Montreal Canadiens
- Defensive breakdowns cost the Habs dearly, as Tampa Bay took full advantage of those breakdowns to clinch their playoff berth. The Habs will need to figure out a way to solve the Lightning and avoid being pinned into their own zone. [Montreal Gazette]
- At this point, it doesn’t even need to be said. Carey Price has been phenomenal this season and should win both the Vezina and the Hart. Also, I’m running out of words to describe just how unbelievable Price has been for the Habs. [National Post]
- PK Subban maybe facing an uphill battle, but the Habs’ best blueliner continues to be in the mix for the Norris trophy. Subban’s name will be tossed around with the likes of Nashville’s Shea Weber and Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson. [TSN 690]
- One of the factors which played into relocating the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate to St.John’s, might have been the IceCaps’ strong fan base. It will give Habs’ prospects a taste of what it feels like to play under pressure, a skill they’ll need to develop if they want to thrive in Montreal. [The Telegram] /
“Our players might make the NHL some day, so they need the experience of being under pressure, playing in front of sell-out crowds that are very passionate about their team. And you get that in this market.”
- Despite churning out a historic effort this year, one that might just net Price both the Vezina and the Hart, is he overvalued? [Sportsnet]
- Listen to the latest Ice Level podcast, right here! Fair bit of warning, the newest podcast covers the incredibly scary notion that Carey Price might be nursing an injury. [EOTP]/
- Watch as Tom Gilbert and Dustin Tokarski try to defeat one another in a highly entertaining bottle race. [Canadiens]
Around The League and Elsewhere
- In honour of Alex Ovechkin’s latest 50 goal season, take a look at how Ovechkin compares to the rest of the NHL’s forwards when it comes to scoring goals. Spoiler alert: he’s absolutely in a class of his own. [Japers Rink]/
- The Buffalo Sabres and Arizona Coyotes have turned tanking into an art form this season. If the NHL wants to avoid such embarrassing antics in the future, here are some suggestions on how to eliminate the need for tanking altogether. [Grantland]
- Speaking of anti-tanking measures, take an in-depth look at the Gold’s brilliant idea. It provides an incentive for teams to win, even after being eliminated from the playoffs. [Sportsnet]/
At the 2012 Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, PhD candidate Adam Gold presented a simple solution. Instead of relying on a lottery that actually serves to diminish the value of games lat in the season, Gold proposed that draft order should be determined by total points recorded after a club is eliminated from the post-season.
- But even the greatest plans, can still go wrong. [Twitter]/
Me: It’s the Gold Plan! Hockey world: WE LOVE IT! Me: And right now, it gives the Oilers first pick! Hockey world: YOU GO STRAIGHT TO HELL!
— Down Goes Brown (@DownGoesBrown) April 1, 2015
- A warrant has been issued for Andre Deveaux, in connection to his unprovoked slash on Per Helmersson. The attack also led to the termination of Deveaux’s contract. [Puck Daddy]
- No longer will NHL teams be allowed to hire away coaches, general managers or presidents who are still under contract with another team, with no consequence. Instead, the team losing an executive will need to be compensated with a draft pick. So, the Habs could theoretically land a second-round pick for Michel Therrien if another team decided to hire him away. [Pro Hockey Talk]/
