Game #1-4Caps Feast On Nervous Habs

Details

Date: 21/04/10
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Montreal

Loss: 3-6

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

Habs goalscorers: Cammalleri, Gionta, Moore
Opposition goalscorers: Ovechkin (2), Knuble (2), Chimera, Backstrom

Play of the game

The Habs were down by one, but had a quick answer for the Caps and it came in the form of a goal from #13. It was Mike who did well to win an offensive zone face-off before he found his way to the net. Hammer threw the puck around the boards and Sergei made a great play to let it go through to Metro who was behind the net. Glen showed his touch around the goal by getting the puck out to Pyatt's 4th line replacement; all of a sudden the Habs were right back in the game, in the blink of an eye.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Dominic Moore
Sub-par showings from Pleks and Gomez meant that the door was open tonight for Moore. He certainly didn't run away with the title of top pivot-man, but I couldn't help but notice his strong defensive play throughout the game. He added to that with a great effort on our 3rd goal (even if it didn't matter for tonight's game, it may set the tone for Friday) and was our only centre to be above 50% at face-offs.

Sergei Kostitsyn - Game Puck
Is it a good feeling or a bad feeling for a coach when you can re-insert a player who then, in turn, is your best? On the one hand, maybe he was motivated by his benching and, therefore, wanted to prove something. On the other hand, however, is the possibility that Martin sat a very useful player for no good reason at all. Sergei showed tonight that he is a valuable tool in the coach's toolbox as he was very involved at both ends. Martin only used him for 8 minutes (maybe fearing that people would question the benching), but that didn't stop Kostitsyn from ending the game at a team-high +2.

Mike Cammalleri
Maybe the only top-6 who played like one tonight, Mike actually did quite well. He scored a goal early and, while he did fade as the game went on, had other moments of greatness. I felt that he represented our best chance at a goal and my only wish was that he would have played for more than 18 minutes. Despite it all, however, he led the team in shots (5) and out face-offed all of our centres by posting a 60% winning percentage.

Defencemen

Ryan O'Byrne
Another player that wasn't being used was able to step in and play well tonight. I can say with certainty that he was better than Hamrlik and Bergeron and it is debatable whether he out-played the others. What I do know, though, is that this shouldn't happen. Your #6/7 should not be able to come in and be one of your top D-Men. The rest of the D has a lot to think about over the next two days as they really have to be better. I don't, however, want this to overshadow the fact that Ryan played well, stayed out of the box, led the team in hits (7) and blocked-shots (4) and was our only D better than even (+1)

Josh Gorges
Again, why can't all players just play like Josh? Maybe it wouldn't be exciting, maybe we'd never score, but don't you think if everyone played near mistake-free hockey for 60 minutes that we would have a chance, a very good chance, in every game? Like O'Byrne, Gorges was big on hits and blocked-shots tonight and kept the chances down to a tolerable level.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
Is this 2008? Are we really still be cursed for trading away an All-Star for nothing? I don't expect our goalies to steal these games for us, but they both have to be miles better if we are to win. It is an uphill battle against the Caps and the time for 4+ goal-against games has to stop. The Habs aren't a team that will score 5+ goals a game, so we must be stronger from the back. Carey had a good first 39:53, but really seemed rattled for the remainder as he let in 3 goals and took 4 minutes in penalties. Halak probably wouldn't have done better, and that may be our problem, but, somehow, one of them has to find a way to be their best.

Comments

I am sure that you are all reading that this series is over, that summer is coming and you are probably all thinking about what players we can get. Maybe we can get Crosby and Ovechkin, oh wait, I'd actually prefer Datsyuk and Malkin. Who's kidding who, though, this is it, this our team. Who knows if we'll be in the playoffs next year or in the next 5 years. Who knows if we'll improve this summer at all. The time for worrying about the summer is, well, in the summer. We are down, but not out. I, for one, am focused on one thing only, our only option, a game #5 win. Who cares what players miss practice, who cares what the lines will be, who cares what the predictions are. All we should be caring about is getting one win, just like we do when we have lost 3 straight in the regular season.

