THE CANADIENS CLINCH A PLAYOFF SPOT WITH A WIN OVER THE HAWKS

GOAL SCORERS

CHI:   P. Kane (10:05 - 2nd)

MTL:   M. Cammalleri (06:55 - 2nd) , P. Subban (PPG, 01:19 - OT)

GOALIES

CHI: C. Crawford (L)

 MTL: C. Price (W)

               Last night in Montreal, the Canadiens were 2 points away from clinching a playoff spot and they were taking on the defending champs. It was a big game for Montreal. But before the game started, Carey Price was honored for his Molson Cup Player of the year award.The Habs first chance to score came just 8 minutes into the game with a point shot by Subban that was stopped by Crawford. On the next play, the Habs had another chance, Gionta played the puck to Gomez and he was stopped by Crawford. Before the first period ended, during a commercial break, the fans honoured Roman Hamirlik for the goal that got the Habs out of that scoreless drought.

                5 Minutes into second, Kostitsyn played the puck to Cammalleri and he scored his 18th to make it 1-0 Montreal. 5 Minutes later, Kane (the man who scored the Stanley cup Winning goal last year) had the puck and made a nice move to get around the Habs defense and then he scored to tie up the game at 1-1. Now lets go to the third. Early in the third, Hossa had a chance in front of the net and he was stopped once and then twice by Carey Price to keep this game tied. With under half a period to go, Cammalleri had the puck in the slot and he was robbed by Crawford, to keep this game tied.

                 So we went to overtime. In overtime with the Habs on the powerplay,  Kostitsyn played the puck cross ice right to Subban and he scored to clinch a playoff spot for Montreal with a 2-1 overtime win against the BlackHawks. After the game, the Habs were just happy that the wait to clinch a playoff spot is over and so is the Race."That was all the opportunity we needed and we had to finish it there," said Subban. "I'm just glad we got the job done. It's a great feeling to score in OT in this building, but we did it as a team."

                  "It's good we don't have to wait till the last game, but it's not over," said Michael Cammalleri. The Canadiens battled hard and got what they deserved as the last 2 games with be nothing more than a battle for position. Subban and Price had a good celebration at the end as Subban jumped at Price and fell on the ice."We just looked at each other, we were skating as hard as we can at each other and we were both really excited, and I buried him," Price said who made 42 saves.

                  This lose for Chicago was more than just a lose as the Calgary Flames sit 2 points back of them with 2 games to go. But Luckily for Chicago they have an extra game.Toews (The Hawks captain) was anything but happy as he got called for a penalty which lead to Subbans goal."We worked so hard out there and we pushed ourselves and killed some penalties and had some great chances on the power play," Toews said. "All you're trying to do is lift the guy's stick and you could argue that there are a lot of stick penalties out there late in the game and you feel like it's that type of thing that's going to be let go both ways, and it ends up deciding the game."

The Habs nect game will be Thursday against the Senators.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Highlights: Capitals @ Leafs

NHL Quick Update: LEAFS FALL SHORT OF A PLAYOFF SPOT FOR THE 6TH STRAIGHT SEASON

GOAL SCORERS

WSH:   A. Ovechkin (PPG, 11:28 - 1st) , J. Erskine (12:07 - 2nd) , M. Knuble (00:00 - SO)

TOR:   N. Kulemin (PPG, 05:37 - 1st) , J. Lupul (01:35 - 2nd)

GOALIES

WSH: M. Neuvirth (W)

 TOR: J. Reimer (L)

            Last night in Toronto, it was do or die for the Leafs as they had to win (before a shootout) to keep there playoff hopes alive. The Leafs got off to a good start with a goal from Kulemin to make it 1-0. Then with the Capitals on the powerplay, Ovechkin scored to tie the game. Just 1:35 into the second, Lupul scored to make it 2-1 Toronto. Erskine would tie it up with a shot from the point. There would be no goals in the third, so were off to overtime. But before the period started, the Leafs took a look at the out of town score board and they saw that Buffalo won 4-2 against Tampa Bay. So the Leafs were out. This game ended up going to a shootout and Knuble won it for the Caps to add insult to injury on the Leafs.

          So it's offical, the Leafs are going to miss the playoffs for a 6th straight season."It was unfortunate we put ourselves in the predicament we did where we had to run the table," said Leafs goalie James Reimer. "We played our hearts out, we did everything we could. We've fallen short right now but I'm proud of the way we battled for the last couple months, especially today too.Going into overtime I think we all saw the score, that Buffalo had won, and we could have packed it in right there. As far as I could see, we controlled most of the overtime."

