New York Rangers vs Montreal Canadiens (03/30/2013)

PRICE MAKES 34 SAVES, HABS SGUT OUT RANGERS 3-0

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   M. Ryder (00:47 - 1st) , T. Plekanec (18:11 - 1st) , B. Gallagher (PPG, 11:02 - 2nd)

GOALIES

NYR: M. Biron (L)

 MTL: C. Price (W)

           Earlier tonight in Montreal, the Canadiens took on the Rangers seeking another win on home ice. 47 seconds in, Ryder dumped the puck in behind the net and it bounced back in front right to him and he scored to make it 1-0. 18 minutes later, Subban played the puck to Plekanec and he skated up the right wing and fired a shot past Biron to make it 2-0 after 1. The shots were 17 to 10 Rangers after 1.

       11 minutes into the second, the Habs were on a powerplay and Subbans point shot was stopped, Gallagher scored on the rebound to make it 3-0. That would be the score after 2. The shots in the second were 8-7 Rangers. In the third it was all Price as he made saves from every angle as the Habs ung on for the 3-0 win. In the win Price made 34 saves. In the loss, Biron made 23 saves.

     "To be honest, I thought it was a pretty routine game for him," Subban said. "The thing about Price is he makes the saves look easy.A lot of them weren't. But no one's surprised here. He's one of the best goaltenders in the league. For me, it was just another game for him."

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Molson (Bell) Centre opening

Canadiens @ Bruins 03/27/13

FLAMES TRADE IGINLA TO THE PENGUINS FOR PROSPECTS AND PICKS; TSN WITH FALSE ALARM

            Last night it was announced by Aaron Ward of TSN that Flames Captain Jerome Iginla had been traded to the Boston Bruins. But it seems as though TSN was wrong. It looks like TSN needs to find a new source as just a few hours ago it was officially announced that Iginla is on his way to the Pittsburgh Penguins. In return for Iginla the Flames received a 1st round pick,college prospects Kenneth Agostino and Ben Hanowski."We as an organization owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Jarome," said Flames GM Jay Feaster.

        "Not only for what he did for the franchise during his tenure as a player here and as our captain, but also for the fact that now as we recognize that despite our best efforts, and despite the work we've put in, we've fallen short of the goals we set for ourselves as an organization.We respect very, very much the fact that Jarome worked with us to enable this to come about."

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Shootout - Montreal Canadiens Vs Boston Bruins. March 27th 2013.

HABS TIE THE GAME WITH 8.2 SECONDS TO GO IN THE GAME AND END UP BEATING THE BRUINS 6-5 IN A SHOOTOUT; BRUINS AQUIRE IGINLA

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   M. Ryder (04:15 - 1st) , P. Subban (02:53 - 2nd) , M. Ryder (03:58 - 3rd) , B. Gallagher (12:18 - 3rd) , A. Markov (PPG, 19:51 - 3rd) , B. Gallagher (00:00 - SO)

BOS:   D. Hamilton (03:32 - 2nd) , B. Marchand (07:23 - 2nd) , P. Bergeron (PPG, 17:01 - 2nd) , N. Horton (17:36 - 2nd) , T. Seguin (11:50 - 3rd)

GOALIES

MTL: P. Budaj (W) , C. Price

 BOS: T. Rask (L)

         
          Earlier tonight in Boston, the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Bruins were tied for 2nd in the East and both teams were looking to jump ahead by a point or two. 4 minutes in, Plekanec centred the puck to Ryder and he scored to make it 1-0. Then shorthanded, Bergeron came in on a 2 on 1 and he played the puck to Marchand and he was stopped by Price. The shots in the first were 9 to 6 Bruins and the Habs had a 1-0 lead. 3 minutes into the second, Subbans point shot found the back of the net to make it 2-0. 40 seconds later, Hamilton would score to cut the lead to 1.

      4 minutes later, Marchands shot from the slot went wide and bounced off the rear end boards and back in front to Marchand and he scored to tie the game. Then with the Bruins on the powerplay,  Peverleys one timer was blocked and it went right to Bergeron and he scored to give Boston the lead. Horton would add another goal to make it 4-2 going into the third, The shots in the second were, 17 - 5 Boston. To start the third, Peter Budaj was in goal for the Habs as Carey Price was yanked after giving up 4 goals on 26 shots.

