SCHNEIDER SCORES OT WINNER AS CANADIENS DEFEAT THE FLYERS

Schneider did what Montreal wanted him to do when they acquired him from Atlanta. Score on the Power-play.Schneider scored with a man advantage at 3:21 of overtime to give the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory over Philadelphia last night.''I just tried to hang on and just get a wrister through with a screen,'' Schneider said. Scottie Upshall was upset with the ref.beacuse he got called for goalie interference in Overtime (Which eventually lead to Schneider's game winner).Upshall argued the call and said it was unfair, especially so late in OT.''I didn't think I went in and intentionally hit the goalie,'' Upshall said. ''From one angle, it looked like I might have clipped the back of his mask, but I know I hit the back of his leg.I got tripped."The Flyers outshot the Canadiens 37-31 in regulation. But were unable to score on 8 powerplays.''Special teams was the difference and they won it,'' Flyers coach John Stevens said.

Flyers golie Niittymaki stopped 32 shots in the lose.Habs golie Halak made 35 saves in the win.The Flyers placed Metropolit on waivers to clear salary cap space for Briere, then saw him immediately picked up by Montreal."You know how they say, no friends on the ice," Metropolit said. "I just tried to compete tonight and just worry about the task at hand."The Canadiens next game will be tonight against the Sharks at 7:00pm E.T on CBC and RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Canadiens pick up METROPOLIT off of waivers

Flyers have cleared some cap space with the Canadiens picking up Glen Metropolit off of waivers.Metroplit has 4 goals and 10 assist in 55 games this season on the Flyers,before the Canadiens picked him up."Glen is a seasoned veteran who played very well against us in last year's playoffs against the Bruins," said Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey. "We are very pleased to have him on our roster." Metropolit wore number 13 when he played for the Flyers,Since Alex Tanguay presently wears number 13 Metropolit will have to wear number 15. (The number that Montreal Legend Maurice Richard (the Rocket) wore before he changed his number to number 9).Metropolit will make his debut tonight against the Flyers.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

CANADIENS TRADE BEGIN TO STARS FOR JANIK

The Montreal Canadiens have traded Steve Begin to the Dallas Stars for defenceman Doug Janik.Begin has played 42 games this season for the Canadiens, and recorded 6 goals and 4 assists. "Steve is a gritty, honest player with a very strong work ethic," said Stars Co-General Manager Les Jackson in a statement. "He's good on the penalty kill and he is a competitor in every sense of the word. We think he'll be a very good addition to our group as we continue to fight toward the playoffs."Janik is 28 years old, he has spent half of the season with Rockford of the AHL. He has one assist in 13 games on the Stars.

"Throughout his five seasons in the Montreal Canadiens' jersey Steve Begin has been a proud competitor who dedicated himself to the team," said Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey in a statement. "As an organization, we are grateful to Steve for his play on the ice as well as his involvement in the Quebec community. We wish Steve the very best with the Dallas Stars. Doug Janik, obtained by the Canadiens in return for Bégin, is a solid defenseman who brings 159 games of experience at the NHL level and who will add depth to our group of defencemen." He will make his Canadiens debut Friday in Philadelphia against the Flyers.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

DANDENAULT AND LARAQUE ASKS TO BE MOVED BY CANADIENS

Today winger Steve Begin was traded, sources say Montreal Canadiens defenceman Mathieu Dandenault and Georges Laraque may be the next to go."I would never ask for something like that (a trade) at this time of the year," Laraque said when asked about the possibility of a deadline deal. "I want to make it work but at at the same time I'm a hockey player and I need to be playing.I don't know where everything is going right now, I haven't been playing since I've been back and I would just assume that if my role isn't required then I wouldn't be surprised if they had to move me."Dandenault is in the final year of a three year contract that pays him $1.75 million per season and depending on the return, moving him could help Montreal create cap space for any additional trades for the deadline.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

HALAK GETS A SHUTOUT AS THE CANADIENS WIN 3-0

Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau gave Halak a chance to shine in goal as Carey Price struggled to win."He's been waiting for the chance for a long time," Carbonneau said after Halak's 34-save performance gave the Canadiens a 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday night. "It's unfortunate for someone like (No. 1 goalie) Carey Price, but hopefully Halak will grab the bull by the horns and win us five, six or seven games in a row." Yesterday, Carbonneau told reporters he had given Price enough chances and that he would ride Halak as long as he keeps on winning games.Halak responded with his first shutout of the Season and his first Shutout since Saturday March 15, 2008."I'm not looking at what's in the newspapers, I'm just trying to focus on the game," the 23-year-old Halak said. "It's just nice to win two in a row. It's been a while." Halak's right it has been a while, because the last time the Canadiens recorded 2 straight wins was on January 17th 2009.

Tomas Plekanec had a goal (his 16th goal of the season) and an asisst, Andrei Markov had a powerplay goal (his 8th goal of the season) and Maxim Lapierre added an empty-net goal (his 11th goal of the season) in the 3-0 Victory. "It was really an uneventful night for me - I was pretty bored," said Luongo, a Montreal native who shut out the Canadiens on his last visit two seasons ago. "We played hard and spent most of the night in their zone." "I thought we played a good game, to be honest," added Canucks veteran Mats Sundin, whose team capped a four-game road trip. "We've been on the road for almost 10 days and we came out with that kind of effort. But it was all missed opportunities tonight." Every time Sundin touched the puck he would get bood by the Canadiens fans.The Canadiens killed the two-minute 5-on-3 (in the first)and just as it was about to end, Saku Koivu stole the puck from Kyle Wellwood, then poked it past Bieksa to Plekanec who was coming out of the box. Plekanec beat Luongo glove side for the first goal of the game which became the game winning goal.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

MORE NEWS ON THE INJURY'S OF THE CANADIENS

Robert Lang (achillies tendon):

Robert Lang met with the media for the first time since he last injured his achillies tendon on Febuary 1st against the Bruins."It was a strange feeling for sure, and kind of scary at first. The sensation was nothing like I’d ever had before. But stuff happens in this game, you just have to fight through it,” said Lang, who has missed 10 games and counting. “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.”He is expected to return on April 19th against the Penguins.

