Canadiens Fly Past Senators

Date: 30/10/2017
Opponent: Ottawa
Location: Canadian Tire Cenre
Win: 8-3

Montreal Goalie: Montoya (W)
Ottawa Goalie: Anderson (L)

Montreal goalscorers:  Hudon (2), Pacioretty, Lehkonen (2), Galchenyuk, Gallagher, Plekanec
Ottawa goalscorers: Pyatt, Dzingel, DiDomenico

Ottawa-Montreal Game #5: Possession Statistics

For completeness: the stats from the final Canadiens game of 20(12)-13:

Ottawa Montreal Game #5: Montreal Canadiens Bounced Badly

Details

Date: 09/05/2013
Opponent: Senators
Location: Montreal

Loss: 1-6

Habs Goalie: Budaj (L)
Opposition Goalie: Anderson (W)

Habs goalscorers: Subban
Opposition goalscorers: Smith, Conacher (2), Turris, Alfredsson, Condra

Reasons to Believe

What kind of fans would we be if we didn't dust ourselves off, laugh about the state of the NHL and how it really isn't geared to a team built to skate and get ready to celebrate victory in the next game.

In this case, with the 5th game against an opponent that has so far won 3 of 4, it might be helpful to have a few positive ideas to focus the mind and spirit:

Ottawa-Montreal Game #4: Possession Statistics

Here they are, the possession stats for last night's debacle. All the goals happened at ES, so this pretty much tells the whole story.

Ottawa-Montreal Game #4: A Real Kick in the Nets

Details

Date: 07/05/2013
Opponent: Senators
Location: Ottawa

Loss: 2-3 (OT)

Habs Goalie:Price, Budaj (L)
Opposition Goalie: Anderson (W)

Habs goalscorers: Subban, Galchenyuk
Opposition goalscorers:Toronto Goal Judge, Conacher, Turris

Ottawa-Montreal Game #3: Possession Statistics

Apologies for the delay on this one. Had some responsibilities.

Have a look at this though, it's amusing, you'd never know it was from that one-sided disaster we just saw. Goes once again to show that these stats must always be used with other measures to provide proper context and balance. 

Ottawa-Montreal Game #3: Habs Have Trouble Scoring on Innocuous Shots, Sens Do Not

Details

Date: 05/05/2013
Opponent: Senators
Location: Ottawa


Loss: 1-6


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

Habs goalscorers: Bourque
Opposition goalscorers:Alfredsson, Pageau (3), Silfverberg, Turris

Ottawa-Montreal Game #2: Possession Statistics

Possession stats for the big win.

Ottawa-Montreal Game #2: Habs Reach Deep For Victory

Details

Date: 03/05/2013
Opponent: Senators
Location: Montreal

Win: 3-1

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

Habs goalscorers:White, Gallagher, Ryder
Opposition goalscorers:Michaelk

Carey Price After Game 1

I must confess, I went back and forth on Price in the dome last night. If I was choosing again, I'd have all the stats I went through this morning to sway me further.

Ottawa-Montreal Game #1: Possession Statistics

You've all seen the standard boxscore for the game. So you now know who scored (in case you forgot) and who got the penalties. But what beyond that?

Well you know how all the geeky fans are referencing things like possession stats, scoring chances and all that? We decided it was high time that a boxscore illuminated us on this information on a game by game basis. Below you'll find the first prototype. The stats included (all for 5-on-5 play) include:

Ottawa-Montreal Game #1: Anderson, Karlsson-led Senators Are For Real, Habs Need to Adjust

Details

Date: 02/05/2013
Opponent: Senators
Location: Montreal

Loss: 2-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Bourque, Gallagher
Opposition goalscorers: Karlsson, Silfverberg, Methot, Latendresse

Limited Time Offer: LIW Game Reports Back for the Playoffs

After considering the many appeals I get through email and comments, I have decided that LIW will be coming out of Game Report retirement and pitching in with our thoughts on the upcoming playoff games.

In addition, we have a few ideas about how to provide greater statisfaction for those who love the deeper analysis that the NHL game summary just can't provide. So stay tuned...

