Removal Of Kovalev As Power Play Focal Point The Key To Recreating It

The formerly top ranked Canadiens powerplay has gone AWOL, and rectifying it is a top priority for the team in trying to get back on track and refind it's consistent winning ways.

The Canadiens PP currently sits 25th in the NHL, having counted on only 12 of 82 opportunities thus far for a conversion ratio of 14.6%. Only the Blue Jackets, Coyotes, Panthers, Devils, and Islanders are faring worse.

In assessing what is not working at present, it is important to understand the reasons behind the unit's lack of success so far.

What is difficult to breakdown, is that Montreal certainly have enough offensive elements to succeed with a man advantage, at first glance. All the keys seems in place, with a nice mix of snipers, forwards strong on the puck in corner board battles, some good sized options in front of the net, and good puck movement from the point. So far, the units used have created enough chances to merit continued patience and faith, but without results both will wear thin.

In past seasons, isolating the prime ingredients for the Canadiens power play success was a simpler matter. In 2006-07, Sheldon Souray's blasts from the blue line were a constant threat. Two reasons accounted for Souray's success: no one dared get in the way of the quickly unleashed bullets, and the shot was most often highly accurate.

In 2007-08, a Souray - lite in Mark Streit manned the point, and while his shots were nowhere near Souray's in velocity, they were accurate and low, and efficiently dispensed. Streit was equally adept at moving the puck as swiftly as he shot it, and that enabled the other shooters big gains.

With either of Souray and Streit, the opposition was kept off guard and guessing due to the varying options, and that was how the Canadiens capitalized most often.

Perhaps misunderstood most in these schemes during this time, was the role of Alex Kovalev on the right side. Other than the changing faces at the point, he is the one of two constants on the first unit. His role is essentially to quarterback the powerplay from the right board out, and it is his work that other teams have keyed on and adjusted to most swiftly this season.

Earlier in the season, the Canadiens sought to employ it's other first unit constant, Andrei Markov, in much the same manner as Streit was worked last year. By moving Markov over to Kovalev's side of the ice, they figured to capalize on the swift passing between the two to keep the puck in constant motion. Unfortunately for Montreal, Markov was not as comfortable on the opposite side, and his shots at the nets are neither as hard, swift or as accurate as the former foils who played there.

By focusing on Kovalev - essentially double teaming him - the opposition has rammed a spike into the Canadiens power play gears. Truthfully, this is not a new challenge. It began late last season, and became more exposed as the playoffs wore on.

As other teams improved their penalty killing against the Canadiens, they also became less fearful of taking penalties, and thus imposed a more physical standard against the Habs five on five.

What other teams do on the penalty kill is quite basic: they position their four point box openly to form more of a rectangle, with the two closest points aimed directly at Kovalev. With limited space, Kovalev often tries to create options where there are none - flipping passes off the ice where there are no clean lanes, or skating a back and forth "S" pattern to open his end of the box and sneak a shot on goal.

The higher forward closest to Kovalev places his stick in the lane of the pointman, and the defenseman playing him also points his stick toward the blueline, thus negating the cross ice feeds. In this coverage, Kovalev dipsy doodles, circling over his own path in an attempt to open the slightest of spaces and lanes.

Where Kovalev becomes his own worst enemy, is when he attempts longshot plays to create movement on the opposition side. His soft flips to the point fail increasingly, because who ever is playing that position can neither one time a shot, or cradle and move the puck swiftly.

The bigger problem with Kovalev being rendered straightjacketed on the power play, is that it stagnates the four players teamed with him. The forward at the opposite side of the ice, the left wing, almost never sees the puck. The player at the net, or beside it, can only react once Kovalev has shot on goal. That player, the center, must also play the right corner, to allow Kovalev an additional pass option. The defensemen are played tightly enough, just daring Kovalev to risk a fragile pass in that direction.

What results is that the Canadiens players possess the puck for great lengths during their advantage, but the five man unit is almost as immobile as the oppositions defensive setup. When a powerplay does not keep the puck and players moving at all times, it spells disaster.




















It must be pointed out that the players involved on the unit are working hard to create opportunities during the ticking seconds. This is not to say the unit isn't working misguidedly. They have tried several tinkerings on the unit to no avail, such as employing a fourth forward - be it Alex Tangauy or Sergei Kostitsyn - on the left point in order to spread out the areas from which the puck can be played, passes can be made, and shots can be taken.

The solution does not lie in the removal of Kovalev per se, but it may require the romoval of him as a focal point. Subtracting the club's most offensively gifted player from the unit is a foolish notion, but reinventing how he works during the advantage is the starting point.

To that end, Kovalev sometimes sets up on left side of the ice, facing the exact same coverage scheme. What differs in this setup, is that his cross ice feeds become less of a risk and his shots on net come from a closer range. His stick is also further away from his opponants, which means he can attempt to move to net more freely to create shots and opening. Where this plan runs into trouble is that Kovalev is not as comfortable with it, and he is still the focal point for the opposition while doing the same things that were not working at his usual space.




















Where the Canadiens now stand, is in working against what the opposition regularly throws at them in terms of coverage. The secrets of how to conceal the Habs firepower have been shared league wide, and it is now up to the Canadiens to make the required adjustments to get it moving once more.

Most observers have long believed that placing a larger player in front of the goal is the way to go, but the method in which such a situation works is not always clear. A player seemingly poised on the goaltenders doorstep, screening the view and picking up rebounds is often an illusion. Such a player has to keep himself moving, either from the side of the crease into the goalie's view, or crossing the edge of the crease in order to keep defenseman busy and turning away from the puck focus.

Having a player simply stand on the goalie is akin to nullifying the advantage itself, as his coverage then falls in the hands of the netminder. The four remaining players on the offensive are then covered more tightly man to man, and the extra player the team enjoying the power play has, is now two hundred feet away in their own goal. This setup simply doesn't work as most folks perceive.



















What is perhaps doing the Canadiens the biggest diservice at present is the fact that the old methods worked with ease for two plus seasons, and that breaking old habits is hard to do.

After pointing to what has ceased working on the Canadiens power play, one is left to wonder what possibly can unstagnate the efforts of the emn working it. A solution might be to decentralize the Kovalev role in it while maintaining the use of his talents.

To do this, the Canadiens would then employ Kovalev and his passing skills on the blueline. He would only shoot on net when obvious chances presented themselves. Otherwise, he would act only as a simple wheel man in rotating the puck to both sides of the ice with defense partner Markov.

