Montreal Canadiens

[ericdaoust]

Carey Price is going to be using yet another new mask tonight. It's a pink mask for the breast cancer thing that the league does. I like the idea of this mask but seriously Price has about 300 different masks sitting around by now. I'm starting to think that during line changes the team will also bring Price a new mask. Changing masks on-the-fly... awesome!

[LeTrefle]

Just read that Betts will not suit up for tonight game with a mysterious low body injury.
Enqvist will center the 4th line with Moen and Weber.
in french http://www.radio-canada.ca/sports/ho...al-jeudi.shtml

[ericdaoust]

Just read that Betts will not suit up for tonight game with a mysterious low body injury.
Enqvist will center the 4th line with Moen and Weber.
in french http://www.radio-canada.ca/sports/ho...al-jeudi.shtml

I suppose it could be a shot to the groin as part of team initiation???

[newper114]

What's mtl's lines? I see Cole has only played 5mins is he hurt or is he not on top line? Thought he was playing with plek and cammy?

[ridinryan44]

Just read that Betts will not suit up for tonight game with a mysterious low body injury.
Enqvist will center the 4th line with Moen and Weber.
in french http://www.radio-canada.ca/sports/ho...al-jeudi.shtml

Lower body?? I heard shoulder injury... Bett's is saying it's fine.

[ericdaoust]

What's mtl's lines? I see Cole has only played 5mins is he hurt or is he not on top line? Thought he was playing with plek and cammy?

He started on the 3rd and no special teams. Tons of penalties in the 2nd so he sat on the bench for the most part. He's with Plek and Camm for the 3rd.

Lower body?? I heard shoulder injury... Bett's is saying it's fine.

It's a shoulder injury. Apparently something minor.

[ericdaoust]

It was a rough start to the 2011-12 season for the Habs. After dominating the first but failing to score, a quick shorthanded goal by the Leafs took the passion out of the game. The first goal was a total meltdown but IMO the culprits are not the defenders in on the play, but rather the two wingers (don't remember who) that coasted back to the defensive zone. The puck was sitting in the slot for a full five seconds and any backchecking forward could have scooped it up to take the play up-ice. But in this instance, the Leafs pounced on the stationary puck and opened the scoring.

The Habs generated a lot of chances. Reimer was solid but was far less spectacular than the stats suggest. I have never seen the Habs miss the net so often before, especially with the net wide open.

But more importantly I thought the Canadiens lacked a sense of urgency. The chances were there but they did not attack consistently. It seemed like they did not realize they were down by two goals in the third and were content letting the clock run out.

As I expected, Andrei Kostitsyn is playing a depth role. He started on the top line but by the third period he was down with Desharnais and Darche. Erik Cole finished the game next to Plekanec and Cammalleri. This is how the lineup should look like moving forward.

Pacioretty/Gomez/Gionta was surprisingly good. Gomez was a major improvement over last season. Still not great, but much better.

New addition Chris Campoli is becoming a human blooper film. Last year he gave the puck away to cost his team a playoff series. Then in his first game with the Habs he gets knocked in the head. Now tonight he tweaks something in his leg making a routine defensive play. Yannick Weber was back on D to finish the game.

In goal, Carey Price was very good. The shot totals suggest differently but many of those shots were of high quality. He kept the team in the game. In fact, I don't know how the Leafs finished with just 18 shots. I thought they were closer to 30.

[mister_mcgoo]

He started on the 3rd and no special teams. Tons of penalties in the 2nd so he sat on the bench for the most part. He's with Plek and Camm for the 3rd.

Yeah he was hard to pick up in this game, here's an action shot of him:

[ericdaoust]

Yeah he was hard to pick up in this game, here's an action shot of him:

Habs have too many of those types who disappear. Can't afford to have any more slackers.

[TK12555]

No trash talk here. Good game, we were (for the most part) outplayed.

Your Habs couldn't bury easy chances, and it killed them. I'd say that Pacioretty and Subban were incredibly dangerous tonight, don't look forward to playing them 5 more times.

Price hasn't lost his touch though. Man, he's crazy!

Good game guys, can't wait for the next one!

[thorbs]

That slapper by Phaneuf...wow

[ross10019]

Thought AK46 played solidly in the 1st, that pretty little 4-way passing play started by Subban and with AK46 feeding Pleky was great.

Love Diaz, will be some growing pains but he'll be real good real soon.

Price was solid.

Gomez showed some spark, as did MaxPac and Gio.

Overall, I think these guys just need a few games to get the timing right, what I saw tonight was a team that could roll three lines and be quite dangerous, despite the goose-egg. Can't wait until Eller and White come back.

It was a rough start to the 2011-12 season for the Habs. After dominating the first but failing to score, a quick shorthanded goal by the Leafs took the passion out of the game. The first goal was a total meltdown but IMO the culprits are not the defenders in on the play, but rather the two wingers (don't remember who) that coasted back to the defensive zone. The puck was sitting in the slot for a full five seconds and any backchecking forward could have scooped it up to take the play up-ice. But in this instance, the Leafs pounced on the stationary puck and opened the scoring.

The Habs generated a lot of chances. Reimer was solid but was far less spectacular than the stats suggest. I have never seen the Habs miss the net so often before, especially with the net wide open.

But more importantly I thought the Canadiens lacked a sense of urgency. The chances were there but they did not attack consistently. It seemed like they did not realize they were down by two goals in the third and were content letting the clock run out.

As I expected, Andrei Kostitsyn is playing a depth role. He started on the top line but by the third period he was down with Desharnais and Darche. Erik Cole finished the game next to Plekanec and Cammalleri. This is how the lineup should look like moving forward.

Pacioretty/Gomez/Gionta was surprisingly good. Gomez was a major improvement over last season. Still not great, but much better.

New addition Chris Campoli is becoming a human blooper film. Last year he gave the puck away to cost his team a playoff series. Then in his first game with the Habs he gets knocked in the head. Now tonight he tweaks something in his leg making a routine defensive play. Yannick Weber was back on D to finish the game.

In goal, Carey Price was very good. The shot totals suggest differently but many of those shots were of high quality. He kept the team in the game. In fact, I don't know how the Leafs finished with just 18 shots. I thought they were closer to 30.

[ericdaoust]

In their latest attempt to plug a hole in the defensive boat, the Canadiens have signed D Joe Callahan. If you've never heard of him, it's OK, because I haven't either. But he has 46 games of NHL experience and some size. He will fill the void left by Woywitka who was claimed on waivers by the NY Rangers.

[LeTrefle]

http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/327871.html
Campoli doesn't need surgery, but is out several months (until Christmas).

Martin a d'ailleurs indique qu'il s'agirait de «quelques mois», plutot que de quelques semaines» et il pourrait etre sur la touche jusqu'a Noel.

[ericdaoust]

http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/327871.html
Campoli doesn't need surgery, but is out several months (until Christmas).

Martin a d'ailleurs indique qu'il s'agirait de �quelques mois�, plutot que de quelques semaines� et il pourrait etre sur la touche jusqu'a Noel.

To me that raises the question about Campoli's health following the headshot from Malone. I know they do tests and all that but should he have been out there? The Habs doctors have a lot of respect but these are also the same guys that let Jeff Halpern back on the ice after taking a head shot from Andrew Ference in game 7.

If his head was a bit scrambled it could make him less coordinated which can easily lead to this kind of injury.