Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Habs Eastern Conference Race at a Glance

image As the race for the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference heats up, I thought I’d put together a calendar for the teams currently seeded 6 to 11.

Despite having the fewest games remaining, the Canadiens may benefit from the least congested schedule and only six games remaining on the road.

I will keep this updated, as the days progress, for handy reference. As teams slip out of contention, or other teams fall within reach relating to the Canadiens, I will add or delete them.

POS TEAM POINTS GR
6. Philadelphia 74 17
7. Montreal 72 14
8. Boston 70 17
9. New York 67 16
10. Atlanta 66 17
11. Tampa Bay 65 17

GAMES REMAINING FOR 6 TO 11th PLACE TEAMS

DATE

PHI

MTL

BOS

NYR

ATL

TBL

03/10       @NJD    
03/11 BOS EDM @PHI   @CLB @TOR
03/12       @ATL NYR @WAS
03/13 CHI BOS MON      
03/14 @ NYR     PHI PHO PIT
03/15     @NJ      
03/16 @NAS @NYR @CAR MON BUF PHO
03/17            
03/18 @DAL   PIT STL OTT BUF
03/19            
03/20 @ATL @TOR     PHI WAS
03/21 ATL   NYR @BOS @PHI @FLA
03/22   OTT        
03/23 @OTT   @ATL   BOS CAR
03/24   @BUF   NYI    
03/25 MIN FLA TBL @NJD TOR @BOS
03/26            
03/27 @PIT NJD CAL @TOR @CAR @BUF
03/28 NJ          
03/29     BUF   CAR  
03/30     @NJD @NYI @TOR @CLB
03/31   CAR       @PIT
04/01 @NYI   FLA   @WAS  
04/02 MON @PHI @TOR @TBL   NYR
04/03   BUF   @FLA @PIT  
04/04 DET          
04/05     @WAS      
04/06 @TOR @NYI   @BUF NJD CAR
04/07       TOR    
04/08   @CAR BUF     OTT
04/09 @NYR     PHI @WAS  
04/10   TOR CAR   PIT FLA
04/11 NYR   @WAS @PHI   @FLA



Tuesday, March 9, 2010

March 9, 1994: Lyle Odelein’s scoring surge

imageYou don’t usually equate former tough-guy defenseman Lyle Odelein to offense, especially on the power play. After all, up to the start of the 1993-94, he only had three goals in 214 regular season games.

But on March 9, 1994, the player ranked 29th all-time in penalty minutes was a scoring machine as he notched three goals, all on the man-advantage, in the Montreal Canadiens 7-2 win over the St. Louis Blues.

A grinning Odelein received a standing ovation, from the Forum crowd, after scoring his third goal of the night on a shot that beat Jim Hrivnak at 15:02 of the third period.

The night was at the peak of his career high offensive season with Montreal, having tallied 5 goals and 13 assists over a 16-game span.

Earlier, he recorded five assists in a February 20 game against Hartford. That mark is a Canadiens franchise record that he shares with Doug Harvey and Sheldon Souray

Much of his success during that span can be attributed to coach Jacques Demers. Frustrated with the Canadiens power play that was dead last at one point that season, the coach decided to use his tough guy on the power play unit back in February.

Odelein finished the season with career highs in goals (11) assists (29), power play goals (6) points (40) and of course penalty minutes (276).

Did you know?: Lyle Odelein’s brother Selmar, was considered the star of the family and was picked No. 1 (21st overall) by the Edmonton Oilers in 1984.

Selmar played just 18 career NHL games with Edmonton, scoring two assists.




Thursday, March 4, 2010

March 4, 1981: Guy Lafleur reaches 1000 points

image Guy Lafleur became the fastest player to reach 1000 points on this day in 1981

For a few weeks in 1981,  Marcel Dionne of the Los Angeles Kings held the NHL record for fastest player to reach 1000 points, doing so in 740 career games on January 7.

Then on March 4, the Montreal Canadiens Guy Lafleur broke that mark by 20 games during his team’s 9-3 romp over the dead-last Winnipeg Jets.

For Lafleur, who had already missed 22 games that season due to injuris, he may have thought it would be another 20 games for it to happen.

In light of the Canadiens riding a thirteen game unbeaten streak and unbeaten in 19 at home, “Le Demon Blond” had been on a four-game scoring drought until that Wednesday night at the Forum.

“There was pressure, but I wasn’t really thinking about it (the record),” Lafleur said. “The last few games have been frustrating. I had chances to score and I was playing good hockey, but it’s frustrating when you can’t score. You start to get overanxious.”

He reached point No. 998 with an assist on Pierre Larouche’s opening goal in the first period and then notched No. 999, going top shelf past Jet’s goalie Michel Dion, just over four minute’s later.

The Canadiens would be up 8-0 after two periods. Lafleur would cash his own rebound past Dion for a second time at 0:54 of the third.

The milestone put him as just the third player in Canadiens history to reach 1000 points (Jean Beliveau, Henri Richard).

The Montreal Gazette - Google News Archive Search The Canadiens shut down after that, allowing the Jets to score three goals in the third. Winnipeg would end Montreal’s 14-game unbeaten streak the next Saturday.

“Well now I don’t have to think about it anymore,” Lafleur said after the game. “I’m happy about it, but I’m not going to just lay back. I think I still have a few good years ahead of me. I’s proud of it, but I still have four or five years to play.

A few good years he would have, finishing with the Canadiens as the franchise’s all-time scoring leader with 1246 points and 1353 overall in the NHL.

Lafleur’s record for fastest to reach the 1000 point mark would last just under three years, when Wayne Gretzky would break it by almost 300 games. Since then, four other players (all in the Hall of Fame) have reached it faster than Lafleur.

Doing some research, I came across this game photo from the Montreal Gazette/Canadian Press. Take a look at the fellow in the black jacket.

The Montreal Gazette - Google News Archive Search_a Isn’t that the young midget star who would go on to reach 1000 points in 512 games.???