Montreal Canadiens

The 2018 Montreal Canadiens

January 14, 2012

This is a stray from the usual book reviews. However, recent events have compelled me to write about our Montreal Canadiens.

I have been a faithful fan since the days of Guy Lafleur but this nonsense that has been propagating since June 10, 1993 has got to stop. I choose Les Glorieux as my team for so many reasons. First, they played with speed and skill (notice I’m using the past tense). Fast exciting hockey was the name of the game. It was pretty to watch and was certainly effective. Anybody could be a thug out on the ice, but to play with skill and determination was a thing of beauty. Now there have been examples of the thug mentality being a winning modus...

Game Day : Sens @ Habs

January 14, 2012

Jason Pietroniro

2 Comments

The red hot Ottawa Senators are in Montreal tonight to take on the Habs in what will the first game in the post-Michael Cammalleri era for the Habs. While some are saying this deal was a bit rushed and didn't yield Cammalleri's true worth, I think it may have been the single best deal Pierre Gauthier has gotten done since taking over as GM.

This will mark the 3rd time these two teams have met this season, and despite the opposite type of season these teams are having, the Habs were successful in the first two meetings. I'm not convinced tonight will be the same seeing as the Sens are coming off a huge shutout win against the league leading New York Rangers, e...

Habs Links Check: January 13, 2012

January 13, 2012

Shahab Khan

0 Comments

The Montreal Canadiens sit in twelth place in the Eastern conference with 39 points. After 43 games played seven points out of a playoff spot.

The Checking Line:

Czechtacular discusses last nights loss and the trade.

George Prax with his thoughts on the trade.

Newman with the Flames side of things.

The Media:

Bob McKenzie with the drama that is Montreal.

TSN sizes up the the trade.

Ian Pulver, Cammy's agent, talks to Sportsnet.

Calgary made a mistake says Mark Spector.

Gare Joyce believes the Habs made the mistake.

The Cheap Seats talk Gong Show.

The official site and HabsTV shows the Flames presser wit...

Well, That Was Quick: Habs Boot Mike Cammalleri To Calgary

January 13, 2012

George Prax

14 Comments

It was bound to happen after the comments he made yesterday. For all intents and purposes, Mike Cammalleri had punched his ticket out of Montreal. But no one thought it would happen this quickly, and definitely not this way.

On Thursday night, following the Habs’ 2-1 loss to the Boston Bruins, the team announced that it had traded their former star free agent acquisition to the Calgary Flames, in exchange for forward Rene Bourque. The deal also included goaltender Karri Ramo (currently playing in Europe) and a fifth round pick in 2012 heading to Calgary, with prospect Patrick Holland of the Tri-City Americans and a second round pick in 2013 coming back to Montreal...

Habs Drop Bruins' Matchup 2-1, Trade Cammalleri Mid-Game

January 12, 2012

czechtacular

1 Comment

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The Montreal Canadiens managed once again to keep the focus away from the game being played, in what this time seems to be one of the more shocking and puzzling twists to a 2-1 loss against the Bruins in recent history.

Boston opened the scoring off a strange play, as a clearing attempt meant for the stanchion took an unexpected bounce and wound up in the Canadiens' net off the stick of Jordan Caron with just 1:23 having elapsed in the game. Caron had just been recalled from the Bruins' AHL affiliate in Providence earlier in the day.

Not a goal was scored until early in the thi...

Mike Cammalleri's Displaced Anger

January 12, 2012

George Prax

3 Comments

Among all the controversies, all the language debates, all these trivial issues that seem to plague many people in and around the city of Montreal this hockey season (and that I’ve been categorically trying to ignore), there’s an overlying issue that tends to get swept under the rug more often than not with this team.

The Habs just suck.

Blame it on the Anglophone coach, blame it on the incompetent GM or the face-saving owner, but when push comes to shove, the onus of the win-loss record and performance of the Montreal Canadiens falls squarely on the shoulders of the players, and the players only.

Is it Randy Cunneyworth or Jacques Martin’s...

Game Day: Canadiens @ Bruins

January 11, 2012

David Collins

0 Comments

The Montreal Canadiens will be in Boston, Massachusetts on Thursday evening for another heated showdown with the rival Boston Bruins. These two teams are on complete opposite ends of the standings, with the Bruins, who have won ten of their last twelve games, sitting pretty at the top of the Northeastern Conference. The Canadiens have only won four of their last twelve games, are sitting dead last in the conference, and sixteen points behind the Bruins.

That being said, games between these two bitter rivals are always unpredictable. While logic would dicta...

Singing the Halakian Blues

January 11, 2012

habbykins

1 Comment

In his return game to the Bell Centre in Montreal Jaroslav Halak recorded the 18th shutout of his career. It was a game where the bigger, speedy St. Louis Blues shut down the diminutive Habs. Clearly the better team showed up and took the game. Halak did not have to be spectacular just ready to play. The Habs did not go to the net or have any puck possession.

The line of Tomas Plekanec, Michael Cammalleri and Brian Gionta was on the ice for two of the three goals scored by the Blues and quite frankly appeared to be disinterested throughout the game. The first two goals were scored on the only two times in the game Michael Cammalleri went to the net and played observer wh...

Montreal's Great Dane

January 8, 2012

David Collins

3 Comments

Expectations have been sky high for Lars Eller ever since he came to Montreal along with Ian Schultz in return for netminder Jaroslav Halak. It's hard to say that those expectations are unreasonable, given the remarkable playoff performance of Halak during the 2010 NHL Playoffs, which saw the Canadiens go on an incredible run to the Eastern Conference Finals after knocking off the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. That being said, up until this point, Lars Eller has shown great strides in his development, and is quickly making people forget about the doubts they had when the trade was first announced.

Two in a Row - really!

January 7, 2012

habbykins

0 Comments

There was a ceremonial face off in the Bell Centre featuring Yvan Cournoyer, Paul Henderson and Vladislav Tretiak. Very nice ovation for the two hall of famers and one that possibly should be in the hallowed halls. The scratches for this game were Yannick Weber and Peteri Nokelainen.

The The much anticipated follow up game to the Eller game started off slowly for the Habs. The Lightning scored the dreaded first goal by Vincent Lecavalier with assists by Eric Brewer and Dominic Moore. The Habs did not have any shots until approximately the six minute mark. After scoring the first goal, the Lightning went into their defensive shell.

The second period started with a lot of energy...