Montreal Canadiens - Road to 25

[duff88]

Training Camp opens in Montreal


Alex Kovalev will try to regain his form after a tough season

September 6th 2007 - Training camp was opening with team meetings and some fitness tests today as 37 Montreal Canadiens players were present at the Bell Centre.

There's still a long month ahead before the team opens the season in New Jersey on October 6th, when the roster will be reduced to 23 players, 20 of whom will be dressed to play in this game. The first day of camp was obviously nothing too intense, but it interesting to meet some of the team's stars and their expectations coming into the season.

Captain Saku Koivu made the headlines this summer when he said he didn't think the team had a lot of chances to make it to the Stanley Cup, but he was quick to come back on his words:

"I'm sure we can make it, but if you look in publications we're not considered favourites. We still have a strong team and if we can compete hard every night, you never know what happens. We can win, that's for sure."

Alex Kovalev was probably the player who gathered the most attention. The russian star had a subpar year in 2006-2007, posting a mere 18 goals and 47 points:

"I don't want to talk about last year. I had a tough summer, I think it's time for a new start and I want to help the team. It's not about Alex Kovalev, it's about the team now."

The team's youth turn in Montreal has been going for a few years now, and we can now expect the likes of Chris Higgins, Mike Komisarek and Tomas Plekanec to play an increased role this year.

PLAYERS IN CAMP
G Yann Danis
G Jaroslav Halak
G Cristobal Huet
G Carey Price
LD Andrew Archer
LD Francis Bouillon
LD Jean-Philippe Côté
LD Josh Gorges
LD Roman Hamrlik
LD Andrei Markov
LD/LW Mark Streit
LD Pavel Valentenko
RD Mathieu Biron
RD Patrice Brisebois
RD Mathieu Carle
RD Mike Komisarek
RD Ryan O'Byrne
LW Steve Begin
LW Mikhail Grabovski
LW Chris Higgins
LW Andrei Kostitsyn
LW Guillaume Latendresse
C Kyle Chipchura
C Saku Koivu
C Maxim Lapierre
C Corey Locke
C Ben Maxwell*
C Tomas Plekanec
C Brian Smolinski
RW Matt D'Agostini
RW/RD Mathieu Dandenault
RW Jonathan Ferland
RW Sergei Kostitsyn
RW Tom Kostopoulos
RW Alex Kovalev
RW Duncan Milroy
RW Michael Ryder

* marks a prospect invitee

[duff88]

First cuts announced


19 years old Ben Maxwell was sent back to the Kootenay Ice of the WHL

September 18th 2007 - Head coach Guy Carbonneau announced the first cuts today, as the team sent down 10 players to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL, sending another back to his junior team, going down from 39 to 28 players:

LD Andrew Archer
LD Jean-Philippe Côté
LD Pavel Valentenko
RD Mathieu Biron
RD Mathieu Carle
LW Mathieu Aubin
C Corey Locke
C Ben Maxwell*
RW Jonathan Ferland
RW Francis Lemieux
RW Duncan Milroy

*returned to Kootenay of the WHL

[duff88]

Price impresses


Carey Price has been Montreal's most impressive goaltender so far in pre-season.

September 24th 2007 - There were a lot of question marks about what should the Montreal Canadiens do with goaltender 20 years old goaltender Carey Price coming into the 2007-2008 NHL season. After winning a gold medal in the World Junior Championships, while being named the tournament's Most Valuable Player, Carey Price was named the CHL Goaltender of the year.

It didn't end there though. After his junior team, the Tri-City Americans, were eliminated in the WHL Playoffs, Price signed a contract to finish the season with the Hamilton Bulldogs of the AHL, the farm club of the Montreal Canadiens who detained Price's NHL Rights. Hamilton weren't considered an American Hockey League powerhouse, but Price was incredible during the Calder Cup playoffs, leading the Bulldogs to the championship and being named Playoffs MVP. Some reputed scouts and media members qualified Price's play during the finals as one of the most dominant goaltender performance ever witnessed.

And so, after an incredible season, Price came into camp where he was expected with mixed expectations from pretty much everyone from fans to journalists to staff members. Some thought the young goaltender, who was probably not ready to steal the starting job from french goaltender Cristobal Huet, should start the year in Hamilton in order to get playing time while others thought he should battle it out with goaltender Jaroslav Halak for the backup job in Montreal, no matter if he was going to play 30 games as it was going to be against the world's best players.

Even the team's GM Bob Gainey and Head Coach Guy Carbonneau disagreed. A few days after Carbonneau claimed Price was either going to be starter in Montreal or starter in Hamilton, his general manager went the opposite direction and said if Price was better than 22 years old Jaroslav Halak, with whom he'd battle for the backup role, then he'd be the team's backup.

And after an excellent training camp and two very good pre-season games against Pittsburgh and Boston, it looks like the young goaltender may start the year as backup to Cristobal Huet while slovak Jaroslav Halak and 26 years old canadian Yann Danis, who had an outside chance at the backup job but who will need to clear waivers, would be sent down to the Bulldogs.

"There's no doubt he has been great." said Carbonneau on the eve of the final cuts' announcement. "I'd say all four of them have been excellent, but Carey performing like this as a 20 years old goaltender is very promising. We're still not set; I think the decision we take tommorow may not be final, we have the advantage of being able to move Halak and Price up and down to the AHL without them being eligible for the waivers, and we'll want to use that."

There are 28 players still at camp, and the team will need to send down 5 of them in order to be set for the season:

G Yann Danis
G Jaroslav Halak
G Cristobal Huet
G Carey Price
LD Francis Bouillon
LD Josh Gorges
LD Roman Hamrlik
LD Andrei Markov
LD/LW Mark Streit
RD Patrice Brisebois
RD Mike Komisarek
RD Ryan O'Byrne
LW Steve Begin
LW Mikhail Grabovski
LW Chris Higgins
LW Andrei Kostitsyn
LW Guillaume Latendresse
C Kyle Chipchura
C Saku Koivu
C Maxim Lapierre
C Tomas Plekanec
C Brian Smolinski
RW Matt D'Agostini
RW/RD Mathieu Dandenault
RW Sergei Kostitsyn
RW Tom Kostopoulos
RW Alex Kovalev
RW Michael Ryder

[duff88]

Final cuts announced


Jaroslav Halak will start the year in Hamilton.

September 25th 2007 - Carey Price will start the season in Montreal! Head coach Guy Carbonneau announced the final cuts today as the team sent down 4 players to go from 27 to 23 players:

G Yann Danis
G Jaroslav Halak
RD Ryan O'Byrne
RW Sergei Kostitsyn

[duff88]

Yann Danis claimed off waivers


Danis will now play for the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL.

September 26th 2007 - Yann Danis was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Lightning today. The 26 years old goaltender from Saint-Jérôme will likely be sent down to the team's AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, where he will share the starting job with Kari Rämo.

"I'm excited. There were no openings in Montreal, even if there were injuries there was no chance I was going to be called up, and I barely played in Hamilton since I wasn't on the team's plans. It's a new start for me."

Jaroslav Halak will be therefore be the starter in Hamilton and will be backed up by Loïc Lacasse.

[duff88]

A look at the 2007-2008 Montreal Canadiens: Goaltenders


#39 Cristobal Huet - 32 Years Old - 6'0/194 - France

The french goaltender will be starting his third year in Montreal. He may not be considered an elite goaltender, but he has maintained some of the best stats in the NHL since his arrival with the Canadiens; he'll now need to show he can play dominantly for over 60 games to prove he's a real starting goaltender.

#31 Carey Price - 20 Years Old - 6'3/212 - Canada

The former 5th overall pick is coming out of a sensationnal season, but now the fans will need to be patient as he develops. Goaltenders are known to need a few years to mature, and it's always risky for the prospects' development to rely on him so young, especially in a backup role where he won't play as much.

[duff88]

A look at the 2007-2008 Montreal Canadiens: Defensemen


#79 Andrei Markov - 28 years old - 6'0/185 - Russia - 5,750,000$ - 4 Years

Andrei Markov could have been an unrestricted free agent, but he decided to re-sign a long-term contract in Montreal for what now seems like a discount. One of the best defensemen in the entire league, Markov impresses with his excellent offensive skills combined with a very good defensive game. He is the team's quarterback on the powerplay and their main shut-down defenseman.

#8 Mike Komisarek - 25 years old - 6'4/230 - USA - 1,700,000$ - 2 Years

The huge american defenseman will try to solidify his status as a beast defensively. Komisarek is a mean defenseman who can deliver bone crushing hits, he is a solid player who can be relied on to play very hard every game. He has excellent chemistry with Markov, with whom he forms the team's best defensive pairing.

#44 Roman Hamrlik - 33 years old - 6'2/210 - Czech Republic - 3,500,000$ - 4 Years

The former first overall pick, who has now become a seasonned veteran, signed with Montreal as an unrestricted free agent during the summer. In Hamrlik, the Canadiens hope to find a defenseman that adds a dimension that has been gone for a long time in Montreal, a solid second defensive pairing.

