2008–09 Montreal Canadiens season

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 (Oct. 10–Mar. 9)[1] Bob Gainey (interim, Mar. 9–Apr. 22)[1]
Captain	Saku Koivu
Alternate captains	Chris Higgins (Oct.–Jan.) Mike Komisarek (Jan.–Apr.) Alexei Kovalev
Arena	Bell Centre
Average attendance	21,273 (100%) Total: 893,466
Team leaders
Goals	Alexei Kovalev (26)
Assists	Andrei Markov (52)
Points	Alexei 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 was their 100th season and 92nd in the National Hockey League (NHL). While it was widely believed that the 2008–09 season marked the team's centennial, this would not be until the following season with the Canadiens' 100th anniversary taking place on December 4, 2009.[2][3]

The 2008 NHL Entry Draft took place in Ottawa on June 20–21, followed by the free agency period which began on July 1.

Off-season

Throughout much of the off-season, 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.[4] The chase ended with the acquisition of forward Robert Lang from the Chicago Blackhawks.[5]

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 Georges 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.

Preseason

The preseason schedule consisted of the team playing nine games in 13 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 Canadiens took part in the CBC's Kraft Hockeyville series by playing a game against the Buffalo Sabres at the Sporting Centre Benoît Levesque in Roberval, Quebec.[6]

Some noteworthy performances at the Canadiens training camp were put forth by prospects Max Pacioretty,[7] Yannick Weber^[citation needed] and Ben Maxwell.^[citation needed]

Regular season

Early Centennial year celebrations

Main article: Montreal Canadiens centennial

The team has announced its intention to retire two uniform numbers during the 2008–09 season.^[citation needed] As of March 2009, the only confirmed number is Patrick Roy's number 33, which was retired on November 22, 2008.[8] 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.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11][12] The team returned to Montreal after four days on the road and a 2–0–1 record. The 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 number seven 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 third most valuable in the NHL at US$334 million, making an 18% increase in the past season.[13] The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings were respectively ranked first and second in the report.[13] 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.[14]

November

On November 1, against the New York Islanders, Andrei Markov became the second defenceman in franchise history, after Guy Lapointe, to get five points in his first five road games of the season.[15] 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.[16] On November 11, Chris Higgins got his first NHL career hat-trick in a 4–0 win against the Ottawa Senators.[17] On November 22, the jersey number 33 of legendary goaltender Patrick Roy was retired.[18]

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.[19] Rookie right winger Matt D'Agostini was recalled from Hamilton Bulldogs of the American Hockey League (AHL) and Roman Hamrlik got his 400th NHL career assist in a 3–2 win over the Buffalo Sabres.[20]

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 Näslund at 11th 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.[21]

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 two-point performance. Georges Laraque got his first two points with his new team.[22] D'Agostini had a successful debut with the team, recording six goals and two assists in his first 11 games.[23] 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, Alexei 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,^[citation needed] 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.^[citation needed]

February

In order to help bolster their power play,^[citation needed] Bob Gainey acquired Mathieu 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, Alexei Kovalev was asked by managing director Bob Gainey to go home and take a rest.^[citation needed] He missed two games. There were rumors that he would be traded and the city was abuzz.^[citation needed] 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 first 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 tenth 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."^[citation needed] 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 March 9, 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 loss 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 first star of the game and received a standing ovation from his home province crowd.

Alex Tanguay scored a season-high five points (two goals and three assists) on March 24 in a 6–3 win against the Atlanta Thrashers at the Bell Centre.

Alexei 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

The Canadiens finished the regular season having tied the Carolina Hurricanes for the most power play opportunities, with 374.[24]

Standings

Divisional standings

Northeast Division

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

Conference standings

Eastern Conference

R		Div	GP	W	L	OTL	GF	GA	Pts
1	z – Boston Bruins	NE	82	53	19	10	274	196	116
2	y – Washington Capitals	SE	82	50	24	8	272	245	108
3	y – New Jersey Devils	AT	82	51	27	4	244	209	106
4	Pittsburgh Penguins	AT	82	45	28	9	264	239	99
5	Philadelphia Flyers	AT	82	44	27	11	264	238	99
6	Carolina Hurricanes	SE	82	45	30	7	239	226	97
7	New York Rangers	AT	82	43	30	9	210	218	95
8	Montreal Canadiens	NE	82	41	30	11	249	247	93
8.5
9	Florida Panthers	SE	82	41	30	11	234	231	93
10	Buffalo Sabres	NE	82	41	32	9	250	234	91
11	Ottawa Senators	NE	82	36	35	11	217	237	83
12	Toronto Maple Leafs	NE	82	34	35	13	250	293	81
13	Atlanta Thrashers	SE	82	35	41	6	257	280	76
14	Tampa Bay Lightning	SE	82	24	40	18	210	279	66
15	New York Islanders	AT	82	26	47	9	201	279	61

bold – qualified for playoffs, y – division winner, z – placed first in conference (and division)

