Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

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November 20

Montreal Gazette

"Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin had a simple explanation when asked why goaltender Carey Price has turned his season around in the past five games. "I have to say he's been working a lot harder lately," said Martin, who confirmed Price will start his fourth consecutive game Friday night when the Canadiens play Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals (7 p.m., TSN, RDS, CJAD Radio-800). Martin said Price's competitive spirit came to the fore when Jaroslav Halak went on a four-game winning streak at the end of October. "I think when Jaroslav had a good stretch for us, it was a good message for Carey that he had to improve his work ethic," Martin said. "We've tried to get a better ..."

Hits keep coming for Habs

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November 19

Montreal Gazette

"The Canadiens are reviewing their protective equipment in the wake of a series of crippling injuries. Head coach Jacques Martin said yesterday that right-wing Brian Gionta, one of the team's prized free-agent additions, will be out indefinitely with a broken foot bone. Martin noted that exterior protection is available to go over skates and the team might require players to wear it. In recent years, several players have tried the custom-made shells, but have abandoned them because they feel uncomfortable or, in the words of one player, because "they look dorky." But Martin said the team will explore every option to prevent injuries. He noted that defenceman Hal Gill is also out with a ..."

Canadiens lose Gionta to broken foot

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November 19

TSN.ca

"The Montreal Canadiens, who have struggled scoring goals this season, will have to continue to try to do so without winger Brian Gionta for the foreseeable future. The winger has a fractured bone in his left foot and will be out indefinitely. "The players will have to raise their game to try to make up for it," coach Jacques Martin told reporters after practice. "It opens a door for someone. We've been waiting for that since the start of the season.""

Carey Price's 1st win on home ice this season

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November 18

Montreal Gazette

"Maxim Lapierre said there's an advantage to be teeing it up late in a shootout round. Lapierre was the sixth shooter for the Canadiens against Carolina goaltender Manny Legace and he said that he took his cue from the five shooters ahead of him who didn't score. "You get an idea of what the goaltender is doing," said Lapierre, whose goal provided the Canadiens with a 3-2 win over the Hurricanes. "Our guys were saying: 'the next guy should shoot high' and that's what I did. (Legace's) so quick that I figured my best chance was to come with some speed and shoot high and it worked." While Lapierre gave the Canadiens the edge, it was left to goaltender Carey Price to preserve the win and he ..."

Canadiens weather shootout storm with 'Canes

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November 18

Montreal Gazette

"It hasn't been a great start to the season for Andrei Kostitsyn, but he turned the boos into cheers at the Bell Centre last night as he helped the Canadiens to a 3-2 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Kostitsyn scored his second goal of the season with 2:46 to play in the third period last night to pull the Canadiens even with the Hurricanes at 2-2. That set up an overtime situation and, as Canadiens fans have come to know this season, the Habs had theHurricanes just where they wanted them. The Canadiens hadn't lost a game in extra time this season and Maxim Lapierre made it 8-0 when he scored on the sixth round of the shootout. While Kostitsyn sent the game into overtime, it was ..."

Canes lose to Habs in shootout

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November 18

Raleigh News & Observer

"For the Carolina Hurricanes, winning was a one-game thing. And the Hurricanes, after 10 tries, still are the only team in the NHL without a road victory. The Canes came ever-so-close Tuesday, but Maxim Lapierre's goal in the sixth round of a shootout gave the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 victory at the Bell Centre. Canadiens goalie Carey Price made great shootout saves on Bryan Rodney in the fifth round and Matt Cullen in the sixth to finish it off. The Habs (10-11-0) have won eight times in overtime or a shootout this season. "We played a very solid road game," Canes coach Paul Maurice said. "Real smart." But Maurice made some interesting moves in the shootout. After Tuomo Ruutu and Jussi ..."

Habs cross fingers for Brian Gionta's return

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November 17

Montreal Gazette

"Two desperate and battered teams will meet tonight when the Canadiens take on the Carolina Hurricanes at the Bell Centre (7:30 p.m., RDS, CJAD Radio-800). With one-quarter of the 2009-10 National Hockey League season in the books, the Canadiens rate as a major disappointment, and they are holding their breath as they await the prognosis on injured forward Brian Gionta. Gionta was a last-minute scratch from Saturday's 2-0 loss in Nashville with a lower-body injury that sounds suspiciously like a strained groin. If he can't play tonight, he'll join a list of injured players which already includes defenceman Andrei Markov, Hal Gill, Ryan O'Byrne and forwards Georges Laraque and Matt ..."