#32 Mark Streit - 29 years old - 5'11/198 - Switzerland - 600,000$ - 2 Years

Streit was drafted as an over-age player in 2004 after impressing as captain of the Swiss Olympic team. After a difficult first season where he had problems adapting to the North American style, Streit has found a niche in Montreal as a versatile player who can play many roles. An intelligent, offensive minded player, Streit can play both defense and on the wing, and he is a very good player on the point of the powerplay.

#71 Patrice Brisebois - 36 years old - 6'2/201 - Canada - 800,000$ - 1 Year

Many fans questionned the decision when the team decided to sign Patrice Brisebois, a player who had been chased from Montreal four years ago after being booed by fans for his constant defensive mistakes. Brisebois is brought back at a low price and is expected to play a role of leadership on the team.

#51 Francis Bouillon - 32 years old - 5'8/190 - Canada - 1,875,000$ - 3 Years

Few people expected Bouillon, a small defenseman who was never drafted, to have a long career in the NHL. A rock solid player, Bouillon can surprise by delivering big hits. He is prone to mistakes defensively and had a tough season last year, but he is a local player and a favourite among young fans.

#26 Josh Gorges - 23 years old - 6'0/180 - Canada - 495,000$ - 1 Year

Acquired from the San Jose Sharks for long time Canadiens Craig Rivet last season, Gorges has become a forgotten player. Still very young, he is flying under the radar of a lot of people who don't think he should be in the Canadiens' plan. Gorges plays a simple game, he is solid defensively and makes a solid first pass, but he can be beat by bigger forwards.

[duff88]

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


#21 Chris Higgins - 24 years old - 5'11/192 - USA - 1,700,000$ - 2 Years

The team's first round pick in 2002, Higgins, who was expected to become a solid two-way player, emerged to become a very solid goal scorer at the NHL level. His role is growing, and the player hailed as the team's future captain will wear a A on his jersey this year. He has developped a chemistry with Saku Koivu and Michael Ryder, who are often his linemates.

#46 Andrei Kostitsyn - 22 years old - 6'0/183 - Belarus - 800,000$ - 1 Year

The team's first round pick in the very strong 2003 Draft, a lot of people have already given up on Andrei Kostitsyn. Even with his great skill set, his development has been very slow and people are starting to wonder if he can put it together. His younger brother, sergei, will start the year in Hamilton.

#84 Guillaume Latendresse - 20 years old - 6'2/222 - Canada - 850,000$ - 3 Years

The young Latendresse has become a fan favourite in Montreal. He started his career at 19 years old last season when he won a roster spot at camp, and after having ups and downs through the year, he finished with 16 goals and 29 points. A power forward in the making, Latendresse can't be expected to have a big role this year, but he will need to continue developping because he could still be sent back to Hamilton.

#22 Steve Bégin - 29 years old - 5'11/190 - Canada - 650,000$ - 3 Years

Bégin is not the most talented player on the team, and will have to fight for his spot all season long, but he is a valuable player that will do everything to stay in the lineup. Bégin gives everything he has anytime he is on the ice; he plays a high energy game, throwing hits and blocking shots. He is an effective player on the penalty kill. Injuries are always a concern when a player plays with his style.

#54 Mikhail Grabovski - 23 years old - 5'11/181 - Belarus - 450,000$ - 2 Years

Grabovski is a spectacular player; he is small, quick as lightning and he keeps his feet moving all the time. An excellent offensive player at all levels, it is still questionnable if he can take his game to the big leagues as he is not a strong player and can be slowed down by big defensemen.

[duff88]

A look at the 2007-2008 Montreal Canadiens: Centres



#11 Saku Koivu - 32 years old - 5'10/180 - Finland - 4,750,000$ - 3 Years

After a tough career in which he battled cancer and sustained a serious eye injury, Koivu is ready to start another season, hoping he can make it to the end without any injuries. A hard working player, the Canadiens captain is an excellent playmaker who can be expected to score between 60 and 70 points.

#14 Tomas Plekanec - 24 years old - 5'10/189 - Czech Republic - 1,500,000$ - 2 Years

The young czech forward really emerged in the second part of the last season, and he is now a crucial part to the Canadiens' success. A gifted offensive player, Plekanec is a quick skater who uses his linemates very well and who comes out big when needed.

#20 Bryan Smolinski - 35 years old - 6'1/205 - USA - 2,000,000$ - 1 Year

Signed as an unrestricted free agrent during the summer, Smolinski will play a defensive role on the third line. Known to be an inconsistant player offensively, the team hopes he can play a shut down role and be a good exemple for the young players.

#40 Maxim Lapierre - 22 years old - 6'2/174 - Canada - 560,000$ - 2 Years

Lapierre plays a in-your-face style, he is a pest on the ice who plays with a lot of energy and who gets under his opponents' skin. A very good skater, Lapierre can be used both on an offensive or a defensive role, but you can't expect him to be your best player on any of these roles.

#28 Kyle Chipchura - 21 years old - 6'2/197 - Canada - 600,000$ - 3 Years

Entering his rookie season, Chipchura is a smart two-way player who works hard and who can ship it in offensively. Chipchura will play a limited role through the year, if he stays up with the big club.

[duff88]

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



#27 Alex Kovalev - 34 years old - 6'2/215 - Russia - 4,500,000$ - 3 Years

A lot of people consider Kovalev as one of the most naturally gifted players in the NHL, but he is an inconsistent player who rarely plays at the top of his form. After a difficult season, he is expected to come back strong and show he can still be a go-to guy on the team.

#73 Michael Ryder - 27 years old - 6'0/196 - Canada - 2,400,000$ - 1 Year

After scoring 30 goals in each of the last two seasons, Ryder can be considered to be the best sniper on the team. He will still be asked to give more to the team; to be more involved on the ice and better defensively. He has an excellent shot and will need to continue using it, but he has other strenght he needs to take advantage of.

#25 Mathieu Dandenault - 32 years old - 6'1/200 - Canada - 1,700,000$ - 3 Years

After playing defense for a few years, Dandenault was switched back to right wing after being stolen his roster spot in training camp. A great skater, Dandenault will need to work hard and play a solid two-way game to keep his place on the team.

#6 Tom Kostopoulos - 28 years old - 6'0/205 - Canada - 900,000$ - 2 Years

Kostopoulos will play different role on the team through the year. Even though he is not a fighter, he will be asked to drop the gloves when things are getting nasty. He will need to play an intense game and to be solid defensively, he will also kill penalties. Any goal coming from him can be considered a bonus.

[NoSkillz]

Sweeeet! An Eastside dynasty! Good luck but don't beat up on the Sabres too much!

[duff88]

Canadiens set for season opener


Saku Koivu will start his 8th season as Canadiens captain.

October 5th 2007 - The Montreal Canadiens arrived in Newark today where they will play their season opener tommorow against the New Jersey Devils in the inauguration of the new Prudential Center.

Even if they are not favourites to even make the playoffs this year, the team has made it public that they have high hopes. The lineup for opening night has been announced already, as Saku Koivu will centre his usual wingers, Chris Higgins and Michael Ryder, on the first line. The second line, formed of Andrei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec and Alex Kovalev, have big expectations after showing a lot of flashes during the pre-season. The third and fourth line will play more of an energy-shutdown style.

#21 Chris Higgins [A] - #11 Saku Koivu [C] - #73 Michael Ryder
#46 Andrei Kostitsyn - #14 Tomas Plekanec - #27 Alex Kovalev [A]
#84 Guillaume Latendresse - #20 Bryan Smolinski - #25 Mathieu Dandenault
#22 Steve Bégin - #40 Maxim Lapierre - #6 Tom Kostopoulos

#79 Andrei Markov - #8 Mike Komisarek
#44 Roman Hamrlik - #71 Patrice Brisebois
#51 Francis Bouillon - #32 Mark Streit

Mikhail Grabovski, Kyle Chipchura and Josh Gorges will therefore watch the game from the press box. Meanwhile, in a surprising move, Guy Carbonneau announced that Carey Price was going to start the opening game.

"We're playing two games in two nights to open the season, we face Ottawa tommorow and I want Cristobal to start against the Senators. It doesn't really matter if it's the first game, Cristobal hasn't lost his starting job, it's simply a question of trying to get as many points as we can and we feel we stand a better chance with starting Carey tonight and Cristobal tommorow."

Montreal's last victory in New Jersey goes back to February 2nd 2002.

[duff88]

Canadiens lose season opener 4-3


Zach Parisé scored the game winner 26 seconds after Higgins' tying goal.

October 6th 2007 - The Canadiens took a big risk by using 20 years old goaltender Carey Price in nets for the season opener, and they were proven wrong. 26 seconds after Chris Higgins tied the game at three in the opening minute of the third period, Zach Parisé beat Price with a low wrist shot from a bad angle as the Devils went on to win the the game 4-3, shooting 26 times on the rookie goaltender.

"He surprised me. I should have stopped that one." said a disappointed Price after the game.

