Game Thread | San Jose vs. Montreal | 01/14/06

SpiderManNL · Guru

Game Thread | San Jose vs. Montreal | 01/14/06

SpiderManNL · Guru

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=150633&hubname=

No way, Jose: Huet starts against Sharks

The Montreal Canadiens will go with Cristobal Huet in net for the third straight game on Saturday when the team hosts Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks.

Canadiens coach Claude Julien made the decision on Friday with assurances that Jose Theodore was still the team's No. 1 netmineder.

Huet stood on his head for the Habs on Wednesday, making 40 saves - 18 of them in the first period - in a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. He was also solid with a 40 save performance in a 4-1 win over Ottawa last Saturday.

Theodore, who has not played since a 5-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 5, is 14-11-5 this season with a 3.22 goals-against average and .889 save percentage.

Huet is has a career 0-2-1 record against San Jose with a 3.65 goals-against average and .863 save percentage. By comparison, Theodore is 3-4 lifetime against the Sharks with a 2.65 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.

Julien continues to experiment with his lines to try and get the Canadiens out of a prolonged slump, putting young winger Michael Ryder with forwards Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev and sending centre Mike Ribeiro to the fourth line.

SpiderManNL · Guru

SpiderManNL · Guru

SpiderManNL · Guru

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/shownews.jsp?content=h011327A

Ryder new right-hand man for stars Kovalev and Koivu on Canadiens top line

MONTREAL (CP) - Saku Koivu and Alex Kovalev have a new right-hand man - winger Michael Ryder.

Montreal Canadiens coach Claude Julien's desperate search for winning combinations landed Ryder, the only non-rookie with a right-hand shot among the team's forwards, on a line with the club's top veteran attackers.

The trio will play together for the first time when the San Jose Sharks visit the Bell Centre on Saturday night. Backup Cristobal Huet will get a third consecutive start in goal ahead of struggling No. 1 Jose Theodore.

"We're not winning and (Julien) definitely wants to get something going," said Ryder, who leads the team with 18 goals. "He switches guys up and he might find a good combination somewhere. Whatever helps the team.

"I can't try to do too much - stick to what my strong points are, make sure I work hard low and try to get some hits in."

Julien has been shuffling his lineup a lot of late, trying to shake his club out of a lethargy that has seen it win only seven of its last 25 games. The Canadiens are coming off a 2-1 loss in Colorado on Wednesday night.

This time, he has put his three best offensive players of this season together. Kovalev feels it can work.

"It makes life different when you have one right-handed shot on the line," he said. "It's easier playing against a line that's all right-handed or all left-handed. The line that has at least one right-hand shot is unpredictable.

"We had a line like that in Pittsburgh with (Martin) Straka and (Robert) Lang. Lang was a centreman with a right-handed shot and you never knew if he was going to shoot or make a pass.

"It's harder to figure out which side the play will come from. And Mike, the way he shoots the puck, definitely we can use him."

The only other right-handed shooters among the forwards are fourth-line rookies Andrei Kostitsyn and Jonathan Ferland.

The Canadiens started the season with Koivu, Kovalev and Richard Zednik as their top line, while Ryder played with centre Mike Ribeiro and winger Pierre Dagenais.

Lately, Kovalev has played with Ribeiro and Kostitsyn while Koivu skated with Ryder and Chris Higgins. Zednik continues playing with Jan Bulis and Radek Bonk.

Now, Julien wants Koivu and Kovalev together again.

"We started the season pretty good but, I don't know, something happened," said Kovalev. "We couldn't find the direction to move in to get some goals. We have to figure that out and be successful again."

Dagenais cleared waivers and was demoted to AHL Hamilton this week and Ribeiro, a healthy scratch for two games last week, has been bumped to the fourth line.

Ribeiro, the team's scoring leader in 2003-04 with 65 points, has only 26 points in 39 games this season and is a team-worst minus-10.

"It is a fourth line, but it doesn't matter," said Ribeiro. "The main thing is to play.