Time to reunite Habs' Punch Line

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November 17

Montreal Gazette

"Your Canadiens will be holding a one-of-a-kind gala on Dec. 5, one day after the franchise celebrates its 100th birthday. The rich and famous from business and politics will be there at this black-tie affair, rubbing shoulders with many of the players of the past who have brought so many Stanley Cups home since Dec. 4, 1909. What, however, is a birthday party without surprises? I cannot crawl into the minds of the people responsible for this night reserved for the celebration of excellence, but one comes to mind. The names and numbers of the superb athletes who contributed so much to the history of the franchise and to the winning of Stanley Cups now hang on 15 banners at the Bell Centre. ..."

Habs' Ryan O'Byrne chomping at the bit for game action

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November 16

Montreal Gazette

"There might have been one player delighted with the Canadiens' tough practice Sunday, and he can give you six weeks worth of reasons for it. Defenceman Ryan O'Byrne is within hours, he expects, of being cleared to return to action, having been on the shelf with a sprained knee since Oct. 3. Sunday, all smiles following an 80-minute practice in Brossard, the 25-year-old looked not unlike the rambunctious dog that's about to be unleashed to chase squirrels in the park. "They've got to be patient, right? Be smart about it," O'Byrne said of the Canadiens medical staff, whom he'll meet tomorrow morning. "But come on, let me play. It's been six weeks. (Sunday) was good to see where I'm at, to ..."

Habs' Price passes goaltender barrage test

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November 16

Montreal Gazette

"Maybe it was exactly what the doctor ordered for the ailing Canadiens: A Price check on Aisle 3. Carey Price, at best inconsistent since last season's all-star break, was peppered like a three-alarm taco by the mighty Predators. Fifty-five shots. Sounds like a good Saturday night on Crescent St. Price's teammates played like buzzard doo-doo. Maybe they lingered a little too long listening to that Roy Acuff tribute band Friday evening. Whatever, Price passed the test with flying colours. Two goals on that many shots is like shutting out Red Army back when hockey was hockey. Mind you, only in the Alice in Wonderland world of Canadiens math would Price have started that game in the first ..."

Canadiens goalies caught in line of fire

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November 16

Montreal Gazette

"The Canadiens made life blissfully easy Saturday night for Pekka Rinne, the Nashville Predators goalie who joked (or didn't) after his team's 2-0 victory that he could have worn his iPod for much of the game. But yesterday in Brossard, in a practice called so unexpectedly that only hundreds of fans turned up, Montreal shooters made life painfully unpleasant for their own netminders. With friends like these, Jaroslav Halak and Carey Price need enemies? Halak is probably still sore, twice having been drilled by high shots during the 80-minute practice. With all the same-colour jerseys rushing about, trying to blend in, it was impossible to identify the guilty parties. Hopefully, they at ..."

Price a one-man show in 2-0 loss

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November 15

Montreal Gazette

"Carey Price did everything he could to keep the puck out of the Montreal net. His teammates didn't do nearly enough to put the puck in the Nashville net. The result was a 2-0 win for the Predators, who fired 55 shots at the beleaguered Price. Price kept the Canadiens in the game until Steve Sullivan scored his second goal of the night at 12:59 of the third period while the Predators were enjoying a two-man advantage. Jason Arnott won the faceoff in the Habs' zone and Sullivan scored on a rebound after Price made a save on Shea Weber. The Predators came into the game with worst power-play record in the league, but they were presented with the two-man edge when Ryan White was sent off for ..."

Habs waste Price's brilliant effort

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November 15

Montreal Gazette

"Carey Price's best performance of the season was wasted because his teammates didn't compete. That was the blunt assessment from coach Jacques Martin after the Nashville Predators blanked the Canadiens 2-0. Price and the Canadiens were on the short end of a 55-20 count on the shot clock and the Canadiens were, at least in theory, in the game until Steve Sullivan scored his second goal of the game during a 5-on-3 power play late in the third period. "There's no doubt that he kept us in the game, but it's unfortunate that his teammates didn't take advantage of it," Martin said. "We didn't compete. "We didn't give him (Price) a lot of support when you look at the number of shots they fired at ..."

