John LeClair: Not picking sides in the Eastern Conference Final

Former Montreal Canadiens and Philadelphia Flyers forward John LeClair was in Toronto, over the weekend, for a rare autograph session at AJSportsworld.

Leading up to Game Four of the Eastern Conference Final between two of his former teams, I had a chance to sit backstage before public the signing to chat him up on his career and playing on and against his two teams.

“I don’t do many of these at all,” LeClair said as he finished up the back room signings. “I’m in town for this one and another project, then I fly home later today.”

LeClair’s most notable highlight with the Canadiens came during Games Three and Four of the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, where he score the overtime winners in both games.

By the time the 1994-95 got underway, the Canadiens were struggling. Having played most of his career on the Canadiens second or third lines, the team even tried moving LeClair to centre in a desperate attempt to boost the offence.

With things still not working, Montreal traded LeClair and Eric Desjardins as part of a package to the Flyers for Mark Recchi on February 9, 1995.

“The team was struggling at the time, especially on offence,” LeClair said. “It was hard to leave the team, because I had some great friends and good memories there, but it turned out for the best.”

At the time, the Flyers had been five years removed from the playoffs and were looking for a defenceman. In giving up Recchi (93 goals over the last two years) in the deal, they needed some scoring to fill the void.

“We had to get an experienced NHL defenceman,” said then Flyers GM Bob Clarke at the time of the deal. “With the two forwards (LeClair and Gilbert Dionne) we hope that we can compensate for the goals that we gave up.”

Dionne never panned out and was out of the NHL by the end of the 1996-97 season.

LeClair’s career on the other hand took off. Put on the Flyers’ top line. a line with Eric Lindros and Mikael Renberg, he scored 14 points in his first seven games. He  also surpassed his previous career single-season goal total of 19 with 25 in just 37 games.

I asked LeClair if the pressure of Montreal affected his play. Surprisingly he didn’t think that made much of a difference, “I enjoyed playing in both cities, but it was a real good chemistry between us that worked in Philadelphia.

“We also played a more offensive oriented style than in Montreal and that helped.”

When it came to playing his former team, LeClair certainly tore up the score sheet.

In 34 games with the Flyers, he scored 28 goals and added 17 assists. He also had a plus-23 rating and the Flyers were 20-10-4 against Montreal with him in the lineup.

One thing LeClair never got to do was play his former team in the playoffs. “I had some good success against them,” he said in a modest tone. “Things never worked out for us to meet in the playoffs.”

Despite his great personal success with the Flyers, that saw him score three straight 50-goal seasons and ranked fifth all-time in Philly with 333, he never got to hoist another Cup.

That’s not to say the Flyers tanked in the playoffs, because they certainly didn’t. In his first season they reached the Conference Finals before bowing out to the, eventual Cup winners, New Jersey Devils.

Two years later they were swept in the Stanley Cup Finals by the Detroit Red Wings and would see two more Conference Finals (2000, 2004) where they took the eventual Cup champions to seven games.

“We had some chances, but we came up against some really good teams,” LeClair said. “Detroit had a great team and the (two) series against New Jersey were really tough.”

Now 40 (he’ll be 41 in July), LeClair hasn’t suited up in an NHL game since being released by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006. He still looks to be in great shape for a player nearly three years removed from the game.

“No one’s called me yet,” he laughed when I asked about him being “unofficially retired” and still classed as a UFA in the NHL. “I get out on the ice with my kids once in a while but that’s pretty much it.”

LeClair was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame last December. He is the first American-born player in the NHL to record three straight 50-goal seasons.

The question asked by myself and nearly everyone who was at the signing was who he felt was going to win this year’s Eastern Conference Final. LeClair was very diplomatic in his responses, not conceding to either team.

“It’s been a great playoff run and both teams have shown that they’re not going to give up. We saw that in the last game (Game Three),” he said. “This series will go six or seven.”

How good against Montreal was he?: John LeClair had four  games with three or more goals in his career against the Canadiens. His first came in his first game back against his former team, on Patrick Roy, in a 7-0 Flyers win.

