All Habs Headlines: Thursday December 3, 2015 |
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On this day in hockey history… 1970 — Detroit’s Frank Mahovlich became the 6th player in NHL history to score 400 career goals as the Red Wings tied 4-4 with the visiting Los Angeles Kings. 1970 — Claude Ruel resigned as coach of the Montreal Canadiens and was replaced by Al MacNeil, who went on to lead the team to the Stanley Cup Championship five months later. 1988 — Mike Smith was named as the new General Manager of the Winnipeg Jets. Smith replaced John Ferguson, who had been fired Oct 30. |
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► Game Day!
- Just an optional skate for the Canadiens on Thursday morning at Brossard as they prepared for their game against the Capitals. No lineup changes are expected.
- Michael Bournival has cleared waivers and will be assigned to the St. John’s IceCaps. More about him below.
- If you missed the Canadiens last game against the Blue Jackets on Tuesday our game report is here: RECAP | Blue Jackets – Canadiens: Finding Ways to Win
Forward lines, defense pairings and goaltenders at Wednesday’s skate
Pacioretty – Desharnais – Weise
Eller – Galchenyuk – Andrighetto
Fleischmann – Plekanec – Byron
Smith-Pelly – Flynn – Thomas/Carr
Markov – Subban
Emelin/Beaulieu – Petry
Gilbert – Pateryn
Condon
Fucale
► Beliveau gets a street named after him
- Most perceive Jean Beliveau as the greatest captain in Montreal Canadiens history and on the eve of the one year anniversary of his death, he was once again honoured.
- The city of Longueuil renamed Victoria Street, the street that the late great Beliveau lived for over 50 years, after him.
Many attended the event including his wife, Elise, and daughter, Hélène who sign some memorabilia for some fans who were also in attendance. - Wednesday was the one year anniversary of Jean Beliveau’s passing, at the age of 83.
- In his illustrious career not only has he hoisted Lord Stanley’s cup 10 times but he has also won the Art Ross, the Conn Smythe and twice has had his name honoured on the Hart.
- It’s a good opportunity to look back at Tim Thompson’s emotional tribute to Beliveau.
► Juulsen invited to Canada’s camp
- The World Junior Hockey Championship is fast approaching and team Canada has given a list of players to their selection camp.
- Starting with the forwards: Mathew Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier, Rourke Chartier, Lawson Crouse, Michael Dal Colle, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Julien Gauthier, Jayce Hawryluk, Travis Konecny, Mitchell Marner, Nick Merkley, Brendan Perlini, Brayden Point, John Quenneville, Mitchell Stephens, Dylan Strome and Spencer Watson
Defence: Thomas Chabot, Jakob Chychrun, Travis Dermott, Vince Dunn, Haydn Fleury, Joe Hicketts, Noah Juulsen, Roland McKeown and Travis Sanheim.
Goaltenders: Mackenzie Blackwood and Mason McDonald. - Despite Canadiens fans’ expectations Noah Juulsen might have a tough time cracking the opening night roster on a stacked Canadian defensive core. This team will be very much dependant on their back end considering their inexperience up front.
► Bournival clears waivers
- Michael Bournival cleared waivers on Thursday after the Canadiens put him there 24 hours earlier. In response to his plummeting value and obvious injury risk, 29 general managers chose to pass on picking him up for free.
- Bournival has been recovering from “concussion-like symptoms” that were sustained last season.
- Last season before getting sent down the Shawinigan, Quebec native recorded five points in 29 games, and once he got to the AHL he had a solid output with nine points in 12 games.
- With the large number of potential bottom six wingers on the Canadiens’ NHL roster it’s no surprise the 23-year old was designated to the AHL.
► ‘Nucks lose Sutter
- In the midst of a mediocre campaign the Canucks cause has taken another hit as they lost recently acquired forward Brandon Sutter to an injury. Sutter went down with a sports hernia on Tuesday and a day later the diagnosis is in, four-six weeks following surgery.
- “Following a period of treatment and evaluation our medical team determined that the best course of action for Brandon was to perform this procedure. The surgery was successful and we expect a full recovery,” said Canucks General Manager Jim Benning.
- Sutter, who was acquired in an offseason deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins, had four goals and eight points in 16 games before going down.
► The Kings lose Greene
- The Los Angeles Kings will be without defenceman Matt Greene for the foreseeable future after the blueliner underwent surgery to repair his injured shoulder.
- Greene had been trying to recover from the injury since the third game of the season when he exited the lineup but to no avail as he will be out “Long-Term” according to the team. In the three games Greene played this season he had no points and an even rating.
- Greene has slowly drifted into irrelevancy in the past couple seasons with the great, and young, defensive core in “La, La, Land” becoming increasingly better.
► Bernier sent to the AHL
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent goaltender Jonathan Bernier to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL on a conditioning stint.
- Bernier had a horrific start to his third season in Toronto with a 3.28 goals against average and a .888 save percentage, he also failed to record a win in nine starts.
- The French-Canadian backstop agreed to go on the assignment and placed all responsibility on himself for his shortcomings “I’m not playing well and that’s on me, it’s not on anyone else. I take full responsibility for this.”
- Stealing Bernier’s easily attainable position is Garret Sparks, who had a shutout in his first game in the NHL; he’s the first Leafs goaltender to do that. Sparks came back down to earth in his second start as he allowed six goals on 35 shots in a 6-1 loss to teh Winnipeg Jets.
► But the stats…you know what, forget it
- Buffalo Sabres General Manager Tim Murray, who is usually quite intelligent, gave his opinion on the lack of goals being scored in the NHL.
- “Just to the press. To me, it’s not,” he said of goal scoring being an issue in the NHL ”I don’t think it’s GM-driven, so I guess I should ask you that question rather than you ask me. Why is it media-driven?”
- “I certainly am not for bigger nets. Get the goalie equipment right, but how much scoring was there this week?” he continued on to say.
- Goal scoring has dropped exponentially in the NHL since the 2004-05 lockout.
► Patience with Eberle and RNH running thin
- The perpetually disastrous Edmonton Oilers have been atrocious once again this season and patience is wearing thin within the Oilers organization.
- Oilers President and CEO Bob Nicholson went on “That’s Hockey Tonight” and voiced his displeasure with his team “Patience are running out Peter (Chiarelli) will do what is right, we aren’t going to put anyone up on the blocks just to make a trade, if we think a trade is right for us, especially long-term Peter has the right and will make that deal.”
- Nicholson also gave his opinion on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jordan Eberle no longer being untouchables “You know what, they’re players that have been very good for our team; they haven’t performed for us this year […] they haven’t been where they have to be for our team to be good.”
- These comments for following multiple reports surfaced that GM Peter Chiarelli wouldn’t be opposed to moving the pair.
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