Habs could have had Kopitar instead of Price

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November 14

Montreal Gazette

"As NHL general managers prepared for the much-ballyhooed 2005 draft that marked the end of the lockout, I had my eye on one player. No, it wasn't Sidney Crosby. Everyone knew about him. I was waiting to see what would happen with a youngster named Anze Kopitar. Not because I expected Kopitar to be a superstar (I didn't) but because my wife is of Slovenian descent. Her parents were born there when it was still part of the former Yugoslavia and our 4-year-old son spoke Slovenian before he spoke English. Kopitar was born in Jesenice, which is close to the resort town of Bled, in northern Slovenia near the Austrian border. He was the 11th pick in the 2005 draft, selected by the Los Angeles ..."

Coyotes take bite out of Habs' blue line

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November 14

Montreal Gazette

"The Canadiens received some good news this week when Ryan O'Byrne joined his teammates for a full practice in Phoenix. O'Byrne has been out since Oct. 3 with a knee injury, but he's hoping that the medical staff will clear him to resume playing Tuesday when the Canadiens are home to the Carolina Hurricanes. That's two weeks ahead of schedule. But the good news was tempered by uncertainty over the health of Jaroslav Spacek. He left the Phoenix game Thursday in the third period because of what was described as a "lower-body" injury. Spacek didn't practise yesterday and head coach Jacques Martin said he wasn't sure whether the veteran defenceman would be available to face the Nashville ..."

Iginla scraps fight rumour

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November 13

Calgary Sun

"Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla denied having challenged the whole Montreal Canadiens bench during Tuesday night's 1-0 win. The red-hot rumour making the rounds on the Internet, and amongst the Montreal media, is that Iginla told Habs players in the heat of battle during what was at times a contentious game, "Anybody has a problem, see me any time." Former Flames defenceman Joel Bouchard, who was Iginla's roommate in the early stages of their careers, was between the benches during the game and reportedly said on the RDS broadcast Iginla said he'll take on all comers. "No, no, no," Iginla pleaded after yesterday's practice. "I think he misheard that. I think I might have said Grats, ..."

Plekanec shows he's a top-line centre

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November 13

Montreal Gazette

"If there are any questions about Tomas Plekanec's ability to be a top-line centre, he is answering them this year. Plekanec is off to the fastest start of his career and he did a little bit of everything Thursday night as he collected three assists to lead the Canadiens to an impressive 4-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. "Obviously, it was one of my better games," said Plekanec, who is the Canadiens' leading scorer this season with 17 points. Special-team play was the key to this game and Plekanec was the key on both the power play and the penalty-killing unit. "I had those two breakaways early in the game when we were shorthanded and that gave me confidence," said Plekanec, even though he ..."

Habs hang on to beat Coyotes 4-2

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November 13

Montreal Gazette

"Tomas Plekanec led the way as the Canadiens won the battle of the special teams en route to a 4-2 win over the Phoenix Coyotes. When it comes to special teams, the Canadiens have been bottom feeders in the NHL this season, but they were merely perfect Thursday night. Montreal scored on both of its power-play opportunities. And the penalty-killing unit not only killed off the four Phoenix power plays, but it also generated some shorthanded scoring chances. The Canadiens took control of the game in the third period after killing off a penalty to Roman Hamrlik. Montreal native Matthew Lombardi was called for hooking while on the power play and, with the teams playing 4-on-4, Plekanec won a ..."

Habs worth $339M: Forbes

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November 12

Montreal Gazette

"Forbes magazine has released its much-anticipated annual survey of the value of the National Hockey League's 30 franchises. The latest Forbes rankings, which reflect data compiled by the U.S. business magazine's editors for the 2008-2009 NHL season, show the Canadiens, who took the runner-up spot a year ago, have dropped to third place in the latest survey, with an estimated value of $339 million. The Edmonton Oilers holding down 24th spot, with an estimated value of $166 million US. That's down from last year, when the Oilers ranked as the 20th most valuable NHL franchise, with an estimated worth of $175 million. As usual, the latest Forbes survey (forbes.com/nhl) shows the Toronto Maple ..."

