Habs Bill-Masterton Trophy Candidate : Patrice Brisebois

Patrice Brisebois has been selected by the media to represent the Montreal Canadiens for the Bill-Masterton Trophy. The trophy is giving to the player which shows the most perseverance to hockey. Well deserved honor for Patrice who had to suffer a back injury that almost ended his carreer two years ago when he was in Colorado. Plus, he had the courage to come back and play for the Canadiens even after the boos from the fans in Montreal. Congrats Patrice!

Christopher Higgins Might Miss the Game Tonight

Christopher Higgins might be out for tonight's game because of a flu. Bob Gainey hasn't comfirmed officially if he would be scratched. We would need see how he feels tonight before the game to know if he would play or not.

Also Carey Price would be in net tonight and would face Christobal Huet.

Habs Loses in SO versus Sabres

Montreal Lose 4-3 in shootout against Buffalo

Sure we let 1 point slip away from us last night by losing in the shootout against the Buffalo Sabres, we could have taken the them out of the race for a playoff spot, we could have joined the New York Rangers at the 7th position. But we tend to forget that it could have been much worse, we could've lost in regulation and not have any point at all in the standings. We were losing 2-0 at one point of the game. Good thing the Habs kept playing hard and didn't give up.

Christopher Higgins scored a nice goal with his wrist shot in the top left corner. He got the team back into the game with that goal. I don't know what happened to him, ever since he is playing on the 4th line with Metropolit and Dandenault, we see the old Christopher Higgins from last year again. He is more intense on the puck, he plays more physical and protects the puck very well.

Saku Koivu is also on fire lately with Tanguay and Kovalev. He made a nice play around the net to give the Habs the tying goal. Even though the goal was credited to Kovalev, I still think Koivu deserved the goal, Kovalev barely touched it. Anyways, it doesn't matter much, the important thing is a tying goal for the team.

And the third goal, awesome play by Mathieu Schneider to fake the shot and pass to Kovy right beside the net. The powerplay is back and producing again! Nice move by Bob Gainey. Let's hope they keep it up.

It is just too bad that in the 3rd period, the Canadiens started to play on their heels, protecting a 3-2 lead at the beginning of the 3rd isn't the way to go. Carey Price played a solid 3rd period and also in the shootout. I was surprised he was able to stop that many players 1 on 1. Remember last time when he let in 3/3 in the shootout? Yeah...I had that in mind. He did good, gave us a chance to win, if only plekanec's shot didn't hit the post. Oh well...

We are 1 pts from the Rangers with 1 game in hand, similarly we are also 1 pts ahead of the Panthers with 1 game in hand. The situation isn't that bad, we got 5 pts out of a possibility of 6. We'll have the opportunity to get back at it on Tuesday night against the Chicago Blackhawks. I expect an exciting and fast skating game.

Two excellent game

Finally!!! The Habs started winning again. They have played two excellent hockey game against the Thrashers and the Bolts. Winning 6-3 and 3-2(OT) is a huge confidence boost for them.

The first line Tanguay-Koivu-Kovalev is doing great! I was there at the Bell Center for the first game they were together. Wow! What an awesome night I have to say. I never expected the Habs to have such an offensive and explosive night. I was a little sceptic seeing them on the same line. I wasn't sure if they would be able to perform, since we have seen them together once already during the season and it didn't work out. This time, we could see that they want to make it work. They know that the pressure is on them to get the team into the playoffs. They must make it work. There isn't many game left in the season. It is amazing to see the nice plays they are doing on the ice. Maybe a bit too generous sometimes, they would pass instead of shooting the puck, but it will come with more games together. The Bell Center was extremely loud that night. Its been a while that the fans didn't have a good game from their team in a long time. Tanguay 2 goals 3 assists for 5 pts, Koivu 1 goal and 2 assists, Kovalev 2 goals and 1 assists. Wow! If only all the games which I attend to would turn out this way. :D

The game last night against the Lightning was really good. A rare game where the Habs are actually dominating their opponent. The Canadiens were able to outshoot them 36-19. They have played a solid 60 min game. Every line contributed in their own way. The first line again have scored the important goals for the team. They didn't play as well in the other game, but they were still very good. Lots of scoring chances, a couple of posts. We can't expect them to get 5 pts every game. The Bolts goaltender Ramo was excellent. He robbed the Habs from many goals. I thought that Plekanec line did pretty well and had their share of scoring chances. D'agostini played a good game, much better than Andrei Kostitsyn did in the last few games before his flu. Guillaume Latendresse is on fire these days scoring a beautiful wrap around goal. It is always fun to see our team come out strong in this time of the year where every points is crucial.

