Chris Higgins sidelined

Most would agree Chris Higgins has been the best Canadien so far this season.

Higgins will miss Tuesday’s game against Edmonton with a sprained ankle after Colin White rode Higgins in to the boards Saturday night.

Higgins leads the team in goals, points and is tied for league lead in short handed goals with 3.

In his absence rookie Guillaume Latendresse will be moved to the first line to play alongside Saku Koivu and Michael Ryder.

Another attempt to jump start Latendresse who has yet to score this year. He was supposed to get more time when Samsonov was struggling and complaining to the media but it didn’t really happen.

Now he’ll get a chance with Koivu and Ryder and more powerplay time.

The longer he goes without a goal or making an impact the worse it looks on Gainey and Carbonneau who kept the 18 year old on the roster.

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16 Comments

#1 ROFL1967 says:
November 6, 2006 at 3:47 pm

Still…Latendresse ready for first line action?

(whats up with the jackass advert?!)

#2 fan3 says:
November 6, 2006 at 3:49 pm

If Latendresse can’t score, or at least improve, on a line with Koivu and Ryder then all hope is lost for this kid (for now anyway).

#3 Alestar says:
November 6, 2006 at 4:06 pm

Chris Higgins out….Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Best Hab by far this season, exciting to watch. Latendresse continues to unimpress…

Hopefully he’s a fast healer.

18

#4 Rob says:
November 6, 2006 at 4:20 pm

Yeah, more of the same for Gui-la.

The lessons that this kid is currently learning are very worrisome.

Don’t score. Don’t shoot. Don’t make any impact in any game whatsoever. Lead the team in +/- on the bad side of the equation.

We will still chant your name and promote you to the Habs’ top line. Get well soon, Chris Higgins!!!

#5 johnnyhab says:
November 6, 2006 at 4:34 pm

why not let Begin start on the top line. he always gives it his all and would not miss the Oppurnity to put the puck on net.

#6 snake says:
November 6, 2006 at 7:00 pm

OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#7 joshtm says:
November 6, 2006 at 7:48 pm

Bonk!!! Bonk!!! Bonk!!! oops sounds like something is wrong with the team when even Bonk looks exciting….

#8 Habs#1 says:
November 6, 2006 at 10:07 pm

Ryder is really going to have to step it up tommorow night. Same with Latendresse, and the second line is going to have to be huge. That’s just how important Higgins is. Everyone is going to have to play better in his abscence.

He would have had a shorty tommorow night because the Oilers play 5 FORWARDS on the PP.

They need to pick on Bergeron, Greene and Smid on the back end. And if they shut down the Hemsky, Sykora line, you shut down their entire offense. No won else is preforming for them right now.

ROLOSON IS OVERRATED!

#9 riser8 says:
November 6, 2006 at 11:20 pm

I am no medical expert; but I would be very surprised to see Higgin’s back in less than two weeks minimum, and if there is any type of ligament damage then you could be looking at months and not weeks for the healing process to be complete. A sprain can sometimes be worse than a break. The only good news to come out of this scenario is that it may allow another youngster in the system
to step up and shine.

#10 remonatrix says:
November 6, 2006 at 11:52 pm

Perezoghin is doing well and Latendresse needs to become a miracle – Lot’s of pressure on the big guy to produce – I think it’s a bit too much but Carbo will adjust accordingly

#11 Chris Higgins says:
November 7, 2006 at 8:22 am

Hey thanks for your concern guys i think ill b ok tho

#12 Sundinsucks says:
November 7, 2006 at 8:23 am

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

#13 Gary Parks says:
November 7, 2006 at 9:20 am

If you listen tonight on CJAD, I will me interviewed about the work I did with both Chris and Mike.. GP

#14 Habs says:
November 7, 2006 at 9:44 am

Higgy for Hart!

#15 Jack says:
November 7, 2006 at 9:52 am

I agree with the concern in the above posts. On the positive side, I see this as an opportunity for Latendresse to show his effort and skill: he has at most one or two games. Carbo made it clear when he intimated that he won`t be afraid to use Begin on the first line.

In fact, I am less concerned with Begin there, but I think it`s the right time of the season for this type of thing to happen.

As Rob said, we`re all 100% behind Guillaume, but the Habs Nation is very impatient…

#16 Snake says:
November 7, 2006 at 1:25 pm

HOw long should we give this guy on the top line. Do we give him 5 games? 15 games? 10 years? to prove himself. I am all for him getting a chance and wish he succeeds!!! BUT how much opportunity can we take from others to see a glimmer of hope?

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ShoutBox

Last Message 18 hours, 19 minutes ago

goalie : I don't know when they'll announce it but the Oilers will be signing Sutter (Flames ex-coach) to coach their team - that's why Kevin Lowe chose him to coach in the World's. That was the world's worst kept secret.
Senet1 : I guess I wish we could get it done so all the speculating was over and we can get to building out team.
goalie : I can't type.... what a faux pas on my behalf...
goalie : I just realized what I said adn didn't say yesterday. What a fayx as on my behalf. Regarding coaching Randy Cunnyworth MUSDT stay as an assistant- he deserves at least that after the tremendous job he did in the latter part of this past season. I'd still mlike to have Robinson, Carbo adn Allard on the staff also.
Avatar37 : I agree Senet, my choice if we can't have Cunneyworth would be Crawford, Robinson on defense, Cunneyworth for offense, and Carbo as offense/faceoffs .
Senet1 : I think if I had my choice it would be Crawford and see if he could get Carbo and Robinson as assistants. That would be my idea coaching team.
goalie : I witnesed Marc Crawford MANY times when the Avs, etc. played against Oilers and let me tell you - he is constantly on the referees asses virtually game after game. He is the complete OPPOSITE of J. Martin. Crawford is calm on TSN but he is one excited coach behind the bench. A friend of mine who was an NHL linesman for 26 years said they dreaded Crawford he was so tough on the officials!
goalie : You know, I've bee thinking about the coaching situation. I'd be really excited if the Habs had Hartley as head coach and Carbo adn Robinson as his assistants. I also read it somewhere about a month ago that Toronto's goalie coach Allard (?) wants to relocate back to Montreal where he has his goaltending school/business. Add him to the mix and I'd say the Habs would be in great shape coaching wise.
Avatar37 : Well, from what I recall, Hartley didn't do all that well with the Thrashers. But, I don't know enough about him to judge one way or the other. Crawford I do know, and he always seemed to be a good, level headed coach to me.
Senet1 : even Pacioretty two years ago did not impress any of us. Younger players have to play and make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. If they sit in the press box they are learning nothing.
Senet1 : Of course if he have some good assistants like a Larry Robinson to teach the young defence and someone like Carbo to teach faceoffs etc. then your coach does not have to be as good at teaching. If Hartley fits the bill you get no argument from me. My only previous point is that if he is impatient with your younger players to the point that he does not play them, then we are right back where we were with Martin. Martin was a good coach too, but how he handled Emelin, PK and even Pacioretty two
goalie : I would like to see the Habs sign a coach who realizes that our team isn't tough enough (we need to get bigger and somewhat more nastier),the coach needs t be a great TEACHER and be a coach who can get the players to understand and buy into his system. Other than that I couldn't care what lingo he speaks. I wnat to see our team become a ligitimate contender fast!
HabsLoseAgain : Well we dont know if he is or is not a teaching coach. I woukd just hate to paint Hartley something that he is not. There will always be questions but if Hartley was hired as the habs new bench boss i for one would not be overly upset.
Senet1 : My thoughts are not that he is or is not a good coach but rather that when he won the cup he had an experience team of superstars on that team. Where as we have a group of young inexperienced players, is he a teaching coach or a tactical coach or both? I am not question whether he is a good coach, but my question therefore is he the coach for us at this point in the deveopment of our team?? Not sure we are all purely speculating at the moment?
Senet1 : Something happened to my first post. I will try again.
Senet1 : That is why I said I am not sure he is the coach for us at this time? Right now we are all speculating including yourself, because non of us know for sure?
HabsLoseAgain : Crawford also won a cup with Patrick Roy so would you say he is a good coach or did he just have great players and one of the best goaltenders of alltime?
HabsLoseAgain : Senrt so please give me some reasons why you think Hartley is not the coach the habs need right now. What is it that you do not like about him or his coaching style?
HabsLoseAgain : Well all great coaches had great players playing for them so i guess you you add a a pile of other coaches to that list including Bowan......
Senet1 : Hartley, was he a good coach or did he just have great players and one of the best altime goaltenders of all time. I am not sure that he is the type of coach that this organization needs right now. Unless of course we sign a ton of free agents.
Avatar37 : However, my feelings may completely be wrong, Hartley may turn out to be a good fit.
Avatar37 : I didn't say Hartley was unknown, I said we demoted a good coach in Cunneyworth and now have an unknown quantity because we don't have a coach. I don't have that great a feeling about Hartley, I'd be much more comfortable with Crawford.
HabsLoseAgain : In my opinion i think he might be a good fit in montreal. Oh and he also likes to have a tough team.
HabsLoseAgain : Also this year he coached the ZSC Lions to the swiss championship title.
HabsLoseAgain : lol the so called "unknown" won a cup in 2000-2001 with the colarado avalanch.
HabsLoseAgain : lol Bob Hartley is not an unknown lol.....sheesh.
Senet1 : I think he has until the trading deadline to show us that he deserves to be on this team. If he does not get back on track then he could be simply a 2nd round draft pick to whoever we can trade him to.
Avatar37 : Bourque reminds me of Pouliot, size, skill, and invisible. He needs to get back to playing a physical game and bang people around and maybe he'll start getting some of those garbage goals again. Need to get to the front of the net. I hope he can find his game again.
Avatar37 : We had a good coach in Randy Cunneyworth. Now we have an unknown, with Bob Hartley rumoured to be the front runner. I'd rather have Cunneyworth.
goalie : A player like Rene Bourwue has al the physical attributes of what would be a beter than average player. Hwever, he certainly didn't play that well especially after being in Montreal about three weeks. We NEED players like Rene to play hard AND produce points on a REGULAR BASIS in order for us to be competitive.
Senet1 : MONTREAL – Rene Bourque had a rocky start to his career as a Hab, but he’s planning on using the next four years to make up for it. After arriving in Montreal under less-than-ideal circumstances in January, Bourque spent the following 38 games hoping to find the spark he needed to rekindle his offensive production. Despite flanking Tomas Plekanec on the team’s second line to close out the season, the 30-year-old sniper suddenly found himself firing blanks in his new NHL home.
Senet1 : I think we have to be patient and not expect too much too soon. Let's get a strong management team in place, make a good choices in the draft get a good coach and then see what we need at the free agent market. I will not be too disapointed if we miss the playoffs again next year if it means a long term team success. We have the opportunity to make some major strides over the next two years at the draft table. Then we fill in the holes.
goalie : I certainly agree that we need to get some impact forwards who will sign for 5 years, not for a season then walk away. That's not going to help us.
goalie : I wouldn't trade PK for Ovetchkin no matter what. He is a coach's NIGHTMARE and a poor team player.
Senet1 : I believe he will as we graducally put better players around him and build this team.