Tuesday, March 31, 2009

A lesson in goaltending from Carey Price

Being completely ignorant about the intricacies of NHL goaltending, I learned Tuesday night that what I believed was one of Carey Price's biggest strengths is in fact viewed as a weakness by the man himself.

I have always felt that Price is at his best when pucks are simply hitting him and he's smothering them afterwards, but that attribute apparently has a name in the goaltending lexicon; it's called being "blocky."

That was Price's word for it. And it's not a compliment.

"It's all (puck) tracking," Price explained after his masterful performance in Montreal's 4-1 win oer the Blackhawks. "When you’re feeling well, you’re moving better. Over the course of practice during the year you start to get a little too blocky. I don’t know if you know that term, it means you’re just trying to block pucks instead of reacting to them. You stop watching pucks into your body and start just kind of flinching at them. When you start doing that I think that’s when things start going downhill."

We'd seen a lot of that flinching at pucks from Price in recent weeks, and those shrugs or jerks rarely resulted in saves (check out that Jarkko Ruutu dazzler of a backhand a couple of weeks back). But starting Saturday night against the Sabres, and continuing into this game against Chicago, Price wasn't the least bit blocky. He was whatever the opposite of blocky is.

The confidence he exuded throughout Tuesday's game transcended the entire team, to the point where the loss of key pieces like Sergei Kostitsyn, or his brother Andrei for 19 minutes, or most importantly Roman Hamrlik did not cause the Canadiens to spin into a nosedive like it might have two or three weeks ago. Nor did a goal from Patrick Sharp with just under eight minutes to play in regulation to make the game 3-1. In fact, the Canadiens got that goal right back from Mathieu Schneider on a power play, though Christopher Higgins insists he's going to "steal that one" because he got a stick on it.

"It's part of what makes up a good team," Bob Gainey said of how a goalie's confidence can become infectious. "It's a big part of it."

So big, in fact, that if Price has indeed gotten that mojo back I'm not sure any of the top four seeds in the East would want to face Montreal in the playoffs. That may be a little premature, but the possibility of Price suddenly becoming dominant on the eve of the playoffs is a turn of events that few could have reasonably seen coming only a week ago.

How 'ya been?

Call off the search parties, the real Carey Price has been found.

There had been sightings over the past couple of months, more in recent weeks, but Tuesday night at the Bell Centre Price emerged, safe and sound, and all of Habs nation rejoiced.

His performance in Montreal's decisive 4-1 victory over his former mentor Cristobal Huet and the Chicago Blackhawks was simply masterful It would be called vintage Price if only his body of work were deep enough to allow for the use of such a term. But it signalled that Bob Gainey's blind faith in him was not foolhardy, as I was convinced it was, but rather quite clairvoyant.

He didn't need to look spectacular for most of the night, though his glove grab to start the third off Martin Havlat certainly fit that description, and that's why this was a game that reminded me of Price at his best: in position, ready to make the save before he needs to be, never scrambling. He gave up the odd dangerous rebound here and there, but Price appeared in control of the situation throughout the night.

His was not the only performance that made the Canadiens so formidable on this night - Christopher Higgins flying all over the ice while supposedly suffering from a virus comes to mind - but it was easily the most significant in the big picture.

If Tuesday night indeed marked the return to form of a dominant Carey Price a mere six games before the end of the regualr season, who knows what that could mean for the Canadiens in an Eastern Conference playoffs where all but two teams have question marks in goal?

Of course, the Canadiens spot in those playoffs are far from guaranteed, still clinging to eighth spot by one point over the Florida Panthers who kept pace with a 5-2 win at home over Ottawa. Montreal now plays four of its final six on the road, where the Habs are a dreadful 15-19-3 this season. But the great equalizer on the road is always goaltending, and if the Canadiens have that they can easily go at least .500 on their remaining road games.

Now, for the bad news.

Roman Hamrlik didn't finish the game after colliding into linesman Pierre Champoux in the second period, and then having Ben Eager's knee brush his head. That would be a devastating loss as it would force Ryan O'Byrne into the lineup, and he definitely cannot be thrown into this kind of an environment so cold.

Sergei Kostitsyn was also lost after he had his head slammed into the boards by an Aaron Johnson elbow that I saw as more coincidental than anything. Obviously, that view wasn't shared by brother Andrei, who jumped Johnson and earned 19 minutes in penalties for his effort, effectively ending his night as well.

Sergei's loss could pretty easily be filled by Matt D'Agostini, but if Hamrlik were to miss any time God knows how the Habs would compensate for this crucial stretch of six games.

Gainey the fashionista

Just a quick hit to relay something I heard Martin McGuire report a little earlier this afternoon on CKAC.

He says that Bob Gainey put his foot down today and informed the Canadiens marketing department that the team will not wear the "vintage" barbershop quartet uniforms they were scheduled to don for tonight's game against the Blackhawks. Instead, they will wear the more traditional vintage jersey with the "CAC" as the logo.

I never knew Gainey was one to meddle in the minutiae of his team to the extent of usurping the marketing department's choice of uniform, which was surely predicated on sales projections and other similarly drab business concerns.

It must be getting close to playoff time.

The hockey Gods strike back

It's insane just how dearly the Habs are paying this year for being so spared by the injury bug last season.

This morning news comes that Christopher Higgins has become the latest to succumb to a virus and is doubtful for tonight's game against the Blackhawks. Though his role has become less prominent this season, losing Higgins tonight would be a pretty big blow because the Blackhawks top line anhored by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane (their regular left winger Troy Brouwer was injured in Sunday's 4-0 loss in Vancouver) requires some shadowing.

It appears that every time a new line seems to pick up a little steam this year, someone gets hurt or sick, and this is just the latest example. I guess that means we should expect something to happen to someone on the top line, but maybe they'll be spared.

I'll be interested to see how Cristobal Huet reacts to the Bell Centre crowd tonight who will most definitely be all over their former love child. Huet was unflappable in the face of success while in Montreal, which was really impressive to see, but when things weren't going so well he didn't hide his emotions quite so well.

Huet has an opportunity to send a personal message to Bob Gainey tonight that he was wrong to have traded him at last year's deadline (I think even Bob can see that now), and former Habs goalies who arrive in Montreal with something to prove have a tendency to do pretty well.

But I would like to believe that the guy in the Montreal net has something to prove as well, that trading Huet and handing him the reins last year was a good move despite the disastrous results, that the Canadiens are well-heeled in nets as it makes a push towards the playoffs, and that the gaping holes in his game have been sealed off for good.

Carey Price needs to kick off the magical portion of his 2008/09 season, and tonight would be as good a time to start as any.

Morning playoff check-up

A big 3-0 win for the Rangers over the Devils last night gives them some breathing room, but the Habs could still overtake them by winning both their games in hand. The Devils suddenly look very mortal, losing five straight and six of seven since Martin Brodeur broke the career wins record. I still wouldn't want to face them in the playoffs, but they're not looking nearly as scary. The Habs could conceivably find themselves sitting outside the playoffs by the end of the night if they don't find a way to beat a tough Blackhawks team at the Bell Centre and the Panthers manage to beat a hot Senators team at home. Both happening is pretty unlikely, and I'm going out on a limb and calling a 5-2 Habs win with a 4-1 Panthers loss. I have a feeling the Habs are starting to figure things out, and the Hawks played Sunday night in Vancouver. That's a quick turnaround to be covering three time zones. I'm wondering if we'll see our old buddy Cristobal Huet in nets after sitting on the bench for five straight? I'm planning on blogging from the game, so check back tonight.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 92 points, 41 wins, 5-5-0
7 games remaining - 4 on road, 3 at home, 2 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Remaining schedule – Wed. @ Toronto, Fri. vs. Toronto, Sat. @ Ottawa, Tue. vs. Florida, April 9 @ NY Rangers, April 11 @ NY Islanders, April 12 @ NY Rangers

Carolina Hurricanes - 5th place, 91 points, 42 wins, 7-1-2
5 games remaining - 1 on road, 4 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Next week – Thu. vs. NY Rangers, Sat. vs. Pittsburgh, Tue. vs. NY Islanders, April 9 vs. Buffalo, April 11 @ New Jersey

Pittsburgh Penguins - 6th place, 90 points, 41 wins, 7-1-2
6 games remaining - 4 on road, 2 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Remaining schedule – Wed. vs. New Jersey, Sat. @ Carolina, Sun. @ Florida, Tue. @ Tampa Bay, April 9 vs. NY Islanders, April 11 @ Montreal

New York Rangers – 7th place, 89 points, 40 wins, 6-3-1
5 games remaining - 3 on road, 2 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 3-0 over New Jersey
Remaining schedule – Thu. @ Carolina, Sat. @ Boston, Tue. vs. Montreal, April 9 vs. Philadelphia, April 12 @ Philadelphia

Montreal Canadiens - 8th place, 86 points, 38 wins, 4-3-3
7 games remaining - 4 on road, 3 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Remaining schedule – Tonight vs. Chicago, Thu. @ NY Islanders, Sat. @ Toronto, Mon. vs. Ottawa, Tue. @ NY Rangers, April 9 @ Boston, April 11 vs. Pittsburgh

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 85 points, 37 wins, 3-4-3
6 games remaining - 2 on road, 4 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Remaining schedule – Tonight vs. Ottawa, Fri. vs. Atlanta, Sun. vs. Pittsburgh, Tue. @ Philadelphia, April 9 @ Atlanta, April 11 vs. Washington

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 82 points, 37 wins, 4-5-1
7 games remaining, 4 on road, 3 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Remaining schedule – Wed. @ Atlanta, Fri. @ Washington, Sat. vs. New Jersey, Mon. vs. Detroit, April 8 @ Toronto, April 9 @ Carolina, April 11 vs. Boston

Monday, March 30, 2009

A good sign

I often think back to a question RDS reporter Luc GĂ©linas asked Guy Carbonneau last season after a particularly long series of inquiries on the make-up of his fourth line. Basically, that when reporters are asking you about the fourth line, it means things are going pretty well.

