Game 63: Habs vs. Devils

Montreal 4, New Jersey 3 (OT):

FIRST PERIOD:

- Al (Tony) Montoya gets the nod for the Habs in goal, saving Carey Price for tomorrow night's inevitable start against the Blue Jackets. It was Montoya who endured all 10 of Columbus's goals that infamous night last November.

- Gallagher with a fast and physical start to the game - another Habs player who like Galchenyuk, seems to be rounding back into form.

- Galchenyuk line also with gusto to start the period - good forecheck tilting the ice towards Jersey's direction when they hit the ice.

- Devils look so much like the Habs were during the worst dumb-and-chase days under Michel Therrien. Makes for some pretty unwatchable hockey, nevermind a rather meek attack.

- Mentioned this in passing in the pregame piece, but would really like to see Julien give Andrighetto a legitimate chance on the 3rd line, and demote Byron to the 4th. Andrighetto is playing a far more aggressive and creative game.

- Habs with far more speed entering the O-zone, Danault line giving the not-so-good Jersey defence all it can handle. Still, the Canadiens aren't converting on their opportunities, which for an inferior Devils team, is exactly what they'd be hoping for.

- While it takes Petry out of the picture, would really like to see Emelin sent out not during either a Galchenyuk or Danault line shift. Because he's such a terrible puck passer, Emelin really hampers what strengths those two lines bring to the table (skill and speed).

- There it is - opportunities missed and then given. Weber with a poor play, attempting to pass the puck up the boards from behind his net to Plekanec, but the pass is far too hard and high for Plekanec to handle, and the resulting turnover to Palmeri is buried past Montoya. 1-0 Devils.

- Frustrating end to a period that was definitely favouring the Habs - but again, it's the defence more than anything that tends to let this team down, and this time, it's Weber with an error that he ought never make. Montreal is still probably mentally fragile, so we'll soon find out whether they'll find a way of bouncing back from that play, or folding up their tents for another day.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Slight possession edge to Montreal, but the Weber mistake looms large - at least at the moment. Habs CF (5v5): 51.5%:

- Emelin is a wreck. Aimless in his own zone, unable to make even the most basic plays, and now a terrible trip to put New Jersey on the powerplay. Can't help but wonder how much longer Julien can tolerate the intolerable. 

- Fortunately, this Devils powerplay is mediocre at best. New Jersey on the whole has played unimpressively tonight, and somehow, the Habs are finding a way of letting their opponent and this game pass them by.

- Habs are trying to bump and grind their way to victory tonight - and it's failing. Miserably. 

- So, Desharnais promoted to 2nd line, and Galchenyuk is shifted over to the wing. Michel Therrien was fired, right? Asking for a friend.

- If Julien wants to shake things up, he could start with the so-called top line. After a decent 1st period, the Danault line has gone into total hiding. Would it kill this team to at least try Galchenyuk up the middle there for a few shifts?

- Nobody stepping up for the Habs. Nothing certainly from the deemed leadership - Pacioretty, Weber, Plekanec, Markov. Totally uninspired effort by a team that simple can't afford to keep losing.

- Plekanec and Gallagher with what one might call a very good shift for the Habs. That's the period highlight right there.

- Mortifyingly mediocre, borderline poor, imminently uninspired period by the Canadiens, who far more resemble a team playing out the string then their actual opponents, who at this point, are playing out the string. Inexcusable stuff.

THIRD PERIOD:

- Two uninspired periods down, one more to endure. Habs just not showing up. What else can you say?

- Is there a team more burned by losing D-Zone faceoffs this season than the Habs? Moore with a point shot that goes through about 14 legs and between Montoya's legs to make it 2-0. That might just be the killer blow.

- Hold that thought - at least for the next few minutes, as Radulov quickly replies with a snap shot that beats Schneider clean. It's 2-1.

- Schneider isn't elite - but the Habs approach to playing him is treating him as such. That Radulov goal is a good illustration that if you get shots on goal from decent scoring positions, good things can happen.

- Radulov certainly seems to be more inspired this period - one might think if anyone is likely to score a tying goal for the Habs, it'll be him.

- Markov with a poor play, trying to play the puck up the boards (a relic of the Therrien era), which generates a turnover breakaway, Danault forced to take a hooking penalty, and the Devils concert on the powerplay seconds later. That should do it. 

- Whelp, it ain't quite over yet, as again the Habs respond in a matter of seconds, Pacioretty with his 30th, Schneider again not looking very good. 

- Habs get their first powerplay of the night, 11 minutes left, an actual chance of tying this game. Hold on to your hats.

- Pretty good powerplay, the best chance being Pacioretty alone with the puck 20 feet in front of Schneider, but instead of shooting, he passes off (fruitlessly). Always the shots you don't take that kill you.

- Lehkonen, obviously trying hard to impress the new coach, rag-dolled most of the game. Tough night for him has resulted in limited minutes as the game has progressed.

- Habs pushing hard, really hard, knowing the desperation of the situation. As the clock winds down, sinking feeling it's all too little too late.

- PATCHES STEPS UP TO THE PLATE AND DELIVERS. With 52 seconds left, the Habs fight their way back to tie the score.

- Well, Habs needed a leader, someone to elevate, and the captain came through in spades, scoring two late goals to give his team at least one precious point in the standings. An overtime point will be critical towards getting this team back into a good position for making the playoffs, so buckle up.

OVERTIME:

- Radulov and Galchenyuk go out together, and look fantastic. Claude Julien, take hints when they're handed to you.

- Beaulieu dumped and the Habs get an OT powerplay. Hold on.

- Galchenyuk. One timer. The Habs, incredibly, win the game. What a gutsy comeback. A massive victory. Maybe even their biggest of the whole damn season. More importantly, this team's most important players delivered when it was needed - Pacioretty, Radulov and finally, Galchenyuk. 

Galchenyuk wins it in overtime with a big blast. Huge win for the #Habs. pic.twitter.com/CVarz4ukek

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) February 28, 2017

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GAME PREVIEW: FORGET THE TRADE RUMOURS, HABS MIGHT BE ON A WINNING STREAK!

Woah, are the Habs on the cusp of winning TWO games in a row? Is this possibly possible? In this crazy ol' world where they can't give out the right envelope for Best Picture, maybe just maybe, the Montreal Canadiens are about to accomplish what once seemed improbable - nay, impossible - an actual "winning streak".

The chance of winning consecutive game won't come much better tonight, as the Canadiens take on the Devils in New Jersey (Donald Trump's secret favourite team, if you wanted to get a little hate going). In any case, the Habs will be seeking to sweep the season series against Jersey this evening - in their two previous meetings, Montreal handily beat the Devils 3-1 and 5-2.

Tonight's contest might be the last for the Habs, at least, as we know them - with the trade deadline coming up in just two days. Lots of speculation going around about the Habs looking to bolster their top 6 forwards, or bottom 3rd pairing (although what Montreal really needs to focus on is finding a way of not having Alexei Emelin play, full stop).

What Marc Bergevin does, be it trading away the able Greg Pateryn, or David Desharnais (please let that be so, PLEASE), or finding someone to take away Tomas Plekanec (very unlikely), or somehow making a meaningful addition without trading away a blue chip prospect (of which the Habs don't have many) or high round picks (of which the Habs need to get more blue chip prospects) remains to be seen. I believe, at the end of the day, Bergevin won't make any significant deals because the Habs don't really have anything to trade that other clubs are interested in (other than high level prospects and picks, which Bergevin has already categorically stated he's not willing to move).

Anyway, back to tonight's game. Here's the Habs' supposed lineup tonight:

Pacioretty/Danault/Radulov
Lehkonen/Galchenyuk/Gallagher
Byron/Plekanec/Shaw
Andrighetto/Desharnais/Mitchell

Weber/Markov
Petry/Emelin
Nesterov/Beaulieu

Subtle adjustments by Claude Julien, both agreeable. First, putting the more capable Lehkonen next to Galchenyuk (who's rounding back into form), and moving the less capable Byron next to Plekanec. It helps move the Canadiens offence into more of a traditional approach - the first two lines more focused on scoring, the 3rd on checking. That 4th line though - who knows? It's been such a dog's breakfast this season, it almost seems on most night's it's a compilation of spare parts. David Desharnais gets favoured over Michael McCarron, Sven Andrighetto arguably could do better with a top 9 placement, moving Byron down to the 4th. Oh well. At the very least, we don't have Brian Flynn playing tonight.

