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Game #4 ~ Avalanche @ Canadiens. Saturday, October 15th, 2011.


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Colorado Avalanche VS. Montreal Canadiens

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Colorado Avalanche Website // Montreal Canadiens Website

Brossard – After having their party crashed by the Calgary Flames on Thursday, the Canadiens shook things up at practice on Friday.

Unsatisfied with the production he saw from each of his lines, head coach Jacques Martin decided to give the pairings a little facelift ahead of Saturday's game against the Avalanche.

Having only a day between games might be tough on some guys, but for the young defensemen in the lineup, keeping busy is what it takes to move on.

“It’s good because we don’t have much time to dwell on it,” explained P.K. Subban. “We’ve got to turn around and play a good young Colorado team Saturday”.

Subban’s new power play partner, Yannick Weber is already looking forward to hitting the ice at the Bell Centre for a second time this season.

“We knew the Flames wanted to spoil our party like we did in Winnipeg,” said the Swiss blue-liner, who played more than 20 minutes in Thursday’s game against Calgary. “With Colorado it’s our chance to show our fans that Thursday was just a little slow.”

Hoping to spark some offense from his pupils, Martin made a few tweaks to his lineup at Friday's practice. After going 0-for-4 with the man advantage in the home opener, the Montreal coach started by moving Tomas Plekanec from the point to the half-wall.

“With Cammy out of the game, we’re missing someone at the hash marks and we need Pleky there,” explained Weber who will now man the blue line on the power play. “That means it opens a spot out on the point. P.K and I know each other pretty well so we’re going to move the puck a lot. It’s going to be a dangerous powerplay, that’s for sure.”

The Habs coach didn’t stop at changing up the special teams; he also played mix and match with all his forward lines. Making a move from the fourth line to the second, Lars Eller will be playing alongside of Plekanec and Erik Cole in Saturday's tilt.

“Just changing a person on the line doesn’t make it successful," stressed Plekanec. "We need to support each other and play better as a group with the five players on the ice not with just changing the names on the lines. Lars is a good player; it’ll work.”

Getting set to play just his second game of the season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery, Eller is hoping to make the most of his new opportunity.

“Pleky and Cole who are two great players and we’ll be able to generate a lot of good offense,” described Eller who will be playing right wing. “There’s not much difference between playing center and winger; we’re going to have the puck a lot and that’s what matters.”

With 10 NHL seasons already under his belt, Cole recognizes how hard his coach's job can be.

“I’m happy not to have that job,” he admitted with a smile. “It’s always tough for a coach to make all these decisions and decide what works best. It would obviously be easier if each night, everyone gave their 100% and all the pieces fell into place.”

That's exactly what the Canadiens will attempt to do come Saturday.

Montreal's new line-up

Moen-Gomez-Gionta

Eller-Plekanec-Cole

Pacioretty-Desharnais-Kostitsyn

Darche-Engqvist-Palushaj

Subban-Gill

Gorges-Diaz

Weber-Emelin

Fix Up, Look Sharp

Last games played

Colorado - Avalanche 7, Senators 1.

Montreal - Flames 4, Canadiens 1.

Avs go for four in a row on the road at Montreal

Season Series: This is the only time these two teams will meet in the regular season. Last season they played just one time, a 3-2 victory for the Avalanche in Denver on Dec. 19.

Big Story: The Canadiens are itching to win a game at the Bell Centre after their home opener was spoiled by the Calgary Flames on Thursday. It may not be easy against the red-hot Avs, who have won three straight road games.

"It's good because we don't have much time to dwell on (Thursday's loss)," P.K. Subban told MontralCanadiens.com. "We've got to turn around and play a good young Colorado team Saturday."

Team Scope:

Avalanche: Colorado is looking to protect its perfect road record after rolling through Boston, Columbus and Ottawa so far on a season-long five-game trip.

It took Colorado just one goal to defeat the defending Stanley Cup Champions in Boston. In fact, the Colorado offense has increased its production in every game so far this season from zero goals on opening night, to one goal against the Bruins, three against the Blue Jackets and finally to seven goals against the Senators in a 7-1 win on Thursday night.

Colorado went 4-for-6 on the man-advantage on Thursday night and made Jean-Sebastien Giguere's first start in net for the Avs an easy one by outshooting Ottawa 39-16. Semyon Varlamov figures to be back in goal, as he was for the Avs' first three games this season.

"Especially on the back end of back-to-back games, we talked about wanting to keep our energy level up, using four lines and six D, and we did that." coach Joe Sacco told the Denver Post. "We spent a lot of time in their zone, and it was a complete effort for 60 minutes. And we got our power play going (Thursday), which will help our confidence going forward."

Canadiens: It wasn't the home-opener the Canadiens had in mind. In fact, coach Jacques Martin said of the 4-1 loss to the Calgary Flames that: "We self-destructed."

