Not Your Manic Monday

What a weekend it was, Habs fans. Did they have you believing again? Even the most doubting of tanquists like myself has to admit that last week's 4-game win streak had me thinking that maybe... just maybe... there was a sudden reason to cling to hope. Maybe a truly miraculous run was still possible. Maybe this team could play like all hoped they would coming into the year.

The 5-0 win Saturday over the arch-rival Toronto Maple Leafs felt good. Even in my biggest tanker moments, I still wanted nothing more than to watch the team contribute to extending Toronto's playoff dry spell, hoping that the Canadiens would lose every night except when facing the Leafs. For a re-tooler, then, April 7th's season finale has the potential to be this season's equivalent of a 7th game of the Stanley Cup finals.

The team's prospects - not that they've been the problem whatsoever this year - also got in on the act to put fans in a good mood, if only for a brief stint. Brendan Gallagher's weekend consisted of a goal and 2 assists, with the marker tying him for all-time leading scorer in Vancouver Giants history. Michael Bournival put up a goal and 3 helpers in his 2-game set, while teammate Morgan Ellis's 2 assists went along with a +5 rating. Nathan Beaulieu's 4 assists this weekend have him on an impressive 4-game, 8-point streak. But perhaps most impressive was Ryan White, who after only making his highly anticipated season debut last week, scored 4 goals and an assist in 4 AHL conditioning stint games.

I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted, Canadiens faithful, as instead of a manic Monday that would have refilled the bandwagon with what should have been an "easier" win over the cellar dweller Carolina Hurricanes, we all came crashing back to reality with a hard thud. Blame Carey Price for not having his best game of the year if you'd like. Blame Andrei Kostitsyn for pulling his famous disappearing act. Blame Scott Gomez for... oh wait, you already blame him. Blame Pierre Gauthier for sending Jaroslav Spacek (1 goal, -1) to Carolina for Tomas Kaberle (1 assist, -2). Blame Montreal's powerplay for - after finally showing life with 2 goals in the 2nd period - allowing a backbreaking Eric Staal shorthanded tally early in the third. Blame whoever you want. Had anything really changed?

Following another patented 2011-12 Montreal Canadien Third Period Collapse™ (MCTPC), despite last week's heroics, the Habs awake today still 2 games below .500, 7 points out of a playoff position, and though currently in 11th place, just one point up on each of the 12th, 13th, and 14th place clubs in the East, each of whom hold two games in hand on them. In fact, although last week's run allowed the hopeless romantic and diehard fan in me to live some highs, my rational tanker identity for this season knows that dropping last night's decision to the Hurricanes was a huge step towards hopefully securing a high pick. The loss puts Montreal just 2 points up on 15th place Carolina, with both teams having played 57 of 82.

Now, I hear what you're saying. I'm giving up too easily. After a good week, just one bad game and I'm back to doom and gloom. But let's take it for what it was: a good week for what has been a poor team for most of the season. To make the playoffs, the team would likely need something like a 20-5-0 record here on out, and while it is true that it could be achieved by repeating the past week's 4-1 record five times over, I would say the odds of that occurring are about as likely as you winning the team's season ticket Lotricolore charity lottery with a single entry. "But... But... The St. Louis Cardinals!" you rebut. Yes, the Cardinals overcame a substantial deficit in turning a tough season around and going on to win a championship, but baseball isn't hockey. First of all, the baseball season is virtually double the length of the NHL's, meaning there is significantly more time to make up lost ground. Even still, you might argue, the Cards sat 10 and a half games back of the Atlanta Braves with just 32 games to play in their season. Well that leads to a second point, which is that even with exceptional play, it took a monumental collapse of epic proportions on the part of the Braves for St. Louis to get in. Still, there is no reason why such a bad spell couldn't befall any number of playoff hopefuls in the East, allowing the Habs to leapfrog them. Then what makes me believe the playoffs are such an impossibility? The most compelling difference between the NHL and MLB standings, being the existence of hockey's 3-point games. Three point nights can be your friend when you're in 7th or 8th spot and trying to hold on, collecting loser points here and there, but when you're in a hole, the more points that get spread among the teams you are battling with, the bigger the hill becomes to climb.