Okay, let's check out the Devils. With Jersey essentially out of the playoff hunt this season, they're sellers for the trade deadline, and today announced that Kyle Quincey will be removed from the lineup, likely because by the end of the day, he'll be traded. So, with Quincey out, expect to see this formation:

Hall/Zajac/Palmeri
Bennett/Henrique/Blandisi
Cammalleri/Josefson/Noesen
Wood/Coleman/Smith-Pelly

Greene/Lovejoy
Merrill/Santini
Moore/Severson

Starting goaltenders haven't been announced, but we're guessing it's Cory Schnedier vs. Carey Price.

Puck drops at 7:10 EST.

CNN BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: Habs have traded Greg Pateryn and a 4th to Dallas for defenseman Jordie Benn. I think this qualifies for a "hmmm".

UPDATE TO UPDATE: Benn's numbers (49.3% CF) this season stack up less than Pateryn's (52.7%) - so that Bergevin traded the better player away and added a pick, no question the deal was a win for the Stars. Not an overwhelming win, but still - they're a small step forward, Habs a small step back.

Another point of consideration - with today's trade, the Habs suddenly find themselves overloaded with left handed defencemen (Markov, Beaulieu, Nesterov, Emelin and Benn), with only Weber and Petry the righties. Someone on that left side hasn't got a future in Montreal. 

Game 56: Habs vs. Coytoes

Montreal 5, Arizona 4 (OT):

FIRST PERIOD:

So Hanzal isn't playing tonight, indicating a) he's really sick, b) he's about to be traded, or c) he's about to be traded and he's really sick about it.

- Great first shift by Plekanec line, even better one for Danault, as Pacioretty tucks home the puck off a nice little pass from Danault (Coyotes defence dreadfully soft) for his 200th career NHL goal. Not too shabby. 1-0 quickly for the Habs.

- Max Pacioretty has the same goal production per game (0.37) as Patrick Kane, who was drafted ahead of him in 2007. Kane among the recently announced Top 100 Greatest NHL Players of All Time. So there you go.

- Maybe the players sensed a wake-up call, this Habs team not nearly as passive tonight as they were against the lowly Avs. These losses, especially against bottom-feeders, can present upside. 

- Mike Smith really fighting the puck tonight. Habs forwards would be wise to crash the crease for some loose pucks.

- Makrov with a blast off the post makes it 2-0, courtesy some excellent hard work by McCarron and Carr behind the Arizona net to win the puck battle and get the puck to the line. Habs 4th line already looks much better than they ever were with the Flynn/Mitchell/De La Rose/Desharnais combinations.

Markov makes it 2-0 with a rocket from the point. Solid work by the 4th line to create the turnover. pic.twitter.com/Nt24KAfJsm

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) February 10, 2017

- McCarron is doing everything you could reasonably ask of an NHL 4th liner - he's being physical, he's working hard, he's generating puck turnovers, and to boot, he's scoring points. Com'on Michel, give the guy a full-time job already.

- First period in the book, I guess that's more like it?  Very good periods for both the Danault and McCarron lines, Alex Galchenyuk with a so-so period, still not really clicking with Lehkonen and Byron. Greg Pateryn also looks good - he brings a nasty edge to his game that Nikita Nesterov seemed incapable of providing during his few starts in a Habs uniform. Price steady but unspectacular - these are the kinds of games he tends to thrive in. So far, as they say, so good.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Habs 5v5 CF in the 1st, 55.3%. Solid period. Not dominating, but solid. 

- Galchenyuk's first shift of the 2nd period his best so far tonight. Still, I don't think he's anywhere close to 100% the same player he was two months ago. Knee injuries are tricky to fully recover from. While healed, some players might still lack the same strength and mobility they had pre-injury. Galchenyuk's recovery will take time.

- Habs just manhandling the Coyotes so far, it's not a blitzing, more like a slow, twisting suffocation of their opponent. Arizona spending way too much time and energy defending their zone, barely registering a smite of offence in this period. 11 minutes left.

- McCarron and Byron with gold-plated scoring chances this period, Mike Smith catching more than a couple of huge breaks flailing in his net, while the puck found ways of staying out of the net. Should be a blowout score right now, so technically, the Coyotes are hanging in, but only barely.

- Que Andrew Shaw with dumb-assed penalty, this time a totally unnecessary hook. It gives the opposing team a chance of getting back into this game. If I'm the coach, this thing is driving me totally crazy.

- Danault given a bogus delay of game penalty at the end of the Shaw penalty. Coyotes with a gift powerplay.

- Dvorak converts, of course. Habs get jobbed by a bad call. 2-1.

- Paul Byron, who hit a crossbar, and is mired in a slump that's lasted well over 2 months, joins the stupid crowd, and gets nailed for an interference. All coming apart so quickly for the Canadiens here.

- Carey Price with an insane save off a Peter Holland breakaway. Then Holland digs at what appears to be a frozen puck until it's pushed across the line. Of course, the call goes against the Habs upon review, and the game is tied.

- Haha. Total Habs meltdown here, Goligowski, as Price totally loses track of the puck, not to mention some downright atrocious defence by Pateryn and Emelin. Coyotes take a stunning 3-2 lead, and again, it all started with Andrew Shaw taking a bad penalty. 

- 2nd period complete. Well, what can you say? Repeating ourselves here, but the Canadiens were in total and full control of this game, missing a couple of sure-fire scoring chances that would have salted this game away for certain. Then Andrew Shaw made yet another costly poor decision that gave the Coyotes momentum that turned this game totally on its head, and the Habs went from two points in the bag, to one goal down on the scoreboard. Stunningly bad period that's underscoring some of the more dysfunctional aspects of this hockey team - 1) the Canadiens continuing issues with its defence, and 2) this team being consistently hurt by singular plays by individual players. 

THIRD PERIOD:

- Habs had a pretty dominative 2nd period, but as we mentioned, it only takes one stupid selfish play by one player for the worm to turn against, no matter how well you might be playing collectively. 5v5 CF in that 2nd period alone was 75%, but it's all for naught.

-

 Just a reminders, Bergevin brought in so-called "character guys" that were supposed to push this team over the hump during inevitable times of duress. Well, this is one of these times. Let's see how well those moves have paid off.

- Well, that's a good first sign. Pacioretty with his 2nd of the night, 27th of the season (just 3 behind Sid!!) on the powerplay to tie the game. Leaders stepping up to the plate - at least Max is. Will anyone else follow?

- 4th line making a statement tonight, and it reads as follows: "keep Desharnais and Flynn as healthy scratches unless and until the earth ceases rotation on its axis".

- Habs again controlling most aspects of this hockey game extending through the first half of this 3rd period. There is no good reason why they should not come away with 2 points, but one gets the feeling they'll find a way of blowing it.

- Nix that, Pacioretty with another brilliant shift, basically willing the puck to his side, and Radulov doing the usual Radulov thing, which is being great, crashing the low slot to beat two defenders to a loose puck and tuck a shot just under the bar to give the Habs the lead again.

- This ... now THIS is a dominating period, 6 minutes left, Price has had to handle 2 shots, neither being remotely dangerous. Coyotes play a pretty terrible possession game, that bears an interesting similarity to how the Habs were playing two years ago. 

- Unbelievable. Price kinda-sorta misplays a poke of the puck, which hits his shoulder, then off the inside his pad, and into the net. One of the craziest, flukiest goals you'll see, and it burns the Habs who, until this point in the game, had pretty much held their opponent to zero in the period. Game is tied.

Not Price's best night pic.twitter.com/yEOF0DwnnW

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) February 10, 2017

- So who had money on Carey Price struggling to keep his Sv% above .900 this season? Anyone? Anyone? Hello?

- Overtime. Well at least we got this far, but with Carey Price playing as he has tonight, and the past month, colour me as lacking confidence the Habs will end up with the extra point.

OVERTIME:

- Not sure how we even arrived here, but Habs 5v5 CF tonight? A ridiculous 66.3%:

- Radulov and Pacioretty have been on FIRE tonight, a two man demolition crew tonight. So in OT, Therrien splits them apart. Genius.

