Habs : Subban ready to take the heat in Boston, predicts a long, tough series

 Source : Faceoff.com

Everything is magnified when the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins meet in the playoffs, and that's how P.K. Subban likes it.

The flashy Canadiens defenceman is sure to be a target for the Bruins and the TD Garden fans when the two Original Six teams meet for the 34th time in the post-season.

Boston fans tend to boo Subban the same way Montreal fans give it to Zdeno Chara whenever the towering Bruins defenceman touches the puck at the Bell Centre.

"It doesn't matter if I like it or I'm ready for it because it doesn't really dictate how I play or how this team plays," Subban said Monday. "That's the most important thing.

"If they're trying to find ways to get me off my game, that means I'm doing something right."
Montreal is on a lengthy break after sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning in the opening round, while the Bruins will also be rested after eliminating the Detroit Red Wings in five.

It will be Subban's second career playoff meeting with the Bruins. In 2011, he had two goals and four points as Montreal won the first two games of the first-round series in Boston before going on to lose Game 7 in overtime.

The 2013 Norris Trophy winner expects another long series, but hopes for a different result.

"I've always been a guy that's excited to play in the playoffs because it's meaningful and because it seems like the bigger the stage, the better I play and the more I play," he said. " And when I play more I always play better.

"I think I learned through that series, going up 2-0 in Boston and then losing in seven games. It's not a fun thing to do, but we were that close to beating them and they went on to win the Stanley Cup that year."

The Canadiens won three of four meetings with the Bruins this season, including both games in Boston.

But they will still be underdogs against a Bruins side that is little changed from the one that reached the Stanley Cup final last season and won the Presidents' Trophy for having the most points this past season.

"I'm sure people are going to enjoy the series," said Subban. "I'm predicting it's going to be a long and gruelling series.

"They're better than they were (in 2011) and it's going to be an even tougher series. Trust me, we're not thinking about coming home up 2-0. We know it's going to be a grind."

The Canadiens tend to counter the Bruins' physical play with a game based on quickness and puck pressure. Boston's big men take runs at Subban, who they see as a diver who talks too much on the ice.

Subban, in turn, plays some of his best hockey against Boston.

"I don't consider that any part of my game," said Subban. "I consider playing well as the biggest way of agitating other teams' players — putting the puck in the net, playing physical, having an impact on the game.

"That seems to (make people angry) a lot more than talking or chirping."

Games between the teams often get nasty, including one this season when Boston's Milan Lucic speared defenceman Alexei Emelin in the groin area.

The bad blood has built up over decades of meetings between the teams. It has mostly gone in favour of Montreal, which has a 24-9 record in playoff series against Boston since their first meeting in 1929.

The Bruins have won the last two, however.

"I knew that part of playing for the Montreal Canadiens is there were rivalries and a lot of history," said Subban. "At the end of the day, we'll probably talk about it for the next three or four days but once the puck drops, it doesn't matter what rivalry or history there is.

"It's just a matter of winning. Then, after the game, we'll talk abut history and whatever."
It won't be the first Bruins-Canadiens series for Montreal coach Michel Therrien. During his first stint with the Canadiens, he won a first-round series in six games over Boston in 2002 before losing in the next round to Carolina.

"I was a lot younger at the time and had more hair," said Therrien. "But (Bruins coach) Claude (Julien) has a lot of experience too.

"It's a challenge for both teams."

To break up the monotony, the Canadiens had a simulated game day on Monday, including a morning skate and an intrasquad game in the evening against mostly call-ups from the AHL's Hamilton Bulldogs.

They will take Tuesday off and get back to regular practices on Wednesday.

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Habs : Around the world

Source : canadiens.nhl.com



After spending a week running the Canadiens development camp, Martin Lapointe’s real season is about to begin.

Nearly 60 hockey prospects descended on the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard in the past week, all with the shared goal of getting themselves noticed. For some, the event marked their first real contact with the Canadiens organization, a sneak peek at their potential future stomping grounds and the staff they could one day be working with. For others, despite their young age, it was far from their first rodeo with regards to Habs development camps. Even for those who had run the gauntlet before, the latest incarnation of the camp offered some key differences in structure and organization – all designed to help give every player involved the chance to get the most out of their continued development.

