Douglas Murray eats his Chili

A few weeks ago, Arik Parnass of "Habs Eyes on the prize"  wrote an article asking if Douglas Murray was the worst defenseman in the National Hockey League. At the time of the article, Murray had only played a few games and the fan base was very hard on him. The article delves deep into "fancystats" to point to some of Murray's strengths and weaknesses.

On August 22nd, Habs GM Marc Bergevin announced the signing of the native of Bromma, Sweden. When discussing his signing of the man some call Crankshaft, Bergevin called Murray "an experienced defenseman with good size". He went on say that the seasoned veteran would "bring a physical dimension to our team." On Mitch Melnick's TSN 690 show, NBC Hockey analyst Pierre McGuire noted that Douglas Murray was strong at clearing the net, being a physical presence and adept on the penalty kill.

If we accept that Douglas Murray was brought in to Montreal to fill specific needs, it's fair to assess his signing in the context of filling that role. With Healthy bodies coming back, Murray has been splitting time with Francis Bouillon as a sixth/seventh defenseman - which to me, is exactly the right fit for him.

The Canadiens have played 31 games this season and have gone to the Penalty kill 103 Times. They have given up 14 goals for a PK% of 86.4%.

Douglas Murray has played 15 games for the Habs in which the team has taken 43 penalties. They have been scored upon a measly 3 times during those contests, a penalty killing success rate of 93% - a full 6.6% higher than the season average.How does that stack up against the success rate when Murray does not play? Glad you asked.

In 16 games that the Canadiens have played without Doug Murray, they have taken 60 Penalties and given up 11 goals. A success rate 0f 81.7%, which is 4.7% lower than the season average, but a staggering 11.3% lower than the success rate than when Murray plays.

As far as being a physical presence, Murray has thrown 39 hits this season - an average of 2.6 hits per game. In the 15 games that he has played, the team has thrown a total of 300 hits, of which Murray accounts for 13%. In the 16 games without Murray, the team has thrown 285 total hits. That's 20 hits per game with Murray versus 17.8 hits per game without Murray. The difference of 2.2 hits per game effectively being effectively what Murray adds.

Building a hockey team is often termed a chemistry experiment, when the Douglas Murray element is added to the Canadies mix, their record this season is 10 wins, 3 losses and 2 shootout losses or 22 of a possible 30 points. With Murray outside of the lineup 9 wins, 6 losses and 1 shootout loss or 19 of a possible 32 points.

It can be argued that the addition of Douglas Murray makes the Canadiens only marginally better than they are without him in the lineup, but every margin adds up and it's hard to argue that the team is better off with him out of the lineup.

To read Arik Parnass' article: "Is Douglas Murray the worst defenseman in the NHL?"

Lars Eller - The Great Dane

Think back. Early on in the 2013 lockout-shortened season, Lars Eller got off to a slow start. There were even rumors beginning  to swirl that the Montreal Canadiens were looking to trade the young Dane. At that time I began putting together an article to disprove the notion that the Habs would contemplate such a move.

Life got in the way, I never finished up the article. Some details changed, David Desharnais signed a long term contract with the Canadiens and Lars Eller started to look dominant en route to the playoffs and his eventual meeting with Eric Gryba. 

As it becomes more and more evident just how important the 24-year old Dane is to the future of the Montreal Canadiens, I felt it was time to revisit the article I was putting together. I started looking over my old research. I started editing What I had already started to piece together. What we're left with is a profile on an emerging future NHL star.

Since early last season, Michel Therrien has had a plan for Lars Eller. Eller is being groomed.  At the start last season, Eller spent time on both special team units while playing fourth line minutes at even strength.I was and remain convinced that Coach Michel Therrien's plan was to virtually "build the player from scratch". Lars Eller is being groomed into the role of Thomas Plekanec 2.0. 

I can see a day in the near future, say 1-2 seasons from now where Plekanec' burdens are lessened. Where he is eased in to a 3rd line role at Center.A shutdown role playing 15 minutes with Lars Eller and Alex Galchenyuck as the top two centres. That scenario would turn an older Plek into a Carbo/Gainey type -  ELITE shutdown Centre - While putting size and skill in the Top 6 at C.

This Montreal Canadiens brass led by Michel Therrien and Marc Bergevin is building these players for tomorrow, not for today. Long term vision. Brian Wilde wrote a great piece on this months ago. "Time. Patience. Faith". That's what Bergevin is working with and Michel Therrin is HIS Coach. They have a plan. Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada once told TSN 690's Mitch Melnick that when Bergevin first took the job he was getting calls from other General Managers about Eller. Bergevin would say he needed time to evaluate. 

I am certain, it didn't take long for both the Coach the GM to complete their evaluating, they've seen what other GM's saw and they now have their plan in place. 

David Desharnais signed a long term deal last season. Two years ago he had a phenomenal season, and recently he seems to have regained that form. After long stretches of aimlessness from him, I believe he is being given every opportunity to earn a place for next season, either with the Canadiens or with another team. I don't believe he is in the teams long term plans. I do believe Lars Eller is.

On June 17th 2012, The Globe and Mail's Sean Gordon wrote a long piece spotlighting then General Manager Pierre Gauthier's acquisition of Lars Eller; 



"If Gauthier's more than willing to take his lumps, it's partly because he isn't playing on the same chessboard as the team's fervent supporters; the trade provides something close to a mission statement.

"We're looking into the future … in the big picture of things, going forward, we feel very comfortable with having done this," Gauthier said.

He will be criticized for getting a relatively paltry return of two prospects for the 25-year-old Halak, whose legend was cemented with fans during the postseason.

But 21-year-old centre Lars Eller, the 13th pick in the 2007 draft, and rough-hewn Calgary Hitmen winger Ian Schultz (the 20-year-old brother of the Washington Capitals' Jeff) fit Gauthier's vision.

Indeed, Blues GM Doug Armstrong said he tried to steer Gauthier away from Eller, who had two goals in seven NHL games last season and scored 18 goals and 39 assists in 70 AHL games, but that the Habs wouldn't relent.

"It's not like we viewed [Eller]as expendable," Armstrong said. "It may be difficult for some of the fans in Montreal, but once they see him play, they'll understand."