Their passes would have to be brisk, and they would ideally not be holding on to it for long periods of time. They would be advised to move it often and fast in order to tire and frustrate the coverage. They would switch places along the blue line during possession to create options to skate in closer during the crossovers. To facilitate puck movement, their wingers would also be in constant motion, swinging like pendulum points from side to side.

The duo at the blueline would not be played as tightly as Kovalev was by himself before, as it would open all kinds of room nearer to the net. The wingers on both sides would then return as more viable pass and shoot options, and more movement overall would be created. All of both wingers and center could attack the net at given chances, creating more confusion for the opposition.

What a scenario such as this could provide if properly deployed is great deal more room and movement while enjoying the advantage. The keys to any successful power play involve creating space and scoring chances by maintaining puck possession options while moving it fluidly to cause confusion and kaos.

The idea of Kovalev playing the point would return the fluidity to the Canadiens powerplay offense.

The puck and the space to create with it would then become more equally shared amongst the unit's participants. In essence, it would be like giving the players back the skills that have been robbed of them by having Kovalev rule the unit.

The recreation of the power play would not work overnight. Players, especially Kovalev in this instance, would have to get comfortable with the new rigors of it. For one thing, Kovalev would have to learn caution and read inopportunity more precisely. Markov and the remaining players would need time to adjust to receiving passes from angles and areas they have gotten away from. It could take as much as ten games for the unit to become comfortable. By that time it ought to be producing at a better clip that what is currently dying before everyone's eyes.


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Yannick Weber: Swiss Cheese Without The Holes

One of the most surprising revelations of the 2008 Montreal Canadiens training camp has been the play of Swiss born Yannick Weber.

Who, you might ask?

Weber might best be known as the Kitchener Rangers star pointman over the past couple of seasons. He might also be known to those in the hockey coulisses as the captain of the Switzerland entry in the last World Junior Championship tournament.

Current Florida Panthers coach Peter DeBoer, and former Rangers bench boss calls Weber the best OHL defenseman of the past season. For the record, that statement by DeBoer was made prior to Weber scoring the tying goal against DeBoer's Panthers last evening.

Had Weber not been recovering from injuries at the time, he might have led the heavily favored Kitchener squad to a Memorial Cup championship. Heck, with a little break, he might have been the lucky candidate fortunate enough to snap the Memorial Cup in two.

All told, Weber had a great say in why the Kitchener boys were heavily favored in the first place.

The Montreal Canadiens have both a recent and long standing affiliation with Swiss born players. Howie Morenz and Aurel Joliat, a duo who saw to it that the Canadiens would snag Stanley Cups in 1924, 1930, and 1931, were one generation removed from Swiss born parents.

And all along you guessed they were "Flying Frenchmen"!

More recent Swiss affiliations to Habs lore have included goalie David "I've got the pin, where's the grenade?" Aebischer and defenseman Mark Streit. While you surely don't want to recall Aebischer fondly from two seasons ago, the man who was a keg of gunpowder to the Habs goaltending woes then, now stops pucks somewhere in the hockey ozone.

Mark Streit on the other hand, was pure gold for the Habs. In three seasons with the club, Streit's role expanded from seldom used defender, to utility wingman, and finally to PP QB last season. His stats were testosterone induced by contributions from the likes of Alex Kovalev and Andrei Markov.

Streit, after his career year of close to 70 points, then became as cursed as he was blessed. In free agency, he became a New York Islander, a reward akin to kissing Megan Fox and waking up next to Bea Arthur.

























Weber in all this, if often compared to Streit, but the deal doesn't hold water. Weber is and will be a much sounder player.

Purely, the comaprison is nothing but a Swiss thing. Weber's shot is more accurate, he plays sounder defense, his size doesn't seem to be a liability, and he doesn't have that chickenshit scared french painter look about him that Streit had.

Four exhibition games into an NHL lifetime of course, does not make a career, but by all reports, Weber has positioned himself within these contests as the next Canadiens defenseman to make the bigs. He'd be positioned at number seven on the Canadiens depth chart were it not for human gasket Patrice Brisebois serving once again as placeholder and stunter of development for the likes of Weber and P.K. Subban.

What bodes well for the Canadiens, is that the case of an extreme emergency - a long term injury to a defender - Weber is ready to move up and assume the role.

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This Is Where "Team Toughness" Gets Its Biggest Test

Earlier in the season, a question was brought up to Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau, regarding the Habs lack of designated pugilist, someone who would set the opposition straight when games got out of hand.

Three players who filled the role to different extents last season, Aaron Downey, Garth Murray, and Sheldon Souray, were now gone, and the thinking was that the soft and small Canadiens would be pushed around more than ever before.

It must be stated that while the three players named were often willing to throw punches for team mates, none were highly effective in the role. Downey and Murray scared no one while contributing little in hockey terms, and Souray was so important in the team's grand scheme of things last season that he was well advised to choose his spots.

Carbonneau sidestepped the question with sound logic.

He made his point by stating that the Canadiens were a team who planned to roll four steady lines, and that adding a player whose role would be minimal did not fit into his plans.

Of course, had their been a 10 goal scorer available, who struck fear into opponents eyes, and had the ability to backcheck with regularity, the Canadiens would have jumped on him.

As is the case with any rare commodity in demand, players of the like simply aren't running the streets. Carbonneau wasn't about wish for the addition of a player whose contribution to the team would involved less than 10 minutes of ice time.

Smartly, and with little other choice, Carbonneau called for "team toughness' when the going got rough.





















Many onlookers felt it a naive choice of terms for Carbonneau to preach considering the elements of the Canadiens lineup, seen by many as being receivers rather than givers when it comes to wrath unleashed.

It is often misinterpreted, the distinction between toughness and having a player who can drop the gloves in each game. This Canadiens team, despite outside perceptions to the contrary, has fared exceptionally at policing themselves when they had to. Surprisingly, the Canadiens managed to take care of their own business when it came to the rough stuff with all the ease of a backhand swipe.

With no goon in sight, and few players to drop the gloves along the way, "Team Toughness" climbed the standings ladder all the way to a first place finish.

The question never came back to Carbonneau, and an opportunity for him to shout vindication on the issue has never presented itself.

Backtracking to when the question was originally posed, several queries pointed to a stage in the post season that the Canadiens actually find themselves in at the moment, wherein that team toughness will be put to the test.