"When you play, things can happen. My focus is to step up and make sure we don't get scored on when we're on the ice and hopefully, I can do something offensively, maybe on the power play."

Trade rumours have swirled around the Canadiens as their slump deepens and many concern Ribeiro, who has been under heat in the local media for his sub-par play.

"If it happens, it happens," said Ribeiro. "I'm still young. I'm only 25.

"If it happens, maybe I can have a better start somewhere else, but right now I'm focusing here and I'm trying to get out of the big slump I'm in. Lately, I've been working hard and hopefully I can do something well."

After the game in Denver, Kovalev flew to New York to take in the retirement of Mark Messier's jersey No. 11 at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. He flew back to Montreal on Friday morning.

Kovalev ran into several teammates from the Rangers' 1994 Stanley Cup team.

"It was nice," said Kovalev. "Some of the guys I haven't seen for 11 years, back in 94.

"We had a lots of laughs and a lot of talks about that year. Mark did a lot of good things for me and I learned a lot from him, so it was a no-brainer to go."

Kovalev also got a laugh when he noted that the intruder known only as Raphael who jumped on the ice and took shots at Theodore during a practice on Monday, is a right-hand shot.

"We don't have many guys that are right-handed shots," he said. "We had a chance to get another guy - the guy who came on the ice the other day - but he didn't work out too well. We couldn't get him a contract, or something."

Note - Defenceman Sheldon Souray, who missed the last two periods in Denver with a knee injury, had an MRI exam on Friday and will not play against San Jose. "I'm not sure if he will be out long," said Julien.

barry33 · Guru

I give CJ credit for doing everything and anything as a coach he can. If he ends up getting canned, at leats he can say that he went down swinging. I totally like the idea of Ryder on the first line. It is certainly worth a try at this point. Certainly Zednick has been a no show and the time for patience and second chances is gone. Remember this, as much as many of you have been calling for Ribiero to be demoted to the 4th line, he is NOT a 4th line player. You are putting a minus 10 guy in a defensive role. Yes you are limiting his ice time, however keep in mind that when you put the pressure on the coaching staff to make certain changes, that you need to keep in mind that you may be putting players in a position where they ar eof less use than they were before.

Same as when he had to use Bulis at center. Although Bulis played some center in Washington, that is certainly not his position and where he is most effective (when you have hands of concrete ,center is probably NOT the position for you). What troubles me as well is the lack of right handed forwards in our system. To me, this indicates an oversight on the scouting staff. I can tell you that every year when I choose my team and make my cuts, one of the things I look at seriously is if the kid is a right handed or left handed shot. Granted, I will not take a horrible player over a talented player just because of which way he shoots, however if there is not alot to choose between the 2, the way he shoots can be a deciding factor.

ray · Senior Member

great points Barry, I'm very worried about this one tonight and don't want to be negative but i'll predict a very lopsided win for the sharks. The habs are in a tailspin and I don't think firing the coach is going too help. Atlanta and Jersey both won and the gap is widening, and i hate the fact the Leafs are 7 pts ahead of us. This team has been bad for many years and its getting frustrating. when they make the playoffs we barely get in. when was the last time this team was really good 93' ? When was the last time we had a top 10 scorer, and I hate the statement were building for the future. I would rather finish 4 or fifth every year and have a chance a winning the Stanley Cup, than rebuild and maybe make the playoffs every fifth year.

With that I'll be watching the game with a few pops and hope my prediction is wrong! Go habs Go

GirlsGoneHABS · Member

Who's in nets tonight? Is it still Huet or are they going to put Theo? I've heard conflicting reports. Anyone know?

JohnM · Guru

Theodore gets the start tonight after BG makes final call.

davidb · Guru

Big Big Big mistake but understandable because BG does not want his 5 mil deal to sit on the bench. My predictions will be that BG will be gone by next year Yes, i am saying he will be gone by next year

AB Habman · Guru

davidb wrote:

Big Big Big mistake but understandable because BG does not want his 5 mil deal to sit on the bench. My predictions will be that BG will be gone by next year Yes, i am saying he will be gone by next year

I don't think so! He is good friends with Gillette who has no hockey knowledge! But I can say that if we continue free falling for a few seasons that Gillette will have to can both Gainey and his buddy Carb together! For now they will have a looooooong rope!

barry33 · Guru

JohnM wrote:

Theodore gets the start tonight after BG makes final call.