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound Dane projects as a second-line centre, and both the Blues and Canadiens view him as NHL ready for this fall.

Citing the Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks, Gauthier said the new paradigm involves piling up cheap, young talent that allows you to add higher-priced pieces later on. It explains why he didn't insist on a current roster player in the bidding (sources suggest four teams were involved).

As it is, the Canadiens acquired two players for roughly what Halak cost last season - probably the best they could hope for in a year where there is a rich vein of free-agent goaltending.



"That's the type of maneuvering we have to do with this new cap system," Gauthier said. "And to acquire good young players who will play for you under their entry-level contracts, that becomes very important. You look at players and how good they're going to get. You can get established players, but you can also get them in unrestricted free agency on July 1."

Fans of the former General Manager are few and far between here in Montreal and while Ian Schultz seems to be an NHL bust, Lars Eller was always the center-piece of the deal for Gauthier. This is a deal that had his fingerprints all over it. Whatever we think of Gauthier, his deals involving emerging NHL talent have all seemed to work out for the Canadiens.

Patrick Holland, Michael Bournival, Greg Pateryn and Lars Eller are all young players that the Canadiens acquired under Gauthier's watch. All four are projected to be NHLer's. Gauthier as General Manager acquired three of them - two of whom are currently on the roster. For all his failings as GM, this is one area where the man deserves to be praised. 

In Gordon's piece, Pierre Gauthier cited the Chicago Blackhawks model which is interesting to note, not just because Gauthier now works in Chicago, but the Canadiens current General Manager came from the Blackhawks system, making Eller likely a player that fits his vision. 

Looking further back to 2007, Bill Meltzer of HockeyBuzz profiled Eller leading into the NHL entry draft in a May 6th piece. His piece, almost the entirety of which I am reprinting here shows you just how high the ceiling could be for Eller;


"Among the 2007 draft prospects, Eller is arguably the most intriguing. The Dane has shot up the rankings to the point that he's become a fashionable "sleeper" first round candidate whom many say has the upside to someday outshine many of the top ten picks.

Over the last few weeks, I've talked to as many people as possible to get a sense of how far Eller has risen. Two scouts were kind enough to respond so far. In the upcoming weeks, I have arranged to speak with Eller's Frölunda head coach Jens Gustavsson and, hopefully, to several other NHL scouts to whom I've reached out. I've also poured over as many English and Swedish scouting reports on him that I've been able to find.

I have yet to see Eller play first-hand, so I can't offer any personal observations. Because Eller is Danish, he plays at the Division I level at the World Championships. And because he's been playing at the Swedish junior level for Frölunda, rather than Elitserien, no clips from his games are readily available.

However, veteran hockey people who know a lot more than I do have been raving about Eller. I thought I'd share their commentary and excerpts from the scouting reports.

Eastern Conference NHL amateur scout (via e-mail):

"Eller has come on as much as any player in this draft. Last year you could see the skill level but he was undersized even for a junior player. This year he's grown and added strength. In terms of skill, he is a plus skater and shooter and an excellent playmaker. He's a kid with a lot of upside."


Independent scout (via telephone):

Would you say Eller is the best kept secret in the draft?
"No, because Eller isn't a secret anymore. He's on a lot of team's radar screen."

Do you see him going in the first round?
"I don't see why he shouldn't. There's kind of a cat-and-mouse game that I think could go on with him, where teams are going to try to feel out how long they can wait and maybe grab another player or two they like before they take him. But more and more I think someone's going to blink pretty early on him and take him."

Could it be a situation-- like Forsberg in 1991 -- where he goes in the top 10 even though he's projected by Central Scouting and others anywhere from mid-to-late first round or the second?
"Well, you never want to put that kind of expection on a kid. Top 10? That might be a little high, but not much. If some team has the [guts] to do something like that, though, this might be the year."

How would you rate his skill level?
"He has no real weaknesses to his game. Skating- top notch. Stickhandling-top notch. Passing-- top notch. Plus he's a mature, two-way player. He's filling out his frame, so size isn't really a concern any more. He isn't afraid to get hit. If there's a flaw, it's that he's sometimes a little too unselfish and passes up open shots."

I've heard some people compare him to Henrik Zetterberg when Zetterberg was a teenager. Is that a fair comparison player, in terms of raw skill level?
"That's a real high standard to meet-- that's setting the bar really high, I think. You know that Detroit was able to draft Zetterberg in the seventh round (210th overall in 1999). There were size questions about Zetterberg back then and he didn't really come into the limelight until after he was drafted. I don't think it's fair to expect Eller to do what Zetterberg did. What I will say is he has the skill level to a be a special player if he continues improving at the same rate."

So if Eller clearly has that kind of upside, why is he still not a top 10 prospect-- or even a top 30 according to some sources? In a year where there are question marks about pretty much everyone, why isn't he in the mix?
"I'd say it's two things. He's from Denmark, so even though he plays in a very good junior program in Sweden, scouts couldn't get to look at him in the (elite level) of the WJC and Under-18s. The highest competition he's faced was in the Swedish junior playoffs."


Okay, but Kyle Turris was pretty much in the same boat. And that hasn't really held him back.
"No, it hasn't. You're right. But Turris has shown he can play for [Team] Canada and he's been accepted to a proven college hockey program at Wisconsin. But there are guys who don't feel comfortable pushing the Danish kid up until they actually see him at a higher level on a regular basis. There isn't the track record to go on."

What was the second reason why he's down a little bit in the rankings from what his skill level is supposed to be?
"In some ways it helps him and in some ways maybe it hurts him a little that he's surrounded by so many skilled players [on Frölunda]. It helps him because there's been scouts at a lot of his games. But it hurts him because maybe he wouldn't be as effective when other teams focus on stopping him. There's guess-work in projecting that, because the quality of defense and goaltending below the Elite league-- and same thing for the Division I tournament -- isn't always the best.

"Next year, Denmark will be in the WJC and he should be there. He should also be a rookie in the Swedish Elites by that point. He'll already be drafted by then, but we'll get to see how far he's come along. "

What's a best-case and worst-case scenario for him at the NHL level? Could he potentially not make it at all?
Unless it's a [Sidney] Crosby or [Alexander] Ovechkin level player, anyone could fall a little short. He could get hurt. He could stop developing. He could have trouble adjusting to the next level. But I think he doesn't have any real weaknesses to hold him back. I think he'll be an NHL player and could be a very good one." 

