FLAMES WIN 5-4 AND ARE NOW 2 POINTS OUT OF 8th

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   T. Plekanec (PPG, 19:56 - 1st) , M. Pacioretty (09:28 - 2nd) , L. Eller (08:57 - 3rd) , M. Pacioretty (12:06 - 3rd)

CGY:   D. Moss (10:06 - 1st) , J. Iginla (12:21 - 1st) , M. Giordano (13:44 - 2nd) , J. Iginla (18:42 - 2nd) , C. Glencross (07:16 - 3rd)

GOALIES

MTL: C. Price (L)

 CGY: M. Kiprusoff (W)

            Last night in Calgary, the Flames were 4 points back of 8th going into the game against the Montreal Canadiens, but the tide would soon change for the Flames as they beat Rene Bourque (who made his return to Calgary) and the Habs 5-4. The Flames opened the scoring at 10:04 of the first, when Moss fired a shot past Price from the point. 2 minutes later, Iginla extended the lead to 2-0. But the Habs put up a fight. Late in the first, Plekanec scored on the powerplay to cut the lead to 1.  9 minutes into the second, Pacioretty fired a weak shot to the net (from the left wing) and it beat Kiprusoff to tie the game. Giordano and Iginla would score to give the Flames a 2 goal lead. 7 minutes into the third, Price gave the puck away right to Glencross and he scored to make it 5-2.

            But the Habs gave it their all. Just 2 minutes later, Eller was down on one knee in the slot and he fired the shot into the back of the net to give the Habs some hope. 3 minutes later, Pacioretty sent the puck to the net and it went off the stick of the goaltender and in to cut the lead to 5-4. That's as close as the Habs would get as their long season continues as they lose yet again. "We play hard in spurts and then we make mental errors that always cost us the game," Price said. "That's just the way it's been going this year."

         So I'm sorry to say Habs fans, but the Habs will not make the playoffs this season. We've know this for a while, but I'm saying it now because if the Habs continue to lose it may be good for them. The more they lose, the higher draft pick they will get. As it looks right now they may get a pick in the top 3.Onto the Flames now, this win will put them 2 points out of a playoff spot."We've been going through a tough stretch and sometimes when it goes like that, you just need to get that one to get over that hump," said Iginla. 10. "It's not pretty, but it's still a very important win for us and breaks a bad streak at home and something to build on."

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

NHL 11-12: Buffalo Sabres @ Winnipeg Jets - 05.03.2012

Playoff Race: JETS BEAT THE SABRES 3-1

GOAL SCORERS

BUF:   C. Tropp (19:25 - 2nd)

WPG:   A. Ladd (13:45 - 1st) , B. Wheeler (08:02 - 3rd) , C. Thorburn (10:54 - 3rd)

GOALIES

BUF: R. Miller (L)

 WPG: O. Pavelec (W)

           Last night in Winnipeg, the Jets took on the Buffalo Sabres. Going into last nights game the Sabres were only 2 points back of the Jets for 8th in the Eastern Conference. So it's needless to say that this was a big game. The Jets dominated the game early. But it took them to the final 6 minutes of the first to get a goal. Little fired a shot and he was stopped but Andrew Ladd was there to put home the rebound to make it 1-0 Jets. Then with under a minute to go in the first, Tropp scored for Buffalo to tie the game. Lets jump to the third. 8 minutes into the final frame, Brian Little found Wheeler and he had a breakaway and scored to give the Jets a 2-1 lead. 3 minutes later, Thorburn brought the puck up the right wing and fired a shot past Miller to make it 3-1 and that was the final as the Jets move 4 points ahead of the Sabres (who now sit in 11th in the East).

                In the win, Pavelec made 23 saves. In the loss, Miller made 28 saves."The scouting report has been that Miller is unbeatable," said Wheeler. "But if you're going to beat him, you have to go over the shoulder. You always feel fortunate scoring on a goalie like him, he's probably the best in the league right now. You have to take a little bit of luck out of that but we feel good it went our way tonight."