Good call Bob! I wonder what teh reaction would have been here had Julien decided to start Theo tonite?

JohnM · Guru

Barry, remember you are a Habs fan. I know this has been a tough day for you as your buddy is gone but it needed to be done. Give the new coach and assistant a little time to turn it around.

barry33 · Guru

JohnM wrote:

Barry, remember you are a Habs fan. I know this has been a tough day for you as your buddy is gone but it needed to be done. Give the new coach and assistant a little time to turn it around.

Oh I will John. I love this team and am glad that I can now focus on the team. But I can tell you one thing. If I see players who have been doing nothing all season all of a sudden come alive out there tonite I am going to lose MY Captain Morgan lol. Because it is plain nauseating.

JohnM · Guru

barry33 wrote:

Oh I will John. I love this team and am glad that I can now focus on the team. But I can tell you one thing. If I see players who have been doing nothing all season all of a sudden come alive out there tonite I am going to lose MY Captain Morgan lol. Because it is plain nauseating.

I am not giving a free pass to BG with some of the moves he has or has not made. I won't list all the things I am unhappy with, but at least he is taking full resposibility right now for the team he has put together.

barry33 · Guru

JohnM wrote:

barry33 wrote: Oh I will John. I love this team and am glad that I can now focus on the team. But I can tell you one thing. If I see players who have been doing nothing all season all of a sudden come alive out there tonite I am going to lose MY Captain Morgan lol. Because it is plain nauseating. I am not giving a free pass to BG with some of the moves he has or has not made. I won't list all the things I am unhappy with, but at least he is taking full resposibility right now for the team he has put together.

John- Gainey has no CHOICE but to take full responsibility. He has attended the "Cover Thine A$$" college and graduated. A change had to be made. I know for a fact he tried to move Bonk, Theo, and Ribiero with no luck. But, unfortunately for Claude, he could move the coach. Carbonneau would have been extremely low on my wish list for a new coach..as in not on it at all.

JohnM · Guru

1-0 SJ, 6-6 are the shots on goal.

JohnM · Guru

PP and PK working so far. Markov seems to have heard what Gainey said in the press conference. So far so good boys and girls.

Habhead · Veteran Member

That was a huge 5 on 3 kill by the Habs. Nice to have a 2 goal lead at home, let's see whether they can keep it up.

JohnM · Guru

Another PP goal, Streit's first. Markov 4 pts so far. Is this the same team? Ribs scores??? What is going on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mdmrules · Member

5-1!!!!!!!!!

This is awesome... I don't want to let it go to my head but we haven't seen a game like this from them at all this year. Maybe today's events were for the best.

JohnM · Guru

Make that 6-1. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!

Nil d · Guru

And now 6-1! How can the Habs play like that, after playing like bums the last game. Claude J must be spitting mad right now.

Habhead · Veteran Member

Nil d wrote:

And now 6-1! How can the Habs play like that, after playing like bums the last game. Claude J must be spitting mad right now.

Probably more disappointed (mixed in with some cuss words) at the lack of effort they put forth for him the past month or two and especially that last game in Colorado, THAT was disgusting.

SpiderManNL · Guru

2nd Intermission

6 1

Shots on Goal: 20 14

JohnM · Guru

Zed and Ribs went down with injuries in the second, not sure what there status is. When's Pleks coming back?

Nil d · Guru

I'll check later, but I don't remember the Habs scoring 6 goals in a game this year. Tonight they have 6 in one period!

JohnM · Guru

First time the Habs have scored 6 in one period since 1992 against Quebec.

JohnM · Guru

Much needed win for the boys. 6-2

GO HABS GO!!!

SpiderManNL · Guru

Final Score:

6

2