There's more to find in Meltzer's Eller Profile on HockeyBuzz.com and I encourage you to check it out.

Time. Patience. Faith.

If this recent streak the Habs are on has show us anything, it's that these three things are things fans need to have. The Coach has it - Listen to his speech before the Columbus game on 24CH recently. The GM has it - look at how his moves worked out. Now we need to have it to.

The Habs are on their path, let's follow them on it and enjoy the ride. 

Saku Koivu: The MIGHTY Duck

Tomorrow night, Saku Koivu returns to Montreal for only the second time since leaving the team in 2009.

The only other time Koivu played in Montreal, it wasn't exactly a banner night for him. He had zero points, took three penalties - including 2 which resulted in goals, and the team needed a shootout to pull out a victory. The Montreal faithful, voted Koivu the games first star, however, because the game was decided in extra time, the games first star automatically goes to the player who scored the winning goal. Saku Koivu was relegated to second star. That garnered the former Captain his second ovation of the night.

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Saku Koivu. I can't hide it. His name often comes up in HABS-TOWN features and I wrote full feature about him a few years ago. The numbers for Koivu don't lie, he will go down as one of the all-time greats to play for one of the most storied franchises in all of pro-sports. Had Koivu accomplished all he did here - on and off the ice - with any other team, his jersey would be retired.

When Koivu had to leave Montreal in the summer of 2009, Mitch Melnick called for people to write in emails that those at the station would then forward along to Saku. I raced to my computer and wrote something as quickly as I could:

I can remember the summer of 1994. I was 13 years old and was only starting to be interested in sports. I had followed the Canadiens cup run in '93 and watched much of the next season, I was of course excited but what I saw, but really didn't understand the game the way I do now. I was saddened the day my favorite player - Kirk Muller - was traded away - but I would soon find a new #11 to cheer for. So enamored with Captain Kirk was I, that I started to wear #11 on my jersey in every sport I've played since - however much as I tell that story, noone believes it. Everyone believes I wear #11 for Saku Koivu.

I can remember that summer of 1994, I had no idea who Saku Koivu was. My friend Lee however told me that there was this little Finnish guy named Koivu who was going to be the next great player for the Habs. I can remember us walking along Decarie to the old Sports Cards Colisseum shop (in the even older Snowdon Theatre building) and both of us buying Saku Koivu "debut cards". Saku had yet to play a game in the NHL, so in the picture on the card, he's of course wearing Finnish colours. In the picture, Saku's in the middle of his famous "Tiger Jump" (as coined by Pierre Mcguire) - a move that any Habs fan would recognize instantly.

Saku Koivu made his debut in 1995, and I can remember during the 0-5 start that got Jaques Demers fired one clear moment that defined Saku Koivu for me, at instantly made him my newest favorite Hab. The tiny little Koivu in only his 3rd or 4th game in the league levelled the much larger Eric Lindros into the boards. Lindros fell over and Saku skated off with the puck. In my memory Saku crushed Lindros even harder than Scott Stevens eventually would. Perhaps my memory has embellished the story a little bit - but I prefer it this way.
 
Saku played with the heart of a lion. He was never afraid of guys that were bigger or stronger then him. He faced the toughest defense and the toughest checkers every night, and still he excelled. Some would say he was never a true first line Center, I say he never had first line wingers to play with. (Mark Recchi aside). When Mike Ribiero had his one breakout year with Montreal, and when The Kostitsyn - Plekanec - Kovalev line was really running 2 seasons ago, "experts" and fans would claim that Saku had been relegated to the 2nd line, I would disagree. Saku's minutes never dipped down, and he always had the other teams best defensive pairing shadowing his line - so no matter what people here may have said - to the rest of the league whichever line had Saku Koivu on it was always the Canadiens most dangerous.

I vividly remember watching Hockey Night in Canada that night in December of 96 when the Habs played the Hawks and everything changed for the "next big star". Saku was leading the National Hockey League in scoring when a knee on knee hit changed the next 3 years. Saku showed everyone the courage and dedication to this team he had by always foregoing surgery on the knee - since with rehab he could get back to playing faster. Each time he would come back, look great, and re-injure the knee. People called him "injury-prone" - ignoring that it was the same injury over and over - I call him a fierce competitor.

I remember the Cancer diagnosis. This was just after Saku had finally had surgery to repair his knee. He was finally going to be healthy. He would finally become dominant again, but it was not to be - at least on the ice. Off of the ice however, Saku dominated the disease that riddled his body. He beat all the best predictions and came back to play phenomenal hockey in a magical playoff run that was cut short by the stubborness of the coach at the time. Saku looked like he hadn't missed a beat on the ice.
When the press conference was held to announce that Saku was cancer-free and he would be attempting to make a comeback before the season's end I followed intently and listened to every sound byte possible to make certain I would be at that game. I paid full face value to sit in the Air-Canada club and free food be damned, I was at that game, and it was the greatest moment I have ever been a part of. The Canadiens won their 7th straight game, clinched a playoff spot for the first time in 4 years, and SAKU! SAKU! SAKU! was back. I will NEVER forget that moment.

I believe the Canadiens management should be ashamed at how they have handled this. Saku Koivu was not only a phenomenal person on the ice, but off the ice as well. Saku can be measured by his success on the ice (he currently sits 10th on the Canadiens all-time scoring list where there is NOONE from his generation anywhere close), but most importantly he can be measured by his worth as a man. The Saku Koivu foundation is a phenomenal lasting legacy that I hope will continue it's fantastic work. I hope it will not be forgotten by the people of Montreal - the same way I doubt Saku Koivu ever will.

My Koivu #11 Ducks t-shirt is already on order, and I plan on wearing it proudly (the only time I will ever wear a visiting team's logo at the Bell Centre) when Saku and the Ducks visit this year.

Saku, you've been an inspiration to everyone in the city of Montreal whether they realize it or not, they will one day. I can only hope that others follow your path as a man, and try to do good the way you have in the face of adversity.

Thanks for the memories, good luck with your new team, and here's hoping to see you one day once again in the bleu - blanc - rouge.

