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The Canadiens have a new general manager in Pierre Gauthier after Bob Gainey announced his resignation on Monday. Gainey will remain with the team as a special adviser to Gauthier, however. Gainey took over as GM of the team in the summer of 2003, the team's 15th GM. In his close to seven seasons, the team has made the playoffs four times, but also changed coaches twice and underwent a massive makeover last summer.

Today, Gazette Sports Editor Stu Cowan, sports writer Pat Hickey and columnist Mike Boone, along with Kevin Mio, discuss Gainey's announcement and where we go from here.

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Since our last podcast, there has been no shortage of news surrounding the Canadiens. On top of their up and down play, the Canadiens told Georges Laraque to stay home, saw teammates get in each others faces at practice and lost their leading goal scorer when Michael Cammalleri went down with a knee injury last weekend. As we speak, the Canadiens sit seventh in the Eastern Conference, but their hold on a playoff spot is tenuous and the situation changes every single night.

Today, Pat Hickey, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio discuss the injury to Cammalleri, the goaltending situation and the team's inconsistent play of late, among other things.

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The Canadiens are in the middle of a four-day break before starting a stretch that sees them play four games in six nights starting Thursday against the Dallas Stars. Montreal has won 6 of its last 10 games, many of those thanks to Jaroslav Halak. And just as the team was getting healthy, the Kostitsyn brothers have both been shelved with injuries, dealing a blow to the team’s offence.

Gazette sports writers Pat Hickey and Dave Stubbs, as well as columnist Mike Boone and Kevin Mio discuss the goaltending situation, the play of Andrei Markov since his return from a serious leg injury, the injuries to the Kostitsyn brothers and how well Guillaume Latendresse and Benoit Pouliot have played with their new teams.

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The Canadiens started a tough month of December on Tuesday night by dropping the ball in a 3-0 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team’s third straight loss. The good news is that some of the team’s injured players have started returning, but the results are still not very positive on the ice. This week finally marks the end of the team’s centennial celebrations with the game on Friday night against the Boston Bruins.

Gazette sports writers Pat Hickey and Dave Stubbs, as well as columnist Mike Boone and Kevin Mio discuss the poor performance against the Leafs, the nine straight starts by Carey Price, the Molson brother officially becoming the owners of the Canadiens and what the return of all the injured players means to the lineup.

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It’s been a tough week for the Canadiens, with losses against Pittsburgh and Chicago before beating the Maple Leafs despite blowing a late two-goal lead. On Tuesday night, they lost to Atlanta in a sloppy game that saw numerous defensive breakdowns for the Canadiens. It doesn’t get any easier for the Habs, who play Boston on Thursday and welcome Tampa Bay to Montreal on Saturday.

Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio discuss Montreal's defence, which is struggling of late, as well as Andrei Kostitsyn's play, whether Tomas Plekanec should be re-signed now and what we can look forward to against the Bruins and Lightning.

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The Canadiens are riding a four-game winning streak, but face a tough week ahead with games in Pittsburgh, Chicago and back home to face the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

In today's podcast, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone, Kevin Mio and special guest Abe Hefter of CJAD discuss the recent hot streak, the goaltending situation and how the team has come together under Jacques Martin's system.

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The Canadiens open the home portion of their schedule on Thursday as the Colorado Avalanche visit the Bell Centre to kick off a six-game homestand.

Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio set up Thursday's game and look back at the five road games the Habs played to open the season. We also address the loss of Andrei Markov and the lack of secondary scoring.

And next week, we will also be using one reader question for our panel to answer, so add them as a comment here or email kmio@thegazette.canwest.com, but please label them as Podcast Question. Thanks

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After a summer of change, the Canadiens are back on the ice, with the rookies this week and the veterans reporting for duty as of Sunday for on-ice workouts.

There is new ownership, a new coach and seven new players for the bleu, blanc, rouge, so there is plenty to discuss.