It allows me to keep a pretty good dose of perspective on things, because we can often get carried away by picking apart a single negative aspect of the team and turning into a scourge, one that threatens to shake the team's foundation to its core.

Monday in Brossard, that negative was the play of Tomas Plekanec's second line and how the Canadiens absolutely need production from him and the Kostitsyn brothers to continue their progression toward the playoffs.

This focus, to me, is an excellent sign.

Why? It means Carey Price has found his game, against all odds, and for that Bob Gainey should be commended for sticking to his guns and playing his franchise goalie despite all the signs pointing toward turning to Jaroslav Halak. It means the power play has resumed its effectiveness, with five goals on its last 18 chances, and by extension the first line of Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev and Alex Tanguay is humming along over the last three games. Gainey deserves a good deal of credit for that as well. It means the two checking lines centred by Maxim Lapierre and Glen Metropolit are doing their jobs and even pitching in offensively. Finally, it means the defence is showing signs of respectability again, led by a resurgent Mike Komisarek who apparently needed the threat of a healthy scratch to be convinced he needed to play better. Again, kudos to Gainey on that front.

If any one of those elements were still tanking, that would be the focus in Brossard on Monday. Instead, it fell to Plekanec and the Kostitsyns, which is an important element of the team, but not nearly as important when those just mentioned are working.

I personally believe the line will work itself out once its given a few games to actually play together, which hasn't really happened yet. They had that one game against Atlanta where they were unspectacular, then Andrei got sick, and here we are. So what's the problem?

Whenever the brothers have played together they've found a way not only to make some pretty magical stuff happen on the ice, but also to motivate each other. And Plekanec is the type of player who is always a perfect complement, not one who will necessarily insist on having the puck.

Yes, the Kostitsyns tend to pass to each other too much, but so do the Sedins, and every now and then the Canucks get a tremendous goal out of it. The biggest difference between the Sedins and Kostitsyns right now is the number of games they've played together. In terms of talent and potential for production, I would put the K brothers up against the twins, especially a couple of years from now.

So let's give them some time, like maybe two or three games? Is that reasonable enough? In the meantime, the fact this is the Canadiens biggest problem is a very encouraging sign, and just imagine what could happen when this is no longer a problem.

"That will be a bonus for us when they come in to play," Gainey said of the brothers K today. "I think they will, we need them. And when they do we’ll have a complete team to play with."

If that happens between now and April 11, the Canadiens could very well be a dangerous foe come playoff time.

Evening playoff check-up

Could have sworn I posted this at 8 a.m., but I never hit "publish." Shows you where my head is at. Anyhow, better late than never I suppose:
Not much to report from last night in the playoff race other than another Sunday off for the Habs and the Flyers loss at home to the Bruins, which leaves the door open for the Hurricanes or Penguins to continue their run to that fourth spot in the standings. It's definitely crunch time in the race so I've decided to add the remaining schedule for each team, and certain days jump out at you when you see the schedules side by side. April 7, for instance, sees the top six teams in the race in action (the Sabres might be out of it by then anyway), with a huge matchup between the Habs and Rangers as the highlight. The Flyers visit the Rangers on April 12 after every other team in the race has completed its schedule, and that could be a crucial game as well.


Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 92 points, 41 wins, 5-5-0
7 games remaining - 4 on road, 3 at home, 2 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 4-3 to Boston
Remaining schedule – Wed. @ Toronto, Fri. vs. Toronto, Sat. @ Ottawa, April 7 vs. Florida, April 9 @ NY Rangers, April 11 @ NY Islanders, April 12 @ NY Rangers

Carolina Hurricanes - 5th place, 91 points, 42 wins, 7-1-2
5 games remaining - 1 on road, 4 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Next week – Thu. vs. NY Rangers, Sat. vs. Pittsburgh, April 7 vs. NY Islanders, April 9 vs. Buffalo, April 11 @ New Jersey

Pittsburgh Penguins - 6th place, 90 points, 41 wins, 7-1-2
6 games remaining - 4 on road, 2 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Remaining schedule – Wed. vs. New Jersey, Sat. @ Carolina, Sun. @ Florida, April 7 @ Tampa Bay, April 9 vs. NY Islanders, April 11 @ Montreal

New York Rangers – 7th place, 87 points, 39 wins, 5-4-1
6 games remaining - 3 on road, 3 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Remaining schedule – Mon. vs. New Jersey, Thu. @ Carolina, Sat. @ Boston, April 7 vs. Montreal, April 9 vs. Philadelphia, April 12 @ Philadelphia

Montreal Canadiens - 8th place, 86 points, 38 wins, 4-3-3
7 games remaining - 4 on road, 3 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Remaining schedule – Tue vs. Chicago, Thu. @ NY Islanders, Sat. @ Toronto, April 6 vs. Ottawa, April 7 @ NY Rangers, April 9 @ Boston, April 11 vs. Pittsburgh

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 85 points, 37 wins, 3-4-3
6 games remaining - 2 on road, 4 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Remaining schedule – Tue. vs. Ottawa, Fri. vs. Atlanta, Sun. vs. Pittsburgh, April 7 @ Philadelphia, April 9 @ Atlanta, April 11 vs. Washington

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 82 points, 37 wins, 4-5-1
7 games remaining, 4 on road, 3 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play
Remaining schedule – Wed. @ Atlanta, Fri. @ Washington, Sat. vs. New Jersey, April 6 vs. Detroit, April 8 @ Toronto, April 9 @ Carolina, April 11 vs. Boston

Sunday, March 29, 2009

Morning playoff check-up

Lying on my couch wallowing in the misery of my illness, I was drifting in and out of consciousness as the third period got started in the Habs game against Buffalo last night. I distinctly remember watching the Canadiens dump the puck early on in the period with no intention of trying to recover it and actually score a fourth goal on Ryan Miller. Just as I was on the verge of passing out, I remember thinking this won't end well. I woke up again just as overtime was ending, and I figured this was a pretty good result, based solely on the information I had available to me. Finally, I woke up as RDS was signing off, and I caught the shot of the Sabres bench celebrating. A disappointing loss, especially considering how well Carey Price played (and I didn't even see the whole third period, when he was apparently at his best), but not devastating. The Habs remain a point up on the Panthers with a game in hand plus an extra win, and they pulled to within a point of the Rangers for seventh. But a big challenge remains on the horizon as the Habs finish with four of six on the road, which is the opposite of the Panthers schedule.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 92 points, 41 wins, 6-4-0
8 games remaining - 4 on road, 4 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 4-3 in SO over NY Islanders; next game – Tonight vs. Boston

Carolina Hurricanes - 5th place, 91 points, 42 wins, 7-1-2
5 games remaining - 1 on road, 4 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 2-1 over New Jersey; next game – Thursday vs. NY Rangers

Pittsburgh Penguins - 6th place, 90 points, 41 wins, 7-1-2
6 games remaining - 4 on road, 2 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 4-3 over NY Rangers; next game – Wednesday vs. New Jersey

New York Rangers – 7th place, 87 points, 39 wins, 5-4-1
6 games remaining - 3 on road, 3 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 4-3 to Pittsburgh; next game – Monday vs. New Jersey

Montreal Canadiens - 8th place, 86 points, 38 wins, 4-3-3
7 games remaining - 4 on road, 3 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 4-3 in SO to Buffalo; next game – Tuesday vs. Chicago

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 85 points, 37 wins, 3-4-3
6 games remaining - 2 on road, 4 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 6-3 over Dallas; next game – Tuesday vs. Ottawa