The Devils had taken a 2-0 lead soon in the first period before Tom Kostpoulos scored. After a shorthanded goal by Devils' Jay Pandolfo, Tom Kostopoulos dropped the gloves against Aaron Asham to wake his team up. Tomas Plekanec scored on a powerplay late in the second period to reduce the lead.

"We played a good game, the Devils are a strong team." said Carbonneau. "It's difficult to start the season on this note, but we'll come back."

New Jersey Devils 4 , Montreal Canadiens 3
Shots: 26 - 29
NJ PP: 1 of 6 (10 shots)
MTL PP: 1 of 3 (4 shots)

Boxscore for the game:
------------------------------------------------------------
09:37 1-0 NJ Brian Gionta [1] (Zach Parisé, Patrik Elias)PP
12:37 2-0 NJ Dainius Zubrus [1] (Sergei Brylin, Johnny Oduya)
13:39 2-1 MTL Tom Kostopoulos [1] (Mathieu Dandenault, Francis Bouillon)
------------------------------------------------------------
25:33 3-1 NJ Jay Pandolfo [1] (Jamie Langenbrunner, Vitaly Vishnevski)SH
38:05 3-2 MTL Tomas Plekanec [1] (Alex Kovalev, Mark Streit)PP
------------------------------------------------------------
40:57 3-3 MTL Chris Higgins [1] (Michael Ryder, Mike Komisarek)
41:23 4-3 NJ Zach Parisé [1] (Paul Martin, Karel Rachunek)
------------------------------------------------------------

[duff88]

CSS Preliminary 2008 NHL Draft Rankings released


Steve Stamkos is considered by many as the most likely first overall pick in June.

WHL Skaters
1. Kyle Beach - C
2. Zach Boychuk - C
3. Luke Schenn - D
4. Mitch Wahl - C
5. Colten Teubert - D

OHL Skaters
1. Steve Stamkos - C
2. Drew Doughty - D
3. Alex Pietrangelo - D
4. Michael Del Zotto - D
5. James Livingston - RW

QMJHL Skaters
1. Mikhail Stefanovich - RW
2. Kelsey Tessier - C
3. Joël Champagne - C
4. Philippe Cornet - RW
5. Nicolas Deschamps - C

USA Skaters
1. Colin Wilson - RW
2. David Toews - LW
3. R.J. Chevaldae - LW
4. Eric Kurvers - RW
5. Merc Meyer - LW

European Skaters
1. Nikita Filatov - LW
2. Mikkel Bødker - LW
3. Johan Motin - D
4. Teppo Nurmi - RW
5. Mattias Tedenby - LW

North-American Goaltenders
1. Kevin Poulin
2. Don Michelson
3. Doug Erlec

Europen Goaltenders
1. Cenek Vondracek
2. Marek Benda
3. Damiano Ciaccio

The 2008 NHL Draft will take place on June 20th and 21st at the Scotia Bank Place in Ottawa. Several scouts have voiced their opinion that the draft is strong at the top but gets thin after the top 15 or so players.

[duff88]

Montreal beat Sens in Ottawa


Alex Kovalev scored the game winning goal midway into the third period

October 7th 2007 - Cristobal Huet blocked 26 out of 29 shots and Alex Kovalev scored the game winning goal midway into the third period tonight at Scotia Bank Place as the Montreal Canadiens beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3.

Huet, who was kept on the bench as backup in the team's first game of the season, made a strong case for himself in the last minute of the game as he repeatedly shut the door against Dany Heatley, who had already scored two goals in the game.

"I had no problem with the decision." said a calm Huet after the game. "Obviously I want to play as much as possible, but I also want the team to win. And It's all good between me an Carey so I'll help him get better as much as I can."

"We played a very good game out there." Saku Koivu said. "We never let them take control of the game, and we won our battles."

The Canadiens will play their home opener against the Edmonton Oilers on October 10th.

Ottawa Senators 3 , Montreal Canadiens 4
Shots: 29 - 31
OTT PP: 2 of 6 (9 shots)
MTL PP: 2 of 7 (11 shots)

Boxscore for the game:
------------------------------------------------------------
06:45 0-1 MTL Andrei Markov [1] (Saku Koivu)
08:36 0-2 MTL Alex Kovalev [1])PP
09:13 1-2 OTT Dany Heatley [1] (Wade Redden, Joe Corvo)PP
------------------------------------------------------------
29:09 2-2 OTT Daniel Alfredsson [1] (Dany Heatley, Jason Spezza)PP
36:11 2-3 MTL Andrei Kostitsyn [1] (Tomas Plekanec, Roman Hamrlik)
------------------------------------------------------------
47:13 3-3 OTT Dany Heatley [2] (Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza)
50:45 3-4 MTL Alex Kovalev [2] (Tomas Plekanec, Andrei Markov)PP
------------------------------------------------------------

[duff88]

Canadiens crush Oilers in home opener


Patrice Brisebois scored the first goal of the season at the Bell Centre

October 10th 2007 - The Bell Centre was sold out with 21 273 fans tonight as the Montreal Canadiens recieved the Edmonton Oilers in their home opener. It was a succesful night as the Canadiens scored three goals early, pulling the other team's goaltender along the way, on the road to a 7-3 win.

Patrice Brisebois was anxious for this game, his first back at the Bell Centre in a Canadiens uniform after being chased out of the team by booing fans. It didn't take long for Brisebois to quiet them though as he scored two minutes into the game to open the score.

"I wanted to do well, play a solid game without gaining any attention." Brisebois said. "The goal was a nice bonus."

Christobal Huet was in net and blocked 23 out of 26 shots for the win.

Montreal Canadiens 7 , Edmonton Oilers 3
Shots: 30 - 26
MTL PP: 1 of 8 (8 shots)
EDM PP: 1 of 4 (6 shots)

Boxscore for the game:
------------------------------------------------------------
02:06 1-0 MTL Patrice Brisebois [1] (Alex Kovalev, Andrei Kostitsyn)
03:12 2-0 MTL Mark Streit [1] (Guillaume Latendresse, Bryan Smolinski)
10:31 3-0 MTL Saku Koivu [1] (Maxim Lapierre, Roman Hamrlik)
------------------------------------------------------------
27:24 3-1 EDM Jarret Stoll [2] (Ethan Moreau)
29:19 3-2 EDM Marty Reasoner [1] (Sam Gagner, Jarret Stoll)
31:53 4-2 MTL Michael Ryder [1] (Saku Koivu, Chris Higgins)PP
34:18 5-2 MTL Andrei Kostitsyn [2] (Chris Higgins, Saku Koivu)
------------------------------------------------------------
41:31 5-3 EDM Ales Hemsky [1] (Joni Pitkänen, Jarret Stoll)PP
51:58 6-3 MTL Saku Koivu [2] (Mike Komisarek, Cristobal Huet)
53:38 7-3 MTL Mathieu Dandenault [1] (Francis Bouillon, Roman Hamrlik)
------------------------------------------------------------

[duff88]

Montreal wins fourth game of the season, loses key player


Mike Komisarek will be out indefinitely with knee injury

October 19th 2007 - Roman Hamrlik scored a powerplay goal 53 seconds into overtime to give the Montreal Canadian their fourth win of the season, a 4-3 OT victory over the New York Islanders.

Saku Koivu scored one goal and added two assists while Alex Kovalev scored his fifth goal of the season. Carey Price was in net for the first time since his loss in the opening game of the season, blocking 19 of the 22 shots against him for his first career win.

It will be tough accept for Montreal though as they lost one of their core players, defenseman Mike Komisarek, after a knee-on-knee incident with New York's Vaclav Varada. Varada was penalized 5 minutes for attempt to injury on the play, but the Canadiens couldn't capitalize. Komisarek is going to be out indefinitely as the staff re-evaluate his situation; a MRI is scheduled tommorow when we should have more news.

"It was a dirty play, by a dirty player." said coach Guy Carbonneau. "Komisarek is a tough guy; you need to coward to resort to these kind of tactics to take him out. The tape will be sent to the league, hopefully a suspension will be given."

Meanwhile, Kovalev's goal marked his 800th career point.

New York Islanders 3 , Montreal Canadiens 4
Shots: 22 - 36
NYI PP: 0 of 4 (2 shots)
MTL PP: 2 of 10 (15 shots)
               
Boxscore for the game:
------------------------------------------------------------
10:52 0-1 MTL Chris Higgins [4] (Mike Komisarek, Saku Koivu)
11:31 1-1 NYI Mike Comrie [4])
------------------------------------------------------------
21:42 2-1 NYI Bill Guerin [2] (Chris Simon, Petr Schastlivy)
25:26 2-2 MTL Alex Kovalev [5] (Mark Streit)PP
28:16 2-3 MTL Saku Koivu [4] (Michael Ryder)
------------------------------------------------------------
55:16 3-3 NYI Petr Schastlivy [1] (Chris Simon, Josef Vasicek)
------------------------------------------------------------
60:53 3-4 MTL Roman Hamrlik [2] (Saku Koivu)PP
------------------------------------------------------------

[duff88]

Varada not suspended, Komisarek out 6 to 8 weeks


Vaclav Varada wont be suspended for the knee-to-knee incident with Mike Komisarek

October 20th 2007 - NHL Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell anounced today that New York Islanders forward Vaclav Varada wouldn't be suspended for the knee-to-knee incident with Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Komisarek because there wasn't clear intent to injure on the play.

