UPDATED: Poor Len Canayen: Latest Habs news (good and bad)

Note from Ed.: I don't think we've ever given this space to our National Sports Editor, Poor Len Canayen, two days in a row, but he has something to say about last night's Habs game... and there's nothing on Walt's alleged mind... so....

Tank youse, Hed., for that enthusiastic introduction.  After I wrote yesterday's column (but before the game vs Winnipeg began), two things happened. 

First, I realized that the teams amazing new rookie is Cole Caufield, not "Caulfield", so a lui, mes excuses. Although he didn't score a goal, he was terrific in  yesterday's game -- a real ball of fire, like hot coals. [Geddit? Ed.] He's going to score real soon... maybe tonight vs Ottawa!

That's good news. The bad news is that the Canadiens announced, just before last night's game, that captain Shea Weber would be out with an "upper body injury". That makes six (6) of the regular starting  lineup hors de combat for one reason or another. 

That meant that both Jon Merrill and Erik Gustaffson, recently acquired to shore up the Habs' defence, had to play as the third pair, and, frankly, they didn't look worth whatever it is they're being paid. Fingers were being point at them (as well as rookie blueliner Alexandre Romanov) after les Glorieux fell behind 2-0 and then 3-1 to the Jets just past midway through the game.

Now back to the good news. Les boyz fought back to beat the Jets 5-3 for an absolutely hyuge victory. Nick Suzuki, who's been on the fans' fecal roster lately, scored twice, while Artturi Lehkonen, Joel Armia and Tyler Toffoli added singles. Toffoli's empty-netter was his 26th this year in 49 games. Could he pot 30 before the end of the season? Can't remember last time a Canadien scored that many.

Goalie Jake Allen wasn't brilliant, especially on the third Jets goal, but played well enough, given the  lacunae of the alleged defencemen (see above) in front of him. The win improved the Canadiens' record to 22-18-9, one game closer to clinching the fourth and final playoff spot in the North (read: Canadian) Division. 

The Habs moved to within four points of the third-place Jets (27-20-3) with one game in hand. If they can get ahead of the Jets and finish third, they would face Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs, and would have a better chance of advancing to the second round which would be (in all likelihood) against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Go Habs go!

UPDATE added by Ed. 2/5/21. We are pleased to report that Cole Caufield scored the game-winner in overtime as les Glorieux came from behind a two-goal deficit to beat Ottawa 3-2. Jeff Petry and Nick Suzuki scored the other two goals and had very strong games. All this without the aforementioned six regulars. Congrats, les boyz!

VIDEO: Les Canadiens sont là!

Ed. here. In last week's confusion about who was doing what in the absence of Walt, our National Sports Editor, Poor Len Canayen, didn't get a chance to expound on the Montréal Canadiens chances of advancing through the National Hockey League playoffs. He is just about wetting himself with joy and optimism, so I'll turn the keyboard over to him... NOW!

Tank youse, Hed. Because of the "pause" in the NHL's regular season, the playoffs this year are different from years before, and I don't just mean playing in August! Instead of the top eight teams in each division playing down to the final four and final two, the league started with the top twelve teams in each divison. So the Habs barely squeaked into the series, as the No. 12 seed, meaning that they go against the top seeds in each round, starting with the Pittsburgh Penguins in the "play-in" round.

To the surprise of many, including perhaps themselves, les Glorieux polished off Sid the Kid and the mighty Pens, 3 games to 1. I'll turn it over, now, to Adam Susser and the gang at the Montreal Gazette's Hockey Inside Out, to analyse how they did and the outlook for the confrontation with the Philthydelphia Flyers.



That video was recorded before Wednesday night's game, which the Flyers won 2-1. The Habs got off to a slow start, as they did in the first two games against the Pittsburghers, and allowed the first goal around the five-minute mark of the first period. But they woke up towards the end of the first and proved that they could skate with the Penguins, with Captain Shea Weber finally scoring a power-play goal in the second. Unfortunately the Pens responded with a pinball-type goal just a few second later, and made the 2-1 lead stand up for the win.

The Habs played well enough to win, but only for 50 minutes or so. And sometime that evening -- if it was during the game I didn't see it -- coach Claude Julien had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital, where he had a stent put in on Thursday. Get well soon, Claude! We're pullin' for ya! That left assistant coach Kirk Muller in charge for yesterday's second game. It turned out all he had to do was say "Go out and win it for Coach Claude!", et voilà.

Yesterday afternoon's game was as lopsided as the 5-0 final score indicates, as Montréal put on a real clinic for the (perhaps) over-confident Flyers. Jesperi Kotkaniemi (mentioned favourable in the video) scored twice, as did Tomas "Tuna" Tatar, and Joel Armia potted one, so for once the Habs didn't needed their defencemen only to do their job at the blue line, which they did. Carey Price was full value for his 7th careeer playoff shutout, stopping 30 shots.

The game was a real team effort for la Sainte Flannelle, with only four skaters not getting on the score sheet. Even Victor Mete got an assist, he who has scored only two (2) goals in his entire career with the Habs. The other defenceman whose game has improved markedly (as noted by the HI/O panel) is Brett Kulak, meaning that the Habs now have four reliable D-men, with the other two -- Mete and Xavier Ouellet -- playing well enough.

I don't know that I'm ready to predict a Montréal win, but I'm mighty encouraged, and looking forward to Sunday night's close encounter of the third kind. Until next time, keep yer stick on the hice!

Poor Len gives up on Habs... for this season

Ed. here. Poor Len Canayen called me yesterday evening following the Montréal Canadiens 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers, which puts the ABF nail in the coffin of their Stanley Cup playoff hopes. "Once you've finished crying in your Molson Canadian, write some advice to Marc Bergevin about what to during the summer to give fans a better team next year." Here's what he sent us.

Tank youse, Hed. Just to be clear, though, while I a happreciate evryting la famille Molson has done for Canada's team, I don't drink dat beer because it's just Coors in a can wit a maple leaf. I like Creemore Springs India Pale Ale. Look it up.

