Montreal Canadiens The Road to the Cup

[Big T]

January 26th, 1984

Montreal Canadiens (29-22-3) at Edmonton Oilers (26-21-6)

Montreal goes out on their 5 game West Coast trip and they will start at Rogers Place in Edmonton. The two teams are meeting for the 1st time this season. The Canadiens find themselves in 3rd spot in the Atlantic with 61 points, 5 back of the 2nd place Panthers and 6 back of Boston. Montreal is now at 11.4% for PP success, they have moved up from 30th to 28th in the NHL. The Canadiens are ranked 3rd on the PK with a 87.7% kill rate.

Montreal promoted RW Adrian Andersson this year and the 20 year old power forward has played pretty well. The scouts like his physical game, Montreal agrees he has excellent strength but he has very good shooting accuracy and puck handling skills as well. He is currently playing RW on the 2nd line in a set man and counterattacking role. Andersson was Montreal's 7th overall pick in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. After being awarded the 1982 QMJHL Goal Scorer Award (52 goals in 63 games) He made his NHL debut on November 3rd, 1983. In 33 games since he has 6 goals and 11 points with 32 PIMs.

The Oilers are currently in 12 spot in the West with 58 points, 7 back of the final playoff spot. The Oilers are ranked 11th in the NHL with a 17.4% success rate on the PP, they are ranked 15th on the PK with a 83.1% kill rate.

The Oilers will start G Braden O'Neill, he has 6 wins with a 2.97 GAA and a .902 save % in 17 games. Last year he had 34 wins with a 2.36 GAA and a .909 save % in 51 AHL games with the Bakersfield Condors. Montreal goes with G Wilf Nestor, he has 24 wins with a 2.13 GAA and a .923 save % in 44 games.

The Oilers open the scoring at 9:09 when C Jean-Michel Tremblay gets his 14th of the season. Montreal ties it up 1-1 at 19:05 when LD Joey Lachance gets his 1st goal with the Canadiens. For Lachance that was his 7th of the season. Montreal out shot the Oilers 16-10 and C Bryce Spencer got into a fight at 16:17.

Montreal takes a 2-1 lead at 13:42 as C Riley Callander gets his 19th of the season. The shots were 19-12 in favor of the Habs in the 2nd period.

The Oilers tie it up 2-2 at 0:38 when RW Jan Stastny gets his 22nd of the year. Montreal hung on as the Oilers had much of the momentum in the 3rd, the shots were 11-7 for the Oilers. But we head off to overtime.

There was no scoring in the 5-minute overtime but the shots were 3-1 in favor of the Oilers, now we are onto the shootout. It was the shooters that had the advantage in the skills competition, it took 6 round and Montreal outlasted the Oilers 4-3 with Samuel Hebert getting the game winner. The final shots on goal were 43-36 in favor of Montreal, both teams were 0 for 3 on the PP.

Montreal's RD Joey Lachance was the 1st star with his goal. The 21 year old now has 7 goals and 27 points with 51 PIMs in 53 games this year. Since coming over in the trade, he has 1 goal and 5 points with 5 PIMs in 7 games.

Montreal 3 Edmonton 2 (S/O)

Around the NHL.......

Ottawa Senators LW Kevin Forfar had a goal and 2 assists in a 3-1 win over the Bruins. The 25 year old now has 30 goals and 54 points with 27 PIMs in 57 games. Forfar came to the Senators via a trade with the Oilers in February 1982.

St Louis Blues LW Ed Larkin had 2 assists in a 4-1 win over the Blackhawks. The 27 year old now has 17 goals and 58 points with 84 PIMs in 56 games. Larkin was an All-Star in 1984 and won a Stanley Cup in 1982.

[Big T]

January 29th, 1984

Montreal Canadiens (30-22-3) at San Jose Sharks (31-24-1)

The Canadiens had a nice start to the road trip with a win in Edmonton and are now in the SAP Center to take on the Sharks. The teams are meeting for the 1st time this season. Montreal is currently in 4th in the Eastern Conference with 63 points, 4 back of the East leading Bruins. Montreal is ranked 28th in the NHL with 2.27 goals per game. Montreal gives up on average 2.31 goals per game and rank 4th.

Montreal's 21 year old Ben Archer is from Toronto, ON. Scouted as a offensive forward, he is said to be a strong playmaker. There is no question he has excellent passing skills and is very good on the faceoffs. Montreal are currently using him on the 4th line in a playmaker role. Archer was signed by Montreal as an undrafted free agent in July 1981. He made his NHL debut on November 2nd, 1981 and has been with the Canadiens ever since. This season he has 4 goals and 21 points with 34 PIMs in 55 games. For his career, he has 18 goals and 56 points with 92 PIMs in 149 games.

The Sharks currently have 63 points and are in 9th spot in the NHL's Eastern Conference, they are 3 points out of the final playoff spot. The Sharks come into the game with the 14th ranked offense averaging 2.73 goals per game. The Sharks give up 2.84 goals per game which ranks them 21st.

The Sharks will start G Emil Johansson, he has 24 wins with a 2.86 GAA and a .906 save % in 45 games. Last year he had 23 wins with a 2.95 GAA and a .904 save % in 58 games with the Sharks. Montreal starts G Wilf Nestor, he has 25 wins with a 2.12 GAA and a .924 save % in 45 games.

San Jose opened the scoring at 2:43 when C Jim Lindsay gets his 16th of the season. San Jose grabs a 2-0 lead at 9:08 as C Jim Lindsay gets his 2nd of the night and 17th of the year. It was a brutal period for Montreal, they lost D Lance Lambright for 10 minutes due to a misconduct and the shots were 18-2 for the Sharks.

Montreal tunes up the physical game for the 2nd period and it pays off early with a 2-1 goal by LD Lance Lambright. For Lambright it was his 8th of the season at 3:46. The physical game might have backfired at the Sharks take a 3-1 lead on a 5 on 3 PP as C Jim Lindsay completes the "hattie" at 7:17. San Jose makes it 4-1 at 9:03 as RW Ron Perkins gets his 10th of the year. The period was a little more even with the shots 15-12 for the Sharks.

Montreal comes out of the gate flying in the 3rd and make the score 4-2 at 5:30 as LW Josef Kramar gets his 12th of the season. The shots are 7-0 for Montreat to start the period. The Canadiens gave the Sharks everything they had in the 3rd out shooting them 20-6 even Robert Henriksson getting into his 2nd career NHL fight but it wasn't enough. The final shots favored the Sharks 39-34. Montreal was 0 for 4 on the PP while San Jose was 1 for 7.

Sharks C Jim Lindsay was the 1st star with his 3 goals and an assist. The 21 year old now has 18 goals and 42 points with 14 PIMs in 57 games.

San Jose 4 Montreal 2

Around the NHL.......

Nashville Predators G Kevin Ward made 35 stops in a 2-0 win over the Canucks. The 28 year old Ward now has 31 wins with a 2.06 GAA and a .922 save % in 49 games. Ward was an All-Star in 1984.

Columbus Blue Jackets LD Maxime Rainville had 2 goals and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Penguins. The 22 year old now has 11 goals and 51 points with 20 PIMs in 56 games. Rainville was the Blue Jackets 22nd overall pick in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft.

Colorado Avalanche LW Greg Sandison had 2 goals in a 5-4 win over the Blackhawks. The 28 year old now has 24 goals and 56 points with 30 PIMs in 56 games. Sandison is a 2-time All-Star.

[Big T]

January 31st, 1984

Montreal Canadiens (30-23-3) at Vancouver Canucks (29-20-9)

The Canadiens are 1-1 so far on the West Coast trip and are now in Vancouver and the Rogers Arena to face the Canucks. Vancouver won the only meeting this season in Montreal 2-1. Montreal is currently in 3rd place in the Atlantic trailing the 2nd place Panthers by 3 points and the 1st place Bruins by 4. Montreal takes on average 30 shots per game, this ranks them 15th in the league. They also allow 28 shots per game which ranks them 4th.

RW Jakob Axelsson is a 21 year old from Vasteras, SWE. As a two-way forward the scouts say is strongest part of his game is his skating. He is an excellent stick checker and has very good shooting accuracy. Platooning as a 4th RW, Axelsson plays the role of an Up and down winger. Montreal signed him as a free agent in July of 1981, he made his NHL debut on November 2nd, 1981 for Montreal. This season in 8 games, he has 0 goals and 1 point with 0 PIMs, in 124 career NHL games, he has 11 goals and 30 points with 48 PIMs.

The Canucks are currently in 6th spot in the West with 67 points, 12 behind the leading Predators. The Canucks average 31 shots per game which ranks 10th in the NHL. They also average 30 shots against per game which ranks 18th.

The Canucks will start G Pat Pace, he has 12 wins with a 2.99 GAA and a .909 save % in 22 games. Last year he had 10 wins with a 2.95 GAA and a .901 save % in 30 games with the Sabres. Montreal starts G Wilf Nestor, he has 25 wins with a 2.16 GAA and a .923 save % in 46 games.

It took just 11 seconds and Vancouver takes a 1-0 lead as RD Frank Rawlinson gets his 9th of the season. Shortly after the goal, LD Lance Lambright and Rawlinson get into a fight. The shot end up 13-11 for Montreal in the 1st.