The results of the MRI to determine the extent of the injury on Mike Komisarek were also released today. The injury won't need any surgery and Komisarek should be able to come back in 6 to 8 weeks. Those results are positive for Komisarek and the Canadiens who had feared the worst.

Josh Gorges will take Komisarek's role at the right side of Andrei Markov. Meanwhile, Kyle Chipchura will stay in the starting lineup after replacing Maxim Lapierre successfully on the fourth line of the team. Lapierre was scratched after a subpar start to his sophomore season.

[Icy]

EHM07?

[duff88]

Eastside Hockey Manager

[duff88]

Canadiens finish October with a 6-3-1-1 record


Saku Koivu won the October segment of Molson Cup

November 1st 2007 - The Montreal Canadiens started the 2007-2008 regular season very well with 6 wins, 3 losses, 1 overtime loss and 1 tie in 11 games during the month of October.

Saku Koivu was the Molson Cup winner for October after scoring 4 goals and adding 11 assists for 15 points in 11 games. Koivu surpassed Alex Kovalev and Andrei Markov, who were the other considerations.

Paul Kariya was the NHL October Player of the Month after scoring 8 goals and 10 assists in 11 games with the St. Louis Blues. Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks was the NHL October Rookie of the Month; Toews registered 6 goals and 6 assists in 11 games.

MONTREAL CANADIENS
11GP - 6-3-1-1 - 14 Points [4th in the East]
41 Goals For [8th in the League]
33 Goals Against [8th in the League]
16.28% on the Powerplay [14th in the League]
81,67% on the Penalty Killing [19th in the League]

[duff88]

Price sent down, Halak recalled


Jaroslav Halak will be in nets on November 8th against the Atlanta Thrashers

November 5th 2007 - After suffering his third loss of the season to the New York Rangers, allowing 4 goals on 31 shots, Carey Price was sent down to the Hamilton Bulldogs. The Canadiens recalled slovak goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who will start the next game in Atlanta on November 8th.

"Carey showed that he still has a lot to learn. He has a great future, but if we think about both his development and the team's success, he's better down in Hamilton where he'll get a chance to play more. This is not a definitive move, we may see him back soon." head coach Guy Carbonneau said.

Halak didn't have great stats in Hamilton with only 3 wins in 9 games. He kept a 2.75GAA with 1 shutout during that period.

Mathieu Dandenault was scratched in favor of Mikhail Grabovski in the game against the Rangers. Carbonneau didn't hesitate to ask more from his veterans:

"There are kids pushing, and if you don't work hard, your spot isn't guaranteed. We have a lot of options."

Forwards Mathieu Dandenault and Bryan Smolinski as well as defenseman Patrice Brisebois seem to be among the players who will need to work harder to maintain their place in the starting lineup.

[duff88]

Habs meltdown in front of rookie goalie


Marian Hossa lead the Thrashers to a win with 2 goals and 1 assist

November 8th 2007 - Jaroslav Halak was looking very good coming into the third period with his team holding a 2-1 lead in his first start of the season, but the team in front of him stopped playing during the last period and the Thrashers came back to win 4-2.

Steve Bégin and Mikhail Grabovski had scored in the first period before Marian Hossa cut the lead in the second period. The Canadiens were dominating Atlanta 26-10 in shots, but were 0-for-8 on the powerplay.

In the third, Ilya Kovalchuk scored his 11th of the season with a laser in the top corner, then Slava Kozlov surprised Halak after a penalty to Saku Koivu and finally Marian Hossa put the icing on the cake with a shorthanded breakaway goal.

"This was the worst game of the season." said an angry Carbonneau out of words. "You can't stop playing for an entire period. You can't go 0-for-11 on the powerplay; this is pitiful. Everyone needs to look at himself in the mirror tonight."

In his first AHL start, it didn't go better for Carey Price who's Hamilton Bulldogs lost 5-2 to the Chicago Wolves.

Atlanta Thrashers 4 , Montreal Canadiens 2
Shots: 25 - 31
ATL PP: 2 of 8 (12 shots)
MTL PP: 0 of 11 (17 shots)

Boxscore for the game:
------------------------------------------------------------
08:43 0-1 MTL Steve Bégin [2] (Tom Kostopoulos)
12:29 0-2 MTL Mikhail Grabovski [1] (Bryan Smolinski, Guillaume Latendresse)
------------------------------------------------------------
37:42 1-2 ATL Marian Hossa [5] (Ilya Kovalchuk, Todd White)PP
------------------------------------------------------------
43:38 2-2 ATL Ilya Kovalchuk [11] (Marian Hossa)
46:52 3-2 ATL Slava Kozlov [5] (Mark Recchi, Bobby Holik)PP
48:01 4-2 ATL Marian Hossa [6] (Alexei Zhitnik)SH
------------------------------------------------------------

[duff88]

Panthers humiliate Canadiens 7-4


Nathan Horton scored 2 goals and 3 assists for the Panthers.

November 23rd 2007 - It was a game with ups and downs, but the truth is the Florida Panthers made the Canadiens look bad tonight on the way to a 7-4 win.

The Panthers took a 3-0 lead in the first period, leading shots 15-5. The Canadiens came back into the game in the second period, and in the start of the third quick goals by Chris Higgins and Alex Kovalev, his second of the game, tied the game at 4. The team then stopped playing once again as they never shot again towards Craig Anderson's net; the Panthers scored three goals and won the game 7-4.

"There are going to be some changes." Guy Carbonneau said about the lineup for the next game against Buffalo.

Florida Panthers 7 , Montreal Canadiens 4
Shots: 32 - 28
FLA PP: 3 of 6 (12 shots)
MTL PP: 2 of 4 (5 shots)
               
Boxscore for the game:
------------------------------------------------------------
09:17 1-0 FLA Kenny Jönsson [4] (Richard Zednik, Olli Jokinen)
10:33 2-0 FLA Jan Bulis [4] (Stephen Weiss, Olli Jokinen)
19:07 3-0 FLA Olli Jokinen [5] (Richard Zednik, Nathan Horton)PP
------------------------------------------------------------
27:39 3-1 MTL Patrice Brisebois [2] (Chris Higgins, Saku Koivu)PP
31:27 4-1 FLA Richard Zednik [8] (Nathan Horton)PP
39:31 4-2 MTL Alex Kovalev [10] (Andrei Kostitsyn, Mark Streit)PP
------------------------------------------------------------
42:45 4-3 MTL Chris Higgins [11] (Andrei Markov, Saku Koivu)
43:48 4-4 MTL Alex Kovalev [11] (Patrice Brisebois, Andrei Kostitsyn)
44:55 5-4 FLA Nathan Horton [10] (Kenny Jönsson, Jay Bouwmeester)PP
48:14 6-4 FLA Ville Peltonen [2] (Jozef Stumpel, Nathan Horton)
50:22 7-4 FLA Nathan Horton [11] (Richard Zednik)
------------------------------------------------------------

[duff88]

Carbonneau revamps lines, Komisarek makes surprise return


Brian Smolinski won't be in the lineup against Buffalo

November 24th 2007 - For the first time of the season, head coach Guy Carbonneau has decided to form completely new lines, and some veterans won't be happy. For the game against the Buffalo Sabres tommorow, Mathieu Dandenault, Bryan Smolinski and Patrice Brisebois will all be left in the press box. It's the first time this season Smolinski and Brisebois are scratched.

Meanwhile, after returning to practice earlier this week, Mike Komisarek will be back in the lineup for the game against Buffalo. It's a surprise return because Komisarek, who missed five weeks of action, was not expected to be back before December.

#84 Guillaume Latendresse - #11 Saku Koivu - #27 Alex Kovalev
#21 Chris Higgins - #14 Tomas Plekanec - #46 Andrei Kostitsyn
#54 Mikhail Grabovski - #40 Maxim Lapierre - #73 Michael Ryder
#22 Steve Bégin - #28 Kyle Chipchura - #6 Tom Kostopoulos

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

Cristobal Huet will be back in nets and will hope to come back strong after a bad performance. Halak has done a good job so far as his backup with 2 wins in 3 games. Meanwhile, Carey Price is getting better and better in the AHL and now has 5 wins in 8 games with a 2.11 goals against average.

[duff88]

Difficult month of November for Montreal


Tomas Plekanec won the November segment of the Molson Cup

December 1st 2007 - The month of November was where we saw the first struggles of the Montreal Canadiens this year. The team didn't go on a slump per say, but the team showed a lot of inconsistency, performing for some periods and stopping to work in others.