Habs search for spark to ignite offence

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November 12

Montreal Gazette

"The Canadiens of the early 1950s – a team featuring Maurice Richard, Elmer Lach, Bernie Geoffrion and Kenny Mosdell – inexplicably had lost its scoring touch. So head coach Dick Irvin famously dragged a goal net into the Forum dressing room before his puzzled squad, held a puck up in front of it and calmly asked: "What can be so difficult about putting an object this small into an object this large?" As much as hockey has changed in the past half-century, the size of the puck and net have remained constant. Some free motivational advice, then, from the late Irvin to current coach Jacques Martin. The Canadiens are in bad need of some offence Thursday night when they open a two-game road ..."

Cammalleri throws weight behind troops

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November 11

Calgary Herald

"Michael Cammalleri was 13 when he really learned what it is to be a Canadian. The future NHL sniper was a member of the minor-hockey Toronto Red Wings, playing in a tournament, and he was on the ice fidgeting like a pro during the playing of the national anthem. "We were doing the NHL thing, like this," Cammalleri said Tuesday, shuffling busily from one foot to the other. "Well, our coach, Craig Clark, came into the room afterward and just laid into us: "He said: 'I don't know who you guys think you are, but this is your country. You stand still when that song plays and you look at that flag.' " Watch Cammalleri the next time O Canada plays. He won't be twitching and stretching like many ..."

Despite loss, Halak solidifies No. 1 spot

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November 11

Montreal Gazette

"Jaroslav Halak's agent created a stir on the weekend when he questioned Carey Price's status as the Canadiens' No. 1 goaltender. Halak said Tuesday night that Allan Walsh "wrote something he shouldn't have," but he also advanced the debate over who is No. 1 with a solid, albeit losing, performance against the Calgary Flames. Halak found himself on the short end of a 1-0 count. The only goal surrendered was on a first-period wrister by Jarome Iginla. The goaltender appeared to be screened on the play, but he said he might have stopped the puck if it hadn't changed direction. "It was a deflection off, I think, our (defencemen), off a shin pad and it was tough to stop it but that's part of ..."

Flames hold on to edge Habs

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November 11

Montreal Gazette

"Jaroslav Halak and Calgary's Miikka Kiprusoff engaged in an old-fashioned goaltending duel Tuesday night with Kiprusoff and the Flames getting the upper hand. A first-period goal by Jarome Iginla was all the scoring the Flames would need as Kiprusoff made 25 saves for his first shutout of the season and the Flames won, 1-0 It was the third loss in four games for the Canadiens and their third consecutive loss on home ice as they remain mired in 11th place in the Eastern Conference. It was the fourth consecutive win for the Flames, who moved into fourth place in the Western Conference. Kiprusoff made two big saves early in the third period to preserve his shutout. He used his blocker to ward ..."

Miikka Kiprusoff blanks Canadiens

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November 11

Boston Herald

"Miikka Kiprusoff got his first shutout of the season and Jarome Iginla extended his goal-scoring streak to four games, leading the Calgary Flames to a 1-0 victory against the Canadiens last night in Montreal. Kiprusoff made 25 saves and improved to 10-3-1 this season as Calgary won its fourth straight to begin a four-game trip. It was his 31st career shutout. Named the NHL's first star of the week one day earlier, Iginla opened the scoring with his team-leading ninth of the season 14:55 in. Jaroslav Halak stopped 30 shots for Montreal, which has lost its last three games at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens have dropped 5-of-7 overall. The Canadiens, who will celebrate their 100th anniversary ..."

Former Hab Steve Shutt fondly remembers days in Montreal

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November 10

Montreal Gazette

"The laugh's still prevalent in Steve Shutt's demeanour, especially when the humour's based on self-deprecation. Carry Guy Lafleur? Of course Shutt did. "But you know what, we were the perfect match," Shutt insisted over morning coffee on Monday in the lobby of a downtown Toronto hotel. "He was the puck carrier and I was the finisher. Each could not have had a better person to play with." It was during the 1976-77 season that Canadiens coach Scotty Bowman decided to unite Shutt and Lafleur with Jacques Lemaire. The team lost only eight of 80 games that season, while Shutt broke out, scoring 60 goals – still a team record and an NHL mark for left wingers for some two decades, until it was ..."

