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==Offseason==
 
==Offseason==
Throughout much of the offseason, Canadiens general manager [[Bob Gainey]] pursued a possible contract with unrestricted [[free agent]] [[Mats Sundin]], formerly the [[captain (ice hockey)|captain]] of Montreal's [[National Hockey League rivalries|historic rival]] the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]]. The signing efforts started prior to July 1, 2008, and continued into August as Gainey was still actively pursuing Sundin. This, despite the fact that Sundin's agent mentioned his player "wasn't close" to making a decision on his future, and was strongly considering retirement.<ref name="TSN Sundin">{{citeweb |author= TSN.ca news service |title= Barry: Sundin isn't close to making a decision on his future |publisher= TSN.ca |date= August 4, 2008 |url= http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=245315&lid=headline&lpos=topStory_nhl |accessdate= 24 October 2008}}</ref>
+
Throughout much of the offseason, Canadiens general manager [[Bob Gainey]] pursued a possible contract with unrestricted [[free agent]] [[Mats Sundin]], formerly the [[captain (ice hockey)|captain]] of Montreal's [[National Hockey League rivalries|historic rival]] the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]]. The signing efforts started prior to July 1, 2008, and continued into August as Gainey was still actively pursuing Sundin. This, despite the fact that Sundin's agent mentioned his player "wasn't close" to making a decision on his future, and was strongly considering retirement.
The chase ended with the acquisition of forward [[Robert Lang (ice hockey)|Robert Lang]] from the [[Chicago Blackhawks]].<ref name="CBC Lang">{{citeweb |title= Canadiens acquire Robert Lang from Blackhawks |url= http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2008/09/12/hockey-canadiens-lang.html |accessdate= October 23, 2008 |date= September 12, 2008 |publisher= CBC Sports}}</ref>
+
The chase ended with the acquisition of forward [[Robert Lang (ice hockey)|Robert Lang]] from the [[Chicago Blackhawks]].
   
 
The Canadiens also acquired veteran forward [[Alex Tanguay]] from the [[Calgary Flames]] in exchange for the 25th overall pick in the 2007-2008 entry draft. [[Enforcer (ice hockey)|Enforcer]] [[George Laraque]] and goaltender [[Marc Denis]] were signed to the team through free agency. Unrestricted free agents [[Michael Ryder]], [[Mark Streit]], and [[Bryan Smolinski]] did not return to the team.
 
The Canadiens also acquired veteran forward [[Alex Tanguay]] from the [[Calgary Flames]] in exchange for the 25th overall pick in the 2007-2008 entry draft. [[Enforcer (ice hockey)|Enforcer]] [[George Laraque]] and goaltender [[Marc Denis]] were signed to the team through free agency. Unrestricted free agents [[Michael Ryder]], [[Mark Streit]], and [[Bryan Smolinski]] did not return to the team.
   
 
== Pre-season ==
 
== Pre-season ==
The pre-season schedule consisted of the team playing nine games in thirteen days. The team claimed victory in six of these encounters. The initial game of the pre-season was played against the [[Boston Bruins]] in [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]]. The Montreal Canadiens took part in the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]'s Kraft Hockeyville Series by playing a game against the [[Buffalo Sabres]] at the Sporting Centre Benoit Levesque in [[Roberval, Quebec]].<ref name="CBC Hockeyville">{{citeweb |title= Canadiens trim Sabres in Roberval, Que. |url= http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/story/2008/09/23/nhl-sabres-canadiens.html |accessdate= October 23, 2008 |date= September 24, 2008 |publisher= CBC Sports}}</ref>
+
The pre-season schedule consisted of the team playing nine games in thirteen days. The team claimed victory in six of these encounters. The initial game of the pre-season was played against the [[Boston Bruins]] in [[Halifax Regional Municipality|Halifax]], [[Nova Scotia]]. The Montreal Canadiens took part in the [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|CBC]]'s Kraft Hockeyville Series by playing a game against the [[Buffalo Sabres]] at the Sporting Centre Benoit Levesque in [[Roberval, Quebec]].
   
Some noteworthy performances at the Canadiens training camp were put forth by [[Prospect (sports)|prospects]] [[Max Pacioretty]],<ref>{{citeweb |title= Max-imum overdrive |url= http://canadiens.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=384293&page=NewsPage&service=page |first= Manny |last= Almela |accessdate= October 23, 2008 |date= October 1, 2008 |publisher= Canadiens.com}}</ref> [[Yannick Weber]], and [[Ben Maxwell]].
+
Some noteworthy performances at the Canadiens training camp were put forth by [[Prospect (sports)|prospects]] [[Max Pacioretty]], [[Yannick Weber]], and [[Ben Maxwell]].
   