Hokay den, I'm not gonna rehash all the reasons/excuses for the Habs' poor performance, including two (2) 8-game winless streaks. I can't remember a season in which the team was so hard-hit by injuries, including two or three key players out at the same time.

Counting Charlie Lindgren, 8 of the players dressed for Thursday night's game vs Tampa Bay were from the AHL Laval Rocket. But there's more to the story than bad luck. If I could work out what's wrong, I'd be standing behind the bench instead of Claude Julien.

But I can't, and, since M Julien will be back next season, the most I can do is ask M Bergevin to ensure that Coach Claude has a bigger group of good players to work with. Here's my list of who to move and not move during the off-season which is fast approaching.

Players you keep, for sure: Carey Price and Shea Weber. Sure they're not getting any younger, but they're both playing well (allowing for the occasional off night) and are, with Brendan Gallagher, the glue that holds la Sainte Flannelle together. Besides, they both have hyuge contracts with years to run, and M Molson would have to eat part of their salaries if you trade them. And who would you get in return? Don't tell me about draft picks. You already have lots of picks; you just need to draft better prospects!

Jeff Petry. That guy's a horse. He can play 20-25-30 minutes per game without breaking a sweat. Sure he sometimes pinches too deep, but he's got a shot from the point second only to Weber's, and you need him on the power play. He's the only D-man you've got, besides Weber, who could even be in the conversation for the Norris Trophy.,

This year the Habs have had just one (1) solid forward line: Philip Danault, Tomas Tatar and Brendan Gallagher. I wish we have a dozen Gallaghers, the kind of players who punch over their weight and never give up, no matter what. Danault is one of the most under-rated centres in the NHL, and he's consistent. I haven't heard any talk about trading those two, but in the run-up to the trade deadline, Tatar's name was mentioned more than once. Why?! "Tuna" was a great pick-up, for cheap, and was having a great year until he got injured last week. Why would you even think about trading him?

Players should probably keep, unless you get somebody who is really good, not just a prospect, in return: Max Domi, Paul Byron, and Nick Suzuki. All three have speed and skill. The trick is getting them on the right lines. Suzuki impressed the hell out of me in the first half of the season, but seems to have hit a wall in his rookie year. He needs some stability -- being on the same line with more experienced players -- to develop. Domi needs to keep it simple and shoot more. Byron's never going to be a 20-goal scorer but he's invaluable on the PK, good for a couple of shorties every year. Joel Armia's worth keeping, just needs to have more confidence in himself.

Back on defence, you should probably keep Ben Chariot, who's been steady if unspectacular throughout the year. Of those who came up from the Rocket, I like Xavier Ouellet, also steady and not trying to do too much. Down on the farm, there's also Cale Fleury, who had a good start with the big team before being sent down for seasoning. [How come he doesn't speak French? Ed.] And behind him, in goal, rookie Cayden Primeau looks like being capable of taking the back-up role next year.

Guys you should get rid of: Charles Hudon, who's had more than enough chances. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, ruined by being poorly managed in his rookie year last year. Arturi Lehkonen, Mr Choke. Charlie Lindgren, who makes the guys in front of him nervous.

So there you go, mon cher Marc. I gave you 13 guys who I'd like to see on next season's edition of the Bleu-Blanc-et-Rouge. Shop everybody else around and see if you can get another 10 or 12 to round out the roster. Bonne chance! À la prochaine!

UPDATED: Poor Len Canayen not so worried about Habs now

Our sports editor, Poor Len Canayen, craves space to re-evaluate yesterday's piece, in which he expressed doubt as to the future of Canada's team, the Montréal Canadiens. Have at it, Len.

Pass the crow, please. After receiving an e-mail from a Habs fan asking why I was so negative about the Habs' prospects, and after watching last night's thrilling (after the first period) 4-1 win over the Pittsburg Penguins, I must give kudos do the dozen solid and stout-hearted performers who have carried the Habs through a difficult stretch, from which they now seem to be recovering nicely. [What have I told you about run-on sentences? Ed.]

Let's start with the defence corps. While reiterating the need for one or two more reliable D-men, I can express nothing but admiration for:
Captain Shea Weber: 1 goal (a wraparound, or in French un tourniquet) and 1 assist, 4 hits. Jeff Petry: 1 assist, 8 (count `em, 8!) hits. Ben Chiarot: no points but another 8 hits. Chiarot was picked up this summer from the Winnipeg Jets (well done, Marc Bergevin) and has proved a valuable addition to the team.

These three "older men" have been playing upwards of 20 minutes every game, and as much as 29 or 30 in a couple of recent games. My only question is how long they can keep up that pace and still have something left for the playoffs. Helping out and deserving of mention is rookie Cale Fleury, still growing but not afraid to throw his weight around, with 4 hits last night and smart play in his zone. He's a keeper!

Up front, les Glorieux have a solid first line:
Tomas "Tuna" Tatar: 1 goal and 1 assist last night, and has learned to stay out of the penalty box. Brendan Gallagher: the small-but-mighty sparkplug of the team, also 1 + 1, so that's half the scoring right there. Phillip Danault: one of the most under-rated centres in the NHL, IMHO, got a well-deserved assist on the Tatar goal.

Other forwards who contribute consistently are:
Joel Armia: 1+1 last night, playing the best hockey of his career. Arturi Lehkonen: 1 assist, and developing into the key man on the penalty kill. I take back the unkind words I wrote last year. Nick Suzuki: Rookie-of-the-year, on this team at least. Beautiful stick-handler and play-maker. Another great trade by Bergevin. Nate Thompson: the old pro at centre, increasingly trusted by coach Claude Julien on important face-offs, and does more than his share as a support player.  Nick Cousins: Had my doubts early on, but was impressed with his effort and tenacity in the last two games.

