Habs-Avs trade talk

It has popped up a few times that the Canadiens are in talks with the Colorado Avalanche about a possible trade. The most extreme case could see José Theodore moving west for Milan Hejduk, although I highly doubt this would happen unless the trade was a 3-way. The Habs won't ship Theodore unless a better goaltender were to come their way (read: Roberto Luongo), and while Aebischer is decent, and while Theodore is not playing up to his very full potential this year, Theodore is still the better goalie.

Another rumour has Richard Zednik going to the Avs for Hejduk. This one is slightly more feasible. Zednik has some trade value, but with 11 goals in 26 games, he can only be described as having an average season for a first-liner who usually plays with Koivu and Kovalev. I could see a Zednik-Hejduk deal go through, but the Canadiens would have to throw someone else in for the Avs to bite (will Pierre Lacroix give Mike Ribeiro a shot?). Keep in mind, also, that these rumours are being floated based on the observation that there have been Habs scouts watching the last few Avs games, which could mean nothing at all. Either way, Bob Gainey has to make something happen, injuries or no injuries. There are no excuses for losing, and the Canadiens have done nothing but this past month and a half. It's getting more than a little tiring to watch.

Kaffufle in Habs' dressing room

Apparently after the Capitals game, Alex Kovalev and Steve Bégin got into a little scrap in the Canadiens' dressing room. Kovalev later told reporters that it was nothing against Bégin; rather, he was just frustrated with the pitiful play his team was guilty of in the third period in Washington, and happened to take it out on Bégin. Interesting that he picked Bégin, though, who just so happens to be the hardest-working player on the team.

My guess is that Kovalev was just trying to rile up his team and let them know that playing the way they did is unacceptable. Good for him for doing something about it - I thought I was going to have to endure this sloppy play for the rest of the season. At least someone is taking charge, and who better than Kovalev and Bégin? This is what leadership is about, and the two should be commended for engaging in it. If only we could see it more often from more players...

Kovalev vs. Sens

What a night for Alex Kovalev. 1 goal, 2 assists, shootout winner, 700th career point, 300th career goal. And he's been out for 5 weeks recovering from knee surgery. A friend who was at the game told me the ovations just kept coming for Kovalev, and deservedly so. Montreal fans haven't had this much to cheer for since Saku Koivu made his courageous return from cancer treatment to clinch the Habs a playoff berth in 2002. Both players - Kovalev and Koivu - are exceptionally talented individuals, and as much as people don't want to say it, are the main reasons the Canadiens put wins on the board. It's a bit of a shame that other players weren't/aren't able to contribute the way they do (although honourable mentions can go to Michael Ryder, Steve Bégin, Andrei Markov and Craig Rivet), but at least we can enjoy the dazzling performances these two players put on on a regular basis.

Kudos again to Cristobal Huet for another well-played game. He kept the Canadiens in contention the entire night, and can't really be faulted for the goals he let in considering the sloppy play in front of him for most of the first two periods.

Montreal-Minnesota

First off, let me note the exceptional game that backup Cristobal Huet had. It was his first game (and first start) as a Canadien, and he looked solid out there, despite letting in his first goal on only 4 shots. He ended up making 24 saves on 28 shots, and did a fine job of keeping the Habs in the game when they were being (their usual) sloppy defensively.

Despite Huet's performance and the fine play of captain Saku Koivu, it's clear that the Canadiens are in trouble. I know this is going to come off as some rogue fan calling for the heads of everyone but Koivu and Kovalev, but the fact of the matter is that at this point some sort of change is necessary. In the absence of the team's two biggest stars and offensive contributors, the Canadiens managed to win just 4 out of their last 14 games. Clearly, Mike Ribeiro and Pierre Dagenais no longer belong on this team. Ribeiro is being paid almost $1.2 million to play on the second line, and, by extension, step up his game when the number-1 line is slumping or injured. To date, he only has 7 goals and a whole lot of dipsy-doodling to show for it. Wherever Ribeiro goes, Dagenais goes too and his play has been equally as lacklustre. The only difference is that Dagenais really can't skate for his life. It doesn't seem like any team has been showing any interest in either player, but Ribeiro is a free agent at the end of the season and the smartest thing the Habs could do is just not re-sign him.

You have to wonder if a coaching change is coming soon, as well. I really like Claude Julien - I think he's a very intelligent coach, but you would think that a gentleman of his calibre would be able to do something to rally his troops. If anyone knows that it's dangerous to rely on Koivu and Kovalev for success, it's this man. But, if you've ever heard Julien talk to his team on the bench (as is shown sometimes on RDS), you'd realize how nice and forgiving he is every time the team slips up. At some point, though, you have to stop being so generous; these guys are millionaires who are taking unnecessary penalties and playing lazy hockey for the game's greatest franchise. I think Bob Gainey sees this and will hopefully sit down with Julien and have him change the way he reacts to this poor play. If he doesn't, put money on it that Julien won't last the season.

Habs Win

Being back home for the holidays, I was finally able to attend my first game since before the lockout Tuesday night. I picked a good night to win: Theodore was looking sharp, the Canadiens were running on all cylinders, and, to top it all off, they actually scored some goals. Minus the entire second period, which was probably the worst display of back-to-back dumping and chasing I've ever seen, it was a fun game to go to. Hopefully the Habs will build on their momentum from the Phoenix win and on the returns of Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev to put together another winning streak.

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In other news, the Maurice Richard movie was excellent and is a must-see. It captures the era tremendously (not that I would know, but my grandmother told me!) and, save for some minor details which where changed around for various reasons, sheds some light onto what it was like to be in Montreal and play in the NHL in the 1940's and '50s for those of us who weren't around to witness it first-hand. A compelling story on an incredible human being.

Week Off

As it is the Habs' week off, and smack in the middle of exams, I won't post a review this week. But some notable points:

• Sheldon Souray is slowly finding his game again. He had a decent game against Buffalo on Thursday and seemed to be hitting his stride against Los Angeles on Saturday. He logged 24:22 of ice time and had 3 shots against the Kings.
  
• The Canadiens are apparently in negotiations with Anaheim for defenceman Sandis Ozolinsh and possibly Petr Sykora. No word on who they might have to give up in order to complete the trade, although probably not much considering how the Ducks want to move players for more salary room. The Habs could use the extra scoring Sykora might provide, and clearly need more depth on defence, which would be solved with Ozolinsh's arrival. More on this as it develops.