Maple Leafs
posted by Chris Aung-Thwin at 22h45 EST on Oct 25
The Montreal Canadiens (5-5-0) are currently sitting in the 9th spot in the Eastern Conference. In the Northeast Division the Habs are third, behind a strong Buffalo squad and the competitive Senators.
We all know where the Leafs are in the standings.
The Habs have picked up their play but their stats still show a low-level team. Montreal scores an average of 2.60 goals/game but allows 3.00. Carey Price and Jaroslav Halak have a combined 0.892 SP which isn’t the worst in the league, but is far from the top. The boys have been short-handed 37 times (20th-NHL), which is much better than the league leading Hurricanes (58), but don’t have the best penalty-kill (78.4%). The powerplay is currently striking at 17.1%, but has definitely been improving over the last couple of games (Marc-Andre Bergeron is on pace for 50 PP goals).
Continue reading "Northeast Round Up" »
The Habs are playing like the Habs again. The boys are scoring goals, skating hard, playing defensively sound and maybe most importantly –
smiling.
And who can we thank for this last minute resurgence? Look no further than behind the bench.
Coach Gainey has implemented a system that uses players to their strengths and creates a team chemistry that helps overcome individual weaknesses.
This is the team that
GM Gainey had envisioned at the beginning of the season. This is the team that, on paper, looked like it could compete deep into the playoffs.
Continue reading "Making a Statement" »
posted by at 13h03 EST on Nov 8
TORONTO – It seems there will be only one change in the Canadiens lineup tonight after Friday's 4-3 shootout loss to the Blue Jackets in Columbus, Carey Price returning to the goal. Head coach Guy Carbonneau wouldn't confirm any other changes after the morning skate, so if the lineup is the same as the one used in Columbus, Steve Bégin, Mathieu Dandenault and Ryan O'Byrne will be healthy scratches.
It promises to be the usual compelling Saturday-night matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the visiting Canadiens, the two franchises playing their 692nd game. Toronto, 5-4-4, is playing better than most figured they would by this time of the season. The Canadiens are 8-1-2, and were 6-1 winners in Toronto on the first Saturday of the season, spoiling the Leafs' home opener.
Morning skate audio:
• Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson
• Toronto sniper Mikhail Grabovski (remember him?)
• Toronto defenceman Luke Schenn, just 19. First clip, second clip.
• Mike Komisarek
• Alex Tanguay
• Tom Kostopoulos
posted by Dave Stubbs at 21h37 EST on Apr 5
Links updated Sunday, 5:50 a.m.
Two-goal scorer Christopher Higgins applauds the Canadiens' Bell Centre fans, who sold out the arena for the 141st consecutive time.
Dave Sandford, Getty Images
Standings | Lineups | AP Preview | How They Match Up | Gazette Preview | Game Summary | Event Summary | Boxscore | Boone | Audio -> Carbo Press Conference | Higgins | Price | Kovalev | Stewart | Streit
Bring on the Boston Bruins, the Canadiens’ opponent in the quarterfinal round of the NHL playoffs, likely beginning Thursday in Montreal. And is this a good time to say that Montreal swept Boston 8-0 this season?
The Canadiens defeated the summer-bound Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 at the Bell Centre tonight, and thanks to Buffalo’s 3-0 win in Boston, Montreal will play the Bruins no matter what happens Sunday in the game between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Red Fisher column is here.
Should Pittsburgh lose to the Flyers, the Canadiens win the Eastern Conference and the Flyers push Boston into eighth place, making it a No. 1 vs. 8 matchup. Should the Penguins beat Philly, Montreal finishes second and Boston winds up in seventh, again matching up the Canadiens vs. the Bruins.
In theory, tonight’s game meant nothing to the Maple Leafs, out of playoff contention for some time. But give it to Montreal’s time-honoured Original Six foe from down Highway 401 – they made a game out of it.
Continue reading "CANADIENS VS. BRUINS IN FIRST ROUND" »
posted by Dave Stubbs at 18h16 EST on Apr 3
Worth a note, even if it's a free ad for Maclean's magazine...
God hates the blue and white – at least, that’s what the citizens of Leafs Nation would like to believe. After 41 years of failure, supernatural explanations start to seem pretty attractive, especially when hard facts are just too painful to face. The list of disappointments could fill volumes, and now this: For the first time in Leafs history, they’ve been eliminated from the playoffs for a third consecutive season. It’d be tempting to say the team has hit rock bottom, but it’s not clear they’re done digging.
Continue reading "Maclean's studies 'curse' of Leafs" »
posted by Dave Stubbs at 20h35 EST on Mar 29
Canadiens' Alex Kovalev, who might be captain for awhile if Saku Koivu is out for a stretch, drills a shot at flinching Toronto goaltender Vesa Toskala.
Dave Sandford, Getty Images Sport
Standings | Lineups | AP Preview | How They Match Up | Game Photos | Gazette Game Story | Game Summary | Event Summary | Boxscore | Boone
On the night of Earth Hour, the Toronto Maple Leafs turned the lights out on the Canadiens.
The Habs needed only to be tied with the Maple Leafs after 60 minutes tonight to win their first division championship in 15 seasons. But without captain Saku Koivu and the versatile Mark Streit in the lineup, and 24 hours after a rewarding but draining game in Buffalo, the task wouldn’t be an easy one.
The Habs fell 4-2 to the lowly Maple Leafs in Toronto, snapping Montreal's four-game win streak and delaying by at least another game their hoped-for Northeast Division coronation.
Koivu and Streit both were drilled in the foot with shots against the Sabres, the extent of the damage only to be known on Sunday after exams are done in Montreal. Both watched tonight’s game at the Canadiens hotel before joining their teammates for the charter flight home. And they'd be joined on the trip by two limping teammates.
Continue reading "Game 79: Limping Habs stumble against Leafs" »
posted by Dave Stubbs at 9h41 EST on Feb 25
A tale of two captains: how would Habs fans react if Koivu made the same call as Sundin?
Dave Sandford, Getty Images
You can't win: Mats Sundin, one of roughly seven million players rumoured to be coming to the Canadiens by tomorrow's trade deadline, decides he wants to finish the season, at least, as a Toronto Maple Leaf, refusing yesterday to waive his no-trade clause.
And his loyalty to the franchise, after being told by the club that they want to unload him, is to have fans rip him for selfishness, i.e., not letting the Leafs rebuild for what they might get in exchange for him. This is after Sundin chose to stay, and honour a contract which gives him the right to do so ... which the club gladly signed before saying it wants to dump him.
I'm not the world's biggest Mats Sundin fan, but I say good for him. And yet he's shredded for his loyalty. What am I missing here?
(And while there's no suggestion that the Canadiens have similarly asked captain Saku Koivu to waive his NTC, what would the reaction be among Habs fans if they did and Koivu responded as Sundin has?)
posted by Dave Stubbs at 21h35 EST on Feb 7
Canadiens defenceman Patrice Brisebois throws a hair-raising check on Toronto's Darcy Tucker.
Christinne Muschi, Reuters
Lineups | Preview | Game Story | Game Summary | Event Summary | Boxscore | Boone | Carbo Post-Game Audio | Players Post-Game Audio (from RIS)
You knew the Toronto Maple Leafs weren’t going to stink out the joint as they did two night ago at home, 8-0 losers to the Florida Panthers.
And you knew the Canadiens knew they were in for a fight, as they always are when their perennial rival comes to visit.
So Montreal now heads to Ottawa for a Saturday date against the Senators, having dropped a 4-2 Bell Centre decision tonight to the not-dead-yet Maple Leafs.
With a victory and a Senators loss at home to Florida, the Canadiens would have taken over top spot in the Eastern Conference. But the Senators won 5-4, and coupled with the Habs loss pull three points ahead of Montreal.
Continue reading "Game 55: Habs lose, Ottawa three points up" »
posted by Dave Stubbs at 23h50 EST on Dec 15
Updated on Sunday with links to Red Fisher's game story. Updated with dressing-room audio
Linesman Vaughn Rody jokes with Canadiens' Sergei Kostitsyn after the two collided along the boards.
John Mahoney, Gazette
Audio: Koivu | Higgins 1 | Higgins 2 | Price | Carbonneau News Conference
Lineups | Preview | Game Story | Game Summary | Event Summary | Boxscore | Boone's Blog
On Friday, Canadiens captain Saku Koivu was discussing his personal drought, not having scored since Nov. 17 – coincidentally, the last time his team had won at home.
“I’ve been in this situation before and I’m hoping there’s a solution,” Koivu said philosophically. “Hopefully (tonight) we can talk about my goal.”
As he wishes, then.
Koivu scored his sixth and seventh goals of the season, with Andrei Kostitsyn and Alex Kovalev scoring singles, to pace the Canadiens to a strong, start-to-finish 4-1 victory over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.
Habs goaltender Carey Price made 28 saves, losing the bid for his first NHL shutout with 4:06 to play. It was the 20-year-old's third consecutive victory over Toronto this season.
The Canadiens, 16-11-5, put an end to a six-game Bell Centre winless streak, one that was a single game from tying the club record set seven years ago. The Leafs, 4-0 winners in Atlanta last night, couldn’t solve the Canadiens at either end of the ice, losing for just the fourth time in their last 11 games.
Continue reading "Game 32: Canadiens whip Leafs, end home skid" »
posted by Dave Stubbs at 6h23 EST on Dec 15
The Gazette's Dave Stubbs files two reports in advance of tonight's Canadiens-Toronto Maple Leafs game in Montreal:
The usual mob of raucous Maple Leafs fans puts this game almost on neutral ice, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for the Bell Centre-jinxed Canadiens;
Rookie Canadiens winger Sergei Kostitsyn reflects on his first game in the NHL, Thursday against the Flyers in Philadelphia. Not that he's spoken a lot about it with his older brother, Andrei.
The Toronto Star's Kevin McGran has this piece today on Canadiens captain Saku Koivu talking about his Leafs counterpart, Mats Sundin. And the Toronto Sun's Steve Simmons has this story on last night's 4-0 Leafs win over Atlanta.
posted by Dave Stubbs at 22h57 EST on Dec 14
A little sound from the dressing room post-practice on Friday afternoon:
Canadiens captain Saku Koivu on the team's troubles at home, playing with Sergei Kostitsyn and Koivu's own goal-scoring drought. Clip runs 3:43.
Goalie Carey Price on fine-tuning his game, home ice, his success against the Maple Leafs and how his mother was impressed by his first apartment in Montreal. Clip runs 2:08.
Rookie forward Sergei Kostitsyn talks about his NHL debut. Clip runs 6:07.
Head coach Guy Carbonneau's daily media conference in English and French. He begins speaking about the health of Andrei Kostitsyn and Guillaume Latendresse. Clip runs 10:47.
posted by Dave Stubbs at 22h24 EST on Nov 27
posted by Dave Stubbs at 16h39 EST on Nov 27
Come on, you know you're out there. David Henderson, president of chillcasting.com, sends this along through Gazette sports editor Stu Cowan. It's recorded by Joe Bowen, the voice of the Toronto Maple Leafs, to help fans of our rival down the 401 calm themselves as they gear for their ninth win of the season – whenever that comes.
posted by Dave Stubbs at 15h55 EST on Nov 13
Canadiens goaltender Carey Price makes one of his 37 saves against the Maple Leafs in Toronto on Tuesday night. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Updated by Kevin Mio
Lineups | Preview | Game Story | Game Summary | Event Summary | Boxscore | Boone's Blog
The Canadiens can thank Carey Price for the two points they took home with them after a 4-3 overtime win in Toronto on Tuesday night. Mike Komisarek scored the winner on a breakaway while the teams were playing 3-on-3, slipping a shot through the legs of Maple Leags goaltender Andrew Raycroft.
Price faced 40 shots, including 39 in regulation, and made 37 saves in his first start against the Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, the Canadiens took only 25 shots on Raycroft.
Montreal's penalty killing was also key in the win, limiting Toronto to only one goal on seven oppotunities, including a lengthy 5-on-3 in the second period.
Andrei Markov opened the scoring for the Canadiens with a power-play goal in the first period. Kyle Wellwood would put the Leafs up 2-1 in the second period with a pair of goals before Andrei Kostitsyn tied it at 2-2 with less than a minute left.
Boyd Devereaux gave the Leafs a 3-2 lead halfway through the third period, but Alex Kovalev scored his ninth of the season to tie it at 3-3 with six minutes to play. Kovalev also added a pair of assists.
This was the first time the Canadiens have defeated the Leafs this season, having lost both games prior to this by one-goal margins.
Continue reading "Game 17: Komisarek the unlikely hero in OT" »
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