Higgins

From the Canadiens dressing room this afternoon after a spirited midday practice, the final practice (thankfully) before the team gets down to business Friday in Columbus and Saturday in Toronto:

• Christopher Higgins on playing with Saku Koivu and Alex Tanguay, etc.;
• Mike Komisarek on slow starts after a long break (remember Anaheim?), etc.;
• Josh Gorges on being rassled WWE-style to the ice by Koivu, and on being off the hook for a rookie dinner that can't be held without any rookies;
• Head coach Guy Carbonneau's daily briefing in English and French.

The Canadiens were in the gym today, having enjoyed a day off on Sunday with Tuesday through Thursday to prepare for back-to-back games Friday and Saturday in Columbus and Toronto. Some audio from the Bell Centre:

• Georges Laraque on the team, fighting and politics;
• Christopher Higgins, an American, on not voting in Tuesday's presidential election;
• Higgins countryman Mike Komisarek on the same election topic;
• Carey Price on the wild night on Long Island, finally a 5-4 Canadiens win, and more.

An offday for the Canadiens today, who returned home immediately after Monday's 5-3 victory over Philadelphia.

But there was a little action around the Bell Centre, with the injured Francis Bouillon, Christopher Higgins and Georges Laraque happy to say a few words.

Inside/Out's heartfelt thanks to Andie Bennett of The Team 990, who provided the audio content you'll hear below – all of it cut up into tiny bite-sized morsels, not the huge, rambling files we usually post here. Read below for the links:

Defenceman Mike Komisarek returned to Canadiens practice in Verdun today after having taken yesterday off for treatment. Forward Christopher Higgins remained out, however, missing his second straight day. Higgins has been troubled by a wonky groin this training camp.

Guillaume Latendresse, in Higgins's place, was skating with Saku Koivu and Alex Tanguay. Kyle Chipchura was used in that slot yesterday.

No word yet on the waiver status of D Alex Henry and G Marc Denis. NHL clubs had until noon today to claim either. If they were untouched, they were headed to the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs.

Following practice today in Saint-Jovite, a number of Canadiens on a number of subjects.

The team returns to practice up here on Friday before returning to Montreal for its final preseason game, Saturday vs. the Minnesota Wild.

• Head coach Guy Carbonneau, in English

• Carbonneau, in French

• Captain Saku Koivu

• Christopher Higgins

• Georges Laraque, in English

• Laraque, in French

• Kyle Chipchura

• Max Pacioretty

Canadiens captain Saku Koivu faces the media today during the first day of his team's training camp.
Dave Sidaway, Gazette

The Canadiens began their 2008-09 training camp today with medicals and a plethora of fitness tests, and Inside/Out's Dave Stubbs and Mike Boone burned out their mp3 batteries (seriously, Stubbs did) to bring you the audio bonanza that follows.

No need to describe in a nutshell what the players have to say. You'll no doubt listen to every word. But all are insightful and a little something to slake your thirst before the Habs hit the ice in Pierrefonds on Saturday morning.

Here's who we met near the dressing room today:

• Captain Saku Koivu. Clip runs 15:45
• Alex Kovalev. 16:44
• Christopher Higgins. 14:48
• Mike Komisarek. 16:33
• Carey Price. 6:49
• Alex Tanguay (French and English). 6:59
• Georges Laraque. French runs 8:20
• Laraque. English runs 3:26

If today's practice is any indication, Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau is moving Michael Ryder back onto a line with Saku Koivu and Christopher Higgins for tomorrow night's Bell Centre tilt against the Boston Bruins.

Other lines used by Carbo today: Andrei Kostitsyn with Tomas Plekanec and Alex Kovalev, the team's most consistent trio; Steve Bégin with Bryan Smolinski and Sergei Kostitsyn; and Guillaume Latendresse, Maxim Lapierre, Tom Kostopoulos and Mathieu Dandenault rotating in and out on a fourth line.

Canadiens teammates Christopher Higgins and Mike Komisarek,  fellow Long Islanders, are featured today in the New York Times as the team prepared to face the New York Islanders in Uniondale.

Forward Tom Kostopoulos has drawn a one-game suspension for instigating a fight in the final five minutes of Saturday's Canadiens-Bruins game. With 47 seconds to play, Kostopoulos went after Boston's Mark Stuart, who earlier in the period had fought Andrei Kostitsyn. Head coach Guy Carbonneau also drew an automatic NHL-imposed $10,000 fine, but don't think that's coming out of Carbo's pocket.

