The Slovakian Sleeper?

Can Jaroslav Halak be the goalie that can lead us to the promised land?

History shows that a young goalie with little experience can indeed lead a team through the playoffs. If Dryden and Roy did it, then why not Halak?

Now before you go critisizing about how we have all this invested in Price, and he should be the one to lead us, you can't forget about Halak.

When called upon last year while the Habs were fighting for a playoff spot, he delivered with a 10-6 record.

Unfortunately, once Huet got back from injury, they still decided to play Halak that Thursday night, our second to last game of the season, against the Rangers.

A decision that eventually came back to bite the Habs, Halak was pulled in the Rangers game after allowing three goals on 25 shots. Huet was put in, and the rest was history. The Habs went on to lose that game 3-1, and another loss came Saturday at the hands of the Leafs, eliminating the Habs from playoff contention. A game which Huet started, his frist since being out 20 games with a hamstring injury.

Would the results have been different had Halak sat out Thursday against the Rangers but gone in against the Leafs? We can only speculate, but the point is we now have two great young goalies, so don't forget about the other one.

Canadiens sign Forward Ben Maxwell

The Montreal Canadiens announced Saturday the signing of forward Ben Maxwell to a three-year contract.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Maxwell, a second-round pick (49th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, scored 153 points (63 goals, 90 assists) in 203 games in five seasons with the WHL Kootenay Ice. This season, Maxwell collected 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists) in 24 games despite missing 39 contests with a thigh injury.

Maxwell, 19, was selected to the WHL Team for the 2007 Canada-Russia Challenge and won a gold medal with Canada at the 2006 U-18 World Hockey Championship in Czech Republic.

Maxwell played in two preseason games in his first training camp with the Canadiens in 2007.

TSN

What Happened Last Night?

Canadiens 6 - Sabres 2

The Montreal Canadiens are road warriors. They go to your home, eat your food, sleep comfortably, steal your fans and boot you out of your own building. This has been the case for the entire 07-08 season. Their Road domination has led them to the division lead of the almighty Northeast. Tonight however, we will see what they will muster up at home to the visiting Devils. If the Habs can somehow become Home warriors as well, then there is a lot of hockey left to play after the season; they call it the post season.

Notes

• After being shutout last game, the Kovalev line combined for 4 goals and 9 points.
  
• Tomas Plekanec recorded his first career Hat-Trick. It was the first Trick by a Canadiens player this season. The last one was recorded by Michael Ryder in the last game last season.
• Alex Kovalev had 4 assists, and now has 67 points in 65 games.
  
• The Bells had a great game; Andrei and Sergei tallied together in one game for the second time in their young careers, while Mikhail Grabovski had 2 assists (his first since points since rejoining the team on Tuesday)
• The Powerplay was 3-3 and with Kovalev playmaking and Markov quarterbacking this special team will remain special.
• Price made 31 saves and won his second consecutive game in the Post-Huet Era.
• Streit played a good game by tallying 1 goal and 2 assists.
• The Penalty Kill wasn't great allowing 2 goals on 6 opportunities.
• Andrei Markov, who was elbowed and missed 5 minutes of the game, had the most ice time by a Canadiens player (22:54)
• Gui won his first fight landing a huge right hook on N. Pratt
  

Who?What?When?Where? and Why? and Will?

Who will be benched as the Canadiens continue to win?
What will be the final score tonight?
When will Halak start?
Where will the Habs finish in the Standings after tonight?
Why did we doubt BG?
Will we win the Cup this year?

So much for the Experts

Before the season started the “experts” predicted that Montréal would finish 13th in the conference. Every Habs fan knew that they were crazy but not 1 of them could have predicted this. With 17 games left to play the Montreal Canadiens are first in the north east and Second in the conference.

What would you prefer?
· If Ottawa beats Pittsburg and Montreal beats jersey then Montreal is first in the conference.
· If Pittsburg wins and Montreal wins then Montreal builds a 3 point gap over Ottawa for the division lead.
· If Ottawa wins and Montreal looses in regulation then Ottawa regains the division
· And so on…. (you can do the rest yourselves)

Tonight the Habs play the embarrassed Devils who only managed 18 shots at home and were shutout by our recently departed Cristobal Huet.

Brodeurs record against his home town team is a stunning 34-13-0. In his past 10 overall against the Habs he is 9-1-0. The loss coming this year when The Habs erased a 3-1 deficit.

The Habs hope to continue their recent ways with wins over Atlanta and Buffalo. Since their embarrassing 3-0 loss to Columbus on Gainey night, the Habs have scored 11 goals in 2 games. Montreal moved one point ahead of Ottawa and into first place in the Northeast with a 6-2 win at Buffalo.

Just a little side note:

The Habs record without Brisebois in the lineup: 20-6-4

Habs Feast in the East!!!!

Tomas Plekanec scored his first career hat-trick, as the Canadiens beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2 to take over the Northeast division Lead.

Plekanec score the game winner at 5:34 into the period, on his second of three goals.

Mark Streit had a goal and 2 assists, and Alex Kovalev had 4 assists. Carey Price made 31 saves, on a night where his former teammate, Cristobal Huet, had a shutout for the Washington capitals. It was also the second time this year the both Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn scored in the same game.