Most difficult goalie to score on: Without looking at stats to back it, LeClair felt Dominik Hasek was the toughest goaltender to play against. “He was so unpredictable,” LeClair said. “You never knew what he was going to do.

Most aggravating opponent: Surprisingly LeClair never had many issues with opposing players getting into his face, that unenviable task fell to his longtime center. “Eric (Lindros) was almost always the target,” he said. “Their guys were always going after him. It made things a lot easier for me to do my thing.”

Canadiens/Flyers Game 3: Habs solve the Leighton puzzle

The Montreal Canadiens fired 38 shots at the Philadelphia Flyers goal, put bodies in front of the net and played a solid 60 minute game on Thursday night.

Backed by the loud Bell Centre crowd, the end result was a dominant 5-1 win in Game Three of the Eastern Conference Final.

Montreal finally solved Flyers goalie Michael Leighton’s shutout streak, when Michael Cammalleri banked a rebound off the Flyers netminder’s backside at 7:05 of the first period.

Jaroslav Halak had his easiest night of the series thus far, with a 25-save effort, but came up big on several Flyers scoring chances when called upon.

The Canadiens took a two-goal lead when Chris Pronger coughed up the puck in his own zone. Dominic Moore’s ensuing shot hit the post and bounced off the foot of Tom Pyatt and into the goal at 16:52. The goal was reviewed to clarify whether Pyatt kicked it in.

The home team continued to mount pressure, throughout the second period, and finally found the back of the net again when Moore shot’s beat Leighton five-hole at 11:33.

Brian Gionta added his eighth of the playoffs at 2:00 of the third, slipping past the Flyers defense deking out Leighton to put the Canadiens up by four.

“I thought we played well from the start,” said Gionta. “Obviously we were executing much better than we did in Games 1 and 2.”

Simon Gagne finally got the Flyers on the board at 8:22, when his shot bounced off Canadiens defenceman Hal Gill, and the post before crossing the goal line.

Marc-Andre Bergeron added a fifth goal for the Canadiens, during a 5-on-3 power play, after things got rough between the two teams. A minute earlier, the referees handed out twenty minutes in penalties to the two teams.

"It was a good old-fashioned ass-kicking," Flyers captain Mike Richards said. "They handed it to us right from the get-go.”

It had been clear the Flyers frustrations hand been building throughout the game and ultimately led to the team’s breakdown. The question will be whether coach Peter Laviolette can get his squad back to the disciplinary level they had in the first two games.

“We need to regroup tomorrow and understand that they’re a team that plays a lot different at home,” said Pronger. “They played a lot better and skated a lot harder. We need to be a lot better and understand what it’s going to take to be successful.”

The Canadiens Roman Hamrlik had two assists, with a plus-4 rating, earning the game’s First Star. “In the first two games we didn’t do things as a team,” he said. “We don’t have any superstars, so we have to play as 20 hard-working guys who compete every shift.”

The Flyers now hold a two games to one lead in the series. Game Three goes Saturday afternoon in the Bell Centre at 3pm.

Three Stars: 1. Roman Hamrlik 2. Dominic Moore 3. Tom Pyatt

Game Photo: Allen McInnis (Montreal Gazette)

Canadiens/Flyers Game Two: Didn’t we see this Sunday?

 

Save for the Philadelphia Flyers being short three goals, Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final was essentially a carbon copy of Game One.

The Montreal Canadiens outshot they’re opponents Tuesday night 30-23, but couldn’t solve goaltender Michael Leighton in a 3-0 loss.

It was just the fifth time in Canadiens history that they have been shutout in back-to-back playoff games. The last time came in 1983.

As with Game One, the Canadiens got the first power play of the evening, but found it quickly negated by a Scott Gomez hooking call.

On the ensuing man advantage, the Flyers Daniel Briere cashed his ninth of the playoffs, backing up Hall Gill, then cutting right to beat Jaroslav Halak top-shelf.

Montreal gained a couple more power play chances in the period, but Leighton came up with some big saves, notably off the sticks of Andrei Kostitsyn and Michael Cammalleri.

But as good as the saves were, the Flyers defense gave their goalie a clean line of sight throughout the game to make them.

