Kukla's Korner Hockey
Entries with the tag: Montreal+Canadiens
It’s a big weekend for hockey fans in Canada
by The Upper Canadien on 02/16/11 at 10:13 PM ET
Comments (0)
...and an even bigger one for Habs fans. Here’s a bit from today’s CBC press release on the two Canadiens games upcoming on Hockey Night in Canada:
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: CBC, Montreal+Canadiens,
Nasty, Gutsy, Scary = Sabres Win
by @DaveDavisHockey on 01/19/11 at 11:45 AM ET
Comments (0)
That was a gutsy Buffalo win last night (2-1 in overtime) over division rival Montreal. There was a whole lot of hitting, yapping, pushing and shoving going on. Why we don’t see more of this nasty attitude from the Sabres is the subject of another conversation.
Having a threat like Mike Cammalleri off the ice for most of the game certainly made the task less formidable, but beggars can’t be choosers. And let’s not forget that Buffalo was missing its most potent point getter (Derek Roy, 35 points in 35 games) and goal scorer (Drew Stafford, 15 goals in 30 games). Stafford suffered a groin injury early, and it looks like he’s going to miss some time.
Great move by coach Lindy Ruff breaking up the Tyler Myers-Andrej Sekera pairing on the blue line. The 20-year old Calder Trophy winner seems better off with a stay at home veteran as his defense partner. Ruff felt that way during training camp when he originally played Shaone Morrisonn with Myers, but a poor start by the free agent acquisition put a damper in those plans. Let’s see if it sticks this time.
Big sigh of relief that Max Pacioretty is going to be OK after a scary moment when he took a slap shot to the chest. Forgive me if my heart rate shooting up from being terrified upon first seeing it was an overreaction, but it’s partly the fault of having a selective memory. Clint Malarchuk and Richard Zednik can attest to the fact that Buffalo can be a pretty risky place to play sometimes.
Things probably won’t be much more pleasant for the Sabres on Thursday when they play in Boston. Whatever they put in their pasta yesterday should be bottled up and brought with them on the trip.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Andrej+Sekera, Buffalo+Sabres, chest+struck+by+hockey+puck, Max+Pacioretty, Mike+Cammalleri, Montreal+Canadiens, Shaone+Morrisonn, Tyler+Myers,
Playoffs? Sabres Formula Simple But Not Easy
by @DaveDavisHockey on 01/15/11 at 05:48 PM ET
Comments (0)
With the Buffalo Sabres facing the perennial doormat slightly underrated New York Islanders three times in the next five games, fans and media here are making various conjectures about what it would realistically take for the Sabres to make the postseason.
What’s the formula for this tenth place team, currently eight points out of eighth place, to climb the charts and grab a playoff spot?
For those of us blogging twitterphiles feeling unarmed sans the required journalism degree to venture into such a realm of analytical complexity, let’s leave this Mensa-level exercise for the professionals.
“It’s a long, long way until the playoffs—Buffalo still has 39 games on the regular-season schedule—but the Sabres won’t get there without beating the teams ahead of them.”
- Buffalo News sports reporter John Vogl, January 14, 2011.
“…the Sabres need to beat the teams below them if they want to improve their 10th-place spot. The schedule gives them an opportunity to extend their 5-1-1 streak.”
- Vogl, later that same day.
That’s pure gold, so on second thought, let’s take a slap shot at this and review some prevailing theories on what parts of their remaining schedule are most crucial for the Sabres to ace in their drive to make the playoffs.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Buffalo Sabres | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Atlanta+Thrashers, Buffalo+News, Carolina+Hurricanes, John+Vogl, Montreal+Canadiens, NHL+playoffs,
News and Notes from Europe
by Phil Davies on 12/05/10 at 10:20 AM ET
Comments (5)
Hello readers,
I hope everyone is enjoying the hockey season and are gearing up for the upcoming holiday season! Remember the holidays mean the World Junior Hockey Championships are just around the corner, beginning on Boxing Day!
Now, some news and notes from various European leagues.
