All Habs GameDay: Tuesday January 31, 2012

On this day in hockey history… 1923 – Canadiens beat Hamilton 5-4 in Montreal, in the first penalty-free game played in NHL history. 

GAMEDAY: Habs hockey tonight!

BUFFALO SABRES (20-24-5) vs. MONTREAL CANADIENS (19-21-9)

Last 10: Buffalo 2-7-1; Montreal 5-3-2

Bell Centre,  7:30 p.m. EST

TV: RDS, TSN-HABS, MSG-B

Projected line combinations (updated following morning skate)

MONTREAL CANADIENS

Forwards
Max Pacioretty – David Desharnais – Erik Cole
Mike Blunden – Lars Eller – Andrei Kostitsyn
Rene Bourque – Tomas Plekanec – Scott Gomez
Yannick Weber – Andreas Engqvist – Mathieu Darche

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

BUFFALO SABRES

Forwards
Thomas Vanek – Derek Roy – Jason Pominville
Ville Leino – Brad Boyes – Drew Stafford
Nathan Gerbe – Matt Ellis – Patrick Kaleta
Marc-Andre Gragnani – Luke Adam – Cody McCormick

Defensemen
Andrej Sekera – Tyler Myers
Jordan Leopold – Christian Ehrhoff
Robin Regehr – Mike Weber

Goaltenders
Ryan Miller (confirmed) – Jhonas Enroth

Scratches

Injuries
Tyler Ennis – Paul Gaustad – T. J. Brennan – Brayden McNabb – Jochen Hecht

GAMEDAY: All Habs Headlines

 

► Price makes an impression at ASG: With no NHL games scheduled for Monday, the buzz was still about the All-Star game and specifically Carey Price.  The Canadiens goaltender left quite an impression on hockey fans around the league that were able to hear his commentary when mic’d up on HNIC on Saturday and NBC Sports Channel on Sunday.  Price approached the game with the right mind-set: entertainment for the fans — he went so far to say that he wouldn’t be aggressive in the crease or use a poke check to ensure that he wouldn’t injure anyone (were you listening Tim Thomas?)

“While I was out there mic’d up, I thought, I can’t believe I’m doing this. I always remember watching the guys at the All-Star Game mic’d up as a kid, and now having the opportunity to be mic’d up myself was surreal. I was just being myself. I was trying to explaining what ‘team roping’ was as I was getting scored on by Alfie.  These opportunities don’t come very often. When I’m done playing, at the end of my career, I’m going to look back and feel blessed that I could play in these All-Star Games.” — Carey Price

Read more: Reverse Mind-set of an All-Star Goalie

► Busy week for Habs. Got tickets?  There’s four games for the Canadiens this week, with only one of the tilts on the road in New Jersey.  That gives you three opportunities to see your Habs!  The team is having a roller coaster season which means tickets are more affordable than ever.  Now’s the time to take advantage!  Check out the deals by clicking on the link 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.

► Hear Dryden speak about “The Game” this Thursday:  Former Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden will be onstage this week to discuss, The Game, an event organized by CBC Radio and hosted by Sue Smith.  Also on hand will be  Lisa-Marie Breton, Captain of the Montreal Stars (CWHL), and Dr. Gordon Bloom, Associate Professor of Sport Psychology at McGill University.  The discussion will focus on concussions and the state of injuries in hockey.

From the CBC press release:

“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.”

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)

https://www.facebook.com/events/305621696150764/

► New at All Habs Hockey Magazine:

Will the Habs Gamble or Fold the Season?

P.K. Subban: Will Habs Patience be Rewarded?

All Habs Team Visit New Molson Ex Zone

All Habs & McLean’s Pub — An Exciting New Chapter

Video: Montreal Canadiens 2011-12, The Road So Far

► Puck’s take: Need to know who will win tonight? @PucktheBunny has his prediction here. His record is an impressive 14-4-3.

(Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)