The Canadiens maintained strong possession throughout the period and held a 16-6 shot advantage, but were still down a goal after the first twenty minutes.

The next forty minutes were very lack-luster for either team.

The Canadiens just seemed unwilling to chase down a puck and create scoring opportunities. Any chances they had were straight into the Flyers defense and quickly turned back.

Simon Gagne scored the lone second period goal, again on the power play, when he snuck in from the side of the net to tap in a loose puck.

Frustration seemed to be the Canadiens motive in the third period, which forced more mental errors and aggravation. The end result of that was Ville Leino’s 3rd of playoffs at 10:24 on a weak shot out of the corner that seemed to mystify Halak.

 

“I thought that we competed good tonight,” Canadiens coach Jacques Martin said. “We played a much better game and our level of competition was better, but we still have to make some changes.”

Those changes could start with playing the more physical Ryan O’Byrne on the Canadiens blue line to thwart the Flyers from screening Halak.

Martin’s strategy to play doghoused Sergei Kostitsyn seemed counter productive. Kostitsyn logged just 4:56 of ice time and had no shots on goal.

Improvement is one thing, but when the primary result of scoring a goal is not yet accomplished, one has to question how “improved” they Canadiens played.

“I thought we did a lot better job, but he(Leighton) has stopped everything,” said Cammalleri. “When a goalie has back-to-back shutouts he’s doing something right.”

Special teams were another area of concern for the Canadiens. While the Flyers have four of their nine goals in the series with the man advantage, the Canadiens have been 0-for-4 in both contests.

“We did some good things, but they had two power play goals,” said Canadiens winger Brian Gionta. “We didn’t capitalize on our chances.”

The Flyers now hold a 2-0 series lead going to Montreal for Game Three on Thursday.

"We gotta find a way at home.” added Gomez. “We gotta find one and keep going at it, even if it’s an ugly one off someone’s ass.”

Leighton now has a shutout streak of 165:60 and also became the first to record back-to-back playoff shutouts for the Flyers since Bernie Parent.

“It’s not over yet,” said Leighton. “I’m happy the way things are going and I hope we keep winning. We’re looking forward to Game Three.”

1. Michael Leighton 2. Simon Gagne 3. Kimmo Timonen

Game photo: Getty Images/Jim McIsaac

Flyers fans take one huge step back for fankind

Dan Carcillo’s sister-wife is scheduled to perform at Chez Paree during Games Three and Four while the Canadiens take on the Flyers

I have to admit something. I’m really disappointed in Philadelphia Flyers Fans. It seems like they’ve lost their edge.

I think the days of the “Broad Street Bullies” Flyers fans are long now gone. Where are the days when they taunted, or even fought, the opposing players? It just seems to have vanished.

While watching Game One if the Eastern Conference Final, I noticed very little energy from the Wacovia Center crowd for the full 60 minutes. Now granted, I’m only limited to what HNIC chooses to show.

When the Flyers scored they got excited, then sat down. When the period/game ended they got excited, then sat right back down. They even mimicked the Habs to no avail with their low volume Ole-Ole-Ole chant. Didn’t work.

Other than that, there wasn’t very much throughout the rest of the game. The Flyers schooled the Habs 6-0 and the home town faithful hardly let them have it, even when Halak got pulled. Instead they sat in their seats, in their Orange Crush t-shirts, for most of the game.

Maybe it was a bitter-sweet night for Flyers fans, seeing the Habs handed Philly their asses on a platter 34 years to the day with a four-game sweep in the ‘76 Cup Final.

Even Montreal can fill their home arena, while their team is on the road, and blow you guys away in terms of decibel level.

It’s as if Flyers fans have pulled a Sami Salo and lost a testicle. Have they become civilized, leaving the “rude,anthem-booing” Canadiens fans to fend for their own? Say it ain’t so!

Mind you they feebly attempted some redemption by slashing the tires and stealing the license plate of a Montreal journalist’s car. Wow, you really showed him!

But at least they proved their lack of intelligence is still intact by insulting the French-Canadian RDS TV crew, while wearing Flyers jerseys that had French-Canadian players’ names on them! Genius!

