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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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With his son, Stephen, and daughters Anna and Colleen at his side, Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey tonight watched a banner bearing his name and No. 23 pulled to the rafters of the Bell Centre, an emotional and fitting tribute for the giant-hearted Hall of Famer. He is the 14th Canadien to be honoured with a number retirement.

Gainey is expected to meet the media between tonight's first and second periods. We hope to have the audio of that conversation in its entirety posted here by the second intermission, in a format to be played inline on this post or downloaded. Also look for images of the ceremony later this evening by clicking Photos above.

Link to a detailed Legends of Hockey package by clicking here.

Here's a terrific piece at nhl.com on Gainey's first experience as an NHL coach with the 1990-91 Minnesota North Stars, which showed his promise in hockey off the ice.

Robert Lefebvre's typically excellent post at his own blog features 23 links to Gainey stories.

And don't forget to visit the Gainey Foundation.

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Has your heart medicine kicked in since Tuesday's electrifying 6-5 shootout victory? Yes or no, your Inside/Out PuckCast squad of Hickey, Stubbs, Boone and Mio is back to discuss that, and more: Is the Canadiens habit of late comeback a worrisome sign?; is it time to put to rest the rumours of trading netminder Cristobal Huet?; how about sudden sniper Michael Ryder – keep him or trade him?; Boone says the Canadiens might be a team of destiny, though we might not all agree; Bob Gainey is said to be searching for an impact player – so who wants Mats Sundin?; and let's discuss Saturday's retirement of Hall of Famer Gainey's No. 23.

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It was a rough week for the Canadiens, who were able to snap a three-game losing streak on Wednesday night with a 2-1 overtime win over the Florida Panthers. That game followed a loss at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Montreal's first game since Ryan O'Byrne and Tom Kostopoulos were arrested outside a Tampa bar early Monday morning. 

In this week's podcast, Gazette sports editor Stu Cowan, Pat Hickey and Mike Boone, as well as moderator Kevin Mio, examine the players' arrests and the possible implications for each.  We also discuss the return of Carey Price, who appears to have regained his confidence, which can only be good news for the Canadiens.

Also up for discussion is the improved play of Saku Koivu and Christopher Higgins over the last few games, the trade rumous swirling around the team, the importance of getting Roman Hamrlik back in the lineup and much more.

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Singer/songwriter/entertainer Daniel Iorio, who regularly produces songs for Tony Marinaro on Montreal's The Team 990, whipped up this ditty on Canadiens defenceman Ryan O'Byrne, forward Tom Kostopoulos and their Florida purse woes. Think Johnny Cash's classic Folsom Prison Blues, and enjoy Dan's tune, shared by Tony.

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Canadiens forward Alex Kovalev has been brilliant this season, the anchor on the team's first line with centreman Tomas Plekanec and fellow winger Andrei Kostitsyn.
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A few short months ago, it wouldn't have been unreasonable to think that Alex Kovalev had played his final game in a Canadiens uniform.

The 34-year-old Russian was coming off a tumultuous, sub-par season, one of just 18 goals and 47 points which saw him heckled by fans, shrouded by controversy, shredded by the media, demoted to the fourth line before being benched by coach Guy Carbonneau and, in his opinion, hung out to dry by the Montreal organization.

Now, 55 games into this season, Kovalev is the powerful locomotive pulling the Canadiens Express, the creative right-wing on one of the league’s premier lines with centreman Tomas Plekanec and left-wing Andrei Kostitsyn.

It’s been a long time since the 16-year NHL veteran has had this much fun, showcasing his prodigious, highlight-reel talent with a mature completeness of game that sees Carbonneau use him in every situation. And he's on pace to enjoy a career season in a few statistical categories.

On Wednesday, Kovalev sat for nearly an hour with Habs Inside/Out and Montreal Gazette writer Dave Stubbs to talk about this season, last season, and the huge gulf between the two. Typically, he was engaging, bright and very candid about his perceptions of himself, his linemates, the Canadiens and his problems of last year.

Click above to listen to roughly 38 minutes of Stubbs's Kovalev interview. Or, click on this link to download the file. Here is the Gazette feature that the interview produced, as well as a sidebar with Kovalev discussing his linemates and his long-ago developed puck-control prowess, and a roundup of a few quick-hit quotes from the Russian star.

And at montrealgazette.com, you'll find two audio excerpts of the interview along with a slideshow featuring Kovalev on and off the ice. Here's Part 1 and Part 2.

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The Canadiens have gone through some highs and lows this week after having narrowed the gap on the Eastern Conference-leading Ottawa Senators to only one point after defeating the Sens. But the Habs stumbled in a loss to the Maple Leafs on Thursday and the team's play has started to slide a little bit.

In this week's podcast, The Gazette's Pat Hickey and Mike Boone, as well as moderator Kevin Mio, examine the team's play over the last few games and discuss some of the lapses the team has suffered from lately. We also look at the return of Carey Price, how Cristobal Huet will handle the increased workload he has faced and is likely to continue facing in the coming weeks.

Also up for discussion is the possible return of Ryan O'Byrne, the Saku Koivu situation, the team's lack of secondary scoring and what, if any, moves general manager Bob Gainey will make before the looming trad deadline.

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Where were we before we were so rudely interrupted by the NHL All-Star break. Right. The Canadiens had just rallied for an improbable, impressive come-from-behind victory over the New Jersey Devils last Thursday. So PuckCasters Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs and Mike Boone, with ringmaster Kevin Mio, weigh in this week on the following, the morning after the Habs blanked the Capitals:

Can the Canadiens catch the Senators? Will Bob Gainey make any moves before next month's trading deadline? So how about that third line of Bégin-Kostopoulos-Smolinski? When do we see the return of defencemen Patrice Brisebois and Mathieu Dandenault, complicated by the impending return of Ryan O'Byrne? Alex Kovalev – a bruised or, heaven forbid, a broken thumb? And the All-Star Game. What a beauty that was, eh?

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This week you've got The Gazette's all-star PuckCast lineup of Pat Hickey at centre and Dave Stubbs and Mike Boone on the wings, with Kevin Mio in nets. So we have no defence – kind of like the Boston Bruins at the Bell Centre last night.

On this week's menu: the dilemma facing pressbox-sitter Mathieu Dandenault, who must be patient for his return to action; the return after a 19-game injury rehabilitation of Steve Bégin; the Canadiens depth – good or bad?; now, into New Jersey to face those damn Devils; Alex Tanguay to the Canadiens?; the Penguins' Georges Laraque and how to deal with him; the lustre, or lack thereof, of the National Hockey League's All-Star Game; and the firing in Toronto of general manager John Ferguson Jr.

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