KamalPanesar

LOL! I didn't even see that angle. Now I want him to be a Hab THAT MUCH more! ;-)

...how good would Moulson look in a Habs jersey?? Not gonna happen, but I'm just saying... :-)

Agreed...I think the Habs would do well to bring Gill into the fold of the team in some capacity once he retires (which I believe will be after this season)... That said, this organization shunned Larry Robinson a few years ago so I wouldn't hold my breath... Exactly! He just needs to adjust to the smaller rinks/quicker reaction time needed. We also have to remember that he barely speaks any English. I really think that we'll see more of Emelin once Markov is in the lineup. I would go so far as to say that I think they'll be paired together and that Markov's influence will make Emelin a key defenseman by the end of the season...

LOL! Hilarious, but slightly insulting to goats...

That was weak, at best. Another match in which Jacques Martin's sit on the lead, strategy backfires. ...and why was Gionta the Habs third shooter instead of Cole? Why not go with the hot hand? Oh Jacques Martin... Sigh.

Good win for the Habs...one that Martin surely loves! Here's my take: http://www.habsaddict.com/2011/11/canadiens-predators-peter-budaj-leads.html

Yep. And why exactly did Gomez, Cammalleri and Gionta all go after the left Preds defender (leaving Weber open) on Nashville's first goal? Excellent communication there boys...

...and Gomez gets a shift between Pacioretty and Cole to end to first period. That's a nice way to reward Desharnais for scoring... Can't say it's surprising though...

Makes sense plus with HUGE games against Boston, Philly, the Rangers, Pens and others this month, this might be one of the few chances to rest Price.

Agreed...and he is not so good on the wing. Plus, he is the ONLY big center the Habs have...him and AK46 make beautiful music together!

Good stuff Hirky! I agree with you re: Weber. I like what we've seen from him so far this season and despise seeing him as a 4th line winger. I've liked what I've seen from Diaz too, although he tends to have a lot of unforced errors in his own end. As for Emelin, Montreal has to get him playing more, imo. The only way he'll adjust is with more ice time. That said, I truly believe they will give that experiment a better shot once Markov is back. If the Habs are smart, they'll make Markov-Emelin a top pairing in order to insulate Emelin. Ultimately, the Habs have a glut of defenseman ready to play so, in all honesty, I can see them making a trade at some point over the season. That, of course, depends on injury!

VERY true! I still can't believe that he has five goals on the year and is tied for second (in that category) on the team. Craziness. Still, I'd like to see Patches or Cole on the top line just to spread out to offense. I'm also thinking that Gomez won't stay on the fourth line for long... It should be interesting...amazing how the injury bug is once again taking this team down.

Word is that Weber (Yannick that is) will be back on D and Emelin will be sitting. I'm not a huge fan of the lines, at least on paper. As much as Patches and Cole can do a lot of damage playing on DD's wings, I'd like to see those two split across the top two lines to spread out the offense. No offense to Travis Moen, but I don't understand why he keeps making his way into the top-6! Question of the day: Would you trade Weber and Kostitsyn for Weber and Kostitsyn? :-)

I don't think Weber is a lock by any stretch. Diaz has looked real good and seems to get better each game. Honestly, the Habs will have an embarrassment of riches once Markov is back. Firstly, it will push Emelin to the 8th d-spot and that's a move that might make his flee for the KHL. As it is, he isn't thrilled about being a healthy scratch. With Weber and Diaz, they have both shown they're NHL ready and are both similar style players. As such, I don't see them sitting for long (when Markov comes back and IF he can stay healthy). In all honesty, if Markov can stay healthy all signs point to some kind of trade of either Weber or Diaz.

I'm calling a big win for the Habs tonight and am looking forward to watching Cammy with Plekanec and Cole. That should be an excellent line. Also the third line of Gomez, Gionta and Eller (ya, that's the third line) should be much improved. Moen was great as a stop-gap and all, but Eller looks real good so far this season and should add some needed life to that line. If the Plekanec line can get rolling tonight, watch out...because the Desharnais line is already looking like one of the most dangerous we've seen in a long time. It kind of reminds me of Lucic, Krejci and Horton. Krejci has the two big wingers that create space for him to work his magic. Ditto for Desharnais...

No doubt! Honestly, with Markov in the lineup the Habs inch ever closer to the "elite" status. Without him, I think they'll have a season pretty similar to last year. Ultimately, while the injuries suck, they present great opportunities for the young guns to strut their stuff. Players like Palushaj, Emelin, Weber and Diaz will all be eager not to lose their spots, so they'll likely play some inspired hockey. We see, starting tomorrow...

If they're saying Cammy in 2 weeks, then I would guess the cut is not too severe... Sucks for the Habs to lose him so early but, if I had a choice, I'd rather he play the last two weeks or the season than the first two.

So speaking with and getting a Tweets from TSN 990's Amanda Stein, she has it on good authority that the Habs have sent Blair Betts back to Philly because he failed his physical. That speaks to woeful due diligence on the part of the Habs. What are your thoughts on the situation?

Well that sucked. Boring game by both teams. The Habs were flat, disorganized, lacking chemistry. It's still early, but that was an ugly game all around. On to Winnipeg!

This won't be an easy game for the Habs, by any stretch. The Leafs are 'inferior' competition, but they are better than last year and will be stoked to get that first win in front of their home crowd. The same can be said of Sunday's game in Winnipeg against the Jets. Both teams are beatable but will both want the home win and to use it as a jumping point. Montreal will be in tough but I think Price will be the difference tonight!

Too true! I think the Habs will be a good team this year but, in order to get over the hump into the elite class, they need Markov. Hopefully for Montreal's sake he's not out of the lineup too long!

Thank you, Sir! Habsworld.net and HabsAddict.com have an exciting announcement tomorrow so I'm glad to be here!

Betts is a great pickup for Montreal. He'll be a solid 4th line center with size. Plus, he's great on the PK. This move was a no-brainer for the Habs and seriously improves their bottom six.