I have no idea if Saku Koivu ever read what I wrote, but I think it's of little consequence. Towards the end of his tenure in Montreal, some here had soured on him, preferring instead to campaign for an enigmatic Russian to be re-signed while letting the longest tenured Captain in the history of the franchise go out with a whimper.

Hab fans remembered Saku fondly when he returned in 2011, and I am sure they will do the same again tomorrow night. Let's just hope it's not for the last time - maybe just the final time as a visitor.

For more on Saku Koivu the hockey player: "Saku Koivu: By the numbers"

Previously on "The Breakdown" - Habs Season Preview Part.1

The Lockout is over.
The National Hockey league is back.
The Montreal Canadiens are back.
The Breakdown is back.

I would like to apologize to my readers for this extended hiatus, and thank you for returning to the blog. I put a lot of effort into writing these pieces and hope you appreciate them.

In the coming days an exact start date for NHL training camps will be announced. (Expected to be January 11th or 12th) and shortly thereafter the 2013 NHL season will begin. Likely a 50 game season starting on the 19th of this month. While those details still have themselves to work out, we can get back to talking hockey.

Consider this your season preview. We'll be splitting it up into three sections.

Previously - Getting you up to speed on what's happened since last season.

Prospects/Philosophy - Who are the exciting young guns in the Habs system? Will they be at the abbreviated Training camp? Do they have a shot at playing with the team?

Lineup - What will this years edition of the Habs look like?

Due to the length of each section, I will be splitting the piece over the coming days. Today we'll round up a long, busy off-season in Montreal. 

Previously

The biggest changes in the off-season started at the top for your Montreal Canadiens. Their hired a new General Manger - Marc Bergevin who not only acquired some players, but also surrounded himself with a team of hockey minds. Many in the local media, myself included, have been impressed with his work thus far.

Bergevin was not my first choice for the GM position, my choice was Pierre McGuire. That's less a knock on Bergevin, and more speaking to the fact that I'm much more aware of Pierre McGuire and what I felt he'd bring to the table. I did, however at the time, explain to people that everything I heard about Marc Bergevin sugested that he too would be a good hire.

Bergevin immediately following his hiring started surrounding himself with great hockey people.Suddenly the Canadiens had personnel in Hockey Operations positions that hadn't existed before. The first big hiring was of Rick Dudley as his Assistant GM. Dudley comes to the Canadiens most recently from Toronto where he served under Brain Burke as Director of Player Personnel - a position to be filled in Montreal by former NHLer Scott Mellanby. 

Prior to his job with the Maple Leafs, Rick Dudley served as the General Manager of the Atlanta Thrashers for two seasons.Jonathan Willis wrote an excellent Blog posting on Dudley and his resume which I urge you to check out. Bergevin and Dudley, of course, are extremely familiar with each other having previously worked together for the Chicago Blackhawks.

On June 3rd, I wrote a posting entitled "Playing with Fire" where I discussed my thoughts on who should be the next head Coach of the Montreal Canadiens, and why. TSN's Bob McKenzie who doesn't usually get these things wrong, tweeted the other day that "Now that Bob Hartley is new head coach in CGY, MTL job is down to Michel Therrien or Marc Crawford."

I am not against Michel Therrien, I think he is a better coach now than when he was last in Montreal, but I think it's time for a different face here. After Martin, Julien, Therrien and Vigneault it's time to bring in an offensive coach, not ask a coach to change his style.

Therrien preaches defense, Crawford preaches offense. Therrien throws players' under the bus, Crawford protects his players. Therrien has been to a Stanley Cup Final, Crawford has won a Stanley Cup. Therrien has coached here before, Crawford is dying to coach here once - evidenced by the fact that he is taking French lessons just to interview for the job.

Since being hired, Michel Therrien has said all the right things. He told TSN 690's Mitch Melnick in a recent interview that he wants his players to "play on their toes," a reference to a more aggressive, offensive system. I hope that to be the case. As Melnick himself suggested, this could be a similar situation to when GM Mike Gillis inherited Alain Vigneault in Vancouver a few years ago. Vigneault and Gillis sat down with the General Manager telling the Coach that he liked him as a hockey guy, liked his personality, but hated his system. The Coach evolved, hopefully Therrien has as well.

Following the hiring of new/old Head Coach Michel Therrien, The Canadiens headed to the NHL draft in Pittsburgh (more on that below) and by all accounts had a fantastic day. Less than one week later, Marc Bergevin had a busy Canada day. 

Proving that his relationship with new Head Coach Michel Therrien is one built on strong communication, Bergevin signed 2 players who have played for Therrien before. Defenseman Francis Boullion returns to Montreal for his 3rd tour of duty with the club - the first of which was spent under Michel Therrien. Colby Armstrong who played for Therrien in Pittsburgh was also brought in. But, the biggest acquisition of the day was Brandon Prust.

Prust, was actually on the list of players that I felt the Canadiens should take a hard look at on the free agent market. As he proved during his time with the New York Rangers, Brandon Prust is a rugged bottom 6 forward. He kills penalties (averaging 1:40 per game on the PK in 2011-2012), He can fight - having been charged with 20 fighting majors last season, but he can also play hockey. Prust averaged over 10 mins a game last season - for a Rangers team that finished 1st in the NHL. He threw 144 hits, took 156 mins in penalties, and scored 2 game winning goals.

Jesse Spector is a US National Hockey writer for the Sporting News, and Brett Cyrgalis is a sports writer at the New York Post covering the Rangers, I asked them for further insight into Prust. 

