Leafs left blowing in the wind

And another great game by Mr. Alex Kovalev, with 4 points. Jaro Halak comes up big again. But mostly, the team dominates a weak opponent. That said, the Leafs have played well lately, so this one counts.

Ottawa tomorrow. And after a Penguins loss today, it's a big, big game. If the Habs win, they're up to sixth, and the playoff possibilities look that much more solidifed.

Habs Rock the Island

5-1, and looking good. Komisarek is, once again, a beast. The AKA line is on fire. Kovalev is the man. And Halak does a good Price impression.

Habs-Leafs. Saturday. 7. 

Well they blew that one

At least Price was better in the shootout, and Kovalev looked good, but the Habs should have won that game. They're just making things harder on themselves as they go. 

Big game tonight

Yan Danis returns to face the Habs as the starting goaltender of the New York Islanders. They're 4-1-1 in their last six, and Montreal born goaltenders such as Danis often do well at the Bell. 

Alex Kovalev is doubtful due to the flu.

This could be a tough one. 

Three Solid Periods

Well, if you count OT as a full period anyway...

The Habs managed a 4-3 victory over the visiting Oilers last night despite playing one of the worst second periods in recent (and distant...) memory. Fortunately, other than that aberration the team actually looked quite impressive in the first game under the Bob Gainey regime, carrying the rest of the play and getting solid contributions from virtually the entire lineup. Carey Price continued his renaissance, and Saku Koivu scored late to tie the game and again in OT to seal the victory. The one obvious blemish was that the performance of Alex Kovalev was somewhat lacking (his only "contributions" came in the form of minor penalties), but given his strong relationship with Bob Gainey and his solid linemates, it is unlikely to be a prolonged slump.

The Habs continue their extended home stand on Thursday night, when they welcome the New York Islanders. Although recent games against Eastern bottom-feeders like Atlanta have been far from inspiring performances, you can be sure that Gainey will have the team prepared and focused for this one at a key point in the season.

Carey does Dallas

And it pays dividends. Carey Price was stellar, stopping 30 of 31 shots, as a lackluster Canadiens team won 3-1 over the Stars in Dallas. This was a game the Habs looked poised to lose, with 16 minutes in penalties in just the first alone (versus 2 for Dallas). All the minor infractions seemed sure to add up to Dallas goals.

Yet, the Habs came out in the second, allowed only 2 shots on three and a half minutes of straight power plays to start the period, and stormed back, led by Andrei Kostitsyn, Alex Kovalev, and Chris Higgins. Higgins goal sealed the deal, and came on a goof by Marty Turco, who misplayed the puck behind the net.

Carey Price is apparently back (where did he go?), and in that way that only goalies can, he has gone from disaster to hero overnight. That's two great starts for Carey in a row, only one of them wins but both of them solid.

The Canadiens are back home on Tuesday.

Streaking Habs Meet Surging Sharks

Big game tonight in Montreal, as the Canadiens (winners of their last 3) face off against San Jose (victories in 5 of their last 6) in what many people thought might be a Stanley Cup preview back at the start of the year. While the Sharks have managed to live up to those lofty expectations so far this season (not that regular season success is anything new to them), the Canadiens have taken a slightly rougher road through their first 62 games. After a prolonged Western slump the Habs seem to have things back in order though, and look to keep it going tonight against one of the top teams in the league.

Key to the recent success has been the resurgence of the once vaunted powerplay with the acquisition of Mathieu Schneider, who tallied two points on the PP last night including the game winner in OT. Jaroslav Halak has also become a stabilizing presence in goal, and Tomas Plekanec has been absolutely on fire with 9 points (6 goals) in the 5 games played since returning from his 2-game suspension. Alex
"L'Artiste" Kovalev has been equally hot of late, totaling 7 points in the three games back after his team-imposed exile.

With the deadline looming it will be interesting to see how management decides to go about tinkering with the roster, since the quality of play lately has been very solid. With Alex Tanguay and Guillaume Latendresse due to return before too much longer there will also be improvements available from within the team itself, although that hasn't stopped people from talking about the availability of Keith Tkachuk and Olli Jokinen to fill some needs up front. Needless to say it should be an eventful few days leading up to the March 4 deadline, and we'll do our best to keep you completely up to date on all of the important news.

Enjoy the game tonight everybody!

Three's a Streak

What a game. Halak looks fantastic. Koivu comes through with faceoff magic late. And L'Artiste with three points again. The Habs are back ladies and gentlemen.