Montreal ties the score 1-1 at 7:02 of the 2nd when C Samuel Fleury gets his 3rd of the year. Montreal goes up 2-1 short after, LD Lance Lambright gets his 9th of the season at 8:23. Vancouver ties the score 2-2 at 19:16 when RW Brandon Puppa gets his 2nd of the year. The shots were 12-5 for Montreal.

Vancouver goes up 3-2 at 6:36 when RW Scott Powell gets his 11th of the season. The Canucks extend the lead to 4-2 at 13:49 when RW Kyle Shangreaux gets his 14th of the year. Vancouver goes up 5-2 at 15:20 when RD Buck Wolter gets his 4th of the season. Montreal's Bryce Spencer gets into a scrap mid way through the 3rd, but it doesn't help Montreal as the shots were 14-7 for Vancouver in the 3rd. Montreal did out shot the Canucks 32-30 in the game. Montreal was 0 for 6 while the Canucks were 0 for 4 on the PP.

The Canucks LW Kyle Shangreaux was the 1st star, he had a goal and an assist. The 20 year old now has 14 goals and 37 points with 10 PIMs in 59 games. He was the Canucks 26th overall pick in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft.

Vancouver 5 Montreal 2

Around the NHL...........

Vancouver Canucks RW Nick McPherson was named the NHL Player of the Month. The 21 year old now has 13 goals and 38 points with 48 PIMs in 57 games. McPherson was the Canucks 210th overall pick (last pick in the draft) in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft.

Washington Capitals G Bryant Dillingham was named the NHL Goalie of the Month. The 33 year old now has 21 wins with a 2.71 GAA and a .908 save % in 47 games. Dillingham was the 1983 Jennings Trophy Winner.

[Big T]

February 2nd, 1984

Montreal Canadiens (30-24-3) at Colorado Avalanche (34-19-4)

Montreal heads up to lighter air and the Pepsi Center to face the Avs. Montreal is 1-2 on the road trip so far. Montreal won the only meeting with these two teams back at the Bell Center, 3-2. Montreal is currently in 4th spot in the East with 63 points, they trail the East leading Blue Jackets by 7 points. Montreal is currently at 10.9% success on the PP, that ranks them 28th in the NHL. The Habs PK is ranked 2nd with a 87.9% kill rate.

Montreal RD Tomas Badura is a 22 year old defensive defenseman from Usti nad Labem, CZE. The scouts say his strongest part of his game is his defensive play, particularily very good at stick checking and puckhandling. He is currently playing on the 3rd pairing in the role of a shut down defenseman. Badura was signed as a free agent by Montreal in July 1981. He made his NHL debut November 2nd, 1981. This season he has 3 goals and 14 points with 33 PIMs in 50 games. For his career, in 121 NHL games he has 9 goals and 32 points with 59 PIMS.

The Avalanche are currently in 4th place in the West with 72 points, 9 back of the West leading Predators. The Avs have a 15.2% success rate on the PP which ranks them 21st, they rank 20th on the PK with a 82.4% kill rate.

The Avs will start G Aatos Lax, he has 27 wins with a 2.52 GAA and a .909 save % in 48 games. Last year he had 27 wins with a 2.82 GAA and a .922 save % in 70 games with the Avalanche. Montreal starts G Wilf Nestor, he has 25 wins with a 2.22 GAA and a .921 save % in 47 games.

Montreal opens the scoring despite being out played when C Ed Parks gets his 3rd of the year at 11:51 to make it 1-0. Montreal goes up 2-0 at 12:49 when LW Quincy Kaminsky gets his 9th of the season. Colorado gets one back at 16:53 to make it 2-1 as LD Eemil Lieri gets his 2nd of the year. The shots were 16-7 for the Avs in the 1st.

Montreal goes up 3-1 at 0:59 of the 2nd when C Bryce Spencer gets his 10th of the season. Colorado again makes it a 1 goal game and make it 3-2 at 7:41 as C Martin Bortel gets his 23rd of the year. Montreal's D Tyler Duclos gets a 5 minute fighting major in the 2nd and Montreal out shot Colorado 15-4 in the period.

Montreal goes up 4-2 at 2:53 when C Bryce Spencer gets his 2nd of the night, 11th of the season. Montreal holds on for the win as the shots were 8-5 in the 3rd for the Avs and 28-27 overall for the Avs. Montreal was 0 for 7 on the PP while Colorado was 0 for 3.

Montreal captain LW Quincy Kaminsky was the 1st star, he had a goal and an assist. The 39 year old now has 9 goals and 20 points with 19 PIMs in 58 games.

Montreal 4 Colorado 2

Around the NHL.........

Vancouver Canucks RD Jordan Byrne had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win over the Ducks. The 21 year old now has 9 goals and 35 points with 67 PIMs in 46 games. Byrne was the Canucks 30th overall pick in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft.

[Big T]

February 4th, 1984

Montreal Canadiens (31-24-3) at Dallas Stars (32-21-6)

Montreal will try to go home with a winning record on their 5 game West Coast trip as they meet the Stars at the American Airlines Center. Montreal was beaten badly the last time these teams met. In the only meeting Dallas won 5-1 at the Bell Center. Montreal is currently 3rd in the Atlantic with 65 points, 1 behind the 2nd place Panthers and just 4 behind the leading Bruins. Montreal is ranked 27th in the NHL with 2.29 goals per game. Montreal allows on average 2.38 goals per game which ranks 4th in the NHL.

Montreal C Riley Callander is a two way 28year old forward from Mississauga, ON. The scouts say is greatest strength is goal scoring, He is very good at getting open and puck handling. Callander is the teams 1st line C, he plays the role of a playmaker and counter attacking forward. This season the 3-time All-Star has 19 goals and 37 points with 60 PIMs in 58 games. For his career he has 119 goals and 229 points with 236 PIMs in 299 games as he is playing in game 300 tonight.

The Stars are currently in 8th spot in the West with 70 points, 13 points behind the West leading Predators. The Stars score 3.00 goals per game which is 9th in the NHL. They also allow 2.64 goals per game with ranks 12th.

Dallas starts G Matej Triska,he has 20 wins with a 2.67 GAA and a .910 save % in 41 games. Last year he had 33 wins with a 2.50 GAA and a .913 save % in 63 games with the Stars. Montreal will start G Wilf Nestor, he has 26 wins with a 2.22 GAA and a .921 save % in 48 games.

Montreal gets an early 1-0 lead as RW Adrian Andersson gets his 7th goal of the year. Dallas ties it up 1-1 while SH as C Hayden Litzenberger gets his 8th at 7:18. Montreal out shot the Stars 12-8 in the 1st.

The Stars go up 2-1, this time on the PP as RW Frantisek Pustejovsky gets his 32nd goal at 16:57. Montreal ties it up late at 2-2 when LW Ben Archer gets his 5th of the season at 19:32. The shots were 6-1 for Montreal in the 2nd.

Montreal gets a 3-2 lead at 18:25 when RW Samuel Hebert gets his 15th of the season. Montreal shuts down Dallas outshooting them 12-7 in the 3rd and 30-16 in the game for the win. Montreal was 0 for 4 on the PP while the Stars were 1 for 2.

Montreals LD Dennis Engstrom was the 1st star with 2 assists. The 33 year old now has 4 goals and 14 points with 26 PIMs in 59 games.

Montreal 3 Dallas 2

[Big T]

February 6th, 1984

Edmonton Oilers (29-22-8) at Montreal Canadiens (32-24-3)

The Habs come home to face the Oilers at the Bell Center after a successful 3-2-0 road trip. One of those wins was in Edmonton, a 3-2 win over the Oilers. Montreal is currently in 4th in the East with 67 points, 5 behind the Columbus Blue Jackets who are in 1st. Montreal ranks 14th with 30 shots on goal per game. Montreal averages 28 shots against per game which ranks 4th in the NHL.

Montreal C/LW Cal Couling is a 22 year old from Pembroke, ON. The offensive forward is a strong playmaker according to the scouts. Couling brings very good speed and leadership to the Habs lineup. Couling is currently platooning on the 4th line as a C in the role of a dangler. The 1983 AHL Les Cunningham Award Winner (AHL MVP) signed as a free agent with Montreal in July 1983. This is Couling's rookie season as he has 2 goals and 4 assists with 4 PIMs in 19 NHL games.

The Oilers are currently in 10th spot in the West with 66 points, 4 out of the last playoff spot. The Oilers rank 22nd in the NHL with 29 shots per game and rank 17th in the NHL with 31 shots against per game.

The Oilers will start G Bobby Benson, he has 23 wins with a 2.61 GAA and a .914 save % in 43 games. Last year he had 38 wins with a 2.43 GAA and a .923 save % in 69 games with the Oilers. Montreal goes to G Wilf Nestor, he has 27 wins with a 2.21 GAA and a .921 save % in 49 games.

Montreal goes up 1-0 early as RD Joey Lachance gets his 8th goal of the year at 1:13. Before the goal can be announced, C Ed Parks makes it 2-0 at 1:25 when he gets his 4th of the year. Montreal had a great chance to put this away with a lengthy 5 on 3, but the PP could not capitalize. The shots were 19-3 Montreal.

