Montreal Canadiens 5-Game Review (#6)

[Montreal Canadiens 5 Game Review takes a look at the last 5 games from an objective standpoint, with tabulations from Tobalev's game reports]

Date: Thursday, December 13th, 2007


The last 5

Opponents: Nashville, Detroit, Boston, Carolina, Tampa Bay

Record: 1-2-2
Home record: 0-2-2
Away record: 1-0-0

How it happened: OTL - L - W - L - OTL

Goals for: 12
Goals against: 17

Conference ranking (Season): 7
Conference ranking (5 games - i.e., 12/1 to 12/12): T9





Stack of pucks

Alex Kovalev (8)

Cristobal Huet, Chris Higgins (4)










Play of the set
Contender for play of the year...

Rather predictably from the only game we won. I liked the passes as much as Tobalev did on the night:

The fourth goal was our nicest and gave us a little bit of breathing room after a stressful 2nd period. O'Byrne put the puck up the wing, there Higgins and Dandenault exchanged a few very nice passes between themselves before Dandenault floated a back-hand over the one time Leaf prospect. The passing on this goal was spectacular, the finish was just icing on the cake.

See the play (within the game highlights).



5-game domers

F: Koivu (4/5); Kostitsyn (4/5); Kovalev(4/5)

D: Markov (3/5); Hamrlik (2/5)

G: Price (3/5)








Kovalev's 5-game Assessment - Good to Very Good

Still struggling to see the guys as he circles much higher than anyone else. Has enough fuel to keep up, but has been heard radioing the tower for some help in finding the guys.




Scoring and statistics (Top 5 over 5):

Goalscorers: Plekanec, Higgins (3); Latendresse (2); Kovalev, Kostitsyn, Dandenault, Chipchura (1)

Point-getters: Plekanec, Higgins (5); Kovalev (4); Hamrlik, Kostitsyn (3)

Shooters: Kovalev, Koivu (13); Higgins (12); Plekanec (10); Markov, Kostitsyn (7)

+/-: Higgins, Komisarek (+3); Hamrlik, Kovalev, Plekanec (+1)

GAA: Halak (3.00); Price (3.20); Huet (3.69)
Save %: Huet (.909); Price (.901); Halak (.833)

Montreal Canadiens 5 Game Review (#4)

[Montreal Canadiens 5 Game Review takes a look at the last 5 games from an objective standpoint, with tabulations from Tobalev's game reports]

Date: Wednesday, November 21st, 2007


The last 5

Opponents: Ottawa, Toronto, Buffalo, Boston, Ottawa

Record: 2-3-0
Home record: 1-1-0
Away record: 1-2-0

How it happened: L - W - L - W - L

Goals for: 15
Goals against: 18

Conference ranking (Season): 3
Conference ranking (5 games - i.e., 11/10 to 11/18): T10





Stack of pucks

Alex Kovalev (5)

Christopher Higgins, Cristobal Huet (3)










Play of the set
Contender for play of the year...

Plekanec's tour de force against the Leafs:

The play of the game was our third of the night, Kovalev's 9th. Just when everyone thought that the Leafs had found a way to best us yet again, along came our 2nd (1st) line. With just over 6 minutes to go in the third every Habs fan out there who had vowed that we needed an OT-free win was hoping to just get one more, to at least get into OT. Plekanec rounded the net and picked up the puck behind Price from Streit. With incredible speed (a la Modano) he flew up the left wing. He beat 3 Toronto players to the outside and then rounded the net. The whole building was thinking wraparound when at the last minute the puck came into the slot from the short side, there Kovalev didn't waste anytime unloading a one-timer upstairs.

See the play (within the game highlights).



5-game domers

F: Koivu (4/5); Ryder (3/5); Higgins(2/5)

D: Hamrlik (3/5); Komisarek (3/5)

G: Huet (3/5)








Kovalev's 5-game Assessment - Good to very good

Tried soaring to new heights, but couldn't maintain the altitude after a stall on Friday. Steadied the craft to cruise to 20.




Scoring and statistics (Top 5 over 5):

Goalscorers: Kovalev, Markov, Kostitsyn, Latendresse, Komisarek (2)

Point-getters: Kovalev (5); Streit, Markov, Koivu, Ryder (4)

Shooters: Ryder (24); Hamrlik (19); Higgins (16); Markov, Streit (13)

+/-: Hamrlik, Chipchura, Kostopoulos (+1); Ryder (0); Latendresse, Grabovski, Gorges (-1)

GAA: Huet (3.36); Price (3.50)
Save %: Price (.908); Huet (.892)

Montreal Canadiens 5 Game Review (#3)

[Montreal Canadiens 5 Game Review takes a look at the last 5 games from an objective standpoint, with tabulations from Tobalev's game reports]

Date: Saturday, November 10th, 2007


The last 5

Opponents: Atlanta, Philadelphia, Toronto, Buffalo, Boston

Record: 3-1-1
Home record: 2-1-1
Away record: 1-0-0

How it happened: OTL - W - L - W - W

Goals for: 13
Goals against: 8

Conference ranking (Season): 2
Conference ranking (5 games - i.e., 10/28 to 11/9): T3





Stack of pucks

Alex Kovalev, Christopher Higgins (3)

Saku Koivu, Cristobal Huet (2)








Play of the set
Contender for play of the year...