Spector: "If you're into Intangibles, how about the fact that despite fighting pretty much anyone who asks, Prust hasn't missed a game in the past two seasons?"
Cyrgalis: " Brandon was a real leader throughout his time in New York. His teammates always looked up to him for his tough play, and his sacrificing his body for the betterment of the team.  He never got many of the headlines, but he got the famed Broadway Hat more often that most would expect, showing how much his teammates looked up to him and the way he played."
Spector: "Hockey players are famously tough, but Prust takes it to another level. As injuries besieged the Rangers in 2010-2011, he was asked about some knocks he had taken. His reply? "It's just pain." It became a rallying cry for a team that just squeaked into the playoffs."
Cyrgalis: "He will undoubtedly bring that same intensity to his game in Montreal"
Spector: "He's nails through and through"

After Brandon Dubinsky was traded to Columbus as part of the Rick Nash trade, many in the twitter-verse speculated that the Rangers had lost a lot of heart in the off-season between Dubinsky & Prust. Hockey fans could see alot of that side of Dubinsky in the HBO 24/7 series earlier this year. I asked both Cyrgalis and Spector to fill me in on some things about the character of Brandon Prust that the average fan might not know.
Spector: "Well, he's a big Blue Jays fan/ Aside from that, Prust is someone who is unflinchingly honest and appreciates what it takes to succeed in the NHL because he's had to battle his way through every stage of his career."
Cyrgalis: "What the average fan doesn't know about Brandon is that he's funny.He used to make everyone in the room laugh, and although he was exactly the most articulate speaker with microphones and cameras in his face, he was open and candid when possible."
Spector: "He's got a subtle sense of humour and it's kind of infectious. I don't think that means anything on the ice, but he's a good guy for young players to learn from when it comes to putting in a full effort all the time, regardless of how things are going."
Cyrgalis:  " He also found a way to lighten the mood -- which is very important for a team playing hugely important games down the stretch and in the playoffs"

For more on Brandon Prust, please read "Welcome to Montreal: Brandon Prust"

Bergevin also brought in Colby Armstrong, and brought back Francis Bouillon. There are many commonalities among the three players - the main being that they are hard workers who will bleed for the logo on their jersey. In the case of Bouillon and Armstrong however, they also have familiarity with Head Coach Michel Therrien.

When Michel Therrien took over as Head Coach of the Canadiens (the first time) in November 2000, he was instrumental in getting Bouillon his first taste of NHL action. Bouillon played 74 games that season. 

The last time Bouillon played in Montreal was during the playoffs of the disastrous Centennial Season. Bouillon came back early from injury, didn't look great, and wasn't re-signed in the off-season.
Unless something has changed since he was last in Montreal, I see Bouillon as a capable bottom pairing defenseman. Probably a 6/7 on most teams, who may play more minutes with Montreal (if he's healthy) due to his work ethic and familiarity with the coach.
Admittedly, I have only seen Bouillon play a few games since leaving Montreal in 2009 so I reached out to some people who have seen much of "Le Pettite Geurrier" during his time in Nashville.

Amanda DiPaolo is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Political Science at Middle Tennessee State University - but her true passion lies in Hockey. DiPaolo runs Inside Smashville.com - a Nashville Predators blog, similar to the Breakdown. Inside Smashville is a great resource for reading Amanda's take on all things Predators.
In speaking with Amanda, I discovered that like the coach Amanda has a history with "The Cube" (as he was affectionately known in Nashville). "Since (Bouillon) spent most of his time in Montreal, I doubt there is anything that fans in Montreal don't know... and of course since coming to Nashville already a seasoned veteran, I don't think his style evolved any."
"I used to live in Fredericton, New Brunswick and so I've been familiar with Bouillon from his American Hockey League days!"
DiPaolo also spoke fondly of Bouillon's hard work, team play and leadership. "As fans in Montreal must know, Bouillon is not only an excellent defensive defenseman who is tough on the ice, but he is a real team player off the ice. During Nashville's recent playoff run, defenseman Kevin Klein started a trend in the locker room. He cut his hair into a mohawk. Other players followed suit, including former Habs Hal Gill and Bouillon. But the veteran defenseman who has recently rejoined the Canadiens took it one step further, Bouillon's young boys also started sporting mohawks in support of their dad."

Charlie Saunier hosts the Prednecknation  Radio show on prednecknation.com and has been covering the Nashville Predators for various outlets for over a decade. I went a little more in depth with Charlie on Bouillon starting with his health.
"Francis Bouillon recovered nicely from the injury he had when he first joined the Preds & stayed healthy over his tenure in Nashville, except for a concussion that cost him the end of the 2010-2011 season. While out during that stretch, he was missed quite a bit."
I asked Saunier if anything stuck out in particular about Bouillon during his tenure in Music city. "He never took a minute of his ice time for granted. He played so much bigger than his size and was willing to play the "Predator" way as Head Coach Barrt Trotz loves to say. He hit, fought, and chipped in on offense when he could. His defense was solid and made it very easy for his partners to take more offensive risks."

Hard worker. Willing to fight for teammates. Perfect team guy. Sounds like a good fit.
Francis Bouillon typifies a depth defenseman. He'll put his hard hat and working boots on before every shift of every game and dig in for a long night's work. He's the type of gritty player Michel Therrien loves to have, he's the kind of guy teammates love, and he's the kind of guy who will bleed for the  logo in the front, not the name on the back. 

For more on Francis Bouillon, please read "Welcome (back) to Montreal: Francis Bouillon".

Colby Armstrong was bought out late last night by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Toronto will actually be paying Armstrong $1 million to not play for them. While the Canadiens will be matching that figure after signing Armstrong to a 1-year $1 million contract.
Armstrong has run into injury problems the last couple of years. He's missed 75 games due to various broken bones. Armstrong says he's completely healthy now and is looking forward to playing with his childhood favourite team. He told CKAC radio in Montreal that his favourite player growing up was Kirk Muller, and that he had Muller's poster hung in his bedroom "right next to the Britney Spears poster".
Armstrong, like Boullion has also played for Michel Therrien before. "Michel knows how I play and he knows how to get the best of me. I wanted to end up with the Canadiens" Armstrong told RDS. 
When asked by CKAC if he had fielded other offers, Armstrong said that he knew there was interest from some other teams, but jumped at the chance to play for his childhood favourite team. He was after all, a card-carrying member of the Montreal Canadiens fan club. 

"I was disappointed that the Maple Leafs bought out my contract. I think I can still contribute and I hope to rebound this season. I'm glad the Canadiens think the same way as me. I think the transition will be easy after living in the middle of Toronto".

I spoke with CTV Montreal's Brian Wilde and TSN 690's Conor Mckenna about their thoughts on GM Marc Bergevin and his moves thus far. 

