by Chris G, Senior Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

LAVAL, QC. — The Canadiens are back home after their three game western Canadian road trip. The Habs were able to collect four of the possible six points thanks to wins over the Flames and the Canucks after getting off to a rough start with a 6-2 loss against the Oilers. Regardless of how they accomplished it, the team should be happy with the two wins during the trip. “Four out of six points out west, is something I would take any time,” said Julien following Saturday’s game in Vancouver.

There are four games on the schedule this week including a 4:00 pm ET start on Friday in Buffalo for American Thanksgiving. For Canadiens fans outside the United States, it sounds like a perfect opportunity to take a well deserved day off or to skip out early from work.

Here are my top 5 takes of the week:

1. 1. 1. Return of Price – In last week’s post, I was looking for the Carey Price that would hide all of the team’s issues. The good news is that I found him. The Carey Price that we saw against the Flames and the Canucks is the one that most Habs fans love. With a save percentage of .952, Price was without a doubt the team’s best player on this road trip. The only game that the team lost was with Antti Niemi in goal. It was not a start to remember for the backup goalie. The media reported that Price was given Tuesday night’s game off in order to help him find his game. Niemi was going to play one game on the trip and it is reasonable to expect that he would be given the easiest assignment (as is usually the case.) “We all knew he hadn’t been playing his best when we gave him that little bit of break, but now he’s back into being Carey,” Julien said when asked about his goalie on Saturday night. Price had a chance to see family in Calgary and in Vancouver, and maybe it was all he needed to get out of what I would call a five-game slump. With the busy week ahead, Price will be able to build on this momentum as he may start in three of the four games.
      2. Lack of effort? – In an interview on Sportsnet’s Fan 590, former NHL goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere called out Carey Price‘s effort level. “I’m sure he’s a tough competitor but I want to see that on the ice. I want to feel that,” said Giguere. “Too often in the last year or so, when things have been tough in a game, you don’t feel like he’s competing at his highest level.” I have also been critical of Price for his play since last season, but never have I doubted Price’s effort or compete level. Sportnet’s Eric Engels called Giguere’s comments preposterous. The comments that Giguere made are comments that I would expect to hear at the local sports bar from people that have never played sports at a professional level. I’m really disappointed that a NHL Alumni would call-out a fellow goalie’s work ethic. To put the story in context, it is necessary to state the fact that Giguere worships Patrick Roy calling him “probably the best (goalie) who ever played.” Recently, Price moved ahead of Roy now ranking second on the Canadiens all-time win list.
      3. Team defence  – The team’s defence has been struggling consistently throughout the season. The fact that they have won more games than they have lost and that they been scoring more than we anticipated, it hasn’t drawn as much attention as it merits. The Canadiens have allowed more quality scoring chances than they have generated, and need to tighten defensively as five-man unit. In my opinion, Jonathan Drouin and Charles Hudon are the forwards that have been struggling the most in their own zone with bad decisions that lead to scoring chances. Isn’t it funny that Marc Bergevin, Claude Julien, and Luke Richardson are all former defencemen and their team struggles in that aspect?
      4. D on the move? – As I mentioned on Saturday’s Canadiens Connection podcast, I’m expecting Marc Bergevin to make a move in order to clear a roster spot for Shea Weber. When Elliotte Friedman echoed the same sentiment later that night, I wasn’t surprised. When Weber returns to action, he will be the ninth defenseman on the roster. Bergevin always says that you never have enough defensemen, but nine is too many. He knows that too. I think that the easiest player to be traded is Jordie Benn, as he’s in his final year of his contract and has a low cap hit. Last season, Joe Morrow was traded for a fourth round draft pick, and I would expect Benn to fetch a similar return on the trade market. TVA Sports’ Renaud Lavoie reported that November 27th is the target date for Weber’s return, which leaves the GM around a week to make a move.
      5. A gentleman – On Sunday, we got word that former CTV Montreal sportscaster Randy Tieman passed away on Friday. Tieman was also a midday host on TSN 690 radio for a couple of years. Unlike some of my Rocket Sports colleagues, I never personally met him. But to me, on TV and through the radio, I felt that Tieman was a genuinely nice person. Unlike his colleagues, Tieman was the only host that would have a real discussion with his callers on the air, and wouldn’t cut them off after 30 seconds. He also made his callers feel like they were important and he carefully listened to each one of them. TV and radio personalities always have some detractors, except for Tieman. Never have I seen anyone say or write something negative about him. “He was known for his warmth, his good nature, his boisterous laugh and his iconic moustache,” says CTV Montreal. My thoughts are with his family.

Leave your comments below. I am looking forward to interacting with all of you.