How Gainey Could Fill Hamrlik's Doughnut? (Or, Gainey's Search For The Next Craig Ludwig)

While the 2008-09 season is still young, and the Montreal Canadiens are doing as well as possible could be expected with a haul of 17 of 20 potential points, the ultimate goal for the campaign is to bag a 25th Stanley Cup in it's centennial season.

The expectations are high, and anything less than a Cup final participation will be seen by many as a disappointment of sorts.

It has been suggested on many fronts that the Canadiens shoot for moon in this season, and continue to seek to acquire players who will take them to the promised land.

With an 8-1-0-1 record, spotting where the club needs an ungrade at present, is trickier than what it appears on the surface. The team is winning consistently, with a couple of ugly gains thrown in, is scoring at a decent clip, is playing sounder 5 on 5 hockey than they have in years, and overall the team is allowing less goals per game than it has in recent memory.

So what's the problem exactly, and why are fans and media alike clammoring for upgrades?

For starters, it has something inherant with being a Habs follower, that gets a playoff discussing off and running after the season's first game is in the books. It amplifies from there.

Soon, as other clubs have there woes, rumours begin as to who exactly on the available market could be of help to the Canadiens. Next thing you know, snazzy shooters the likes of Marian Gaborik and Ilya Kovalchuk are being speculated with much foundation.

Certain insightful fans of the team - and there's about a million of them with a concrete opinion - suggest that there is a hole that needs filling on defense.

Looking at the composition of the club so far this season, it is apparent that they have sufficient offence to see them through. With nine interchangable gunners up front, the club has the benefit of six "Joe the Plumbers" to fill out the fourth line duties on a given night. The depth at forward allows for some confident navigation through injuries, as we have witnessed so far.

In goal, Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak have been fairly consistent thus far, with each having had one off night that is of little concern.

On defense, Andrei Markov, an All Star, is paired with Mike Komisarek, an all purpose meanie who blocks shots and pounds with a wrecking ball's ramdom precision. A solid an experienced Roman Hamrlik hightlights the second pairing, often placed with either of veteran Patrice Brisebois or greenhorn Ryan O'Byrne. The third due is the solid is unspectacular Francis Bouillon and Josh Gorges, both efficient enough to see the club through. An emergency option lies in forward, and former defenseman Mathieu Dandenault, who could surely handle a few shifts when the penalty box holds three reargaurds or when injuries hit.

But that is all well and fine in the here and now. Canadiens fans meanwhile, are discussing the second, third and fourth rounds of the playoff, and they see a doughnut next to Hamrlik that begs for filling.

As time passes, it is becoming apparent that the play of Brisebois and O'Byrne will not suffice in that role. O'Byrne will be a good one - one day, but lacks the experience at present while enduring the rough road bumps that are what becoming a regular NHL defenseman is all about. Brisebois, on the other hand, has all kinds of experience (most of it wearily undemonstrated), but is too old in his game for it to be depended upon.

The outcry, if you will, has little to do with what is being asked of those players as it appears both are better suited in the roles of a fifth and sixth D-man. Breaking up the Bouillon and Gorges duo to fit one alongside Hamrlik, only brings the issue back to square.

It is clear that for the Canadiens to upgrade, this is where the need is most required.

The problem is, fourth defenseman are not in abundance, and teams looking to deal a potential suitor to the Habs will be greedy for quality returns.

I've no doubt that sooner or later, GM Gainey will start staring into the doughnut, and it will hypnotically gain in size. Something will need to be done.

After all, you only get one chance to win a Stanley Cup in a 100th season once!

Gainey captained the unlikely 1986 Cup champs, a team taken a great length by Patrick Roy, some savvy vets, a fermenting crew of quality youngs, and some able role players. Gainey, as seen by his retirement ceremony last season, has a fondness for the Joe Plumbers workers of the lunchpail crew, and it is likely that he seeks out such a type to fill the apparent void.

The kind of player he may target, could easily resemble former defenseman Craig Ludwig, an unsung player on that 1986 squad.

Ludwig paired with a young Chris Chelios, while Larry Robinson tandemed with Rick Green. Further down, Gaston Gingras, absent from the regular season, ate up PP time and stole Petr Svoboda's (a gingerbread Brisebois if there ever was one!) role, with Mike Lalor added to mix.

The bulk of the work went to the Robinson, Green, Chelios, Ludwig quator, and the were all employed well above 20 minutes per game.

Ludwig was a low maintenance, stay at home, with an angry lumberjack's temperment. His disposition was personified by his stickwork, and he was all shoulders and elbows in his crunches. His first pass was a solid and consistant efficient clearing, and his game held no delussions or surprises. He was what O'Byrne may one day become. Unfortunately, the role Ludwig fillled, is now being taken up to some extent by Hamrlik, who is losing some of his true game by having to be wearly of his partner's failings.

In order to bring the best out of Hamrlik and reduce his workload, a Ludwig of sorts is sought.

Now fans hoping for a splash in acquiring a defenseman, name players like Florida's Jay Bowmeester, or Nashville's Shea Weber as top line players on their want lists. Other names I have heard in pure speculation have included Jay McKee of St. Louis, Matt Schneider in Atlanta and the Leafs Tomas Kaberle - all doubtful for varying reasons..

Once caller into CKAC yesterday said Gainey should even make the Ducks an offer they can't refuse for Chris Pronger!

It's doubtful that Gainey is on speaking terms with Brian Burke from a two year old misconception, but maybe targeting Francois Beauchemin, a free agent next summer, is a sounder and more probable fit next to Hamrlik.

One interesting option could be Nicklas Havelid, a 35 year old vet with the Thrashers who would fit in nicely. He's inexpensive at 2.9 million and a UFA next season, and holds Atlanta's D together most nights. Ruslan Salei and Adam Foote of Colorado are salaries in the same ballpark with an added season that fit the mold.

Detroit's Brad Stuart is signed long term, but word is he is available, as he is standing ion the way of Niklas Kronwall's progression. Would the Wings deal with Montreal? Stuart could be the Habs perfect one year solution, and his contract could easily be turned over a season from now.

Sean O'Donnell of the L.A. Kings at 36 has an interesting resume. A member of the 2006 Ducks championship, and at 1.25 million in his final contract year, a Habs scout should check his foot speed to see if he fits in with fleet footed younger boys. O' Donnell would strictly be a depth addition, should the Canadiens see fit to work Gorges in alonside Hamrlik.

Would Minnesota part with 28 year Martin Skoula, an other skilled vet with Cup experience, and a cheap 1.9 M pricetag?

It doesn't look promising for a return of Mathias Ohlund to vancouver next season. The UFA could be a trade deadline darling that Gainey, with an alluring package could snatch earlier.

Ideally, what Gainey will look for is to acquire someone by the mid season mark. Working a defenseman in takes time. Thirty to fourty games before the playoffs is ideal. The salary would have to be mid range, and preferably expire at season's end without complicating next year's salary issues.

Some of the names mentioned above may or may not be attainable without a great sacrifice of prospects, picks and roster names. Some others might be had by simply swapping O' Byrne, and a third rounder. The Canadiens could also dangle former first rounder David Fischer, who has been slow to come around, but has shown some late bloomer upside of late.

What Gainey would offer in return is anyone's guess, but my take is that such a move would not test team chemistry. The prospects not going anywhere, anytime soon are Max Pacioretty, Yannick Weber, and Ryan McDonagh. Matt D' Agnostini's name will come up, as will goalie Jaroslav Halak's.