After watching his team lose two of its first three games, Martin opted to shake up the lines in practice on Friday. He tweaked the power play unit by moving Tomas Plekanec from the point to the half-wall after the Canadiens went 0-for-4 with the man advantage against the Flames. Lars Eller was moved up to the second line, where he will skate with Plekanec and Erik Cole. Travis Moen, Scott Gomez, and Brian Gionta skated on the top line in Friday's practice.

"It's always tough for a coach to make all these decisions and decide what works best," Martin said. "It would obviously be easier if each night, everyone gave their 100 percent and all the pieces fell into place."

Who's Hot: Avs rookie Gabriel Landeskog, the second player picked in the Entry Draft in June, has goals in back-to-back games.

Injury Report: The Avalanche have placed forward Mark Olver (head) and forward Brandon Yip (arm) on injured reserve … For Montreal, forward Michael Cammalleri (right leg laceration) and defenseman Jaroslav Spacek (upper body) are out. Defensemen Chris Campoli (leg) and Andrei Markov (knee surgery) are a long time from returning.

Stat Pack: Montreal goaltender Carey Price is one away from his 100th career win. … If Colorado wins on Saturday it would be the first time the club has opened 4-0-0 on the road in 26 years.

Puck Drop: "We knew the Flames wanted to spoil our party like we did in Winnipeg," Montreal defenseman Yannick Weber said. "With Colorado it's our chance to show our fans that Thursday was just a little slow."

Game Preview

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go Habs go!

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Superb GDT Clues! Game winner for sure. :)

Thanks. :)

I figured out what has been going wrong so far this season.

Our boys were just waiting on Clues to do a gameday thread.

Superb as always Clues.

Def have to stay out of the box against this up & coming young team.

Thanks, HRF. :)

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Okay, buckle down and take a win away from the Avs. They're on a streak, so there's no better time to beat them.

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thgreat_job.gifClues ,nice GDT....GO_HABS_GO.gif

I figured out what has been going wrong so far this season.

We Suck? <_<.....no one can put put in net?

I got it.<_<

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Anyways,hope the boys wake up here & are damm ready tonight.....Colorado coming off 3 straight wins.

so there's no better time to beat them.

Time for a win....no excuses.<_<

" P.K. Subban told MontralCanadiens.com. "We've got to turn around and play a good young Colorado team Saturday."

Wise words P.K....NOW BACK THEM UP.....lets getter done.....GO HABSSSSSSSSSSS

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:blink: the Avalanche are tied for first in the Western Conference.

Holy macro

5554169-285x280.jpg

Go_Habs_Go_32634.gif

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Def have to stay out of the box against this up & coming young team.

GAMES CAN BE WON AND LOST ON SPECIAL TEAMS

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the basic flaw in the jm manner of coaching: he listens to carey as if he knows what to do team wise. the lines aren't my lines, but they might as well be carey's for all the roping the team intends to do. i'm not just speculating to my mind. i have a roping horse and i see the idea of accomplishment jm has in mind, but what the team needs are cutting horses type of offense. so i'm talking to you readers like i'm a cowboy- which i am not- but the effort of roping is not 1/2 of what cutting is. strong back to d- quick switches- won't help this team as much as scoring. jm? what are you doing? sorry if my 15,000 hours with my horse influences my thinking, but balance riding is always on my mind- its a tough field too. and if anyone wants to challange my mental capacity i'd be glad to try bronco riding as a challange from you- head to head compitition once my back heals up. :P

upshot: ok guys. give your lines a shot. its still better than last time. goalies are going to listen to goalies because that's what they are.

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so i'm talking to you readers like i'm a cowboy-

Giddy-up Cowboy :rolleyes:...Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Haw

and if anyone wants to challange my mental capacity i'd be glad to try bronco riding as a challange from you- head to head compitition once my back heals up. :P

Nope...count me out bluesman.:lol:

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now the season can really start :D

Whewww...still in preseason eh boys? :rolleyes:

Will O'Byrne score ? if yes, in which net? B)

That's right Ryan....we'll never let you forget. :P

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ya and we will be tied in the basement if we dont wake the hell up

I am nervous about tonight...just saying <_<......but,as you say,

HEY HABS-WAKE THE HELL UPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

GO PRICEY BOY.....Get that win you missed out on last game...

(Pricey boy is one win shy of 100 and can join the ranks of NHL legends like Terry Sawchuk, Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy, who all reached the mark by the age of 24.)

GO_HABS_GO_14485-1.gif

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just wait and watch.

We will.:D

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:lol:

Don't laugh....we may need his help in that way. <_<:rolleyes:

:lol: I want goals....not fussy who puts them in.

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GO PRICEY BOY.....Get that win you missed out on last game...

(Pricey boy is one win shy of 100 and can join the ranks of NHL legends like Terry Sawchuk, Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy, who all reached the mark by the age of 24.)

Ah, I knew I forgot to mention something. Thanks, FH.

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Please habs win......28722_1246078006083_1653408635_574069_5616545_n.jpg

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