      4 minutes in, Plekanec came in on a 2 on 1 and he played the puck to Ryder and he scored to cut the lead to 1. But at the half way point of the third, Seguin had a breakaway and scored to make it 5-3. 28 seconds later, Gallaghers shot hit the face of Seidenberg and went right back to Gallagher and he scored to cut the lead to 1. Then with 10 seconds to go, the Habs pulled the goalie and were on a powerplay. Markovs point shot went off the stick of Chara and in to tie the game with 8.2 seconds to go.

      So were off to Overtime. The shots in the third were 15 to 11 Montreal. O.t would solve nothing so we would need a shootout. The shootout went 6 rounds until Gallagher scored five hole to end it and give Montreal a 1 point lead over the Bruins. In the win, Budaj made 16 saves. In the loss, Rask made 23 saves. The Montreal Canadiens were asleep for the first 2 periods, but they woke up in the third and found a way to get the important 2 points.

     Now I have breaking news out of Calgary regarding Jerome Iginla.The Flames have traded Captain Iginla to the Boston Bruins for Matt Bartkowski and Alex Khokhlachev. This trade has been confirmed by Aaron Ward of TSN. The trade will officially be announced tomorrow morning.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Shootout
Tyler Seguin	BOS	Save
Alex Galchenyuk	MTL	Save
Patrice Bergeron	BOS	Save
David Desharnais	MTL	Save
David Krejci	BOS	Save
Lars Eller	MTL	Save
Brad Marchand	BOS	Save
Michael Ryder	MTL	Save
Nathan Horton	BOS	Save
Tomas Plekanec	MTL	Save
Rich Peverley	BOS	Save
Brendan Gallagher	MTL	Goal

Montreal Canadiens @ Pittsburgh Penguins Highlights 3/26/13

PENGUINS WIN 13TH STRAIGHT WITH A 1-0 WIN AGAINST THE HABS

GOAL SCORERS

PIT:   S. Crosby (13:19 - 2nd)

GOALIES

MTL: C. Price (L)

 PIT: T. Vokoun , M. Fleury (W)

             Earlier tonight in Pittsburgh, the Penguins were looking for win number 13 in a row in a game against the Montreal Canadiens. 4 minutes in, Ryders shot from the left wing went off the post. The shots in the first were 10-5 Montreal in a scoreless game. 3:30 into the second, Plekanec centred the puck to Ryder and he tipped the puck off the post. Thenshortly after that with the Habs on a powerplay, Plekanec played the puck to Markov and he was robbed by the pad of Fleury. At the 13 minute mark of the period, Crosby came up the right wing and fired a shot past Price to make it 1-0. Late in the period, Gionta pushed Kennody into Fleury. Fleury was down and left the game with a upper body injury. The shots in the second were 15-7 Montreal.

     Fleury made 25 saves before receiving an injury. So with Fleury out, former Hab draft pick, Tomas Vokoun stood in. He made 12 saves in the third as the Penguins shut out the Habs and win 1-0 for their 13th straight win. "We've got to take the positive out of it," Price (who made 24 saves) said. "We keep playing the way we are, we're not going to lose that many games like that, so I think we've just got to stick to it." The Habs next game will be tomorrow night against the Boston Bruins.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Montreal Canadiens Vs Buffalo Sabres - 03/23/2013

Montreal Canadiens Vs New York Islanders - 03//21/2013

HABS BEAT THE ISLANDERS FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS SEASON

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   M. Ryder (PPG, 09:36 - 1st) , P. Subban (PPG, 10:53 - 2nd) , B. Gionta (00:48 - 3rd) , P. Subban (10:10 - 3rd) , B. Gallagher (10:43 - 3rd)

NYI:   J. Tavares (12:06 - 1st) , L. Visnovsky (06:58 - 2nd)

GOALIES

MTL: C. Price (W)

 NYI: K. Poulin (L)

          Earlier tonight in Long Island, the Habs were looking to beat the Islanders for the first time in 3 meetings this season. 10 minutes in with the Habs on a powerplay, Ryders shot from the left circle beat Poulin to make it 1-0. 3 minutes later, Tavares cut to the slot and wristed a shot past Price to tie the game. The shots in the first were 10-10. 7 minutes into the second, Price let out a rebound right to Visnovsky and he put it home to make it 2-1. Then a few minutes later with the Habs on a powerplay, Subbans one timer found its way in to tie the game.The shots in the second were 10-9 Islanders.