There was no scoring in the 2nd period as the shots were 10-6 for the Oilers. Montreal RW Samuel Hebert had a minor and misconduct at 1:12 of the period.

Montreal goes up 3-0 at 7:59 of the 3rd period as RD Joey Lachance gets his 9th of the year, 2nd of the night and 3rd as a Canadien. Montreal holds on for the win and the Wilf Nestor shut out. The shots were 9-3 in the 3rd and 34-16 for Montreal in the game. Montreal was 0 for 8 on the PP while the Oilers were 0 for 5.

Montreal's RD Joey Lachance had 2 goals and an assist and was the 1st star. The 21 year old now has 9 goals and 33 points with 51 PIMs in 58 games. In 12 games with Montreal, he has 3 goals and 11 points.

Montreal 3 Edmonton 0

Around the NHL..........

Vancouver Canucks RD Jordan Byrne had a goal and 2 assists in a 4-1 win over the Wild. The 21 year old now has 10 goals and 38 points with 67 PIMs in 47 games. Byrne's was the Canucks 30th overall pick in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft.

Dallas Stars RW Frantisek Pustejovsky had 2 goals and an assist in a 4-3 win over the Lightning. The 24 year old now has 34 goals and 85 points with 34 PIMs in 61 games. The 3-time All-star won the 1982 Art Ross Trophy with 91 points.

Arizona Coyotes LW Breyden Henley had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over the Sabres. The 20 year old Henley now has 22 goals and 59 points with 24 PIMs in 59 games. Henley was the Coyotes 36th overall pick in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft.

Arizona Coyotes LD Albert Yoder had a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win over the Maple Leafs. The 32 year old now has 11 goals and 48 points with 14 PIMs in 60 games. The 2-time All-Star won the 1981 Mark Messier Leadership Award.

[Big T]

February 9th, 1984

NHL Standings and Leaders

Atlantic	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	DIFF
Boston Bruins	61	34	22	5	73	14
Montreal Canadiens	60	33	24	3	69	5
Florida Panthers	62	32	26	4	68	-19
Detroit Red Wings	62	29	28	5	63	3
Tampa Bay Lightning	61	27	29	5	59	-13
Toronto Maple Leafs	59	23	31	5	51	-50
Ottawa Senators	61	21	32	8	50	-34
Buffalo Sabres	60	21	32	7	49	-43

Metropolitan	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	DIFF
Columbus Blue Jackets	59	35	20	4	74	11
New York Rangers	62	31	26	5	67	-20
Carolina Hurricanes	60	30	25	5	65	3
Washington Capitals	60	29	25	6	64	-20
New Jersey Devils	62	28	27	7	63	24
New York Islanders	61	27	27	7	61	-19
Pittsburgh Penquins	62	27	32	3	57	-26
Philadelphia Flyers	61	25	31	5	55	-29

Pacific	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	DIFF
Arizona Coyotes	60	37	20	3	77	50
Vancouver Canucks	62	33	20	9	75	27
Anaheim Ducks	62	34	23	5	73	12
San Jose Sharks	61	35	25	1	71	5
Edmonton Oilers	61	29	24	8	66	11
Los Angeles Kings	62	25	25	12	62	9
Calgary Flames	62	27	30	5	59	-20

Central	GP	W	L	OT	PTS	DIFF
Nashville Predators	63	42	18	3	87	58
Winnipeg Jets	62	40	20	2	82	66
St Louis Blues	61	36	17	8	80	62
Colorado Avalanche	61	34	22	5	73	27
Dallas Stars	62	33	23	6	72	17
Minnesota Wild	61	32	27	2	66	8
Chicago Blackhawks	61	28	28	5	61	-14

Forwards	Team	Goals	Assists	Points	PIMs	+/-
Pustejovsky, Frantisek	DAL	34	51	85	34	8
Szucs, Jozsef	NSH	33	41	74	36	26
Morel, Benjamin	CBJ	27	41	68	40	9
Pavlicek, Simon	NJD	20	44	64	52	6
Larkin, Ed	STL	19	45	64	93	13
Dwyer, Francis	EDM	29	31	60	26	7
Henley, Breyden	ARZ	22	38	60	26	21
McNicholas, Dan	NJD	25	34	59	32	14
Saito, Joseph	CAR	25	34	59	74	8
Joncas, Justin	MIN	24	34	58	20	0
Frow, William	ANA	17	41	58	33	8
Torres, Lorenzo	CBJ	32	25	57	42	12
Forfar, Kevin	OTT	31	26	57	27	13
Brunet, Philippe	ARZ	25	32	57	80	29
Sandison, Greg	COL	24	33	57	32	21
Scott, Jerry	LAK	20	37	57	45	8
Wray, Joel	TOR	25	31	56	48	-13
Lang, Jeffrey	STL	26	29	55	32	19
Majkowski, Colin	WPG	24	30	54	18	21
Beirnes, Cory	ARZ	24	30	54	73	8

Defensman	Team	Goals	Assists	Points	PIMs	+/-
Kizuik, Dalyn	WPG	15	47	62	34	8
Gorrell, Bob	WPG	16	40	56	40	18
Rainville, Maxime	CBJ	11	44	55	22	23
O'Collins, King	LAK	13	35	48	30	16
Yoder, Albert	ARZ	11	37	48	14	16
Towery, Alex	MIN	14	29	43	38	31
Werts, David	CAR	8	35	43	12	37
Stevenson, Brian	EDM	11	31	42	20	19
Bowles, Jeff	TBL	12	28	40	37	2
Guerette, Etienne	PIT	4	36	40	37	7

Goalies	Team	Wins	GAA	SO's	SV%
Ward, Kevin	NSH	34	2.00	6	0.923
Garner, Chris	WPG	33	2.12	6	0.909
Steedsman, Josh	ARZ	30	2.04	7	0.927
Inskip, Tyrone	BOS	28	2.49	3	0.920
Nestor, Wilf	MTL	28	2.17	3	0.922
Thornton, Bennie	STL	28	1.91	10	0.926
Johansson, Emil	SJS	27	2.77	3	0.909
Lax, Aatos	COL	27	2.59	2	0.907
Maurice, Karl	MIN	25	2.56	3	0.922
Liimatainen, Juhani	ANA	24	2.68	6	0.915

[Big T]

February 9th, 1984

Montreal Canadiens Stats and Analysis

December 20th, 1983
Goals F per Game	2.27	27th
Goals A per Game	2.40	7th
Shots F per Game	30	16th
Shots A per Game	28	6th
PP %	8.9%	30th
PK %	87.7%	3rd
FO %	50.3%	12th
Shots Blocked	531	23rd
Hits	909	3rd
February 9th, 1984
Goals F per Game	2.32	26th
Goals A per Game	2.33	4th
Shots F per Game	30	14th
Shots A per Game	28	4th
PP %	10.1%	30th
PK %	87.8%	3rd
FO %	50.4%	10th
Shots Blocked	770	28th
Hits	1370	5th

Montreal did make some head way the last 20 games. Improving in just about all areas except shot blocking. The offense has slightly improved as has the defense. I still think I will need to add some offense at the deadline. Possibly a goal scoring forward.

Goalies	Age	Wins	Losses	T/OL	SO	GAA	SV%
Nestor, Wilf	29	28	19	3	3	2.17	0.922
Mertel, Stefan	30	5	5	0	2	2.66	0.896

Can't expect much more here from the Wilf Nestor. He has likely another 16 starts left this season as we have 6 back to backs in the final 22 games. He is 11 wins shy of his career high 39.

Defenseman	Age	GP	Goals	Assists	Points	PIMs	+/-
Lachance, Joey	21	58	9	24	33	51	8
Harper, Jonathan	33	58	7	25	32	20	-6
Lambright, Lance	30	55	9	10	19	51	-7
Svec, Jakub	20	60	6	13	19	20	7
Badura, Tomas	22	51	3	11	14	33	8
Engstrom, Dennis	33	60	4	10	14	26	7
Duclos, Tyler	22	38	0	6	6	58	5
Steinberg, Kevin	26	10	1	0	1	2	0
Davey, Zack	20	12	0	1	1	41	-6
Hajt, Logan	22	4	0	0	0	2	-2

The trade for Joey Lachance has added some offense for Montreal. He has 11 points in 12 games since the trade to Montreal. He has solidified the defense and the Habs will not make any changes for the final playoff run with the current defensive roster.