What Carbonneau has preached to his players all season long has worked until now. It may or may not continue to work beyond Game 3.

The Canadiens players must continue to be willing to take hits, slashes, facewashes, and crosschecks to the head with selective retaliation. That is part of the mental toughness required in this type of battle.

The players must also continue to dish out the same in return with unleashed fervor and passion. They will not be backed down by the Flyers, even in their building, but this series will be about who wears down the other first.

Team mates will continue to stand up for each other when called on, but discipline will be important as officiating continues to be consistantly inconsistant with what is called from game to game, period to period.



















Tom Kostopoulos chose a fair time for his wires to cross in Game 2, when it could not cost the team much. Doing such a thing at an earlier time in the game could cause a major turning point on the road to a loss.

All Canadiens players, regardless of size must continue to drive hard to the net, dish out the big hits when it is feasible and smart, and proceed to the corners and boards where taking those hits often makes a play successful. They must be relentless in their pursuit of this kind of dedication.
The Kostitsyn's, Saku Koivu, Chris Higgins and Max Lapierre are all playing this way. Tomas Plekanec, Alex Kovalev, Mark Streit, and Mathieu Dandeneault are picking their spots and it has to stop. Some players need reminding that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, with and without the puck.

The Begin, Smolinski, and Kostopoulos trio are wrecking balls whose intensity never drops. They have been role models of fortitude and their success testifies for the unquenched committment in their game.

Saturday's loss to the Flyers sacrificed home ice in the series. The Canadiens need the win tonight to assure they can head back home no worse that tied at two game.

The players mentioned above who are choosing their spots and avoiding what is inevitable must understand that they are about to play two roads game. They must be prepared to do battle in the trenches they have so far been unwilling to venture into.

Tonight's game will come down how badly certain players want to win the Stanley Cup.

Habs For Breakfast - Next!

Great game by the Habs, no life shortening 3rd period drama, awesome goaltending, and a whole 8 points in my playoff pool thanks to Carey and the Kostitsyn's.

Very reassuring and comforting to see the boys bring it when it was needing most!

Unsung Habs heroes of the night were Streit and Begin - a guy a like to refer to as the team's captain without a "C". Chara might have been playing with a bad elbow, but Bégin wouldn't be slowed by a cracked skull!

Hopefully downtown Montreal isn't in too bad a shape this morning!

Maybe Carey should go on CJAD and CKAC and tell fans to "Cool it!" Coming from him,it would make some sense and maybe have an effect next round!

For a good laugh, listen to what Higgins has to say about Carey at this HIO audio link!

VICTORIOUS! - Gazette

"So, Carey Price, surely you tossed and turned on the eve of the most important hockey game of your young professional career? "No," the 20-year-old rookie goaltender said, shrugging. "I slept like a housecat." With Price purring along to his second shutout in six nights and his teammates firing on all cylinders, the Canadiens last night took a stride deeper into Montreal spring, advancing to the NHL's Eastern Conference semifinals with a 5-0 victory over the Boston Bruins." - Dave Stubbs

Habs Saved The Best For Last - Gazette

"On a night following a sun-splashed spring day, the Canadiens finally got what they desperately needed from their best players: their best. "Carey! Carey! Carey!" was the frequent chant throughout this 5-0 victory - the goalie's second in the series." - Red Fisher























Kostitsyn's Lead Scoring Parade - Gazette

"Tomas Plekanec said there were times when he felt left out while playing with brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn. "It seems they have a way of finding each other," Plekanec said. "They talk to each other and then it seems they find a way to do something on the ice. Sometimes, I think they don't need me out there but I don't care as long they score goals." And that they did last night. Andrei scored two goals and set up Sergei for a third as the Canadiens wrapped up their best-of-seven quarterfinal series against the Bruins with a 5-0 victory." - pat Hickey

Habs Close To Perfection - Gazette

"The Canadiens just got better as the game went on. They had more hits than the Bruins; they had more blocked shots. They won more facefoffs and they had more shots on goal. Most importantly, they scored more goals." - Pat Hickey

Canadiens Dominate Bruins In Game 7 - TSN

"Some time in the second or third game we got away from our style," said Kovalev, who had a pair of assists. "They played hard against us and we tried to do the same back to them - maybe to try to show who's stronger. That's not our game. And then it takes a while to get your game back and I think that's why we lost the last two games. But we got it back. Fast-paced hockey for 60 minutes. That's our game."

Canadiens Finally Put Away Bruins - Globe Sports

"The Canadiens deserve credit for returning to their game plan Monday night. They brought their physical side, as they did for the first two games, and they reverted to their blue-collar worth ethic by dumping the puck in deep and using their speed to get to it first." - Tim Wharnsby


















Canadiens Turn Dread Into Cheers - Globe Sports

"Human nature being what it is, they started to count their chickens — not just the fans, but the players as well, who all too obviously relaxed after squeaking by in the fourth game — and then over the course of the weekend, learned an ancient lesson." - Stephen Brunt

Rioting Fans Torch Police Cars - Globe Sports

"Television helicopter footage showed one instance where a pair of vandals on a darkened street set ablaze the interior of a damaged, abandoned police car while a third person recorded the act with his cellphone. A handful of others stood by watching. Police spokeswoman Constable Anie Lemieux could not confirm the number of arrests but several men were taken away in handcuffs, including some wearing Canadiens jerseys who pounded a car with cement blocks. Several stores were also damaged." - Sid Banarjee


















Mission Accomplished - Lions In Winter

"With the game at 1-0 Boston was still very much alive. What the Habs needed was a little insurance and they got it with a spectacular effort from Mark Streit. The Habs were in the midst of a line change when Kovy hit a fresh Max Lapierre with a pass as he entered Boston's zone. Lapierre then dropped it for an equally fresh Streit. Mark then made a great move through the gaping hole in between Chara's legs and he was in alone on Thomas. He pulled off a great move to completely freeze the Boston goalie and then neatly slid the puck 5-hole to send us well on our way." - Tobalev

Montreal Remembers Their Game Just In Time And Puts Stake In Bruins - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"Alex Kovalev was flying, so were the guys who had been in a funk - the Kostitsyn’s, Tomas Plekanec, Chris Higgins, Mark Streit, and about ten others. Carey Price, who went from giving up ten goals in two games to none when it counted the most, in game seven, was fabulous, and showed he doesn’t rattle in a pressure cooker." - Dennis Kane

Nearer My God To Thee - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not the breed of Canadiens' fan anyone can accuse of having become complacent about losing. I want a Cup every year. I want it badly. I'm really, really tired of waiting for the franchise to turn around. So, if (when) the Habs bow out, it will hurt. It will burn. Bruins' fans will laugh and TSN panelists and certain unmentionable members of the cast of HNIC will gloat." - J.T.

