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In this week’s HW Recap: It’s the end of the
road for all Habs-affiliated teams as the Hamilton Bulldogs ended their year,
fortunately they did so on a winning note.  Although the pro teams are
done, there are still several prospects playing at the moment, how are they
faring in their quest for the Memorial Cup?  Plus, my Final Thought takes a
look back at the season that was and highlights the biggest stories of the year.

The week got off to a familiar start for
Hamilton as goalie Peter Delmas went down in the first period of the Bulldogs’
first game.  Despite that, a team that had some actual firepower managed to
hit the scoresheet enough to pick up a couple wins to end the year on a high
note.

April 13:

Lake Erie 5, Hamilton 3
April 14:

Hamilton 5, Grand Rapids 2
April 15:

Hamilton 3, Grand Rapids 2

What a difference talent makes. 
The Bulldogs arguably had their deepest lineup of the year and good things
happened. 

Goals: Andreas Engqvist
(20)
Assists: Brian Willsie (26)
Points: Brian Willsie (44)
+/-: Alex Henry (+2)
PIMS: Zack FitzGerald (268) (league leader)
Shots: Brian Willsie (252)

– FitzGerald won the PIM title by
1 PIM.
– DeSimone’s -30 rating tied for last in the league and was last for a
rookie…Alain Berger (-19) was second last for rookies while Phillipe Lefebvre
(-18) was tied for third last.
– Mitera’s -21 rating was last in the league for AHL d-men.
– Willsie finished 4th in the league in shots on goal.
– Palushaj, despite missing half the season, finished tied for third overall in
insurance goals with 5.
– Engqvist finished tied for fifth overall in first goals of a game with 7.

There are 5 Habs remaining in the CHL playoffs
as they vie for a spot in the Memorial Cup.  Here is how each has fared so
far:

Nathan Beaulieu (Saint John, QMJHL): 2 goals, 6 assists, +15 rating, and 18 PIMS
in 8 games
Michael Bournival (Shawinigan, QMJHL): 1 goals, 6 assists, even rating, and 10
PIMS in 13 games
Morgan Ellis (Shawinigan, QMJHL): 4 goals, 7 assists, +14 rating (team leader),
and 6 PIMS in 10 games
Patrick Holland (Tri-City, WHL): 2 goals, 8 assists, even rating, and 11 PIMS in
8 games
Jarred Tinordi (London, OHL): 2 goals, 3 assists, +6 rating, and 15 PIMS in 10
games

Here is how each team stands as of the time of
this article:

London: Advanced to Round 3
Saint John: Advanced to Round 3
Shawinigan*: Series tied at 3
Tri-City: Lead series 3-2

* As hosts, Shawinigan will automatically be
part of next month’s Memorial Cup.

Although it was largely a season
to forget for the Habs, a lot happened throughout the course of the year. 
Here are my top storylines of the year:

1) Coaching calamity – A slow
start to the season had most fans (for the record I wasn’t one of them)
clamouring for the team to fire the coach.  At first, the coach
wasn’t fired but a coach was as Perry Pearn was surprisingly dismissed
just prior to a game.  Eventually Jacques Martin got the axe which really
started the calamity.  Randy Cunneyworth was installed as coach but with
more or less an unspoken promise that it was just for the season.  A media
and political firestorm ensured over the language issue while Cunneyworth is now
a dead man walking, coach only in name until the new GM is hired…more on that
later.

2) Cammalleri confusion – I’m sure
a lot of you have seen a player go missing late in a game and say jokingly, "I
wonder if they traded him?"  Of course, no team would ever do that…or
not.  Yes, Cammalleri gave some legitimacy to the line as he was dealt
between periods in a game in Boston.  This came mere hours after some
comments went public over his criticism and frustrations with the team and their
struggles. 

3) Pacioretty’s presence –
Pacioretty came back with a vengeance this year after the incident with Boston’s
Zdeno Chara last year, putting up career highs across the board and turning into
the power forward the Habs thought they’d be getting when they drafted him. 
Not bad for a player who some thought wouldn’t ever be back shortly after the
hit occurred.

4) Gauthier’s gone – Just prior to
the end of the year, Pierre Gauthier was relieved of his duties as GM. 
There was a lot of murkiness during his tenure, with some oddly timed moves
while others seemed rushed.  It only seems fitting that the timing of his
removal was equally peculiar.

5) Desharnais delights – From the
ECHL to contending for the scoring lead on the Montreal Canadiens, not exactly a
typical career path but for David Desharnais, it’s one that worked.  I had
him pegged as the 4th line C on the depth chart to start the season, I didn’t
exactly get that one right.  The Habs haven’t developed much in the way of
homegrown talent in recent memory which makes this just a bit more special.

And with that, this ends ‘Season
7’ of the HW Recap, a lot earlier than I expected I’d be writing this at the
beginning of this season.  Be sure to keep checking HW regularly as we have
lots planned over the coming weeks and months. 

If you have any questions/comments, please feel
free to drop me a line at [email protected].