All Habs Headlines: Thursday February 5, 2015 |
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On this day in hockey history… 1950 – Montreal’s Dick Irvin became the first coach in NHL history to win 500 games, when the Canadiens beat the Bruins 5-3 at the Forum in Montreal. |
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► Montreal Canadiens: Febuary 5
- The Canadiens returned to practice today at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard after having the day off on Wednesday.
- Jacob de la Rose was returned to the Hamilton Bulldogs on Wednesday.
- The Canadiens signed goaltender Mike Condon to a two-year extension today. Condon, somewhat surprisingly, has outplayed veteran Joey MacDonald in Hamilton this season.
- Missed Tuesday night’s game? Check out our game report which includes the game summary, video highlights, 3-stars and post-game quotes: Recap – Sabres vs Canadiens: Giving Away Two Points
► Lines and defense pairings at practice
Tom Gilbert was not at practice due to the birth of his son, Henley Thomas Gilbert. It is the first child for Tom and his wife Larissa.
Pacioretty – Desharnais – Weise
Galchenyuk – Plekanec – Gallagher
Bournival – Eller – Sekac
Prust – Malhotra – Thomas/Dumont
Markov – Subban
Gonchar – Beaulieu
Weaver – Emelin
► Top players by age
- Our friend Rob Vollman has compiled a list of the best players in the NHL at each age. Vollman argues that P.K. Subban is top among the 25-year olds beating out the NHL’s current scoring leader Jakub Voracek. On Subban, Vollman writes, “Without him, the Canadiens are a mediocre, puck chasing, playoff bubble team, but every time he hops
the boards, they instantly become a dominant puck possession team, a dangerous scoring threat and a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.” - Among the 20-year olds, Vollman considered Filip Forsberg, Sean Monahan, Jacob Trouba and Olli Maatta but instead settled on the Canadiens Alex Galchenyuk writing “Of the league’s handful of high-scoring 20-year-olds, Galchenyuk has the most potential for future production.”
- Evaluating 27-year-olds, Carey Price was named as an honorable mention to winner Sidney Crosby.
- For the entire article by age group, click on the player names above. For Age 30 and up, read here: Top players at every age: 30-plus
► Why we fight
- As a guest contributor to The Players Tribune, the Canadiens Brandon Prust explains how he got into the fight game and why. He also offers an opinion of fisticuffs in the league writing, “I realize I’m a bit biased, because fighting got me to the NHL, but I truly believe this: The NHL needs fighting to keep the game safe.”
- It’s a fascinating piece giving the reader an insight into the code and thought process behind fighting. Prust wrote, “Enforcers feel fear, too. You’re only human if you’re scared of getting injured. I think that’s why a lot of fights happen early in the game. Both guys want to get it out of the way. I love a good first shift fight.”
- Beyond fighting, Prust shares a story about breaking the jaw of his friend, Derek Stepan, during last Spring’s playoff ECF playoff series with the Rangers. He concludes with, “The Rangers won the series, and when I saw [Stepan] in the handshake line, we hugged it out. That’s hockey, man. We wouldn’t have it any other way.”
- Read the entire piece here.
► Not stolen valor, but close
- I remember it like it was yesterday. In the tension of overtime I saw an opportunity. I shouted “Iggy!”, got his pass and whipped a shot from the bottom of the left circle past Millsy. And then all I remember is all my teammates in red and white mobbing me in the corner against the glass as the fans at Canada Hockey Place went wild.
- Okay, maybe I’m misremembering the details of that game on February 28, 2010. I guess that I am conflating being at home with friends watching the gold medal game from the men’s hockey final of the 2010 Olympics with being on the ice in the body of Sidney Crosby.
- On Thursday January 29th at Madison Square Garden during the Canadiens – Rangers game, fans gave a standing ovation to NBC news anchor Brian Williams and Sergeant Major Tim Terpak. Players from both teams slapped sticks on the ice. The MSG public address announcer described how Sgt. Major Terpak kept Williams safe after the Chinook helicopter that Williams and his NBC news team were in was shot down by an RPG in 2003 in Iraq.
- Thing is, veterans who were on the downed helicopter confirmed that Williams was not aboard. They report that Williams arrived on the scene an hour later for interviews. Williams apologized for misremembering but it turns out that it is a false story that he has been pedaling for years. With his credibility in tatters and that of NBC news, Williams only option is to resign immediately.
► Kane on his way out
- Evander Kane, the 23-year-old winger of Winnipeg Jets was not at practice this morning setting off a firestorm of speculation. Kane’s talent is undeniable but his immature behaviour has not only caused grief for Jets players and management but softened his market value. Teams haven’t been prepared to pony up a top roster player plus an additional asset such as a roster player, prospect or draft pick for a player who has been described as a cancer in the dressing room.
- Given current behavioral issues, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston tweeted that the new price is substantially less. The Canadiens reportedly have had interest in Kane since the 2013-14 season.
Surveyed some NHL scouts and feeling is that price on Evander Kane has dropped. One top asset could be enough to land him from #NHLJets.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) February 5, 2015
- Kane was not in the lineup on Tuesday when the Jets met the Canucks. SportsNet is reporting that Kane failed to show up for the game in time “following an incident with Dustin Byfuglien and other teammates.” Kane arrived to the game day workout in a track suit, a violation of team policy. Defenseman Byfuglien tossed Kane’s track suit into the shower to send the young player a message.
- With Marc Bergevin valuing character players, should the Canadiens pursue a talented sniper who is dealing with a continuing injury and has confirmed off-ice issues?
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On the Kane issue, I think it would be better to err on the side of caution for the Habs. Lack of talent isn’t the issue for the Habs, its a lack of consistency. Against the Isles, Blues, Caps and Rangers, they were sharp and precise. They had a level of intensity that come in playoff games. Other games, the yotes and sabres most recently, it was a disorganized, ineffective effort that just went out of the way to show the critics are right and they are not as good as their record shows.
I don’t see how throwing a grenade in the dressing room will help fix that.
It’s a good point Patrick. The Canadiens have a very special bond and a will to win. Bringing in Kane, someone who has been well-known for years as not being a team guy, could jeopardize that. I was surprised to hear Bob McKenzie say tonight that the Canadiens were one of the teams making calls about Kane until teh trade. Given that Bergevin values character, Kane would seem to be an off choice to pursue. Thanks for your comment.
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