- Paul Byron. Two month + slump just got a whole lot worse, as he hits his second crossbar tonight, this time with Smith totally down and absolutely out and most of the net a gaping receptor of any pucks offered her sweet, netty embrace.

Galchenyuk ends it in overtime. A great shift by Pacioretty set up the goal. pic.twitter.com/qRz4pN1vQI

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) February 10, 2017

- Galchenyuk. Sweet, merciful Galchenyuk ends this preposterous hockey game. Max Pacioretty was all world tonight, carrying the team on his back, scoring two and assisting two, including the OT winner. Might have been his most brilliant NHL performance to date - he was that good. Habs just barely wrangle out two points against the League's 2nd worst team, but somehow, that considered, it feels like the kind of win that might spark this team back into a winning mindset again. We'll see, as the Habs have two games to play this weekend before getting their mandated week of rest.

THE HABS ARE PLAYING THE COYOTES, AND I FOR ONE, AM TERRIFIED

PANIC. PANIC. PANIC. Is it time to panic yet? Hey, let's ask G.M. Marc Bergevin. Hey Marc-o, this is your team, your coach. How's it shakin' over there?

Report: Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin holds separate meetings with players, coach https://t.co/8fP5AFZxVE pic.twitter.com/x5NWsOWAVI

— Yahoo Sports NHL (@YahooSportsNHL) February 9, 2017

Ah, well ... that's ... interesting? Any other completely baseless speculation you can toss our way, oh great Twitter Gods?

This could be bad. Is Claude Julien headed back to coach in Montreal? https://t.co/j19WX0FUd9

— StanleyCup ofChowder (@cupofchowdah) February 9, 2017

Hey, I'd be just about the first guy to lose my mind in ecstatic glee if Bergevin dumped Therrien for Julien, but com'on everyone. Who actually thinks that Marc "fox hole" Bergevin would fire his guy, HIS GUY, still technically a "first place" hockey team, almost right in the middle of a hockey season? Naw. Not gonna happen.

What's more likely happening here is Bergevin has seen his team, with an almost totally healthy roster, totally stink the joint for more than a week, and is having a few one-on-one chats with the perceived dressing room leadership (it's speculated that he met with Max Pacioretty, Carey Price and Shea Weber) to gauge their opinions about how the team is playing, whether there's some on-ice issues or pieces that he should consider addressing as the trade deadline approaches - Occam Razor's stuff.

The baseless speculation was undoubtably "perked" because this meeting apparently was not attended by Therrien, which shouldn't really come as much of a surprise. Therrien, for those who have watched him closely the past few years, has never been an involved head coach. Behind the bench, he very rarely, if ever, oversees strategy with the players, and never draws up plays (he defers to his assistants - last year it was Gerard Gallant, this year it's been Kirk Muller).

Therrien (I'm guessing) was alerted to the meeting in advance by Bergevin, gave his okay, and it happened. End of (non) story.

Now. If the Habs were to somehow miss qualification for this spring's playoffs, then watch out. Changes would be coming down fast and hard, and Therrien would be first in line as sacrificial smoked meat.

Otherwise, nothing's happening. Sure, this club would realize a huge upgrade if it hired Julien as the next head coach, but timing being everything, it's almost certainly not going to happen.

So, with Michel Therrien still firmly in control of his bench, adjustments, accordingly, have been made. We have healthy scratches tonight! They being David Desharnais (second time in three starts he's been scratched), Brian Flynn (second time in three starts) will also watch from the press box, and Nikita Nesterov, who has, shall we say, underwhelmed his new team, will also sit. Mike McCarron, Greg Pateryn and Daniel Carr, who've been in and out of the lineup for most of the season, will play tonight. Expect to see Carr paired with McCarron and Mitchell on the Habs 4th line (which has been stinking up the joint for 3 solid months).

Over on Arizona's side, the Coyotes haven't played since Sunday, which does not bode well for a Habs lineup desperate to reach their mandated rest period which is coming up next week. Arizona is enduring another disappointing season, their on-ice struggles not being helped much by off-ice drama revolving around ownership uncertainties, ranging from a new arena that now appears to be DOA, to speculation that the franchise is avidly seeking relocation to the northwest, either Portland or Seattle.

Arizona is also being dogged (haha ... dogged ... get it?? ahh ..... okay) by player health issues. Alex Goligoski and Martin Hanzal, the later of which has become the focus of intense trade speculation, are game-time decisions because of the flu. Brad Richardson, whom the Coyotes took off the hands of the L.A. Kings last summer, is still recovering from a long-term leg injury. Don't feel bad for Brad, he's still picking up one hellova paycheck.

Tonight, it's Carey Price vs. Mike Smith (12W, 15L, 5OT, 2.86 GAA, .917 Sv%). Puck drops at 9:10, EST.

Game 6: Flyers vs Habs

THIRD PERIOD:

- Habs and Flyers after 40 minutes of play. Habs CF dropping all the way down to 45.2%. 

- As we mentioned earlier, the Flyers defence is not fleet afoot. Surprised the Habs gameplan didn't take advantage of this by carrying the puck in more than their usual dump-and-chase strategy.

- As the period progresses, it appears more and more the Habs are attempting to play for at least a point. Taking few offensive chances, lots of icings, and defence is really playing positionally cautious.

- Flyers shot attempts first half of the period better than 4-to-1 ratio more than the Canadiens, which is all kinds of bad if you're Montreal. 

- Radulov, holy crap. What a blast. One time pass from Weber (irony!) to set up a cannon slap shot that Mason probably didn't even see. Habs powerplay connects, and Montreal leads 2-1 with 7 minutes left.

- Apparently, Gallagher deflected that Radulov shot in, which was all kinds of amazing.

- Carey Price time to shine. Flyers are seriously in tough. They'll need something like that Gallagher goal to salvage at least a point.

- We puzzled about it when the shift was made to start the 2nd period, but the Weber/Emelin combo has easily been the Habs best pairing tonight. 

- Habs really retreating hard to their own zone, shutting down Flyers ability to organize a half-decent shot attempts. Flyers are opening up now, Desharnais just missed a glorious chance in front of Mason.

- Carey Price as per usual, does the Carey Price thing, and tonight's big start, Radulov, puts it into the empty net. That's your difference as we anticipated. Any game up for grabs with Price in the net provides an inherent advantage. Habs keep the wins going. 

FIRST PERIOD:

- A little news was mentioned this morning about the Habs making some tweaks to their powerplay, in which they'll switch out Markov to add another forward, specifically Radulov. The Habs did this last year, using Plekanec, to mostly unsuccessful results. It really doesn't matter who the Habs send out there, if their powerplay doesn't have their forward pushing the slot, they'll continue to get mediocre results.

- Both defences aren't exactly Speedy Gonzalez, which means guys like Byron and Galchenyuk might get their share of chances tonight.

- Oooh, Habs first new look powerplay. Here we go.

- Let's not be too harsh here, but safe to say Radulov stumbled out of the new look powerplay gate.

- Anyway, unless and until the Habs modify their approach, they'll still be bottom third in the League with the man advantage. This means being more efficient gaining the zone, not being so emphatic with perimeter passing, and not obsessing over point shots from Shea Weber, who struggles with accuracy.

- Wayne Simmonds with a clear check from behind on Markov, sending Andre head first into the boards. Once again, this is the crap the NHL must eliminate, and whose officials refuse to penalize. Anyway, where's Andrew Shaw? We might seem him have more than a word with Simmonds before this night is over.

- One explanation is one of the refs, Chris Schlenker, is officiating his first NHL game. Having been in the system, I can tell you that minor league officiating does a very poor job preparing officials for making tough, but necessary calls - like checking from behind. Focus is far too much on game management (not making calls), and far too less on protecting the safety of its players.

- Kirk Muller was just interviewed at the bench by RDS, said he didn't like what he saw from the first powerplay (well, that's not a stretch), and that he's wanting "more shots". That sounds rather simplistic to me, but then again, it was just a 20 second interview.

