Montreal Canadiens - Road to 25

[duff88]

Carbonneau makes final cuts


Danny Groulx will start the year in Montreal

September 27th 2008 - Guy Carbonneau announced the final cuts today and fixed the team's roster for the start of the season. The team went from 28 to 22 players, with Scott Nichol as the 23rd player once he has served his suspension.

RD Mathieu Carle
RD Cody Fransson
LW Mathieu Aubin
LW Matt D'Agostini
RW Jonathan Ferland
RW Duncan Milroy

[Nugget699]

I'm enjoying the read KUTGW. I haven't nearly as much success with the Islanders but this game is still the best one available imo.

I always heard that draft classes never develop aswell as they should ruining the long term playability of this game. Do you know if thats the case?

[duff88]

Originally Posted by Nugget699

I'm enjoying the read KUTGW. I haven't nearly as much success with the Islanders but this game is still the best one available imo.

I always heard that draft classes never develop aswell as they should ruining the long term playability of this game. Do you know if thats the case?

Never really noticed that about draft classes.

Updates may start to be more distanced because of university exams coming up and my recent TBCB 2.5 purchase.

[duff88]

A look at the 2008-2009 Montreal Canadiens: Goaltenders


#39 Cristobal Huet - 33 Years Old - 6'0/194 - France

The french goaltender will be starting his fourth year in Montreal. He proved last year that he can be relied on as a very solid starting goaltender. He recently signed a one year contract, and it could very well be his last in Montreal as the team will want to make Carey Price the starter as soon as possible.

#31 Carey Price - 21 Years Old - 6'3/212 - Canada

It was a bit of a let down last year when Carey Price was sent back to Hamilton, but it was probably the best move for his development. Price got better and better as the year went on, and he proved in camp he is now a much better goaltender than at the same time last year. He will probably play between 20 to 30 games this year as backup to Cristobal Huet.

[duff88]

A look at the 2008-2009 Montreal Canadiens: Defensemen


#79 Andrei Markov - 29 years old - 6'0/185 - Russia - 5,750,000$ - 3 Years

Coming off an amazing season where he was handed the Norris trophy as the league's best defenseman, Markov hopes to come back as strong on the Canadiens blue line. It will be a tough task to live up to the expectations raised by his last season, but he should still be one of the best blue liner in the league.

#8 Mike Komisarek - 26 years old - 6'4/230 - USA - 1,700,000$ - 1 Year

Mike Komisarek may have been helped by playing with the league's top defenseman, but he was one of the revelations of last year. Among the league's leaders in hits and shots blocked, the huge defenseman was rock solid defensively. He is expected to carry on the same role this year while starting to play a bigger role as a leader.

#44 Roman Hamrlik - 34 years old - 6'2/210 - Czech Republic - 3,500,000$ - 3 Years

Roman Hamrlik proved his GM right by having a very good season last year, adding a whole new dimension by solidifying the team's second defensive pairing. He is aging, so it would be unfair to expect more, but we can certainly expect him to continue playing that reliable veteran role.

#32 Mark Streit - 30 years old - 5'11/198 - Switzerland - 1,200,000$ - 3 Years

Streit decided to sign back at a discount in Montreal after testing the unrestricted free agent market, and he will now play a bigger role than ever. A key component of the powerplay, Streit's versatility will once again be a big asset in Montreal.

#51 Francis Bouillon - 33 years old - 5'8/190 - Canada - 1,875,000$ - 2 Years

Bouillon is expected to continue on last year's solid but unspectacular play as a bottom pairing defenseman. He will need to play hard every night and limit mistakes if he wants to keep his regular spot.

#26 Josh Gorges - 24 years old - 6'0/180 - Canada - 550,000$ - 1 Year

Gorges played more than expected as the team's seventh defenseman last year, but he will need to step it up another notch this year if he wants to stay on the starting lineup. There are a lot of players pushing in his back, but he should keep his place if he doesn't try to do too much and keep things simple.

#49 Danny Groulx - 27 years old - 6'0/210 - Canada - 525,000$ - 4 Years

It took a long time, but Danny Groulx has finally made it to the NHL. The 27 years old has yet to play an NHL game, but he is expected to be able to come in an play solid hockey if needed. He is an intelligent player who skates well and who is solid on both ends of the ice.

[duff88]

A look at the 2007-2008 Montreal Canadiens: Left Wingers


#21 Chris Higgins - 25 years old - 5'11/192 - USA - 1,700,000$ - 1 Year

Higgins was unbelievable last year, combining his excellent offensive skills with great two-way hockey. It will be tough for him to reach last year's totals again, but he will be expected to continue playing his hardworking style on every shift; his skills should do then do the job.

#84 Guillaume Latendresse - 21 years old - 6'2/222 - Canada - 850,000$ - 2 Years

Even though he didn't score 50 points, the young Latendresse had a great end to last season playing on the first line with Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev. He is expected to start the year on that line again, and we should expect to continue seeing him develop at a quick pace.

