Overtime!

Montreal Canadiens: First Win In 2010.

2010-01-07T22:34:00.003-05:00

The Florida Panthers constituted the first victims of the Montreal Canadiens in 2010. A 2-0 victory acquired at the Bell centre.

Jaroslav Halak was in net for Montreal and stopped the 38 shots from the Panthers. A second shutout victory this season for him. Benoit Pouliot, with a late first period goal and Brian Gionta in an empty net constituted the only offense of this game.

The depth of the Canadiens without Andrei Kostitsyn was put to the test as head coach Jacques Martin juggled with his lines trying to find more sustained offense. More often than not, the goaltenders' margin of error is very slim.

The New Jersey Devils, the Dallas Stars and the Ottawa Senators will, in succession, be the Canadiens' next three opponents at the Bell centre.

(Picture: Jaroslav Halak and Paul Mara, Canadian Press.)

2010 World Junior Hockey Championships: Team USA Wins Gold.

2010-01-06T09:17:00.004-05:00

These 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships will be remembered for the classic gold medal match, which was simply spectacular.

The overtime period was necessary to declare a winner and John Carlson scored the winning goal taking away Team Canada's 6th straight gold medal with that 6-5 victory.

I have to tip my hat to Team Canada's determination in this one. Down 3-5 with under three minutes to play in regulation, Jordan Eberle scored twice and tied the game in dramatic fashion. But the ultimate goal never came for Canada during overtime.

The game was difficult for the starting goaltenders in this game. Both Jake Allen and Mike Lee finished the game on the players' bench, replaced after giving soft goals.

Here is the 2010 World Juniors podium:

Gold Medal: Team USA
Silver Medal: Team Canada
Bronze Medal: Team Sweden

A mention for Team Switzerland who finished fourth after defeating Team Russia in the quarterfinals.

Congratulations to Team USA for their great victory.

(Picture: Team USA, Getty Images.)

Montreal Canadiens Ends Longest Road Trip Of The Season.

2009-12-31T13:08:00.003-05:00

The Montreal Canadiens will end a seven-game road trip tonight when they will face the Florida Panthers. Montreal is on an interesting streak as they won five of the first six games of this important road trip.

Before the beginning of the sequence, I thought that the Canadiens needed to win at least five of those seven games to stay in the playoff hunt in the Eastern conference. The objective was met yesterday when the Canadiens defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning during the overtime period by the score of 2-1.

The return from injury of defense men Andrei Markov and forward Brian Gionta combined with the addition of Benoit Pouliot and the extraordinary work of goaltender Jaroslav Halak are the main reasons of those late 2009 success. As a result, the team started to bunch up wins while Jaroslav Halak was named NHL's first star last week.

Montreal has also found their mark on the special teams. The penalty killing has shown great efficiency during the second part of December after a difficult start. Let's not forget the power play unit who now ranks in first place.

Let's kick start those new year celebrations with a victory over the Florida Panthers tonight.

Happy 2010 everyone!

(Picture: Jaroslav Halak, Canadian Press.)

2010 World Junior Hockey Championships: Canada Ends Prelim Round.

2009-12-31T12:48:00.004-05:00

The preliminary round of the 2010 World Junior Hockey Championships will end today for Team Canada as they will face Team USA this afternoon.

Canada did not encounter any problem during their first three matches. First, they defeated Team Latvia by the score of 16-0 before shutting down Team Switzerland by 6-0. Team Slovakia did manage to score a couple of goals but fell by the score of 8-2.

With three wins in three games for Team Canada and Team USA, the first place of the prelim round will be at stake. A first place means a spot in the semifinal round. We can expect a very disputed match between those two teams.

(Picture: Jordan Eberle and Tyler Hall, Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens Breaks The December 23rd Drought.

2009-12-23T21:33:00.003-05:00

With a decisive 5-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, the Montreal Canadiens has won a hockey game on December 23rd for the first time since 1945!

The Canadiens took control of the game very early into the first period. Andrei Markov opened the score after only 1:29 of play. Markov has scored three goals in three games since his return. Andrei Kostitsyn doubled the score a minute later. His brother, Sergei, scored the third goal for the Canadiens before the tenth minute mark.

Goaltender Cam Ward was pulled after the third goal. Manny Legace went in but couldn't stop the Canadiens. Glen Metropolit added a fourth goal for the Canadiens before the end of the first period. Only Brandon Sutter scored on Jaroslav Halak during the first.