With that in mind, we gathered Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio to set up the coming season, breaking down the goaltending, defence, the forward group as well as the new coaching staff in our first puckcast of the season.

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So here we are, the NHL entry draft behind us and the period of free-agency directly ahead.

How did the Canadiens fare in the weekend draft, held at the Bell Centre? And how will general manager Bob Gainey do with all that money to spend and all those bodies to sign?

Moderator Kevin Mio tries to keep Gazette sportswriters Pat Hickey and Dave Stubbs and Habs Inside/Out blogger Mike Boone on the rails, with some success, in a discussion of these matters, and more, in Puckcast Vol. 3, No. 10.

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To the surprise of many, Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey named Jacques Martin as the team’s 29th head coach yesterday. Martin comes to the Habs with over 1,000 games of NHL coaching experience, something the team has not seen since the days of Jacques Demers. Now Martin must assemble his staff and Gainey must go about filling holes on the team with free agency only a month away.

Mike Boone, Pat Hickey and Kevin Mio examine the Martin hiring and what lies ahead for the new coach and the Canadiens. 

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The Habs Centennial season ended with a thud almost a week ago and the rumblings from media and fans has yet to subside as the team was eliminated by the Bruins in the first round of the playoffs after barely qualifying for postseason play. It was hardly the way everything was supposed to go as the team marked its 100 years. What happens next is anyone’s guess, with 10 UFA’s, the team could be drastically different next season.

Mike Boone, Pat Hickey and Kevin Mio look back at the season that was and look ahead to what the team could look like next season. 

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It's the All-Star break and the Canadiens have played more than half of their regular-season games, and there are some positive and negatie points for the team after 46 games. They are well positioned in the Eastern Conference, but some weaknesses are obvious - they seem incapable of beating teams they could face in the playoffs (think Boston, New Jersey, Carolina and Washington). On the positive side, the Canadiens have welcomed back some key injured players and will see more return to action soon, which gives coach Guy Carbonneau plenty of options to try and correct the problems.

In this week's PuckCast, Pat Hickey, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio discuss
the team's first half and look at what can be done to improve the team. They also look at the All-Star events in Montreal and what they all mean.

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Montreal singer, songwriter, entertainer, Habs fan and Inside/Out regular Dan Iorio offers this minute-long musical tribute to Vinny Lecavalier, sung to the tune of the Rolling Stones' Angie. As always, brilliant stuff. Thanks for sending it along, Dan.

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After a promising start to a franchise-record seven-game homestand, the Canadiens sputtered to the finish line with losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals. What's of greater concern is that the team also lost the services of several players, including Mathieu Dandenault and Christopher Higgins for extended periods of time, while captain Saku Koivu and goaltended Carey Price also suffered injuries, although they should be on the IR for shorter periods of time. With or without those players in the lineup, the Canadiens have been a disaster on the power play this season, a prime source of concern for head coach Guy Carbonneau and his staff.

In this week's PuckCast, Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs and Kevin Mio discuss the team's injury situation and their lack of power on what used to be the best man advantage in the NHL.

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After struggling through most of November, the Canadiens have rattled off three straight wins, all at home, including Thursday night’s 6-2 win over the New York Rangers. The day was also highlighted by the inauguration of Centennial Plaza, where the team has honours its legends and given fans a chance to be a part of it through the purchase of bricks that make up the plaza. The Habs play four more games at home on their current homestand and will look to keep on rolling against the Devils, Flames, Lightning and the Capitals.

PuckCasters Pat Hickey, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio look at the start of the team's homestand and review the play of Matt D'Agostin, give their thoughs on Centennial Plaza, the rumours that the team is for sale and Guy Carbonneau's frustrations with the media.

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We’re a quarter way through the 2008-09 season and the Canadiens have had their share of highs and lows through 21 games. But the team turned in one of its best performances of the season Wednesday night during a 3-1 win over the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Detroit Red Wings.

Most people had expected the Canadiens to struggles against the Wings, but a solid performance should serve to boost the team’s confidence as they move on to play the Washington Capitals on Friday before starting a seven-game homestand on Saturday.

PuckCasters Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio review the first quarter of the team's season and examine some of the surprises - both positive and negative - of the 2008-09 season so far. Mr. Hickey went to Washington – for Friday's game vs. the Capitals.

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For the first time this season, Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau was able to ice his complete lineup against the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday night as the Canadiens wrapped up a five-game homestand with a 3-2 shootout win. But that healthy lineup might not last as Roman Hamrlik left the game with a leg injury. The win over the Hurricanes gave Montreal a 4-1 record on the homestand and they are 6-1-1 on the season despite not playing their best hockey, especially on the power play, which is struggling after being the best in the NHL during the past two seasons. The Habs play their next four games on the road starting in Minnesota on Thursday night.

PuckCasters Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio review the just-completed homestand and look at the play of certain players including Alex Tanguay and Tomas Plekanec.

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The Canadiens have won three of their first four games to start the 2008-09 season and the newest members of the team, Alex Tanguay, Robert Lang and Georges Laraque have all made an easy transition into the bleu, blanc, rouge, with Tanguay and Lang contributing offensively and Laraque making his presence felt during his debut against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday night. The Canadiens will be at the Bell Centre for their next four games, where they play host to the Phoenix Coyotes, Florida Panthers, Anaheim Ducks and Carolina Hurricanes.

PuckCasters Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio are back for the second puckcast of the season. This week, we review the first four games of the season, discuss the Denis Savard firing, the return of the Canadiens' injured players and several other topics.

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This could be an historic season for the Canadiens and their captain Saku Koivu.

Expectations are high for the club in their centennial season, having won the Eastern Conference championship last season and gone two rounds deep in the playoffs.

This is the ninth season (10th, including the lockout of 2004-05) that Koivu has worn the captain's C, second in service only to the great Jean Béliveau. And it's a contract year for Koivu, with no guarantee that he'll be back with the club next year.

The 33-year-old native of Turku, Finland sat alone with The Gazette's Dave Stubbs at the Bell Centre on the eve of the Habs' breaking training camp for a 45-minute talk about his past, present and future with the Canadiens.

Here is roughly 30 minutes of their conversation.

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As the Canadiens prepare to start the 2008-09 season, the Habs Inside/Out crew got back to business for the first Puckcast of the season.

PuckCasters Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio have clipped on the microphones this week to preview the coming season, the 100th for the Canadiens. Among other things, we examine the long preseason schedule, the impressive showing of the team's prospects and how the Canadiens will manage the increased expecations after last season's performance.

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Montreal singer and songwriter Daniel Iorio sends us this timely tune...

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After a hard-fought victory over the Boston Bruins, the Canadiens will now take on the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference semifinals starting Thursday at the Bell Centre.

The series against the Bruins was not as easy as many expected, going the full seven games before Montreal was finally able to send the Bruins packing for the summer.

PuckCasters Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio have clipped on the microphones this week to discuss that and much more, including Carey Price, the return of Saku Koivu and the emergence of the Kostitsyn brothers on a line with Tomas Plekanec.

NOTE: Due to some technical problems, today's PuckCast might not sound as good as usual. We apologize for that.

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From Boston, The Gazette and Habs Inside/Out's Pat Hickey and Dave Stubbs, along with Jim Murphy of NHL.com and the Fast Hockey Radio Show, share their round-table thoughts on what has now become a whale of a quarterfinal playoff series between the Canadiens and the Boston Bruins.

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The Canadiens are Eastern Conference champions and will take on the Boston Bruins in the first round of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs starting on Thursday.

PuckCasters Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio have clipped on the microphones this week to discuss that and much more.

Boone and Stubbs also give their predictions on which teams will win their respective first-round matchups in the East and who they like to win the Western Conference.

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So, your Canadiens are Northeast Division champions, guaranteed to finish no deeper than second in the Eastern Conference. PuckCasters Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio have clipped on the microphones this week to discuss that and much more. Pat Hickey has earned the week off, celebrating his odometer turning back to zeroes after the Habs' Buffalo-Toronto-Ottawa road trip. Our topics:

• Was Tuesday's game against Ottawa really a perfect game, as some – including Alex Kovalev – have suggested?
• While the Habs have weathered injuries through the short term, will there be any long-term impact?
• What does everyone think about the possibility of a Montreal-Pittsburgh series somewhere down the road?
• Can Carbo now afford to rest a few regulars, with two games left before the playoffs?
• Twenty-two wins and three shutouts: does Carey Price merit consideration for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's MVP?
• And can the Senators actually miss the playoffs?

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So, your Canadiens are Northeast Division champions, guaranteed to finish no deeper than second in the Eastern Conference. PuckCasters Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio have straggled to the microphones this week to discuss that and much more. Pat Hickey has taken the week off, celebrating his odometer having turned back to zeroes after the Habs' Buffalo-Toronto-Ottawa road trip. Our topics:

• Was Tuesday's game against Ottawa really a perfect game, as some – including Alex Kovalev – have suggested?
• While the Habs have weathered injuries through the short term, will there be any long-term impact?
• What does everyone think about the possibility of a Montreal-Pittsburgh series?
• Can Carbo now afford to rest a few regulars, with two games left before the playoffs?
Twenty-two wins and three shutouts: does Carey Price merit consideration for the Calder Trophy as the NHL's MVP?
• And can the Senators actually miss the playoffs?

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So, the Canadiens are in the playoffs, their opponent to be determined, with five games to go in the regular season. The full PuckCast lineup of Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio put the week's news into focus with their usual dubious perspective. Our topics:

• Did anyone really see this Eastern Conference-leading performance coming, after last season's final-weekend heartbreak?
• Does coach Guy Carbonneau rest a few regulars now to prepare for the playoffs?
• Who is the ideal, and the worst, first-round opponent?
• Was the Canadiens' third-period letdown against Ottawa on Monday any reason for concern?
• Are the Habs in danger of a late-season sag, with the playoff berth confirmed?
• Will, or should, the Quebec-Chicoutimi major-junior fiasco, and Patrick Roy's role in it, affect the Hall of Fame goalie's expected Canadiens number retirement next season?

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This week's PuckCast is an abbreviated version with iron men Mike Boone and Kevin Mio holding court to discuss all things Canadiens.

With a postseason berth all but locked up, we look at possible playoff matchups and which team the Canadiens would fare better against. We also discuss the Canadiens' ironman, Mike Komisarek, whose streak could be in danger after being forced to leave Thursday's game against the Bruins with a lower-body injury. The latest reports list hims as questionable, so it will be Saturday before a decision will be made in his case.

Other topics include the dazzling goals of Alex Kovalev, the Saturday night rematch with the Bruins and why Tim Thomas can't seem to handle the Canadiens.

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A great many nosebleeds at Habs Central, some of us not used to the altitude of first place in the Eastern Conference. PuckCast regulars Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio weigh in this week on the club's lofty status. Also: Have the Canadiens finally solved the New Jersey Devils, having now beaten them three times in a row?; How does everyone feel about a possible Canadiens-Devils playoff round, which would be the first since 1997?; What about the team's two-win, two-loss western road trip?; What's recently taken goalie Carey Price to another level?; And just what was Mikhail Grabovski thinking ... if he was thinking at all?

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A special edition of your weekly PuckCast today – Inside/Out's Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and our resident referee Kevin Mio – who has better hair than Kerry Fraser – are in the studio high atop Montreal Gazette headquarters to discuss Tuesday's National Hockey League trading deadline and how it affected the Canadiens and other clubs, all of whom now settle in for the stretch run toward the playoffs. Feel free to disagree with us. Which surely would be a first. And forgive our outdated reference to "When will the Senators sack head coach John Paddock?" That happened a few hours after we recorded today's episode.

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