Your Canadiens for May 21, 2012

With two tournaments to update on, this is likely the last installment of "Your Canadiens" till next year, as we may have only a single story to discuss daily moving forward.  (or, if there are multiple stories, they are likely to be of big enough quality to have independent pieces on them!)  So here's what went on over the weekend.

IIHF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WRAP


Two Habs concluded their IIHF World Championship participation with medals yesterday.  Tomas Plekanec and the Czech Republic beat host Finland in the Bronze Medal game by a 3-2 score.  Plekanec had no points yesterday, finishing the tournament with 7 points in 10 games, one behind team leader Ales Hemsky of the Edmonton Oilers.  Plekanec, the team's captain, averaged 17:58 of ice time per game, second to only Boston's David Krejci amongst Czech forwards.  For his efforts, he was named one of his team's top 3 players by the coaching staff.

Winning Gold yesterday were Alexei Emelin and his Russian teammates, topping Cinderella Slovakia 6-2 to complete an undefeated tournament.  Emelin finished the event with 2 goals and 2 assists in 9 games (he missed one with a suspension) and an impressive +12 rating, which was the best among Russian d-men, and fourth best overall in the tournament behind three forward teammates.  He averaged 18:35 per game, which was second on his team to only Ilya Nikulin.  Also winning Gold was former Hab Alexander Perezhogin who played a starring role for the squad with 4 goals and 9 points in 10 games, finishing third on the team.  Don't get too excited however; there is word that he is close to signing a 2-year extension in the KHL, and even if he were to at some point return to North America, he'd be an unrestricted free agent.

MEMORIAL CUP UPDATES


The 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup began Friday night in Shawinigan with four Hab prospects in the mix. On opening night, the host team, featuring Montreal's Michael Bournival and Morgan Ellis, was downed by the Edmonton Oil Kings 4-3 with neither Canadien collecting a point.  Ellis played a strong game, particularly at the point in the offensive zone, while Bournival was noticeable but not particularly impactful, finishing the night a -2.

On night 2, OHL champion London Knights and their captain Jarred Tinordi beat pre-tournament favourites Nathan Beaulieu and the Saint John Sea Dogs 5-3.  Beaulieu recorded an assist in the loss, and was named the game's second star behind only London's Austin Watson.  Tinordi, meanwhile, was a game-high +3.  Good night for both first round selections.

The host Cataractes got on the board with a win on night three, besting London by an impressive 6-2 score. Captain Michael Bournival turned in a much better performance, with his goal, assist, and +2 rating earning him first star honours.  Ellis finished a tied-for-game-high +3, while in the loss, Tinordi was a -1.

Saint John faces Edmonton tonight, and if the Sea Dogs win, all four clubs will be tied with 1-1 records.

Your Canadiens for May 7, 2012

Catching up on a few stories to start the week.


RICK DUDLEY TO JOIN HABS' FRONT OFFICE

Based on many reports, the worst-kept secret of the past week looks like it'll be imminently resolved.  Even before Marc Bergevin was officially announced as the new General Manager of the Montreal Canadiens, many felt that if he were to get the job, he'd bring his good friend Rick Dudley (pictured left) - currently employed by the Toronto Maple Leafs - with him.  Well it has become public that Bergevin is in discussion with Toronto GM Brian Burke about bringing Dudley to Montreal, so it seems like only matter of time.  How much time, however, may be complicated, as it seems that Dudley has put in significant work in preparing the Leafs for the upcoming entry draft, where Toronto holds the 5th pick in each round just two after Montreal's third selection.  Thus, Burke would love for Dudley's transfer to be delayed till after June 23rd, but it also appears that Dudley has an out clause in his contract with the Leafs which may permit him to leave earlier for another opportunity.

In either case, this is phenomenal news for Canadiens fans.  Dudley is a top notch talent evaluator and brings a wealth of experience in supporting Bergevin as an Assistant General Manager.  If Montreal's front office is to include Bergevin, Dudley, and Trevor Timmins, with potentially a capologist to be added as well (unless Larry Carriere assumes those functions), the Habs' future is in good hands.


CONFIRMED COACHING CANDIDATES

At his inaugural press conference, Marc Bergevin indicated that he wanted to keep his coach search confidential, just as the GM search had been.  Well we know that in the end, GM candidate names leaked out one by one (and were subsequently eliminated one at a time), and it does seem we will get news on the coach front in the same manner.  A first report indicated that Marc Crawford was set to meet with Bergevin, and now per an Elliot Friedman report, Bergevin is talking to his former team about their intentions on head coach Joel Quenneville.  There has been talk of the team not being happy with Coach Q, as he is known, and some fans have even indicated they'd be happy to see him axed.  There is no guarantee that he'll be available, since he still has 1 year remaining on his contract, but if he were let go, he would immediately become a top candidate for the Montreal job given his wealth of experience.  Before you ask, he attended a French school growing up in Windsor, Ontario, so has a basic understanding of the language, but isn't fluent.


CHL PLAYOFF UPDATE

Two Hab prospects are currently playing in their league finals, with Nathan Beaulieu and the Saint John Sea Dogs facing Rimouski in the QMJHL, and Jarred Tinordi and the London Knights playing Niagara in the OHL.

The Sea Dogs are up 2-0 in their series, with Beaulieu scoring a goal and being named first star in the series opener.  Montreal's 2011 first rounder has 13 points in 15 games this post-season, after scoring 17 in 19 in the playoffs a year ago.

London and Niagara are even at a game apiece, with Tinordi scoring a goal and finishing a +3 in his team's game 2 5-3 win.  Tinordi's goal is already his third of the playoffs (and 8th point) in just 16 games this season.  Over two regular seasons, in 111 games, he also scored a total of 3 goals, so he has clearly elevated his game offensively.