Benoit Pouliot who was acquired a few weeks ago in return of Guillaume Latendresse played a first game in his new uniform.

Glen Metropolit scored a second goal for the final score of 5-1.

With that third victory in a row, the team will fly back to Montreal in a good mood for Christmas. Jaroslav Halak and Marc-Andre Bergeron deserves a pad in the back from their team mates as both were stellar two days ago to steal an overtime victory to the Atlanta Trashers.

The seven game road trip will resume in a couple of days.

(Picture: Sergei Kostitsyn, Getty Images.)

Montreal Canadiens' Andrei Markov Returns To Action.

2009-12-19T07:42:00.006-05:00

After being injured during the very first game of the season, Andrei Markov should be in uniform this evening as the Montreal Canadiens will begin a very important seven game stretch on the road.

The outcome of this seven game road trip for the Canadiens will greatly impact their position in the standings. The club is currently 12th in the Eastern conference and is on a five-game losing streak.

Why is this road trip so important?

When we look at the teams that the Montreal Canadiens will face in those seven games, we can honestly think that those games are within their reach.

The New York Islanders, the Carolina Hurricanes, the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Atlanta Trashers and the Florida Panthers are not exactly powerhouses in the NHL. The Canadiens needs to win at least five of those seven games to stay in the playoff hunt.

There is also another question worth my attention today: Is the return of Andrei Markov premature? Initially, a return during the month of January or even February was optimistic. Is Andrei Markov at 100%?

The Canadiens plays the New York Islanders tonight and some of our questions will be answered during that game. The Canadiens needs to end the losing streak against the Islanders.

Happy Holidays.

(Picture: Andrei Markov, Getty Images.)

The Lack Of Discipline Sinks The Montreal Canadiens.

2009-12-15T08:40:00.003-05:00

The Montreal Canadiens lost their last three games. One of the factors that costed the team in those last three games is the lack of discipline.

Yesterday's 4-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres came after coming back twice from a one goal deficit during the third period. The Canadiens' Ryan O'Byrne and Glen Metropolit were both called for a penalty in a span of 37 seconds and gave the decisive 5-on-3 advantage to the Sabres. Clarke MacArthur pushed the puck behind goaltender Jaroslav Halak during the double man advantage, sending the Sabres ahead for good.

The Montreal Canadiens cannot afford to take that much penalties and hope to win the majority of it's games. The lesson must sink in.

On a brighter side, Andrei Kostitsyn looks to have found his groove during this month of December. With two goals and an assist in a losing cause, he was named the first star of the game yesterday, despite the loss.

Head coach Jacques Martin sent Andrei Kostitsyn on the first offensive line with Tomas Plekanec and Mike Cammalleri a couple of games ago and the results are interesting for the team. The chemistry between Kostitsyn and Cammalleri on the ice is refreshing and gives a decent offensive output to the team.

The Canadiens' are still in eight place in the Eastern conference while their top defensemen, Andrei Markov, is recovering from his injury and is now skating with the team during practice sessions. Markov could be back in the lineup before the end of the month of December, a lot earlier than initially expected.

Until then, the Canadiens will play the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday and the Minnesota Wild on Thursday.

(Picture: The Buffalo Sabres, Canadian Press.)

The Montreal Canadiens Wins The Centennial Match.

2009-12-04T23:31:00.003-05:00

Inspired by the pre game festivities, the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Boston Bruins by the score of 5-1.

The fans gathered at the Bell centre saw a larger than nature Habs team effort. A very disputed first period gave the tone in this match. Montreal's goaltender, Carey Price, made a couple of good saves to keep the score tied before Jaroslav Spacek opened the score with a good shot from the blue line that beat goaltender Tim Thomas.

The Canadiens and more especially Carey Price shut the door on the Bruins later on in this first frame during a double man advantage.

The highlight of the match came from Mike Cammalleri who scored three goals during the second period alone. His 15th goal of the season completed his hat trick to the delight of the crowd. The Canadiens went to the dressing room up 5-0 after two periods.

Vladimir Sobotka avoided the shut out early in the third period when he tipped a shot past Carey Price.

Final score: Montreal Canadiens 5 - Boston Bruins 1

The fans of the Montreal Canadiens will remember this evening for long time as those celebrations ended with a dream performance on the ice.