“This year, our goal was to organize only one single camp. We wanted to avoid holding a first one with our prospects at the beginning of the summer and then another after the draft, as used to be the case. Marc [Bergevin] and I worked together in Chicago and we tried to base what we’re doing here on that model in certain ways,” explained Lapointe, who had been with the Blackhawks staff since 2009 before being hired by the Habs in 2011. “But the way we’re doing things now involves organizing our days a little differently. In addition to the training sessions and scrimmages, we’re giving these young guys the chance to attend seminars with sports psychologists, nutritionists and more.

“Obviously it’s a lot of information to absorb in a pretty short period of time, but it’s a process we’re trying to lead our prospects through,” continued Lapointe. “The later we get in the week, the more intense the on-ice sessions become as we try to put these players in specific game situations during practice to help us gauge how they’ll handle themselves.”

As much as they can accomplish at development camp, five days is far from sufficient when it comes to truly getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of every last one of the prospects on hand. It’s for that reason that when the camp finally draws to a close in Montreal, the Canadiens director of player development hits the road, travelling to the four corners of North America and even crossing the pond to Europe to continue learning about his charges. Getting the chance to see these young players in their own environment, suiting up as members of their actual teams, offers not only the opportunity to view them from a very different angle as players, but also to take the time to interact with them and get to know them as people.

“My job will be to go and see all the players that have been drafted by the Canadiens, whether in Junior, at the university level, or over in Europe,” said Lapointe, who will also be spending a week in Hamilton to observe the Bulldogs. “This year, I’m going to start filming them with my iPad so that directly after a game I can go speak with them and we can go over some sequences together. It’ll make life a lot easier since I won’t have to wait to get a DVD from the coaching staff.

“I’ll also be speaking with their coaches to try and learn as much as I can about the players – things like how they get along with their teammates and how they carry themselves in a team atmosphere,” he added. “It’s even more important to do that with the guys we just drafted since I don’t know them as well yet.”

All these elements help surround Canadiens prospects like never before, allowing the work of Lapointe and his team to be of huge use to the organization when the time comes to weigh in on the progress of the players. While such practices are now becoming the standard among NHL franchises in dealing with up-and-coming players, that certainly hasn’t always been the case.

Having personally already experienced the ups and downs that come for a young player with his sights set on an career at hockey’s highest level, the 39-year-old former NHL forward is quick to admit how much he would have benefited from a similar setup as a teen taking his first strides in the QMJHL.

“When I was coming up, there wasn’t anything close to this when it came to dealing with young players and prospects. On top of that, in those days, I didn’t speak English either and when I arrived in the United States I was tossed into a world where I didn’t know anyone. It was definitely tough to integrate myself into the rest of the group,” admitted Lapointe, the Detroit Red Wings’ first round selection at the 1991 NHL Entry Draft. “It’s obviously a great feeling for a young player to see that the team that drafted you is taking an active interest in you and your development. It’s important mentally because should they ever start going through any tough moments in their careers, we can at least be there to help boost their morale and give them some tips and pointers that can help them out.”

Habs : Return of the general

Source : canadiens.nhl.com



We sometimes take certain things for granted. In their absence, we tend to discover just how important they really are. And, we appreciate them even more when they return.

That’s somewhat been the story of rearguard Andrei Markov, a general who has long patrolled the Canadiens blue line.

Having only contested 73 of his team’s 272 games between 2009 and 2012 after undergoing several knee surgeries, the Russian defenseman returned to form when the NHL season began back in January.

After putting his knee to the test in the KHL with a 21-game stint with Vityaz de Chekhov during the lockout, Markov showed that time spent in his native Russia played an important role in his being able to perform consistently during the condensed 2012-13 NHL schedule. His decision to head overseas ahead of the regular season was welcomed by Canadiens brass.

“The fact that Andrei played in the KHL helped him,” indicated Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin. “He hadn’t played for such a long period of time. We obviously had no control over whether or not he would play in the KHL, but internally we were pleased. We knew that he had to find his rhythm again. The best way to do that was to play hockey, and that’s what he did. He had a great start.”

If the Canadiens started the season off at a torrid pace and began heading down a path that would see them jump from finishing 15th in the Eastern Conference in 2011-12 to second in 2012-13, partial credit goes to number 79 who registered four goals, including three game-winning markers in three consecutive games – a first for a defenseman in team history – and four assists during the first six games of the season in January. All doubt had been set aside. The Markov of old was back.

At his post for each of the 48 regular season tilts and five playoff games, Markov was a veritable workhorse for head coach Michel Therrien’s defense corps, logging at least 20 minutes of ice time in all but two games over the course of the year. It was a tall order for a 34-year-old defenseman who hadn’t laced up his skates in practically two years. Markov, however, met the challenge in front of him head on. He finished the season with 30 points, 23 of which came on the power play, finishing second only to teammate P.K. Subban who led all NHL defensemen in that category.

"Not playing over the course of two years and then playing two games in two nights, four in six. I was tired just traveling with the guys," explained Bergevin with a grin. "In general, we’re happy with the way he performed."

Having coached Markov during his early days in the NHL, Therrien was happy to be able to count on his general game in and game out. Markov’s triumphant return did not go unnoticed when it was announced that he was the Canadiens’ candidate for the Bill Masterton Trophy.

"It’s a great demonstration of perseverance. He went practically two years without being able to play," said the Canadiens bench boss. "He’s a player that we used a lot, who’s important at the heart of our team and who played in all of our games. When we talk about perseverance, Andrei is an excellent example of that."

The Voskresensk, Russia native took full advantage of the season to cement his place among the best defensemen in team history, moving up to fifth on the all-time points list with 399 points. Legends Serge Savard and Doug Harvey are in sight for Markov in 2013-14.

While the campaign may have ended earlier than expected after a successful regular season, the veteran rearguard is optimistic about what the future has in store.

“We expected more. Regardless of where you finish in the standings, you want to get past the opening round. Everyone was disappointed,” confessed Markov. “We’ve got a good group of young players who will get even better next season. We’ve got a bright future ahead of us.”

Habs : The pillar

Source : canadiens.nhl.com



A physical presence. That’s what Michel Therrien was looking for when he called upon Jarred Tinordi at the end of the season. And, the Canadiens bench boss was not disappointed.

The 21-year-old defenseman had two stints with the Habs this past season. The first, which lasted six games, allowed him to become accustomed to the rigors of playing in the NHL and familiarize himself with the Canadiens’ system as well as his teammates. The second, which lasted the two final games of the regular season and the playoffs, provided him with a good taste of what his role would be with the team in the near future.

"I think that it was excellent for my development. I didn’t get the chance to play many games during the regular season. To head straight into the playoffs helps you understand what postseason hockey is all about," confessed Tinordi, who most notably led the London Knights to a berth in the Memorial Cup in 2012. "It gives you an idea of what it takes to win, and you want to train even harder during the offseason knowing that’s what it takes to go far."

A veritable steamroller during his second stint in Montreal, Tinordi dished out 23 hits in his last seven games, including a seven-hit effort during a game on April 25 in Winnipeg.

"I think that my style of play fulfills a need on this team. It’s important to work on my game and to head back to training camp in great shape," added the 6-foot-6 rearguard, who tips the scale at 215 pounds, a number that he is not yet satisfied with.

"I’ve got to put on weight without compromising my mobility. I’m a pretty mobile defenseman for my size and I don’t have to sacrifice that," continued Tinordi, who bears a striking resemblance to Hal Gill from a height standpoint, but possesses speed that is uncommon for a player his size.

Still slender, Tinordi knows full well, by his own admission, that he could add some 30 pounds to his frame during the next few years.

"I grew quickly. It’s tough for your body to keep up with the growth spurt. Your metabolism isn’t able to keep up. When my father started playing, he was skinnier and with time he put on some weight. It will take time and a lot of work, but we’ll see," confessed Tinordi, who hopes to arrive at training camp in September ten pounds heavier. "I won’t be getting any taller, that’s for sure!"