McKenna : He’s done a good job. He’s in a tough spot with some of the terrible deals he inherited but I like the job he’s done so far. He’s identified core players and signed them to deals that appear to be fair to both sides. Hard to say how the hire of Michel Therrien will work out, but his track record with younger players is outstanding. The future already looks a lot better with Bergevin at the helm if only because he’s had the sense to surround himself with intelligent hockey people and seems to be willing to listen to them. My expectations for this season are not high. It will  take some time for this team to become a real contender but based on this year’s draft and the strength of next year’s draft class, I think the team will contend in the next three or four years.  

Wilde: Bergevin has done perfectly for me. He seems to get it in every way and my initial impression is he is going to be an all timer at it. Yep I said it. He seems to understand about overvaluing an asset. He passed up on Jagr and Parenteau when it would have been easy to seek more strength short term.

He is going to be a great one. People need to let him plan. That's all.

Geoff Molson came down from the heavens and hired the answer to Hab fans prayers, the house is order, a season of sorts is on the way. 

Let's go to work.

Drop the Puck. 

 

Back tomorrow with part 2 of our season preview, discussing The Habs prospects and my philosophy on them.

HABS TOWN: "He’s in a tough spot with some of the terrible deals he inherited"

Conor McKenna was recently voted in an informal poll to have the best Twitter feed of any TSN 990 radio personality. While not one of the names or faces that are marketed the most, Conor's acerbic wit makes him a popular person amongst listeners of the station.

Conor is the host of the Habs' post-game show on TSN 990 and has been for years, prior to that he got his start at the station working on a daily Habs' report. His association both personally and professionally with the team goes back many years for someone of his age.

Like many in the media, Conor got his first introduction to the Montreal Canadiens as a fan and that transition from fan to professional is one of the things that makes him an integral part of the Montreal Canadiens Experience for many. Today, Conor pays a visit to HABS-TOWN to talk about his relationship with the Habs.

 

What got you into hockey, more specifically the Habs?

I'm from Montreal. When I was a kid it was easy to admire Patrick Roy and guys like Kirk Muller, Vincent Damphousse, Mike Keane, Eric Desjardins and others. It's easy to admire a team that wins a Stanley Cup in the dramatic fashion the Habs did it in '93. I was ten years old when that happened and was already obsessed with the sport. Hockey was a part of life every day. When there was ice, I'd be playing in various leagues or at the outdoor rinks in Westmount and NDG. When there was none, I'd be playing ball hockey or roller hockey.

Do you remember your first Habs game?

My first Habs game was May 4th, 1993. My dad took me to game 2 of the Conference Semi-Finals. Montreal won the game 4-3 in OT, the same score they'd win every game in that series by. The Forum was a very different place than the Bell Centre. The standing room fans, the smoke and the people, many of whom were dressed up for the occasion (people don't really do that anymore). One aspect of the game that's been lost in the move to the Bell Centre is the on-ice sound. You could hear every stride, shot and hit at the Forum. That is, unless the crowd got going. When that happened, you couldn't hear yourself think. It was a far less gimmick-oriented crowd than the one we have now although I do love the Bell Centre. It's just different. 

Do you have a favorite Habs player ever?

Patrick Roy is my favorite Hab. I didn't get to see the greats of the past but I saw Roy. I saw him carry the team to a Cup. I've watched older games and obviously am aware of the greats, who are too many to name, but never having seen their greatness firsthand it's hard to claim them as favorites. More recently, I've had a lot of appreciation for the way Andrei Markov controlled a game when he was at his best. If he can find that game again, the Canadiens will be a vastly improved team this year. One of the things I've seen a lot of while covering the team is jersey retirements and Roy's was one of the most special.    

Where do you like to watch games?

I love watching games at the Bell Centre but honestly, I’ve seen so many there that I sometimes really just want to grab some beers and sit on a couch with my buddies and take it in. Also love watching at a pub like Hurley's or Ye Olde with friends. It’s funny how much you miss doing that once you stop.

Do you have any pre-game rituals or in game superstitions?

Absolutely zero. I am not the least bit superstitious.  

Do you find a difference in the media in-game experience at Bell Centre vs sitting in the seats?

It’s completely different. For starters, you have to pay for your hot dogs when in the seats. The media gallery also gives more of a bird’s eye view, which is nice, but completely different than the game experience of sitting in the reds or anywhere else for that matter. The electricity in the building does remain whether you’re there as a fan or a member of the media. 

Do you find it difficult to be fan at this point? Or is it easy to turn the "fan" off and on when appropriate?

It’s not hard for me to avoid fandom. There are people in the press who get excited and wear their emotions on their sleeves but I was told right off the bat, by the likes of Andie Bennett, Mitch Melnick and PJ Stock that you never cheer in the pressbox. Never. Once you flip that switch, it’s hard to turn it back on.

What's the best game you ever went to? what do you remember about it?

My favorite live experience was May 10, 2010 game 6 of the Eastern Conference semi-final with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins at the Bell Centre. A friend of mine wanted me to go with him, convinced that I was his “good luck charm” and the key to a Habs win. I called Rod Francis and got the night off (don’t think it was too hard to find someone to fill in for me). We sat about halfway up section 112, right across from the Habs bench, an unbelievable vantage point.

Fans remember this game well, Mike Cammalleri scored the first two Montreal goals and earned a standing ovation that lasted an entire TV timeout. Goosebumps. Jaroslav Halak put together what may have been his greatest performance, but the moment of the night was right before the 3^rd period was set to start, with the score 3-2 for Montreal, Jean Beliveau emerged from the Habs tunnel to take up his customary seat behind the bench but stopped as he passed Glen Metropolit to offer some words of encouragement, clearly pretty pumped up himself. I’m not sure what he said, but the moment was captured by CBC cameras and made it into their incredible montage that closed out the playoffs that year. My seats gave me and my buddy the perfect vantage point for that spine-tingling moment. Maxim Lapierre later scored that ridiculous goal after exposing Alex Goligoski along the boards and sent the crowd into hysterics. As far as a sporting event experience goes, it would be hard to top those seats and that game. 

You're a noted fan of Game of Thrones, do you think that being named the Captain, Coach or GM of the Habs is like sitting on the Iron Throne?