Happy 100th anniversary.

(Picture: Michael Cammalleri, Getty Images.)

The 100th Anniversary Of The Montreal Canadiens.

2009-12-04T19:08:00.007-05:00

On this December 4th 2009, the Montreal Canadiens officially celebrated the 100th anniversary of the franchise. The centennial match features the Boston Bruins, a great rival team in the history.

Before the game, a prestigious ceremony covering the entire century was presented at the Bell centre for the fans packed in the arena.

To begin, a touching movie presented to the fans the deceased players, managers and past owners, and then, a presentation of all of those that worked and contributed to the success of the club during those 100 years. A fair number of them were unknown to the average Montreal Canadiens fan.

That movie was followed by a short five minute warm up session with past superstars. Stephane Richer, Yvan Cournoyer, Guy Lafleur, Patrick Roy, Vincent Damphousse, Patrice Brisebois, Ken Dryden, Serge Savard and many many others exchanged a few passes and skated together. This little activity was really appreciated by the cheering crowd.

Just a few minutes later, all those greats of the past gathered to the center of the ice for a moving celebration of two ex-players that deserved their place with the other great players of the club. The jerseys of Emile ''Butch'' Bouchard (number 3) and Elmer Lach (number 16) were then raised to the ceiling of the building to immortalize, honor and salute their passage and their contribution.

The pre-game celebrations ended with yet another amazing number of ex-players that were presented to the crowd. Many of those brought us back memories while some of them were less popular and almost forgotten. All of them concluded with a huge ''family'' portrait that literally covered the entire neutral zone of the ice. The history of the Montreal Canadiens is a rich one and we had another example of it.

Happy anniversary and cheers to another 100 years for the Montreal Canadiens.

(Picture: Maurice Richard, Hector ''Toe'' Blake and Jacques Plante, Canadian Press.)

Win A Trip To Vegas With Bistro Crustini.

2009-12-02T21:04:00.003-05:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of henderson bas. All opinions are 100% mine.

Before I begin to explain the details of the Bistro Crustini contest, I want to take these lines to thank Bistro Crustini for their great choice and their great taste. Really.

I rarely enjoy frozen meals or snacks but today I have to admit that those Crustinis are really great. I do buy a couple of boxes every time they are on sale at my local grocery store. Perfect and crisp each and every time. They make a quick evening snack. My personal favorites are the Philly cheese steak and the Barbecued chicken.

And now for the trip to Las Vegas, it is in fact very simple.

Bistro Crustini is giving away a trip to Las Vegas on Game Day for the Big Game.

This contest is reserved to Canadian residents only. All you need to do is register on the website and type your valid Bistro Crustini UPC to enter the contest. You can enter as many UPC as you wish.

The Grand Prize includes:
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- Five days, four nights at a deluxe hotel.
- Chauffeured limousine service.
- Two tickets to a show.
- $1,500 spending money.

There are also second prizes:

1 of 3 Home Theatre Systems and a weekly prize of a digital camera.

To win, grab yourself a Bistro Crustini and enjoy their great taste. Then go online and enter your UPC for a chance to win YOUR trip to Vegas. I have entered four UPC myself already.

Good luck to everyone and thanks again Bistro Crustini!

Dramatic Victory For The Montreal Alouettes.

2009-11-30T22:32:00.004-05:00

The Montreal Alouettes won the 97th edition of the Grey Cup by the score of 28-27 in dramatic fashion during the last play of the game.

A penalty for too many players on the field during a field goal attempt by the Alouettes costed the Saskatchewan Roughriders the title. Kicker Damon Duval didn't miss his ultimate chance and made a 34-yard field goal on the following play to complete the dramatic comeback.

Trailing by 16 points in the fourth quarter, the Montreal Alouettes held on and scored two touchdowns to get within two points with under two minutes to play. Quarterback Anthony Calvillo threw his best passes of the game at this crucial point of the game.

Also, on the last Riders punt of the game during the final minute of the game, Etienne Boulay saved the Alouettes from a disaster when he recovered the fumble by the kick returner. Without Boulay's intervention, Saskatchewan would have taken the ball and would have been crowned Grey Cup champions.

The action and suspense of this great championship game will be remembered as one of the most dramatic ending in CFL history.

Congratulations to the Montreal Alouettes for their great comeback.

