http://www.canada.com/topics/sports/hockey/canadiensstory.html?id=f00a6eaf-e887-42da-ad7b-3ff565281216

Habs rookie sees more ice time on penalty kill


When Bob Gainey said he wanted to give more ice time to some of his youngsters, one player he had in mind was rookie Christopher Higgins.

And Higgins, the 22-year-old from Long Island via Yale University, has justified Gainey's faith in him by providing some key points in the Canadiens' two victories since Gainey replaced Claude Julien as head coach.

On Saturday, Higgins scored a highlight reel goal, which proved to be the winner in the Canadiens' 6-2 win over the San Jose Sharks.

"If you look at that goal, you see the kind of skills that he has," Gainey said.

Higgins used his speed to break free in a shorthanded situation and made a nifty move to his backhand to beat Sharks goaltender Evgeni Nabokov.

"I didn't have anything planned," Higgins said. "I just made it up when I saw him challenge me."

Two nights later against Dallas, Higgins picked up the second assist on Michael Ryder's 19th goal of the season and, unlike some second assists, this one was earned.

Higgins was killing a penalty when he and Steve Begin were able to launch an attack. Higgins worked to keep the puck in the zone long enough for the penalty to expire and the Canadiens were able to send in some offensive reinforcements.

Higgins, who had been averaging 12:30 of ice time, logged 18:25 Monday night, more than any other Montreal forward and earned The Gazette's third star for his effort. The Canadiens were shorthanded for 9:23 and Higgins and Begin were two of the reasons why the Stars failed to score on five power plays. Higgins was a penalty-killer for 6:50 while Begin played short-handed for 6:41.

"We've shortened the list of players we use on the penalty-kill and that means we're using Higgins and Begin more," Gainey said.

Which is just fine with Higgins, who has bounced around the Canadiens' depth chart this season.

Since Gainey took over, he has been playing on the checking line with Begin and Niklas Sundstrom. Higgins has said all along that he doesn't care where he plays as long as he gets ice time.

"It's better than sitting in the press box," said Higgins, who had a taste of that at the beginning of the 2003-04 season. He made the cut after training camp, but was sent to Hamilton after dressing for only two games.

A first-round draft choice in 2002, Higgins was primed to play for the Canadiens last season, but the lockout meant a second season in the American Hockey League.

Some good things came out of that stint.With no NHL games to worry about, general manager Gainey watched more than his usual quota of AHL games and identified Higgins as the club's top prospect.

And the 2004-05 AHL provided Higgins with a better-than-average preparation for the big time.

"The calibre of play was pretty high because every team had four or five NHL guys," Higgins said.

Most players making the transition from the minors to the NHL have trouble adjusting to the speed. But Higgins said the one thing he's noticed is that the players in the NHL are smarter.

If that's the case, Higgins - a speedster with an Ivy League pedigree - fits right in.

Notes - The Canadiens had the day off but, Richard Zednik,who has a bruised thumb, skated with Tomas Plekanec, who is recovering from a knee injury. Both players will be on the charter flight this morning as the Canadiens prepare to open a six-game road trip tomorrow night in Calgary.

Defenceman Andrei Markov's immediate future is less certain. He suffered a shoulder injury Monday and the team is awaiting the results of an MRI yesterday. The Canadiens recalled Jean-Philippe Cote from Hamilton as insurance.