Elimination Schmelimination - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"So I should have believed last night. Despite the lousy performances in the previous two games, and the fact that the Bruins had imposed their game on the Canadiens for the previous five. I should never have doubted the Habs could pull it together when it really counted." - J.T.

TMS Rants - Four Habs Fans ( Robert L Note: Something every fan needs to read here!)

"Montreal is the greatest city in the world. I'm proud to call this city my home for nearly 40 years. But now we look like idiots to everyone else. So this morning, I am no longer proud. I'm just f*ck*ng embarassed." - Habs Fan29

Au suivant, finalement - RDS

"Cette série s'est terminée de la bonne façon. Mais ce ne fut pas facile, a commenté Saku Koivu. On n'a pas bien joué dans les cinquième et sixième matchs. Les Bruins se sont bien battus pour prolonger la série jusqu'à la limite."

L'union réussie des frères Kostitsyn - RDS

"J'ai appris après l'entraînement du matin qu'on allait jouer ensemble. J'étais très content", a dit Andrei après l'élimination des Bruins. "C'est la première fois qu'on jouait ensemble durant tout un match. Avant, on n'avait fait que quelques présences."


















Streit a l'habitude des matchs sans lendemain - La Presse

"C'est comme ça lorsqu'on joue pour la Suisse", racontait Streit avant le septième match que le Canadien et les Bruins de Boston devaient disputer, lundi soir, au Centre Bell. "Chaque rencontre est très importante. On ne peut se permettre de perdre contre l'Allemagne ou le Bélarus sans risquer la reléguation dans le groupe B."

C'était magique - La Presse

"Les « Olé ! Olé ! Olé » entonnés après les buts de Mike Komisarek, Mark Streit, les deux d’Andrei Kostitsyn et celui de son frère Sergei tout comme les arrêts du jeune Price ont fait vibrer le Centre Bell toute la soirée." - François Gagnon

"Ce gars la est phénoménal": Komisarek - Le Journal

"Price ne cesse de m'impressionner, a commenté Komisarek. Il n'a que 20 ans, mais il joue comme un vétéran de 10 saisons dans la LNH. "On savait qu'il allait rebondir avec une solide performance", a-t-il ajouté. "Il l'a toujours fait depuis le début de sa carrière. Il a démontré beaucoup de caractère."

Bégin: "C'est ça, le Canadien!" - Le Journal

Steve Bégin était bien fier de son équipe et il l'a fait sentir. "C'est un travail d'équipe qui vient d'être réalisé, tous ont bien joué, tous se sont impliqués", a-t-il commencé à dire en affichant un sourire de satisfaction. "Nous n'avons pas donné de chances aux Bruins, parce que nous avons tous fourni un deuxième et un troisième effort." - François Ferland

"L'important c'etait de gagner": Price - Le Journal

"Carey Price a peut-être concédé dix buts lors des cinquième et sixième matchs de la série, mais les deux jeux blancs qu’il a signés auront probablement fait la différence. Mais le principal intéressé ne semble pas trop s’en soucier. "C’est bien beau le jeu blanc, mais l’important c’était de gagner et de passer à la ronde suivante. Une victoire de 10 à 9 aurait fait pareil", affirmait Price le plus calmement du monde après le match. - Charles - André Marchand

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse, and Le Journal
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The Canadiens Euro Question Rears It's Ugly Head

I'll admit it right off, this is a personal quandary, brought on by a most perceptive, and perhaps predjudiced caller, who spun this line on radio station CKAC while I was in my car on the way to picking up my youngest at school yesterday afternoon.

Perhaps you are like I am, and do not regard a player's worth by nation of birth and rather by what they offer up on NHL rink surfaces.

But....

In a country where a pompous fool named Don Cherry is allowed an audience weekly, and a province where self protectionism is entagled with laws of the like so ignorant to our nations ancestry of multiculturalism, the question I am about to bring up will either strike a chord or sound a thud.

Let me again state, that I don't care if a player is from Belarus, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the Czech Repub, or Timbukseventeen, if he has a Habs jersey over his shoulders, wears the CH proudly around his neck, and hits the ice with gonads of steel, he can play for my team anytime.
Of course, weighing in the balance is that old, soon to be proven wrong notion, that North American hockey players make for better Stanley Cup winners than the players from overseas.

It's a Euro captain argument a decade old, added into the Ottawa Senators failures when they were less Canadian than they are presently, if you will, that infests the same mind as the caller who grabbed my attention in a very short span today.





















Still, the callers point rattled, as it did have some poignancy.

His statement was relevant to the Canadiens success so far in these playoffs. He pointed out the Anaheim Ducks who many mention who the Cup last season with an almost completely North American lineup.

The Habs biggest contributors so far in these playoffs have been Kostopuolos, Begin, Smolinski, Price, Komisarek, and Lapierre.

The caller pointed out that the Canadiens six best regular season pointers were Kovalev, Plekanec, Streit, Markov, Koivu, and Andrei Kostitsyn - all non North Anerican disappointments so far....in his esteem!

Now, three whole games into a playoff series, that is quite a conclusion to make, considering that these boys are the prime weapons with which the Canadiens go on the attack with nightly.
The also represent the Canadiens powerplay, which hasn't looked like itself much of late.
The caller never balanced his argument with the fact that not only was Bruins coach Claude Julien a former Habs bench boss, but he also had as many as five of these players under his guide as one time Hamilton Bulldogs while coaching there.

Would that explain why Sergei Kostitsyn has slipped off Julien's radar to notch a few goals?
Hell, who knows, right?

Wrong!

Give credit, the Bruins are doing a really good job of shutting down the Habs best offensive weapons.

The rhetorical you might hear echoing in your ears is a trickle down from Leaf Nation thinking and Ottawa Senators present jealousy, and do you really envy where their thinking has gotten them?

What I can suggest, if that if one chooses to draw such conclusions after one whole playoff game loss, then good luck to you in understanding hockey.

Teams of Russians have beaten teams of Canadians - go figure!

