With this year's NHL All-Star Game held in Ottawa. We thought we'd dig into the archoves and pull up Robert and Francis' look back at one of the Ottawa area's greatest Habs legends.

Aurele Joliat joined the Canadiens in 1922, stayed on scene for sixteen seasons, scored 270 career goals, won a Hart Trophy and three Stanley Cups. He departed from the game, owning several Canadiens team records.

Incredibly, the player who hailed from the New Edinburgh borough of Ottawa, came within a few hundred bucks of becoming an Ottawa Senator one year before his acquisition by the Canadiens!

More on that in a bit.

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Wow. It's crazy what happens when the Montreal Canadiens get a bit of luck on their side for once. With the Detroit Red Wings coming out of the gate very lackadaisical and without legendary defenseman and captain NIcklas Lidstrom, the Habs dominated the Red Wings on the scoreboard 7-2 and chased All-Star goaltender Jimmy Howard after just 20 minutes of play.

Much maligned Scott Gomez got the game going with a rocket pass that bounced off Rene Bourque and behind Howard. The scouting reports that Bourque was a slow skater couldn't have been more wrong, as he's been flying down the wing every game in his new Habs jersey.

Alexei Emelin then registered his first career NHL goal off some amazing work by Andrei Kostitsyn, who won the puck off of Henrik Zetterberg and then battled his way behind the net to through it back to the point where Emelin wired it off the post and in.

Desharnais and Plekanec followed that up with goals on defensive breakdowns by the Red Wings who were completely out of sorts in the first period.

The Habs followed that period by capitalizing on their first two shots of the second period and sitting back until midway through the third period when Jiri Hudler scored a pair for Detroit. The first goal Hudler scored came a fraction of a second after TSN's Gord Miller said shutout, and explained how he had no affect on ruining shutouts.

Erik Cole finished the game off by capitalizing on a set up by Lars Eller. Cole's whistle-to-whistle effort has been a joy to watch this season, and as one EOTP commenter (JD_) put it, the rest of the team needs to drink some Cole-Aid.

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If there was a team you'd want to pattern after, in the post-lockout/salary cap era, it's the Detroit Red Wings.

The NHL franchise from Motor City have built a successful system around a core of key players for nearly 20 years, and found a way to keep it successful in the "New NHL." It actually dates back further with the drafting of Steve Yzerman by then Wings GM and current Sr. VP Jim Devellano, but didn't really take shape until the arrival of Nicklas Lidstrom and company in the early nineties.

The Chicago Blackhawks started using that system, and it paid off. The Edmonton Oilers could be the next team to do it. Whether they can be as successful over that span all falls on the skills of the GM, and the patience of the fans.

It should be noted that when Devellano became GM of the Red Wings in 1982, he felt he could turn the team around from the "Dead Wings" era in five years. Seven years later they began winning Division titles and it was 15 years later until a Stanley Cup arrived. Do you think Canadiens fans would wait that long? No need to answer.

Much like the Canadiens developing and scouting out the Quebec-born talent, that they could get their hands on. Devellano and then senior scout Ken Holland starting an extensive scouting system in Europe. It was one of the first, and brought in a core of players that many NHL teams had little or no idea about.

Lidstrom, drafted in the Third Round in 1989, is part of that system, and 22 years later is still their top rearguard.

Pavel Datsyuk is an another prime example of the success Detroit had in Europe. Passed over in two entry drafts, Datsyuk was in the right place at the right time when Red Wings scout Hakan Anderrson got a glimpse of him, while actually scouting his competition.

He was eventually drafted, and still available in the 6th Round in 1998. Coming in a few spots ahead of him was Andrei Markov. Other current Montreal Canadiens in that draft class were Scott Gomez, Erik Cole and Brian Gionta.

Anyone know what Eric Chouinard is doing these days? He was the guy the Canadiens took in the First Round that year. We grabbed Mike Ribeiro later on, but we know how that turned out.

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Tim Thomas is entitled to his political opinions. That's his right and freedom in the US and Canada. However, when it comes to a team outing to visit The President of The United States, on needs to check his ego at the door.