Beginning on Friday November 7, the Canadiens play their next 13 games in the following 23 days. It will be a rigourous test. It should also answer some questions regarding Hamrlik's doughnut.

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Habs For Breakfast - Crunch Time

Game 3 will be a pivotal one for the Canadiens, after having lost home ice advantage in the series against the Flyers. The Habs who have been good on the road this season, good enough for the league's third best road record, haven't fared as well in the playoffs.

In the 9 games played so far in two rounds, Montreal is 4-2 at home and 1-2 on the road.

Perhaps the Canadiens need a pair of road games to refocus their armour. While they may have created all kinds of scoring chances on Saturday, at times they tried too hard to razzle dazzle the Flyers, and it may have cost them the win and the momentum of the series.

A couple of games where the focus is to shoot first, crowd the net, and pounce on rebounds will do them good. The fancy dancing can come after Biron is off balance.

Tonight in Philadelphia, muscle will beat finesse. The Canadiens will need mental toughness as much as the physical kind to get through it and win.

War Of Words - Gazette

"One day after Philadelphia coach John Stevens complained of a cowardly act by a Montreal player, Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau issued his own retort, suggesting the Flyers lack class. "They're one team that shouldn't talk. Over 82 games, they had the most suspensions in the league," Carbonneau said, following an optional practice in LaSalle yesterday morning." - Herb Zurkowsky

Kostopoulos accepts blame for sucker punch - Globe Sports

"If Montreal Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau was hoping to exploit a late-game incident in which Tom Kostopoulos sucker-punched Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Kimmo Timonen, the guilty party threw cold water on his coach's ploy. Carbonneau defended the late-game behaviour of Kostopoulos. The Canadiens' coach also accused the Flyers of taunting his players after they scored the game's final goal with 2 minutes 21 seconds remaining in Philadelphia's 4-2 win to tie the second-round best-of-seven series 1-1." - Tim Wharnsby

Habs Land In Philly - Gazette

"Listen for Flyers fans to tongue-tie themselves as they derisively chant "Kos-to-pou-los." That will be in recognition of the winger's emerging from Game 2 as a prime Philly target for his late-game dustups with Kimmo Timonen and Scott Upshall." - Dave Stubbs

Biron Savours Time At Home - Gazette

"We fed off the energy from the crowd in the first series against Washington when we came back here for Games 3 and 4, and we have to keep doing that," Biron said. "We did what we had to do in Montreal and now we have to take care of business here." Biron has been feeding off the energy of seeing action in the playoffs. He has been in the NHL for nine seasons but this is the first time he's seen playoff action.




















A Test Of Character - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"It's one thing to know you lost because you didn't play hard enough or because you took a bunch of stupid penalties. But to know you completely outplayed the opposition, yet they're the ones laughing at you in your own building (cheap bastard Flyers), is very difficult to accept." - J.T.

Une question de sang-froid - RDS

"La rivalité avec les Flyers a atteint un autre échelon samedi soir quand Tom Kostopoulos a frappé sournoisement Kimmo Timonen après le quatrième but des visiteurs marqué par R.J. Umberger. Personne dans le camp du Tricolore ne s'attend à ce que Kostopoulos soit puni pour ce geste gratuit." - Luc Gelinas

Markov doit être meilleur - RDS

"Parmi les joueurs qui doivent produire davantage, je songe immédiatement à Andrei Markov. En ce moment, il devrait être le général à la ligne bleue pour le Canadien, mais il est incapable de jouer à son niveau de la saison régulière. Il effectue quelques bonnes présences, mais ce n’est pas suffisant. Il doit être meilleur pour donner des chances au Canadien d’aspirer aux grands honneurs." - Bob Hartley




















CH: Qui écopera ce soir? - La Presse

"Guy Carbonneau n'a pas encore décidé quels changements il entend apporter en vue du match de ce soir à Philadelphie mais chose certaine, il y en aura. À l'attaque, le trio formé par Maxim Lapierre, Mathieu Dandenault et Mark Streit apparaît le plus vulnérable. "Ils passent beaucoup trop de temps dans notre territoire", a indiqué l'entraîneur, hier." - Marc Antoine Godin

Laissons donc Brière se faire huer en paix - La Presse

"Avez-vous bien regardé les yeux de Martin Biron? Jamais vu quelqu'un avoir l'air de venir autant d'ailleurs. On dirait E.T. On dirait un monsieur d'une autre planète tellement son regard un peu space indispose. Et Daniel Brière, lui? L'avez-vous bien examiné, celui-là? Sérieux, il a l'air de tout sauf d'un joueur de hockey. Avec sa voix haut perchée, son physique de petit vicaire, vous lui mettez un béret sur la tête, un bréviaire entre les mains et voilà que se dresse devant vous le nouveau curé de la paroisse." - Michel Blanchard

"Il faut tirer souvent et lui gêner la vision" - Le Journal

"Mine de rien, les Flyers totalisent sept buts après deux matchs contre le gardien recrue. C'est quatre de plus que Price n'en avait accordé aux Bruins après le même nombre de rencontres." - Marc De Foy

"Deux matchs pour commencer à les haïr..." - Le Journal

"Francis Bouillon ne trouve pas que les deux premiers matchs de la série Canadien-Flyers aient donné lieu à du jeu très rude, mais ça pourrait changer dans la Ville de l'amour fraternel. "C'était pas mal plus dur contre les Bruins de Boston, une équipe qu'on détestait déjà avant d'amorcer les séries puisqu'on les avait affrontés huit fois durant la saison", a-t-il fait remarquer. - Pierre Durocher

Price a perdu le trophée Calder et 500 000 $ - Le Journal

"Il y a une énorme différence entre passer le premier mois de la campagne dans les ligues mineures et y être renvoyé en plein milieu d'une saison, ce qui laisse suggérer qu'on ne le jugeait pas apte à aider l'équipe à ce moment-là." - Bertrand Raymond

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal.
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Habs For Breakfast - The Return Of Captain K

Saku Koivu is done rehabbing his broken foot bone and is returning to the lineup tonight. Is this great news or what?

I won't keep you from it. Here's today's links:

Koivu, Bouillon Are In For Game 6 - Habs Inside Out

"Koivu, this morning shaved down to the scalp, has been out of action since March 29, having finished a game in Buffalo vs. the Sabres the night before with a broken bone in his left foot. He's been skating with the past few days and had his first practice with the club this morning, taking part in the game-day morning workout at TD Banknorth Centre." - Dave Stubbs

Thomas's Success A Decade In The Making - Gazette

"It has been one of the subplots throughout this series, a mismatch on paper but hardly one on the ice: the intersecting paths of two goaltenders cutting their NHL playoff teeth. The Canadiens' Carey Price is a rookie not yet a year out of his teens, a novice pro who's been groomed for the postseason stage on which he's expected to star for seasons to come." - Dave Stubbs

Canadiens Fans Get Butt Ended By CBC - Gazette

"We love Montreal. We really do." That was the headline on a blog that appeared on the CBC website this week. It was part of an attempt by Scott Moore, the executive director of CBC TV Sports, to stem the tide of criticism directed at the network from disgruntled Canadiens fans." - Pat Hickey

Habs Screw Up Passover Plans - Gazette

"The hockey club has been in existence for 99 years, which leaves the Canadiens a few millennia short of the Children of Israel. And because our hometown heroes came up short against Boston on Thursday night, the Children of Israel have to choose between Passover and Game 6 of the playoffs. Passover commemorates the Exodus from Egypt when, if you've seen the movie, Charlton Heston led the Israelites out of slavery and into the desert, where they wandered for about as long as Toronto has waited to win another Stanley Cup." - Mike Boone