#22 Steve Bégin - 30 years old - 5'11/190 - Canada - 650,000$ - 2 Years

Not certain of his roster spot, Bégin surprised pretty much every experts in the league by having a great season last year. His defensive play earned him the fifth place in Selke votings, and his hard-working, high-energy game has contributed to make him a solid part of the Canadiens lineup.

#74 Sergei Kostitsyn - 21 years old - 5'11/174 - Belarus - 625,000$ - 2 Years

The younger brother of Andrei, Sergei Kostitsyn comes in with expectations to score many points as an NHL rookie. A bit less skiled than his brother, Sergei plays a more high-energy game and although he is much smaller, he has become known as a surprisingly physical player.

[duff88]

A look at the 2007-2008 Montreal Canadiens: Centres



#11 Saku Koivu - 33 years old - 5'10/180 - Finland - 4,750,000$ - 2 Years

Saku Koivu had a great year last season, but fans are growing tired of the team's insuccess and he is getting most of the blame as team captain. Some may thing it's not faire, but we can expect it will be his last year in Montreal if the team doesn't come closer to the cup, especially in their centennial year.

#14 Tomas Plekanec - 25 years old - 5'10/189 - Czech Republic - 1,500,000$ - 1 Year

Tomas Plekanec scored 71 points last year, and coach Guy Carbonneau is the first to say that we can still expect more from him. Not that he is not working hard, but Plekanec has continued developping ever since he came over to North America after being drafted in the 3rd round in 2001.

#24 Scott Nichol - 33 years old - 5'8/173 - 900,000$ - 2 Years

Scott Nichol comes in with expectations to complement Steve Begin as an energy defensive specialist who will make hits and excel on the penalty kill. He has had injury problems in his career and has yet to really establish himself truly at the NHL level, but the Canadiens staff seem confident he can be a valuable fourth liner.

#40 Maxim Lapierre - 23 years old - 6'2/174 - Canada - 625,000$ - 2 Years

Lapierre played only 13 games last year, but he is expected to be a regular this season. The hard-nosed high-energy forward will not score tons of points, but he should be a valuable fourth liner. Lapierre may play on the right wing when the roster is full.

#28 Kyle Chipchura - 22 years old - 6'2/197 - Canada - 600,000$ - 2 Years

After scoring 16 points in 76 games in his rookie season, Chipchura will play a more prominent role with the Canadiens this year. He is expected to contribute more offensively while getting more time on the penalty kill and against the other team's top line.

[duff88]

A look at the 2007-2008 Montreal Canadiens: Right Wingers



#27 Alex Kovalev - 35 years old - 6'2/215 - Russia - 4,500,000$ - 2 Years

People were hoping Alex Kovalev would have a good season in 2007-2008, but I think no one really expected anything that big. His 37 goals, 53 assists season earned Kovalev a place on the league's first all-star team and was a major part in leading the Canadiens to the playoffs. Kovalev has already said he wants to play until he is 50, but you have to wonder if he can continue his dominance as he gets closer to 40.

#46 Andrei Kostitsyn - 23 years old - 6'0/183 - Belarus - 1,800,000$ - 4 Years

The former 10th overall draft pick might have been labelled as a bust too soon. The 23 years old finally exploded last season, scoring 33 goals and 75 points. It may also be only a beginning as the Kostitsyn brothers, Andrei and Sergei, are expected to be the future of the Canadiens.

#25 Mathieu Dandenault - 33 years old - 6'1/200 - Canada - 1,700,000$ - 2 Years

Mathieu Dandenault had a lot of problems re-adjusting to playing on the right wing last season, but when he finally adjusted, he proved to be a very solid depth player. He is a quick skater and a hard worker, so we can expect him to play solidly as a reliable forechecker on the bottom lines.

#6 Tom Kostopoulos - 29 years old - 6'0/205 - Canada - 900,000$ - 1 Year

Kostopoulos was one of the biggest surprises on the Canadiens last season. With 26 points and 200 PIMs, Kostopoulos proved to be a solid player who could be used in any situation. The veteran forward will once again play many roles, including penalty killing, but he'll need to continue playing hard to keep his roster spot.

#63 Francis Lemieux - 24 years old - 5'11/185 - Canada - 460,000$ - 1 Year

After scoring 42 points with the Hamilton Bulldogs last year, Lemieux came into camp as a player most expected to just be passing by. He was quite a surprise! Arriving in surprisingly good physical shape, Lemieux played hard and drove the net while playing very well on both sides of the ice to earn him a roster spot. He can't expect to play much, but he'll be a part of the Canadiens.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by Nugget699

I'm enjoying the read KUTGW. I haven't nearly as much success with the Islanders but this game is still the best one available imo.

I always heard that draft classes never develop aswell as they should ruining the long term playability of this game. Do you know if thats the case?

This was a problem that was addressed by one of the later patches. So long as you're fully patched prior to starting your career (think it worked with existing games, but only affecting players regen'd once the patch was applied), you shouldn't have any problems.