On the subject of the World Juniors, Team Sweden is hoping that the Edmonton Oilers will release Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson for the tournament. The Swedish rookie has collected 9 points in 25 games this year, while currently riding a three game point streak. However, the Oilers have already stated that they have no plans for releasing the talented winger for the tournament. On the bright side for Sweden, they do have the Ottawa Senators blue chip goalie prospect; Robin Lehner on their training camp roster, as well as the Phoenix Coyotes young defensive phenom; Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alexander+Radulov, Boston+Bruins, Edmonton+Oilers, Evgeni+Nabokov, Jakub+Stepanek, Magnus+Paajarvi-Svensson, Miroslav+Satan, Montreal+Canadiens, Nashville+Predators, Oliver+Ekman-Larsson, Ottawa+Senators, Owen+Nolan, Patrick+Thoresen, Philadelphia+Flyers, Phoenix+Coyotes, Robin+Lehner,
The NHL versus Russia
by Phil Davies on 10/11/10 at 09:35 AM ET
Comments (0)
The NHL’s arrival in Europe last week coincided with two exhibition games between the leagues teams and their Russian rivals; the KHL. First up was an aggressive affair between the Carolina Hurricanes and SKA St. Petersburg. In a role reversal between leagues, SKA came out playing aggressively, so much so, in fact, that Hurricanes coach, Paul Maurice pulled his star players; Eric Staal and goaltender Cam Ward from the game as it deteriorated into a slugfest which resulted in a 5-3 victory for SKA. The other interleague game featured the Phoenix Coyotes gaining a measure of revenge for the NHL, by defeating Dynamo Riga 3-1. The interleague games were part of a longstanding tradition of play between the NHL and Russia. With that in mind, I thought I would take a look at some of the most famous and infamous matchups between the two rivals.
1. The Montreal Canadiens versus Central Red Army
December 31st, 1975
This matchup featured the most successful franchises from the NHL and the former Soviet league as the Canadiens played host to the Red Army team. Montreal featured Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden, Larry Robinson and Bob Gainey among others against Valeri Kharlamov, Vladislav Tretiak, Vladimir Petrov and Boris Mikhailov. The level of play was as high as the 72’ Summit Series as the star players from each team were entering their prime. Despite outshooting Red Army 38-13, the Canadiens were forced to settle with a 3-3 tie, due to the outstanding play of Tretiak. This game would cement Tretiak’s longstanding relationship withe the city of Montreal, as the team would go on to draft the goaltender 138th overall in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, despite Soviet players not being allowed to compete in the NHL.
Filed in: Non-NHL Hockey, International Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alexei+Kasatonov, Bobby+Clarke, Bob+Gainey, Boris+Mikhailov, Guy+Lafleur, Igor+Larionov, Jari+Kurri, Ken+Dryden, Larry+Robinson, Mario+Lemieux, Mark+Messier, Mike+Bossy, Montreal+Canadiens, Sergei+Makarov, Valeri+Kharlamov, Viacheslav+Fetisov, Vladimir+Krutov, Vladimir+Petrov, Vladislav+Tretiak, Wayne+Gretzky,
Canadiens Acquire Boyd, Ellis and Futures from Preds in Return for Sergei Kostitsyn and Futures
by Tony on 06/29/10 at 06:40 PM ET
Comments (4)
According to various sources, the Montreal Canadiens have acquired Dustin Boyd, Dan Ellis and future considerations from the Nashville Predators in return for Sergei Kostitsyn and future considerations.
UPDATE: From TSN’s Bob McKenzie’s tweet:
Futures in MTL-NAS trade are simple. If one side, or other, sign the player(s) involved, late-round draft pick(s) change hands. No big deal.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Nashville Predators, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, Nashville+Predators, NHL-Hockey,
Canadiens Re-sign Plekanec to Six-Year Deal
by Tony on 06/22/10 at 03:45 PM ET
Comments (6)
Per various sources, the Montreal Canadiens have re-signed Tomas Plekanec to a six-year deal. According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, the deal is worth $30 million, with a $5 million annual cap hit.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, NHL-Hockey,
Halak Deal was Really about Price
by Tony on 06/22/10 at 09:13 AM ET
Comments (0)
From SI.com’s Darren Eliot:
The Montreal Canadiens’ trade of Jaroslav Halak to the St. Louis Blues set the Habs’ fans to wringing their hands en masse. Of course, any move by the Canadiens in Montreal elicits beaucoup emotion. Coming off such an unexpected playoff run in which Halak was the central figure, though, it stands to reason that shipping him out of town for prospect Lars Eller would elicit some debate.
Part of the rancor comes from the fact that the Canadiens have once again handed Carey Price, the other young goaltender in Montreal, the keys to the crease. Price went from prospect to anointed one in short order after the Habs selected him with the fifth pick in the 2005 entry draft. Factor in some off-ice shenanigans and immature responses by Price and now the locals are looking at him through a prism of petulance more so than promise. All this and the fact that Halak’s heroics are freshest in mind.
Still, did anyone really think this would turn out any differently?
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, NHL-Hockey,
Lars Eller looks forward to being a Montreal Canadien
by Tony on 06/19/10 at 10:16 AM ET
Comments (6)
From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jeremy Rutherford:
Former Blue Lars Eller spoke with the Team 990 radio station in Montreal today and said that he is looking forward to playing for the Montreal Canadiens.
And he thinks it could be this season. “What (Montreal GM Pierre Gauthier) told me was that they were happy to have gotten me in this trade,” said Eller, who went to the Habs Thursday in the trade that brought goalie Jaroslav Halak to St. Louis. “He said I have a good chance to make that Montreal team. It’s going to be up to me.