So the Habs have a good core, 4 good defencemen, 8 good forwards. That's 2/3 of a starting lineup. And yes, there's still Carey Price. Allowed just one goal last night -- a 2-on-1 rush following a defensive miscue -- and just one the night before. Is the all-star Price back? Hope so!

Summary: Last night's whole-team effort in a road game against a tough team was great to see... Warmed the cockles of this old man's heart. In fact they got so warm I had to rub them with ice! Keep up the good work, guys, and you'll make the post-season for sure!

UPDATE ADDED 12/12/19: Les Glorieux ont remporté la victoire hier soir! The Habs beat Ottawa 3-2 in OT. Goals by Cousins, Tatar, and Chiarot had the overtime winner! Rookie goalie Cayden Primeau stopped 35 of 37 shots, for a save pct of .946, and got the first star. Not an oil painting, but a sign that Canada's team's recovery for the recent slump is real indeed.

Poor Len Canayen: P.K. has left the building

Poor Len Canayen here, waiting to read what Brendan Kelly, alleged sports jock with the Montreal Gazette, has to say about today's news that "transcendant defenceman" P.K. Subban has been traded by the Nashville Predators to the New Jersey Devils for a bag of pucks and other considerations.

OK, it was actually Dave Stubbs who coined the "transcendant defenceman" phrase, not long before leaving the Gazoo for parts unknown, but it was Kelly who called the Montréal Canadiens' Marc Bergevin crazy and several other nasty things for trading the Giant Skating Ego to Nashville just three seasons ago.

Ever since, Kelly has ranted and whined that the Habs got the worst of the deal, that Shea Weber was washed up (especially when Weber missed the first half of this past season) and that Subban is still the best D-man in the business. After all, Stubbs and Kelly both said, didn't P.K. win the Norris Trophy in 2012-13. Yeah, but that was a short, 42-game season because of a Bettman lockout (more to come?), in which Subban had 11 goals and 27 assists, with a plus-minus of +12. This year he played in 63 games this past season due to a back injury, posting career-low 9-22-31 totals with a +5. Nashville saw he's going downhill and gave him a little shove.

This makes the second time in three years, then, that the "transcendant defenceman" has been deemed surplus to requirements by two of the better teams in the NHL. Now he's with one of the worst. Here's what New Jersey gave up to get him: defencemen Steven Santini (split his season between the Preds and their AHL farm team), Jeremy Davies (played for Northeastern University), a second-round pick at this year's NHL Draft and another second-round pick next year. And NJ has to pick up the remaining three years of Subban's 8-year, $72-million contract. Nashville's not eating any of it.

Said Preds GM David Poile, "We appreciate P.K.'s contribution to the Predators and the Nashville community over the past three seasons, which have seen our organization have unprecedented success. We had to make a business decision. With an aim at strengthening our forward corps this off-season, and the continued strength of our defensive group, we felt it was necessary to clear up salary cap space this way." And don't let the dressing-room door hit you in the ass on your way out.

Further reading: "Poor Len Canayen explains Habs' Subban for Weber trade", WWW 29/6/16. Three years and week later, who was right? Messrs Stubbs and Kelly or moi? As Nelson Muntz would say, "HAha!"

Further viewing: If you think I'm the only one who's down on Subban (so to speak), check out yesterday's video from The Hockey Guy, starting at 3:55. THG is kind of soft-spoken, but he's making the same point. If you subscribe to THG's channel, which I recommend, tell him Poor Len Canayen sent ya!

Poor Len Canayen: Salut, les boyz!

Poor Len here with a few thoughts on the Montréal Canadiens' 2018-2019 season, which came to an end last night with a thrilling shootout win (6-5) over the Toronto Maple Laffs. Thanks to the vicissitudes of the NHL's playoff "system", they missed the last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference by just two points -- one loss back in the dead of winter -- even though they finished with more points than three of the teams who will compete in the Western Conference series. Go figure.

But les Glorieux gave us fans a great season, better than anyone predicted or even hoped, and I, Walt [and Ed.! Ed.] wish them a well-deserved rest and better luck next year. See you in September!

Now some suggestions for Habs General Manager Marc Bergevin about improving the club's roster and prospects for 2019-2020. I give Bergie full credit for some good acquisitions over the course of the last year, and for getting rid of some of the duds who started the season wearing the bleu-blanc-et-rouge, and are now gone and forgotten. Let's see who's left.

Goal: Star goaltender Carey Price can take a good deal of credit for the team's commendable comeback from the low to which they had sunk in 2017-18. For want of a reliable backup goalie, he played 13 games in a row, before Charlie Lindgren's season debut in last night's finale. Before the game he was presented with the Molson Cup -- first star of the year -- which he richly deserves. See ya next year, Carey.

After one heroic game, backup Antti Niemi folded up like an accordion. He must shoulder the blame for a couple of the mid-season losses that denied the team entry into the playoffs. We won't be seeing him again. But is Charlie Lindgren the right man to sit in the shadows at the end of the bench while Price shines? I say not. He allowed five goals last night and redeemed himself only by a couple of good stops in the overtime and shootout. I don't have much confidence in him, and am not sure the players do, either. A better bet would be Michael McNiven, who dressed as backup once this season but didn't get into the game. He's da guy!

Defence: What keeps de cows in de field? De fence! And the Habs didn't have a lot of it at the start of the season. We were left wondering when Shea Weber would return, and who was capable of playing alongside him. He did come back in December and was for the rest of the year the pillar of strength we expected. Good scoring numbers too. And (almost) rookie Viktor Mete has the speed and talent to partner Cap'n Shea. If only Mete could put the puck in the net! (He has yet to score his first goal.) But he's a keeper, and so are Brett Kulak and Christian Folin [a Swede? Ed.], so I'd say the defence is pretty well set. Xavier Ouellet and Mike Reilly are OK for reservists. Karl Alzner and Noah Juulsen might be traded for a bag of pucks.

