Don Cherry: Canadiens not in NHL’s top echelon yet

The Montreal Canadiens caught the attention of the NHL earlier this season with their red 9-0 start to 2015-16 campaign.

Now with a record of 11-2-0 going into Tuesday's game against the Ottawa Senators, it is clear that they are on a mission to reach the next level.

But Don Cherry is still not sold on them.

"If you look at all the games, [Carey Price] bails them out game after game," Cherry said of Prime Time Sports Bob McCown Tuesday.


Cherry zero in the first match of the team against the Toronto Maple Leafs to highlight a problem: Montreal was dominated and bent over goalkeepers too.

Of course, Canadians have won this match, and they would not suffer their first defeat of the season until nearly three weeks later, when they were defeated by the Vancouver Canucks.

"They have a very good club, make no mistake," said Cherry, giving a nod to the heads of PK Subban team, Max Pacioretty and Brendan Gallagher. "And I want the kid from Boston, [Mike] Condon, he did a good job too. But they have a long way to go."

Condon will further time for game due to an injury of the lower body holding cost, the bend for at least one week. The backup Habs won his four starts with the club, and has a .944 save percentage this season.

"They have a great scorer Pacioretty, but for me, you have got to have more than that," said Cherry. "They have an excellent record now, I hope they keep They are the only Team Canada -. Other than Vancouver, I think - who has a real shot at the Stanley Cup, but it is difficult to put them in the upper echelon, Chicago and guys like that yet.

"It's a long season, as they say, before that."

Montreal Canadiens embarrass Calgary Flames 6-2

So you're looking for a last item to up the fear factor to your Halloween haunted house?

We have what you need ... Just flip forward a few pages and clip on the classification of the Western Conference of the NHL.

Around these parts, which could be more frightening than the current-loss record of victories of the Calgary Flames?

After Friday's 6-2 setback to the league-leading Montreal Canadiens at the Saddledome, the Flames now have a 2-8-1 mark this fall.

Boo!

Scary.

RANGERS FALL TO CANADIENS AND CAREY PRICE, 3-0

Dallas forward Tyler Seguin was named second star of the week with three goals and four assists in three games.

Together, Carey Price Jersey and Michael Condon was stingy tandem in the league with guards. 956 save percentage and 1.17 goals-against average. With the win, the Canadians became the third team in league history to start a season with a 4-0-0 record, with four wins coming on the road (for 1965-1966 also Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders 2001-02). The Yaroslavl, Russia native tied for fourth among all skaters with six points last week while his overall rating 6 was tied for the league lead.

Max Pacioretty stole the show before the game.

"We talked about it on the bench," said Galchenyuk.

The symbolism in the context of the Montreal Canadiens, is the pride each player should feel in representing the generations of the franchise of magnitude. "It does not matter, first line, second line or third line, we have a lot of depth on this team," said Desharnais.

Price gets shutout as Canadiens top Rangers 3-0

MONTREAL (AP) Max Pacioretty Jersey stole the show before the game. Carey Price earned most accolades after the game. They combined to help the Montreal Canadiens to a franchise record.

Pacioretty, carrying a torch in the air as he took the ice before the game, was introduced as the 29th captain in Canadiens history.

Price made 25 saves to lead Montreal to a 3-0 victory against the New York Rangers on Thursday night. The win was the fifth consecutive Canadian victory to start the season, a franchise record.

'' It (the record) is gratifying, but I'm happy with the way the game of the team, '' said Pacioretty after his first home game since being named captain. '' It's so much fun to roll four lines and everyone will see.

'' There are no egos on this team right now. ''

Tomas Fleischmann, Tomas Plekanec and Dale Weise, with an empty-net effort, scored for the Canadians (5-0-0), who handed the Rangers (3-2-0) a second straight defeat.

Habs preview: Surging Canadiens visit Crosby, Kessel

CANADIENS AT PENGUINS, Consol Energy Center, Tuesday, 7 p.m., Sportsnet East, RDS, TSN Radio-690

The matchup: This is one of those games that players circle at the beginning of the season, a chance to face world-class talents like Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. carey price jersey. But these teams have had very different starts on the road. While the Canadiens have sprinted out of the gate with three consecutive wins on the road, the Penguins are 0-2 after losses in Dallas and Arizona and it’s the first time they have lost their first two games since the 2010-11 season.

Balanced scoring: After struggling to score goals last season, the Canadiens are among the league leaders with 10 goals in three games. Coach Michel Therrien is smiling because all four lines have contributed to the scoring. Max Pacioretty had two goals in the first game in Toronto; Lars Eller scored twice in Boston and Tomas Plekanec had two in Ottawa. Forwards have accounted for all the goals, but the defencemen are getting more involved in the offence and P.K. Subban Jersey has four assists.

Where’s the offence? The Penguins were expected to be an offensive powerhouse with Phil Kessel joining Crosby and Malkin, but Pittsburgh was shut out 3-0 in Dallas and then dropped a 2-1 decision in Arizona Saturday. Kessel scored his first goal as a Penguin in that game but Crosby is still looking for his first shot on net. Crosby, whose only shot was blocked, dismissed a suggestion that he was focused on feeding linemates Kessel and Chris Kunitz, and said he had to work harder to create opportunities for himself.

Specialty items: Fans in Montreal have become accustomed to asking what’s wrong with the power play but, as bad as it has been to start the season, the Canadiens have a slight edge on the Penguins.  Montreal went 0-for-7 Sunday night in Ottawa and has one goal in 14 opportunities. The Penguins are 0-for-7 to start the season and coach Mike Johnston will consider using Crosby and Malkin together on the first unit. He’s been using them on different units to create some balance, but the result is that David Perron has more power-play time than Malkin.

The puck stops here: Therrien gave his players a day off Monday and he’ll be sticking with the same lineup that won Sunday night in Ottawa with one exception. Goaltender Carey Price will return to the lineup after rookie Mike Condon stoned the Senators.

Medical update: The Canadiens are healthy, while the Penguins are missing Pascal Dupuis (lower-body injury) and Eric Fehr (elbow).

Spoiling the party: For the third time in four games, the Canadiens have an opportunity to beat a team in its home opener. They previously beat Toronto and Ottawa in their first home games.

Looking ahead: After opening the season with four road games, the Canadiens return to the Bell Centre Thursday to face the New York Rangers (7:30 p.m., Sportsnet, RDS. TSN-690 Radio) in the opener of a three-game homestand.

Canadiens look to continuity, more goals, as season opens against Maple Leafs

BROSSARD, Que. - There was not much drama at the Montreal Canadiens Jersey camp this year.

There was Mike Condon's successful campaign to unseat Dustin Tokarski as the backup goalie and plenty of candidates battling for spots on a fourth line that ended with Torrey Mitchell, Devante Smith-Pelley and Brian Flynn securing those positions.

But the bulk of the squad — the top three lines and three defence pairs — were together from the start of camp and should still be in place when the Canadiens open the regular season Wednesday night in Toronto against the Maple Leafs.

"We have a lot of guys in here that earned their spot last season," goalie Carey Price said Tuesday. "It's a pretty solid lineup.

"We like our group. The chemistry is great. There's not much else to say."

The Canadiens, who finished second overall in the 30-team NHL last season, were looking for more scoring and added veteran wingers Alex Semin, a free agent, and Tomas Fleischmann, a camp tryout, to an established set of forwards.

Canadiens' Kassian enters rehab program

BROSSARD, Que. - Montreal Canadiens Jersey forward Zack Kassian has entered a substance abuse program after being involved in a motor vehicle accident, the NHL and the NHL Players Association announced Monday.

Kassian, 24, was placed in "stage two of the substance abuse and behavioral health program (SABH)," they said in statement.

"Under the terms of the joint program, Kassian will be suspended without pay until cleared for on-ice competition by the program administrators."

Earlier in the day, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin said Kassian showed a "lack of character" when he was involved in the accident that left him with two broken bones.

Kassian broke his nose and left foot in the crash that occurred around 6:30 a.m. ET Sunday in Montreal. Two women with him in the vehicle also suffered non-life threatening injuries.

"I don't have all the information, but it's disappointing to say the least," said Bergevin. "I addressed the whole team this morning.

"We are professional and we have to behave like professionals. You have to be respectful and you're lucky to be a hockey player. I'm a firm believer in character and that's really a lack of character and judgement on his part."

Bergevin was told that Kassian was not driving the vehicle when it went off a road and crashed into a tree.