“That was my goal in St. Louis, to make that club this year. I’m going to have the same mindset coming into Montreal. I know that Montreal has a big fan base and there are big expectations for the team and the players as well. But I put pressure on myself. I see this in a positive way.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Montreal+Canadiens, NHL-Hockey, St.+Louis+Blues,
Jacques Lemaire’s Legacy
by Alanah McGinley on 12/18/07 at 12:02 PM ET
Comments (0)
From Kent Youngblood at the Star-Tribune,
So when the NHL returned, so did Lemaire—for the long term. And tonight he’ll become the 14th man to coach 1,000 games.
And that begs the question: Has Lemaire had more impact as a player or as a coach? Lemaire played 12 seasons with Montreal. Including playoffs, he played in 998 games, totaling 974 points.
“I’m probably the wrong guy to ask, because I can see it in both cases,” said Wild GM Doug Risebrough, who was Lemaire’s teammate in Montreal for five seasons. “I guess it depends on your time frame. Your younger players probably don’t realize how good a player he was. ... He was the best two-way player I’ve ever seen play. Not of my time, but ever. He was the centerman who could pass, he had a great shot, he was smart. He played with two good players [Steve Shutt and Guy Lafleur] because he was so good defensively.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Minnesota Wild | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: doug+risebrough, jacques+lemaire, minnesota+wild, montreal+canadiens,
Ted Lindsay Points To Schedule For Wings Attendance Problems
by Paul on 12/04/07 at 09:32 PM ET
Comments (0)
from the CP via the Hockey News,
The Montreal Canadiens commemorated their 81 year-old rivalry with the Detroit Red Wings before the two Original Six teams played their only game of the season Tuesday.
It is that disparity in the NHL’s current schedule that has Red Wings Hall of Famer Ted Lindsay believing that Detroit will never have a similar rivalry with another team ever again.
Lindsay said Tuesday that NHL commissioner Gary Bettman is to blame if attendance numbers are down in Detroit because fans in Hockeytown are sick of seeing teams like Columbus and Nashville so often every year.
“We had it for a couple of years there with Colorado and Detroit, but Bettman has taken advantage of Detroit because of it being a great hockey city and it being a well managed hockey team,” Lindsay said.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: arenas, detroit+red+wings, montreal+canadiens, original+six, Ted+Lindsay,
Habs Recall Halak
by Paul on 12/03/07 at 12:13 PM ET
Comments (0)
via TSN,
With goaltenders Cristobal Huet nursing a pulled groin and Carey Price sick with the flu, the Montreal Canadiens may have Jaroslav Halak between the pipes when they host the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday night.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Jaroslav+Halak, montreal+canadiens,
Habs Pay Up
by Paul on 11/27/07 at 07:07 AM ET
Comments (0)
from the Montreal Gazette,
The National Hockey League can’t protect players from headshots and dangerous hits from behind, but it is determined to have games start on time.
The Canadiens have been fined an undisclosed amount after the start of last Monday’s game against Ottawa was delayed about 10 minutes because the ceremony to retire Larry Robinson’s No. 19 ran longer than planned.
more and you can read about the Leafs situation if you wish…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: larry+robinson, montreal+canadiens,
Habs Searching For Offense
by Paul on 11/26/07 at 09:25 AM ET
Comments (0)
from the Montreal Gazette,
A week after saying that he liked the way his team was playing, Carbonneau shrugged his shoulders when asked about the recent slide that has seen the Canadiens lose four of their last six games. While the Canadiens are clinging to fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, they have slipped four points behind their pace of last season.
“I think we’re playing well defensively, but we’re not scoring,” said Carbonneau…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: guy+carbonneau, montreal+canadiens,
Shot To The Ribs
by Paul on 11/24/07 at 08:57 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette,
Now that Ottawa has lost a fifth game, isn’t it about time talking heads on radio and television stop making comparisons between them and the Canadiens team of the late 1970s, which lost only eight games in 1976-77? Yeah ... Martin Gerber and Ken Dryden; Wade Redden and Larry Robinson ... Guy Lafleur and any of the Senators’ forwards.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens, ottawa+senators,
HHOF Member Tom Johnson Has Passed Away
by Alanah McGinley on 11/22/07 at 01:30 PM ET
Comments (0)
From TSN,
The Montreal Canadiens say Hockey Hall of Famer Tom Johnson has died. He was 79.
Johnson spent 15 of his 17 NHL seasons with the Canadiens before finishing his career with the Boston Bruins.
