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MONTREAL CANADIENS
Team Page | Roster | Stats
Regular Season Record: 41-30-11, 93 pts
Head-to-Head Record: 1-4-1
Last Stanley Cup Win: 1993
Last Stanley Cup Final Appearance: 1993
Last Postseason Appearance: 2008
Players with Stanley Cup Rings: Alex Kovalev (1), Alex Tanguay (1), Mathieu Schneider (1), Patrice Brisebois (1), Mathieu Dandenault (3)
A reason to cheer for the Canadiens: With the Centennial celebration in full swing, no birthday gift would be sweeter to the organization than their 25th Stanley Cup. And with all the circus-type controversy this team has endured over the last few months, a championship would also be the perfect cure for everything that has ailed Canadiens fans.
What They Bring To The Table: Alex Kovalev struggled for a long stretch of the season, but the streaky star found his game again after being lined up with Saku Koivu and Alex Tanguay. The trio quickly became the NHL's hottest line as they powered the Canadiens to an impressive run in the final stretch. While the tandem of Maxim Lapierre and Guillaume Latendresse also made a big impact, the club is waiting for Andrei Kostitsyn and Tomas Plekanec to show that same sort of production on the score sheet. In goal, Carey Price had an up-and-down season and spent some time on IR with an ankle injury. While Jaroslav Halak filled in well for him, both netminders will need to elevate their game in the postseason. With Andrei Markov out of the lineup and Mathieu Schneider fighting off an injury, the Habs lack a healthy power play quarterback who can make that much needed first pass out of their own zone. Mike Komisarek, Josh Gorges and Roman Hamrlik aren't the same type of players and will have to keep the plays as simple as possible at both ends of the ice. |