Red-hot Flames visit Habs

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November 10

Montreal Gazette

"If the Canadiens hope to get back to .500 tonight, they'll have to stop a red-hot Calgary team led by .... René Bourque? The Flames come into the Bell Centre Tuesday night (7:30 p.m., RDS, CJAD Radio-800) with a 10-4-1 record and a three-game winning streak. While Jarome Iginla appears to have regained his scoring – he leads the team with eight goals – Bourque is the Flames' leading scorer with six goals and 11 assists. Bourque has answered the No. 1 question facing the Flames in the off-season: Who will provide the secondary scoring after the loss of Todd Bertuzzi and Mike Cammalleri? The line of Bourque, Daymond Langkow and Nigel Dawes have played so well in the early going that, if they ..."

Canadiens' Cammalleri honours Canadian soldiers

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November 10

Montreal Gazette

"Canadiens forward Michael Cammalleri is paying tribute to Quebec-based soliders who have recently returned from Afghanistan by providing tickets to 21 homes games for the troops and their families. Called Cammy's Heroes, the program will allow 21 members of the Canadian Forces and their families take in a Canadiens game at the Bell Centre. The contribution is being made through the Military Families Fund. "I wanted to get involved with our troops and come up with something for the soldiers, because I have a great deal of admiration for their courage and commitment," Cammalleri said in a statement."

Exuberant fans lift Habs' spirits

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November 9

Montreal Gazette

"If Glen Metropolit is not included in the Canadiens' next shootout, there ought to be an investigation. The Habs' forever-happy and increasingly valuable centreman stole the show before 19,000-plus Bell Centre fans yesterday morning in the team's annual family practice. And why wouldn't he? This two hours of fun surely was named for him, not the grocery chain that sponsors it. "Metro" stunned everyone in the arena, including teammates and perhaps even himself, with a brilliant target-shooting display. The veteran obliterated four net-mounted targets in as many shots, but not in the traditional, cradle-the-pass-fire-a-wrist shot way. He pulverized three targets with full-windup slapshots, ..."

Habs' goalie controversy tweets its ugly head

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November 9

Montreal Gazette

"You can find the Canadiens' first goaltending controversy a century ago, when co-general manager and head coach Jack Laviolette inserted himself in the net of the first-year club. For five minutes, no goals allowed. During that 12-game, pre-NHL National Hockey Association schedule, the not-yet-nicknamed Habs would netmind by committee, also using Teddy Groulx, Pat Larochelle and even co-GM Jos Cattarinich. Imagine the uproar if there'd been an Internet in 1910. One hundred years later, a Los Angeles-based player-agent using the social-networking tool Twitter was a twit to stir a Montreal goaltending pot that surely he knows is always on the verge of a boil. The final siren had barely ..."

Tanguay haunts Canadiens

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November 8

Montreal Gazette

"It has taken Alex Tanguay some time to find his legs in Tampa, but he came back to haunt the Canadiens Saturday night. Tanguay, who wasn't offered a new contract when he became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, scored the winner and added an assist as the Lightning defeated the Canadiens 3-1. Tanguay extended his consecutive-game points streak to four. He has two goals and three assists in the streak. He has three goals and six assists in 15 games. His goal also gave him the distinction of having scored at least once against every team in the NHL. The loss dropped the Canadiens' record to 8-9 and they slipped out of a playoff spot after starting the day in eighth place. Tampa and the ..."

Lightning defeats Montreal

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November 8

St. Petersburg Times

"One by one Saturday night, Antero Niittymaki's teammates came by to pay tribute. The Lightning goaltender was splendid with 36 saves in Tampa Bay's 3-1 victory over the Canadiens at the Bell Centre, including 30 in the last two periods. So, pats on the back were required as Niittymaki sat in the locker room. "He played great," center Vinny Lecavalier said."

Habs brass tossed team's stars under the bus

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November 7

Montreal Gazette

"The Canadiens have to learn to do better by their icons. That truth hit me earlier this week while reading the piece by Dave Stubbs on Guy Lafleur and his DVD film, Il était une fois. I have heard the story many times, but this was the first time I made the connection between the end of Lafleur's career with the Habs and the sad, angry way Patrick Roy's tenure ended. Lafleur and Roy were the last two of what could be called the iconic players of the most legendary franchise in the game. While the Canadiens have had whole buckets full of stars and Hall of Famers, there have been no more than five towering figures who made the team what it is today. Howie Morenz. Rocket Richard. Jean ..."

Habs' Hamrlik ready for coming storm

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November 7

Montreal Gazette

"Roman Hamrlik has seen more ice time than he did Thursday against the Boston Bruins. But you'd have to go back more than two seasons, when he was on the blue line of the Calgary Flames, to find it. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which are the injuries to Andrei Markov, Ryan O'Byrne and Hal Gill, Hamrlik has become the workhorse of the Canadiens' defence corps. He can expect to see plenty of ice Saturday night when the Tampa Bay Lightning, with whom he broke into the NHL at age 18 in 1992-93, pays a visit to the Bell Centre (7 p.m., CBC, RDS, CJAD Radio-800). Hamrlik played a game-high 29:44 in the Canadiens' 2-1 shootout victory Thursday over the Bruins, the most he's worked in ..."

Price steals show in 2-1 SO win over Bruins

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November 6

Montreal Gazette

"Nothing comes easy for the Canadiens this season. They were less than 52 seconds away from a 1-0 victory over the Boston Bruins last night but Patrice Bergeron picked a loose puck out of a goalmouth scramble and beat Carey Price to send the game into overtime. And in that case, you could say that the Canadiens had the Bruins just where they wanted them. After all, the Canadiens were a perfect 6-0 in games that went beyond regulation time this season with four wins in overtime and two more in shootouts. And the magic held up again as Mike Cammalleri beat Tim Thomas with the Canadiens' first shot and Blake Wheeler, Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi all failed to beat Price. That gave the ..."

Icebreaker

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November 6

Boston Globe

"In some ways, it was a banner game. Last night, before 17,565 at TD Garden, the Bruins scored a goal. They only allowed one goal in 65 minutes of play. They recorded 1 point. Around here, those qualify as bold-faced achievements. The Bruins were staring down a 1-0 loss to the Canadiens. It would have been their third straight shutout loss, a dubious occurrence that has taken place in club history only once (1929). With 51.7 seconds remaining in regulation, Patrice Bergeron snapped a 192:06 scoreless string by beating Carey Price and tying the game."

Habs get crash course in defence

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November 5

Montreal Gazette

"Canadiens coach Jacques Martin had a simple message for his players as they head into Thursday night's game against the Boston Bruins (7 p.m., TSN, RDS, CJAD Radio-800). "I told them we're scoring enough to win hockey games," Martin said. "It's just a matter of being better away from the puck, paying attention to details." The Canadiens went over those little details yesterday morning before their departure for Boston. There was a video session outlining some of the mistakes that led to a 5-4 loss to Atlanta Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, and assistant coach Perry Pearn did more than the usual amount of hands-on instruction during the on-ice session in Brossard. "(We have to) be in the ..."

Habs' Carle doesn't look out of place

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November 4

Montreal Gazette

"Mathieu Carle said he was prepared for his National Hockey League debut, but he wasn't prepared to meet the demand for tickets from friends and family. "I have two tickets and I'm looking for a lot more," said the Gatineau native, who was called up from the Hamilton Bulldogs Monday and didn't have a lot of time to line up tickets. He replaces Hal Gill, who has been trying to play through a lower-body injury. "Hal's been hurt for about three weeks and the doctors told him he has to take a few weeks off," head coach Jacques Martin said. The Canadiens had previously called up Yannick Weber and Shawn Belle, and Carle felt he got the nod this time around because of his consistent play. He ..."

