Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak makes a save against the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos Tuesday night. Christinne Muschi, Reuters
Preview | Matchups | Tuesday’s NHL schedule | Boone’s Game Blog and About last night … | Stubbs on Twitter | Pat Hickey’s game story
AUDIO: Mathieu Darche | Jacques Martin | Jaro Spacek | Glen Metropolit | Scott Gomez
• [...]

RDS is reporting that forward Michael Cammalleri and defenceman/forward Marc-André Bergeron skated before the rest of their teammates on Tuesday morning.
It’s the second time Cammalleri has skated and he could return for a March 20 game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For Bergeron, he has been on skates five times, but the date for his return [...]

The Gazette’s monthly Hockey Inside/Out special section was printed on Tuesday. The section includes articles from Red Fisher, Pat Hickey, Dave Stubbs, Mike Boone and Kevin Mio. They includes a look at P.K. Subban, newest Hab Dominic Moore and an update on the health of legend Jean Béliveau.
Also, our latest downloadable drawing has been posted [...]

Canadiens goalie Jaroslav Halak, aided by defenceman Jaroslav Spacek and backchecking forward Benoit Pouliot, defend the Habs net against Tampa Bay’s Vincent Lecavalier.François Lacasse, NHLI via Getty Images
Not-so-fresh off last night’s 5-3 home-ice win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, and having earned six of a possible eight points during a four-game trip that took them [...]

Carey Price, who has played two excellent games on the Canadiens’ current road trip, will be in goal tonight when the four-game trip ends in Anaheim. Price opened the trip with a victory in Boston Tuesday and was outstanding in a 3-2 loss Thursday in San Jose.
Read More…
Source: Habs Inside/Out – http://feeds.feedburner.com/habsinsideout

The Canadiens earned six points out of a possible eight during their just-completed four-game road trip, winning games in Boston, Los Angeles and Anaheim and losing one in San Jose.
The trip put the Habs in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, with another big week on the horizon: they’re at home Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday [...]

Canadiens’ Tom Pyatt battles Anaheim’s Teemu Selanne during first-period action at the Honda Centre.Debora Robinson, NHLI via Getty Images
Preview | Matchups | Sunday’s NHL schedule | Boone’s Game Blog and About last night … | Stubbs on Twitter | Pat Hickey’s game story
• AUDIO: Jaro Spacek | Tomas Plekanec | Andrei Markov | Brian Gionta [...]

The Canadiens have recalled forward Ben Maxwell from the Hamilton Bulldogs. He will join the team in Los Angeles.
From the team’s release:
Maxwell, 21, was held pointless in eight games with the Canadiens earlier this season, recording six shots on goal and averaging 9:33 minutes of ice time per game. In seven games with the Canadiens [...]

Maxim Lapierre has been suspended for four games by the NHL after a  hit from behind on Scott Nichol during the
Canadiens’ 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.
Meanwhile, Sergei Kostitsyn has been dropped to the
fourth line. Replacing him on a line with Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Kostitsyn is
Tom Pyatt.
Read More…
Source: Habs Inside/Out [...]

Kings goalie Jonathan Quick can’t stop shot by Canadiens’ Dominic Moore during the second period Saturday night. Lori Shepler, Reuters
Gazette Preview | Matchups | Saturday’s NHL schedule | Boone’s Game Blog and About last night … | Stubbs on Twitter | Pat Hickey’s game story
• At a Glance: The Canadiens struck quickly in the first [...]

In case you were wondering, former Canadiens captain Saku Koivu is doing just fine in Anaheim and enjoying playing under less pressure. However, he admits that playing against his former team on Sunday will be tough.
Read More…
Source: Habs Inside/Out – http://feeds.feedburner.com/habsinsideout

Given the NHL’s wildly inconsistent manner of dealing with injurious hits, the four games assessed yesterday to Maxim Lapierre is fodder for discussion.
Blogger/Canadian Press correspondent Arpon Basu has put together this excellent video look at suspension-producing checks as he wonders whether four games is suitable punishment for Lapierre, shelved until next Saturday for Thursday’s check [...]

• BILINGUAL AUDIO: Pierre Gauthier
• Habs didn’t have much room to move: Hickey• Idle trade-day GM Gauthier prepared to live with what he’s got: Stubbs• Much ado about nothing: Fisher
Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier, VP hockey operations Julien BriseBois and head coach Jacques Martin spent the day in Boston working the phones, as much as [...]