Alex Tanugay (injured shoulder):

Tanguay has been skating with the Canadiens throughout the week. He said that he might play tonight against the Canucks.“I’m feeling good. I’ll meet with team doctors today to hopefully get the green light,” he noted. “There haven’t been any issues movement-wise. My power isn’t back at full force just yet but I didn’t expect to be back at 100% anyhow.“I’m just anxious to get back and help the team.”Before Tanguay got hurt he lead the Canadiens with 6 power-play goals.

Francis Bouillon (groin):

Bouillon will be out for at least 4 weeks with a groin injury.“You always hope for the best but it’s definitely frustrating,” admitted Bouillon. “We’re saying weeks but there’s no timetable yet. I’ve had groin injuries in the past but when it happened, I knew it was pretty bad.”


Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Game Preview:Vancover Canucks A.T Montreal Canadiens

The Canadiens got back on track on Saturday with a much needed win over the Senators. Alex Kovalev recorded 3 points in that game with a goal and 2 assist. Montreal Coach Guy Carbonneau was not Surprised with Kovalevs preformence."That's the kinda player he is. If he works he's a good player." Guy Carbonneau told the media on Saturday. Kovalev will look to play hard again tonight when they face the Canucks. As it stands right now the Habs are in 5th place in the east with 69 points.As for the Canucks, they have won 4 in-a-row coming into this game.They recently sit in 5th place in the west with 68 points. In the last meeting between 5 the Canucks and the Canadiens,the Canucks played terriblebut they still won the game 4-2. The Canadiens will look to get revenge on the Canucks for that heart breaking lose tonight in Montreal at 7:38pm E.T and 4:38pm P.T.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

The Canadiens 24 Stanley Cups

The Canadiens first Stanley cup:

On March 30, 1916, after splitting the first four games of the Stanley Cup Final against Portland, as each team had come away with a pair of wins, the Canadiens and Rosebuds met for the fifth and final game at the Westmount Arena with the evening’s winner to be declared Stanley Cup Champions.

The Second Stanley Cup:

On March 25, 1924, the Canadiens completed an undefeated playoff run, capturing the second Stanley Cup in team history. The rookie Howie Morenz scored a Hat Trick in game 1.Morenz was laid out later in the series by a blow to the chest from Tigers player Herb Gardiner. The Canadiens’ star lay on the ice for several long minutes before being transported to the hospital. Despite their top forward being hurt they still managed to win the Cup.

The Third Stanley Cup:

On April 3, 1930, the Canadiens were on the brink of the biggest playoff upset in NHL history, sitting one game up in the best-of-three Stanley Cup Finals against a Boston Bruins team that had gone 38-5-1 in the regular season. Back in front of friendly fans for the second game after winning a 3-0 stunner in Boston to open the series, the Habs were determined that there would not be a third.Holding a 4-1 lead in game 3, the Canadiens were only 20 minutes away from doing what virtually all the experts said was the impossible, defeating a Boston team that had not lost two games in a row all season. The Canadiens held on to a 4-3 lead which was the final. The victory allowed them claim there third Stanley Cup in team history and Howie Morenz became the first NHLer to record a second Cup-winning goal.

The fourth Stanley Cup:

On April 14, 1931, The Canadiens were looking to win their second straight Stanley Cup in the Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.It was all the offense the team needed as George Hainsworth scored for the Habs and Howie Morenz added a second goal late in the final frame. The 2-0 win meant the Montreal Canadiens had won their fourth Stanley Cup in team history and made them only the second NHL team to repeat as champions.

The fifth Stanley Cup:

Sixty minutes away from ending a 13-year championship drought on April 13, 1944, the Canadiens held a 3-0 series lead over the Chicago Blackhawks going into the fourth game of the 1944 Stanley Cup Finals. The Canadiens were down 4-1 in the third and never gave up, the Canadiens scored 4 unanswerd goals to win 5-4.

The sixth Stanley Cup:

On April 9, 1946, the Canadiens entered the night needing only one more win to capture their second Stanley Cup in three years. Playing at the Forum and down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, Boston took a quick 2-1 lead over Dick Irvin’s squad before Elmer Lach and Ken Mosdell notched a goal apiece to get things back on track for the Canadiens.They would eventually go on to win 6-3 and capture their 6th Stanley Cup.

The Seventh Stanley Cup:

On April 16, 1953, the Canadiens played host to the Boston Bruins for the fifth game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Two nights earlier in Boston, Dick Irvin’s charges had taken a 3-1 lead in the series.In Game 5,Elmer Lach became the hero of the night, scoring 1:22 into overtime, with Maurice Richard assisting on the play that brought the Montreal Canadiens the seventh Stanley Cup Championship in team history.

The eighth Stanley Cup:

On April 10, 1956, the Canadiens hosted the Red Wings for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals, leading Detroit 3-1 in the series. Jacques Plante’s performence was exellent in the game makeing 17 saves in the first 2 periods.Jean Béliveau and Maurice Richard each put a puck past Glenn Hall at the other end of the ice, giving rookie coach Toe Blake’s Habs a two-goal cushion.Bernard Geoffrion added another goal as the Canadiens take the game 3-0 and the series to win their 8th Stanley Cup.

The nighth Stanley Cup:
On April 16, 1957, the Canadiens, holding a 3-1 lead over the Boston Bruins in the Stanley Cup Finals, returned to the Forum for the fifth game of the series wheir they won 5-1. The 5-1 victory meant the Canadiens have won their 9th cup.

The Tenth Stanley Cup:

On April 20, 1958, the Canadiens made the final to Boston to meet the Bruins in the sixth game of that year’s Stanley Cup Finals with Toe Blake’s team needing only one more win to capture their third straight championship. The Canadiens went on to win 5-3 which meant won three straight Stanley Cups.