When Saku pulls out his moves, it's just a pleasure to see. That's why for the play of the Game 12 vs. the despised (and rapidly declining) Flyers:

Our goals were all very nice, 2 on the PP, 1 on the PK and the other 2 while the ref has his arm up. The first, Saku's was, however, the play of the game. Coming off the bench during a delayed penalty he grabbed the puck at the blue-line, sidestepped two Flyers with one swift move and went 5-hole. This gave the team an instant lift, making it 1-0. This goal set the tone for the game early and we never looked back.

See the play (within the game highlights).


5-game domers

F: Koivu (3/5); Kovalev (3/5); Higgins(2/5)

D: Markov (4/5); Komisarek (4/5)

G: Huet (3/5)








Kovalev's 5-game Assessment - Very good

Took himself to new heights this week, and the view of him soaring in the bleu, blanc, rouge is fantastic.




Scoring and statistics (Top 5 over 5):

Goalscorers: Kovalev, Higgins (3); Plekanec (2); Koivu, Smolinski, Komisarek, Kostopoulos, Latendresse (1)

Point-getters: Kovalev (5); Markov (4); Koivu, Plekanec, Higgins, Smolinski, Kostitsyn (3)

Shooters: Higgins (22); Kovalev (15); Markov (14); Dandenault, Latendresse (10)

+/-: Kostitsyn (+3); Plekanec, Kovalev, Hamrlik, Brisebois, Chipchura (+2)

GAA: Price (1.44); Huet (1.68)
Save %: Price (.952); Huet (.937)

Montreal Canadiens 5 Game Review (#2)

[Montreal Canadiens 5 Game Review takes a look at the last 5 games from an objective standpoint, with tabulations from Tobalev's game reports]

Date: Sunday, October 28th, 2007


The last 5

Opponents: Ottawa, Buffalo, Boston, Carolina, Pittsburgh

Record: 4-1-0
Home record: 2-0-0
Away record: 2-1-0

How it happened: L - W - W - W - W

Goals for: 23
Goals against: 14

Conference ranking (Season): 4
Conference ranking (5 games - i.e., 10/17 to 10/27): T1





Stack of pucks

Alex Kovalev, Christopher Higgins (2)

Saku Koivu, Andrei Markov, Roman Hamrlik, Cristobal Huet, Tomas Plekanec, Carey Price (1)






Play of the set
Contender for play of the year...

It was always gonna be a PP goal this week, wasn't it. And in Kovalev's big week (halfway mark of his career...), it's fitting he's in on it. For the pick of the week, I am opting forWe have to go back to Game 9 vs. the now second-place (yhanks to us) Canes:

The goal of the game was Kovalev's. What a player, what a special night. Tonight he netted his 338th goal, which was his 800th point in his 1000th game. The goal was a great collaborative effort culminating in a low, quick one-timer from Kovy. During one of our many 1st period power-plays the puck looked like it was on it's way down to Huet as 2 'Canes converged on it in their own slot. In came Plekanec with a diving effort to push it back to the left point to Markov. Markov then threw it right across to the right side where Alex was waiting impatiently.

See the play (within the game highlights).


5-game domers

F: Kovalev (3/5); Plekanec (2/5); Ryder (2/5)

D: Markov (4/5); Hamrlik (2/5)

G: Huet (3/5)



Kovalev's 5-game Assessment - Good to Very good

One patch of turbulence that couldn't really overshadow a smooth flight. A couple of loops and rolls kept us well entertained.




Scoring and statistics (Top 5 over 5):

Goalscorers: Kovalev (3); Plekanec, Markov, Higgins, Dandenault, Ryder, Chipchura (2)

Point-getters: Plekanec (8); Koivu, Hamrlik (6); Higgins (5); markov, Kovalev, Streit (4)

Shooters: Kovalev, Plekanec (14); Smolinski (11); Streit (10); Markov, Ryder (9)

+/-: Markov, Komisarek, Chipchura, Begin (+3); Dandenault (+2)

GAA: Huet (2.34); Price (3.39)
Save %: Huet (.926); Price (.875)

Montreal Canadiens 5 Game Review

[Montreal Canadiens 5 Game Review takes a look at the last 5 games from an objective standpoint, with tabulations from Tobalev's game reports]

Date: Thursday October 18th, 2007


The last 5

Opponents: Carolina, Toronto, Pittsburgh, Carolina, Florida

Record: 2-1-2
Home record: 0-1-1
Away record: 2-0-1

How it happened: W - OTL - W - L - OTL

Goals for: 11
Goals against: 13

Conference ranking (Season): T4
Conference ranking (5 games): T4






Stack of pucks

Christopher Higgins (2)

Saku Koivu, Andrei Markov, Alex Kovalev (1)






Play of the set
Contender for play of the year...

We have to go back to Game 1 for this one:

The play of the game, however, has to be Saku's OT winner. A great play by Markov, Ryder and especially Higgins to give Saku an easy put-home.

5-game domers

F: Higgins (5/5); Kovalev (4/5); Kostitsyn (2/5)

D: Hamrlik (3/5); Markov (2/5)

G: Huet (3/5)




Kovalev's 5-game Assessment - Good to Very good

Flying at altitude with the wind behind him.




Scoring and statistics (Top 5 over 5):

Goalscorers: Koivu, Kovalev, Markov (2); 5 players (1)
Point-getters: Markov, Koivu (5); Kovalev (4); Higgins, Ryder (3)
Shooters: Higgins (21); Ryder (17); Kostitsyn (13); Streit, Markov, Plekanec (12)
+/-: Koivu (+3); Higgins, Hamrlik (+2); Brisebois, Kostitsyn, Ryder (+1)

GAA: Price (2.00); Huet (2.17)
Save %: Price (.929); Huet (.927)