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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13/10/11: Calgary 4, Montreal 1; defense? we talkin' bout defense?

Ouch. That's about the best word I have to describe the Montreal Canadiens getting burnt by the Calgary Flames in the home opener at the Bell Centre last night. In a game that resembled the inverse of the Winnipeg Jets' home opener last Sunday, the Habs had chances but severely lacked killer instinct when it came to finishing around the net. The bigger problem, however, was the team's play in its own end which ranged from passable to atrocious. They looked to take play in their own end about as seriously as Allen Iverson takes practice.

Start with P.K. Subban, whose -1 rating was actually flattering to the way he played on the night (just because 2 of Calgary's goals came on the powerplay). He was hesitant with the puck, was regularly caught out of position, and couldn't get anything going in the offensive zone. After weak performances in the first two road games, Subban needed to step it up at home, but instead delved deeper into his slump. He may not believe in the sophomore slump, but unless he gets back to the basics of his game, he's going to be hearing that term very frequently. Perhaps he should have been in bed early the night before rather than hitting the Montreal club scene.

Raphael Diaz and Alexei Emelin looked like the rookies that they are, though Emelin did have a couple of good sequences to go with the bad. Hal Gill looks slow as he usually does at this time of year. The problem is, he's being counted on to play on a top pairing with Subban. Anyone that thinks the Canadiens can be a contending - or even playoff - team with a Gill-Subban top duo is dreaming in technicolour right now. If Andrei Markov is indeed going to be out long-term, the blueline needs help and fast.

As for the forwards, Lars Eller was likely the team's best on this night - sad when you consider it was his first game back from injury. He showed good speed, nice hands, and a willingness to throw some good hits. I'm a big Eller fan, and he looks poised for a good season, but needs to improve his finish around the net. I've said it many times but will reaffirm it now: Eller plays the game like Peter Forsberg. Of course, I'm not saying he'll be anywhere near as good as the amazing talent Forsberg was, but he plays in the same style with many of the same moves. That's a huge compliment to the young Dane.

Tomas Plekanec was ok, except for at the point on the powerplay, where he looks completely out of place. When can this experiment end already? He has NEVER looked good there this year, going back to preseason and through the first 3 games. A Subban - Yannick Weber duo on the first unit clearly makes the most sense, with 2 shooters resembling the game the team played with Subban and James Wisniewski last year. Admittedly, this leaves the second unit thin, but you can focus more on the forwards in that case if the top unit fails to score. Play Diaz with Emelin or Gorges... at least ice one completely good unit instead of two dysfunctional ones. Plus, Plekanec was one of the team's best face-off men in the first 2 games, so I don't understand why you wouldn't have him taking the draw!

Erik Cole has been a huge disappointment in the first 3 games, and while I advocated for him to get more minutes on the top line, he certainly hasn't deserved them. Whereas in preseason he was effective at stealing the puck away from opposing players in their own end, through 3 games he himself has been a turnover machine in the Montreal end. He also seems to be knocked off the puck far too easily in the offensive end. He is at least throwing some hits, but the Canadiens aren't paying him to be a fourth line grinder; he's here to produce offensively, and he looks far from being capable of that at the moment. Hopefully it will just require an adjustment period to Jacques Martin's system and his new teammates.

Brian Gionta has looked off his game through the first three as well. The penalty calls against him last night were quite questionable, so I won't fault him there, but he needs to begin generating some offense. He has had little in the way of quality scoring chances, and when he does get them, he has frequently fanned on his shots or missed the net.

And lastly, the one we all know but are afraid to admit: Max Pacioretty isn't the same player as he was before the Zdeno Chara hit. Now I'm not saying he's playing particularly poorly; I love Max and he has shown his great combination of size, speed, and hands. But the player we saw last year charged the net fearlessly, kind of like Brendan Gallagher did in preseason. He would challenge any defender in his way in trying to go around or right through them. This season's Max - again, still a great skill player - stays to the outside far more frequently, opting to just take his shots from weaker angles rather than head into the danger/traffic zones. If he's going to realize his full potential, he will need to get over this shyness (which may happen in time anyway) and get back to playing like he did when he was perhaps the team's most dangerous forward.

So that's it for now. Carey Price will have to wait at least one more night to earn his 100th career win. Don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting it's time to panic. We're only 3 games into a very long and tough NHL season. However, with the degree of parity and number of quality clubs in the league's Eastern Conference, all the points lost now could and will come back to haunt Montreal in March and April. It is important for the team to start the year off strong, even if the hope is that they find their game midseason and carry that momentum into the playoffs. Pierre Gauthier has frequently shown he isn't afraid to make a move, so if the team doesn't wake up and play up to their potential in the near future, we should expect some changes to come.

UPDATE: - As an aside, anyone who considers themselves a Montreal Canadiens fan should read this article:

http://fr.canoe.ca/sports/nouvelles/hockey/lnh/archives/2011/10/20111014-034538.html

It's an interview in French with Patrice Brisebois. For those that don't speak la langue de Moliere, Brisebois talks about how big of an impact all of the booing and nasty comments had on him. He says he would often cry in his car after games and it made him isolate himself from others. It severely hurt his confidence and depressed him. Come on Habs fans, we're better than that. May no other player have to go through what Breeze did. We need to encourage our players to be at their best, and while the occasional boo from a paying customer is not a problem, the regular harassment of one of our own can do only harm.

09/10/11: Montreal 5, Winnipeg 1; stay classy, Jets fans

So it was still far from a perfect game for your Montreal Canadiens, but it certainly was a relief to score some goals and get in the win column before hitting the Bell Centre ice this coming Thursday for the team's home opener. Sorry for spoiling your party, Winnipeg, but a huge round of applause to the fans that packed the noisy stadium for sticking around to the end of this one-sided affair (though just on the scoreboard) and then giving your boys an ovation to welcome them home at game's end.

Despite the score, the Habs owe this one to Carey Price who was simply sensational. With the exception of one banged in rebound, he kept buzzing Jets forwards at bay all night, including a number of ten bell saves.

Unlike the game against the Leafs, however, Price got run support this time. The Canadiens were opportunistic, cashing in on their chances with a number of pretty markers as Tomas Plekanec paced the offense with a goal and 2 helpers. Yannick Weber broke the team's powerplay goose egg on a 4-on-3 advantage and also added an assist, taking on a bigger role after Jaroslav Spacek was forced to leave due to an upper body injury early on in the game.

Mike Cammalleri scored the Canadiens first goal of the 2011-12 campaign early on, making him the answer to the trivia question of who scored the first marker in the first game back in Winnipeg. Habs fans will care more, however, about the fact that he was forced out of the game after having his left leg accidentally cut open by the blade of Weber's skate. The report is a leg laceration will keep him out about 2 weeks.

A lot of Habs had pretty good nights. Yannick Weber looked much better than his training camp self after moving back to the point. Raphael Diaz's maturation continues. Alexei Emelin was rather sound for his NHL debut despite a poor penalty.

Others not so much. Erik Cole looks out of synch right now, something obviously not lost on Jacques Martin seen in his greatly reduced ice time. Brian Gionta fanned on a number of in-close scoring chances. P.K. Subban still looks awkward leading the top powerplay and is often caught out of position defensively.

But it was a win. And it felt good. It will be interesting to see how the Canadiens manage to replace Cammalleri and Spacek in the short term, likely by shifting Weber back to D and calling up Aaron Palushaj, while hoping Lars Eller is ready to face the Calgary Flames on Thursday. But perhaps Pierre Gauthier opts to test the trade market or sign a remaining free agent (Bryan McCabe, Paul Mara, and John Madden are some of the more intriguing - and I use that word loosely - names out there).

One thing I am sincerely hoping for is an end to the Plekanec on the powerplay point experiment. Last season, the PP struggles ended when Montreal put two shooters on the blueline (Subban and James Wisniewski), so it would be natural to try Weber with Subban to again give the team two shot options. Until Andrei Markov can re-join the group, this looks like the best choice for the top unit.

With the Canadiens having the day off for Thanksgiving today, don't expect any real updates on Spacek or Cammalleri until tomorrow's practice. The team says the injuries are minor, and Cammalleri said he's "fine," but then again, so was Blair Betts.

In any case, there remains lots of work to do and possible chances to come in the three days off until the next game. But when Thursday does come, I am excited to join in as we Hab fans raise the Bell Centre roof just as Jets fans got to do last night.

06/10/11: Toronto 2, Montreal 0; false start for Habs

Rome wasn't built in a day. The Stanley Cup isn't awarded in October. Et cetera, et cetera. Just like "it's only preseason," these excuses do hold some weight, but at some point your Montreal Canadiens are going to have to start performing up to their potential.

If you didn't watch the game, don't be fooled by the boxscore. It may look like a hot James Reimer is the only thing that allowed his team, outshot 32-18, to win on opening night. The Canadiens may have technically had 32 shots on goal, but you'd be hardpressed to find more than a handful of quality scoring chances. Reimer was good, no doubt, but he was by no means forced to be anything more than just good.

The problems with the Canadiens in the opener were predictible. They looked much more like the 2-6-0 preseason team than just the team that kicked Tampa's butt in the final exhibition game. Montreal was "good" in the first period (there's that word again), but sloppy, unable to cash on a couple of in-close opportunities and often making one too many ill-advised pass despite having puck possession for most of the opening frame. But Montreal was only good. In reality, the reason the play was so one-sided is that the Leafs were terrible, causing turnover after giveaway after turnover. When Toronto started to play a little in the second, the tide turned just as quickly.

The defense, my biggest concern coming into the season, was weak. Josh Gorges and Hal Gill are effective shot blockers, but as a group, they lack major leaders and minute-eaters, or true physical/containment types. The team misses Roman Hamrlik and James Wisniewski right now, no doubt, and will continue to miss them until Andrei Markov is healthy enough to play. P.K. Subban did not have a good night, being one of those at fault on both Maple Leaf goals, and for a second time in his three games with the club, Chris Campoli was unable to finish the night, this time seemingly out for the next couple of weeks. That is the gamble you take in banking on a guy who hasn't had a full training camp. The groin is a major area of concern.

The bottom pairing of Raphael Diaz and Jaroslav Spacek frankly didn't look to be NHL caliber last night. You can blame it on Diaz's nerves, but Spacek is a veteran who was hoping to make amends for a poor year and was coming off a good preseason. He is certainly at high risk of losing his job as players get healthier.

Speaking of veterans coming off good preseasons and hoping to impress, Scott Gomez seemed to revert to the guy he was all of last season. It's only one game, of course, but the effort level and turnovers from Gomez were far from encouraging.

The team's powerplay was atrocious, much like it was throughout preseason, and the experiment of Tomas Plekanec at the point will and should be short-lived. The penalty kill, along with the play of Carey Price (though he didn't have the busiest of evenings) was one of the few bright spots on an anticlimactic evening for Canadiens fans around the globe.

But don't despair. It's only one game. The team wasn't going to go 82-0-0. All they have to do is regroup and walk into a rocking building in Winnipeg to steal the Jets' thunder Sunday night.

01/10/11: Montreal 5, Tampa Bay 1; raising the spirits

Just as we were quick to say "it's only preseason" during all 6 of the Montreal Canadiens' losses, we need not be reminded that it was STILL "only preseason" last night as the team got their revenge on the Tampa Bay Lightning in a big way with a dominating 5-1 win. Given the lack of a boxscore, I'll inform those that missed it that the goal scorers were Brian Gionta, Scott Gomez, Mathieu Darche, Erik Cole, and Mike Cammalleri.

BUT this was a big one. A big one because, given how poorly preseason had gone thus far, the team needed to get another win on the board. Sure, 2-6-0 is still a pretty crummy record, but ending on a high with the team's through and through best effort while playing its most complete roster will be good for the group's confidence as they prepare for the season opener this Thursday in Toronto.

As with previous games, we'll talk about some specific players, but focus more on the collection of their work over the course of the preseason than just last night specifically. If a player isn't mentioned below, that means he was basically as expected. If it's a veteran, it means he wasn't awful, but looked preseasonish, and if it's a rookie, it basically means "see: other prior reports."

Scott Gomez: From his first game, it was clear that Gomez has no intention of repeating last season's disappointment. This year's Gomez seems quicker, more involved and determined, and more willing to put the puck on net rather than make soft passes. While it's possible he will be deemed expendable as of next season depending on the progress of David Desharnais and Lars Eller, he will be an important part of this year's team and the club will need a strong performance out of him if they are to make a deep playoff run.

Erik Cole: No disappointments here thus far. He has been a productive player in every game he played except for Thursday night's shutout loss, and even then he was one of the team's better forwards. He has shown an uncanny ability to rip the puck off opposing players as they try to start a breakout or skate through center ice, creating turnovers and high percentage scoring opportunities on a nightly basis. He also has the ability to finish plays that often lacks on the Montreal roster with his quick shot and positioning in front of the goal.

Mike Cammalleri: I've said this in virtually every review, but Cammalleri is another player who looks determined to have a good year. He also looks faster than in the past, and has shown frustration over his numbers not being better than they have been. 30 goals is not out of the question if he can stay healthy.

Aaron Palushaj: I've given Palushaj a hard time throughout most of camp, but it was deserved. In rookie camp and into his first two preseason games, he simply didn't look good. A soft, perimeter player who wasn't generating any offense. To his credit, he managed to flip a switch and has made a camp out of it, with 2 points in each of his third and fourth games, and then a solid effort last night, putting his speed and size to good use. It's not clear where he might fit on the roster, and he's likely headed down to Hamilton when everyone is healthy, but PERHAPS there is still some hope for him.

Mathieu Darche: Love the guy. Keep him out of the top 6 please, but as a third or fourth liner, he definitely has a valuable spot on the team. He forechecks hard, goes to the high-traffic areas, is a good enough skater with good enough size, and has a solid shot. Works well with David Desharnais.

Andreas Engqvist: A disappointing camp continues. He's a fine penalty killer, but he doesn't look NHL-ready. Certainly must be making the Canadiens wish they had signed Zenon Konopka over the summer, but at this point, he'll get the 4th line center job by default and just have his minutes limited until everyone is healthy.

Chris Campoli: I'm impressed by the signing. Good skater, good puck mover, supports the offense well with a quick release shot. The waiting game now will be an update on his health tomorrow, as he left the game following a hit to the head by Ryan Malone - a troublemaker throughout the game - in the third period. Was the hit suspension-worthy? Based on Brendan Shanahan's rulings thus far in preseason, I would say so, but judge for yourself:

UPDATE: - There is good news, being that Campoli was on the Canadiens' flight to Toronto and will accompany the team on their retreat to Collingwood. If he had shown signs of a concussion, it is likely he would have returned to Montreal for treatment.

Josh Gorges: The Habs' best defenseman in preseason, Gorges hasn't lost a step with his surgery of last year. In fact, he looks quicker. A great teammate, willing to step in to defend anyone in trouble, and so very sound defensively. He'll be a big part of the group this year, and MUST be retained next summer when he'll be UFA eligible.

Jaroslav Spacek: I never thought I'd say this, but wow. I've been impressed by Spacek, who got into much better shape over the summer and has shown the kind of focus and determination needed to turn the twilight years of his career around. I think he knows that with the way he had been playing, he was not going to be offered another NHL deal after this year, and while it's still probably his last season in Montreal, he looks poised to be a solid veteran presence on a D that will be injected with some young talent throughout the season.

Raphael Diaz: I'll admit to being a big Alexei Yemelin fan for the physical elements he bring that are lacking in our group of d-men, but I have to give a lot of credit to Diaz. He does have some defensive shortcomings, but as camp as progressed, he has looked more and more confident with the puck. His control at the blueline on the second powerplay unit is definitely NHL-calibre, and his breakout passes are crisp and effective. For now, he has earned a job, but I do hope Jacques Martin finds a way to get Yemelin some ice time.

Carey Price: This wasn't the busiest of nights for him, but he looks well prepared to undertake the long and grueling year that lies ahead. As many in the media have said recently, he's well on his way to being one of the top netminders in the world, and this year will hopefully be another stepping stone towards that end.

The Canadiens weren't the only game in town yesterday, however. Here's a look at how some other members of the organization played:

- The Hamilton Bulldogs had their second and final preseason game, earning a 4-3 win to finish with a 2-0 record. Brian Willsie had the winner with his second goal in as many games, both Gabriel Dumont and Philip DeSimone got on the board, and Josh McFadden, participating in these preseason contests despite being told he would not be signed, had a goal and a helper. With Peter Delmas still on the shelf, Robert Mayer was in nets for a second straight game. The 'Dogs open their regular season at home next Saturday night.

- Brendan Gallagher returned to the Vancouver Giants' line-up, wearing an A, and scoring a goal, finishing with an even +/- record in a 6-3 loss. This was Gallagher's first game of the regular season.

- Both Nathan Beaulieu and Darren Dietz were on the receiving end of big blowouts (7-0 and 6-0), and each finished -2.

- In NCAA preseason play, the University of North Dakota posted an 8-1 win, with Danny Kristo scoring a goal and adding a helper, and freshman Mark MacMillan contributing 1 assist.

Michigan lost their exhibition match 3-2, but Greg Pateryn scored a goal with Mac Bennett earning an assist.

29/09/11: Tampa Bay 4, Montreal 0; at least there's only 1 left

Any Habs fans expecting a change in the team that had a 1-5-0 preseason record now that there were more veterans in the line-up were quite disappointed last night. It seems the team has not yet decided to flip the switch from preseason to the real thing... or at least, we hope that's all this slumping play is. After a solid first period, the game went way downhill with many players having nights they'd like to forget. The 4-0 score is generous, even, as two clear goals for the Lightning were not counted (Lecavalier's because whistle blew, and Pyatt's because the refs just missed it and there is no video review). We discuss some of the players' performances below.

Peter Budaj: When your team is shutout, blaming a goaltender seems like a cop-out, but Budaj has had a very poor preseason. After 'tending in the blowout loss to Boston in Halifax, Budaj looked weak on virtually every shot sent his way (not just the goals), seeming lost in his crease at times and having to search hard to find pucks. At this point, I have little confidence in him as a back-up, but hopefully he improves as the year goes on, working with Pierre Groulx while Carey Price starts the lion's share of games.

David Desharnais: I'll give him a break as it's his first game back from injury, but definitely not his night. Admittedly he looked good when the puck was on his stick in the offensive zone, showing some creativity and flare, but at every other time he was out of position on the ice with horrible defensive zone coverage. Needs to step it up or he's on the outs when Lars Eller is healthy.

Andrei Kostitsyn: Awful game, even worse than Desharnais. Threw his body around a bit in the third period which earned him a couple of points back, but horrible play in his own end, soft when on the puck, and didn't generate anything offensively.

Andreas Engqvist: The Habs depth at center becomes a problem because Engqvist is no looking like an NHL'er right now. Clearly he didn't help himself by adding much weight/muscle this summer, as despite his 6'4" frame, he looks very weak on the puck and is knocked over easily. He is fine on the penalty kill, but at this point I'd take Tom Pyatt back over him. Gabriel Dumont was far better, but the Habs want a righty and some size so Engqvist stuck around instead.

Max Pacioretty: A few chances, but overall perhaps his worst performance of the preseason. Stayed to the perimeter far too much to be effective, committed a number of giveaways. Couldn't finish around the net, pushed out of position too easily.

Mike Cammalleri: Probably the Habs most dangerous forward on the evening. Unfortunately had hands of stone, missing empty nets and hitting goal posts. Cammy has looked quick and slick in preseason and seems poised for a good year.

Tomas Plekanec / Brian Gionta: I'll lump these two together for their highly unimpressive preseasons. Mostly invisible, lack of intensity, sleepwalking through to October. That's not a problem so long as they're ready for game 1 of 82.

Scott Gomez: Perhaps the second best forward for the Canadiens, but lacked in creativity with the puck. Seemed to try the same play over and over again in the offensive zone, with a bank pass off Dwayne Roloson's pads, but it almost clicked a few times, so not a bad night.

Erik Cole: I'd lump Cole with Cammalleri and Gomez in the "forwards who actually played well" category. Goes to the traffic areas where he needs to be, tries to deflect shots. He has also shown throughout preseason a knack at stealing the puck off players skating up ice. His ability at creating turnovers will be valuable on a smaller team like the Habs.

P.K. Subban: The good and bad of P.K. were on display, as he weaved his magic with the puck in dancing through the neutral zone a few times, but was also caught out of position a lot. Looks like he needs one more season of babysitting with a defensively responsible blueliner like Hal Gill.

Alexei Yemelin: Horrible start to the game, but got better as it went on. Subban is not the ideal partner for him as he isn't ready to cover for a partner's pinches or miscues. Known as a punishing, "dirty" defenseman, his physicality has been missing for most of preseason. He came to camp laying out big hits in the first day's scrimmage, but has completely toned it down ever since. The only plausible explanation is that someone on the coaching staff had a chat with him about focusing more on positioning than hitting, but it is severely hurting his game. When he improved in the third, it's because he was starting to take the body again.

Raphael Diaz: Looks to be ahead of Yemelin for the 6th spot on D. Has weaknesses in his own end, but showed good smarts in moving the puck, a strong first pass, and creativity in the offensive zone.

Brendan Gallagher: Good first period, but disappeared after that. Was very neutralized by bigger, experience Lightning players. Even Marc-Andre Bergeron completely rubbed him out along the boards on one play. His inexperienced showed on this night, but I don't know that it hurt his chances given the awful play of Desharnais and Kostitsyn. And honestly, with how badly the Habs have performed in preseason, I don't think they can afford to cut a guy who has consistently been one of their top forwards. Should get a 9-game trial just to bring some enthusiasm and energy to the group.

Josh Gorges: The Habs best d-man on this night. Looks like his old self, and survived a scare when Ryan Malone fell awkwardly on his right knee. Skated to the bench gingerly, but didn't even miss a shift, right back out there only seconds or minutes later.

Chris Campoli: He looked good for a first game. Certainly not a shutdown guy, but he's a good skater and moves the puck well. Fired some good shots at the net. Seems like a nice addition while the inexperienced players like Yemelin and Diaz adjust and develop.

And so that's it. We've got only one more game before the eternal optimists and apologists can tell us to "stop complaining because it's only preseason!" Hopefully they show up stronger on Saturday to give us some confidence for the season opener in Toronto.

26/09/11: Boston 2, Montreal 1; can preseason end already?

Just because preseason losses are meaningless, doesn't mean we can't get tired of losing. On the bright side, there were a number of inspired performances from a Montreal Canadiens team dressing 6 NHL regulars vs. a Boston Bruins team that played 10.

Brendan Gallagher: We'll start with the guy who has been one of the team's most dangerous forwards in almost every game he has played. Gallagher impressed again last night, generating more chances, driving the net with reckless abandon, showing nice hands, and yes, hitting more goalposts. Honestly I feel bad. Perhaps saying Gallagher had Chris Higgins-itis on day 1 of rookie camp was a jinx, cause this is exactly how it has played out. By virtue of having outplayed the likes of Aaron Palushaj and Andreas Engqvist, the little Giant deserves to stick around. If there are injuries at forward to start the season, the Habs lose nothing in signing Gallagher and playing him 5 or 6 games, given that his contract doesn't kick in unless he hits the 10 game mark (which he won't).

Michael Bournival: Slow-ish start, but strong overall game for Bournival, just returning to action from a minor injury. Looked better and better as the game went on, showing good skating ability and some offensive creativity. Wasn't cut after the game, so may get a second chance to impress on Thursday.

Philip DeSimone: Undoubtedly his best game thus far. He has looked pretty good going all the way back to rookie camp, and to me, has earned at least an AHL deal. Awesome move on the Cammalleri goal, but strong all night in generating a number of chances. He's off to Hamilton's camp tomorrow, but he shouldn't have trouble inking a contract.

Gabriel Dumont: Continues to surprise. Plays with tons of energy and forechecks hard. Lacks a little defensive awareness / could improve coverage in his own end, but a useful fourth liner who has as good a shot as any of sticking around into October.

Raphael Diaz: Another player with his best outing of training camp, though with the signing of Chris Campoli, there doesn't appear to be any place for him to start the season. Looked more confident with the puck, making some nice plays in the offensive zone.

Jarred Tinordi: Also looked much better last night, delivering a number of big hits and putting up a solid performance in his own end. Though his 17 minutes were least amongst Habs blueliners, and he is still a few years away, he showed glimpses of the kind of player the Canadiens hope he develops to be.

Carey Price: His best performance of the preseason to date, meaning he has gotten better every time he has been in goal. Very encouraging sign for him being ready to start the year on a good note.

Frederic St. Denis: Quietly, another surprise of camp. He has looked very steady in his own end, making few mistakes, and, despite his very average size, looking strong enough to contain larger players. There's no room for him right now, but with another year of development in Hamilton, could conceivably challenge for a job next Fall.

25/09/11: Boston 7, Montreal 3; Habs fall to meaningless 1-4-0

Again, preseason losses aren't something to panic about. In fact, they should be looked at as learning opportunities to fix problems with parts of a team's game or address certain weakensses. But certainly no one would have set out the script for the Montreal Canadiens' exhibition calendar to begin with a 1-4-0 record.

What went wrong last night in a 7-3 loss to the Boston Bruins? What didn't? The score was not reflective of the play, with Peter Budaj - who played the full 60 minutes in goal - admittedly not having his best outing.

But that's not to blame him entirely for the loss. The Canadiens took a few too many chances, including young defenseman Nathan Beaulieu who likely played his worst of the three games he's been in, though still moved the puck well for much of the night.

The team also couldn't finish a number of their own opportunities, most notably a Brendan Gallagher sweet move early in the second the resulted in a puck clanking off the post. Gallagher may have been the team's best forward in the loss, again showing that he oozes with potential.

Aaron Palushaj continued on his productivity streak from Saturday, following up on his 2 assist performance with a goal and a helper last night. After a horrible first part of camp, this recent spurt may allow him to stay with the club through the remaining exhibition games instead of being a part of the cuts coming Monday night or Tuesday.

Yannick Weber is doing little to inspire confidence in his spot in the top 6. While Alexei Yemelin hasn't been blowing anyone away, he has been far more solid and stronger than the Swiss defenseman and looks to be well ahead of him in the depth chart. With no shot of making the team this year and playing in his first preseason game, Morgan Ellis may have actual been the team's best d-man last night, playing in front of many family and friends as he is a native of Prince Edward Island and plays for Cape Breton in the QMJHL.

The Canadiens next preseason game is at home tonight against the same Bruins. Canadiens prospect Michael Bournival is recovered from the knee injury he suffered during camp and expected to make his preseason debut.

24/09/11: Ottawa 3, Montreal 2; Sens dish out revenge

Playing with a line-up that included minimal vets, the Canadiens were surprisingly effective for half of last night's game, taking a 2-0 lead. But just as they had overcome a 3-0 deficit to Ottawa the night prior, the Sens came roaring back, snapping a 2-2 tie on a Chris Neil goal on the powerplay with about 30 seconds to play to steal the win.

The positives? (other than the fact that it's still only preseason) Carey Price continues to show slow and steady progress, looking better every time he takes to the goal. Though his back-up Peter Budaj will go the distance tonight, there should be little doubt Price will be ready for a date with the Leafs in October.

Mike Cammalleri looks to have gained a bit in footspeed this off-season, looking quick throughout preseason and netting a pair in this one to pace the team. Also contributing offensively was Aaron Palushaj. Yes, you read that right. Aaron Palushaj. Hello Mr Palushaj and welcome to training camp. You've shown up 2 weeks late, but better late than never.

Gabriel Dumont turned in another solid performance, playing with more offensive wingers. Certainly the Canadiens would rather have Andreas Engqvist in the line-up for size reasons, but based on play and merit, Dumont should have a lead on him in the fourth line center battle right now. The decision is likely to come down to the wire over the last few preseason games, and as we get a better idea on the health of David Desharnais, Lars Eller, and Ryan White.

Olivier Archambault showed some nice offensive creativity at times in his preseason debut, though for now, he can be regarded as a long-term project at best.

Nathan Beaulieu led all Montreal blueliners with close to 23 minutes of ice time. While he was perhaps less noticeable than in his first game, he again showed to be a great skater and have tremendous sense and confidence with the puck. Certainly a future fixture on the Habs back end. Mark Mitera, getting his first preseason action, played the fewest minutes at 16:14 but didn't look out of place, with a couple of strong plays defensively and even picking up assists on both goals.

23/09/11: Montreal 4, Ottawa 3 (SO); vets lead way

While we've stated that losing in preseason isn't a real concern, repeated losses may eventually have the effect of weighing down team morale. Thus, it was a nice sign to see the Montreal Canadiens bounce back from a 3-o deficit last night to top the Ottawa Senators 4-3 in a shootout and improve their exhibition game record to 1-2-0.

P.K. Subban had been the Habs' top player against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday but he was held out last night with a minor upper body injury. The slack was picked up by another young veteran, Max Pacioretty, who followed up on a "decent" first outing against Buffalo to lead the way with 2 goals, a boatload of shots and chances, plus a nice shootout marker against the Sens. Pacioretty looks ready to start the year, every bit as fast as his pre-injury self and playing the same game.

A player that DOESN'T want to repeat last year, Scott Gomez, made his preseason debut and looked far better than he did for most of last year. Gomez skated the puck well and set up some chances, all the while showing off his trademark carrying of the puck through the neutral zone - a skill at which there might be no better forward in the league. While it wasn't pretty, he was credited with the game-tying goal in the last 35 seconds by positioning himself in front of the net and whacking away at a rebound.

In addition to scoring the shootout winner, Erik Cole picked up 2 assists to now give him 3 points in 2 games. He was most noticeable in creating turnovers throughout the game, picking the pockets of opposing defenders. Looks like he'll be a nice fit.

If his first game against Buffalo was disappointing, it may have been just nerves, as Brendan Gallagher turned his play up many notches last night. His quick hands were evident as he took advantage of playing with Pacioretty and Gomez in coming up with several near-miss scoring opportunities.

In goal, Carey Price made a few nice saves, a small improvement from his first outing. But he still doesn't seem to be in season shape, with 3 pucks getting by him on 18 shots in the game's first half. Nathan Lawson looked quite good playing the second half, as while he didn't have to make many tough saves, he supported the rush well, most evidently with a long bomb breakaway pass he fed to Pacioretty for his second goal on the powerplay.

In what may be training camp's biggest surprise, Gabriel Dumont is meddling with a lot of prognosticators line-ups and depth charts. The short but feisty center has been far more remarkable than the likes of Aaron Palushaj, Brock Trotter, or even Andreas Engqvist. It will be interesting to see how the Habs handle the situation, as Engqvist fits the team's need better due to his size, and is a very responsible defensive player, but Dumont has shown greater upside in playing more physically and having a better rounded game.

21/09/11: Buffalo 3, Montreal 1; but a good building block

It may have been the second loss in as many preseason nights for your Montreal Canadiens, but it was hard not to walk away with at least a little smile from last night's game at the Bell Centre.

Perhaps it was because Peter Budaj delivered a solid half game performance, seeming like he will be a perfectly acceptable back-up to Carey Price.

But that wouldn't be enough. Was it that P.K. Subban showed no signs of his training camp injury in being by far the team's best player and scoring a goal (followed by a celebration that delighted fans in the building but is sure to draw ire from people around the league given that it's just a preseason game)? Likely not, as Subban was just being Subban, though it does seem at this point that he may end up being the team's most important player not named Carey Price.

If it wasn't either of them, perhaps it was merely the fact that a team composed mostly of young players hung in there against a near-full Buffalo Sabres roster who, admittedly, weren't playing particularly passioned hockey? While this is true, it is still exhibition play, and so the outcomes are of little importance.

No, I think the biggest reason for Habs fans to have been happy last night was a first exposure to the stud that will be Nathan Beaulieu. Now Beaulieu didn't have a perfect game. He had a couple of giveaways, a few poorly executed passes, and some failed powerplay set-ups. But on the whole, the fact that he didn't look out of place is perhaps the biggest compliment you can pay the 18-year old kid. Beaulieu showed great skating and stickhandling ability, and set up teammates with a few very slick breakout passes. Ladies and gentlemen, we've got ourselves a top notch prospect. Expect Beaulieu to require a few seasons of development before he is a full-time Hab, but he appears to have a bright future ahead of him.

As for the rest of the team, fans who came to see Brendan Gallagher and Alexander Avtsin may have left disappointed, as Gallagher was basically quiet except for one very strong offensive zone shift, and Avtsin did little to be noticed aside from being pasted into the boards on a few occasions. Andreas Engqvist further extended his lead for a roster spot with sound defensive play over Aaron Palushaj who continues to float through camp with little impact.

Gabriel Dumont had a nice debut, showing his willingness to hit anything that moves and lots of combativeness for such a small player.

As far as the veterans go, Max Pacioretty had a solid outing with a number of chances / shots on goal, and doesn't appear to have lost any speed since his injury. His center for the night, David Desharnais, did a fine Scott Gomez impersonation through the neutral zone at times, but was of little influence on the game's result. The same could be said for Brian Gionta who had a quiet night and wasn't particularly noticeable, with the entire trio finishing a -3.

Next up for the Habs is a duel in Ottawa on Friday, the first of 4 games in 4 nights, meaning few cuts should be expected between now and then. The chemistry experiments continue as all players try to round themselves into shape.

20/09/11: Dallas 6, Montreal 3; or why losing in preseason is good

So let's classify last night's start to the Montreal Canadiens preseason calendar as anticlimactic. Carey Price warned us prior to the game that he didn't feel ready and thought there were still things he needed to work on before puck drop on the regular season in October, and, well, he was true to his word.

But it wasn't all Price. The Habs were out matched for much of the game by a Dallas team that looked far more ready to play. In the Canadiens' defense, the Stars did dress more of their core roster than the Habs, but Montreal looked rather disorganized and disjointed for much of the game, showing little system or team concept play.

Don't panic folks. It's just preseason. And the first preseason game at that. In fact, losing in preseason can show you areas you need to work on. Last night, there were many. When your team is winning, you tend to overlook the little things that go wrong, but when you lose, they are magnified. Well preseason is the perfect time to work out these kinks, so a loss or two here and there is not something to bow your head about.

Let's talk about individual players briefly. Those who came to watch Alexei Yemelin, Jarred Tinordi, and Raphael Diaz on the blueline may have walked away a little disappointed. Not because those guys were terrible, but the team's surprising best defender on this evening was fringe veteran Jeff Woywitka. Both offensively and defensively, he showed good hustle and smarts with the puck. He may have been off the radar for money, but he looks like he doesn't intend to go down to Hamilton without a fight. Certainly he'll get another chance to prove his worth.

Yemelin, the player coming into the game with the biggest hype, was ok. He wasn't spectacular, showing nerves at times, but laid out a big hit or two and supported the rush reasonably well.

Diaz, similarly, seemed to get better as the game went on, looking most comfortable on the ice in the third period. He should definitely be Hamilton-bound to start the year, but there is potential there, beyond the team-worst -3 rating that shows up on last night's boxscore.

The twin towers of Jarred Tinordi and Hal Gill looked slow and ineffective on the ice. I wouldn't say there is big concern about Tinordi, but his skating is something he will need to continue to work on at the Junior level this season. As for Gill, if the consensus about him is that he's only average in the regular season and good in the playoffs, I guess it's to be expected that he looks subpar in exhibition games.

I will go on record as never having been a fan of Yannick Weber on the blueline. He's small and weak on the puck and struggles against bigger forwards. He doesn't seem ready to quarterback a powerplay unit, though he can be effective if paired with someone to feed him the puck. While RDS praised him several times last night, I thought his game was off. Won't be more than a #6 or 7 d-man for most of the year.

Up front, Mike Cammalleri looked mostly ready to play, showing good speed for the majority of the game, though like much of the club, slowed down by the third period (which is normal given it's the first game and players aren't in mid-season conditioning form yet). Tomas Plekanec was, well, Tomas Plekanec, and there were glimpses of potential chemistry with new linemate Erik Cole. Despite his goal, I was a little concerned over Cole's speed in the game, which definitely looks to have lost a step since his younger years when it was one of his strengths. Once again, it's only preseason, but it is something to be wary of.

The other potential member of the top line, Andrei Kostitsyn, picked right back up where Habs fans expect him to be. A couple of great rushes, and then much time being invisible. He didn't have the best of linemates, as Aaron Palushaj continues to underwhelm and raise doubts about his future in the NHL due to soft perimeter play. At this point, I expect his fate to be similar to Ben Maxwell's last year and for him to finish the season in a different organization. Brock Trotter looks ahead of Palushaj in the call-up line, showing good speed and use of his teammates in the offensive zone.

I'd score round 1 of the Andreas Engqvist - Mike Blunden duel for a roster spot to Engqvist, who, while less physical than Blunden of course, is a much better skater and passer, and showed willingness to use his body and throw a hit or two of his own. It seems evident that Blunden's skating his what has held him back since he was viewed as a high potential prospect in the Junior ranks.

And that's about it. Tonight we'll get a look at a new group including Brian Gionta, Max Pacioretty, and Brendan Gallagher, likely along with Nathan Beaulieu and P.K. Subban on D. But if the team loses again, please remain calm. It's only preseason! In the words of our star goaltender, "Chill out!"