You don't foresee Theodore starting this game?

I would say Kovalev. But if you don't agree with that, then weren't Bulis and Zednik deadline deals? Zed's been awful this year, but aside from that has been a top notch player.

 Good old NHL! What a great thread to see Spiderman!

Gee...is this board REALLY missing the NHL so much that a game that wont be played until tuesday is ALREADY being Pre-Gamed?.....it really does make me wonder how i got through the lockout....good ol' baseball...

Nil d wrote:

---

Johab wrote: Bulis has taken a while to get to where he is but i am happy with the result, Zednik was a great fix for the past couple years and was consistantly one of our top goal scorers...but this year the guy has disappeared...so, neither of them fit the role im thinking off. Infact who was the last player to consistantly be a ppg guy on the habs?! ITs really hard to think of one... I'm worried about Bulis.  He has 2 points in his last 7 games with the Habs, and 0 points in 7 Olympic games.  That's 2 points in his last 14 games.  I hope he turns it around soon!

---

 

I know, Nils.

He's been frumpy lately. Jans gotta get it together for this stretch.

I'm worried about Bulis.  He has 2 points in his last 7 games with the Habs, and 0 points in 7 Olympic games.  That's 2 points in his last 14 games.  I hope he turns it around soon!

Me too Nil....along with a couple others, needless to say.

First, Spidey, that is a great new banner you got there.

Ok, first game of the season part 2. Hard to say what might happen. Will Ryder have returned from the Gushue party in time? Will the players be too tired from the Olympics? Will Dipietro be wanting to redeem himself? I still think the Habs are going to make the playoffs and make it to the 2nd round. SO it has to start here.

4-2 win. Fresh legs and positive attitude from various Olympic inspirations will get the Habs going.

 I think we'll win this game! Huet will be relaxed and solid. Yashin will be tired. Plecs and Ribs will be good. Our D will be solid. Our offense will be firing. The best player will be Begin.

salted_one wrote:

---

although i haven't said much i am still here  and im gonna make a prediction myself    i think huet will play fantastic this game   and give ryder a couple goals as well to 4-1 victory.    but unfortunatly my next prediction wont be a happy one...  at least 3-4 weeks of more i hate saku vs i don't hate saku topics on the board (the reason i have avoided posting till now) so i know i'll be rolling my eyes for at least one more month

---

I hear you Salted.....gets pretty sickening doesn't it?  Koivu is the captain...okay...but he is not the only player on this team.  Why are the rest of them also not made accountable?

So let's go for the TEAM.  Go Habs!

 

http://www.canadiens.com/eng/news/redirect.cfm?sectionID=habsNewsDetails.cfm&newsItemID=4814

 

Game Preview: Canadiens vs. Islanders

UNIONDALE – And they’re off! After a two-week break for the Olympics, the NHL is back in action Tuesday night with six games scheduled, including the Canadiens facing the Islanders.

The Canadiens kick off a six-game, 10-day road trip tonight with their first visit to Nassau Coliseum this season. Prior to the 17-day breather, the club picked up at least a point in its last five games, earning eight of a possible 10 points. That streak allowed the Canadiens to hold on to eighth place in the Eastern Conference with 60 points, with the Maple Leafs (59 points), Thrashers and Bruins (58 points each) nipping at their heels.

The Islanders, meanwhile, closed out their pre-Olympic schedule with a 2-1 win over the Devils. Since Brad Shaw took over as head coach on Jan. 12, the club has posted a 7-5-2 record and remains six points out of a playoff spot.

Tonight marks the second meeting between the two teams this season. Steve Begin notched the game-winner in the dying minutes of regulation in their first matchup on Oct. 22, handing the Canadiens a 4-3 victory. In its last six trips to Nassau Coliseum, Montreal hasn’t had great success, going 0-4-1-1 in that stretch. Despite their recent record, the team’s last win on the Islanders’ ice is definitely a memorable one. On January 2, 2001, Jose Theodore became the first goaltender in NHL history to record a shutout and score a goal in the Canadiens’ 3-0 win.

Olympic fever: Unlike the Islanders, who saw their four Olympians come home empty-handed, the Canadiens had two of their six players make it to the podium. Saku Koivu, who notched 11 points in eight games, led Finland to a silver medal while Jan Bulis helped the Czech Republic take home the bronze.

Huet holds the fort: The starter for six straight games leading up to the Olympic break, Cristobal Huet will be between the pipes for a seventh straight contest Tuesday night. In his last six outings, the 30-year-old backstop is 3-1-2 with a 1.31 goals-against average and a .956 save percentage. His recent success has seen his overall save percentage rise to .926, placing him third in the league, behind only the Bruins’ Tim Thomas and the Rangers’ Olympic gold-medalist Henrik Lundqvist.

The road is long…: For the second time this season, the Canadiens will hit the road for six games, their longest road trip of the season. It’s the 12th time in franchise history that the club has played at least six away from home. In the previous 11 trips, Montreal has returned home with a record of .500 or better on seven occasions and has been held winless on just one occasion.


Thanks to his recent succes, Cristobal Huet is third in the league with a .926 save percentage, behind only the Bruins' Tim Thomas and the Rangers' Henrik Lundqvist.

Markov hits Yashin. Yeah!

JohnM wrote:

---

Nice individual effort by Perez. 1-0 good guys.

---

Gotta give Kovalev the credit for keeping that play alive too.

Canadiens being pretty much outplayed. Huet keeping the lead.