Posts by Pat Hickey

Carey Price may be 2-0 against the Bruins but Jaroslav Halak will make his third consecutive start in goal tonight as coach Jacques Martin elects to stay with the hot hand.

Defenceman Jaroslav Spacek returns to the lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury. He'll be paired with Roman Hamrlik and Yannick Weber will be a healthy scratch. Brian Gionta,. Scott Gomez, Benoit Pouliot and Sergei Kostitsyn all skipped the morning skate. 

The lines:

Pouliot-Plekanec-S. Kostitsyn
Maxwell-Gomez-Gionta
Bergeron-Lapierre-Darche
Moen-Metropolit-D'Agostini

Defence: Markov-O'Byrne; Hamrlik-Spacek; Gill-Gorges

The final decision won't be made until tomorrow but look for defenceman Jaroslav Spacek  to play against the Bruins. Spacek practised with the team yesterday and said he felt much better than he dd on Tuesday. He has missed three games with an upper-body injury.

The Canadiens had a brisk 45-minute workout berfore flying to Boston. Roman Hamrlik, Benoit Pouliot and Scott Gomez all took therapy days. Paul Mara (upper body injury) practised and accompanied the team to Boston but won't play.

Jaroslav Halak figures to be the goaltender but the always coy Jacques Martin noted that Carey Price is 2-0 against the Bruins this season.

• AUDIO: Jacques Martin | Michael Cammalleri | Glen Metropolit | Josh Gorges | Tomas Plekanec

Hamilton defenceman Yannick Weber has been recalled by the Canadiens for Saturday's game in Ottawa. Defenceman Jaroslav Spacek missed practice today and will not travel to Ottawa, but not because of the flu-like symptoms which kept him out of Wednesday's game in Tampa.

The Habs announced today that, while it was the flu which kept him out of the Tampa game, Spacek is now on the sidelines with an upper-body injury. Also missing from practice today was defenceman Paul Mara, who has missed three games with an upper-body injujry. 

Mara will not accompany the team to Ottawa this evening.

The Canadiens came south with only 20 healthy bodies and they found themselves short one player when Jaroslav Spacek called in sick with flu-like symptoms. Marc-André Bergeron moved back to defence and the Canadiens played with 11 forwards.

Carey Price will be in goal tonight in Tampa Bay  as coach Jacques Martin hopes Price can duplicate his win over the Lightning in Florida last month. The choice is no reflection on Jaroslav Halak, who has been outstanding in his last three starts. He was the only reason the Canadiens were in last night's 2-1 loss to Florida.

The Canadiens are 5-4-1 in the second game of back-to-back series this season.

Antero Nittymaki will make his seventh consecutive start for the Lightning but Mike Smith, who has been injured, will be available as the backup.

The Canadiens held a mid-morning practice at the Bank Atlantic Center and Ben Maxwell was on the third line with Maxim Lapierre and Mathieu Darche. 

Brian Gionta found himself back with Scott Gomez and Benoit Pouliot while Travis Moen was on the right wing with Michael Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec.

The fourth line had Marc-Andre Bergeron with Glen Metropolit and Sergei Kostitsyn.

AUDIO: Ben Maxwell I and II | Tomas Plekanec | Jaro Halak | Jacques Martin

•  •  •

Provocative column:

Elliotte Friedman on the Canadiens' goaltending situation.

Carey Price will be in goal tonight against the St. Louis Blues and it appears that Jacques Martin will dress eight defencermen with the return of Ryan O'Byrne. 

Georges Laraque and Matt D'Agostini are targeted as healthy scratches and Mathieu Darche, who was called up from Hamilton on Tuesday will play with Michael Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec.

• AUDIO: Jacques Martin | Jaroslav Halak | Benoit Pouliot | Josh Gorges | Brian Gionta | Glen Metropolit | Ryan O'Byrne

The Canadiens this afternoon recalled forward Mathieu Darche from the Hamilton Bulldogs. Tomorrow's morning skate in advance of the Bell Centre game vs. St. Louis should provide a hint as to how the Habs plan to use him.

The team returned to the ice in Brossard today and had an intense 75-minute practice in preparation for the Blues.