The eleventh Stanley Cup:

On April 18, 1959, the Canadiens had a chance to write a new chapter of the NHL record book when they hosted the Maple Leafs at the Forum . After taking a 3-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals two days earlier in Toronto, Toe Blake’s team needed just one more win to become the only team in league history to capture four straight Stanley Cups.Holding a four-goal lead, Montreal cruised to a 5-3 victory, earning the 11th Stanley Cup in team history and keeping the coveted trophy in its possession for an unprecedented fourth consecutive year.

The twelfth Stanley Cup:

On April 14, 1960, at Maple Leaf Gardens, the Canadiens were one win short of a perfect postseason and the Toronto Maple Leafs were not about to stand in their way.The Canadiens cruised to a 4-0 victory, Montreal broke their own record, capturing the Stanley Cup for a fifth year in a row, all under Toe Blake’s mentorship.

The thirteenth Stanley Cup:

On May 1, 1965, the Canadiens played host to Chicago in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals the Canadiens won that game 4-0.Goaltender Lorne Worsley took care of things in the Montreal end, thwarting the efforts of Stan Mikita, Bobby Hull and Phil Esposito to finish the game with 20 saves and his second shutout of the Finals.

The Fourteenth Stanley Cup:

on May 5, 1966, the Canadiens were one win away from ending their season by repeating as Stanley Cup Champions. Thanks to 2 goals by Jean Béliveau and Léon Rochefort. But the Red Wings came back with 2 goals in the third.The overtime was a short one. At the 2:12 mark, Henri Richard got the winning goal that was assisted by the "Pocket Rocket".

The Fifteenth Stanley Cup:

On May 11, 1968, The Canadiens were leading 3-0 in the Final series against the St. Louis Blues. The Canadiens won game 4 3-2.The Montreal Canadiens’ 15th Stanley Cup title was the eighth they had won under the direction of Toe Blake, who retired after 13 years behind the bench and exactly 500 regular season victories.

The Sixteenth Stanley Cup:

On May 4, 1969, the Canadiens were poised to sweep Scotty Bowman’s St. Louis Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals for the second year in a row.The Habs won a second consecutive Stanley Cup by the score of 2-1 and the Habs have won four cups in five years for what has become known as the “Forgotten Dynasty".

The Seventeenth Stanley Cup:

On May 18, 1971, the Canadiens met the Blackhawks at Chicago Stadium in the seventh and deciding game of the Stanley Cup Finals.Rookie goaltender Ken Dryden blocked 12 Chicago shots in the final frame, finishing his night with 31 saves. Henri Richard Scored the game winning goal in the Final for the second time in his caeer as the Habs won the cup by the score of 4-3.

The Eighteenth Stanley Cup:

On May 10, 1973, with the Montreal set to meet the Chicago Blackhawks in the sixth game of that spring’s Stanley Cup Finals, the Canadiens were a win away from sipping from the Cup for the second time in three years.The Canadiens won the game by the score of 6-4.

The ninteenth Stanley Cup:

On May 16, 1976, the Canadiens won their 19th Stanley Cup against the Flyers 3-0 in game 4.

The twentieth Stanley Cup:

On April 3, 1977, the Canadiens met the Capitals in Washington, playing the last game of a regular season that most players can only dream of, and leaving the NHL record book in dire need of revision.Guy Lafleur opened the scoring at the 4:21 mark, giving “The Flower” a point or more in a 28th consecutive game, an NHL record he’d hold until Wayne Gretzky beat the record in 1982-83.Larry Robinson, who would later be awarded the Norris Trophy, got an assist which lead the Habs to a 3-0 win.

The Twenty first Stanley Cup:

On May 25, 1978 the Canadiens traveled to Boston to meet the Bruins in the sixth game of the Stanley Cup Finals. Mario Trembley Scored the game winning goal in the 4-1 victory for the Habs.

The twenty Second Stanley Cup:

On May 21, 1979, the Canadiens were a victory away from capturing their first Stanley Cup in front of hometown fans since the spring of 1968.Holding a 3-1 lead in the series against the Rangers, Scotty Bowman’s team had no intention of returning to the Big Apple for a sixth game. Rick Chartraw put the Canadiens ahead with a goal 11 minutes into the first period. Carol Vadnais scored to tie the game at 1.Jacques Lemaire took hold of the offensive reins during the middle frame, notching a pair of goals. Bob Gainey, who would be awarded that year’s Conn Smythe Trophy, added another in the 4-1 victory.

The twenty third Stanley Cup:

On May 24, 1986, a young Canadiens team jumped off a surprising playoff run with Patrick Roy the rookie golie leading the way.Patrick Roy was on his game,allowing his team to take a 2-1 lead into the locker room after 2 periods of play. He would end his night with 30 saves In the Stanley Cup Win.The Canadiens won the game by the score of 4-3.

The most recent Stanley Cup NUMBER 24:

On June 9, 1993, the Canadiens made their way back to the Forum after edging out the Los Kings with two overtime wins in Los Angeles. Patrick Roy finished with 18 saves to his credit, leading the Habs to a 4-1 win and the 24th Stanley Cup in franchise history. In the Cup Run Montreal won 10 Straight overtime games that still stands as the NHL's most O.T wins in-a-row in the Post Season.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Interview with former Montreal Canadiens star Mike McPhee

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Other NHL news:SUNDIN SCORES SHOOTOUT WINNER IN HIS FIRST GAME AGAINST HIS FORMER TEAM

Mats Sundin picked the best way to say good bye to his former team (The Toronto Maple Leafs) by scoring the shootout winner in the 3-2 victory for the Canucks.Earlier in the game when the Leafs fans gave Sundin a standing ovation, a few tears went down Sundin's face. "The ovation from the fans was very special. I'll remember that the rest of my life."There were tears coming," said Sundin. "That was very special." But the most special moment of the evening came when Sundin was named first star and returned to the ice with no teammates beside him. He blew kisses to the Leafs which meant thank you for your support."There's been a buildup for this game," Sundin said moments after giving the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2 win. "All the battles and everything we've gone through over the last 13 years with the Leafs, so many ups and downs and disappointments and happiness. A lot of feelings came to mind on the ice."