There are 2 huge positives that I must call on and that are certainly giving me hope. The first is that we have outplayed the Caps for extended periods during this series and have led in 3 games. Washington is a team that we can beat in one game and that is all it is, one game. The second big positive has to be that we have the potential. While Varlamov, Backstrom and Ovechkin are all playing up to their potential we still have players like Halak, Markov, Pouliot, Plekanec and Hamrlik that can be better, much better. Halak may not be Brodeur, but the Olympics and regular season taught us that stealing games is something that he knows how to do. Markov didn't ignite a PP by chance, he can be better and rarely plays this far below his standard for too long. Pouliot may not be the scorer that he was in December, but he also isn't the scorer that Gui was(n't) in October/November - he has to find a way to be average, or better, and to contribute. Pleks led this team in scoring by playing with passion and determination throughout the season, let's hope that he remembers why some (me) were calling for him to be captain. Hammer has been better, much better, in his career (even this year), but has rarely been much worse. Focus and drive from him can mean there is only one way to go. The rest of the players, too, must find that extra gear as any little mistake or break in concentration often ends with a puck in our net.

Friday will be hard to watch as no one wants to see the season end, but now we finally know that there is no tomorrow, now we can see what this team is really made of. I have seen enough losing, and subsequent winning, streaks from the Habs to know that we are still in it. If our group can believe and the Caps can, somehow, not be at their best then we certainly have a shot.

Game #1-2 Canadiens Show They Can Play It The Caps Way

Details

Date: 17/04/10
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Washington

Loss: 5-6 (OT)

Habs Goalie: Halak (L)
Opposition Goalie: Theodore, Varlamov (W)

Habs goalscorers: Gionta, A. Kostitsyn (3), Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Fehr, Backstrom (3), Ovechkin, Carlson

Play of the game

This was a game full of interesting plays. Had the Canadiens won, there were probably even defensive plays to choose from. The play of the night, considering the result, was Plekanec's goal in the end. It was a play full of skill, of patience and of teamwork. The play really starts as Plekanec chases a loose puck into the zone. Blocking a clearance and controlling it in one swoop was clutch play at its finest. Cammalleri never doubting his centre was there to take the pass, sell the shot and produce the sublime control that allowed him to keep the puck long enough to pass to the lingering Plekanec. After Andrei's hat trick, this was the icing on the cake for the one-time first line. More clutch play from other teammates might have made this goal more significant.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Brian Gionta
Gionta played his usual solid game up front. Kicking off with a goal a minute into the game was key to the Canadiens self-belief in this one, and it's no surprise that it was Brian to score, given his reputation for being a sparkplug from the opening whistle. Over the game he grew quieter, but still found ways to shoot. In addition he killed some key penalties while getting his miniscule frame in front of several Caps shots.

Andrei Kostitsyn
Three goals, well two and a quarter. This was the game of a goalscorer. Over the night, I thought he was the quietest on the top line, yet with that shot was probably always the biggest threat. His first goal was a thing of beauty and one could see the confidence he took from it. If nothing else, his hat trick gives Boudreau something serious to think about as he attempts to deal with Montreal's threats with a big and sometimes lumbering defence.

Mike Cammalleri – Game Puck
I thought that in this game Cammalleri did the most things right of any Hab. The game ended with him recording three assists, and he really did play a major role in two of those key goals – Kostitsyn's second and Plekanec's play of the game marker. In addition, Mike was able to draw a couple of penalties (one for a PP with a goal), which I think has been a real deficiency of late, even all season with the Canadiens. He was charged with a penalty as well, but I'm never sure how intact sticks are when they break under some slashes that are penalized.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
One of the main reasons that Markov may not have stood out as he could have, but he played a good game. But where I have praised Martin for getting his players to buy his plan, I must chastise him for not knowing what he has in Markov. When the alternatives are struggling, one would hope the coach would turn to Andrei. Instead he limits his ice time at ES, presumably because he wouldn't be so foolhardy as to play #47 any more than he had to. This is thinking of very limited scope, and I'd like to see Markov play with other partners (Spacek, Gorges) to get him into the fray more.