This is why I maintain that the plan needs to remain on course. A few happiness-inducing wins right now for a 10th or 11th place finish aren't in anyone's best interest. The main goal for all is to put together a Stanley Cup winning team, and the best way for the team to help itself towards that end will be to add a premiere franchise player courtesy of a top 5 draft selection.

So let's sat back and enjoy the show to the trade deadline and beyond. The call-up of Ryan White (and extremely odd 24 hours of Ian Schultz) in preparation for Wednesday night's dance with the Boston Bruins should at least keep fans entertained. Beat the Leafs, beat up the Bruins, and add a Mikhail Grigorenko or other top end talent? That's plenty to satiate my 2011-12 Hab needs.

[apologies for lack of updates Thursday, Friday, and Monday; as I Tweeted from this site's account, I was in Portugal and did not have sufficient time to prep pieces]

Your Canadiens for February 7, 2012

I haven't recapped general Habs news in a while, so a few bits and notes as the Canadiens prepare to take on the Pittsburgh Penguins this evening.

-Yesterday, the Canadiens sent forwards Aaron Palushaj and Ryan White down to the Hamilton Bulldogs. For White, this is just a conditioning stint, representing a final step in his long-awaited return to the line-up from a groin injury and sports hernia. The Bulldogs have a game tomorrow morning at 10 AM, which should be White's first match of the season assuming he has received sufficient clearance. Palushaj being sent down is a little surprising since he played a strong game on Sunday, even recording his first NHL point. More surprising is that after the move, there remain only 10 healthy forwards (plus swingman Yannick Weber) in Montreal. Is there another move on the horizon? Will we see a surprising return from Mike Blunden, Petteri Nokelainen, or Travis Moen? Moen and/or Blunden could be back in the line-up within the week, though I'd be surprised if any of the three dressed against Pittsburgh.

- If you missed it: Sunday also marked the one year anniversary of Scott Gomez's last regular or post-season goal. He did score 3 during this year's pre-season (and I'm sure he has scored some in practice), but it didn't stop fans on Sunday from singing him a chorus of Happy Birthday at various points of the game.

- Nathan Beaulieu was the hottest Canadiens' prospect this past weekend, putting up back to back 2 assist performances. With 34 points in 39 games, he is back on pace to eclipse the 45 points he produced in each of the last two seasons.

Just as productive was Patrick Holland, the prospect acquired from Calgary in the Mike Cammalleri trade. The 6'00, 175 lbs 20-year old has shattered his previous season's product by scoring 71 points through 51 games (62 pts in 71 games last year). He currently ranks 8th in WHL scoring, but is no bluechipper. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to the quicker game at the next level next season.

Hab prospect and London Knights captain Jarred Tinordi is a +31 this season while logging huge minutes for the CHL's top club. His +/- rating is tied for best in the Ontario Hockey League.

- The play of Habs' prospect defenseman Morgan Ellis since being traded to the Shawinigan Cataractes earned him the Prospect of the Month title from website Hockey's Future. Read about that here: http://www.hockeysfuture.com/articles/13732/hockeys_future_prospect_of_the_month_january2012/

- This bit comes from last week, but if you missed it, there was talk of the Habs possible relocating their AHL affiliate from Hamilton to Laval. The news got out there as Laval announced plans to build a new state-of-the-art arena. The update to this story is that, like what happened with Quebec City, the federal government refused to fund the project. A week ago Saturday, Quebec Premier Jean Charest said he would press Ottawa on the issue, but the availability of federal funding for the project remains unlikely.

Your Canadiens for December 5, 2011

Thinking today might be a relatively mundane day in the Habs' realm, I thought I might be able to wait till tomorrow for this update. But there is enough hot button news to put this out this evening.

- Most notably, minutes ago, it was revealed that the National Hockey League has agreed on a realignment of its divisions for the 2012-13 hockey season. Gone is the current divisional structure, replaced with simply 4 larger imbalanced conferences - two of 8 teams, and two of 7. They are composed as follows:

East (7): Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Ottawa Senators, Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers

East / Atlantic (7): New York Rangers, New York Islanders, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils

Central (8): Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Winnipeg Jets, Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild

West (8): Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche

For the Canadiens, the new schedule will see them play a home-and-home against all non-conference teams (meaning each team will visit the Bell Centre at least once a year), and then have 6 games against each club in their new conference (3 at home and 3 on the road).

