Opening night was on Wednesday against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Over the last few years we have grown accustomed to seeing the Maple Leafs and the Habs start things off for their respective seasons, but it wasn’t always the Leafs. Canadiens.com breaks down the Habs history of season-opening rivalries for us. [Canadiens]
If you missed last night’s game, and are looking for the highlights, don’t forget to check out the Top Six Minutes. [EOTP]
A new season has begun and that means new players will emerge. Last year, the Habs opening night roster featured players such as George Parros, Douglas Murray, and Raphael Diaz, to name a few. Things change over the course of the season, however, and by the end of the season Diaz had been traded, Parros was not playing at all, and Murray was only playing sporadically, in favor of up and comer Nathan Beaulieu and newcomer Mike Weaver. Point being, there will be lots of opportunities for every player to stake their claim for a roster spot. Internal competition is a very good thing and Habs fans everywhere should be thrilled that we have it. [Canadiens]
Hear what TSN Insider Bob McKenzie had to say about the Montreal Canadiens prior to the season opener on Wednesday when he joined Connor McKenna on TSN 690 Montreal. (Hint: this is good news for the Habs.) [TSN]
Carey Price and his wife Angela were awarded the Jean Beliveau Trophy this past Saturday to acknowledge their unwavering dedication to the community of Montreal through community service and other charitable endeavors. The Award is given annually to the player judged to be the most giving to the community off the ice. See what Dave Stubbs had to say about the Price family. [Montreal Gazette]
Prior to the game, head coach Michel Therrien talked to the media about the game against the Leafs and about the team in general moving forward in 2014-2015. It looks like everybody is excited to kick things off, I know I am! [RDS] (French)
Bleacher Report gives us some bold predictions for the Habs this year. It looks like they really believe in them. See what they predict will happen. [Bleacher Report]
Mitch Melnick chimed in with his first game recap of the season, he really loved what Plekanec brought. [Melnick]
Outside of Montreal
The opening night rosters for every team are set as the season kicks off on Wednesday night. Know your enemy, check out all 30 team’s rosters right here. [NHL]
Really bad news for the Columbus Blue Jackets came Wednesday as star forward Brandon Dubinsky will be out at least six weeks after undergoing abdominal surgery. Dubinsky was projected to be the Blue Jackets second-line center behind Ryan Johansen. The 28-year old put up 16 goals and 34 assists for 50 points and also chipped in 98 PIM in 76 games last year. [Union and Blue]
See what the Maple Leafs’ SB Nation site had to say about the Leafs prior to the annual season opener against the Habs. [Pension Plan Puppets]
Have you ever wondered how 4th lines can really help teams? I am sure most of us think that the 4th lines are just there to be “tough” and give the top guys a rest for a couple of minutes right? Well, our very own Arik Parnass tells us how the 4th line can really maximize a team’s output overall. [AP Hockey]
Gary Bettman said on Wednesday that there are no immediate plans to expand or relocate any teams. Something almost happened last year though, it was only one vote shy of happening. [SB Nation]