The lines remained unchanged but there will be some changes from the lineup which failed to get the job done on the weekend against Ottawa and the New York Rangers. Coach Jacques Martin said Ryan O'Byrne is ready to play and he'll probably replace Paul Mara. And look for Carey Price to be the starting goalie.

Carey Price will be back in the Canadiens nets for tonight's game against the Dallas Stars. It will be his first start since Jan. 5, a 39-save effort in the Habs' 4-2 loss to the Capitals in Washington.

In other news from the morning skate in Brossard, Sergei Kostitsyn went out with athletic therapist Graham Rynbend before the rest of the team and it appears he is making progress as he recovers from a sprained left ankle. Kostitsyn showed  decent speed and didn't appear to have trouble with turns.

It was a quiet day at the Canadiens' practice facility in Brossard yesterday. The only news was that Sergei Kostitsyn, who has been out since New Year's eve with a sprained ankle, skated before the full practice. But Sergei was dressed in sweats and didn't work up a sweat as he skated gingerly.

A good portion of the practice wwas devoted to special teams play in preparation for tomorrow night's game against the Dallas Stars. The lineup is the same as it was for the last game with the exception of Georges Laraque on the fourth line in place of Ryan White. Ryan O'Byrne is the extra defenceman.

The Canadiens had an off-ice workout today. Goaltender Carey Price worked out with goaltending coach Pierre Groulx and then returned to the ice in his alter ego as a forward. He and Matt D'Agostini played shinny with a small group of youngsters. 

• AUDIO:  Jaroslav Spacek | Tomas Plekanec | Jacques Martin

Carey Price, who is coming off a strong albeit losing performance Sunday against Buffalo, will start against the Washington Capitals tonight. Michael Neuvirth is expected to get the nod in the Capitals net over former Canadien José Theodore.

The Canadiens had an optional morning skate and 15 players took advantage of the ice time. Defenceman Andrei Markov and Roman Hamrlik took as pass, as did Michael Cammalleri, Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez.

In other news, USA Today named Tomas Plekanec as the clutch player of the month. The award is based on a calculation which measures not only points but also their impact on a game.

Sergei Kostitsyn was a last minute scratch after the pregame warmup today. He is out with a lower-body injury.

Max Pacioretty, who was chowing down in the media dining room 90 minutes before the game, replaced Kostitsyn.

Carey Price was the No. 1 star in the Canadiens' 2-1 win in Tampa last night but coach Jacques Martin has decided to go with Jaroslav Halak in goal. 

That's the only lineup change for the Canadiens which means that Georges Laraque and Max Pacioretty are healthy scratches. With a 5 p.m. start today, there was no morning skate and the players were able to grab some pool and beach time. The temperature hit 31 C today. 

• AUDIO: Roman Hamrlik and Jaroslav Spacek on not being chosen to Czech Olympic team
| Jacques Martin | Lightning goalie Antero Niittymaki on making Team Finland | Alex Tanguay
| Martin St. Louis is "very disappointed" about not making Team Canada

Defenceman Roman Hamrlik will return to the Canadiens' lineup tonight against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hamrlik, who was disappointed at not being selected for the Czech Olympic team earlier in the day, has missed six games with a knee injury. 

Hamrlik's return means that Marc-André Bergeron will play forward tonight and Max Pacioretty will be a healthy scratch.

Carey Price will start in goal. He'll be playing for the first time since Dec. 17.  

You would think that a team with a four-game win streak and a busy schedule might get a day off but coach Jacques Martin ran the Canadiens through a high-energy practice for 65 minutes yesterday at the Carleton University rink.

"We haven't had a lot of time to practice this month because we play so many games," said Martin.

The workout stressed puck possession and had players going hard to the net. While the Canadiens have won four in a row and the power play has produced nine goals, the team has been outshot by a wide margin in each of those games and the opposition has had 21 power plays to 15 for Montreal. Martin wants to cut down on the shots against and give Jaroslav Halak a little more help.

Forward Brian Gionta and defenceman Roman Hamrlik both practiced with the team and could be in the lineup against Ottawa tomorrow night. Defenceman Paul Mara also practiced but his hand is swollen and he won't play. Sergei Kostitsyn took a therapy day but Martin said he will be available tomorrow.

As the Canadiens hit the ice for an afternoon practice at the RBC Center in Raleigh today, Paul Mara and Brian Gionta headed home to Montreal.