Shootout
Mikhail Grabovski	TOR	Miss
Nicklas Backstrom	WSH	Save
Nazem Kadri	TOR	Save
Matt Hendricks	WSH	Save
Nikolai Kulemin	TOR	Save
Alex Ovechkin	WSH	Miss
Joffrey Lupul	TOR	Miss
Mike Knuble	WSH	Goal

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

BlackBerry: The East Playoff Race

John Giannone and EJ Hradek discuss which teams will make it into the playoffs in the Eastern

Highlights: Bruins @ Rangers

NHL Quick Update: RANGERS COME FROM BEHIND TO BEAT THE BRUINS

GOAL SCORERS

BOS:   D. Paille (15:16 - 1st) , N. Horton (16:53 - 1st) , C. Kelly (10:32 - 2nd)

NYR:   V. Prospal (11:34 - 2nd) , V. Prospal (18:26 - 2nd) , B. Dubinsky (16:12 - 3rd) , M. Sauer (17:03 - 3rd) , D. Stepan (EN, 19:07 - 3rd)

GOALIES

BOS: T. Thomas (L)

 NYR: H. Lundqvist (W) 

        
            Last night in New York, The Rangers needed a win to try to edge 2 points closer to clinching a playoff spot.  In the first period, the Bruins took a 2-0 lead with goals from Paille and Horton. Early in the second, the Bruins would make it 3-0 with a goal from Kelly. You think the games over. Right? But it wasn't, late in the second, Prospal scored 2 goals to cut the lead to 1 goal going into the third. Late in the third,  Dubinsky scored to tie the game. 1 minute later, Sauer scored to make it 4-3. Stepan would add an empty net goal as the Rangers take it 5-3 and are now tied with Montreal for that 6th spot in the East.

             "It's a feeling that you can't describe when you hear that many people going crazy," Dubinsky said of his goal that tied the game. "We fought so hard for so many months and we needed these two points. That part of it makes it even that much more emotional." In the win, Lundquist made 27 saves. In the lose, Thomas made 21 saves."We were up 3-0 and we backed off for a while and that worked," goalie Tim Thomas said. "Then we tried to keep them from getting anything super good, and that worked for a little while. The end of the second they started taking it to us. Our plan was to come out in the third and turn it around. As you can see, that's not the way it worked out."

              The Rangers are now 2 points away from clinching a playoff spot.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

THE FINAL STRETCH

                       We have now reached the final week of the NHL regular season. The Habs have been through there up's and downs but now it's time to make a statement by making the postseason. The Habs are just 2 points away from clinching a playoff spot with 3 games to go. The Habs started this month on a winning note by knocking the Devils out of the playoff race with a 3-1 win."I thought we had a strong performance right from the start tonight," Canadiens coach Jacques Martin said. "I thought we played well away from the puck and we have to do that to be successful. The goals from Darche were really good examples of the kinds of goals you need to score at this time of year."

                  The Habs next stop will be against the Chicago Blackhawks on home ice. The Blackhawks are defending champs, but they haven't looked that way for most of the season as they find themselves 1 point up on Calgary for 8th in the west. So they will be playing desperate hockey, Montreal is going to have to match that if they are going to win. Unlike most of the teams that Montreal plays during the season, the Hawks have the same amount of speed as them. So the Habs are going to rile on there defense,goaltending and  there powerplay if they are going to win. That will be Montreal's last home game of the season, as there next 2 games will be on the road.

              There first stop will be in Ottawa, against the Senators, who have nothing to play for except jobs for next season as they are out of the playoff race. Ottawa's goal for that game will be to play spoilers to the Canadiens. The Habs are going to have to be ready for that as it's going to be a fast past game. Then there last stop will be in Toronto to take on the Maple Leafs. In the first 5 games of this season series the Habs went 2-3-0. So the Leafs are leading the series so far and are hoping by that last game that they will still have a chance to make the playoffs.

               It's unlikely that that game will mean anything because, the Leafs are 5 points out with 3 to go. The Leafs will need to win all 3 games to have a shot at the playoffs. In consideration that either Buffalo (6 points ahead of the leafs) or New York (5 points ahead of the leafs) will have to lose there last 3 games. So it's still somewhat possible but not likely. But no matter if it means anything or not, the Habs are still going for the win to end the season series on a high note. So this is going to be a week that should have Montreal come out with at least 2 wins out of the 3.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

PRICE HAS BEEN NAMED THE MOLSON CUP PLAYER OF THE YEAR (2010)

                This Afternoon in Montreal, the Canadiens announced that Carey Price has won the Molson cup for best player of the year (in 2010). Price was the Molson cup's player of the month in October,November, December and February. In 70 games, Price has 36 wins (2nd in the NHL), 28 losses (2nd in the NHL), 6 Overtime/Shootout losses (16th in the NHL) and he has 8 Shutouts (3rd in the NHL). So it was no doubt that the Fans would vote for him.