I know we only beat 2 teams that are out of the playoffs, but at least we are winning now. We needed to start somewhere to gain back that confidence and momentum back. The team needed some wins to get that team spirit back and be less stressed when they are holding their sticks. The next game is very important. We are playing against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. We have a chance to take them out of the playoff race. Go Habs Go!

Sergei Kostitsyn Called Up, Max Pacioretty Sent Down

After another horrible game against the Maple Leafs, the Habs called up Sergei Kostitsyn from the Hamilton Bulldogs. He has collected a total of 14 pts in 16 games in AHL.

As a result, Max Pacioretty have been sent back down to Hamilton. Pacioretty obtained 3 goals and 8 assists with the Habs in 34 games.

Montreal Canadiens For Sale?

According to La Presse, the Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett is thinking of selling his NHL franchise. He has asked a firm to study all the financial possibilities related to the future of his team, the Bell Center and the Gillett Entertainment Group. The Habs President Pierre Boivin has confirmed it to La Presse that BMO Capital Markets was asked to evaluate all possible strategies of the Gillett family's properties in Montreal. Boivin states that it could be for capitalization, financial restructuration, new investors or the sale of the enterprise. He also added that they are only at the beginning of the process. The Habs president explains that in this difficult economic period, these advisers will maximize the assets of the company and reorient the financial strategies of the Gillett family if needed. The Gillett family have asked four financial adviser groups for their services in Europe, US and in Canada to establish strategies for all of the Gillett family's business. These businesses include the FC Liverpool soccer club, the Montreal Canadiens and the Bell Center, NASCAR, but also other industries such as the food, ski and golf.

The paper also talked to professor Tom Cannon, a specialist in professional sports economy, and said that if the financial difficulty of George Gillett forces him to sell one of his franchises, it would be the Montreal Canadiens that would be sacrificed. It is always easier to sell the assets that you control. George Gillett only owns half of the FC Liverpool team, but owns 80.1% of the Montreal Canadiens. In addition, there is a clause in his partnership contract with Tom Hicks which prevents him from selling his parts of Liverpool as he wants. Cannon also said that the most profitable franchise between the two is Liverpool which has gained a value of 131% since last year whereas the Canadiens only gained 18% according to Forbes magazine.

Here are the links to the original articles in La Presse :
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/hockey/200903/22/01-839138-gillett-songe-a-vendre-le-canadien.php
http://www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/hockey/200903/23/01-839144-sacrifier-le-ch-avant-le-fc-liverpool.php

Another lost...

Habs lost 4-5 vs. Senators

I don't know what to say anymore, even if I want to stay as possible as I can, I don't see this team making the playoffs. Even if we do make them, it would probably be because of the teams behind us that have a bad schedule at the end of the season and depending on the teams they face. What is the point in getting in the playoffs if we don't even have a chance to get through one round? For George Gillet's wallet? What about the fans? I mean, it's terrible to watch a Habs game now, every night, watching them getting beat by teams that won't make the playoffs, it's just humiliating and insulting even.

I don't understand the decision of Bob Gainey to put Carey Price in net for this game. Just by seeing how he played in the shootout versus the Rangers the other night. You know that he has lost his confidence once more and you put him in net...What is he trying to prove? Why not just let Carey take some break and give him time to get his game back. He is still young, there is no rush in breaking even more. Halak has a bit more experience than Carey, he is a bit older, and he has been playing very well lately. Right now we need a goaltender that is constant, which isn't the case with Price.

Another thing I don't understand, why is he placing Mike Komisarek on the ice with Josh Gorges? These two guys are playing really bad lately and by putting them together you will only increase the mistakes they make together. Each time I see Komisarek handle the puck, or shoot the puck, I stop breathing for a second and hope doesn't create a turnover. And by taking stupid penalty also doesn't help the team. I never thought I would say this, but we need to take him out of the roster. He is actually hurting the team right now.

The only good decision Bob has made tonight was putting back the lines that Carbo made a few months ago. Although Plecky's line didn't do much tonight again, but the other two lines have. Latendresse was on fire tonight. We could see the importance of stability in the lines. Higgins have been visible tonight, at least we see him with more intensity and winning some battles in the boards more with Saku and Tanguay.

I continue to say, if Carey was a little bit better tonight, we would have won. These points are so important now, you cannot afford to lose any one of them. The Panthers have also won tonight, they are only at 1 point from the Habs...Come on wake up Canadiens!!

Carbo! Carbo! Carbo!

A week after replacing Guy Carbonneau behind the bench, Bob Gainey couldn't put the team back on track. We saw the same mistakes again and poor defensive coverage. It was the same team on the ice. They can be good in one period and horrible in the next period. The Habs weren't even able to clear their own zone unless creating an icing call. The players were taking lots penalties and allowing more than 45 shots every game. It became pathetic! The Canadiens have only obtained 3 points out of a possibility of 6. One of which losing against the worst team in the whole league in OT. No wonder the crowd shouted :

"Carbo! Carbo! Carbo! "

in the 3rd period while the Habs were losing against the New Jersey Devils last Saturday night. When was the last time you have ever heard this happening? The crowd chanting the name of the former coach? They are showing their disapproval to Bob Gainey of the firing of Guy Carbonneau. This demonstrates how much the fans loved Guy Carbonneau and that they know he has done everything in his power to make the team win. Of course, Guy has to take part of the blame, but it isn't entirely his fault. The fans know that it is the players that are the main problem here, not the coaches. It is up to the players work harder and win hockey games.

By the way, I have to congratulate Patrice Brisebois for his 1000th career game in the NHL. It takes a lot of hard work to get there. It also takes a lot courage to it in the Montreal Canadiens uniform after what has happened to him. It has been really harsh for him the last few years when he was still wearing the number 43. He didn't give up after all the things that were being said. I think he deserves this honour. Way to go Patrice!

Congratulation Martin Brodeur!

Bravo Martin for tying Patrick Roy's record for most wins by a goaltender. As a Habs fan point of view, it is always frustrating to see you beat our favorite team game after game through all these seasons, but I have to say that I admire your talent and recognize this tremendous achievement that you have just done. It only shows that you are the best of the best out there. It is always pleasant to see guys from Quebec succeed in the NHL, especially from Montreal, and become one the greatest of all times. The best of all is that you still have a lot of hockey left in you. Let's say you finish the rest of your contract, which is 3 more years, and win an average of 40 per season. That is about 120 more wins. 551+120=671 wins. That's putting the bar pretty high for the next generation of goaltender that would like to break your record. Heck, you can even hit the 700 wins cap! Once again Congrats Martin.

Martin Brodeur's Press Conference at the Bell Center

At about 10:45 am this morning, Martin Brodeur held a press conference at the Bell Center to talk about the possibility to tie Patrick Roy's record for the most wins by a goaltender of 551. He says that these are exciting times and that he will try to enjoy every moment of it. He never expected he would have the possibility to tie this record, he was just happy to be able to play in the NHL and win the Stanley Cup.

He says that Patrick Roy spoke to him this morning at the hotel and wished him good luck for tonight's game. Patrick Roy came to Montreal today to assist to the game tonight. Brodeur explained that him and Patrick aren't that close, they are 6 years in age difference, they aren't the type of people that will frequently talk on the phone with, but when they see each other, they will spend some time together. Brodeur says that Patrick is a goalie that he looked up to when he first started his career. His only regret was losing a playoff game 7 against Patrick and he would like to have that one back.

He was able to learn things from many excellent goaltenders like Patrick Roy, Dominic Hasek and Eddie Belfour. When asked which was his best performance in his career, Brodeur answered a game versus Dominik Hasek, the game ended in a 0-0 tie. Both of them had to face about 40 shots each. It is a game that he still remembers today.

Martin Brodeur said that he has never had Montreal in mind to tie the record. He didn't know how he would perform after his injury. It was only when they won 8 straight games that Montreal became a possibility.

Brodeur emphasizes that this game is more to it than his personal record. He knows that his teammates will do whatever it takes to help him win this game, but this is also an important game for the team too. They have a chance to get closer to the Bruins. They can widen the gap between them and the Flyers in the same division. And there is also the Washington Capitals.

Martin Brodeur finishes the conference by saying that his objectives is to tie the record tonight, to break it afterwards, and then to get his 600 wins. He also noted that there is 3 more years to his contract and that he would like to honour it. He is therefore not ready to retire just yet he says.

The Next Montreal Canadiens Head Coach

Who will be the next coach of the Montreal Canadiens next year? That's the question that everyone has been buzzing around lately in Montreal. So I decided to make a list of the potential candidates that can take this position next year.

Don Lever

Many people believe that Don Lever will be next head coach because Bob Gainey has brought him over from Hamilton to become an assistant coach. He has done the same thing with Guy Carbonneau before naming him head coach. In addition, Don Lever have coached many of the young players that are currently with the Canadiens and have won the Calder cup with them. He knows these kids better than anymore and can make them perform to their full potential. Don Lever has 20 years of combined coaching experience in the NHL and AHL. He has been assistant coach for the Buffalo Sabres and the St-Louis Blues in the NHL level and has been head coach for the Rochester Americans and Hamilton Bulldogs in the AHL. The only downfall for Don is that he isn't bilingual. In a market like Montreal, where the majority of the fans speak French, the head coach must be able to communicate fluently in French. If he wants to put all the chances on his side, I urge him to start taking intensive French lessons.

Bob Hartley

Bob Hartley is one of the top candidates for the job. He is bilingual. He has 10 years of coaching experience as head coach in the NHL. He coached for the Colorado Avalanche and the Atlanta Thrashers for 5 years each. He has won a Calder cup in the AHL with Hershey Bears 1996-97 and has won a Stanley cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2000-01. Bob Hartley main downfall is that he has difficulty with young players. When he was in Atlanta, the Thrashers had a young team and he was unable to make them perform at their best. The Habs is also a very young team next year where most of the veteran players might not come back because their UFA status. Will Bob Hartley be able to deal with so many young players?

Marc Crawford

Marc Crawford has 13 years of experience as head coach in the NHL. He has coached for the Nordiques/Avalanche, the Vancouver Canucks and the Los Angeles Kings. He has won the Stanley cup with the Avalanche in 1995-96. He also won the Jack Adam trophy in 1994-95. He is a very good coach that can get the best out of his skilled players and he is Bilingual.

Mario Tremblay

Some speculate that maybe Mario Tremblay would want to leave his assistant coach position in Minnesota to come back to coach the Montreal Canadiens. He has 2 years of experience as head coach with the Canadiens and has 6 years of experience as assistant coach with the Wilds. He speaks French. But I would be very surprised if he is interested in coming back, and I doubt that Bob Gainey would want him here.

Bob Gainey

Yes, Bob Gainey could become the permanent head coach. It all depends on how the team goes this year in the playoffs. If the Habs are able to make a few good rounds, don't be surprised to see him back next year behind the bench. He said it himself that he really enjoys coaching and it is one of the things he misses the most while being a GM. He has 7 years of coaching experience with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens. He is bilingual. He is person which all the players respect and listen when he speaks.



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Bob Gainey's First Victory Back Behind the Bench

Montreal Win 4-3 against Edmonton in OT

At his first game behind the bench, the Montreal Canadiens GM and now coach, Bob Gainey, has won his first game against the Edmonton Oilers. Everyone expected the Habs to have an excellent start with a lot emotion and intensity because of the big boss is right behind them. They would want to prove to him that they have received the message when Bob have fired Guy Carbonneau. They know that they need to start winning now. They would also want to show that they deserve the confidence and ice timing giving to them by their GM.

It is in fact what we have seen in the first period of the game. Even though the shots were only 7-6 in favor of the Habs, we have seen them skate a lot more, more aggressive in the defensive zone, getting the puck out of their zone much faster than before. We have only scored 1 goal, but we had many scoring chances. We could see that there was a lot of energy from the Montreal players.

The second period was very different. Maybe the Habs have spent too much energy in the first period and seems exhausted in the 2nd. We were outshot 17-2 for the Oilers. The Habs have forgotten to do everything they did well in the first. They were terrible defensively and allowed 3 goals. It was the same team that got Guy Carbonneau fired. The team's inconsistency between periods that Gainey was blaming Carbo happened again. The Canadiens only had 2 shots on net and those shots were made on the same presence by Dandenault and Metropolit...our fourth line. Thank god Roloson was weak on Metropolit's goal. We were very lucky to come out of the 2nd period losing by only 1 goal.

Something must have happened during the 2nd intermission. The coaches and the players must have said something or made some modification. Don Lever came down to the bench in the 3rd period and has probably made some suggestions because the Habs played a very strong 3rd period. They were skating again, started to shot more on the net and made excellent passes. The defense was stronger and Carey Price really made excellent saves to keep the Habs in the game. The Koivu line was flying on the ice. I like the chemistry that is building between Tanguay, Koivu and Kostitsyn. I have always hoped that these three players would play together. We had to give our best sniper the two best playmakers in the team. Koivu scored 2 important goals to give the Habs 2 really important points in the standings.

It wasn't an easy win and not a nice one either, but an very important one. The Penguins have won again against the Panthers in the shootout last night. Man, are they on fire recently. They are 9-1-0 in their last 10 games. If we had lost, the Habs would be in the 8th spot.


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Habs Head Coach Guy Carbonneau Fired

The Montreal Canadiens head coach has been fired on Monday afternoon and will be replaced by the team's GM Bob Gainey behind the bench. In addition, Don Lever, the AHL Hamilton Bulldogs head coach will come to Montreal to become assistant coach.

In a press conference tonight, Bob Gainey says that he has been thinking about this decision since Saturday after the lost against the Atlanta Thrashers. He claims that it is not normal for a team with the potential as the Montreal Canadiens to not be able to compete with a team like the Thrashers that are below the Canadiens in the standings. He feels that the team is going in the wrong direction and that his intervention would give the Habs a better chance to making the playoffs. There are many tactical areas he would like to correct. He would like to reduce to amount of scoring chances that the team allows and wants the team to play more defensive. He wants his team to play with more emotion. He was disappointed with the performance of his team during the last 8 weeks and therefore believes a change in direction on the ice level is required.

Wow, what a bomb! I would never think that Bob Gainey would fire his buddy Guy Carbonneau. I couldn't even believe it when I first saw it on the news. Especially after a win last night in Dallas. I have always said I didn't like the way that Guy coached the team, but I never wanted him to be fired. I was hoping he can change and adapt...I liked Guy Carbonneau. He was a great captain for the Montreal Canadiens. I hoped he could have success as a coach in Montreal. It is just sad that it turned out this way. Once again, the players were able to get the head of the coach. After so many different coaches that got fired in the past few years, and was able to have success elsewhere like Claude Julien, Michel Therrien and Alain Vigneault. I would have thought that the Montreal Canadiens organization would have learned from their mistakes.


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Has Guy Carbonneau Lost the Respect of his Players?

Has Guy Carbonneau Lost the Respect of his Players?

The Montreal Canadiens head coach decided to make his players undergo a punishing practice after the humiliating lost against the Buffalo Sabres 5-1 last Wednesday. The players were forced to skate for 27 minutes straight nonstop. Guy Carbonneau clearly stated after the practice that it was a message to his players. Normally, we would expect the players to come out strong the next game to respond to their coach, it wasn't the case last night in Atlanta. The Habs didn't have any intensity at all. There was no second effort. No emotion. They were blanked. When you can't even score against one of the weakest defence of the league...it tells you something isn't right. Whether the opponent's goaltender is hot or your players aren't giving you their maximum effort. It is awkward to see this happen in the most important time of the season where teams are fighting for a spot in the playoffs. We now wonder if it isn't the other way around. Are the players actually sending a message back to their head coach? Has Guy Carbonneau lost the control over his players? Has he lost all respect?

It isn't surprising if it is the case, when you look at the line changes that Carbo have done during the past few weeks. You see bizarre lines with a 4th liner on each line. Think about it, when Alex Kovalev had to play with Dandenault for a while. A player that Bob Gainey has offered to 29 other teams but no one is interested in. How do you suppose the players would think? First, the talented players would feel that they were insulted. Second, the other players would start questioning on the competences of the coach, wondering if the coach want them to lose. It confuses the players and causes distractions. Giving even more arguments and excuses to players to lose a game.

Another reason is the Ice time. Guy Carbonneau has always played with all four lines with about the same ice time. When Tom Kostopoulos have approximately the same ice time as Kovalev, there is a problem. Even Koivu has less ice time then Lapierre. I have nothing against the third line players, they are doing a good job with their role, but your best players need to be the difference maker in a game. In order to do so, you need to give them more ice time and put all the chances on your side to win. When there's 5 minutes left in a game, you are losing by 1 goal and have a powerplay opportunity. You don't put your 3rd line on the ice. What is the message that you would send to your whole team? I want to lose this game? The players do not appreciate it. Especially when there are 13 players who are playing for a new contract next year. They need to put points on the board, but the coach is in their way.

I don't think that Carbo would lose his job over this, but I feel the players are fed up with the way Carbo is coaching and don't want to play for him anymore. What are your impressions?

Trade Deadline : Frustrating Day for a Habs Fan

Yesterday, I was in front of my computer for almost the whole day following the NHL trade deadline on TSN TradeCenter. I was very excited, but in the same time anxious. You never know which players the GM would get to strengthen the team, but in the same time, you don't want to see one of your favorites players leave. As the deadline timer approaches to zero, all I can see was our rival teams getting better and better. The Rangers have acquired Derek Moris and Nik Antropov. The Pittsburgh Penguins have obtained Bill Guerin for a draft pick. Even the Sabres and the Flyers have made some minor changes. But what about Bob? Nothing...Once again he stays inactive. I know he has done some changes prior the deadline like Schneider and Metropolit, but is he really serious that he is comfortable with this team for the playoffs? Just because we won 4 games straight against top notch teams doesn't mean we don't need to improve. Beside we won them because of Halak, not because the team is doing well. Giving 40-50 shots per night isn't a good sign. Has he already forgotten the bad streak we had 2 weeks ago? How can he believe we can win the Stanley Cup with this team? We all know the Canadiens is missing a Big Centerman to carry the team. I mean, he can at least obtain a good player for the team's centennial year. I am sure that If Bob Gainey is able to get Vinny Lecavalier for the centennial year, it doen't even matter if we win the cup or not, the fans would forgive him. But this won't happen, not even a small trade. This leaves the majority of the fans frustrated and disappointed.

When you think that things can't get any worst on the day of the trade deadline, the Habs lost that night against the Buffalo Sabres 5-1. The Sabres completely owned the Habs. We thought our Canadiens were finally out of their bad streak, but last night showed us otherwise. The Habs were making the same mistakes they were making. Carey Price have not gotten back his confidence yet and allowed another 5 goals to the opponents. Everyone hoped that he could stand up and make the important save and become the Carey Price we knew last year. It did not happen and it might have gotten worst. I now wonder if we have not bring him up too fast from the minors. We might have completely destroyed his confidence. This is probably what happens when a rookie goaltender has too much success at the beginning of his career and can't coop with the problems in a big market like Montreal. I am not saying we should give up on him and trade him. No. We should give him time to develop. There is too much pressure for a 20 years old. He might need a bit more experience in the AHL, to progress more before joining the big league. We can now see why the goaltending position is the toughest position in professional sports.

Marc Denis Recalled from Hamilton

The Habs have called Marc Denis from Hamilton to back Carey Price for the Buffalo game. This will add more fuel to the rumors just 5 hours before the trade deadline. Is Jaroslav Halak really sick? Or does Bob Gainey have a trade in place for Halak?

Ryan O'byrne Called Up, Chipchura Sent Down and Halak Sick

Yesterday, the Montreal Canadiens have called back from Hamilton defenseman Ryan O'byrne. The reason for his service is a bit unknown, people have been speculating that maybe Bob Gainey might be working on a transaction. It is possible that the GM is working on trading Mathieu Dandenault, but then again Mathieu hasn't played at all the pass few games and isn't even playing in defence. So why call back another defenseman to Montreal? Strange. We'll see how things work out in few hours.

Today they have sent down Kyle Chipchura to the minors. This was to be expected. He didn't do much during his stay in Montreal. This could really be the last time that we hear from chipchura. He didn't take advantage of his chances while he was in the line up last year and now he may be a AHLer for good.

Jaroslav Halak has missed a second practice because of a cold. Carey Price will be in net against the Buffalo Sabres. What a bad timing to be sick in his case. He waited so long for his chance to prove that he could be a number 1 goaltender in the league and just when he was doing so well, he caught a cold. I think he must be pretty frustrated right now. This could've been a positive turning point of his career. Now it is Carey's turn to keep the streak going.

Halak Robs a Win From The Sharks

The Habs won 3-2 against the Sharks

The Canadiens once again, surprised everyone with a win. But this time against the best team in the whole league. Just when you think that there is a limit to how many games a goalie can steal for you and that you can't repeat the same thing again versus the top team of the NHL. Jaroslav Halak presented himself at the start of the game and made once again huge saves. He faced 48 shots last night against the Sharks and only allowed 2 to go in. He was incredible. He especially held the Habs in the game during the first half of the first period. The Sharks were literally flying on the ice and shooting from everywhere. Halak is clearly in his bubble right now. Carbo better not take him out of the net for a while. Carey will just need to be a bit more patient, his turn will come.

But then, suddenly after a good fight from Laraque, the momentum shifted. The Canadiens found their legs and started going in to the Sharks zone and obtained a few good chances. We were able to get a powerplay and capitalized on it. What a hard shot by Markov. On the second goal, D'Agostitni made a nice move on the Shark's D and caused the goalie to be out of position. Easy goal for Josh Gorges. A few minutes later, Saku scored his 11th of the season in an almost abandoned net. Once again, Markov has such a good vision and able to spot Saku near the net. Wow, nice play! After 20, the Habs on up three goals against the best team of the league. Who would have expected that outcome? I don't think anyone did.

In the second period, I knew the Sharks would come back somehow. I mean, they aren't the best team in the NHL for nothing. They have such a good offensive that if you give them just a little chance they will make you pay. That is exactly what happened. The worst Habs player in the last few games, Mike Komisarek, gave them a powerplay opportunity by taking a bad penalty. They scored two quick goals as a result of that. Good thing Halak was there to calm the Sharks' comeback. He slowed down the game rhythm by keeping the puck and forcing a faceoff. We were able to head back in the dressing room with the lead.

The rest of the game, the Habs went all defence. Halak made all the saves. The forwards were forechecking. The defence were keeping the rebounds away from the net. We gave the Sharks a couple of good chances but Halak was ready. Other than that, we didn't give them much. A really great goaltending game by Jaro and we get the two points.

This was the last game for the Habs before the trade deadline. We all hope that Bob Gainey would get an impact player before March 4th. But the Habs GM said on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada last night that the line up is very close to what will start the playoffs. He is therefore not looking to make any more improvements, but he is always open for discussion. Bob is also looking forward to the return of injured players such as Alex Tanguay and Guillaume Latendresse. I guess we won't get much action before the deadline.