The Habs Eastern Conference Race at a Glance

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

March 9, 1994: Lyle Odelein’s scoring surge

You 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.

March 4, 1981: Guy Lafleur reaches 1000 points

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 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.

Isn’t that the young midget star who would go on to reach 1000 points in 512 games.???