Game #47More Quality Refereeing On Display Tonight

Details

Date: 18/1/2011
Opponent: Sabres
Location: Buffalo

Loss: 1-2 (OT)

Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Miller (W)

Habs goalscorers: Desharnais
Opposition goalscorers: Ennis, Pominville

Play of the game

You don't see this type of play often, so I thought that it had to be mentioned. The play of the game really has two parts though, the play, and the touching aftermath. The play happened when Price was beat, there to make the save, however, was Subban who slid across and saved the day. The very warm moment that followed was when Price put his glove over PK's head and them tapped him on the bum to thank him for a job well done. How sweet.

Dome hockey team

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

Brian Gionta
Brian played well throughout this one, especially in the offensive zone. I haven't seen him in so many scrums all year and I think that was a captain telling his team that no matter how many players were missing this team was here to play.

Scott Gomez
I thought that Scott was a warrior tonight. Like Gionta, he was very active in Buffalo's end and was very involved after the whistle. I have never seen him so angry as when he was called for high-sticking in the dying minutes. Can't blame him though, wouldn't you too be upset if you were the guy called out to allow Buffalo to complete the comeback.

Tomas Plekanec
Pleks was our best forward tonight and did it without Cammalleri by his side. He led the team in shots and was also very effective on the PK. He had one play at the end which basically enabled us to go to OT as he single-handedly held the puck in Buffalo's end as the clocked ticked up to 60.

Defencemen

PK Subban
PK made the game-saver which was his highlight in this one. It was, however, back to big wind-ups as he must have forgotten just how hard and accurate his wrister can be. He again logged the most minutes on the team and rightly so as he was our best defender out there. I am becoming very pleased with his work on the PK as it always seems like an unexpected surprise.

Yannick Weber
This was the best game that I have seen Weber play in the last little while. Tonight he didn't stand out as a rookie, but instead looked like a very good, NHL-ready, D-man. He is moving the puck well and is also playing soundly in his own end. His 4 blocked-shots led the team and his penalty can be forgiven as it was bound to be someone in white getting called.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
Price played a great game tonight and, thanks to him, is the reason that we are heading home with an extra point in the bank. Buffalo didn't put forth their best effort, but it was enough that a lesser goalie may not have held up. I feel bad for him on the winner as what could he really have done? An OT penalty, I mean it is almost as though the refs did want to affect the outcome.

Comments

Tonight there are built-in excuses like you wouldn't believe. The first has to be that we are tired after last night's win. Then, the fact that we lost 3 forwards early, 3 effective forwards that is. The last excuse has to be that the officiating was, yet again, a joke. After the first period it was 4 PPs for them and none for us. I could live with that (and would welcome it) if Eller wasn't hit from behind and cross-checked 3 times in a row, if Gaustad and Vanek got out of Price's way, if Gaustad stopped hitting everyone and everything after the whistle and if Gerbe (who?) didn't fake his way to a call with a minute to play. As long as the reffing is like this then the team getting the calls will always have the advantage. We had a good chance to win, despite this charade, and did well to only let in 2. The end result is an OT loss against a pretty pathetic team, though, so all is not lost. More importantly will be finding out how our players are and if we'll need Dustin Boyd to rescue us or not.