      48 seconds into the third, Desharnais played the puck to Captain Gionta and he tipped the puck home to make it 3-2. 10 minutes later, Subbans shot from the right wing went off a Islanders leg and in to make it 4-2. Gallagher would add another goal as the Habs win 5-2. In the win, Price made 25 saves."We came into the third period with a lot of energy, got a quick one and kept it going," said Subban. "It was a tough game but we're good at grinding for the full 60 minutes." In the loss, Poulin made 24 saves."It's about battle levels, winning the intangibles," Islanders coach Jack Capuano said. "Games are won in the trenches. When you play with enough desperation, you don't win in this league. It's the little things that cost us again." In the Habs last 19 games they have a record of 14-1-4.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Buffalo Sabres vs Montreal Canadiens (03/19/2013)

ENROTH MAKES 32 SAVES TO ROB MONTREAL OF A WIN AGAINST BUFFALO

GOAL SCORERS

BUF:   S. Ott (07:47 - 1st) , T. Ennis (18:59 - 1st) , S. Ott (PPG, 02:16 - OT)

MTL:   M. Pacioretty (07:04 - 3rd) , C. Armstrong (16:09 - 3rd)

GOALIES

BUF: J. Enroth (W)

 MTL: C. Price (L)

                  Earlier tonight in Montreal,the Habs took on the Buffalo Sabres in an attempt to grab their 6th straight win.7 minutes in, Subban gives the puck away right to Steve Ott at the point and he slapped a shot past Price to make it 1-0. Then with 1:01 to go in the first, Myers point shot was tipped in by Ennis as he snaps his 10 game goalless drought to make it 2-0 Sabres after 1. The shots in the first were 10-7 Buffalo. 11 minutes into the second, Gionta cut to the net and his shot was stopped and the rebound went to Gorges in the slot and his shot was deflected to Ryder who had an empty net and Enroth slid across the crease and made the save with his blocker.

       The shots in the second were 11-2 Montreal. 7:04 into the third, Gallagher had the puck behind the net and he centred the puck to Pacioretty and he scored to cut the lead to 1. With under 5 to play, Markovs point shot was stopped and the rebound went to a diving Gallagher and his shot went off the crossbar! 30 second later, Galchenyuk had the puck on the right wing and he centred the puck to Armstrong all alone in front and he went to the backhand and scored to tie the game at 2-2! With under 20 seconds to play, Pacioretty centred the puck to Gionta and he deflected the puck on goal and was robbed by the glove hand of Enroth. Enroth flashes the leather and saves the game.

       This game would need overtime, the shots in the third were 15-6 Montreal.  17 seconds into overtime, Subban took a highsticking penalty. So Buffalo was on a powerplay. Leopolds point shot was stopped and Ott was there to put home the rebound to win the game for Buffalo,3-2 is the final. Habs coach, Michel Therrien was not happy with Subbans penalty at all."It's a bad penalty, especially with the effort the guys put in in the second and third," said Therrien. "We're going to take care of that internally and make sure it doesn't happen again." In the win, Enroth made 32 saves and is the reason why the Sabres won the game."I was just trying to focus on the next shot, stay sharp," said Enroth. "It's huge for us and it's good we could finally win a game with a power-play goal." In the Sabres last 12 games against Montreal they have a record of 10-1-1.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Canadiens @ Devils 03/16/13

TINORDI GRABS FIRST NHL POINT AS THE HABS WIN 5TH STRAIGHT

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   C. Armstrong (08:08 - 1st) , T. Plekanec (06:49 - 3rd)

NJD:   P. Harrold (PPG, 03:54 - 2nd)

GOALIES

MTL: C. Price (W)

 NJD: J. Hedberg (L)

        Earlier tonight in New Jersey, the Habs were looking to remain in first in the Eastern Conference with a win. 8 minutes in,  Armstrong fires a shot past Hedberg for his first goal as a Montreal Canadien to make it 1-0. The shots in the first were 9-7 Montreal. 4 minutes into the second with the Devils on a powerplay, Harolds shot from the left circle beat Price to tie the game. The Devils did a good job at screening Price as they had 2 men in front and he never even saw the shot. The score was 1-1 after 2 and the shots in the second were 8-4 Devils.