(Picture: Anthony Calvillo, team mates and the Grey Cup at the airport, Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens' Last Five Games: Seven Out Of Ten.

2009-11-26T07:29:00.003-05:00

The Montreal Canadiens did a little better than expected during the last five games. When we look at the opposition the team faced, (Carolina, Washington, Detroit, Columbus and Pittsburgh) seven points out of a possible ten is a great harvest.

A couple of players have played very well during this successful string: goaltender Carey Price, Tomas Plekanec, Marc-Andre Bergeron and Matt D'Agostini. With the important number of injured players, those players took the extra work load and delivered. I am giving them all a 7 out of 10.

Only Mike Cammalleri deserves a higher note. The Canadiens' fans are discovering Mike's explosive and accurate shot. After a slow start, he now has 12 goals, leading the team in this department. I am giving him a 9 out of 10.

After spending the whole month of November under the .500 mark, the Habs are currently at 12-12-1. The team should be in a lot more trouble but have found a way to keep themselves in the playoff hunt.

Also, General Manager Bob Gainey have traded Guillaume Latendresse to the Minnesota Wild for Benoit Pouliot earlier this week. Latendresse's work ethic and on-ice production did not please the organization and are the main reasons for his departure.

The Canadiens has thrown the towel on yet another 22 year-old player. Latendresse saw his ice-time drop dramatically this season and was aware that his time with the club was counted. We can only be concerned about the team's ability to fully develop their young talent.

Now Is Your Chance To Win $5000!

2009-11-20T18:52:00.002-05:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Incendia Health. All opinions are 100% mine.

Here is a cool contest for you. All you need to participate is a video camera, creativity and humor. I am convinced that some of you should really consider participating in this cool contest. I have seen some videos that a couple of regular readers posted online and it was just great.

Abbott Medical Optics inc. (AMO), a leader in laser vision correction wants to see what does an improved vision can change in your lives.

AMO has recently launched the ''You Gotta See This'' video contest, in which the participants are invited to make a video showing the impact of an improved vision in someone's life.

Many contestants have already submitted great videos but yours is still missing. I am serious: AMO is waiting for your videos. Your video could be worth $5000 cash!

Well, what exactly are the prizes of this video contest?

The Grand Prize is $5000
First Prize is a HDTV package worth $2500 (one in each category)
Second Prize is a Flip UltraHD™ camcorder, a $199 value. (one in each category)

The contest contains three different categories.
• “My contacts are getting in the way of my good time”
• “My favorite sport or activity would be so much cooler with better vision”
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You can submit only one video and choose only one category, unfortunatly.

This iLASIK Video Contest will not last forever so hurry up and start taping now!

Montreal Canadiens Wins In Overtime Once Again.

2009-11-18T10:01:00.004-05:00

The Montreal Canadiens are still undefeated during extra time this season as they defeated the Carolina Hurricanes by the score of 3-2, after a long shootout session Tuesday evening.

Both teams sent six skaters each to finally end the contest. Maxim Lapierre's shot made the difference. As for goaltender Carey Price at the other end, he was perfect during the shootout and made a highlight reel save on Matt Cullen at the end to confirm the victory.

Max Pacioretty and Andrei Kostitsyn both scored for Montreal during regulation. Kostitsyn's goal came with under three minutes to play in the third period, forcing overtime.

Brandon Sutter and Jussi Jokinen scored their goals in a 2:52 span during the second period, giving the Canes a 2-1 lead until the late stages of the game.

The Canadiens has won eight straight games during the overtime/shootout session without any loss this season, tying a NHL regular season record.

(Picture: Carey Price, Canadian Press.)

Win A NESCAFE Dolce Gusto Machine!

2009-11-16T19:30:00.004-05:00

Great news Canadian residents!

Until December 20th 2009, this is your chance to win 1 of the 6 NESCAFE Dolce Gusto machine!

All you have to do is click on the link above and register yourself. No purchase necessary!

What is the NESCAFE Dolce Gusto machine? It is a brand new way to make perfect coffee everytime. The system uses a multi-coffee capsule that automatically uses the right amount of coffee, cream and milk. A perfect cup of coffee, everytime!

This machine makes a great holiday gift and can prepare up to seven different varieties of coffee. All seven coffee varieties are made with a blend of 100% Arabica beans. Those varieties are: Caffe Lungo, Espresso, Americano, Latte Macchiato, Cappuccino, Iced Cappucino, Café Mocha and even Chococino!