 
== Regular season ==
 
== Regular season ==
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{{Quote box
 
{{Quote box
 
| quote = "I think everybody now can turn the page and get excited."
 
| quote = "I think everybody now can turn the page and get excited."
| source = —Guy Carbonneau, after the Montreal Canadiens concluded their preseason schedule.<ref name="HeadHome">{{cite news |title= 7 Quotes 'Things they said in montreal this week' |url= http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/saturdayextra/story.html?id=6f3b77f9-3bf8-46b1-9a6c-cc2aabd5bd61 |work= [[The Gazette (Montreal)|Montreal Gazette]] |publisher= [[Canwest]] |date= October 6, 2008 |accessdate=October 11, 2008}}</ref>
+
| source = —Guy Carbonneau, after the Montreal Canadiens concluded their preseason schedule.
 
| width = 300px
 
| width = 300px
 
| align = right
 
| align = right
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=== April ===
 
=== April ===
{{Expand|date=May 2009}}
 
   
 
== Standings ==
 
== Standings ==
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| {{sortname|Roman|Hamrlik|Roman Hamrlík}} || 81 || 6 || 27 || 33 || 4 || 62 ||style="border: 0;"| || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -5 || 2
 
| {{sortname|Roman|Hamrlik|Roman Hamrlík}} || 81 || 6 || 27 || 33 || 4 || 62 ||style="border: 0;"| || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -5 || 2
 
|-
 
|-
| {{sortname|Mathieu|Schneider}}<br />''Atlanta''<br />''Montreal'' || 65<br />''41''<br />''24'' || 9<br />''4''<br />''5'' || 23<br />''11''<br />''12'' || 32<br />''15''<br />''17'' || -12<br />''-10''<br />''-2'' || 67<br />''53''<br />''14'' ||style="border: 0;"| || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -2 || 4
+
| {{sortname|Mathieu|Schneider}}|| 65<br />''41''<br />''24'' || 9<br />''4''<br />''5'' || 23<br />''11''<br />''12'' || 32<br />''15''<br />''17'' || -12<br />''-10''<br />''-2'' || 67<br />''53''<br />''14'' ||style="border: 0;"| || 2 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -2 || 4
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{sortname|Maxime|Lapierre}} || 79 || 15 || 13 || 28 || 9 || 76 ||style="border: 0;"| || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -3 || 26
 
| {{sortname|Maxime|Lapierre}} || 79 || 15 || 13 || 28 || 9 || 76 ||style="border: 0;"| || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -3 || 26
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| {{sortname|Patrice|Brisebois}} || 62 || 5 || 13 || 18 || -3 || 19 ||style="border: 0;"| || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -1 || 0
 
| {{sortname|Patrice|Brisebois}} || 62 || 5 || 13 || 18 || -3 || 19 ||style="border: 0;"| || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -1 || 0
 
|-
 
|-
| {{sortname|Glen|Metropolit}}<br />''Philadelphia''<br />''Montreal'' || 73<br />''55''<br />''18'' || 6<br />''4''<br />''2'' || 11<br />''10''<br />''1'' || 17<br />''14''<br />''3'' || -5<br />''-1''<br />''-4'' || 76<br />''63''<br />''13'' ||style="border: 0;"| || 4 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 0 || 2
+
| {{sortname|Glen|Metropolit}}|| 73<br />''55''<br />''18'' || 6<br />''4''<br />''2'' || 11<br />''10''<br />''1'' || 17<br />''14''<br />''3'' || -5<br />''-1''<br />''-4'' || 76<br />''63''<br />''13'' ||style="border: 0;"| || 4 || 0 || 2 || 2 || 0 || 2
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{sortname|Mathieu|Dandenault}} || 41 || 4 || 8 || 12 || 7 || 17 ||style="border: 0;"| || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -2 || 0
 
| {{sortname|Mathieu|Dandenault}} || 41 || 4 || 8 || 12 || 7 || 17 ||style="border: 0;"| || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -2 || 0
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| {{sortname|Mike|Komisarek}} || 66 || 2 || 9 || 11 || 0 || 121 ||style="border: 0;"| || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -4 || 20
 
| {{sortname|Mike|Komisarek}} || 66 || 2 || 9 || 11 || 0 || 121 ||style="border: 0;"| || 4 || 0 || 0 || 0 || -4 || 20
 
|-
 
|-
| ''{{sortname|Steve|Begin|Steve Bégin}}'' || ''42'' ||''6'' || ''4'' || ''10'' || ''-5'' || ''27'' ||style="border: 0;"| || || || || || ||
+
| {{sortname|Steve|Begin|Steve Bégin}} || ''42'' ||''6'' || ''4'' || ''10'' || ''-5'' || ''27'' ||style="border: 0;"| || || || || || ||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| {{sortname|Francis|Bouillon}} || 54 || 5 || 4 || 9 || -7 || 53 ||style="border: 0;"| || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
 
| {{sortname|Francis|Bouillon}} || 54 || 5 || 4 || 9 || -7 || 53 ||style="border: 0;"| || 1 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0 || 0
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| first = Tomas | last = Plekanec | dab = Tomáš Plekanec | num = 14 | pos = C | nat = Czech Republic | s/g = L | birthyear = 1982 | birthmonth = 10 | birthday = 31 | acq = [[2001 NHL Entry Draft|2001]] | birthplace = [[Kladno|Kladno, Czechoslovakia]] | inj = no | cap = | fa = }}
 
| first = Tomas | last = Plekanec | dab = Tomáš Plekanec | num = 14 | pos = C | nat = Czech Republic | s/g = L | birthyear = 1982 | birthmonth = 10 | birthday = 31 | acq = [[2001 NHL Entry Draft|2001]] | birthplace = [[Kladno|Kladno, Czechoslovakia]] | inj = no | cap = | fa = }}
 