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 82 points, 37 wins, 4-5-1
7 games remaining, 4 on road, 3 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 4-3 over Montreal; next game – Wednesday @ Atlanta

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Morning playoff check-up

With every team in the race playing tonight there could be some major movement. The Flyers are in Long Island, where the Islanders and Joey MacDonald shutout the might Red Wings last night. The biggest game of the day is this afternoon's Rangers visit to Pittsburgh, with the winner claiming sixth place. The Habs had better watch out with the Sabres coming into town as Ryan Miller gives this team a very different dynamic.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 90 points, 40 wins, 6-4-0
9 games remaining - 5 on road, 4 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ NY Islanders

Carolina Hurricanes - 5th place, 89 points, 41 wins, 7-1-2
6 games remaining - 2 on road, 4 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ New Jersey

Pittsburgh Penguins - 6th place, 88 points, 40 wins, 7-1-2
7 games remaining - 4 on road, 3 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Today vs. NY Rangers

New York Rangers – 7th place, 87 points, 39 wins, 6-3-1
7 games remaining - 4 on road, 3 at home, 7 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Today @ Pittsburgh

Montreal Canadiens - 8th place, 85 points, 38 wins, 4-4-2
8 games remaining - 4 on road, 4 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Buffalo

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 83 points, 36 wins, 3-4-3
7 games remaining - 3 on road, 4 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ Dallas

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 80 points, 36 wins, 4-5-1
8 games remaining, 5 on road, 3 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 5-3 over Toronto; next game – Tonight @ Montreal

Friday, March 27, 2009

Morning playoff check-up

Sorry about the blackout last night, but I was really sick and just wanted to get home after the game. Nonetheless, it was a big victory for the Habs as losing that one would have been extremely de-moralizing. Not to harp on it, but Carey Price didn't come up big when he was needed. I understand the tying goal probably bounced twice before it reached him, but when he's on his game he makes that stop. Big win on the road for the Panthers last night, making Saku Koivu's OT winner that much bigger. The Sabres welcome back Ryan Miller against the Leafs tonight, which could spark a charge fom them. The Habs had better be ready Saturday night.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 90 points, 40 wins, 6-4-0
9 games remaining - 5 on road, 4 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 4-2 to Florida; next game – Saturday @ NY Islanders

Carolina Hurricanes - 5th place, 89 points, 41 wins, 7-1-2
6 games remaining - 2 on road, 4 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Saturday @ New Jersey

Pittsburgh Penguins - 6th place, 88 points, 40 wins, 7-1-2
7 games remaining - 4 on road, 3 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Saturday vs. NY Rangers

New York Rangers – 7th place, 87 points, 39 wins, 6-3-1
7 games remaining - 4 on road, 3 at home, 7 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 5-4 in SO to Atlanta; next game – Saturday @ Pittsburgh

Montreal Canadiens - 8th place, 85 points, 38 wins, 4-4-2
8 games remaining - 4 on road, 4 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 3-2 in OT over Tampa Bay; next game – Saturday vs. Buffalo

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 83 points, 36 wins, 3-4-3
7 games remaining - 3 on road, 4 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 4-2 over Philadelphia; next game – Saturday @ Dallas

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 78 points, 35 wins, 4-5-1
9 games remaining, 5 on road, 4 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Friday vs. Toronto

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Experience is a relative thing

I understand not wanting to mess with a winning lineup, but I simply can't understand why Bob Gainey would once again call on the services of Patrice Brisebois for tonight's game against the Lightning.

Gainey has insisted on using players with experience, and few on the Canadiens have more than Brisebois. But much of his experience is as a mistake-prone defenceman who tends to wither in the face of physical teams. I'm not saying the Lightning is the Broad Street Bullies, but I can see them laying on an aggressive foreheck tonight and I'm not sure Brisebois will be that effective.

Tuesday night against Atlanta, Brisebois was probably the most glaring negative point for the Canadiens. It was his hesitant pinch at the blue line that led to Atlanta's first goal, though Guillaume Latendresse was ultimately at fault on that play for failing to cover for his defenceman. Still, Brisebois' initial decision to pinch when he had no hope of reaching the puck first was a poor one.

He was a team-worst minus-2 on Tuesday night and was credited with only two giveaways, though it appeared like more becuase they were so glaring, including a vintage Brisebois pass up the middle that was picked off by the Thrashers in the slot.

I know Ryan O'Byrne is not brimming with confidence and he's also prone to errors, but I refuse to believe he coould be worse than Brisebois was Tuesday night.

Morning playoff check-up

Yes, the deathwatch is over, for now, because the Florida Panthers are in total disarray, far more so than your Montreal Canadiens. That decision to hang on to Jay Bouwmeester at the deadline has to be stinging right about now, because they are not playing like a team that wants to make the playoffs. The Habs have given them every opportunity to jump past them, and the Panthers have squandered every one. A 5-3 loss in Buffalo last night came after the Panthers led 3-1 in the third, but gave up three goals in a span of just over two minutes. That's about as de-moralizing as they come, but gives renewed hope for Habs fans. The Panthers are in tough tonight with a game in Philadephia, and a loss coupled with a Habs win over Tampa Bay will make it extremely difficult to make the playoff cut. Of course, the Habs have to win their game, which is far from a sure thing.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 90 points, 40 wins, 6-4-0
10 games remaining - 5 on road, 5 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Florida

Carolina Hurricanes - 5th place, 89 points, 41 wins, 7-1-2
6 games remaining - 2 on road, 4 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 2-1 over Ottawa; next game – Saturday @ New Jersey

Pittsburgh Penguins - 6th place, 88 points, 40 wins, 7-1-2
7 games remaining - 4 on road, 3 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 2-0 over Calgary; next game – Saturday vs. NY Rangers

New York Rangers – 7th place, 86 points, 39 wins, 7-3-0
8 games remaining - 5 on road, 3 at home, 7 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ Atlanta

Montreal Canadiens - 8th place, 83 points, 37 wins, 3-5-2
9 games remaining - 4 on road, 5 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Tampa Bay

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 81 points, 35 wins, 2-5-3
8 games remaining - 4 on road, 4 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 5-3 to Buffalo; next game – Tonight @ Philadelphia

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 78 points, 35 wins, 4-5-1
9 games remaining, 5 on road, 4 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – won 5-3 over Buffalo; next game – Friday vs. Toronto

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Morning playoff deathwatch

OK, I guess people aren't as willing to consider it a deathwatch after a 6-3 win, but I'm going to need to see some consistent play before I consider the Habs a lock to make the playoffs. The importance of that win for the Habs was not only moving two points ahead of Florida for the eighth spot, it gave Montreal two more wins than the Panthers with the same number of games played. That means they have the inside track on the first tiebreak, and if you look at the win totals of the teams we're tracking, you'll see that's a pretty huge advantage. The Canadiens victory also puts the Sabres one more loss away from being dropped off this tracking list, and that loss could come as soon as this evening at home to the Panthers, though I'm sure Habs fans will be pulling for Buffalo to stay in it with a win.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 90 points, 40 wins, 6-4-0
10 games remaining - 5 on road, 5 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Thursday vs. Florida

Carolina Hurricanes - 5th place, 87 points, 40 wins, 7-1-2
7 games remaining - 2 on road, 5 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Ottawa

New York Rangers – 6th place, 86 points, 39 wins, 7-3-0
8 games remaining - 5 on road, 3 at home, 7 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 2-1 over Minnesota; next game – Thursday @ Atlanta

Pittsburgh Penguins - 7th place, 86 points, 39 wins, 7-1-2
8 games remaining - 4 on road, 4 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Calgary

Montreal Canadiens - 8th place, 83 points, 37 wins, 3-5-2
9 games remaining - 4 on road, 5 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 6-3 over Atlanta; next game – Thursday vs. Tampa Bay

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 81 points, 35 wins, 3-4-3
9 games remaining - 5 on road, 4 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ Buffalo

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 76 points, 34 wins, 3-6-1
10 games remaining, 5 on road, 5 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Florida

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Not out of the woods yet

Yes, a blowout win at home over the Atlanta Thrashers will do a load of good for the Canadiens confidence, and they should revel in the first positive bits if news to come their way in weeks.

But in reality, the game was only a first step toward where this team needs to be if they want to not only make the playoffs, but win once they get there, as Bob Gainey said was the goal not so long ago.

Being the cynic that I am, we'll begin with the negatives.

Gainey's decision to start Carey Price did not cost him the game, but I'm still not willing to admit that it was the right call. Price played pretty well, making a beautiful glove save off Ilya Kovalchuk and keeping the Habs in the game while they were outshot 10-4 in the first period.

