Kovalev

Congratuiations to Canadiens forward Alex Kovalev, who last night scored the 800th point of his NHL career – in his 1,000th game.

Alex Kovalev reaches a milestone.
Jana Chytilova, Ottawa Citizen

Alex Kovalev will become the third member of the Canadiens to play in his 1,000th NHL game this month when he takes to the ice against the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday night.

Defenceman Roman Hamrlik and forward Bryan Smolinski are the other members of the team to reach the milestone.

Kovalev becomes the fourth Russian-born player to play 1,000 NHL games. He could also reach the 800-point plateau in Carolina with a goal or an assist (337 goals, 462 assists).

Friday's game will be Kovalev's 163rd as a member of the Canadiens, making him one of the longest-serving Russian players in team history behind Andrei Markov (419), Oleg Petrov (365) and Vladimir Malakhov (282).

It's the media's fault, Alex Kovalev says, for the latest controversy in which the Russian is embroiled. By reporting his time-out comments Tuesday night, Kovalev said today, journalists were trying to "twist" his words and stir up trouble between himself and head coach Guy Carbonneau. From now on, he says, he's going to be less forthcoming with his comments to reporters.

Alex Tanguay
Happy in Calgary

To the RDS-fuelled rumours of Calgary Flames' Alex Tanguay being traded to Montreal for Alex Kovalev? "I'm very happy where I'm at," Tanguay told the Calgary Sun.

"Who wouldn't want to be playing on a line with Jarome Iginla and Craig Conroy and on a team that's got Miikka Kiprusoff in net?"

(Who indeed?)

Check the Calgary Herald's Flames site under its Multimedia heading for a short video clip of Tanguay discussing the rumours, with thanks to our friends at Kukla's Korner and Spector's Hockey for the links.

The Gazette's Pat Hickey reports that Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau has cleared the air with veterans Alex Kovalev and Steve Bégin after a few controversies on Tuesday.

Carbonneau had a one-on-one with Bégin Tuesday afternoon and spoke with Kovalev before practice on Wednesday. "Alex is entitled to his opinion, but I wish he had kept it in the room," Carbonneau said. "If he had something to say, he should have come to me."

In his Standing Pat column, Hickey writes that Alex Kovalev has told his young linemates, Mikhail Grabovski and Andrei Kostitsyn, not to worry so much about getting him the puck.

"I've told them to play their games and not to worry about me," Kovalev said, adding that he is heeding general manager Bob Gainey's advice and helping the youngsters.

Said head coach Guy Carbonneau: "I think he'll be the first to tell you that he didn't have a good season last year. From what I see, we have the potential to have three offensive lines capable of scoring and we're looking to Alex to be a leader."

Alex Kovalev grabbed the spotlight from Sidney Crosby last night at the Bell Centre after a three-point night that included the overtime winner as the Habs downed the Penguins 3-2 in the first of back-to-back exhibition games.

But the Canadiens' blue line took a bruising during the game, with Andrew Archer sent to hospital for X-rays after a fight with Georges Laraque in the first period and Mathieu Carle suffering a knee injury in the second period.

The Gazette's Pat Hickey writes that on paper, the Penguins had a clear advantage because of their lineup's NHL experience. The players dressed for the Pens combined for 194 NHL goals last season, while the Canadiens lineup scored only 78 goals.

Links updated Tuesday 5:50 am ET

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Aw, who cares if it was an allegedly meaningless exhibition game?

With the teams playing 3-on-3, Pittsburgh's Sidney Crosby and Montreal's Mike Komisarek jawing at each other in the penalty box, Canadiens' Alex Kovalev buried a hard wrist shot past goalie Marc-André Fleury with 29 seconds remaining in overtime to give a prospect-stocked Habs lineup an entertaining, even encouraging 3-2 victory over a veteran lineup of Penguins on Monday night.

Kovalev had a goal and two assists for the Canadiens, who also had goals by Corey Locke and Andrei Kostitsyn.

It was spirited, to say the least, and the two teams meet again Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, if not with precisely the same lineups.

The first month of the 2007-08 season should be one of milestones for several Canadiens.

Newcomers Roman Hamrlik and Bryan Smolinski, as well as Alex Kovalev, will each hit the 1,000-games played mark in the early strides of the season. The three players made their debut in 1992-93 - the last time the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup - with the Lightning, Bruins and Rangers, respectively.

Hamrlik, with 999 games player, will reach the mark on opening night. Smolinkski had played in 992 games and Kovalev has appeared in 991 games. All three should attain the milestone before October is out.

Only seven players have celebrated their 1,000th NHL as a Habs, with Stéphane Quintal the last to do so on Jan. 6, 2004.

Read the story on Canadiens.com here.

Radio-Canada is reporting that Canadiens forward Alex Kovalev was involved in a motorcycle accident in the Gaspesie during the weekend. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured and will be at training camp next month.

Kovalev was driving the Harley-Davidson belonging to the mayor of Grande Riviere, Romuald Boutin, on Saturday when he lost control of the bike and spun out. Kovalev flew his personal plane to the area to visit Jocelle Gauvrier, a member of his fan club who has an extensive collection of Kovalev jerseys.

Read the full article here.