Forwards: Marc Bergevin's critics were silenced over the season when not one but SIX (6) of his trades and pick-ups turned out to be good players. Max Domi, Tomas Tatar, Joel Armia, Nate Thompson, Jordan Weal and first-round pick Jesper Kotkaniemi all contributed to the Habs' unexpected rise to the ranks of playoff contenders, more than making up for the loss (?) of Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty. [Who? Ed.] Brendan Gallagher would have a C on his sweater if Weber wasn't there. Andrew Shaw had a career year. And Phillip Danault deserved to win the Molson Trophy, awarded to the player who makes a great contribution without receiving any special honour.

On the other side of the coin we find the face of Jonathan Drouin, who failed for the second year to live up to expectations. Not that he had a bad year, but he'd have done better if he'd showed up for every game. Know what I mean? Bergie would do well to trade him, maybe to Arizona where he could play with Galchenyuk. Artturi Lehkonen suffered from prolonged bouts of depression (or something) and seemed incapable of finishing plays or finding the back of the net. On one occasion he passed the puck rather than taking a clear shot at an empty net. On the plus side, he's very responsible in his own zone, and good on the PK. And he's a Finn so can make up a line with Kotkaniemi and Armia. Keep him. He might turn out to be another Bob Gainey.

And then there's Ryan Poehling, pictured above doing the first-bump after scoring THREE (3) goals in the score-fest vs the Leafs. The Minnesota native has been gaining experience (and weight) in the NCAA signed with les Glorieux last weekend and played his first NHL game last night, scoring not only the hat-trick but the winning goal in the shootout! Could he be the big, classy centre that the Habs have sought for lo these many years? I and Walt [and Ed.! Ed.] hope so.

In summary, I think Marc Bergevin can afford to stand pat -- more or less -- this summer. If he can move Drouin for a decent winger, and maybe find a reliable and experienced backup goalie, all well and good, but even without major changes, I predict better things for la Sainte Flannelle next year! See you then!

VIDEO: Poor Len Canayen apologizes to Antti-hero

Poor Len, again! [Hey! That rhymes! Ed.] In my mid-season review of the performance of the Montréal Canadiens and the various members thereof, I may have given the impression that we fans, not to mention his teammates, the coaching staff and everyone else, lacked confidence in the Habs' backup goalie, Antti Niemi. [Yes, you did. Ed.] After last night's game against the Florida Panthers, you will never read such a suggestion in this column again. I'm sorry.

Last night Niemi stopped an incredible 52 shots out of 53 -- a career high for him -- leading les Glorieux to a 5-1 victory, good for fourth place in their division and the first wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, if the playoffs started today. As in Monday night's game at Boston, the opposition scored first, but the Habs replied with determination, speed and a well-balanced attack.

Captain Shea Weber scored the first Montréal goal with a blistering shot from the top of the left circle. Tie Domi broke out of his scoring slump, with not one but two goals. (Unfortunately, the first one was disallowed.) And amazing rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored on a single-handed rush from the blueline, with a Florida defender draped all over him -- one for the highlight reel! Speaking of which, here's the video.



The third star of last night's highly entertaining match was Shea Weber. Tie Domi was No. 2. And the first star, quite rightly, went to Antti Niemi. He received a standing O from the fans, and a huge smile and big hug from starter Carey Price. From me, "Congratulations. Ya done good!" As long as both Price and Niemi stay healthy, I believe we're in good shape for the playoffs. Les Canadiens seront là!

Poor Len Canayen's mid-season report on the Habs

Ed. here. For the Montreal Canadiens, aka "the Habs", it's now three games past the half-way point of the NHL season. I've been bugging our sports editor, Poor Len Canayen, to get his report in, but he wanted to wait a bit to see if he could discern a trend sufficient to enable him to make a prediction. Monday and Tuesday nights' games yielded mixed results so he has given up. He writes:

Tank youse, Ed. Let's start with the trend. The Canadiens are up and down like a toilet seat at a mixed party. After 44 games, they are 23-16-5, for a total of 51 points, or, in baseball parlance, .579. If the playoffs started this morning, they'd have the second and last wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, but the New York Islanders are right behind them with 50 points and three games in hand. Will les Glorieux be there for the post-season? Hard to say.

What I can say, with pleasure, is that the Habs are having a much better season than anyone, including moi, predicted. GM Marc Bergevin made some major deals in the summer which are paying off handsomely. Notable are the acquisitions of Max Domi, Tomas Tatar and whiz kid Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who are all contributing to a much improved offence.

The defence corp is still iffy. Stalwart (and now captain) Shea Weber returned from injury in December -- not a moment too soon -- to relieve the pressure on Jordie Benn and (especially) Jeff Petry, but finding three more reliable D-men seems to be a challenge. Star goalie Carey Price has stayed healthy most of the season so far and seems to be regaining his form, albeit a bit slowly. According to the stats, backup Antti Niemi is the worst goalie in the league (starting 10+ games) but has more wins than losses to his credit.

Now for a closer look...

Forwards: Playing alongside Max Domi seems to be helping Jonathan Drouin, who last year delivered much less than expected, but this year is one of the Habs' leading scorers. Still need to play better in his own zone, though. Tough little guy Brendan Gallagher plays his heart out every night and has the goals (and bruises) to show for it. Deserves the "A" on his chest. Andrew Shaw, another scrappy little guy, has finally got his temper under control and is playing the best hockey of his career, IMHO. More Irishmen on the team, please!

M Bergevin got rid of the Russians and brought in Finns. Apart from Niemi and Kotkaniemi, there's Joel Armia, who's a decent 3rd or 4th liner, and Artturi Lehkonen, who IMHO plays like a Swede and should be traded to a team like Vancouver. One of the few authentic Canadiens on the team, Phillip Danault, is improving every year and has earned his spot at centre of the first line. Compatriot Charles Hudon is only playing because of injuries to others, and can be relied on only to choke, as he did last night.