In other news, as this year's host, though they've long been eliminated from the QMJHL playoffs, the Shawinigan Cataractes continue to wait to find out who their Memorial Cup opposition will be.  It was revealed Friday that former NHL head coach Bob Hartley will join the team's staff for the tournament.  If he is to be considered a candidate to take over in Montreal, then getting some North American experience again after a year in Switzerland, and getting to work with Hab prospects Michael Bournival and Morgan Ellis certainly won't hurt his chances.


WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS UPDATE


Max Pacioretty is among the early scoring leaders at the IIHF World Hockey Championships with a goal and 4 assists through 3 games for Team USA.  He plays on the team's top line with Paul Stastny and Bobby Ryan.

Tomas Plekanec has been productive for the Czech Republic, with 3 assists in 3 games.  That ties him for his team lead with the Oilers' Ales Hemsky, who has 3 goals.

Denmark's lack of depth has seen them struggle at the Worlds, but Lars Eller has gotten on the board with two goals and an assist through 3 games.  He is averaging over 20 minutes a night.

Also averaging 20 minutes a game is Russia's Alexei Emelin.  In 2 games, he has recorded an assist, and is tied for the team lead with a +4 rating.

Among former Canadiens in the tournament, as usual, Mark Streit has been a key cog for the Swiss, with 2 goals and an assist in his first 2 games.  Alexander Perezhogin has been an offensive spark for the Russians, with a goal and 2 assists also in 2 games.

At 2-0-1, Team Canada was happy to see Slovakia beat the United States in regulation today, after Canada had lost to the Americans in overtime.  This allows Canada to still aspire to win their division, though Finland remains in their path, having posted consecutive 1-0 shutout wins thus far.

10 Teams Habs Fans Should Follow at WHC

The 2012 IIHF World Hockey Championships open this Friday with 16 countries set to battle it out for the title and valuable points  for the 2014 Olympic tournament seedings.  While a country like Kazhakstan enters with the expectation of getting blown out in most of their games, the following 10 teams should hold some intrigue for Montreal Canadiens fans to watch as the tournament gets going.

10) Belarus

Over the last few seasons, Belarus was somewhat of an adopted club for many Hab fans, as Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn as well as Mikhail Grabovski spent time in the Canadiens' system and represent three of the very few NHL'ers the country has.  It is likely that there will be fewer allegiances for the nation this time around, since all three have moved on to other NHL clubs, and the Kostitsyn brothers remain in the NHL playoffs with the Nashville Predators.  Thus, the challenge will be a big one for Toronto's Grabovski with no other current North American pros on the team.  Belarus is currently 11th in the IIHF standings, with the top 9 teams getting automatic Olympic invites.  They will need a deep run to make up the 115 points that separate them from Norway.

9) Switzerland

The Swiss could have been a favourite of Canadiens fans, but both Raphael Diaz and Yannick Weber had to pull out of the event as they continue to nurse injuries.  By watching Switzerland, however, Hab fans will still be able to get reacquainted with long-time National Team captain and former Montreal swingman Mark Streit, who will be supported by Anaheim Ducks defenseman Luca Sbisa and young New York Islanders forward Nino Niederreiter (who Canadiens fans will remember from his preseason altercation with Mike Cammalleri).  Another name some Hab fans might remember is Goran Bezina, a 6'4", 220 lbs offensive blueliner who played 3 games for the Phoenix Coyotes back in 2003-04.  At various points over the past few seasons, there were some reports that the Canadiens might attempt to ink the 32-year old d-man, though as he has remained in Switzerland, the odds of a return to North America for him have become increasingly small.

8) France

We covered why France is an interesting story yesterday, with the main reason being starting goaltender Cristobal Huet.  Huet last played for the Canadiens during the 2007-08 season, and left the NHL after winning the Stanley Cup (albeit as a playoff back-up) with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010, becoming the first player from France to achieve the accomplishment.

7) Slovakia

I'm sure most Canadiens fans can never watch Zdeno Chara lose enough for it to get old, so the Worlds may be a great opportunity to see Chara and an undermanned Slovak club get their rear ends handed to them.  But if spite isn't enough for you, two forwards have names that should ring a bell.  First is Marcel Hossa, younger brother of Marian, who began his NHL career in Montreal as a highly touted goal scorer.  Little Hossa lacked the consistency of his older brother, however, and never found a home in the NHL, moving from Montreal to the New York Rangers and finally a brief stint with the Phoenix Coyotes, before crossing over to the KHL where he has had a fine career as an offensive star.  Next is Juraj Mikus, who never played a game for Montreal, but was selected by the team in the fourth round in 2005.  Despite putting up decent numbers for the QMJHL's Chicoutimi Sagueneens, the Canadiens elected not to sign the 6'1", 205 lbs forward, so he returned to Slovakia.  He gave North America one last shot, spending the 2009-10 season with the AHL's Manchester Monarchs, but could not earn a call-up, and headed for the KHL.  He spent the latter half of this season with Saku Koivu's former club, TPS Turku, in Finland, where he scored 10 points in just 17 games.  Mikus is still only 25, so it isn't impossible that a strong Worlds encourages an NHL team to give him a look.  In the "what are they doing now" column, Slovakia's roster includes some former NHL'ers such as Miroslav Satan and Branko Radivojevic.

6) Finland

Unfortunately, neither Saku Koivu nor Teemu Selanne will take part in this event for Team Finland, but many eyes will be on the Finns since they enter as both defending champions and the IIHF's top seed.  Saku's younger brother Mikko Koivu will wear his country's colours, joined by the likes of Kari Lehtinen, Valtteri Filppula, Jussi Jokinen, and top prospect Mikael Granlund.  While Lehtinen will be the club's starter, a player of interest for Canadiens fans is goaltender Karri Ramo.  The Habs had acquired his rights from the Tampa Bay Lightning for AHL goaltender Cedric Desjardins, but he opted to remain in Europe, where he gets an opportunity to start.  He was included in the deal that sent Mike Cammalleri to Calgary this year, so he is no longer Canadiens property.  Still, if he sees any action, it will be interesting to see how he fares against international competition.  Hab forward Petteri Nokelainen was with the club for some exhibition games, but was cut from the final roster in favour of some players currently playing in Europe, though many have NHL experience (Niko Kapanen, Jarkko Immonen, Jesse Joensuu...).