I think Flyers fans need to get their killer instinct back. It’s like someone needs to tell them how lame it is that they rely on a video of a long-dead Kate Smith singing “God Bless America” to get them riled up because their anthem singer can’t get through the whole song on her own.

By the way, Ms. Smith sang at the afore-mentioned May 16 game in 1976. Some good luck charm.

C’mon Flyers fans, show us what you’re made of.

Habs system needs a change of direction for Game Two

A failure by the Habs in the direction of their strategy, and they could find themselves at the end of their playoff rope.

Ok, so it’s only Game One. There’s no need to panic. Jaroslav Halak got chased out in Game One against the Pittsburgh Penguins too, don’t forget.

But to lose 6-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers with Michael Leighton in goal, was clearly the Montreal Canadiens worse game of the playoffs.

There were several costly mistakes across the board. Foolish penalties, bad defensive plays and sloppy point play, especially with the man advantage, were the biggest of them.

The most concerning issue though might be the style the Canadiens are trying to play against the Flyers.

An east-west/dump and chase style is not going to work against a Flyers defensive quartet led by Chris Pronger, plain and simple. It didn’t work in 2008 either without Pronger, you think it will work now?

The Philadelphia defense clogged up lanes. blocked shots and had an easy time fetching pucks out of their own zone. The Canadiens 11 giveaways and Flyers 12 takeaways reflects that.

In essence, the Canadiens made it too easy for the Flyers, and their goaltender who had no problems seeing the puck Sunday night.

The Canadiens attackers also have to be patient and not try to do it alone. Many a time, the Flyers forwards would wait, circle back inside the blueline and allow their teammates to attack the net. We basically saw a clinic on that.

A key example of how not to do it came on the sixth Flyers goal. P.K. Subban attempted a one-man rush and got shut down, leaving Maxim Lapierre to play defense and hung out to dry.

It was interesting too, on Coaches Corner, how they centered on Subban and how he’s been playing the same way since Bantam. You think Flyers scouts figured that out, or noticed it in the playoffs?

Philadelphia knows how to shut down a team’s offense if they come right at them, the Boston Bruins will tell you that. Leighton does have to come up with some big saves, but he’s not stealing games like Halak has in the first two rounds.

To be effective against the larger Flyers defense, the Canadiens have to play more north-south against the Flyers, playing them off the boards to open those scoring lanes. Do that and they wear the defense down and expose the weaker pairs.

If they don’t and continue with the Game One offensive strategy, this could be a quick series. You can expect Jacques Martin and Kirk Muller make the adjustments required on Tuesday.

The Canadiens other problem lies in the size department in their own end.

Of the four Flyers’ goals that beat him, how many clean shots did Halak actually see? Hal Gill and company were blocking their share of shots (20 in total) but they have to get the bodies out of Halak’s way. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Ryan O’Byrne back in the lineup for Game Two to help nullify this problem.

Failure to get the Flyers behemoths out of their own crease will make it a shooting gallery for Danny Briere and the like, and a Sunday afternoon tee time at Le Club Laval Sur-le-lac for the Habs.

Canadiens vs. Flyers: A look back at the regular season.

The Montreal Canadiens will face off against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Final starting Sunday night.

The Canadiens are coming off seven-game upsets of the top two teams in the east.

The Flyers meanwhile, pulled off the improbable. Down three games to none, to the Boston Bruins, and down by a 3-0 score, the Flyers rallied back to take the series with a 4-3 win Friday night.

During the regular season the two teams split their four-game series, with each team winning a game in the other’s barn.

Here’s a look back at the four games, with a video highlight compilation and notable Habs injuries. A link to the full boxscore and recaps from canadiens.com are also included.

Interesting to note who was in goal for the Flyers in their two wins.

 

December 7, 2009: Canadiens 3 Flyers 1

Carey Price made faced just 15 shots, and Brian Boucher saw 13, as both teams set club records for fewest combined shots in a game.

MIke Cammalleri scored the game winner for Montreal.

Notable Habs injuries: Brian Gionta, Andrei Markov

Boxscore and full recap.

