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Editorial – The Core


The Habs are enjoying a five game winning streak, and are now within three points of fifth place Ottawa and are within six points of Buffalo, who sit atop the Northeast Division.  Watching Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday, the panel of analysts opined that the Habs are playing their best hockey right now and are enjoying playing as a unit.  Despite the distractions on and off the ice, combined with a multitude of injuries to key players, the Habs are finally looking like a cohesive unit, with only minor lapses of inconsistency along the way.

Tomas Plekanec

From the stability between the pipes, combined with strong defensive pairings, the biggest plus right now is the top two scoring lines, with Mike Cammalleri expected to return in a couple of weeks (fingers crossed).  The Habs are beginning to gel amongst the forward ranks, rolling a solid group of two scoring lines and two defensive lines.  The team showed jump against the Bruins on Saturday night and despite some mental lapses, the team is exuding confidence at the moment; something GM Pierre Gauthier should take notice to build upon.

The discussion of this editorial looks at some of the upcoming free agents that the Habs will rely on for the remainder of the stretch run into the playoffs and suggests who should be re-signed for 2010-11:

Tomas Plekanec – At the beginning of the year, Plekanec was reeling, coming off of a lack-lustre 2008-09 and signing for only one season.  In an effort to prove himself, Plekanec has established himself as an essential #1 centre, playing in a multitude of offensive and defensive situations, and being able to adapt to a variety of scoring wingers thrust upon his line by Coach Jacques Martin.  Many believe that Plekanec is still inconsistent and may fade again in 2010-11, however, 20 goals, 44 assists, for 64 points in 70 games will help Plekanec build his confidence, considering many didn’t believe he would contribute at this level again after a dismal campaign in 2008-09.  The Habs need to sign Plekanec to a long-term deal, as he is a solid building block and the team should benefit from a “home town discount” with contract negotiations.

Jaroslav Halak – I know I know… it’s either Carey Price or Halak nowadays amongst the fan base in Montreal, however, Halak has shown that he can handle pressure situations.  At times, Halak has shown inconsistency, but whenever he is faced with adversity, he has risen to the occasion.  Many pundits believe Halak has been shielded from stronger opponents, opting for Price the opportunity to take the #1 job.  However, realistically, Price has faltered at many points this season and in 2008-09, and Halak is carrying this team to the playoffs right now.  A stellar showing of fourth place for Slovakia in the 2010 Winter Olympics might be the coming out party Halak deserved, as the Habs are riding high with Halak between the pipes.  As a restricted free agent in 2010-11, Halak could walk come July 1, however, the Habs could make their selection now for the future by making a bold decision to cut Price loose instead.  Halak may not have the pedigree or the previous acumen that Price brought to the table as a first round prospect, however, Halak should probably be the starter next season.  The team plays better in front of Halak and in a sense, trusts him more… in the end, Halak just wins, and that’s all that matters.

Benoit Pouliot – A solid exchange of promising assets by GM Bob Gainey, both Guillaume Latendresse and Benoit Pouliot benefited from a change of scenery.  Although Pouliot hasn’t exploded onto the scene in Montreal as Latendresse has in Minnesota, Pouliot could still become the better player long-term for the Habs.  In 27 games in Montreal, Pouliot has 14 goals and 7 assists for 21 points, but he’s been able to bring a solid physical presence on the forecheck, in front of the net, and is a strong addition to the power play.  Pouliot should be able to negotiate a deal to stay in Montreal, building on the success of the shortened tenure with Montreal after the trade.  Playing alongside Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez has really put Pouliot’s talents to good use, as he brings the size and grit required for the diminutive linemates to flourish.

Marc-Andre Bergeron – Plagued with a nagging lower body injury since February 2010, Bergeron may benefit with a contract in Montreal, building upon his short-term success as a replacement for Andrei Markov.  Bergeron held the fort on the point of the power play while Markov was injured and was a major contributor until his return.  Once back in the lineup, Bergeron was forced to play on the left wing at times and was only a factor as a power play specialist.  If the team can somehow address the albatross contract of Roman Hamrlik, Bergeron would be a welcome fit in Montreal to complement Markov on the power play.  However, the team may likely re-sign Paul Mara ahead of Bergeron, and with P.K. Subban awaiting a chance to land a spot in the top six in 2010-11, the defense corps may be log jammed next season – requiring some tweaking to make room for Bergeron.

Sergei Kostitsyn – One of the reasons to re-sign Sergei is ensure the happiness with his brother Andrei.  Similar to Vancouver with the Sedin twins, Sergei is probably a package deal with brother Andrei, and the distractions brought upon by Sergei’s failure to report to Hamilton at the beginning of the season had an effect on Andrei’s numbers.  Sergei does have potential and has a feisty attitude both on and off the ice.  He has drive and determination, but at 22 years of age, is actually still a raw talent, and could round into form fairly soon.  He’s playing in a top six role right now, but his inconsistencies could see he relegated to the minors if he requires further attitude adjustments.  The Habs are hoping that Kostitsyn will eventually channel the success he has in his development in the OHL with the London Knights.  Only time will tell if the Habs remain patient with his antics.

In the end, the Habs are hard-pressed to sign all of these free agents, however, this group of players will enhance the performance of some of the strong assets already on this squad.  The Habs do need to address some of the players who represent “dead weight” contracts, but this core group will help the team win.  It’s up to GM Gauthier to spend his money wisely.

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Editorial – Keeping Pace


The Habs have 13 games remaining and all signs look like they are going to be able to hold onto one of the remaining Eastern Conference playoff positions. The Habs currently sit in seventh in the conference standings, however, with a strong Western Conference road trip, the Habs are actually within seven points of the lead in the Northeast Division, let alone five points back of the slumping Senators.

Jaroslav Halak

The Canadiens have now matched a season high with its fourth straight win and they have not been dominant of late (just barely squeaking past the Edmonton Oilers in the shootout last night), but have been earning the points to keep pace with the rest of the conference. Fortunately, the bottom of the Eastern Conference has been struggling to gain ground, with the Rangers being the closest competitor not in a playoff position with 67 points.

The biggest concern for the Habs is that they have given up either two to three games at hand to all of the teams below them in the Eastern Conference, which could catch up to them in the end. However, sitting in the seventh spot and within arms reach of a higher ranking in the division that could even contribute to a home slot in the first round could be a motivational factor for the team moving forward.

What seems to be clear at this point (cross your fingers) is that Coach Jacques Martin has finalized some defensive combinations on the back-end, some strong scoring combos upfront, and has possibly selected his starting goaltender for the stretch run. With a division amongst fans as to who should start in net, Jaroslav Halak has contributed to the team’s current winning streak.

Since coming in for relief against the Ducks over the weekend, Halak hasn’t been dominant, but it truly only counts on the scoreboard with the W’s in the win column and key points acquired during the remaining games. Even if his stats suffer, Halak has shown a team first mentality, allowing the team to work out the issues in front of him and not get too distracted with the ongoing competition in goal.

This week alone, Halak is 2-0-0, with a 3.36 goals against average, and .875 save percentage, however, he has also been in goal for the other two wins from last week – leading the team to its current four-game win streak. On the flip side, Price remains cold, with a 0-1-0 record, 4.61 goals against average, and .882 save percentage coming from the Olympic break. Both have been mediocre at best, but it seems that confidence is brewing for the team with Halak in goal. They seem to rally around him more and fight harder – if this is something that you can observe depending on who is in net… it’s more of just a trend that I’ve noticed.

I was wrong to predict last week that Carey Price would get the majority of starts in the remaining schedule. It doesn’t help that he hasn’t played very well and the team has seemingly lost confidence when he is between the pipes. Not entirely fair to Price, but the Habs do not have the time or luxury to re-build his confidence and at least in the short-term, need to ride the hot hand, despite the long-term ramifications for Price’s career. It just made sense at the time for the Habs didn’t trade Halak at the deadline for some forward help and the team still has high expectations for Price’s future.

In the end, the goal is to get into the playoffs and possibly steal a round or two. If one of Price or Halak can get hot over the last 13 games, the team could be quite competitive with the teams like Ottawa slumping at the right time. Although seventh or eighth place may be in hand, there is nothing stopping the Habs from aspiring to makeup for a mediocre season and pushing for a late berth as the top seed of the Northeast Division. Their play of late hasn’t been pretty, but it counts towards a common goal. If the team starts to believe that they can catch both the Senators and Sabres in front of them, then a playoff position will be a given.

13 more games to go with the remainder of the games against division or conference opponents. With the scoring lines finally starting to come together and the team getting healthier at the right time, this could be a fun string of games for the Habs… something that they haven’t been able to enjoy for most of 2009-10.

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Editorial – Paying the Price


With only 17 games left on the schedule, the Habs are unlucky to be on this current west coast road trip, ending with the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday.  The team started the month after the long Olympic break with a well-deserved win in Boston, with Price earning the win and playing well throughout this week.  But similar to other stretches of consistency, the team has not provided Carey Price with the goal support to win games against tougher opponents such as the San Jose Sharks, and similar results could be expected against the Kings and the Ducks this weekend.

Carey Price

Good news in retrospect, the Habs have decided to finish the string of this season with both Jaroslav Halak and Price in tow. Both will be relied upon to steal games for this goal starved team and the coaching staff will need both netminders to elevate their game to an elite status. Price has stepped up to the plate and if he continues to play well, he may get the majority of starts in the next 17 games.

If that is the case, the writing is on the wall for Halak. I personally am a Halak proponent, but I am a bigger proponent for the Habs to finally make a decision in net. Gone are the days of the mid-90’s in which many teams relied on quality #1 and #1A type goaltending situations and these days, number one goalies are expected and encouraged to play at least 65+ games if not more. In the case of both Halak and Price, both have a strong resume to build upon, but both have yet to prove if they can handle the rigours of this full commitment of a number one job. Both have shortcomings and I believe it is the will of the fans themselves that are making either goaltender seem better than they actually are when compared to other goalies in the league.

In the end, I think this Price vs. Halak controversy will continue, especially if either goaltender slips up and more so if the Canadiens squeak into the playoffs. At time of posting, the Habs sit 10th, with 66 points, tied with the Atlanta Thrashers and New York Rangers for the 8th spot, but with the Thrashers having 3 games at hand.

Since GM Pierre Gauthier decided to stand pat in terms of providing his team with a solid top six option at forward, the team must rely on finally getting a handle on the defensive scheme in front of either Halak or Price in the remaining schedule. The defense corps is strong on this squad, yet the offensive consistency is suspect. If the goaltending has the ability to overcome low-scoring efforts put forth, then this team might just make it as all of the teams chasing the 8th spot are inconsistent overall.

I am hoping that the Habs can steal 2-3 points over the remaining games with Western Conference opponents, which will set them up nicely for a 3-game homestand next week. If Price continues his hot play and even falters a little, despite my allegiances to Halak, he should continue to get the workload. He is likely going to be the incumbent starter next season and having him receive that vote of confidence from the upper management, coaching staff, and fans will truly help his confidence. Also, Price needs to face some further adversity – with more games, he will get a chance to do that and this will help him in the end.

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Editorial – What to do with Jaroslav Halak?


With the trade deadline fast approaching (March 3, 2010), rumours abound surrounding the status of Jaroslav Halak. The speculation is further heightened as Carey Price is being thrust into the first game against the Boston Bruins this evening. With the Canadiens currently sitting in 8th place in the Eastern Conference at 64 points with 19 games remaining, the Habs will be hard-pressed to decide whether they will be buyers or sellers at the deadline, or whether they will just stand pat.

Jaroslav Halak

Seeing that I am a big proponent of making a change, I actually believe the Habs would benefit with minor tweaks of the lineup, but no wholesale changes to be made. The off-season was filled with turmoil with the changing of the guard so to speak, letting veteran leadership walk in favour of new faces and fiddling with chemistry. With only a few weeks remaining in the regular season, the Habs still need to find chemistry amongst the lineup and work on staying healthy, something the team has not been able to do throughout the 2009-10 campaign.

With the ongoing battle for the number one job in Montreal between Price and Halak, having both of them remain competitive is a strong option for the Habs, but the team needs to decide if either will be back next season. Halak has stated that he wants to play and has earned his keep, showing again and again that he is a serviceable starting goaltender, worthy of a heavier workload (especially after a strong showing in the Olympics in which he led his team to a surprising 4th place finish). While Price has the pedigree to be a franchise netminder, he has yet shown the confidence to carry this team moving forward, and thus the doubt ensues behind his long-term potential.

What should the Habs do? Well, the goaltending market became much easier to navigate after changes during the Olympic break. The Dallas Stars have decided to hold onto Marty Turco for the duration of this season, electing to place Alex Auld on waivers (later picked up by the New York Rangers). Also, the New York Islanders have placed Rick DiPietro on IR due to his wonky knee, and thus Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron will probably stay put. In addition, the Philadelphia Flyers are now forced to go with Michael Leighton and Brian Boucher, as Ray Emery will probably spend the rest of the season on IR.  While the Nashville Predators have re-signed Pekka Rinne, meaning Dan Ellis is probably up for grabs tomorrow.

The rest of the NHL will probably seek secondary help in goal, leaving Montreal with little to no assets to trade. They have some key fringe players that could help a team on a playoff push, however, with the team on the edge of a spot now, these players would be better served to stay on the roster. Although speculation is a possibly overhaul by GM Pierre Gauthier by tomorrow’s deadline, I foresee him staying on the sidelines as other team’s gear up for the playoffs. Halak and Price are probably the only assets of value at the moment, but both could be Habs as of March 4, 2010.

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Editorial – Olympic Update


There’s been a welcome break in NHL play over the last two weeks in order for NHL players to participate in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. The Montreal Canadiens had six players participate for their respective countries:  Andrei Markov (Russia), Tomas Plekanec (Czech Republic), Jaroslav Halak (Slovakia), Sergei Kostitsyn (Belarus), Andrei Kostitsyn (Belarus), and Yannick Weber (Switzerland).  Only Halak remains from the bunch that participated from the Habs, and he has had the biggest impact thus far.

Jaroslav Halak

Not only did Halak and the Slovakians surprise the Russians with a 2-1 shootout defeat in the round robin play, but as of Thursday morning, the Slovakians defeated the defending gold medalists from 2006, beating Sweden 4-3.

On paper, the Slovakians are a balanced team with two elite scorers in Marian Hossa and Marian Gaborik, but they really shouldn’t be able to matchup against the likes of the U.S., Sweden, Russia, or Canada. However, like in every Olympic tournament, a hot goaltender might be enough to get a team through to medal contention as a dark horse competitor. Throughout the tournament, Halak has been steady, but not great. Similar to his role in Montreal, he is a workhorse that can win games, despite not having tremendous statistics to back him up.

In the five games played thus far, Halak is 3-1-1, with a .923 save percentage, and 1.97 goals against average. His team in front of him isn’t much better than the Habs on paper, but the confidence Halak brings to this team is starting to influence their level of play.

Note to newly anointed GM Pierre Gauthier, maybe Halak is the real deal? Could he be the one to retain at the trade deadline? Does Gauthier have enough confidence and autonomy to trade Carey Price? What further controversy can develop if Halak and Slovakia win a medal or continue to upset in this tournament by knocking off Team Canada perhaps?  What kind of value does Halak now have over Price just from this tournament alone?

These questions need to be answered. While Price is at home, practicing with the Canadiens in preparation for the restart of the NHL campaign in a few days, Halak is winning big games on the biggest of stages. That should bode well for his overall confidence and his stock value as a trade asset.

But do the Habs really need to trade Halak? Could they ride his hot play that will carryover from the Olympics and utilize him to get into the playoffs and possibly be a dark horse team in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference? Or do the Habs have to pin their hopes on unproven Carey Price? I wouldn’t want to be Pierre Gauthier right now with this decision on his plate, but Halak is answering those questions for him.

It will be interesting to see what happens on March 3rd, 2010 – just wait and see!

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Interview – Exclusive Interview with Ray Flowers from Fanball.com


To all Habs fans – a special announcement…

Yet another exclusive to OhCanadiens.com, a chance to ask Ray Flowers your questions via email. As you may know, Flowers is the Editor of Owner’s Edge NHL, one of the many items Ray works on for Fanball.com.  Ray also writes the blog, BaseballGuys.com and is known as one of the top fantasy analysts for the MLB, NHL, and NFL.

Ray Flowers

Flowers has agreed to answer questions related to his NHL coverage and any other questions fans would like to ask him pertaining to his personal opinions on the state of the 2009-10 Montreal Canadiens.

Please send me your questions via email (please find my email address in the Author section) – the answers will be posted in the exclusive interview in March 2010! You can also send me your questions via my Twitter account provided below.

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Interview – Fantasy Buffet with Kyle Elfrink and Ray Flowers: February 18, 2010


Hey folks, just wanted to let everyone know about my recent appearance on Fantasy Buffet – the fantasy podcast hosted by Kyle Elfrink and Ray Flowers for Fanball.com. I was asked to appear on the show to discuss the various teams at the Olympic break, the trade deadline, and insights into specific goaltending situations around the league.

Fantasy Buffet

Please follow this link to listen to the recording on the archive site directly. My interview segment appeared after approximately 48 minutes into the show.

Fantasy Buffet airs weekly on BlogTalkRadio.com at 11:00 AM EST.

Follow along with us on Twitter at FanballNHL. Follow along with OhCanadiens.com on Twitter at OhCanadiens.

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Fan Zone – Habs Girls: Christina


Thank you to the folks at HabsOrDie.com for sharing their beautiful Habs Girls photos for the Fan Zone of OhCanadiens.com.

Featured this month is Christina.

Christina 1

Since the Montreal Canadiens and the NHL are currently on the Winter Olympic break, I figured it’d be a good idea to give us readers something else to talk about.

Christina 2

Gotta love Habs fans!

Christina 3

You can find the rest of the photos from this shoot from the following link or on HabsOrDie.com. The main site can also be found on the OhCanadiens.com blog roll.

Follow along with us on Twitter at FanballNHL. Follow along with OhCanadiens.com on Twitter at OhCanadiens.

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Fan Zone – Le Centre Bell Merveilleux


OhCanadiens.com would like to thank Paul Swaney, from StadiumJourney.com, for submitting this piece for the Fan Zone. It is a very insightful article by Robert Lefebvre, looking at the Bell Centre – home of the Montreal Canadiens.

Stadium Journey

I have included an excerpt of the article. Please feel free to use this link to read the remainder of the article.

Bell Centre

While it did take some years, the Montreal Canadiens organization has managed the seemingly impossible feat of transporting the heart and soul of the Montreal Forum and implanting that aura into a modern day building. The Bell Centre in Montreal is an atmospheric hockey temple, replete with the excitement of the present day games as well as being enwrapped in the club’s glorious past everywhere one looks. Visiting the Bell Centre for the first time becomes a day long experience, and there is an abundance to take in before game time.

Prior to entering the building, the history of the team necessitates a visit to the outdoor concourse, which features tributes to the team’s iconic stars and glorious past. On the northwest corner of the lot, photo ops await in the form of statues of hockey greats Maurice Richard, Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur and Howie Morenz.

There are also monuments to players whose numbers have been retired by the team as well as a seven foot square marble block listing every single player to don the Canadiens uniform in 100 seasons. The outdoor concourse is but a tease in terms of what awaits inside the building’s wall. First time visitors are highly encouraged to plan a visit to the newly created Canadiens Hall Of Fame in the building’s lower level as well as taking the Bell Centre tour, which brings fans high enough to have eye to eye views with Stanley Cups banners and retired numbers as well as going behind the scenes of arena, into the press and media rooms, past the team’s dressing room and into the former Canadiens lounge.

Nearing game time, the building explodes to life, as fans donning the colors of each era in the team’s history roam the halls gazing at the plentitude of memorabilia on its walls. Fans are encouraged to visit all levels of the building before puck drop, as each of the arena’s four levels offer vivid glimpses into the team’s 24 Stanley Cup championships. Canadiens history is alive and plastered everywhere one looks, and a visitor cannot help but be captivated by the sights.

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Editorial – Stumbling Blocks


The Habs have limped into the Olympic break, finishing with a 29-28-6 record, finding themselves in 8th place in the Eastern Conference.  The Habs were riding high with solid goaltending and balanced scoring, but then finished with a poor 4-5-1 record in the last 10 games leading into the break.  This inconsistent record has been happening all season and the Habs have done little to make significant changes to turn things around.

Dominic Moore

The Habs did acquire Dominic Moore from the Florida Panthers for a 2010-11 2nd round draft pick – many believe this was a high price for the Canadiens for a fringe player.  This is especially true since the Habs also have the likes of Glen Metropolit and Matt D’Agostini, who are diminutive grinders and who will need to share ice time with Moore now.

The addition of Moore seemed to throw the Canadiens off on Saturday night, as they played really poorly against the Philadelphia Flyers in the back-end of a home and home series.  Carey Price played well against the Flyers in Philadelphia, but Jaroslav Halak wasn’t sharp on Saturday night.  I brought this up on Twitter, but the Panthers recently announced that the team is undergoing a major overhaul, willing to trade any assets to rebuild for the future.  Instead of trading for Moore, I questioned whether trading for Tomas Vokoun and sending Halak and that 2nd round draft pick would strengthen the Habs short-term goaltending, also allowing Carey Price the time needed to earn his position as the franchise netminder.  Too late now, but this could be a move the Habs could still pull off after the Olympics, as Halak would be a future prospect the Panthers could use as a long-term starter perhaps?

With the start of the Olympic break comes a number of questions that need to be answered.  Is this first move by Pierre Gauthier just a stepping stone of more to follow?  Will the Habs make a decision on the status of either Carey Price or Jaroslav Halak?  Was the price for Dominic Moore too much?  Will the Montreal Canadiens turn things around and move up the ranks in the Northeast Division?

The Habs are sending a few players to the 2010 Winter Olympics and a solid tournament for the Habs contingent will improve the team’s chances for getting into the playoffs.  Certain players of interest are going to lobby for bargaining strength after the tournament, so the Habs have a vested interest.  Tomas Plekanec is excited to come back to Montreal next year, so a strong tournament should help with contract negotiations.  Also, Jaroslav Halak is either the next number one goalie in Montreal or a viable trade asset, so either way, a great tournament between the pipes for Slovakia could increase his value overall.

Should be fun to watch what happens in Vancouver and to watch some of the Habs dressing for their respective countries.  Enjoy the tournament in full force – in the meantime, I will continue with my interviews and other pieces on OhCanadiens.com.  During the break, I will also report on relevant Habs’ news, any major events as it relates to the Olympic tournament, and possibly look at what’s happening with the kids in Hamilton.

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