SB Nation - Marc-Andre Bergeron

Game Preview: Buffalo Sabres @ Montreal Canadiens

Rafal Ladysz — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:11:50 -0000

12 days ago: Buffalo Sabres right winger Patrick Kaleta, left, and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Paul Mara trade blows late in the third period of the NHL hockey game in Buffalo, N.Y., Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009. Buffalo won 6-2. (AP Photo/Don Heupel)

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Scoring by committee and extraordinary goaltending create lengthy postseason runs. In essence, the Buffalo Sabres are playing playoff hockey currently or at least preparing for it. Beginning and ending with Ryan Miller, they have been backstopped by his 18 wins, four shutouts, a .939 save percentage and 1.83 goals against average. I'm honestly running out of positive things to say about the 29-year-old.

In the last three games, Steve Montador, Clarke MacArthur and Patrick Kaleta have each registered a game-winning goal. Darcy Regier wanted to build this squad from within giving them time to bond and grow together. We're beginning to see why. They have 11 different players with at least one game-deciding tally and Kaleta was the latest showing perhaps the finest display of his career in New York. When someone is down in terms of their level, a teammate has stepped up to the table.

Montreal surely has this match circled on their schedule after the Sabres demolished them 6-2 kicking off December on a high note. Less than ten minutes in, Buffalo put three quickly by Jaroslav Halak en route to a completely one-sided affair.

Five thoughts on each team below.

Carey Price will be dressed barring any last minute setbacks. He has two wins in five starts but can be the x-factor matching the Oct.1 Montreal victory where the Canadiens were outshot 35-17. His last performance in Atlanta was sparkling as he made a few breathtaking saves in a losing cause. They were outshot 34-19 by the Thrashers. More on that in a minute. Update: Halak is the starter looking to redeem himself.
Mike Grier's anticipated return to the line-up is occurring today. While this is good news, Grier has experienced a loss in the family and may not be as focused as he usually would be which is understandable. Lindy Ruff said he hopes to bring him ten to 12 minutes in ice time.
I spoke about the Canadiens getting outplayed by the Thrashers and it's a trait they haven't been able to avoid. Of the 33 games Montreal has completed, their opponent has registered more shots in 19 of them and they have only done so 12 times. In the last three matches, they have been outshot 121-66. ~~Price~~ Halak is going to have his work cut out for him tonight.
Catching fire, Derek Roy is becoming a point per game performer registering three goals and five assists in eight contests. His career statistics versus the Canadiens are re-assuring and Roy looks to keep it that way.
The hot stick in Montreal belongs to Andrei Kostitsyn who has four goals and five points in a four-game stretch. A talented stick-handler, the Belarussian packs a wicked shot and the Sabres would we wise to take away any space from a forward who has been flying since the middle of November.
Kaleta and Paul Mara have a bit of history dating back well over a year ago. It started with a check that injured the defenseman while he was representing the New York Rangers and the two have had it in for each other since. Mara is questionable for tonight but if he plays, expect quick fireworks.
Chris Butler and Nathan Gerbe are day-to-day both nursing lower body injuries. Marc-Andre Bergeron experienced a face laceration in Atlanta after being hit in the face by the puck. If he sits, that would be a massive loss for Montreal as he's provided necessary scoring from the back line.
Buffalo is allowing 2.17 goals against per game trailing New Jersey and Chicago barely. However, the Sabres are ahead of just Carolina and Tampa Bay in goals for in the Eastern Conference and could stand to use a little extra support.
Andrei Markov is meeting with doctors today to evaluate his status and could return at some point this week. Originally, he was expected to be out until February due to severed tendons in his right leg but has quickly recovered with intense work. One of the game's best defensemen, Markov will help the Canadiens in every way imaginable.
Tim Connolly has been quiet since a four-point evening in Philadelphia. The hip pain he's living with could have everything to do with it after last year's surgery. Connolly seems to be fine for the most part but you have to wonder if the busy schedule will take it's toll on him.

Having heavily outworked the Canadiens in two meetings, Buffalo is the favorite. Montreal does have two things going for them: a goaltender who can and probably will have to sneak out two points and a passionate fan base that will make themselves be heard. They'll need both from the opening face-off.

Sominex, The First Star, As Canadiens Down Flyers

Robert L — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:19:37 -0000

I thought that the Canadiens through the first 30 games of the season were lacking identity, but having seen the Flyers mess I feel just a little better.

It wasn't a grand game by any stretch that the teams played on Monday. It was an uninspired Philadelphia team that the Canadiens beat but a win is a win is a win, as they say.

For a while it seemed like the game was at best destined to set a record for the least shots on goal by two teams in one game, which is remarkable in a way, considering the composition of the teams.

The yawnfest was an anti-classic brought to life by some glaring mistakes (Gomez, Andrei) on the Canadiens side and some lame goaltending by Brian Boucher on the Philly side. Boucher allowed 3 goals on thirteen shots, the same as he did on Saturday after releiving Ray Emery. That's hardly what the Flyers are hoping for in the search for consistent goaltending.

Carey Price only needed to be solid, not spectacular for the Canadiens. Daniel Briere, on a breakaway in which he seemed to be hogtied and floored, was the only Flyer to beat Price. If the Canadiens' goalie appeared to be surprised by the shot that eluded him, it testified to the strange nature of the goal.

Boucher, at the other end, was beaten by an Andrei Kostitsyn flutterball, after a nice feed to the slot from Tomas Plekanec.