Price Should Bounce Back Tonight - Gazette

"As far as I know Price never has sought this kind of attention from people who should know better. It wasn't his idea to be mentioned in the same breath with Roy and Dryden, and from what I have read and heard he's made that clear on many occasions. What is also clear is that he will have nights like Thursday again, just as Roy and Dryden and every other goaltender who has ever played the game have had nights to forget." - Red Fisher

Koivu Could Face Bruins Tonight - Gazette

"Koivu will skate again this morning in Boston, making his return for tonight's sixth game possible. The Canadiens lead the series 3-2, but have lost two of the last three games, including a 5-1 drubbing on home ice Thursday, when many expected the Bruins to acquiesce - especially after Montreal scored first." - Herb Zurkowsky




















Price Kept Under Wraps - Globe Sports

"In the Montreal Canadiens' dressing room yesterday afternoon — really, a Potemkin dressing room, as is the norm these days, a false-front media set with slogans on the wall and pictures of the ancient greats where the players are summoned individually for interviews (they actually hang out and change their clothes elsewhere) — Carey Price was unavailable." - Stephen Brunt

Price Fluctuations - Boston Herald

"The question heading into tonight’s must-win Game 6 at TD Banknorth Center is: Do the B’s possess the mental toughness to reel that fish into the boat? Or does the marlin have the strength to wriggle off the hook? The fish in question is the Canadiens’ 20-year-old goaltender Carey Price, who was so good in the first four games of the series, giving up a total of five goals. But he allowed five more in Game 5 at the Bell Centre, and didn’t look very good in the process." Steve Conroy

Al Jazeera, A Fan Mugging, Bin Laden, And Some Excellent Excuses For The Habs - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"This is my own opinion, but I would have to guess that Bin Laden grew up cheering for the Broad Street Bullies, is now rooting for the Bruins, and also likes Sean Avery. I wonder if Bin Laden and his greasy pranksters clip the standings out of the Al Jazeera sports section and have a hockey pool every year." - Dennis Kane

A Little Something To Cheer Us Up - Four Habs Fans



Ils sont de retour - RDS

"Pour terminer le travail face aux Bruins de Boston, le Canadien comptera sur le retour de son capitaine Saku Koivu et sur le défenseur Francis Bouillon pour cette sixième partie."

Price a-t'il été ébranlé? - RDS

"Je ne vais pas vous dire que nous l'avons ébranlé, a dit l'entraîneur des Bruins, Claude Julien. Nous avons tiré. Nous avons lancé les rondelles vers le filet. Nous avons été chanceux ici et là."

Markov joue-t-il blessé? - La Presse

"Lors d'un entretien avec l'entraîneur Vyacheslav Bykov, Markov aurait invoqué le fait qu'une vieille blessure au genou était revenue le hanter et qu'il souffrait aussi d'une blessure à l'épaule. Évidemment, nous sommes en séries et Markov n'a rien voulu confirmer. Guy Carbonneau non plus, d'ailleurs. «Il joue 27 ou 28 minutes par match», a dit Carbo, hier, à propos de Markov, qui en a joué 22 et demie jeudi." Marc Antoine Godin

Kovalev: "Nous devrons être en congé" - La Presse

"Même s'il a refusé de rencontrer les médias avant de quitter pour Boston, hier, le capitaine a montré quelques signes militant en faveur d'un éventuel retour. Un retour qui serait accueilli avec plaisir par tout le monde. "Saku serait d'une aide précieuse", a admis Kovalev." - François Gagnon

"Ils faut sentir l'urgence de gagner": Carbo - Le Journal

"Vous ne gagnerez pas souvent en marquant un seul but par rencontre", faisait remarquer Jean Béliveau jeudi soir après avoir assisté à ce désolant revers de 5 à 1 au Centre Bell. L'attaque du Tricolore est en panne et, pourtant, c'est la même équipe qui a enregistré le plus grand nombre de buts dans la LNH durant la saison avec un total de 262 !" - Pierre Durocher

"Saku nous manque": Plekanec - Le Journal

"À mesure que la série progresse, le Canadien ressent vivement l'absence de Saku Koivu. Dans le vestiaire de l'équipe, hier, Tomas Plekanec a formulé le souhait de voir Koivu reprendre sa place dans la formation sous peu. "Il nous manque, a laissé tomber Plekanec. Il est un leader, il est notre capitaine." - Serge Turcotte

Les jeunes joueurs du CH sont frustrés - Le Journal

"Les Bruins ont tout d'abord enlevé la zone centrale aux joueurs du Canadien, tout en se repliant à cinq dans leur territoire et en s'assurant de ne pas être victimes de surnombres. Devant cette façon de jouer des Bruins, les frères Andrei et Sergei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec, Chris Higgins et Michael Ryder, entre autres, affichent de la frustration parce qu'ils sont incapables d'exploiter leur rapidité et de manoeuvrer avec la rondelle." - Jacques Demers

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and le Journal.
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Habs For Breakfast - 2 Down, 2 To Go

Over 20 links here today, as there are many good reads apart from the game rundowns. Lots of stuff on Kovalev and not much of it redundant. You gotta love how the Montreal media turns over every stone. Lots of people say the media coverage is why Habs fan are weathered and wise.

Throw in neurotic and impatient in there too!

I've been posting from Brampton this weekend, where my daughter was involved in the Provincials tournament this weekend. I did a total Claude Julien impression Saturday afternoon, ragging out the refs. My kids Typhoons team went 1-1-1 in the round robin, but it was frustrating to see my kid score the only goal in a 1-1 tie, before she had two more goals disallowed that would have given her team the win. Me and the kid left pretty disillusioned.

I understand Julien this morning. Refs suck everywhere!

"We Haven't Won Anything Yet" - Gazette

""We were trying to get him off the ice, but he's like a pitcher who wants to be out there in the ninth inning," Carbonneau said. "I think if you asked Alex, he'd say he hasn't been playing his best hockey, but he's been our leader all season and he came through when we needed him tonight." - Pat Hickey

Julien Keeps An Even Keel - Gazette

"What the Bruins delivered last night was their Triple-A game. Hoo boy ... how they played en route from rallying from two goals down after two periods with two of their own in the third - and would have had more if Carey Price hadn't brought his 'A' game to the Bell." - Red Fisher

Habs Energy Line Brings Smoke And Fire - Gazette

"Maybe we could call them the Bing, Bang, Boom! line ... or Smoke and Fire (Smoke is Smolinski's nickname). Because when these three guys are on the ice together, bodies are going to be flying around. Basically, anything moving in an opposing sweater is going to get hit - and hard." - Stu Cowan

Bruins Left Steaming After Late Penalty Call - Gazette

"The Bruins were loath to overly criticize the officials since it was the refs who helped them get back into the game, erasing a 2-0 deficit with two unanswered third-period goals. David Krejci scored the equalizer at 9:34 of the period, while Montreal was two-men short." - Herb Zurkowsky

Kovy's Revenge - Montreal Canadiens.com

"Staring at the possibility of leaving the Bell Centre wearing goat horns should the Canadiens have gone down to defeat, Kovalev got payback in overtime by scoring the winning goal." - Manny Almela

The Numbers Game - Game 2 - Montreal Canadiens.com

"0 - Career playoff games in which Sergei Kostitsyn has failed to score a goal, after finding the net in each of the first two games of this series."