Goaltender Carey Price has been sent down to the AHL, and it seems to be a good choice so far. Halak is proving to be a reliable back up to Huet, and Price is posting impressive numbers in the AHL, improving with every game. Sergei Kostitsyn, the younger brother of Andrei and another player on the Hamilton Bulldogs, may get a look for an eventual recall as he is performing very well in the AHL with 13 goals and 23 points. His teammate, Eric Manlow, who isn't a potential NHL player, is second in the league with 35 points.

Tomas Plekanec was the Molson Cup winner for November after scoring 9 goals and adding 7 assists for 16 points in 15 games. Plekanec surpassed Alex Kovalev and Andrei Markov, who were the other considerations.

Ryan Getzlaf was the NHL November Player of the Month after scoring 10 goals and 6 assists in 14 games with the Anaheim Ducks. James Sheppard of the Minnesota Wild was the NHL November Rookie of the Month; Sheppard registered 2 goals and 8 assists in 10 games.

MONTREAL CANADIENS
26GP - 13-10-2-1 - 29 Points [5th in the East]
91 Goals For [4th in the League]
83 Goals Against [16th in the League]
18.42% on the Powerplay [4th in the League]
89.43% on the Penalty Killing [29th in the League]

[duff88]

Perezhogin traded to Ducks


Perezhogin was a first round pick in 2001

December 7th 2007 - The Montreal Canadiens announced today that they had traded the rights to Alexander Perezhogin to the Anaheim Ducks. In return, the Habs get the Ducks' 1st round pick in the 2009 NHL Draft.

Perezhogin, who was the 25th overall pick in 2001, played 128 games in two seasons for the Canadiens, scoring 15 goals and 19 assists. The 24 years old right winger had gone back to Russia for this season after recieving a much better offer than what was expected from the Canadiens.

[duff88]

Alexander Perezhogin signs with Ducks


Perezhogin signed with the Ducks 5 days after his acquisition.

December 12th 2007 - The Anaheim Ducks signed 24 years old winger Alexander Perezhogin to a 1 year, 1.8M$ contract today, five days after acquiring him from the Montreal Canadiens.

Perezhogin is expected to dress for his first game in his new team tommorow against Columbus on the right wing of the Ducks' fourth line with Samuel Pahlsson and Brad May. He will wear #37.

Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers, who sit 28th in the league in front of only Washington and Buffalo, have announced the firing of GM Kevin Lowe and head coach Craig MacTavish. Glenn Healy will take the place of Lowe while the new head coach will be Brian Sutter.

[Travis]

Originally Posted by duff88

Meanwhile, the Edmonton Oilers, who sit 28th in the league in front of only Washington and Buffalo, have announced the firing of GM Kevin Lowe and head coach Craig MacTavish. Glenn Healy will take the place of Lowe while the new head coach will be Brian Sutter.

You know, I hate the Healy for Lowe portion of this, but it might be worth it to remove MacT from behind the bench.

But still, for a Sutter..........shudder.

[duff88]

December goes by, Montreal falls in the Standings


Roman Hamrlik won the December segment of the Molson Cup

January 1st 2008 - The team played fairly well during the month of December, but it wasn't quite enough as the Canadiens fell from the 5th to the 7th place in the Eastern Conference. Things are looking up though as the team could very well be first right now had they been more opportunistic.

Roman Hamrlik was the Molson Cup winner for December after scoring 3 goals and adding 6 assists for 9 points in 13 games. Hamrlik surpassed Chris Higgins and Andrei Markov, who were the other considerations.

Sidney Crosby was the NHL December Player of the Month after scoring 7 goals and 14 assists in 15 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Andy Greene of the New Jersey Devils was the NHL December Rookie of the Month; the defenseman registered 2 goals and 11 assists in 14 games.

MONTREAL CANADIENS
39GP - 18-14-3-4 - 43 Points [7th in the East]
127 Goals For [11th in the League]
120 Goals Against [14th in the League]
17.33% on the Powerplay [8th in the League]
80.85% on the Penalty Killing [28th in the League]

[duff88]

Three Canadiens prospect at the World Juniors


Max Pacioretty, a first round pick by Montreal in the 2007 Draft, will play for team USA

January 3rd 2008 - The 2008 World Junior Championships will start in two days in Switzerland and three Canadiens prospects have been invited: Winger Max Pacioretty will play for team USA, centre Ben Maxwell will play for team Canada and defenseman Yannick Weber will play for team Switzerland. A notable disappointment was the omission of american defensemen David Fischer and Ryan McDonagh, the team's first picks in the 2006 and 2007 Draft. Here is a pre-tournament look at the eight (out of 16) best countries, in order, and their best players:

Canada
Kyle Turris - C - Phoenix Coyotes
Milan Lucic - RW - Boston Bruins
Karl Alzner - D - Washington Capitals
Drew Doughty - D - Eligible in 2008
Leland Irving - G - Calgary Flames

Sweden
Patrick Berglund - C - St. Louis Blues
Simon Hjalmarsson - LW - St. Louis Blues
Robin Figren - RW - New York Islanders
Oscal Möller - RW - Los Angeles Kings
Joel Gisdetd - G - Phoenix Coyotes

Russia
Alexei Cherepanov - RW - New York Rangers
Artem Anisimov - C - New York Rangers
Vladimir Zharkov - RW - New Jersey Devils
Semyon Varlamov - G - Washington Capitals
Ivan Vishnevsky - D - Dallas Stars

USA
James Van Riemsdyk - LW - Philadelphia Flyers
Kyle Okposo - RW - New York Islanders
Mark Mitera - D - Anaheim Ducks
Jamie McBain - D - Carolina Hurricanes
Bill Sweatt - LW - Chicago Blackhawks

Czech Republic
Jakub Voracek - RW - Columbus Blue Jackets
Michael Frolik - RW - Florida Panthers
Michal Neuvirth - G - Washington Capitals
Vladimir Ruzicka - C - Phoenix Coyotes
Tomas Kana - C - St. Louis Blues

Finland
Riku Helenius - G - Tampa Bay Lightning
Oskar Osala - LW - Washington Capitals
Jan-Mikael Juutilainen - C - Chicago Blackhawks
Jesse Joensuu - RW - New York Islanders
Robert Nyholm - RW - Columbus Blue Jackets

Slovakia
Tomas Marcinko - C - New York Islanders
David Skokan - RW - New York Rangers
Juraj Valach - D - Overager eligible in 2008
Richard Lelkes - RW - Overager eligible in 2008
Branislav Konrad - G - Overager eligible in 2008

Switzerland
Reto Berra - G - St. Louis Blues
Yannick Weber - D - Montreal Canadiens
Luca Cunti - C - Detroit Red Wings
Janick Steinmann - C - Overager eligible in 2008
Etienne Froideveaux - C - Overager eligible in 2008

[duff88]

Russia wins WJC!


Vladimir Zharkov scored two goals in the finals against Canada

January 16th 2008 - Russia completed a perfect tournament today by beating the Canadians in the gold medal game of the World Junior Championships. Vladimir Zharkov, of the Devils' organisation, was the leader for Russia with two goals, his 6th and 7th of the tournament. Sweden won the bronze against Slovakia.

Gold - Russia
Silver - Canada
Bronze - Sweden
-
4th - Slovakia
5th - Czech Republic
6th - USA
7th - Finland
8th - Switzerland
9th - Germany
10th - Latvia
11th - Ukraine
12th - Japan
13th - Slovenia
14th - Poland
15th - Norway
16th - France

TOURNAMENT LEADERS
1. Simon Hjalmarsson - F - Sweden - St. Louis Blues - 39th overall in 2007 - 5G - 7A - 12PTS
2. Vladimir Zharkov - F - Russia - New Jersey Devils - 77th overall in 2006 - 7G - 4A - 11PTS
3. Milan Lucic - F - Canada - Boston Bruins - 50th overall in 2006 - 5G - 5A - 10PTS
4. Gennady Churilov - F - Russia - Undrafted - Eligible as a overager in 2008 - 4G - 6A - 10PTS
5. Artem Anisimov - F - Russia - New York Rangers - 54th overall in 2006 - 4G - 6A - 10PTS
6. Kyle Turris - F - Canada - Phoenix Coyotes - 3rd overall in 2007 - 3G - 7A - 10PTS
7. Tony Lagerström - F - Sweden - Chicago Blackhawks - 76th overall in 2006 - 2G - 8A - 10PTS
8. Johan Motin - D - Sweden - Undrafted - Eligible in 2008 - 0G - 10A - 10PTS
9. Nick Foligno - F - Canada - Ottawa Senators - 28th overall in 2006 - 6G - 3A - 9PTS
10. Alexei Cherepanov - F - Russia - New York Rangers - 17th overall in 2007 - 4G - 5A - 9PTS

TOURNAMENT MVP: Vladimir Zharkov (Russia)
BEST FORWARD: Vladimir Zharkov (Russia)
BEST DEFENSEMAN: Johan Motin (Sweden)
BEST GOALTENDER: Semyon Varlamov (Russia)