The native of Baldur, Man., won six Stanley Cups as a player with the Canadiens.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: boston+bruins, montreal+canadiens, tom+johnson,
Tonight The Canadiens Honor Larry Robinson
by Paul on 11/19/07 at 08:22 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Chris Stevenson of the Ottawa Sun,
MARVELVILLE—The road from this hamlet south of Ottawa to Montreal goes east and north to Hwy. 417. For Larry Robinson, it was paved with the work ethic of a farmer’s son.
Broke after his first year in pro hockey, and with a young wife and son, Robinson worked on the paving crew—7 a.m.-7 p.m.—on the 417 between Russell and Maxville in the summer of 1972.
Robinson made just $7,500 the previous winter playing for the Canadiens’ AHL farm team in Halifax. With wife Jeannette and son Jeffrey, money was stretched thin, especially when the team went on a long playoff run and won the Calder Cup.
added 8:56am, Habs Inside/Out has some Robinson memories you may be interested in. Some nice postcard pictures of Robinson and Red Fisher looks at Robinson.
Update 5:25pm ET: (alanah) From The Hockey News,
If the Montreal Canadiens keep retiring the numbers of everyone who deserves it, they’ll look more like a football team than a hockey team in a few years.
The Canadiens, who do these ceremonies far better than anyone else in the NHL (are you watching, Maple Leafs?) are set to retire their 12th number Monday night when Larry Robinson’s No. 19 is raised to the rafters of the Bell Centre. That will be followed by Bob Gainey’s No. 23 in February with it all but certain the Canadiens will retire Patrick Roy’s No. 33 next season when they celebrate their 100th anniversary.
Update 8:22pm ET: (alanah) via TSN:
Montreal Canadiens fans had waited a long time to give Larry Robinson the ovation he received Monday night, and they weren’t going to sit down until they were good and ready.
Robinson joined 12 other Canadiens legends when his No. 19 was retired and raised to the Bell Centre rafters before Montreal’s game against the Ottawa Senators.
Robinson received an ovation of several minutes when he was first introduced to the crowd, and he tried sitting down to get the fans to stop. But they refused, continuing for several more minutes despite Robinson’s repeated attempts to get them to sit down.
More photos here.
_________________________
*original time of post 8:28 a.m. ET. Last update 5:22pm ET
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Talk, Old School | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Larry+Robinson, montreal+canadiens,
Automatic One Game Suspension for Tom Kostopoulos
by Paul on 11/19/07 at 11:12 AM ET
Comments (0)
via TSN,
Kostopoulos recieved an automatic one-game suspension from the NHL for going after Bruins’ Mark Stuart late in the 7-4 Canadiens’ victory. He was given an instigator penalty and a game misconduct on the play.
The Kostopoulos incident was only one of a number of altercations between the two clubs in the third period.
The NHL will not fine Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau.
added 12:35pm, TSN has updated the link and now saying Cabeonneau has been fined.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: boston+bruins, montreal+canadiens, suspension, Tom+Kostopoulos,
Chara Points Finger At Habs
by Paul on 11/19/07 at 09:01 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Dave Stubbs of the Montreal Gazette,
Chara said the Canadiens started all the nonsense on the ice, but were unwilling to finish it, and that what goes around, comes around, etc.
(The two teams meet next on Dec. 6 in Boston.)
Carbonneau was buying none of that, with these illustrations:
Ten minutes into the third period, Bruins’ Jeremy Reich, who’d played not enough this game to work up a sweat, ran Canadiens goalie Carey Price;
Less than a minute later, Bruins defenceman Mark Stuart pummelled a why-me? Andrei Kostitsyn.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Andrei+Kostitsyn, boston+bruins, carey+price, fighting, Jeremy+Reich, mark+stuart, montreal+canadiens, zdeno+chara,
Old-Time Hockey
by Paul on 11/18/07 at 10:10 AM ET
Comments (0)
Game recaps are avoided at KK, but every so often, games like this need to be mentioned…
from Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette,
You want shots? Pencil in 52 by the Canadiens and 36 by the Bruins, even though Boston held a 20-15 margin in shots in the first period.
You want tempers boiling over as they did in “old-time hockey”? At one point in the third period, there were eight players (four by the Canadiens) in the penalty box.
You want fights?
They were there in bunches ... particularly when the Habs put the game out of reach in the third period….
Filed in: NHL Teams, Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: boston+bruins, montreal+canadiens,
Looking For His Name On The Cup
by Paul on 11/18/07 at 09:08 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette,
Remember Don Awrey, who played 128 of his 979 NHL games with the Canadiens?...
