Game #3-1I Don't Get It, We Outshot Them?

Details

Date: 16/05/10
Opponent: Flyers
Location: Philadelphia

Loss: 0-6

Habs Goalie: Halak (L), Price
Opposition Goalie: Leighton (W)

Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: Coburn, Van Riemsdyk, Briere, Gagne, Hartnell, Giroux

Play of the game

Our best chance to be in this game was a predictable cross-checking penalty from all-time NHL bone-head, Chris Pronger. It was 1 minute in and it seemed like a goal would send us on our way to stealing home-ice. It, however, ended there. A penalty for Gomez on that PP was really the beginning of the end as it was all Flyers from that point on.

Dome hockey team

The 6 players we're playing in a no changes, do or die contest in the dome

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei had more dangerous moments than any other forward. They came in the form of shots and passes and he was also responsible for creating some turnovers. I don't feel like he, personally, played that much worse than usual, unlike the rest of his teammates.

Tomas Plekanec
Tomas played much worse than we need him to play, but was still better than most of his teammates. He worked well with Andrei tonight, but it seemed like Camms was a bit out of this one, which of course hurt their line. His 5 shots impressed me, even if they weren't too dangerous - shows how little impresses me in a loss.

Glen Metropolit
Metro was the only one of the bottom-6 to really play well. He wasn't great, but there were a few moments that I really liked in the offensive zone. Martin must have noticed something too as he more than tripled his usual ice-time and rewarded the ex-Flyer with a whopping 11 minutes.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
Subban is out, Gill wasn't great, Hammer was on for too many against and Bergeron, despite not being at the root of any goals, still looked pretty bad. So, it has to be Gorges. Not sure what he did tonight other than not be as bad as those four, but so be it. O'Byrne clearly has to play and Bergeron, if he must play, must be used only on the PP, I really don't see any other way.

Jaroslav Spacek - Game Puck
Why the game-puck? Why not, I say. After all, can you name anyone who really deserves it, really? I thought that Jaro played the best in his own end and appreciated the fact that he wasn't on for any goals against. He led the team in blocked-shots with 4, but, for some reason (tied down with Bergeron as his partner, perhaps???) only saw 17 minutes of ice.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
Both goalies were brutal, both have to be better. I go with Jaro tonight because I thought his puck-handling wasn't as bad and I felt that the goals he let in (3 while one-man down) were less stoppable than what Price faced. Halak, however, was the one who put us in the hole (or was at least there when the hole was dug) and we clearly need better from him.

Comments

Bad start to the series, but that is all it is, the start to the series. A loss is a loss, whether it be 0-6 or 1-2, a loss is a loss. The Habs are as likely to bounce back after this loss as they would be to lose after a huge win of their own. So, I am not afraid that all of a sudden we forgot how to play hockey, that we will never score again or that Philly is the most unbeatable team there is. No, I have faith that we will get back into this series, somehow, some way. The negatives are of course the goaltending (which we are all 100% certain can and will be better) and the lack of scoring. But, I do take away some satisfaction in the fact that we held the Flyers to only 25 shots and that Leighton is their goalie. He looks very beatable and, with the talent we have, how can one really be worried? Goals will come. Tuesday, I guess, is when this series will really start - do you think we can win 4 of 6?