Can the Candiens Win Without Price Heroics?

At the beginning of the season, more prognosticators than just myself suggested that the Canadiens would only better their 2012 result if Carey Price were able to turn in a better and more dominant performance.

And from the start it seemed like this may be the case. Carey was more prepared than we'd ever seen him for a season and started the year off with the cool confidence that told his teammates: "you go for goals, I'll take care of the rest."

Senators vs. Canadiens: The LIW Analysis

The playoffs are upon us. Before settling into your playoff chair adorned by items of superstition, let's take a moment to assess this series coolly and calmly.

We know the Habs handled the Senators to a 2-1-1 record this year. Oh wait, what's that you say? The Sens were 2-1-1 too? Oh dear, this could be close. let's look:

Ottawa Does Everyone Favours

By winning the last game of the season, the Senators have done everyone some favours going into this post-season:

Game #75 Hat Trick Seals Result For Habs Over Sens

Details

Date: 23/03/2012
Opponent: Senators
Location: Montreal

Win: 5-1

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Anderson (L), Bishop

Habs goalscorers: Cole (3), Nokelainen, Eller
Opposition goalscorers: Spezza

Play of the game

There was a good handful of plays to choose from tonight. Cole's goals were all very nice, Nokelainen's was good, Price made several nice saves. But my play of the game nod goes to PK Subban for his save on Jason Spezza to keep the game out of reach at the time. Only moments after being hit by Spezza (without retaliation from PK), he kept his head and his coverage to save Habs blushes and momentum in the early game.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Erik Cole - Game Puck
If one scores three goals in a NHL game, it doesn't really matter what else one does in a game. Cole happened to play well the rest of the night and set a record for fastest hat trick by a Montreal Canadiens player from opening faceoff as well.

David Desharnais
Desharnais was slick in the offensive zone in this one. He got two assists thanks to Cole's huge efforts. But it was his play on non-goals that impressed me. But for the first 5 minutes of the game, Desharnais was the stand out forward for me.

Ryan White
White played a major role in fending off the Sens in this one. While the team chasing 3 goals probably should have gone for goals, thanks to White's urging, they ended up trying to pull out his gold locks instead. White sort of fought, he was penalized for it. His real impact came as the agitator and distractor.

Defencemen

PK Subban
Subban looks sharp. He's a spring-time player, that's becoming more clear. Tonight he was unleashed on a few occasions to rush and I very much enjoyed seeing that again. It's easy to forget how young PK is, and how really he has lots still left to learn. Highlight moments for me were that save, a rush that Bourque (brought in to stand in front of the net) botched by not being anywhere near the net, and a nice clean body check after an offside (but during the whistling down). He was doing it all in this one.

Andrei Markov
This player just exudes quality. There are things he makes look so simple that once we maybe took for granted. Seasons without his hands and feet make one realize how important keeping a puck in is, how vital to a PP a laser-guided one-touch pass can be. He's still avoiding the contact, I'm noting. But that's just fine with me. I'll gladly take the efficient defender's passing on its own.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Played a very good game. The stops were flowing and he was for once in sync with his defenders. It's a shame that this comes now and not earlier in the season. We could have used the winning before and the losing now. Whatever desire the Habs fans have for Grigorenkupov, Price counters with disregard for losing.

Comments

5:41 into this game and it was over. A team that desperately needed to win allowed a team that desperately needed to lose to get these first three goals and pouf. The strategy from there out consisted of a lot of scuffling and some decent PP action from both sides. The game ended up being long and drawn out in the end because of all the penalties and silly scuffling. In the end, that was all for naught. Neil will have earned some pooler that deals in PIMs a wonderful payout, but beyond that it's just later nights for everyone.

One can't blame the Canadiens for the approach they took, the result or the Senators behaviour. But in an ideal world, this game would have ended 8-9 in regulation after such a flying start. Both these teams are now playing with fire, as lottery and playoffs hang in the balances. As I root for Montreal to go quietly into the night. I am also hoping that Ottawa prevails in their impressive season to make the playoffs. I fear for us all if the two teams on display tonight continue into the next two weeks in this form.