 Written By Andrew Di Pardo

HNIC - Coach's Corner - Mar 3rd 2012 (HD)

Maple Leafs @ Canadiens 2012, March 3

LEAFS WIN 3-1 AGAINST THE HABS IN CARLYLES COACHING DEBUT

GOAL SCORERS

TOR:   M. Frattin (06:30 - 2nd) , M. Grabovski (11:45 - 3rd) , M. Grabovski (PPG, 19:07 - 3rd)

MTL:   E. Cole (07:16 - 1st)

GOALIES

TOR: J. Gustavsson (W)

 MTL: C. Price (L)

               Friday night in Montreal, 2 days after the Leafs 5-4 loss to the Blackhawks, Brian Burke announced that he had fired Ron Wilson and replaced him with former Stanley cup champion Randy Carlyle. The following day, the Leafs GM had a press conference to go into detail about this coaching change.
"It was time," said Burke. "Every coach has a shelf life.I've never had a team fall off a cliff like this in my life. I've seen dips, slumps, rough patches, but this is akin to an 18-wheeler going off a cliff. I don't know what happened. I'm bewildered by it. It's like someone hit me with a two-by-four. I've never had this before where a team just plain, flat out goes into a free fall." Carlyle gave his thoughts on joining the Leafs.
"I sense the club is very tense," Carlyle said ."The confidence level is at a low. My responsibility as head coach is to pick these guys up. To get them feeling better about themselves."

           So now onto the game between the 15th place Canadiens and the 13th place Maple Leafs. 8 minutes into the game, Paciorettys shot was deflected to Desharnais at the side of the net and he centred it to Cole and he scored to make it 1-0 Montreal. 7 minutes into the second, the Leafs won the draw in the offensive zone right to Fratton and he fired a shot past Price to tie the game at 1-1. 12 minutes into the second, MacArthur dropped the puck for Grabovski in the slot and he fired a shot over the glove of Price to give the Leafs a 2-1 lead. Grabovski would add a late goal as the Leafs beat the Habs 3-1 in Randy Carlyles coaching debut. "It's obviously a nice way to start," Carlyle said. "I thought our team put out an effort. It's impressive when you can go into the other team's building and hold them to under 25 shots and score two big goals in the third to eke out a win."

               "I asked them to skate and not worry about anything but what our focus was, which was to win the game. We stayed with our game plan. We played hard, we got some breaks and our key guys scored some goals." In the loss, it was another solid game for Carey Price as he made 39 saves."It was one of those games that could have gone either way," Montreal defenseman Josh Gorges said. "Unfortunately, we made a mistake on their second goal. We left a defenseman (Yannick Weber) out to dry and the next thing, it's in the back of your net." Gustavsson made 21 saves in a 3-1 Leafs win that will now put them back in the playoff hunt as they only sit 3 points back of the Jets in 13th in the East. As for the Habs (15th), they sit 10 points back of Winnipeg for 8th with only 16 games to go. So unless the Habs can win (an unlikely amount of) 13 games, they will not make the Playoffs.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Stephane Veilleux vs Ryan White March 1st 2012 Round 2

Stephane Veilleux vs Ryan White March 1st 2012 Round 1

Wild @ Canadiens

CANADIENS BLOW A 4-1 LEAD BUT RECOVER IN THE SHOOTOUT

GOAL SCORERS

MIN:   M. Kassian (15:27 - 1st) , M. Kassian (16:07 - 3rd) , D. Heatley (18:17 - 3rd) , D. Setoguchi (19:50 - 3rd)

MTL:   P. Subban (PPG, 02:33 - 1st) , L. Eller (PPG, 04:28 - 1st) , M. Pacioretty (PPG, 11:59 - 2nd) , D. Desharnais (08:50 - 3rd) , D. Desharnais (00:00 - SO)

GOALIES

MIN: J. Harding (L) , N. Backstrom

 MTL: C. Price (W)

           Last night in Montreal, Blake Geoffrion  (Grandson of Boom Boom Geoffrion & Great Grandson of Howie Morenz) made his home debut for the Montreal Canadiens. He wore number 57 in honor of his grandfather who wore number 5 and his great grandfather who wore number 7. Just 30 seconds in, Ryan White dropped the gloves with Vellieux. The fight ended in a draw.  2 minutes after that, with the Habs on a 5 on 3, Subbans one-timer beat Backstrom to make it 1-0 Habs lead. On the next play, Coles shot was stopped by Backstrom, but he was hurt on the play and he had to leave the game. So Harding came in to replace him. Then at the 4 minute mark of the first,  the Habs were on another powerplay and Campoli played the puck to Gomez and he centred it for Eller and he scored to make it 2-0 Montreal.

