Dear Montreal Canadiens,
As a Winnipeger that refused to switch allegiances to the Jets upon their triumphant return to the city, I have brought shame upon my family and received scorn from friends and enemies alike. The ill feelings directed towards me have only been exacerbated by my unwillingness to embrace the Jets in the midst of their desperate playoff push this April. If you could kindly not play like garbage tonight, it would be much appreciated. A loss would vindicate my detractors and make work tomorrow pretty unenjoyable.
Thanks for your time,
Colin
P.S. Enjoy the links!
Habs News and Analysis
- There are a couple of roster moves worth telling you about. Jarred Tinordi will draw into tonight’s lineup against the Jets and Yannick Weber will sit in his favour. Travis Moen will be a healthy scratch for the second straight game while Gabriel Dumont is a game time decision to draw into Jeff Halpern’s spot. Carey Price will start in goal. Puck drop is set for 8:00 ET at Winnipeg’s MTS Centre.
- Here’s a preview of tonight’s Jets-Habs game by Matt Beardmore of the Awesome Name Society and Associated Press. He notes that the Habs have given up 10 goals on 27 penalty kills in their last six games and have fallen behind by two or more goals in the first period in each of their last five defeats.
- Lars Eller talks about “junior moments”, a young player’s tendency to revert to junior hockey habits (suboptimal one-on-ones, stopping skating when looking for passes, etc.) when under pressure, and Alex Galchenyuk’s ability to reduce these moments in his game as the season has progressed. Eller has been impressed with Galchenyuk’s growth over the course of the year.
Know Your Enemy: Winnipeg Jets
- I haven’t been able to find very much in the way of Jets roster news. Ondrej Pavelec gets the start while Zach Bogosian is a game time decision. Coach Claude Noel did not sound very confident about Bogosian’s ability to start.
- Arby_18 over at Arctic Ice Hockey has a preview of the Habs-Jets game tonight. The game will serve as Winnipeg’s regular season finale and the Jets will need Ottawa and New York to both lose in regulation to sustain their slim playoff hopes. Arby notes that the Jets are on a 6-1-1 run while Montreal has only won two out of the last eight.
General NHL and Analysis
- Martin St. Louis took over the NHL scoring lead from Sidney Crosby with a hat trick against the Leafs yesterday. If he hangs on to the award, which seems likely, St. Louis will break Gordie Howe’s record and become the oldest player to win the Art Ross.
- American defenseman Seth Jones has been named the top North American skater on NHL Central Scouting’s final pre-draft rankings while 17-year-old Finnish centre Aleksander Barkov has been named the top European skater in the upcoming draft.
- The Ottawa Senators have confirmed that Erik Karlsson will be in the lineup tonight against Washington. Karlsson had this to say.
- Needless to say, Sens fans are pretty happy. Scott over at the 6th Sens notes that he’s “invigorated, hopeful, concerned, [and] awed” by the return, further expressing his feelings in song. Dave Young over at Silver Seven Sens is also pleased.
- Speaking of Karlsson, Backhand Shelf’s Jo Innes has posted an in depth analysis of Erik Karlsson’s Achilles injury. Highlights include: a description of the tendon’s purpose, the recommended treatment options, prognosis, and timeline as well as a discussion of whether or not Karlsson possesses magical powers.
- It’s theoretical awards season in the blogosphere. Jeff Angus over at Canucks Army gives his picks for Hart, Lady Byng, Vezina, Calder, Norris, Selke, Adams, and GM of the Year.
- Ryan Lambert puts on his internet brass knuckles and discusses hockey-related things that have been bothering him recently. These things include: Winnipeg’s veneration of Ondrej Pavelec, commonly referred to Marc-Andre Fleury-itis, and the “you have to play the game to understand it” argument.
- Former New Jersey Devil, Mighty Duck, and NHL All-Star Alexei Kasatonov has been named GM of Russia’s 2014 men’s Olympic team. He has managerial experience, serving as the general manager of SKA St. Petersburg for the past two seasons. Kasatonov hopes to lead the Russian men to Olympic gold for the first time since 1992.
- Citing a general desire to transcend time and space, Philadelphia Flyers goalie Ilya Bryzgalov will join a Tibetan monastery at season’s end. PGI over at Lighthouse Hockey has the scoop.
EOTP News and Archive Material
- I couldn’t really think of an archive topic that would match today’s links, so I thought I’d just post one of my favourite EOTP articles. Last April, Andrew developed a methodology to examine drafting success at the organizational level in the new millennium. With Chris Higgins, Jaroslav Halak, Andrei Kostitsyn, Mark Streit, Mikhail Grabovski, Sergei Kostitsyn, P.K. Subban, Carey Price and Ryan McDonagh all within the Canadiens portfolio, Andrew declared them the best drafting team in the NHL. If only we could retain players!