Josh Gorges
Josh Gorges, the epitome of steady can be counted to mark off games for Spacek and Hamrlik. When they falter, we prefer Josh for the dome. While I wouldn't go to the lengths that some do to praise Josh, I think he offers lots of lessons for his comrades. His simple approach, his quick anticipation, his measured time on the puck are all the stuff of winning defence.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Halak had one of those games. 4-3 up, Halak was sitting on many saves to rival the game puck. While Washington didn't pepper the Habs goalie with as much rubber as in Game #1, they still let loose a few shots of quality requiring some alert rebukes. But we cannot overlook the saves he didn't make in this game, particularly the final two Washington goals. Good shots or not, he has to look more like saving a shot to his trapper side from Backstrom on both occasions, else we risk falling as we did to the Flyers in 2008. I wouldn't be altogether surprised if the next start goes the way of Carey Price after this display, and I wouldn't bat an eyelid. If nothing else, Carey has impressed me immensely with his new mature comment as the reliever interview and I think that maturity would carry into the net. I wouldn't say Halak has lost his right to play again, but as the Caps can be so unforgiving to netminders, sharing the brunt might be the way to go anyway.

Comments

Welcome to the playoffs Montreal. Apart from obvious trips, pucks over the glass, fights, broken sticks and too many men, the rules have been altered. The most significant alteration to the rules of play seems to be the complete reversal on goaltender interference. More frightening is that Washington has taken note.

I am not embittered after this loss, as it really wasn't down to the refs in the end. The unstoppable force want goals and it made them. However, I hope the Canadiens start to see the light of day with this new lenience, else get left behind. For one thing, they must stop collapsing so close to their own goal, I think, because at the moment they seem only to make themselves implements for moving Halak. Also, it might not hurt to move Varlamov or Theo at some point, that way the net might come off for a valid reason.

We must also realize that we just witnessed a tour de force from two of the top scorers in the league. When the Caps went down, Ovechkin and Backstrom awoke and took the bull by the horns.

I have to say I am encouraged in a lot of ways by this effort from Montreal as well. The forwards producing the way they did spells a turn in the tide, and a very welcome one. The defence was perhaps not as great as in Game #1, but had good periods of play. The loss in the end was caused by a few breakdowns, but Halak on most other nights would not have done his best Aebischer impression. Encouraging also were the post-game interviews in which the positivity I seem to cling to was held by many of the players reached for comment. Cammalleri in particular had lots of good points to take and several players called it a good game – which it was.

It's a cliche to say the Habs should be happy to come into Montreal with a series tied at one. I am not going that far. But they need to be positive about a few things. First, they have shown they can win a defensive battle, even when entrenched for periods in their own zone. Second, they have shown they can win an offensive battle. If Washington ever thought they'd ride their 121 points for a few more wins, they must now know they are in for a fight, Montreal-style. To have Cammalleri, Plekanec and Kostitsyn there ready to take part is something I look forward very much to watching.

Habs Vs. Caps The Subjective Retrospective

By now you're knee deep in predictions and statistics trying to make sense of the belief you have in these Canadiens.

Statistics are good, and as you know, I like them very much. But it is not for me to trot out more of the same statistics days after they have been treated by those who got there first.

If you want to know about every element of the Canadiens vs. Capitals, 2009-10 edition then you should check out Habs Eyes on the Prize who knits together all the data for you in a few posts. The main analysis talks goals, assists, wins, losses and has the very handy link to video to jog the memory.

Robert has also delved into some of the minutiae of the game, including the very relevant shots, playing with the lead and the less useful Faceoff stats (a firm disbeliever in the importance of that 2% swing am I). All of this can be accessed on his main page today.

If you're looking for more than goals and assists, don't forget Olivier who tracks shooting and scoring chances. Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, and Game 4 vs. the Caps give a lot more food for thought. I'm sure he'll be piping up with an analysis in the coming days too.


Subjectivity to add colour to your day

It's possible to go through life looking only at stats. It makes things very black and white. I think however that most of you enjoy a little colour, else you wouldn't be reading our thoughts after games at all.

Colour is what allows to discern whether Sergei's three assist game was a great one or just a background performance, whether Carey letting in 5 goals in February was a battling time or just an average hurting game.

So for your pleasure, I offer the game reports from all 4 games this season (you can search the archives for the 8 other Washington games if you want), with what we said about players of the game, domes and such. Hopefully it will help you clinch the argument against that annoying Toronto fan who is supporting the Caps out of spite.