Paul Byron, who missed quite a few games due to injury, still has his incredible speed but doesn't always have the finish when he gets to the opponents' net. The 4th line is a work in progress. Kenny Agostino works hard but hasn't got much to show for it. Matthew Peca is a defensive liability, and Michael Chaput has discipline issues. The guy I like is Nicolas Deslauriers; every team needs a tough forward and Nic's da man!

Defence: It's great to see Weber back after missing over a season with a game leg. He still has the cannon shot from the blue line, and still dishes out fear-inspiring checks, but his passing seems a little off, compared with yesteryear. He brings solid leadership to the team and is a great mentor for the others. But can he teach guys who don't want to be taught or don't have the talent? Veterans Karl Alzner and David Schlemko have been waived through the league and sent down to the Laval farm club. They will not be missed.

That leaves the youngsters -- Victor Mete, Brett Kulak and Mike Reilly -- who have all done time in Laval and are with the big team "on trial"... and because the Habs don't have anyone else. Mete has speed but not size. Kulak has the size but not the smarts, same as Reilly. Mete seems like the best bet for a permanent spot on the blue line, but Bergie still needs to find a couple of good, big, fearsome guys to beef up the defence. Hint: Alexei Emelin is cooling his heels in Russia and would surely welcome a phone call.

Goal: To what I wrote above, I will only add that, as we saw a week ago, if Carey Price gets sick or injured, putting all the work on the aging shoulders of Antti Niemi, the Canadiens will be in big trouble. Charlie Lindgren is the No. 1 goalie on the Laval Rocket, but IMHO is not the one you want behind the Habs' D. Too "hot", compared with the ultra-cool Price. Young Michael McNiven sat at the far end of the bench when Niemi started three games in a row at New Year's, but (in spite of being endorsed by Don Cherry) is an unknown quantity. A seasoned, reliable backup goalie is needed... soon!

To all the Habs fans who read WWW, our best wishes for the New Year! Les Canadiens seront là!

Poor Len: No-name Habs not so bad, so far

Ed. here. Walt is on his way to la Belle Province -- Québec! -- to follow the last few days of the election campaign which pits the governing Liberals against the populist Coalition pour l'Avenir du Québec (CAQ - Coalition for the Future of Québec). He will be joined by Poor Len Canayen, and who knows, the boys may forget about politics for a couple of hours and take in the Canadiens' final pre-season game in Montréal tomorrow night. Poor Len has already sent in his comments on prospects for the Habs' 2018-19 season, as follows....

Tank you, Hed, and bless me, Fodder, for a couple of weeks ago I was pretty close to committing the sin of despair, looking at what was left of la Sainte Flannelle as training camp started.

Max Pacioretty is gone, traded to Las Vegas, and I wish him well. Without ever having played alongside a topline centre, he did his best, and deserved better from the team. Alex Galchenyuk and his father are gone -- no bad thing, but did we get a 20-goal scorer in return? Errr, no. Shea Weber is on the injured list and not likely to be back at work until December. And did Marc Bergevin listen to me and invite the Russians -- Markov and Emelin -- to return from Siberia? Again, no.

What was left was about four dozen AHL-quality players (including a handful who played with the big team last year because there was no-one else), a couple of nice pickups acquired in the trades, and a few promising prospects and rookies. The chances of putting together a team that could get as far as the playoffs looked pretty slim.

Last night the Habs' B-team (missing Price, Drouin, Gallagher, Petry, Plekanec) took on the Toronto Maple Leafs' equivalent (read: the Toronto Marlies) and beat them 5-1 without hardly breaking a sweat. D-man Xavier Ouellet, an NHL vet in training camp with a two-way contract, helped his chances of making the opening-night NHL roster by scoring two goals. Artturi Lehkonen, one of those whose future with les Glorieux was in question, got two, and Charles Hudon, one of the AHLers, had one. Antii Niemi was solid in goal and the Habs' first-round draft pick, Jesper Kotkaniemi sparkled.

But, before we start planning the Stanley Cup parade down the Main, let's remember that the real point of the exercise was to thin out the roster and make some decisions about which Canadien wannabes are surplus to requirements. The team announced this morning that Mike McCarron, Byron Froese, Brett Lernout, Rinat Valiev and Hunter Shinkaruk were all put on waivers. McCarron and Froese can't complain that they didn't have a chance. Both were in uniform several times last season, and simply didn't perform.

Forward Nick Suzuki showed promise, but has been sent back to his junior team, the Owen Sound Attack, to get bigger and better. The same should happen to Kotkaniemi, but it will be hard to resist the temptation to keep him in Montréal to give the fans a Great White Hope to talk about.

With the dead wood and tender buds pruned out, here's how the lines and defence pairings looked at today's practice:

Forwards: Tatar – Danault – Gallagher; Drouin – Domi – Armia; Byron – Kotkaniemi – Lehkonen; Hudon – Plekanec – Scherbak; D'Agostino – de la Rose – Chaput
Poor Len sez: Hudon, Scherbak and De La Rose should go back to Laval. I didn't see enough of D'Agostino and Chaput to form an opinion.

Defence: Mete – Juulsen; Reilly – Petry; Benn – Schlemko; Alzner – Despres; Ouellet
Poor Len sez: This is where the rebuild/reset/whatever has to happen. Both Benn and Alzner are candidates for the mercy buy-out. I have no confidence in Schlemko and haven't seen anything great from Juulsen but at least he's young. Like Ouellet a lot! The big question is whether Shea Weber will ever play again at the level he used to.

Goalies: Price; Niemi; Lindgren
Poor Len sez: What to do with Lindgren? The more I see him, the more contrast I see between him and Carey Price. Price is cool in the net. Lindgren is hot! He's constantly jumping around, doing acrobatics and, IMHO, trying too hard. Not good. Niemi has earned the backup position (best seat in the arena!) so let him have it. Trade Lindgren to a team which likes his style. And if something should (God forbid!) happen to Carey Price? There's a fine young prospect, Michael McNiven, who can be brought up from Laval to backstop Niemi. Sorry, Charlie, but bye-bye.