But he did nothing to convince me that he deserved the start over Jaroslav Halak, and Price wasn't very strong on the Thrashers first and third goals. But he won, for the first time since March 10, and that definitely counts for something.

At the other end of the ice the Canadiens did score six times, and that's nothing to ignore, but there was very little sustained offensive pressure aside from power play time and that's something the Canadiens still need to improve on. It's not every day you'll score six goals on your first 15 shots, or that you'll win a game when only 22 shots hit the net.

I expected far more from the line of Tomas Plekanec surrounded by the Mangiola twins, but I hope their lack of production doesn't mean the end for the trio because I feel it can eventually work. The Canadiens will need it to because they won't get a monster performance from the first line all the time.

I could also mention the fact that Patrice Brisebois went all retro on us and showed the decision-making skills that made him vilified at the Bell Centre back in the day, but I won't. Well, I guess I just did.

Otherwise there were a lot of positives, led by a breakout performance from the newly-formed first line of Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev and Alex Tanguay with a combined 11 points between the three of them. All but two of those points came on the power play, and while normally that would be a disclaimer not to be too overjoyed with the production, in the Canadiens case it was a welcome 3-for-4 night for a struggling power play unit. In fact, it matched it's production over the previous nine games in the second period alone.

Mike Komisarek also played one of his better games in quite some time, getting physically engaged and showing a mildly improved sense of poise. He's not all the way back to the defenceman he was last year, far from it, but if he can string together a few more games like this one he'll be a valuable addition to the team.

Finally, the Canadiens won a blowout game, one that will give this team an idea of what it is capable of, one that will remind those who were here last year what that feels like and could push the team to better the effort Thursday night against Tampa Bay.

That may be the most important byproduct of this victory, because based solely on what happened on the ice, it's clear there's still a lot of work left to do.

A deafening silence

I haven't weighed in on all this talk of George Gillett possibly selling the Habs yet because I wasn't convinced it was an actual option.

But after making a statement Tuesday addressing his decision to re-evaluate his empire and how that pertains to his 50 per cent stake in Liverpool FC, Gillett has decided not to do the same regarding his 80.1 per cent share of the Canadiens.

Gillett is at the Bell Centre watching his team play the Atlanta Thrashers, and I can see his son Foster sitting in his seat, but a team spokesman says he's chosen not to speak to the media about the potential of a sale.

I may be reading too much into it, but that appears to me to be an admission of sorts that the sale of the Canadiens is a more likely scenario than selling off his share of Liverpool. I personally don't feel like having Gillett as an owner is a vital ingredient to the Canadiens success (I think that much is obvious at this point), but there is the very real possibility that a new owner would be an impediment, so in that sense it should be of some concern to fans.

Gillett has been a good steward of this public trust because he hasn't interfered in hockey-related matters and has never deprived he team of the funds necessary to go after high-end players. It's not his fault if those players had no interest in playing here.

Regardless, Gillett had an opportunity to reassure his client base tonight, and he chose not to. That doesn't mean the Canadiens are necessarily for sale, but it does nothing to quell that idea either.

The reasoning becomes muddied

So, the franchise goalie is getting another opportunity to sink the franchise. Maybe this is why it isn't wise to have your general manager behind the bench, because a GM isn't able to exclusively think of the here and now, he always has the future on his mind.

For the future of the franchise, it may in fact be a good move to start Carey Price tonight in a crucial game against a hot Atlanta Thrashers team. He did, after all, only allow one goal against them while his teammates totally messed the bed in that 2-0 loss in Atlanta, so maybe Price has this team's number.

But looked at from an objective point of view, Jaroslav Halak has been by far the better of the two goalies since New Year's and he needed to be given a vote of confidence that one bad game will not cost him his spot in front of the Canadiens net. He has to be wondering what he needs to do to get the same leniancy Price does. Unfortunately, Halak can't go back in time and get drafted fifth overall, so he appears doomed to this fate.

So what happens if Price lets in an early softie? How long does Gainey stick with his man? What do the players think of this continued reclamation project, because I would have to believe many of them feel Halak gives them their best chance to win tonight even though Price is very popular in that room.

If Price is the reason the Canadiens lose tonight, then Gainey will have once and for all proven that stepping behind the bench himself when there were qualified coaches available was a fatal error. Wouldn't the fans and media have accepted a unilingual Don Lever on an interim basis, especially if he turned the team's fortunes around? Don't you think Lever would have jumped at the chance?

I hope Price proves me wrong, that he proves all the great things everyone has said about his character and focus come shining through tonight, that this game is the one that turns around a nightmare of a season.

But something tells me I'm right.

Morning playoff deathwatch

Seeing as it is now abundantly clear the Canadiens only concern is Florida, no Habs fans should be groaning over the three-point game between the Panthers and the Hurricanes last night. No, Carolina must be thanked for ensuring the Habs take the ice tonight against Atlanta still holding down eighth place. Tonight marks the beginning of the end of the Canadiens "easy" part of the schedule, and they need to win all three this week to survive a finish that has the Habs on the road for four of their final six. Oh yeah, the Flyers beat the Devils last night, but it's not as if that matters a lick to the Canadiens.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 90 points, 40 wins, 6-4-0
10 games remaining - 5 on road, 5 at home, 3 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 4-2 over New Jersey; next game – Thursday vs. Florida

Carolina Hurricanes - 5th place, 87 points, 40 wins, 7-1-2
7 games remaining - 2 on road, 5 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 3-2 over Florida; next game – Wednesday vs. Ottawa

Pittsburgh Penguins - 6th place, 86 points, 39 wins, 7-1-2
8 games remaining - 4 on road, 4 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Wednesday vs. Calgary

New York Rangers – 7th place, 84 points, 38 wins, 7-3-0
9 games remaining - 5 on road, 4 at home, 7 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Minnesota

Montreal Canadiens - 8th place, 81 points, 36 wins, 3-5-2
10 games remaining - 4 on road, 6 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Atlanta

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 81 points, 35 wins, 3-4-3
9 games remaining - 5 on road, 4 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 3-2 in OT to Carolina; next game – Wednesday @ Buffalo

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 76 points, 34 wins, 3-6-1
10 games remaining, 5 on road, 5 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Wednesday vs. Florida

Monday, March 23, 2009

If only it were still January

Bob Gainey made a few moves at Monday's practice that may very well get the Habs going in the right direction, moves that I like on the surface, but moves that may very well have come too late.

Move #1
Bringing back Sergei Kostitsyn to play with Andrei is something that should have been done quite some time ago, because it's clear that Sergei makes Andrei an infinitely better player. I know, Andrei shouldn't need his little brother on his line to perform, but I don't think anyone can deny that's the reality of the situation. Sergei had better show the same intensity he did after his call-up last season, because I believe if he does his big brother's intensity will follow.

Move #2
Gainey said the line of Saku Koivu, Alex Kovalev and Alex Tanguay was in keeping with his decision to bring up Sergei Kostitysn and send Max Pacioretty down to Hamilton, namely that he wants experience in the lineup. This line puts his three most experienced offensive players on the ice at the same time, as Gainey put it, but more importantly it makes it extremely clear which is the big line for the Canadiens. Practically all season, it was unclear who would play as the first power play unit, or when the team is down a goal in the final minute, but now there's no question. If it's not the Koivu line put into that situation, then the Canadiens problems are too deep to fix in 10 games.

Move #3
Gainey essentially designated the line of Glen Metropolit, Mathieu Dandenault and Christopher Higgins as his shutdown line, which is something the Canadiens haven't had all year, or at least not one that was this clearly defined. It could work, it might not, but at least there are three players on the team who know in advance that they will be expected to play a largely defensive role.

Move #4
Neither Georges Laraque nor Gregory Stewart will play Tuesday against the Thrashers, which means Gainey will legitimately have 18 skaters at his disposal to throw out there at any point in the game. With the way certain players have fallen asleep in the middle of games over the past weeks, if not months, having a full complement to choose from is more vital than ever.

Basically, what Gainey did at practice today was define roles for his lines, and that is something the players were saying was lacking while Guy Carbonneau was still around. There are now two scoring lines, an energy line and a checking line, which is how hockey teams are usually built. Granted, the idea of having three scoring lines came from Gainey to begin with because he's the one who was so desperately chasing Mats Sundin before bringing in Robert Lang essentially to centre a third scoring line.

The one thing I wanted to hear from Gainey that I didn't was that Jaroslav Halak would be his starting goalie Tuesday. He said he wanted both goalies to arrive to the morning skate prepared to play, but if Carey Price gets the nod I'm willing to bet the Habs lose. I don't care that Price played pretty well in that 2-0 loss in Atlanta that ultimately cost Carbonneau his job, and I also don't care that Halak gave up a few softies in that 5-2 loss to Toronto the other night. Halak needs to be given the net if the Habs are to have any chance of making the postseason because Price has squandered far too many chances to grab the reins.