As for the machines, they come in three different colors. A neat candy-apple red, a creamy white or a slick black color. I have seen those machines at my local grocery store last week and thought they would make a great gift for my father who is a coffee drinker himself.

Now that I know about this contest, I will register myself today. I would really like to win one of those for the holidays.

So if you are like me and would like to win your own NESCAFE Dolce Gusto machine, don't wait any longer and register yourself today for a chance to win one of those great coffee machines.

Visit www.sweetspot.ca/SweetLife/pages/12340/enter_to_win_a_NESCAFE_dolce_gustoTM_machine/ for more details.

Carey Price Saves The Canadiens From A Catastrophy.

2009-11-16T09:25:00.003-05:00

The Montreal Canadiens were in Nashville, Tennessee, to face the Predators on Saturday night. The Canadiens played one of the worse game of this decade allowing Nashville to fire 55 times on the net defended by goaltender Carey Price.

Price was fantastic in this game as he managed to stop 53 of those 55 shots in this 2-0 loss. I sincerely hope that all the doubts about Carey Price's talent vanished with this performance. As I stated in an article after an humiliating loss in Vancouver: Carey Price is not the problem.

Saturday night in Nashville, the team in front of Price simply did not show up. The players were watching the Predators circle around them without lifting a finger. The domination was to a point that the Nashville Predators looked like a powerhouse of the NHL.

The lack of effort and character looks to be generalized and everyone knows that you cannot win hockey games on a regular basis without putting some serious effort during practice session and during games. Head coach Jacques Martin has the duty to raise the minimum effort given by his players.

The Canadiens will play their next game on Tuesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.

(Picture: Carey Price, Canadian Press.)

Maurice ''Mad Dog'' Vachon At The Hall Of Fame.

2009-11-10T09:22:00.006-05:00

The legendary wrestler Maurice Vachon nicknamed ''Mad Dog'', today at 80 years old, is now a part of Quebec's Sport Hall Of Fame this week.

Born in Ville-Emard, Quebec, on September 1st 1929, Maurice Vachon had a very successful amateur wrestling career. At the 1948 London Olympic Games, Vachon finished in 7th place. Two years later, he won a gold medal at the 1950 British Empire Games, now known as the Commonwealth Games.

Vachon had an impressive stature. A strong, massive man with a mad look in the eyes. He was able to defend himself as he had to shrug off a couple of drunk spectators at times. One of those encounters earned him his nickname when Don Owen, a wrestling promoter, yelled at him: ''You're just a mad dog!''.

A brilliant professional career followed for Maurice ''Mad Dog'' Vachon who's fame had no boundaries. An approximate 13,000 live events all over the world. I personally remember him as I was a kid when I used to watch wrestling on TV. His WWF days where great as he made a fantastic heel. A bad guy that everyone loved.

Maurice Vachon retired in 1985. One year later, an accident forced the doctors to cut Maurice's right leg under the knee. This event did not undermine his morale as he continued to appear on various TV shows.

The enormous charisma of this generous and tender man is now recognized. This is a well deserved honor. Maurice Vachon will always have a warm place in our hearts.

Congratulations Maurice for your fantastic journey and thanks for the memories.

Carey Price Ends His Losing Streak Against The Boston Bruins.

2009-11-06T09:33:00.004-05:00

Despite a sixth consecutive loss against the Atlanta Trashers on Tuesday evening, the Montreal Canadiens sent Carey Price in net Thursday for their game with the Boston Bruins.

The Habs' goaltender was sharp and stopped 42 of the 43 shots he faced, helping the Canadiens in that 2-1 victory acquired at the shootout session. A victory that will feel like a breath of fresh air for Price.

Mike Cammalleri was the only player from both teams able to beat the goaltender in that shootout session. Tim Thomas was fooled by a good wrist shot from Cammalleri.

As for the scoring during regulation, Glen Metropolit put Montreal on the board on a great effort around the net from Andrei Kostitsyn. Patrice Bergeron tied the score at 1-1 with under a minute to play in the third period.

The Canadiens will host the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday and I think that Carey Price should be sent in net by head coach Jacques Martin. The Canadiens are still hovering at the .500 record with 8 wins and 8 losses.

(Picture: Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens 2009 October Recap: Halak wins, Price doesn't.

