Montreal Canadiens

[ericdaoust]

Is your thesis about the NHL botching disciplinary action rulings??

Unfortunately no... that kind of thesis could have 500+ pages no problem just in citing the incidents and discussing them. It would be an easy topic to cover.

[ericdaoust]

I am not sure who will be called up to replace Pacioretty. I know Pouliot is getting a chance with Gomez and Gionta but either Darche is OK to return or someone like Nigel Dawes could be called up. Even though the circumstances are terrible, there is a chance for a feel good story should the undersized Dawes make the jump to the big leagues successfully.

[ericdaoust]

http://habsinsideout.com/main/46891

Great news: Max Pacioretty is up and walking in the hospital. So at least that answers one of the many concerns that people have - he will be able to walk and at least enjoy that part of life. Baby steps...

[ericdaoust]

Follow-up: Pacioretty is back home now. This is a great sign.

[ericdaoust]

Game Notes:

-This was clearly a let down game, they were not sharp from the start. Too much focus on other matters I suppose. But that's two points that they really needed. The shots were 28-26 in favor of the Canadiens but the Blues had better quality on the shots. The Habs gave the puck away too much and was soft defensively overall. No sense of urgency and in March that's not gonna cut it.

-Benoit Pouliot blew his chance of sticking on the scoring lines. He was awful. The entire Gomez line was minus-2. And the two goals they allowed were careless. Pouliot also had one of those hooking penalties in the opposing zone that has been dogging the team all season.

-Not sure how they keep Desharnais under 10 minutes every game. I don't care what the paycheck says, it's time to win games. Maybe he's next to get a chance next to Gomez.

-Andrei Kostitsyn was back to being a ghost. Not much there tonight. Maybe his spirit is gone to Nashville... keep an eye on the boxscores!

-Lars Eller did not register any points but was aggressive all game. I'd say he was the best player for the Habs tonight.

-PK Subban looks so much more poised out there than he did earlier in the season.

-Brent Sopel missed the game with an injured hand and Alex Picard took his place. He made an excellent pass to Jeff Halpern for the opening goal.

-On the Blues' side, David Backes is a much improved player from the other times I've seen him play. He looks like a true leader.

[MoreCanadianTeams]

That game was painful to watch. No disrespect intended to Blues fans, but I've watched several of their games this year and they've been soooo boring I've had to switch games. There's so many offensively talented players on that team but they play so restrained that it's like watching paint dry.

I agree with your thoughts Eric, I think the Habs were flat due to the emotions of the past few days. Pretty understandable.

Thanks for the updates on Max Pac, here's hoping he continues his recovery with no setbacks.

[ericdaoust]

That game was painful to watch. No disrespect intended to Blues fans, but I've watched several of their games this year and they've been soooo boring I've had to switch games. There's so many offensively talented players on that team but they play so restrained that it's like watching paint dry.

I agree with your thoughts Eric, I think the Habs were flat due to the emotions of the past few days. Pretty understandable.

Thanks for the updates on Max Pac, here's hoping he continues his recovery with no setbacks.

The Blues I think are dealing with the letdown that comes with not meeting expectations. People thought they had the last piece that would make them a playoff fixture, and that idea fell flat on its face, at least for this season. They're probably in "let's just get to next season" mode.

Other teams like the Islanders have no expectations so they can have fun playing spoiler right now.

[ericdaoust]

Game Notes:

-This was a very good road game and an excellent team victory. Defensively they played a near perfect game and the Penguins did not bring a lot of energy or effort to the game which played right into the game plan.

-Carey Price notched shutout #8 with 26 saves. He was not overly busy overall and did not have to make many difficult saves but the fact that he played a perfect game kept the Canadiens in the driver's seat after going up 3-0.

-Mike Cammalleri gets the game MVP in my opinion, as he was very involved in all facets of the game. He tallied a goal and an assist, helped kill penalties and played an unusually physical game. The stat sheet says no hits for Cammy but he did a good job using his body along the boards.

-PK Subban had a bit of a letdown game overall. Maybe he was a bit nervous from the crowd booing him all game (hatred from last spring's playoff series). He was generally good but had some iffy moments with his decision making. Thankfully the Pens never did much to capitalize.

-David Desharnais was back to 12 minutes but was held off the score sheet, although he missed a wide open net that would have upped the lead to 4-0. He has good chemistry with Pouliot and White and this line does good things in limited minutes.

-The thing that prevents Benoit Pouliot from being a star: hockey sense. He is big, fast and talented but just doesn't have the mind for it. He's at his best when someone else does the dirty work which allows him to play more passively and wait. This doesn't cut it on the Gomez line as they need a guy with grinding capabilities like a Pacioretty. On the fourth line, Desharnais and White do an excellent job working for loose pucks which allows Pouliot to sit back more.

-It's nice to see James Wisniewski finish plus-3 this afternoon. Poolies with plus-minus in their leagues were weary of looking Wisniewski's way because of his output with the Islanders but after tonight he's plus-3 overall since arriving in Montreal. It's something to look forward to for next season if he sticks in a favorable environment.

-It's very refreshing to see character guys like Ryan White and Paul Mara step up and lend the undersized players a hand in the physical department. There is no Georges Laraque in the lineup but these guys are at least respectable and can get the job done. Good job by Mara in a scrap against Max Talbot.

-Travis Moen replaced Pouliot on the Gomez/Gionta line and notched a goal. You know it's a lifeless opposition when Moen scores a goal.

[mister_mcgoo]

thanks for the recap eric, another big win by the Habs down the stretch, its going to be interesting to see how these matchups play out in the East

[ericdaoust]

thanks for the recap eric, another big win by the Habs down the stretch, its going to be interesting to see how these matchups play out in the East

Honestly I want to see them matched up with anyone other than the Bruins. Not because I don't think they can beat the Bruins, I think their chance would be as good as any other team, but just to keep everyone (fans, media, players) focused on a hockey series.

[MoreCanadianTeams]

Game Notes:

-It's very refreshing to see character guys like Ryan White and Paul Mara step up and lend the undersized players a hand in the physical department. There is no Georges Laraque in the lineup but these guys are at least respectable and can get the job done. Good job by Mara in a scrap against Max Talbot.

Totally agree. This is the kind of character this team needs. A great bounce-back game. Let's see how they do against a surging Capitals team. It will be a great test to see where the Habs are at. I predict a 3-2 Habs win.

[Mr. Guru]

Id love to hear some insight on Eller.

Has he improved this year? Still limited ice time, why? Whats in store for him next year? And finally what do you see from him down the road: projections?

[ericdaoust]

Eller has been ineffective all season as a winger, which does not bode well given that Plekanec, Gomez and Desharnais are all in town beyond the end of this season. No doubt he is taking the slow (Red Wings) path and will not post any fantasy-significant numbers anytime soon. I'm thinking 3-4 years before he does anything offensively.

Good hockey player, useful to the Canadiens, but useless to your fantasy team.

[ericdaoust]

News of the day:

-Mike Cammalleri missed practice with an illness and could be out for tomorrow's game. By now the Habs are used to playing without key players...

Also, another weekly prospect article from HabsInsideOut: http://habsinsideout.com/main/47289

[ericdaoust]

Good news for the Canadiens - there will be an overhaul on the rink design. The boards and glass are clearly rougher than other arenas.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/sport...514/story.html

Like the Bell Centre itself, I hope this change is the start of a new cutting-edge trend for hockey arenas around the league.