- Ho-hum period of hockey, both team offences weren't very organized, speciality units were pretty bad, both Price and Mason faced virtually nothing of difficulty. Mostly a period of attrition by two teams that have enjoyed an early season of favourable puck luck. When teams like that face each other, the net result is usually bad and boring hockey.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Nobody would fault you for nodding off during that 1st period. Anyway, Habs had slight puck advantage, 5v5 CF was 56.6%

- Habs 3rd line, the Desharnais line, continues to be a pleasant early season surprise for the Canadiens. Perhaps, just perhaps, Desharnais is thriving more not having to deal with the assumed pressure of being a top-6 forward. He's shown good chemistry with Byron and Shaw.

- The 2nd period has been the Flyers period this season - 12 of the 19 goals they've scored has come during this frame.

- Blue line shakeup! Weber paired with ... Emelin? HRMMM.

- No idea what's happening with Habs defence, except that it appears that Beaulieu has possibly entered Michel Therrien's doghouse.

- Habs powerhouse line tonight has been their 4th line. Which is all you need to know about how good (or terrible) this game has been.

- Excellent hustle by Radulov to win the puck behind the Flyers net, feed the line to Weber for a one timer that changes directions, and beats a blind Mason. Habs puck luck continues to dazzle this season.

- Not sure what Radulov ate for breakfast, but he's been a monster this period. Flyers would be best to just step out of the way.

- Habs 2nd powerplay, again Radulov at the point, but Galchenyuk is yanked for Desharnais. Uhh ... kay?

- Flyers tie it up, Voracek deflectng a Giroux point shot, Habs Petry and Markov not doing a very good job defending the slot.

- At this point, I think Muller is just tossing out different player combinations with the man advantage - trying to find something of a spark. That's fine early in the season, the best time to experiment. Still, this team has to do better gaining the zone. Fundamentally, that's where the dysfunction originates from.

- A slightly less awful period of hockey, but still, full sympathies to anyone who paid to see this game live. Both teams struggling to generate anything resembling momentum - passing has been poor, translation game has been disorganized, and zone entries ... mainly dump and chase affairs. This game is pretty much up for grabs - probably favouring the Canadiens with Price in net, but that aside, whomever wins tonight, it won't be a stellar 2 points. 

GAMEDAY GAME PREVIEW:

Alright, first let's get the lineups taken care of. Here's the Flyers:

Schenn/Giroux/Simmonds
Konecny/Couturier/Voracek
Cousins/Bellamare/Read
VandeVelde/Gordon/Lyubimov

MacDonald/Gostisbehere
Provorov/Manning
Schultz/Streit

Steve Mason

And the Habbies, same as the lineup Saturday night against the Bruins:

Pacioretty/Galchenyuk/Gallagher
Lehkonen/Plekanec/Radulov
Byron/Desharnais/Shaw
Danault/Mitchell/Flynn

Markov/Weber
Beaulieu/Petry
Pateryn/Emelin

Carey Price

Alright, bad news. No Dale Weise! In case you hadn't seen or heard, Weise is in the middle of serving a three game suspension for this:



Oh, Dale. We love ya, but you never were the sharpest tool in the hockey shed. Anyway, since Dale isn't playing, it freed up time for him to give interviews, including one to Montreal reporter Amanda Stein, when he was quoted saying this:

An interesting perspective, but nothing we didn't already suspect. In a season that was full of Habs management pointing fingers at everyone else but themselves, you know - all part of the "no excuses" culture, it follows that the likes of Marc Bergevin and Michel Therrien would ostracize Subban to shade their own failings.

Anyway, tonight's game. The Flyers are coming off a win Saturday night against Carolina, which broke a 3 game losing streak for Philadelphia, who've struggled early out of the gate. But then, just look at that lineup. Sure, the Flyers have an excellent first line, a midling 2nd line, and studs like Gostisbehere on their blue line, but after that, things really go down a steep hill. The Flyers are putting up early numbers that indicate wins will be tough to find this season - ranked 24th in EV Corsi, a passive offence with a 26th ranked S/GP, and a weak PK, something the organization has been struggling with for the past few years, still ranked near the bottom of the League in effectiveness. If there is one saving grace for the Flyers it's been their PDO, 5th ranked at 103.1, largely because of the Flyers' ridiculous shooting percentage early in the season - 13.9% - by far the best in the NHL. If it wasn't for the Flyers knack for finding the net, they could easily be 0-5, instead of 2-2-1.

One interesting stat to take note of - the defensive zone starts. The Flyers have been excellent here - just 25% of their faceoffs have been in their zone this season - likely in part because Philadelphia likes to play an aggressive forecheck, in part because their defence does a pretty decent job initiating transition.

Over in Habsland, it's full steam ahead, with the Canadiens now the only NHL team that hasn't suffered a regulation loss. As we mentioned yesterday, the underlying numbers so far indicate the Habs have enjoyed the benefit of significant puck luck, in combination with very good goaltending. It's not a matter of if, but when, the Habs luck will regress to the norm. Likely sooner rather than later. Whether the Canadiens can still muster up victories without the bounces is a looming question.

Puck drops tonight at 7:40 EST.

Game 49: Habs vs. Blue Jackets

THIRD PERIOD:

- Habs and Blue Jackets after 40 minutes, with the 30th place team taking it to the Habs in the 2nd period:

- Clean sheet of ice, Habs powerplay to start the period goes absolutely nowhere. Not even to generate a little momentum. 

- Desharnais line with their best shift of the night, Barberio nearly backhanding one in, Habs appear to have some wind in their sails. Surely this team knows it cannot afford to lose two "easy" points.

- Puck luck still violently against Habs, point shot hits Petry and goes right on the stick of Saad, who has 6 feet of wide open net to choose from. This team, I tells ya ... 

- Less than 6 minutes left, desperate times ... so Therrien puts out the 4th line, which has been a train wreck the past two months. We shrug our shoulders.

- Sense of urgency? Habs trouncing the Jackets for shot attempts in this 3rd period, but nothing really urgent. Team needs to push with everything they've got.

- Columbus just dumping, icing, repelling pretty much every Habs "attempt" to attack the zone. Canadiens have 4 minutes left. You'd never know it watching right now, though.

- Why is Therrien sending out the 4th line with 3 minutes left? WHY.

- Dismal. Habs couldn't even gain zone possession. Just dismal. Habs lose to 30th ranked Blue Jackets. Just. Abysmal.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Habs and Blue Jackets after 20 minutes:

- More sloppy zone play by the Habs defence, coughing up the puck deep, with Atkinson with a meek backhander that Condon whiffs on. 2-1 Columbus. Sigh. Habs can't afford to surrender weak goals like that.

- Plekanec line, and Galchenyuk in fine form tonight, the later determined to do it all on his own (to his detriment, I suppose).

- Uh. Kay. Subban with a shot from centre ice that Korpisalo can't pick up, an incredibly weird goal. Then the officials give Subban a two minute unsportsmanlike call after he gives Dubinsky a little shove while going back to his bench. An incredible call by an NHL official, giving us all the fodder we require with the belief this League's officials target P.K. 

- Kendrick Nicholson, who officiated his very first NHL game 8 days ago, gave Subban that penalty. Not saying the League is breeding a new generation of targeting officials, but that's definitely not a good sign.

- Puck luck (negative) continuing the hamper the Habs - Eller a crossbar in the first, Petry a post in the 2nd. 

- Win or lose, there will be conversation about that Subban penalty, because his minor denied the Habs of momentum they would have enjoyed from tying the game.

- Not a good period for the Habs, started slowly, then made more deep zone errors, undisciplined penalties, and Condon failing to stop a routine backhand shot. Subban managed to get the Habs back on even terms, but the Habs simply can't afford to play the 3rd like they play the 2nd, or another loss is on the way.

FIRST PERIOD:

- So Subban will start after all, the question being, will tonight's Subban be the regular P.K., or the one we saw struggle through much of the game Saturday night.

- Jackets starting their backup tonight in Korpisalo, so Habs would be wise to shoot early and often.

- Habs defence continues to struggle effectively moving the puck out of their zone, doing the usual bank job along the boards, which two times out of three, results in a puck turnover. Columbus' defence by contrast, more patient, more effective moving the puck forward.

- A Habs-friendly bounce? Yup. A Habs-friendly bounce, with Gallagher a shot that goes off Jack Johnson's foot and in. 1-0 early. 