"It was a perfect ending," said Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo.Added teammate Kyle Wellwood: "It's just one of those nights where you give Sundin a chance like that, you know he's going to be able to score." Putting all that stuff about Sundin aside, Leafs coach Ron Wilson was happy with the way the Leafs played."I thought we played a good game," said Toronto coach Ron Wilson. "It was high intensity with good end-to-end action."Added forward Dominic Moore: "It was a hard-fought game by both teams. Both goalies were sharp, and it was a nice night for Mats. He got the appreciation he deserved." The Leafs next game will be tonight against the Rangers.The Canucks next game will be on Tuesday in Montreal against the Canadiens.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Kovalev gets 3 points as the Habs beat the Senators by the score of 5-3

Kovalev was not sure if the Habs fans would cheer or boo him today in his return from his 2 game punishment. The fans reacted by cheering him on in the warm up and when he touched the puck.Kovalev responded to the punishment set by Bob Gainey by getting a goal and two assists as the Canadiens beat the Ottawa Senators 5-3 this afternoon.It's nice when you come back and get that much support," said Kovalev. "I didn't know what the expect.But I'm a different person now. I have that hankering to play."The 35-year-old who led the Canadiens in scoring last season said this week he had been battling a flu. He also said he needed to be sat down 2 games,even if he didn't agree with it at the time."The most important thing was that I was able to get the bad thoughts out of my mind that have been building up all year," he said. "You try different things and nothing works and then you get confused, but in the last few days I've been able to clear my mind."Kovalev's goal was his 14th goal of the season.

Tomas Plekanec,scored his fifth goal in five games(his 15th of the season), Mathieu Schneider scored another powerplay goal( his 6th of the season), Patrice Brisebois(Scored his 5th goal of the season) and Mathieu Dandenault (his 2nd goal of the season) also scored for Montreal in its first game back after a dismal 1-4-1 road stretch."My first game here we scored three and I only touched the puck once, so I can't take credit for that," said the 39-year-old Schneider. "It's a good feeling because that was one area in which we were struggling before." Senators coach Clouston was not happy with the lose."They came out strong and got the momentum," said Clouston. "Obviously Kovalev's goal compounded the momentum they had, scoring after what he went through." As for Montreal's coach Guy Carbonneau was not surprise with Kovalev's effort."He's done it before," added Carbonneau. "That's the kind of player he is. When he wants to play hard and he works, he's a really good player."The Canadiens next game will be on Tuesday against the Vancover Canucks.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

MORE NEWS ON CRIMINAL LINKED TO MEMBERS OF CANADIENS

Roman Hamrlik was also involved in the alleged crime that originally just involved the Kostitsyn brothers.Montreal's La Presse newspaper had 5 pages on this story.One of the points in the La Presse newspaper was that the three Canadiens stars are no longer suspects of any criminal activity.

Today,Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey talked to the media about this issue and this is what he had to say:

"I can only go on what I know today, and what I know today is not good. It's not good for our team. It does not reflect well on our team, it does not reflect well on the individuals. It cannot be extinguished as a possible inhibitor to our performance.I'm not naive. I played, I was around, it was a different generation and a different time but when a player does not arrive to perform at his maximum because of his own making he really lets his teammates down.We've made the players aware that this is not the kind of conduct that is part of people in our organization and for them individually as young athletes, as professionals who are trying to attain their goals, that they have to make stronger choices than the person beside them.


We're very concerned because we know that this person who became involved with those players, he's not the only person who wants to find a place to enter the inner area of the hockey team.There are also not good people, who are looking for either trophy friends or the possibility of being close to somebody who earns a million dollars plus, young people who are still developing their ability to reason, take in information, some of them could still be in high school,"he explained.

The Canadiens will look to get back on track at home tomorrow after a lousy road trip where the Habs went 1-4-1.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

P.S Kovalev will play tomorrow against the Senators."Ya he will play tomorrow. I don't see any reason why he shouldn't play. Kovalev is still an important aspect to our team," Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau told the media.

CRIMINAL LINKED TO MEMBERS OF CANADIENS

There's many promblembs on the Ice for the Canadiens but no one would expect that their are problems off the ice.According to Montreal's La Presse newspaper is expected to report in Friday's edition that some members of the team may have a friend that's a criminal who was recently arrested by the by Montreal police.The police have reported that they have recorded a conversation between Mangiola Pasquale(the Criminal)and Andrei Kstitsyn and Sergei Kostitsyn.Mangiola Pasquale made a number of services available to the two young players at bars, including girls and cars. The Montreal Police are still investigating if other Canadiens Players were involved.Their will be more on this story later in the day.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo


P.S The Globe and Mail reported Friday that Alexei Kovalev is expected to rejoin the Canadiens at practice Friday.

The Canadiens fall to the Penguins by the score of 5-4

Sergei Gonchar, playing his third game of the season, took a slapshot scored on Carey Price to put the Pens up 5-4 just after Andrei Kstitsyn and Thomas Plekanec tied the game at 4 apiece.Sergei Gonchar's goal eventually was the game winner as the Penguins win 5-4 over the Canadiens."Our guys were energized, focused and ready to go," Bylsma said. "I think they had a real clear understanding of what was at stake and the way we wanted to play. While it wasn't perfect, I think they sent a message loud and clear." When Dan Bylsma was hired he promised the Pittsburgh Penguins were going to return to their aggressive style of play. He Lived up to that promise in last night's 5-4 victory over the Habs."We were playing aggressive and took advantage of some good chances. It was a pretty high tempo, and that's the way we want to play," said Sidney Crosby, whose quick pass across the slot set up Malkin's 26th goal. "We were reacting out there pretty well, but at the same time we still have a few kinks to work out."

