AGRI Biz

The 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs are upon us, and the hockey world waits in angst to see which team will hoist Lord Stanley's hardware come springtime. In a thrilling finale to the Olympic games, hockey fans were spoiled with perhaps one of the greatest contests in the history of the game, not to mention many more thrillers in the tournament, such as Slovakia's upset of the once-mighty Russians. However, the average fan ...

It was too good to be true. Andrei Kostitsyn was finally hitting his stride on a line with Mike Cammalleri and Tomas Plekanec. His stats reflected that perfectly, as his goals total was finally what it should be. To the delight of many, Kostitsyn was looking like the AK-46 that Habs fans know and love.á Then he got injured, and the Canadiens' offense hasn't looked the same since. Since his hand injury suffered ...

In Wednesday's contest against the Tampa Bay Lightning, it was clear just how much the return of Brian Gionta was a huge relief for the entire team, especially for the Habs' first line. Not to make the first line sound bad, but the likes of Tomas Plekanec, Mike Cammalleri, and Andrei Kostitsyn must have been relieved when they saw they wouldn't have to carry the team anymore. After being a non-factor for ...

In 2007-08, the Montreal Canadiens had the best power play in the National Hockey League, due in large part to some of the best offensive defensemen in the game today, namely Andrei Markov and Mark Streit. Both blueliners possess booming shots from the point and excellent on-ice vision, two attributes that are vital on the power play. While Markov was an anchor in the Canadiens' back end alongside Mike Komisarek, Streit was ...

Deprived of their best defenseman since the first game of the season, the Montreal Canadiens have experienced a roller coaster ride that has seen them fall to fourth in the Northeast division, only two points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the process, the Canadiens' defense has been shaky.áHowever, this is not due entirely to Markov's absence, as injuries have left their mark as well. After sitting out for 11 weeks, ...

Last week, it was rumored that Bob Gainey was actively shopping Jaroslav Halak on the trade market, and this added more fuel to the trade rumors that have been swirling around Halak for the better part of the season. Although his stats might not reflect it, Halak is quietly having a strong season and has been a great insurance policy for the Canadiens when Carey Price faltered a bit. His 22-year-old counterpart ...

It was a special night for the Montreal Canadiens organization. Founded on Dec. 4, 1909, the Canadiens celebrated 100 years of excellence, passion, and tradition on Friday night. Having reunited many of the franchise's past greats, such as Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur, Patrick Roy, etc., the Canadiens marketing department organized a magical night where past players and coaches were honored. One of the biggest highlights of this night was to see past legends ...

Nov. 23, 2009, was a tumultuous day for the Montreal Canadiens. Golden boy Guillaume Latendresse was traded for Benoit Pouliot, and enfant terrible Sergei Kostitsyn was called up from Hamilton, ending a 20-game penitentiary in the minors for the disgruntled forward. In only a few days, Kostitsyn has gone from the Hamilton Bulldogs to the top line of the Montreal Canadiens. Not bad at all, although this can be mainly attributed to ...

In case you haven't heard, Guillaume Latendresse has been traded to the Minnesota Wild. It has been a rough season for Latendresse, who has scored two goals and added an assist. Also, he didn't seem to be meshing with linemate Maxim Lapierre like he did last year. Also, the role of "Gui" on the team was very unclear. Was he supposed to be a scorer on the second line, or a grinder ...

It's unlikely that Jacques Martin and Bob Gainey wanted to see what their team looked like without power play quarterback Andrei Markov. Unfortunately for Martin and Gainey, Markov has been out since the first game of the season in Toronto. Although it has been a roller coaster ride for the Canadiens since, Gainey and Martin now have a much clearer picture of their team, particularly at the blue line, without ...