That's all from the sports desk. J'vous verrai prochainement!

Habs report: Inconsistent Canadiens baffle Poor Len

Poor Len here. Ed. asked me a week ago [Only a week! Ed.], after the Montréal Canadiens had won their fourth game in a row, thumping Detroit 10-1, if I wasn't going to write something on the team's incredible turnaround. "Let's wait a few days," I told him. "I think I may be dreaming. I want to see if this is real." Alas and eheu! It wasn't.

This past Tuesday the Habs lost a close one (4-3) to a bigger, tougher team, the St. Louis Blues. On Thursday they lost 3-2, in overtime. tio the Calgary Flames, a team they should have been able to beat handily. Their play in the couple of minutes of extra time was a model of ineptitude. And then there was last night, when they got mauled 6-2 by one of the worst teams in the Western conference, the Edmonton Oilers. It's been a tough week to be a fan of la Sainte Flannelle.

Their modest winning streak seemed attributable, in large part, to the return of Carey Price. "Mr Saturday Night" appeared to have regained his all-star form, allowing just two (2) goals in the first three games he played since coming off the injury list. And he played in the games against St. Louis and Calgary, getting his GAA for the season down to 3.00 going into last night's game. Last night, for some reason, he fell apart, getting the hook at 2:24 of the second period, after allowing 4 goals on 15 shots.

Price gave the impression of having no energy, and not being in the game mentally. Why? Who knows? It's not for lack of rest. He played two games in two nights the week before, winning both. Perhaps it's a recurrence of rumoured personal problems that (they say) were part of the reason for his time off for most of November. To be fair, last night's débâcle was not his fault alone. As Shea Weber told the meeja, "Why should he deserve all the blame? It's a team sport. I don't know why the finger should be pointed only at him."

Indeed, there's plenty of blame to go around. The Canadiens were outshot 40-26. Where was the defence?! Weber was -3 last night. So was Jordy Benn. But it's not all down to the D either. There are still some forwards -- step forward Alex Galchenyuk -- who are either unaware of or incapable of performing their defensive duties. Captain Max Pacioretty said, "From the first face-off, we were back on our heels, worrying too much about playing defence against some of their players [meaning Connor McDavid, no doubt] who were coming through the neutral zone at speed."

Quite so. Brendan Gallagher, who I love to bits, took two penalties in quick succession, near the beginning of the third period, trying to stop Edmonton rushes. Sure enough, the Oilers scored on one of the ensuing power plays. Cap'n Max says "The best way to defend against that kind of thing is to create an attack." That would have been fine, except the Habs forwards didn't do that. Rookie goaltender Laurent Broissoit, who started the game with a GAA of 3.71, was never sorely tested.

The warning signs were there in Tuesday night's 4-3 loss to the Blues. St. Louis scored first, and Montréal was able to tie the game and then go into the lead (which they blew) thanks to goals by the aforementioned Weber (2) and Benn, both defencemen. Where was the offence? MIA.

And there you have the problem of this season's edition of the Canadiens in one word: inconsistency. One night there's no offence. The next night there's no defence. And on the third, the (former?) best goalie in the world has an "off night"...or a night off. Price was defensive in the meeja scrum after last night's game. "I didn't get up this morning intending to be pulled in the second period!", he snapped.

I believe him. I believe they all want to win. And they know I and 1000s of other fans of Canada's team want them to win. I just wish that the forwards, the defence and the goaltenders could all get their acts together for sixty minutes in the same game, 6 or 7 times out of 10, from here until April. Ainsi soit-il!

Canadiens: Poor Len knows the score... unfortunately...

Walt has been a bit preoccupied this last week, what with Zimbabwe undergoing a revolution of sorts, Canadians bracing for still more "refugees" and Moore stories about politicians doing what men have always done. Can you imagine? Anyway, for a break from all that, let's give Poor Len Canayen the floor so he can demuddify the situation with his beloved Montréal Canadiens. Ed.

Tank you, Ed. Having watched last night's game between the Habs and the Nashville Predators, right to the bitter end -- and I chose that word deliberately -- I think this is a good time to make a prediction. Unclear the future is, but through the ice fog I see... 2018 NHL playoffs not including la Sainte Flannelle. Now I'll tell you why.

But first, a word about the Nashville Predators. Last night was my first time this year to see the Preds in action, and I was curious to see how P.K. Subban (now in his second year with the team) and Alexei Emelin (acquired indirectly through last June's expansion draft) would get along together, and how they would perform against their old teammates. Subban was his usual showboaty self. His turnover led to the first Montéal goal, but a furious rush into the Habs' zone set up the second Nashville goal, which looked like being the winner until 19:05 of the third period. Subban also tried to pick a fight with the littlest Hab (Brendan Gallagher) and distributed half a dozen checks. Emelin had four solid hits, but all on the boards, not the devastating open-ice checks for which he was famous in Montréal. I wish he still wore the bleu-blanc-et-rouge.

Not that the Habs' defence was that bad last night. In spite of the absence of their star defenceman, Shea Weber -- who came to us in trade for Subban, and a good thing too! -- they did a pretty fair job, for a crew of limited talent, in keeping the opposition from having clear shots at Anton Niemi. Credit must be given to Jeff Petry, who's had a mediocre season who far, but stepped up nicely yesterday, making some impressive defensive plays and doing what he could, when he could to start breakouts. On that score, though, he's no Andrei Markov, another Russian ex-Hab who is sorely missed.

Niemi is the fourth (4th!) goaltender to pay more than one game for the Canadiens. Carey Price is on the injury list and, frankly, hasn't played all that well right from the start of the season. There are rumours, which I hope are untrue, about troubles in his domestic life which he would certainly have trouble forgetting while on the ice. Backup goalie Al Montoya is also injured. Charlie Lindgren was brought up from the Laval Rocket of the AHL, and for the first three or four games looked like being a latter-day Ken Dryden who could backstop the team at least into a payoff birth. After his last two outings though, he will likely return to Laval this weekend, shell-shocked.