The Canadiens told Alex Kovalev to stay home by Bob Gainy for 2 games that began with a 4-3 shootout loss in Washington on Wednesday night. Kovalev's situation will be talked to today by Bob Gainy, before the Canadiens play Ottawa on Saturday. Carey Price made 23 saves in the lose. As Plekanec scored a pare of goals along with Schneider's powerplay gaol and A.Kostitsyn's 22nd goal of the season in the Lose."We need to start tightening things up, and realize from here on out it's not going to get any easier." said Montreal's Josh Gorges, who broke his stick seconds before Gonchar scored. "We need to stop this from here on out. We've waited too long already."The Canadiens next game will be on Saturday against the Senators.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Game Preview: The Montreal Canadiens at The Pittsburgh Penguins tonight at 7:08pm E.T

Montreal suffered a 4-3 shootout loss to Washington on Wednesday, its 11th defeat in 14 games. Even though the Canadiens lost they still got a much needed point that will put the Habs 1 point up on the Florida Panthers(They sit in 7th in the east) and the Buffalo Sabers(who sits in 8th in the east).In my opinion the Habs should have got the full 2 points in the game as they were out working the Caps in every which way or form.Plekanec even hit the post in overtime.Carey Price made 32 saves on Wednesday in the lose.Mathieu Schneider got 1 assist in his first game back on the Habs since 1994.As for Alex Kovalev he was told to sit home for the last 2 games of this very long Habs road trip."I'm nobody, I don't control anything here," Kovalev said. "All I can promise is hopefully I can come back and play better and help my team...I have no choice," Kovalev said.

As for the Penguins they hired a new coach Dan Bylsma on Sunday. He made his Penguins debut on Family day(Where the Penguins lost in the shootout against the Islanders)."He's really detailed in his systems, and I mean the systems are going to be a drastic change from what we were playing before," Pen's defenseman Brooks Orpik said. "The mentality is he just wants us to be a lot more aggressive in every zone, play on your toes and play with confidence, don't go out there playing not to make mistakes."The puck drop for tonights game will be at 7:08pm E.T on FSN-P,RDS and CBC.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

The Canadiens fall to Alex Ovechkin and the Caps in the shootout

Ovechkin was sliding towards the net with the puck and then he poked the puck past the right pad of Montreal goaltender Carey Price to score, as the Capitals win 4-3 in a shootout last night."It shouldn't surprise any of us," teammate Mike Green said. "He loves to score, and he's going to score no matter how it goes in - if it's on his stomach, back, whatever, he's going to try to score." This is what Ovechkin said about the goal in an interview:"Normal goal. It's not sick,"said with a straight face.And what about that pass to himself?"You have to try something new," said Ovechkin, on pace to score 60-plus goals for the second consecutive season.

As for the Canadiens, they were outplaying the Capitals but was still handed a 4-3 shootout lose. Matheieu Schneider sure helped the Habs powerplay by getting 1 assist on 3 of the Canadiens powerplay goals in his debut."I thought overall we played a great game against a team that was playing extremely well lately and that's been tough to beat at home," Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau said.Montreal played without all-star Alex Kovalev, who was told by Bob Gainy to stay home during the team's two game swing through Washington and Pittsburgh in hopes the rest will help him snap out of a slump. Kovalev will hope that he will be back with the Habs for Saturdays game against the Senators.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

THRASHERS TRADE DEFENCEMAN SCHNEIDER TO HIS FORMER TEAM THE CANADIENS

The Atlanta Thrashers have traded defenceman Mathieu Schneider to the Montreal Canadiens(Schneider's former team).In this deal, the Thrashers get a second round draft pick in 2009 and a third round draft pick in 2010. The Canadiens will not only receive Schneider, but they will also get a draft pick from the Thrashers."We were looking for a defenceman who could contribute offensively," explained general manager Bob Gainey in a media release. "Mathieu, an experienced player with a lot of offensive upside, will bring depth to our core group of defencemen and will be an asset on our power play."I agree 100% with Bob because Ever since the Habs traded Sreit to the Islanders they needed a point man that can score on the Power-Play and I think Shnideiders the man that can do it.

Schneider previously played for the Canadiens from the 1989-90 season until 1995, winning a Stanley Cup with the team in 1993. He was traded to the Islanders in 1995. I'm sure he still has some good memories from when he played on the Habs.This is what Schneider had to say about the trade: “I can’t say that I’m surprised really, there have been a lot of rumors flying around lately and I knew something was going to happen,” admitted Schneider. “To be honest, I was hoping it would be Montreal, but you really never know. Most of the time when you hear a rumor like that, it means that it probably won’t happen.There were only like two or three teams that I wanted to go to with the Canadiens being at the top of that list.” Schneider was ranked second among Thrashers defensemen with 15 points in 44 games this season before being traded to the Habs.Schneider will make his Canadiens debut on Wednesday against the Capitals.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Bob pick up the phone and make a deal,the Canadiens lose again

The Canadiens came out of the gate with a slow start, giving up 15 shots on Halak and only getting 7 shots on Luongo in the first period of play. Daniel Sedin and Alexander Edler ut the Canucks up by 2, until Montreal Captain Saku Koivu notched his 10th of the season putting the Habs within 1 late in the first.Henrik Sedin scored the loan goal in the second two restore the Canucks 2 goal lead.Then in the third Ryan Kesler put the Canucks up by 3. Andrei Kostitsyn would add a late goal to put the Habs within 2 but that's as close as the Habs got as they lose 4-2.