TOURNAMENT ALL-STAR TEAM
Simon Hjalmarsson (SWE) - Kyle Turris (CAN) - Vladimir Zharkov (RUS)
Karl Alzner (CAN) - Johan Motin (SWE)
Semyon Varlamov (RUS)

CANADIENS PROSPECTS
Ben Maxwell - F - Canada - 49th overall in 2006 - 0G - 5A - 5PTS
Max Pacioretty - F - USA - 22nd overall in 2007 - 1G - 0A - 1PTS
Yannick Weber - D - Switzerland - 73rd overall in 2007 - 2G - 2A - 4PTS

[duff88]

CSS Releases Mid-Season 2008 NHL Draft Rankings


Drew Doughty (left) has surpassed Steven Stamkos (right) as favourite to go first overall

North-American Skaters
1. Drew Doughty - D - Offensive defeseman - Canada - Guelph Storm (OHL) - 6'0/185
2. Steven Stamkos - C - Offensive forward - Canada - Sarnia Sting (OHL) - 6'0/170
3. Kyle Beach - C - Power forward - Canada - Everett Silvertips (WHL) - 6'3/180
4. Zach Boychuk - C - Offensive forward - Canada - Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) - 5'9/176
5. Alex Pietrangelo - D - Offensive defenseman - Canada - Mississauga Ice Dogs (OHL) - 6'3/192
6. Cody Hodgson - C - Playmaker - Canada - Brampton Battalion (OHL) - 5'11/182
7. Tyler Myers - D - Defensive defenseman - Canada - Red Deer Rebeles (WHL) - 6'7/225
8. Luke Schenn - D - Physical defenseman - Canada - Kelowna Rockets (WHL) - 6'3/210
9. Colin Wilson - RW - Playmaker - USA - Boston University (NCAA) - 6'1/215
10. Michael Del Zotto - D - Offensive defenseman - Canada - Oshawa Generals (OHL) - 6'0/190
11. Joe Colborne - RW - Offensive forward - Canada - Notre Dame (NCAA) - 6'3/175
12. Joshua Bailey - C - Playmaker - Canada - Windsor Spitfires (OHL) - 5'11/167
13. Mitch Wahl - C - Playmaker - USA - Spokane Chiefs (WHL) - 6'0/175
14. Mikhail Stefanovich - RW - Goalscorer - Belarus - Quebec Remparts (QMJHL) - 6'2/202
15. Zach Bogosian - D - Offensive defenseman - Canada - Peterborough Petes (OHL) - 6'2/190
16. Jordan Eberle - C - Goalscorer - Canada - Regina Pats (WHL) - 5'10/162
17. David Toews - LW - Two-way forward - Canada - North Dakota (NCAA) - 5'11/185
18. Philippe Cornet - RW - Offensive forward - Canada - Rimouski Oceanic (QMJHL) - 6'0/207
19. Tyler Cuma - D - Physical defenseman - Canada - Ottawa 67's (OHL) - 6'2/175
20. Jared Staal - RW - Offensive forward - Canada - Sudbury Wolves (OHL) - 6'3/195

North-American Goaltenders
1. Don Michelson - G - USA - Miami-Ohio (NCAA) - 6'3/211
2. Kevin Poulin - G - Canada - Victoriaville Tigres (QMJHL) - 6'2/210
3. Justin Leclerc - G - Canada - Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) - 5'11/194
4. Nicola Riopel - G - Canada - Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) - 5'11/171
5. Doug Erlec - G - USA - Michigan (NCAA) - 6'2/211
6. Stacy Erian - G - Canada - Prince George Cougars (WHL) - 6'0/182

European Skaters
1. Nikita Filatov - LW - Offensive forward - Russia - CSKA Moscow (RUS) - 6'0/165
2. Johan Motin - D - Defensive defenseman - Sweden - Färjestad (SWE) - 6'2/200
3. Mikkel Bødker - LW - Offensive forward - Denmark - Frölunda (SWE) - 5'10/182
4. Teppo Nurmi - RW - Offensive forward - Finland - JyP Jyväskylä (FIN) - 6'1/207
5. Daniel Adsit - C - Offensive forward - Czech Republic - Slavia Praha (CZE) - 6'3/228
6. Pavel Terpak - D - Offensive defenseman - Slovenia - HC Kosice (SVK) - 6'1/204
7. Mattias Tedenby - LW - Offensive forward - Sweden - HV 71 (SWE) - 5'11/176
8. Reima Miettinen - RW - Offensive forward - Finland - Ilves Tampere (FIN) - 5'11/176
9. Vyacheslav Voynov - D - Physical defenseman - Russia - Tsheljabinsk (RUS) - 5'11/180
10. Per-Johan Bøe - LW - Playmaker - Sweden - HV 71 (SWE) - 6'3/203

European Goaltenders
1. Alexey Shakirov - G - Russia - CSKA Moscow (RUS) - 6'3/221
2. Marek Benda - G - Czech Republic - Karlovy Vary (CZE) - 5'11/165
3. Damiano Ciaccio - G - Switzerland - HC Fribourg (SWI) - 6'1/165
4. Cenek Vondracek - Czech Republic - Sparta Praha (CZE) - 6'4/204
5. Teuvo Kyllonen - G - Finland - Kärpät Oulu (FIN) - 6'0/174
6. Mark Owuya - G - Sweden - Djurgarden (SWE) - 6'2/191

[duff88]

Four Canadiens at all-star game


Andrei Markov is 7th among NHL defenseman with 33 points

January 19th 2008 - The all-star game rosters were announced today by the NHL, and the red hot Montreal Canadiens will be the most well represented NHL team, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Los Angeles Kings, with four players participating in the annual game. Centre Saku Koivu, right winger Alex Kovalev and defenseman Andrei Markov will suit for team World while Chris Higgins will suit for team North America. Here are the complete rosters:

North America
LW - Paul Kariya - St. Louis Blues
LW - Alex Tanguay - Calgary Flames
LW - Brendan Shanahan - New York Rangers
LW - Chris Higgins - Montreal Canadiens
C - Sidney Crosby - Pittsburgh Penguins
C - Joe Thornton - San Jose Sharks
C - Joe Sakic - Colorado Avalanche
C - Eric Staal - Carolina Hurricanes
RW - Dany Heatley - Ottawa Senators
RW - Glen Murray - Boston Bruins
RW - Brian Gionta - New Jersey Devils
RW - Nathan Horton - Florida Panthers
D - Wade Redden - Ottawa Senators
D - Dion Phaneuf - Calgary Flames
D - Rob Blake - Los Angeles Kings
D - Mathieu Schneider - Anaheim Ducks
D - Bryan McCabe - Toronto Maple Leafs
D - John-Michael Liles - Colorado Avalanche
G - Martin Brodeur - New Jersey Devils
G - Andrew Raycroft - Toronto Maple Leafs
G - Roberto Luongo - Vancouver Canucks

Europe
LW - Daniel Alfredsson - Ottawa Senators
LW - Martin Straka - New York Rangers
LW - Ladislav Nagy - Los Angeles Kings
LW - Alexander Ovechkin - Washington Capitals
C - Mats Sundin - Toronto Maple Leafs
C - Saku Koivu - Montreal Canadiens
C - Pavol Demitra - Minnesota Wild
C - Anze Kopitar - Los Angeles Kings
RW - Jaromir Jagr - New York Rangers
RW - Maxim Afinogenov - Buffalo Sabres
RW - Marian Hossa - Atlanta Thrashers
RW - Alex Kovalev - Montreal Canadiens
D - Sergei Zubov - Dallas Stars
D - Nicklas Lidstrom - Detroit Red Wings
D - Lubomir Visnovsky - Los Angeles Kings
D - Andrei Markov - Montreal Canadiens
D - Kenny Jönsson - Florida Panthers
D - Tomas Kaberle - Toronto Maple Leafs
G - Miikka Kiprusoff - Calgary Flames
G - David Aebischer - Phoenix Coyotes
G - Kari Lehtonen - Atlanta Thrashers

This years All-Star weekend starts Saturday February 9 with the Super Skills competition and continues on Sunday February 10 with the clash between the North America All-Stars and the World All-Stars.

[NoSkillz]

My goodness, what the heck is wrong with the Sabres in this dynasty? Last place?

[NoSkillz]

Dola: Great dynasty by the way...nice tables!

[duff88]

January finishes with an ongoing 9 game winning, 12 game undefeated streak.


Captain Saku Koivu praised the work of his head coach Guy Carbonneau and GM Bob Gainey for the team's success

February 1st 2008 - The Canadiens have been on fire through the month of January and are now only two points away from the Anaheim Ducks and the first place in the NHL. Lead by five players nearing a point per game, three excellent defenseman and two goalies on fire, including Jaroslav Halak who has not lost a game, out of nine, since his defeat to the Atlanta Thrashers in his first game of the season, the Canadiens are currently the team to beat in the league. The month of January can best be described by saying the Canadiens lost only one game, a 7-3 loss to Pittsburgh on January 5th. The team maintaned a 12-1-0-1 record through the entire month.