AT – Atlantic Division, NE – Northeast Division, SE – Southeast Division

Schedule and results

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

2008–09 game log
Preseason Preseason record: 6–3–0 (home: 5–1–0; road: 1–2–0) Date Visitor Score Home Location In goal Att Record Recap September 22 Montreal Canadiens 3–8 Boston Bruins Halifax, Nova Scotia Halak, Denis 10,595 0–1–0 [1] September 23 Buffalo Sabres 2–3 Montreal Canadiens Roberval, Quebec Denis 1,000 1–1–0 [2] September 24 Montreal Canadiens 3–2 SO Detroit Red Wings Detroit, MI Price, Desjardins 15,319 2–1–0 [3] September 26 Ottawa Senators 0–5 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Halak 21,273 3–1–0 [4] September 27 Montreal Canadiens 1–3 Ottawa Senators Kanata, Ontario Desjardins, Denis 20,282 3–2–0 [5] September 28 Florida Panthers 2–3 SO Montreal Canadiens Montreal Halak 21,273 4–2–0 [6] September 30 Detroit Red Wings 1–2 SO Montreal Canadiens Montreal Price 21,273 5–2–0 [7] October 1 Boston Bruins 1–3 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Halak 21,273 6–2–0 [8] October 4 Minnesota Wild 3–0 Montreal Canadiens Montreal Price 21,273 6–3–0 [9]
October Monthly record: 7–1–1 (home: 4–1–0; road: 3–0–1) # Date Visitor Score Home Decision Attendance Record Points Recap 1 October 10 Montreal Canadiens 1–2 SO Buffalo Sabres Price 18,690 0–0–1 1 [10] 2 October 11 Montreal Canadiens 6–1 Toronto Maple Leafs Halak 19,370 1–0–1 3 [11] 3 October 13 Montreal Canadiens 5–3 Philadelphia Flyers Price 19,323 2–0–1 5 [12] 4 October 15 Boston Bruins 3–4 SO Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 3–0–1 7 [13] 5 October 18 Phoenix Coyotes 1–4 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 4–0–1 9 [14] 6 October 20 Florida Panthers 1–3 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 5–0–1 11 [15] 7 October 25 Anaheim Ducks 6–4 Montreal Canadiens Price* 21,273 5–1–1 11 [16] 8 October 28 Carolina Hurricanes 2–3 SO Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 6–1–1 13 [17] 9 October 30 Montreal Canadiens 2–1 Minnesota Wild Price 18,568 7–1–1 15 [18] *Halak was replaced after the 4th goal by Anaheim. Price was credited with the decision as he let in the game winning 5th goal.
November Monthly record: 6–5–3 (home: 2–1–2; road: 4–4–1) Season record: 13–6–4 (home: 6–2–2; road: 7–4–2) # Date Visitor Score Home Decision Attendance Record Points Recap 10 November 1 Montreal Canadiens 5–4 New York Islanders Price 14,429 8–1–1 17 [19] 11 November 7 Montreal Canadiens 3–4 SO Columbus Blue Jackets Halak 14,603 8–1–2 18 [20] 12 November 8 Montreal Canadiens 3–6 Toronto Maple Leafs Price 19,512 8–2–2 18 [21] 13 November 11 Ottawa Senators 0–4 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 9–2–2 20 [22] 14 November 13 Montreal Canadiens 1–6 Boston Bruins Price 16,816 9–3–2 20 [23] 15 November 15 Philadelphia Flyers 2–1 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 9–4–2 20 [24] 16 November 16 Montreal Canadiens 3–2 SO St. Louis Blues Price 19,150 10–4–2 22 [25] 17 November 18 Montreal Canadiens 1–2 Carolina Hurricanes Price 12,164 10–5–2 22 [26] 18 November 20 Montreal Canadiens 3–2 SO Ottawa Senators Price 20,475 11–5–2 24 [27] 19 November 22 Boston Bruins 3–2 SO Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 11–5–3 25 [28] 20 November 24 New York Islanders 4–3 SO Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 11–5–4 26 [29] 21 November 26 Montreal Canadiens 3–1 Detroit Red Wings Price 20,066 12–5–4 28 [30] 22 November 28 Montreal Canadiens 0–3 Washington Capitals Halak 18,277 12–6–4 28 [31] 23 November 29 Buffalo Sabres 2–3 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 13–6–4 30 [32]