I mention Awrey now because he was on the telephone several days ago inquiring how to go about what he termed to “right a wrong.” What was wrong was that even though he appeared in most of the regular-season games during the Canadiens’ first of four consecutive Stanley Cups in 1975-76, he wasn’t dressed in the playoffs because of a knee injury. Result: the next time you read the names on the Cup for that year, you won’t find Awrey’s name on it because league rules at the time called for a player to appear in at least one playoff game in order to have his name on it.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Talk, Old School | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Don+Awrey, montreal+canadiens,
Leafs & Canadiens Headed In Different Directions
by Paul on 11/09/07 at 11:28 PM ET
Comments (0)
from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,
But if the past is similar, the future looks entirely different for the two men and their teams, the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs.
“They both have mediocre current situations,” said one NHL executive, who wished to remain anonymous.
“But Ferguson put the Leafs in a situation where they have a terrible future and Gainey put the Canadiens in a situation where they have a great future.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: bob+gainey, john+ferguson, montreal+canadiens, toronto+maple+leafs,
Rumored Trade Not Going To Happen
by Paul on 11/09/07 at 11:07 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Lightning Strikes,
...It seems you have to believe the part about him not knowing about such a trade because it just doesn’t seem to make sense for the Lightning which was supposed to give up Richards, its second-line center and one of its alternate captains for Ryder and Kostsitsyn who between them have just 11 points, and Halak has 16 NHL games to his name.
I’m sure the potential new owners of the franchise would love to have to fill that kind of hole in the roster.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Tampa Bay Lightning | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens, tampa+bay+lightning,
Higgins Shooting For 40
by Paul on 11/07/07 at 06:36 PM ET
Comments (0)
from the CP via Yahoo,
With Higgins’ combination of speed, skill and willingness to battle for pucks, the only question now is how much of an impact player he will become.
He had 23 goals as a rookie in 2005-06 and 22 last season, despite missing 21 games either sick or injured. The No. 40 was suggested and the six-foot-200-pound Higgins nodded.
“I definitely think I’m capable of reaching 40 goals,” he said. “That’s a good marker for me.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Chris+Higgins, montreal+canadiens,
Habs Will Spend Aggressively
by Paul on 11/05/07 at 07:01 PM ET
Comments (0)
from the CP,
Gillett said that despite the rising value of the loonie, the NHL’s salary cap will keep the team’s payroll in check.
But a stronger dollar allows the hockey club to spend aggressively and continue to build with younger players and supplement with free agents.
“No matter what happens with the exchange rate, up or down, we’re going to spend aggressively toward the cap,” he said.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens, salary+cap,
Playoff Hockey in November
by Alanah McGinley on 11/03/07 at 04:11 AM ET
Comments (0)
From Jack Todd at the Montreal Gazette,
You can toss out the form chart. Forget the odds. Pay no attention to the fact the Toronto Maple Leafs lost 3-2 last night in New Jersey, or that the Canadiens are coming off a superb performance against the Philadelphia Flyers Thursday night.
The Leafs also absorbed a 7-1 pounding on home ice against the Capitals Monday. That matters about as much as the price of chai in China.
When the bell rings tonight, the two teams stepping into the ring might as well be fighting a unification bout for a heavyweight title, because when the Canadiens and Leafs hook up on a Saturday night, it’s playoff hockey.
In November.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens, toronto+maple+leafs,
Koivu Knows French
by Paul on 11/01/07 at 08:42 PM ET
Comments (0)
from the CP via TSN,
A day after taking heat for not speaking French, Montreal Canadiens captain Saku Koivu spoke a few words in a pre-recorded feature shown before a game Thursday night at the Bell Centre.
A surprised crowd cheered as Koivu said ‘‘ici Saku Koivu, voici mon equipe’’ (Saku Koivu here, this is my team) before reading out the Canadiens lineup in a mix of English and French on the video scoreboard.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens, Saku+Koivu,
Ryder Seeing Bench Time
by Paul on 10/31/07 at 07:36 PM ET
Comments (0)
from the Montreal Gazette,
“Nothing is happening with him on the ice,” Carbonneau explained. “We felt like we needed to win the game, so I went with the guys I thought could help us do that. I was trying to switch some lines and trying to create something. I was looking for a spark.”
Ryder, who has been the Canadiens’ top goal-scorer in each of the past two seasons with 30, played 11:35 Tuesday night….
“I don’t think it’s time to panic,” said Ryder, who had four goals at this point last season.
“There haven’t been too many games when our line hasn’t created some chances and there are other top scorers who have scored only three or four goals.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Michael+Ryder, montreal+canadiens,
Learn French Saku
by Paul on 10/31/07 at 10:09 AM ET
Comments (0)
from The National Post,
An unlikely name popped up Tuesday at provincial public hearings looking into reasonable accommodation for religious minorities in Quebec: Saku Koivu.
Lawyer Guy Bertrand, a separatist-turned-federalist-turned-separatist-again, dropped the gloves about the Montreal Canadiens’ captain’s lack of fluency in French.
Bertrand was critical of the Finnish-born Koivu’s failure “to respect the right of Quebecers to be served in French.”