Roberto Luongo finished with 25 saves for the Canucks, who have won five of six since snapping an eight-game losing skid a few weeks ago.Jaroslav Halak made 29 saves before he was replaced by Carey Price(Who made 1 save on 1 shot in his appearance).With the win the Canucks have now not lost to the Canadiens for a 11 straight games.Montreal G.M. Bob Gainy will have to start making some deals if he wants his team to win the Cup this season.The Canadiens road trip will continue on Tuesday when they travel to Washington to face the Capitals.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Game Preview: the Montreal Canadiens at the Vancover Canucks

The Canadiens are coming off a 4-2 win over the Avalanche, Halak made 46 saves in the game.Montreal goalie Carey Price has been struggling going 2-7-0 since the All-Star game. In my opinion Carey Price will most likely sit out for the second straight game tonight against the Canucks because of his poor play. This is now Halak's time to shine, if Halak gives the Canadiens their second straight win you will see him start once again on Tuesday against s the Capitals."The way we've been playing lately, we needed one goalie to step up," Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau said."I think Halak did a great job of that in our last game."The Canadiens will not only look for there second straight win but they will look to snap a ten game win less streak against the Canucks tonight.Halak has never faced the Canucks, but he may be the Canadiens' best chance to build some momentum."We've had some meetings in the last week," Montreal center Saku Koivu said. "You can talk all you want off the ice, but you have to get some wins."

As for the Vancover Canucks, they are trying to get into a playoff spot right now.Ever since the Canucks sighed Mats Sundin they have not been the same team.They have taken more penalties(on average 4 penalties a game) and have given up more goals.But as of late the Canucks have started to slowley turn things around winning 4 of their last 5 games. "We know the race is tight for the playoff spots right now, so we just have to keep it going," Vancouver winger Alex Burrows told the team's official Web site. The puck drop will be at 10:08pm E.T and 7:00pm P.T on PPV and RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Halak kept the Canadiens in the game, as the Canadiens win 4-2

In the 4-2 victory over the Avalanche,Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak stopped 46 shots, including three breakaways."It's tough, when players keep shooting at you,but i'm just happy we came out with a win." Halak told TSN.I have to say the whole 3rd period when the score was 2-1 in favor of the Habs,all the Habs would constantly do was ice the puck.(Whch eventually lead to the game tieing goal.)Andrei Kostitsyn scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:16 remaining in the 3rd, helping the Montreal Canadiens snap a 4 game losing streak and a 7 road game losing streak. Tom Kostopoulos would add an empty net goal which would lead to a 4-2 win.Francis Bouillon and Patrice Brisebois scored the first 2 goals of the game which put the HABS up 2-0.The Canadiens will look to start a wining streak as soon as possible.They will look to beat the Canucks on Sunday night if they do they will have won 2 in-a-row for the first time in 2 weeks.

The Canadiens next 4 games:

Sunday:@THE vancover Canucks at 10pm E.T

Tuesday:@the Washington Capitals at 7:30pm E.T

Thursday:@The Pittsburgh Penguins at 7pm E.T

Saturday:V.S The Ottawa Senators at 3pm E.T


Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Game Preview:The Montreal Canadiens at The Colorado Avalanche

The Montreal Canadiens will hope to put an end to their recent struggles tonight by getting a win against the Avalanche.Montreal, which has not suffered 5 strait loses since a 6-game skid in Febuary of 2007, lost 7-2 to Edmonton on Wednesday night in the second of a season-high 6-game trip."We can talk about bad bounces and breaks, like the fifth (goal), but it seems to happen a lot in the past month, and we're going to have to work on that. Obviously, I'm really disappointed by some of the efforts that we've had,"Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau told Canadiens.nhl.com yeaterday.Montreal has averaged 2.54 goals against in going 12-14-2 on the road compared with 3.26 and a 17-6-4 home record."It's been going on for a while, and for the last three games, the way we've done it, it's not fun to be a part of," captain Saku Koivu said. "I don't have a solution right now, but it's not just going to take one or two guys."

As for the Avalanche, they have also struggled offensively. They had just 3 goals during an 0-3-0 road trip and are allowing on avaerage 2-3 goals per game."It's not about individual games. It's about a team effort and finding ways to mentally overcome a difficult situation that we're in right now," Smyth said. "We've got to find a way, and we're finding ways to lose. We've got to find ways to win."The puck drop for tonights game will be at 9:00pm E.T And 7:00pm P.T on TSN and RDS.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

Is The Price right?

Ever since returning from an ankle injury on January 20th, carey Price has not been the same goaltenders. In the 7-2 lose to the Oilers, Carey Price gave the puck away several times. The worst one was when the Oilers went up 1-0, Price made a save then he played the puck right to Andrew Cogliano who put the puck in the empty net."Going through games like this and having to go through the toughest part of your career is only going to make you better," Price said at practice Thursday following one of the worst Canadiens performances of the season in Edmonton. Price did not speak to the media after he was left in net for all seven goals during a 7-2 blow-out lose to the the Oilers last night. The last time a golie was left in goal when giving up more than 5 goals was in December of 1995. It was Patrick Roy he allowed 11 goals in a 11-1 lose to the Red Wings.(He was later traded to Colarado who won the Stanley Cup later that year)

Price accepted the blow-out as a part of the game and had no thought in mind to make an issue out of being left in net for all seven goals by Montreal Coach Guy Carbonneau."It was good in the end to tough it out," Price told reporters Thursday. "Games like that are either going to make diamonds or make you fall apart.I know that I'm not as fragile as I thought I was and I know that I can get through this. Without a doubt it has brought my work ethic up even more." Price hopes that he will not get traded like Roy did in 1995.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

CANADIENS FORWARD THOMAS PLEKANEC SUSPENDED FOR TWO GAMES

Montreal Canadiens forward Tomas Plekanec has been suspended for two games without pay by the NHL. Plekanec slew footed Edmonton Oilers defenseman Denis Grebeshkov in the second period of last night's 7-2 Canadiens loss to the Oilers.Plekanec will $17,204.30 fin for the hit. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. In my opinion I do not think he should of got suspended for that because according to the replays I saw Grebeshkov just fall on his own Plekanec did not touch him.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

Habs get blown-out again

The Canadiens were looking to back to there wining ways last night, but thats not what happened as they allowed 7 goals in the 7-2 lose to the Edmonton Oilers.Montreal captain Saku Koivu told TSN he wishes he had the answers for what is plaguing his team at the moment."It's been going on for a while, and for the last three games, the way we've done it, it's not fun to be a part of," he said. "I don't have a solution right now, but it's not just going to take one or two guys." Even though the Canadiens had 34 shots on Roliston they just could not score." There's 27 games left, we have find a way to turn our game around or else we will not make the playoffs."Gorge Laraque told Sportsnet. Ca. Carey Price made 20 saves in the lose. The Canadiens next game will be on Friday against the Avalanche at 9:00pm E.T and 7:00PM P.T on RDS and TSN.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Tonight Canadiens will look to snap out of their losing streak against the Oilers.