Alex Kovalev was the Molson Cup winner for January after scoring 9 goals and adding 10 assists for 19 points in 14 games. Kovalev surpassed Andrei Kostitsyn and Andrei Markov, who were the other considerations.

Pavol Demitra was the NHL January Player of the Month after scoring 8 goals and 12 assists in 14 games with the Minnesota Wild. Jonathan Toews of the Chicago Blackhawks was the NHL January Rookie of the Month; Toews registered 7 goals and 5 assists in 13 games.

MONTREAL CANADIENS
53GP - 30-15-3-5 - 68 Points [1st in the East]
191 Goals For [2nd in the League]
158 Goals Against [8th in the League]
19.72% on the Powerplay [1st in the League]
82.72% on the Penalty Killing [22nd in the League]

[duff88]

Canadiens not unbeatable in February


Marco Sturm scored with less than four minutes to go to lead the Bruins to victory

February 1st 2008 - Marco Sturm ruined a nice comeback by the Montreal Canadiens tonight in Boston. With four minutes left in the game, Sturm scored the game winning goal, inflicting the Canadiens their first loss in twelve games. Things seemed to go well for Montreal as Saku Koivu, Andrei Markov and Roman Hamrlik had scored the last three goals to tie the game at 3-3, but after killing penalties to Michael Ryder and Tom Kostopoulos, the team's problematic penalty kill failed and allowed a goal on a penalty to Kyle Chipchura.

"We can't get penalized in a tie game with less than 10 minutes to go." said captain Saku Koivu. "This is something we'll have to learn and correct."

"The team had worked hard for the last 12 games, period after period. Tonight we didn't work in the first, and that's what ultimately killed us."

This was the Canadiens' first loss after a 12 game winning streak.

Boston Bruins 4 , Montreal Canadiens 3
Shots: 23 - 28
BOS PP: 2 of 5 (4 shots)
MTL PP: 0 of 3 (2 shots)
               
Boxscore for the game:
------------------------------------------------------------
18:35 1-0 BOS Brandon Bochenski [15] (Jan Hrdina, Matthew Lombardi)PP
------------------------------------------------------------
27:25 2-0 BOS Chuck Kobasew [15] (Andrew Ference)
28:32 3-0 BOS Matthew Lombardi [12] (Brandon Bochenski, Matt Lashoff)
31:02 3-1 MTL Saku Koivu [23] (Alex Kovalev, Andrei Markov)
------------------------------------------------------------
41:04 3-2 MTL Andrei Markov [10] (Tom Kostopoulos, Mathieu Dandenault)
49:02 3-3 MTL Roman Hamrlik [8] (Josh Gorges, Tomas Plekanec)
56:39 4-3 BOS Marco Sturm [13] (Matthew Lombardi, Brandon Bochenski)PP
------------------------------------------------------------

[duff88]

All-Star fun in Atlanta


Jaromir Jagr was the Player of the Game with 3 goals and 3 assists

February 11th 2008 - The Skills Competition and NHL All-Star game were held this weeked in Atlanta.

On Saturday night, the annual All-Star event kicked off today with the skill competitions. Team North America and Team World competed in six different races and the fans got to see their stars shine.

Team World won the puck control relay with a team of Alexander Ovechkin, Jaromir Jagr and Marian Hossa. Paul Kariya of Team North America won the fastest skater competition, beating Maxim Afinogenov in the final. Rob Blake of Team North America won the hardest shot competition with a result of 100.7 MPH. Joe Thornton of Team North America won the accuracy shooting competition, beating Alexander Ovechkin in the final. Kari Lehtonen of Team World won the goalie competition (pass&score), beating Martin Brodeur in the final. Team World won the breakaway relay with a team of Ladislav Nagy, Daniel Alfredsson & Alex Kovalev.

Team World won the All-Star game on Sunday, beating Team North America 11-7. Jaromir Jagr was the star of the stars, scoring 3 goals and 3 assists. Among the Canadiens representation:

Saku Koivu had a goal and an assist playing with Martin Straka and Ladislav Nagy. Alex Kovalev had an assist playing with Pavol Demitra and Alex Ovechkin. Andrei Markov had an assist, on a pairing with Kenny Jönsson. Chris Higgins had an assist playing with Joe Thornton and Brian Gionta.

[duff88]

Canadiens under .500 during February


Despite his team's insuccess in February, Alex Kovalev continues to be dominant.

March 1st 2008 - The Canadiens had more losses than wins in a month for the first time of the season during February. The team was coming into the month with a 12 game undefeated streak, but the streak was quickly ended by the Boston Bruins and the team never quite came back as strong. The team fell from the first, down to the fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Alex Kovalev didn't slow down though, and he was the Molson Cup winner for February after scoring 8 goals and adding 11 assists for 19 points in 12 games. Kovalev surpassed Saku Koivu and Andrei Markov, who were the other considerations. Alex Kovalev was also named the NHL February Player of the Month. Nicklas Bäckström of the Washington Capitals was the NHL February Rookie of the Month; Bäckström registered 5 goals and 7 assists in 11 games.

MONTREAL CANADIENS
65GP - 35-21-4-5 - 79 Points [4th in the East]
230 Goals For [1st in the League]
197 Goals Against [9th in the League]
19.95% on the Powerplay [1st in the League]
83.33% on the Penalty Killing [18th in the League]

[duff88]

Trade deadline one week away


Michael Nylander will try to help the New York Islanders into the playoffs.

March 7th 2008 - The trade dealine is one week away, and after a season where there were very few moves, a first important trade took place. The Washington Capitals traded centre Michael Nylander to the New York Islanders for prospects Mark Katic, Jesse Joensuu and Simon Lacroix.

A native of Sweden, Michael Nylander was originally drafted to the NHL by the Hartford Whalers in the 3rd round of the 1991 entry draft. He has appeared in 873 NHL games during his career, notching 210 goals and adding 446 assists along with 435 penalty minutes. The 35 year old center had played 65 games with the Washington Capitals this season, totalling 21+26=47 with 23 PIM.

In Montrea, with the recent good play of depth forwards Bryan Smolinski and Mathieu Dandenault, the Canadiens are not expected to make any moves for forward. There are possibilities of a trade for a veteran defenseman to solidify the defensive corp.

[duff88]

Major three team, nine players deal one day from deadline


A lot of future stars were dealt, but Nathan Horton is the current centre-piece of this trade

March 13th 2008 - Only one day from the trade deadline, the Florida Panthers, Philadelphia Flyers and New Jersey Devils made a major deal with a total of nine players changing teams.

In this deal, New Jersey recieves Nathan Horton (FLO) and two minor league players from Philadelphia, Garrett Klotz and Mattias Trattnig. Florida recieves last year's second overall draft pick James Van Riemsdyk (PHI), Nathan Paetsch (PHI) and Karel Rachunek (NJ). Finally, Philadelphia recieves Travis Zajac (NJ), Vladimir Zharkov (NJ) and Shawn Mattias (FLO).

New Jersey hopes this move will permit them to go far in the playoffs. Florida recieves one of the top prospects in the league while Philadelphia probably recieves the biggest value from this trade with two good prospects and a young player with a lot of potential.

[duff88]

Montreal deals for De Vries


Greg de Vries will add experience and stability to the Canadiens blue line

March 14th 2008 - On a relatively slow trade deadline day, the Montreal Canadiens were one of the few teams who made a move to strenghten their team in view of the NHL Playoffs. The Canadiens traded young belarussian forward Mikhail Grabovksi to the Nashville Predators for veteran defenseman Greg de Vries.

A native of Sundrige in Ontario, Greg de Vries has appeared in 800 NHL games during his career, notching 48 goals and adding 147 assists along with 686 penalty minutes. The 35 year old defenseman has played 70 games with the Nashville Predators this season, totalling 5+16=21 with 42 PIM. de Vries won the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Colorado Avalanche.

"We wanted to add a veteran defenseman to solidify our team." said GM Bob Gainey. "Greg is going to come in and add stability to our team, he is a hard worker, a solid defensive player and he is a real leader."

de Vries is expected to suit up for the first time with his new team on March 17th against the Boston Bruins. He will be paired with Roman Hamrlik and wear #77.

It was a very slow trade deadline day. Among other important moves, Alexander Radulov was traded to the Washington Capitals, Rostislav Olesz to the San Jose Sharks, Tuomo Ruutu to the Edmonton Oilers, Sergei Fedorov to the Calgary Flames and Alexei Zhitnik to the Pittsburgh Penguins .

"Everyone waited to see what others were doing, and in the end few people moved." said Gainey. "We think we needed to add a piece to the puzzle in order to be real contenders."

[NoSkillz]

Which rosters are these? Buffalo is pretty crappy this year but Detroit in last place in the West?!? Yikes...

[duff88]

Originally Posted by NoSkillz

Which rosters are these? Buffalo is pretty crappy this year but Detroit in last place in the West?!? Yikes...

There's only one real 07-08 roster available for EHM, the one created by the excellent community on FHockey.com.

