Andrei Markov

Habs Stink Up Long Island; But What's The Bigger Picture?

November 18, 2011

The Montreal Canadiens are wearing me out this season. If any of the other authors on the site are reading this, they're probably going to kill me for speaking to you, the readers, in the first person while I write a game recap, but honestly, this is kind of a special case. This article, or rather blog (screw it, rant), is not meant as a straightforward game recap or analysis. There's a much bigger problem plaguing this team than what last night's horrid loss to the Isles may have even indicated, and it's about time that problem was addressed.

For 19 games now, we've been going through the motions, recapping and previewing game...

The Hype Is Over

October 9, 2011

Shahab Khan

1 Comment

Game DayMontreal Canadiens Vs. Winnipeg JetsMTS Centre

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Ever since the National Hockey League announced the return of the Winnipeg Jets, all anyone who is a hockey fan has been waiting for is opening day. If the return of Jets wasn’t enough, the league decided to bring in the most storied franchise as their first opponent: the Montreal Canadiens. The summer of logo and sweater unveilings, new coach hirings and player signings is over and now real life in Winnipeg begins. The hype is over and now it’s time to drop the puck.

Previous Game:

Montreal Canadiens 0 – Toronto Maple Leafs 2 ...

Chris Campoli's Injury A Matter of "Months"

October 8, 2011

George Prax

0 Comments

It was less than two weeks ago that we were discussing the signing of defenseman Chris Campoli. Was the young defenseman, rejected no more than three months ago by the Chicago Blackhawks after an arbitration hearing, going to have a positive impact on the Canadiens' blueline. Was this a panic signing by General Manager Pierre Gauthier, after mulling over the bad Andrei Markov news coming into training camp? Or was Campoli just another Paul Mara or Brent Sopel, acquired for no other reason than to keep a seat on the bench warm?

Whatever your original opinion on the defenseman may have been, it was now been rendered irrelevant, thanks to a freak...

Habs Sign Defenseman Chris Campoli to One-Year Deal

September 26, 2011

George Prax

3 Comments

In an effort to fill the void left by ailing defenseman Andrei Markov -- once again -- the Montreal Canadiens have made a late acquisition on defense. According to TSN, the team has signed defenseman Chris Campoli to a one-year, $1.75 million contract.

27-year-old Campoli has played 397 games in the NHL since the lockout, putting up 33 goals, 102 assists and a -39 rating with the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, and most recently, the Chicago Blackhawks -- who walked away from an arbitration hearing for the player back in July. The North York, Ontario native stands at 6'0" and 190lbs, which seems to be about the norm for the Habs thes...

P.K. Subban and the Drew Doughty Factor

September 22, 2011

George Prax

4 Comments

If you’re a fan of the Los Angeles Kings, you’re likely not very happy camper right now. While your team is getting ready for the upcoming season at training camp, your top defenseman, and possibly your best overall player, is currently holding out for more money.

The Kings have offered Doughty, 21-years-old and a restricted free agent coming off his first NHL contract, a handsome sum of money to continue his tenure with the team, as much as $6.8 million a season – which is what the Kings’ internally-appointed franchise player, Anze Kopitar currently makes, also coming off an entry-level deal. That amount w...

Here We Go Again: Markov Suffers Setback in Rehab

September 15, 2011

George Prax

6 Comments

We were all wondering not if, but really when it was going to happen. By the looks of it, our fears have become realities, and likely much sooner than anyone had anticipated.

According to Hockey Inside/Out (via Tony Marinaro), Andrei Markov has suffered a setback in the rehabilitation of his knee. Word is that a few weeks back (likely long after Markov signed a new three-year contract with the Canadiens), Markov was diagnosed with water in his knee, the end result of training too hard, and had to have it drained while in the US. Moreover, at the annual Canadiens' golf tournament -- where Markov was sheltered from the media -- Pierre Gauthier h...

Off-Season Rankings: The Defense

September 1, 2011

George Prax

6 Comments

Over the last couple of weeks, we've been ranking and rating the players of the Montreal Canadiens. First, we looked at the top-six forwards before rating the lower-tier forwards, or, the best of the rest. The next logical step is, of course, the defense.

I toyed with the idea of presenting the defense rankings first this year, since, as we all know, coach Jacques Martin tends to go with a defense-first system. We may hate it more often than not, but in reality, that system has brought the Canadiens most of their success over the last couple of years. Of course, it's argua...