I’m more a fan of the series of books than the TV show but I will say that being coach of the Habs isn’t completely unlike sitting the Iron Throne in the sense that people don’t tend to do it for very long, you have to be highborn (read: Francophone) to do it, and there are people constantly sniping at you and ready to seize on the slightest slip-up or mistake that you make. Unfortunately for the coach, he can’t mount people’s heads on spikes every time they piss him off. If he could, me and several of my colleagues would likely be a bit shorter. 

What do you think of the hiring of Marc Bergevin and his moves so far?

He’s done a good job. He’s in a tough spot with some of the terrible deals he inherited but I like the job he’s done so far. He’s identified core players and signed them to deals that appear to be fair to both sides. Hard to say how the hire of Michel Therrien will work out, but his track record with younger players is outstanding. The future already looks a lot better with Bergevin at the helm if only because he’s had the sense to surround himself with intelligent hockey people and seems to be willing to listen to them. My expectations for this season are not high. It will  take some time for this team to become a real contender but based on this year’s draft and the strength of next year’s draft class, I think the team will contend in the next three or four years. 

What do you think is coming in the immediate future for Scott Gomez?

It seems we’ll have to wait until a new CBA is reached before we know what will happen with him. I’ve long said that I won’t be shocked if he’s there when and if training camp opens.

To me there are 4 question mark contracts for the Habs: Andrei Markov, Scott Gomez, Rene Bourque  and Tomas Kaberle. All four had to perform to a certain level to earn their given contracts at some point in their career. None of them reached those standards last season.

Do you believe in all four cases it's a lost cause, or can any of them be viable NHL players?

For me, Kaberle and Gomez are lost.

In the case of Markov, I truly he believe he will have a bounce-back season. He's been in Montreal for the entire off-season for the first time in his career and should be in great shape for the season. Obviously if he re-aggravates the injury all bets are off. 

For Bourque I'm not optimistic but the fact is that he's still only 30 and not too far removed from being a successful NHL player. Maybe Michel Therrien can light a fire under the guy and get some production out of him. He has all the tools needed to be successful at this level. I'm not holding my breath here, but stranger things have happened.  

Will the the 2012-2013 NHL season start on time?

I will remain the optimist and say yes. The clock isn’t just ticking for them, I’ve got postgame shows I want to host! 

For more from Conor Mckenna, follow him on Twitter @McKennaConor 

Tune in to "Melnick in the afternoon" on TSN 990am for the rest of the week as Conor fills in for Mitch.

HABS-TOWN: "I'm no longer a fan of the Montreal Canadiens"

Many of you, like me, may remember Ben Raby from his time in Montreal. He worked at the Team 990 (now TSN 990) for four years with the likes of Mitch Melnick and PJ Stock. He left for Washington D.C. shortly after completing a Master's degree at Syracuse University. He still makes occasional appearances on TSN 990, most recently this week with Conor McKenna on "Melnick in the afternoon".

Ben Raby is a man of many hats in the sport world. I've had the pleasure of knowing him for the better part of a decade. He was a pretty good ball hockey player, has knowledge on a multitude of sports and my own mother confused a picture of him as me - so he must be a pretty good looking guy.

While Ben has moved on to another locale, he is still a Montrealer born and bred, the Habs were an important part of his growing up, and to me that makes him an interesting member of HABS-TOWN.

Many readers may remember you from your time at the Team 990 (now TSN 990) here in Montreal, were you always into sports, or was reporting your first love? 

I think my goal of becoming a sports reporter began when I was still a fetus. It was something I was always interested in as a kid and the interest only grew as I went through high school and university.

Somewhere (hopefully far away) are cassettes and video tapes of simulated sports shows I made from my bedroom when I was between six and ten years old. I also used to put together sports magazines and newspapers with my own writings during that time.  Those are now stored away in boxes and likely won’t be seen again for a very long time… but they were fun to sift through when I last saw them in 2007.

I was just a sports media junkie from a very young age- watching Hockey Night in Canada on Saturdays and the NFL on Sundays and calling Mitch Garber’s CIQC radio show on Sunday nights as nine-year-old with a high voice.

On a serious note, I also had a role model for a career in media with my uncle Jason Moscovitz having worked as a political reporter on the CBC for 29 years. He remains a mentor of mine and an honest reviewer of my work.

For those who don't know what are you up to these days?

I left Montreal in 2007 to pursue a Masters Degree in Broadcast Journalism from Syracuse University. The degree from an American university offered me the opportunity to work in the U.S. and I’ve done so since 2009 in Washington, D.C.

I wear a few different hats in D.C. working as both a broadcaster and writer. I’ve covered the Washington Capitals for the last three years and am part of the broadcast team on the radio side where I host the pregame, postgame and intermission shows. I also cover the Caps as a correspondent for NHL.com and with Comcast Sportsnet in DC and with a few different local radio stations.

When there are no conflicts with the Capitals, I work on the radio broadcasts for the American University and George Washington University’s Men’s Basketball teams and starting with this upcoming season, I’ll also be part of the radio broadcast team for the NBA’s Washington Wizards.

During the hockey and basketball offseason, I work as a sports anchor with WTOP Radio in DC covering all local teams including the Washington Nationals and Redskins. 

Does that make it difficult to still be a Habs fan? 

It may sound sacrilege to say I’m no longer a fan of the Montreal Canadiens but I’m in a different situation living in a different city and covering another NHL team for a living.

When Montreal kids go on to play in the NHL, they may have a soft spot for the Canadiens and look forward to the games against Montreal but their priority is always the team they play for and their upcoming opponents. That’s the way I have viewed things while I’ve been covering the Caps.

If for example, the Caps have an upcoming game against Florida and the Panthers are on the NHL Package in my apartment, but the Habs are also on TV that night, chances are good that I’ll be watching the Florida game in preparation for our broadcast. I really don’t even think twice about it.

There has also been a lot of turnover since I last called Montreal home and followed the Canadiens regularly. I think Andrei Markov and now Francis Bouillon are the only remaining players that were regulars with the team when I last lived in Montreal in 2007. I’ve never really had any allegiance to the current group of players.

That said- the soft spot for the franchise and the history is always there. Just don’t expect me to worry too much when the team hits a rough patch in their schedule next season.

What got you into hockey, more specifically the Habs?