So the Bruins, with only one American in tow made the trip to the East Wing to visit President Obama today. Former Bruin, and current Habs rearguard Tomas Kaberle took advantage of the team's off day to make the trek. That's what makes it interesting to me. A team of predominantly Canadian an European players, were willing to meet a world leader, not of their own nationality, while little Timmy decided to stay home.

Seriously though, how many world leaders have entered the doors of the White House, even though the two leaders at the time have a strong political indifference? Castro? Check. Brezhnev? Check. Khruschev? Him too.

I know goalies have their quirks and oddities, but Thomas opened up a whole new floor.

"I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People. This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government, Thomas stated on his Facebook page.

"Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL."

Thomas' rebuttal well put, and the Presidential meeting was not mandatory by the team, but putting his political beliefs ahead of his teammates is a bit egotistical. Given this, would Georges Laraque have gone to the White House in 2008, had the Penguins won the Cup?

Thomas isn't the first to take a pass on a visit to the White House, but putting his beliefs out front has certainly got attention. For the record, the Canadiens Hal Gill had to skip the Penguins '09 meeting with Obama due to a team commitment (golf tournament).

Video of Kaberle's trip, and other Habs links, after the jump.

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The Habs held their annual open fan practice this morning at the Bell Centre, with close to 18,00 fans on hand to watch the event.

A couple notable on-ice absentees were Carey Price and Travis Moen. Moen was taking a therapy day, while Price was nursing what is reported to be a cut on his foot. A vinyl shooter tutor took his place opposite Peter Budaj.

In the skills portion, Mathieu Darche, Andrei Kostitsyn and Tomas Kaberle each hit the four targets in six attempts during the Shooting Accuracy competition. Kaberle was the overall winner by accomplishing it the fastest, in 13.8 seconds. Kostitsyn and Darche both did it in 16 seconds

P.K. Subban edged Yannick Weber in the Hardest Shot department, clocking in a 151 km/h to Weber's 147. Weber apparently challenged his fellow defensemen to hop the boards and join the competition.

Lars Eller took home the Fastest Skater title, making a lap of the Bell Centre in 13.3 seconds.

Budaj and Team Red won the 4-on-4 game 7-3 over Team White. The losing goalie didn't have much to say after.

Video of the Skills Events and other links after the jump

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Losing back to back games on the weekend, and salvaging one point in two games would pretty much have been the death-nail for the Montreal Canadiens playoff hopes.

Instead they come away with three points, after a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Having lost their first two meetings, and coming off a 5-4 loss Friday to the Pittsburgh Penguins, a win at the ACC seemed to be a tough challenge.

The Habs were up to the task tonight, moving up two points while keeping the Leafs at bay in their own chase for a playoff spot.

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So who wants two points?

The Toronto Maple Leafs snapped a three-game losing streak, with a 4-1 win over Minnesota earlier this week, so we know they are hungry for them. The Canadiens meanwhile tossed away a second point in last night's loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Regardless of where they are in the standings though, this rivalry tends to bring the best out of both clubs.

The Leafs penalty kill is dead last in the league, but they have been perfect in the 13 times they've had to defend shorthanded in 2012. Otherwise translated, Ron Wilson's club has been playing disciplined hockey in January.

Jonas Gustavsson gets the start in goal for the Leafs. "The Monster" is 3-1-1 (2.44, .913) lifetime against the Habs.

Joffrey Lupul, named an alternate captain for next week's All-Star game, is more than on pace for a career year is socring. He already has 51 points (his personal best is 53), has four points in his last two games.

Mikhail Grabovski has eight points in his last eight for the Leafs. Thirty of Phil Kessel's 50 points on the season have come in 24 home games.

Carey Price will be back in goal for the Canadiens, and is 0-1-1 this season against the Leafs.

The game also marks Tomas Kaberle's first visit to Toronto in a Habs uniform.

Petteri Nokelainen suffered a lower body injury on Friday, and could be a game time decision tonight.

Tonight's game is dubbed "Rivalry Night" at the Air Canada Cente. Expect a pre-game ceremony featuring several former Habs and Leafs greats. Alumni teams from both clubs met last night in Hamilton, as part of the AHL Outdoor Classic.

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Clips of the trip, and some other links on last night's loss to the Pens and looking ahead to tonight's tilt with the Toronto Maple Leafs,, after the jump.

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