Game 43: Habs vs Wild

Minnesota 7, Montreal 1:

FIRST PERIOD LIVE GAME THREAD:

- Redmond in, Ryan Johnston out, which is most definitely a move in the right direction.

- Habs getting "network" coverage tonight, as the game has been picked up by NBC (for what it's worth).

- Folin scores early, 1-0 Wild. Habs were not very good last night in their own zone, in spite of the victory over a relatively meek opponent. The Wild are a different kettle of fish, so it's more bad omens that Minnesota opens the scoring with a pretty easy goal, with the Mitchell line coasting in their zone, and Weber/Emelin playing pretty soft in front of Price.

- Gonna be one of those back-to-back game efforts tonight, I can just see and feel it coming. Unless the Habs start moving, and so far they're not, this game could get ugly fast.

- Too much open ice in the Habs zone - Price is headed for a busy night.

- 9 minutes in, game settling down a little, after a pretty craptaculour start by the Habs. Seem to be tightening up their play in the neutral zone, which is always a good fallback if you're hoping to slow down your opponent's attack.

- They had an excellent game last night, and so far, pretty decent game tonight. That's Plekanec/Byron and Lehtonen, whom appear to have found a little chemistry lightening in the bottle.

- Lehkonen - a forward whom you can visually see is taking strides forward every game he played. How good is this kid gonna be in a couple of years?

- Wowzers, Habs have played a pretty decent game since the Folin goal - they've definitely tilted the ice towards the Wild's zone. Sometimes these poor game starts can rattle a team into gear. Might be what's happening tonight.

- Habs stumbled out of the period, just 30% CF the first 5 minutes. The last 15? Almost 75%. That's a pretty impressive turnaround, and while the Canadiens might be down by one on the board, they have been the better team. So lots of hope still left the Habs might squeeze some points out of tonight's game.


SECOND PERIOD LIVE GAME THREAD:

- Habs started poorly, but as we mentioned earlier, actually started taking it to the Wild at about the 5 minute mark, finishing the period with a 57.6% CF (5v5). Habs top two lines (Danault and Plekanec) were especially good:

- Habs start the period pretty well, seem to have picked it up where they left off, Plekanec line looking sharp, McCarron line just had their best shift of the night.

- Habs get caught off a bad change, with Petry caught out with Beaulieu. Petry overplays Beaulieu's side, springing Stall free down the opposite side, snapshot beats Price high, and it's 2-0.

- Woah, Carey Price. Schroeder with a deflection that somehow squeaks through, at boom, it's 3-0.

- To be fair, the Schroeder goal was off a pretty incredible deflection, but then Staal goal might raise a few eyebrows and questions about Price's lacklustre play of late. Maybe something isn't right, health-wise. Maybe it's just a cyclical thing - even superstars have slumps. Still, I'm sure questions and musings are going to start in earnest after tonight's game.

- Radulov's gets nailed for a 4 minute high stick, Wild a chance to bury this thing well beyond 6 feet under.

- Habs survive the 4 minute penalty, but Niederreiter has all day and night to stickhandle around a flailing Carey Price, eventually finding the back of the net to put this game on permanent ice.

- Period started well, but more or less ended up a disaster for the Canadiens, who have again been guilty of some questionable defensive zone play, haven't done much to test Dubnyk, and with Price having what can only be described as a forgettable night, the Habs are getting trounced. One of those nights, I suppose.

THIRD PERIOD LIVE GAME BLOG:

- One of those nights were possession doesn't mean a hill of beans. The Habs just haven't mustered very many quality shots on Dubnyk, the Wild continue to get some excellent puck luck, which they've enjoyed much of this season:

- More back-to-earth fodder, Habs scoring chances through 2 periods are signified by the two blue dots on the right side. Which is to say, Carey Price's performance tonight is largely irrelevant.

- Zucker, 5-0. Beaulieu and Petry have been as a defensive pair, and let's been perfectly forthright here, pretty wretched not only tonight, but for the past couple of weeks. Andrei, are you ready?

- 6-0. Is there a reason why Price is in net? Is there a reason why he started this period?

- So file this one in the books under "F" for Forget It. No point in dwelling, and by no means trying to make excuses, but the Habs are injury riddled, and likely very road weary, given that 9 of their past 10 games have been on the road. The team just waved the flag to start the 3rd, and the Wild are just padding their lines. Stuff happens.


GAME PREVIEW: ARE THE WILD REALLY THIS GOOD, OR JUST LUCKY?

The Montreal Canadiens finish up a very quick back-to-back games road trip tonight as they take on the top-flight Minnesota Wild in St. Paul.

The Wild have been one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League the past few weeks, most recently coming off a franchise 14 game winning streak, which has boosted Minnesota to elite heights in the NHL point standings.

That the Wild are a winning team isn't much of a surprise - they were roundly pegged by many entering the season to be one of the better teams in the Western Conference. But at 25 wins in 39 games, a pretty impressive clip, are they really that good?

The jury, as they say, is out. The Wild have been getting some pretty solid goal production from a lineup that was thought to be more defensively oriented (although the addition of Eric Staal to the team during the offseason was a terrific pickup), which is great if you're a Wild fan. However, some of the underlying numbers strongly indicate that while this Minnesota team is good, they're likely not .641 winning % good.

The first warning sign that the Wild might be overachieving are their possession numbers. Their 48.3 CF (5v5) is only 22nd ranked in the NHL, behind much lesser light clubs like the Flyers, Jets, Panthers and Canucks.

Second warning? Unsustainable production levels. The Wild have a 9.18 Sh%, 2nd only in the NHL to the NY Rangers, further supported by a lights out .940 SV% behind the likely Vezina Trophy winner next spring, Devan Dubnyk. There's nothing wrong, as many Habs fans can attest, to having your goaltender carry more than his fair share of the load, but that's only an advantage as long as your other stats are above the mean, or at a sustainable level.

So when your key forwards like Mikko Koivu has a 20.45 shooting percentage at even strength, well - that's simply not sustainable.

But hey, neither are 14 game winning streaks.

So tonight the Habs take on the suspiciously good Wild. Again, the Habs will be parsing together the same lineup that pretty much walloped the Winnipeg Jets last night, hoping for more production from the likes or Artturi Lehkonen, Phillip Danault and Sven Andrighetto. The Habs will be facing off against this expected Wild lineup:

Parise/Staal/Coyle
Zucker/Koivu/Granlund
Niederreiter/Haula/Pominville
Stewart/Schroeder/Gabriel

Suter/Spurgeon
Brodin/Folin
Scandella/Dumba

Devan Dubynk.

Hey, Carey Price, he of the .904 Sv% since the beginning of December, will start for the Habs tonight.

Puck drops at 8:10, EST.

Game 40: Habs vs. Leafs

Montreal 5, Toronto 3:

FIRST PERIOD LIVE BLOG THREAD:

- Scherbak will wear #38. I've mentioned it a couple of times on my Twitter, but I've actually officiated Scherbak - a couple of years ago to be exact. He's a smaller player, about average speed, but very good hands and puck handling ability. 

- Well, that didn't take long - Leafs with soft coverage in front of Andersen allows Radulov to find Pacioretty in front for an easy shot, and it's 1-0 Habs before we even hit the one minute mark.

- More slow-footed Leafs defending, Lehkonen sweeps around his wing and beats Andersen under the arm off a deflection. 2-0 Habs before the 4 minute mark.

- Leafs look pretty sluggish - they did play last night, while the Habs have two days rest, although granted, nearly half their lineup tonight is comprised of guys who regularly play in Newfoundland.

- Radulov, at least early on, is playing with pants on fire. Leafs having trouble handling him. The guy's amazing.

- Plekanec with a pretty preventable and unnecessary penalty. It's been a pretty good season for many Habs players, especially those who have stepped up to help fill injury gaps. Plekanec, though, has been a different story. Possibly his worst season so far as a professional.

- Bozak converts, Habs penalty kill continues to be one of the weaker parts of their game. It's been an issue for this team since the start of the year, but for whatever reason, little or no improvements have been made. Fundamentally, Habs don't play very structured game while shorthanded. More reactionary to the play, which is bad if you're shorthanded.

- Just another thought about Plekanec, he's coming up on 1,000 games in the NHL, which is pretty astounding for someone in his mid-30s. He's played pretty much injury free his professional career, the fewest season games being 67 way back in 2006 (not counting the strike shortened season). That many games over a relatively short period of time take their toll - what we might be seeing is early onset of the inevitable decline. 

- Real, real soft hooking call on Radulov. I mean, if that's the standard for a hook, there'll be a penalty box parade tonight.