{{player4
 
{{player4
| first = Carey | last = Price | dab = | num = 31 | pos = G | nat = Canada | s/g = L | birthyear = 1987 | birthmonth = 8 | birthday = 16 | acq = [[2005 NHL Entry Draft|2005]] | birthplace = [[Anahim Lake, British Columbia]] | inj = no | cap = | fa = }}
+
| first = Carey | last = Price | dab = | num = 31 | pos = G | nat = Canada | s/g = L | birthyear = 1987 | birthmonth = 8 | birthday = 16 | acq = [[2005 NHL Entry Draft|2005]] | birthplace = [[Vancouver, British Columbia]] | inj = no | cap = | fa = }}
 
{{player4
 
{{player4
 
| first = Mathieu | last = Schneider | dab = | num = 24 | pos = D | nat = United States | s/g = L | birthyear = 1969 | birthmonth = 6 | birthday = 12 | acq = [[2008–09 NHL season|2009]] | birthplace = [[New York, New York]] | inj = no | cap = | fa = }}
 
| first = Mathieu | last = Schneider | dab = | num = 24 | pos = D | nat = United States | s/g = L | birthyear = 1969 | birthmonth = 6 | birthday = 12 | acq = [[2008–09 NHL season|2009]] | birthplace = [[New York, New York]] | inj = no | cap = | fa = }}
Line 1,011: Line 1,010:
 
*[[2008–09 NHL season]]
 
*[[2008–09 NHL season]]
 
*[[Montreal Canadiens centennial]]
 
*[[Montreal Canadiens centennial]]
  +
  +
{{Montreal Canadiens}}
  +
{{Montreal Canadiens seasons}}
  +
{{2008–09 NHL season by team}}
   
 
==References==
 
==References==

Latest revision as of 12:15, 2 October 2010

2008–09 Montreal Canadiens
Division 2nd Northeast
Conference 8th Eastern
2008–09 record 41–30–11
Home record 24–10–7
Road record 17–20–4
Goals for 249
Goals against 247
Team information
General manager Bob Gainey
Coach Guy Carbonneau (October-March)
Bob Gainey (March-April)
Captain Saku Koivu
Alternate captains Christopher Higgins (October-January)
Mike Komisarek (January-April)
Alexei Kovalev
Arena Bell Centre
Average attendance 21,273 (100%)
Total: 893,466
Team leaders
Goals Alex Kovalev (26)
Assists Andrei Markov (52)
Points Alex Kovalev (65)
Penalty minutes Mike Komisarek (121)
Plus/minus Alex Tanguay (+12)
Wins Carey Price (23)
Goals against average Carey Price (2.83)

The 2008–09 Montreal Canadiens season is their 99th season of play and 91st in the National Hockey League (NHL). The organization was celebrating the 100th anniversary of its founding in 1909. The Montreal Canadiens hosted the 57th NHL All-Star Game at the Bell Centre on January 25, 2009, and the 59th NHL Entry Draft in June 2009, as part of the team's celebrations for its centennial anniversary.[1]

Key dates prior to the start of the season include:

Offseason

Throughout much of the offseason, Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey pursued a possible contract with unrestricted free agent Mats Sundin, formerly the captain of Montreal's historic rival the Toronto Maple Leafs. The signing efforts started prior to July 1, 2008, and continued into August as Gainey was still actively pursuing Sundin. This, despite the fact that Sundin's agent mentioned his player "wasn't close" to making a decision on his future, and was strongly considering retirement. The chase ended with the acquisition of forward Robert Lang from the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Canadiens also acquired veteran forward Alex Tanguay from the Calgary Flames in exchange for the 25th overall pick in the 2007-2008 entry draft. Enforcer George Laraque and goaltender Marc Denis were signed to the team through free agency. Unrestricted free agents Michael Ryder, Mark Streit, and Bryan Smolinski did not return to the team.

Pre-season

The pre-season schedule consisted of the team playing nine games in thirteen days. The team claimed victory in six of these encounters. The initial game of the pre-season was played against the Boston Bruins in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Montreal Canadiens took part in the CBC's Kraft Hockeyville Series by playing a game against the Buffalo Sabres at the Sporting Centre Benoit Levesque in Roberval, Quebec.

Some noteworthy performances at the Canadiens training camp were put forth by prospects Max Pacioretty, Yannick Weber, and Ben Maxwell.

Regular season

Centennial year celebrations

The team has announced its intention to retire two uniform numbers during the 2008–09 season. As of March 2009, the only confirmed number is Patrick Roy's number 33, which was retired on November 22, 2008. In celebration of the Montreal Canadiens' centennial, the 2009 NHL All-Star Game was held in Montreal on January 25, 2009 and the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, scheduled for June 2009, was awarded to the city.

October

"I think everybody now can turn the page and get excited."
——Guy Carbonneau, after the Montreal Canadiens concluded their preseason schedule.

On October 10, the Canadiens embarked on a trip for three consecutive road games where they opened the season against the Buffalo Sabres, at the HSBC Arena.[2] Montreal lost the opening game of the season in shootout, but subsequently won 6-1 against the Toronto Maple Leafs on October 11 and 5-3 against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 13.[3][4] The team returned to Montreal after four days on the road and a 2–0–1 record. The Montreal Canadiens hosted the Boston Bruins for their 100th home opening game and won 4-3 in shootout, with Alex Tanguay scoring the winning goal.

On October 18, Saku Koivu achieved his 422nd assist with the Montreal Canadiens and surpassed Maurice "the Rocket" Richard at rank number 7 for all-time assists in franchise history. Two days later, he got his 600th NHL career point when the Canadiens defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1.

