Habs Blow A Golden Opportunity At MSG / Loose Ends

They can blame it on the dancing bears, the looming stench of elephant dung in the air, or the resulting mushy ice. Anyway you slice it, the Habs simply didn't measure up against the Rangers tonight at MSG.

The Canadiens missed a golden chance to clinch a playoff spot with a tie, as the Toronto Maple Leafs (still borrowing an old Canadiens logo from 1910 - see below) were whisked and flabbergasted 5-2 by the New York Islanders and a third string goalie named Wade Doodleyouawitch, or something like that.

Both New York teams are seemingly taking pleasure in making it difficult for either of the two Canadiens teams to pierce the eighth spot. The Islanders are surprisingly still alive in the hunt. They would need Toronto to beat the Canadiens in regular combined with a pair of wins of their own over Philadelphia and New Jersey this weekend to make the 8th seed. Stranger things have happened!

As far as the Habs tonight, there really isn't much to add to how out of sync they were.

March annually brings the circus to MSG (which is also an acronym for monosodium glutimate, a leading cause of migraine headaches similar to the one I felt coming on watching this game), causing the slushy ice the Rangers deal with every year at the onset of the playoffs.

The Rangers can keep that funky elephant smell and their 54 year Cup droughts that come attached to such an idiocrity.

The game was no treat to watch and only three things kept me interested as the score ran up to 3-0 Rangers.

The sideshow antics of Sean Avery are always entertaining. Whether one hates his face or hates his guts, one must admit that he is tactically irritating to any opponant, usually to the Rangers benefit. To think that the Rangers plucked this guy from L.A. for a song (the equivalent of a bad ABBA song - if you ask me!), in what is IMO the best trade deadline pickup this season.

Twenty-eight other GM's might be wondering why they didn't seek to add the effective imbecile to their roster.

Sheldon Souray now owns the NHL record for power play goals in a season by a defenseman. With his 19th PP tonight, he passed Denis Potvin and Adrian Aucoin for the record. While Souray is two markers away from the Canadiens record for goals in a season by a defenseman, he is only one more goal away from tying Yvan Cournoyer's team record for most PP goals in a season.

Guy Carbonneau wisely used the third period to test drive Cristobal Huet, who seemed his normal self while not being severely tested. In the post game banter he suggested that we might just see him again in Toronto on Saturday. Hearing that is as good as taking it to the bank that Huet will start. I'd be surprised now if he went back to Halak (hey, that rhymes!).

I've always believed that you dance with the one who brought you, and it's a shame that Halak will not get the chance to finish what he started. It's the coaches choice, but I feel for Halak, as the Habs would be polishing golf clubs had they relied on Aebischer one more game when it counted.

Halak, incidently, wasNHL's all-rookie team as well. He trails only Dallas' Mike Smith in wins (12-10) but has played way less games at a more crucial time. He just might get the honoured by the AHL as the chosen goaltender on the all-rookie team. The cool thing about that is he could also be considered for the nod in the bigs also. The downside of this is he would be duplicating a feat by the infamous Jim Carrey (remember the net detective?) who did the trick during the 1994-95 season, and we all know what happened to his career afterwards. Let's hope the same fate does not fall on Halak.

In the did you know that department: Here's a great tricky trivia question to baffled your know-it-all hockey friends.


Which goalie was named to back to back all rookie teams in the NHL? Yes, it actually happened in 1997-98, and 1998-99.

Habs World has a very informative piece on Halak and what the other Habs prospect have been up to of late. Call it a must read!

So it's on to a much dreaded final showdown with the Habs and Maple Leafs on Saturday night.

The game will likely be somewhat historic for the team that wins, and groaning agony for the losing squad and their fans.

Ward Gets Out Of Lombardi's "Double Secret Probation" Period, Heads Off To Broadway

Avery, at the wheel, makes a quick getaway to New York with Elisha Cuthbert - lucky guy!

Sean Avery, the NHL's most-penalized player the past two seasons, was traded to the New York Rangers on Monday night in a deal that sent checking forward Jason Ward to the Los Angeles Kings.

Back in July of 2006, Kings GM Dean Lombardi mimicked another famous Dean, a certain Dean Wormer of Animal House fame, by placing the thorny Avery on what the GM termed "double secret probation".

It was thought at the time that Avery's newly signed deal with the Kings contained behavioral clauses linked to his bad-ass off ice image and penchant for controvercial statements.

New York will definitely be more interesting with Avery's mouth to quote from. Leashes and muzzles were not included in the multi player deal.

Avery had 10-18-28 stats with 116 PM's in 55 games this season with the Kings, who also acquired the rights to unsigned forwards Marc-Andre Cliche and Jan Marek. Los Angeles sent 19-year-old prospect John Seymour to the Rangers.

"Some teams were actively pursuing Sean, the New York Rangers were very aggressive," Kings general manager Dean Lombardi said. "From our standpoint, the key is the young player, Cliche, who has impressed us."

Avery has made more of a splash off the ice.

The brash left winger received a league reprimand in September 2005 when he made derogatory comments about French-Canadian players after then-Phoenix defenseman Denis Gauthier hit former Kings teammate Jeremy Roenick in an exhibition game. Avery issued an apology.

He also was outspoken a few months later when he received a fine for diving during a game. Avery complained about the punishment, which resulted from a second offense, and drew a second $1,000 fine. He suggested that the NHL singled him out because of his earlier comments.

As part of his protest to the diving fine, Avery chastised union members on the league's competition committee - including new Rangers teammate Brendan Shanahan - for agreeing to such penalties that aren't subject to appeal in the collective bargaining agreement.

The 26-year old Avery had 257 penalty minutes in 75 games last season along with career highs of 15 goals, 24 assists and 39 points. He signed a one-year contract with the Kings before this season worth $1.1 million and can become a restricted free agent in the summer.

"He's been good," Lombardi said. "All year he's learned to be a better teammate. He comes to play every night. Sometimes emotion gets the best of him. I think he's made marked improvement this year.

"Sometimes players just take a little time to mature. Sean's still young, hopefully he'll continue to do so. He's going to a big stage now. If he continues (to mature), he'll do just fine. From the summer, when I first got there, there wasn't much of a market for Sean Avery. He's made progress."

The deal was completed shortly before the Rangers faced the Detroit Red Wings, Avery's first NHL team. He is expected to join the team for Tuesday's game at New Jersey.

New York has been looking for a spark while trying to break out of a slump in which the Rangers lost six of nine and 13 of 20. They were held to two goals or fewer 11 times during the stretch that dropped them below the cutoff line in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Ward, who can be an unrestricted free agent after the season, had four goals and six assists in 46 games. He was scratched for five of New York's previous seven games.

Seymour had one goal and five assists in 34 games with the Brampton of the Ontario Hockey League.

The Kings, last in the Western Conference, are looking more to the future.

Cliche, 19, has 15 goals and 21 assists in 35 games with Lewiston of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, while Marek posted 17 goals and 26 assists in 42 games with Magnitogorsk of the Russian Hockey League.

"Jason Ward obviously is an NHL player, he can come in and play for us right now," Lombardi said. "A player like Cliche, who played for the Canadian National team, this kid works his tail off, he's the type character we're looking for.

"Marek is one of the leading scorers in that league. He's got a lot of skill and is made for this game. Two players who have some upside and a player (Ward) who can come in and play now. I think this made a lot of sense for us."