2010-11 Molson Cup Standings
	#Star Selections	1*	2*	3*	Votes
Carey Price	38	14	19	5	27,630
Tomas Plekanec	17	4	6	7	11,893
Brian Gionta	12	2	3	7	8,862

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Carey Price: The Franchise (Tribute Video)

Pat Burns Tribute

Today it's April 4th 2011, as you all know Pat Burns Past away on November 19th 2010. But if Pat Burns would have still been alive today it would have been his 59th Birthday. So this is a tribute to Burns. The song that's playing in this video is called "In My Life" By the Beatles.

HNIC - Coach's Corner - Apr 2nd 2011 (HD)

THE 2011 PLAYOFF RACE UPDATE

 Canadiens (6th :91 Points) 3-1  Devils (out of race)
                                            Final

The Montreal Canadiens ended the Devils playoff hopes with a 3-1. With 2 goals from Darche and 1 goal from Subban. The Habs are in the playoffs by 5 points and are 3 points away from clinching a playoff spot with 3 games to go.

 Sabres (7th: 88 points) 4-5 Capitals (1st)
                                    Final O.t

The Sabres got goals from Vanek, Gaustad and 2 from Stafford to get the Sabres to O.t before Ovechkin scored to win the game. The Sabres are in the playoffs by 2 points with 3 games to go.

Rangers (8th: 87 Points): They didn't play tonight.

Hurricanes (9th :86 points) 4-2 Thrashers (out of race)
                                       Final

The Hurricanes got a big 4-2 win against the Thrashers to put them 1 point out with 3 games to go thanks to goals from Jokinen, Cole, Staal and Corvo.

Maple Leafs ( 10th: 84 points) 4-2 Senators (out of race)

The Leafs beat the Sens thanks to Reimer who made 23 saves. In the win,  Kessel, Kadri, Bozak and Kulemin scored. The Leafs are 3 points out with 3 games to go.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Highlights: Canadiens @ Devils

THE CANADIENS END THE DEVILS PUSH FOR A PLAYOFF SPOT WITH A 3-1 WIN

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   M. Darche (09:43 - 1st) , P. Subban (PPG, 00:29 - 3rd) , M. Darche (03:34 - 3rd)

NJD:   I. Kovalchuk (14:01 - 3rd)

GOALIES

MTL: C. Price (W)

 NJD: M. Brodeur (L)

                       What a night it was in New Jersey, as the Devils needed a win to keep there playoff hopes alive and the Habs needed a win to try to get themselves closer to clinching a playoff spot. So it was a big night all around. Martin Brodeur got the start for the Devils. In Brodeurs last 2 games against Montreal he has not given up a goal. That would change tonight. It was a fast paced start to this game. As Matt Tedenby had a early breakaway and he was slashed.

                   So he was handed a penalty shot. Tedenby came in and made a nice move but went off the post and off Price's right leg and out. Then just 5 minutes later, Gionta came in over the New Jersey line and looked like he was going to go ariund the net but instead he took a backhand shot that was tipped in by Darche to make it 1-0 Montreal. Still in the first, the Habs were shorthanded. But Plekanec got a breakway and he was stopped by Brodeur who came out of the crease and made a great save. Then 7 minutes into the second, Gionta played the puck to Gomez (Who hasn't scored in 26 games) and his shot was stopped and the rebound went to Darche and he was stopped as well. Brodeur with great saves to keep the Devils in this game.

                 On the next play, Plekanec played the puck to Cammalleri and he had an open net, but he was stopped by Brodeur with the glove hand. Either Brodeur has all the luck in the world or he's on the top of his game. We will go to the third now. In the third (just 30 seconds in), the Habs were on the powerplay and Subban's point shot would go in to make it 2-0.  4 minutes later, Gionta came in on the right side and played the puck to Darche and he scored his second of the game to make it 3-0.

              It was a mirror like goal in comparison to the first one that he had scored. Kovalchuck would add a late goal to break the shutout, but it wouldn't matter as the Habs got the win at 3-1 to put the Devils playoff hopes down the drain." We knew that going into this game how important this game was for both teams," Gionta said. "Every player chipped in and that's why we got the win." In the victory, Carey Price had 20 saves on 21 shots. In the lose that put the Devils out of the playoff picture, Brodeur made 26 saves.This was an all around good game for Montreal, as they are now 3 points away from clinching a playoff spot with just 3 games remaining. We have hit the final stretch of the NHL 2011 Playoff Race.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo