Canadiens News

"Saku Koivu and Teemu Selanne will be reunited as Team Finland shakes up its sputtering first line at the IIHF World Hockey Championship. "I think I have to," said head coach Doug Shedden, when asked if that new offensive pairing makes sense. "You've got a guy like Selanne, you've got to get him the puck. Both of them have got to do what they do well.""

"Watching Alex Kovalev bend a looping shot off his right foot from the top of the penalty area into the net fuelled thoughts he might make it as a soccer player when he hangs up his hockey skates. "No," was the Canadiens forward's response to the suggestion. "I'm not fast enough and the field is too big. It takes a while to get the ball." Kovalev was a surprise visitor yesterday as Impact players strode into new Saputo Stadium at Olympic Park for the first time for an intrasquad game while team officials conducted a tour of the nearly-finished $15-million facility for the media. The Impact plays its home opener May 19 against the Vancouver Whitecaps."

"Who is Fabian Brunnstrom and why are so many NHL teams - including the Canadiens - interested in him? Brunnstrom is back home in Sweden trying to decide where he would like to play after a whirlwind North American tour. He spent two days in Montreal, visited Detroit and Denver, and talked to people in Dallas and Toronto. He has been hailed as the best hockey player not under contract to an NHL team and has attracted a lot of attention as a 23-year-old free agent. Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey said yesterday he felt Brunnstrom has the talent to play in the NHL, but a quick look at the Swede's résumé suggests this guy poses more questions than Alex Trebek."

"Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey has a reputation for playing it close to the vest and yesterday's post-mortem on the 2007-08 season was no exception. Gainey spoke in generalities, although he said the Canadiens would be shopping for another forward - if they went shopping. "We'll be open to trying to find another forward," said Gainey, who has been trying for several years to land that elusive power forward."

"There could be some light at the end of the Fabian Brunnstrom tunnel. Maple Leafs interim general manager Cliff Fletcher said yesterday the club has been told to expect an answer from the Swedish free agent no later than tomorrow regarding his NHL decision. The Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings and Dallas Stars are in the running to land the 23-year-old forward. "

"Having a big, tough team suits some NHL clubs, but isn't the top priority of the Montreal Canadiens. So don't look for general manager Bob Gainey to dismantle his smooth-skating club after its playoff defeat to the bruising Philadelphia Flyers. "Every team has its strengths, and I think ours is based on speed and quickness and intelligence and opportunism," Gainey said yesterday at a packed Bell Centre news conference. "I think that we want to play a fast game. "

"They say money can't buy happiness, but Mark Streit will be looking for both as he negotiates a new contract with the Canadiens. "I love Montreal and I'm hoping to stay here for three, four, five more seasons," the defenceman/forward said yesterday as the Canadiens gathered at the Bell Centre to clean out their lockers and pick up their offseason training regimens. Streit, 30, is one of four Canadiens regulars who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents on July 1. And he's No. 1 on general manager Bob Gainey's must-do list."

"Over the last three months, the Flyers have been a resilient bunch that has thrived on being the underdog. But they sure would appreciate being recognized as only the second team in modern NHL history to go from worst in the league one year to the conference finals the next. The Detroit Red Wings did it in 1987. "I was a little disappointed with the quotes I saw" from the Canadiens after the series victory over Montreal, Flyers center Danny Briere said yesterday. "When you win a series in five games, at some point you had to do something well. But that's the way it has been for us all year.""

"First of all, nobody died. No one was euthanized on the track. There was no tragedy here, just a hockey series lost to a tough team that seemed to get all the breaks. So it goes. You win some, you lose some. Granted, this was a painful series. It was there to be won, except that it was kicked away by Martin Biron and snapped away by R.J. Umberger. The Canadiens lost two of the games even though they were the dominant team and won what was probably their worst game of the entire series. Above all, they lost because Biron outplayed Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak."

"A year ago, the Flyers finished with the NHL's worst record. Saturday night, they became one of two teams that will represent the Eastern Conference in the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. "For the guys who were doubted last year, it's been a lot of fun and it's a vindication," Flyers right wing Mike Knuble said after tapping in an empty-net goal that sealed the Flyers' come-from-behind 6-4 win over the Canadiens in front of a raucous crowd of 21,273 at the Bell Centre."

"It's important to score the first goal, but it's more important to score the winning goal. That's the lesson the Canadiens learned last night as they were eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs by the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers rallied from a 3-1 deficit and snapped a 4-4 tie when Scottie Upshall deflected a shot by Jeff Carter past rookie goaltender Carey Price at 16:56 of the third period. Mike Knuble's empty-netter made the final score 6-4."

"The last few seconds of this game were falling off the clock and the season, and while this Bell Centre crowd was sending them off with a heartfelt Olé! Olé! Olé! and a final flag-waving ovation, what, I wonder, were the players thinking? Were they asking themselves how they could lose a game they were leading 3-1 fewer than nine minutes into the second period? If they did, all they had to do as a group was tune in to head coach Guy Carbonneau's post-game conference, who was quick to describe last night's 6-4 finale with the Philadelphia Flyers as "our worst defensive game of the season.""

"Guy Carbonneau did a fantastic job this season leading the Canadiens to a surprising first-place finish in the Eastern Conference when many people didn't even think they would make the playoffs. But if I had a vote for the Jack Adams Trophy, which goes to the coach of the year in the NHL, I'd pick Mike Babcock of the Detroit Red Wings. In fact, I'm surprised Babcock hasn't already won a Jack Adams Trophy."

"If there was any question that something special - and unexpected - might be going on with the Flyers this spring, this confident, relaxed and resilient team provided a very loud and clear answer last night at the Bell Centre. Indeed, there is. A year after playing the NHL doormat and dealing with waning fan interest, the Flyers will play for the right to go to the Stanley Cup Finals. In dramatic fashion, they moved into the Eastern Conference finals with a come-from-behind 6-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens."

"The Montreal Canadiens simply couldn't carry the good vibrations from their impressive regular season into the playoffs. The Canadiens had their moments in the postseason this spring, but for the most part they weren't the same team that won the franchise's first regular-season Conference title since 1988-89. As a result, their season came crashing down at the Bell Centre on Saturday, when they were beaten 6-4 in an entertaining game by the Philadelphia Flyers and eliminated in five games in the second-round series."

"Peter Allen, the late Australian cabaret performer, once sang "everything old is new again." That's the Canadiens' theme going into their must-win Game 5 against the Philadelphia Flyers tonight at the Bell Centre . The Canadiens trail the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semi-final and are playing for a chance to go back to Philadelphia tomorrow. The goaltending is again in the hands of rookie Carey Price and head coach Guy Carbonneau went back to the lines that brought him success during the regular season."

"Still, Price has to get over the fact Carbonneau believed in his heart of hearts that Halak was the best choice for Game 4 on Wednesday night, that Halak represented a better opportunity for victory over the Flyers than did Price. After being the chosen one, Price was suddenly second-best. For the past two days, until Price was named the starter for tonight, there was a cloud of indecision around the Habs, a cloud created entirely by Carbonneau."

"The Montreal Canadiens will look to Carey Price Saturday night to reverse their fortunes agains the Flyers. Montreal trails Philadelphia three games to one in their best of seven series. "He deserves a second shot," Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau told the Canadian Press. "I think in the last few days he had time to calm down and refocus and get ready for another long stretch." "

"Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau has made up his mind on who his starting goaltender will be on tomorrow, but he's not revealing the decision. Carbonneau said since he didn't have a chance to talk to Carey Price or Jaroslav Halak yesterday, he wouldn't make his decision public. Carbonneau told his players to stay away from the rink and even played a round of golf himself. (He had a couple birdies, but no holes in one.)"

"It's impossible to ignore the similarities. After losing the first game of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals and winning the next three, the Flyers went to Washington for a closeout date with the Capitals in Game 5 and lost. With Washington confident that it could win, the Flyers found themselves pushed into a Game 7 that went to overtime before it ended. That is not a situation the Flyers want to repeat as they prepare for another Game 5 closeout opportunity tomorrow in Montreal."

"Biron has given up 10 goals on 142 shots for a .929 save percentage. Price and Halak have allowed 13 goals on 96 shots for a combined .865. Biron, making his first playoff appearance at age 30, is answering critics who have questioned his stamina and his ability to win big games back to back. Flyers head coach John Stevens has called Biron "our best player" and, after the win in Game 4 here Wednesday night, said this series could be a turning point in Biron's career."

"There are specks of grey in his curly black hair, but Jim Dowd isn't making concessions to his age. The native of Brick, N.J. - the safest town in the United States - is the oldest player in the Flyers-Canadiens series, at age 39, but he's turned in some solid two-way performances. While he is mainly used in a checking role, he's picked up a goal and an assist in this series, and his play confirms his belief that his career is far from over."

"Only once in franchise history have the Canadiens overcome a three games to one deficit to win a playoff series. And yet, faced with the reality of that scenario against Philadelphia, head coach Guy Carbonneau continues to like his team's chances. "I don't know if your memory's short, but a couple of weeks ago we were up 3-1, and yet Boston brought us to a seventh game," Carbonneau said yesterday, during a late-afternoon conference call that lasted nearly 25 minutes and was held in lieu of practice."

"With 3:38 remaining in regulation, Montreal surprise starter Jaroslav Halak lost sight of Mike Knuble's shot and Briere snapped it behind him for the game-winner, giving the Flyers a 3-2 lead en route to a 4-2 win over the Canadiens in front of a sellout crowd of 19,872 at the Center."

"There has been a lot of whining in this city about the penalties that have been called against the hometown Philadelphia Flyers and those that haven't been called against the Montreal Canadiens in their NHL Eastern Conference semifinal. But there were no complaints from the Flyers on Wednesday night as they took advantage of an unnecessary penalty by Canadiens pest Steve Begin late in the third period and scored on the ensuing power play to snap a tie and send the Flyers to a 4-2 win in Game 4 of the series, which the Flyers lead 3-1. Game 5 is Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal. "

"Canadiens' Guy Carbonneau has been short-listed for the award honouring the NHL's top coach. Carbonneau led the Canadiens to a surprise Northeast Division title and the best record in the Eastern Conference at 47-25-10. Under the guidance of the second-year head coach, the Canadiens were the highest-scoring team in the league with 262 goals and had the best power play in the NHL at 24.2 per cent. The Canadiens never lost more than three consecutive games all season."

"There has been a lot of whining in this city about the penalties that have been called against the hometown Flyers and those that haven't been called against the Canadiens. But there were no complaints from the Flyers last night as they took advantage of an unnecessary penalty by Steve Bégin late in the third period and scored on the ensuing power play to snap a 2-2 tie."

" Daniel Briere scored a power-play goal at 16:22 of the third to break a 2-2 tie and propel the Flyers to a 4-2 win and a commanding, 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Flyers had a 2-0 lead until there was 7:01 left in the game on goals by R.J. Umberger and Scott Hartnell. But Montreal scored twice in 37 seconds and threatened to take the game."

"After Montreal coach Guy Carbonneau told Jaroslav Halak yesterday morning that he would be making his initial start in the net for an NHL playoff game, the first thing the goalie had to do was lift his chin off the floor. "I was surprised, obviously, but I was ready," Halak said. Next on Halak's to-do list was to tell himself over and over that it was just another game, sort of like facing Carolina in late October. Of course, this was not just another game. It was a game the top-seeded Canadiens probably had to win if they were to escape elimination by the Flyers in the second-round Eastern Conference series."

"Bruce Boudreau, the former minor league coach who led the Washington Capitals back from their worst start in 26 seasons to the Southeast Division championship, was named a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, given annually to the NHL's coach of the year...The other finalists are Detroit's Mike Babcock and Montreal's Guy Carbonneau. Babcock led the talent-laden Red Wings to the best regular season record while Carbonneau's Canadiens won the Eastern Conference."

"The Flyers were savvy enough to strike back against the Montreal Canadiens as Danny Briere scored a power-play goal that lifted them to a 4-2 victory and a three-games-to-one stranglehold in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The series could end Saturday with Game 5 in Montreal."