The game had one veritable highlight, one of those ultra rare two on ones the Canadiens generally fail to complete. On the play, Maxim Lapierre retrieved a loose puck from inside the Canadiens blue line and broke away with Mike Cammalleri dashing to the net. Holding onto the puck just long enough for Flyers' defenseman Braydon Coburn to commit himself with a flat on the stomach cross slide, Lapierre pulled back and hesitated a second before handing a perfect feed to an open Cammalleri.

A power play blast from the point by Marc-Andre Bergeron made the score 3-1 midway through the third.

That pretty much sums up the game, one that needed to be watched upright for the most part.

Some notable stats from the game...

The Canadiens had 8 missed shots and 11 blocked.

Ten Habs failed to get a shot on goal.

The line on Scott Gomez for the game: No shots on goal, no shots missed, none blocked, 2 hits given, 1 giveaway (flagrant, and I saw more than one!) , 3 blocked shots, 6-5 in the faceoff circle and about $43,712.00 wasted from the Canadiens payroll.

Lapierre, who started the game centering Georges Laraque and Bergeron saw 7:58 of ice time.

Max Pacioretty lead the team with three shots on goal, 2 blocked, 2 misses and four hits - all team highs on the night.

Glen Metropolit was 15-8 (65%) in faceoffs.

The Canadiens blocked 27 shots during the game. Other than the 3 by Gomez, there were 3 blocked by Lapierre, 2 each for Spacek and Bergeron, 1 for Plekanec, Mara, D' Agostini and Gill.

Oh yeah, and Roman Hamrlik blocked another 10 himself. Whoa!

I'm heading to Ottawa tonight to take in the Canadiens in the nation's capital. This is the first time I see the Habs play somewhere other than the Forum and the Bell. Much thanks and appreciation to Kevin van Steendelar of Ya! The Habs Rule for the tix. I promise to yell "Sens Suck! at least a dozen times in his honour!

This should be cool and I should will take some pictures. Can't wait to see all the Habs fans there!

If any Sens fans want to visit, slap me for making fun of Bryan Murray or diss me for pissing all over Spezza since forever, I'll be in section 323 with a can of mace.

About Last Night...

Lions In Winter

Broad Street Hockey

Flyers vs Canadiens boxscore

Ex-Isles Gazing: Checking in on...wait, O'Marra?!

Dominik — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:41:06 -0000

More photos » by Frank Franklin II - AP

Marc Staal's head: "Ugh, so he scored, just please tell me he's not going to cry."

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A look at how some randomly selected former Islanders properties are doing. Alternatively: a look at a bunch of Oilers players and alumni.

I'd heard a few headlines here and there about former Islanders doing things that got them traded in the first place -- Robert Nilsson not scoring, Marc-Andre Bergeron returning to the margins, etc. -- and then stumbled upon the news that Ryan O'Marra has indeed played his first NHL game (six minutes, minus-1).

To hear some Oilers fans tell it, O'Marra's stunning promotion came not by merit but by "why the hell not?" injury necessity. And why necessity? Aside from the Oilers' flu issues making the Islanders look spry and healthy, the handsome Mr. Nilsson is out with a concussion. Desperate times, man.

How was Nilsson doing before being concussed, by the way? This:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	Hits	TOI	PPtoi	SOG	PCT
2009 - Robert Nilsson	12	1	3	4	-12	0	1	6	12:45	1:39	13	7.7

And how is the guy we rented for these characters -- oh, those heady 2007 days -- doing? Not too shabby:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	TOI	PPtoi	SHtoi	SOG	PCT
2009 - Ryan Smyth	19	9	13	22	8	8	5	20:44	4:03	1:15	58	15.5

Smyth's 22 points are good for second on the Kings -- behind league leader Anze Kopitar's absurd 30 -- and good for a tie for 5th-most in the league. Once thought to be headed to the "power forward accelerated decline," Smyth has clearly made use of his Keep It Simple Stupid style and quality teammates to be one of the summer's better acquisitions.

A look at the Oiler-Islander time warp shuttle would not be complete without a look in on Mike Comrie, part of their flu brigade ...

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	GWG	TOI	PPtoi	SOG	PCT
2009 - Mike Comrie	14	5	3	8	-3	10	2	0	14:12	3:14	23	21.7

... nor on Marc-Andre Bergeron, whose second game with the Canadiens featured his familiar booming shot raining down on the Islanders during Habs powerplays (he got a goal and an assist, naturally). They'd found their interim PP QB, hadn't they?

Stop me if you've heard this before, but: No.

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	GWG	TOI	PPtoi	SOG	PCT
2009 - Marc-Andre Bergeron	11	2	1	3	-5	4	2	1	15:37	2:31	20	10.0

It was always going to be a stretch for a coach like Jacques Martin to take a liking to a player like Bergeron. Jacques Lemaire did his best with the Wild, but ultimately even Lemaire Love didn't take.

After a promising start that is Bergeron's trademark, his minutes in Montreal dropped for a couple of games (10:37 one night, 12:54 another). They've since inched back up, so it's folly to write him off after such a small sample. Plus, the Habs haven't drawn many powerplays during an offense-challenged, three-game losing streak.

But from the outside looking in, it appears Bergeron is just being Bergeron. That sample-caveat in mind, in relative +/-, he's been their worst 5-on-5 defenseman not in the AHL. But, well, shots happen when he's on the ice, more toward the other net than his own. The question is what position is he in after those shots happen, and why does the other team score?

The Habs plucked Jay Leach off waivers, and Ryan O'Byrne is nearing a return to health. For Bergeron, the future is likely: "same as it ever was."

And of course, a mention of Bergeron necessitates a look at...yeah:

	GP	G	A	P	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	GTG	SOG	PCT
2009 - Denis Grebeshkov	19	3	7	10	-7	16	1	0	0	0	22	13.6

Denis Grebeshkov, in a critical year (he's an RFA next summer, making $3.15 million right now). The jury is still out on whether he will build off last season, but he doesn't look too shabby on a struggling undermanned team at the moment.

* * *

Any other ex-Islanders (recent or distant) you're keeping an eye on? They do always seem to be scattered near and far (Yashin: 7-20-27 in 23 games for St. Petersburg), so it's impossible to know when to start and where to end. (And it's okay; you can bring up ex-Isles with no ties to Edmonton.)

Bonjourrrrrrrr, you cheese-eating surrender monkeys! - Hawks 3, Habs 2

McClure — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 03:39:08 -0000

More photos » by David Banks - AP

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This is going to be brief, because honestly, I have drinking to do. Tomorrow, at least another one of the three of us will attempt something approximating a cogent thought regarding the game.

Tonight's tilt started out at a quick pace, with the ice tilted in the Hawks favor. Just about four minutes in, Andrew Ladd absolutely eviscerated Matt D'Agostini with a borderline hit at the Montreal blueline. Having the benefit of watching the replay at home, one could see that while Ladd was definitely springing upward at the moment of impact and his elbow tucked in, his leaving his feet on the follow through with his arms flailing caused the officiating crew to give Ladd a game misconduct and an elbowing major. The penalty was slightly mitigated by a rough and instigator committed by Kyle Chipchura in defense of his fallen teammate, leaving the Hawks shorthanded for 3 minutes, which the Hawks killed. Later in the period, VERSTEEG! scored from behind the net banking a puck off of Marc-Andre Bergeron.

The pressure continued in the second, and Cam Barker sneaked in from the point on a power play to bury a feed from Versteeg, giving the Hawks a 2-0 lead. It was the only moment of competence all night for the Hawks' man advantage. In the waning minutes of the period, Montreal tied the contest with a goal from Michael Cammalleri at the side of the net on a deflected puck, and Travis Moen slipping one by Cristobal Huet from behind the net. With a pube under three seconds remaining in the period. It was a soft goal from Huet, who no doubt should have had his post covered more snugly, but Cirs was by and large very solid throughout the evening.

Period three was a much more tentative situation, with both teams struggling to sustain pressure. Most Hawks dump attempts were nullified by the excellent puck handling skills of Carey Price, who sprung two breaks with 120 foot passes catching the Hawks in changes. Patrick Kane, who had another strong effort handling the puck all night, gained the Montreal line after dekeing a Montreal defender and served up a pass to Patrick Sharp that he couldn't, and didn't miss on with 4 minutes to play. From there, Montreal failed to get any sustained pressure, even with the extra attacker. Hawks win 3-2.

Observations

The Hawks defensive positioning has been exceptional the past few games.Very few pucks see the middle of the ice without a Hawk stick coming in contact with it. Even with the scoring down while missing key forwards, if the defense remains solid, this will bode well
Kris Versteeg continues to make the three writers of this site look like idiots even more frequently than we do on our own. VERSTEEG! was everywhere in every situation, and is exhibiting a hockey sense that we didn't see last year. Long may it continue.
The power play is still fucking clown shoes.

Player of The Game

As we mentioned above, VERSTEEG! was all over the place tonight, with a goal and an assist. A well-deserved honor both here, and as the official first star of the game on his part.

Honoroable Mention

Words absolutely fail me.

Translation after the jump.

Cela va être bref, parce que honnêtement, j'ai bu à faire. Demain, encore au moins un des trois d'entre nous va tenter quelque chose se rapprochant d'une convaincante pensée concernant le match.

Inclinaison de ce soir a commencé à un rythme rapide, avec la glace inclinée dans les Hawks faveur. À peu près quatre minutes, Andrew Ladd absolument éviscéré Matt D'Agostini avec un borderline frappé à la ligne bleue de Montréal. Ayant l'avantage de voir la rediffusion à la maison, on pouvait voir que, même si Ladd naissait définitivement à la hausse au moment de l'impact et que son coude au corps, sa sortie de ses pieds sur le suivi par le biais de son bras en cause l'équipage officiant à donner Ladd une inconduite de partie et un grands coups de coude. La peine a été légèrement atténuée par une rude et l'instigateur commises par Kyle Chipchura dans la défense de son coéquipier tombés, laissant les Hawks en désavantage numérique pendant 3 minutes, ce qui les Hawks tués. Plus tard au cours de la période, VERSTEEG! a marqué de derrière le net bancaire une rondelle hors de Marc-André Bergeron.

La pression a continué dans la seconde, et Cam Barker furtivement à partir du point sur un jeu de puissance pour enterrer un flux à partir Versteeg, donnant les Hawks une avance de 2-0. Il fut le seul moment de compétence de toute la nuit pour profiter des Hawks homme. Dans les minutes de déclin de la période, Montréal attaché le concours avec un but de Michael Cammalleri sur le côté du filet sur une rondelle déviée, et Travis Moen glisser l'un par Cristobal Huet par derrière le filet. Avec un PuBe de moins de trois secondes de la fin de la période. C'était un objectif mous de Huet, qui sans doute aurait dû avoir son poste couvrait plus confortablement, mais cirs était dans l'ensemble très solide tout au long de la soirée.

Période de trois était une situation beaucoup plus hypothétique, les deux équipes luttant pour maintenir la pression. La plupart des Hawks de vidage des tentatives ont été annulées par la rondelle excellente aptitude à traiter de Carey Price, qui poussé deux pauses avec 120 pied passe attraper les Hawks lors de changements. Patrick Kane, qui avait un autre effort important maniement de la rondelle toute la nuit, a gagné la ligne Montréal après dekeing un défenseur de Montréal et servi une passe à Patrick Sharp qu'il ne pouvait pas, et ne manquez pas sur avec 4 minutes à jouer. De là, Montréal n'a pas pu obtenir aucune pression soutenue, même avec un attaquant supplémentaire. Hawks victoire de 3-2.

Observations

* Positionnement Hawks La défensive a été exceptionnelle les quelques dernières games.Very quelques rondelles de voir le milieu de la glace sans un bâton Hawk entrer en contact avec elle. Même avec le score vers le bas tout en manquant clé vers l'avant, si la défense reste solide, ce sera de bon augure
* Kris Versteeg continue de faire les trois auteurs de ce regard site comme des idiots encore plus fréquemment que nous le faisons nous-mêmes. VERSTEEG! était partout dans chaque situation, et présentant un sens du hockey que nous n'avons pas vu l'année dernière. Long mai se poursuive.
* Le jeu de puissance est toujours putain de chaussures de clown.

Habs vs Former Habs - October 27

Robert L — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:15:37 -0000

The Canadiens players made some interesting gains on their former counterparts this past week. A pair of 5 goal games didn't hurt matters.

A pair of quick clarification notes for starters.

I've flipped Markov for Bergeron and Bouillon for Hainsey for no other reason than it is more interesting to follow players who are actually pointing. By mid-season or later, depending on Markov's return date, I might just list 7 defensemen per side.

Additionally, the players ranked side by side aren't neccessarily being compared to one another. There's been some confusion or misunderstanding about this. Players on both sides of the columns are ranked simply by points. If that happens to align one against another, you can draw your own conclusions on that note.

Now onto the interesting bits:

The biggest jumps on the Canadiens' players side were made by Cammalleri, the NHL's second star of the week, and Glen Metropolit, who returned from his rib injury and has posted consistently in three games played. Gionta, Gomez and Plekanec have had some multi-point games to shore up their totals as well. Among the depth players, there's a few added digits alongside the names of Moen, Lapierre, Pacioretty and D 'Agostini.

Among the former Habs, most have had a quiet week with just a point or two through three games. Perhaps the biggest surprise continues to be Steve Begin, who potted a couple of goals this past week, to add to his 4 assists. The same goes for Arron Asham, who's an anomaly on this list, as the sole player not cast off during the Gainey regime.

The six Canadiens defensemen have 7-11-18 totals through 11 games. The former Habs D comes in at 3-9-12 in roughly 9 games played on average.

Mara, Spacek and Bergeron have 3-9-12 on their own, while defensemen the Canadiens let go last season, Komisarek, Bouillon, Schneider and Dandenault are pointless.

On the surface, Canadiens forwards have 22-36-58 totals, while the former Hab forwards come in at 22-29-51. The former guys have played a few games less each, so it is still pretty much an even draw in that category.

Here's where it gets a bit more revealing:

Gomez - Gionta - Cammalleri: 11-14-25

Koivu - Tanguay - Kovalev: 4-5-9

A second tier of reel ins versus castoffs would look like this:

Moen and Metropolit: 4-7-11

Kostopoulos and Begin: 3-4-7

The removal of Lang (1-3-4) from the Canadiens center position seems to have helped Plekanec (2-8-10) return to a form shown two years ago.

Here's the rundown on all players:

Jaroslav Halak 5-4-1-0 2.28 / Jose Theodore 7-2-2-2 2.55 (Capitals)

Carey Price 6-2-4-0 3.36 / Cristobal Huet 8-4-2-1 2.49 (Blackhawks)

Paul Mara 11-0-5-5 / 10-1-3-4 Mark Streit (Islanders)

Roman Hamrlik 10-3-1-4 / 9-1-2-3 Francois Beauchemin (Maple Leafs)

Jaroslav Spacek 11-1-3-4 / 8-0-3-3 Craig Rivet (Sabres)

Marc-Andre Bergeron 4-2-1-3 / 8-1-1-2 Ron Hainsey (Thrashers)

Josh Gorges 11-1-1-2 / 3-0-0-0 Sheldon Souray (Oilers)

Hal Gill 11-0-0-0 / 9-0-0-0 Mike Komisarek (Maple Leafs)

Mike Cammalleri 11-5-7-12 / 11-3-6-9 Mike Ribeiro (Stars)

Tomas Plekanec 11-2-8-10 / 10-3-3-6 Michael Ryder (Bruins)

Scott Gomez 11-2-5-7 / 10-2-4-6 Steve Begin (Bruins)

Brian Gionta 11-4-2-6 / 9-2-3-5 Mikhail Grabovski (Maple Leafs)

Glen Metropolit 5-1-5-6 / 9-3-1-4 Alexei Kovalev (Senators)

Travis Moen 11-3-2-5 / 10-1-3-4 Robert Lang (Coyotes)

Andrei Kostitsyn 11-1-3-4 / 10-1-3-4 Sergei Samsonov (Hurricanes)

Maxim Lapierre 11-1-2-3 / 6-3-0-3 Arron Asham* (Flyers)

Max Pacioretty 11-1-1-2 / 10-1-2-3 Saku Koivu (Ducks)

Guillaume Latendresse 11-1-0-1 / 12-0-2-2 Christopher Higgins (Rangers)***

Georges Laraque 8-0-1-1 / 9-0-2-2 Alex Tanguay (Lightning)

Matt D'Agostini 9-1-0-1 / 10-1-0-1 Tom Kostopoulos (Hurricanes)

Habs Total GP: 179 / Goals: 29 /Assists: 47 / Points: 76

Former Habs Total GP: 160 / Goals: 25 / Assists: 38 / Points: 63

Week Three / After 7 games: F 112-15-26-41 / 117-15-31-46

Week Two / After 5 games: F 80-12-20-32 / 67-8-22-30

Week One / After 2 games: F 33-6-11-17 / 23-4-13-17

On the former Habs front, a player I always appreciated was Chris Higgins. A reader asked about him on Saturday, suggesting a parallel between him returning to Montreal and the similar storyline of Kovalev's return a week earlier. Sadly, Higgins storyline never quite materialized. He took an untimely penalty and found himself in John Tortorella's dog pound for the third period. Rangers' fans are seriously worried about him.

Rangers Recap: Cammalleri's hat trick leads Canadiens past Rangers in OT

Jim Schmiedeberg — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 02:12:48 -0000

More photos » by Graham Hughes - AP

about 1 month ago: New York Rangers' Marian Gaborik, right, of Slovakia, scores on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak, of Slovakia, during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Montreal, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Graham Hughes)

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At the beginning of our open game thread, our own "XLII" said he would be disappointed if the Rangers didn't hang 5 on Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak. Turns out the Rangers would need every one of those five goals to win the game.

After the Rangers first ten games were decided in sixty minutes, for the first time this season, it took overtime to decide a contest, but unfortunately the extra minutes weren't enough to stop the Rangers winless streak, which is now at 3 after a 5-4 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Mike Cammalleri notched a hat trick, including the game-winner in the extra frame, to send the Rangers back to NY for their game with Phoenix on Monday night now having lost three in a row after a seven game winning streak.

The Canadiens opened the scoring on a goal by Cammalleri, but the Rangers came storming back with three goals in the first period. The first was by Artem Anisimov, a shot from an impossible angle that went top shelf on Montreal goaltender Jaroslav Halak. Ales Kotalik put the Rangers ahead five minutes later, and then Matt Gilroy launched a rocket from the point that Halak never saw late in the first to send the teams to the locker room with the Rangers ahead 3-1

After a strong second period against NJ the other night, the Rangers reverted to their previous trend of playing bad hockey in the middle frame. Matt D'Agostini cut the Habs deficit to one early in the second, but Marian Gaborik continued his torrid scoring pace with a goal at the 11:56 mark to put the Rangers back up by two. Gaborik now has eight goals in eleven games.

After that, the penalty bug did the Rangers in again. With the Habs on a 5-on-3 power play, Marc-Andre Bergeron brought the Canadiens back to within one, and a second goal from Cammalleri tied the game at 4.

The Rangers have had problems with their goaltender getting run by opposing teams so far this season, but this time they suffered a real scare from one of their own players. D'Agostini's goal came after a turnover by Brandon Dubinsky, and with Dubi giving chase, he went down to the ice and plowed into Henrik Lundqvist as the puck went in the net. Lundqvist was down on the ice for several minutes, but stayed in the game.

The Rangers top defensive line of Marc Staal and Dan Girardi did not play well. Girardi continued to struggle with turnovers, and Staal just does not look comfortable right now. Brandon Dubinsky and Christopher Higgins were both benched for most of the third period tonight, spoiling Higgins' return to Montreal, where he was a number one draft pick and played for five seasons.

The teams went end to end for most of the third period, plenty of scoring chances for both teams, but neither could break the tie before the end of regulation.

Rangers vs Canadiens coverage

Habs Eyes On The Prize

Lady Luck Dumps On Habs In Loss To Avs

Robert L — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:29:21 -0000

For the 2009-10 season home opener, the Canadiens and Avalanche put on an exciting display of what could best be called good old firewagon hockey.

During good long stretches of the game, one could envision a time warp matchup between the '77 Habs and the '96 Avs.

The only trouble was, the officiating was vintage 1918 debauchery, and we can all be thankful it didn't hamper the performances more than it already did.

I see it like this. It seems clear after a handful of games that NHL officiating heads have gone somewhat retro by allowing more infractions to go uncalled. It often looks as though time has been turned back ten years to pre-lockout lenience.

Now depending on what kind of hockey you like to see played, this may or may not add surplus excitement to your prefered brand of game. Whether you lean towards the freewheeling open play of recent seasons or the no holds barred rough stuff, the change in officiating policy accomplishes two things:

First, it increases the chances of parity, or as it is often termed, manufactured parity.

Secondly, it covers the refs asses in regards to what shitty work they were doing in the first place!

(Friday 1:00 p.m. - An update on this notion, the Canadiens had 7 skaters out for the final seconds of the game. Here's the juice and photo evidence courtesy og Puck Daddy.)

As mentioned, the game was a barn burner that went down to the last second. The 3-2 loss sums up in certain ways the Habs season so far, perhaps even the whole of the 2009 calender year.

Yup, there just ain't much centennial karma is there?

Like, I'm starting to get the feeling there's been a curse placed on the Habs somewhere in time, something like the hex a former Chicago coach placed on the Blackhawks back in the '30's. They've won one Cup since.

It took the Rangers 54 seasons to break theirs, after burning the Madison Square Garden mortage in the Cup bowl.

After the Red Wings conspired with Clarence Campbell in '55 to snuff out the Rocket, they went Cupless for 42 years.

Of course, the Leafs have dried up since '67, the cost of accumulated beligerence / ignorance and winning the mug in Canada's centennial year.

Are the Montreal Hockey Gods that pissed that the Forum was turned into a skanky movie mall and that Patrick Roy was traded away?

Makes you wonder!

The Canadiens deserved to win this one, and not by a margin. Stellar performances by both 'tenders - Craig Anderson and Carey Price - kept the game tight. For a rare occasion, the Habs not only outshot their opponant, they also held their foes to under 20 shots.

Clearly, the club is progressing, it just isn't showing in the standings.

Lady Luck was all over this one, on both sides, as Avalanche goals banked off skates worn by Josh Gorges and Shawn Belle, and the Habs second tally - a Tomas Plekanec whizzer - resulted from a missed call by officials after the puck clearly glanced off the meshing above the glace.

A weird one, wasn't it?

It was quite funny to watch on the replay, as Anderson did his best Usain Bolt improv while an Avs defender struck a Jesus pose. A cross ice feed from Andrei Kostitsyn to Tomas Plekanec was a beaut.

Gotta love those late period goals. This one set up a dandy of a third period.

The Canadiens as a whole and down to almost all members put in solid nights. A late third period penalty to Hal Gill - a real bonehead holding call - was the one glaring exception.

This team overall is quick as a blink, but the cohesion of playing at such a speed takes time. There is still hesitancy in execution. Players unsure hold onto the puck a fraction too long. Options are often unseen. Shots on goal are either rushed or impatiently waited out.

There's tons of will and killer instinct, but it has yet to manifest itself into a full sixty minute effort. A slight second period letdown helped decide the game, but that is often what happens after freakish goals.

All told despite the loss - and I'm getting tired of saying it - the Habs seem to be coming round. There's just a corner around every corner.

Some player notes...

Plekanec is for real again, in a 2007-08 kinda way. He was the best Hab last night. He's involved and committed, and doesn't seem to be labouring or thinking too much. There is instinct again, where there was reaction last season. Six games in, I've totally stopped worrying about his game.

Turtlekaneck's linemates put in their best game as well. Max Pacioretty didn't look out of place on the second line, and for the most part, Kostitsyn looked as though he had something to prove. Good signs.

Price couldn't be faulted on the redirect goals. Some pucks have eyes, simple ad that. A few more efforts like like last night, and his confidence will be restored.

Gomez missed a lesson. On the Habs second goal, the Avs players quit because of the aforementioned non - call. On Colorado's game winner, there was Gomez, away from the play after having taken an elbow to the noggin, barking at the ref. Keep playing 'til the whistle sounds, bro!

Do Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta have some Russ Courtnall in them? I recall vividly ol' Russ' wheels of fire, always ahead of the puck and the play, almost to fast for himself. Gionta and Cammalleri may not be hampered by slowing it down some when room is available. It's all about patience and turnovers.

A sound game, finally, from Jaroslav Spacecadet. The 35 year old has tools, but often has no WD40 in the toolbox. Common thought has it that the Habs signed up Marc-Andre Bergeron based on Andrei Markov's loss. Methinks it is because brass has realized that Spacek cannot command the powerplay as hoped.

Shawn Belle was having une belle soiree until the puck glanced off him for the Avs second tally. I think there is promise in this kid. I remember him from the WJC a few years back. He's good and still young.

Maxim Lapierre and Guillaume Latendresse put in some more solid shifts. Getting them back to back is a concern. I'm starting to wonder what separating them would bring.

Is there a more dogged checker than Travis Moen. It's impossible not to like him.

Matt D' Agostini couldn't check his luggage. He should be sent somewhere with it before prospective buyers all find out.

Georges Laraque played a wonderful game of street hockey. I miss Sergei Kostitsyn. The Habs really miss Glen Metropolit, imagine that!

I should say something about Paul Mara. Maybe he's that kind of player, that when he's barely noticed, has had a great night.

Alright, that's plenty enough optimism after a loss. Sometime soon I get the impression I will be truly red-assed after a win, just for balance sake.

Game photos from Montreal Canadiens.com

HIO About Last Night....

Habs Fall Short In Home Opener - Lions In Winter

Je suis...decourager: Avs bounce past Habs in home opener - Ya! The Habs Rule!

Mile High Hockey

Avalanche vs Canadiens boxscore

Avalanche vs Canadiens recap

Can The Canucks End Their Losing Skid Against The Canadiens?

Sean Zandberg — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 09:22:36 -0000

Update: Just a little positive stat to chuck at you from Canucks.com:

The Canucks have won seven in a row against the Habs on home ice while they have just one loss in their last 12 head-to-head meetings versus Montreal (10-1-1), albeit that loss came in the most recent meeting back on February 24th in Montreal.

--------------------

I don't think much more can be said about the Canucks' current woes. It has been talked to death, and quite frankly I am sick and tired of it. A win over the Habs, and the pressure in this mad, cruel hockey market will ease up some. A loss, and the doomsayers will continue flapping their gums. I remain positive that this madness will soon end.

The Canadiens will be playing their 2nd game in 2 nights. With Jaroslav Halak playing against the Flames in a 4-3 loss last night, we will see BC Boy Carey Price start against the Canucks. Price seems to have found his mojo back, after working hard with a trainer all summer. He now looks much more quicker and confident with his butterfly style. In the 2 games he has played, he has won both, facing 81 shots and only allowing 4 goals. He has a 1.89 goals against average and a stellar .951 save percentage.

Montreal's defence is hurting, with both Andrei Markov and Ryan O'Byrne injured. They signed free agent Marc-Andre Bergeron to a 1-year $750,000 contract yesterday.

After a treacherous season, Bob Gainey overhauled the Habs' roster with both talent and grit. Those acquisitions are paying off right now. Strangely though, 2 tough guys named Paul Mara and Travis Moen are leading the team in scoring.

The Canucks will sit Sergei Shirokov and play Tanner Glass, as Mike mentioned in his post below. The status of Sami Salo remains uncertain. We'll now see how well Mason Raymond plays in a bigger scoring role with Ryan Kesler and Mikael Samuelsson. There's a lot of speed there.

If Salo sits..big deal. Put Aaron Rome in there!

Glass will take his speedy and gritty game to line 3 with Kyle Wellwood and Steve Bernier, more guys that need to find their scoring touch this young season.

More updates as the day goes along.

C'mon Canucks! Get back to your roots!

GAME TIME: 7:00 PST

TV: TSN

Poll

Confidence level check. What are the chances the Canucks win tonight?

I want Gionta's head on a platter. Canucks will win by a fair margin.

73 votes

Canucks will squeak a win out

76 votes

DEATH! Habs will win

30 votes

Trade Luongo. Dismantle the team.

23 votes

202 votes | Poll has closed

Michael Russo Interview with Hockey Wilderness

nathaneide — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 17:10:13 -0000

If you follow the Wild, you live and die by the words of Star Tribune Wild beat writer Michael Russo. We are fortunate enough to have one of the best beat writers in the NHL covering our squad. And I was lucky enough to get 20 minutes of his time this morning as he was headed to the X. I'm hoping I didn't make too big a fool out of myself and get a chance to speak with Mr. Russo again once the season is underway.

Hockey Wilderness: What is different about covering this regime compared to Lemaire/Risebrough?

Michael Russo: I loved dealing with Jacques. He was outstanding for what we need. Joked around, had fun. I had a lot of respect for him. I respect Todd too, don't get me wrong, but there's a feeling out process here. Jacques was brutally honest. Ask him how a guy played and he was straight with everyone. Sometimes he would tick off the player. Todd will very rarely rip a player. Monday night, I had to ask about Kim Johnsson playing terribly. He wouldn't insult my intelligence by denying it, but spins it into a positive.

I liked Doug. Doug was great talking about players, but wouldn't talk about moves, rumors, etc. Chuck's much more transparent. I have a great working relationship with him, going back to 1995 in Florida, where I covered 7 of his 9 years there.

Who has been the best quote you've covered?

Jeremy Roenick, Brett Hull were always fantastic, though I never got a chance to cover them extensively. Of the guys I have covered, Mark Parrish, Len Barrie, Ray Whitney, Mike Sillinger, Olli Jokinen were always great. Currently Eric Belanger is brutally honest and a great quote. Derek Boogaard and Brent Burns are hilarious. Brian Rolston was great to deal with and rarely spoke in cliches, which is always nice for a journalist.

From a journalists perspective, what's the major difference you've seen pre and post-lockout?

Before the lockout, you had to really work sources to get info on a contract. Now it's an email away. With the cap, teams want you to be accurate with what you write. No GM wants it out there that they have $8M of space when it's really $1.2.

As far as the on-ice product, it's just 10 times better. Gone is the clutch and grab of the Roger Neilson and Doug MacLean-era Panthers. It was ugly, but successful. Now, we've evolved past that.

What has been the most fun you've had covering a team?

It's gotta be that 95-96 Panthers team. Shocked the world, went to the Stanley Cup. That was the year of the rat. Florida was playing in the decrepit Miami Arena, and before a game there was a rat running across the locker room. Scott Mellanby winds up and takes a slapper at the rat into a wall, killing it. He then goes out, scores twice and John Vanbiesbrouck calls it the "Rat Trick". Well, you've all seen the YouTube videos of thousands of plastic rats raining down onto the ice. There are great shots of guys like Barrasso hiding in the net from the rats. That was a special season and the most fun I've had covering a team.

Winter Classic, Yay or Nay? If the Wild were to get one, would you want to have it held at TCF Bank Stadium or Target Field? Who would you choose to have the Wild play?

I'm for it. I haven't been inside Target Field, but TCF Bank Stadium is a great environment, and with that open end would be a great place for it. If it were me, I'd pick Vancouver because there's a hatred there.

What is still the biggest unanswered question for the upcoming season?

Boy, there are so, so many. But the main one is will they be able to turn the switch and be consistent in the new system? They did it in bits and pieces. There were 5 minutes stretches against Philly that were really fun to watch, but they gave up 39 shots and 35 quality chances. They can't do that and be successful.

Who is your impact guy?

[Brent] Burns is the guy who is going to be key. He looks like he's going to be extraordinary in the new system. He shouldn't be unheralded, but Greg Zanon is a fantastic signing. Now he isn't going to score 14 goals like Marc-Andre Bergeron, but he's going to block 300 shots and be the guy on the ice at the end of the game. He puts his body in harms way night in and night out, and risks injuries. If he stays healthy, he will be a rock solid defender.

We've heard that Josh Harding is going to get more time this season. Is that to showcase him for say ... Chicago? What kind of player/pick/prospect can we expect for Harding?

They could've traded him by now for picks and prospects. What they're hoping for is a team like Chicago or a true conteder to suffer an injury and need a goalie. There's no rush right now though. He's too precious an asset to give up for nothing. They would love to turn him into a scorer, and that's the way I see this going. That being said, he isn't an unrestricted free agent after this season, so they can still take their time and get the best deal possible.

Versus v. DirectTV. Whose fault is it?

I don't know whose fault it is, but its gotta get fixed. It makes the league look amateur. It needs to get resolved and Comcast and DirectTV need to get it taken care of. Both are NHL partners and the league may have to step in. You can't have your national partner on Satellite.

Is this a rebuilding team?

This is a better team than last year. They missed by 3 pts, added a perennial star in Martin Havlat, added a 25 goal guy in Petr Sykora. This is a transitional year. The problem is that everyone else got better too, and has better, younger talent than the Wild. If this were a Lemaire team, in that system, they'd make the playoffs. No knock against Richards, but it takes time to install a new system. I've covered a rebuilding team. This is definitely not a rebuilding team. I disagree with anyone who says this is a rebuilding year or that last years' team was better. This is a team that has to learn a new system, has a horrible road schedule and is in the hardest conference. Next season, they're in the playoffs. Houston will be a better team this year too. They have more NHL experience. They have guys like Andy Hilbert, Colton Gillies, Petr Kalus, Craig Weller, and those guys who are ready to come up will be able to produce, and remember this was a team that was a round away from the AHL title last season. Fans will have to be patient at the beginning, but this is a year in transition, not rebuilding.

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Minnesota Wild

James Mirtle — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 16:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Kyndell Harkness - AP

Browse more photos »

Who's in: Kyle Brodziak, Martin Havlat, Shane Hnidy, Petr Sykora, Greg Zanon
Who's out: Marc-Andre Bergeron, Kurtis Foster, Dan Fritsche, Marian Gaborik, Martin Skoula, Stephane Veilleux

Outlook: The fallout from the playoff miss wasn't pretty, and it started only a few days after the season ended with Jacques "Trap" Lemaire stepping down and GM Doug Risebrough walking the plank. Coming into the fold are two relatively lesser knowns, Chuck Fletcher as GM and Todd Richards as coach, and both will be charged with ridding the Wild of their boring ways.

The only question is: Do they have the cast to pull it off?

The biggest change in terms of personnel will see brittle sniper Marty Havlat take over for Marian Gaborik, and a healthy season from him would go a long way toward improving the Wild's goal-scoring abilities. Other than Gaborik, who was a relative non-factor for much of the season, the personnel changes were limited to losing a trio of depth defencemen, with the replacements coming in the form of Greg Zanon and Shane Hnidy.

Even with such a solid defensive cast and Niklas Backstrom in goal, however, it's highly likely Richards opts for a far more aggressive style than we've seen out of Minnesota previously, so expect the goals for and against totals to rise. That's good news for the likes of Mikko Koivu, a rising two-way star, and bounce back seasons should be expected for Pierre-Marc Bouchard and Brent Burns, too, given their previous performance and potential.

That could very well all add up to a playoff reappearance, although this remains a team light on goal scorers, and the Wild could be on the outside looking in should Havlat, Koivu or a key blueliner go down.

X-factor: Petr Sykora

For a more in-depth Wild preview, visit Hockey Wilderness
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the Wild finish in the Western Conference this season?

1

7 votes

2

2 votes

3

5 votes

4

4 votes

5

4 votes

6

15 votes

7

28 votes

8

24 votes

9

20 votes

10

30 votes

11

15 votes

12

7 votes

13

6 votes

14

3 votes

15

5 votes

175 votes | Poll has closed

SB Nation - Marc-Andre Bergeron

Game Preview: Buffalo Sabres @ Montreal Canadiens

Sominex, The First Star, As Canadiens Down Flyers

Ex-Isles Gazing: Checking in on...wait, *O'Marra*?!

Bonjourrrrrrrr, you cheese-eating surrender monkeys! - Hawks 3, Habs 2

Habs vs Former Habs - October 27

Rangers Recap: Cammalleri's hat trick leads Canadiens past Rangers in OT

Lady Luck Dumps On Habs In Loss To Avs

Can The Canucks End Their Losing Skid Against The Canadiens?

Confidence level check. What are the chances the Canucks win tonight?

I want Gionta's head on a platter. Canucks will win by a fair margin.

Canucks will squeak a win out

DEATH! Habs will win

Trade Luongo. Dismantle the team.

Michael Russo Interview with Hockey Wilderness

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Minnesota Wild

Where will the Wild finish in the Western Conference this season?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

Ex-Isles Gazing: Checking in on...wait, O'Marra?!