Game 1 (3-2 W, Nov 20): Good Start To Tough Weekend; Who Saw That Coming?



All you really need to know:
Tomas Plekanec - Game Puck
Dominant again. I wouldn't say that he was more noticeable than Ovechkin, but he was definitely in the same league. He scored a goal, picked up an assist and was once again our best on the PP and the PK. Can someone give this man the 'C'? Please.


Game 2 (3-4 L (SO), Nov 26): Massive 2nd Period Not Enough For Montreal



All you really need to know:
"The second period, however, was probably our best of the week (better than the third against Columbus by a hair I'd say) as we were too much for the Caps to handle. We carried that momentum into the third and drew a couple of penalties thanks to our strong play. We failed to score on a 5-on-3, but did get one before the second man came out of the box. Then we decided to see if we could hold on for the win. Gone was the strong offensive play only to be substituted by 'hope-we-can-stop-Ovechkin' defensive play. Letting a team like Washington see if they can score never seems to be a good plan."


Game 3 (2-4 L, Jan 5): Montreal Struggle To Impose Themselves in D.C.



All you really need to know:
"It was the first time in a long time that I felt the Habs looked smaller than their opponents as we not only were losing battles, but we were often hesitant to even chase loose pucks for fear of being over-powered. I don't know how many times I saw a Hab back down tonight from a Capital. Even our speed was outclassed tonight as we not only were beaten to most pucks, but we also never really seemed to give it our all."


Game 4 (6-5 W (OT), Feb 10): Habs Put An Unlikely End To Caps' Streak



All you really need to know:
"When you break down the Caps you see stunning offence, average D and below-average goaltending. When you make a game-plan against a team like that you must exploit those weaknesses - and that is what the Habs did. They found the chink in the armour and exploited it very well. What the Canadiens realized is that you can't really stop the Caps' offence. You can get up by 3, but you can't stop them. You can have Brodeur in nets, but they will not cease. So, the only way to beat a team like that is to open up and to try and out-score them."


Game Pucks

Plekanec, Hamrlik Gionta, S Kostitsyn


Domes

Plekanec (3), Cammalleri (3), A Kostitsyn, Pacioretty, Pouliot, Gionta, S Kostitsyn, Gomez

Hamrlik (3), Markov (2), Mara, Spacek, Gorges

Price (3), Halak (1)

Top 100 Habs By Decade: 3. 1959-1969

In recognition of the Canadiens Centennial this Friday, we at Lions in Winter have been doing what we like best – making lists. As a precursor to publishing the definitive LIW top 100, we will be counting down the decades from least successful to most successful and naming our LIW top 10 players for the ten-year span.

Though this celebration has inevitably lost some steam due to relentless marketing and pre-game ceremonies for all of living memory, it would be a shame to let it pass unnoticed just because Mr. Gillett wanted to cash in before he cashed out.

1959-1969

The 1960s are consistently sold as the forgotten dynasty or the decade of the overlooked. But just like articles that pump up the same players time after time for being underrated, so too the 1960s – all the talk of being underrated sometimes risks making pundits overrate what happened in the 1960s.

While it is true that the Canadiens won 4 Stanley Cups in the 1960s proper and 5 Cups in the decade I have set from 1959-69, generally it is fair that this span of years should be relegated behind the incredible 1950s and unbelievable 1970s. Any other team would cite the Canadiens 1960s as their Golden Age. However, the 1960s were a bit of a changing of the guard and it showed for the early years.

The players selected for the 1960s were chosen either because they represented the 1960s well. In some cases, the 1960s was the core of their career, in others the beginning and some the twilight. Here they are.

[Note: Each player only appears in one decade's top 10 – so you may have to wait for the next update for your favourites]


10. John Ferguson (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1963-71	500	145	158	303	(+61)	(30)	AS
Decade best (Season)	1968-69	71	29	23	52	+30	7
Habs career (Playoffs)	1964-71	85	20	18	38		(4)	5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1968-69	14	4	3	7		2	SC

The most feared man in the NHL during his time. His ability to play hockey as well made him supremely valuable to the dynasty of the 1960s.