        7 minutes into the third, Zidlicky had the puck behind the Devils net, and he tried to clear it up the middle and it went right to Tinordi and he one timed a shot and it was redirected in front by Plekanec to make it 2-1 and that was Tinordis first NHL point. 2-1 would be the final as the Habs win their 5th straight.

"I felt pretty comfortable out there," said Tinordi, who played 19 shifts and almost 15 minutes just two days after being called up from Hamilton. "I think the nervousness and the butterflies were gone after the first couple of shifts.

      I tried not to think about the way I was playing. I knew we scored on the play. I didn't realize I got an assist. The boys were pretty happy for me. I was just shooting it to get it on net." The Habs grabbed a win thanks in big part to Carey Price as he made 18 third period saves and 32 saves overall."They put a little bit of a full-court press on us, but our guys battled hard all night," Price said. "We're working hard every night, trying to keep things simple. I think that's the style of play we have to have.

       "We have good teamwork and that's what's working for us.I think our team is excellent in coming back after I make a save, collapsing on everything I leave out there, cleaning up the trash. We're sticking to the game plan and that makes it a lot easier."

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Ottawa Senators vs Montreal Canadiens Highlights (March 13th, 2013)

HABS WIN FOURTH STRAIGHT WITH 4-3 SHOOTOUT WIN OVER OTTAWA

GOAL SCORERS

OTT:   M. Zibanejad (PPG, 10:26 - 1st) , D. Alfredsson (PPG, 19:58 - 2nd) , P. Wiercioch (01:50 - 3rd)

MTL:   L. Eller (07:02 - 1st) , B. Gallagher (PPG, 06:40 - 2nd) , P. Subban (PPG, 17:11 - 2nd) , L. Eller (00:00 - SO)

GOALIES

OTT: R. Lehner (L)

 MTL: C. Price (W)

         Earlier tonight in Montreal, the Canadiens took on the Senators seeking a fourth straight win. 7 minutes in, Dumont got the puck behind the Ottawa net and cut to the front and fired a shot and he was stopped, but Eller was there to put home the rebound to make it 1-0. Dumont registered his first career NHL point on that play. 3 minutes later with Ottawa on the powerplay, Silfverberg centred the puck to Zibanejad and he scored blocker side on Price to tie the game. The game was tied after 1 and the shots were 17-13 Montreal. 6:40 into the second with the Habs on a powerplay, Paciorettys shot from the right circle beat Lehner to make it 2-1. Pacioretty wouldn't get credit for the goal because on its way in, it nicked off of the stick of Gallagher (which happened to be on the goal line) and in.

      Late in the second with the Habs on another powerplay, Subbans point shot went off the leg of Phillips and in to make it 3-1. Then with 2 seconds to go in the period, Alfredsson received the puck down low from Turrius and he wristed a shot over the shoulder of Price to cut the lead to just one. That was a bad goal given up by Price as he pushed off the post too early and left a wide open corner for Alfredsson to put the puck home.  In the second the shots were 13-11 Sens. 1:50 into the second, Wiercioch skated into the slot and fired a shot past Price to tie the game. This game would need overtime. Ottawa was out shot badly in the third, 13-3 and because of Lehner this game would need overtime and then a shootout.

      The first shooter for Montreal was Galchenyuk and he scored. Alfredsson was up for Ottawa and he was stopped. The second shooter for Ottawa was Silfverberg and he scored.  Eller was the third shooter for Montreal and he skated in on the left side and looked like he was going to cut into the slot, so Lehner went  for the poke a little early and Eller roofed it to give Montreal the lead. Turris had to score to keep it alive and he was stopped by the blocker of Price and the Habs win 4-3 and they win their fourth straight. With the win, Montreal improves their record to 18-5-4, which is the Eastern Conference leading record.

      In the win, Price made 29 saves. In the loss, Lehner made 42 saves."I don't think we played our best game tonight," said Montreal defenceman Josh Gorges. "But we did good things when we had to.We cycled the puck in the offensive zone and got pucks in front of the net. I think we were sloppy at times though. Our penalty killing has to be better. We got loose in a few areas. But coming back after a long trip, we did what we had to do to get the two points."