Kovalev Bails Out Habs - Globe Sports

"Canadiens forward Alex Kovalev made sure the game wasn't prolonged any further when he scored on a blast from the sideboards, 2:30 into the extra period. The shot appeared to change direction off the stick of Boston captain Zdeno Chara." - Tim Wharmsby

Habs Come Through On OT Powerplay - Faceoff.com

"Two nights after playing like they already had tee times booked back in New England, the Bruins scratched and clawed their way back from a two-goal deficit on Saturday night to force overtime against the Montreal Canadiens. And then the push stopped." - Sean Fitzgerald

Kovalev's Overtime Winner Beats Bruins - TSN

"It was a tight game where whoever got the bounce would win," said Kovalev, who is serving as captain in place of the injured Saku Koivu. "We expected them to come out better and they did.















Kovalev's OT Goal Lifts Canadiens To 3-2 Win - NHL.com

"We had more of an opportunity on earlier power plays and I had a better line to shoot with," Kovalev said. "But at the end of the game, I took the shot from the outside and it was a good switch for us."

Game Two Is In The Books, Kovalev Gets It Done - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Aside from the fact that Montreal won the game, was that Don Cherry was proved wrong and full of shit by the instant replay. He went on and on about the high stick to the Bruin player’s face just before the guy took a penalty which led to the winning goal. But the camera showed that it was only a follow through from Markov’s shot, which Ron McLean, who is a referee, firmly stated SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PENALTY."

Kovalev, Habs Get The Job Done Despite Playing With Fire - Lions In Winter

"Kovy cannot have two quiet games in a row, it is impossible. After a very good, but subtle effort in game #1 he came back with quite the opposite performance tonight. His play on Kostitsyn's goal was pure magic as he held the puck for over 10 seconds in their end, his OT goal was fantastic, but what will surely grab the most attention was his blatant slash on the back of Aaron Ward's very well padded leg. Controversy, magnificence, villain or hero, Kovalev did it all tonight." - Tobalev

Kovalev se fait pardonner - RDS

"Au cachot pour voir les Bruins créer l’égalité en troisième période, Kovalev s’est fait pardonner en laissant filer un boulet le long des oreilles de Tim Thomas au tout début de la prolongation, procurant une victoire de 3-2 au Canadien, qui s’en va à Boston avec une avance de 2-0 dans la série opposant les deux équipes."

Une excellente leçon pour le CH - RDS

"Dans un tel contexte le Canadien doit seulement travailler aussi fort que son adversaire durant 60 minutes pour sortir vainqueur. Avec un effort soutenu, je ne vois pas comment les Bruins peuvent mettre la main sur une partie. En plus de son talent supérieur, le Canadien compte sur un meilleur gardien en Carey Price ainsi qu’un avantage numérique de premier plan." - Benoit Brunet















"Roman, c'est la force tranquille"- La Presse

"Roman n'est pas le plus flamboyant, mais maudit qu'il est utile. C'est la force tranquille de notre défense", a déclaré Brisebois, admiratif de son partenaire. À un contre un, il est imbattable. Il écoule les pénalités, il bloque des tirs et quand il décide de frapper un adversaire, il le fait pour vrai. Ce gars-là est capable de tout faire, et tout ce qu'il fait, il le fait bien."

Chris Higgins s'impose au centre - La Presse

"S'il n'a pas récolté de point, Higgins a démontré de belles qualités en s'assurant de prêter main forte à ses défenseurs et en distribuant la rondelle avec agilité lors des sorties de zone." - François Gagnon

Kovalev tenait à rester sur la patinoire - Le Journal

"Kovalev était frustré, a-t-il fait savoir. Il ne jouait pas aussi bien qu'il le voulait dans cette série. Il aurait notamment pu mieux jouer sur le premier but des Bruins." - Carbonneau

"C'est quand on me tape sur les nerfs que je suis à mon mieux": Kovalev - Le Journal

"Mais j'ai reçu des coups de bâton et des doubles échecs qui n'ont pas été signalés par les officiels. Je n'ai pas pensé à l'équipe quand j'ai écopé de cette pénalité pour avoir cinglé, mais j'étais frustré." - Kovalev

Stewart ne veut pas se réveiller - Le Journal

"Malgré une récolte de 10 points seulement en 58 matchs à sa première saison junior, le Canadien a cru bon de le repêcher. Il est un joueur qui apporte de l'énergie et il a démontré des habiletés insoupçonnées à son premier match avec le Canadien." - Marc De Foy

Deux survivants du hockey - Le Journal

"Gorges et Bouillon ont un cheminement qui se ressemble étrangement. Ils ont tous les deux passé quatre saisons dans les rangs juniors. Ils ont tous les deux gagné la coupe Memorial à leur dernière année. Ils ont été des piliers à la ligne bleue de leur formation respective, mais ils ont vu toutes les équipes de la Ligue nationale les ignorer au repêchage." - Betrand Raymond

Des airs de carnaval - Le Journal

"La pluie et le temps froid n'ont pas freiné l'enthousiasme de milliers de partisans du Canadien, qui ont envahi hier après-midi les alentours du Centre Bell pour transformer le centre-ville en véritable carnaval bleu-blanc-rouge. Des heures avant le début du match, une musique festive et l'odeur des hot-dogs emplissaient déjà l'air. Sur la terrasse de l'édifice, impossible de faire quelques pas sans croiser les vendeurs de bière qui arpentent normalement les gradins à l'intérieur du Centre Bell." - Jean Louis Fortin

More from RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal.

Stolen Win Could Mask Playoff 101Lessons For Young Habs

There are many elements a team needs to win come playoff time, and you will often hear extolled the virtues of timely scoring, lucky breaks and bounces, and goaltending so solid it steals the occasional game.

Both teams profited from timely breaks in this game, and it could be said that Montreal simply had the last good break.

A team would be wise not to count on such things happening on a consistant basis, and focus and apply the virtues of hard work instead.

In game two, the Canadiens took a foot off the pedal slightly, and might have cost them had they not had certain things come their way. They did just enough of these things right to edge the Bruins, but they also took their gaze of what worked best for them in game one.

As could have been expected, and to some degree it was, the Bruins came out much hungrier in the second game. I'd guess that getting beyond the five minute mark of the game without being behind on the scoreboard would constitute some sort of moral boost to the Bruins. From then on, and even after falling behind by two goals, they continued whittling away at the Canadiens until their efforts created their own lucky breaks.

I was a little concerned while watching the Habs chasing their tails for a few precarious moments in the third period. Montreal were up two goals, but Boston had controlled more of this game by that point. A pair of discipline and soft play boobs later, and the score was tied.





















Oddly enough, once Boston finally managed to work all the way up to knotting the game, their worst side reared itself again and it bit them where it hurt most.

Despite the Habs not giving their most inspired performance in game, a silver lining emerges from this close call. Had they lost and headed to Boston with a win apiece, the series would have been anybody's to win. Now a Boston team that has not found a way to beat montreal in 13 straight contests are now faced with the trying task of having to pull off the trick in four of the next five games, if the series lasts that long.

There's one notion that should never be cast aside or forgotten about this edition of the Habs - and that is how young and inexperienced it is.

It will not win a Stanley Cup without first learning to face and deal with adversity.

The young Habs ought to have learned a few things about themselves from game two. The silver lining is that it cost them nothing. A free lesson courtesy of the Boston Bruins.