 

February 12, 2010: Flyers 3 Canadiens 2

The Michael Leighton made 31 saves, and Jeff Carter scored two goals, to give the Flyers their first home win against the Canadiens since March of 2006.

Despite being down three goals after forty minutes, Montreal battled back with two quick goals but could not manage to tie it up.

P.K. Subban made his NHL debut with the Canadiens, earning an assist on a Glen Metropolit goal.

Notable Habs Injuries: Mike Cammalleri, Markov, Andrei Kostitsyn

Boxscore and recap

 

February 13, 2010: Flyers 6 Canadiens 2

The Flyers swept their home-in home series with Montreal prior to the Olympic break thanks to a three-goal night from Daniel Briere.

Jaroslav Halak allowed five goals on 17 shots through the first forty minutes, and was replaced by Carey Price.

It didn’t help that the Canadiens were playing their fifth game in eight days, and came out flat.

Leighton made 26 saves for the win in the Flyers goal.

Notable Habs Injuries: Cammalleri, Markov, Andrei Kostitsyn

Boxscore and recap

April 2, 1010: Canadiens 1 Flyers 0

Halak rebounds from his February flop and makes 35 saves for his fourth shutout of the season, with 14 of them coming in the third period.

Brian Boucher stopped 20 Canadiens shots in a tough loss.

Tomas Plekanec pots the lone goal of the game for Montreal.

Notable Habs injuries: none

Boxscore and recap

Flyers impact player to watch: Easily their anchor on the blueline Chris Pronger, who can pretty much do it all on defense. He averaged just over 25:30, in the four games against the Canadiens, with his lowest TOI in the four games came on February 13, where he saw 22:45.

Pronger played 31:42 on Friday night to lead a Flyers defensive corps of just four players.

Danny Briere and Claude Giroux have 15 and 11 points respectively so far in the playoffs.

In terms of clutch players, it has to be Simon Gagne who scored game-winning goals in games four and seven against Boston.

P.K.Subban’s Learning Curve with the Canadiens

UPDATE: P.K. Subban will make his debut Friday vs. Philadelphia in place of the injured Andrei Markov!

In light of his recent call up by the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, defenceman P.K. Subban knows that is just a step in the long process of being a full-time NHL player.

With both Andre Markov and Josh Gorges questionable for a pair of home-at-home games against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Canadiens made an insurance policy call for the 20-year-old.

Subban and the rest of the Hamilton Bulldogs had just arrived in Cleveland, after a five-hour bus ride, when he got the news.

“(Bulldogs coach) Guy Boucher pulled me aside when we got off the bus,” he said. “He said he wasn’t sure if I’d be playing or not, I’m not too sure still but I’m just happy to be here.”

Subban wasn’t exactly amongst strangers upon entering the Canadiens dressing room. Several players on the team’s current roster either started the season in Hamilton or were sent down at some point.

“I’m already learning,” he said watching how the Canadiens prepare for a game. “Everything’s learning and if the team needs me tonight, I’ll be ready.

“My mindset, when I got sent down in September, was to get better and improve. I’ve played 50 games in the AHL now, and I’ve learned a lot”

Subban emphasized how life in the pros, away from the rink, is also part of the learning experience, giving high praise to Boucher, his coaching staff and his Bulldogs teammates for their work to get him in the right direction.

“Becoming a pro means living on your own, and being responsible,” he said noting he no longer has the benefit of a billet, like he did in the OHL. “I’m becoming a man now.”

A third-round pick by Montreal in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft, Subban was third in Bulldogs scoring with 39 points (11-28-39) and a +29 plus/minus rating. Seven of his goals were scored on the power play. Subban is also third amongst AHL defensemen for points.

“P.K. has performed well in the AHL. His stats speak highly and he got the call,” said Canadiens coach Jacques Martin. “He’s adjusting and learning the pro game down there and he’s responded well.”

“We’re very happy,” added Canadiens GM coach Pierre Gauthier.“He’s growing as a person and a player. He’s going to be an exciting, and very good player in the NHL” 

Subban also knows understands his pre-Olympic call up, and where he stands with the Canadiens.