- Kardri, tie game. More PK woes for the Habs, and the officials can now take satisfaction they've done their bit to get the game even again.

- Scherbak. Right place, right time on the powerplay. How about that? 3-2 Habs.

Great hands by Scherbak! His first NHL goal: pic.twitter.com/Qh1cVi0DMR

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 8, 2017

- At some point a megaphone will need to blast into the ears of every Habs roster player, STAY OUT OF THE GODDAMN PENALTY BOX. This is killing the Habs from winning easy games easily. While the Radulov hook was soft, the Plekanec slash was totally avoidable. As long as this team fails to make any progress in how it kills penalties, they will continue to get burned. Anyway, penalties aside, pretty solid period for the Canadiens.

SECOND PERIOD LIVE BLOG THREAD

- Habs with 47% CF (SA 5v5) in that first period - the Leafs really feeding off the momentum generated from the Plekanec penalty (first Habs penalty of the game), and then another boost from the Radulov hook:

- Something to keep in mind from what we mentioned in the pregame piece - the Leafs are team that's thrived this year from jumping out on the scoreboard early - their best period this season has been the 1st, their worst the 3rd. They don't play well behind on the scoreboard.

- Radulov converts off an early powerplay, the Leafs also playing poorly shorthanded tonight, structure not there. So maybe a little solace for the Habs poor play shorthanded. Radulov, for what it's worth, continues to play like a man possessed.

- Don't want to raise alarm bells, but Price looked to be favouring his right leg covering the puck up off a scramble. Might have had his leg wacked by a Leafs stick seeking the puck. 

- Yeah. Not 100%, but pretty sure Price is taking it easy with that right leg. Again, he might have had a stick or something hit it earlier from a scramble, and it's no big deal. We'll find out soon enough.

- Matt Martin with a glaring interference on Petry, the refs let slide. Since they won't do their jobs (at least, consistently), the players take matters into their own hands. McCarron and Farnham drop their gloves, McCarron does fine, Farnham reminds us how pretty much useless he is, and that the only reason he's playing tonight is because the Habs have so many injuries.

- Shea Weber shoots hard, hits hard, but does not play smart. Habs are leading by two gaols, and yet Weber is pinching hard looking to pad his goal total, which just gave the Leafs a clear-cut 2-on-1 break. 

- Zach Hyman with clear run on Carey Price, barreling into him hard while cutting to the net - totally inexcusable. 

- Pretty bad powerplay from that Hyman hit on Price, Habs totally go goofy in their own zone, making a series of awful turnovers and sloppy plays, but Price, in combination with a Leafs offence that really hasn't been clicking very well this period, ensures the Habs maintain their 2 goal lead.

- Mitch Marner might be my least hated Leafs player. He's got so much natural talent, Toronto is really lucky to have him.

- Ice Caps get caught chasing in their own zone, and when you're playing against guys like Van Riemsdyk and Marner, you're looking for big trouble. 4-3.

- Marner, man - he's so good. I WANT HIM ON MY TEAM.

- Well, credit to the Ice Caps Habs for giving the Leafs all they can handle tonight - they're out there working hard and producing offence, but the lineup thinness is really hurting the Habs in their own zone - 3rd and 4th lines are getting outmatched pretty badly by this talented Leafs offence. Whether or not the Habs can hang on in the 3rd can be seen, but I wouldn't be overly surprised if the Leafs overtake the Canadiens down the stretch.

THIRD PERIOD LIVE BLOG THREAD:

- Habs with a so-so 2nd period, their powerplay bailing them out a little, and they did, for the most part, play a smarter game in limiting Leafs powerplay opportunities. SA CF a tad under 50%, two-period total.

- Ready for more bad news? Lehtonen may be injured - wasn't seen for good chunk of the last half of the 2nd period. Haven't heard any word from the Habs as to what his status is.

- Tonight's game marks the 14th time the Leafs have entered the 3rd period trailing on the scoreboard. of the previous 13 games, Leafs have won twice. However, with the Habs this injury-riddled, anything is possible.

- Did I mention the Habs were smarter in the 2nd? Shea Weber got nailed for an extra two minutes attempting to punch Hyman's light's out at the end of the 2nd. So ... Leafs can even this up in a jiffy with a clean sheet of ice on a (brief) powerplay.

- Lehtonen on the ice early, so whatever issue he may have had in the 2nd has been sorted out.

- Scherbak works a little decoy, McCarron banks the puck off Andersen from behind the net to give the Habs some insurance. But it's still early. 

- That said, the Leafs have been a bad 3rd period team this year not because of goaltending. They need all the help then can get, Andersen muffing up won't help:

Andersen gets burned from a sharp angle here. He looks halfway between playing it on his feet and wanting to VH. Ends up doing neither well. pic.twitter.com/ZlGnGYJ9Vc

— InGoal Magazine (@InGoalMedia) January 8, 2017

- Leafs are certainly trying, Price has had to make a couple of sparking saves this period - Habs playing a little bit loose in their zone, and a little tight in the neutral zone, so the Leafs are setting the tempo here. Maybe the Habs assume that Price will do the rest of the work? In any case, I wouldn't close the book on this game yet. Not by a long shot. 11 minutes left.

- Lehkonen got high sticked very badly right in front of the official, which somehow was either missed or simply let go. It hasn't been egregiously bad tonight, but the officiating has left a lot to be desires - missed calls, rather inconsistent. As a result, we've seen the players at times attempt to take matters into the own hands.

- Matthews, who's been more or less contained by the Habs tonight (good job there, guys) gets nailed for handling the puck off the draw. He didn't know you can't do that??

- Matthews had a decent scoring chance, but for the most part, the Habs have basically suffocated the Leafs last 10 minutes of the 3rd period. A real testament to some pretty impressively disciplined hockey.

- Carey Price in desperation mode is a sight to behold, if only because it happens so infrequently. Leafs pretty much out of time now, late powerplay, just 40 seconds left.

- Another bravado performance by this Habs team, so shorthanded, and yet, they find way s of winning, even if it's against not very good "good" teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs. And now, mercifully, they now get to play a hockey game at home.

CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE: THE LEAFS ARE GOOD!! (THEY AREN'T)

Have you been watching the sports networks lately? Tuning into sports talk radio? Perusing the latest tweeting and twating? You might have seen, heard and read (repeatedly): THE LEAFS ARE A REALLY GOOD HOCKEY TEAM!!!

We beg to differ, of course - but hey, who are we to say in contrast to what's being cranked out by the media networks??

Why rapidly improving Maple Leafs are good bet to make playoffs https://t.co/4Tb1n8QbYA pic.twitter.com/neaM0rkHXu

— Hockey Night Punjabi (@HkyNightPunjabi) January 4, 2017

Hey, thanks for weighing in, Rogers! Gosh, the team you own and operating and make a kajillion dollars off of in ticket, media and merchandise sales are a good bet, huh?

Okay maybe we're being a little cynical. Let's consult an actual expert how how good this Leafs team really is:

@JeffVeillette Leafs are good might be underselling them?

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) January 4, 2017

Sorry. We got it wrong. The Leafs aren't good .... THE LEAFS ARE GREAT!! Thanks for weighing in Mr. James Mirtle, who recently started up a Toronto-sports-only publication called The Athletic. Actually, The Athletic is a pretty good publication - good core of journalists, well written, has a viable potential to set the standard as a profitable new media operation. But even The Athletic isn't immune to the tunnel vision that frequently affects the center of the universe: The instant a local sporting team wins a few games, the frenzy begins: The Toronto [franchise name] are great! Plan the parade!

So when the Leafs went on their recent little 5 game winning streak run, the chatter picked up in Canada's only city that matters: HEY, the Leafs are gonna do this! They're gonna make the playoffs! HEY ... they ... might be good ... no, wait. They might be GREAT. Is a championship coming out way in just a few weeks!?!!?!?!? 

Well ... sorry Toronto fans, but your hockey team isn't great, and they won't be winning a Stanley Cup this spring. They might not be even the bare minimum - a "good" hockey team.

First, the good things about this Leafs team. It's core of young players are good - actually, let's ramp that up a little - they're dazzling. The Leafs combined rookie scoring so far this season is through the damn roof. Austin Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Conor Brown, Zach Hymen and Nakita Zaitsev have combined to score 141 points in half a regular season. That's crazy high offensive numbers from a set of players with minimal NHL experience.