- Lars Eller continues to play excellent hockey, especially so since his return to his natural position at centre. Hopefully that will be the end of his endless shuffle from there to wing.

- Habs with blind attempt to clear the zone by firing the pucks up the boards (Barberio) results in, you guessed it, a direct turnover, and zone coverage chaos, with Atkinson burying the puck to tie the game at 1. It's maddening to see again and again, how poorly this team handles the puck in its own zone.

- Carr takes an awkward spill into the boards, his leg getting pinned under his body. On the bench in obvious discomfort, has missed two consecutive shifts. 

- Now Torrey Mitchell is off to the room, with a leg injury. 

- One period down, Habs the better team, much more puck possession and shot attempts, but it still isn't going to mean a hill of beans unless this team takes firm steps towards correcting its sloppy play, specifically in its own zone. This team is getting killed firing pucks up the boards, giving the puck away, and scoring chances. 

GAME PREVIEW: WE CAN'T LOSE TO THIS GUY. WE JUST CAN'TJohn Tortorella! How is this guy even employed? Well he is, and he's the head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets. I'd had this date circled with great anticipation because it always brings joy to my heart to have my team beat one of his teams. So I've been, to say the least pretty bummed out this week because Tortorella won't be behind the bench tonight because he's recovering from broken ribs. DENIED. Gawd. This season has sucked.

Anyway, besides not getting to beat Tortorella, are we dream to dream the undreamable? Dare we think the unthinkable? A Montreal Canadiens winning streak?

Well hey, that's what's up for grabs tonight as the Habs take on the Columbus Blue Jackets in Ohio. The Canadiens, fresh off their skin-of-the-teeth win over the hapless Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday night, look to get back into the playoff race with a (count 'em!!!) 2nd straight win.

The Jackets, in case you somehow missed it, pulled off a rather large trade three weeks ago, in which they sent young star forward Ryan Johansen to Nashville, in return for young star defenseman Seth Jones.

The net effect from this trade since it was announced? Both the Jackets and Predators have fallen off the cliff, with Nashville putting up a 3-5 record, being outscored 21-23, while the Jackets have faired even worse, going 2-6 since the deal, in which they've been outscored 18-28.

See? Making big deals does not necessarily cure all that ails a team, something every Habs fan should take to heart, and Marc Bergevin ought readily consider.

So the Habs might, yes ... just might have a decent shot of actually winning their second straight game tonight. Although even that hope is being tempered by news that P.K. Subban has been puking his guts out the past 24 hours, and may or may not be available for play. If Subban can't play tonight, it'll be the first time ever, yes ... ever, that Subban will miss a game because of injury or sickness.

In any case, with or without Subban, the Habs will tackle this Blue Jackets lineup:

L1: Junner/Dubinsky/Atkinson
L2: Hartnell/Wennberg/Saad
L3: Foligno/Karlsson/Rychel
L4: Calvert/Campbell/Bourque

Murray/Jones
Johnson/Falk
Tyutin/Prout

Korpisalo.

Habs will be playing same lineup as Saturday, and if Subban can't go, Greg Pateryn will probably slot in for third line duty, likely promoting Beaulieu up on the first line next to Markov.

Mike Condon in goal for the Habs.

Puck drops at 7:10 EST.

Game Fifty-Seven: Flames vs. Habs

Third Period:

- Broken record, Carey Price carrying to load with almost no goal support. Habs holding on so far.

- Over the last 20 periods and 8 minutes, The Habs' offense has scored 7 goals in front of Price. Seven.

- Emelin is simply incapable of consistently moving the puck out of his zone. That's probably his biggest, among numerous, failings this season.

- Flames pressing, Habs very much on the defensive hanging on for dear life. Don't know if Price can hold this for the 5 remaining minutes.

- Flames aren't going away. Doing everything possible to keep the puck and pressure on in the Habs zone. You'd have to figure Price needs to make one more big save to out this away.

- Habs have won two clean draws, electing to ice the puck each time. Dumb, dumb.

- Cammalleri gets nailed for a borderline hook with 30 seconds left. Wow.

- Deshaenais. Goodnight. Another shutout for Price. Same story - Habs muster out a win but their fundamental problems remain. 

Second Period:

- Puck under Price, I think it came within 2 inches of crossing. Flames with early control in the second, they're playing an ideal road game so far. Close checking, patiently awaiting opportunities as they present themselves.

- Holy moly, Lars Eller called for handling the puck from the faceoff circle for the second time this season. What was he thinking???

- Briliant two minute long 5-on-3 kill by the Habs. That's a PK just about at its very best.

- That might have been the best penalty kill by this franchise in years. It really was that good.

- Plekanec unit easily the most dangerous out there. Agonizingly close a few times changing the circle into a straight line.

- Bourque just can't quite do it. It's the epitomy of a career. Just. Not. Quite. Able.

- Bourque rushes, splits the D, can't get a shot on goal. It's just not gonna happen.

- The Doug Murray suckage not nearly as bad as Sunday vs. the Jets. But he's still slow and soft in the crease. That will and can never change.

- The gods have tossed Rene Bourque a bone. Finally. 1-0 Habs.

- P.K. can't bury an open net. It's been that way for him since his Olympic selection.

- Habs marginally more effective transition team - their possession not the usual disaster tonight. It's been good enough to provide them a slender 40 minute lead. But it won't be nearly enough to carry them to the finish line. Hoping the White line gets more shifts during the final frame. 

First Period:

- Ryan White returns to action tonight, which is a pleasent surprise.

- Solid first shift for the White/Wiese/Moen line, creating a couple of decent scoring chances, and generating precious energy for a team that's had very little going since early December.

- Habs definately the stronger starting team first 4 minutes.

- White line 2/2 for good shifts.

- I think we've got something cooking here. Habs 4th line 3 shifts, each very strong. White flying out there.

- Both teams blocking shots like crazy, unsurprisingly. We may not reach 10 combined total before this period is done.

- Price guilty of too many sloppy giveaways the past couple of games. Explanation? Who knows.

- Excellent (exceptionally boring) road period for the Habs. 9 total shots for both teams. Ugh. I'm sure the Flames are quite happy with that result.

— Mathieu Roy (@Le_Matheux) February 4, 2014

TUESDAY NEWS 'N' NOTES

- Ryan White joined the team at practice this morning, playing along side Bournival and Weise - Moen taking an optional. One assumes that when White is 100%, that he, Moen and Weise will comprise the Habs' new 4th line unit.

Practice lines:

Line 1: Brière/Plekanec/Gionta
Line 2: Pacioretty/Desharnais/Gallagher
Line 3: Bourque/Eller/Prust
Line 4: Bournival/White/Weise

Gorges/Subban
Markov/Emelin 
Murray/Beaulieu

Price.

Flames Lines:

Line 1: Hudler/Backlund/Stempniak
Line 2: Cammalleri/Marahan/Colborne
Line 3: Bouma/Stajan/Jones
Line 4: Westgarth/Galiardi/McGrattan


MONDAY NEWS 'N' NOTES

- Christian Thomas was sent back to Hamilton today, to clear the way for Weise, who'll start tomorrow against Calgary.


DIAZ TRADED:

Habs have shipped Raphel Diaz to Vancouver in return for Dale Weise.

Diaz has been a healthy scratch for nearly a month, so the deal isn't a surprise. Weise is a bigger winger who's been a chronic scoring underachiever. Call Weise Rene Bourque light, if you like. But my initial reaction is that Weise is just about the last thing this team needed to add. I'd have taken a draft pick.

Actually, the Diaz trade was completely unnecessary to begin with. For two months Therrien subjected him to numerous visits to the pressbox in favor of playing guys like Francis Bouillon and Doug Murray. The net result was not only a far weaker Habs blue line, but the complete depletion of Diaz' market value.

Bottom line - this was asset mismanagement, and the Canadiens' organization walks away from the deal a weaker organization.

Game Forty-Seven: Devils vs. Habs

HAPPY HUMP DAY!

Do we still suck?

Yeah. We still suck.

 

New Jersey 4, Montreal 1

Third Period:

- Well, we can take some salvation in that we probably don't have to go through with Brodeur stoning the Habs to defeat. Just one more period to endure.

- On three days rest Habs simply have no legs tonight. So what's their excuse?