Niemi played well in last night's game, staying calm in the net (unlike Lindgren) and making some good saves. He allowed only two goals regulation time and overtime, and was only beaten on the third shot of the shoot-out, leaving Nashville with a 3-2 win. The Canadiens salvaged a point only in the last minute of regulation time, on a goal by Joe Morrow (D). The Habs' first goal came on a shot from just inside the blueline by Jordie Benn (D). And that, there, tells you all you need to know about the team's future.

The problem is that the Canadiens' offence is inoffensive. They can't score. In spite of taking a reasonable number of shots, they can't find the back of the net, and are averaging somewhere in the vicinity of two goals per game. Stanley Cups aren't won like that. IMHO there's not enough offensive zone time, and too much passing when they do have control of the puck in the opposition's end. In particular, I would like to see Jonathan Drouin shoot more. The reason he doesn't may be that he's being forced to play centre, instead of sniping from the right wing. Captain Max Pacioretty seems lethargic, or perhaps the right word is "unengaged". Some are starting to compare him to Phil Kessel, when the latter was with the Toronto Maple Laffs -- good for 30 goals but not showing a whole lot of leadership on the ice.

Last night's Montréal lineup included Jakob De La Rose and Charles Hudon, who -- I've said it before and will say it again -- are B-team guys, fine in the AHL but not talented enough for the Big Team. Alex Galchenyuk tried hard, which is not something he always does. Perhaps he's heard that he's for the chop if any team who wants him can be found. Gritty Andrew Shaw tried hard too, as always, but has the problem of being a "heat score", drawing the negative attention of the refugees (the guys in stripes) at least once in every game. Brendan Gallagher, my favourite forward so far this season, took a lot of physical punishment, as usual, and at least had the satisfaction of having got in the way of the Preds' goalie on the Benn goal. But still, not one of the players named in this paragraph scored.

That's all ye know and all ye need to know. Changes in the roster there will be, but doubtful, the future is.

Hockey fans! Nashville Predators @ Montréal Canadiens, TONIGHT!

Poor Len Canayen here with a heads-up for hockey fans in general and fans of the Montréal Canadiens and/or Pernell Karl Subban in particular. Tonight, for the first time since The Trade that shook Canada's most exciting city, the Nashville Predators and their "transcendant defenceman" (Subban, according to Dave Stubbs, late of the Gazoo) will confront Les Glorieux at the Bell Centre. Starting time is 1930 EST.

Because the two teams are in different conferences, they meet each other but rarely. When the Canadiens were in Nashville last fall, Subban was out of the lineup due to an unspecified injury. So tonight will be the first time for him to play against his old teammates, including the real defenceman, Shea Weber, who the Habs got in return and who has been playing some of his best hockey ever with the Bleu, Blanc et Rouge.

When the Canadiens visited Nashville, Predators fans gave Weber a warm welcome -- not being sarcastic -- including a video tribute showing highlights of his time with the Preds. Montréal boasts the classiest (and most knowledgeable) fans anywhere, so we can expect nothing less than a reciprocal Gloria tonight.

After the praise and bonhomie, the game will begin. The talk at the time of The Trade (and for months before) was that a lot of Subban's teammates disliked him intensely, not least for his habit of tanking up on black coffee and letting fly copious farts in the room and on the ice. There may be one or two (or more) of them who would like to get even with the NHL's blackest player for upstaging them or otherwise exacerbating last year's team's many problems. Should be an entertaining game to watch. I'll make the popcorn.

VIDEO: Poor Len introduces a hockey show Habs fans should watch

Poor Len Canayen here. With SuperBowl coming up, it's time to talk hockey! High time too, because, since the beginning of the NHL season, Ed. hasn't allowed me any space at all -- zero -- to talk about how right I was that the Montréal Canadiens would be a vastly improved team this year, thanks to Marc Bergevin's genius trade to Nashville of P.K. Subban in return for which the Habs got one of the two best defencemen in the league -- Shea Weber.

I content myself with saying that I was right, and Dave Stubbs and all the other flaks for the "transcendant defenceman" (Stubbsy's phrase) were wrong. The Predators are having a mediocre season. Les Glorieux started off like gangbusters, causing some -- OK, me -- to wonder if they were going to finish the season with under 10 losses out of 82 games, like the 1976-77 club which still ranks as the Best. Hockey. Team. Ever.

First in their division, first in their conference, first overall in the NHL. Then came the 10-0 debacle in Columbus and we fans readjusted our expectations. The Habs had a very good record through October and on into November. Then came the injuries. I need both hands to count the number of regular players who were out of the lineup in December and January. Suffice it to say that at times it seemed there were more members of the St. John's farm team on the ice than members of the Big Club. Thank the hockey gods that Carey Price remained healthy, although arguably not at the top of his game.

In spite of the injuries and a pretty tough schedule in January, the Canadiens remain at the top of their division, and by the end of the month should be assured of a berth in the playoffs. The regulars are returning, one by one, with only Brendan Gallagher not able to answer the bell for tomorrow's afternoon game against OV and the Washington Capitals. Moreover, the Habs have added a good, experienced defenceman, Nikita Nesterov, acquired from the Tampa Bay Lightning. He scored his first goal as a Canadien in last night's rather shabby 3-1 loss to Philthydelphia.

Nesterov and the other Russians -- Montréal is beginning to look like the old Red Army squad -- are the subject of this week's discussion Hockey Inside/Out, a weekly quarter-hour of hockey chatted produced by the Montreal Gazette. It's a good little show that all Habs fans ought to watch, if only to enjoy "Knucks" Nilan's Montréal accent. Do all Canadians talk like that? Check this out...



Note from Ed.: This is not a promo piece for Poor Len. He is not one of the panelists on the show.

Poor Len: 2016-17 Habs are the real deal -- real BIG deal!

