Maple Leafs’ Phil Kessel is stopped by Canadiens goalie Carey Price and Hal Gill during the second period on Thursday night. Dave Sidaway, The Gazette
Preview | Matchups | Thursday’s
NHL schedule | Boone’s
Game
Blog, Quick
Hits and About last night …
| Stubbs on Twitter | Hickey’s game story
AUDIO: Mike Cammalleri I and II | Carey Price | Alex Auld | Jacques Martin
• At a Glance: Alex Auld didn’t last long in his start against the Maple Leafs on Thursday night, giving up three goals before being pulled in 5-4 loss to the Maple Leafs. The Canadiens opened the scoring when Jeff Halpern redirected a Roman Hamrlik shot 5:43 into the period. But the Leafs scored three before the period was over, chasing Auld. Phil Kessel scored the first two goals, both on the power play. Brett Lebda scored at 13:02, ending Auld’s night after allowing three goals on nine shots. The Canadiens would tie the game early in the second with a pair of power-play goals of their own. Michael Cammalleri beat James Reimer with an accurate wrist shot 3:42 into the period. Only 20 seconds late, James Wisniewski blasted a point shot beyond Reimer to make it 3-3. Tyler Bozak put the Leafs back in the lead with another power-play goal. His shot pinballed behind Carey Price with only two seconds remaining on a questionable call on Wiesniewski. Bozak scored his second of the game 4:26 into the second period not long after the Maple Leafs killed off a penalty, putting the game out of reach. Max Pacioretty made it 5-4 for the Leafs with 2:37 to play when his shot from in front of Reimer found its way behind the Leafs goaltender.
• What It Means: Montreal has lost four of its last five games and falls to 32-23-7 to remain at 71 points, three ahead of the New York Rangers for sixth place in the Eastern Conference.
• What’s Next: The Hurricanes come to the Bell Centre on Saturday night before the Canadiens hit the road for three games starting March 1 in Atlanta, then on to Florida and Tampa Bay.
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Hey JM, we need the 2 pts tonight. You missed the boat going with Auld.
Hope I’m wrong.
How can you say the D is not exactly our problem. With Markov, Gorges and if rumours are correct Spacek gone for the season it is a problem and PG has addressed it somewhat with this move.
Its obvious that our strategy is going to be a five man shot blocking brigade. Just like the Vancouver game. Score a goal and try lock it down. JM thinks its the only way we can win.
PG loves getting players on the cheap. But why give up assets, even ones of modest value like a fourth, fifth and Maxwell for Dawes (rumored to be destined for the minors) and two d-men who were healthy scratches with the teams that traded them (Sopel and Mara). I can’t believe a d-corp of Sopel, Mara, Gill, PK, Hamr, Wiz and Weber is demonstrably better than Gill, PK, Hamr, Wiz, Weber, Picard/Rivet/Souray/…
Whose leg do I have to hump to get a dry martini around here?
I get that – all true – and I would take either one of your Jones’s boys.
what Dumont does give us?
1) expereinced 20+ goal scorer – same cap hit ($4 million) – signed through ’11 / ’12
2) decent 2 way player; I would imagine he would follow the system.
3) smart player – has had some excellent seasons with Nashville
3) speaks the language of RDS – ha! ha!
Habs hockey is “smart” hockey – we play 5 man defence, not just 2 – we move up the ice as a 5 man unit, we back check with 5.
Ben Maxwell has been turfed, no word on where or return yet. Hopefully someone I can squeeze into Habs Future.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
I think the Habs like Dumont – but its just a hunch.
What don’t you like about him?
Habs hockey is “smart” hockey – we play 5 man defence, not just 2 – we move up the ice as a 5 man unit, we back check with 5.
no details as of yet, dont expect a blockbuster though
Anything else moving with him?
Actually from Saskatoon!
But a WHL grad who knows how to play tough but not fancy by any means!
“I only like to watch and takes notes” JM
Ian Schultz…directly from Ian
Think you are the Dawes page while I was on the Sopel page.
Tonight we skate with them, Tonight is our night!
yeah i know there is a lot of centers for sure. but he is how old? 22 or 23 max (no pun intended) . did you see him in the preseason?? he looked awesome out there, and he is playing good right now was well. but im sure you know that since you do a great job of following the prospects. i believe is going to be a number 2 center in the next couple of years.
If dawes is playing in the AHL, we basically sent maxwell for sopel. thats rediculous if dawes doesnt play on the habs.
Bring in some Jones Pierre. COME ON!
You realize every time you visit Eklund’s site he gets richer?
Whatwhatwhat??!?
Brent Sopel for Ben Maxwell? Is that correct? Am I correctly misunderstanding posts that I only half-read?
What?
—Hope Springs Eternal—
Dawes is on a two way contract 600K per.
“I only like to watch and takes notes” JM
Eklund has this to say about it: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I’m sure after TSN posts the trade, Eklund will be right out in front with a rumour about it.
A reliably good post as always. Yes, that’s redundant.
I noted that too about Mara getting the puck for Price and Price appreciating it. Other games Price has ignored or played down the whole puck souvenir thing…. this one clearly was important. Winning in the stadium nearest his home where he’d probably watched a lot of games. Nice.
Shattenkirk is not better than Subban.
Bernier doesn’t fit the team Steve. Way too slow.
I don’t think you have watched Sopel much… Lucic would put him on a baby food diet.
with the leafs letting go some d lately what the habs need to do is just attack the leafs d non stop…while the leafs have 4 -40 point forwards after them their scoring is very thin…while we only have one 40 point forward we are better balanced…no reason to play checking game vs leafs
Trade Finalized via Bob Mackenzie of TSN:
ATL trades Brent Sopel and Nigel Dawes to MTL for Ben Maxwell and a 4th rder. Done deal.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
If Spacek is out, Sopel is in to replace, while bringing grit to the defensive lineup, at the cost of a 4th-rounder, ATL and MTL at the same time exchanged career AHL players.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
Brent Sopel and Nigel Dawes
Dawes toughness?!
Tonight we skate with them, Tonight is our night!
But Stewart is better than Max-Pac I believe is the balance that Steve is arguing. Still think Subban pushes MTL over the top in comparison though, potentially the best player out of 2007 not named Pat Kane.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.
Hagman isn’t too bad for 1.5M but he runs way too hot and cold for me.
Zherdev has tons of talent but we already have AK46. I can only handle one at a time.
Dawes has to clear waivers, he’s a Bulldog.
- I shall always remember Captain Koivu. Habs and Hockey.