According to a Forbes report published in late October 2008, the franchise ranks as the 3rd most valuable in the league at US$334 million, making an 18% increase in the past season.[5] The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings were respectively ranked 1st and 2nd in the report.[5] The Canadiens finished October with a 7–1–1 record in Minnesota and concluded the month with two consecutive road wins and a perfect overall road record.[6]

Canadiens100Anniversary
Canadiens100AnniversaryLogo

November

On November 1, against the New York Islanders, Andrei Markov became the second defenceman in franchise history, after Guy Lapointe, to get 5 points in his first 5 road games of the season.[7] On November 10, the league announced that forward Tom Kostopoulos was suspended for three games after hitting Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Mike Van Ryn from behind.[8] On November 11, Christopher Higgins got his first NHL career hat-trick in a 4-0 win against the Ottawa Senators.[9] On November 22, the jersey number 33 of legendary goaltender Patrick Roy was retired.[10]

On November 24, against the New York Islanders, Ryan O'Byrne scored on his own net during a delayed penalty call, where Carey Price was pulled off for an extra attacker. On November 29, Mike Komisarek—who was not playing due to injury—temporarily took a place behind the bench as an assistant coach, in replacement of Doug Jarvis, who was at his father's bedside.[11] Rookie right winger Matt D'Agostini was recalled from Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League and Roman Hamrlik got his 400th NHL career assist in a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.[12]

December

On December 2, Saku Koivu achieved his 612th point with the Montreal Canadiens after recording two assists in a 5-4 win over the Atlanta Thrashers. He tied Mats Naslund at rank number 11 for all-time points in franchise history. Koivu then surpassed Naslund on December 6 after recording an assist in a 2-1 overtime loss over the New Jersey Devils. Matt D'Agostini scored his first NHL career goal and point and Roman Hamrlik played his 100th game with the club.[13]

The Montreal Canadiens celebrated the 99th anniversary of the franchise on December 4 with a 6-2 win over the New York Rangers. Matt D'Agostini got his first NHL assist in a 2-points performance. Georges Laraque got his first two points with his new team.[14] D'Agostini had a successful debut with the team, recording 6 goals and 2 assists in his first eleven games.[15] On December 13, Ben Maxwell played his first game in the NHL against the Washington Capitals after Saku Koivu was placed on the injured reserve list. On December 18 against the Philadelphia Flyers, Alex Kovalev got his 900th NHL career point.

After the Christmas break, the Canadiens were back in action on the road on December 27 and won 3-2 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Montreal Canadiens enjoyed their 3000th franchise victory, with a 5-2 win over the Florida Panthers at Sunrise on December 29, solidifying their place as the most successful team in NHL history. Andrei Kostitsyn and Maxim Lapierre scored their first career hat-tricks during this road trip.

January

General manager Bob Gainey presented his mid-season report on January 13. He stated that he was looking to improve the team's power play, which was 26th in the league, and he wanted to acquire a proven player capable of helping the power play. When asked by a reporter what was his best transaction since taking over as the team's general manager, he answered that the hiring of Guy Carbonneau as head coach was his best move.

February

In order to help bolster their power play, Bob Gainey acquired Matthieu Schneider from the Atlanta Thrashers for a combination of draft picks. This is Schneider's second tenure with the Canadiens, who began his career in Montreal after being drafted by the team in 1987.

On February 17, Alex Kovalev was asked by Managing Director Bob Gainey to go home and take a rest. He missed two games. There were rumors that he would be traded and the city was abuzz. Kovalev rejoined the team on February 21 and scored one goal and added two assists in a convincing 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. Kovalev received the 1st star of the game to the delight of the Montreal crowd.

A reporter for the Montreal newspaper La Presse stated on the evening of February 19 that the February 20 edition of the paper would have an exposé that would make the Kovalev situation seem inconsequential. The paper reported that Roman Hamrlik and brothers Andrei and Sergei Kostitsyn were involved with a person believed to be part of an organized crime ring in Montreal. Although the players have admitted that they know the person in question, no accusations nor proof has been provided indicating that the players were involved in any illegal activities. The article has since been written off as tabloid journalism and a major example on how the Montreal media negatively treat the Canadiens players.

On February 26, Gainey traded Steve Begin to the Dallas Stars for Doug Janik, who was immediately sent to the Hamilton Bulldogs. Begin, who was often a healthy scratch during the season, would have been an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

Saku Koivu scored his 624th point with the Canadiens with an assist in a February 27 game against the Philadelphia Flyers. He became the 10th all-time leading scorer in Canadiens history, surpassing Elmer Lach.

The Canadiens claimed Glen Metropolit off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers on February 27. Metropolit was practicing with the Flyers earlier in the day when Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren informed him: "I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that you're playing tonight. The bad news is that you're playing for the Canadiens". The Canadiens were in town playing the Flyers that same day and Metropolit simply moved his equipment to the visitor's dressing room.

March

Approaching the NHL trade deadline, Bob Gainey traded for Mathieu Schneider and claimed Glen Metropolit. Gainey confirmed that he couldn't risk trading away his young prospects for any "rental players".

On 9 March, Gainey announced that he was replacing Guy Carbonneau as head coach until the end of the season. Don Lever was named assistant-coach.