Teams often learn to win through losing. Winning erases the focus on all kinds of small details and little things gone wrong, wheras losing magnifies those mistakes and concentration lapses.

The good news is that with another game today, the Canadiens have as littler time as do the Bruins for studying what failed to work.























There is a danger with a young team becoming overconfident in victory.

Don't get me wrong, confidence is always a good thing. But with such a young team, a fear of losing, and the lessons learned from it, also has it's worth.

Possibly gone unnoticed in all the playoff frenzy is that the Canadiens have now won 5 games in a row for the first time this season. That's nine wins in their last ten games, or an overall record of 16-5 since the trade deadline, for those who put stock in such things.

Being hot and on a roll at the right time of the year is all good, but again, and eye must be kept on the things winning masks.

I'll be curiously watching to see if Guy Carbonneau makes any lineup adjustments for game 3, because staying the course with same players might invite complacency after an average performance by the team. Don't be surprised to see Ryan O' Byrne inserted into the lineup with either Mark Streit moving up from defense, or Patrice Brisebois sitting one out.

This thought is not to fault either player particularly, but the entirety of the Habs game of speed is very dependant on it's transition game. Where the Bruins found success tonight, was in exploiting the defence pairings.

Roman Hamrlik was so effective on Thursday, that the Bruins steered clear of him and worked on Brisebois enough to wear him down. Josh Gorges is used to working with the stay at home Francis Bouillon, and not with the rushing, chance taking Streit.



















The buffer in sheltering the Habs errors in this win was Carey Price. In his first two NHL playoff games, Price has given up 3 goals on 57 shots. In game 1, he was beaten by a deflection less than ten feet in front of him, when two sticks dropped in front of him, with one causing the changeup that dribbled through his pads. In game two, Price was beaten on a rebound that changed direction on Gorges stick, and another on a 5 on 3 powerplay, where only Gumby could have stretched out wide enough to make the save.

Game two's first star was also it's biggest burglar. He has yet to be beaten on a shot that he should have stopped, and has been positionally sound enough to stop some he has had no business seeing. I cannot recall too many teams that have gone deep into springtime hockey where a goalie didn't rob opponents of a win or two or ten.

In fact, Price has been so focused and dependable that the team in front of him may soon begin to take his night's work for granted.

That would be playing with fire!

Looking 180 feet down ice, should the Canadiens continue to expect Tim Thomas to give up 40 footers to Roman Hamrlik, rebounds to Sergei Kostitsyn, and narrow angle shots to Alex Kovalev?

Expecting what has happened in two games in Montreal to become deja vu in Boston is unrealistic. The game three scenario will be a totally different one.

Perhaps it will be a chance for more lessons to be learned by these young Canadiens - lose or win.

And this young team has to profit from all the lessons in can get. As Bob Gainey put it, for many of them, this is Playoffs 101. Study hard - and no cheating!
.

Habs For Breakfast - April 8, 2008

How's your hockey pools coming?

I joined one last night with 6 people including a girl who chose 6 Ottawa Senators!

Pretty simply rules in this pool: One point for a goal and assist, one point for a shutout, 12 players plus 2 goalies chosen randomly in the draft.

I didn't get too adventurous, except for grabbing my 2 goalies with my first 2 picks!

Here's my guys in order chosen:

Nabokov, Price, Plekanec, Holmstrom, Sykora, A. Kostitsyn, Whitney, Rafalski, Michalek, Malone, Cheechoo, Cleary, Koivu, S. Kostitsyn.

In all 5 Habs, 3 Red Wings, 3 Sharks, and 3 Penguins. You could say I stuck with the favorites!
The Canadiens had by far the most players chosen of the 84 selected - 11, all the way to surprise picks a la Hamrlik and Latendresse. I grabbed captain K with my 13th pick!

If you are into joining a hockey pool, the Habs Inside Out site has one set up - no cost, no prize other than honour, and it is fairly straightforward as far as rules go. Check it out here.

Should be fun stuff!























"Now that we're in the playoffs, our goal is to win the Stanley Cup." - Gazette

"We began in October with 15 Eastern Conference teams and our objective was to make the playoffs, in the best position possible," Gainey said. "Now that we're in the playoffs, our goal is to win the Stanley Cup." And just like that, the genius behind this remarkable Canadiens team turned playoff fever up another few degrees in a civic cauldron that's been on a rolling boil for weeks." - Dave Stubbs

One Step At A Time - Montreal Canadiens.com

"The first half of the season was a matter of preparing our team after having made room for our young players," explained Gainey. "Over the second half of the season, we began to see the results of our efforts and an improvement in our overall play."

Stretch Run Shows Price Is Ready - Gazette

"Price has no playoff experience in the NHL, but Gainey said he sees comparisons between the Price who has posted a 12-3 record down the stretch and the 19-year-old who led Hamilton to the Calder Cup a year ago." - Pat Hickey

Walking Wounded Making Progress - Gazette

"The Canadiens are still hoping to have defenceman Mike Komisarek in the lineup for Game 1 Thursday. He did a lot of hemming and hawing Monday, but his injured hip is on the mend. He still needs clearance from the team doctors, but he appeared to be handling the contact in practice Monday." - Pat Hickey

Gainey revels in young talent, but says veterans will lead Habs in playoffs - CP

Sharks to top Habs in Stanley Cup final, according to EA Sports simulation - NHL.com

Price, Jagr, and Huet named week's 'Three Stars' - NHL.com

Habs Lessons: 2002, 2004, and 2008 - Lions In Winter

"I have nothing against the 2008 Bruins themselves, nor the 2002 Canadiens for that matter. Half the league or more fits into this category. Most Habs teams for the past decade, too. But know this, Bob Gainey has been diligently working and building for 5 seasons since then to make sure we can ice better teams on a consistent basis than the 2002 Canadiens." - Topham

Who Should Win And The Best Things Boston Has Going For Them - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Although Toe Blake said predictions are for gypsies, I’m going to have my say about who I think will win each series. And this isn’t rocket science." - Dennis Kane

Revival In Montreal - Bleacher Report

Bruins' Bergeron cleared for post-season play - CBC Sports























L'objectif de Bob Gainey : gagner la coupe Stanley, rien de moins - CKAC Sports

"Gagner la coupe Stanley, rien de moins. C'est l'objectif de Bob Gainey. Pour y arriver, le Canadien devra miser sur l'expertise de vieux routiers comme Alex Kovalev, Bryan Smolinski, Roman Hamrlik Mathieu Dandeneault et Patrice Brisebois." - Robert Laflamme

Komisarek, Bouillon et Ryder devraient jouer jeudi - La Presse

"Mike Komisarek n'est pas un très bon menteur. Le défenseur du Canadien s'est efforcé d'en dire le moins possible quant à son état de santé, lundi, mais on a pu lire entre les lignes qu'il sera à son poste pour le premier match de la série contre les Bruins de Boston, jeudi." - Robert Laflamme

Gainey vise la Coupe Stanley - La Presse

"Vous (les journalistes) et nos partisans n’aviez pas vu jouer Carey Price l’an dernier dans les séries de la Coupe Calder. Ce n’est pas juste le fait qu’il ait gagné le trophée, mais son attitude qui m’avait convaincu que nous avions sous la main un grand gardien. Le moment était venu de lui donner la place." - Bob Gainey