- Devils are playing the perfect two goal lead, right now. This is how well coached teams with average rosters can put together an above average performance.

- Devils focused on uptempo checking, puck possession. One shot through 12 minutes, I'm sure they could care less.

- Habs really dreadful with transition tonight - Murray is the usual culprit here. If you can't cleanly break out of your zone, you're not going to score. It's that simple.

- Part and parcel with the terrible transition, Habs have had just two starts in the Devils' zone through 14 minutes of the 3rd. Two.

- Prust careless high stick. Shove a fork in the Habs, they're done. Not like they really had a chance. Not tonight. Not with this effort.

- Bourque is simply incapable of finishing plays. It's that simple. His mantra for playing in this League is to score. He cannot. What's the point? 

- Devils might only register one shot in this period. And win easily. #TherrienHockey

- Devils got two shots on net. One into an empty net.

- That whimper you heard was the Habs collective performance tonight. This team right back to where we thought they were. 

Second Period:

- Gelinas with a howitzer from the line, beats Price on the powerplay. Assist to Doug Murray for perfectly screening his goaltender. 2-1.

- Now 3-1, Clowe runs Price even more so than Gallagher did on Brodeur, but this time the refs look the other way as Henrique jams it home. 3-1.

- Open season on Price, Habs defenders unable to hold their crease, refs unwilling to call interference.

- Great play by Eller who held the puck during Habs line change and feeds Gallager in front. 3-2.

- Did Gallagher kick that in?? Looks close.

- Taken away. Because, the Habs.

- Make-up trip call there? Only matters if Habs score on e powerplay. Oh yeah. The powerplay. Forget it.

- An "okay" man advantage, but Habs really couldn't sustain pressure, which is their biggest issue right now. Team doesn't seem capable of making the necessary adjustments.

- So obvious question, if Bourque is seeming incapable of burying his attempts, how is he any asset to a mightily struggling powerplay? Don't get how he's being utilized.

- Another powerplay, another Bourque shift into nothing. This madness must stop.

- Just dismal. Man advantage has zero organization, zero confidence.

- 2nd period controlled by Devils, Habs Saturday night game looking more like an aborrration. Canadiens back to their old bad habits, offense sputtering, powerplay in the wilderness, defense sloppy clearing their zone. Adds up to the Devils lead. See no reason why they shouldn't have little trouble coasting to victory.

First Period:

- Gallagher goes for goaltender interference. Fans don't like the call, but it was correctly assessed. Nonetheless, it's the kind of infraction I love to see.

- Habs PK off to rock solid start, Plekanec looks again tonight like he's got his wheels motering.

- Pacioretty. From 35 feet. Wrist shot. Beats Brodeur. Cold. Brilliant. 1-0 Habs.

- Prust sprung home all alone, and he passes it back to ... Murray? Big Do'h.

- And then Jagr scores. Because, of course. Habs turnover by Gorges. Eller in la la land, Price totally screened.  An easy goal for the likes of Jaromir.

- Bourque has scored this year, right? I can't remeber the last time.

- This period. Not exactly Josh Gorges at his finest.

- Good road period for the Devils - kept the Habs in check, were patient and took advantage of opportunities. Habs somewhat sloppy in their zone, slight indifference contributed to Jersey's game tying goal. Hard to feel out who's got the advantage headed to the 2nd.

Gameday Game Preview:

Okay, let's see if this thing is FOR REALZ.

We're all feeling pretty fine out here on the El Rancho del Habs ... land ... O ... not sure where I was going with that, but anyway, after a resounding victory of the feared Chicago Black Hawks on Saturday night, a few of the faithful are starting to double-think this whole "WE SUCK BECAUSE COACH THERRIEN IS AWFUL AND WE'LL NEVER SEE THE CUP AGAIN" sentiment.

Full disclosure here, I was thrilled by what happened over the weekend, but it hasn't changed my stance about how this team is (or isn't) being coached. I still think that Michel Therrien has turned out to be the guy we thought he was - intemperate, rash and strategically incompetent man incapable of guiding this team to loftier heights. Realistically, his dismissal won't be happening anytime soon - unless the Habs suffer a collapse of Fidenae Amphitheater proportions (I'LL BET YOU HAD TO LOOK THAT UP).

So tonight, last game for Marty Brodeur in Montreal? Sure looking that way. Not that Habs fans will have deep regrets if they never see is face in town again, at least while he's in full gear and standing between goalposts. A career 1.81 GAA against Montreal, Brodeur has eaten us alive over the past 20 or so years. Thanks Marty, but we surrender. Happy trails. Don't come back again, like ... ever ... ya hear?

Bordeur's Devils aren't exactly setting the hockey world on fire. They've only won 2 of their past six games, including Sunday's extra time loss to the Leafs. How embarrassing!!  While New Jersey continues to play its usual defense-first boring tempo, which has given them a 6th overall League rating, their offense, or lack of, has dragged them down badly. With just the 27th rated offense, the Devils have fallen victim to a number of narrow losses this season - 19 of their 28 losses so far have been by one goal margins. That's a sure-fire formula for missing the playoffs.

You'd have to wonder where this team would be had it not signed Jaromir Jagr over the summer (it should have been US ... bah!). He leads New Jersey with 36 points, way ahead of Patrik Elias who's 2nd with (just) 25 points. This team can't score. But then New Jersey has always been that way, haven't they?

The difference this season is that the team is just not as strong defensively as in past years - this is a club in transition, but it's making the right steps, acquiring Cory Schnedier, who'll become the unabashed starter for the organization once Brodeur finally retires - likely at the end of this season.

Over in Habsland, the formula should be simple. Play like you did on Saturday. Coach Therrien is going with basically the same lineup and lines, except that George Parros won't play, and seven defense will be dressed. Now I'm all fine with Parros getting the scratch, but the 7 d is a bit puzzling given they're facing one of the weakest offensive teams in the League.

But that's the coach's decision, I guess. So I'll just shrug my shoulders and hope for the best.

Puck drops at 7:40 EST. It's Brodeur vs. Price.

==============================================



It's game day. Let's get right into some news.

UPDATE: Therrien has changed his mind. Parros will be a healthy scratch tonight. Martin Brodeur has been confirmed as the Devils' starter.

- Habs will be playing same lineup tonight as they did Saturday. That means more Parros and no Bouillon.

- The Montreal Gazette is reporting that Andrei Markov has started negotiations with Marc Bergevin for a contract restriction. Markov, who'll be a UFA at season's end, is representing himself in the talks, after turfing agent Don Meehan in October. At a discount rate, the Habs would be foolish to let Markov walk.

- Marc Bergevin gave a little Q&A yesterday. It was ... shall we say ... not encouraging. To paraphrase the esteemed Habs G.M.:

1. Bergevin is totally happy with Brian Gionta this season, and would gladly welcome him back next year, at the right price. Ugh.

2. Bergevin isn't displeased with Daniel Briere's performance so far, because Briere is an "historically slow starter". Except that Briere isn't. The past four season's, he's averaged a tad under 1 ppg over the first half of the season. This year, he's averaging 0.4 ppg. A significant drop-off. I know Marc was attempting to tie a ribbon around a turd, but who's silly enough to eat such nonsense up?

Okay, enough about Habs management, or lackthereof.

- Speaking of Briere, here's a take from a New Jersey perspective, on why the Devils might be interested in trading for the underachieving Habs forward. DO IT MARC ... oh wait. They want us to take Anton Volchenkov in return? UHHH ... that doesn't help.

- In light of Thomas Plekanec's brilliant performance Saturday night against the Hawks, there's increasing speculation that finally, Pleks might be gathering serious consideration for a Selke Trophy.

- Tonight: Marty Bordeur's final start in Montreal? Odds are, if he is played ... that this will be his final curtain call.

More later.

Game Forty-Six: Hawks vs. Habs

DAY AFTER THE DAY BEFORE TODAY


Okay, what the heck was that?!? Coming off one of their worst team performances of the year in Philadelphia; coming off another matchup where the head coach had no idea how to put up a proper lineup; coming off an horrific loss where the team's best player was bench most of the final period while the club was only two goals down, the Habs ... our Habs, go out Saturday night and play their best game of the entire season. Heck, that might have been the best game played by this franchise in five years.