Mikhail Grabovski will be in the lineup tonight with Kostopoulos out against the Ottawa Senators. Christopher Higgins will be in uniform tonight, despite having limped through much of Saturday's game with what appeared to be a left ankle injury.

Defenceman Josh Gorges yields his place of Saturday to Patrice Brisebois, and Cristobal Huet gets the start in goal.

Public Enemy No. 1, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, is shown to the penalty box Saturday night.
Shaun Best, Reuters

Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau saw his team mail in a dismal performance Friday night in Buffalo. So it was with some relief, and plenty of happiness, that Carbonneau witnessed the Canadiens effort Saturday against the Boston Bruins in the most entertaining game of this season, a 7-4 Montreal victory.

Here's the game from a Boston point of view.

The Habs rallied to each other's defence, fought the battles, took 52 shots, scored a bushel and emerged with the sixth consecutive victory over their Original Six rival. And they only heated up the bad blood that's bound to be boiling again on Dec. 6 when the two clubs meet next in Boston.

The only cloud: an apparent left ankle injury suffered by Christopher Higgins, who limped through most of the final two periods. More this morning on his condition, as the Canadiens prepare to face the Ottawa Senators tonight. And just the Canadiens' luck: Senators sniper Dany Heatley has just one goal in his last 10 games and is looking to break out – soon.

The Canadiens are off to Buffalo this afternoon, ready to begin a back-to-back Friday-Saturday weekend against the Sabres, then home to the Boston Bruins.

The Gazette's Pat Hickey caught up to one head coach and two players in the Canadiens' dressing room after today's practice in Verdun for these comments:

Head coach Guy Carbonneau on changes to his lines, among other things, as he shuffles his deck by switching Michael Ryder for Tom Kostopoulos on his No. 1 line. Clip runs 5:00.

Goalie Cristobal Huet on starting tomorrow in Buffalo, and on back-to-back games. Clip runs 2:24.

Forward Christopher Higgins on his new linemate, Kostopoulos, and on the challenge that awaits in Buffalo. Clip runs 3:12.

In a Canadian Press article in the Globe and Mail, Christopher Higgins says he believes he can be a 40-goal scorer in the NHL and hopes this could be his breakout season.

Higgins scored 23 goals as a rookie in 2005-06 and 22 last season despite missing 21 games with an ankle injury. Higgins has six goals through 14 games this season, including five in his last eight games.

"Playing the minutes I play and with the guys I'm with, I think I have enough skill so I could score 40. It's a long season and it'll take a lot of work and a couple of lucky bounces, but I think I have the talent to put up those kinds of numbers."

As part of a new regular feature in The Gazette, Kevin Mio sits down with Christopher Higgins for a one-on-one conversation that deals with everything from Montreal bagels to what career path he would have followed had he not become an NHL player.

Here's a sample of what Higgins, drafted 14th overall by the Canadiens in 2002, has to say:

What makes you successful at what you do?
"I think it's just probably passion. I love playing and I love working on the game and becoming a better player and seeing myself be a better player."

Who's better at yoga, you or Mike Komisarek?
"I don't know, we're both pretty terrible (laughs). It's comical to see a couple of grown men stretching and as stiff as we are."

Audio from the Canadiens gathered after today's morning skate at the Bell Centre, a few hours before the Habs take on the Philadelphia Flyers:

Michael Ryder on his need to shoot more, and how the Canadiens' speed could neutralize the Flyers' physical game. Clip runs 2:00.
Christopher Higgins on the rude welcome awaiting Flyers' Daniel Brière, and how the Canadiens should do some banging of their own. Clip runs 3:44.
Bryan Smolinski on the Canadiens' long-established rivalry with the Flyers, of which he's about to get his first taste. Clip runs 2:38.
Head coach Guy Carbonneau talks about the game ahead. Clip runs 2:26.
And Philadelphia goalie Martin Biron on the 48th anniversary of Jacques Plante introducing the mask to the NHL, on playing with Daniel Brière and the big, bad Flyers, and being his team's No. 1 goalie. Clip runs 6:47.

Meanwhile, RDS's Luc Gélinas is reporting that the Canadiens have told Kyle Chipchura, Mikhail Grabovski and Carey Price that they can go apartment-hunting in Montreal, the time-honoured sign that they are staying with the Habs this season.

The Gazette's Pat Hickey reports that one of Michael Ryder's main goals this season was to improve on the minus-25 rating he had last season despite scoring 30 goals.

"Last year, we had a couple of tough breaks but we knew that, as a line, that was one of the things we wanted to improve," Ryder said. His linemates, Christopher Higgins and Saku Koivu, didn't do much better in that department last season, with Higgins a minus-11 and Koivu a minus-21.

But so far this season, it has been a complete reversal for the trio, with Ryder at even, Higgins is a plus-2 and Koivu is a plus-3.

Read Hickey's full article here.

The Gazette's Pat Hickey files this audio after today's Bell Centre practice, a day after the club's 6-1 dismantling of the Boston Bruins. The club plays next on Friday and Saturday games in Carolina and Pittsburgh.

Forward Christopher Higgins on the power play and leadership. Clip runs 2:35.
Defenceman Roman Hamrlik on playing in Canada. Clip runs 1:10.
Defenceman Patrice Brisebois, on the power play. Clip runs 3:30.
Defenceman Mark Streit, also on the power play. Clip runs 2:05.

Captain Saku Koivu didn't skate today, taking a therapy day. The team will not practice on Wednesday, instead doiing off-ice training, and will fly Thursday to Raleigh for Friday's game against the Hurricanes.

Christopher Higgins says he is honoured to be wearing an 'A' on his jersey as one of the Canadiens' alternate captains, but also said it's representative of the team's character.

"If you look at this team, we have a core of good young players and I think I've been chosen to represent them,' Higgins said.

While Higgins said he has always tried to "say the right thing at the right time," being an alternate captain brings more responsibility. "My focus has always been to make sure that I'm ready for the game; now I'll have to make sure my teammates are ready."

Said head coach Guy Carbonneau: "It's something I was thinking about during the summer. Chris has shown a lot of leadership and maturity, and it's time to recognize that."

Christopher Higgins says he is honoured to be wearing an 'A' on his jersey as one of the Canadiens' alternate captains, but also said it's representative of the team's character.

"If you look at this team, we have a core of good young players and I think I've been chosen to represent them,' Higgins said.

While Higgins said he has always tried to "say the right thing at the right time," being an alternate captain brings more responsibility. "My focus has always been to make sure that I'm ready for the game; now I'll have to make sure my teammates are ready."

Said head coach Guy Carbonneau: "It's something I was thinking about during the summer. Chris has shown a lot of leadership and maturity, and it's time to recognize that."

Finally... Christopher Higgins will see game action. The Canadiens forward, rehabbing following shoulder surgery in June, has been given the green light by the team's medical staff to play his first exhibition game tonight, and he'll be in the lineup vs. the Ottawa Senators, on a line with Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev.

Finally... Christopher Higgins will see game action. The Canadiens forward, rehabbing following shoulder surgery in June, has been given the green light by the team's medical staff to play his first exhibition game tonight, and he'll be in the lineup vs. the Ottawa Senators, on a line with Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev.

Habsworld.net has a nice read on Christopher Higgins and his rise through the years to become one of the Canadiens' most respected and admired players. Read it here.

Habsworld.net has a nice read on Christopher Higgins and his rise through the years to become one of the Canadiens' most respected and admired players. Read it here.

Canadiens' Christopher Higgins with Institute 3E mental conditioning coach Gary Parks, photographed at Higgins's summer-ending barbecue at his home on Long Island, N.Y. Parks also worked with Canadiens defenceman Mike Komisarek.
Photo courtesy Gary Parks

Understanding the benefits of the smallest edge in today's NHL, young Canadiens stars Christopher Higgins and Mike Komisarek spent part of their summer working with a mental conditioning coach. The two close friends, keys to the Canadiens' success this season, believe that the lessons they learned will help sharpen their focus during the marathon campaign.

Chris Higgins did little to change his physical game in the latter stages of the 2006-07 season, despite playing with a broken clavicle. Here he bulls through the crease of Buffalo Sabres goalie Ty Conklin at the Bell Centre on March 31.
Allen McInnis, Gazette

As if the ankle injury wasn't enough for Chris Higgins, the flashy Canadiens forward who missed 18 games last season with what later was described by Graham Rynbend, the team's head athletic therapist, as “multi-dimensional ... bruising, irritated tendons and an irritated ligament – a strain, sprain and a bruise all together.”

On Feb. 20, Higgins left the Canadiens-Capitals game with the time-honoured "upper-body injury," missing the club's next contest two nights later with something more precisely defined as a bruised shoulder. Yes, it was that. But it was also a broken clavicle – a fracture of the right collarbone – and it was a terribly painful injury with which Higgins played the final 17 games of the 2006-07 season.