5) Denmark

Montreal's Lars Eller should feature in a starring role for the Danes, though he will get help from NHL'ers Jannik Hansen, Frans Nielsen, and Philip Larsen.  It will be a tough role for Eller who has struggled with his offensive consistency, but certainly it is a good experience for the soon-to-be 23-year old all the same.  Denmark currently ranks 12th in the IIHF standings, and while climbing into the top 9 for an Olympic berth won't be easy, if they can maintain a top 12 spot, they will get to host one of the final qualification events, giving them an edge in that tournament which will take place next winter.  Denmark is only 5 points ahead of 13th place Latvia, but also only 15 points back of Belarus, so this is an important tournament for them.  Lars's younger brother, Mads Eller, played for Denmark at this year's World Junior Championships despite being only 16, but is still too young and inexperienced to make the Men's team for this event.  He most recently had 3 assists in 6 games at the World Under 18s.

4) Czech Republic

The Czechs have a dynamic offense, led by a one-two center punch of the Canadiens' Tomas Plekanec and Boston's David Krejci.  They will be flanked by the likes of Ales Hemsky, Milan Michalek, Michal Frolik, and Tomas Vincour.  After Montreal was eliminated from the playoffs last year, Plekanec joined the Czechs and had a sensational tournament, scoring 6 goals and adding 4 assists in just 8 games.  Banking on that success, the Czechs named Plekanec their team captain for this year's Worlds.  One other interesting story on the Czech roster is 40-year old Petr Nedved.  Yes, that Petr Nedved.  Nedved - who had obtained Canadian citizenship - won a silver medal with Team Canada at the 1994 Olympic Games.  The veteran of just under 1,000 NHL games left North America following the 2006-07 season and has since played in the Czech Elite League where he has been a dominant offensive player.  Aside from the 1995 World Cup of Hockey, this event will be the first time he has played for his homeland, though based on his five goals in six European Hockey Tour tune-up games, it may very well not be his last.

3) United States

The American entry into this tournament is lacking in starpower, but contains enough depth that they are sure to battle hard against any opposition.  The team will count on Montreal's Max Pacioretty to carry over his goal-scoring prowess from a great NHL campaign, playing on the top line with Paul Stastny and Bobby Ryan.  While that line may be impressive, there is a steep drop-off to the second line duo of Jim Slater and Kyle Okposo, though they were rather dominant in an exhibition game win over Sweden this morning (Sweden played without most of its NHL contingent).  The team should be solid on the back-end, with Cam Fowler, Jack Johnson, Alex Goligoski, and Justin Faulk anchoring a top 4 in front of Detroit netminder Jimmy Howard.  The U.S. sits sixth in IIHF rankings, 150 back of fifth place Canada and 55 ahead of 7th place Switzerland, so the event is unlikely to change their Olympic ranking either way barring some inspired performances.

2) Russia

Montreal's Alexei Emelin figures into his National Team's top 4 on the blueline, currently paired with former NHL'er Dmitri Kalinin, who now plays for St. Petersburg in the KHL.  Emelin, who just celebrated his 26th birthday, is coming off his rookie campaign in North America where he quickly became a fan favourite thanks to his thundering body checks.  With only one NHL season under his belt, he is no stranger to the large ice surfaces, and he has played for Russia in this very tournament three times before.  Another top d-man for the team will be Konstantin Korneev (Korneyev in Russian).  At 5'11", 181 lbs, he doesn't have Emelin's size, but he is solid defensively and has a more developed offensive game, making him a true two-way d-man.  Korneev was a 9th round pick by the Canadiens in 2002, but remained in Russia ever since rather than attempting a transition to North America.  This will be his sixth straight season taking part in the World Championship for his country, but though he is still only 27, the odds of seeing him in blue-blanc-rouge someday seem very minimal.  Offensively, Russia boasts superstars Evgeni Malkin and Pavel Datsyuk, but the team is largely composed of KHL veterans.  One such player is former Canadiens Alexander Perezhogin, who as a first round pick in 2001 was once seen as an up-and-coming star, but left North America after the 2006-07 season and currently plays for the KHL's Avangard Omsk.  He had a bit of a difficult year, with 27 points in 53 games being a career low for him in Russia.

1) Canada

Looking at the rosters, there should be little doubt that Canada enters the event as the favourites, solid at every position.  Certainly Canada is always a point of focus for Hab fans, but even moreso when there is a Canadien on the squad, which we have this year in P.K. Subban.  Subban started the first exhibition game on a top pairing with Chicago's Duncan Keith, but suffered a minor lower body injury early on, and did not return, also set to sit out today's tune-up.  The team won't confirm whether or not Subban will be available for Friday's WHC opener, but it seems he shouldn't miss too much time if any.  Canada has a deep and dangerous offense, and should get solid goaltending from Cam Ward.  To give you an idea, here is a projected line-up:

Alex Burrows - Ryan Getzlaf - Corey Perry
Jamie Benn - Ryan Nugent-Hopkins - Jordan Eberle
Jeff Skinner - John Tavares - Patrick Sharp
Evander Kane - Ryan O'Reilly - Teddy Purcell
Andrew Ladd

Duncan Keith - P.K. Subban
Marc Methot - Dion Phaneuf
Jay Bouwmeester - Marc-Edouard Vlasic
Luke Schenn

UPDATE: Unfortunately, it was announced this afternoon that Subban's injury will keep him out two weeks, and as such he is returning to Montreal and will miss the World Championships.  Unfortunate for him as undoubtedly he was looking forward to again representing his country, but at least it isn't anything too serious that will derail his summer training.

Player Spotlight: What is Alexei Emelin?

The title of this post isn't confusing Alexei Emelin for an androgynous being. Nor is it referring to the popularized photos of his gut during training camp in combination with his thundering #EmelinBoom hits to claim he is some non-human mutant. It is of course also not about his ethnicity, religion, or any other such trait. No, the important "what is" question surrounding Emelin with the Montreal Canadiens is what he can be as a player moving forward.