“The focus has to be on the team,” he said. “We’re so close to making the playoffs with 20 games to go, and that’s the most important thing. The team’s best interest has to be winning. It has to be that. It can’t be anything else.

“It’s about getting mature and learning things on and off the ice,” he said. “You have to be a sponge and accept that information, and if you don’t then maybe I don’t get this opportunity.”

Halak-A-Mania Trade Rumours Running Wild, but Becoming a Reality.

Well two years of speculation and rumours, surrounding the future of Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak, may finally be coming to a conclusion.

Halak’s name has been mentioned in trade deals since 2007-08. To start that season, Carey Price took the role as the number two goalie in Montreal to Cristobel Huet. Despite an admirable performance the season prior, Halak found himself in goal for the Hamilton Bulldogs.

That changed once Huet was shipped off to the Washington Capitals. GM Bob Gainey decided to go with two young goalies and continued that through 2008-09.

Carey Price was always anointed as “The Franchise”, by many in the media and fans alike, since the day he was drafted in 2005. I can’t recall any Canadiens goalie that was given so much hype since maybe Jacques Plante. Roy didn’t get it, neither did Dryden.

Halak, in the meantime, remained quiet and avoided any goalie controversies. He let his actions on the ice speak that he deserved to be in the NHL, and possibly as a number one goalie.

With both netminders becoming restricted free agents come July, many feel something will have to give, but who?

Things began to develop as the 2009-10 season took form.

In late October, when Price rode the pine, in favour of Halak, for four games, he spoke in a positive manner and acknowledged his coach for playing the hot hand at the time.

Price soon after had another mediocre start which launched the “Tweet Heard ‘Round the World” by Halak’s agent Allan Walsh.

Halak quickly downplayed his agents comments, citing that he wasn’t speaking on his client’s behalf, and was made unaware of it until the next day.

The goalie controversy seemed to be back, spawning one the most detailed, comprehensive and equally impressive statistical analysis of the two goalies at HabsEyesOnThePrize.com

Price meanwhile, began to climb back and was quickly playing in games at the level he was expected to achieve and in multiple succession.

Halak has had three starts in the last twelve days and went 1-2-0

More trade rumours circulated in the last two weeks, notably out of Edmonton and Philadelphia.

Well those Philadelphia tidbits gained more steam on Tuesday once Bob Gainey confirmed that Halak had requested a trade.

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t,” Halak said after Tuesday’s practice. “That’s between me and my agent.”

He also said that despite being happy to be in Montreal, he would like to see more ice time.

“I’m always been a team guy,” he added. “If I play, I play, but I want to win. My contract is up after this year, but if they want to move me, it’s up to them.”

Gainey, who has been known to accommodate players trade requests in the past (for the most recent see: Begin, Steve) also made it clear that the Flyers were not the only team he talked to.

"I took this step because it is Jaroslav's wish to have his chance to play," Gainey told RueFrontenac.com. "He feels ready to play a more important part."

The Philadelphia Daily News also confirmed the story, but talks with Philadelphia could be off now, as the goalie-strapped team picked up Michael Leighton off waivers late Tuesday.

The NHL’s roster freeze kicks in on December 19, and remains in effect until the 27th, so any trade deal seems unlikely in the coming three days.

In any event, one has to think that with the Canadiens compressed schedule, leading up to the Olympics, that moving Halak right now may not be beneficial.

An injury to Price could spell disaster, to an already injury laden team. Keeping Halak until then might be a wiser move.

At least now he knows that he is being accommodated and will be wanting to perform at a top level, as scouts watch more feverishly as the trade deadline approaches.

In any event, one thing is most definitely certain now. Jaroslav Halak will not be a member of the Montreal Canadiens in 2010-11.

Different paths for the Metropolit brothers

Great job by Dennis Kane for sharing a story (originally printed in the Philadelphia Inquirer) on Habs’ centre Glen Metropolit.

It centres on the hardships that he, and his brother, Troy endured growing up in the Cabbagetown area of Toronto.

While Glen made his way to the NHL, Troy is currently serving a 14-year prison term in Bath, Ontario and, at the time of the article was awaiting trial for the murder of an inmate.