Mara took a shot off his left hand or wrist Monday in Atlanta and he'll be examined by doctors in Montreal. Gionta, who is coming back from a broken foot, has had a minor setback in his recovery. He has been told to stay off his skates for four days. And there as more bad news when defenceman Roman Hamrlik, who practiced with the team, said he wasn't ready to face the Carolina Hurricanes tomorrow night. His left knee is not stable enough for him to turn comfortably.

On the brighter side, Marc-André Bergeron skipped practice but said he expects to play tomorrow. He has a stiff neck from crashing into a goalpost after scoring the winning goal in Atlanta. And Benoit Pouliot will make his Canadiens' debut. Pouliot, who has been out with a sprained wrist, will be on a line with Scott Gomez and Sergei Kostitsyn.

Jaroslav Halak, coming off his 40-save shutout on Long Island Saturday, will start in goal against the Atlanta Thrashers tonight.

The Canadiens recalled Benoit Pouliot from Hamilton today. He didn't arrive in time for the morning skate and will not play tonight but coach Jacques Martin expects him in the lineup Wednesday in Carolina. 

Defenceman Roman Hamrlik and right winger Brian Gionta both participated in the morning skate but Martin said both are still day to day. It was Hamrlik's first time on skates since he suffered a knee injury last week.

PRE-GAME AUDIO: Zach Bogosian | Ilya Kovalchuk | Jaroslav Spacek

• PREGAME AUDIO: Jacques Martin  
  Devils: Coach Jacques Lemaire | Martin Brodeur | Yann Danis

While the New Jersey Devils had a full roster on the ice for the morning skate, the Canadiens held an optional workout. 

Habs head coach Jacques Martin, who wasn't on the ice, said Carey Price will start in goal and he envisions a bigger role for Maxim Lapierre, who replaces Glen Metropolit on the No. 3 line with Max Pacioretty and Travis Moen. 

Martin also said that he expects Benoît Pouliot to play for the Hamilton Bulldogs this weekend. Pouliot was sent down on a conditioning assignment last week but the AHL club has played three games without him.  

Jaroslav Halak will get a chance for redemption tonight when he starts in goal against the Buffalo Sabres. The last time Halak faced the Sabres was on Dec. 3 in Buffalo and Halak – and his teammates – were on the short end of a 6-2 count.

Coach Jacques Martin hopes that the goalie and his friends will be fired up for tonight's game. Halak is coming off a  strong performance last week when he stopped 45 shots in a 3-1 win over the Senators in Ottawa.

Jaroslav Halak may have been spectacular Tuesday night when he made 45 saves in the Canadiens' 4-1 win over Ottawa but Carey Price gets the start tonight against the Penguins.

And a bit of good news on the injury front: defenceman Jaroslav Spacek will play tonight. He left the Ottawa game in the first period after a shot hit him in the right knee.

Jaroslav Halak will start in goal for the Canadiens in Ottawa tonight, Halak, Matt D'Agostini and the injured Benoit Pouliot were the only Canadiens on the ice this morning as Jacques Martin gave his team the morning off. 

Paul Mara (upper body injury) didn't accompany the team to Ottawa and that means Tom Pyatt will be in the lineup tonight and Marc-André Bergeron will return to defence. Brian Elliott will start in goal for the Senators.

AUDIO: Cory Clouston | Mike Fisher | Jason Spezza

After surviving last night's snorer against the Flyers at the Bell Centre, coach Jacques Martin decided to let his players sleep in and he cancelled the morning skate.

As advertised, Sergei Kostitsyn's ankle injury is a minor one and he's expected to be in the lineup tonight against the Philadelphia Flyers.

Sergei took advantage of a therapy day Saturday and a day off yesterday to rest and rejoined his teammates for today's morning skate.

Also on the ice were forward Benoit Pouliot and defenceman Andrei Markov. Pouliot is still waiting to get more strength in his sprained wrist but could be back for the weekend. There's no time line for Markov's return but his progress indicates that he will return from torn tendons in his leg well before the original estimate of February. He has said he would like to be back sometime in January. 

Carey Price, coming off a strong performance against the Bruins Friday night, will be in goal.

• PREGAME AUDIO: Jacques Martin | Travis Moen

Carey Price will make his ninth consecutive start tonight when the Canadiens meet the Maple Leafs at the Bell Centre. 

Scott Gomez and Matt D'Agostini will return to the lineup. 

Defenceman Hal Gill and forward Andrei Kostitsyn joined their teammates for the morning skate and could be back in the lineup later this week.

For starters, ignore earlier report that Gionta is on the ice. He's not.

Scott Gomez is and he's centering the second line with Max Pacioretty  and Travis Moen. That's a vote of confidence for Tomas Plekanec, who remains between Miker Cammalleri and Sergei Kostitsyn. 

Matt D'Agostini looks like a go tomorrow night on a line with Glen Metropolit at centre and Kyle Chipchura on the left wing.

The other line has Maxim Lapierre between Tom Pyatt and Ryan White.

Jay Leach, who played forward Saturday, is back on defence and figures to be a healthy scratch tomorrow night.

Meanwhile, Mike Komisarek has been cleared to play for the Leafs, who are home to the Buffalo Sabres tonight.

AUDIO: Jacques Martin | Mike Cammalleri | Scott Gomez | Travis Moen | Carey Price | Matt D'Agostini

With J.T. Wyman back in Hamilton, it's reasonable to assume there will be at least one change in the Canadiens' lineup for tomorow night's game against Toronto and, from the looks of the practice today, coach Jacques Martin may have several options.

  Scott Gomez, Brian Gionta and Matt D'Agostini were all on the ice as the Canadiens hit the ice at Brossard a few minutes after 11 a.m. Earlier in the morning, Benoit Pouliot, Andrei Markov and Hal Gill all skated. We'll be back later with news on lines.

Carey Price gets yet another start in goal tonight when the Canadiens play the Washington Capitals. Coach Jacques Martin is riding  the hot hand hoping that Price can duplicate his 3-2 win over the Caps earlier this month. 

The Canadiens will dress seven defenceman but Jay Leach may see action as a forward. At today's morning skate, he lined up as a winger on the fourth line with Kyle Chipchura and James T. Wyman.

Michael Cammalleri (background) and Josh Gorges (back to camera) exchange words at practice today, separated by teammate Maxim Lapierre. Cammy's day wasn't done; see the photo below.
Marie-France Coallier, Gazette

• AUDIO: Michael Cammalleri on the scrap; on physical game | Josh Gorges | Carey Price on Ovechkin | Matt D'Agostini | Jacques Martin

The highlight of practice in Brossard today was a pushing and shoving match between teammates Mike Cammalleri and Josh Gorges with Maxim Lapierre serving as a peacemaker. 

"We talked about having an intense practice," said Gorges, while Camalleri dismissed the incident as "part of the game."

The good news on the injury front was the return of defenceman Jaroslav Spacek.

And Matt D'Agostini practised with his teammates for the first time since he was decked by Chicago's Andrew Ladd on Oct. 30. He's not suffering any more concusssion-like symptoms but he won't face the Washington Capitals tomorrow because he's still suffering from a knee injury – the result of the same collision with Ladd. 

Spacek, Ryan O'Byrne and Roman Hamrlik are all wearing extra protection over their skates.

Hal Gill, who has resumed skating but is still out with a broken foot, will also wear the Kevlar guards when he returns.   

• AUDIO: Sidney Crosby | Maxime Talbot | Dan Bylsma

Andrei Kostitsyn is a doubtful starter for tonight's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Kostitsyn came up limping after he blocked a shot in Tuesday's 5-3 win over Columbus. The Canadiens said a final decision on Kostitsyn's availability will be made beforre game time but the team hedged its bets by calling up David Desharnais from the Hamilton Bulldogs.

The Canadiens were concerned that Desharnais might get hung up with plane connections on the busy U.S. Thanksgiving weekend – you can't get here from there at the best of timees – and they hired a limousine for the six-hour drive from Hamilton to Pittsburgh.

Coach Jacques Martin cancelled the morning skate and gave his battered players a chance to sleep in after flying to Pittsburgh after last night's game at the Bell Centre.

Carey Price will make his seventh consecutive start in goal tonight. He's 4-1-1 in his six previous games with a .929 save percentage and 2.05 goals-against average.