Some people are just too influenced by a media spin.

Give things time and draw your own conclusion.

What you are seeing isn't European players failing, it is young players adjusting to what the playoffs are all about.

What better way to learn!
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Carbonneau Needs To Make Adjustments

The analysis of a game should never be measured by the final score.

After the Canadiens narrow 3-2 overtime win game 2 of the series, one could sense the gap between the Bruins and the Canadiens was closing. Despite the fact that it was the Habs 13th straight win over the Bruins, it hardly looked by the the Canadiens play that they could commandeer such a streak of domination. Regardless of this series being a first against eighth seed, there isn't that big a difference between the teams in terms of overall effectiveness.

Looking back over the Canadiens run over Boston, the assessment that the Bruins did a whole load of dumb things to enable a 13 game losing streak would be just.

Over this season, and stretching back to 2006-07, the Canadiens have always found a way to beat the Bruins. Often, it was a case of the Bruins becoming frustrated with losing to Montreal, and somehow beating themselves.

There is much to be learned from continuous losing to the same team in same way over and over again, and the Bruins have been able to make the correct adjustments. On the Habs side, the biggest danger is complacency, and that is something that a team can never adjust to until after it happens.

With game 4 fast approaching, this is where the two teams sit.

When a coach gets the sense that something is slipping away from his team, he has the choice to react strongly, or simply place faith in his players bouncing back.

It's a tough read for a coach, to scan around the room, or look down the bench, and take the pulse of a team that has been winning and decide changes are imminent. His reactions can be misconstrued as over reacting, and on the flipside, his silence and faith can enable the complacency to set in. It's a hard call to make either way, but often a decision has more impact than not making one does.

The storyline of game 2 had the Bruins gaining ground on the Canadiens, who were fortunate things went their way in overtime. Without the benefit of a day off between games, Boston coach Claude Julien didn't hesitate to make a change and send a message to his troops, dropping the potentially offensive, but so far ineffective Phil Kessel from the lineup.

Guy Carbonneau for his part, adhered to the "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" motto, and was likely left second guessing himself.

Many people were perhaps caught off guard by the fact that Carbonneau chose to make no adjustments. Perhaps the coach didn't see the cracks forming. There was nothing in Saturday's game for a coach to be alarmed about, but Carbonneau's patience with certain players will be questioned as the series wears on.

With as many as six players on the Habs card offering less than stellar results so far, many thought Carbonneau would be ready to tinker by game 3. Names mentioned as being a little off have included Michael Ryder, Tomas Plekanec, Alex Kovalev, Mathieu Dandeneault, Mark Streit, Josh Gorges, and Patrice Brisebois, so Carbonneau is not at a loss for places to start making changes.

Even though some big names have been pointed to by some, don't expect Carbonneau to do anything as drastic as Julien has.

















Plekanec and Kovalev have been shadowed and keyed upon moreso than they have been all season. It's a playoff thing and nothing else.

The often maligned Brisebois is safe as well, having just playing some of his most alert hockey all season. With his defense partner Roman Hamrlik being so effective in all areas, the Bruins has constantly pressured Brisebois' side, and he has responded with toughness beyond expectations.

Josh Gorges has been the goat of a few tentative moves, and it is in all likelyhood due to his pairing with the more adventurous Mark Streit, who hasn't played a whole lot of defense for the Canadiens this season. For his part, Gorges normal game will return with the steadiness Francis Bouillon brings as a partner.

Streit, bluntly put, is out of place on defense and getting pounded more and more. He may have been the Canadiens third leading point getter this season due to powerplay time on the point and forward line duty, but as a rearguard he has revealed himself to be a liability. Perhaps assessments on him have been harsh - his positional instincts must be confused after almost 80 games on the wing - but excuses aren't what is needed in his case.

Mathieu Dandeneault offers an honest effort every game. The fact that he cannot physically complement the right side of the pounding Lapierre and Latendresse duo with the same carsh and bang shouldn't be a knock on him. In his place, Mark Streit offers no more weight, but when it comes to having natural defenseman play that wing, Streit brings more creativity by far.

The case of Michael Ryder must concern Carbonneau greatly. This season Ryder has placed more emphasis on his play without the puck, and has come away a more solid forward in that regard. Unfortunately, it has come at the expense of his scoring chances. Ryder is not in his usual slot positions when receiving the puck, and still has trouble telling the difference between a playmaking opportunity and a dump in when a clear shot at the net hasn't presented itself. It might be time for the coach to cut the deck in response to what Ryder creates offensively and what he gives away to other teams by not recognizing what really is a scoring chance.

Adding in that the Habs have been pushed around more than they'd like, it is time for adjustments. The more physical Ryan O' Byrne would be a welcome addition, and should Francis Bouillon be cleared to go, a ripple effect might be felt through the Habs starting lineup.

If for no other reason than to shake off some complacency, it could be a good call by the coach.


















Bring in the tall and pounding O' Byrne, move Streit back in to a more comfortable role alongside Lapierre and Latendresse.

Sit Dandeneault.

Play Bouillon if he's ready if for no other reason than to calm the steady Gorges at the expense of Patrice.

Have a one on one with Ryder, and make him understand that there is a kid named Gregory Stewart that they will not hesitate to give another start to. Stewart did more in his first NHL game with top standing in the East than Ryder has done in three games since the playoff puck was dropped.

Shake some foundations. Rattle an ego or two. It has worked all year - witness the effort given by grinders named Kostopoulos, Smolinski, and Begin - the Habs best line in this post season - who have all sat out games uncomfortably this season while inhaling the message.

The Canadiens will be able to exhale easier if they should return to Montreal with a three to one lead in games.

If the Bruins tie up this series tonight in Boston, the Canadiens will no longer be facing an adversary they have beaten in 13 consecutive game.

