HabsCast Hockey Blog

Habs’ record since game vs. Flyers: 2-1-0

Habs’ record in last 7 games: 5-1-1

There you have it folks, the Canadiens have been on fire of late winning 5 of their last 7 games. This week the Canadiens got to face the Flyers Thursday, the Leafs Saturday and the Sabres Monday. The worst game by far was the one played on Saturday against the Leafs, however, the Canadiens made up for that with wins against the Flyers and Sabres.

Thumbs Up

The Canadiens’ goaltending has been beyond superb. The tandem of Cristobal Huet and Carey Price can arguably be the best in the league. In the 3 games he played this week, Huet has allowed 5 goals, posted 2 wins, and a shutout.

The PowerPlay has been a hot commodity this season with the Canadiens. They are currently ranked 1st in the league in the department and have gone 30% in their last 3 games. Sheldon Souray’s presence is definitely not being missed considering that the Habs’ are posting better PP numbers than last year or maybe it’s that extra bounce they gave the boards this year at the Bell Centre.

The rookies on this team are showing their stuff and rewarding the team at the same time. Kyle Chipchura, Andrei Kostitsyn, Mikhail Grabovski, and Carey Price are most likely here to stay for the remainder of the season.

Garth Murray was put on waivers and sent down to the Bulldogs this week. (See below for the bad news)

Chris Higgins has been playing hardnosed hockey and it’s been showing on the score sheet. Chris has gone as far as saying that his goal is to be a 40 goal scorer this season. Although this feat is unlikely, I like the optimism and passion. Maybe if Ryder were off the line with him and Koivu, he would have a better chance of reaching that goal.

Thumbs Down

Michael Ryder has only scored 2 goals this season and has not scored in 5 games. If he doesn’t improve soon don’t be surprised to find him in the press box.

Speaking of the press box, Guillaume Latendresse finds himself there for tonight’s game against the Bruins. Latendresse has only scored twice as well and is a -1 rating.

The Habs’ PK is on the lower end of the spectrum with a 79.1% rating.

Nobody picked up Garth Murray, who was put on waivers this week.

It’s the Season…

Well, it’s almost that time again people when the snow starts falling, the presents start coming, and the Habs start losing. Hopefully, this year we could shake off the Curse of the Claus and win games that will determine whether this team is playoff material or not. So far, it’s looking good.

Looking Ahead

This week the Canadiens will play key games against the Senators, Maple Leafs, and Sabres, which are all 4 point games. These are the second, third, and fourth games of a Northeast division road trip for the Canadiens. The good news is that there will be little travel for Les Boys.

Fun Stats

Mike Komisarek leads the Habs and is 3rd in the league in blocked shots with 47
Mike Komisarek leads the Habs and is 4th in the league in hits with 53
Andrei Markov averages 25:39 of ice time a game
Montreal’s PP% is 30.1 – Home 25.6% / Away 35.3%
Montreal averages 3.2 goals per game (5th in the league)
Of the 45 goals scored 16 were in the 1st, 15 were in the 2nd, 13 were in the 3rd, and 1 was in OT.
Montreal averages 2.4 goals against per game (8th in the league)
Alex Kovalev is on pace for 41 goals this season
Saku Koivu is on pace for 82 points this season
Montreal averages 30.5 shots a game and 29.7 shots against

Sorry for the lack of blogs guys. I’ve been sick for the past week with strep throat and had tons of school work.

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