Nearly every summer since his selection by the Habs in the 3rd round in 2004, Canadiens fans were teased with the possibility that Emelin may take his game to North America. Yet, the 6'0" solid brick rearguard remained in Russia, first playing for Tolyatti Lada, and then joining Kazan Ak-Bars. Many had given up on the 25 year old ever crossing the ocean, so when rumours again popped up last summer about him signing a deal, fans remained skeptical.

And yet here he is, on a one-year, CBA-mandated $984,200 deal. He's had a few ups and downs this season, but has mostly come as advertised, delivering bone-crushing blows to opposing forwards. But is that all he is? Or what is he? Let's look at some possible roles Emelin could play with the team down the stretch and beyond.

Heavy Hitting Defensive Liability: Through preseason and into the start of the year, this is the kind of player Emelin looked to be. He didn't look out of place on his more comfortable left side, but still had some spatial issues related to adapting to the smaller ice surface. He would sometimes put himself out of position, and/or have trouble tracking loose pucks in his feet or vicinity. The problems in his game were heightened when he was shifted to the right side while trying to make adjustments in his North American rookie season and his game trailed off a bit. But there is a place for even such a player in Montreal given the general softness of the team's back end. If this is who he is, he would simply have to be played with a defensively competent partner. Think a Mike Komisarek in his final year with the Canadiens, were his play was subpar, but he was still quite physical.

Crease-Clearing Defensive Defensemen: At this point, however, it is unlikely that the above is all Emelin can be. His game - even on his unnatural right side - has come along way since day 1, and he has generally been trusted with increasing minutes and responsibilities as the season has progressed (with of course the occasional exceptions since the team has regularly dressed 7 d-men for much of the year). Emelin has remained physical while improving his play in his own end, making him an extremely valuable part of the d-corps. Think of a young budding Darius Kasparaitis. The kind of guy who can support a risk-taking partner, and that opposing forwards hate skating in against. Of course, such a player would be a key cog to the Habs' future.

Intimidating Two-Way Presence: But let's dream a little. The 2010-11 season saw Emelin set career highs in the KHL, scoring 11 goals and 26 points in 52 games. For a player whose past 4 seasons consisted of 1, 0, 0, and 2 goals respectively, the numbers certainly jumped off the page. Despite a few chances here and there, there were no real signs of that Emelin through the first 36 games of 2011-12, as he collected just a single NHL assist. But suddenly, over the last 6 games, the rearguard has seemed less shy about jumping in to join the rush. During that span, he scored his first two NHL goals and added another helper. He has surprisingly shown some pretty good hands to go along with a heavy point shot, indicating there just may be some offensive upside to his game yet. If he can become even a 30-point player while maintaining his in-your-face style, the team will have a star on their hands.

So what is he? Only time will tell. It looks like he can be a dependable top 4 guy on the left side, offering the kind of size and toughness (even if he won't fight) Montreal lacks. He is most certainly part of my solution to the troubles the team is currently mired in, and I sincerely hope Pierre Gauthier (or his replacement) agrees, and is able to lock him up with a multi-year contract this summer. If most Habs are presently available on the trade market for the right price, Emelin would be one of my few untouchables.

Your Canadiens for December 15, 2011

The Montreal Canadiens host the Philadelphia Flyers this evening at what would seem like the best possible moment. The Flyers are without their #1 defenseman Chris Pronger and also without the NHL's leading point-getter Claude Giroux, both sidelined with injuries. But we've all seen enough from the Habs to know that nothing is a given, so it's sure to still be a challenge tonight, as the Flyers come to town on a 6-game win streak and holding the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

- Travis Moen, Brian Gionta, and Scott Gomez are all out with injuries tonight, meaning the following forward lines after Mike Blunden was called up yesterday:

Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Andrei Kostitsyn

Max Pacioretty - David Desharnais - Erik Cole

Mathieu Darche - Lars Eller - Louis Leblanc

Mike Blunden - Petteri Nokelainen - Yannick Weber

Don't expect that fourth line to get much ice time, even with Petteri Nokelainen coming off his best game as a Hab. If all three injured forwards are going to miss considerable time, it seems that Pierre Gauthier will have no choice but to bring in some added depth.

With injuries to Gionta and Moen, the team is scrambling to find replacements for the penalty kill. It seems Louis Leblanc may have earned a shift down a man, while Blunden may be tried there as well. Leblanc's two-way play leaves little doubt that he will eventually be a strong penalty killer, but it is perhaps uncharacteristic of Martin to trust a green rookie with such duties.

Blunden's call-up poses another issue, in that after playing tonight's game he would have to clear waivers to re-join the Hamilton Bulldogs. While I don't think there is a huge risk of him being claimed by another team, given the lack of depth in terms of bottom 6 toughness at the pro ranks, Gauthier may decide to keep him in Montreal for a while rather than risk losing him.

- On defense, Raphal Diaz is out sick. That means Alexei "BOOM!" Emelin returns to the line-up, again forming the vaunted #KabBoom pairing with Tomas Kaberle. The full D looks like:

Josh Gorges - P.K. Subban

Hal Gill - Chris Campoli

Tomas Kaberle - Alexei Emelin

Since Emelin is again stuck on his uncomfortable right side, I am very curious to know what Jacques Martin would have done had Diaz been healthy. Emelin's size, strength, and physicality are needed all the more against a team like the Flyers, so one would hope he would found a spot in the line-up either way.

I still think the team needs to find a way to play him on the left. Many are opposed to splitting up Josh Gorges and P.K. Subban, but I see no issue with it really. They may log big minutes, but they haven't even played 30 games together, so it's not like they're joined at the hip. Martin has referred to them as a top shutdown pair, but Subban doesn't belong on a true shutdown duo at this point. Gorges is the left D who is most comfortable on right, so I'd like to see more balanced pairings with him shifting over.