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Shootout
Alex Galchenyuk	MTL	Goal
Daniel Alfredsson	OTT	Save
David Desharnais	MTL	Save
Jakob Silfverberg	OTT	Goal
Lars Eller	MTL	Goal
Kyle Turris	OTT	Save

Injury Update: GEOFFRION CONSIDERING RETIREMENT

         In November 2012, Blake Geoffrion was playing with the Bulldogs (AHL Affiliate) in a game at the Bell Centre when he received a hit from Cote of the Toronto Marlies and fractured his skull. Hes been out of the Bulldogs lineup since and now he's considering retirement from Professional Hockey. Geoffrion is the great grandson of Habs great Howie Morenz and hes the grandson of "Boom Boom" Geoffrion. He will let the Habs know by the offseason if he plans to retire or not.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

HNIC Coach's Corner with Don Cherry & Ron MacLean March, 9 2013 NHL Hock...

Faits Saillants Match #26 - Montréal Canadiens 5-2 Florida Panthers

RYDER SCORES 2 GOALS; HABS DOWN PANTHERS 5-2

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   D. Desharnais (01:46 - 1st) , M. Ryder (PPG, 08:42 - 1st) , B. Gionta (15:35 - 2nd) , F. Bouillon (17:47 - 2nd) , M. Ryder (PPG, 15:53 - 3rd)

FLA:   T. Kopecky (07:59 - 3rd) , S. Matthias (13:57 - 3rd)

GOALIES

MTL: P. Budaj (W)

 FLA: J. Markstrom (L)

          Earlier tonight in Sunrise, Florida, it was first versus last and the Habs were looking for their third straight win. 1:46 into the first, Desharnais came up the left wing and fired a shot past Markstrom to make it 1-0. 7 minutes later with the Habs on a powerplay, Subbans point shot was tipped in by Ryder to make it 2-0. That was Ryders 100th career goal as a Montreal Canadien.  The shots were 13-7 Montreal after 1. 15 minutes into the second, Subbans point shot was stopped and Gionta was there to put home the rebound to make it 3-0.

       2 minutes later, Montreal came in on a 3 on 2 and Ryder played the puck to Bouillon and he scored his first of the season to make it 4-0. The shots in the second were 13-5 Montreal.  8 minutes into the third, Bouillion blocked a shot and then cleared the puck into his own net, Kopecky would get credit as the lead has been cut to 3. Matthias would score shortly to cut the lead to 2. Then with under 5 to play, with the Habs on a powerplay, Subbans point shot was tipped in by Ryder to make it 5-2 and that would be the final as Montreal wins their third straight. In the win, Budaj made 15 saves.

       In the loss, Markstrom made 33 saves. On this road trip the Habs were great, they won 4 out of 5 and because of that they remain first in the Eastern Conference. "It was a sensational trip. Already, as I told the players before tonight's game, it was a good trip and we had the chance to make it exceptional," Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said. "What was impressive is the fact we played yesterday and they were fresh, but it was still us who dictated the game." The Habs sweep the season series against the Florida Panthers with this 5-2 win.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning (03/09/2013)

HABS THIRD PERIOD RALLY LEADS TO 4-3 WIN

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   T. Plekanec (07:38 - 2nd) , B. Gionta (PPG, 03:49 - 3rd) , A. Emelin (07:33 - 3rd) , B. Gallagher (12:03 - 3rd)

TBL:   S. Stamkos (05:30 - 2nd) , S. Salo (08:15 - 2nd) , R. Malone (PPG, 12:20 - 2nd)

GOALIES

MTL: C. Price (W)

 TBL: C. Desjardins (L)

          Earlier tonight in Tampa Bay, the Canadiens took on the Lightning in a attempt to jump 1 point over the Bruins for 1st in the Eastern Conference. No score in the second and the shots were 10-7 Lightning. 5 minutes into the second, Stamkos skated up the left wing and cut to the slot and wristed a shot past Price to make it 1-0. 2 minutes later, Markov centred the puck to Plekanec and he scored to tie the game. Just a minute after that  Crombeens shot was blocked and the rebound went to Salo at the point and his shot found its way to the back of the net to make it 2-1. Malone would score on the powerplay to make it 3-1 after two.