Updated 6:46pm ET:
From TSN, a response from Koivu,
“I’m not perfect,” he told a scrum of reporters at the Bell Centre. “There’s nothing we can do when politicians have opinions on the team or on me Sometimes you can’t control what’s being said out there.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Hockey Related Stories | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens, Saku+Koivu,
Surprising Habs
by Alanah McGinley on 10/30/07 at 05:51 PM ET
Comments (0)
From Jim Kelly at Sportsnet,
The Habs are a surprising second in the Northeast Division (to Ottawa) and through Monday night were 6-2-2 and tied for third overall in the Eastern Conference and tied for fifth overall with the likes of Philadelphia and Colorado. Isn’t that where Vancouver or maybe Calgary was supposed to be?
To be sure, both the Flames and the Canucks have had their problems, especially in regards keeping the puck out of their respective nets, but the Habs have out-pointed every Canadian entity except the Senators and even have some games in hand in comparison to some teams ahead of them in the standings.
How is this happening you ask? Well, in a word, goaltending.
Tack on another it would be defence and after that add things like timely scoring, smart positional play, a potent power-play attack (often the best in the league so far) and consistently strong lines.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: goalies, montreal+canadiens,
Habs Calling for Rule Change
by Alanah McGinley on 10/30/07 at 12:33 PM ET
Comments (0)
From the CP via TSN,
The Montreal Canadiens are calling for an NHL rule change after defenceman Francis Bouillon suffered a shoulder injury from a hit in the dying seconds of overtime.
The Canadiens feel that Pittsburgh defenceman Sergei Gonchar should not have been allowed to take part in a shootout after he was called for boarding with 1.6 seconds left in the five-minute overtime in Montreal’s 4-3 win over the Penguins on Saturday night.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: francis+bouillon, montreal+canadiens, pittsburgh+penguins, sergei+gonchar,
A Habs Gathering
by Paul on 10/22/07 at 09:49 AM ET
Comments (0)
from the Montreal Gazette,
While many people were enjoying the sunshine this summer, a group of devoted fans from across North America that congregate on Habsinsideout.com decided they should get together to watch their favourite team up close in Montreal.
What started as an innocent comment from Brian Jones, known as Yeats on the website, turned into the Habs Fan Summit, a full day of events that brought Canadiens fans from across the continent together on Saturday to watch the Habs defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: fans, montreal+canadiens,
Kovalev Says Media Twisted Words
by Paul on 10/18/07 at 01:52 PM ET
Comments (0)
from TSN,
Following Tuesday’s loss to the Panthers, the Canadiens associate captain voiced his frustration with the tactics that were used in the dying moments that allowed Florida to tie the game.
“In the last two minutes, we knew they were going to put a lot of pressure on us,” Kovalev told the TEAM 990 in Montreal. “It was just my idea that we could have taken a timeout, get organized and get the right people on the ice. Maybe it could have been better. That’s what I saw from the bench.”...
On Thursday, Kovalev was critical of the media for creating a story where there was none.
“Everybody knows nothing is going on and everything is good between me and Carbo,” Kovalev told reporters. “It’s just you guys try to have a competition between each other and try to twist words, who twisted words better.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Kovalev, media, montreal+canadiens,
Tanguay Plans On Staying In Calgary
by Paul on 10/18/07 at 09:51 AM ET
Comments (0)
from the Calgary Sun,
Tanguay yesterday found himself having to discuss a report on the French-language station RDS that said the Flames might be considering a deal with the Montreal Canadiens that would bring Alexei Kovalev to the Stampede City. Kovalev won a Stanley Cup with Keenan in New York.
Tanguay said he had no intentions on following it.
“I’m not planning on wasting any time on that at all,” he said. “I’m here with the Flames, and I think when they brought me here they wanted me to help the team, and as far as I know, it’s still the plan.”
more, plus Spector covers this in greater detail and has some more signing and trade talk too…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Calgary Flames | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alex+Tanguay, calgary+flames, montreal+canadiens,
Trade Talk
by Paul on 10/17/07 at 10:24 AM ET
Comments (0)
Spector has all the trade and signing talk today…
Yvon Pednault reported during last night’s Montreal-Florida game that the Canadiens and Calgary Flames might be talking about a swap of Alex Kovalev for Alex Tanguay. Scouts from the Calgary Flames were apparently in attendance, possibly to scout Kovalev, who used to play for Flames head coach Mike Keenan in New York…
Filed in: NHL Teams, NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: calgary+flames, montreal+canadiens,
The Dollar Value of Bell Centre
by Alanah McGinley on 10/16/07 at 04:23 PM ET
Comments (0)
From the CP via TSN,
George Gillett, the owner of the team and the Bell Centre they call home, is challenging the city’s tax assessment for the downtown hockey building.