The Leafs young high octane offence has moved them up to some pretty elite levels in comparison to the rest of the League. At 2.69 GF60, the Leafs have the 3rd rated NHL offence, bolstered by 4th rated SF60 (31.9), 3rd rated in shots attempt, and a half-decent powerplay (21.5%). This Leafs team plays fast, and they play exciting.

So while the Leafs crank out an impressive offence, there are other numbers that spell trouble. While Toronto is apt to pelt opposing goaltenders with plenty of shot attempts, the fundamental stats indicate this is a team with significant defensive issues. While the Leafs my have the 3rd most shot attempts in the NHL, their 5v5 CF% clocks in just under 50% (49.9), which is only good enough for 18th in the NHL. The number of shots the Leafs surrender averages out to 32 per 60, the 2nd highest in the League.

The net effect? Toronto gives up 2.56 GA60, the 3rd most in the NHL (only Philadelphia and the very lowly Colorado Avalanche are worse).

Even worse is the way the Leafs give up their shots and goals - as the game progresses, their defence worsens. Toronto has given up 42 3rd period goals this season (by contrast they've given up 29 1st period goals). When you play progressively worse in your own end, closing out victories over the length of a regular season becomes incredibly difficult. Toronto has been guilty of giving up significant 3rd period leads numerous times this season - there's little reason to believe that trend won't continue.

The bottom line? Even with very good goaltending by Frederik Andersen (2.61, .920), the current premise that the Leafs are "good bet" to make this spring's Stanley Cup Playoffs is, at best, weak. You might be a fun team, with loads of young talent with the ability to score a lot of goals, but if you can't keep your own end in order, over the length of an 82 game schedule, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to win enough times to nab a playoff spot.

Tonight, the "good - no wait, GREAT" Leafs host the Habs at the ACC. For the Canadiens, tonight's game is the end point of an epic 7 game road trip that started a week before Christmas. The Habs, as followers are well aware, will be icing very thin lineup tonight with 7 (count 'em!) regulars unable to play because of injury - the latest additions to the wounded list being Brendan Gallagher (2 months) and Paul Byron (day-to-day).

The rash of injuries, however, has opened the door of opportunity for some of the Habs prospects. Nikita Scherbak will get his first NHL start tonight, playing on the Habs 4th line. Scherbak has had an excellent season with the St. John's Ice Caps, the Habs AHL affiliate, scoring 20 points (10 goals) in 27 games this season.

So it's the "GOOD NO WAIT GREAT" Leafs and Frederik Andersen, against Carey Price and the injury hobbled Habs.

Puck drops at 7:10 EST.


FRIDAY HABS NEWS 'N' NOTES:

Okay, we've got a lot of Habs-related news to pass your way today.

Let's get the bad stuff out of the way first.

Medical update: B. Gallagher underwent surgery last night in Montreal. Fractured left hand. His recovery is expected to be minimum 8 weeks.

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) January 6, 2017

Given where the shot was taken, who took the shot, and the blood that was oozing out from his hand, we kind of figured it would be a couple of months. The wording is "minimum" is unusual for a prognosis - usually a range of expected return is given, not the minimum return, which likely indicates the injury was very, very bad. So March at the earliest, but don't be surprised if Gallagher isn't back at least until the playoffs.

Okay. Other not-so-bad-news:

- Alex Galchenyuk and Andrei Markov participated in practice today, which puts the former way ahead of recuperation schedule. While today he (Galchenyuk) was officially ruled out of playing Saturday night, Michel Therrien was quoted as saying that both players are "they're close. They're really close" to retuning to the lineup. So, don't be surprised if we see both Galchenyuk and Markov playing next week, which will give this injury-embattled Habs lineup some respite:

Alex Galchenyuk returned to #Habs practice today for the 1st time since a knee injury on Dec. 4. He isn't expected to play Saturday v #Leafs pic.twitter.com/5ClltNSXPV

— CBC Montreal (@CBCMontreal) January 6, 2017

- Can we toss in some bad news again? There's no status update about Paul Byron, who took a hard hit to the head in Dallas, which is usually a bad sign if concussion is involved. So don't expect him back any time soon - another very significant blow to the Habs offence.

- In response to the latest round of injuries, Habs brought up Sven Andrighetto, and Nikita Scherbak - the later of whom is confirmed to start tomorrow night in Toronto. It will be Sherbak's NHL debut. He's likely to be placed on the Habs 4th line, so don't expect to see too many shifts during his first game.

We'll update this page with anything important that comes our way.

Game 15: Wings vs. Habs

FIRST PERIOD:

- So Desharnais actually draws in, with Brian Flynn the healthy scratch. He'll centre the 4th line with Carr and Mitchell.

- The Habs national anthems officially hurts my ears.

- Pretty fast start for the Habs, perhaps picking up where they left off against the Kings? One can hope.

- While the Habs defence struggles to feed the puck to their forwards, that issue doesn't apply to Carey Price, who's probably the team's best player at doing this. He initiates the play feeding the puck forward, creating an odd-man break for the Habs, and resulting scoring chance that's buried by Danault. Carey Price - is there anything he can't do?

- Danault scoring is only going to ratchet up the pressure on Desharnais to demonstrate he's lineup worthy.

- Kind of insane how the then offensively-starved 2014-15 Calgary Flames couldn't find one lousy spot in their lineup for Byron. Chose instead to just give him away for free. What a blunder.

- Hanley with a ground-shaking check that creates a turnover, Byron, who may very well be the fastest skater in all of the NHL, beats Howard on the resulting breakaway, and the Habs nab a stunning early 2-0 lead.

- While there are many issues this Habs team has to focus on (possession, shot allowance and zone starts), they've been remarkably good scoring at even strength so far this year - a stat that was frequently their Waterloo the past few years. Canadiens have 33 5v5 goals this year, 2nd best in the NHL (NY Rangers - 38).

- No excuse, no exclusion - even when Habs players do this. Shaw with a clear CFB on Abdelkader, sending him head first into the boards, which is the kind of play that's going to kill someone, someday. Shaw gets 2 minutes for boarding. In my mind, that should be 5 and a game.

- This is the junk the League must crack down on hard, and get rid of. Unacceptable:

Shaw hit on Abdelkader. pic.twitter.com/04A80Ljb09

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 13, 2016

- Habs big two man advantage here. Chance to drive a stake through the Wings heart.

- Took Habs 4 seconds, literally, for Montreal to convert. Weber a cannon, another man advantage goal, and it's 3-0.


SECOND PERIOD:

- Even with man advantages excluded, still very one-sided 1st period in favour of the Habs, 62.1 CF, 70.6 Fenwick:

- Carey Price looks particularly wall-ish tonight. Wings will likely focus on trying to put in some greasy goals this period, before considering a revert to risky pinches in the 3rd.

- Really bad penalty by Joel Hanley, who surrenders the puck and then high sticks Nielsen drawing a 4 minute penalty. You can't make that kind of play as an NHL defensemen. Certainly not with someone like Greg Pateryn being a healthy scratch so that you can play.

- I will be shocked, shocked I tells ya,  if Greg Pateryn isn't playing tomorrow agains the Hawks.

- Habs revised 4th line with Desharnais at centre and Mitchell on his side has not worked out well tonight. The wing is not Mitchell's natural position, so he's struggled, while Desharnais is laying another egg, as per usual.

- Therrien clearly unhappy with 4th line tonight. It's only been given 1 shift in the 2nd period, just 6 shifts in total. Daniel Carr hasn't had a shift since midway in the 1st period, taken off the line for Gallagher. I guess Therrien is hoping Gallagher will spark something out of the underwhelming Desharnais/Mitchell duo.

- For the umpteenth time this season, Radulov does the hard work, gets the puck to the net, Byron finishes the play. Wings are appealing for goaltender interference - almost certainly won't work.

- Pretty desperate review by the Wings here, but 4-0 is pretty much game-set-match, so can't blame them for trying.

- 7 ridiculous minutes passed to make this decision, which is preposterous. The puck was lose by Howard's skate, Bryon merely poked the puck in.

- Goal disallowed, stating Bryon pushed Howard's pad, causing the puck to dribble in. I don't understand the call since the puck wasn't covered, but whatever. That's the NHL for you. With the goal not counting, Wings elect to keep Jimmy Howard in net, after initially pulling him.

- Max Pacioretty has obviously tried to be more defensively responsible this season, but it's come at a price - lack of scoring. He's still, more or less, doing the right things, being in the right places, but puck isn't coming to him, and he's not finishing his opportunities.

- Radulov and Galchenuyuk are fast becoming inseparable. Another strong shift for that duo, with Radulov doing the usual hard-nosed work, and Galchenyuk strong carrying the puck. They could end up scoring a ton this season, as long as Therrien keeps them together.

- Ericsson with a Joel Hanley-like clumsy high sticking penalty, and Habs almost immediately score with the man advantage, which is suddenly hot. Galchenuyuk one timer hits Shaw's skate, and it's 4-0.

- Without Jimmy Howard this season, Wings might already be thinking about blowing things up. Can't fathom this Detroit team qualifying for the post season, which would break their playoff qualifying streak at 27 years.

- It's a route here, Danault tips in a nice pass/effort by Pacioretty, Wings defence extremely soft, and it's 5-0.

- Wings 4th liners trying to sucker Habs into fights, because they've got little else to play for. Habs would be wise just to skate away and save their energy for a much better Hawks team tomorrow night.

- Another strong period for the Habs, whose powerplay is suddenly hot, and an insurmountable scoreboard lead. Therrien pretty much benched the 4th line since midway in the 1st period, may give them a few shifts in the 3rd, because there's no point exhausting your top 3 lines with a 5 goal lead, and another game in less than 24 hours.


THIRD PERIOD:

- Habs dominating through 40 minutes, 65.6% CF (SA 5v5), 76.9% Fenwick:

- It's nice to have a 5-0 lead:

Après 2 périodes, c'est 5-0 pour le CH!#RDSCH pic.twitter.com/B3u9uRAeWd

— L'Antichambre (@Antichambre) November 13, 2016

- Canadiens doing their best to slow the game to a crawl - will make for a pretty boring final 20 minutes. Both teams more or less going through the motions.

- Jimmy Howard, who was pulled to start the 3rd period, saw his League-best SC% drop from .961 to .943. Ouch. Carey Price, at the moment, owns the League's best.

- I guess Therrien is outright pissed at Desharnais and, apparently also Mitchell? Barely played in the 2nd period, they've each received 1 shift in the 3rd, 8 minutes gone. Daniel Carr, who's also seen limited time, played with Plekanec and Gallagher, which is likely a sign the coach isn't happy with what he's seen from Andrighetto. Lots of unhappiness behind the bench for a team up 5 goals.

- Carey Price is playing at a level the sport of hockey has likely never seen, and may never see again.

- Max Pacioretty ... doing what he's supposed to do. Coming close. The goals will arrive - it's inevitable.

- Habs PK improving? Still think they're a little too loosey-goosey with the passing lanes, Weber does a nice job guarding the crease, and of course Price is his own human wall, but still there's room for improvement.

- Desharnais with a rare shift, and probably sensing his time is fast running out, plays an aggressive forecheck, making things happen. Too little, too late, though?

- Atrocious shift by Desharnais line late in the 3rd, nearly costing Carey Price his shutout.

- Another impressive win for the Habs, as they set a team record for home wins to start the season (10-0-0). Danault looked excellent again as he settles into the centre position, Radulov another strong outing as per usual, and Carey Price was doing the same old. Habs pretty strong in their own zone, which was a nice little boost to help Price get the shutout. The big questions heading into tomorrow night's game - will Desharnais get another chance? (likely not). What about Andrighetto? And Carr? Therrien not happy with what those three did tonight, so there could be a few more lineup changes before everything settles.


GAMEDAY GAME PREVIEW:

Alright, let's get the lineups out first, because there's some important stuff to note:

First, Detroit:

- Larkin/Zetterberg/Nyguist
- Sheahan/Helm/Abdelkader
- Tatar/Nielsen/Mantha
- Bertuzzi/Glendening/Ott

DeKeyser/Green
Kronwall/Smith
Marchenko/Ericsson

Jimmy Howard

Key here for the Wings are the returns of Anthony Mantha to Detroit's red line in place of the recently injured Andreas Athanasiou. Meanwhile, over in Habsland it's all systems the same:

- Byron/Galchenyuk/Radulov
- Andrighetto/Plekanec/Gallagher
- Pacioretty/Danault/Shaw
- Carr/Mitchell/Flynn

Weber/Emelin
Markov/Petry
Beaulieu/Hanley

Carey Price

Once more David Desharnais and Greg Pateryn are healthy scratches - which is kind of difficult to argue against given that the Habs are coming off what was likely their best game of the season to date, where they controlled a pretty good L.A. Kings team to a relatively straightforward 4-1 victory.

Meanwhile the Wings enter tonight's game riding a two game winning streak, largely due to some very impressive backstopping by Jimmy Howard (2-0-0 .950). If he's spot on again tonight, it could make for a pretty interesting battle between himself and Carey Price, thereby leaving few margins for error.

Both teams have played very well at even strength this season, the Habs 2nd in the League with 31 goals 5v5, while Detroit are ranked 7th with 29. We're highlighting 5v5 prowess because both teams bring what could only be described as mediocre powerplays - it's very likely speciality teams will not weigh heavily into the outcome.

Another area of comparable weakness for each team are shots allowed - Habs are ranked 28th in the NHL, while Detroit is ranked dead loss. These are two teams that don't have an issue with leaning on their goaltending as a means towards victory.

Habs are aiming for their greatest home record start in franchise history. If they win tonight, they'll improve to 10-0-0.

Puck drops at 7:10 EST.

Gane 14: Kings vs. Habs

FIRST PERIOD:

- We talked earlier today about Peter Budaj being picked up in late October, and it's just been made official as of a few minutes ago - he will start against his old team tonight at the Bell Centre.

- Danault will get a start at centre, first attempt to demonstrate that he could fill Desharnais' shoes. First real indicator that Habs decision-makers are putting wheels into motion in preparation for post-Desharnais era in Montreal.

- Andrew Shaw on any kind of speciality unit - powerplay or penalty kill, must stop being a thing.

- Kings play the puck so nicely - excellent discipline. Apart from a few instances on the Habs opening powerplay, Canadiens have failed totally in being able to gain control of the puck in the Los Angeles zone.

- Andrighetto with a nice couple of shifts to open up this game - either he or Carr, we've said it before, we'll say it again, are frequently and inexcusably left out of the Habs lineup, to make way for marginal 4th liners like Brian Flynn. It makes little sense.

- It's been a pretty good 8 minutes to start the game for the Habs, all things considered. Radulov, as he's done so many times this year, spark plugs another scoring play, driving the net with the puck, Byron picking up the loose puck and driving it past Budaj. Canadiens with actual defined possession edge on Los Angeles. Very surprising!

- Budaj had a nice little shutout streak going until the Byron goal - just over 7 consecutive periods without surrendering a goal.

- Not sure if scoring all those goals on the Leafs exhausted the Kings, but they're definitely not as sprite tonight.

- 14 minutes into the 1st, Habs have only given up 5 shots, which considering they're the worst in the NHL for this, against the Kings, is pretty remarkable.

- The importance of winning O-zone face-offs, Mitchell with a snapper that Carr deftly deflects past Budaj, and holy moly, the Canadiens have a (deserved) 2-0 lead.

- Not much going well for the Kings in this period, including their powerplay which, at least in comparison to season's past, doesn't look nearly as dangerous.

- One of the strongest opening periods of hockey we've seen this Habs team play in a very long time. Not sure if the Kings are a little leg weary, but Habs did an excellent job gaining the zone as the period progressed, with their forward driving the net, a formula that factored directly into both of their goals. Not sure if this is sustainable over 60 minutes, but if I'm Michel Therrien, I'd tell the guys "what you did that period? Just keep doing that."


SECOND PERIOD:

- Habs after 20 minutes, how good were they? Dominative: 66.7% CF (5v5). The Kings lead the NHL in this category. Not tonight. At least, not so far tonight.

- Sven Andrighetto had a fantastic first period, putting up a 100% CF (5v5). David Desharnais, who except for the first couple of games of the season, has been a total non-factor most nights, may be wondering what his future is in this city.

- Rare play misread by Price, and Kings register their first real scoring chance of this game, as Kopitar sweeps around Price and slides the puck along the goaline. Habs barely maintain their 2-0 lead:

 pic.twitter.com/Njjp3tctSQ

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) November 11, 2016

- Just announced that Leonard Cohen has died. What a horrible year. 2017 can't come fast enough. As we learn that, we also learn that Danault is looking pretty good at centre, as he deposits a huge rebound surrendered by Budaj off a Petry point shot, to give the Habs a 3-0 lead.

- 32 of the game's 60 minutes have been played, Habs have given up 8 .. I repeat, just *8* shots. Incredible.

- Bell Centre PA just started playing "Everybody Knows" by Leonard Cohen. A poignant moment. This is a much a loss for the city of Montreal as it is the world of music and poetry.

- 3 minutes left in the 2nd, pace and tone of the game hasn't really been altered much - still mainly Habs controlled, very strong puck control in the Kings zone, doing an excellent job coming back to cover there line whenever the Kings attempt a transition, highlighted by superb efforts by the likes of Radulov, Andrighetto, Carr, Danualt, Markov and Weber. Really, it's been a collective success so far tonight.

- Another outstanding period of hockey by the Habs. Who wouldathunk? So much faster than the Kings, so much more energy, and so much more desire to drive the opposition goal. L.A. made to look like a sub-average team tonight, which they aren't. A's across the board for the Canadiens tonight.


THIRD PERIOD:

- Stats indicate another strong period for the Habs:

- Maybe the Kings are road weary. That could be the difference tonight. The weariest appears to be the Kopitar line, who've been badly outplayed both ends of the ice tonight.

- Dustin Brown, representing a clearly frustrated Kings team, with dirty CFB on Emelin behind Habs net. No penalty of course, because the NHL refuses to take these incredibly dangerous plays seriously.

- Carey Price must be pinching himself. This game is almost a night off, compared to numerous 40+ shot games he's had to face this season.

- Kings are playing very chippy now - partly I'm guessing because they're frustrated, partly because at this point, they might as well try and hurt somebody else. Pretty classless.

- Gallagher gets nailed 4 minutes for a high stick. It's not the first time he's been careless, it's an area he needs to improve upon because at minimum, it gives the Kings a slight hope of getting back into this game.

- One big problem for this Kings 4 minute powerplay. The freak of nature that is Carey Price.

- After some incredible acrobatics, Kings finally beat Price, and ruin the shutout. Pin that one on Gallagher.

- Hrm, Habs are definitely attempting to sit on this lead, which is asking for all kinds of trouble. Still 5 minutes left in the 3rd, which, with just a two goal lead, is oodles of time remaining.

- I'm not opposed to switching the lineup a bit (Desharnais is a pretty good example of addition via subtraction), but I'm not altogether convinced from what I've seen tonight that Joel Hanley has offered much that Greg Pateryn wasn't already bringing.

- Another careless high stick by the Habs, this time it's Markov, and it puts the Kings right back on the powerplay. Oy.

- Still not liking this Habs PK - Weber has been fine, but Emelin remains a pretty glaring weak spot, with the success percentages being inflated by Price. Much improvement to be had.

- Galchenyuk turns out the lights with an empty netter. Habs home record improves to 9-0-0, their best start in 63 years. Not too shabby. Apart from the final 10 minutes where the Canadiens got into some avoidable penalty trouble, as good a game as any Habs fan could have possibly hoped for. From start to nearly the finish, Montreal dominated a team that's routinely dominated their opponents all year long. Habs continue to muster their way though a tough part of the schedule, maintaining their winning ways. Excellent performances by Danault and Andrighetto tonight, which will only raise many questions about David Desharnais' future in Montreal. If there is no place for him because of attrition, then the Habs may have to consider moving him somewhere else sooner rather than later. Desharnais will likely get some more starts, but if he doesn't show any sign of improvement, his days with the Canadiens may indeed be numbered.



HABS GAME PREVIEW: DON'T LOOK NOW, BUT THE KINGS ARE GETTING GOOD

Uh-oh. After a relatively slow start to the season, where they won just 4 of their first 10 games, the L.A. Kings are good again, and just in time to face a team whom they've pretty much owned the past 6 seasons.

The Kings, in fact, haven't lost in the Bell Centre since March 12, 2011. Actually since then, the Habs have only beaten L.A. once in six games.

Tonight, we've got a sneaking suspicious that needle might move to 1 in 7.

The Kings, who enter the Bell Centre this evening riding a 3 game winning streak, the latest being a 7-0 shellacking of the Leafs Tuesday night, continue to do what the Kings have done best for so many years under head coach Darryl Sutter - own the puck.

The Kings, to no one's surprise, lead the league in CF, a 56.5 percentage (5v5). They're a solid 7th in offensive zone faceoffs (more), a solid 9th in defensive zone faceoffs (fewer), 4th in shots taken, 5th best in shots allowed, and even with their goaltending situation totally up in the air following starting goaltender Johnathan Quick's injury opening night, putting him on indefinite injury reserve, the Kings have still made do with Jeff Zatkoff and Peter Budaj, whose NHL career this season rose from the ashes after the Kings made him an emergency signing in late October.

The Habs have been and are the quintessential anti-Kings team. Currently 24th in CF percentage (5v5), the Canadiens, contrary to their 11-1-1 record, haven't exactly overwhelmed this season. Ranked last place in offensive zone faceoffs, last place in defensive zone faceoffs, 9th in shots taken (okay, that one's not too bad), and 30th in shots allowed (okay, that's bad), it remains a miracle the Canadiens find themselves in such a lofty place in the standings. But for how long? Logic and physics continue to scream this team is still headed for a big-time correction in the win/loss column.

Against a Kings team that knows how to play hockey, that correction might very well start tonight in earnest.

Notable changes for tonight's game: WOAH to this - David Desharnais is a healthy scratch (!!), as is Greg Pateryn. Which means Joel Hanley and Sven Adrighetto, both recent callups, will get their opportunities to shine.

Puck drops tonight at 7:40 EST.

Game 51: Habs vs. Flyers

THIRD PERIOD:

- Habs and Flyers after 40 minutes. Habs possession % in that 2nd period was just under 30. Yeah. That's pretty bad.

- Flyers have been doing a whole lotta embellishing tonight, perhaps sensing the officials are not good. It hasn't worked out so far.

- Habs powerplay just ... okay, I know this is spinning wheels because we've been going on about this for nearly half a season, but their powerplay is just so predictable. Permitter passing, then finally a pass to the line for a harmless shot because most everyone else is on the permitter passing the puck. WHY CAN'T THIS BE IDENTIFIED AND CORRECTED?!??

- Very quiet period for Condon, while underlines how this period has gone so far the first 10 minutes - mostly Habs, although the Flyers are doing a pretty good job protecting the area in front of Mason.

- Simmonds again. Left unmarked in the slot. Smith-Pelly not doing his job. Condon hung out to dry. Flyers take the lead. Here we go.

- Gudas with a horrible hip check right below Lessio's knee. Obvious clip. Horrible result, Lessio looks severely injured.

- Gudas gets 5 and a game for clipping. Habs with an enormous opportunity at hand, but they'll need their powerplay to deliver.

- Flyers in the first four minutes of the 5 minute Habs powerplay, get 2 scoring chances. Habs generate 0. Therrien sending out Smith-Pelly. Words ... I'm at a loss.

- Why is Therrien using 4th liners on this powerplay. Is he just trying to lose?

- Absolutely dismal 5 minute powerplay. Just a big fat zero there. How anybody remotely associated with overseeing this unit is still employed is beyond my ability to comprehend.

- They might as well have pulled Condon with that powerplay, because this team isn't capable of scoring with a one man advantage. Two men? Maybe. But one man? Nope.

- ANNNNNNNNNNND ... another loss. Crazy insane. This team can't win under Therrien. The same mistakes being made over and over and over and over and over again, with this coaching staff bewilderingly, expecting somehow to get a different result.

I'm about ready to pitch the towel in.



SECOND PERIOD:

- Habs and Flyers after 20 minutes: 

- Well, that's definitely a positive sign - with Petry scoring off a very nice screen by Smith-Pelly. So a couple of defensemen who've been mired in droughts hit the sheet in less than a period. Game tied.

- Still don't see much in the positive way from the Habs 4th line, which has basically fallen off the map since Torrey Mitchell returned from injury.  Simply not providing the team with any momentum or energy, mainly because most of the action seems to end up in the defensive zone while they're on the ice. Opposing coaches (the smart ones anyway) are line matching this weak line to death.

- Flyers cleary out possessing Habs in this period, but not really generating very many scoring opportunities - no more than the outshot Habs, at the very least.

- Markov gets caught up ice as Giroux is sprung on a break, and Subban makes an incredible play hustling back to make a clean check to prevent not only a goal, but even a shot attempt. Brilliant.

- Officials seem to be unwilling to call violent stick penalties tonight, with many slashes and crosschecks going unpunished. The other soft stuff, though, the hooks and holds, they're right on it. Very inconsistently officiated game so far.

- Habs PK continues to be far too soft in the slot, the Flyers are getting the red carpet treatment right in front of Condon, who's been coming up big in this period.

- Ham-fisted period by the Habs, Flyers getting far too many opportunities, even 5v5. Habs do have a powerplay coming up, perhaps that will give Montreal some badly needed momentum.

- Beaulieu with a totally open net off a cross ice pass, and somehow, he shoots it right back into Mason's body. The play does, however, illustrate the folly playing point men off their off wing, as has been the Habs tendency for most of the season.

- Not a great period for the Habs, which is hard to figure out. They fight their way back into a tie, and should by all means, have plenty of confidence and momentum going forward. However, after the Petry goal, the Habs went into a shell, preferring not to press the Flyers further, but to instead "protect" the tie. So now this team has to scrape it out over 20 minutes for a win against another basement-dwelling opponent. Sigh.

FIRST PERIOD:

- A little late to the action tonight. Habs inserting recently acquired Lucas Lessio into the lineup tonight. He'll see 4th line action. Maybe it'll help what's been a pretty poor playing unit the past two months or so. Maybe  not. 

- Not a good start, with Beaulieu getting nabbed for a hold. Flyers outskating Habs early in this one.

- Really not good start, Simmonds allowed to go right to the front of the net uncheck, and has an easy tip in from a point shot. Gilbert playing really soft in his slot. 1-0 early Flyers. 

- Habs responding well to what ought to have been a deflating opening goal for the Flyers. Aggressive with the puck, getting decent puck control in the Philly zone, but still having difficulty generating high percentage scoring attempts.

- Habs need to stay out of the penalty box, not doing any favours to their momentum. Pacioretty with an unnecessary interference penalty.

- Hoo boy. Takes the Flyers 6 seconds to score off their second man advantage for their second powerplay goal. Looks like the puck might have gone off Markov, but once again, Philadelphia doing it right - sending forwards to the goal. Habs playing way too soft in their slot on the PK tonight, and already, it's killing them.

- Welcome back to the scoresheet Andrei Markov. Off the powerplay, shockingly enough. Habs seem to be engaging their defence a bit more aggressively with the man advantage (if you'd care to call that an adjustment). It's nice to see something done, although such a strategy does present inherent risks. 2-1 Flyers.

- Habs really taking it to the Flyers in this period, at lest the from the 5 minute mark forward. Galchanyuk looks especially good as usual, Flyers are getting slightly overwhelmed. 

- Welp, that was actually a pretty good period for the Habs - they may trail on the scoreboard, but they had a defined edge in play, possession and aggression. Which are all positive considering how fragile this team must be, and to play well even going down 2-0 in the 1st is a pretty good indicator.

Ottawa Citizen

HEY WE HAD A WEEK OFF. DID ANYTHING CHANGE? NO? OKAY, THEN.

Okay, I gotta admit, I enjoyed not looking at, not writing about, not even thinking about the Habs for a week. I mean, I really, really enjoyed it. It's amazing what 7 days away from the misery of losing and frustration from the managerial incompetence that is the Montreal Canadiens, can do for the soul.

Like any nice vacation away from reality, it must all come to and end. Alas, the Habs are back in action tonight, as they take on the Flyers from Philadelphia.

Perhaps I was being a tad hopeful, but a little distant part of me, that one little piece that still hasn't died a slow agonizing death from having to endure witnessing this season, hoped a tiny hope that this organization would use these days off to reflect, realize where things have been going so wrong, and make changes. Nothing extraordinary. The faithful such as myself have already written off the possibility that Michel Therrien would be removed before season's end. But apart from a badly needed coaching alteration, at least something to push this team in a positive direction.

So yesterday, as I began to remove myself from the warm, cozy, Habs-free cocoon, I read this:

Les trios du #CH:
Pacioretty-Desharnais-Weise; Galchenyuk-Plekanec-Gallagher;
Fleischmann-Eller-DSP; Andrighetto/Lessio-Mitchell-Flynn

— Chantal Machabee (@ChantalMachabee) February 1, 2016

LOLz. Yeah. That's how naive I was in hoping there'd be change. Did I really think the brain trust would make obvious adjustments, such as finally, mercifully, putting Alex Galchenyuk back at centre, and finally, mercifully, putting David Desharnais back at wing, and finally, mercifully, moving Andrighetto back on an actual scoring line?

Nope.

SO IT'S FULL STEAM AHEAD. NO CHANGES NEEDED. EVERYTHING IS JUST FINE. WE'VE WON 5 GAMES OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS BUT WE'RE ALL GOOD.

So tonight, this rudderless, scoring-disabled, deflated, disorganized hockey team will take on the pitiful Philadelphia Flyers, and there's no good reason to believe that given this insane franchise keeps doing the same wrong thing over and over again expecting a different result, that the results will be any different tonight. Which is to say, another L in the LOSS column.


Puck drops at 7:10 EST. We're hoping you'll joing us. Assuming you can stomach it.

Game 42: Devils vs. Habs

THIRD PERIOD:

- Not an ideal start for the Habs, as Devils outskate Montreal's defence to get puck possession - Henrique redeflecting a shot past Condon. 2-1. This is not the kind of goal winning teams surrender when holding 3rd period leads. 

- 4 minutes into the period, Habs offence finding a little mojo, Plekanec batting a puck past Schneider with a high stick, but following shifts, additional pressure being applied in the Jersey zone. Habs are going to need at least 1 more tonight to secure a victory.

- Desharnais sent flying into the boards with a hit from behind by Severson -  and nothing called. Yet again, another example of NHL officiating letting the players down by not refusing to call the most egregious, violent violations. 

- Pretty low intensity period, given the score margin is just one goal. Long 12 minutes ahead for the Habs, who need to find a way of putting an insurance goal behind Schneider. 

- Beyond shooting or shovelling pucks up the boards, Alexei Emelin might be one of the worst defensemen in the NHL for feeding pucks to the forwards. It's a glaring weak spot on this Habs team, which for whatever reason, is never addressed.

- Looking for New Jersey to open things up a bit, perhaps a few pinches. So far, they're only playing their usual grinding, defence-first game. There are only 7 minutes left in the 3rd.

- Alright, Jersey finally now pinching defence, which might give Habs some chances here. 

- Beaulieu/Subban reunited!! 

- Less than 5 minutes left, Devils generate very good scoring chance off a Condon rebound, but the Habs netminder makes a nice save to keep his team ahead. Quiet, but solid night for him.

- Habs 4th line gets time with 3 minutes left, which is just all kinds of poor deployment. Not surprisingly, the Devils pin the Canadiens in their zone for almost all the duration of the shift. 

- Well, less than 2 left. I guess the Habs are going to try to squeak this one out.

- 1 minute left. Okay Jersey. You're going to have to open up .. like .. now.

- Why is Desharnais on the ice with less than a minute left??!?

- Habs hang on for a less than inspiring win. Offence continues to look pretty meek, which does not bode well for this team as we head into January. Still think something meaningful, if not profound, will need to be done if this Habs team is going to turn their season around. That might mean a coaching change, or a significant player trade. We'll see what happens in the days ahead.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Okay, let's see how this clean, fast sheet of ice works for the Habs to start the 2nd on the powerplay.

- Lots of talk about P.K. Subban this week, and that he's got just one goal this season. P.K.'s shooting percentage this season is 0.9%, which is atrocious when you consider the average percentage is around 7-8%. I think much of Subban's problems has been often having to shoot from the off-wing (a Therrien decision), and just plain bad luck. Habs 2nd powerplay, as seemingly per usual, goes nowhere.

- Habs 4th line is generating almost no energy. That line needs some serious restructuring.

- This period. Zzzz ... Mike Condon barely tested with a shot first 6 minutes.

- Ruutu with a terrible tripping penalty (to take) in the Habs zone. Very bad decision making on his part, but it's tempered by the fact that it's the Habs on the powerplay.

- Oh, P.K. Flubs a pass to the point, and then gets nailed for a hook while - retreating. Thus endeth the powerplay.

- Therrien sends out Mitchell/Byron on the 4-on-4 because ... (?)

- Note to self: Do never use Jeff Petry in a shootout. 

- Jersey has been doing a decent enough job gaining the zone, but has struggled to set up high percentage shots on goal - they love to grind out scoring chances, it's definitely not pretty to watch.

- Oooh, did Mike Johnson just drop mention about Michel Therrien's future? I think he just did.

- Great rush by the Habs, with Subban joining the play, Beaulieu with a wrist shot that generates a huge rebound that Subban would have easily put in, if he had continued the rush. But he peeled back. That's part of the Subban issue - playing too conservative. But that's been specifically designed by Therrien in the 3 years he's been behind the bench. To squeeze any semblance of creativity out of the Habs best defenseman in 25 years.

- Galchenyuk line seemingly the only one able/capable/desiring to implement an aggressive forecheck. Not surprisingly, they're earning the lion's share of Habs scoring chances tonight. 

- Andrighetto's stick literally slashed into two pieces, and nothing called. NHL officiating drives me crazy - why nobody seems willing to crack down on violent stick work is dumbfounding. There should be zero tolerance for this kind of nonsense.

- Hah. Irony. Tootoo played that broken stick that was slashed out of Andrigehtto to break up a play, and Desharnais gets a penalty shot as a result. Big opportunity here.

- Good lord. What a terrible attempt by Desharnais. Words escape me of how poor that was. And another opportunity lost.

- Desharnais laughing on the bench about that attempt. Not sure what's so funny. This team is starved for any kind of goal scoring, and is in danger of slipping out of a playoff spot. Har, har?

- Devils powerplay is indeed,-  a mess. Poor cross ice pass at the line gives Habs shorthanded two-on-one, Byron with a sweet toe drag and pass to Mitchell for the goal. 2-0 Montreal on a semi-gift goal.

- Habs enjoy a 2-0 lead at the break, in yet another period that they were arguably outplayed by their opponent. Still waiting for some signs of life from forwards who need to start making contributions to the scoresheet sooner rather than later. Desharnais and Eller at the forefront there.

FIRST PERIOD:

- I don't care what anyone says, Sara Diamond is one of the best.

- Smith-Pelly on the 4th line, it's becoming increasingly clear that the number of chances he's got left finding a way into the lineup, is getting pretty small.

- Pacioretty nearly sent in all alone, and almost benefits from an empty net, nearly identical to last night when he nearly tied the game with 10 seconds left. Patches continues to show all the signs of being on the cusp of breaking out big-time. He's always scored in bunches, and another bunch is overdue.

- I cannot imagine how anyone could be a rabid fan of the Devils. Their style and structure of hockey is as boring as ever. Has been for more than 20 years. This game, with checking very tight, is already shaping up to be a snoozer.

- Galchenyuk lines certainly looks like the most sprite for the Habs tonight, so far they've really been the only unit to give this structured defensive-first Devils team something to handle.

- Devils have a pretty good 4th line - something the Habs have been searching for since their excellent October. Torrey Mitchell's game has clearly fallen off since coming back from injury, while plugs like Smith-Pelly aren't really bringing much to the table.

- Devils doing a much better job in O zone, out checking the Habs by a considerable margin, and generating a significant possession edge. 

- There really should be no good reason for Jersey to be out-skating the Habs, but 15 minutes though the 1st, they're winning most of the races to the puck.

- Alexei Emelin, being stupid again, goes for the big hit instead of the smart play - the hit being too late, and it gives the Devils a powerplay. How Emelin continues to get starts over more capable bodies like Pateryn and Tinodri, I'll never understand.

- Pretty unimpressive powerplay for New Jersey - this unit has taken a dip of late, just seem to lack any kind of organization. Teams go through these funks, it looks like the Devils, who are actually pretty good with the man advantage, are stuck in one.

- Beaulieu/Petry unit doing the best job moving the puck out of Habs zone, also feeding forwards at centre. Still waiting for the Subban/Beaulieu reunion, whenever that happens.

- Habs powerplay - Markov and Subban working the point, which we haven't seen in a couple of weeks.

- Therrien sending Desharnais out on first unit, which is just an anchor on everyone else - still can't figure out what Therrien sees with DD on the PP unit. He's done nothing there for nearly two months.

- Pacioretty gets a little break redeflects a pass to the slot, with Gallagher right in Schneider's face. The Devils think it's interference. I don't see any. Devils are challenging the goal. I think this won't go anywhere.

- Man, if Gallagher is nailed again costing another goal ...

- I don't see it. What a pathetic challenge by Jersey. No way they're going to call this one off.

- Good goal. No surprise. 1-0 Habs. 

- Late interference goal on the Devils, which gives the Habs a clean sheet of ice to work with for nearly 2 minutes, to start the 2nd period (a significant advantage).

- Nice to see the Habs come out ahead after 20 minutes, although the Devils did have a defined edge in possession for most off the period. Montreal needs to do a better job on the forecheck, in order to generate a bit more pressure and game time in the New Jersey zone.

HEY GUYS ... WE'RE HOME.  BE HAPPY?

Last night was a pretty sad indictment of this team's fortunes, or lack thereof. Will tonight be any better? Will a return to home base make this lost Habs team suddenly found again? Will Devante Smith-Pelly make an actual valuable contribution? Many questions, few answers.

Also, live blog will be delayed a few hours. So don't come lookin' here for any live analysis.


GAMEDAY NEWS 'N' NOTES:

Oh man, is it nice to be home. Finally. Game tonight (early start!), so here are notes that we'll update as the day progresses:

- Devante Smith-Pelly had one heckova terrible game last night, coming off the healthy scratch list - which is quite amazing because you'd kind of expect somebody in his position to do everything to avoid stinking out the joint. So it came as no surprise this afternoon when Michel Therrien announced that Sven Andrighetto, who sat out last night to make way for Smith-Pelly, would be in the lineup tonight. What really came as a surprise is that Tomas Fleischmann will be in the pressbox, and Smith-Pelly is getting another start. Oookay then.

- Mike Condon will start in goal. Ben Scrivens, it should be noted, is 2-for-2 in giving the Habs solid starts.

- Apparently Vincent Lecavalier is on the trading block, and for the love of everything precious, let all all hope that he's not on Marc Bergevin's panic button radar.

Game 41: Habs vs. Flyers

THRID PERIOD:

- Habs and Flyers after 40. Yes, the Habs lead 5v5, believe it or not. But they're getting killed by the Desharnais line, the aforementioned clocking in with a dismal 31.3% after 2 periods. Therrien, again, must recognize which players are failing to deliver, and scale their times back accordingly, especially in the 3rd period trailing by one goal.

- Clean sheet of ice to start the powerplay, Plekanec is put at the line, forgets that he's supposed to be on the line, and accordingly skates into the corner, leaving the left point completely vacant. Hoo boy. This unit is totally lost.

- Still, good solid start to the period by the Habs, Galchenyuk line really working the puck well towards the Flyers net.

- And all that momentum taken away, with Emelin taking a stupid roughing call. 

- Maybe not. Flyers with a pretty terri-bad powerplay, perhaps the Habs can maintain the initiative after all. 

- Killer. Carr with poor attempt to clear the zone with a blind backhand, shot is fired at Scrivens wide, but rebound off the boards goes right to Couturier who tucks it home. Petry soft around his crease, fails to pick up his man, making that goal, which half resulted from a lucky bounce, a possibility. 4-2.

- Habs 4th line with not a lot to offer - even loss so with Smith-Pelly being demoted there. Still seeing Therrien giving them shifts, but with less than 8 minutes left, Habs need to more-or-less go for broke if they hope to somehow pull a rabbit out of the hat.

- Naw. Not gonna happen. This Habs team is just a functional mess tonight. Looks like a team that hasn't practiced, no intensity, and very little energy. Surely a game like this must concern Bergevin. Surely.

- Carr with less than a minute to go, but it's too little, too late. 

- 30 seconds left, Therrien calls time. Then stands with hands literally in his pockets while assistants draw up a plan. Doesn't something seem wrong with that picture?

- So all that stuff about the Habs turning their season around after the Boston game? Looks like rubbish to me. Pretty woeful display by this team tonight against what was supposed to be a far inferior opponent. Habs continue to be hampered by ineffectual play by forwards receiving too much ice time, and player deployments that make little sense. Maybe this means a return of Andrighetto tomorrow night? Who knows. There's so much wrong with this team, it seems unlikely that any one player could make much of a difference.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Habs and Flyers through 20 minutes. As you can tell, the SOG really didn't reflect possession in that period:

- Habs TOI leaders continue to be of concern. Galchenyuk scores the goal, but Smith-Pelly gets more ice time. MMMkay then.

- Habs 4th line gets burned, Montreal really struggling in the faceoff circle tonight, with Brian Flynn failing to win deep draw, and Gostisbehere with a big shot that Scrivens whiffs at, blocker side. 2-1 Philly. 

- Okay, SOG isn't a very good indicator, but eventually it's indicating something. Nearly halfway through regulation, Habs have only mustered 6. That's not going to do it. 

- Terrible hooking call on Subban, with Voracek grabbing his stick and tucking it under his arm to draw the call. NHL refs shouldn't fall for that kind of thing.

- And on the powerplay from that bad call, it's Gostisbehere again with a shot point that's redirected in by Simmonds off the right post and into the net. Again, Flynn losing deep zone draw that leads directly to an opposition goal. Therrien needs to recognize these things that are happening in the moment, and adjust. Is that too much to ask?

- Smith-Pelly had two good shift to start the game. Since then? A disaster. How this guy even makes the lineup, while Andrighetto sits, perplexes me to the nth degree.

- Smith-Pelly now demoted to the 4th line. Carr up.

- Habs 2nd powerplay comes up empty, even though the first line shift looked fantastic, with one exception - Desharnais, who is a blackhole out there, never taking a shot, and hesitating forever when making passes. Also, the one timers to Galchenyuk, two clean passes made, and he whiffs each time. Galchenyuk doesn't thrive off those kind of setups. He's always been apt to score off the rush, or on a rebound. Powerplay needs serious rework.

- Gallagher hits the scoresheet again, tipping in an Emelin point shot. and the Habs are right back in this game.

- Habs 3rd powerplay, Plekanec takes the point, Desharnais off. Progress.

- Not a good period by the Habs, showing great inconsistency with their game - which is always a bad sign coming off a game where they dominated their opponent. The Winter Classic game gave many Habs fans reason to believe that the worst was past for this team, but tonight's effort is only going to cast doubts that this team has profound and chronic problems. Scoring, powerplay, and sloppy defensive puck handling. 

FIRST PERIOD:

- Plekanec line comes flying out of the gate, first shift of this game. Flyers defence, might it be added, isn't very swift. Gallagher might get one or two scrubby goals before the night is over.

- Desharnais line shift, credit to Smith-Pelly, working strong along the boards winning pucks. Time is running out for DSP if he hopes to maintain a regular spot on this Habs lineup, even with Therrien behind the bench.

- Hmm. Galchenyuk carries the zone with plenty of speed, works south-to-north, and dishes off to Markov with the pass just a little bit off the mark, and Barberio, who needs to be somewhere near the play, is nowhere to be found as Schenn waltzes in along and beats Scrivens 5-hole. In the span of about 7 seconds, everything that could have gone wrong, went wrong. 1-0.

- That's two good shifts in a row for DSP - as he draws a hooking penalty. Habs to the powerplay.

- First powerplay shift looked pretty good - puck movement was crisp, two failed shot attempts by Pacioretty and Galchenyuk was its undoing. Also still am not convinced putting Desharnais at the line really benefits this unit - with Desharnais steadfastly unwilling to shoot the puck. Don't think for a moment the other teams aren't aware of that.

- Flyers like to play a pretty free-wheeling game, which means they generate/surrender a higher than average number of shots. So far they've been moderately successful in this period, generating a pretty split possession game, and the occasional quality chance on Scrivens. Habs doing a decent job gaining the zone, but struggling to complete quality shots on goal.

- Not a stellar period for Markov, Gallagher coughing the puck up along the boards, with Giroux getting a clear chance on goal because Andrei left his area of responsibility (the slot).

- Galchenyuk tips home a Barberio point wrister to put the Habs on the board. Puck luck evens up this period of the Habs, with Fleischmann hitting the post on an open net earlier in the period. This goal is pretty key template for Habs moving forward - they need to generate more offence via their defence.

- With Barberio settling in, the Habs have too many defenseman, which is a nice problem to have. He, Emelin, Tinordi, Pateryn and Gilbert represent Habs #5-9 on the depth chart. One, possibly two, could be moved within the next 30 days.

- Flyers outshooting Habs 3-to-1, but the period wasn't particularly one-sided - Habs defence guilty of making a few sloppy mistakes, and generally not being nearly as aggressive as they should be in clearing the slot. Otherwise, it was 20 ho-hum minutes of hockey, which is fine if you're the road team. 

GAME PREVIEW: THE FLYERS WOULD LIKE A GOAL. HAVE YOU GOT ANY SPARE ONES HANDY, WOULD YA?

To readers out there younger than ... oh .. let's say ... 25 ... there was a time when playing the Philadelphia Flyers was like attending a Nickleback concert: A long, brutal, and painful 2 1/2 hour experience, all while being surrounded by some of the most unpleasant an unintelligent people on the face of the planet. That's what it felt like to play the Philadelphia Flyers.

But that was 15 ... 20 years ago. Things have changed. Players have come and gone, Stanely Cup have been won - by other teams. And the Flyers, who once were almost always near the top of the League in goal-scoring, have this year, tumbled off the face of the hockey planet.

The Flyers come into tonight's game with some serious challenges. Philadelphia's offence, at 2.11 GPG, is the worst in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers have been hamstrung by a meek powerplay (4th worst in the League). The lack of production starts right from the top - with Claude Giroux leading his team with a mere 12 goals, tied for 54th overall in the NHL. When your team's leading goal scorer can't crack the top 50, you've got problems.

The Flyers' big problem seems more to be a team-wide inability to finish plays. If you dig just a little deeper, Philadelphia's numbers aren't quite as bad as their raw totals. The Flyers have a CF% of 50, which puts them smack dab in the League's middle. Their shot totals per game aren't awful - 30.1, which gives them a 12th overall ranking. Finishing plays however - that's where you see a big dropoff. Philadelphia's shooting percentage this season is a measly 5.8%. Only Pittsburgh and Anaheim have worse percentages.

There is no quick-fix remedy for this kind of problem, as Habs fans who endured December's scoring drought can attest to. If the players paid to score can't score, be it good luck or bad, you're going to lose. A lot.

The Flyers will be tinkering with their lineup tonight, specifically their top line which, as we noted, has failed to produce this season. Girous will centre possible trade-bait Wayne Simmonds along with Jakub Voracek. Meanwhie, defenceman Evgeny Medvedev will be a healthy scratch.

Over in Habsland, as noted, Devante Smith-Pelly will come out of the pressbox tonight at Sven Andrighetto's expense, the later being called up from St. John's on Saturday for what now appears to be for no good reason. Oh well. No firm idea yet who'll be a healthy scratch on the Habs blue line - specifically, whether it will be Alexei Emelin or Greg Pateryn - although Therrien's decision to give Smith-Pelly a start is an indicator of a physical game tonight, which means Emelin will probably play.

Michal Neruvirth will start in goal for the Flyers, Ben Scrivens for the Habs.

Puck drops at 7:40, EST.


GAMEDAY NEWS 'N' NOTES

- So Therrien has made his decision. Smith-Pelly in, Andrighetto out. Not like we didn't see that one coming.

HALFWAY HOME AND ALMOST HOME AT THE SAME TIME

Is it over yet? Are we home yet? ARE WE HOME YET?!!?

We've reached the halfway mark of the 2015-16 regular season. Seems like only two months ago that every Habs fan from coast to coast to coast was having a grand ol' ball. And then we lost the greatest player in the world. And then we lost the heart and soul of this team. And then December arrived. And then Santa stiffed me (yet) again under the tree. Stupid Santa. Every damn year. Next time around there'll be a big yawning bear trap for Kris Kringle under my mistletoe, you cheap miserable fat old bastard.

Oh right. Sorry. This is a Habs blog. Anyway, TONIGHT THE ROAD TRIP TO AND FROM HELL ENDS. Eight games. Nearly four weeks. Two wins. Two measly piddley wins. Watch out Flyers. We're mad as hell, us Habs fans, and we aren't gonna take this anymore.

Preview later, but Habs news 'n' notes for those who are unemployed and haven't had the opportunity to actually read anything on the web the past 48 hours.

- Sven Andrighetto was recalled from the Rock because as you've heard, Dale Weise is out for 2-3 weeks with an upper body/arm/wrist injury. Which means Sven will play tonight!

- Oh wait, Michel Therrien has no idea whether Andrighetto will play tomorrow, or if he'll start Devante Smith-Pelly. OH COM'ON MICHEL, ALREADY DUDE.

- Want some good news? YOU CAN'T HAVE ANY. Carey Price hasn't even started skating yet, five weeks into an injury that was originally supposed to last around six. Ut-oh. Is it time to run through the streets with our hair on fire?

- Lots of lolz around the Johnathan Drouin demanding a trade out of Tampa Bay, and some Habs fans (we shunt mention who) actually speculating over whether Marc Bergevin should make a move to get Drouin because as you know STEVE YZERMAN IS A TOTAL IDIOT AND WOULD GLADLY TRADE AWAY A YOUNG STUD TO A DIVISION RIVAL. Good grief guys.

- Did I mention that there's just one more game left on this nightmare road trip? Well, there is.



More in a bit.