Game Day: Montreal Canadiens @ Florida Panthers

 

 Unique calisthenics allow the Canadiens to achieve such stellar heights.

 

 Habs at Cats, 7:30pm, No local TV

Panthers: 16-14-5  37P, 3rd in SE    Canadiens: 19-9-6  44P, 2nd in NE

All-time: 25-23-6 (FLA)

Game 2 of 4, 1-0 MTL, 3-1 on 10/20/08, Halak with the win

Still getting back into the groove here, so bear with me and we'll get through this. I haven't personally seen a Cats' game in a week, so chillin' in front of the tube with a Panthers broadcast is exactly what I...oh forget it.

On that note: if anyone has a link to a webcast of the game, please send it to me and I'll publish it. There's one out there somewhere...find it!

Evidently, Florida accomplished the impossible: losing both ends of a home-and-home against Tampa Bay, scrounging one lousy point out of the entire debacle. Yes the late-night heroics on Friday were nice and allowed them to salvage that one point, but in the big picture, they lost some seriously high ground to the division.

Games played against Original Six clubs are always formal affairs.

 

BATTERED AND BRUISED

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Cully will be a game-day call, but center Kamil Kreps is likely lost for several weeks thanks to a bum shoulder (or mid-upper body) injury suffered in Tampa Bay.

 

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Koivu and Laraque are huge losses for the Habs, but from opposite ends of the spectrum: Captain K is arguably the club's best all-around forward, and Georges keeps the troops safe from cheap shots. In any event, the Panthers' chances for success are only marginally improved; the rest of the Montreal lineup is formidable.

 

See? Hockey is important somewhere.

 

AT THE ENDS

 

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Andy makes his first start since mid-December, replacing Tomas Vokoun's weekend shelling.

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 Halak (1 goal against) picked up the Canadiens' only win against Florida this season - in the Canadiens' only game against Florida this season - and considering Price played Saturday, my bet's on Halak.

 

 

Little Claude learns life after daddy's transfer to Ontario won't be all sunshine and fleur-de-lis.

 LITTER BOX LINERS

• Miami Herald: Andy gets the nod; injuries
• Sun-Sentinel: Kreps update
• Montreal Gazette: game preview
• Le Journal de Montreal: I dunno, but it's definitely about the Cats
• AP via NHL.com: game preview
• AccuScore via The Sporting News
• Panthers website
• Canadiens website

FROM THE BLOGOSPHERE

• Cat Scratch (FLA)
• Panthers on the Prowl (FLA)
• Four Habs Fans (MTL)
• Eyes on the Prize (MTL)
• All Habs (MTL)

 

We'll give it another go with the Open Thread tonight.