Forwards	Age	GP	Goals	Assists	Points	PIMs	+/-
Callander, Riley	28	60	19	18	37	62	-14
Hendriksson, Robert	22	60	6	25	31	40	-11
Hebert, Samuel	22	60	15	15	30	60	-9
Kramar, Josef	21	56	12	11	23	30	6
Archer, Ben	22	60	5	18	23	34	-1
Spencer, Bryce	22	60	11	12	23	113	5
McFatridge, Eric	22	60	8	13	21	30	11
Kaminsky, Quincy	39	60	9	11	20	21	2
Parks, Ed	30	60	4	14	18	10	13
Andersson, Adrian	20	39	7	6	13	34	4
Fleury, Samuel	21	39	3	3	6	38	-4
Couling, Cal	22	20	2	2	4	4	-1
Rous, Scott	21	20	2	2	4	2	0
Walsh, Andrew	21	23	2	1	3	4	-3
Blaney, Ralph	34	10	0	2	2	2	2
Sucharda, Petr	20	9	1	0	1	0	2
Laureano, Brayden	21	10	0	1	1	2	1
Alexsson, Jakob	21	10	0	1	1	2	-1
Brueggeman, Cory	21	4	0	0	0	2	0

We could certainly use a goal scorer and some help with the PP. Only Riley Callander and Josef Kramar are on pace for 20 goals this season. Only Riley Callander is on pace for 50 points. Montreal will demote Petr Sucharda and Jakob Alexsson and promote Andrew Walsh and Ralph Blaney. The 21 year old Walsh has 8 goals and 20 points with 32 PIMs in 22 AHL games. The 34 year old Blaney has 6 goals and 20 points with 34 PIMs in 41 AHL games.

[Big T]

February 9th, 1984

The Montreal Canadiens have a trade to announce. The Canadiens have traded RW Eric McFatridge and a 4th round (Columbus) 1984 Draft pick to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for LW Kevin Forfar. The 22 year old McFatridge has 8 goals and 21 points with 30 PIMs in 60 games for Montreal this season. The Canadiens are getting the 25 year old Forfar born in Ottawa, ON. Considered a two way forward, the scouts say he is a great skater. He is a very good puck handler and shooter as well. This is Forfar's 2nd trade, he was traded by the Oilers to the Senators on February 8th, 1982. So far this season in 61 games, he had 31 goals and 57 points with 27 PIMs. For his career the 1984 All-Star has 106 goals with 222 points in 309 career NHL games.

Montreal Canadiens (33-24-3) at Philadelphia Flyers (25-31-5)

Montreal addressed a concern today with a trade, they added some scoring. The last 3 seasons, Forfar has had 30, 31 and currently 31 goals. He also has 23 PPG's in the last 3 seasons. Forfar is expected to play LW on the 1st with Robert Henriksson moving to the 4th line. Montreal is looking for their 3rd straight win this season against the Flyers.

The Flyers have 55 points and currently sit 13th in the East, 8 points out of the final playoff spot. The Flyers average 2.38 goals per game which ranks them 23rd in the NHL. They allow 2.90 goals per game which ranks them 24th in the NHL.

The Flyers will start G Tracy Calhoun. The 20 year old has 8 wins with a 2.29 GAA and a .931 save % in 23 games this year. Last year he had 7 wins with a 1.43 GAA and .935 save % in 9 games with the Blues. Montreal starts G Wilf Nestor, he has 28 wins with a 2.17 GAA and a .922 save % in 50 games.

There was no scoring in the 1st period as the shots were 6-5 in favor of Montreal. The game had 2 fights in the 1st period as both D Joey Lachance and D Dennis Engstrom dropped the mitts. The Habs could not capitalize on a 5 minute PP.

Montreal goes up 1-0 at 17:09 and guess who scores.... LW Kevin Forfar gets his 1st as a Hab and 32nd of the season on the PP. The shots were 11-10 for the Flyers in the 2nd period.

Montreal takes a 2-0 lead at 9:29 of the 3rd when LW Quincy Kaminsky gets his 10th of the year. Montreal holds on for the win. The shots were 10-6 for Montreal in the 3rd. Montreal was 1 for 9 on the PP and the Flyers were 0 for 4.

Montreal LW Quincy Kaminsky was named the 1st star. He had a goal. The 39 year old now has 10 goals and 21 points with 21 PIMs in 61 games. For his career he has 73 goals and 175 points with 133 PIMs in 275 NHL games.

Montreal 2 Philadelphia 0

Around the NHL...........

The Montreal Canadiens have announced that they have extended RD Jonathan Harper to a 4 year, $32.0 M deal. The 33 year old has 7 goals and 32 points with 22 PIMs in 59 games this year. For his career, he has 47 goals and 179 points with 110 PIMs in 291 career NHL games.

The Montreal Canadiens have extended LW Josef Kramar to a 3 year, $6.7 M deal. The 21 year old Kramar has 12 goals and 23 points with 30 PIMs in 57 games. For his career he has 44 goals and 98 points with 135 PIMs in 177 NHL games.

The Edmonton Oilers have traded G Bobby Benson to the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for LW Zach Tucker. The 35 year old Benson has 23 wins with a 2.67 GAA and a .912 save % in 45 games. For his career he has 133 wins with a 2.47 GAA and a .920 save % in 249 career NHL games. The 25 year old Tucker has 20 goals and 43 points with 52 PIMs in 61 games. For his career he has 81 goals with 182 points and 248 PIMs in 264 career NHL games.

Columbus Blue Jackets LD Maxime Rainville has 2 assists in a 4-1 win over the Rangers. The 22 year old now has 11 goals and 57 points with 22 PIMs in 60 games. For his career he has 20 goals and 102 points with 54 PIMs in 151 career NHL games.

[Big T]

February 10th, 1984

Los Angeles Kings (25-25-12) at Montreal Canadiens (34-24-3)

The Canadiens will face the Kings at the Bell Center. Montreal lost 6-3 to the Kings in their only meeting this season in Los Angeles. The Canadiens are 3rd in the East, 2 points behind the 2nd place Bruins and 5 behind the Blue Jackets.

Montreal LD Tyler Duclos is a 22 year old from Montreal, QC. The defensive defenseman the scouts feel the strongest part of his game is his physical play. An excellent shot blocker, Duclos is also a very good passer. Duclos is playing on the 3rd pairing in a stay at home defensive role. Duclos was the Habs 54th overall pick in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. He made his NHL debut on December 17th, 1981. This year in 38 games he has 0 goals and 6 points with 58 PIMs. For his career he has 9 goals and 36 points with 158 PIMs in 133 NHL games.

The Kings currently rank 12th in the West with 62 points, 11 points out of the final playoff spot. The Kings average 35 shots per game, this ranks 2nd in the NHL. The Kings give up 28 shots per game which ranks them 6th in the NHL.

The Kings will start G Ryan Kawaja, he has 14 wins with a 2.62 GAA and a .910 save % in 30 games. Last year he had 38 wins with a 2.61 GAA and a .908 save % in 62 games with the Kings. Montreal starts G Stefan Mertel, he has 5 wins with a 2.66 GAA and a .896 save % in 12 games.

The Kings open the scoring at 8:55 of the 1st when C Jerry Scott gets his 21st of the season on the PP. Montreal ties the score 1-1 at 17:38 when RD Jonathan Harper gets his 8th of the year on the PP. The period ends with the shots tied 7-7.

The Kings go up 2-1 at 1:33 when LW Luke Hartshorn gets his 3rd of the year. Montreal's F Samuel Fleury got into a fight in the 2nd. The shots were 10-8 for Montreal.

Montreal ties up the score as LW Kevin Forfar gets his 2nd goal in 2 games with Montreal to make it 2-2 at 4:46 of the 3rd with his 33rd of the year. Montreal takes the lead of 3-2 at 17:34 when LW Kevin Forfar gets his 3rd as a Canadien on the PP. The goal is barely announced and the Kings tie it up at 3-3 when LW Luke Hartshorn gets his 2nd of the night at 17:51. We are heading off to overtime. The shots were 13-6 Montreal in the 3rd.

Montreal gets a rare overtime PP, but do not capitalize as the shots were 7-1 for Montreal. For the game they were 37-22 for Montreal. The Kings were 1 for 7 on the PP and Montreal was 2 for 9. The Kings outscore the Habs 2-1 in the shootout to earn the extra point.

Kings LW Luke Hartshorn was the 1st star with his 2 goals. The 22 year old now has 4 goals and 8 points with 6 PIMs in 40 games. In 184 career NHL games, he has 12 goals and 34 points with 61 PIMs.

Los Angeles 4 Montreal 3 (S/O)

Around the NHL............

The Montreal Canadiens have extended LW Ben Archer to a 3 year, $4.0 M deal. The 22 year old now has 5 goals and 23 points with 34 PIMs in 62 games. In 156 career NHL games, he has 19 goals and 58 points with 92 PIMs.

The Montreal Canadiens have extended LD Tyler Duclos to a 2 year, $3.9 M deal. The 22 year old now has 0 goals and 6 points with 58 PIMs in 39 games.

The Montreal Canadiens have extended G Stefan Mertel to a 2 year, $1.6 M deal. The 30 year old now has 5 wins with a 2.67 GAA and a .893 save % in 13 games. In 36 career NHL games, he has 10 wins with a 2.74 GAA and a .902 save %.

The Montreal Canadiens have extended LW Robert Henriksson. The 22 year old now has 6 goals and 31 points with 40 PIMs in 62 games. In 199 career NHL games he has 29 goals and 73 points with 68 PIMs.

The Montreal Canadiens have extended RD Joey Lachance to a 3 year, $6.7M deal. The 21 year old now has 9 goals and 33 points with 58 PIMs in 60 games this year. He has 3 goals and 11 points in 14 games since coming over in the trade. In 224 career NHL games, Lachance has 24 goals and 91 points with 163 PIMs.