For the playoffs, the first two rounds will be played strictly within conference. The top 4 teams from each conference make the post-season, with the first round being 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3, and then the winners facing off in round 2.

Per commissioner Gary Bettman, no official decision has been taken on the seeding of the final 4 for the semi-finals and finals, but it is likely that the remaining 4 teams will be seeded based on regular season standings, meaning it is possible for two teams from eastern North America or two from western North America to face-off in the Stanley Cup Finals.

This is pretty drastic, and there is certain to be a lot of opinion and discussion to go around over the coming days, weeks, and months. My initial reaction is not to like the imbalance, which essentially provides easier post-season berths to the teams in the 2 Eastern conferences. But I don't necessarily hate it. I'm willing to give it a chance.

- Elsewhere, USA Hockey announced the preliminary roster for their World Junior Championship squad. Amongst the 9 defenseman on the list is the Habs' Jarred Tinordi. He would appear to be a near-lock for the squad at this point as part of a shutdown pair, and his name has been thrown around as a possible team captain, given that he fills that role presently for the London Knights, and previously wore the C for the U.S. Under-18 team.

- Tomas Plekanec missed practice today, but have no fear! It wasn't due to an injury. He and his wife Lucia Vondrackova welcomed a son, Matthias, to the world. Congratulations to the happy parents!

- Filling in temporarily for Plekanec at practice was Andreas Engqvist, rehabbed from his recent injury. Later in the day, the Canadiens officially assigned Engqvist to the Hamilton Bulldogs.

- Also in practice, wearing a normal contact jersey for the first time, was defenseman Chris Campoli. With Andrei Markov out another few weeks, Campoli's near return to the line-up is a welcome piece of news to Habs fans and the Canadiens' powerplay. Jaroslav Spacek also practiced with the team, but in a non-contact jersey, while Ryan White skated on his own and then spoke briefly with reporters in the dressing room. Other than Plekanec, the only Hab not to skate today was Scott Gomez.

- On the Andrei Markov front, he underwent successful arthroscopic surgery on his knee in Florida today. Though Pierre Gauthier initially stated the expected recovery time would be 3 weeks, the team revised this estimation to something more realistic today, offering a prognosis of 4-6 weeks. Did Gauthier float the 3 week number just to minimize criticism when face-to-face with reporters?!

- Lastly, there is a bit of a public dispute going on between Max Pacioretty and Brendan Shanahan. Pacioretty spoke out disagreeing with Shanahan's decision to suspend him for 3 games, claiming that Shanahan had compared his hit to Matt Cooke's on Marc Savard. Shanahan disputed this claim on the Team 990, saying that not only had he not compared it to that hit, but he went out of this way to explain that he wasn't drawing that comparison. This line is a little tough to follow; if he wasn't comparing the hit, why bring it up at all?! By saying that he explicitly stated he wasn't drawing a comparison there, it means he must have at least mentioned it! And Pacioretty agrees, as he repeated today that he feels the comparison was made, and made unfairly. He and his agent preferred to compare the hit to Ryan Malone on Chris Campoli, a dirty hit which went undisciplined by Shanahan.

Canadiens Training Camp Opens with Annual Golf Tournament

(Quotes taken from various Twitter accounts, most notably CanadiensMTL, JFChamont, renhockey, and ArponBasu)

Today marks the start of the official Montreal Canadiens 2011 Training Camp as players reported in for the annual Golf Tournament. Next step for them will be physicals on Friday. Some quotes from the guys this morning are below.

If you want to hear them speak for yourself, check out The Team 990's audio page HERE. Big thanks to them for much of the content!

Also, check some notes and audio from Hockey Inside/Out HERE. Some video clips from their site are embedded at the bottom of this post as well.

A few more quotes (mostly the same ones as below) in the Canadiens.com article HERE. But they've got a nice little photo gallery to go with it HERE. And even more photos from Cyberpresse HERE.

