Winning Streak takes pressure off Montreal Canadiens, for now.

Well the Montreal Canadiens have taken their fans out of panic mode for the time being.

After picking up two wins to start the season, the Habs went on a five-game nose dive that had some fans screaming for GM Bob Gainey’s head.

Well what a difference four games can make. The Canadiens came alive and they are on a four-game winning streak.

Yeah OK two games were against the New York Islanders, but to lose just one of those games would spell disaster. A slumping team needs a big win over a lesser team to boost morale.

Montreal also dispatched a hot Atlanta Thrashers team and overcame two 2-goal leads against the offensively charged New York Rangers on Saturday.

Many fans and media feel the team will really come together at the 15 or 20 game mark. After all, this is a new roster that didn’t really play as a complete unit in the pre-season. You have to remember the camp was split into three squads in camp and two teams during the pre-season games.  So the final roster never formed until after the last pre-season game and their team bonding trip.

The Canadiens get some real tests to end October with games against the defending Stanley Cup Champs (Pittsburgh), an up and coming western conference team (Chicago) and their greatest rival (Toronto).

Who’s Number One?: Right now it looks like Jaroslav Halak is. Halak has been between the pipes in for each of the Canadiens’ last four wins.

Coach Jacques Martin seems to be going with the hot goalie for time being but said he is taking it one game at a time, confirming the team needs two goalies to be successful this season.

Carey Price clearly was not to blame in the Canadiens early struggles, but sitting out “The Franchise” four straight raises eyebrows. Some fans question his work ethic, which his something Martin takes seriously. See: Kostitsyn, Sergei.

I think this is the first time Price has missed four straight starts without being injured….. Hmmm maybe that is where the problem truly lies. Perhaps a minor injury is keeping the Habs No. 1 pick in 2005 on the shelf?

Coach Martin will announce his starter against the Penguins on Wednesday.

Andrei, Andrei where art thou?: Not the All-Star Markov, whose shoes the other five blueliners on have filled admirably in his absence.  I’m talking about the other embattled Kostitsyn brother.

How is it that Tomas Plekanec (10 points in 11 games) has been spectacular since the departure of Alex Kovalev, yet his former line mate has floundered?

A few takes on AK46 from Eric Engels and All Habs.

Speaking of Sergei: The younger Kostitsyn missed the Hamilton Bulldogs game on Saturday against Texas. He is nursing a shoulder injury from Friday’s game against San Antonio. He is listed as day-to-day and was also reportedly fighting a flu bug. The Bulldogs (6-0-1)play Tuesday night in Houston.

Notes from Tuesday’s practice: Scott Gomez took a day off from the ice for a therapy day, as did Georges Laraque. Glen Metropolit is fighting a virus and spent the day at home.

Thanks for the chat: A big thanks to CBC.ca for inviting me as a panelist for Tuesday afternoons online chat about the Habs.

A replay of it is available here.

Je suis….découragé. Avs bounce past Habs 3-2

Tomas Plekanec beats Craig Anderson Thursday night – Montreal Gazette photo

In a game that saw some bad bounces for both teams, the Colorado Avalanche came out with a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens Thursday night, to crash their home-opener.

Instead of a more traditional introduction by Bell Centre announcer Michel LaCroix, the Canadiens players introduced themselves, in French, to the applause of the crowd. Injured Andrei Markov received the warmest reception.

Montreal played a strong first period, outshooting Colorado 11-6, and scored first,on the power play,when Roman Hamrlik moved in off the point and fired a Tomas Plekanec pass into the low corner past Craig Anderson.

The second period was not as effective for Montreal and goaltender Carey Price.

Playing four-on four, Milan Hejduk took a shot that bounced off of two Canadiens players and slipped through the five-hole on Price.

As the period wound down the Avalanche caught the Canadiens off guard. Kyle Cumiskey made a centering pass off the left boards that managed to hit the skate of Canadiens defender Shawn Belle and bounce up and over Price’s shoulder.

The Canadiens tied it up, in the third, when Andrei Kostitsyn fed a one-timer to Plekanec.

Anderson and the Avalanche protested, to no avail ,that an earlier pass behind the net went into the protective netting above the glass and should have been whistled down. The TV replays showed the Avalanche were right, but the goal counted.

Minutes later, a questionable missed penalty call, on a hit to Scott Gomez, and ensuing weak defensive coverage by the Canadiens enabled Ryan O’Reilly to find his own rebound and score his first career NHL goal.

Despite pulling their goaltender, and some good opportunities in the dying seconds by Montreal, Anderson shut the door to preserve the Avalanche win.

Craig Anderson stood tall vs. Canadiens. - Montreal Gazette photo

The Canadiens have now lost their last four straight games, since winning their first two of the season.

Anderson’s 29-save performance moved the Avalanche to a 5-1-1 record to start the season.

If anything positive came out of the loss, it was the play of Canadiens’ winger Andrei Kostitsyn.

After being benched for the third period of Saturday’s loss to Edmonton and messing up the “Je suis” in his intro on Thursday, Kostitsyn played a solid game with two assists two hits, two shots and three missed shots.

In light of his misleading minus two showing, Shaun Belle also played a solid defensive game, his first as a Montreal Canadien.

The Canadiens next game is Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. It will mark the return of former Canadiens All-Star Alex Kovalev to the Bell Centre.

The Senators are coming off a 7-1 pasting of the Tampa Bay Lightning and would like noting more than to make their new teammate’s first visit to his former club a memorable one.

Kostitsyns could learn from Patrick Marleau & Co

Despite losing the captaincy, Sharks captain Patrick Marleau continues his exceptional play; something the Kostitsyns need to learn in Montreal.

Over the summer, the San Jose Sharks made a “house cleaning” in their dressing room as a way to send the message to the rest of the team.

After another unsuccessful playoff run, captain Patrick Marleau and assistant captain Joe Thornton were removed of their respective positions. Another assistant, Mike Grier, was not re-signed by the team.

It was an effort from coach Todd McLennan to shake things up, and maybe it worked.

It appears both players have accepted the transition. There was no pouting, no failing to show up for training camp, or no whining to the press.

The duo are taking their frustrations, if any, on the ice. After six games, Marleau has five goals and an assist for the Sharks (3-2-1). Thornton, who reclaimed his "A", has a goal and nine assists.

So off to the Eastern Conference we go, where les freres Kostitsyn, Andre and Sergei, are doing quite the opposite with the Montreal Canadiens.

After last season’s media crime scandal emerged in Montreal , the Belarusian brothers struggled in 2008-09 and the situation clearly disrupted both players. Sergei was demoted to the Hamilton Bulldogs and Andrei’s point production dropped slightly and his overall play was scrutinized.

Both Kostitsyns were found to have had no criminal involvement over the summer, with the Canadiens off-season shake up and coaching changes, it was expected the new look Canadiens would benefit the remaining players or at least get out a message.

For Sergei Kostitsyn ,it has so far failed. After being in coach Jacques Martin’s doghouse in training camp, he was sent back to Hamilton. Sergei refused to report and demanded a trade. He finally reported to the Bulldogs and claims a trade arrangement has been made. He was held pointless in his only AHL game as of Friday.

As for older brother, Andrei things seem to be just as bad having just registered a single goal after five games. That goal was against Vancouver and one that Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo would have 99 percent of the time.

In Saturday’s 3-2 loss Edmonton, he made a brutal cross-ice pass in his own end that led to the winning Oilers goal. Kostitsyn did not see any ice time in the third period.

Now granted the season is in it’s infancy and things can change. There’s an edge to Marleau and Thornton with their veteran experience on handling their situation. Or perhaps, they wanted to just stay quiet and be overshadowed by their teammate’s summer performance, see Heatley, Dany.

In any event, both Kostitsyn’s have potential to perform on the ice like their San Jose counterparts. Here’s hoping they can learn to find it, and fast.

Lots of Laraque: Canadiens tough guy Georges Laraque reportedly requested to change his jersey number to 27. Laraque has worn No. 27 for most of his career but settled on No. 17 last season with the presence of Alex Kovalev. In light of Kovalev’s departure the Canadiens turned him down.

Laraque also got into some trouble over an alcohol ad he did this summer.

The internet-based ad shows the Habs enforcer playing street hockey with several scantily clad women, raising complaints from women’s groups and the NHL.

Article 25.1 of the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement states that no player can sponsor or endorse an alcoholic beverage.

The league did not comment on any disciplinary action, and Laraque has since apologized and regretted appearing in the ad. He also stated that any earnings he made went directly to an animal rights organization.

Belle tolls for Shawn: The Canadiens called up Shawn Belle form Hamilton on Tuesday, replacing the roster spot left with Yannick Weber’s cap-related demotion on Monday.

Belle will likely stay with the Canadiens through their home opener while Marc-Andre Bergeron continues his conditioning stint with the Bulldogs.

With Hamilton having three games in four days, it may benefit the free-agent blue liner to get another game or two in the AHL.

Montreal Canadiens Training Camp: Day Four

The stands at the Brossard training complex were not as crowded today as the Habs took to the ice for a fourth day of practice.

Tomorrow, the Canadiens will play their first pre-season game against the Florida Panthers at the Bell Centre.

“It’s a good opportunity,” said forward Scott Gomez, who was amazed to hear that the Bell Centre will be a sell-out for a pre-season game.

“Whether it’s pre-season or not, once you step on that ice, in that atmosphere you realize how special it is that you’re in the NHL.”

Gomez will play on a line Thursday with Mike Cammalleri and Andrei Kostitsyn.

“I didn’t realize how good a player he is,” he said of Kostitisyn.

“He’s a complete player, a guy we’re definitely gonna need him this year whether we play together or not.”

