Habs : Forward thinking

Source : canadiens.nhl.com



Often, the best thing a player can do to put a season in their rearview mirror is to start looking ahead to the next one.

Despite the Canadiens’ 2012-13 march to a northeast division title, not every player on the team’s roster had an easy time finding their rhythm after the NHL lockout came to an end in January. On pace for a career-year production-wise in his previous campaign, Travis Moen was instead forced to miss 34 games in the latter half of the season with an upper-body injury. While Moen returned this year as much a physical presence as ever for the Habs, he never managed to recapture the scoring touch that saw him log nine goals and seven assists in 48 games in 2011-12.

 After being signed to a four-year contract extension by new GM Marc Bergevin before the start of the season, Moen wound up relegated to a fourth-line role on Michel Therrien’s team, playing the majority of his shifts alongside Ryan White and Colby Armstrong. With three years remaining on his current deal with the bleu-blanc-rouge, Moen’s goal will be to ramp his physical game up to another level in 2013-14, while continuing to pitch in points whenever possible.

“I think I need to be playing with a little more of an edge,” admitted the gritty 31-year-old forward, who finished the season with two goals and six points. “I spoke with the coach and he wants me to be more intense, so that’s something that I’m aiming to do moving on forward.

“I try to play a physical game; to go out there every shift and play my style,” he added. “Obviously the coach feels like I can do more and that’s what I’m going to do.”

 While Moen will be looking to raise his compete level when the puck drops on the Canadiens’ upcoming season, he’ll be doing so with a solid base to build on. With 82 hits in 45 games this year, the Stewart Valley, SK native eclipsed his output of 75 in 48 games the year before. Logging 101:11 of shorthanded ice time, Moen also led all Habs forwards in penalty kill minutes, and his four fighting majors ranked second on the team behind only Brandon Prust.

“Whatever situation I’m in, I try to go out there and play my hardest. That’s what I try to focus on,” said Moen, who dropped the gloves with Chris Thornburn, B.J. Crombeen, Gregory Campbell and Wayne Simmonds this season. “Fighting is always a part of my game. It’s what got me into the league and it’s not something I shy away from.”

With his season behind him and an ever-evolving Montreal squad ready to elevate their game even higher next year, Moen already has his sights set squarely on his future with the team, ready to make the most of the remainder of his contract.

“I want to be playing and helping the team win,” he concluded. “But I’ve got to be better so that I can prove myself again.”

Habs : A dream becomes reality

Source : Canadiens.nhl.com



Colby Armstrong impacted the Canadiens in his own unique way this past season.

Slowed down by several injuries over the course of the last few years, the veteran forward had an opportunity to start anew in 2012-13. Having been given the opportunity to do it in Montreal with the team he admired most as a child, Armstrong was the character-type player the Habs sought out to instill a new culture within the locker room. He is the first one to admit, however, that he didn’t manage to have as big an impact on the ice as he had hoped for.

“After the way that things finished up for me last year in Toronto, I really wanted to get myself back on track here,” explained Armstrong, who finished the season with two goals and five points in 37 games. “It’s unfortunate that I hurt my knee at the end of the year. I was able to come back a little bit early to try and salvage a small part of the shortened season. I had some highs and lows, but I believe that I still managed to do a good job fulfilling my role.”

If there was one person who knew exactly what Armstrong could bring to his team this past season, it was Michel Therrien. The veteran coach knew that the Saskatchewan native could offer up a measure of physicality and toughness on the ice, elements that the Canadiens lacked the last several years. 

They may have only been together for a few months because of the lockout, but Armstrong was happy to have another opportunity to play for Therrien.

“I’ve known Michel for a long time. He coached me since I got going in the American Hockey League at 20 years old and I’ve always been comfortable with him,” recalled Armstrong on the subject of the 49-year-old bench-boss. “He taught me how to become a professional when I was younger and he used the same style he had in the past with the guys here this year. I really enjoyed playing for him.”

He may not have produced the results he had hoped for on the ice, but Armstrong left his mark in the Canadiens dressing room nonetheless. Appreciated by all of his teammates for his sense of humor and love for life, the 30-year-old veteran proved to be an excellent resource to help the younger players on the team. Fulfilling that role helped Armstrong become more accustomed to the new, primarily francophone environment in which he lived over the past several months.

“I managed to improve my French a little bit. It was one of the things that I wanted to do when I got here,” explained Armstrong, who made more than a few people laugh when he put his French-speaking skills on display on 24CH. “I was lucky to sit next to Davey [David Desharnais] for the whole season. It was different to live amongst a different culture, but I really enjoyed living here.”

When the Habs’ season wrapped up a few weeks ago, Armstrong’s contract also expired at the same time making him an unrestricted free agent come July. Conscious of the fact that a return to the Canadiens in 2013-14 is not a guarantee, he greatly appreciated his stint in Quebec and hopes to pursue his career here to continue building on a season in which the team took a giant leap forward.

“I loved Montreal. There’s a great group of guys here,” Armstrong said. “My family and I loved this city. Being a part of this team was an incredible experience.”