9. Bobby Rousseau (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1960-70	643	200	322	522	(+42)	(32)	C, AS
Decade best (Season)	1965-66	70	30	48	78		4	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1962-69	78	16	29	45		(3)	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1964-65	13	5	8	13			SC

Talented scorer. Second in league scoring in 1965-66, while leading in assists.


8. Charlie Hodge (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1954-67	237	115	72	40	2.46	21	V, AS
Decade best (Season)	1963-64	62	33	18	11	2.26	8	V, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1955-65	16	7	8	0	2.39	2	SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1964-65	5	3	2	0	2.00	1	SC

Lucky enough to have a good back-up, the Habs finally got to see what Hodge was worth (and it was Vezinas) after Plante was gone.


7. Dick Duff (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1964-70	305	87	85	172	(-12)	17	AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1967-68	66	25	21	46	+6	8
Habs career (Playoffs)	1965-69	60	16	26	42		(2)	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1968-69	14	6	8	14		1	SC

Brought in to replace Dickie Moore's scoring, Duff produced well. 1967-68 was his highlight for the Habs, where he shot 22.5% with 8 GWGs.


6. Rogatien Vachon (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1966-72	206	110	56	30	2.65	13	V
Decade best (Season)	1967-68	39	23	13	2	2.48	4	V
Habs career (Playoffs)	1967-69	19	14	5	0	1.94	1	2 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1968-69	8	7	1	0	1.42	1	SC

His brief stint with the Canadiens was notable for its consistency and excellence in the playoffs. Only the arrival of Dryden kept him from more.


5. Ralph Backstrom (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1956-71	844	215	287	502	(+28)	(17)	C, AS
Decade best (Season)	1961-62	66	27	38	65			AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1959-69	100	22	26	48		(3)	6 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1965-66	10	3	4	7			SC

The pan-dynastic talent is perhaps best remembered as the Candiens 3rd fiddle behind Beliveau and Richard. However, he had plenty of offensive talent himself and contributed much. One of the most interesting contributions he made to the Canadiens were his 27 points in 33 games to close out the season for the LA Kings in 1971, lifting them out of the cellar and granting the Candiens a first overall pick in the process.


4. Jean-Claude Tremblay (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1959-72	794	57	306	363	(+130)	(11)	AS
Decade best (Season)	1968-69	75	7	32	39	+29	1	AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1961-72	108	14	51	65		(5)	5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1965-66	10	2	9	11			SC

Slick skating, smart defenceman who QBed a successful PP for more than a decade.


3. Lorne "Gump" Worsley (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	W	L	T	GAA	SO	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1963-70	172	92	44	25	2.42	16	2 V, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1967-68	40	19	9	8	1.98	6	V, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1965-69	39	29	7	0	1.91	4	4 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1967-68	12	11	0	0	1.88	1	SC

The vet brought in to man the fort after Plante's departure. He kept the young goalies honest and the fans of goalies satisfied with 2 Vezina trophies himself.


2. Jacques Laperriere (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	2001-06	691	40	242	282	(+241)	(5)	C, N, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1965-66	57	6	25	31		2	N, AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1963-73	88	9	22	31		(1)	5 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1967-68	13	1	3	4		0	SC

The intelligent, stay-at-home, big defender we all hope all of our current players could be.


1. Henri "Pocket Rocket" Richard (Top 100 all-time, Profile)

	Years(s)	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	GWG	Awards*
Habs career (Season)	1955-75	1256	358	688	1046	(+126)	(28)	BM, AS, HOF
Decade best (Season)	1962-63	67	23	50	73			AS
Habs career (Playoffs)	1956-75	180	49	80	129		(3)	11 SC
Decade best (Playoffs)	1959-60	8	3	9	12			SC

Always a bit lost in Canadiens lore. No player had more to overcome than he, with a small stature and a big shadow from his older brother. That he went on to become the winningest athlete in hockey and North American sports history is a feat. That he did it with modesty and grace is an all-too seldom mentioned accomplishment.



* Awards: N = Norris trophy; V = Vezina trophy; C = Calder trophy; BM= Bill Masterton; AS= All-star; SC = Stanley Cup.