In tonight's match-up between the Montreal Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers,Oilers Defense-man Sheldon Souray will be facing his former team for the first time in his Career.Souray has recorded 62 goals,98 assist which adds up to 160 points in 5 seasons on the Montreal Canadiens." It's going to be fun to face my old team. I just hope we come out of the game with a win." Former Canadien's defenceman Sheldon Souray said. The Oilers have lost 5 of their last seven games coming into tonight's match against the Canadiens.( Who are also stuggling just winning 2 out of their last 10 games.)

In my opinion these are 2 struggling teams who have to start playing tough and getting points on the board."In the Western Conference now, every team is in it," Edmonton coach Craig MacTavish said. "We're competitive and we battle hard. We've just been short against the best teams in the league.""The first thing is to really try and forget the last two weeks," Montreal captain Saku Koivu said. "We can't feel sorry for ourselves and we know the situation that we're in. We're the only ones that are going to dig ourselves out of that hole." Carey Price will get the start tonight for the Habs, as Dowan Rolistan will get the start for the Oilers.The puck drop for this game will be at 10:08PM E.T and 8:08 pm P.T on Sportsnet-W and RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

The Canadiens get blowout by the Flams by the score of 6-2

The Calgary Flames had lost 4 in-a-row going into the game against the Canadiens,Where they finally got a win by the score of 6-2."We're really happy with the way we played. That's the kind of game we were looking for - a lot of energy and playing a full 60 minutes," said Lombardi, who had two assists.Matthew Lombardi,Dion Phanuf, Dustin Boyd,Michael Cammalleri, Rene Bourque and David Moss scored the goals for the Flames in the victory. As for the Canadiens, Guy Carbonneau and Bob Gainy held a meeting about how they have been playing as of late."A lot of good things were said. Hopefully it's a step in the right direction," said Montreal all-star defenceman Mike Komisarek."The first thing is to really try and forget the last two weeks," said Montreal captain Saku Koivu. "We can't feel sorry for ourselves and we know the situation that we're in. We're the only ones that are going to dig ourselves out of that hole".The Canadiens next game will be on Wedsnday against the Oilers at 9:00pm E.T and 7:00pm P.T on RDS And Sportsnet-P.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

The Montreal Canadiens fall 5-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs

Before the game Toronto goalie Vesa Toskala was facing alot of criticism by Leafs G.M. Brian Burk and Leafs coach Ron Wilson."He has been inconsistent at best,A team in our situation, we require solid effort from our goalies every single night and that hasn't necessarily been the case." Wilson said before the game.Toskala answered to all the criticism by making 31 saves on 33 shots,which would lead to a 5-2 victory for the Leafs. Toskala's most important save of the game was when the Leafs were leading 2-1 and Chris Higgins got a breakaway late in the Second period, Higgins shot the puck into the glove hand of Toskala."I don't waste my energy on what goes on in the media, I'm just focused on playing hockey," said Toskala. "It doesn't matter what goes on outside."

"Mitchell passes the puck to Van Ryn to Schenn he shoots he scores, First goal for Shenn."Jim Hustin said duruing the CBC broadcast of Toronto A.t Montreal. Schenn who scored 0 goals all season finaly got a goal on the score board last night which I'm sure he's happy about that."Yeah, they let me know that I hadn't scored a goal yet this year, so it was definitely nice to get it, and there's no better place than in Montreal versus the Canadiens on a Saturday night," said Schenn, the fifth overall pick in last June's draft.The headline all week was of a showdown between Toronto's Mikhail Grabovski(Former Hab player) and Montreal's Sergei Kostitsyn, who have some fire boiling ever since Grabovski was traded to the Leafs.But both of the coaches didn't put them out at the same time, except for a short period of time during a second-period Leafs power play."Mikhail handled it really well," said Wilson. "It was all talk."

Luke Shenn,Nikolai Kulemin, Jeff Finger and Jason Blake(2 in the game) scored the goals for the Leafs in the win.Matt D'Agostini and Tom Kostopoulos scored for Montreal and Carey Price made 36 saves in the lose."Where do I start?" exasperated coach Guy Carbonneau said of his team's weak effort. "We've said since September that if you want to win in this league, you have to compete and you need good goaltending.We had that, but now we're struggling on every front. We have a tough time scoring goals and every time we make a mistake, it's in our net. That's not a good combination." The Canadiens next game will be on Monday in Calgary against the Flames at 9:00 Pm E.T, 7:00Pm P.T on Snet-W and RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

TRADE RUMORS FROM:http://www.tsn.ca/tradecentre/feature/?id=9064

Ryan Miller stops 35 shots to lead the Sabers to a Victory over the HABS

The Montreal Canadiens were out-shooting the Sabers throught the game but couldn't put more than 2 goals in the net."Ryan kept us in the game," Sabers defenceman Jaroslav Spacek said. "It should've been two or three-nothing, and it would be tough to come back against a team like the Canadiens.. Every night, he gives us a chance."The Sabers coach Lindy Ruffi was happy with the way Miller played."You need your goalie to play well, and he did that," coach Lindy Ruff said. "He has played very well. There's no secret there."The Canadiens have lost 5 straight games on the road(The Canadiens longest streak since Feb. 24-March 8 2007.)"Obviously, it's not an easy situation for our club," Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau said. "We didn't capitalize on the chances we had, and they did."The Sabres did make the most of their chances in this game as Carey Price only faced 22 shots and Price made 19 saves.