     The shots in the second were 11-9 Lightning.  The last time these two team met, Montreal had a 3-0 lead going into the third until the Lightning came back to tie the game, but fell in the shootout. In this game the roles were reversed and the Lightning had the lead and couldn't hold it. 3:49 into the third with the Habs on a powerplay, there was a scramble for the puck in the crease in behind Cedrick Desjardins and Gionta knocked it loose and knocked it into the net to cut the lead to 1. At the 7:33 mark of the third, Gionta played the puck to Emelin at the point and his one timer beat Desjardins to tie the game.

            Shortly after that, Gallagher got the puck behind the net and drove it to the net and was stopped, but Gallagher wouldn't give up. He hacked away at the puck, two, three times before it went in to make it 4-3 Montreal. The Habs just dominated the third, out shooting the Lightning 13 to 2 as they just didn't quit and found a way to get back into the game and most importantly, found a way to win. "That's what good teams do," Gallagher said. "You get behind, but you're confident in yourself to come back in games. We get down by two and we feel like we have a chance to come back. But with that said, you have to do the right thing and play the same way every night."

        In the win, Price made 20 saves. In the loss, Desjardins made 25 saves. "When you're in these situations, things creep into your head when you're not winning games, and you're finding ways to lose," Stamkos said after a players only postgame meeting. "It's natural. You've got to find a way not to have that.
"A 3-1 lead at home going into the third, that should almost be automatic. Right now it's clearly not."

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Montreal Canadiens vs Carolina Hurricanes (03/07/2013)

PRICE MAKES 41 SAVES AS THE HABS BEAT THE CANES 4-2

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   B. Prust (03:22 - 1st) , J. Gorges (08:19 - 1st) , L. Eller (06:09 - 3rd) , P. Subban (PPG, 07:56 - 3rd)

CAR:   J. Staal (06:07 - 2nd) , D. Bowman (10:27 - 2nd)

GOALIES

MTL: C. Price (W)

 CAR: J. Peters (L)

                Earlier tonight in Carolina, the 1st place Canadiens took on the 3rd place Hurricanes. 3 minutes in, Eller wins a faceoff in the Canes zone right to Emelin at the point and he does a spin a rama to get past the defensive player and his shot was stopped, but Prust was there to put home the rebound to make it 1-0. At the 8 minute mark with both teams at 4 players aside, Prust came in on a 1 on 1 and twisted back and centred the puck to Gorges and he scored to make it 2-0. 1 minute later, Staal centred the puck to Folk and he one timed a shot and Carey Price robbed him with the glove hand.  The shots in the first were 17-13 Montreal.

           6 minutes into the second,  Jordan Staals shot from the right wing beat Price to cut the lead to 1. 4 minutes later, Bowman came up the left wing and slapped a shot past Price to tie the game. Right after the goal, Habs Coach Michel Therrien called a time out to get his team back on track. With under 16 minutes to play in the second, Eric Staal was taken down on a short handed breakaway and was awarded a penalty shot. Staal came in and took a shot and was stopped by the blocker of Price. The shots in the second were 21 to 5 for Carolina.

      6 minutes into the third, Prist played the puck to Gorges at the point and he brought the puck in and centred it to Eller who scored to make it 3-2. Just 2 minutes later, with the Habs on the powerplay, Markov to Subban and he one-timed a shot past Peters to make it 4-2. That would be your final as Montreal wins again and remains in first. In the third the shots were 9-6 Carolina. In the win Price was outstanding, making 41 saves on 43 shots. "We couldn't get a bounce or break," Eric Staal said. "The effort was there."In the loss, Peters made 24 saves.