Matt D’Agostini was already with his new teammates on Wednesday as his old teammates were on the way to San Jose. Find out what he had to say about being dealt as he spoke with stltoday.com.
Read More…
Source: Habs Inside/Out – http://feeds.feedburner.com/habsinsideout

Canadiens charter to San Jose? Right, Rorge.
The Canadiens fly to San Jose this morning and will be in the air when the 3 pm ET NHL trade deadline arrives. But general manager Pierre Gauthier and VP hockey operations Julien BriseBois will remain in Boston, where the Habs were 4-1 winners last night, to entertain offers [...]

Newest Canadien Aaron PalushajMark Buckner, NHLI via Getty Images
The Canadiens made a deal overnight but it was hardly a blockbuster.
The Habs gave up on Matt D’Agostini, sending the underachieving forward to the St. Louis Blues for minor-leaguer Aaron Palushaj.
D’Agostini had a breakthrough season in 2008-09 with 12 goals but had only two goals [...]

Sharks’ Manny Malhotra battles with Canadiens’ Josh Gorges and
Carey Price for the puck Thursday night. Kim White, Reuters
Gazette Preview | Matchups | Thursday’s NHL schedule | Boone’s Game Blog and About last night … | Stubbs on Twitter | Pat Hickey’s game story
• At a Glance: The Canadiens looked good against the Sharks on Thursday [...]

As expected, Carey Price will get the start in goal against the San Jose Sharks tonight. Price is coming off a 4-1 win in Boston Tuesday while Jaroslav Halak is trying to figure out what time it is after two cross-continent trips in three days. 
The big news from the Sharks was the breakup of their [...]

According to a report on Ruefrontenac.com, Canadiens general manager Pierre Gauthier and the agent for Tomas Plekanec, Rick Curran, held discussions during the Olympic break on Plekanec’s future in Montreal.
Gauthier used the talks to find out what Plekanec, who leads the team in scoring, was hoping to get in his next contract.
“We talked during the [...]

Canadiens coach Jacques Martin veered from his normal routine and annouced that Carey Price will be the starting goaltender when the Canadiens face the Bruins tomorrow night in Boston. 
Martin said he will give Jaroslav Halak a few days to recover from the Olympics. Halak played in the bronze-medal game Saturday night and will join the [...]

The Canadiens will be in the air en route to San Jose when Wednesday’s 3 pm ET trade deadline comes to pass.
General manager Pierre Gauthier is travelling with the club on this four-game road trip. But as the team flies on to California, Gauthier will remain in Boston with Julien BriseBois, VP of hockey operations, [...]

Tomas Plekanec and Andrei Markov returned to the ice with the Canadiens on Sunday as the team prepares to start a crucial road trip that could determine whether or not they make the playoffs. The only player still missing, other than the inured Michael Cammalleri and Marc-André Bergeron, was Jaroslav Halak, who was still in [...]

Canadiens goaltender Carey Price makes a save against Bruins’ Blake Wheeler in the first period Tuesday night. Brian Snyder, Reuters
Gazette Preview | Matchups | Tuesday’s NHL schedule | Boone’s Game Blog and About last night … | Stubbs on Twitter | Pat Hickey’s game story
AUDIO: Carey Price | Glen Metropolit I and II | Mathieu [...]

Twenty-two hours until the NHL trade deadline, Canadiens researcher and historian Robert Lefebvre offers this exhaustive look at the trades made until now by Habs GM Pierre Gauthier through the years.
• NEW: From Bruce Peter at Lefebvre’s Eyes On The Prize website, a thorough, entirely remarkable look at the Canadiens inventory on the eve of [...]

Canadiens goaltender Jaroslav Halak and Bruins forward Patrice Bergeron are both getting the opportunity to relax a bit after playing in the Vancouver Olympics.
Halak, who arrived in Boston last night after flying from Vancouver to Montreal, was allowed to sleep in today and skipped the morning skate. He will be in uniform tonight but [...]

Swiss goalie Jonas Hiller stones Belarus’ Sergei Kostitsyn in a qualification round game shootout, which eliminated the Belarusians from the Olympics.Jamie Squire, Getty Images
From The Gazette’s Herb Zurkowsky, slumming it at Habs practice as he awaits the start of Alouettes training camp:
As expected, winger Sergei Kostitsyn has returned from the Olympics and is on the [...]