“I feel good with these two guys,” said Kostitsyn. “We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

Like Gomez, Cammalleri was equally surprised that the Bell Centre is a sell out for a pre-season game.

“Is that what is, twenty-one and change?” he asked. “Wow, here we go!”

Carey Price had his first session today with new goaltending coach Pierre Groulx.

“It was tough,” he said on the outing. “It was a pretty good little skate this morning.”

Price figures his style of play shouldn’t change that much under his new coach.

“I think there’s going to be a few minor adjustments, but I think it’s going to stay the same technically,” he said.

“Mentally I think I might be a little bit more prepared this year to deal with everything that goes on.”

The 22-year-old said likes the mentality of the Canadiens dressing room this season over last year.

“I think our guys are bonding better this year,” he said.

“Over the next couple weeks we’re going to have to keep that up and keep working as a team.”

Price will also sport a new mask, for the Canadiens Centennial, that features goaltenders Ken Dryden and Gump Worsley.

He’s also going to the red goal pads, which will raise the eyebrows of many fans.

"I’m the same size in this, as I am in white,” he said and doesn’t feel the red pads were a part of his failure last year.

“It’s all up here. I don’t beleive in curses. I’m not a very superstitious person.”

The Montreal Canadiens site offers more comments on Price from his new teammates.

Game time Thursday is at 7:30pm (EST).

Who will lead them?

Well the Montreal Canadiens roster officially got trimmed by one more player.

Despite a “rally of the masses” on Sunday afternoon at the Bell Centre, Habs GM Bob Gainey told CJAD radio on Monday that Alex Kovalev would not be returning.

 Fans rallied Sunday to keep Alex Kovalev in Montreal

Hours later, Kovalev took the money ($10 million over two years) and ran up the highway to Ottawa Senators.

The Northeast Division will be fun to watch this season without a doubt.

With Kovalev’s departure and the likely signing of Saku Koivu to either Buffalo, Atlanta, Anaheim or whatever square Eklund’s rumor dart hit this afternoon, this leaves the captain and all assistant captains off to greener pastures.

Mike Komisarek defected to the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 1 and Christopher Higgins was traded to the New York Rangers on June 30.

The question now has to be asked, who will be the next captain?

Andrei Markov has been an assistant captain in the past but is unlikely as a captain.

You have to remember that Koivu was criticized for not speaking French. Markov can barely speak English so it’s safe to rule him out.

The Kostitsyn brothers??? Georges Laraque ??? Forget it!

Scott Gomez seems to be an early popular choice, despite not playing one game for the Canadiens.

Sorry Mr. Gomez, but there’s too much tradition to just walk in and take the “C”.

Ditto for Mike Cammalleri and Brian Gionta.

All likelihood two of these three will be alternate captains.

Young bucks Josh Gorges, Maxim Lapierre and maybe Guillaume Latendresse would be a good choices as an alternate captains in my opinion, but I feel none of this trio is at a full leadership level.

Roman Hamrlik is the long-time veteran on the team, but could be moved before the start of the season.

In any event, the Canadiens have never gone without a captain in their history.

Jean Beliveau is the Canadiens’ longest serving captain

Guy Carbonneau and Chris Chelios alternated months in the 1989-90 season when the team vote was as close as the Quebec Referendum vote.

The captaincy of the Montreal Canadiens has always been voted on by the players, so ultimately it will be up to the final roster when it is set sometime in late September.

The players may elect to go a shared route in the 2009-10 season.

Either way, that individual is the go-to man by the fans and media of a team with 100 years of history, and 16 years and counting without a Stanley Cup.

Preferably I want a long standing captain like Koivu (win or lose), and not a revolving door that we saw in the mid-90’s.

But let’s not rule out the current captain just yet, shall we?

List of Montreal Canadiens Captains

Jack Laviolette           1909-10	Emile Bouchard                    1948-56
Newsy Lalonde            1910-11	Maurice Richard                   1956-60
Jack Laviolette           1911-12	Doug Harvey                        1960-61
Newsy Lalonde            1912-13	Jean Beliveau                       1961-71
Jimmy Gardner           1913-15	Henri Richard                       1971-75
Howard McNamara      1915-16	Yvan Cournoyer                    1975-79
Newsy Lalonde            1916-22	Serge Savard                       1979-81
Sprague Cleghorn        1922-25	Bob Gainey                          1981-89
Billy Coutu                  1925-26	G. Carbonneau/C. Chelios    1989-90
Sylvio Mantha             1926-32	Guy Carbonneau                   1990-94
George Hainsworth     1932-33	Kirk Muller                           1994-95
Sylvio Mantha             1933-36	Mike Keane          Apr – Dec       1995
Albert “Babe” Seibert  1936-39	Pierre Turgeon                     1995-96
Walter Buswell            1939-40	Vincent Damphousse             1996-99
Hector “Toe” Blake     1940-48	Saku Koivu                           1999-??
Bill Durnan    Jan – Apr      1948