I’m not sure if there was any one specific thing that got me into hockey and the Canadiens. It was probably just a combination of watching Hockey Night in Canada and going to games at the Montreal Forum with my father.

I also enjoyed collecting the old Panini stickers and hockey cards as a kid and when I was five or six years old, my grandfather got me the complete set of Canadiens player figurines from Provigo- a set that I still have today… somewhere.

Do you remember your first Habs game?

I don’t remember when exactly I saw my first Canadiens game, but it had to have been sometime in the late 1980s when I was four or five years old.

Apparently I was confused when the game started because there was no play-by-play announcer like all those games I had watched on TV. I’ve been told that I then took it upon myself to do the play-by-play from my seat, causing those around us to wonder what the heck this kid was doing. Guess it was a sign of things to come.

My father introduced me to the Montreal Forum when I was a little guy. I also remember my cousin Ben Raby taking me to see Wayne Gretzky and the L.A. Kings when I was five or six. 

Do you really have a cousin with the exact same name as you?

Yes. Yes I do. He's a doctor.

Do you have a favorite Habs player ever?

Russ Courtnall was among my favorite players when I was still a little guy. He was a goal scorer with plenty of speed- was just fun to watch. I used to always request jersey #6 in my house leagues because it’s the number that Courtnall wore in Montreal.

Shortly after he was traded to the Minnesota North Stars for Brian Bellows, I got a custom made Stars sweater with his #26 on the back (they didn’t exactly have those hanging on the racks in Montreal).

I also liked Chris Chelios which was more a result of his being my older sister’s favorite player. Wearing a Chelios jersey at the Bell Centre in the early 2000s always garnered plenty of reactions. 

More recently Saku Koivu was another favorite of mine and his name is one of the few that I still look for in the box-scores. He was a gamer in Montreal. Captained the team during the worst decade in franchise history and he put up with so much nonsense in the media. I’ll always remember his comeback in 2002 and his going up against Boston’s Joe Thornton in the 2002 and 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

I was actually at the game in Dec. 1996 against the Chicago Blackhawks when Koivu suffered a serious knee injury. He was the NHL’s leading scorer at the time with 38 points in 30 games, but after the injury he never produced points at that rate again.

 

Is it easy to turn the "fan" off and on when appropriate? 

I don’t think it’s too difficult to turn the “fan” off when appropriate. Selfishly speaking, you usually want to see the teams you cover do well because it’s usually good for business (more people tuning in or reading your coverage), but that doesn’t mean you need to cheer in the press box or forget that you have a job to do.

When you deal with the players you cover regularly you develop a relationship that differs from a fan-athlete relationship. It’s a professional relationship that may also allow for a casual conversation when time permits, but I’ll put it this way- reporters can’t talk to players the way fans may talk about the team on a call-in radio show.

The best example I can give of tossing away the fanhood is when you’re working on deadline. When writing a story on a tight deadline the last thing a reporter needs is an overtime finish or a crazy late-game comeback. In those situations, regardless of whether “your” team is leading, sometimes you just want the game to end quickly regardless of who comes out on top. It makes life as a reporter a whole lot easier.

What's the best hockey game you attended? what do you remember about it?

Some of the best hockey games I attended were the first few times the Colorado Avalanche visited the Molson Centre in the late 1990s. At the time the Avalanche were one of the best teams in the NHL, they were still only a couple of years removed from Quebec City (brining out plenty of Nordiques jerseys to the arena), and their goalie Patrick Roy had a little bit of history in Montreal. The atmosphere at those games was always special.

I’ll also always remember attending the final game at the Montreal Forum on March 11, 1996. The Canadiens beat the Dallas Stars 4-1 and the postgame ceremonies included an eight minute standing ovation for Maurice Richard.

A couple non-hockey questions, you moved to DC right around the same time as the Expos, now you work for the team, does that make it that much easier to be a Nationals fan, or do you still feel the pain of the Expos loss? 

The Expos were my favorite team growing up so I’ll always have a soft spot for the team’s history in Montreal and the memories of seeing some great players at Olympic Stadium (say what you want, but I maintain that it had to have been one of the most under-rated fan experiences in all of baseball).

That said, this is my fifth summer in D.C., and having covered the Nationals in some capacity since 2008, I have gotten to know the folks who work with the club, I have followed the growth of the team and I have seen them evolve into a pennant contender. It’s been a great ride which should only get better.

I do acknowledge the unique situation I’m in. I understand that most Expos fans don’t care about the Nationals, just as most Washington baseball fans don’t care about what the franchise did while in Montreal. 

The Nationals themselves (perhaps under orders from MLB) do a very good job of acknowledging the Expos past. Any time a franchise record is broken for example, you’ll often hear a reference to a Montreal Expo. Whenever the Nats begin a home stand, the press notes will always include the club’s all time record (dating back to 1969) versus the upcoming opponents.

I would say that in each game broadcast, there are least three or four references to the Expos. On the TV side, former Expos outfielder FP Santangelo is the color analyst, so many of his anecdotes or references come from his time with Montreal.

It was also special in 2010 when the Nats honored Andre Dawson and Gary Carter by including them on the team’s ring of honor at Nationals Park. The Nats wore the tri-colored Expos hats during batting practice that day and the players then had to sign the hats for charitable auction purposes.

Adam Dunn, Ian Desmond (third-round pick by Montreal in 2004) and Drew Storen (an Expos batboy in the late 1990s in St. Louis) weren’t happy about having to give up the hats and apparently went out and bought their own Expos hats after the fact.

The point is- the Expos actually have a bigger presence in D.C. then some may realize. 

Before I let you go, I'd be remiss if I didn't ask you - have you gotten around to seeing The Godfather or Goodfellas yet?

I have in fact gotten around to seeing the Godfather and Good Fellas, and the latter is actually among my all-time favorite movies. 

The origin to this question dates back to 2006 when I was working with Mitch Melnick and it was discovered in an on-air conversation that I have seen very few must-see movies.

I think I was given a list of ten classics that I was instructed to watch… I only wound up watching four of them- Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, The Godfather and Good Fellas- but I’m forever grateful that they were brought to my attention.

I still have never seen the Wizard of Oz. 

For more from Ben Raby, follow him on twitter: @BenRaby31

or read his articles at CSN Washington.com