"Steve Penney has a better idea than most about the pressure Canadiens goaltender Carey Price is under these days. That's because Penney - like Ken Dryden and Patrick Roy - also once shouldered the hopes and dreams of hockey's most storied franchise as a hot rookie goalie in the Stanley Cup playoffs."

"There's nothing like a dose of paranoia - that feeling of us vs. them - to get folks jacked up for a hockey game. The feeling here in the City of Brotherly Love is that the hometown Flyers haven't been getting enough love from the officials in their Eastern Conference semi-final showdown against the Canadiens."

"Head coach Guy Carbonneau said he won't reveal the name of his starting goaltender until game time tonight, but Carey Price will be back in goal when the Canadiens face the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal..."

"Carey Price smiles, but the smile is tired and slips away as fast as a Montreal Canadiens lead in recent playoff games. The thing is, everyone wants to know about his feelings."

"It's anybody's guess what goes on inside the head of a struggling goalie, but according to Carey Price, whatever is going on in his head is not the result of anything the Flyers are doing."

"They say you can live out your dreams. In Marty Biron's case, that's what is happening in these playoffs. In Biron's dream, he is wearing powder blue and white - the colors of the long-forgotten Quebec Nordiques, who left for Colorado in the 1995-96 season."

"The Canadiens are trailing for the first time in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs because they're not doing the things that got them here. The Habs dropped a 3-2 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers last night and that gave the home team a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal."

"It was the same for his teammates as the Flyers once again fell back on the magnificent effort of goalie Marty Biron (32 saves) to defeat the Canadiens, 3-2, at the Wachovia Center in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals."

"Marty Biron had every reason to be satisfied with the way the Flyers' night had gone. With 32 saves in the books, a 3-2 win, a 2-1 series lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the top-seeded Montreal Canadiens, the Flyers' goalie could have been talking about how his team was showing the world what they are made of."

"This series is just three games old, and already there is way too much circumstantial evidence to support the perennial theorem embraced in the lower 48 at this time of year. Namely, that Canada looks out for its own."

"Carey Price had been the toast of Canada since leading his country to the gold medal in the world junior championships a year ago. Lately, though, he's been merely toast."

"Late in the third period, the Flyers' Mike Richards side-swiped Montreal goalie Jaroslav Halak, brushed him just enough to welcome him to the playoffs. Who? Jaroslav Halak?"

"Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau's comment that Kimmo Timonen "deserved" the sucker punch he took from Tom Kostopoulos in Game 2 had the Flyers riled up for Game 3 of their playoff series last night at the Wachovia Center."

"One day after Philadelphia coach John Stevens complained of a cowardly act by a Montreal player, Canadiens coach Guy Carbonneau issued his own retort, suggesting the Flyers lack class. "They're one team that shouldn't talk. Over 82 games, they had the most suspensions in the league," Carbonneau said, following an optional practice in LaSalle yesterday morning. The Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Canadiens and Flyers, deadlocked 1-1, resumes tonight in Philadelphia. At the very least, the teams are expected to remain intense and physical."

"Flyers goaltender Martin Biron said there's something to be said for spending a few days at home. "It feels like we've been on the road for a week," Biron said as he and his teammates prepared to face the Canadiens in Game 3 of their best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinal tonight at the Wachovia Centre. "We played Game 6 (against Washington) here at home, went on the road right away, came back for only 12 hours, then went to Montreal. It feels good to be home and relax in my own place for a few days.""

"Martin Biron stymied the Canadiens in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal, but he had help from the gang that couldn't shoot straight. While the Canadiens outshot the Philadelphia Flyers, 36-23, they found themselves on the short end of a 4-2 count because of the shots that didn't reach the net. "

"Last night at the Bell Centre was no different as the Flyers taunted their faithful with a couple of leads, then clung to every square inch of Biron's pads with a tense 4-2 victory over Les Canadiens in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals."

"The braying at the Bell Centre starts from the moment he touches the puck and resumes every time he does. Loud, whiny, and hard on the ears. What's all the noise about anyway? So Daniel Brière refused to sign with the Canadiens during the offseason. So what? The earth didn't move, did it?"