- The Flyers are part of this season's "24/7," the HBO documentary series that follows the two teams playing in the Winter Classic as a build up to the actual game. Thus, there are camera crews following the team in Montreal, and the Habs will be "featured" in one of the show's episodes.

- I wonder if Flyers forward Jaromir Jagr remembers this #EmelinBoom from the World Championship. Hopefully Mr. Emelin can give us a repeat tonight.

- Last night, the Hamilton Bulldogs dropped a 2-1 decision in a shootout to the Lake Erie Monsters. Alexander Avtsin, with his 4th of the year, on the powerplay, had the only tally for the 'Dogs. Gabriel Dumont was awarded a penalty shot with 46 seconds to play in regulation, but was stopped by former Hamilton star Cedrick Desjardins. All 5 Hamilton Bulldog shooters were stopped in the shootout, while notorious first round bust Hugh Jessiman was the only player to beat Nathan Lawson, good enough for the win. Despite being held off the scoresheet, leading all skaters with 6 shots on goal, Bulldogs leading scorer Brian Willsie was named the game's first star.

- As I covered yesterday, the Canadiens will have three players on Team Canada for the upcoming World Junior Championships (Brendan Gallagher, Nathan Beaulieu, and Michael Bournival). This is more than any other NHL team, and is the first time the Habs have had 3 prospects on the club since 2000 (Mike Ribeiro, Michael Ryder, and Eric Chouinard).

Two other young future Habs seem poised to make their national teams, being defenseman Jarred Tinordi with Team USA, and center Daniel Pribyl with the Czech Republic. Tinordi should be an important shutdown d-man for the Americans with some talk he may get consideration for team captain. Tinordi, captain of the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League, previously captained the U.S. Under 18 team. Pribyl, who turns 19 in 3 days, seems penciled in for a 4th line role with the Czechs.

#EmelinBoom Campaign Storms Twitter

It's been no secret to readers of my blog that I maybe have a little mancrush on 25-year old Russian defenseman Alexei Emelin. I've repeatedly called for him to see more ice and an increased role with the club, and expressed concern that with a healthier team, Jacques Martin might go back to sitting him, leading to a quick exit from Montreal for the punishing blueliner.

But Wednesday night, Habs fans around the world came together to get the hash tag #EmelinBoom trending in support of Mr. Emelin's (hey - Pierre Gauthier's not the only one who can speak all formal-like!) play. For those who don't have Twitter, or aren't down with the lingo of those thar' young punks over thurr, here's what it's all about:

In talking with a caller during his show, Randy Tieman decided it would be a good idea to get the whole Bell Centre to respond in unison to Alexei Emelin's thunderous hits. The suggestion is, when Emelin lays someone out, for all 21,273 in attendance to pause a second and then scream, "BOOM!" It should produce a cool effect that will not only pump up the crowd, but hopefully get the juice going for the team as well!

The hashtag's origins are with CTV's Brian Wilde, and myself and @Habs_Retweet worked to have it spread across Twitter, a mission completed as the official Montreal Canadiens Twitter account re-Tweeted one of my posts about the movement.

So let's do it Habs fans. Starting tomorrow night, any time you see anything like the following videos, let Emelin know you appreciate his play! The best part is even the Togliatti Train himself will understand it. BOOM! is BOOM! in any language; English, French, Russian, or otherwise.

Your Canadiens for December 4, 2011

A solid effort and big win yesterday for the Montreal Canadiens over the Los Angeles Kings means things are likely to continue to hold steady for now. Jacques Martin lives to fight another day, and with both Bobby Ryan and Jarome Iginla seemingly off the trade market, there are no rumoured imminent transactions. But lots has gone on today and yesterday in the Habs' world, so here's a recap:

- Yesterday, Pierre Gauthier provided an update on the health of Andrei Markov. As much as he tried to frame it positively, with good news of Markov's repaired tendons holding strong, the reason the rearguard had disappeared from the team's entourage was made abundantly clear. Some time in the next few days, Markov will undergo a round of arthroscopic knee surgery to remove some debris from his knee area that had been causing significant swelling and pain. This is a relatively minor surgery, but it will still mean at least another three weeks on the shelf for the Russian who had hoped to start playing as recently as the California trip. I've written plenty on the Markov debacle, so I need not remind anyone how frustrated this makes Habs fans. Why on earth was a 3-year deal necessary this summer when his health was clearly still a big question mark?! Why was there no back-up plan in place given Markov's health? Sure, some of these young defenseman would have to get a chance at some point, but they've been thrown to the wolves with a lack of veterans to soak up tough minutes when they struggle.

- This morning, the Canadiens announced that Aaron Palushaj has been sent to the Hamilton Bulldogs. The 'Dogs have struggled mightily this season, with a win last night putting them at just 7-12-2 (last place in the Western Conference), so getting back a top AHL scorer like Palushaj should be a big boost. This is also great news for Louis Leblanc, who impressed sufficiently to pass Palushaj in the depth chart (at least for now). While it is no guarantee that Leblanc will stick around with Max Pacioretty returning from his 3-game suspension, it is still a good sign for the 20-year old pro rookie. To show the logjam at forward that may mean a return to top AHL minutes for Leblanc, here's a look at the depth chart:

Cammalleri - Plekanec - Gionta

Pacioretty - Desharnais - Cole

Moen - Eller - Kostitsyn

Darche - Nokelainen - Leblanc

While Louis could see some ice time (even taking shifts in place of, say, Travis Moen on occasion), he may be better off building strength in the American League and eventually returning for a permanent third line job when there is a spot for him. In the short-term, though, having Leblanc over Palushaj improves the club's bottom 6.

- Speaking of the Bulldogs, Nathan Lawson made 23 saves as Hamilton beat the Rochester Americans 3-2. Mike Blunden and Mark Mitera scored first period goals, with Gabriel Dumont, Phil DeSimone, and Brian Willsie picking up assists. Joonas Nattinen had the winner, snapping a 2-2 tie at 9:16 of the third period unassisted. For Nattinen, it was just his second goal of the season, but both have been game winners.

- A player I expected and hoped would join the Bulldogs once the Canadiens' back end was healthy, Raphael Diaz, seems to be making a strong case to stay in Montreal. I can't say I quite understand it - I'm not sure what he has done so well to deserve such a favoured status - but he played over 24 minutes yesterday (2nd to Josh Gorges) including over 4 minutes of penalty kill time. It's not that I dislike Diaz. I think he has definitely passed Yannick Weber in the depth chart, making Weber expendable and a likely trade chip. But while Diaz is a reasonable puck-mover with a half-decent point shot, he suffers from similar defensive zone issues to Weber, being on the small and soft side. To me, with the likes of Chris Campoli, Jaroslav Spacek, and eventually Andrei Markov returning, Diaz's skillls won't be needed in Montreal this season. I'm scared, however, that it will be Alexei Emelin - the unique physical presence on the Montreal back end - that sits once two injured veterans are ready for game action. The only explanation I have is that Emelin is a riskier player, while Diaz plays a safer "unnoticeable" game that Jacques Martin loves. It is the risk factor, however, that gives Emelin so much greater potential than the young Swiss.

- At the prospect level yesterday, Nathan Beaulieu (8th) and Michael Bournival (13th) each had goals as their teams faced off. Beaulieu's marker was the overtime game winner, while Bournival's was his 13th in just his 14th game. Jarred Tinordi added another assist to his record, now at 7 in 18 games. Tinordi finished the night a +2 and also fought, taking 11 minutes in penalties as he was called for an instigator. Danny Kristo, playing the second of back-to-back games in Alaska, picked up a goal and an assist and is now at 19 points in 16 games.

Your Canadiens for November 24, 2011

So how about that, ladies and gentlemen? A comeback win from down 2-0. The same old script would have had Your Canadiens stumble and take penalties after Lars Eller had reduced the lead to 2-1, before falling short of a tying goal in the dying seconds.

But not last night. If the Canadiens were a little thrown off in the first after that early "off Emelin, off posts, off Diaz, off Price, and in" goal, they didn't let off, and played well enough to get the win. The game wasn't perfect. Some might say they didn't deserve the win. But they'll take it, especially considering the several occasions this season where they lost but deserved a better fate.

Despite his production, Mike Cammalleri continues to struggle in overall play. Tomas Plekanec and Max Pacioretty had off-nights. Brian Gionta finished the night a -3 (though we'll forgive him a little for scoring the shootout winner).

Who was good? Well Scott Gomez left the game with a lower body injury (considered day-to-day), which allowed Lars Eller to return to the center position where he has been far more effective. Eller showed us another glimpse of his immense potential, leading the charges with a goal and an assist.

If P.K. Subban and Yannick Weber had difficult evenings, it was surprisingly strong play from Alexei Emelin and Raphael Diaz that solidified the back end. Though they played less than any other blueliners (17:08 and 19:06 respectively), they both left a positive impression, something that is becoming a trend in Emelin's case. It will be interesting to see what choices the Habs' brass makes once veterans start to get healthy. Andrei Markov and Hal Gill are non-negotiable LDs, while Jaroslav Spacek and Josh Gorges are most comfortable there, and Alexei Emelin has traditionally played there and only looked good there. Oh, and when Chris Campoli is also healthy? Yep, an LD too. The logjam on the left means some guys are going to have to shift over. On the right, we have P.K. Subban, Yannick Weber, and Raphael Diaz; not exactly the strongest group. Of the lefties, Gorges has spent the most time playing on the right, followed by Spacek. So perhaps we will see something like this?

Andrei Markov - Josh Gorges

Hal Gill - P.K. Subban

Chris Campoli - X

The X is the interesting spot. I'd love for Emelin to stay in the line-up since he has shown great improvement and brings a physical element that no other player in the group does. Unfortunately, though, with the more experienced Yannick Weber, Jacques Martin's favourite Raphael Diaz, and the grizzled veteran Jaroslav Spacek all in the mix, if everyone is healthy, it will take a trade for Emelin to see any ice time. From an asset management standpoint, it would likely make most sense for Diaz to be sent to Hamilton, since he can be demoted without clearing waivers, but we'll see what shall happen.

Erik Cole should have had the game winner with 30 seconds to go which you know he would have been happy about in his return to Carolina. But oddly, both the goal was disallowed AND no penalty was called for a blatant trip from the Hurricanes.

And how about Carey Price? No, it wasn't his best game of the season, but he did manage to stop all 3 Hurricane shooters in the shootout. Prior to this game, opposing teams had scored on all 4 shootout attempts against Montreal this season. Price's career shootout save percentage is just .695. The concept of him being a good shootout goalie because of Canada's big win over the U.S. in the world juniors several years back is really a myth. Price made few saves in that marathon, and Canada was really saved by the heroics of Jonathan Toews. Now I'm not dissing on Price or anything, but the shootout is simply not his thing.

Elsewhere...

- If you, like me, avoid watching L'Antichambre like the plague, then you would have missed them making a big deal out of Darche - Subban gate last night. For those that didn't notice, there was a play in last night's game where P.K. Subban was skating the puck up ice, and Mathieu Darche was calling for a pass. Subban made an extra move before dishing the puck off, leaving Darche just to dump it into the offensive zone. Darche was enraged, emphatically waving his arms and yelling at Subban as the two skated off to the bench. The folks at L'Antichambre were divided on the issue, half ripping Subban and half ripping Darche, but certainly that kind of a display of anger towards a teammate isn't something you want to see in-game, especially not from a fourth liner plug towards your #1 defenseman. L'Antichambre went on to turn it into a "dressing room feud between old guys and young guys," citing things like Brian Gionta not being willing to pass the puck to Max Pacioretty, or Mike Cammalleri not wanting to pass to Lars Eller. Ridiculous poppycock.