Tomorrow a dose of the Flyers should aid the Canadiens to find their former quest, as the Flyers usually have something to prove and often end up proving it against the Habs. At the finish now, Toronto has won, so has Edmonton. So a victory of less cost can be enjoyed for the beautiful 5 minutes and hat trick it produced.

Game #72Montreal Gives It Their Best Shot, But Still Get Stuck With A Point

Details

Date: 16/03/2012
Opponent: Senators
Location: Ottawa

Loss: 1-2 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Greening, Kuba

Play of the game

Sometimes choosing this is hard, sometimes it is easy, though, like tonight. When the Habs make one, and only one, good play it is pretty straightforward. That play, of course, was our goal. It was Ryan White's stick that started the play when it blocked a Senators PP pass. The puck then went to the speedy Plekanec who made a very nice move before unloading a bullet to the top right corner.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Erik Cole
It is possible that Erik now sees the value of playing for a pick as tonight wasn't vintage Cole. There were moments that excited, however, as he still showed some speed and strength on the puck. Let's just say that the others made this a pretty easy dome for him to bag.

Tomas Plekanec
He scored a goal, his 14th and played 27+ minutes. The Habs are certainly getting their money's worth from Plekanec of late as he continues to play well, and a lot, despite being saddled with the likes of Ryan White and Rene Bourque; players that should not be on an NHL 2nd line. They need to find Tom some wingers to play with this summer because I can't see anyone on the roster (assuming the Desharnais line remains intact) being the solution.

Max Pacioretty
I had to choose someone and, of the legitimate options, he was the only one without any penalty minutes. Playing well, to me, still means playing well even though those that took a lot of penalties increased Ottawa's chances (and our at 0 points). So, I guess the dome, at this point, isn't necessarily who I liked best on the night.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
No Markov, Kaberle or Diaz meant that it was more big minutes and more special teams for Josh. He did OK tonight and was better than the bottom four. He still looks tired though and hasn't been playing as well. My guess is that he is going to rest a lot this summer; good thing he gets an extra month.

PK Subban
I wasn't sure about Subban as he didn't play his best, but at the end of the day it was still good enough. He got in a rare fight tonight and had to put up with his usual (and unfounded; does anyone know why he gets booed in every rink?) boos. It would be nice to see him get the call to play for Canada next month as he could use some big-game, meaningful-hockey development this year.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
Carey was great tonight and was very close to a win and even a shutout despite how badly his teammates were outplayed. He was probably the biggest single reason why we got a point and why it even looked like a competitive game on the scoresheet. I'd play Budaj tomorrow, though as the Habs need to cool it and Price could use a Saturday night off.

Comments

Did Plekanec break the game-plan? Wait, what does the game-plan say about penalty-killing, are you allowed to take shots from the high slot? That goal, almost a fluke goal, gave us the lead and almost gave us a win. That is pretty crazy considering how badly we played and how much we were outpayed by Ottawa. Add to that the fact that the Sens had 8 PPs and it is shocking that we even got to OT. So, was the game-plan to not really try to score and to not worry about taking penalties and to see what happens? That is what it looked like to me. Sad then, isn't it that the team that is now leading our division barely beat us. We could and should have been a better team this year and no matter how much I now want to finish low and be ready to go for October I can't help but be disappointed about what should have been a decent season.

It is not all lost, however, as Edmonton won and we did lose. Tomorrow is the Islanders and if we thought it was hard to let Ottawa win we should see what New York will be like. They have been trying to win hockey games for 30 years and have done about as well as Toronto has done at making good trades. 10 games to go now for the Habs, think we can get a good start to that tomorrow, please.

Game #71Montreal Can't Stop Getting Points; 9th-12th Here We Come?