2009-11-02T10:13:00.005-05:00

The first month of this 2009-2010 NHL season is already behind us and I thought it would be a good time to check out how the Montreal Canadiens initiated their season.

The injury to defense men Andrei Markov during the first game of the season revealed the fragile state of the Canadiens' defensive unit. The team allowed a ton of shots a few games later resulting in an ugly five-game losing streak.

The departure of Mike Komisarek, Mathieu Dandenault and Francis Bouillon was patched by GM Bob Gainey with the acquisition of Hal Gill, Paul Mara, Jaroslav Spacek and later on, Marc-Andre Bergeron. I don't see any significant improvement at that position from last season.

But on a positive note, I really liked Paul Mara's physical contribution and on-ice presence during the first month. Also, Bergeron and Gill registered their first goal with the Canadiens during the month of October. But that's about all the positive points I could ever find about this defensive unit.

On the offensive side of the game, the Canadiens' top line performed to the expectations. Brian Gionta and Scott Gomez produced well early on while Mike Cammalleri took a few games before taking off. Tomas Plekanec on the second offensive line did well but his linemate Andrei Kostitsyn has not been sharp.

A.K. has been under the scope for a while and many think that his work ethic is a problem. Nobody ever doubted the raw talent of the two brothers. The results on the ice and the criticism around him and his younger brother Sergei opens the door to a much deeper problem than those two players: The organization incapacity to fully develop their young talent.

Finally, in the late stages of the month, goaltender Jaroslav Halak helped the team to get back to the .500 record with a winning streak at the Bell centre. In fact, during the last 12 games, Halak registered five wins and two losses while Carey Price suffered five straight losses. Halak also leads Price on the GAA and Save Percentage stat sheet for the month of October.

The burning question in the early stages of November will be asked to head coach Jacques Martin. Which goaltender is your No 1 man? Carey Price or Jaroslav Halak?

Stay tuned for the continuation of this already exciting 2009-2010 season.

(Picture: Jaroslav Halak.)

Crosby Crushes The Canadiens' Winning Streak.

2009-10-29T09:17:00.003-04:00

Sidney Crosby scored three goals on Wednesday evening against the Montreal Canadiens and helped the Pittsburgh Penguins win by the score of 6 to 1.

The Montreal Canadiens' winning streak has been stopped at four consecutive games and the overall team record stands at six wins and six losses after twelve games.

Jaroslav Halak was the starting goaltender for a fifth game in a row in this one but was pulled by head coach Jacques Martin during the third period. Carey Price allowed two goals in relief. We can expect Price's return as starting goaltender for the next game.

But the star of the show was Sidney Crosby who completed his hat trick during the second period of the game. The Penguins captain and his troops have an impressive 11-2 record this season.

(Picture: Sidney Crosby, Canadian Press.)

The ''Good Old Days'' Look.

2009-10-28T16:00:00.004-04:00

Are you of those who liked the good old days? I remember those great looking bicycles we used to ride on all afternoon long when we were kids. Today, it seems that everyone is using the same mountain bike style.

If you are like me and prefer the good old days, then you should take a look at the selection of stylish bicycles available at www.cruiserstyle.com. And what are those bikes used to look like? Well, for example, this great looking pink beach cruiser, also an interesting selection of kids cruiser is available and they even have choppers! Of course, some accessories and some bike racks are always useful.

Some very interesting shapes and colors are available on cruiserstyle.com. And if you think that those bikes don't sell, make no mistake: they are selling tons of them!

Located in California, the service in the U.S. is handled through FedEx shipping. And of course, it makes a great gift for Christmas.

Montreal Canadiens: Four Wins In A Row With Halak.

2009-10-27T08:31:00.004-04:00

The Montreal Canadiens ended their six-game home stand with four consecutive wins with a 3-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Monday night.

The Islanders were a more difficult opponent this time. After being outclassed by the score of 5-1 last week, the Islanders forced an overtime period but ultimately lost the game when Roman Hamrlik scored the decisive goal during the overtime period. This was already the fourth overtime victory for the Canadiens this season.

But I want to keep the focus on goaltender Jaroslav Halak for a moment. Montreal Canadiens' head coach Jacques Martin decided to go with his hottest goaltender in order to win games lately. Martin did not force Carey Price in against the New York Rangers on Saturday like we all expected. Mike Cammalleri's hat trick performance won that game after the team went down by a two goal margin on two different occasions.