Morning playoff deathwatch

The Canadiens upcoming schedule will likely decide their playoff fate for this season. Montreal plays Atlanta on Tuesday night, winners of seven of their last 10 games and one of the hotter teams in the conference. But after that, the Canadiens host Tampa Bay, Buffalo and Chicago, three teams who have each won only three of their last 10 games. The Canadiens play those four games by March 31, but Florida plays five the rest of this month. Of those five, three are against pretty hot teams in Carolina, Philadelphia and Ottawa, while the other two are against teams still in the playoff picture in Buffalo and Dallas. The Rangers, meanwhile, play their next game against struggling Minnesota, but then they play the hot Thrashers and finish with seven straight against playoff-positioned clubs (assuming the Canadiens are still in the top-eight come April 7). So the schedule looks like it is favourable to the Habs, but they'll have to make it a point to take advantage of it.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 88 points, 39 wins, 6-4-0
11 games remaining - 5 on road, 6 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 3-1 over Pittsburgh; next game – Tonight vs. New Jersey

Pittsburgh Penguins - 5th place, 86 points, 39 wins, 7-1-2
8 games remaining - 4 on road, 4 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 3-1 to Philadelphia; next game – Wednesday vs. Calgary

Carolina Hurricanes - 6th place, 85 points, 39 wins, 7-1-2
8 games remaining - 3 on road, 5 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ Florida

New York Rangers – 7th place, 84 points, 38 wins, 7-3-0
9 games remaining - 5 on road, 4 at home, 7 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 2-1 to Ottawa; next game – Tuesday vs. Minnesota

Montreal Canadiens - 8th place, 81 points, 36 wins, 3-5-2
10 games remaining - 4 on road, 6 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tuesday vs. Atlanta

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 80 points, 35 wins, 4-4-2
10 games remaining - 5 on road, 5 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ Carolina

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 76 points, 34 wins, 3-6-1
10 games remaining, 5 on road, 5 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Wednesday vs. Florida

Sunday, March 22, 2009

(very early) Morning playoff deathwatch

I think the change in the headline says it all. Pretty soon, this will be a battle for eighth between two teams, which will make it far less interesting. But it's not our fault certain teams see the gravity of the situation and others don't.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 86 points, 38 wins, 5-5-0
12 games remaining - 6 on road, 6 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Today @ Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Penguins - 5th place, 86 points, 39 wins, 8-0-2
9 games remaining - 4 on road, 5 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Today vs. Philadelphia

Carolina Hurricanes - 6th place, 85 points, 39 wins, 7-1-2
8 games remaining - 3 on road, 5 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 4-1 over Washington; next game – Monday @ Florida

New York Rangers – 7th place, 84 points, 38 wins, 7-3-0
10 games remaining - 5 on road, 5 at home, 7 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 5-3 over Buffalo; next game – Tonight vs. Ottawa

Montreal Canadiens - 8th place, 81 points, 36 wins, 3-5-2
10 games remaining - 4 on road, 6 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tuesday vs. Atlanta

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 80 points, 35 wins, 4-4-2
10 games remaining - 5 on road, 5 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 3-1 to Columbus; next game – Monday @ Carolina

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 76 points, 34 wins, 3-6-1
10 games remaining, 5 on road, 5 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 5-3 to NY Rangers; next game – Wednesday vs. Florida

Saturday, March 21, 2009

On a train bound for nowhere

Bob Gainey said after this embarrassment at the Bell Centre that the Montreal Canadiens next goal should be to win a game they "deserve to win."

But even though the Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres are determined to make sure it happens, the Canadiens don't deserve a whole lot of anything, least of all a playoff spot.

Both the Sabres and Panthers lost Saturday night so the Habs remain eighth in the East, and they've lost only two points on the Panthers and gained a point on the Sabres while going 3-5-2 in their last 10.

That's the good news.

The bad news is that the only thing that makes the Habs a team right now is the fact they all happen to wear the same jersey when they go out for a skate. Otherwise, the Montreal Canadiens are nothing more than a group of individuals, and individuals will never beat a real team. Say what you will about how grim things are for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but on Saturday night they played like a team, one that smelled blood and pounced on it.

So where do the Canadiens go from here, still clinging to a playoff spot but completely lost as a group?

Gainey said he would be discussing things Sunday with players he felt didn't have such a strong game in that 5-2 loss, which from the sounds of it is pretty much every single guy on the team except Maxim Lapierre, Guillaume Latendresse and Tom Kostopoulos.

In one day of meetings and another day of practice, Gainey has to convince his targeted players to buy in, to believe that they can still salvage this situation, to remember what made the team so dangerous last season and to forget what has made them so horrendous since mid-January.

January 20, to be specific, when a 4-2 loss in Atlanta started a 9-16-3 tailspin that has included two losing streaks of four games and now one of five, and has brought the Habs to the brink of disaster. A 2-0 loss in Atlanta also served as the final nail in the coffin for Guy Carbonneau. Now those same Thrashers are the Canadiens next scheduled visitors at the Bell Centre.

You would think the players would be able to find something deep within themselves to get up for that one, but you would have thought the same thing about the game in Ottawa Thursday and especially tonight's game against the Leafs. So it's entirely possible that the Canadiens demise in their 100th season will have been spearheaded by the Thrashers, and that would be lower than anyone could have imagined this team sinking.

Gainey better have some magical words for his players Sunday, because right now there's no reason to believe the Canadiens will be any better Tuesday than they've been the past two months.

(Extremely early) morning playoff check-up

The Hurricanes jumped past the Rangers into sixth place with a tough 5-4 win over the Islanders, and I'm on the verge of dropping some teams from the check-up. The two Pennsylvania teams can basically punch their ticket to the playoffs now, but as long as they remain within striking distance of the Habs they'll stick around here. That may not be for much longer. If the Sabres lose to the Rangers tonight and both the Habs and Panthers win (which is far from a sure thing), then I'd be inclined to proclaim the Sabres dead. Every team in the check-up is in action tonight except the Pennsylvania teams who have a huge showdown Sunday. The marquee game would normally be Habs-Leafs, but really, does that turn anyone's crank anymore? If I had NHL Centre Ice and I wasn't working, I'd be checking out the Rangers-Sabres game tonight.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 86 points, 38 wins, 5-5-0
12 games remaining - 6 on road, 6 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 6-4 over Buffalo; next game – Sunday @ Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Penguins - 5th place, 86 points, 39 wins, 8-0-2
9 games remaining - 4 on road, 5 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 4-1 over Los Angeles; next game – Sunday vs. Philadelphia

Carolina Hurricanes - 6th place, 83 points, 38 wins, 6-2-2
9 games remaining - 3 on road, 6 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 5-4 over NY Islanders; next game – Tonight vs. Washington

New York Rangers – 7th place, 82 points, 37 wins, 6-3-1
11 games remaining - 5 on road, 6 at home, 7 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Buffalo

Montreal Canadiens - 8th place, 81 points, 36 wins, 4-4-2
11 games remaining - 4 on road, 7 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Toronto

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 80 points, 35 wins, 4-4-2
11 games remaining - 5 on road, 6 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Columbus

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 76 points, 34 wins, 3-5-2
11 games remaining, 6 on road, 5 at home, 7 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 6-4 to Philadelphia; next game – Tonight @ NY Rangers

Friday, March 20, 2009

Shock therapy

One would think mid-March is not a time to be sending messages, but I have to admire what Bob Gainey is considering doing.

If indeed he benches Mike Komisarek and Andrei Kostitsyn for Saturday night's game against the Maple Leafs, it would be the equivalent of shock therapy for a team that desperately needs it.

But, on the other side of the coin, if this doesn't work nothing will.

Still, it's not every day a coach decides to scratch his leading goal-scorer and someone who began the season as a top-pair defenceman, particularly not one who still aspires to not only make the playoffs, but win once he gets there.

That should, in theory, get the attention of Alex Kovalev that he may be next if he puts in another performance like he did Thursday night. But then again, who really has any idea at all of what gets Kovalev's attention?

In the case of Kostitsyn, Gainey said it was simply his uninspired play against Ottawa that led to this decision and not necessarily his play in general of late, noting that he didn't generate a single scoring chance against the Senators despite playing significant minutes and on the power play.

For Komisarek, Gainey called out his hesitant play, which is either a sign of a lack of confidence or a clear indication that he isn't completely healed from that shoulder injury. I personally believe it's the latter of the two, because it's rare that Komisarek is so physically invisible.

In his last five games Komisarek was credited with only seven hits, and four of those games were played in front of the Bell Centre stat guys who love boosting his numbers. That is simply not the player Komisarek is supposed to be, and if he's hurt he's got to learn how to play through the pain or else take himself out of the lineup, because he can't help the Habs playing like this.

