RDS reports that the Habs have re-signed David Desharnais to a 1 year, 2 way deal.

Desharnais’s agent mentions in the article that David preferred to avoid arbitration and wants to prove his worth on the ice. In this age of big business in sports…. and all the big money…. it’s completely respectable to me that Desharnais made that choice.

In fact, another player (not a Habs player) who settled for a smaller contract just last year (I believe it was last season) was Manny Malhotra. He pretty much went in and worked really hard…. put his focus on playing hockey as best he could and this year he signed a 3 year 2.5 million dollar deal.

Not sure that Desharnais will follow that exact path but I think he’s got a shot at sneaking in and taking some ice time this season. Seeing him play last year I can’t help but think a bit about Gionta and Martin St Louis. Not just because Desharnais is 5′7, I mean yeah that’s part of the comparison but the other part is that Desharnais was all hustle.

I look forward to seeing him a little more this year.

It’s official. Dominic Moore and Glen Metropolit will not be offered new contracts.

I can say that I was a fan of Metropolit from the time he came to Montreal. And really, who could forget that first game?

He’s put on waivers by his team at the time, the Philadelphia Flyers, only to be picked up by Bob Gainey’s (at the time) Montreal Canadiens. What made this unforgettable is that Metro had to face his former team that day.

I remember watching that game and how it was mentioned…. later on I remember hearing about the adversity he faced in his youth and also beating the odds to play in the NHL.

The word that followed Glen around was that he was loved by all his team mates. Metro played some great hockey in Montreal and I will miss seeing him in the Habs uni. Some GM out there will certainly get a good role player by picking up Metropolit.

I also remember Domini Moore coming over… as Gauthier’s first move giving up a 2nd round draft pick (2011)…. a price I figured was quite high.

But really Moore made me a believer. He worked hard in Montreal, playing a his role on the Habs 2010 playoff run and playing it well. I really thought Moore was a keeper. If it weren’t for the cap being so tight I’m sure Moore would have gotten an offer to stay in Montreal.

His spot will stay open for a younger player to make his way up from the minors I’m sure.

To both Glen and Dominic, I wish you the very best.

Here’s a segment by Sportsnet on the Montreal Canadien’s success done by R.J. Broadhead, John Garrett and Doug MacLean.

They also preview tonight’s Boston Bruins vs Philadelphia Flyers game 7.

Sometimes I enjoy looking at statistics, like who’s winning the scoring race…. or seeing Jaroslav Halak on top of save % thus far.

I’m writing this not as a statistician or wanting to figure out formulas…. I’m writing this because when I’ve looked at certain stats as a fan, I was always struck with a first impression about the stat.

I thought I’d look at the plus/minus stat a little bit to see how teams these playoffs were shaping up and look at a few years past. Over several games the plus/minus stat can show in a general way how a team performs 5 on 5 and can also give a hint at which players are better offensively/defensively. Obviously it doesn’t give a true look at your best defensive or offensive player, because the stat itself is a bit of a balance between the goals scored while your on the ice for and against your team. So a higher scoring player may end up with a higher plus/minus stat then a better defensive player in some cases.

Basically, it’s a glimpse of how the team is doing 5 on 5 while each player is on the ice.

I thought I’d write a little blurb on this because I read a great article on the Corsi stat over at Lions in Winter. The article’s name is “Putting the Corsi in it’s place“. It’s a great read.

So every time I used to look at a team’s plus minus I had an impression it was (or should) be telling me who was the better team. Or who was the “winner”. Not necessarily so. At least in my opinion.

In regular season I believe a team can be lucky. In the playoffs I think the better team will win. I could open a can of worms with that statement for sure. But this is what I mean. I don’t mean by better team that it has the most skilled players (sometimes it may, sometimes it may not)…. simply put I think in the playoffs the team that will play “together” being opportunistic within a strategy to exploit their opponent’s weaknesses end up being the better team. 4,5,6,7 games in a row against the same team, you get to know the players habits, the team’s strengths and weaknesses quite well… you get to know how your opponent’s coaches  will try to counter your moves.