This hockey. I just don't get it

What is there to say other than the team deserves its collective dues. Everybody deserved a gold start from top to bottom. Alexei Emelin, who's been totally ineffective since his return from injury delivered two thumping hits last night and played his zone with apt and ease. Gold star for you. Thomas Plekanec, while -1, looked like a Selkie Trophy candidate, not only commanding countless rushes (and successfully gaining the opponent zone), but his backchecking was ferocious. Gold star for you. Raphael Diaz and Doug Murray, who had two nerve-racking shifts in the first period, amazingly started clicking and settled down for the rest of the game, nullifying Joel Quennevielle's line match tactics. Gold Stars for the both of you.

Rene Bouque was dangerous all night, David Desharnais another solid outing, and George Parros, yeah ... that George Parros, was an actual asset tonight - his screen was probably the difference in Markov's first goal of the night. Gold stars for all of you.

Carey Price, outstanding as usual. Andrei Markov with his game of the season, spectacular and deserved the star of the night.

On and on we could go - but the bottom line is simple. There were no passengers on the Habs bus Saturday night. Everyone came out to play, and everyone delivered.

It was a statement game. A win that can catapult teams to lofty heights. We will see shortly whether Saturday night was an abboration, or perhaps an indication that this Habs team might be a bit more special than we've given them credit for.

========================================================


Montreal 2, Chicago 1 (OT)

Overtime:

- Plekanec on a break. Death.

- MARKOV WINS THE GAME. And what a game. Heroic performance tonight by the Habs. Wonderful!!

Third period:

- Habs Fenwick through 2 periods, 55% (very good), and 61% while on even strength (very great). Outstanding numbers against a team like Chicago.

- Crawford the reason why Chicago isn't done like dinner this point in the game.

- Crawford. Dear lord. What a show tonight. Those in attendance getting very cent value of their ticket.

- A playoff game in January. That's how intense these two teams have played tonight. Can we have 80 minutes, please?

- Might be one of those very, very rare nights where I've got nothing bad to say about anyone in the Habs lineup.

- Hawks just one shot through 9 minutes. Brilliant period played so far by the Habs.

- And as I type that in, Towes sets up Sharp to Hossa, outstanding transition by Hawks, Gionta couldn't keep up with his check (Hossa), and the game is tied. Got quite a finish on the way.

- Watched that Chicago goal on reply. It's so brilliant - it's the kind of goal they use in clinics on "how to play hockey very, very well". 

- Well, I won't get 20 more minutes, much as I'd love it, but maybe 5 or less? Tremendous game, outstanding effort by the Habs.

Second Period:

- Question answered - Hawks with spirited start to the period.

- Habs can't be pretty - too many fancy passes on the rush will go nowhere. Just drill the net and look for a Crawford rebound.

- Emelin with quite possibly his best hit since coming back, levelling Smith who had his head down. Hawks don't like it, but Habs fans will be heartened.

- Habs have had the better legs tonight and it's helped give them 3 powerplays to Chicago's none so far.

- Can the Habs just decline the penalty? Just dismal tonight with the man advantage. Beyond tentative.

- Not surprisingly, the Hawks get a boost from the kill and generate two sparkling chances on Price. Ergo, the desire to just say no to a powerplay.

- Halfway through this game Hawks have just mustered 8 shots on Price, which is kind of crazy.

- A zillion bucks says next penalty call is on Montreal.

- Price hasn't been very busy but the few he's faced have been pretty tough saves.

- Markov! Shot on net! Goal! Did Parros make that play?? 

- Habs have collectively been very good tonight, but Eller has (again) been distant, tentative, and relatively ineffective. It's been that way at least a month.

- At some point Price has to start getting into the Hawks' head. He might have already.

- Penalty. Habs. Told ya.

- Excellent blocking and recovery by Prust on the PK.

- Oh, Lars Eller. How can you miss that?

- Really should be 2-0 Habs but no matter, I think there's little question this has been the Habs' best quality effort all season. They've given the Hawks everything they could handle and more. It's impossible to be overtly critical when you see an effort like this. Really want to see the team come away with two points tonight. They roundly deserve it.

First Period:

- Hawks appear to be targeting Diaz/Murray for line matching, sending their biggest guns out once that pair is sent out. They know their opposition, they know what they're doing.

- Holy moly, when Chicago takes possessin of the puck they just don't let to. Hawks are everything the Habs need (must) be to win.

- Spurt of pressure for the Habs generates a powerplay, Briere and Bourque with some nice work, hard to believe, I know.

- Hawks will give you the point on the PK, but they shut down the lanes against anyone who's got a dangerous shot from the line. Which means, Subban and that's it.

- Two straight powerplays for Habs, they've generated some decent pressure, Hawks have had trouble adapting.

- Remeber when Diaz was a major specialty unit weapon? He was - for about three months. Now, not so much.

- Sticking Gorges out with the man advantage is essentially conceding advantage. Has it never entered the minds of the strategists to use four forwards?

- Well at least the Habs are competing. But you just have the feeling the Hawks are a cat with a yarn ball. Just toying with the Habs now, but eventually they'll pounce.

- Diaz/Murray continue to be an adventure.

- Well, be darned to say this but very good first for Habs, outshooting Hawks by 5 and outhitting them by 4. Also won 10 out of 14 in the circle. A very un-Habs period of play, which is a good thing. It will be interesting to see what adjustments the Hawks make during the intermission. I'm sure Quenneville wasn't  pleased with what he saw.

========================================

Gameday Game Preview:

Hoo boy. What to do about this one.

By all rights, tonight's game won't be much of a contest. The defending Stanley Cup champions make their only (thankfully) visit to the Bell Centre this season, as they take on the hobbling Montreal Canadiens.

As we discussed the past couple of days (read my article about Michel Therrien below), the Habs are going the wrong direction in a very bad way, not unlike the Toronto Maple Leafs. Once one of the team's top puck possessors, the Canadiens have seen the production of their once top-rated offensive unit fall like a rock to the bottom third of the NHL.

While the Canadiens nearly desert-dry red line has seen it at least score at a slightly higher pace the past week, the blue line has suddenly fallen on very hard times, likely a result from the moves made by Therrien resulting in the removal Raphael Diaz from the starting lineup to make way for the use of Doug Murray and Francois Bouillon. The result: a string of losses to what was supposedly weaker competition, 4 goals surrendered to Florida on December 31st, 5 to Carolina, and 4 to Ottawa. Once tied for the top-rated defense in the National Hockey League, the Habs have now fallen to 4th overall - still "elite", but definitely headed in the wrong direction.

Tonight, it could get ugly. The Habs will take on the likes of Patrick Kane, Marian Hossa, Jonathan Towes, Breant Seabrook, and Duncan Keith.

Counterparts to this powerhouse? Why, none other than Geroge Parros, whom inexplicably will get a start tonight. I guess the "rationale" for Parros' start is that the Hawks have drawn the 3rd most penalties minutes in the League this year - but they aren't an extraordinary rough team - they have just 7 majors this season, tied for second fewest in the League.

And so the decisions, however inappropriate or illogical, continue to be made, and the Habs, conversely, continue to flounder.

It could get ugly. It should get ugly.

Puck drops at 7:15 EST.

About Michel Therrien

When Marc Bergevin announced on June 5, 2012, that Michel Therrien was to be the 27th head coach in the Montreal Canadiens' history, I wasn't particularly thrilled with the decision. The Habs were coming off one of their most disastrous seasons in franchise history, finishing in last place in their Division, and nearly last overall in the entire National Hockey League.

At the time, there wasn't a whole lot of people to choose from to be the next Habs bench boss. The Habs ownership and upper management were stubbornly determined that the next head coach had to be Francophone, or at the very least, fluent in french. It's a requirement that's always baffled me - while the team does play in a language-sensitive city, I've always held the belief that fans of the Canadiens don't give two figs about what language their head coach speaks, as long as the team produces a winning product. Scotty Bowman, who couldn't speak a lick of french much beyond bonjour, did just fine, thank you very much.

Nonetheless, the Habs focused their eyes on french-only speaking individuals, which severely limited their options. As spring progressed, the field of candidates had seemingly been whittled down to three - and none of them were particularly enthralling.