- If you missed it yesterday, RDS had some fun photoshopping Scott Gomez into a Pittsburgh Penguins jersey and Sidney Crosby into a Habs jersey.

http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/330525.html

- The Hamilton Bulldogs are struggling, suffering another big loss yesterday, 5-2 at the hands of the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 'Dogs took a 2-1 lead into the third thanks to goals from Phil DeSimone and Brian Willsie, but couldn't hold on. Louis Leblanc picked up an assist in the losing cause, while Alexander Avtsin was a team-worst -4. (on the bright side, I guess it at least means he saw good ice time in the third!)

- Perry Pearn (remember him?) has agreed to take a job with the Canadiens as a pro scout. He attended the Winnipeg Jets - Washington Capitals game last night. Pro scouts have the mandate of, well, scouting other pro teams. This could be to have good information on trade targets, or simply to assess other opposing teams for upcoming games.

- And non-Habs related, but a couple of recent European hockey videos to make you giggle:

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Marc Antoine Godin Interviews Alexei Emelin

After season-after-season of failed attempts, Montreal Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier finally persuaded defenseman Alexei Emelin to give North American hockey a shot this year. Unfortunately, he has found himself in the role of 7th defender for the time being, and will thus be a healthy scratch for a 5th consecutive game tonight against the Ottawa Senators.

Whether or not you agree with Jacques Martin's decisions, if you're anything like me, you've been extremely curious to hear how Emelin feels about his time in Montreal thus far. Today, thanks to a great interview by Marc Antoine Godin of La Presse, we have Emelin's answers to some hot button questions. See the interview (in French), conducted through a translator, in its entirety here:

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/hockey/201111/04/01-4464422-emelin-je-dois-prouver-que-jai-ma-place-dans-cette-ligue.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B20_en-manchette_403_section_POS1

Translating some key points, Emelin states that he "has to prove that he has his place in this league." He has no real answer to the question of whether or not he's happy with how he's being used thus far, but points out that his coaches gave him plenty of confidence, trust, and ice time in Russia, though he knew he'd face stiffer competition for time with the Canadiens.

When asked the question everyone wants to know, whether a season of little ice time in Montreal would make him return to the KHL in the off-season, he responded that he's not sure; he's "here now, will continue working hard, and time will tell."

Emelin also adds that the transition to North America hasn't been an issue; that he is comfortable on North American sized rinks. He points to Andrei Kostitsyn as a big help in translating talks with the coaching staff and to Jaroslav Spacek for helping him with positional play on the ice. Finally, he mentions that while he isn't afraid to fight, he needs to be careful of his eye - seriously injured during a scrap in Russia - as further injury could leave serious permanent damage.

I, for one, sincerely hope that Emelin earns a full-time spot on the Montreal back end. He has shown on the international stage that he has huge potential, and he brings a skill set of size and physicality that the team certainly lacks. It would be a shame to lose such a talent before he had a real chance to show what he can bring.

Now We're Cooking: Sweet Wins for Habs, Bulldogs

Where it began,

Was with the firing of Perry,

And now we hope it's growing strong...

Was in the Fall,

The whole team was strugglin'

Who'da believed they'd come on strong?!

Hold up Habs fans, don't go planning any parades just yet (I mean, after all, we're not Leafs fans), but maybe - just maybe - we have something here. That 'something' is a big fat M word called momentum, with a side dish of confidence.

At 3-5-2, they're still in a bit of a hole, but the climb back up the ladder of respectability needs to begin somewhere. And back-to-back wins over the Philadelphia Flyers and Boston Bruins is as good a place as any.

Let's step back a moment, however. I posted earlier this week my discontent with the management team of Pierre Gauthier and Jacques Martin. I'm not a fairweather fan who is suddenly placated just because the club posted consecutive victories. I still feel the pair should be replaced in the near future for the very same reasons. The defense Pierre Gauthier assembled is largely soft, small, and inexperienced. There is a need for a tough, veteran, shutdown guy, and the only player who could eventually fill this role currently on the roster - Alexei Emelin - is being sat by Martin.

On the Emelin issue, after Tweeting my displeasure with his being scratched in favour of Raphael Diaz for a game against the Big Bad Bruins, I will admit that despite an overall shaky game on his part, Diaz made an incredible defensive slide to takeaway a goal after Carey Price was caught out of position with the game tied at 1. It wasn't a play anyone could make, and Martin's choice of Diaz over Emelin may thus have contributed to the team's win.

The downside to this is a legitimate concern that Emelin will never get a chance to develop in Montreal. His contract will allow him to bolt back over to Russia if the Habs try to send him down to Hamilton, but if he's kept in Montreal and sat for most of the season, he's likely headed home at year's end anyway. With a log-jam of players the organization feels to be ahead of him, it will be tough for him to find ice time, and thus Gauthier may be forced to use him as a transaction deal sweetener to at least get something for the asset he finally convinced to cross the ocean. This would be unfortunate as - like I mentioned - Emelin's skillset is not a common one within the organization.

But let's stick with the positives for now. Also deserving of some credit is Randy Ladouceur's management of his defense corps in the 2 games since taking over from Perry Pearn. With the team playing a third game in four nights (and second in 2 cities in 2 nights), Ladouceur and Martin managed to cycle d-men such that only one (Josh Gorges, who had a great night) topped the 20 minute mark. This is a rarity in the NHL, but allowed the team to stay fresh throughout the night which is critical considering the aforementioned personnel concerns on the back end. Diaz, while showing some positives, is clearly not ready for big minutes but has been seen as a "Martin favoured child" by many, joining the ranks of Mathieu Darche and David Desharnais. With Pearn in charge of the D, he played the 4th most minutes amongst Montreal blueliners Monday night. Under Ladouceur, he has gotten the least playing time of the group of 6 in consecutive outings. The team has also gone two games without a Too Many Men on the Ice penalty!

But this isn't just about Pearn, Ladouceur, Martin, and the defense. I talked about Erik Cole's improved play as a reason for hope, and for a third straight game he was amongst the team's top forwards. Cole totaled 2 goals and 1 assist while firing 18 shots on net over the week's 3 games, despite playing an average of only just over 14 minutes a night. Between the offense and some physicality, he is looking more and more like the player the Habs were excited to sign this summer.