Carbo croit que les Bruins auront la rage au coeur - La Presse

"C'est le principal aspect (la discipline) sur lequel ils vont mettre l'accent, a-t-il opiné. Historiquement en séries, il y a moins de pénalités parce que les joueurs sont plus soucieux et concentrés. Peu importe le total de jeux de puissance qu'on se verra accorder, ce sera à nous d'imposer notre style et d'exploiter notre vitesse." - Guy Carbonneau

Barbes bleues, blanches et rouge - La Presse

"Même si le port de la barbe et celui d’un masque ne font pas bon ménage, Carey Price suivra la mode. « C’est dur sur le menton et c’est inconfortable à cause des frottements avec l’intérieur du masque. Ça frise la torture par moment, mais je vais suivre la parade." - François Gagnon

More links at La Presse











Le Canadien en six - RDS

"Les séries représentent une saison complètement différente et c’est pourquoi je concède deux parties aux Bruins lors de la première ronde, mais je prédis que le Canadien l’emportera en six parties." - Jacques Demers

Conférence de presse de Bob Gainey - RDS

Point de presse de Guy Carbonneau - RDS

L' éffet Kovalev - Le Journal

"Phil Goyette, lui, a surtout insisté sur l'effet Kovalev, qui s'est investi du rôle de leader dès les premiers jours de la saison. "En attaque, il essaie de créer des choses. Il est patient avec la rondelle, il ne s'en débarrasse pas. Kovalev, à cet égard, a donné le ton et les jeunes cherchent à faire comme lui. Au hockey, tu ne donnes pas la rondelle. Et quand tu ne donnes pas la rondelle, tu contrôles le jeu."

Josh Gorges: La plus belle surprise - Le Journal

"Plusieurs jeunes ont su saisir la chance qui leur a été offerte cette saison de jouer régulièrement dans la LNH et Gorges en constitue un bel exemple", a raconté Gainey. "Il voulait obtenir une place dans notre excellent groupe de défenseurs et il a su la mériter en jouant très bien".

Est-ce encore essentiel ? - Le Journal

"Il y a actuellement huit nationalités au sein du Canadien. Cinq de ses sept premiers marqueurs proviennent de pays différents, mais aucun du Canada. La présente situation a incité le quotidien national à poser une question quand même pas banale : est-ce toujours aussi essentiel aux yeux des Québécois qu'il y ait des vedettes locales au sein de l'équipe ? La réponse est facile. Bien sûr que c'est essentiel. Primordial même. Toutefois, si on en juge par le vent de folie qui souffle sur la ville, tant que l'équipe connaîtra du succès, on ressentira moins le besoin de crier à l'injustice." - Bertrand Raymond

More links at Le Journal
.

Habs Need To Adjust Against Ottawa

You got to give the Canadiens this - they have a sense of drama!

Not that they would wish things to be such, but a rash of injuries can throw fans into a panic mode this time of year.

Needing a single point to clinch the Northeast division title and secure second place overall in the conference, the Habs have suddenly turned into the wheelchair brigade. Crutch hobblers abound, with a healing hip here, and spastic neck there, and not a whole lot of time for deep breaths and optimistic planning.

Perched just on the cusp of euphoria's brink lie the always dastardly Ottawa Senators, poised but weary, and always ready to trump the Canadiens at the worst possible time.

With all the Leafs fans working on their backswings, now I must look out for obnoxious members of the Sens army, one of whom approached me today to suggest that "someone's got a pretty firm grip on their Saku Koivu voodoo doll."

"And what have you got to be feeling so cocky about today?"

I didn't pursue the verbal bashing - one, because Sens army member #666 is a little ill equiped for battle with my vinegary jousts today, and two, he's just another former Habs fan who switched allegiances back in the day when a certain goalie was heaved from La Belle Province to La Belle Snowcap mountains all those years ago.

"Yup, looks like it'll take me a whole four games before I'm back pulling for the Habs again", he says.

Now that's what I call faith! Not!

I have faith in the Canadiens, regardless of how banged up they are. A team doesn't arrive in first place, with 98 points at this time of the year without having learned how to win games in different ways.

They just need to settle themselves down and realize it.

What's precarious is that this particular edition of the Habs has not had to learn to win through injuries this season. It's a lesson they will now have to learn on the fly.


The Canadiens depth will be shored up by some veteran scrubs that I'm not terribly fond of, but who were brought aboard for exactly this reason. They will simply be depended upon to be dependable.

The tougher tasks will fall on younger players such as Sergei Kostitsyn and Mikhail Grabovski to keep the wheels of lines two and three spinning. They have 3 games in which to sort things out.

The defensive quator of Markov, Hamlik, Gorges and O' Byrne will see an excessive amount of ice time, while Mathieu Dandeneault and Patrice Brisebois will be handed mops. Francis Bouillon might make a surprise return against Ottawa, and in this light it would be huge welcomed news.























At practice today, Carbonneau's lines for tomorrow looked like this: 46-14-27 / 84-54-40 / 21-74-73 / 22-20-6

The coach mentioned at one point during the late afternoon press conference that in the event that Mark Streit would be declared ready to go, it is at forward that he would be inserted - due to it being a safer place for a player with a tender foot to play in a first game back sense. Smart thinking!

What the Habs need to do from the drop of the puck tomorrow night is have some control of the game, preferably in an unadventurous mode. They need to approach this game knowing full well that they will be facing the Senators team that took 40 minutes to show up last Monday and not the one they were busy routing 7-1 before Ottawa woke up.

With the opponant having the last line change, it will be a terse game for the Kovalev line. Don't expect the trio to shake Mike Fisher's trio from their shadows all evening. Maybe Bryan Murray will spin a reckless marble and line the Spezza trio against that of Plekanec, but I would be astonished to see it.

With the last line change, Carbonneau would be happy to get that matchup and play strength against strength, but it will occur only infrequently. So who gets the daunting task of surveying Spezza, Heatley and Alfredsson?

Can Begin, Smolinski, and Kostopoulos handle the pace? Maybe in spells. They have done good of late, with the two wingmen being thorny as they are known to be. But they have to catch these guys in order to be irritable and disturbing. It's a tall task.

The line of Higgins and Ryder with Sergei Kostitsyn might be a better match, in regards to speed, but it will be SK's first starting assignment in the middle. Call it an experiment. Expect it not to last long if Ottawa is flying.

Maxim Lapierre looks to be moved to wing on a line with Latendresse and Grabovski, which appears odd at first, but makes more sense at this point than turning Grabovski into a board warrior. If Carbonneau sees a fast paced game in the offing, it will only be a matter of a shift or three before Max finds the faceoff dot between Higgins and Ryder.

And that might be the best bet against Ottawa's big three.

Oh, the torment Lapierre could heap on Spezza all night!

Leaving a trio of Latendresse, Grabovski, and Sergei K to face the Sens fourth line of McGratton and a pair of minor leaguers might just be the stuff of high hockey science. Look for Carbo, in this light to juggle Ryder and SK back and forth as tempo begs.

The important thing is to prevent too much of a jump from a Senators team anxious for payback for last week.

Talking with my Sens Army buddy ( Yeah, I knew, sounds ridiculous - his term, not mine ) yesterday, before alot of what is now known injury wise, he asked me what I thought the Habs needed to do to prepare for the playoffs.

"Learn a more patient game against Ottawa for starters. Force them into mistakes first, because they will make them. The Canadiens need to get better a winning in a different way others than simply relying on offense."

"Can they do it, you think?", he asks.

"Yes, absolutely they can. Especially through the first round. They have to be creative and try to forge a new mentality."

"Closer to the heart?", he laughs.