The city evaluates the Bell Centre at $225 million but Gillett insists it’s worth only $75 million and now both parties are headed to Quebec’s administrative tribunal on Nov. 12 for a ruling.
The city has hired a battery of lawyers and experts to fight the case.
Gillett also wants a tax refund, which could go as high as $32 million, saying he’s been overtaxed.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Talk, NHL Business of Hockey | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens,
Cannonball Pitre
by Paul on 10/15/07 at 09:15 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Dave Stubbs at Habs Inside/Out,
Let’s revisit Cannonball Pitre, the first man to sign a playing contract with the Canadiens, and that first historic game that changed Montreal forever.
read on and some great, old-time pictures…
What a wonderful piece by Mr. Stubbs. Makes you want to put on one of those heavy wool sweaters and find a pond to skate on.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Talk, Old School | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens,
Habs Finally Play At Home
by Paul on 10/13/07 at 08:51 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette,
The goalie controversy aside, this is an intriguing Canadiens team. The major components are similar to last year’s squad that missed the playoffs, but Carbonneau is reaping large benefits from small changes, like moving Mathieu Dandenault to forward and Mark Streit back to the blue line.
Dandenault is coming off a so-so season on defence, but looks good up front, while Streit shows the confidence, leadership and shot from the point they talk about in Switzerland. Streit doesn’t have the howitzer of the departed Sheldon Souray, but he has a hard, accurate shot and he is a mobile, fluid skater who doesn’t make many mistakes.
Then there is Bryan Smolinski, a player everyone liked in his various incarnations as an opponent, now bringing his grit and smarts to the Canadiens. And Tomas Plekanec, Chris Higgins and Mike Komisarek, playing like the young veterans they are.
more on the Canadiens…
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens,
No Goalie Controversy In Montreal
by Paul on 10/12/07 at 09:17 AM ET
Comments (0)
from the Montreal Gazette,
Huet is aware he and Price are competing for the No. 1 job and said that’s the way it should be.
“It has to be like that,” Huet said. “The coach is going to use the best goalie, the guy who’s playing the best during the games and that pushes me, for sure, to be better and get the job done.”
Price describes Huet as the perfect mentor for a young goaltender, although Huet was at a loss to explain exactly what he does in that role.
“I think the important thing is that I treat him like everyone else,” Huet said. “But you should ask him.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: carey+price, cristobal+huet, goalies, montreal+canadiens,
Price Is Right For Canadiens
by Paul on 10/11/07 at 10:12 AM ET
Comments (0)
Habs Inside/Out has all the talk…
Any debate over the readiness of Canadiens goalie Carey Price for the National Hockey League has been settled. The kid is poised, confident and plays his angles beautifully. He is more than ready.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Carey+Price, goalies, montreal+canadiens,
Koivu Reflects on His Own Cancer
by Alanah McGinley on 10/09/07 at 06:23 PM ET
Comments (0)
From Shi Davidi of the CP via Yahoo,
Unlike Blake, who will be able to play while treating his chronic myelogenous leukemia, Koivu wasn’t sure he’d survive his treatment, let alone return to play, and the experience still scars him.
“Every time you hear the word cancer or see someone who is going through it, it brings back the memories, it’s part of me right now,” Koivu said Tuesday in Montreal. “There’s some positive things I took from that experience but there’s also a lot of negative things as well.
“It’s there, but it gets easier the more time you get away from the whole thing.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: jason+blake, montreal+canadiens, saku+koivu, toronto+maple+leafs,
High Hopes for Price’s Debut
by Alanah McGinley on 10/09/07 at 06:19 PM ET
Comments (0)
From Bob McKenzie at TSN,
There may be those who question the wisdom of the Montreal Canadiens starting netminder Carey Price against Sidney Crosby in his first NHL game on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, but it may turn out to be a fitting debut.
Because in years, when we look back on the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, it may well be that Price is the only prospect from that class who has even a chance to be mentioned in the same breath as Sid the Kid.
Now as good as Bobby Ryan or Jack Johnson or Anze Kopitar or Marc Staal are going to be, Price has a chance to be something special.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, Pittsburgh Penguins | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: carey+price, goalies, montreal+canadiens,
Say Goodbye To Hockey Dynasties
by Paul on 10/08/07 at 08:04 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Jack Todd of the Montreal Gazette,
In a long interview Friday that focused mostly on his father, John Ferguson Jr. touched only briefly on his job as general manager of the Maple Leafs, but Ferguson agreed that fans probably don’t understand that it’s no longer possible to put together a team like those legendary Canadiens dynasties of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, with a team dominating over a period of decades.
“To be honest,” Ferguson said, “I think the fans can be a bit unrealistic. But that’s what gives the game its passion here. They want to win all the time. That’s not going to happen any more. That era, those players all together on one team for years, I don’t think we’ll see that again.”
Filed in: NHL Talk | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens,
Don’t Fear Kovalev
by Paul on 10/03/07 at 01:28 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Pat Hickey at the Montreal Gazette,
Alex Kovalev said yesterday there’s no reason his younger linemates should feel intimidated.
“I’ve told them to play their games and not to worry about me,” said Kovalev, who will be playing with Andrei Kostitsyn and Mikhail Grabovski when the Canadiens face the Carolina Hurricanes tonight.
Last season, Tomas Plekanec said he was uncomfortable playing between Kovalev and Sergei Samsonov. But Kovalev said yesterday that he is heeding general manager Bob Gainey’s advice and helping the youngsters.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Alexei+Kovalev, montreal+canadiens,
Waiting for the Best of Kovalev
by Alanah McGinley on 10/02/07 at 11:52 PM ET
Comments (0)
From T.C. Denault at Habs World,
This year’s preseason offered no shortage of stories. [...] Strangely, lost in the shuffle was Alexei Kovalev.
What makes this even stranger is that this upcoming season represents a make or break year for Alexei Kovalev. The time for excuses is past. Now beginning his third full year in Montreal, one could argue that Canadiens fans have yet to see the best of Kovalev.
It’s hard to argue that we haven’t seen the worst of Alexei Kovalev already.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: alexei+kovalev, montreal+canadiens,
Brisebois Back on the Ice
by Alanah McGinley on 10/02/07 at 05:51 PM ET
Comments (0)
From Pat Hickey at CanWest (tomorrow’s Montreal Gazette),
Two weeks ago, Patrice Brisebois wasn’t able to skate.
A week ago, he stepped gingerly on the ice and hoped he wouldn’t feel a pull in his groin.
Tonight [Wednesday], the 36-year-old will be one of the Montreal Canadiens’ top four defencemen when they play their NHL season opener against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens, patrice+brisebois,
Hamrlik’s Milestone
by Alanah McGinley on 10/02/07 at 04:20 PM ET
Comments (0)
From the CP via the Globe & Mail,
Defenceman Roman Hamrlik’s first game as a Montreal Canadien will be also be his 1,000th in the National Hockey League. The milestone will be reached when the Canadiens open the regular season on Wednesday night in Carolina.
Hamrlik, a 15-year veteran, had played 999 NHL games when he signed a $22 million, four-year contract as an unrestricted free agent this summer after two seasons with the Calgary Flames.
“I’m very excited,” said the 33-year-old, who played his first game on Oct. 7, 1992 for the Tampa Bay Lightning. “It’s a special day for me — my first game with the Habs and the 1,000th game for me.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens, roman+hamrlik,
They Rode The Rails
by Paul on 09/29/07 at 07:42 AM ET
Comments (0)
from Red Fisher of the Montreal Gazette,
The private car was a place for bonding during the regular season and for all-night wet parties when the Canadiens were returning home after winning Stanley Cups on the road.
The trip to Chicago was a marathon on rails. The Canadiens would play a Saturday night game at the Forum and, immediately after it, would head for Westmount Station. Departure time: somewhere around midnight. Breakfast and lunch (thick steaks to die for) in their private dining car, after which most of the players would take their afternoon naps.
Normally, the team would arrive there at 6:30 p.m., head directly to Chicago Stadium - now and then with a police escort when the train was late. They would play the game, head back to the train and arrive in Montreal at 11 p.m. on Monday.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens, NHL Talk, Old School | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens,
Questions In Montreal
by Paul on 09/25/07 at 06:16 PM ET
Comments (0)
from the Montreal Gazette,
Montreal Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau planned to use his opening-night lineup for the team’s final two exhibition games.
But that plan is on hold because Carbonneau isn’t sure who’s going to be in that lineup. The biggest question going in to training camp remains the biggest question mark coming out — who will back up Cristobal Huet?
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens,
Paying To Watch The Canadiens
by Paul on 09/22/07 at 08:01 AM ET
Comments (0)
from the Montreal Gazette,
Since it’s too expensive to bring the whole family, Perreault said, he tries to bring each of his four children to a game. “It’s impossible to come with the family,” he said. “It would cost me $500.” For many families, professional hockey has long been out of their financial reach. In a hockey-mad city like Montreal, the only way many fans can afford to see the bleu-blanc-rouge is on the Réseau des Sports television network.
The elusive seats in the lower level red sections, range from $82.40 to $139.05 before taxes and service charges.
To be fair, for those that don’t mind watching the game from the highest reaches of the Bell Centre, the Canadiens offer $10 seats to children under 16 in the family zone section. Adults pay $23.69 before taxes and service charges for most games.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Montreal Canadiens | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: montreal+canadiens, tickets,