Frustration creeps into Canadiens' dressing room

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November 4

Montreal Gazette

"Frustration. That was the mood in the Canadiens' dressing room after Tuesday night's loss to the Atlanta Thrashers. And nobody was more frustrated than goaltender Carey Price. He was careful not to lay the blame on his teammates, but spent a fair bit of time beating himself up. "I just hate to lose," Price explained. "It's not like I haven't been doing the work, but the results aren't there." It appeared Price was on his game Tuesday night, but things changed late in the first period when one of those infamous bounces didn't go the Canadiens' way. Bryan Little was credited with his first goal of the season when Rich Peverley's pass from behind the goal line struck his skate and went in. ..."

Surprise! Habs can't save Carey Price

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November 4

Montreal Gazette

"There is one thing you can always expect from your Canadiens: surprises! Game after game, the unexpected rules with this bunch. Tuesday night's 5-4 loss to the Atlanta Thrashers missing elite forward Ilya Kovalchuk and Ron Hainsey, who must be considered one of that team's better defenceman, a surprise. The fact that the Canadiens trailed this team by two goals on two occasions was a surprise. When the Canadiens rallied both times to tie score and this one didn't go into overtime was a surprise when it's considered they needed overtime to post six of their previous seven victories. Their only victory in regulation was their 5-1 rout of the Islanders on the first of two meetings by the ..."

Thrashers seesaw to win over Habs

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November 4

Montreal Gazette

"The Canadiens simply ran out of time Tuesday night as they dropped a 5-4 decision to the Atlanta Thrashers. Montreal played catch-up all evening, but had no answer for Colby Armstrong's goal, which snapped a 4-4 tie at 13:14 of the third period. Brian Gionta's second goal of the night at 1:26 of the third period drew the Canadiens even at 3-3, but Pavel Kubina and Tomas Plekanec exchanged goals before Armstrong scored the clincher. The loss snapped the Canadiens' four-game win streak at home and extended Carey Price's losing streak to six games. Atlanta, which was backed by a strong performance from goaltender Ondrej Pavelec – he stopped 34 shots while Price saved 25 – won its second ..."

Guy Lafleur: The Habs' wild Flower

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November 3

Montreal Gazette

"Guy Lafleur walked a red carpet for the first time in his life late Monday afternoon, after having had one rolled out before him since he was a gifted boy with dreams of playing for the Canadiens. Lafleur, political bigwigs and celebrities from the hockey and entertainment world assembled downtown at L'Astral for the premiere screening of the one-hour, direct-to-DVD film Il était une fois ... Guy Lafleur. "Once upon a time," indeed. The French-language project, directed by Nicolas Houde-Sauvé, follows Lafleur from his hockey roots Thurso, about 40 kilometres east of Gatineau, through a glorious Canadiens career and finally into the corridors of Montreal's courthouse, where he faces the ..."

Habs underachiever Kostitsyn relegated to 4th line

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November 3

Montreal Gazette

"Andrei Kostitsyn is caught in a classic cratch-22. The talented-but-underachieving forward says it's difficult to put points on the board if he's only playing seven minutes a game. But Canadiens coach Jacques Martin says Kostitsyn will be on the fourth line Tuesday night against the Atlanta Thrashers (7:30 p.m., RDS, CJAD Radio-800) because he wasn't playing up to expectations when he was being used as a top-six forward. "I'm playing on the last line," Kostitsyn said Monday when asked about his meagre production this season – one goal and three assists in 14 games. "I'm playing seven minutes a game and I don't have a chance to score goals and make good plays." Kostitsyn was limited to 7:32 ..."

Habs' hold on playoff spot is flimsy

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November 2

Montreal Gazette

"The month of October is in the record books and the Canadiens are sitting in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. That's the good news. The bad news is their hold on that playoff spot is tenuous. The team has a .500 record with seven wins and seven losses, and history tells us that .500 teams don't make the playoffs. Since the National Hockey League went to a six-division format in 1998-99, every playoff team has been above .500 although the 2002-03 New York Islanders were barely above with 83 points. And the Canadiens' standing is deceptive because Montreal has played more games than most of the teams in the conference and several teams that are in hailing distance of the Canadiens ..."

Chicago Blackhawks' Andrew Ladd doesn't expect to be suspended for hit

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November 2

Chicago Tribune

"No news is good news for Andrew Ladd. The Blackhawks winger hasn't heard from the NHL about a possible suspension for the hit he delivered on the Canadiens' Matt D'Agostini on Friday night, and he doesn't expect to. "I thought it was a clean hit and you wouldn't expect to get suspended for that," Ladd said following practice Sunday. "(D'Agostini) just had his head down and I was coming off the bench. I can't let him get by me, so I just kind of stepped into him. Obviously you don't want to see a guy get hurt, but it's a tough spot to be in." Ladd was given a 10-minute misconduct penalty that ended his night early, a five-minute major for elbowing and two minutes for roughing after ..."

Habs beat Leafs in shootout

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November 1

Montreal Gazette

"Mike Cammalleri and Scott Gomez beat Vesa Toskala in the shootout, while Jaroslav Halak shut the door on Lee Stempniak and Tomas Kaberle to give the Canadiens a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs last night at the Bell Centre. The win extended the Canadiens' unbeaten record in extra-time games this season to 6-0 with four overtime wins and two shootout victories. And the Canadiens have won five in a row at home. This was a game the Canadiens should have put away in regulation time, but the Leafs – who scored a last-minute goal Friday night in Buffalo only to lose in overtime – came back from a 4-2 deficit with two goals late in the third period. Alexei Ponikarovsky scored his second goal ..."

One point not good enough

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November 1

Toronto Sun

"You've got to be lucky to be good, right? Well, last night embattled Maple Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala wasn't enough of either at the Bell Centre in his return to the Leafs net for the first time in nearly three weeks. For the third consecutive game and the second in as many nights, the Leafs had to settle for an extra-time loss as a Halloween party erupted onto the streets of Montreal following the Habs' 5-4 shootout win. A pair of rotten goals, the type that have tortured Leafs fans throughout the past two seasons, plus two more that came off terrible bounces spoiled a wild late rally in which Toronto scored twice in the final 3:24 to force overtime. "I could throw out all the ..."

Kaberle shines in team loss

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November 1

Toronto Sun

"Tomas Kaberle has a surefire solution to upgrade moral victories into real ones. "Don't get behind," said the Maple Leafs defenceman, who has had the offensive touch lately including the last-minute goal to force overtime against the Canadiens last night. "Most of the games we've been behind one or two goals and we have had to fight back just to tie it. We have to be the team that's leading. Maybe then we will get some breaks." With a goal and three assists last night, Kaberle has two and 15 on the season for 17 points and is easily the Leafs scoring leader. Helped by a career high five-point effort earlier this week against Anaheim, Kaberle is off to one of the quickest starts of his ..."

One point not good enough

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November 1

Toronto Sun

"You've got to be lucky to be good, right? Well, last night embattled Maple Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala wasn't enough of either at the Bell Centre in his return to the Leafs net for the first time in nearly three weeks. For the third consecutive game and the second in as many nights, the Leafs had to settle for an extra-time loss as a Halloween party erupted onto the streets of Montreal following the Habs' 5-4 shootout win. A pair of rotten goals, the type that have tortured Leafs fans throughout the past two seasons, plus two more that came off terrible bounces spoiled a wild late rally in which Toronto scored twice in the final 3:24 to force overtime."

Blackhawk Andrew Ladd's big hit against Montreal Canadien under scrutiny

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November 1

Chicago Tribune

"The Blackhawks have taken some big hits on United Center ice, and it was a matter of time until they dished one out themselves. Reminiscent of big checks on then-Hawk Martin Havlat from the Red Wings' Niklas Kronwall during the Western Conference finals last season and one the Canucks' Willie Mitchell laid on Jonathan Toews Oct. 21 that still has the Hawks' captain sidelined with a concussion, Andrew Ladd caught the Canadiens' Matt D'Agostini with his head down Friday night and lowered the boom. Now the question is if the NHL will lower its own boom on Ladd and suspend the winger after he was handed a 10-minute game misconduct for the check along the Canadiens bench during the first ..."

Leafs succumb in shootout

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November 1

Toronto Star

"While the Maple Leafs continue to lead the NHL in moral victories as they search for a second real win, they can take solace in that help is on the way. All signals continue to point to a Tuesday return to action for Leaf sniper Phil Kessel, who has been out six months after a torn labrum and torn rotator cuff in his left shoulder."

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