Canada vs. USA
Best of seven for the Stanley Cup
Good idea?
Back-up plan: Sid vs. Toews for the Cup
•  •  •
Only two sleeps until Canadiens-Boston
Read More…
Source: Habs Inside/Out – http://feeds.feedburner.com/habsinsideout

The Canadiens were almost at full strength as they worked out in Brossard this morning. The only healthy player not on hand was goaltender Jarodlav Halak, who played for Slovakia in the bronze medal game at the Vancouver Olympics last night.
Defenceman Andrei Markov and Tomas Plekanec practiced for the first time since their teams [...]

Herb Zurkowsky spoke to the Canadiens about Friday’s Olympic semifinal and who they will be cheering for:
There are players in the Canadiens’ dressing room with some mixed feelings prior to Canada’s Olympic hockey showdown against Slovakia Friday evening.
Obviously, any Montreal players hailing from Canada will be rooting for their country – but that potentially means [...]

This from Herb Zurkowsky in Brossard:
The Canadiens are playing some five-on-five shinny at practice Thursday at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard.
With so many players still absent because of Olympic commitments, here are the lines they’re using, from left to right: Benoit Pouliot-Scott Gomez-Brian GiontaTravis Moen-Dominic Moore-Maxim LapierreMathieu Darche-Glen Metropolit-Matt D’AgostiniAndrei Kostitsyn, recovering from [...]

Jaro Halak made 26 saves last night as Slovakia beat Sweden to advance to the semi-finals.
In playing every minute of his country’s five games, Jaro is 3-1 with a shutout, a GAA of 1.97 and a save percentage of 92.3.
It’s the Slovaks’ best-ever performance at the Olympic Games.
And, dare we say it, they aren’t done [...]

Canadiens season ticket-holders got their playoff invoices this week.
A friend of Habs Inside/Out has two seats in the Red A section of the Bell Centre.
He and other season ticket fans have to shell out in advance for 15 possible playoff games.
He’s writing the team a cheque for a cool $6,462.40.
What happens if the Canadiens miss [...]

Injured forward Michael Cammalleri met with reporters in Brossard today to update his status as he continue to recover from a knee injury. Read Herb Zurkowsky’s reports at montrealgazette.com.
Read More…
Source: Habs Inside/Out – http://feeds.feedburner.com/habsinsideout

The Habs annual
blood drive runs all day today at Windsor Station. For more information on the event, visit this site.
 
Read More…
Source: Habs Inside/Out – http://feeds.feedburner.com/habsinsideout

From Herb Zurkowsky in Brossard:
The Canadiens are practising this morning at the Bell Sports
Complex in Brossard. But there are no new faces on the ice, as none of their
Olympic-bound players have returned despite the elimination of their countries
from the tournament.
Sergei Kostitsyn, who represented Belarus, is supposed to be on
the ice Saturday, according to La Presse. [...]

As drawings continue to come in from kids, one thing is clear. The Canadiens goalies, Carey Price and Jarsoslav Halak, are the most popular pick for the drawings. Six of the last nine drawings we received are of one of the goalies.
And don’t forget, you can download outlines for your kids to colour in.
I’ve decided [...]

History will note Benoit Pouliot was the first Canadiens player to hit
the ice – at 2:51 p.m., nine minutes ahead of schedule – as Montreal
resumed its practice schedule Wednesday afternoon at the Bell Sports
Complex in Brossard following a 10-day Olympic holiday break.
Pouliot has missed the last five games with an upper-body injury.
Also practising with [...]

Reader Dennis Kane sent in these photos he drew of the Canadiens when he was a kid – back in the 1950s!
According to Kane, he did them when he was in grade two at about 7 years old.
See what Kane, now in his 60s, produced as a child here.
Read More…
Source: Habs Inside/Out – http://feeds.feedburner.com/habsinsideout

Listen to Yogi Berra, for he is wise.
As Mike Babcock is wise.
Wise enough to play Chris Pronger and Dan Boyle 3:46 and 4:00, respectively, in the third period.
Wise enough to play Drew Doughty and Duncan Keith 9:41 and 8:44 in crunch time.
But now Canada faces the ignominy of playing Germany tomorrow in the qualification round.
So [...]

Tomas Plekanec is on a goal-a-game pace at the Olympics.
Pleks scored in the Czech Republic’s 5-2 win over Latvia on Friday. He had four shots on goal and played 17:10, second among Czech forwards to Patrik Elias’s 18:37.
Sergei Kostitsyn played 16:51 and had a SoG but was kept off the scoresheet in Belarus’s 4-2 loss [...]