The Canadiens will play the defending champions Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. Will Jacques Martin send Jaroslav Halak in net once again or will he try to send Carey Price in action to extend the team's winning streak to five games?

(Picture: Roman Hamrlik, Canadian Press.)

Montreal Canadiens: A winning streak!

2009-10-23T06:44:00.004-04:00

The Montreal Canadiens waited until the 9th game of the regular season to win a first game in regulation. A convincing 5-1 victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

It is true that the best performance of the season came against one of the weakest team of the league but the way the team has been playing lately, any good news is welcome.

Scott Gomez, Marc-Andre Bergeron, Max Pacioretty, Mike Cammalleri and Maxim Lapierre scored for Montreal while only Josh Bailey beat Jaroslav Halak and avoided the shut out.

The Canadiens is currently on two wins in a row and will play the New York Rangers on Saturday evening. Who will be in net for the Canadiens on Saturday? Jaroslav Halak or Carey Price?

Head coach Jacques Martin has an important decision to take.

(Picture: Getty Images.)

Montreal Canadiens: Five Straight Losses, Calling Bergeron Up.

2009-10-20T09:59:00.004-04:00

The Montreal Canadiens will try to stop their losing streak to five straight games tonight when they will host the Atlanta Trashers.

Acquired after Andrei Markov's injury, Marc-Andre Bergeron will play his first game with the Canadiens tonight.

Outside Ilya Kovalchuk's playing quality, the Trashers never represented a force in the NHL since their arrival. It is then a good occasion for the Habs to snap out of their losing streak tonight with a strong performance. The Canadiens did not give a full 60 minute effort this far this season and it would be a great time to start doing so.

As for Marc-Andre Bergeron, he will wear the ''bleu blanc rouge'' uniform for the first time of his career. A dream for any French-Canadian hockey player. He was impressed by the size of the Canadiens' dressing room and can't wait to contribute.

This season, Bergeron played three games in the AHL with the Hamilton Bulldogs and registered 6 assists. Shawn Belle was sent back to Hamilton.

Yesterday, head coach Jacques Martin talked about his expectations regarding Marc-Andre Bergeron. The Habs coach should use him on the man-advantage along with Jaroslav Spacek and will give him around 16-18 minutes of ice time.

(Picture: Marc-Andre Bergeron, RDS.)

Montreal Canadiens Season Opener: Will You Cheer or Will You Boo?

2009-10-12T20:04:00.005-04:00

The Montreal Canadiens will open their home season at the Bell Centre after playing their first five games of the 2009-2010 season on the road.

The early season road trip brought so many discussion topics to the couch managers. Hell, the press still cares and debates about what will happen to Sergei Kostitsyn! The guy's in the AHL...move on guys!

So, despite losing to injury defense mens, Andrei Markov and Ryan O'Byrne, losing 7 to 1 to the Vancouver Canucks, despite losing their last three games of this road trip and finally despite being ranked the 29th penalty killing unit of the NHL, the Canadiens managed to win two of those five games, for four points in the standings. That's a tie with the 7th place in the Eastern Conference before tonight's games.

The regular season AND the finger pointing season is now started. Especially the second one.

After five games, the candidates for the ''I have so much fingers pointed at me right now!'' award would be: Carey Price for his Vancouver game, Andrei Kostitsyn because it's ''in'' to blame him, Hal Gill for his -3 and 11 PIM, Maxim Lapierre and Max Pacioretty for their absence.

I know I have not mentioned a couple of others, pick your own winners and go ahead, blame them.

For me, and for a few others, I see the glass half full. I did not expect a good start and I believe that the team will suffer a lot until the new year.

The team has four points, which were won by none other than Carey Price and the new players on the roster. In two of five games Price played well enough to steal the win while the Gionta-Gomez-Cammalleri trio gave a couple of options to head coach Jacques Martin. We still are waiting for Cammaleri's first goal of the season but his presence is positive on the ice. I still think the he will have a good season and score his 30 goals.

Winning a game is big for the Canadiens right now, and for a couple of months. Each win will reduce the amount of points the team will have to recover in the final rat race towards the playoffs.

And right now, the Canadiens will host the next six games. Will you cheer or will you boo?

You will be the sixth player on the ice for the next six games. Think before booing.

(Picture: Brian Gionta, AP.)