Mathieu Schneider, again, looked great anchoring the power play. His booming shot has added a dimension the Canadiens were sorely missing. Mike Komisarek also had a very strong game, playing physical against a very tough Philadelphia team.

And lastly, new Hab Glen Metropolit looked great against his old team. Wearing #15, he played very strong on a line with Tom Kostopolous. Looks like another strong move by Gainey.

In Bob We Trust.

RUMOURS

From the Buffalo News, Tim Connolly to Columbus for Rostislav Klesla.

Also of note, Jacques Martin was scouting tonight's Canadiens-Flyers game.

The Calm Before the Storm

Tomorrow: Philadelphia. Saturday: San Jose. Two big games. Could be a four game winning streak, or it could be a two game losing streak. 

Based on our latest poll results, Most of you believe Alex Kovalev is the key to Canadiens playoff success. Saku Koivu and Carey Price were a close second and third. Georges Laraque received zero votes. Perhaps another sign that Big Georges really is on his way out? We shall see.

More to come today, as it happens.

Update:

• A slightly odd comment from Carey Price in today's Gazette: "My dad always said your sins will sort you out. He's a pretty religious man and evidently he was right." And on that note...
• Canadiens players were tested for banned substances today by the NHL, perhaps a bit of fallout from the events of last week. More here:http://www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/hoc...eurs-du-ch.php

Van City Visits the Phone Booth

Vancouver comes into town tonight having won four straight, with free-agent mercenary Mats Sundin having scored the shootout winning goal Saturday night against Toronto. Sundin, or as I like to call him, Mats Sellout, has kicked into high gear lately and added a significant weapon to the Canucks once anemic offence. Also hot for the Canucks, Ryan Kesler appears to be the solid, two way centre Bobby Clarke insisted he was going to be.

Jaroslav Halak starts for the Habs after another solid effort against Ottawa on Saturday. The Canadiens seem to routinely give up 40-odd shots these days, but it doesn't seem to matter when Halak is in net. Carey Price watches from the bench yet again as Guy Carbonneau tries to inspire his once dominant starter by challenging his role in net with Halak.

Alex Kovalev is coming off a three point game for the Canadiens, which also featured the talents of Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn. Mathieu Schneider again scored for the Habs against Ottawa, and the powerplay is clicking at 60% since Schneider's acquisition from the Thrashers.

Alex Tanguay, expected to play versus Vancouver, will not be back tonight, he was not cleared by doctors and will aim for Thursday's game as his return. 

Rumours

• Jacques Martin told a Florida newspaper he is willing to deal Jay Bouwmeester.
• Tampa Bay GM Brian Lawton told a Tampa newspaper he will "never, ever, ever" deal Vincent Lecavalier.
• Even scarier than Kaberle: Pronger to the Bruins? http://blogues.cyberpresse.ca/lnh/?p=752

A Big Win for Les Canadiens

A great game this afternoon for the Habs as they prevail 5-3 over the hated Ottawa Senators. Alexei Kovalev was the man of the hour, with two beautiful set-ups, a goal, and great penalty kills for the Canadiens. Josh Gorges had a spirited fight, and Jaroslav Halak kept the Canadiens in it with some fairly solid goaltending. It will be interesting to see who Carbonneau starts Tuesday against Vancouver, as one can make a reasonable argument for both. 

A positive for the Canadiens: the power play continued to click, as Mathieu Schneider scored yet again in his Habs-redux. The Canadiens power play is a solid 7 for 12 since acquiring Schneider, and is quickly moving up in the NHL rankings from the terrible 30 where it once sat.

A great game, a great weekend, and a challenging week ahead. Will Kovalev and Koivu continue to lead the way? Will Gainey make another trade?

Will the real Carey Price please stand up?

Goodfellas

What a difference a day makes. Less than 24 hours after suffering through endless questions and allegations, the Canadiens came out with a solid team effort on the ice this afternoon in defeating the visiting Senators 5-3.

With the crowd firmly behind him the returning Alex Kovalev didn't disappoint, tallying 3 points and playing an excellent all-around game at both ends of the ice. The powerplay continued it's excellence following the addition of Mathieu Schneider, scoring 3 times and further proving that an effective shot from the point reminiscent of Sheldon Souray or Mark Streit has been sorely lacking for most of the year. As well, Jaroslav Halak was solid in goal, making a total of 44 stops with many of them coming at key points in the game.

The win should give the Habs some temporary relief from the media, as well as earning them 2 big points in the standings. Let's just hope that they can keep up this same sort of effort in their next game on Tuesday night when the Canucks come to town for a visit.

Hockey Day in Canada

Hope everybody out there is enjoying their "unofficial" holiday. With Hockey Day cards still a few years off, there's nothing for you to worry about today other than kicking back and watching about 12 hours of coverage on the CBC.

It will be interesting to see how the two teams react this afternoon, since the Habs have Kovalev returning to the lineup while the Sens counter with the additions of Comrie and Campoli. As we've already seen this week with the Canadiens' addition of Schneider, bringing a new body into the room can have a pretty positive effect on the effort level (even if it doesn't immediately translate into wins). As such, I'm expecting a solid effort from both teams today, although with Montreal clearly needing the win more (both from the standings and media points of view) I'm predicting a decidedly better effort on their part to try and right the ship.

All other stories aside, the reaction of the fans will quite possibly be the most interesting thing to watch for today. It could be resoundingly positive or negative after the drama of the last week, so it should be worth tuning in just to see that if nothing else. Who knows, maybe we'll even get to see a sign on par with the classic "Halak it Like That" from a few years back.

Enjoy the games everybody.

Happy Hockey Day in Canada Everyone

We hope you're enjoying the commentary from The Doc and I. Big game today, starts at 3 pm EST. It's Kovalev or bust, people. 

How will the fans respond to l'affaire Kostitsyn? Boos? Cheers? Ole Ole-ing? 

NHL News

• Chris Gratton snagged off waivers from Columbus. This guy could be useful for a playoff run. Also suggests the rumours of Mike Peca being available could be true. 

Just Another Day In Paradise...

To say that the circumstances surrounding the Canadiens today were "unusual" would be something of an understatement, as there were times when things seemed more reminiscent of a Jerry Springer episode than the day-to-day workings of an NHL franchise. While I won't belabour those discussions too much more here (adequate links have already been provided for your reading pleasure), I will raise the question of what exactly someone with mob connections could seek to gain with a reputed relationship to NHL players. In the immortal words of Homer Simpson:

"You mean the mob only did me a favor to get something in return?"

Given the uncertainty that still surrounds this whole situation there is much to be determined, so it will be interesting to see how things ultimately play out when everything is revealed.

Moving on to actual hockey matters, the Habs finally return home after their miserable road trip to face off with the Senators (who earlier today made a deal with the Islanders to acquire the services of Mike Comrie and Chris Campoli) in a Hockey Day in Canada matinee. Alex Kovalev returns to the lineup after his brief hiatus, and Jaroslav Halak is pegged for the start after a couple of pedestrian efforts from Carey Price (who seemed to struggle mightily with his rebound control last night). The team has clearly taken a beating both on and off the ice this week, and given the high expectations for the Centennial Season, it could very well be a cold reception from the home crowd if the team gets off to another slow start.

History has not been kind to the Canadiens in their Hockey Day forays, and in particular, the Sens have dealt them a couple of lopsided losses in recent years and look to rub further salt in the wounds tomorrow. With their playoff hopes fading faster by the day, the Canadiens need to find a way to rise above all of these recent controversies and come away with 2 points tomorrow to try and stop the bleeding (however temporary the relief might be).

What a crazy day...

Wow. Links to organized crime. Kovalev back in the fold. Halak back between the pipes. NHL investigations.

Quite the day in Habsland. As usual, we're trying to keep you up to date with news and commentary. Many media still say there is a lot more to come out, but let's be honest, this is Montreal: how could they keep anything jucier than this under wraps? So at this point, we here at The Drive for Twenty Five are looking forward to Hockey Day in Canada tomorrow, and the Canadiens annual thrashing at the hands of the Senators. Perhaps The Doc will touch on that later.

For now, we leave you with this: Bob Gainey held a press conference this afternoon to discuss the ongoing police investigation, and the return of Alexei Kovalev. 

Audio can be found on the HIO website, here:

http://habsinsideout.com/main/15923

Quite the 24 hours for the Canadiens.

Kovalev Back Friday: RDS

RDS is reporting that Alex Kovalev will rejoin the Canadiens tomorrow, after he and Bob Gainey had a lengthy discussion today. Kovalev is expected back in the lineup Saturday versus Ottawa, but that decision will be left up to coach Guy Carbonneau.

http://www.rds.ca/canadien/chroniques/269527.html

Game Day - Pittsburgh

The Canadiens bring their media circus into the Mellon Arena tonight to face off with the Penguins in the last game of what has already been a memorable road trip (for all of the wrong reasons).

Alex Kovalev remains at home, and questions continue to surround his future with the team. While some believe that he's on his way out and would command a reasonable return on the open market, I'm inclined to believe that he'll be staying put in Montreal. As a UFA he'd only be desirable to a contender, but his numbers (and some would say attitude) so far this season haven't been good enough to warrant a reasonable return. While it's possible that his expiring contract would be enough for somebody in the rebuilding phase to pick him up in an attempt to clear some money off of the books, I think that Montreal would be better served with him in the lineup. It's not that long ago that he was an integral contributor in a team that was expected to challenge for a Conference title, and I think it's too early to write that off. The Habs are clearly more of a contender with him around than with just about anything he could be dealt for, so keeping him just feels like the best option.

The general unrest of players like Steve Begin and the recently demoted Sergei Kostitsyn is troubling, as team chemistry seems to be wearing ever thinner by the day. How much of this is related to the recent losing streak is hard to say, but I'm of the opinion that a few wins would go a long way to quieting some of these rumblings. Granted, everybody wants their playing time (and will advocate for it accordingly), but it's a lot easier for people in the media to run with these types of complaints when the team is losing and changes seem desirable.

As for the game tonight, going with the same lineup that played so well in Washington last night seems prudent. Perhaps removing the underachieving George Laraques in favour of somebody capable of contributing in a positive manner for the team might have been an option, but other than that I've got no complaints.

With the bottom of the standings in the East quickly becoming a quagmire, the Canadiens need to pull things together or they'll quickly be on the outside of the playoff picture looking in. The Penguins have also been struggling of late (and find themselves in a similar playoff quandary), so I expect this to be a hotly contested affair. Crosby usually always brings his best when he plays against Montreal, so hopefully the Habs can weather the storm.

Canadiens at Penguins

Another day, another game...another loss? We'll see. Guy Carbonneau ices the same team tonight, with Carey Price starting after a strong effort last night in a shootout loss to the Washington Capitals.

The Alex Kovalev saga continues (and that's what it is, a saga). As well, Steve Begin is apparently now upset that he isn't playing. I can't blame him. He is the same type of player as Gregory Stewart, and yet Stewart was called up to play ahead of him. Furthermore, Begin makes $1.2 million, and Stewart makes (in NHL terms) next to nothing. If this were any other NHL city, Begin would be dealt, and he is valuable to contenders as a gritty, hard working fourth liner. However, he's French, and this in Montreal, so for at least a few more games he'll likely watch from the press-box.

Also, Georges Laraque. What does he do? Last night, he took a dumb penalty hitting Donald Brashear from behind. Otherwise, he did nothing. I can't believe we have this guy for another two years at $1.5 million. Perhaps Gainey's worst signing as Habs GM - but that's debatable.

And as for rumours, the same ones continue to swirl: Kovalev to Pittsburgh, Kovalev to Columbus, Kovalev responsible for economic crisis, Kovalev meeting in Ottawa with Obama. Etc. Etc. It just keeps going.

Ryan Smyth is apparently available (so says TSN). Now he might look good playing wing to Saku Koivu. But do the Canadiens have the cap room? No.

And lastly, the Habs powerplay came to life last night, going three for four. Mathieu Schneider looked great, playing 27 minutes. Can the Canadiens keep the PP momentum going this evening?

Doc, this is going to be a good one.

Another Day, Another Loss...

The Montreal Canadiens, for the most part, held Alexander Ovechkin in check - but it was not to be. Washington threw 35 shots Carey Price's way, but despite his valiant efforts the Capitals defeated the Habs 4-3 in a shootout on goals from Niklas Backstrom and Alexander Semin. Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov were unable to score on behalf of the Canadiens.

The outcome could have been very different, however, as Price played spectacularly the entire game. Tomas Plekanec rang a shot off the inside of the post with 30 seconds left in overtime, and clearly had Jose Theodore beat. Another inch and the Canadiens win. Thems the breaks, as they say.

A good game for Price, Plekanec, Koivu, Higgins, Pacioretty Kostitsyn Sr. and Lapierre. A great debut for Mathieu Schneider. He looked solid, logged significant minutes, and contributed an assist on the power player. Also a great game for Alex Ovechkin. He is a hockey behemoth. How he scored his goal on Carey Price, with Kyle Chipchura essentially getting a piggy back as Ovechkin fell on his side, I will never understand. But that's what great players do, they score when they're not supposed to.

Now, would the outcome have been different had Alex Kovalev been there to go in the shoot-out? We'll never know. 

Montreal is in Pittsburgh tomorrow night.