They will be matching up against an opponent that has the momentum from back to back wins, in what amounts to a best of three series.
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Habs For Breakfast - April 15, 2008

Plekanec Looks For Goals, Grit - Gazette

"Plekanec enjoyed the best season of his NHL career, scoring 29 goals and adding 40 assists. But he tailed off toward the end of the campaign, scoring twice and assisting on four in his final dozen games. Since netting a pair in Buffalo on March 28, he's gone seven games without a goal." - Dave Stubbs

Steely Price Keeps His Cool - Gazette

"Price hadn't yet seen it, but he joked about Sean Avery's already famous mating dance Sunday with New Jersey's Martin Brodeur, waving his stick and hands in the goalie's face as a bizarre distraction during a Rangers power play. Yesterday, the NHL announced that any repeat performance would earn a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. "It's almost an unwritten rule - you don't stand in front of someone and go like this," he said, laughing as he waved his palm back and forth a half-inch from a reporter's face." - Dave Stubbs

Power Outage - Gazette

"During the regular season, the Canadiens led the NHL with a success rate of 24.2 per cent and they were even better against the Bruins, scoring 10 times in 34 chances for a 29.4-per-cent clip. The difference? It seems to be more a matter of what the Bruins are doing right than what the Canadiens are doing wrong." - Pat Hickey

Look For O' Byrne To Play Tonight - Gazette

"You know that old cliché about a change being as good as a rest? Well, the Canadiens might get a taste of both as they prepare for Game 4 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal series tonight against the Boston Bruins." - Pat Hickey

Montreal The City Of Brotherly Amour - Star

Real Hockey And A New Spiritual Leader Of The Moment! - Woodshed

North Of 60 - Montreal Canadiens.com

"Did someone say overtime? If so, no one is more familiar with the extra frames than Canadiens defenseman Patrice Brisebois. Sunday night’s contest marked the 31st time that the 37-year-old blue-liner was a part of a game that needed more than 60 minutes to decide a winner. Despite the 2-1 loss to the Bruins, Brisebois holds a pretty remarkable record when extra hockey is required in the postseason, with his team emerging as the winner on 20 occasions to this day." - Heather Engel

Greatest Pests Of All Time? Avery Has A Long Way To Go - Greatest Hockey Legends

"Sean Avery is a very good pest, and a very good player. He can score goals. He is a devastating hitter. He will back up his actions, at times, with his fists. In short, he is a very effective player. He probably is the best pest in the game today. But in recent days I've heard and seen a few sources anoint him as the best pest of all time. That's when I say perhaps these people need a little history lesson." - Joe Pelletier

No, No, Not Streit - Lions In Winter

"There's an elephant in the room. And, all people can talk about is Mark Streit. After listening to the Habs Inside/Out Puckcast and reading this from François Gagnon, I am amazed about the Streit backlash. Even if you're one of those reporters who relies entirely on stats to remember what happened two games ago, it would be hard work making a case that Streit has been the worst player on the Canadiens. If you have been watching the games intently like 95% of the population of Montreal, then, in my opinion, the case would be even harder to make." - Topham

Montreal's Biggest Game Of The Year Is Tuesday Night - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"I’m sure Guy Carbonneau and his coaches are working hard to overcome Boston’s recent adjustments, which have seen the Bruins bottle up Montreal’s attack, and Alex Kovalev especially. For me, it all boils down to the power play. Get that back on track and the series will end quickly." - Dennis Kane























En series, le talent ne sufit pas - RDS

"En séries éliminatoires, la recette est la même pour toutes les équipes qui doivent réunir cinq ingrédients pour espérer gagner. Il faut de l'intensité, un travail d'équipe, du caractère, de la discipline et du talent. Je vous dirais que le talent vient au dernier rang en importance dans la liste des ingrédients et au niveau du talent, les Bruins ne peuvent pas rivaliser avec le Canadien. Au cours des deux derniers matchs par contre, les Bruins ont démontré beaucoup d'intensité, un grand travail d'équipe ainsi que de la discipline avec les résultats que l'on connaît." - Bob Hartley

Des jouers n'ont pas relevéle defi - RDS

"Les deux premiers trios du Canadien doivent offrir du meilleur hockey. Le trio de Tomas Plekanec, Alex Kovalev et Andrei Kostitsyn n’est pas à la hauteur en ce moment. Ce trio doit augmenter sa vitesse et jouer avec davantage d’intensité." - Jacques Demers

Plekanec: "Je joue comme une fillette!" -La Presse

Attendu par les journalistes comme il est attendu par ses couvreurs des Bruins de Boston depuis le début des séries éliminatoires, Tomas Plekanec savait qu'il serait montré du doigt pour la piètre qualité de son jeu. - François Gagnon

Streit jouera oû on lui demandera - La Presse

"Limité à une passe en trois matchs, il a été incapable de mener convenablement l'attaque massive du Tricolore, qui n'a marqué qu'un but en 18 occasions pour une efficacité de 5,6%. À des lieux de l'efficacité de 24,2% qui a permis à la meilleure attaque massive de la LNH de marquer 90 buts en saison régulière." - FRançois Gagnon

Des changements à prévoir - Le Journal

"Carbonneau a bon espoir que ses hommes retrouvent leurs moyens dans le quatrième match qui sera disputé ce soir. "On a livré 82 rencontres en saison régulière et on a bien réagi toute l'année après une défaite", a-t-il aussi rappelé. - Marc De Foy

Une aide inattendue - le Journal

Si le Canadien est parvenu à résister à l'agressivité des Bruins jusqu'ici, il le doit en bonne partie à l'énergie générée par son quatrième trio. Trois joueurs plutôt mésestimés en saison régulière s'affichent actuellement comme les vedettes obscures de la série. - Bertrand Raymond

Quand Price chate Cash.... - Le Journal

"Je tente de jouer sa chanson intitulée Hurt, mais je peux jouer seulement les trois premiers accords pour le moment." Cette pièce est un remake de Ninth Inch Nails dans lequel Cash évoque les regrets qu'il a éprouvés par rapport à sa vie familiale et conjugale. - Marc de Foy

More from Habs Inside Out, RDS, La Presse and Le Journal
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Habs For Breakfast - A Little Vinegar In The Morning Coffee

Lots of hot topics on the breakfast plate today - including one that always tastes like a pinch of vinegar in my coffee!

Misconceptions about the Canadiens history get under my skin bigtime!

A Toronto based writer takes a not so subtle poke at the Habs lack of Quebec born talent on the team - like it still matters! He starts off by deducing, from the accompanying picture, that the H in the logo represents "Habitants", when in fact in stands for hockey, as in "Club De Hockey Canadien". Then he makes reference to changing times, and how the Canadiens no longer have the benefit of having the best Quebec born players righteously belonging to the team by divine right.

Of course, that is a long perpetrated myth by jealous fans to explain the Habs superiority, it seems.

It was a brilliantly devised system of feeder farm teams that made the Habs great. In the day, any players could be signed to C - Forms at a given time.