Carey Price is playing like Carey Price needs to and can. Tomas Plekanec and Brian Gionta are showing signs of life. The fourth line, led by strong face-off work on the part of Petteri Nokelainen, behaves like a proper fourth line, able to cycle pucks and throw hits. And though I haven't been the biggest fan of David Desharnais's play, he is getting his touches in and picking up points (now at 6 in 10 games). I mentioned that the forward group should perform far better than they had been, hence not being concerned by early season goal-scoring troubles, and it looks like they may now be starting to click.

This is good news for Habs fans, of course, but it is less good news for Scott Gomez. Once he returns from his injury (and he has resumed skating already), Martin's next big test will be where to slot him into the line-up. Plekanec and Lars Eller are playing far better than he was, and Desharnais has been far more productive. Nokelainen plays the fourth line face-off specialist role well, so it sounds like someone is going to have to move to wing. At this point, Gomez should be the odds-on favourite to be forced to make that transition, and if he does, it may actually work out for the best. It will take some defensive responsibilities off his shoulders, and he does have some experience there, having spent considerable time on left wing during his early days in New Jersey.

So Habs fans, smile and relax a little. Stay on your #FireGauthier and #FireMartin campaigns if you will, and you have my support. But in the meanwhile, the game is being played on the ice, and the strong leadership core at the heart of this team has decided that it's time to step up to the plate and play some sound hockey. No one knows how far they'll be able to take it, but reinforcements are around the corner; "The General" Andrei Markov gets back to Montreal from his rehab stint in Florida today.

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

If the action in Montreal doesn't satisfy you, then be happy there is more good news on its way from Hamilton. The Canadiens' first round pick in 2009, Louis Leblanc, returned from injury to make his professional hockey debut with the Hamilton Bulldogs last night, and boy was he impressive. Many questioned his offensive upside, seeing him more as a responsible, determined, and energetic two-way third-line type. The 'Dogs eased him in for his debut, allowing him to play that very role by lining up on Andreas Engqvist's wing, opposite Andrew Conboy.

It certainly didn't take long for Leblanc to make an impact, picking up an assist on an Engqvist powerplay goal just 4:18 into the duel with the Rochester Americans. He would add another assist on a second period Conboy goal, before saving his coup de grace for overtime, scoring the game winner to finish his first game with three points and earning first star honours for his efforts. Leblanc also led all of his teammates with 5 shots in the 3-2 win and was a +2.

Let's not begin clamouring for a call-up just yet (keep in mind Engqvist also had 3 points on this night and we know how he has looked in Montreal), but it is a highly encouraging start for a highly anticipated prospect.

Check out highlights from the game here:

http://www.hamiltonbulldogs.com/video/index?id=539&autostart=true

Your Canadiens for October 4, 2011 (Updates from Collingwood)

As the season inches closer, the Canadiens' leadership retreat in Collingwood near the resort of Blue Mountain rolls on. Here are your stories from today:

- Travis Moen returned to practice with his teammates and even slotted into a fourth line role (as opposed to skating with the reservists) which should indicate he'll be ready to play on Thursday.

To clear a roster spot for Moen, Montreal placed Mike Blunden on waivers today to be sent to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

- Your lines from practice today:

Max Paciorett - Scott Gomez - Brian Gionta

Mike Cammalleri - Tomas Plekanec - Andrei Kostitsyn

Mathieu Darche - David Desharnais - Erik Cole

Travis Moen - Andreas Engqvist - Yannick Weber

Spares: Mike Blunden - Lars Eller (inj) - Aaron Palushaj

Hal Gill - P.K. Subban

Chris Campoli - Josh Gorges

Jaroslav Spacek - Raphael Diaz

Spares: Alexei Emelin - Jeff Woywitka

Carey Price

Peter Budaj

A lot of fans are unhappy at seeing the name of Erik Cole on the "third line," but it has been apparent throughout training camp that it is Jacques Martin's goal to ice a relatively balanced three line offense. Just because Cole is slotted to play with David Desharnais doesn't mean he won't take shifts on the Tomas Plekanec line in place of Andrei Kostitsyn. Plus, he's on the top powerplay unit as well, so he has far from being used as a traditional "third liner."

With the return of Moen, the team waived Blunden to get the roster down to 23 before opening night, and given the number of d-men around the team, it is likely Jeff Woywitka goes once Lars Eller receives final clearance from doctors (expected this week).

- Max Pacioretty and P.K. Subban got into a little confrontation at practice today after Subban extended a knee in Pacioretty's direction during a drill. This is nothing to worry about, as the two are known to be friends, with Subban even attending Pacioretty's wedding this summer. If anything, this shows the players are itching to go and get the season underway!

- Based on the Canadiens website, Alexei Emelin seems to have officially dropped the Y from the spelling of his family name (formerly Yemelin). Prior to his arrival in North America, Habs fans flipped back and forth on the correct spelling, and it appears the Russian defenseman has done the same.

- Also based on the roster page of the site, the Habs have placed the names of Andrei Markov, Brendon Nash, and Hunter Bishop on Injured Reserve. Being an IR would mean they will miss at least a week of action, which is a given in all three cases anyway. The "update" on Markov is that his recovery remains on track and that he might be able to rejoin his teammates before the end of October.

- Here's how former Canadien Marc Denis of RDS sees the team shaping up for the coming season:

http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/327587.html (French)

- After much speculation, the New York Rangers officially placed the name of Sean Avery on waivers today. No, Habs fans, he would not be a good pick-up, so don't start any rumours. Even if the Canadiens could use his on-ice talents, the show that surrounds the player would clash immensely with the Montreal media. Pierre Gauthier will not be interested in disrupting a cohesive locker room by bringing him in.

More interesting names for Gauthier on the waiver wire are fourth liners Blair Betts and Victor Oreskovich, but with Moen back and Eller close, the GM may be happy with enough with his own 4th unit.