December Monthly record: 8–3–2 (home: 5–2–2; road: 3–1–0) Season record: 21–9–6 (home: 11–4–4; road: 10–5–2) # Date Visitor Score Home Decision Attendance Record Points Recap 24 December 2 Atlanta Thrashers 4–5 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 14–6–4 32 [33] 25 December 4 New York Rangers 2–6 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 15–6–4 34 [34] 26 December 6 New Jersey Devils 2–1 OT Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 15–6–5 35 [35] 27 December 9 Calgary Flames 1–4 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 16–6–5 37 [36] 28 December 11 Tampa Bay Lightning 3–1 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 16–7–5 37 [37] 29 December 13 Washington Capitals 2–1 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 16–8–5 37 [38] 30 December 16 Montreal Canadiens 2–3 Carolina Hurricanes Halak 16,434 16–9–5 37 [39] 31 December 18 Philadelphia Flyers 2–5 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 17–9–5 39 [40] 32 December 20 Buffalo Sabres 3–4 OT Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 18–9–5 41 [41] 33 December 21 Carolina Hurricanes 3–2 OT Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 18–9–6 42 [42] 34 December 27 Montreal Canadiens 3–2 Pittsburgh Penguins Price 17,132 19–9–6 44 [43] 35 December 29 Montreal Canadiens 5–2 Florida Panthers Price 20,741 20–9–6 46 [44] 36 December 30 Montreal Canadiens 2–1 SO Tampa Bay Lightning Price 20,454 21–9–6 48 [45]
January Monthly record: 7–6–0 (home: 5–0–0; road: 2–6–0) Season record: 28–15–6 (home: 16–4–4; road: 12–11–2) # Date Visitor Score Home Decision Attendance Record Points Recap 37 January 2 Montreal Canadiens 1–4 New Jersey Devils Halak 17,625 21–10–6 48 [46] 38 January 4 Florida Panthers 5–6 SO Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 22–10–6 50 [47] 39 January 7 Montreal Canadiens 6–3 New York Rangers Halak 18,200 23–10–6 52 [48] 40 January 8 Toronto Maple Leafs 2–6 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 24–10–6 54 [49] 41 January 10 Washington Capitals 4–5 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 25–10–6 56 [50] 42 January 13 Montreal Canadiens 1–3 Boston Bruins Halak 17,565 25–11–6 56 [51] 43 January 15 Nashville Predators 2–3 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 26–11–6 58 [52] 44 January 17 Montreal Canadiens 5–4 SO Ottawa Senators Halak 20,413 27–11–6 60 [53] 45 January 20 Montreal Canadiens 2–4 Atlanta Thrashers Halak 13,076 27–12–6 60 [54] 46 January 21 Montreal Canadiens 2–5 New Jersey Devils Price 16,235 27–13–6 60 [55] 47 January 27 Montreal Canadiens 3–5 Tampa Bay Lightning Price 15,912 27–14–6 60 [56] 48 January 29 Montreal Canadiens 1–5 Florida Panthers Price 16,334 27–15–6 60 [57] 49 January 31 Los Angeles Kings 3–4 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 28–15–6 62 [58]
February Monthly record: 6–7–1 (home: 4–2–0; road: 2–5–1) Season record: 34–22–7 (home: 20–6–4; road: 14–16–3) # Date Visitor Score Home Decision Attendance Record Points Recap 50 February 1 Boston Bruins 3–1 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 28–16–6 62 [59] 51 February 3 Pittsburgh Penguins 2–4 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 29–16–6 64 [60] 52 February 6 Montreal Canadiens 2–3 Buffalo Sabres Price 18,161 29–17–6 64 [61] 53 February 7 Toronto Maple Leafs 5–2 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 29–18–6 64 [62] 54 February 9 Montreal Canadiens 2–6 Calgary Flames Price 19,289 29–19–6 64 [63] 55 February 11 Montreal Canadiens 2–7 Edmonton Oilers Price 16,839 29–20–6 64 [64] 56 February 13 Montreal Canadiens 4–2 Colorado Avalanche Halak 17,514 30–20–6 66 [65] 57 February 15 Montreal Canadiens 2–4 Vancouver Canucks Halak 18,630 30–21–6 66 [66] 58 February 18 Montreal Canadiens 3–4 SO Washington Capitals Price 18,277 30–21–7 67 [67] 59 February 19 Montreal Canadiens 4–5 Pittsburgh Penguins Price 16,968 30–22–7 67 [68] 60 February 21 Ottawa Senators 3–5 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 31–22–7 69 [69] 61 February 24 Vancouver Canucks 0–3 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 32–22–7 71 [70] 62 February 27 Montreal Canadiens 4–3 OT Philadelphia Flyers Halak 19,881 33–22–7 73 [71]^[permanent dead link‍] 63 February 28 San Jose Sharks 2–3 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 34–22–7 75 [72]^[permanent dead link‍]
March Monthly record: 5–5–3 (home: 4–2–3; road: 1–3–0) Season record: 39–27–10 (home: 24–8–7; road: 15–19–3) # Date Visitor Score Home Decision Attendance Record Points Recap 64 March 4 Montreal Canadiens 1–5 Buffalo Sabres Price 18,690 34–23–7 75 [73] 65 March 6 Montreal Canadiens 0–2 Atlanta Thrashers Price 14,900 34–24–7 75 [74] 66 March 8 Montreal Canadiens 3–1 Dallas Stars Price 17,646 35–24–7 77 [75] 67 March 10 Edmonton Oilers 3–4 OT Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 36–24–7 79 [76] 68 March 12 New York Islanders 3–2 OT Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 36–24–8 80 [77] 69 March 14 New Jersey Devils 3–1 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 36–25–8 80 [78] 70 March 17 New York Rangers 4–3 SO Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 36–25–9 81 [79] 71 March 19 Montreal Canadiens 4–5 Ottawa Senators Halak 20,500 36–26–9 81 [80] 72 March 21 Toronto Maple Leafs 5–2 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 36–27–9 81 [81] 73 March 24 Atlanta Thrashers 3–6 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 37–27–9 83 [82] 74 March 26 Tampa Bay Lightning 2–3 OT Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 38–27–9 85 [83] 75 March 28 Buffalo Sabres 4–3 SO Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 38–27–10 86 [84] 76 March 31 Chicago Blackhawks 1–4 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 39–27–10 88 [85]
April Monthly record: 2–3–1 (home: 0–2–0; road: 2–1–1) Season record: 41–30–11 (home: 24–10–7; road: 17–20–4) # Date Visitor Score Home Decision Attendance Record Points Recap 77 April 2 Montreal Canadiens 5–1 New York Islanders Halak 15,255 40–27–10 90 [25] 78 April 4 Montreal Canadiens 6–2 Toronto Maple Leafs Halak 19,516 41–27–10 92 [86] 79 April 6 Ottawa Senators 3–2 Montreal Canadiens Halak 21,273 41–28–10 92 [87] 80 April 7 Montreal Canadiens 3–1 New York Rangers Price 18,200 41–29–10 92 [88] 81 April 9 Montreal Canadiens 4–5 OT Boston Bruins Price 17,565 41–29–11 93 [89] 82 April 11 Pittsburgh Penguins 3–1 Montreal Canadiens Price 21,273 41–30–11 93 [90]
Schedule

Playoffs

Eastern Conference Quarterfinals: vs. (1) Boston Bruins

For an NHL-record 32nd time, the Bruins and Canadiens faced each other in the playoffs. The Boston Bruins entered the playoffs after finishing the regular season with the best record in the Eastern Conference with 116 points. The Montreal Canadiens qualified for the postseason as the eighth seed with 93 points, winning the tiebreaker over the Florida Panthers based on the season series (six points to three).

Boston swept Montreal, four games to none, scoring at least four goals in each win. With the score tied 2–2 entering the third period of game one, Bruins captain Zdeno Chara scored a power play goal at 11:15 and Phil Kessel added an empty net score in the closing seconds to clinch the victory.[26] Boston scored three power play goals, including two from Marc Savard, en route to a 5–1 victory in game two.[27] Game three resembled game one in that both teams fought to a 2–2 tie midway through the game, but like the first contest the Bruins scored the go-ahead winning goal again. This time it was Michael Ryder at 17:21 in the second period.[28] Montreal scored in the first minute of game four off the stick of Andrei Kostitsyn, but Boston went on to dominate the rest of the game, grabbing two goals from Ryder in a 4–1 victory, to win the series.[29]

Main article: 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs

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 statistics

Skaters

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

Regular season Player GP G A Pts +/− PIM Alexei Kovalev 78 26 39 65 −5 74 Andrei Markov 78 12 52 64 −2 36 Saku Koivu 65 16 34 50 4 44 Andrei Kostitsyn 74 23 18 41 −7 50 Alex Tanguay 50 16 25 41 13 34 Tomas Plekanec 76 20 19 39 −7 54 Robert Lang 50 18 21 39 6 36 Roman Hamrlik 81 6 27 33 4 62 Maxim Lapierre 79 15 13 28 9 76 Guillaume Latendresse 56 14 12 26 4 45 Chris Higgins 57 12 11 23 −1 22 Sergei Kostitsyn 56 8 15 23 −3 64 Josh Gorges 81 4 19 23 12 37 Tom Kostopoulos 78 8 14 22 −1 106 Matt D'Agostini 53 12 9 21 −17 16 Patrice Brisebois 62 5 13 18 −3 19 Mathieu Schneider^† 24 5 12 17 −2 14 Mathieu Dandenault 41 4 8 12 7 17 Max Pacioretty 34 3 8 11 −3 27 Mike Komisarek 66 2 9 11 0 121 Steve Begin^‡ 42 6 4 10 −5 27 Francis Bouillon 54 5 4 9 −7 53 Ryan O'Byrne 37 0 5 5 −7 58 Kyle Chipchura 13 0 3 3 −6 5 Glen Metropolit^† 18 2 1 3 −4 13 Georges Laraque 33 0 2 2 −6 61 Yannick Weber 3 0 1 1 −1 2 Gregory Stewart 20 0 1 1 −4 32 Alex Henry 2 0 0 0 −2 10 Ben Maxwell 7 0 0 0 −1 2

Playoffs Player GP G A Pts +/− PIM Alexei Kovalev 4 2 1 3 0 2 Saku Koivu 4 0 3 3 −1 2 Chris Higgins 4 2 0 2 −1 2 Yannick Weber 3 1 1 2 0 0 Glen Metropolit 4 0 2 2 0 2 Andrei Kostitsyn 4 1 0 1 −2 2 Josh Gorges 4 0 1 1 0 7 Alex Tanguay 2 0 1 1 2 2 Tom Kostopoulos 4 0 1 1 −1 4 Georges Laraque 4 0 0 0 −1 4 Ryan O'Byrne 2 0 0 0 −1 2 Guillaume Latendresse 4 0 0 0 −2 12 Mathieu Dandenault 4 0 0 0 −2 0 Maxim Lapierre 4 0 0 0 −3 26 Mike Komisarek 4 0 0 0 −4 20 Tomas Plekanec 3 0 0 0 −5 4 Roman Hamrlik 4 0 0 0 −5 2 Matt D'Agostini 3 0 0 0 −5 0 Patrice Brisebois 1 0 0 0 −1 0 Mathieu Schneider 2 0 0 0 −2 4 Sergei Kostitsyn 1 0 0 0 0 2 Francis Bouillon 1 0 0 0 0 0

Goaltenders

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

Regular season
Player GP TOI W L OT GA GAA SA Sv% SO G A PIM Jaroslav Halak 34 1931 18 14 1 92 2.86 1077 .915 1 0 0 0 Carey Price 52 3036 23 16 10 143 2.83 1513 .905 1 0 1 4

Playoffs
Player GP TOI W L GA GAA SA Sv% SO Carey Price 4 219 0 4 15 4.11 123 0.878 0 Jaroslav Halak 1 20 0 0 0 0.00 5 1.000 0

^†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Canadiens. Stats reflect time with Canadiens only.
^‡Traded mid-season. Stats reflect time with Canadiens only.

Awards and records

Team awards

On April 11, following the final home game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, the team announced its 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.
Maxim 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

Main article: 2009 National Hockey League All-Star Game

Elected to starting lineup

• Alexei Kovalev (RW) (Captain/Eastern Conference All-Star Team, All-Star Game MVP)
• Mike Komisarek (D)
• Andrei Markov (D)
• Carey Price (G)

Milestones

Regular season
Player	Milestone	Reached
Mike Komisarek	300th NHL career game	October 18, 2008
Saku Koivu	600th NHL career point	October 20, 2008
Andrei Markov	500th NHL career game	October 25, 2008
Roman Hamrlik	400th NHL career assist	November 29, 2008
Matt D'Agostini	1st NHL career goal 1st NHL career point	December 2, 2008
Roman Hamrlík	1,100th NHL career game	December 4, 2008
Matt D'Agostini	1st NHL career assist	December 4, 2008
Alex Kovalev	1,100th 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
Maxim 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
Max Pacioretty	1st NHL career assist	January 7, 2009
Yannick Weber	1st NHL career game	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
Patrice Brisebois	1,000th NHL career game	March 14, 2009
Yannick Weber	1st NHL career assist 1st NHL career point	April 9, 2009

Playoffs
Player	Milestone	Reached
Matt D'Agostini	1st NHL career playoff game	April 16, 2009
Glen Metropolit	1st NHL career playoff assist	April 16, 2009
Yannick Weber	1st NHL career playoff game	April 18, 2009
Yannick Weber	1st NHL career playoff goal 1st NHL career playoff assist 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 (138th overall) in 2008	To Calgary Flames 1st-round pick (25th overall) 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 7th-round pick in 2010[a]
February 16, 2009	To Montreal Canadiens Mathieu Schneider Conditional 3rd-round pick in 2009	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

1. Condition not satisfied.

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 (SM-liiga) Jonathan Ferland EC Villacher SV (EBEL) Brett Engelhardt Augsburger Panther (DEL) Duncan Milroy ERC Ingolstadt (DEL)

Draft picks

Montreal's picks at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft in Ottawa, Ontario.[30]

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

Broadcasting

Country	Broadcaster
Canada	English: CBC, TSN, NHL Network; French: RDS, RIS, RDS.CA
USA	Versus, ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox, HDNet, NHL Network, RDS.CA
Europe	NASN, NHL Network, RDS.CA
Russia	NTV (Russia), RDS.CA
Japan  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.[31]

See also

• 2008–09 NHL season
• Montreal Canadiens centennial

References

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2. "2008-2009 is NOT the Montreal Canadiens' 100th Season!". Bleacher Report.
3. "Calculate Duration Between Two Dates – Results".
4. TSN.ca news service (August 4, 2008). "Barry: Sundin isn't close to making a decision on his future". TSN.ca. Retrieved October 24, 2008.
5. "Canadiens acquire Robert Lang from Blackhawks". CBC Sports. September 12, 2008. Archived from the original on September 23, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
6. "Canadiens trim Sabres in Roberval, Que". CBC Sports. September 24, 2008. Archived from the original on September 27, 2008. Retrieved October 23, 2008.
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12. "Recap: Canadiens @ Flyers – 10/13/2008". NHL.com. Associated Press. October 13, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
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16. Kimelman, Adam (November 10, 2008). "Exclusive: Kostopoulos suspended 3 games". NHL.com. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
17. "Recap: Senators @ Canadiens – 11/11/2008". NHL.com. Associated Press. November 11, 2008. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
18. Almela, Manny (November 22, 2008). "Home sweet home". Montreal: Canadiens.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2011. Retrieved March 25, 2009.
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24. "2008-09 NHL Summary".
25. "Canadiens 5, Islanders 1". Archived from the original on April 6, 2009. Retrieved April 19, 2009.
26. Roarke, Shawn P. (April 16, 2009). "Bruins top Canadiens 4-2 in opener". NHL.com. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
27. Roarke, Shawn P. (April 18, 2009). "Bruins bash Canadiens 5-1 in Game 2". NHL.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
28. Roarke, Shawn P. (April 20, 2009). "Ryder's goal leaves Habs in 3-0 hole". NHL.com. Archived from the original on April 24, 2009. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
29. Roarke, Shawn P. (April 22, 2009). "Bruins close out Canadiens". NHL.com. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
30. Calculate Days Between Two Dates
31. "Montreal, Hamilton Affiliate With Cyclones For 2008–09". Archived from the original on October 17, 2007. Retrieved June 25, 2008.