Poor Len here, feeling the glow from the Montréal Canadiens' best start to the NHL season since... well... last year, but let's not get into that. This year's team -- and I emphasize the word "team" -- is so different from last year's as to not bear comparison. New players, new culture, and no distractions in the dressing room or on the ice. Adds up to 7 wins and 1 shootout loss in their first 8 games, good for first place in the NHL Eastern Conference and in the league overall!

Here's a great picture (scraped from the Gazette) from last night's 3-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After a tight first period, the match was very entertaining, with good chances at both ends of the ice, fine goaltending from TB's Big Ben Bishop and even finer from Habs' Carey Price. I'm happy to see him fully recovered from last year's injury and already at the top of his came. Kudos too to Al Montoya, a veteran backstop who's taken some of the load of Price's shoulders. Each has allowed a stingy 6 goals in 4 games, with Montoya's GAA 1.47 and Price's 1.51. It's going to be hard for other teams to beat goaltending like that!

This year's edition of la Sainte Flannelle can score too -- all of them! The usual suspects -- Max Pacioretty, Brendan Gallagher and Alex Galchenyuk -- are in form. Wee Brendan has had 28 shots in 8 games, 4 of which found the back of the net. With 3 assists that gives him 7 points. Some of last year's support players have come alive too. Torrey Mitchell has had 4 goals, with Paul Byron, David Desharnais and Phillip Danault potting 2 each. But the best news has come from new guys Alexander Radulov, Artturi Lehkonen and Andrew Shaw, all making solid contributions.

I've reserved the last paragraph for the defence. As the season got under way, many (but not I!) wondered if last June's blockbuster trade -- P.K. Subban to Nashville Predators for Shea Weber -- would prove to be GM Marc Bergevin's undoing or the Best Deal Ever Made. Much to the chagrin of Dr. C.K. and Dave Stubbs, Shea Weber has so excelled on both defence and offence that Habs fans have already forgotten Stubbsy's "transcendant defenceman". Weber is solid on defence, and the key man on the team's much-improved power play. He also leads the team in scoring, with 3 goals and 6 assists. With Andrei Markov, Alexei Emelin (who actually scored a goal) and Jeff Petry, the Canadiens now have a defensive corps that the goalies and forwards can count on.

All in all, 2016-17 looks like being a very good season. Better not to start planning the Stanley Cup parade down Rue Ste-Catherine just yet, but I've already got my bets down on the Habs not just making the playoffs, but winning the Atlantic Conference. Anyone who disagrees may send a cheque c/o Walt.

Click here to read complete statistics on the Canadiens website.

Worth reading: Guy Lafleur speaks out on why Habs traded Subban, from the Montreal Gazette 29/10/16. (My sentiments exactly!)

Poor Len Canayen explains Habs' Subban for Weber trade

Last April 6th, in "Re P.K. Subban - Told ya so!", Walt's very close friend, Poor Len Canayen, wrote "Unless something startling happens between now and the end of September, I'll be back then..." Well, as reported here (first!) earlier this afternoon, something startling has happened, so it's with pleasure that I turn the keyboard over to Poor Len.

Shed a tear (he writes) for Dave Stubbs, formerly the Montreal Gazette's cheerleader-in-chief for P.K. Subban, now scribbling for nhl.com. Who will Stubbsy worship now that his hero has been traded by the Montréal Canadiens to (gasp!) the Predators of Nashville?

Mr Stubbs thought that the sun, moon and stars shone out of the arse of the "transcendant" defenceman. The Canadiens management and coaching staff felt otherwise, as did many of his teammates. But the club's owners (Geoff Molson, prop.) loved him... when business was good. When the team missed the playoffs and fingers started to be pointed, minds were changed, and permission was given to GM Marc Bergevin to do what had to be done "for the good of the team". Which is exactly what I'd been advocating for the last two years.

P.K. Subban is a talented hockey player, when he manages to not fall down. But it takes more than talent to be a true star and an inspiration to your teammates. You need good judgment, maturity and, dare I say it, a modicum of humility. Those are the qualities which, combined with hockey skills, made Jean Béliveau, Gordie Howe, and Wayne Gretsky all-time greats. Those are the qualities which, sadly for him, Mr Subban lacks. To him, the game was all about P.K., and the cheerleaders at the Gazoo must take some of the blame for feeding P.K.'s ego, which long since became too big for the dressing room. That was why he had to go... for the good of the team.

Now P.K. has gone to Nashville, where he should feel right at home. Southern hospitality, you know. He will get an especially warm welcome from Nashville's finest if he appears on Main Street dressed as in the picture at right. Oh, they'll love him there, that's for sure.

In return for Subban, the Habs got the Predators' captain, Shea Weber, an all-star defenceman who is older, bigger and wiser than the One whose critics were labelled as incorrigible racists. Weber is not only more experienced, but more reliable on defence. Yet he scored 20 goals and 31 assists in 78 games with the Predators last season, compared with Subban's 6 goals and 45 assists in 68 games for the Canadiens.

In a statement this afternoon, Marc Begevin said, "Nous venons d'effectuer une importante transaction qui, j'en suis convaincu, fera du Canadien une meilleure équipe. Ce fut également l'une des décisions les plus difficiles que j'ai eu à prendre comme dirigeant du Canadien de Montréal. Nous venons d'obtenir, en Shea Weber, un défenseur de premier plan dans la LNH, un leader exceptionnel et un joueur qui, selon nous, améliorera notre brigade défensive et notre jeu de puissance pendant plusieurs saisons. Shea Weber a dominé tous les défenseurs de la LNH la saison dernière avec 14 buts en avantage numérique. C'est un défenseur complet, avec un gabarit imposant qui possède un puissant tir frappé."

For those who don't understand French -- wen you come on top da countree you gotta speak da langue, eh -- the key part is the first sentence: "...an important transaction which, I'm convinced, will make the Canadiens a better team." Ainsi soit-il.