      After giving up 21 shots in the second period, Montreal coach Michel Therrien let his team hear it. "We got a message from the coach...Between the second and third," Price said. " I won't go into the details but we received it loud and clear." The Habs remain in first at the moment, but with the Boston Bruins win over the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight 4-2, they only have a 1 point lead over the Bruins, along with a 2 point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Will the Habs be in first come playoff time? We will have to wait 24 more games to find out.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Montreal Canadiens Vs New York Islanders - 03/05/2013

HABS SCORE 20,000th GOAL IN FRANCHISE HISTORY IN A 6-3 LOSS TO ISLANDERS

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   T. Plekanec (05:21 - 1st) , P. Subban (PPG, 16:49 - 2nd) , B. Gionta (PPG, 06:07 - 3rd)

NYI:   M. Moulson (PPG, 01:23 - 2nd) , M. Martin (PPG, 12:10 - 2nd) , M. Grabner (12:58 - 2nd) , R. Martinek (07:56 - 3rd) , J. Tavares (18:53 - 3rd) , C. McDonald (EN, 19:43 - 3rd)

GOALIES

MTL: C. Price (L)

 NYI: E. Nabokov (W)

        Earlier tonight in Long Island, New York, the Habs took on the Islanders in a attempt to go 12 games without a regulation loss. 5 minutes in, Ryder played the puck to Gallchenyuk in behind the net and he centred it to Plekanec and he scored to make it 1-0. The shots were 9-6 Montreal after 1. 1:23 into the second, Moulson scored on a shot from the right circle to tie the game. 11 Minutes later with the Islanders on a powerplay, Boyes centred the puck to Martin and he scored to give New York the lead. 48 seconds later, Hickeys shot was blocked and it went right to Grabner and he scored to make it 3-1.

       Late in the period with the Habs on a powerplay,  Subbans one timer beat Nabokov to cut the lead to 1. The shots in the second were, 14-9 Montreal. 6 minutes into the third, with the Habs on a powerplay, Subbans point shot was stopped and Gionta put home the rebound for the Habs 20,000th goal in franchise history to tie the game. 2 minutes later, Martineks point shot beat Price to make it 4-3.

     The Islanders would add 2 more goals from Tavares and McDonald (empty net) as they beat the Habs 6-3. "This wasn't our night," Canadiens coach Michel Therrien said. "The Islanders have good young players. They played a strong game."In the loss, Price made 18 saves. In the win, Nabokov made 29 saves."This was a tough one for us," Gionta said. "They are a dangerous offensive team and they have the power when they play their game. We simply didn't play the way we wanted to play." The Habs next game is Thursday night against the Hurricanes on RDS.

 Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Montreal Canadiens Vs Boston Bruins - 03/03/2013

MONTREAL CANADIENS BEAT BRUINS 4-3

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   T. Plekanec (PPG, 09:57 - 1st) , D. Desharnais (11:03 - 1st) , M. Pacioretty (05:31 - 3rd) , D. Desharnais (09:17 - 3rd)

BOS:   T. Seguin (10:47 - 1st) , P. Bergeron (04:06 - 2nd) , D. Hamilton (09:20 - 2nd)

GOALIES

MTL: P. Budaj (W)

 BOS: T. Rask (L)

         Earlier tonight in Boston, the Bruins were tied with Montreal for first in the East and were looking to pull ahead. 10 minutes into the first with the Habs on a powerplay, Subban played the puck to Ryder at the left wing and he played it to Plekanec in the slot and he scored to make it 1-0 Montreal. 1 minute later, off the faceoff in the Habs zone, Marchand had the puck in behind the net and he played it to Bergeron at the side of the net and he played to the slot where Seguin put it home to tie the game. That was poor defensive coverage by Montreal, Marchand had the puck behind the net and both Subban and Gorges went after him, leaving a wide open Seguin in the slot which lead to a easy tap in goal. Subban should have been in front of the net, if he was the Habs would still be leading.

      1 minute after the Bruins goal, Desharnais centred the puck and it went off the stick of Boychuk and in to give the Habs the lead. 4 minutes into the second,  Seguin came in on a 2 on 1 and he played the puck to Bergeron and he kicked the puck on goal and Budaj made the save but Markov gliding in, ended up kicking the puck into his own net to tie the game. 30 seconds later, Desharnais came up the right wing and fired a shot off the post. 5 minutes later, Marchand played it to a wide open Hamilton on the sideboards and he one timed a shot into the net to give the Bruins the lead. Then with under 5 to play in the second, Prust and Lucic dropped the gloves. Prust threw off Lucics helment and jerseyed him before falling to the ice.

