The kids are all right

Michel Therrien wants to bring the kids along slowly, but it might be time to give them a little more responsibility. Brendan Gallagher scored his fourth goal Thursday in Buffalo and was plus-1, bringing his team-leading plus/minus rating to plus-7. But Gallagher was on the ice for only 8:44 — one second more than Ryan White — and didn’t play at all in the overtime. Alex Galchenyuk, who played 10:40, did get one shift in OT, where he figures to benefit from the extra room in a 4-on-4 situation. Therrien did let Galchenyuk lead off in the shootout and he deked veteran goalie Ryan Miller for Montreal’s only goal. To paraphrase John Fogerty: “Put ’em in coach, they’re ready to play.”

Kristo has court date

Habs prospect Danny Kristo and his North Dakota teammates are ranked seventh in U.S. college hockey and are sure to receive an invitation to next month’s NCAA tournament. But Kristo and four other members of the team have a date in Grand Forks District Court next month. They have been formally charged with “unlawful delivery to certain persons.” In plain language, the Class A felony means they supplied alcohol for underage teammates at a party last September. North Dakota suspended the players for one game, but the school acknowledged there might be further discipline taken by local or state authorities. Kristo, who turned down a Canadiens contract offer to play his senior year, is sixth in NCAA scoring with 16 goals and 19 assists in 26 games.

Collberg staying in Sweden

Speaking of Canadiens’ prospects, fans will have to wait at least another year for their first glimpse of Sebastian Collberg. The Swede, who was drafted by the Canadiens in the second round (33rd overall) last June, has signed a one-year extension with Vastra Frolunda in the Swedish Elitserien. Collberg has five goals and three assists in 28 games and is plus-2.

Thomas deal all about the cap

Officially, the Boston Bruins traded survivalist-in-training Tim Thomas to the New York Islanders for a conditional draft pick this week, but nobody expects Thomas to come rushing back to the NHL. This deal is all about the salary cap. Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli gets to take Thomas’s $5-million cap hit off the books and has that money to go shopping. The Islanders will accept the cap hit because it ensures they won’t drop below the salary floor. The best part for the Islanders is it doesn’t cost them anything because Thomas is suspended without pay.

Playing with pain

Hockey players are known for being tough, but MSG hockey announcer John Giannone showed he can play with pain. Giannone was reporting from the area between the benches during the Rangers-Islanders game this week when an errant pass from Marc Staal struck him on the bridge of his nose. There was blood dripping down his face as Giannone continued to report while the Rangers’ medical staff patched him up. Said Giannone: “I literally kept my eye on the puck, I can tell you that.”

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