Realizing I'd almost accidently paraphrased a Rush lyric, I amended the notion.

"No, bud, that's Ottawa's worry!

Take it away, Spezza!
.

Habs For Breakfast - March 28, 2008

Tons of good reads this day among the 13 links below, starting with Lions In Winter's comparison of the Habs through different stages this season. Beginning with the moment when Sergei Kostitsyn was called up, statistics wise, the Habs measure up well against the Detroit Red Wings. No mean feat!

The Globe Sports piece on Carbonneau through the eyes of Ken Hitchcock is quite revealing, as is the Edmonton Journal's take on what's going on with the Habs.

For the french and bilingual readers, check out what Beliveau thinks of retiring Roy's jersey and take a look at Francis Bouillon's long hard road to the NHL - it makes one really appreciate his efforts.

The Beliveau piece may get the translation treatment later in the day here. Enjoy.

The SK 74 Era: Habs Stats Since December - Lions In Winter

"With SK74 era as the defining moment when the Canadiens turned to offense (that's my allegation now), we observe that they remained consistent at the back, but did not see remarkable improvement. I suspect that this will be the continuing trend as the GM looks at the upcoming assets and considers how offense can win games after all. In other words, I don't expect a reversion to 8 D, nor a push for the Jennings trophy anytime too soon." - Topham

Kostopoulos Has A Shine On For Playoffs - Gazette

"For five seasons, through more than 230 National Hockey League games, April has always followed a familiar pattern for Tom Kostopoulos - go home and watch the playoffs on television." - Herb Zurkowsky

Habs Blend Of Veteran's, Youth Confounds NHL Pundits - Gazette

"I understand the media and fans when they said we weren't going to be a playoff contender because of what happened last season ... the injuries and sickness," Carbonneau said later in the day, during an NHL-imposed conference call. "But I knew at training camp, with our additions, we were going to be a better team."

No Longer The Fall Guy - Globe Sports

"Carbonneau learned from the greats when he played in Montreal, Hitchcock said; learned how to compete and how to shoulder the weight of expectations. He also learned how to play the game in various roles, as a scoring centreman, then defensive specialist, then veteran leader." - Allen Maki












The Kovalev Redemption - Montreal Canadiens.com

"Talking to Alex, he made the most of his long summer and watched old footage of himself when he was younger to see what he used to do and to rediscover how much he loved playing the game," explained Carbonneau. "I think it was really important to him to have a strong start to the season to prove all the work he put in had paid off."

Carbonneau Brings Winning Style - Edmonton Journal

"It's definitely going to be different," allowed the Montreal Canadiens coach, who played 231 playoff games, just behind Patrick Roy (247), Chris Chelios (246), Mark Messier (236) and Claude Lemieux and Scott Stevens (233). As a player, I prepared myself for a long series knowing you were allowed to lose the first game but you weren't allowed to lose the last. I don't think that's going to change as a coach." - Jim Matheson

x - Montreal Canadiens * - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"Now that the Canadiens have earned their "x" for clinching a playoff spot, AND proudly wear the asterik as Northeast Division leaders in the NHL standings, we fans can stop worrying about if there'll be hockey in April. Instead, our attention can now be focussed on important things like potential dance partners and signs and omens." - J.T.

Habs Balanced Attack A Key To Success - TSN

"We have a lot of guys back from last year and there's better chemistry, a better understanding of where to be on the ice," coach Guy Carbonneau said Thursday. "Our offence was good last year, but we have better defence, so there's more balance."

Retrait du chandail de Roy: Jean Béliveau indécis - La Presse

"Mais même M. Béliveau, qui a longtemps siégé au comité responsable des retraits de chandails chez le Canadien, ne sait pas comment aborder la candidature de Patrick Roy à cet honneur. "Honnêtement, je ne sais pas ce que je ferais", a-t-il admis, hier, lorsque nous l'avons joint. "Est-ce qu'il faut séparer les exploits sur la glace de la vie courante? Faudrait-il attendre avant de retirer son chandail? Ce sont certainement des questions que le comité devra se poser." - Marc Antoine Godin

CH: Une puissance offensive qui s'ignorait - la Presse

"Guy Carbonneau a passé l'année à dire que son équipe n'avait pas la force de frappe des Sénateurs d'Ottawa. Mais il ne reste que cinq matchs à jouer et le Canadien, avant les matchs d'hier, était deuxième de la ligue avec 244 buts marqués!" - Marc Antoine Godin

"On a le contrôle de notre destinée": Carbo - Le Journal

"Si on remporte nos cinq derniers matchs, l'équipe sera assurée de terminer au premier rang. Bien sûr, ça nous ferait un petit velours d'éliminer les Sabres et les Maple Leafs, ce week-end, a-t-il ajouté. Ce n'est toutefois pas notre motivation principale." - Pierre Durocher

"C'est un gros avantage": Higgins - Le Journal

"C'est la preuve que nous avons une attaque bien équilibrée et diversifiée", a raconté Higgins. "Kovalev a été un joueur dominant et les frères Kostitsyn jouent très bien. Mais la clé, c'est que tout le monde contribue."

Bouillon: "Si ça pouvait durer..." - Le Journal

"Hartley s'exprime souvent dans un langage direct et coloré. Bouillon l'a appris à cette occasion. "Si tu continues à jouer de cette façon, tu seras le plus petit défenseur de la Ligue de hockey junior majeur du Québec", lui avait-il lancé. ouillon est sorti du bureau abasourdi. Il avait gagné un poste. "J'avais les larmes aux yeux, avoue-t-il. J'ai ouvert mon sac et j'en ai ressorti mon équipement. Puis, j'ai appelé ma mère et mes amis. C'était un moment merveilleux." - Bertrand Raymond
.

Habs For Breakfast: March 25, 2008

Habs Hold On To Clinch Playoff Spot - Gazette

"In the previous games, we worried too much about them and not enough about our own game," Koivu said. "Tonight, we played really well for the first two periods and that's what we have to do if we meet them in the playoffs."

One Word For Canadiens: Remarkable - Gazette

"File and forget 'em. I agree upsets happen, but trust me on this: if a vote were taken among the Canadiens about which team they'd want to meet in the first round, Boston would be their choice - for all of the right reasons." - Red Fisher

Habs Put a Lock On It - Gazette

"The Senators have 89 points and need six points from their final six regular-season games, which would give them 95, to guarantee a playoff berth. Can they do it?" - Allen Panzeri

Habs Earn Playoff Spot With Win Over Sens - TSN

"Now we can enjoy this for a couple of days," said Montreal captain Saku Koivu. "But you can play as well as you want in the regular season, you still have to be ready for the playoffs. We want to finish strong too, but slowly now, we can start thinking about the playoffs."