It’s truly a moving story that a peers into the life of the Canadiens forward.

Canadiens ticket info and Downloadable Calendars

 

  

Tickets for the Montreal Canadiens 2009-10 schedule, announced yesterday, won’t go on sale for a few more weeks.

The Canadiens website indicates that 3 and 10-game packs will go on sale sometime in August.

Single game tickets usually go on sale in the first couple weeks of September.

Ticket stubs from the ‘75 New Years Eve game and Lafleur’s 500th goal game

Season tickets for 2009-10 are sold out (always are) but the team does offer a waiting list to get on.

Some tickets are being offered by season ticket holders through outlets such as Stub Hub already as those people know they will have their tickets in September.

Meanwhile pre-season tickets for the Canadiens game in Ottawa on September 19 will go on sale August 22 at 10am through capitaltickets.ca

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Season ticket stub from the ‘07-08 Playoffs that was never used and one from Game Four of the ‘76 Finals where the Canadiens clinched the Stanley Cup

The Canadiens also have downloadable schedules available through their website.

The Habs 2009-10 Schedule is out!!! Bulldogs and Cyclones sked news also released

 

The NHL officially released the Montreal Canadiens 2009-10 Regular Season Schedule this afternoon. The official press release can be found here.

The Canadiens will kick off Season 101 on Thursday October 1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the ACC.

It will be the first game of a five-game road trip to start off the season.

Maybe a good thing to get it over with early:

The Canadiens head west to play back-to-back games in Calgary and Vancouver on Oct 6-7, wrapping up the trip on Oct. 10 in Edmonton.

We all remember the disastrous western trip from last year, and so far coach Jacques Martin has not planned a team bowling night.

The Canadiens’ home opener is against the Colorado Avalanche on Oct 15 where they will have a six game home stand.

We’ll get a possible look at John Tavares twice in Montreal in four days (Oct  22 and 26)

Montreal then faces the Stanley Cup Champion Penguins in Pittsburgh on Oct 28.

The First Must-See home game: Saturday Oct 17th,when Alex Kovalev returns with his Ottawa Senators.

Christopher Higgins returns Oct 24 with the New York Rangers

Komisarek returns Oct 31, where it will be brick night: First 5000 fans get unused off-cut bricks from the Centennial Plaza to do…

Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals roll into the Bell Centre on Nov 28. The game will be at the Bell Centre and not at Olympic Stadium as rumored.

Dec 4 against Boston will mark the 100th Anniversary of the Canadiens’ formation. Note the starting time of 8pm as there will be a ceremony beforehand.

Montreal looks to have a tough schedule in December, playing 11 of 17 games on the road and ends the month with seven in a row during the holidays.

Montreal has 15 back-to back games with just one of these at home, so Jaroslav Halak could see lots of work this season.

The NHL shuts down for two weeks, after Feb 13, for the Olympics.

Even with 21st Century technology, the NHL’s logistics team still cannot find a system to make it work evenly:

After the Olympics, the Habs are in Boston on Mar 2, then off to California (if it’s not in receivership) to play San Jose, L.A. and Anaheim and back across the country to face Tampa on Mar 9. That’s a lot of travel.

March closes out in the Canadiens’ favor for the playoff run however , with five of their last eight at home.

The season concludes on Apr 10 at the Bell Centre against the Maple Leafs.

The Canadiens will have seven pre-season games from September 17-26. Five games will be at home, while the other two will be in Ottawa (Sep 19) and Quebec City (Sep 20 vs. Boston)

 

First six Hamilton Bulldogs home games announced!

 The Hamilton Bulldogs have announced yesterday that Oct 9 will be their first home game of the 2009-10 AHL season.

Five other confirmed dates are also set with a Nov 6 game played in Montreal at the Bell Centre. Opponents are to be determined when the AHL releases the official schedule later this summer.

ECHL Cincinnati Cyclones Schedule released!

The Canadiens’ ECHL affiliate Cincinnati Cyclones (shared with the Nashville Predators) also announced their pre-season schedule today. Their regular season schedule is also posted.

It could be handy for our Ohio area Habs fans or those travelling south of the border on the way to Florida this winter! Catch a game on the way down I-75 !!!

Russian media filling the week’s rumor pages

2006 Russian Hockey tribute game in Red Square, Moscow

It’s hard to believe that just over 25 years ago, one got little or no news of any kind out of the Soviet Union.

Back then, Pravda was the official paper of the Kremlin.

What was stated in that paper was all the western world, and the eastern world for that matter, got to read about.

Turning the clock forward, the media flood gates have opened.

With today’s communication tools, hockey rumors flood the internet from Russia just as fast as they do in North America.

In just 48 hours, it was revealed through Russian sources, that Sergei Fedorov and Viktor Kozlov will make the jump to the KHL next season.

In a reverse trend, they also revealed that Alexei Yemelin is looking to negotiate with the Montreal Canadiens.

Now it’s revealed, by Sovietskiy Sport , that the Montreal Canadiens have offered Alex Kovalev a one-year, $6 million deal.

One of the stipulations of the deal is that Kovalev would be named captain.

That would indicate that negotiations are off with current Captain Saku Koivu.

Interesting to note that the post also indicates that Mike Komisarek turned down a $4 million offer by the Canadiens and is looking for $6 million.

The reverse defection of Fedorov and Kozlov can hold water, but both the Kovalev and Komisarek stories will stay afloat as well as the Kursk did.

The way Russian journalism once viewed the NHL. This cartoon appeared in the Russian paper Pravda after the Flyers-Russia game in 1976.

May 19, 1974: The Broad Street Bullies earn their first Stanley Cup

1974 Stanley Cup Finals were set up the way they should have been.

The Boston Bruins, the best team in the East Division in the regular season would face the West Division leaders, the Philadelphia Flyers.

On paper the Bruins were heavy favorites, having owned the Flyers in their last nineteen meetings at home with a 17-0-2 record.

Boston also had the NHL’s top four scorers (Phil Esposito, Bobby Orr, Ken Hodge and Wayne Cashman), as well as home ice advantage in the final.

Philadelphia entered the finals with a rough, aggressive playing style that gave them the nickname, The Broad Street Bullies.

Led by captain Bobby Clarke (fifth in scoring), Dave Schultz’s 345 penalty minutes and coach Fred Shero, the Flyers battled the New York Rangers in a seven-game semi-final and would not be intimidated by the Bruins offensive might.

Philadelphia also had an ace in the hole between the pipes, named Bernie Parent, who was coming off a then record 47 regular season wins.

After Boston won game one, Clarke’s goal in overtime of the second game gave the Flyers a 3-2 win tying the series at a game apiece.

Philadelphia dominated the favorites, in the safe confines of the Philadelphia Spectrum, with scores of 4-1 and 4-2 in games three and four respectively.

The Bruins rallied back at home in game five with a 5-1 victory.

The series would return to Philly.

Before game six, Shero wrote the following on his blackboard in the Flyers dressing room,

"Win together today, and we will walk together forever."

After Kate Smith got the 17,007 fans in the Spectrum fired up with her singing of ‘God Bless America’, the Bruins appeared to have an early edge.

Boston outplayed the Flyers in the first period and outshot Philadelphia 16-8.

But on the power-play, Rick MacLeish tipped in an Andre Dupont shot at 14:48 mark of the period to put the Flyers ahead.

At 17:38 of the third period, with the score still 1-0, Orr hauled down Clarke on a breakaway.

To this day, Orr maintained that is was a clean takedown.

The penalty, and Parent’s 30 save night in net, would lead to a 1-0 victory and a Stanley Cup for the Flyers.

As the seconds ticked down, Flyers broadcaster Gene Hart said the now legendary words, "Ladies and gentlemen, the Flyers are going to win the Stanley Cup! The Flyers win the Stanley Cup! The Flyers win the Stanley Cup!"

Philadelphia would become the non-Original Six team, since the 1967 expansion, to win the Stanley Cup.

Parent would win the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP and Shero’s pre-game blackboard statement is forever etched in Flyers’ lore.

The Flyers would repeat as Cup Champions the following season.

Despite five Cup Finals appearances since, the Flyers have been unable to return championship glory to Broad Street.