It's a big surprise seeing Detroit last in the West, and Los Angeles second in the league, but what can I say... I still think the results are pretty accurate; not a 07-08 simulation but an alternate reality.

[duff88]

Canadiens end March on the way to first place


Andrei Markov won the March segment of the Molson Cup.

April 1st 2008 - The Canadiens had an excellent month of March and are now on a race with the New Jersey Devils, and less closely the Carolina Hurricanes, for the first place in the Eastern Conference. The race for first place could end in the final game of the season as the Devils and Canadiens are expected to meet in Montreal on April 7th.

Andrei Markov was the Molson Cup winner for March after scoring 2 goals and adding 10 assists for 12 points in 14 games. Markov surpassed Saku Koivu and Cristobal Huet, who were the other considerations.

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, who scored 15 goals and 4 assists for 19 points in 15 games, was the NHL March player of the month. Nicklas Bäckström of the Washington Capitals was the NHL March Rookie of the Month; Bäckström registered 7 goals and 10 assists in 13 games.

MONTREAL CANADIENS
79GP - 45-24-4-6 - 100 Points [1st in the East]
276 Goals For [1st in the League]
230 Goals Against [5th in the League]
21.49% on the Powerplay [1st in the League]
83.91% on the Penalty Killing [14th in the League]

[duff88]

Montreal face Devils for first place


Cristobal Huet hopes to surpass Kevin Weekes in net

April 7th 2008 - The Montreal Canadies (46-23-4-7) are one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils (46-25-3-7) in the race for the first place in the Eastern Conference with one game to play in the season. And that game will have those two Eastern Conference leaders go head-to-head; the Devils need a win in order to finish first, a tie or loss would give the Canadiens the first place. Kevin Weekes, usually backup to Martin Brodeur, will be in net for this game.

The team who finishes second will face the Tampa Bay Lightning who have lost only 3 of their last ten games. The team who finishes first will have to wait for the result of tommorow's matchup between the Washington Capitals and the Tampa Bay Lightning. If Washington wins the game, they will finish 8th and make it to the playoffs. If they tie or lose, the Boston Bruins, who have already completed their season, will retain this position.

[duff88]

Scoring fest between league's two highest scoring team


Michael Ryder scored his 30th and 31st goals of the season to help Canadiens get past Devils

April 8th 2008 - The race for first place ended tonight with a match to decide who would finish first in the Eastern Conference. Both teams fought hard, but the Montreal Canadiens came back from a 4-3 deficit midway into the third period to win the game 6-4.

Michael Ryder scored his second goal of the night with ten minutes to go to tie the game at four before Mike Komisarek scored the game winning goal three minutes later. Tom Kostopoulos completed the score in an empty net.

The Montreal Canadiens will have to watch tommorow's game between the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning to know who, of Boston and Washington, they will face in the first round of the playoffs.

Montreal Canadiens 6 , New Jersey Devils 4
Shots: 24 - 31
MTL PP: 2 of 2 (5 shots)
NJ PP: 0 of 4 (9 shots)
               
Boxscore for the game:
------------------------------------------------------------
08:24 1-0 MTL Saku Koivu [35] (Guillaume Latendresse, Steve Bégin)
13:28 2-0 MTL Andrei Markov [17] (Michael Ryder, Guillaume Latendresse)PP
------------------------------------------------------------
33:04 2-1 NJ Zach Parisé [34] (Paul Martin)
34:52 2-2 NJ Dainius Zubrus [28] (Sergei Brylin, Mike Rupp)
39:57 3-2 MTL Michael Ryder [30] (Andrei Markov, Saku Koivu)PP
------------------------------------------------------------
44:51 3-3 NJ John Madden [16] (Mike Rupp, Sergei Brylin)
49:13 3-4 NJ Zach Parisé [35] (John Madden, Paul Martin)
50:32 4-4 MTL Michael Ryder [31] (Bryan Smolinski, Tomas Plekanec)
53:42 5-4 MTL Mike Komisarek [3] (Alex Kovalev)
58:55 6-4 MTL Tom Kostopoulos [7] (Greg de Vries, Mike Komisarek) EN

[duff88]

Capitals makes it


Alexander Semin was the first star of the game with 4 points

April 9th 2008 - Alexander Semin scored a goal and three assists while Brian Pothier netted two goals as the Washington Capitals beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-1 to steal the 8th place to the Boston Bruins and make it to the NHL Playoffs.

The Capitals will face the first place Montreal Canadiens in the first round.

[duff88]

Regular season ends


Waiver pickup Mikael Tellqvist had a great season to lead the Los Angeles Kings to the President Cup

April 9th 2008 - The Los Angeles Kings, lead by the brio of their first line of Ladislav Nagy, Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown as well as the excellence of goaltender Mikael Tellqvist, won 9 of their last 11 games of the season to steal the first place in the league to their closest neighbor, the Anaheim Ducks, and win the President Cup.

At the bottom of the league, the Buffalo Sabres may have ended the season well, but it was still a disastrous performance by the team who was one of the powerhouses last year. The Detroit Red Wings were another big deception, betrayed by a lack of depth and subpar goaltending highlighted by the team's last place in Goals Against.

Sidney Crosby once again won the Art Ross trophy, scoring 49 goals and 58 assists for 107 points, twelve more than the second in list as the only player above the 100 points mark.

Nicklas Lidström was the top point scorer among defenseman with 18 goals and 49 assists for 67 points, but he was a surprising -16, a huge indicator of his team's insuccess.

Jonathan Toews was the best scorer among rookies with 30 goals and 37 assists for 67 points in 82 games, but Nicklas Bäckström's 21 goals and 31 assists in 60 games deserve an honorable mention.

Most Goals
1. Sidney Crosby (PIT) - 49 Goals
2. Eric Staal (CAR) - 46 Goals
3. Jaromir Jagr (NYR) - 42 Goals
4. Dany Heatley (OTT) - 41 Goals
5. Alexander Ovechkin (WAS) - 40 Goals
-. Henrik Zetterberg (DET) - 40 Goals

Most Assists
1. Sidney Crosby (PIT) - 58 Assists
2. Daniel Alfredsson (OTT) - 57 Assists
3. Vaclav Prospal (TB) - 56 assists
4. Joe Thornton (SJ) - 55 Assists
5. Paul Kariya (STL) - 54 Assists
-. Ladislav Nagy (LA) - 54 Assists

Most Points
1. Sidney Crosby (PIT) - 107 Points
2. Eric Staal (CAR) - 95 Points
3. Ladislav Nagy (LA) - 92 Points
-. Joe Thornton (SJ) - 92 Points
5. Alex Kovalev (MTL) - 90 Points

Most Defenseman Goals
1. Nicklas Lidström (DET) - 18 Goals
2. Andrei Markov (MTL) - 17 Goals
3. Wade Redden (OTT) - 16 Goals
-. Sergei Zubov (DAL) - 16 Goals
5. David Tanabe (CAR) - 14 Goals
-. John-Michael Liles (COL) - 14 Goals

Most Defenseman Assists
1. Nicklas Lidström (DET) - 49 Assists
-. Wade Redden (OTT) - 49 Assists
3. Andrei Markov (MTL) - 47 Assists
-. Dion Phaneuf (CGY) - 47 Assists
5. Tomas Kaberle (TOR) - 46 Assists
-. Brian Rafalski (DET) - 46 Assists

Most Defenseman Points
1. Nicklas Lidström (DET) - 67 Points
2. Wade Redden (OTT) - 65 Points
3. Andrei Markov (MTL) - 64 Points
4. Dion Phaneuf (CGY) - 60 Points
5. Sergei Gonchar (PIT) - 58 Points

Most Rookie Points
1. Jonathan Toews (CHI) - 67 Points (82-30-37-67)
2. Nicklas Bäckström (WSH) - 52 Points (60-21-31-52)
3. Patrick Kane (CHI) - 45 Points (74-19-26-45)
-. Andy Greene (NJ) - 45 Points (82-8-37-45)
5. James Sheppard (MIN) - 28 Points (42-11-17-28)

Best Goals Against Average (Min. 40 Games)
1. Jean-Sébastien Giguère (ANA) - 2.60 (61GP, 37-15-3-6, 90.6, 2.60, 4SO)
2. Martin Brodeur (NJ) - 2.64 (63GP, 36-18-2-5, 91.0, 2.64, 2SO)
3. Marty Turco (DAL) - 2.68 (61GP, 36-16-2-5, 90.9, 2.68, 5SO)
4. Miikka Kiprusoff (CGY) - 2.69 (65GP, 33-23-3-5, 90.7, 2.69, 4SO)
5. Mikael Tellqvist (LA) - 2.72 (53GP, 32-12-3-5, 91.1, 2.72, 3SO)

MONTREAL CANADIENS
82GP - 47-24-4-7 - 105 Points [1st in the East]
289 Goals For [1st in the League]
237 Goals Against [5th in the League]
21.54% on the Powerplay [1st in the League]
84.28% on the Penalty Killing [8th in the League]