All Habs GameDay: Thursday February 2, 2012
On this day in hockey history… 1994 – Defenseman Lyle Odelein tied a club record for assists in a game by a defenseman, with five as the Canadiens won 9-2 over the visiting Hartford Whalers. Hall of Famer Doug Harvey had five assists on Feb 19,1955.
GAMEDAY: Habs hockey tonight!
MONTREAL CANADIENS (19-22-9) vs. NEW JERSEY DEVILS (27-19-3)
Last 10: New Jersey 6-3-1; Montreal 4-4-2
Prudential Center, 7:00 p.m. EST
TV: RDS, TSN-HABS, MSG PLUS
Projected line combinations (updated following morning skate)
MONTREAL CANADIENS
Forwards
Max Pacioretty – David Desharnais – Erik Cole
Mike Blunden – Lars Eller – Mathieu Darche
Rene Bourque – Tomas Plekanec – Scott Gomez
Yannick Weber – Louis Leblanc – Andrei Kostitsyn
Defenseman
Josh Gorges – P.K. Subban
Hal Gill – Raphael Diaz
Tomas Kaberle – Alexei Emelin
Goaltenders
Carey Price (confirmed) – Peter Budaj
Scratches
Chris Campoli
Injuries
Andrei Markov – Brian Gionta – Travis Moen – Petteri Nokelainen – Ryan White
Power-play
Pacioretty – Desharnais – Cole – Kaberle – Subban
Bourque – Plekanec – Gomez – Diaz – Weber
NEW JERSEY DEVILS
Forwards
Zach Parise – Dainius Zubrus – Ilya Kovalchuk
Petr Sykora – Patrik Elias – David Clarkson
Alexei Ponikarovsky – Ryan Carter – Steve Bernier
Eric Boulton – Jacob Josefson – Matt Taormina
Defensemen
Andy Greene – Mark Fayne
Anton Volchenkov – Adam Larsson
Kurtis Foster – Bryce Salvador
Goaltenders
Martin Brodeur (will start) – Johan Hedberg
Scratches
Injuries
Adam Henrique – Henrik Tallinder – Travis Zajac
GAMEDAY: All Habs Headlines
► Sabres whine: Paul Gaustad said something he shouldn’t have on the ice on Tuesday night, but was more concerned that his comments were shared with the public rather than what Max Pacioretty barked back in return. Gaustad said, “The guy that brought it up in the media wasn’t even involved with it so for Darche to bring it up in the media in my opinion stuff on the ice, stays on the ice. I don’t want to blow it out of proportion, you have to have thick skin to be in the NHL and I’m fine with it so just move on. It happens in the NHL, trash talking every game so it’s no surprise, but that stuff should stay on the ice.”
Sabres coach Lindy Ruff agreed, “I could give you one situation every night and for them to go public I thought was ridiculous. I think they were looking for something talk about or feel good about after that game and they’re barking up the wrong tree if you ask me.”
After Patrick Kaleta scored the empty net goal, it has been reported that Gaustad said to Max Pacioretty, “Where’s Chara?” Here’s what the Canadiens thought of Gaustad’s remark:
Carey Price: “[Gaustad] has got a big mouth and likes to run it. We can’t worry about what he’s got to say because he doesn’t do much out there.” (referring to Gaustad’s pacifist reaction to his goaltender Ryan Miller getting run by Boston’s Milan Lucic)
Erik Cole: “”A lot of guys from our bench were asking [Gaustad] where was he was when Lucic ran Miller. That’s a pretty classy guy. I’m sure that he was worried about where Chara was… next question!”
► Got Habs tickets? Two matinees for the Habs on Super Bowl weekend. It’s a perfect time to take the family. All Habs Ticket Centre has plenty of deals to choose from for tickets this Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Click on the graphic below.
Don’t forget that All Habs has tickets for all games. You will find the matchup you want at the All Habs Ticket Centre.
► TONIGHT: Dryden speaks about “The Game”:
CBC presents: Ken Dryden and The Game
A Canada Reads event with Homerun’s Sue Smith
Thursday, February 2 at 7 PM
At Indigo Bookstore (1500, avenue McGill College)
CBC Radio presents an evening with former Montreal Canadiens’ goalie, Ken Dryden. Join us for an onstage conversation with the hockey legend as host Sue Smith speaks to him about The Game, both then and now.
Widely acknowledged as the best hockey book ever written, The Game is a reflective and thought-provoking look at a life in hockey. Intelligent and insightful, former Montreal Canadiens goalie and former President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ken Dryden captures the essence of the sport and what it means to all hockey fans. He gives us vivid and affectionate portraits of the characters — Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, Serge Savard, and coach Scotty Bowman among them — that made the Canadiens of the 1970s one of the greatest hockey teams in history. But beyond that, Dryden reflects on life on the road, in the spotlight, and on the ice, offering up a rare inside look at the game of hockey and an incredible personal memoir.
Also joining us will be Lisa-Marie Breton, Captain of the Montreal Stars (CWHL), and Dr. Gordon Bloom, Associate Professor of Sport Psychology at McGill University. Both will engage in a discussion with Ken and Sue about The Game, as well as offer their views on the current state of injuries and concussions in the sport.
Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/
► New at All Habs Hockey Magazine:
Her First Habs Game: It’s All About Subban
Catching the Torch: Kristo Delivers
Will the Habs Gamble or Fold the Season?
Video: All-Star Pominville ‘meets’ Emelin
► Puck’s take: Need to know who will win tonight? @PucktheBunny has his prediction here. His record is an impressive 14-5-3.
(Photo by REUTERS/Olivier Jean)