         30 seconds later, Emelin hit Seguin at centre ice. Then in behind the play Chara threw Emilin into the boards and they dropped the gloves. Chara was given a 2 minute penalty for roughing, a 5 minute fighting major and a 10 minute misconduct. The Bruins had the lead going into the third. 5 minutes into the third, Paciorettys shot from the point beat a screened Rask to tie the game. What a great play by Desharnais to get in front of Rask, if hes not in front the puck wouldn't have went in. 4 minutes later, Gallaghers shot was stopped and the puck trickled to the side of the net and Pacioretty threw the puck back into the blue paint and Desharnais tapped it home to give Montreal the 4-3 lead. 4 Bruins were in the blue paint and none of them could prevent the goal.

        The Habs would go onto win 4-3 and extend their point streak to 11 games and they take a 2 point lead over Boston for 1st in the East. In the win, Budaj made 31 saves. In the loss, Rask made 32 saves."We're coming from a long way," Montreal coach Michel Therrien said. "Everyone knows if we stick to our plan we've got a chance to win every game."

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Pittsburgh Penguins @ Montreal Canadiens Highlights 3/2/13

HABS FALL TO PENGUINS IN A HIGH SCORING AFFAIR

GOAL SCORERS

PIT:   B. Sutter (PPG, 19:07 - 1st) , C. Kunitz (07:58 - 2nd) , M. Cooke (08:29 - 2nd) , M. Cooke (13:05 - 2nd) , C. Kunitz (08:33 - 3rd) , S. Crosby (10:24 - 3rd) , B. Sutter (00:52 - OT)

MTL:   B. Prust (05:41 - 1st) , M. Pacioretty (04:14 - 2nd) , B. Gionta (17:37 - 2nd) , P. Subban (19:59 - 2nd) , D. Desharnais (05:25 - 3rd) , B. Gionta (10:54 - 3rd)

GOALIES

PIT: T. Vokoun (W)

 MTL: C. Price (L)

               Earlier tonight in Montreal, it was a clash between first and second in the East. Habs,1st, Penguins, 2nd. 5 minutes into the first, Kaberles shot was stopped and Prust was there to put home the rebound. Then with under 5 to play, Letangs shot was stopped and Sutter put home the rebound to tie the game. The shots in the first were 14-12 Pittsburgh. 4 minutes into the second, Gallagher took the puck to the net and he was stopped, but Pacioretty was there to put home the rebound, 2-1 Habs. Kunitz would tie the game 4 minutes after.

            Then 29 seconds later, Cookes point shot beat Price to give the Penguins a lead. Cooke would score later in the period to make it 4-2. With under 3 to play in the second, Bouillons point shot was tipped in by Gionta to cut the lead to 1. Time winding down in the period, under 5 seconds to play, Gallagher gets the puck and throws it to the net and  Subban tipped the puck home past Vokoun with just a second to play to tie the game. The shots in the second were 15-12 Montreal.

         5 minutes into the third, Desharnais would score to give the Habs the lead. 3 minutes later, Kunitz's one timer from the slot beat Price to tie the game. Then at the halfway point of the third, Letangs shot was stopped and Crosby was there to put home the rebound to make it 6-5 Penguins. 32 second later, Eller skated up the left wing and dropped it back for Gionta and his one timer beat Vokoun to tie the game.The shots in the third were 12-9 Montreal. This game would need Overtime.

      52 seconds in,Sutters shot from the slot beat Price and the Penguins win a high scoring affair 7-6.
"Crazy games like that happen," Montreal defenseman Tomas Kaberle said. "Too bad we didn't get the two points at the end of the night. We talked between periods that we lost a lot of pucks in the neutral zone. They're a fast team. They can use their chances, and they certainly did. We don't want to see games like that again. The previous games, we played good defensively and we have to get back to that."

         In the loss, Price made 29 saves. In the win, Vokoun made 33 saves. In the win, Crosby scored his first goal at the Bell Centre since he was a rookie back in 2006."Nobody brought it up this morning, and I was glad," said Crosby. "It was something I was aware of.I enjoy playing here, and I think that you want to play well in a building like this. It's got so much atmosphere, and you know it's going to be a big game. It was nice to finally get one."Since the Habs lost 6-0 on Febuary 9th, they have been among the best teams in the NHL. They have picked up 17 of the possible 20 points in their past 10 games with a record of 7-0-3.  No regulation losses in their past 10, thats outstanding as the Habs are beginning to look like a Stanley Cup Contender.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo