It's was early Wednesday morning as I began this, a snowstorm between Ottawa and Montreal, a total whiteout, and it has kept me home from my real world job, which today would have seen me venture back up to the capital city, dropping off Oldtimers Hockey Challenge tickets from Orleans to Kanata.

Thank goodness for snow days, eh?

Well not really, as the weather has provided me with more snow to shovel than I want to deal with. Bur ironically, and coincidentally, today's weather has provided me an easy lead-in to story threads from the Habs game last night and my experiences seeing the Canadiens on the road for the first time in my life.

The Canadiens third straight victory, five days into the beginning of their second century, featured a storm of sorts, in that a barrage of shots were fielded by surprise starter Jaroslav Halak, the game's well deserved first star.

The whiteout alludes to Habs' forward Ryan White, called up from Hamilton earlier in the day, only to play four shifts last night, before somehow being declared ineligible for the game, something to do with the Canadiens failing to declare the callup with NHL sources.

With the Habs playing well of late, with back to back wins against the Bruins and Flyers no less, I was real anxious to experience seeing them in Ottawa, where a great multitude of Canadiens fans reside. I've watched Montreal at the Civic Center Palladium Corel Center Scotiabank Place before and seen their fans turn out in droves, but actually being there among them, as I've found out, is a whole other reality.

I won't suggest that the Habs' fans outnumber, or are louder than their Senators fan counterparts, but it is a pretty evenly split room. Together the two sides help bring up the ante and charge up the tempo. From the cheapseats, it's a lively atmosphere, to put it lightly.

Sitting next to a Sens' fan that looked like Ken Hitchcock after dropping 200 pounds, I got on his good side really early by mocking the Senators division title banners just before the drop of the puck. During the game, I further endeared myself to him, all in good fun of course, by pointing out the mass of empty seats in the building and noting everytime a Senators shot was blocked but still registered on the clock count.

His subtle shots directed back to me were almost whispered comments to his friend and they included calling out every Habs player fall as a dive, saying "We're totally dominating" about a dozen times, and suggesting goalie Jaroslav Halak looked nervous while completely stoning Ottawa all game long.

Among the Canadiens fans scattered in Section 323 were a group of Habs Inside Out loyalists along for a mini Habs Fan Summit. Dave Finn (Punkster) was seated next to me. A converted Leafs' fan, Dave is an asute observer of the game, and he spent the evening pointing out all kinds of subtle and interesting game notes to me. It was a pleasure spending time with him.

A few seats away were Chuck Lewis and his girl and Adam Mills (subdoxastic), who's been a commenter at EOTP for a long while now. Other HIOers within reach were Paul Dube (who did a fine job organizing the trip and bringing everyone together), Ian Cobb (who's done the same for two Montreal fan summits now), Dave (DD) Reid, Nate Boisvenue (Natrous) and his brother. Pretty much the entire group had a Sens fans seated next to them.

One good laugh I had was watching Ian, donning his now traditional 1945-46 classic home white jersey, attempting to convince the Senator fans next to him to come over to the Canadiens' side.

The coolest part of being mixed in with the Ottawa fans was leaning over them three times as we'd all high five each other when the Habs scored. We would have had to a fourth time, but by then, all the Sens fans had left to beat the 417 rush home.

One treat of a fan was this guy a couple of rows down from me. Wearing a Marian Hossa jersey, he literally castigated Kovalev at every opportunity. He was in absolute angst each time Kovy hit the ice, yelling "Do something, lazy ass!" and a bunch other obscenities. Kovalev was roundly booed on the evening, a composite hounding from both sides as he floated through the game. I noted to Dave that most of the game, I wasn't even aware he was on the ice.

Overall, the sense I got from Senator supporters is that they are an inhibited bunch among the Habs throng. The "Ole, Ole" chant was omnipresent, from the busride in, to the corridors and throughout the game, and to the tunneling out post game back to the bus.

I was standing in a lineup between the second and third and overheard a snippet of conversation involving a guy with a Carey Price jersey and a man in unidentified colours.

"Who are you going for?" he was asked. "Nevermind," he wilted.

The guy in the Price jersey turned to him friend and they simultaneously nodded "Sens fan!"

One thing I found particularly lame, was when the Canadiens scored, the public address practically mumbled the details as if to neuter the cheering. It caught me off guard, it was so minor league. I was all pumped to scream my head off, and that monotone drone just threw me for a loop.

Late in the contest, when the attendance was announced at eighteen thousand and something, I had to cry "bullshit." The bozos next to me tried to get my ire by mockingly counting the empty seats. My retort was a simple "Wonder how empty this place looks when it's not the Habs playing?"

Scotiabank Place is indeed an old time hockey experience. The musical selections between drops of the puck keep on entertained and amused. For one stoppage we got 30 seconds of the Ramones' "Blitzkrieg Bop", and for the next we got some cheesy farfisa pump organ playing the "Charge" interlude. You can't help picture a Monty Python skit while listening.

As for the game itself, the Canadiens, backed by a standout performance from Halak, put in a pretty solid road game. The shot margin was high, especially after losing defenseman Jaroslav Spacek at the end of the first. From high up you could see that the Senators were firing from all angles but rarely piercing the perimeter.

The Canadiens made the most of their chances. Mike Cammalleri's goal was a beaut! On the two on one, Tomas Plekanec put a fake on the Sens defender that was a true marvel. The blueliner's stick was properly placed between Plekanec and his winger until a shot was faked and a slip pass made. As the Ottawa rearguard moved his stick to deflect, the pass went the other way. All the streaking Cammalleri had to do was redirect it into the open cage.

Sitting high offers a view in which you can truly appreciate the hardest working players and spot the floaters with ease. The most notable things I took in were how aware Roman Hamrlik is of his surroundings when not in possesion of the puck. You can really begin to understand why there are so few mistakes made from his corner when he does come in contact with the puck or opposing players.

On the Ottawa side, it's clear that Kovalev's teammates haven't a clue what he's about yet. He spent the night eluding any kind of close check, skating arcs and circles outside the perimeter of play. When oportunity arose, he'd streak towards the net from the far board, but linemates weren't looking for him. It gives the impression that he's floating, but that type of evasiveness has always been part of his game. He'd didn't accomplish very much on the night.

I never had much good to say about Jason Spezza and this game didn't change that. As the Senators fell behind, you'd think the team's most talented center would be leading the charge, but I caught Spezza waiting at the Habs blueline for a pass at least four times - in the third period alone.

Another noticable feature of the rink at Scotiabank Place was that the dasher boards are dead. The puck isn't given much bounce when fired off them, which tends to favor a Senators forecheck. The backs of Canadiens defensemen were constantly offered as targets to onrushing Sens forwards. Curiously, Halak rarely got back quick enough to stop the wraparound shoot ins Ottawa employment to break into the zone.

Much credit for the win went to first star Halak, but the work of the penalty killing unit was without fault on seven occasions. A player who is rapidly changing my opinion of him is Hal Gill, who was a tower of strength with a man down. Gill's long stick is always perfectly placed, and after he had broken up a good half dozen plays, the Senators forwards began working away from him as he had completely neutralized any cross ice passed from his side of the rink.

There was about five minutes to go in the game when fans started for the gate. I couldn't believe my eyes that people were hitting the exit in a one goal game. The moment the Kostitsyn goal was scored, it was as if the finger was removed from the hole in the dam and a deluge ensued. By the time of Scott Gomez' empty netter, the rink was half empty, nothing left but the Habs' faithful.

That final scene - about 9,000 Habs fans cheering in a rival rink - is my lasting image of this game. I'd head back to Ottawa and do this all over again in a nanosecond.

If anyone is thinking of heading to Ottawa for the December 28 game, there were all kinds of seats available. If you have a hunch of going, do so. I was seated at the 300 level near the blueline, and the sightlines for the whole rink are great.

Kudos to Paul Dube for organizing this fun get together. If you should ever take in a game in the capital, do as Paul did and get everyone together at Local Heroes on St. Laurent Blvd. From there, they have nightly round bus trips to Scotiabank and back for only five bucks.

A couple of quick thoughts before I head off to Ottawa for tonight's game against the Senators concerning Habs center Tomas Plekanec.

After repeatedly watching highlights of last night's game against the Flyers, it started to really catch my eye when they showed replays of Andrei Kostitsyn's goal. On the play, Plekanec was poised behind the Flyers goal, looking for someone to feed a pass to. Simultaneously, Kostitsyn found the slot just as a Flyers' defender approached, and Plekanec saucered a short eight foot pass over the defender's stick for Kostitsyn to essentially bat a blooper into the net.

On RDS, Benoit Brunet termed the play Gretzky-like, which is always a stretch.

Once I had seen it over again, on a closeup, it's apparent what a smart play it was. It tied the game up, and sent the Habs off to victory.

In Montreal, it's been ballyhood since forever that the team has not had a legitimate number center for ages. Saku Koivu didn't quite fit the description, and Scott Gomez definitely ain't it.

So what exactly would be the criteria for a top line or number one center?

Plekanec's play this season has gotten me thinking about this. Being that there are 30 teams in the league, hence there should be theoretically 30 number one centers. Of course, that all sounds a little too round numbered for me.

I thought I would look at today's current NHL stats to see where he fits in and what I found is quite revealing.

Plekanec is 25th in the league in scoring, and 13th among centers.

His 22 assists in 30 games are 9th in the NHL and 6th among centers.

Sounds like a top line center to me. What do you folks think?

Update: With 3 assists against Ottawa, Plekanec is now 16th in league scoring, 10th among centers for points, and his 25 assists place him fourth overall, tied with Nicklas Lidstrom.

Translated from an article by Mattias Brunet in Monday's La Presse

Much was made of the fact last week when Louis Leblanc, the Canadiens first choice in the 2009 Entry Draft was invited to the Canadian World Junior camp for the upcoming tournament.

On a more discreet note, barely a rumble was caused be the announcement that the Canadiens' second choice in 2008, Danny Kristo, received the same from the American junior squad.

While Leblanc is far from guaranteed a spot on the team, it is said that his chances are good. In regards to Kristo, who played for the American juniors in last season's tournament, there is little doubt. He will definitely be on the team and according to Habs head scout Trevor Timmins, "there are chances he could be named captain."

Coach of the American team, Dean Blais noted at the term of the team's development camp in June that Kristo would be given serious consideration for the role.

Last season, Kristo caused a bit of a surprise, makinh the clun while still playing high school hockey. He was the only such player on the team to do so.

His progress as a player this year has been nothing short of stunning. Playing for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux, who play in the top NCAA division, and despite his rookie status, he leads the team in scoring with 14 points in 16 games.

Kristo might not be a large specimen at 5' 11'' and 180 pounds, but he is hyper fast, energetic and a constant threat around opposing goals.

"I watched him play in this weekend's Subway Classic, and he was named tournament MVP," states Timmins. "He plays the point on the first unit of the power play at North Dakota. He's a excellent skater with a strong shot who plays with a lot of energy and heart, but it is his defensive game that has most impressed. His play without the puck is at a level I did not foresee at this stage of his career."

The Canadiens' prospect, who was selected late in the second round, was also named the WCHA division rookie of the week for the past seven days. If, as predicted, he does make the U.S. squad, he'll become the ninth player from North Dakota University to play in the World Juniors following players such as Jonathan Toews, Zach Parise, Drew Stafford, James Patrick and Brian Lee.

Among other Canadiens prospect hopefuls vying for a place in the tournament will be Russian Maxim Trunev, a fifth round pick in 2008. Despite his yound age, Trunev plays a regular role with Cherepovets of the KHL, having scored two goals and an assist in 23 games.

"Trunev has a good shot at making it, but during the last team tournament in November, he bowed out due to an injury," recalled Timmins.

Another Russian talent belonging to the team is Alexander Avtsin, a fourth round pick in 2009. Avtsin is alsoplaying in the KHL, but has not been invited. Timmins finds the scenario a bit strange.

The Finnish team could see two Canadiens' prospects make the grade. Joonas Nattinen, a 6' 3'' center drafted by Montreal in the third round this past June played in last year's tournament, counting three points in six games. He's said to be a slam dunk for this season's edition, and is currently playing in the Finnish Elite League.

"He's having a strong season, although he suffered a concussions this past week," says Timmins.

Petteri Simila, a 6' 6'' goalie drafted with the very last pick in 2009 may join Nattinen.

"Scouts for the Finnish nationals were in Niagara Falls recently, taking a look at him," notes the Canadiens' head scout. "We'll see what their decision is."

At last season's WJC, the Canadiens were represented by four players, P.K. Subban for Canada), Kristo et Ryan McDonagh with the U.S. team and Nichlas Torp with Sweden. The right to Torp, a sixth round pick of the Canadiens in 2007, still belong to the organization. He's currently playing in the Swedish Elite League.

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

Games against the Flyers have often featured a particular brand of stupidity for which fans were always greatful. Here's a few classic moments (okay...brawls) from the period just prior to Montreal dethroning Philadelphia.

Also check out Chris Boyle's thread of his 100 favorite Habs games, including numbers 23, 39, 43, 67, 79 and 96 against the Flyers.

Maybe a better deal could have been had, maybe not. But so far the Guillaume Latendresse to Minnesota for Benoit Pouliot is looking like a real stiffer in the making.

Can Pouliot, who has rarely been seen at all so far in the team environment, not to mention game action because of injury, handle the Montreal pressure? He hasn't handled the more minimal pressure of being a high pick thus far, and with Latendresse panning out well with the Wild, can he meet any sort of expectations the Canadiens have in him?

This whole deal, with centennial festivities, has flown under the radar quite well for now, except perhaps for what Guillaume is now doing.

In five games, Latendresse has 2 goals and an assist, with a shootout game winner, equalling his Montreal stats totalled during 23 games.

Continue reading this post »

In the winter of 1985, upon the occasion of their 75th anniversary, the Canadiens unveiled an all time team comprised of six players and a coach. The list included goalie Jacques Plante, defensemen Doug Harvey and Larry Robinson, center Jean Beliveau, right winger Maurice Richard and left winger Dickie Moore. It is doubtful that much would change should the Canadiens unveil a 100th anniversary team, as the club has won only two additional Cups in the past 25 seasons.

In tossing a few ideas around for celebrating the Habs 100th, Chris Boyle and I thought it might be interesting to put a fan's spin on the idea. We thought we'd give it a little extra kick and make it a Top 5 ranking at each position, which may be cause for more debate.

Here are the lists we've come up with, and some reasoning for their ranking.

Continue reading this post »

The legends pre-game skate

Gordie Howe introduces Jean Beliveau

The team photo

Dryden, Roy and Lafleur

The retirement of Lach and Bouchard's jerseys

Raising the centennial banner

Perhaps it cannot be explained to fans of other teams. Maybe Leafs fans in the fifties and sixties can relate, but when watching reel upon reel of memories stream by, it's hard to remain unmoved. Your youth is flashing before your eyes, great times being relived.

I explained this to my kid, and you've maybe done this too, that I watched the Canadiens win the Cup for the first time when I was seven, and it made me interested in hockey. I saw them win again at age nine and eleven. During my four years of high school, the Habs won every year. I'm not sure if that experience can be conveyed to anyone who hasn't experienced the exact same thing.

But of course, the present is always in play. A successful past is a constant reminder of how things should be done right, a brutal loss to the Buffalo Sabres the night before is a wake up call, whose alarm sounds alert that the 2009-10 edition of the Habs are not the 1970's dynasty.

The scenario for the centennial game, the celebration to literally end all celebrations, had arrived at a very defining time.

Honestly, things looked bleak with the Canadiens riding a four game losing streak. A loss to Boston in the centennial game held the promise of things turning terribly ugly on the ice and in the stands. Blow this one, atop the stage of all stages, and the repercussions for the Canadiens seasons were scary proposition.

All day long, mixed in with visions of Stanley Cup triumphs, was a gnawing premonition that in a few hours, the Canadiens would be booed leaving the ice. Elongated pre-game celebrations tend to bring out the worst in the home team, and combined with a game the evening before in which the Habs were seemingly already at their worst, it appeared a script of doom was carved in stone.

By the middle of the afternoon, the centennial pre-game ceremonies were still a mystery. Little had been revealed as to how the Canadiens organization planned to celebrate the landmark. Soon, news came that the festivities would involve the retirement of Elmer Lach and Butch Bouchard's jersey numers.

High time, I thought, for the Habs two oldest warriors to receive their due.