Gainey also announced his intention to start Jaroslav Halak against Toronto and says that was the plan all along, but he suggested that the job is his to lose when he said, "I hope Halak’s performance will make my decision easier for the next game and for next week."

Essentially, a solid performance from the goalie will result in Carey Price watching more games from the bench. Gainey was asked directly whether Halak was the guy he would ride to the end of the season, and he refused to commit. I suppose that was in case he needed to turn to Price again, but I think I would have preferred hearing him give Halak that public endorsement right now.

He certainly deserves it.

Morning playoff check-up

This is starting to get serious. With the Habs loss in Ottawa last night and the Panthers win over the Maple Leafs, Montreal is just one point out of ninth-place in the conference. They have no hope of collecting the four points I felt were required this week, and they should be thanking God the Sabres are playing as horribly as they are right now because otherwise 10th place wouldn't be that far off either. The Canadiens could conceivably find themselves in eighth by the end of the night as the Hurricanes are facing the plucky, yet still last-place Islanders at home. Both the Flyers and Penguins are also in action, but at this point I'm not sure if they are relevant to the Canadiens hopes. A solid winning streak over this upcoming five-game homestand could help the Habs get back in the neighbourhood of the two Pennsylvania teams, but does anyone believe the Canadiens have that in them?

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 84 points, 37 wins, 4-5-1
13 games remaining - 7 on road, 6 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ Buffalo

Pittsburgh Penguins - 5th place, 84 points, 38 wins, 8-0-2
10 games remaining - 4 on road, 6 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Los Angeles

New York Rangers – 6th place, 82 points, 37 wins, 6-3-1
11 games remaining - 5 on road, 6 at home, 7 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Saturday vs. Buffalo

Montreal Canadiens - 7th place, 81 points, 36 wins, 4-4-2
11 games remaining - 4 on road, 7 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 5-4 to Ottawa; next game – Saturday vs. Toronto

Carolina Hurricanes - 8th place, 81 points, 37 wins, 6-2-2
10 games remaining - 3 on road, 7 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. NY Islanders

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 80 points, 35 wins, 4-4-2
11 games remaining - 5 on road, 6 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 3-1 vs. Toronto; next game – Saturday vs. Columbus

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 76 points, 34 wins, 3-5-2
12 games remaining, 6 on road, 6 at home, 8 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Philadelphia

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Passing of the torch

Thursday night's 5-4 loss in Ottawa can be blamed on any number of guys in uniform, but I choose to blame the guy wearing the suit behind the bench.

Bob Gainey surely consulted his coaching staff, but the final decision to start Carey Price in goal came down to him. I didn't understand it then, and I definitely don't understand it now.

But if the loss was valuable for one thing, it was to make it abundantly clear that Jarsolav Halak has become the new number one goalie in Montreal. Anyone who doesn't see that simply doesn't want to face reality.

In my eyes, Price crumbling under the pressure of Tuesday's shootout was a clear sign that he not only lacked confidence, but he's lacking basic mechanics right now. Allowing four goals on 15 shots in Ottawa is pretty solid evidence of that.

Starting Price was one thing, but sending him back out to start the second period after allowing three goals in the first was simply inexcusable for Gainey. The goal Price allowed to Jarkko Ruutu after the Habs had cut the deficit to just one goal was deflating to a team that appears willing to wilt at the slightest sign of adversity.

The only reason they didn't do just that Thursday was because Halak came in and stopped Christoph Shubert on a breakaway and Daniel Alfredsson on a great chance in front within five minutes of entering the game. You could almost see the Habs confidence growing.

If Price starts again this season, even if Halak has a bad game, then it will be clear that Gainey is suffering from an acute case of denial.

He has to be thinking that his master plan to build around this stud of a young goalie is falling apart before his eyes, but I don't necessarily feel that's the case. There's no reason why Price couldn't come back next year and get a fresh start on becoming a potentially great goalie. But it's not happening this season. Gainey needs to realize that and try to ride Halak into the playoffs, master plan be damned.

Something else Gainey would have done well to realize Thursday in Ottawa was that his worst line included Alex Kovalev, who seemingly decided the game wasn't all that important and figured he'd take a mental health day.

At a time when his team needs him most, and a time of year where he usually picks up his game, Kovalev was a total non-factor and Andrei Kostitsyn followed his lead. Tomas Plekanec was showing the same hard work he's been putting out since returning from his suspension, but when you're the only one on your line breaking a sweat, you're not going to produce too many results.

On the positive side of the ledger was the play of Saku Koivu, who had his best game in weeks and finally looked like he was physically capable of keeping up. His play to beat Mike Fisher in a battle behind the net and set up Alex Tanguay's goal was vintage Koivu, something we've seen very little of lately. Gainey will have to hope that continues.

The play of Maxim Lapierre's line with Guillaume Latendresse and Tom Kostopoulos was reminscent of the chemistry those three had before the Golden Boy hurt his shoulder, producing three goals and consistently hemming the Senators in their end. It's incredible to think that Lapierre was actually sent to Hamilton out of training camp only last year, and now he's emerging as an elite third line checking centre.

But that's about it in terms of positives for the Habs. The power play went 0-for-4, including a 33-second 5-on-3 in the second where they looked downright aloof, despite being only a goal down in a game they absolutely needed to win. The power play is now 3-for-34 over their last eight games. Ugly.

The Canadiens also allowed 39 shots, making it the fourth straight game they've given up at least that many, but they did top the 30-shot mark themselves for the first time in seven games. That's 15 times in 16 games the Habs have been outshot, in case you're losing count.

All the signs are pointing to this team being an abject disaster, including the ugly second-half standings provided by the venerable Pierre LeBrun that show the Habs are the third-worst team in the NHL over the past couple of months. But despite all their warts, I refuse to believe there is absolutely no way the Habs could surprise a very beatable Eastern Conference in the playoffs.

Except that idea is becoming harder and harder to defend rationally with each passing loss.

Midday playoff check-up

The Hurricanes win over the Devils at home last night brought them into a tie with the Canadiens for seventh place and the jockeying for playoff positioning is at its tightest. Only three points now separate fourth from eighth place in the standings and all five teams have to believe that a hot finish to the season can get them home ice advantage in the first round. The Flyers and Canadiens hold games in hand on their competitors, but they have to win those games for them to matter and neither team is playing its best hockey right now. The Habs visit tonight in Ottawa is one of those games in hand, and I would say it's a must-win except that basically every game from here on in falls under that category.


Eastern Conference Playoff Race 

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 84 points, 37 wins, 4-5-1

13 games remaining - 7 on road, 6 at home, 5 against playoff teams

Last night – Did not play; next game – Friday @ Buffalo

 

Pittsburgh Penguins - 5th place, 84 points, 38 wins, 8-0-2

10 games remaining - 4 on road, 6 at home, 6 against playoff teams

Last night – Did not play; next game – Friday vs. Los Angeles

 

New York Rangers – 6th place, 82 points, 37 wins, 6-3-1

11 games remaining - 5 on road, 6 at home, 7 against playoff teams

Last night – Did not play; next game – Saturday vs. Buffalo

 

Montreal Canadiens - 7th place, 81 points, 36 wins, 5-3-2

12 games remaining - 5 on road, 7 at home, 4 against playoff teams

Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ Ottawa

 

Carolina Hurricanes - 8th place, 81 points, 37 wins, 6-2-2

10 games remaining - 3 on road, 7 at home, 5 against playoff teams

Last night – Won 4-2 over New Jersey; next game – Friday vs. NY Islanders

 

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 78 points, 34 wins, 4-4-2

12 games remaining - 5 on road, 7 at home, 6 against playoff teams

Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Toronto

 

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 76 points, 34 wins, 3-5-2

12 games remaining, 6 on road, 6 at home, 8 against playoff teams

Last night – Did not play; next game – Friday vs. Philadelphia

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Everything new is old again

Bob Gainey has a delicious sense of irony, doesn't he?

On the day his former coach Guy Carbonneau was addressing the media for the first and only time about his dismissal, Gainey decided to shuffle his lines again and go with the combinations that Carbonneau himself had come up with.

That meant Tomas Plekanec between Alex Kovalev and Andrei Kostitsyn, Saku Koivu between Christopher Higgins and Alex Tanguay, and Maxim Lapierre between Guillaume Latendresse and Tom Kostopoulos. Essentially, Carbonneau's dream line-up.

It was a dream because Carbonneau almost never had all these pieces at his disposal, and even now Gainey is deprived of Robert Lang. But each of these three lines had a stretch of success at one point this season, it just never happened to be at the same time.

Let's say the new/old line combinations give the Habs the spark they've needed since before the All-Star break. I wonder how Carbonneau will feel then? If he's still trying to figure out why exactly he got fired 10 days after the fact, the confusion will become even deeper if it's his own line combinations that actually get the team out of its funk.