There was Patrick Roy, who had coached a few successful seasons in the QMJHL for the Quebec Ramparts. While Roy had a winning record with the kids, he'd also displayed an unpredictable temperament, leading some, including myself, to second-guess whether he had the emotional maturity to handle a big-league team.

There was Bob Hartley, whom after winning a championship as head coach in 2001, then put together a string of underwhelming seasons leading to his dismissal from the Avs in 2003, and later on with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2008.

Then there was Michel Therrien, who from the outset, seemed to be the longshot candidate amongst the bunch to land the job.

Dismissed from the Habs as head coach in 2003, largely from his inability to properly manage his bench, and his emotional immaturity that ultimately spun out of control during an infamous game 4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2002 Eastern quarter finals. Leading by three goals midway through the 3rd period, and seemingly cruising to an easy victory which would have given the Habs a commanding 3-1 series lead (and almost certain berth to the Stanley Cup semis), Therrien went ballistic after a questionable cross checking call was made by referee Kerry Fraser on Habs defenseman Stephan Qunital. Standing on the bench and firing off a series of loud coarse epitaphs (much like what you'd see in the video above), Fraser, who'd had enough, called an abuse of official bench minor, giving the 'Canes a two minute, two man advantage.

Carolina took full advantage, scoring quickly on their powerplay, and then again, and from then on out, dominating the rest of the 3rd, tying the game late in the period, and eventually, winning in overtime, 4-3. Carolina would ultimately win the remaining two games with relative ease - the Habs were never able to recover from the shock of their game 4 implosion.

Therrien's meltdown not only cost the Habs their season, it ultimately cost him his job as head coach.

Therrien didn't stay unemployed long. In 2005, he became the head coach of the up-and-coming Pittsburgh Penguins, whom had build an exceptionally strong core of young players via high draft picks after a string of losing seasons. And then in 2005, the Pens struck it lucky - winning a lottery draft giving them the first overall pick, which they used to draft Sidney Crosby. The Pens were on their way.

Therrien, though, hadn't changed much of his personality. He was still temperamental, and still struggled to utilize his bench assets to their fullest potential. The Pens, who quickly emerged as championship-potential contenders amongst pre-season experts, stumbled to deliver on their promise.  Missing the playoffs in 2006, losing in the first round in 2007, Therrien finally got his talented team to a Stanley Cup final in 2008, ultimately losing to the Wings. Even with that series loss, there was little to believe that Pittsburgh wouldn't soon be raising a championship banner.

The 2008-09 season was full of promise. The Pens were the prohibitive pre-season favorites among most experts to win a championship. But the team struggled early on - and by the 57 game mark, had posted only 27 wins, and were in grave danger of missing the playoffs. Sensing the team was headed nowhere fast, Pens G.M. Ray Shero announced Therrien's firing on February 15, and replaced him with interim coach Dan Bylsma.

Three months later, the Pens won their 3rd Stanley Cup championship.

After spending a few years in the relative obscurity, beyond making occasional analyst appearances on RDS, Therrien's relevance as an NHL coach became an afterthought. So his reemergence as a possible replacement to interim Randy Cunningworth took many Habs fans by surprise. I certainly was one of them, never really taking seriously the premise that this man, whom for so many seasons, proved that he was incapable of managing an NHL team, could possibly get a second chance in Montreal.

But I was wrong. At least, in my assumption that Therrien would return.

However, at the time, I was willing to defer to the judgement of Habs G.M. Marc Bergevin, whom unlike his counterparts from the previous 20 years, seemed knowledgeable and capable. I assumed that during the interview process, Bergevin saw something in Therrien that gave him great confidence that he had found the right man to lead, much like the Pens were in 2005, a young and very talented roster.

The 2013 season seemed to play out as Bergevin had hoped. The Canadiens had, more or less, an excellent 48 game regular season, good enough to win their Division. This in spite of the team's tailspin the final 8 or so games of regular schedule, and quick exit in the first round to the Ottawa Senators. Still, there was plenty of optimism in Habs land that this franchise was headed in a very good direction, with Therrien behind the bench.

But then, this season happened.

October was a relatively successful month for the Habs. Their early schedule was relatively difficult, matched up against very competitive western conference teams. The Habs though, managed to hold their own, and as the stiffness of the competition lightened, the Habs began to pile up victories, putting them in a fairly comfortable position in their Division.

But along the way, something funny happened. The team, which posted some very impressive possession numbers against those tough western conference games in October, as high as 4th overall in the League, suddenly started giving the puck away. A lot.

There were other troubling signs. The Habs defense, which many of us considered to be one of the team's core strengths, struggled to feed the puck to their forwards, which had not only a significant impact on the team's puck possession, it was also chocking the transition, which in turn, suffocated the Habs ability to score goals.

And so December arrived. And the tail started to spin. Downwards. Very quickly. The offense dried up. Entering the month, the Habs had the League's 7th rated offense. Today, it's 21st. The powerplay, once near the very top in the League, has now fallen to 10th.

And then there's possession. Earlier in the season, the Habs Fenwick percentage was 4th best in the NHL. Today, it's 21st. It had the 5th best Corsi rating. Today, it's 26th. Only Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Buffalo are worse. This is not good company to be in.

Nonetheless, the Habs somehow find themselves with 55 points, good for 3rd place in their Division, and a comfortable 8 points removed from a wild card spot. The reason for the Habs somewhat comfortable position is two fold. First, the team plays in a very weak Eastern Conference, where with exception of possibly two teams, nobody could possibly compete for a playoff spot if they were in the West. The second is Carey Price. His performance behind a team that's now falling apart from all seams, has been exceptional. Without Price, the Habs, even in the weak East, would almost certainly be barely north of 40 points.

And maybe that would have been a good thing. A 40 point Habs team a this point in the season probably would have resulted in significant changes.

Still, the Habs are a ship in the sea without sails, or for that matter, a mast. Or even a rudder. They are a team whose coach hasn't demonstrated a capacity to make necessary adjustments, beyond simply throwing out a neverending array of line combinations that ultimately lead to nothing. They are team that employs two aging and totally incompetent defensemen in Francis Bouillon and Doug Murray, both of who are far too slow in their zone, and utterly incapable of feeding the puck forward - the few times they actually win battles.

The Habs are a team whose coach stubbornly refuses to play his very best player to his full potential. They are a team whose coach somehow has come to believe that one of their better playing defenseman, Raphael Diaz, ought to be a healthy scratch to make way for the likes of Murray and Bouillon.

They are a team that can't score, even with a lineup that's near full health. They are a team where one of their young sparkplugs in Michael Bournival, barely sees more than 6 minutes of ice time, while washed-up clunkers like Rene Bourque and Brian Gionta, readily see 14+ minutes a night.

And then, there's last night. Hoo boy. Last night.

Down two goals with a period to play, Therrien decided to send a message - to the team's scoring leader and very best player, because of a single penalty he took in the 2nd period. The net result? Zero shots on net for the first 10 minutes, and ultimately, just 5 shots for the entire period, only one of which bore anything resembling a scoring chance.

In a sense, the incident from last night's game indicates just how little Therrien has progressed over the years. The fundamental issues he struggled with during his first term with Montreal, and then later with Pittsburgh, still hampers him today. An inability to cobble together a properly functioning lineup, an inability to adjust to gametime situations, an inability to make adjustments either during or leading up to games, and an inability to formulate a gameplan. One might summate Therrien's failings as a coach is an inability to develop a team identity. Unless you consider the dump and chase, which is a losing formula in today's game, to be an identity.

There is one aspect in Therrien that has changed. In years past, this man, with an immature temperament, externalized and projected to his rage and fury, often to his own detriment. Therrien admitted as much when he started his second tenure with the Habs, and professed he'd changed his ways - he'd become a much calmer, level-headed individual.

Last night, we caught a glimpse of just how false that declaration was. Therrien is no different, except that his immaturity has been internalized, and converted into passive rage. Instead of berating others with words, he berates them with silent actions which are almost certainly tearing this team apart. P.K. Subban was a victim of this passive anger last night, and his mates, in response, quit.

It has come to this. Michel Therrien has lost this team. He is what we thought he was. He has no business being an NHL coach. Whether Marc Bergevin will, or even can, make the right decision, we will soon find out.