Former broadcasters Dick Irvin and Richard Garneau give a crash course in Habs history 101 as clips on the big screen played Peter Gabriel's "Salsbury Hill" and U2's "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For". Owners, coaches, managers and players who have departed, are listed through the strains of George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord". The first image is of J. Ambrose O'Brien, who found the club in 1909, and last two images are of Newsy Lalonde, the team's first Flying Frenchman, and Maurice "Rocket" Richard, its most heralded.

Intrigue soon grasped imagination, as I sat watching the procedings. I was captivated by the image of former long time Canadiens trainer Eddy Palchuk dropping buckets of pucks on the ice.

As an intro to a very special evening, such iconic subtlety had the desired effect. I can only imagine that fans inside the Bell felt their hearts swell when Patrick Roy, in full goalie gear, first stepped onto the ice.

I, myself, could not believe my eyes!

What came next tugged at heartstrings, as former Habs players, from legends to role players, strode out onto the ice, unnanounced. The images were jolting.

How better to celebtrate and summarize a glorious 100 years than with the actors who made it happen?

Roy was followed by Lafleur, Gainey, Robinson, Mike McPhee, Stephane Lebeau, Mike Keane, Odelein, Nilan, Claude Lemieux, Shutt, Lapointe, Savard, Richer, Eric Desjardins, Damphousse, Turgeon, Pete and Frank Mahovlich.

Ken Dryden, who had not worn goalie equipement since his last game on May 18, 1979 donned for goalie gear and joined the skate.

The oldtimers were in the pre-game warmup, passing the torch to today's players. Subtle, it didn't require an explanantion!

Current Habs soon joined in, and additional oldtimers and coaches were all introduced to the crowd. This is what the Canadiens do better than anyone else, they do not forget their heritage. In savouring it, they pass it on, reminding us all of the players in the play.

This is Doug Jarvis, NHL ironman....

This is Yvon Lambert, who scored the game winning goal in...

This is Karl Dyhuis....

Legends Lafleur, Savard and Roy introduced icons Gordie Howe and Jean Beliveau.

Lach and Bouchard, who only found out in the realy afternnon that their jerseys would be retired as part of the festivities who brought out, treumpeted and feted. All gathered for a team picture that summed up a hundred seasons of glory.

There wasn't a burning torch to be seen, but in each of the multitude of players gathered, there were many still burning on this night. A subtle message, loud and clear.

Between the end of the ceremonies and the start of the game, it was later learned that one current Canadiens player made it a point to meet each of the past Habs legends and shake their hand.

His name - Michael Cammalleri.

As the game began, it was figured that the Canadiens would come out firing, and that if the Bruins were able to hold off an initial onslaught, they would be well placed to conquer.

It never came to be.

The Canadiens came out guns a-blazing, and it seemed that if they could only grab the lead early, scoring first for a change, the boost and the crowd would provide the needed lift.

Awarded a rare first powerplay six minutes in, the Habs were poised to convert early momentum into the man advantage and grab the lead, when the Bruins' Marco Sturm stripped the puck off a comprised Andrei Kostitsyn to break in alone on Carey Price. A Boston shorthanded goal early on would have been deadly, but Price came up big, kicking a leg out lying on his stomach to make the save.

It proved to be a first turning point, and defenseman Jaroslav Spacek, with Max Pacioretty screening from the crease, made it 1-0 Habs, four seconds after the Bruins penalty expired.

The lead held up while Boston fought back. A little over five minutes into the second period, Maxim Lapierre and Spacek were sent off simultaneously, giving Boston a two minute 5 on 3.

It looked like doom scripted.

Habs defenders Paul Mara and Roman Hamrlik, aided by centers Tomas Plekanec and Glen Melropolit took turns creating an impenetrable triangle while Price held fort. The Bruins would not score.

The kill turned out to be turning point number 2, as the Canadiens went up by a pair on Cammalleri's first of the game, 45 seconds after the penalties expired.

The blow took all wind out of the Bruins, as Montreal went on to a second period in which they would score four goals in a 9:19 span, essentially putting the game away.

Cammalleri's second hat trick of the season, combined with former Bruin Glen Metroploit's sixth of the year sealed the deal on this game before the second period siren sounded.