"The Canadiens' playoff run this year left Benoit Pouliot with mixed feelings. Montreal went to the Eastern Conference final, but Pouliot didn't play well. He had only two assists in 18 games and found himself as a healthy scratch for one game because head coach Jacques Martin wasn't happy with his work ethic. "It was a learning experience," said Pouliot, who will celebrate his 24th birthday next week. "It was a tough playoffs (for me) but, at the same time, we went so far and it was so fun to see all the guys compete and play good and almost make it to the Stanley Cup finals. It was disappointing personally. It was not what I was expecting, not what I wanted. Obviously, I didn't help the team out, but I tried my best." Pouliot played most of last season on one of the top lines with Scott Gomez and Brian Gionta after he was acquired from Minnesota in a trade for Guillaume Latendresse. He had two goals and two assists in 14 games with the Wild, but his production picked up in Montreal. He had 15 goals and nine assists in 39 games. But a late-season slump - he scored only once in the final 14 games of the season - and a disappointing playoffs raised some doubts about Pouliot. While he received a pay increase from $803,250 U.S. to $1.35 million, the Canadiens signed him for only one season. "It's one year and you have to show what you have so you can get a longer deal," Pouliot noted. "One year is not a lot but, on the other hand, it could be good for me. If I have a great year and we go far in the playoffs, it could pay off." Gionta said there's no reason Pouliot shouldn't develop into a solid top-six forward." http://www.montrealgazette.com/spor...ot faces make break season/3553066/story.html
