Habs Maintain Position At Top Of Eastern Conference

Following the trade of Rene Bourque for Anaheim Ducks defensemen Bryan Allen, the Habs embarked on a week of hockey filled with disappointing lows and marvelous highs.

On Tuesday November 11^th at the Bell Centre, the Pittsburgh Penguins made Montreal’s winning streak come to a swift and unsightly halt. The Habs entered the game with a six-game winning streak, and were hoping to attain the club’s first seven-game streak since 2006. However, the Pens made sure to dash these hopes in a brutal 4-0 sweep. The Pens were able to crush the Habs due to their powerful defense and ability to capitalize on power plays. The goals were attributed to Pens forward Beau Bennett, right winger Steve Downie, centre Brandon Stutter, and captain Sidney Crosby. Truly, this is a game Habs fans will be quick to forget and, if anything, has taught the Habs to play with humility.

On Thursday November 20^th, the Habs responded to their devastating loss against the Penguins with a glorious 4-1 victory over a Western Conference titan. The St. Louis Blues, who were just two points from the Western Conference lead, arrived at the Bell Centre after winning 10 of their previous 12 games. Despite these impressive feats, the Habs still managed to bounce back and take down the Blues. The true standouts of the game were Max Pacioretty and Carey Price; the former scored two goals, and the latter made 32 tremendous saves.

On Saturday November 22^nd, the Habs spoiled Boston coach Claude Julien’s 800^th game in the best way possible. Carey Price was on fire, and stopped 33 shots for his second shutout of the season. Andrei Markov delivered another stellar performance, and opened the scoring with a power-play goal at 11:37. Later, Tomas Plekanec increased the Habs’ lead with a goal at 8:59 of the second period. The 2-0 win gave the Canadiens a 3-0 record against the Bruins, and allowed to Habs to maintain their position at the top of the Eastern Conference.

This upcoming week will be all about the Buffalo Sabres! On Friday November 28^th, they’ll go head-to-head with the Sabres at Buffalo’s First Niagara Centre. Then, on Saturday November 29^th, the Habs will welcome the Sabres to the Bell Centre for what promises to be a riveting game!