Montreal scout Scotty Bowman, and the Leafs as well could have had Bobby Orr at 12.

Aurel Joliat, Newsy Lalonde, and Howie Morenz did not come from Quebec. Jean Beliveau never signed a C - Form.

The territorial rule has some truth to it, going way back, but it mostly a myth, one I debunked here at this site with great helps from studies and research done by trivia expert and Habs fan Liam Maguire.

Below the link to Graeme Hamilton's National Post piece, you will find a link to the article I posted here in response to such beliefs. Call it a must read for all Habs fans!

I fired off a comment, I wonder if Hamilton will respond.

That stuff always get my shorts in a knot!

Below you will also see news on Max Pacioretty possibly attending the Habs camp next season, Mark Streit's desire to remain in Montreal, news on Mathieu Dandenealt and an inspiring tale by Dennis Kane on how he became a Habs fan.

I'll be making the subject of that article into a future post here shortly.

There's also a rumour floating about concerning an outdoor game at Molson Stadium next season against the Rangers.

Mike Boone notes that Red Fisher is one of the few who saw the Habs in the playoffs at the start of the season. Of course, he didn't read my prognostication on the Canadiens back in September.

Two days ago, I posted a pictorial called "Habs Fans Are Out In Droves", seeing as how the playoff atmosphere is enlivening the spirits of Canadiens supporters everywhere. Each playoff, there always comes the question of who Canada's team truly is.

Here is one take by a western Canadian blogger, who has found a team to cheer for while his beloved Canucks RIP.
















Legend Gets It Right Again - Gazette

"Zurkowsky - as befits a football writer - is having a good season as a punter. He and the Legend bet $2 on each game between the Canadiens and the team that represents Zurkowsky's hometown. The Leafs have won four of the first seven meetings this season, which means Zurkowsky may become the first person to win money from the LLSJ since Arnold Rothstein." - Mike Boone

Kovalev's Focus On Cup Run - Gazette

"Alex Kovalev is aware of the Canadiens' history, and he wants to be part of it. "The most important thing for us is to bring back to the locker room the experience this team felt back when they were winning the Stanley Cup," Kovalev said on the eve of the Canadiens' final regular-season game." - Pat Hickey

Trying Season For Dandeneault - Gazette

"It was Dandenault's second goal in two games and ninth of the season, eight having come on the road. He's one shy of the NHL career best he racked up during 73 games with Detroit in 2000-01." - Dave Stubbs

A Happy Homecoming - Gazette

"The fulfillment of Mathieu Dandenault's dream is the result of many things. It is about hard work, paying dues, a willingness to accept less money in exchange for a greater quality of life." - Dave Stubbs















Taking The "Habitants" Out Of Canadiens - National Post / Faceoff.com

"The team's monopoly on the best Quebecers ended with expansion in 1967, but in the following decades the team still landed homegrown stars like Guy Lafleur and Patrick Roy. When the Canadiens last won the Cup in 1993, Guy Carbonneau was their captain, Roy was in goal and Vincent Damphousse was their leading scorer. Sixteen players --almost half the roster -- were French-Canadian." - Graeme Hamilton

Debunking The French Canadien Territorial Rule Myth - Eyes On The Prize

It Sure Wasn't Hard Becoming A Habs Fan - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"I’m asked from time to time why I cheer for the Habs and not the Toronto Maple Leafs, seeing that I grew up only an hour north of Toronto, in Orillia. The answer’s easy. The Montreal Canadiens were a gift from my dad." - Dennis Kane

To Sit Or Not To Sit - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"I love this year's edition of Alex Kovalev. The temptation to compare him to some kind of machine is almost irresistible when trying to describe his play. But how do you combine the power of a locomotive, the manouverability of a fighter jet and the brains of Deep Blue?" - J.T.

Champagne For The Regular Season Finale - Four Habs Fans
























Pour conclure en beauté - RDS

"Dans les filets, le Canadien enverra le jeune Carey Price qui pourrait brouiller les cartes dans la course au trophée Calder, remis à la recrue par excellence. Aucun joueur du Canadien n'a mis la main sur ce trophée depuis Ken Dryden en 1972."

Le CH au Stade Molson? - RDS

"Selon `La Presse', la rencontre, qui opposerait possiblement le Tricolore aux Rangers de New York, aurait lieu le 22 janvier, soit 3 jours avant le match des Etoiles, également présenté à Montréal en 2009, dans le cadre des festivités du 100e anniversaire de l'équipe."

Komisarek sur le voie du retour - RDS

"Les nouvelles sont encourageantes pour Mike Komisarek, qui a participé à un premier entraînement complet vendredi."

La frénésie des séries s'approche de Montréal - La Presse

"Mon père Vyacheslav a assisté au match de jeudi et, avant la rencontre, il se demandait d'où sortaient tous ces drapeaux du Canadien", a raconté Alex Kovalev. Il était vraiment excité pour ce premier match. - Marc Antoine Godin

Kovalev: "Je ne fais que mon travail" - La Presse

"Cette année, je peux compter sur les doigts d'une main les matchs où il n'a pas joué à un haut niveau", a dit Guy Carbonneau, peu après que Kovalev eut été confirmé joueur de l'année chez le Canadien grâce à toutes les étoiles qui emplissent sa Coupe Molson. - Marc Antoine Godin


















Max Pacioretty chez les pros dès septembre? - La Presse

"Pacioretty, 6 pieds 2 pouces et 203 livres, progresse à ce point qu'il pourrait bien entamer sa carrière chez les professionnels dès septembre prochain, après seulement un an dans la NCAA. "Physiquement, il pourrait être prêt, confie le directeur du recrutement Trevor Timmins, qui l'a vu à l'oeuvre la semaine dernière. Il a déjà un style adapté aux rangs professionnels; il est costaud, il est fort, il frappe, c'est le prototype parfait de l'attaquant de puissance. Nous n'avons pas encore pris de décision à ce sujet. Nous allons d'abord lui laisser terminer sa saison puis nous en discuterons avec Bob Gainey." - Mathias Brunet

Le Canadien ajoute du muscle: Stewart jouera - Le Journal

"Dans le dernier droit de la saison, un gars de ce genre peut se révéler important et on veut voir comment Stewart va se comporter", a indiqué Guy Carbonneau.