It seems every time the Canadiens are on the road they are always down 1 or 2 goals going into the Final frame."It's getting annoying going into the third period down. Every time it seems like playing catch-up," forward Chris Higgins said. "We need to get aggressive."Another problem the Canadiens have on the road is hitting the net, they always shoot wide.Your not going to win games if you don't get the puck to the net and score goals.The Canadiens next game will be tonight against the Leafs at 7:00 Pm E.T On CBC and RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

The Canadiens overpower the Pens by the score of 4-2

After being benched in the third period of Sunday's game, Alex Kovalev bounced back against the Penguins with 6 shots and 1 assist. As you can see Kovalev did step up but could not put the puck in the net."(Kovalev) did what we asked of him and I thought he played well," Carbonneau said. "I thought that line was pretty good tonight, they played against Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin right until the third period when they separated them. They did a good job."Kovalev was not the only player that stepped up but the hole team did."We always say one game doesn't mean anything, but I thought we made a big step forward as a line and as a team," Kovalev said. "We're coming back slowly, but hopefully it won't just be one game. Hopefully it will be the rest of the games for the rest of the season and the playoffs."

Christopher Higgins, Maxim Lapierre,Anderi Kostistsyn and Roman Hamrlik scored for the Habs in the 4-2 win.Carey Price made 23 saves for the Canadiens in the victory.As for the Pens,Rookie Luca Caputi scored on his first career NHL shift and Malkin added another goal in the lose.Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 31 shots for the Penguins in the lose."We got beat by high speed, some of our guys looked really slow tonight," Penguins coach Michel Therrien said. "We need more desperation from a lot of players, some players were a no-show. It's that simple."The Canadiens next game will be on Friday against the Sabers at 7:30pm E.T on TSN,RDS and MSG-B.

Written by Andrew Di Pardo

Game Preview:Pittsburgh Penguins A.T Montreal Canadiens

By how well the Penguins did in the playoffs last year no one would have expected that the following season the Penguins would be in the race for the 8th and final playoff spot. But surprisingly that's where they stand."We understand the purpose of the playoff push that we're facing all together. We need to work harder." Penguins coach Michel Therrien said. Pittsburgh fell 5-4 to Toronto on Saturday night,becoming 1-5-1 in its last seven road games. "Whether it's a team above you or below you, you still have to give yourself a chance to win," Crosby said.


As for the Habs, they will be without team leading goal scorer Robert Lang due to surgery he had on Sunday night to repair his Achilles tendon on his left leg."It doesn't look good for Lang and for our team," Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau said.The Canadiens may also be without winger Guillaume Latendresse, who was helped off the ice against Boston after falling heavily into the boards after being checked. Latendresse, in his third year, has nine goals and nine assists.Josh Gorges is also out with a upper body injury.With these injurys the Canadiens will need Kovalev and Plekanec to step up and score more goals for his team.The puck drop for this game will be tonight at 7:30pm E.T On RDS.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

GAUTHIER SUSPENDED FOR 5 GAMES FOR A ELBOW TO THE HEAD ON GORGES

Los Angeles Kings defenceman Denis Gauthier has been suspended for 5 games due to a hit to the head on the Montreal Canadiens defenceman Josh Gorges in Sundays game in Montreal.Gauthier will pay $56,451.61, which goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.Gauthier was given a five-minute major penalty for charging and a automatic game misconduct for hitting Gorges at just about 4 minutes into the second period."I was intending to go for the body,I hope he's alright..Said Gauthier.His suspension will end on Valent-times day.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

LANG OUT INDEFINITELY AFTER SURGERY

Today the Montreal Canadiens received bad new about Lang.Robert Lang is out indefinitely after he had surgery to repair his Achilles tendon on his left leg. He got injured at 8:33 into the third period in yesterdays game against the Boston Bruins when he was hit hard into the boards by Stephane Yelle.After the game, Lang was brought to the Montreal General Hospital where he had surgery. Because Lang is the top goal scorer on the Habs now that he is injured the Habs will need their forwards to step up in order to win games.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Montreal plays hard but falls to the best team in the NHL

All three Boston goals came giveaways by the Montreal forwards and defenders, and veteran winger Alex Kovalev was benched for most of the third period for not playing well, as the Bruins beat the Canadiens 3-1 for their 4th straight win against the Canadiens. It seems to be that every time Saku Koivu is in the HABS lineup, Alex Kovalev does not seem to play as well as he does when Koivu's absent.Maybe it's because Kovalev wants himself to have the "C" on his jersey instead of Koivu."I hope that's not the truth or we're in trouble because I'm not taking the C off Saku - that's the bottom line," said Carbonneau, who plans to speak to Kovalev. "If anyone needs a letter to perform on the ice, I have trouble with that. That's not professional at all.Alex is not a rookie or a Softmore. Right now, he's struggling, but we need him if we're going to go far in the Playoffs"

Montreal winger Guillaume Latendresse left 3:28 to go in the 3rd with what seems to be a shoulder injury after he sliped hard into the boards while checking Chuck Kobasew.More bad news for the Habs, Robert Lang got hurt in the back of the foot."He got caught by a skate and it cut a tendon in the back of his foot," said Carbonneau. "It doesn't look good."That mean's that Kovalev will need to step up.The Canadiens next game will be on Tuesday at home against the Penguins.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Laraque took place in the Canadiens full practice yesterday morning

Georges Laraque skated with his teammates yesterday for the first time in a long time. “It felt really good to be back on the ice. It had been already almost a month. I almost started feeling like I was a member of the media I was watching my teammates play for so long,” said Laraque, who has been out of the lineup since Boxing Day. “I won’t be back this weekend. I’m probably still two or three full-contact practices away from being back in the lineup and playing in a game.”Laraque kept things light about their 4 game losing streak on Saturday morning by joking around with Alex Kovalev and he was practicing being a defender in the Practice.“Who knows I could be the next P.K. Subban,” laughed Laraque. “I also figured that if I let Kovy deke me out a few times, it will get him pumped up for this weekend or worst case provide him with a blooper reel for his next instructional DVD.”Laraque is still dought-full for today's game, as the Canadiens will look to win 2 in a row once again.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo