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.

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.

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

Tags: Carey Price, Jaroslav Halak, Pierre Gauthier

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.

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.

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

Tags: Alex Auld, Brian Boucher, Carey Price, Dan Ellis, Dwayne Roloson, Jaroslav Halak, Martin Biron, Marty Turco, Michael Leighton, Pekka Rinne, Pierre Gauthier, Ray Emery, Rick DiPietro

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.

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!

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

Tags: Andrei Kostitsyn, Andrei Markov, Carey Price, Jaroslav Halak, Marian Gaborik, Marian Hossa, Pierre Gauthier, Sergei Kostitsyn, Tomas Plekanec, Yannick Weber

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.

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.

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

Tags: BaseballGuys.com, Fanball.com, OhCanadiens.com, Owner's Edge NHL, Ray Flowers

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.

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.

Tags: BlogTalkRadio.com, Fanball.com, Fantasy Buffet, Kyle Elfrink, Ray Flowers

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.

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.

Gotta love Habs fans!

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.

Tags: Christina, Fan Zone, Habs Girls, HabsorDie.com, OhCanadiens.com

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.

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

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.

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

Tags: Fan Zone, Guy Lafleur, Howie Morenz, Jean Beliveau, Maurice Richard, OhCanadiens.com, Paul Swaney, Robert Lefebvre, StadiumJourney.com

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.

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.

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

Tags: Carey Price, Dominic Moore, Glen Metropolit, Jaroslav Halak, Matt D'Agostini, OhCanadiens.com, Pierre Gauthier, Tomas Plekanec, Tomas Vokoun

Interview – Exclusive Interview with Greg Wyshynski from Puck Daddy (Yahoo! Sports Blog)

To all Habs fans – thank you very much for all of your questions. As announced in December 2009, exclusive to OhCanadiens.com, you had your chance to ask Greg Wyshynski your questions via email.

A personal thanks to Greg for taking the time out of his busy schedule to answer questions from fans of the site and the Montreal Canadiens. Greg is the Editor of Puck Daddy – the Yahoo! Sports official NHL blog.

Q. What should the Habs do with Jaroslav Halak? Can the team be confident with Carey Price moving forward? Why/Why not?

Greg: Here’s my feeling on Price: Wherever he goes, he’s going to put it together and become Ken Dryden. OK, not Ken Dryden, but it’ll feel that way for Habs fans when they watch him become the goalie he was predestined to be. (As long as the “wherever” isn’t a place like Toronto where he’s under the microscope again.)

The stats don’t lie: Halak’s been the better goalie this season. There’s only two years difference in age between the two. The decision isn’t if Halak is better for the Habs; it’s if Price will ever be Price in Montreal. If not, then cut bait.

Q. Should GM Bob Gainey* make any moves to address the current cap issues along with the future of the club? Is a trade for Vincent Lecavalier viable? *Note: Question was sent before Gainey announced his resignation on February 8, 2010.

Greg: One could argue that the ship has sailed on fiscal responsibility for Gainey. Adding the free agents last summer, trading for Gomez’s elephantine contract … the Canadiens trimmed salary in letting players like Koivu and Kovalev skate away and then added it right back.

Taking a look at the highest-paid players on the roster, who would you deal? And who would take them? He rebuilt the core of the team last summer, and it would appear they may be stuck with it.

Unless this new owner pushes him out the door, Lecavalier can veto any trade. He loves living in Tampa. As viable as a trade might be, it’s up to Vinny.

Q. Should the Habs give Tomas Plekanec a long-term deal in Montreal? If not, what should they do with him?

Greg: He’s a perfect second-line pivot. The question is if he wants first-line money. They’re close to the cap, but he’s entering him prime and it’s essential to keep him. But it’s also essential to get it done before he hits the open market, because there will be a market for him and he’s gone if he goes to July 1.

Q. What is the Habs bright spot for this team? Who have been the disappointments (e.g. Kostitsyn brothers, Laraque, etc.)?

Greg: Halak has obviously been a bright spot, perhaps the brightest. Maybe fans expected more from Michael Cammalleri, but he’s given the team a solid offensive season. And for Markov to come back and do what he’s done after the injury has been impressive.

Disappointments? Maxim Lapierre skating to a minus-13 as of last weekend is one. You’re right on the Kostitsyns. As for Laraque … well, it just seems like a bad fit with the coach and a player that was never going to be worth that money at that stage of his career.

Q. Will the Habs make the NHL playoffs in 2010? What are the keys to success to be able to achieve this goal?

Greg: I had the Habs in the playoffs. I course I also had Carolina. But I’ll stick with it, because if they’re healthy they have the scoring and Halak has given them the goaltending. Health is, I think, the key. The good news is that even a prolonged losing streak won’t kill’em because the conference bubble is so crowded.

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

Tags: Bob Gainey, Carey Price, Greg Wyshysnki, Jaroslav Halak, Ken Dryden, Maxim Lapierre, Michael Cammalleri, OhCanadiens.com, Puck Daddy, Tomas Plekanec, Vincent Lecavalier, Yahoo! Sports

Editorial – Timing is Everything

With the announcement today that Bob Gainey is stepping down and resigning as General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens, the biggest question right now is the timing right for this decision? Many sources close to the Habs have stated that the Montreal Canadiens were not pushing Gainey out the door, so this decision is more of a move from Gainey himself.

Whatever the reasons for his surprising departure, none can question Gainey’s commitment to the club. Elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1992 after spending the duration of his career with the Canadiens, Gainey was one of the key pieces to the dynasty of the Montreal Canadiens in the 1970’s and mid-80’s, winning five Stanley Cups in the process.

A feisty competitor and a defensive specialist on the ice, Gainey moved to the front office, as coach of the Minnesota North Stars, then moving to the front office as the team moved to Dallas. When Gainey was hired on in Montreal in 2003, he had a sudden impact to the roster, helping build a playoff team in four of the five seasons with a 241-176-46-7 record during that span.

Most known for letting veteran leaders Alexei Kovalev and Saku Koivu leave the team during the 2009-10 off-season, the Habs have struggled to be consistent this season, battling through core player injuries, an ongoing goaltender controversy, and a number of distractions off the ice.

Gainey’s decision to leave, whether it be forced or by his own accord has some odd timing. With a week away from the Olympic trade freeze and only a few weeks away from the 2010 trade deadline fast approaching, Pierre Gauthier now has the reigns moving forward – but he’s been groomed by Gainey for some time to eventually take over when the timing was right.  A tough trial by fire for Gauthier, but one that should benefit the team in the end… Gauthier has some tough decisions to make. He’s got challenges with upcoming unrestricted free agents Tomas Plekanec and Marc-Andre Bergeron, but more so, what to do with restricted free agents Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak?

Whatever happens, Gainey leaves with his respect intact. He has been a true ambassador for the Habs and his career as a Montreal Canadiens player is exemplary. He will still be regarded as one of the best players in the history of the club, but his legacy with the current squad may take a hit if the team falters in the short-term. Similar to the injury to Mike Cammalleri, maybe this change will galvanize this squad to aspire to do better… but only time will tell if this move will have positive or negative effects on the team right now.

Tags: Alexei Kovalev, Bob Gainey, Carey Price, Jaroslav Halak, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Mike Cammalleri, Pierre Gauthier, Saku Koivu, Tomas Plekanec