Erik Cole: "The media isn't as intimidating as they make it out to be. You may or may not believe this, but I was actually recognized on the street a few times in Raleigh too!"

"I've been in and out of town for the majority of the summer, and permanently moved in the middle of August, trying to get the family settled, kids back in school. We're not on the island, decided to go out in the south shore, close to the practice facility."

"Great group of guys, tremendous staff, everything. World class organization and facilities."

"It's the atmosphere, it's everything [about the Bell Centre that brings out the best in me]. It's a special place to play; it has to do with the history and the passion."

"It's important for the NHL to work together with the PA to listen to the guys who are going through the hits and symptoms. It's a combined effort, but there's more and more that can be done to protect players."

Pierre Gauthier: Confirming our fears this morning, Pierre Gauthier on Andrei Markov: "If the season started tomorrow, he would not be available to us. We hope he'll be ready for opening night against the Leafs, but no guarantees. I have guarded optimism for the team's chances this season."

"There's only 5 guys left from the team 3 years ago. Now we've identified leadership and the team is more stable."

"Everybody is doing well. Some are out of rehab, some are in it still. There are no long-term issues of any kind. Obviously when you have players who have had knee reconstruction, some adaptation will be needed even when they're playing. I don't know that either Mr. Markov or Mr. Gorges will be playing 28 minutes the first game. Their medicals are Friday, but the prognosis is good."

"In the case of Mr. Cole, we made the call at 12:01 and made sure his agent knew he was #1 on our list."

"I have good feelings about all our players right now, including Mr. Gomez, and they've all had good summers. It's obvious when you're around [the players] that there's real commitment to the team. There are few egos; they all want to win. The mood is very optimistic. They know they have a good team that had a few injuries. We've been chomping at the bit for a while here."

"I know [Andrei Kostitsyn and Jacques Martin] get along and Andrei is a very respectful person. It doesn't carry much weight; Mr. Martin and myself said this is out of character and there is nothing there."

"I know Mr. Yemelin is very excited; it's been 2 or 3 years that he has wanted to come. He's a national team level player, who will have an adaptation like any European player, but we hope he can contribute."

On the subject of Andrei Markov, by day's end, reports indicated that he had a setback during the summer due to training too hard and too quickly to get ready for the season, resulting in him having to have water drained from his knee. This is the reason his status remains uncertain, though we should get a good update on Friday as to his health.

Mike Cammalleri: [on limited offensive production in the league despite rule changes] "I think goaltending equipment is still too big. You get very few goalies that play like Martin Brodeur, Marty Turco, or even Carey is a guy who plays the game more athletically."

"You just wrote down we have a minute and a half left, but I could talk about headshots for six hours. Stuff can be done to 'safe-en' our game while it remains fun and exciting."

[about Boston winning the Cup] "Did they win it? I don't even know."

Brian Gionta, who drove Cole to the golf course this morning: "Our goal entering the season is to win the Stanley Cup."

"Andrei [Kostitsyn] is a big part of this team. He brings grit and secondary scoring and he understands his role on this team."

"Nobody was happy [with Gomez] last year, himself included. He brings a dimension we need to the team and he's anxious to get going and put last year behind. He took it hard; nobody puts more pressure on themselves than he does. He's not content with just packing it in. He's going to be a huge part of this team as a top 2 center."

"Jacques Martin does not need to be your friend. He manages the players and it doesn't have to be a great relationship at all times."

Carey Price: "I don't feel pressure to repeat last season's performance. You never train thinking or expecting to have a bad season. A hockey season is a marathon, not a sprint."

"Josh Gorges will hopefully be twice as good this year [now that he has 2 knees]."

"It was fun to get a way for a little, but I was sitting at home all summer itching to get back. I missed playing hockey."

"We've gotta be looking at ourselves as one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference."

"I talked to Peter; he's a really nice guy. We get along really well and have a lot of the same beliefs. Everyone you talk to around the league that's played with him will tell you what a great guy he is."

"Both Markov and Gorges are doing really well and they're really big parts of our D row. I'm very confident they'll be ready to go."

"It's always tough to watch another team win because you're jealous. But out of all the guys that could have won the cup, I think Tim [Thomas] really deserved it with the way he played all season."

Jacques Martin: "I haven't spoken to Andrei Kostitsyn, but I don't foresee any problems with communication. The recipe to get Scott Gomez going this year comes from Gomez himself."

"I am eager to watch some of the young kids like Nathan Beaulieu, Jarred Tinordi, Michael Bounrival, and Brendan Gallagher live in preseason games." You and us both, Mr. Martin. You and us both. Which is good news cause it sounds like these guys will all see action!

Andrei Kostitsyn (whose English is quite improved): "I'm good with Jacques; I never say anything bad about him. I'm here for a good season."

"I will see Jacques tomorrow and we'll talk about what the newspaper said and we should be good for the season. Jacques is a good coach."

"I come to play hockey and think this season will be better than the last couple."

"We'll see what happens in preseason games but I think it's good help for us to have this Erik Cole to help us score more goals."

"I like everything Montreal Canadiens. [The city,] the style, and everything."

"I'm 100% ready for the start of the season."

"I'd like to stay in Montreal. I'd have liked to sign not 1 year, but more years."

"I do everything I can every game. I try to score more goals and play better than last season."

Ryan White arrived at the tournament wearing a Hamilton Bulldogs polo shirt, but was quickly given a Canadiens blue shirt to change into.

Max Pacioretty: "I'm actually excited to receive that first hit this year. Maybe a teammate can help me out! I hope to come back to play at the same level I was at, if not better."

"I put on 10 pounds this year - all muscle; my body fat went down too."

"We're that same team from last year, except now we have Gorges, Markov, Cole, and myself. We have three good lines of offense and you can mix and match line combos."

"[Gomez] and I have pretty good chemistry because he's always looking to pass and I'm always looking to shoot. With him, you know he's going to take the puck from end to end, and hopefully I can create some space for him with my body. I hope to play with [Gomez and Gionta] again to start the season."

"[25 goals and 25 assists] sound like perfect goals for me this year, and I think I can hit them."

"[I spoke to Chara] just one time, and that's all I really want to speak. It was tough enough to make that phone call. He apologized, but I want to put all of that in the past and I'm glad it's out of the way."

"I told my 'Ma the night I got injured when they told me in a hospital bed that my neck was fractured, 'That's probably it, huh? I'll never play again?' But she encouraged me the whole way, telling me that I'm a quick healer."

"I couldn't even remember my own name in the hospital, but somehow I remembered [wife Katia Afinogenova's] phone number, so I called her up and asked her to come over here, forgetting she was in Florida."

Pacioretty also announced the formation of the Max Pacioretty Foundation for research and development for brain trauma at the Montreal General Hospital, expected to launch sometime soon.

Josh Gorges: "I'm 100%. In fact, the doctors were ready to give me the green light had we advanced to the third round of the playoffs. I'll be ready to go from day 1."

P.K. Subban: "I'm only 22 years old. I still have a lot of room to improve. I'm feeling good but as a precautionary thing, because of a minor upper body thing that happened a while ago, I won't golf today, but I'll be ready for day 1 of camp."

"AC Milan sucks! I'm a fan of Manchester United."

"Off-season training for me is not a joke. That's where I get better and improve as a player. That's where I get faster and get stronger. You have to take it seriously."

"I'm at a very critical and sensitive time in my career where everything I do is magnified, so my focus has to be sharp and precise. I need to focus on the things that will make me succeed. At the end of the day, I don't think [the exchange between him and Mike Richards] it's anything personal. Not about me, or about Mike. That's just hockey. Everybody has their own way of trying to get guys off their game."

"I can't say I was upset when [Boston] won the Cup. As a player, you don't want to be envious; you have to congratulate them and give credit when they deserve it. Their leaders did a good job of keeping the team together. If I didn't like them winning the championship, I would never let them know it. On the ice, you gotta bring it."

"I don't really know what a sophomore jinx is. Any league I played in, I got better every year. It's news to me, people bringing it up to me, 'the sophomore jinx.'"

"I don't know [who I'll play with on D]. Those decisions are up to Jacques Martin. I have a job to do, Hal has a job to do, Marky has a job to do, Georgie has a job to do. It's about the team moving forward; you don't know where you're going to fit in. You have to earn your ice time and not come in expecting anything."

"Everybody's a coach. For me, I'm just playing the game the way I can do it to make the team successful. I play the game the way the game dictates me to play. You have to learn when to [jump into the rush]."

Mathieu Darche: "I've been training all-out for 8 or 9 weeks already. I feel young!"

Scott Gomez: "I'm ready to deliver."

Lars Eller: "I hope to be in the line-up on October 6th, and I'd say it's a strong possibility, but I'm still waiting for the green light from doctors to practice with contact."

The following players did not golf today: Andrei Kostitsyn and Tomas Plekanec by preference, while Josh Gorges, Andrei Markov, P.K. Subban, and Lars Eller skipped out as they are rehabbing minor injuries.

Young potential "rookies-to-be" like Rafael Diaz, Alexei Yemelin, and Andreas Engqvist were not present at the tournament, despite also being excluded from Rookie Camp. Seems like they fall under a "misfit" category meaning we won't see them till weight-ins on Friday.

Some video courtesy of Hockey Inside/Out:

Ryan White Signs 1-Year Deal

The Montreal Canadiens announced this morning that they have re-signed forward Ryan White to a one year contract. White has demonstrated his value in bringing sandpaper and sound defensive play to a fourth line over the last two seasons and has earned a one-way contract and regular spot in the line-up at a salary of $625,000.

http://canadiens.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=569198&navid=DL|MTL|home

Of the RFAs expected to make the team's opening night roster, only Josh Gorges remains to be signed. The contracts of Mathieu Carle and Frederic St. Denis must also be renewed for the Hamilton Bulldogs.

White, 23, played 27 regular season and 6 playoff games for the team last year, contributing just 5 points but most importantly delivering hard hits and stepping in to defend teammates. The 6'0" Manitoba native can play all 3 forward positions which should ensure he will have a 4th line spot throughout the season regardless of others.

Pyatt, Pouliot Not Qualified - Will be UFAs

As we broke on Twitter earlier this afternoon, the Montreal Canadiens did not extend qualifying offers to Benoit Pouliot or Tom Pyatt, meaning they will become unrestricted free agents this Friday (July 1st). This does not stop general manager Pierre Gauthier from offering them contracts at a lesser amount come that day (though you can't get much lower than Pyatt's earnings last year).

While Pouliot at $1,350,000 may not be a bargain, it is never a good day to see an asset completely wasted. Guillaume Latendresse, if healthy this season, will be a contributing member of the Minnesota Wild, while the Habs will have absolutely nothing to show in return. As frustrating as Pouliot's inconsistencies can be, a 24 year old 6'3" winger with 28 goals in 118 games in Montreal is an odd player to simply give up on, but clearly he was no longer in the plans in this city, with the team preferring to retain 34-year old Mathieu Darche at half the price.

Pyatt's lack of offer is a little more surprising given that he made just $500,000 last season. A defensive fourth line forward who can kill penalties effectively, the fact is Pyatt is quite replaceable, and players of his style are not particularly expensive to obtain on the free agent market. It is possible that Pyatt is offered a contract later in the summer, but the good news for Habs fans is this may signify Gauthier looking to replace him with a bigger, more physical body. Certainly, however, this move does little to reassure fans of the Scott Gomez trade 2 years ago, with the cap sore center the last remaining asset the Canadiens got in the deal, while Ryan McDonagh and Pavel Valentenko remain with the Rangers.

As predicted, Alexandre Picard also did not receive an offer, and will not be returning to the club next season.

RFAs Josh Gorges, Yannick Weber, and Ryan White received offers, allowing the team to retain their rights and to continue to negotiate new deals.

Playing in Hamilton last year, all of Mathieu Carle, Ryan Russell, Frederic St. Denis, and Kyle Klubertanz also received offers. Klubertanz is already signed in Europe for the upcoming campaign, while it is unclear which of the others may choose to follow suit.