Luck disappears. Heart, work ethic, will to win, coach ability… these things begin to matter much more then 1 regular season game. It is quite different.

Here’s what the Habs stats focused on the plus/minus look like thus far.

Habs stats after 11 games in 2010 playoffs

Looking at these stats a couple of things come to mind right off the bat.

Hal Gill

I’m not at all surprised that Hal Gill is at +4 at 5 on 5. He’s been clogging up the shooting and passing lanes…. using his long reach to frustrate opponents so far.

Marc-Andre Bergeron

I’m not at all surprised that MA Bergeron is currently at -10 while 5 on 5. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s seen Bergeron give up the puck on occasion. He also has a hard time to defense bigger forwards as they tend to bump him off the puck easily.

Where he is quite valuable is on the power play where he gets a fair bit of playing time.

Mike Cammalleri

I’m a bit surprised at his -3 but at first sight my impulse is to think “He’s scored 8 goals so opponents have scored 11 during that ice time” (without taking into consideration the assists)… well, not quite. That’s a small example of where things get a little murky. Cammalleri scored 3 of his goals on the power play, so that brings the numbers to his scoring 5 goals at 5 on 5 and opponents scored 8 during that ice time…. then again, with his 5 assists, how many of those points where on power play goals?

Stats can be fun. Ultimately the ones that count the most are the score at the end of the game, and the win/loss number during the series.

Then of course, it’s just plain numbers. Who were they paired with…etc.

Now for fun, let’s add in the plus/minus stats for both the Penguins and Capitals.

Washington Capitals

Capitals stats after 7 games in 2010 playoffs

Against the Washington Capitals I “feel” as though I’m looking at the team that won the series, or the “better” team. It certainly is reflective at a team’s strength at 5 on 5.

And again, just looking at the plus/minus in mind it gives me that impression. But what it doesn’t tell me is who won a game. It doesn’t tell me which team got penalized the most, which team were better on the penalty kill, which team had the best scoring opportunities…etc.

To be quite honest, looking at the plus/minus stats for the Capitals, I’m not surprised at all. They were the top scoring team in the league this year.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins stats after 10 games in 2010 playoffs

When I look at the Penguins plus/minus numbers one thing does kind of surprise me. The thing that surprises me is Jordan Staal’s plus/minus number.

He lead the team this season with +19, and now is at the bottom with -5 in the playoffs. Staal is also regarded as a good defensive player.

I hadn’t watched all of the Ottawa/Pittsburgh series and I haven’t (and am not going to) dig into his pairings in that series.

I’m just surprised.

2008-2009 playoffs

2008-2009 playoff plus/minus leaders

The plus/minus leaders in 2008-2009 leave me with the impression that Detroit should have won… and I’m sure some will argue they should have…. as people do about any series.

I still like statistics and I really enjoy the work done over at En Attendant les Nordiques.

Today I try to go past that “first impression” that I get from certain statistics.

Like I mentioned earlier… 2 things ultimately matter. The score at the end of the game and the win/loss number in a series.

And there’s a slogan that I’ve kind of grown fond of. “Good teams find a way to win”.

Improbability doesn’t mean impossibility.

I’m not sure how to express it… but I’ll just say that this game 7 was intense! Very intense.

My wonderful little girl (Emily, aged 6) wanted to watch part of the game with me. So we cuddle up and watched some of the first period together. She asked me some questions about the 2 teams. After a little bit she wanted to lie down and before I knew it, she was asleep.

I’d also like to mention that there was a great live chat tonight and thanks to Steven Hindle (@StevenHindle , Capitals coverage) for inviting me to join in.

I was watching the game intensely. The Capitals seemed to push quite a bit to start the game. And in the second period, I was kind of surprised at how flat they came out. At one point I remember thinking that the Capitals must have thought they were on a penalty kill because the Habs players were skating around their zone at will with the puck.

They soon realized they weren’t on the penalty kill… and pressure on Halak and the team’s defense resumed once again.

I’ve been so impressed with a few players in general.

Hal Gill

Again… Gainey took some heat for this signing. From media commentators to fans. I remember PJ Stock on Team 990 talking about Hal Gill being a great locker room guy and how he would fill an important role on this team. I also remember PJ saying that Gill was a shut down man in the playoffs for Pittsburgh’s cup run. PJ took some heat from callers and co-hosts for that.

But Hal Gill has answered the bell. And maybe Gill is made for this time of year somehow. So many times when an attacking Capitals forward would come in Hal would either be positioned to take his man out of the play with his body or he’d be in a spot where he could use his long reach and take the puck away with his stick.

He blocked about a million shots in that series. Really Mr Gill, you played one heck of a series and you deserve a huge word of thanks from this fan.

Josh Gorges

Josh Gorges is still a young defenseman and if we go back a few years the trade in which we acquired him in was scrutinized….. but I guess you can’t make everyone happy as a GM. Sometimes, no one is happy anyways.

Gorges, paired with Gill, has really looked good. Josh keeps doing the simple things. Clearing pucks off the boards to his forwards… always positioning his body against attacking forwards to take them out of the attack.. or not going into a panic when an Ovechkin or a Semin was at him on offense…. panic means the simple plays usually go out the door. But Gorges has really looked good out there.

Gorges is turning into a leader on this team.

Jaroslav Halak
don’t think enough can be said about Halak’s play. Here’s a guy who’s been an underdog before. A 271st 9th round draft pick who’s always believed in himself and how’s never given up. Anyone think he asked Alex if he was nervous while they were shaking hands??

This season his positioning and movement through the crease has been superb. The commentators keep saying it over and over again… and it’s so true.

You’re not gonna score many goals on him if the puck is going low. He extends himself very well to cover the bottom of the net and is quick to jump on the puck.

Something I hear in game commentary that I don’t really agree with. Some of the guys on TSN were saying that he stepped it up, that he knew he had to put the team on his shoulders to win this game seven…etc.

II enjoyed the coverage. I really did. But, I think that Jaro just went to play. Sure he knew he’d have to play a hell of a game…. after all the entire team and coaching staff knew they were facing the league’s best offense with Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals. I just don’t think I’d blow it up that much. He a hard worker. I think he went into the series wanting to do his absolute best. Because I honestly believe that’s how he shows up every game.

Very entertaining series

This was a superb series. And I’m not just saying this because the Habs won, although it does make it special obviously, I’m saying this because in pretty much every game I saw I was on the edge of my seat. Game 4 I only saw a bit of on a wide screen TV while I was playing a gig (playing drums).

PK Subban looked pretty good out there. A couple of times though I will admit he made me a little bit nervous. Once when he tried a little between the legs pass in game 6. You just don’t want to get to cute in the playoffs.

But everytime PK would start skating with the puck from his own end I just thought he’d make it right to Washington’s net everytime. Subban has a great skating stride. He’s fast and mobile on his feet, he can handle and move the puck. He’s got a ton of energy and enthusiasm.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to sleep…. but I gotta try now.

Go Habs Go!!

With only 2 games left in the season the Habs play the Carolina Hurricanes tonight. Carolina is usually a very strong foe against the Canadiens and I except that it will be no different tonight.

While Montreal is still sitting in 6th place in the Eastern conference with only these 2 games left (Hurricanes and the Leafs) it’s still not a sure bet.

And you know what, I don’t like that.

The Habs could’ve clinched the playoff spot in the last 2 games but instead wilted away to loose both games. Watching the team this year it’s been hard to really get a sense of who this group is and what they can accomplish. Primarily because most of the lineup has been injured for several weeks at one point or another.

But something that has happened quite a bit is this wilting away in the 3rd period. I find it quite frustrating and I can only imagine that the players do to. I’m not sure why exactly, honestly I can only speculate because I’m a fan and not in the team’s system.

But, it seems to me that our dear Habs try to sit on a lead far too often. Usually a small lead… and maybe even trying to sit on it too early in the game. Now, there are exceptions…. just go back to the buffalo game in march (I believe) where the Habs had a small cushion… only to have the Sabres score some quick goals and blow the whole thing up.

I don’t think I’m the only one, in fact I know I’m not, to notice that there seems to be quite a lack of killer instinct on this team. Again, I’m just a fan looking at this team that I’ve always followed. But I question the coaching strategy a bit. End of games…. no time outs at crucial times…. and just trying to play trap.

I’m watching this game tonight, and if there’s one thing I want to see…. it’s a team that wants it…. a team that’s hungry for this win…. a team that will not sit back on a small lead and try to make it through the finish line…. but a team that will do a little “kick ‘em when their down”… .and score more goals….. hopefully gain some confidence and win by more then 1 goal while being outshot……

Have I said enough?

That’s what I’m looking for tonight.

Alot is being said about the goaltenders in Montreal in the media. Will one get traded? When? For who/what? Which one?….etc.

This morning I read this great article on The Hockey News site titled “Top Shelf: Re-packaging the 1-2 goalie punch“.

The author (Ryan Dixon) mentions that there is another team doing a very similar thing that is going on with the Habs as of late. That is, each goaltender has played a substantial number of games.

You see, the Nashville Predators have been playing both Pekka Rinne and Dan Ellis a fair bit. Rinne has played 28 games and Ellis 20. Their stats are also quite similar:

Nashville Predators
Pekka Rinne – 28 games – 2.74 GAA – .906 S%
Dan Ellis –  20 games – 2.75 GAA – .910 S%

It’s quite similar to what’s going on in Montreal between Price and Halak statistically:

Montreal Canadiens
Carey Price – 29 games – 2.67 GAA – .915 S%
Jaroslav Halak – 18 games – 2.64 GAA – .922 S%

Just like the article mentions, if we go back to the days of Patrick Roy he played with Brian Hayward alot. In fact in Roy’s first 4 full seasons in Montreal (85-86 to 88-89) he never played more then 48 games.

Alot has changed since those days of course. I’m not sure if all the money might have influenced more of the battle to be a “number 1″ on a team. I mean, I know athletes are competitive but when you lay the chips down hockey is a team sport and if I put my “fan-gm” hat on for a minute…. it’s much better for a team and for an organization to have 2 strong goaltenders instead of having a “number 1″ and a “backup”.

Food for thought this morning.

For any of you who weren’t able to view the festivities for the Habs 100th anniversary last night or for those of you who would just like to watch it again (and again…??).

Here are the videos from last night courtesy of Habs TV!




Habs alumni warm-up

Howe introduces Béliveau

Elmer Lach and Butch Bouchard’s Jersey Retirement

Team photo

Dryden, Roy and Lafleur

Centennial Banner Raising

Last night was a magical night for Montreal Canadiens fans. I thought they would have some special surprises planned but I couldn’t have guessed how it would have unfolded.

I watched RDS for many hours before the game and was impressed from the beginning. I thought it was just great.

When they dimmed the lights in the Bell Center I almost felt goose bumps all over.. I knew something pretty neat was gonna take place.

Then… when the pucks were dumped on the ice and I saw Patrick Roy walking on the ice in full gear…. I was in awe. It was awesome. Seeing all those guys jump on the ice brought back alot of memories. One guy I hadn’t noticed walk on the ice was Mats Naslund… later when he was introduced I was so pleased to see him there. He was one of my favorite players in his time in Montreal.

I won’t try to name every player that skated with the alumni… but let’s just say I thought it was very classy and very cool for the die hard Canadiens fans. Many of those guys I hadn’t seen in their playing days but like some of you (I’m sure) I’ve read about them and have seen their statistics over and over again. I’m not just really a fan of the Montreal Canadiens I’ve seen on the ice….. I’m a fan of the Montreal Canadiens rich history as much as I am the current team they ice year after year.

Seeing Dryden in gear, Larry Robinson, Bob Gainey (who we saw in a Habs uni not that long ago), Naslund… Chris Nilan, Damphousse, Turgeon.. Guy Lafleur!.. Steve Shutt…. Serge Savard…. it was great to see Lyle Odelein out there…. Carbo was back in gear and had some strong applause skating in the jersey (great to see… another of my all-time favorite players)… (captain) Kirk Muller was out for a skate….. it was awesome

As always, seeing Jean Béliveau and Henri Richard is always a treat. These guys are always very well spoken and gentlemanly. RDS interviewed Henri Richard and Dickie Moore later on in the evening and I thought it was a great treat…

After Patrick Roy was introduced and he came up to the podium and spoke… I couldn’t help but think that he just should have retired in a Habs jersey. It’s one of the modern day tragedies that the franchise had to face. I loved his speech and I also enjoyed how he mentioned that it wasn’t only a special night for the fans because of the anniversary and the festivities… but also because the fans could witness the Habs beating the Bruins on the night… I thought that was great…. pressure put on the team by an all-timer.

Patrick, you were probably my favorite player growing up and though I somehow tried to put a positive spin on the trade that sent you to another team…. I just couldn’t bring myself to believe that “spin”… because we lost one of the game’s best ever goaltenders. You will always be close in my mind when I think of “Le CH”.

I thought it was neat how Viggo Mortensen was in house to introduce Guy Lafleur. Viggo is a huge Habs fan and a big star in his own right. I’m sure that Viggo really enjoyed being a part of the special ceremonies. Well done man!

Although Guy Lafleur looked like he could still probably skate with some of these players (in the game)…. he announced to the crowd that he was in fact not playing as he cheered them on. Lafleur was probably the first big star that I watched as a kid growing up…. always happy to see him in the Habs ceremonies.

The last of the 3 speakers was Jean Béliveau and I thought it was a big touch of class that they invited Gordie Howe to the events to introduce Jean Béliveau. 2 dominant players in their time and 2 classy representatives for NHL hockey history.

I never get tired to hearing Béliveau speak and seeing his smile as he is always courteous and well spoken. Béliveau was truely a dominant big man in his time…. he captained the team for 10 years and won more Stanley Cups then most players have years in their NHL careers…. the dynasties of old have some pretty impressive records don’t they??

In Béliveau’s final season in Montreal, at 39 years old he played 70 games, scored 25 goals and tallied 51 assists for 76 points… not bad eh?? In the post season that year he had 22 points and won his 10th Stanley Cup. Legend.

There were so many great, great players… it was amazing.

Having Elmer Lach and Butch Bouchard in a ceremony which saw their numbers retired was quite fitting and long overdue. Elmer Lach was one of the best play makers of his era and Butch Bouchard was a strong shut down defenseman who would always deliver a hard check to his opponents.

It was announced that Ryan O’Byrne would be the last Canadiens player to wear the no 3… and in a very classy move, Ryan then took off his no 3 jersey and gave it to Bouchard only to reveal his new number 20. Heck… I thought Pierre Bouchard still looked so big in that Habs jersey that he could’ve broken Ryan O’Byrne in half…. maybe it was just the nostalgia of it all…..

The ceremonies were nothing short of great. I remember watching the ceremonies when the old Forum closed it’s doors and these ceremonies were just as great in my mind.

A great evening!

It was reported that David Desharnais is heading back to Hamilton. Desharnais played just under 8 minutes against the Penguins, no points and -1.

Hoping that he’ll be back sometime.

And RDS is reporting that Andrei Markov started skating and that there’s a chance that he could be back in the lineup as early as late December.

Imagine if Markov did come back healthy and ready to go by early January… just in time to get in sync for the playoff run….

Gomez, Spacek, D’Agostini and the newly acquired Benoit Pouliot were also skating today.

The game against the Penguins had the Habs down Markov, Gill, Gomez, Spacek, Gionta, D’Agostini and Andrei Kostitsyn…. am I missing a few???

The team played with effort and heart.

Imagine what this team may look like in Januray or February is these guys are back and the team is relatively healthy. I’m optimistic… At the rate of NHL injuries this year though…. there are no guarantees.