I can definitely vouch that whatever they did works. Just finished up the 2053/54 season last night and there are plenty of super stars in the league, both developed by myself and the AI through multiple generations of regens.

[duff88]

Canadiens ready for centennial season opener


Alex Kovalev and Tomas Plekanec will be key factors in Canadiens success

October 4th 2008 - The summer was long for the Montreal Canadiens after a tough elimination in last year's playoffs, but they will finally get the chance to redeem themselves, starting tommorow night in Montreal. The Chicago Blackhawks arrived in town today, and even though they should not be taken lightly, you have to consider the Canadiens favourite in the first game of the season.

#84 Guillaume Latendresse - #11 Saku Koivu [C] - #27 Alex Kovalev [A]
#74 Sergei Kostitsyn - #14 Tomas Plekanec - #46 Andrei Kostitsyn
#21 Chris Higgins [A] - #28 Kyle Chipchura - #25 Mathieu Dandenault
#22 Steve Bégin - #40 Maxim Lapierre - #6 Tom Kostopoulos

#79 Andrei Markov - #8 Mike Komisarek
#44 Roman Hamrlik - #32 Mark Streit
#51 Francis Bouillon - #26 Josh Gorges

Francis Lemieux and Danny Groulx will therefore watch the game from the press box. Meanwhile, Scott Nichol will be serving the first of his six games suspension. Cristobal Huet will be starting the game with Carey Price as his backup.

This season will mark the centennial mark for the Montreal Canadiens and will include several celebrations, including the NHL All-Star game and NHL Entry Draft. The expectations are very high; nothing less than a Stanley Cup would satisfy the public in Montreal.

[duff88]

Blackhawks ruins party in OT


Duncan Keith scored the game winning goal for Chicago

October 5th 2008 - There were big celebrations for the home opener of the centennial season of the Montreal Canadiens, but a goal by Duncan Keith in overtime ruined the party as the Chicago Blackhawks took the game 5-4.

The Kostitsyn brothers, in their first game together in a Canadiens jersey, had been the hero of the game up to that point. Combining for nine points on their line centered by Tomas Plekanec, Andrei and Sergei were the most dangerous players for both team for most of the night.

The Canadiens will recieve the Anaheim Ducks tommorow before a 5-day break.

Montreal Canadiens 4 , Chicago Blackhawks 5
Shots: 40 - 34
MTL PP: 2 of 9 (14 shots)
CHI PP: 1 of 2 (5 shots)
               
Boxscore for the game:
------------------------------------------------------------
07:55 1-0 MTL Andrei Kostitsyn [1] (Tomas Plekanec, Sergei Kostitsyn)
08:49 1-1 CHI Jack Skille [1] (Jim Vandermeer)
------------------------------------------------------------
22:04 2-1 MTL Sergei Kostitsyn [1] (Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Kostitsyn)PP
23:15 2-2 CHI Jeff O'Neill [1] (Antti Laaksonen, Andrei Zyuzin)
24:44 2-3 CHI Vladimir Orszagh [1] (Cam Barker, Duncan Keith)
------------------------------------------------------------
47:06 3-3 MTL Tomas Plekanec [1] (Sergei Kostitsyn, Andrei Kostitsyn)PP
47:27 4-3 MTL Mathieu Dandenault [1] (Francis Bouillon, Josh Gorges)
48:23 4-4 CHI Martin Havlat [1] (Vladimir Orszagh, Jonathan Toews)
------------------------------------------------------------
62:54 4-5 CHI Duncan Keith [1] (Martin Havlat)PP

[duff88]

CSS Preliminary 2009 NHL Draft Rankings released


John Tavares has been talked about for years, and is expected to go first overall.

WHL Skaters
1. Braydon Schenn - C
2. Jared Cowen - D
3. Stefan Elliott - D
4. Landon Ferraro - C
5. Jonathan Wilderton - RW

OHL Skaters
1. John Tavares - C
2. Ryan O'Reilly - C
3. Matt Duchene - C
4. Kent Herbert - RW
5. Tarek Hill - LW

QMJHL Skaters
1. Steven Anthony - C
2. Alain Charbonneau - C
3. Daniel Sivertsen - RW
4. Gleb Loginov - D
5. Justin Matte - C

USA Skaters
1. Jordan Schroeder - C
2. Marty Couch - C
3. Dale Stewart - RW
4. Tommy Thurell - RW
5. Terry Reece - D

European Skaters
1. Victor Hedman - D
2. Magnus Pääjärvi - LW
3. Andrei Kuchin - RW
4. Toni Rajala - LW
5. Vitalijs Louskins - LW

North-American Goaltenders
1. Samuel Charette
2. Dmitri Sidorov
3. Richard Little

Europen Goaltenders
1. Pyry Loivamaa
2. Aki Kampula
3. Andrei Ivakina

The 2009 NHL Draft will take place on June 19th and 20th at the Bell Centre in Ottawa. Several scouts have voiced their opinion that between ten to twelve of the top players would be among the three bests in most recent drafts, but it gets weaker after those.