"Je veut rester à Montréal": Mark Streit - Le Journal

"Présentement, Streit constitue l'une des plus belles - sinon la plus belle - aubaines de la LNH. Il ne touche que 600 000 $, ce qui est bien peu pour un joueur capable d'exceller en défense, de dépanner dans un rôle d'attaquant et d'animer la meilleure attaque à cinq de la LNH." - Martin Leclerc

Pas de retraite fermée - Le Journal

"La direction du Canadien n'a pas l'intention d'imposer une retraite fermée à ses joueurs pour toute la durée de leur aventure en séries éliminatoires, mais elle prendra tout de même des mesures pour que cette période se vive en équipe et que les vétérans puissent transmettre leur expérience aux plus jeunes." - Martin Leclerc
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Habs For Breakfast - April 1, 2008

News of the injuries to Koivu, Streit, Komisarek, Bouillon and Latendresse continue to cloud the picture, but there seems to be a sliver lining.

Strange set of circumstances for tonight's game - beat the Senators, and the Habs increase their chances of making them their first round opponant. I know it's April Fools, but this is trick or treat Halloween stuff.

Either way, tonight will be revealing!

Some coaches go grey over this stuff, but don't expect Carbo to look like Claude Julien anytime soon. Some times it's just best to laugh rather than cry.

Captain K Has Battled Back From far Worse - Gazette

"If you really want to know what Saku Koivu is all about, don't look beyond this: he stopped a shot with his foot early in Friday's win in Buffalo and fell awkwardly to the ice. He struggled to his feet in obvious pain, staggered and almost fell again. Yet incredibly, he remained in the game long enough to assist on the overtime goal by Christopher Higgins. Little guy. Huge heart." - Red Fisher

Carbonneau Lay Down the Law To Media - Gazette

"Carbonneau has faced a media mob almost daily to dissect his team for the benefit of fans whose appetite has no limit.The suffocating attention is a byproduct of today's multimedia universe, conventional print and electronic outlets elbowing for dressing-room real estate with all-sports channels and stations, bloggers and specialty media - in English, French, Russian and other tongues, given the United Nations that is the Canadiens." - Dave Stubbs

Habs Depth Will Get A Test In Playoffs - Gazette

"They have been able to survive injuries to second-line players and the short-term loss of players like Roman Hamrlik, but this loss will go a long way toward convincing all the Koivu bashers of his value." - Pat Hickey

Koivu Injury A Bad Break For Habs - Gazette

"We're all different," winger Steve Bégin said. "I tolerate pain, while some others don't. It's going to be a challenge. The closer it is to the big toe, the longer it takes and the more pain you've got." Bégin has played through two broken feet - once while in Hamilton during the lockout season and again last year, when he missed only a handful of games. He has added extra padding in his skates. So it can be done." - Herb Zurkowsky

Anyone Else Nervous? - Habs Inside Out

"There is no fiddler on the roof of the Bell Centre (there would be if they could book Itzhak Perlman and charge $300 a ticket). But if I were a rich man, I wouldn't bet my stock portfolio on a deep playoff run without the Captain." - Mike Boone

Something's Amiss In Ottawa - Globe Sports

"Moments later, there was Spezza standing, as he does every day, in front of his locker to answer virtually the same questions over and over and over again. Only this time there was a twist. Instead of being asked, "What's gone wrong?" he was asked his opinion on the current muttering in the capital city that the Senators' end-of-season woes are all because of a "lack of effort." - Roy McGregor

Turbulance - The H Does Not Stand For Habs

"If the regular season is a crucible that fires and hardens a bunch of hockey players into a team that can compete for the Stanley Cup, fate has just turned up the heat on the Canadiens. This is the last in a series of tests the team must pass before it knows it has what it takes to win." - J.T.

Tops In The East Passes Us By - Lions In Winter

"Cheating nonsense aside, I think I would be quite pleased with a loss to Ottawa tonight. After all, if you think of the season as the real game as I do, then letting Ottawa win this battle in the war would be the sensible thing to do. Ottawa are the one team we could really make a case for trying to avoid. Beating them tonight would put them precariously close to a Habs match up. Keeping in mind, that Ottawa might like that themselves, I wouldn't be surprised at all either if Ottawa bring less to the table tonight." - Tobalev

Almost Good News On The Habs Hurting Front - Dennis Kane's Excellent Montreal Canadiens Blog

"When Koivu got the stick in the eye a couple of years ago against Carolina, the team went poof, like air going out of a balloon. But Montreal’s much better now, much deeper, more talented, and much more-rounded, and so although it would hurt to lose him, the boys can still get the job done. But let’s just hope it’s just badly bruised."

Carboneau protège ses blessés - RDS

"Le Canadien est véritablement en mode séries éliminatoires. À micros fermés, Guy Carbonneau a exhorté la presse, lundi, de ne plus importuner les joueurs blessés afin de leur soutirer des informations privilégiées."

Le Canadien n'a pas perdu son punch - RDS

"La perte de Saku Koivu enlève un vétéran mais pas de la vitesse. D'autres joueurs ont émergé durant la saison dont les frères Kostitsyn. Mikhail Grabovski a aussi bien fait depuis son retour. On peut l'utiliser partout sauf en désavantage numérique." - Norman Flynn

Sergei Kostitsyn va jouer au centre - La Presse

"L'entraîneur Guy Carbonneau veut tenter l'expérience parce qu'il a été insatisfait du rendement de Mikhail Grabovski dans le match de samedi à Toronto. Lundi, Grabovski formait un trio avec Maxim Lapierre et Guillaume Latendresse, qui était de retour sur la glace avec ses coéquipiers." - Robert Laflamme

Streit se sent mieux, Latendresse optimiste - La Presse

"Je me sens beaucoup mieux que samedi, a avoué Streit. À ce moment-là, je craignais le pire. Mais j'ai fait de grands progrès dans la nuit de samedi à dimanche et j'en suis très content." - Streit

"Il faut rester disciplinés": Kovalev - Le Journal

"On a écopé d'un trop grand nombre de pénalités récemment et les joueurs se sont blessés en cherchant à bloquer des rondelles pendant que l'adversaire jouait en supériorité numérique." - Kovalev

"Saku va tout faire pour ne pas rater de matchs dans les series": Steve Begin - Le Journal

"Ça va sûrement le ronger à l'intérieur d'être tenu à l'écart du jeu. Le bon côté à sa blessure, c'est qu'il va pouvoir se reposer cette semaine, ce qui n'est pas une mauvaise chose en fin de saison." - Begin
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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!
.