The Montreal Canadiens have extended RD Tomas Badura to a 3 year, $3.5 M deal. The 22 year old now has 3 goals and 14 points with 33 PIMs in 52 games. In 123 NHL games he has 9 goals and 32 points with 59 PIMs.

Columbus Blue Jackets LW Benjamin Morel had 3 assists in a 3-1 win over the Stars. The 21 year old now has 29 goals and 73 points with 40 PIMs in 62 games. In 220 career NHL games, he has 76 goals and 193 points with 153 PIMs.

The Montreal Canadiens have extended C Samuel Fleury to a 3 year, $3.6 M deal. The 21 year old now has 3 goals and 6 points with 43 PIMs in 40 games. In 66 career NHL games, he has 3 goals and 7 points with 67 PIMs.

St Louis Blues C Jeffrey Lang had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the Islanders. The 35 year old now has 28 goals and 60 points with 34 PIMs in 64 games. In 274 career NHL games, he has 137 goals and 310 points with 186 PIMs.

[Big T]

February 15th, 1984 (Trade Deadline Day)

San Jose Sharks (37-25-1) at Montreal Canadiens (34-24-4)

The Canadiens face the Sharks at the Bell Center. Montreal lost 4-2 in the only meeting this season. The Canadiens are in 2nd place in the Atlantic Division, 3 points behind the Bruins and 4 points ahead of the Panthers.

Montreal Canadiens LD Dennis Engstrom maybe in his last season as a Canadien. The 33 year old from Vasteras, SWE becomes a UFA at the end of the season and the Canadiens may not make an offer of an extension. As a defensive defenseman, the scouts say that is his strongest part of his game. A very good checker and hitter, but Engstrom is also a very good passer. Usually used on the 2nd pairing, he plays the role of a stay at home defenseman. This season he has 4 goals and 14 points with 33 PIMs in 62 games. For his career, he has never missed a game, he has 21 goals with 97 points and 163 PIMs in 308 career NHL games.

The Sharks are currently in 8th spot in the Western Conference with 75 points, 16 shy of the 1st place Predators. The Sharks are ranked 10th in the NHL with a 18.0% PP rate. They are also ranked 27th on the PK with a 80.0% kill rate.

The Sharks will start G Emil Johansson, he has 28 wins with a 2.79 GAA and a .908 save % in 50 games. Last year he had 23 wins with a 2.95 GAA and a .904 save %. Montreal starts G Wilf Nestor, he has 29 wins with a 2.13 GAA and a .923 save % in 51 games.

The Sharks open the scoring on their 1st shot of the game as LW Dan Holden gets his 4th of the season at 5:05. Montreal ties the score 1-1 at 11:12 when LW Quincy Kaminsky gets his 11th of the year. Montreal goes up 2-1 at 12:13 when RW Samuel Hebert gets his 16th of the season on the PP. The shots were 14-2 in favor of Montreal in the period.

Montreal gets a late goal in the 2nd to make it 3-1, C Bryce Spencer gets his 12th of the year at 19:22. The shots were 13-11 for Montreal.

The San Jose Sharks make it 3-2 at 14:54 of the 3rd period when C Derek Crumb scores on a 5 on 3 PP. Montreal still have 1:48 left on the 2nd penalty. Montreal holds on for the win. The shots were 14-9 in favor of the Sharks in the 3rd, but Montreal out shot San Jose 36-27 in the game. Both teams ended up 1 for 5 on the PP.

Montreal's LW Quincy Kaminsky was the 1st star. He had a goal and an assist. The 39 year old now has 11 goals and 23 points with 23 PIMs in 63 games. For his career he has 74 goals with 177 points and 135 PIMs in 277 NHL games.

Montreal 3 San Jose 2

Around the NHL..........

The Vancouver Canucks have traded LD Morgan Perzchajlo to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for C Jerry Scott. The 20 year old Perzchajlo has 2 goals and 8 points with 69 PIMs in 56 games for the Canucks. The 27 year old Scott has 21 goals and 59 points with 47 PIMs in 60 games for the Kings. For his career he has 111 goals with 262 points and 242 PIMs in 306 NHL games.

Tampa Bay Lightning RD Jeff Bowles had an assist in a 3-1 win over the Blackhawks. The 20 year old now has 12 goals and 42 points with 37 PIMs in 65 games. In 229 career NHL games he has 41 goals with 151 points and 168 PIMs.

Toronto Maple Leafs LD Jordan Potvin has a 6-point night. Potvin had 4 goals and 2 assists in a 8-5 win over the Red Wings. The 20 year old now has 7 goals and 27 points in 63 games. For his career he has 7 goals and 31 points with 26 PIMs in 79 NHL games.

Carolina Hurricanes C Joseph Saito had an assist in a 3-2 win over the Flyers. The 33 year old now has 26 goals and 63 points with 78 PIMs in 64 games. For his career he has 106 goals with 241 points and 264 PIMs in 305 NHL games.

Minnesota Wild LW Justin Joncas had 2 goals in a 4-3 win over the Blue Jackets. The 30 year old now has 28 goals and 65 points with 26 PIMs in 65 games. For his career he has 133 goals and 290 points with 138 PIMs in 303 NHL games.

[Big T]

February 17th, 1984

New Jersey Devils (28-29-8) at Montreal Canadiens (35-24-4)

The Canadiens will face the Devils for the 3rd time this season and for the 2nd time at the Bell Center. The Devils won 3-1 in New Jersey and the Canadiens beat the Devils 5-4 at the Bell Center. Montreal is 3rd in the East with 74 points, 1 behind Boston and 5 behind Columbus. Montreal average 2.33 goals per game which ranks them 25th in the NHL. They allow 2.30 goals per game which ranks 4th in the NHL.

Montreal C Samuel Fleury is a 21 year old agitator from Montreal, QC. The scouts say the strongest part of his game is his playmaking ability. Fleury is very good at stickchecking has very good strength. Primarily used on the 4th line and occasionally on the 3rd line, his role is as a set up man and punishing forward. He has 3 goals and 6 points with 43 PIMs in 40 games this year, for his career he has 3 goals and 7 points with 67 PIMs in 66 NHL games.

The Devils are currently in 10th spot in the East with 64 points, 2 points out of the final playoff spot. The Devils score 2.95 goals per game which ranks them 7th in the NHL. They also allow 2.68 goals per game which ranks 13th in the league.

The Devils start G Samuel Lambert, the 34 year old has 0 wins with a 0.92 GAA and .966 save % in 1 game this year. He played 43 games in the AHL this year with 29 wins, a 2.20 GAA and a .916 save %. Montreal starts G Wilf Nestor, he has 30 wins with a 2.12 GAA and a .923 save % in 52 games.

Montreal get a 1-0 lead at 4:03 of the 1st when LW Quincy Kaminsky gets his 12th of the season. Montreal goes up 2-0 at 14:38 when RD Jonathan Harper gets his 9th of the year. The shots are 11-7 in favor of Montreal in the period.

Montreal takes a 3-0 lead at 7:23 of the 2nd period when RW Adrian Andersson gets his 8th of the season. Montreal C Riley Callander had a minor and misconduct in the 2nd period. The shots were 17-11 for the Devils in the 2nd period.

The Devils make it 3-1 at 8:26 of the 3rd period when RD Alex Fournier gets his 1st of the year. Montreal puts it out of reach at 18:48 when LW Kevin Forfar gets his 35th of the year. The shots were 10-6 in the 3rd for Montreal and 32-30 for Montreal in the game. The Devils were 0 for 7 on the PP, Montreal was 0 for 1.

Montreal's RW Adrian Andersson was the 1st star with a goal and an assist. The 20 year old now has 8 goals and 17 points with 36 PIMs in 43 games. He is in his rookie season with the Canadiens.

Montreal 4 New Jersey 1

Around the NHL...........

Winnipeg Jets G Chris Garner had 37 saves in a 3-0 win over the Predators. The 29 year old now has 36 wins with a 2.07 GAA and a .912 save % in 58 games. For his career, he has 145 wins with a 2.20 GAA and a .914 save % in 252 NHL games.

Arizona Coyotes C Cory Biernes had a goal in a 3-2 win over the Islanders. The 20 year old now has 25 goals and 57 points with 75 PIMs in 65 games. Biernes is in his rookie season with the Coyotes.

[Big T]

February 18th, 1984

Buffalo Sabres (23-34-7) at Montreal Canadiens (36-24-4)

The Habs will face the Sabres at the Bell Center. Montreal is a perfect 3-0-0 against Buffalo including a 4-2 win the last time they played each other at the Bell Center. Montreal is just 1 point back of the Bruins for 1st in the Atlantic and we have 2 games in hand. Montreal averages 30 shots per game or ranks 13th in the NHL. Montreal ranks 4th in the NHL allowing 27 shots per game.

In a huge trade that is showing early signs of paying off, Montreal acquired LW Kevin Forfar. The 25 year old from Ottawa, ON is a two way forward that the scouts feel his strongest part of his game is his skating. No question his speed and balance are excellent but he is also a very good puck handler. He is playing the LW on the 1st line in the role of playmaker and up and down winger. The trade to Montreal was his 2nd of his career, he originally was traded to Ottawa from Edmonton 2 years ago. This season he has 36 goals and 61 points with 29 PIMs. For his career he has 110 goals with 226 points and 143 PIMs in 313 NHL games. Forfar is a 3-time 30 goal scorer.

The Sabres are currently in 15th place in the East with 51 points, 16 points out of a playoff spot. The Sabres rank last in the NHL getting only 25 shots per game and rank last as well giving up 36 shots per game.

The Sabres will start G Robert Schmidt, he has 7 wins with a 3.19 GAA and a .901 save % in 19 games. Last year he had 28 wins with a 2.88 GAA and a .903 save % in 53 AHL games with the Devils. Due to back to back nights Montreal will start back-up G Stefan Mertel. The 30 year old has 5 wins with a 2.67 GAA and a .893 save % in 13 games.

The Sabres score 1st and make it 1-0. RW Derrick Kinnevan gets his 18th of the season at 3:55. The Sabres go up 2-0 on just 3 shots as RW Derrick Kinnevan gets his 2nd of the night at 6:34. The period ends with the shots 14-9 for Montreal.

Montreal get within one at 2-1 when RD Jakub Svec gets his 7th of the season at 3:11. Montreal ties the score 2-2 at 13:00 when LW Kevin Forfar gets his 5th with the Canadiens, 37th of the year. Montreal gets their 3rd goal of the period to make it 3-2 as C Bryce Spencer gets his 13th of the season at 19:20 on the PP. The shots were 12-9 in favor of Montreal.

There was no scoring in the 3rd as Montreal hangs on for the 3-2 win. The shots were 8-2 in the 3rd. Montreal was 1 for 6 on the PP while the Sabres were 0 for 3. The final shots on goal were 34-20 for Montreal.

Montreal's LW Robert Henriksson was the 1st star with his assist. The 22 year old now has 6 goals and 32 points with 40 PIMs in 65 games. For his career over 3 season he has 29 goals with 74 points and 68 PIMs in 202 NHL games.

Montreal 3 Buffalo 2

Around the NHL.........

New Jersey Devils C Dan McNicholas had a goal in a 3-2 win over the Flyers. The 36 year old now has 28 goals and 62 points with 48 PIMs in 50 games. For his career, he has 117 goals and 250 points with 152 PIMs in 234 NHL games.

Minnesota Wild LW Justin Joncas had 2 goals and 2 assists in a 5-3 win over the Blues. The 30 year old now has 30 goals and 69 points with 30 PIMs in 66 games. For his career, he has 135 goals and 294 points with 142 PIMs in 304 NHL games.

Dallas Stars RW Frantisek Pustejovsky had a goal and 2 assists in a 4-3 win over the Capitals. The 24 year old now has 37 goals and 91 poiints with 36 PIMs in 66 games. For his career in 4 seasons he has 148 goals and 342 points with 214 PIMs in 306 games.

[Big T]

February 20th, 1984

Montreal Canadiens (37-24-4) at Toronto Maple Leafs (25-34-5)

The Canadiens will face the Leafs at the Air Canada Center. Montreal has struggled against the Leafs winning just once in three try's. All 3 games were in Montreal including a 4-1 loss the last time. Montreal is now 2nd in the Eastern Conference with 78 points, just 1 back of the Blue Jackets. Columbus has played 1 less game. Montreal is currently at 11.0 % on the PP which ranks them 28th in the NHL. The Habs rank 2nd in the PK with a 88.1% kill rate.

Montreal assistant captain 33 year old Jonathan Harper is from Aldergrove, BC. The defensive defenseman scouts say his strongest part of his game is his defensive play. Disquised as a defender, he is also an excellent puckhandler and passer. Harper plays on the 1st pairing in the role of point shooter and stay at home defenseman. This season he has 9 goals and 37 points with 24 PIMs in 63 games. For his career he has 49 goals and 184 points with 112 PIMs in 295 NHL games.

The Leafs are currently in 14th spot in the East with 55 points, 12 points out of the final playoff spot. The Leafs rank 20th on the PP with a 15.1% success rate. They kill penalties at a rate of 83.6% which ranks them 13th in the NHL.

The Leafs will start G Olivier Bouchard, he has 21 wins with a 2.88 GAA and a .914 save % in 48 games. Last year he had 23 wins with a 2.84 GAA and a .914 save % in 58 games with the Leafs. Montreal goes with G Wilf Nestor, he has 31 wins with a 2.10 GAA and a .924 save % in 53 games.

The Leafs score 1st as LW Ollie Madden gets his 5th of the season at 2:57 to make it 1-0. Montreal gets that one back quickly as the suddenly hot veteran LW Quincy Kaminsky gets his 13th of the year at 3:14. The shots favor Montreal 10-6 but we are tied 1-1.

Montreal goes up 2-1 at 2:12 of the 2nd as RW Adrian Andersson gets his 9th of the season. Toronto gets that one back quickly as RD Jakub Hulik gets his 1st of his career in his 24th game at 2:50 and its now 2-2. Montreal goes up 3-2 at 7:48 of the period when C Ed Parks gets his 5th of the season. Toronto ties it up 3-3 at 15:34 when RD Dennis Gaygalis gets his 1st goal in the NHL since the 1980-81 season with the Leafs. Montreal was without C Riley Callander for 10 minutes as he had a misconduct early in the period. As well D Tyler Duclos got into a fight midway through the second. The shots were 15-11 for Montreal.

Montreal had pressure and shot after shot in the 3rd period but finally buried one at 19:27 when RW Samuel Hebert got his 17th of the year. Toronto got one late chance but Montreal won 3-2. The shots in the 3rd were lopsided as Montreal out shot the Leafs 15-3. The final shots were 40-20 in favor of the Canadiens. Despite the lopside game, CBC TV the broadcast the game felt that the Leafs deserved a better fate.. Both teams were 0 for 4 on the PP.

Montreal C Ed Parks was selected as the 1st star with his goal. The 30 year old now has 5 goals and 20 points with 10 PIMs in 66 games. For his career he has 54 goals and 137 points with 138 PIMs in 312 NHL games.

Montreal 3 Toronto 2

Around the NHL............

Arizona Coyotes LW Breyden Henley had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win over the Blues. The 20 year old now has 26 goals and 67 points with 26 PIMs in 66 games. He is in his rookie season with the Coyotes.

[Big T]

February 22nd, 1984

Florida Panthers (33-31-4) at Montreal Canadiens (38-24-4)

The Canadiens are back home to play the Panthers. Florida beat Montreal 2-1 in the only other meeting this season at the Bell Center. Montreal is now in 1st place in the Atlantic with 80 points, 1 more then the Bruins and with a game in hand. Montreal is ranked 22nd in the NHL with 2.39 goals per game. Montreal allows on average 2.29 goals per game which is ranked 4th in the NHL.

Montreal LW Robert Henriksson is a 22 year old from Gavle, SWE. The offensive forward the scouts say the strongest part of his game is skating. Henriksson has excellent speed and is a very good puck handler. Since acquiring LW Kevin Forfar Montreal has moved Henriksson to the 4th line in a speedy forward role. Henriksson was a free agent signing in July 1981 and made his Canadiens debut on October 24th, 1981. This season he has 6 goals and 32 points with 40 PIMs in 66 games. For his career he has 29 goals and 74 points with 68 PIMs in 203 NHL games.

The Panthers have fallen to 7th place in the East with 70 points. They are in a playoff spot by just 3 points currently. The Panthers score 2.37 goals per game which ranks 23rd in the NHL. They allow 2.84 goals per game which ranked 23rd in the NHL.

Florida will start G Jacob Forest, the 21 year old has 9 wins with a 2.89 GAA and a .906 save % in 25 games. Last year he had 7 wins with a 2.71 GAA and a .901 save % in 18 games with Florida. Montreal goes with G Wilf Nestor, he has 32 wins with a 2.12 GAA and a .923 save % in 54 games.

It took just 8 seconds for the Panthers to beat Nestor. RW Ryan Polowich gets his 16th of the year to make it 1-0. Wow, its 1-1 and we are only 37 seconds into the game. RD Jonathan Harper gets his 10th of the year. We have had 2 goals on 2 shots. Florida goes up 2-1 at 9:23 of the period when LW Adrien Gagne gets his 19th of the season. The period ends with the shots 9-6 in favor of the Canadiens.

Florida goes up 3-1 at 12:23 of the 2nd when C Chad Hopper gets his 18th of the season. The shots were 15-4 for Montreal but they still trail 3-1.

Montreal makes it 3-2 at 5:52 of the 3rd period as RW Samuel Hebert gets his 18th of the year. Montreal ties it up 3-3 at C Riley Callander pots his 20th of the year at 8:38. Montreal completes the comeback with a 4-3 lead at 15:10 when C Bryce Spencer gets his 14th of the season. Montreal's C Ed Parks gets his 6th into a empty net at 19:33 for the 5-3 lead. The shots were 17-7 in the 3rd for Montreal. Florida did not get a PP chance and Montreal was 0 for 1. The final shots favored Montreal 41-17.

Montreal C Riley Callander was the 1st star with a goal and an assist. The 28 year old now has 20 goals and 45 points with 90 PIMs in 67 games. For his career he has 120 goals and 237 points with 266 PIMs in 308 NHL games.

Montreal 5 Florida 3

Around the NHL..........

Columbus Blue Jackets LW Benjamin Morel had 3 goals in a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks. The 21 year old now has 34 goals and 79 points with 42 PIMs in 66 games. For his career he has 81 goals and 199 points with 155 PIMs in 224 NHL games.

The Dallas Stars have extended RW Frantisek Pustejovsky to a 2 year, $22.4 M deal. The 24 year old now has 37 goals and 91 points with 36 PIMs in 67 games. For his career he has 148 goals and 342 points with 214 PIMs in 307 games.

[Big T]

February 24th, 1984

Montreal Canadiens (39-24-4) at New York Islanders (29-29-9)

Montreal does a couple of back to back nights with the New York teams. First off is the Islanders. Montreal are 2-0-0 with the Islanders this season. A 2-1 win at the Bell Center and a 3-0 win here at the Barclays Center. Montreal are 1st in the East with 82 points, 1 point ahead of the Blue Jackets who have a game in hand. Montreal averages 31 shots per game which ranks them 10th in the NHL. We hold the opposition to just 27 shots per game or 4th in the NHL.

Montreal acquired RW Samuel Hebert in a trade with the Calgary Flames in February 1982. The 22 year old from Norfolk County, ON is a two way forward that the scouts feel his strongest part of his game is his scoring ability. He does a very good job of getting open but he is also a very good checker. He is playing on the 1st line RW in the role of perimeter shooter and shadow. He was originally Calgary's 161st pick in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. This season he has 18 goals and 38 points with 62 PIMs in 67 games. For his career he has 45 goals and 119 points with 156 PIMs in 203 NHL games.

The Islanders find themselves in 11th spot in the East with 67 points, 2 points out of the final playoff spot. The Islanders get 28 shots per game which ranks them 25th in the NHL. They rank 24th by giving up 31 shots per game.

The Islanders will start 30 year old G Marek Picek. He has 22 wins with a 2.35 GAA and a .923 save % in 51 games. Last year he had 38 wins with a 2.08 GAA and a .924 save % in 66 games with the Islanders. Montreal will start backup G Stefan Mertel. The 30 year old has 6 wins with a 2.61 GAA and a .894 save % in 14 games.

The Islanders take a 1-0 lead at 2:47 when C Pavel Dlouhy gets his 18th of the season on the PP. The Islanders are up 2-0 at 11:13 of the period when LW Filip Landa gets his 8th of the year. Montreal gets with in one as LW Robert Henriksson gets his 7th of the season at 11:46 to make it 2-1. Montreal's Ben Archer left the game with a minor neck laceration about 4 minutes remaining in the period. The shots were 13-8 for the Islanders.

There was no scoring in the 2nd with the shots 6-6. Montreal still trails 2-1.

Montreal ties up the score 2-2 as RW Ben Archer is patched up and gets his 6th of the year at 2:34 on the PP. Montreal goes up 3-2 at 10:31 of the 3rd when RW Samuel Hebert gets his 19th goal of the season. Montreal hangs onto the lead and wins 3-2. LW Robert Henriksson had a 10 misconduct and never played the last 9 minutes of the game. The shots were 10-9 in the 3rd for the Islanders. Montreal was 1 for 3 on the PP while the Islanders were 1 for 8. The final shots were 29-23 for the Islanders.

Montreal's RW Samuel Hebert was the 1st star with 1 goal. The 22 year old now has 19 goals and 39 points with 64 PIMs in 68 games.

Montreal 3 Islanders 2

Around the NHL.......

Montreal has placed LW Ben Archer on the IR with a minor neck laceration. He is expected to be out 1-2 weeks. The 22 year old has 6 goals and 25 points with 38 PIMs in 68 games. For his career he has 20 goals and 60 points with 96 PIMs in 162 NHL games.

Montreal has recalled LW Brayden Laureano from the AHL IceCaps. The 21 year old now has 19 goals and 38 points with 46 PIMs in 46 AHL games this season.

Arizona Coyotes C Cory Beirnes had 2 goals in a 4-2 win over the Jets. The 20 year old now has 28 goals and 60 points with 79 PIMs in 68 games. This is Beirnes rookie season with the Coyotes.

[Big T]

February 25th, 1984

Montreal Canadiens (40-24-4) at New York Rangers (36-28-5)

Montreal plays the other New York team on back to back nights. Tonight we are at Madison Square Gardens to face the Rangers. Montreal won the only meeting between the two teams at the Bell Center 2-1. Montreal are currently 1st in the Atlantic Division with 84 points, a point ahead of the Bruins but Montreal has a game in hand. Montreal is currently 28th on the PP with a 11.1% success rate. Montreal is 2nd in the NHL with a 88.1% PK kill rate.

Montreal captain LW Quincy Kaminsky is a 39 year old from Georgina, ON. The two way forward scouts say his strongest part of his game is his defensive play. With age, he is certainly not putting up the offensive production he once has but he is still one of Montreal's best defenders up front. Currently playing LW on the 2nd line, he plays the role of an up and down winger and shadow. In 68 games this year he has 13 goals and 25 points with 27 PIMs. For his career he has 76 goals and 179 points with 139 PIMs in 282 NHL games.

The Rangers currently sit in 4th spot in the East with 77 points, 7 back of the Conference leading Habs. The Rangers PP ranks 21st in the NHL with a 14.6% success rate, their PK ranks 3rd with a 87.3% kill rate.

The Rangers will go with G Petr Pospisil, the 28 year old has 10 wins with a 3.03 GAA and a .911 save % in 22 games. Last year he had 18 wins with a 2.94 GAA and a .905 save % in 57 games with the AHL Wolf Pack. Montreal starts G Wilf Nestor, he has 33 wins with a 2.14 GAA and a .922 save % in 55 games.

The Rangers have opened the scoring at 3:05 as LW Marc-Antoine Vallieres gets his 10th of the season on the PP. The Rangers make it 2-0 at 3:42 when LW Francesco Spadoni gets his 7th of the year. The Rangers make it 3-0 at 5:07 when C Henrik Andersson gets his 11th of the season. Montreal has already given up 11 shots. The final shots were 15-13 in favor of the Rangers.

Montreal gets one back at 10:05 of the 2nd period as LD Dennis Engstrom gets his 5th of the year to make it 3-1. Montreal took over in the 2nd out shooting the Rangers 15-6 but could only muster 1 goal.

Montreal makes it 3-2 at 13:18 of the 3rd when RD Joey Lachance gets his 4th with the Canadiens, 10th of the season. Montreal could not get the equalizer as they out shot the Rangers 13-9 in the 3rd for a 3 period total of 41-30. Montreal was 0 for 1 on the PP while the Rangers were 1 for 3.

Rangers RW Francesco Spadoni was the 1st star with a goal. The 21 year old now has 7 goals and 21 points with 26 PIMs in 68 games. In 3 seasons with Rangers, he has 22 goals and 59 points with 80 PIMs in 232 NHL games.

Rangers 3 Montreal 2

Around the NHL...........

New Jersey Devils C Dan McNicholas had a goal and 2 assists in a 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs. The 36 year old now has 31 goals and 67 points with 48 PIMs in 54 games. In 4 seasons including 2 with the Flyers, he has 120 goals and 255 points with 152 PIMs in 238 NHL games.

[Big T]

February 27th, 1984

Detroit Red Wings (32-31-6) at Montreal Canadiens (40-25-4)

The Canadiens will face the Red Wings at the Bell Center. Montreal is 2-1-0 against Detroit this season losing 1-0 in Montreal the last time they played in the Bell Center. Montreal ranks 21st in the NHL with 2.43 goals per game. Montreal ranks 4th in the NHL with 2.30 goals against per game. Montreal is currently 2nd in the East, 1 point back of the Bruins but Montreal has a game in hand.

Montreals LW Josef Kramar is a 21 year old from Pisek, CZE. The two way forward the scouts say the strongest part of his game is his skating. He is also a good stickchecker and passer. Kramar is on the 3rd line LW playing a back checking forward role. The Canadiens 84th overall pick in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft made his NHL debut on December 2nd, 1981. This season he has 12 goals and 28 points with 32 PIMs in 65 games. For his career he has 44 goals with 103 points and 137 PIMs in 185 NHL games.

The Red Wings are currently in 7th spot in the East with 70 points. 6th through 9th all have 70 points. The Red Wings average 2.78 goals per game which ranks 13th in the NHL. They also give up 2.77 goals per game which ranks 21st in the NHL.

The Red Wings will start G Jason Brewster, he is playing his 1st career NHL game. In 20 games in the AHL with the Griffins, he has 11 wins with a 2.59 GAA and a .910 save %. Montreal will start G Wilf Nestor, he has 33 wins with a 2.15 GAA and a .921 save % in 56 games.

Despite being badly out played, Montreal opens the scoring at 19:22 of the 1st when C Bryce Spencer gets his 15th of the season on the PP. The shots were 16-6 in the 1st.

The shots were 14-11 in the 2nd for Montreal, but there was no scoring.

Montreal extends the lead to 2-0 at 1:39 of the 3rd when LD Lance Lambright got his 10th of the year. Montreal hangs on for the shutout. RW Samuel Fleury got into a fight in the 3rd period. The shots were 7-3 for Montreal in the 3rd. Detroit was 0 for 8 on the PP while Montreal was 1 for 4. The final shots favored Detroit 30-27.

Montreal's G Wilf Nestor was the 1st star with his 30 saves. The 29 year old now has 34 wins with a 2.11 GAA and a .923 save % with 5 SO's in 57 games. For his career, in 4 seasons with Montreal he has 139 wins with a 2.33 GAA and a .918 save % with 19 SO's in 268 NHL games.

Montreal 2 Detroit 0

Around the NHL........

Winnipeg Jets RD Bob Gorrell had 2 assists in a 3-0 win over the Wild. The 33 year old now has 17 goals and 60 points with 40 PIMs in 65 games. In 4 seasons with the Jets (did not play in the 1981-82 season due to injury) he has 48 goals and 153 points with 116 PIMs in 189 NHL games.

Edmonton Oilers LW Francis Dwyer had 1 goal and 2 assists in a 3-0 win over the Devils. The 29 year old now has 32 goals and 67 points with 30 PIMs in 58 games. For his career in 4 seasons with the Oilers he has 123 goals and 256 points with 134 PIMs in 161 NHL games.

Arizona Coyotes LD Albert Yoder had a goal and 2 assists in a 5-3 win over the Ducks. The 32 year old now has 14 goals and 60 points with 16 PIMs in 70 games. For his career he has 34 goals and 174 points with 145 PIMs in 245 NHL games.

[Big T]

February 29th, 1984

Montreal Canadiens (41-25-4) at Toronto Maple Leafs (25-39-5)

Montreal will face the Leafs for the final time this season at the ACC. Montreal is 2-2-0 with the Leafs in the previous 4 match-ups. Montreal is currently 1st in the Atlantic with 86 points, 1 point ahead of the Bruins and with still a game in hand. Montreal is currently ranked 10th in the NHL with 31 shots per game. Montreal is ranked 4th allowing just 27 shots per game.

RD Joey Lachance came to the Habs via a trade with the Blue Jackets on January 7th, 1984, a deal that saw prospect Zbynek Hubacek go the other way. The 21 year old from Laval, QC is an offensive defenseman that the scouts say his strongest part of his game is his physical play. Lachance is an excellent hitter and also an excellent leader. He currently plays on the 2nd pairing in the role of a punishing defenseman and shut down guy. Lachance was originally the Blue Jackets 52nd overall pick in the 1981 NHL Entry Draft. This season he has 10 goals and 38 points with 60 PIMs. For his career he has 25 goals and 96 points with 165 PIMs in 232 NHL games.

The Leafs are currently in 15th spot in the East with 55 points, 15 points out of the final playoff spot and 31 points behind the Eastern leading Canadiens. The Leafs allow 35 shots on goal per night which ranks them 29th in the NHL. The get 27 shots per night which is 28th in the league.

The Leafs will start G Jason Medico, the 20 year old has 4 wins with a 4.10 GAA and a .883 save % in 25 games. Last year he had 9 wins with a 3.14 GAA and a .904 save % in 28 games. Montreal starts G Wilf Nestor, he has 34 wins with a 2.11 GAA and a .923 save % in 57 games.

Montreal grabs a 1-0 lead at 12:11 of the 1st when C Byrce Spencer gets his 16th of the season. The shots were 9-6 for the Canadiens in the 1st period.

The Leafs tie the score 1-1 at 9:13 of the 2nd when C Connor Wright gets his 28th of the year. The shots in the 2nd were 13-13.

Montreal grabs a 2-1 lead as LW Kevin Forfar gets his 37th of the season at 5:34 while the teams were on a 4 on 4. Montreal holds on for the win out shooting Toronto 8-7 in the 3rd. Montreal was 0 for 6 on the PP while the Leafs were 0 for 5. The final shots favored Montreal 30-26.

Montreal LW Quincy Kaminsky was the 1st star with his 2 assists. The 39 year old now has 13 goals and 29 points with 27 PIMs in 71 games. For his career in 4 seasons with Montreal he has 76 goals and 183 points with 139 PIMs in 285 NHL games.

Montreal 2 Toronto 1

Around the NHL.............

Columbus Blue Jackets LD Maxime Rainville was named the NHL Player of the Month. The 22 year old Rainville now has 13 goals and 64 points with 22 PIMs.

WInnipeg Jets G Chris Garner was named the NHL Goalie of the Month. The 29 year old now has 38 wins with a 2.05 GAA and a .914 save % with 10 SO's in 63 games.

Minnesota Wild LW Justin Joncas had 2 goals and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Rangers. The 30 year old now has 33 goals and 76 points with 32 PIMs in 71 games. For his career, in 4 seasons with Minnesota he has 138 goals and 301 points with 144 PIMs in 309 NHL games.

New Jersey Devils LW Simon Pavlicek had a goal in a 1-0 win over the Sharks. The 29 year old Pavlicek now has 22 goals and 72 points with 54 PIMs in 73 games. For his career he has 127 goals and 317 points with 169 PIMs in 319 NHL games.

Edmonton Oilers LW Francis Dwyer had 3 assists in a 5-4 win over the Hurricanes. The 29 year old now has 32 goals and 70 points with 32 PIMs in 59 games. For his career he has 123 goals and 259 points with 136 PIMs in 262 NHL games.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have extended RD Jeff Bowles to a 2 year, $12.2 M deal. The 20 year old now has 12 goals and 43 points with 37 PIMs in 71 games. For his career he has 41 goals and 152 points with 168 PIMs in 235 NHL games.

[Big T]

March 2nd, 1984

Montreal Canadiens (42-25-4) at Tampa Bay Lightning (34-32-5)

Montreal is on the road to face the Lightning at the Amalie Arena. Montreal lost the only meeting of the season in Montreal 2-0. Montreal lead the Eastern Conference with 88 points, 1 more then the Blue Jackets but Columbus has a game in hand. Montreal is currently ranked 29th in the PP with a 11.2% success rate. Montreal is ranked 2nd with a 88.3% PK rate.

LD Lance Lambright is an assistant captain with the club. The 30 year old from Des Moines, IA is a defensive defenseman that the scouts say his strongest part of his game is his defensive play. Besides strong leadership, Lambright is excellent at checking and hitting. Currently he plays on the 1st pairing as a stay at home defenseman. In his 4th season with Montreal he has 10 goals and 25 points with 57 PIMs in 66 games. For his career he has 39 goals and 120 points with 200 PIMs in 306 NHL games.

The Lightning are currently in 6th place in the East with 73 points, 15 behind the Canadiens. Tampa is ranked 19th in the PP with a 15.0% success rate and ranked 24th on the PK with a 81.5% kill rate.

Tampa will start G Michael Angell, he has 21 wins with a 2.71 GAA and a .912 save % in 53 games. Last year he had 30 wins with a 2.81 GAA and a .910 save % in 61 games with the Lightning. Montreal goes with G Wilf Nestor, he has 35 wins with a 2.09 GAA and a .923 save % in 58 games.

Tampa's C Junior Bennett gets the opening goal at 12:31 of the 1st when he gets his 14th of the season on a 4 on 4. Montreal gets that right back as C Bryce Spencer gets his 17th at 13:26 on a PP to tie it 1-1. Tampa goes up 2-1 late in the 1st as LW Felix Constantineau gets his 6th of the season at 19:47. The shots were 7-6 for Montreal.

Tampa Bay goes up 3-1 at 5:01 of the 2nd as LD Francis Paradis gets his 3rd of the season. Tampa extends their lead to 4-1 at 10:15 when C Junior Bennett gets his 2nd of the game. The shots were 14-6 for Montreal but they are still down 4-1.

Tampa are now up 5-1 as RW Steve Lewin gets his 10th of the year at 3:07 of the 3rd. Again it was a dominant period by Montreal as the shots were 12-2 for the Canadiens. Montreal was 1 for 3 on the PP and the Lightning were 0 for 4. The final shots were 33-14, a game Nestor would like to forget.

Tampa's C Junior Bennett was the 1st star with 2 goals and an assist. The 36 year old now has 15 goals and 22 points with 24 PIMs in 66 games with the Lightning and Capitals. In 4 seasons in the NHL and with 3 different teams (Lightning, Capitals and Leafs) he has 97 goals and 245 points with 157 PIMs in 301 NHL games.

Tampa Bay 5 Montreal 1

Toronto Maple Leafs LW Joel Wray had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over the Senators. The 29 year old now has 28 goals and 65 points with 52 PIMs in 71 games. In 4 seasons with the Leafs, he has 127 goals and 276 points with 165 PIMs in 272 NHL games.

Columbus Blue Jackets LW Benjamin Morel had 2 goals and 2 assists in a 6-2 win over the Capitals. The 22 year old now has 39 goals and 90 points with 49 PIMs in 71 games. For his career in his 3rd year with Columbus he has 86 goals and 210 points with 162 PIMs in 229 NHL games.