This means that Kostitsyn will be playing alongside Kovalev again Thursday in Ottawa, something I don't feel allows the youngster much breathing room to make plays. But frankly, he hasn't been making too many plays without Kovalev of late, so why not give it a shot?

Something else I don't particularly agree with is Gainey's decision to go with Carey Price in Ottawa. I guess he's relying on what Price did in regulation Tuesday to allow the Habs to earn a point, but I'm more focused on his frightening performance in the shootout where he looked completely overmatched.

The Senators are playing pretty good hockey right now, and I fear they could pounce on Price early. He needs a solid first period tomorrow night so the Habs have a chance to actually play with a lead for the first time in ages, and I'm not sure he's in the right frame of mind to do that.

But the big event Wednesday was not the Habs practice in Brossard, it was Carbonneau's near hour-long meeting with reporters at the Bell Centre. He had a lot to say while saying a lot of nothing over that time, but one thing he said jumped out at me.

When asked if having 11 impending free agents on the team made his life as coach more difficult, Carbonneau didn't pull any punches.

"I can't hide the fact that it was an extremely difficult situation," Carbonneau said. "We all see how much money certain players get paid and everyone is trying to give themselves an advantage. It's a reality in the NHL right now and certain teams will be affected more than others in certain years. With the salary cap I think we'll see this more and more frequently. Teams are going to have to guard themselves from situations like this and adapt a little better. It was an exceptional situation this year in Montreal that never happened before, and I think the coaches and organizations should learn from what happened here."

The former coach did everything he could not to throw either his former boss or former players under the bus Wednesday, but that response essentially did that to Gainey. That's not saying what Carbonneau said isn't true, because it was a potential problem that was identified from the very first day of training camp, and apparently it was a situation that became bigger than the team.

Gainey, in his role as GM, should have seen this coming and could have avoided it being so overwhelming by signing one or two key players during the season or even last summer. His failure to do so made it so his coach-of-the-year candidate became a fall guy, and it only confirmed my belief that Gainey decided his fate was going to be dictated by no one but himself. He knows his job may be on the line here, and he wants to be the one calling the shots when and if he gets the axe.

Even if that means calling shots the coach he fired already came up with.

Morning playoff check-up

A big night in the Eastern race last night saw little movement, but a real tightening of the situation among the teams currently in playoff position. The Habs remain three points out of fourth spot, but they are in seventh this morning. The Penguins have evened up with the Flyers at 84 points, but Philly's got three games in hand. My guess is they'll have to win those to fend off the surging Pens for home ice in the first round. Both the Panthers and Sabres are fading fast, making Montreal's recent ineptitude not nearly as costly as it probably should be.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 84 points, 37 wins, 4-5-1
13 games remaining - 7 on road, 6 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 3-2 to Detroit; next game – Friday @ Buffalo

Pittsburgh Penguins - 5th place, 84 points, 38 wins, 8-0-2
10 games remaining - 4 on road, 6 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 6-2 over Atlanta; next game – Friday vs. Los Angeles

New York Rangers – 6th place, 82 points, 37 wins, 6-3-1
11 games remaining - 5 on road, 6 at home, 7 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 4-3 over Montreal; next game – Saturday vs. Buffalo

Montreal Canadiens - 7th place, 81 points, 36 wins, 5-3-2
12 games remaining - 5 on road, 7 at home, 4 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 4-3 in SO to NY Rangers; next game – Thursday @ Ottawa

Carolina Hurricanes - 8th place, 79 points, 36 wins, 5-3-2
11 games remaining - 3 on road, 8 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. New Jersey

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 78 points, 34 wins, 4-4-2
12 games remaining - 5 on road, 7 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 3-0 to Washington; next game – Thursday vs. Toronto

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 76 points, 34 wins, 3-5-2
12 games remaining, 6 on road, 6 at home, 8 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 4-2 to Ottawa; next game – Friday vs. Philadelphia

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

This one stings

If you'd told me before Tuesday night's game with the New York Rangers that the Canadiens would manage a point while losing in a shootout, I would say that's a pretty good result.

Considering just how poorly the Habs had played against the Devils and Islanders in their two previous games, finishing the New York trifecta by adding a point in the standings would seem alright, especially considering Ranger goalie Henrik Lundqvist's dominance in shootout situations.

But you know what? The Canadiens should have won that game Tuesday night, and they should have been able to do it in regulation. I'm glad that was Bob Gainey's reaction as well, because the Canadiens did a lot of things well Tuesday and it would have been easy to allow those positives to cloud the ultimate negative of a loss against a playoff rival in March.

If the Canadiens were "participants" on Saturday night against the Devils, they were spectators in the third period against the Rangers and Gainey's concern over his team's inability to take over a tie game in the third period at home is very well placed, though he shoulders a good portion of the blame for that as well.

No, not his bench management, because Gainey essentially went with three lies up front throughout the third, particularly after the Rangers scored to make it 3-2. And it wasn't the team's system that was lacking because Gainey did not trap the Rangers nearly as much as he did against the Devils on Saturday, and that was encouraging.

But really, how his team comes out of the locker room following the second intermission falls on the coach, no? Does the coach not have an impact on the players "emotional engagement" to a situation? I think so, and I believe Gainey does as well or else it would have been Guy Carbonneau behind the bench Tuesday and not him.

But even without looking at how the Canadiens should have been able to take over the game in the third instead of being outshot 16-5, if you would have told me the Habs scored twice on Lundqvist in the shootout with Carey Price in nets, I would have bet heavily on Montreal's chances of winning.

Except Price looked like the situation of having the team's playoff fortunes riding on his shoulders was too much for him in the shootout. Markus Naslund's goal was a pretty nice move (one made with extreme speed, which I wish more players would do in the shootout). But Price looked downright scared against both Nik Antropov and Chris Drury, and that should be scary to Canadiens fans.

If I'm Gainey, I start Jaroslav Halak in Ottawa on Thursday, not because Price played poorly against the Rangers, but because he looked like the situation got too big for him. A strange turn of events for a kid that won that epic shootout against the Americans in the 2007 world juniors. Price was great in regulation, turning aside 39 of 42 shots, but he wilted in crunch time and that is supposed to be one of his strengths.

Speaking of the shots on goal, the Canadiens were dead even with the Rangers until the third period, but anticipating another 40-shot barrage I decided I would try to count scoring chances. I've never done this during a game and now realize just how subjective it can be. For one thing, a scoring chance may not necessarily result in a shot on goal, and a goal may come out of a play that's not necessarily a scoring chance. In fact, both Nikolai Zherdev's and Andrei Markov's equalizer did not register as scoring chances in my book.

Anyhow, at the end of overtime I had the scoring chances even at 14 apiece, and I had it at 4-2 Rangers in the third period. But what the exercise taught me is that when coaches talk about how shots are less important than scoring chances in determining a team's play, it's not entirely true.

The Rangers weren't generating a lot of quality scoring opportunities in that third period, but what they were doing - and it's clearly demonstrated in the 16-5 shot margin -was keeping the play in the offensive end, which is exactly what Gainey wanted his team to be doing.

Despite that, and thanks to the largesse of Lundqvist, the Canadiens had a chance to grab a very big two points in the shootout and didn't because Price wasn't up to the task. The result is that the Habs will wake up Wednesday in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, three points clear of the ninth-place Florida Panthers.

But at the beginning of the week, I said the Habs needed four points this week to stay in the right mental frame of mind to make a run at a playoff spot, and getting one against the Rangers means they are a quarter of the way there.

All the Habs have to do now is not get too hung up on the point that got away.

Morning playoff check-up

No changes at all to the playoff picture this morning, but it's another big night with poetntial movement tonight as six of the seven teams in the race are in action. The marquee match-up is the Habs hosting the Rangers, who are coming off a big victory over the Flyers Sunday. Those Flyers are in Detroit on the second leg of a four-game road swing that will bring them to Buffalo and Pittsburgh. Those Penguins continue their cushy home schedule with a visit from the Thrashers, who pasted the Capitals 5-1 last night. As far as the Habs are concerned, we're approaching must-win territory.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 84 points, 37 wins, 5-4-1
14 games remaining - 8 on road, 6 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ Detroit

Pittsburgh Penguins - 5th place, 82 points, 37 wins, 8-0-2
11 games remaining - 4 on road, 7 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Atlanta

Montreal Canadiens - 6th place, 80 points, 36 wins, 6-3-1
13 games remaining - 5 on road, 8 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. NY Rangers

New York Rangers – 7th place, 80 points, 36 wins, 5-3-2
12 games remaining - 6 on road, 6 at home, 8 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ Montreal

Carolina Hurricanes - 8th place, 79 points, 36 wins, 5-3-2
11 games remaining - 3 on road, 8 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Wed. vs. New Jersey

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 78 points, 34 wins, 4-4-2
13 games remaining - 5 on road, 8 at home, 8 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight vs. Washington

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 76 points, 34 wins, 4-4-2
13 games remaining, 7 on road, 6 at home, 8 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tonight @ Ottawa

Monday, March 16, 2009

Carbo must be chuckling

Bob Gainey threw his forwards into a blender at practice late Monday afternoon and came up with some wacky line combinations.

