Ottawa Acquires:
– Pascal Leclaire
– 2nd round pick

Columbus Acquires:
– Antoine Vermette

Canadiens recall Marc Denis from the Hamilton Bulldogs


The Canadiens announced today that goaltender Marc Denis was recalled from the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs. He will take part in the Canadiens practice today in Buffalo. He will not be playing in the game unless the Canadiens trade either Carey Price or Jaroslav Halak.Marc Denis appeared in one game with the Canadiens this season, turning away six of the seven shots he faced in 20 minutes of ice time on January 2, 2009, in New Jersey.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Monday, March 2, 2009

Who will The Canadiens get at the Trade Deadline?


There are rumors that the Anaheim Ducks might be willing to trade Chris Pronger to the Montreal Canadiens for Saku Koivu. Pronger would be just what the Canadiens are looking for, he's big and tough and has a hard shot(which would help their powerplay).But I think the Habs should not trade Koivu for him I think they should Trade Josh Gorges and Chris Higgins for Pronger.There are also rumors that the Canadiens will trade Matthieu Dandenault to the Ottawa Senators for Chris Neil. Dandenault asked Canadiens general manager Bob Gainy to be traded a few weeks ago,and there will be no doubt that he will most likely be traded by Wedsnday (Most Likely to the Senators).

The Canadiens are looking for some toughness for the playoffs and Sources say Neil would be the perfect fit.Just think about it the Bruins and Flyers would have a hard time with guys like Komisarek, Pronger, Laraque and Neil together. The Canadiens are also looking for a forward and Daniel Briere will be the kinda guy the Canadiens are looking for. The trade deadline is on March 4th 2009.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Canadiens Sign Andrew Conboy to a three-year contract



The Canadiens General Manager Bob Gainey announced today that they have signed forward Andrew Conboy to a three-year contract. which will last from the 2009-2010 season to the 2011-2012 season.Conboy was the Canadiens’ fifth-round pick, 142nd overall, in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. He weighs 200 ponds and his is 6-foot-4,he is a left handed shooter. This season he has recorded zero goals and one assist and has served four penalty minutes in seven games with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. Conboy also has 42 goals and 46 assist in 114 games through 2006-2008 with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Other NHL news:Brodeur gets his 100th Shutout in a 3-0 win over the Flyers


Brodeur earned his 100th NHL regular-season shutout with a 27-save performance as the Devils blank the Flyers 3-0 today.Brodeur has 2 shutouts in the last 3 games since returning from injury.It was also Brodeur's 547th career victory, moving Brodeur to within 4 wins of Patrick Roy's league record."It's a big number, it's kind of hard to believe," Brodeur said of his shutout total. "You get to different numbers and at times you think, 'OK, it's just another one.When you get to a round number, it looks more impressive." Brodeur has stopped 46-of-48 shots in 3 games since returning from ingury.He also has 4 shutouts in 13 games this season."Any goalie, that's your dream team in front of you, one that scores goals and is responsible defensively," Brodeur said. "I don't think we are cutting corners in our own zone.

The save of the game was when Brodeur slid across his crease to stop Richards in close after he was set up by Gagne."I was by myself with Brodeur and saw Richie on the corner on the left side. I thought it would be open net for him," Gagne said. "I thought he read the play pretty good and Marty made a great save on that." With the Flyers lose, the Montreal Canadiens will stay within 1 point of the Flyers for the 4th spot in the East. If the Flyers continue to lose and the Canadiens continue to win, the Canadiens would finish in 4th place in the East.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo