The Fifth Liners

Previously we debated their James Neal being fined for diving would deter other NHL players from doing the same? Well yesterday Montreal Canadiens defenseman, P.K Subban has been fined $3000 US from the league after being caught diving for the third time! The fine itself probably amounts to little more than the change in Subbans back pocket, but it does raise some serious questions about the Leagues disciplinary procedures. The incident itself occurred on March 12 after the Habs 5-2 to Ottawa. What strikes me as bizarre in this whole situation is firstly, why on earth would Subban- one of the leagues most feat blue liners be falling to earth freely? And also why the league hasn't sent a harder message that this won't be tolerated? Subban has been a master at winning penalty calls for Montreal in the last few seasons, but he seems to also equally skilled at giving them away. This whole affair is going to nothing for the love/hate image that fans outside Quebec hold for him....

There will be no player wearing the 'C' emblem next year at the Bell Centre as today it was announced that for the first time since 2009-10, the Montreal Canadiens will opt to have no official Captain on the ice and will instead go with four alternate captains instead. Andrei Markov , Max Pacioretty , Tomas Plekanec and P.K Subban have been chosen to fill the various leadership roles next season. Ever since former captain Brian Gionta opted to join the Buffalo Sabres as a free agent, the Habs franchise has been slow to appoint a successor, Subban appeared to be the main candidate, but it appears that he will not be the ruler on ice just yet. But what is the effect of selecting four different leaders? Well it does means that the Habs have a new flux of leadership on ice which could create better harmony on ice which will be needed after the problems that Subban's contract negotiation caused. However, with no out and out figure to guide them, it could cause issues wit...

It may have taken arbitration, but PK Subban and the Montreal Canadiens have finally agreed terms and the blueliner will be sporting that Habs jersey for another eight years.  Yay. It's fair to say that reaction has been mixed, Subban's $9 million per season cap hit makes him the third most expensive skater in the league, that's the equivalent of just over nine entry level contracts, two Niklas Kronwalls or one ticket in the nosebleeds at the Air Canada Centre. Alex's Edit  After reading about the sizeable settlement that the Habs were forced to pay for their star blueliner, I have to admit I am slightly bothered with how easily they rolled over for Subban! Being an Olympic gold medallist would have meant that he would have been in high demand come the end of next season and through this it was only a matter of finding a team desperate enough to pay what he wants. Subban does make a different in Montreal and without him the Canadiens would most likely sink, bu...

Things between P.K Subban and the Montreal Canadiens are beginning to look slightly difficult currently after a meeting over his contract on Friday morning. Both sides have been unable to agree a deal which means the process has been forwarded to Arbitration to be decided. A restricted free agent, Subban allegedly wants a new deal worth $8.5 Million whereas the Habs are only willing to go as high as $5.25 million. It does beg the question of whether PK should be demanding this kind of money so early in his career? Yes he has been one of the rocks in the Montreal defense and was a key figure during their run to the Eastern Conference final last year- but surely this doesn't give him the right make these sort of demands now? Problem for the Habs is that losing this guy will be a thought not worth considering since it would severely reduce the quality gap at the blue line. After a rocky 21 year gap of winning trophies, Subban represents the closest shot they have had to returning ...

"Everyone in Hockey is asking just what went wrong with Boston's season? What exactly was the factor that made their series go wrong, was it poor planning or were Montreal just too much for them?" Good Question, let's have a look. The Boston Bruins always looked good to advance through the playoffs, especially after being drawn against Detroit in the first round. Wracked with injury and inexperience, the depleted  Detroit Red Wings did well to get a playoff spot and certainly poured heart and soul into the series, but ultimately the Bruins were always going to win. There's two main reasons why things fell apart against the Montreal Canadiens , the first is that the series wasn't managed properly. On the ice the Bruins showed a complacency up front. During the regular season Boston scored 3.15 goals per game, in the playoffs this fell to 2.5. Like in the regular season, Jarome Iginla has been most prolific, having netted five times, while  David Krejci...

This season's Stanley Cup playoffs have been one of the best and most unpredictable of years gone by, the Boston Bruins; almost everyone's favourite for the cup have been dumped out by the Habs. The Rangers, riding high under the stewardship of Alain Vigneault have put out the Pittsburgh Penguins. Last night also saw another sting in the tail, as the LA Kings put an end to an impressive Anaheim Ducks with a 6-2 win at the Honda Center! We've now arrived at the conference finals. During the regular season you never would have predicted these line ups. But who will triumph here? Western Conference Chicago Blackhawks v LA Kings The Blackhawks have done well to salvage some pride after an indifferent regular season and players such as Jonathan Toews, Marion Hossa and Brent Seabrook have impressed during this time. I have no doubts they will fight to the bitter end to bring the cup by to Illinois for a second year running. They are not as dominant as last season, but th...

Mike's question for this week focuses on a defenseman who is currently the talk of the league, " PK Subban has great skills, but he's also guaranteed to see the inside of the penalty box. Is Subban a liability? Or will he become the franchise player he can?" Damn good question as always mike, let's go to work! Subban is currently the hot sensation of the Montreal Canadiens and since being drafted in 2007, he has become one of the key elements of this side and last season he was awarded the James Norris Trophy as the leagues best defenseman! This is season his impressive streak has continued and currently he sits on top of the Montreal points scorers list with 33 points which for a D-Man is mighty impressive and currently this ranks him as the 6th high scoring defensive player in the league. Following his selection for the Canadian Olympic Team for Sochi 2014, he certainly has the the flair and presence that has earned him his shot and thus far he is set to be...

Today the Olympic Ice Hockey rosters for the upcoming Sochi 2014 games have been officially confirmed, after much speculation surrounding them there has been some interesting selections made and no doubt this will spark furious debate among hockey fans, let's take a look at the main contenders. Canada  The 25 man Canadian squad certainly isn't lacking in depth, and this year they will be the team to beat and 11 of 2010 Gold Medal team will make a return journey! The defensive selection is one I highly commend as they have mixed youth of players like PK Subban along with defensive quality like Jay Bouwmeester. The St Louis pairing of JB along with Pietrangelo could well be a wise selection! Offensively the star count is ridiculously high with Crosby, Toews, Perry, Stamkos and Kunitz among others being featured and Canada will rely on this goal power to see them through! There are few surprise selections with Marc-Andre Fleury missing out in favour of Roberto Luongo and the ...

It was a big night for Alexander Ovechkin on Saturday at the NHL awards as he beat Sidney Crosby and John Tavares to claim a third Hart Memorial Trophy in 10 years! He also took home the Maurice 'Rocket' Richard scoring trophy after scoring an amazing 24 goals in his final 23 games! Sergei Bobrovsky edged out Henrik Lundqvist and Antti Niemi for the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goalie- the Russian has proven to be a wall for the Columbus Blue Jackets this year but it would seem his future there is currently in doubt! Montreal Canadiens , rookie defenseman P.K Subban won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the best defenseman in the league, his form this year has proven impressive and it would seem the Habs have an interesting prospect on the horizon. The Florida Panthers’ dire season was given a ray of light as Jonathan Huberdeau claimed the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s best rookie. Sidney Crosby was awarded the Ted Lindsay trophy by his fellow profess...