A Win And They're In - Globe Sports

""It was more important for them early on than it was for us, obviously," he said. "We came out flat-footed, our defence didn't move the puck and we didn't get many stops from the goaltenders." - Bryan Murray

Hab - itual Nightmare - Ottawa Sun

"The questions about the Senators’ goaltending, which looked like they had abated, will now rage again after the Habs chased Ottawa starter Martin Gerber from the net after 20 minutes. He gave up three goals on 14 shots and on each goal - two by Andrei Kostitsyn sandwiching one by Chris Higgins — he lost track of the puck and looked lost himself." - Chris Stevenson

Dickensian Hockey - Habs Inside Out

"It was the best of times: a seemingly insurmountable 7-1 lead after 40 minutes, total domination of an Ottawa team that has kicked Canadiens butt all season. But it was nearly the worst of times, as the Senators scored four unanswered goals and outshot Canadiens 14-2 in the third period." - Mike Boone























3, Not 33 - Habs Inside Out

"The Canadiens will retire at least one more number during the team's centennial 2008-'09 season. Everyone thinks Patrick Roy is a lock. I respectfully disagree. Roy's latest goon show in the Q is further evidence that his name does not belong up in the Bell Centre rafters with Canadiens' immortals such as Maurice Richard, Jean Béliveau, Guy Lafleur – and Bob Gainey." - Mike Boone

Roy To The Rafters - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"Of course, the idea of one player winning a Stanley Cup by himself is a myth. Hockey is a team game and a team wins or loses together. But it is certainly a fact that a single player can elevate his game with such passion that he carries the rest of his team to a higher level with him. Roy was that player." - J.T.

Canadiens Play With Fire - Lions In Winter

"We were all over the Sens' goalies and D right off the bat, so much so that Alfredsson and company were hardly noticeable for 40 minutes. Instead of sitting back and wondering what Ottawa was going to do next, how they were going to embarrass us in our own building, we took it to them and played like we do against almost every other team." - Tobalev
















Disparus, les complexes - RDS

"Complètement inoffensifs contre les Sénateurs d’Ottawa depuis le début de la saison, les hommes de Guy Carbonneau ont choisi le meilleur moment pour effacer tous leurs complexes, battant leurs rivaux par la marque de 7-5 au Centre Bell."

"On doit retenir une leçon": Carbonneau - RDS

"L'entraîneur a expliqué que les joueurs ont finalement compris que même en jouant bien défensivement et en ne courant pas trop de risques, ils pouvaient marquer des buts contre les Sénateurs."

Higgins: "Nous avons été les agresseurs" - La Presse

"Guy Carbonneau a souvent répété que c'est dans la défaite qu'une équipe tire le plus grand nombre de leçons. Mais hier, c'était du deux pour un: ils ont eu la leçon tout en récoltant les deux points de la victoire!" - Marc Antoine Godin

Premier, premier, premier - La Presse

"Avec les départs de joueurs importants et l’entrée en scène de jeunes qui avaient peu ou pas d’expérience, de nombreuses questions étaient sans réponse en début de saison. Cela rend la confirmation de notre place en séries encore plus valorisante. Et le fait d’être le premier club à obtenir ce laissez-passer rend cet exploit plus satisfaisant encore », a lancé le capitaine Saku Koivu après le match." - François Gagnon

Carbonneau: "Je suis relaxe" - Le Journal
"C'est certain que j'ai fait mention de notre tenue au troisième engagement quand j'ai parlé aux joueurs à la fin du match. On a commis des erreurs et écopé de pénalités qui auraient pu nous faire mal. Mais en définitive, on a de bonnes raisons d'être contents." - Carbonneau

"On sait qu'on peut battre le Sénateurs": Bouillon - Le Journal

"On parlait de ce match depuis trois jours et c'était important de connaître un bon départ", raconte Bouillon. Le fait d'avoir battu les Sénateurs à ce temps-ci de la saison est important pour notre confiance."

This Season Carbonneau Has A Stronger Grasp

Translated from Bertrand Raymond's column in the March 22, 2008 Le Journal

One year ago, Guy Carboneau's lack of experience behind the bench was plainly visible.

Even though he'd been an assistant to the general manager in Dallas, and an assistant coach in Montreal on two occasions, the final decisions now belonged to him. On certain nights, everything seemed to happen so fast for a coach whose main assistant, Kirk Muller, was as green a rookie as he.

Less than a year later, with his team enjoying a remarkable season, Carbonneau is considered a coach of the year candidate.

So, how did that happen?

Of course, several players - Alex Kovalev comes to mind - have had their say in the success, but Carbonneau isn't denying that one year's experience can make a big difference. He understands that today he is a better coach.

During an interesting interview, the former Canadiens captain admits that he has a better control over the day to day goings on regarding the team. Honestly, he admits that he is surprised by the Habs performance this season.

"Realistically, I never thought come mid March that we'd be ahead of the Ottawa Senators", Carbonneau claims. "Of course, it is obvious that the Senators have taken a step back, and it has opened doors for many teams."

He could also add that the Canadiens have avoided what has happened with Ottawa. If the Habs have not suffered anything longer than a three game losing streak, a good part of the credit must head Carbonneau's way.

"Should it be concluded that we have been very fortunate?", he asks. "I guess you could say that our team has been well prepared for games and that we have been lucky enough to avoid injuries. These are all factors that need to be taken into consideration."

To thread the needle more precisely, Carbonneau adds that certain decisions that were planned out well ahead of time have played a major role in the success of the Canadiens.














For example, the team has regularly profited from a scheduled day off per week. Practices that would run up to 75 minutes earlier in the year now cut off at about 40 minutes. Carbonneau has never swayed from using four lines and six defenseman all season. Lower tier players are on a regular rotation in and out of the lineup.

Obviously, the rotation of players doesn't include the impact variety. The point was to keep third and fourth lines, as well as sixth and seventh defenseman energized.

Carbonneau also notes that the team doesn't play a kamikazee style of hockey, which enables injuries to be avoided. Stressing a poised positional game has its benefits.

The coach has taken some criticism for giving days off after bad games, especially the Sundays, but has stubbornly stuck to his gins in doing so regardless.

"When I was playing, I found it beneficial to have that day off", he explains. "When Sunday is free, players can plan family activities, take off to the Laurentides, or do whatever. After losses, I'd head to the dressing room just furious, but I always found it was important to respect that routine."

That could be the prime explanation for Carbonneau's success in year two. Last season, things were passing fast and he was more emotional. This season, there is the sense that he is more in control.

Carbonneau explains that the major difference between this season and last, is that he can foresee the reactions that his decisions provoke.

"There is less of the unknown for me this time", he admits. "Last season, I was trying to learn from what others coaches had done. I'd note things afterwards. I was making decisions without knowing what to expect. This year, I know what to expect."














Without having to mention it, the 48 year old coach brings up last year's situation with defenseman Craig Rivet. He classifies that learning experience as something that contributes to what has made him a better equiped coach today should the situation arise again.

"I still believe I did the right thing", he says, "but this year, would I have acted differently?
Probably. I would have taken time to explain to him why I was doing it. Rivet was surprised to find himself out of the lineup. Every player is when it happens to them."

"We didn't do this on a whim. It was the right decision, but it was an unexpected reaction to it. All told, we should have been more in control of the situation."

Carbonneau admits that behind the bench he is reacting to circumstances better than before. For example, last season, when down by two goals, he'd shorten the bench in favor of those who were rolling, as opposed to continuing to roll four lines as he does now.

When asked what have been this seasons biggest surprises for him, Carbonneau glances at a wall chart that contains the Habs current lineup.

"After all that went down last season, Alex Kovalev has to top the list. Roman Hamrlik's contribution is of note. Throw in the names of Bouillon, Gorges, and Streit, in addition to all the young players."

In Carbonneau's esteem, how many players would the Canadiens be away from a Stanley Cup?
It's a hard question for him to answer. The coach believes that with the current roster at his disposal, that the Canadiens have it in them to cause some heads to turn.

"I think that if we would have been able to add Marian Hossa, it would have helped a great deal", he adds in all honesty. "We are a young team. We'll see how the players do come playoff time. We are on the verge of getting some very important answers."
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