Patrice Brisebois played his 1,000th NHL game on March 14 in a 3-2 lost to the New Jersey Devils. During that same game, Martin Brodeur tied the all-time NHL record for career wins with 551, tying Canadiens great Patrick Roy, who was in attendance at that game. Brodeur was given the 1st star of the game and received a standing ovation from his home province crowd.

Alex Tanguay had a season high of 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) on March 24 in a 6-3 win against the Atlanta Thrashers at the Bell Centre.

Alex Kovalev scored his 100th goal as a member of the Canadiens (and 23rd goal of the season) in a 4-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on March 31.

April

Standings

Divisional standings

Northeast Division GP W L OTL GF GA Pts
z-Boston Bruins 82 53 19 10 274 196 116
x-Montreal Canadiens 82 41 30 11 249 247 93
e-Buffalo Sabres 82 41 32 9 250 234 91
e-Ottawa Senators 82 36 35 11 217 237 83
e-Toronto Maple Leafs 82 34 35 13 250 293 81

Conference standings

Eastern Conference GP W L OTL GF GA Pts
z-Boston Bruins * 82 53 19 10 274 196 116
y-Washington Capitals * 82 50 24 8 272 245 108
y-New Jersey Devils * 82 51 27 4 244 209 106
x-Pittsburgh Penguins 82 45 28 9 264 239 99
x-Philadelphia Flyers 82 44 27 11 264 238 99
x-Carolina Hurricanes 82 45 30 7 239 226 97
x-New York Rangers 82 43 30 9 210 218 95
x-Montreal Canadiens 82 41 30 11 249 247 93
e-Florida Panthers 82 41 30 11 234 231 93
e-Buffalo Sabres 82 41 32 9 250 234 91
e-Ottawa Senators 82 36 35 11 217 237 83
e-Toronto Maple Leafs 82 34 35 13 250 293 81
e-Atlanta Thrashers 82 35 41 6 257 280 76
e-Tampa Bay Lightning 82 24 40 18 210 279 66
e-New York Islanders 82 26 47 9 201 279 61

x - clinched playoff spot, y - clinched division title, z - clinched best conference record, e - eliminated from playoff contention

* – division leader

Game log

      Win (2 points)       Loss (0 points)       Overtime/shootout loss (1 point)

2008–09 Game log
Schedule

Playoffs

The Montreal Canadiens clinched a playoff spot following a 5–4 OT loss against the Boston Bruins on April 9, 2008, their 81st game of the season.

Eastern Conference Quarter-finals: vs. (1) Boston Bruins

The Montreal Canadiens earned the #8 seed in the Eastern Conference by finishing with 93 points in the conference. With key players missing such as Andrei Markov, Mathieu Schneider and Alex Tanguay, they were swept in four games.

2009 Stanley Cup playoffs - Eastern Conference Quarter-finals vs. (1) Boston Bruins
# Date Venue Visitor Score Home OT Montreal goals Boston goals Decision Attendance Series Recap
1 April 16 TD Banknorth Garden Montreal 2-4 Boston Bruins Higgins, Kovalev Kessel, Krejci, Chara (PP), Kessel (EN) Thomas 17,565 Boston leads 1-0 [91]
2 April 18 TD Banknorth Garden Montreal 1-5 Boston Bruins Kovalev Savard (PP), Kobasew, Hnidy, Savard (PP), Ryder (PP) Thomas 17,565 Boston leads 2-0 [92]
3 April 20 Bell Centre Boston Bruins 4-2 Montreal Higgins, Weber Kessel, Thornton, Ryder, Kobasew (EN) Thomas 21,273 Boston leads 3-0 [93]
4 April 22 Bell Centre Boston Bruins 4-1 Montreal A. Kostitsyn Ryder, Krejci, Kessel, Ryder Thomas 21,273 Boston wins 4-0 [94]

* Player scoring winning goal is shown in italics.

Player stats

Skaters

Note: GP = Games played; G = Goals; A = Assists; Pts = Points; +/- = Plus/minus; PIM = Penalty minutes

Regular season Playoffs
Player GP G A Pts +/- PIM GP G A Pts +/- PIM
Kovalev, AlexAlex Kovalev 78 26 39 65 -5 74 4 2 1 3 0 2
Markov, AndreiAndrei Markov 78 12 52 64 -2 36
Koivu, SakuSaku Koivu 65 16 34 50 4 44 4 0 3 3 -1 2
Kostitsyn, AndreiAndrei Kostitsyn 74 23 18 41 -7 50 4 1 0 1 -2 2
Tanguay, AlexAlex Tanguay 50 16 25 41 13 34 2 0 1 1 2 2
Plekanec, TomasTomas Plekanec 76 20 19 39 -7 54 3 0 0 0 -5 4
Lang, RobertRobert Lang 50 18 21 39 6 36
Hamrlik, RomanRoman Hamrlik 81 6 27 33 4 62 4 0 0 0 -5 2
Schneider, MathieuMathieu Schneider 65
41
24
9
4
5
23
11
12
32
15
17
-12
-10
-2
67
53
14
2 0 0 0 -2 4
Lapierre, MaximeMaxime Lapierre 79 15 13 28 9 76 4 0 0 0 -3 26
Latendresse, GuillaumeGuillaume Latendresse 56 14 12 26 4 45 4 0 0 0 -2 12
Higgins, ChristopherChristopher Higgins 57 12 11 23 -1 22 4 2 0 2 -1 2
Kostitsyn, SergeiSergei Kostitsyn 56 8 15 23 -3 64 1 0 0 0 0 2
Gorges, JoshJosh Gorges 81 4 19 23 12 37 4 0 1 1 0 7
Kostopoulos, TomTom Kostopoulos 78 8 14 22 -1 106 4 0 1 1 -1 4
Dagostini, MattMatt D'Agostini 53 12 9 21 -17 16 3 0 0 0 -5 0
Brisebois, PatricePatrice Brisebois 62 5 13 18 -3 19 1 0 0 0 -1 0
Metropolit, GlenGlen Metropolit 73
55
18
6
4
2
11
10
1
17
14
3
-5
-1
-4
76
63
13
4 0 2 2 0 2
Dandenault, MathieuMathieu Dandenault 41 4 8 12 7 17 4 0 0 0 -2 0
Pacioretty, MaxMax Pacioretty 34 3 8 11 -3 27
Komisarek, MikeMike Komisarek 66 2 9 11 0 121 4 0 0 0 -4 20
Begin, SteveSteve Begin 42 6 4 10 -5 27
Bouillon, FrancisFrancis Bouillon 54 5 4 9 -7 53 1 0 0 0 0 0
Obyrne, RyanRyan O'Byrne 37 0 5 5 -7 58 2 0 0 0 -1 2
Chipchura, KyleKyle Chipchura 13 0 3 3 -6 5
Laraque, GeorgesGeorges Laraque 33 0 2 2 -6 61 4 0 0 0 -1 4
Weber, YannickYannick Weber 3 0 1 1 -1 2 3 1 1 2 0 0
Stewart, GregoryGregory Stewart 20 0 1 1 -4 32 2 0 0 0 -3 2
Henry, AlexAlex Henry 2 0 0 0 -2 10
Maxwell, BenBen Maxwell 7 0 0 0 -1 2

Goaltenders

Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime losses; GA = Goals against; SO = Shutouts; SA = Shots against; SV = Saves; SV% = Save percentage; GAA = Goals against average

Regular season
Player GP TOI W L OT GA SO SA SV Sv% GAA
Price, CareyCarey Price 52 3035 23 16 10 143 1 1513 1370 0.905 2.83
Halak, JaroslavJaroslav Halak 34 1930 18 14 1 92 1 1077 985 0.915 2.86
Denis, MarcMarc Denis 1 20 0 0 0 1 0 7 6 0.857 3.00

* Four empty net goals were scored.

Playoffs
Player GP TOI W L GA SO SA SV Sv% GAA
Halak, JaroslavJaroslav Halak 1 20 0 0 0 0 5 5 1.000 0.00
Price, CareyCarey Price 4 219 0 4 15 0 123 108 0.878 4.11

* One empty net goal was scored.

Roster

Player roster

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace
51 Flag of the United States Bouillon, FrancisFrancis Bouillon

D L 48 2002 New York, New York
71 Flag of Canada Brisebois, PatricePatrice Brisebois

D R 53 2007 Montreal, Quebec
28 Flag of Canada Chipchura, KyleKyle Chipchura

C L 38 2004 Westlock, Alberta
36 Flag of Canada D'Agostini, MattMatt D'Agostini

RW R 37 2005 Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
25 Flag of Canada Dandenault, MathieuMathieu Dandenault

D/RW R 48 2005 Sherbrooke, Quebec
38 Flag of Canada Denis, MarcMarc Denis

G L 46 2008 Montreal, Quebec
26 Flag of Canada Gorges, JoshJosh Gorges

D L 39 2007 Kelowna, British Columbia
41 Flag of Slovakia Halak, JaroslavJaroslav Halak

G L 38 2003 Bratislava, Slovakia
44 Flag of the Czech Republic Hamrlik, RomanRoman Hamrlik

D L 49 2007 Zlín, Czechoslovakia
24 Flag of Canada Henry, AlexAlex Henry

D L 44 2008 Elliot Lake, Ontario
21 Flag of the United States Higgins, ChristopherChristopher Higgins

RW L 40 2002 Smithtown, New York
53 Flag of the United States Janik, DougDoug Janik

D L 44 2009 Agawam, Massachusetts
11 Flag of Finland Koivu, SakuSaku Koivu

 (C)

C L 49 1993 Turku, Finland
8 Flag of the United States Komisarek, MikeMike Komisarek

 (A)

D R 42 2001 West Islip, New York
46 Flag of Belarus Kostitsyn, AndreiAndrei Kostitsyn

LW L 39 2003 Navapolatsk, U.S.S.R.
74 Flag of Belarus Kostitsyn, SergeiSergei Kostitsyn

LW L 37 2005 Navapolatsk, U.S.S.R.
6 Flag of Canada Kostopoulos, TomTom Kostopoulos

RW R 45 2007 Mississauga, Ontario
27 Flag of Russia Kovalev, AlexeiAlexei Kovalev

 (A)

RW L 51 2004 Tolyatti, U.S.S.R.
20 Flag of the Czech Republic Lang, RobertRobert Lang

C R 53 2008 Teplice, Czechoslovakia
40 Flag of Canada Lapierre, MaximMaxim Lapierre

C R 38 2003 St. Leonard, Quebec
17 Flag of Canada Laraque, GeorgesGeorges Laraque

RW R 47 2008 Montreal, Quebec
84 Flag of Canada Latendresse, GuillaumeGuillaume Latendresse

RW L 36 2005 Sainte-Catherine, Quebec
79 Flag of Russia Markov, AndreiAndrei Markov

D L 45 1998 Voskresensk, U.S.S.R.
80 Flag of Canada Maxwell, BenBen Maxwell

C L 35 2006 North Vancouver, British Columbia
15 Flag of Canada Metropolit, GlenGlen Metropolit

C R 49 2009 Toronto, Ontario
3 Flag of Canada O'Byrne, RyanRyan O'Byrne

D R 39 2003 Victoria, British Columbia
67 Flag of the United States Pacioretty, MaxMax Pacioretty

LW L 35 2007 New Canaan, Connecticut
14 Flag of the Czech Republic Plekanec, TomasTomas Plekanec

C L 41 2001 Kladno, Czechoslovakia
31 Flag of Canada Price, CareyCarey Price

G L 36 2005 Vancouver, British Columbia
24 Flag of the United States Schneider, MathieuMathieu Schneider

D L 54 2009 New York, New York
70 Flag of Canada Stewart, GregoryGregory Stewart

LW L 37 2004 Kitchener, Ontario
13 Flag of Canada Tanguay, AlexAlex Tanguay

LW L 44 2008 Sainte-Justine, Quebec
68 Flag of Switzerland Weber, YannickYannick Weber

D R 35 2007 Morges, Switzerland

Staff

Montreal Canadiens staff
Executive operations  

Hockey operations

  • Assistant General Manager, player personnel - Pierre Gauthier
  • Assistant General Manager, hockey administration - Julien Brisebois
  • Director, player personnel - Trevor Timmins
  • Head coach - Bob Gainey
  • Assistant coaches - Kirk Muller, Doug Jarvis
  • Goaltending coach - Roland Melanson
  • Strength and conditioning - Scott Livingston

Ambassadors

Awards and records

Team awards

On April 11, following the final home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team announced it's award winners for the season.

Player Award Notes
Carey Price Molson Cup Awarded to the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and with the most "three stars" recognitions.
Patrice Brisebois Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominee Nominated by the Writers Association for league-wide recognition.
Maxime Lapierre Jacques Beauchamp Trophy Awarded by the Sports Writers Association of Montreal to a player for recognition of his outstanding achievement in the game of hockey.

National Hockey League Awards

All-Star Game
Elected on Starting lineup
Nominated
Bill Masterton Trophy nominee

Records

Milestones

Regular season
Player Milestone Reached
Alex Kovalev 200th point with the Montreal Canadiens October 12, 2008
Mike Komisarek 300th NHL career game October 18, 2008
Saku Koivu 422th assist with the Montreal Canadiens
7th all-time in franchise history
October 18, 2008
Saku Koivu 600th NHL career point October 20, 2008
Andrei Markov 500th NHL career game October 25, 2008
Josh Gorges 1st goal with the Montreal Canadiens November 24, 2008
Roman Hamrlik 400th NHL career assist November 29, 2008
Matt D'Agostini 1 NHL career goal
1st NHL career point
December 2, 2008
Roman Hamrlik 100th NHL game with the Montreal Canadiens December 2, 2008
Saku Koivu 612th point with the Montreal Canadiens
T-11th all-time in franchise history
December 2, 2008
Roman Hamrlik 1100th NHL career game December 4, 2008
Matt D'Agostini 1st NHL career assist December 4, 2008
Saku Koivu 613th point with the Montreal Canadiens
11th all-time in franchise history
December 6, 2008
Alex Kovalev 1100th NHL career game December 9, 2008
Ben Maxwell 1st NHL career game December 13, 2008
Alex Kovalev 900th NHL career point December 18, 2008
Andrei Kostitsyn 1st NHL career hat-trick December 27, 2008
Maxime Lapierre 1st NHL career hat-trick December 29, 2008
Max Pacioretty 1st NHL career game
1st NHL career goal
1st NHL career point
January 2, 2009
Marc Denis 1st game with the Montreal Canadiens January 2, 2009
Max Pacioretty 1st NHL career assist January 7, 2009
Robert Lang 2nd NHL career hat-trick January 7, 2009
Yannick Weber 1st NHL career game January 8, 2009
Patrice Brisebois 364th point with the Montreal Canadiens
5th all-time for a defenceman in franchise history
January 8, 2009
Gregory Stewart 1st NHL career assist
1st NHL career point
January 17, 2009
Andrei Markov 300th NHL career point January 17, 2009
Alex Henry 1st game with the Montreal Canadiens February 1, 2009
Mathieu Schneider 1st game with the Montreal Canadiens (since returning to the team)
200th point with the Montreal Canadiens
February 18, 2009
Saku Koivu 623rd point with the Montreal Canadiens
T-10th all-time in franchise history
February 24, 2009
Saku Koivu 624th point with the Montreal Canadiens
10th all-time in franchise history
February 27, 2009
Glen Metropolit 1st game with the Montreal Canadiens February 27, 2009
Patrice Brisebois 1000th game in the NHL March 14, 2009
Alex Kovalev 100th goal with Montreal Canadiens March 31, 2009
Yannick Weber 1st NHL career assist
1st NHL career point
April 9, 2009
Yannick Weber 1st NHL career goal
1st NHL career playoff point
April 20, 2009

Transactions

The Canadiens have been involved in the following transactions during the 2008–09 season.

Trades



June 20, 2008
To Montreal Canadiens
Alex Tanguay
5th round pick in 2008
To Calgary Flames
25th overall pick in 2008
2nd round pick in 2009
September 12, 2008
To Montreal Canadiens
Robert Lang
To Chicago Blackhawks
2nd round pick in 2010
January 5, 2009
To Montreal Canadiens
T.J. Kemp
To Pittsburgh Penguins
Conditional 2010 seventh round draft pick
February 16, 2009
To Montreal Canadiens
Mathieu Schneider
Conditional 2009 3rd round draft pick
To Atlanta Thrashers
2nd round pick in 2009
3rd round pick in 2010
February 26, 2009
To Montreal Canadiens
Doug Janik
To Dallas Stars
Steve Begin


February 27, 2009
To Montreal Canadiens
Glen Metropolit
To Philadelphia Flyers
claimed off waivers

Free agent acquisitions

Player Former team Contract terms
Georges Laraque Pittsburgh Penguins 3 years, $4.5 million
Marc Denis Tampa Bay Lightning 1 year, undisclosed
Alex Henry Nashville Predators 1 year, undisclosed
Ryan Flinn Edmonton Oilers 1 year, undisclosed

Players lost to free agency

Player New team
Mark Streit New York Islanders
Michael Ryder Boston Bruins
Yann Danis New York Islanders
Janne Lahti Jokerit Helsinki (Fin)
Jonathan Ferland EC Villacher SV (Aus)
Brett Engelhardt Augsburger Panther (Ger)
Duncan Milroy ERC Ingolstadt

Draft picks

Montreal's picks at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa, Ontario.[17]

Round # Player Position Nationality College/junior/club team (league)
2 25 Danny Kristo RW Flag of the United States United States U.S. National Under-18 Team (USDP)
3 86 Steve Quailer RW Flag of the United States United States Northeastern University (Hockey East)
4 116 Jason Missiaen G Flag of Canada Canada Peterborough Petes (OHL)
5 138 Maxim Trunev F Flag of Russia Russia Severstal Cherepovets-2 (Rus3)
7 206 Patrick Johnson F Flag of the United States United States University of Wisconsin (NCAA)

Broadcasting

Country Broadcaster
Flag of Canada Canada English: CBC, TSN, NHL Network; French: RDS, RIS, RDS.CA
Flag of the United States United States Versus, ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, HDNet, NHL Network, RDS.CA
Flag of European Union European Union NASN, NHL Network, RDS.CA
Flag of Russia Russia NTV (Russia), RDS.CA
Flag of Japan Japan
Flag of South Korea South Korea
ASN, RDS.CA

Farm teams

Hamilton Bulldogs

The Hamilton Bulldogs remain Montreal's top affiliate in the American Hockey League in 2008–09.

Cincinnati Cyclones

Montreal continues their affiliation alongside the Nashville Predators for the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL in 2008–09.[18]

See also

References

  1. ESPN.com news services (January 23, 2007). Montreal to host '09 All-Star Game. ESPN.com. Retrieved on July 27, 2008.
  2. "Recap: Canadiens @ Sabres – 10/10/2008", NHL.com, October 10, 2008. Retrieved on October 10, 2008. 
  3. "Recap: Canadiens @ Maple Leafs – 10/11/2008", NHL.com, October 11, 2008. Retrieved on October 11, 2008. 
  4. "Recap: Canadiens @ Flyers – 10/13/2008", NHL.com, October 13, 2008. Retrieved on March 25, 2009. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 Rossi, Rob. "NHL Team Valuations: #3 Montreal Canadiens", Forbes, October 29, 2008. Retrieved on October 30, 2008. 
  6. 2008-2009 Regular Season Schedule/Results. Canadiens.com (October 30, 2008). Retrieved on October 30, 2008.
  7. "Recap: Canadiens @ Islanders – 11/01/2008", NHL.com, November 1, 2008. Retrieved on March 25, 2009. 
  8. Kimelman, Adam. "Exclusive: Kostopoulos suspended 3 games", NHL.com, November 10, 2008. Retrieved on March 25, 2009. 
  9. "Recap: Senators @ Canadiens – 11/11/2008", NHL.com, November 11, 2008. Retrieved on March 25, 2009. 
  10. Almela, Manny. "Home sweet home", Canadiens.com, November 22, 2008. Retrieved on March 25, 2009. 
  11. "Markov goal caps three-goal second period in Habs 3-2 win over Sabres", NHL.com, November 29, 2008. Retrieved on March 25, 2009. 
  12. "Recap: Canadiens @ Sabres – 11/29/2008", NHL.com, November 29, 2008. Retrieved on March 25, 2009. 
  13. "Recap: Thrashers @ Canadiens – 12/02/2008", NHL.com, December 2, 2008. Retrieved on March 25, 2009. 
  14. "Recap: Rangers @ Canadiens – 12/04/2008", NHL.com, December 4, 2008. Retrieved on March 25, 2009. 
  15. Matt D'Agostini – 2008–2008 Game Log. NHL.com. Retrieved on March 25, 2009.
  16. NHL.com - Recap: Canadiens @ Islanders - 04/02/2009. Archived from the original on 2009-06-11. Retrieved on 2009-04-19.
  17. 2008 NHL Entry Draft Results nhl.com
  18. Montreal, Hamilton Affiliate With Cyclones For 2008-09