            Late in the first, Kassian would score to cut the lead to 1. Towards the end of the first, a scrum broke out after Veilleux slashed Carey Price, so Ryan White took exception and dropped the gloves and started to throw punches even though Veilleux didn't want to fight. So White received a 5 minute penalty and a 10 minute misconduct. After a very physical first period, the Habs had a 2-1 lead. 12 minutes into the second, the Habs were on another powerplay, and Pacioetty fired home a shot from the top of the right circle to Make it 3-1.This was the first time this season that  Montreal had 3 goals on the powerplay in a single game. 8 minutes into the third, Desharnais had a breakaway and scored to make it 4-1.

         Then with under 4 minutes to go, Kassian scored for the wild to cut the lead to 2.  Heatley would score to cut the lead to 1. Then Setoguchi would score with 10 seconds to go to tie the game. This game would go to a shootout.  Desharnais would score the loan goal for the Habs in the shootout as both Bourque and Pacioretty missed. For the Wild both Cullen and Heatley missed. So it was all up to Setoguchi to keep the game going and he fell on the breakaway and Montreal wins! They snap their 5 game losing streak!"That was a strange one," Montreal coach Randy Cunneyworth said. "It wasn't textbook but those things happen. I'm just glad for the W."

Shootout
Max Pacioretty	MTL	Save
Matt Cullen	MIN	Save
David Desharnais	MTL	Goal
Dany Heatley	MIN	Save
Rene Bourque	MTL	Save
Devin Setoguchi	MIN	Miss

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

Canadiens @ Lightning 02/28/12

EXCLUSIVE STORY: STECKEL SAYS "Ovechkin Needs an Attitude Change"

            Yesterday afternoon, David Steckel came to visit William Lyon Mackenzie High School to speak to a select audience (Containing about 60-70 students) about his hockey career. But as he started to take questions, the topics ranged from his hit on Crosby to if the Capitals will win the Stanley cup and to Alex Ovechkin. When Steckel was asked if Alex Ovechkin needed an attitude change, he replied by saying: "Well I guess since there's no media here I can tell you. If you asked me this 4 years ago I would say no. But after playing with him for 4 and a half years, I would say.. Yes, he definitely needs an attitude change." Steckel was also asked if he thinks the Capitals could win the Stanley Cups within the coming years. "No. I don't think they will because there's too much selfishness in the dressing room," Steckel said. "The players seemed to me like they are all for themselves." Regarding the Crosby hit Steckel said the same thing that he told the media. "I didn't see him there. I didn't know it was Crosby until after the game."

Written By Andrew Di Pardo

GARON MAKES 23 SAVES TO GIVE THE HABS THEIR 5TH STRAIGHT LOSS

GOAL SCORERS

MTL:   D. Desharnais (16:02 - 1st)

TBL:   S. Stamkos (08:42 - 1st) , A. Hall (00:28 - 2nd)

GOALIES

MTL: C. Price (L)

 TBL: M. Garon (W)

                           Earlier tonight in Tampa,  Blake Geoffrion  (Number 57 as shown in photo) and Brad Staubitz (Number 25)  made their Montreal Canadiens debuts. Before the game it was announced that Louis LeBlanc was reassigned to the Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL). 8 minutes into the game between the Canadiens and Lightning, Purcell centred the puck for Stamkos and he scored to make it 1-0 Lightning.  9 minutes later, Desharnais brought the puck into the Tampa zone and fired a shot from the slot past Garon to tie the game. 28 seconds into the second, Malone centred the puck for Hall and he scored to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead.

            Shortly after that, Emelin body checked Malone at the Habs blue line. Malone retaliates with offering Emelin to fight while going to the bench. Emelin rejects the offer but Malone decided to drop the gloves anyway. Malone received a 2 minute unsportsmanlike penalty and a game misconduct. Garon would end up leading the way for the Lightning as he stopped several 2 on 1 opportunities as he made a total of 23 saves to put the Lightning back into the Playoff hunt by sitting 5 points back of the Capitals for 8th. As for the Habs, this loss puts them even further out of a playoff spot as they sit in 15th in the Eastern Conference (28th in the NHL) with just 58 points and they are 12 points back of the Capitals. More bad news for the Habs, theres only 18 games to go in the season.  The main problem for the Habs is that they have no offense besides the Top line of Pacioretty, Desharnias and Cole.

So I will say that it looks to me like the Habs season will come to an end after the last 18 games.

Written By Andrew Di Pardo