Before people get all goofy over this, it should be noted that just because Alex Kovalev skated with Christopher Higgins and Maxim Lapierre on Monday doesn't necessarily mean that will be the case against the Rangers on Tuesday night. But if they do remain together, I've got to imagine Guy Carbonneau will be busting a gut laughing. (UPDATE: They will in fact be playing together, Gainey confirmed, as he hopes the lack of fanciness displayed by Higgins and Lapierre will rub off on Kovalev. Let the hilarity ensue).

The one change I had noticed since Gainey took over behind the bench three games ago was that he didn't touch his lines, despite having every reason in the world to do so. I actually thought it was a nice change that may pay off in the long run when (or if) some chemistry develops on one of the top lines.

But judging from today's practice, it looks like it's back to status quo in terms of stability among the forward lines, and the move is very Carbo-esque, if you ask me.

The one bit of encouraging news was that Mathieu Dandenault practised as a defenceman, which I believe should have happened a long time ago. After calling out Mike Komisarek following the Devils game without specifically naming him, maybe it's time for Gainey to sit him out a game and throw Dandenault in, or even Ryan O'Byrne.

Don't get me wrong, the Canadiens need Komisarek at his best if they have any hope of making the playoffs. But right now, he's far from being at his best, and maybe a game off might allow him to see that he doesn't constantly need to be in a rush. It certainly helped Tomas Plekanec, maybe it will have the same effect on Komisarek.

The Habs are embarking on the most crucial week of the season, and anything less than two wins against the Rangers, Senators on Thursday and Leafs on Saturday would have to be considered a disaster. In fact, I'm willing to say that if the Habs don't get four points this week, they'll miss the playoffs.

There, I said it. I hadn't really considered missing the post-season a possibility until now, and even then I'm not looking at last week as being an indicator of impending doom.

The Habs beat the Oilers (not entirely deserved, but a win nonetheless), lost to an Islanders team that has only three losses in nine games (ever since Bill Guerin was held out of the lineup as a pre-deadline precaution) and has also beaten New Jersey and Chicago in that span, and finally lost to a Devils club that I believe will win the Stanley Cup.

But if the Habs lay an egg against three very beatable opponents this week (yes, the Rangers are extremely beatable, Avery or no Avery), then the confidence of this still-fragile club will go down the toilet, and there's no telling how deep this spiral toward mediocrity could go.

Morning playoff check-up

Sorry about missing yesteday's check-up, I wasn't near a computer all day. In any case, the Canadiens loss to the Devils Saturday night didn't have any major consequences on their playoff hopes. Yes, they lost a point Saturday to three of their rivals who each got a loser point, and the Penguins jumped past them into fifth, but all in all the Canadiens are in a pretty good spot considering how poorly they've played of late. If they can reel off a big week against the Rangers, Senators and Leafs, the Habs could be back fighting for fourth place by the weekend. Yes, I know that's a big if. The Habs, stunningly, have the secoond-most wins in their last 10 out of the seven teams we're tracking.

Eastern Conference Playoff Race

Philadelphia Flyers - 4th place, 84 points, 37 wins, 5-4-1
14 games remaining - 8 on road, 6 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Lost 4-1 to NY Rangers; next game – Tue. @ Detroit

Pittsburgh Penguins - 5th place, 82 points, 37 wins, 8-0-2
11 games remaining - 4 on road, 7 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 6-4 over Boston; next game – Tue. vs. Atlanta

Montreal Canadiens - 6th place, 80 points, 36 wins, 6-3-1
13 games remaining - 5 on road, 8 at home, 5 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tue. vs. NY Rangers

New York Rangers – 7th place, 80 points, 36 wins, 5-3-2
12 games remaining - 6 on road, 6 at home, 8 against playoff teams
Last night – Won 4-1 over Philadelphia; next game – Tue. @ Montreal

Carolina Hurricanes - 8th place, 79 points, 36 wins, 5-3-2
11 games remaining - 3 on road, 8 at home, 6 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Wed. vs. New Jersey

Florida Panthers - 9th place, 78 points, 34 wins, 4-4-2
13 games remaining - 5 on road, 8 at home, 8 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tue. vs. Washington

Buffalo Sabres - 10th place, 76 points, 34 wins, 4-4-2
13 games remaining, 7 on road, 6 at home, 8 against playoff teams
Last night – Did not play; next game – Tue. @ Ottawa

Saturday, March 14, 2009

"I thought...we were participants"

I understand Bob Gainey is not someone who throws around compliments all willy-nilly, and that he is a man who chooses his words carefully.

But when he said that to describe the play of the Habs Saturday night through the first two periods and change, Gainey was in fact using it as a compliment, even though it sounds like anything but that.

In one sense, I guess you could see it as a compliment because there was no way anyone could have expected the Canadiens to be in the game against the Devils for so long. But who in their right mind would have believed at the beginning of the year that the coach of the Canadiens would be using the word "participant" in March to vaunt the effort of his team?

Gainey also finally admitted something many people have seen clearly for quite some time in explaining why his team is giving up so many shots, to the tune of being outshot in 13 of their last 14 games.

"We have some defencemen who we rely on to be good defensive defencemen who are struggling around the net," Gainey said.

He didn't mention any names, but Mike Komisarek played a shade under 19 minutes Saturday night in a game where the Habs spent over 10 minutes in the penalty box, while Roman Hamrlik played 25:24. Komisarek's ice time at 5-on-5 was the lowest among the six Canadiens defencemen, nearly four minutes less than Patrice Brisebois. That basically says it all.

The Bell Centre faithful chanting "Carbo, Carbo, Carbo" at the end had to be music to the ears of Guy Carbonneau if he was actually watching the game, which I would think he was. What he saw was a team that still has many of the same problems that were baffling him, and are still baffling his former players.

"I'm sure you guys have heard it a million times," Saku Koivu said, "but it’s still not the 60-minute consistency that we’re looking for."

Are the players simply nervous, I asked, because that's what it looks like to me when tape-to-tape passes bounce off sticks and defencemen just fling pucks aimlessly out of their own end.

Koivu paused for a moment and thought about it, but then wouldn't admit nerves are playing a role, but didn't deny it either.

"I hope not," he said. "We're in March, so you should be able to handle the pressure at this point. Maybe we're not as confident as when a team is winning and things are going our way. But when you're not confident you try to simplify your game and control the things that you can. It can happen, it can turn around real quickly, we just have to stick together and believe that we can do it."

Getting back to Brisebois, I witnessed a nice moment for him in the dressing room that I wanted to share with you. After the game had ended and Martin Brodeur had matched Patrick Roy's all-time wins record, one of his teammates flipped him the puck, further driving home the point that Brisebois' 1000th game was the tiniest of footnotes to this game.

But after he was done doing his interviews in the Habs room, talking about how he would have loved a win in the milestone game and how happy he was for his buddy Brodeur, the Bell Centre public address announcer Michel Lacroix went up to him and handed him a puck.

"This is the real game puck," Lacroix said, and received a sincere thanks from Brisebois.

I was sure I'd seen Brodeur grab the puck at the end of the game, so I asked Lacroix which puck he just gave Brisebois.

"That was the first puck," he said.

Quite a gesture on his part, knowing full well the last puck would most likely be used by someone else that night.

I can't see a difference, do you see a difference?

I remember hearing Bob Gainey say he had a few tactical changes he planned on implementing into the Canadiens system, and he half jokingly said he would let the media figure out what they were, and how funny it would be watching us try.

Well, I've tried, and I can't find any.

Pretty funny, eh?

The booing began late in the third period at the Bell Centre and continued for the final four minutes, culminating in a rousing chant of "Carbo, Carbo, Carbo" towards the end. The loudest the crowd got was to offer Martin Brodeur a standing ovation for tying Patrick Roy on the all-time wins list. Some could see it as class, I just think they wanted something to cheer about.

The sellout crowd of 21,273 had just watched an entire game of their beloved Canadiens methodically dumping the puck out of their own end, missing easy passes, losing one-on-one battles along the boards, being outshot 2-to-1, and generally posing very little threat to a very formidable hockey team in the Devils.

No one could have reasonably expected the Habs to beat the Devils, but they would be expected to at least compete.

They didn't.