Wed, 14 January 2015 Canadiens @ Blue Jackets 7:00 PM EST RDS Sportsnet FS Ohio TSN 690

[habs_93]

CANADIENS (26-12-3) AT BLUE JACKETS (18-19-3)

TV: RDS, Sportsnet, FOX Sports Ohio
Radio: TSN 690 CKGM, 97.1 The Fan WBNS-FM

Canadiens Last 5: 3-1-1 (L2)

Blue Jackets Last 5: 2-3-0 (L2)

Season series: Tomas Plekanec had four points, P.K. Subban had three points, and Max Pacioretty had a combined 12 shots in the three games the Montreal Canadiens played against the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. Montreal won the first two, one in a shootout, before losing the third. Sergei Bobrovsky made 25 saves March 20 in Columbus' win.

Canadiens team scope: The Canadiens practiced Tuesday in Montreal before departing for Columbus. Coach Michel Therrien said that if everything goes well, forward PA Parenteau should return Wednesday after missing the past three games because of a concussion. Montreal worked on its power play for part of practice Tuesday after going 1-for-21 during a seven-game span. "We haven't been where wanted on the power play and we're all guilty of not doing our job well," Parenteau said after practicing Tuesday. "We have to be more poised with the puck and more confident." Goalie Carey Price will start, and defenseman Mike Weaver could return to the lineup after sitting out the past 12 games, seven of them as a healthy scratch.

Leading Scorer: Max Pacioretty (18-15-33)

Ice Time Leader: P.K. Subban (25:15 ATOI)

Blue Jackets team scope: Forwards Scott Hartnell, Cam Atkinson and Mark Letestu were back at practice Tuesday after sitting out Monday. Defenseman Ryan Murray practiced for the second straight day; he has been out since Nov. 1 because of a knee injury that has kept him out of all but four games this season. Columbus did not make any changes to its lines and defensive pairings, according to The Columbus Dispatch, which reported the Blue Jackets are expected to recall a forward from Springfield of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets will play the second of three straight games at home before playing six straight road games beginning Jan. 17.

Leading Scorer: Nick Foligno (18-22-40)

Ice Time Leader: Jack Johnson (24:10 ATOI)

All Time Record vs. Columbus: 6-4-1-3 (.571 Point %)

Last Meeting:

20/03/14

CBJ 3 - MTL 2

[Flying_Lion]

Nice thread, 93.

Absolutely should not let this one get away. I'm still bitter about the 3 points we left on the table against Buffalo so I expect/hope to see the Habs play up to their own level instead of down to the Bluejackets'.

[Guest]

Not a pushover team. Still need to take them very seriously.

[southernhabfan]

Nice as usual , 93. Go Habs!

[HabsRuleForever]

Can't wait to see our lines.

[kinot-1]

Thanks for jumping in again, 93 . I'm kinda worried about these kinds of games.

[jedimaas]

Really hoping he (MT) comes to his senses with the lines before the game. According to HIO:

- Despite playing 7th dman yesterday at practice (weaver played 3rd pairing with Gilbert) Emelin will play tonight.

- Lines are expected to be:

Pacioretty – Plekanec – Gallagher
Desharnais – Eller – Weise
Prust – Galchenyuk – Parenteau
Bournival – Malhotra – Sekac

Markov – Subban
Beaulieu – Gonchar
Gilbert – Emelin

[kinot-1]

From Apron Basu re the PP changes.

"The biggest change Therrien made is splitting the defense pair of P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov, using four forwards with Subban on the first unit and pairing Markov with Sergei Gonchar on the second. The Canadiens are going to an umbrella formation with Subban or Gonchar on the top, a player on each half wall, one in the slot and one in front of the net.

PA Parenteau will be Subban's "defense" partner on the first unit, a position Parenteau played last season with the Colorado Avalanche, though in this case he will rarely be positioned as a defenseman except for faceoffs and breakouts."

[jedimaas]

From Apron Basu re the PP changes.

"The biggest change Therrien made is splitting the defense pair of P.K. Subban and Andrei Markov, using four forwards with Subban on the first unit and pairing Markov with Sergei Gonchar on the second. The Canadiens are going to an umbrella formation with Subban or Gonchar on the top, a player on each half wall, one in the slot and one in front of the net.

PA Parenteau will be Subban's "defense" partner on the first unit, a position Parenteau played last season with the Colorado Avalanche, though in this case he will rarely be positioned as a defenseman except for faceoffs and breakouts."

Interestingly in one article i read it almost sounded like the power-play idea (umbrella) came from PAP who said he "got a different view from the press box" while injured.

[Manatee-X]

I actually don't hate the PP lines now that they've been explained a bit. We certainly need to do something to get it going, and the umbrella's always been a concept that I'd like to see tried. I know everybody would love to see Eller and Sekac get a chance, but a logical argument against that would be that they're being saved to go out against the other team's top line (all night long, including immediately after the PP ends).

...or at least that would have been a logical argument if the 5-on-5 lines weren't so loopy. With Eller and Sekac split up that reasoning doesn't hold anymore. In fact, I'm at a loss trying to get any reasoning to hold while looking at those lines. Here's hoping that Therrien knows something that we don't and that he has somehoe stumbled into a miracle, but barring that here's hoping that this doesn't last much longer than a fwe periods.

[habs_93]

- Lines are expected to be:

Pacioretty – Plekanec – Gallagher

Desharnais – Eller – Weise

Prust – Galchenyuk – Parenteau

Bournival – Malhotra – Sekac

Markov – Subban

Beaulieu – Gonchar

Gilbert – Emelin

Insert picture of smug-looking Therrien here, apparently.

[kinot-1]

We had better stay OUT of the box. Foligno has 9G and 11A on the PP. Johansen has 5G, 13A, Johnson,,, 2 and 12, and our friend Wizniewski, has 3 and 6, all on the PP.

[Marathon.Man]

GO HABS GO!!!

[ColRouleBleu]

We had better stay OUT of the box. Foligno has 9G and 11A on the PP. Johansen has 5G, 13A, Johnson,,, 2 and 12, and our friend Wizniewski, has 3 and 6, all on the PP.

they're 2nd in the league on the PP

[habs_93]

Tonight's refs are Tom Kowal and Frederick L'Ecuyer.

[Eyez]

Drop the puck already..... I await the new "POWER" play & can't wait to see it in action

[ColRouleBleu]

Drop the puck already..... I await the new "POWER" play & can't wait to see it in action

In order for this to happen, the guys first need to skate and control the puck to actually draw penalties. A 7pm start on a week day, it' s a bit scary, they risk showing up only around 7:40

[southernhabfan]

Time to be playing hockey

[Flying_Lion]

Drop the puck already..... I await the new "POWER" play & can't wait to see it in action

I hope it is indeed 'new' and not just a reboot.

[kinot-1]

Drop the puck already..... I await the new "POWER" play & can't wait to see it in action

Just watch,,, we won't get any PPs.

They REALLY need a singer,,, pronto.

[southernhabfan]

Did I say it's time to play hockey

[kinot-1]

I hope it is indeed 'new' and not just a reboot.

MT will try a new PP, for 1 PP, then throw that idea

out.

[roy_133]

This has 4-2 loss written all over it

[kinot-1]

Let's light up this "All Star".

[Eyez]

I hope it is indeed 'new' and not just a reboot.

Apparently there are umbrellas involved