Details

Date: 14/03/2012
Opponent: Senators
Location: Montreal

Win: 3-2 (SO)

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

Habs goalscorers: Cole Desharnais (1,SO)
Opposition goalscorers: Greening, Karlsson

Play of the game

I have never, ever seen a player do this, in any sport, at any level. Cole took a pass in the neutral zone and went in with his usual speed down the right-side. He put a good shot on net, but it was stopped. A juicy rebound came out just as fast as the shot had gone in and all of a sudden, bang-bang, it was in the net. Yes, I have seen that. But, I have never seen a player high-five the ref after a nice goal, but that is exactly what Erik did, it was hilarious. Nice to see Cole enjoying himself and nice to see that the Habs still seem to enjoy playing. I may try high-fiveing the ref next time I play, but I just have a feeling it will more likely mean 2 minutes for me rather than rapturous applause.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Erik Cole
At this stage it would take something special for the dome to be occupied by three players that aren't on Cole's line. With Ryan White (yes, Ryan White) on our second line and Staubitz on our team it just isn't fair anymore as Cole and company are raking in the domes. 3 more goals to hit 30, 4 more for a career-high. Considering we score 2-3 goals a game and no one else can score I would say this is a lock.

David Desharnais - Game Puck
David scored a goal and was the lone successful shooter in the shootout. He outplayed his opponents most of the game and that is probably why he saw the most ice of any of our forwards. We didn't score on the PP tonight, but I feel that it is improving. Desharnais, in my opinion, is a big reason why we are getting better as he seems more comfortable running a PP and working the half-boards as of late.

Max Pacioretty
The same reason that some people are excited about next year is the same reason that I am worried. We have shown this year that we are not a deep team and that has been painfully obvious over the past few weeks. When you look at our forwards after the top-3 and Plekanec it really is a mess. Eller and Leblanc may have potential, but aren't there yet. Beyond that we are looking at an unflattering group that includes Gionta, Gomez, Bourque, White, Staubitz, Nokelainen, Geoffrion and Palushaj...ouch. Not hard for Max to make the dome tonight as he played like himself and, as predicted, so did the other 9 forwards.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Andrei is already at the stage where if he plays alright he will get in the dome. Gorges had an off night and I wasn't that impressed with Campoli. Weber and St. Denis were alright, but I would still take Markov. He looked more comfortable tonight and was a few inches away from winning the game in the shootout. I was happy that the crowd got behind him so much as they seem to echo what we have been saying on here. So, I guess it is just Michel Beregeron that thinks he should go. He does have a good track record, though as he is a big reason that the team and certain fans turned on Koivu, Kovalev and Kostitsyn. Let's hope that Markov is one Eastern European that can escape that joke's wrath.

PK Subban
Subban was our best defender tonight and, for a change, was miles ahead of Gorges in both ends. His shot that got deflected by Desharnais was a perfect point shot and Desh made a great deflection. He played 28 minutes tonight which he can handle and makes sense, but if we really want to finish low and want to see even more progression from some I would share that ice-time around more, in particular with Emelin, Diaz (when they are healthy) and Weber.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Carey was great tonight and may be the biggest reason that we are 2 points further from our goal and Ottawa is one less from theirs. Can't blame him, though, for playing well and wanting to win, I would be doing the same. I was happy to see him go 3 for 3 in the shootout as he stopped a trio that were 13/21 coming in.

Comments

I get the feeling that with Markov in the line-up in December or even January we would easily have 10 more PP goals, a couple more shootout wins and likely 5-10 more points. So, we would be in the hunt for sure. That, to me, is one of the most encouraging things as we head into a long summer of MLS watching in Montreal. He brings a certain element that helps us and his presence makes every defender better as less is expected of each. You also have to wonder what would have been had Cole, Desharnais and Pacioretty been together from the start. It sure makes a great case against always going with Gionta and Gomez, doesn't it?

Next up is, the Ottawa Senators. It is off to Scotiabank Place where Montreal fans will surely be loud and, maybe regrettably, egging their team on for the win. As much as I would like 85 points at this point (because I enjoy a win more than a loss) I know that that is no-man's land in the NHL. One of the biggest reasons that teams like Toronto never get better is because they never draft high (it probably doesn't help that they draft very poorly and are run by the angriest man in the Western Hemisphere), so I can't stress enough the importance for us to abort on the season. It seems that 9 forwards and 3 D have bought into it, any ideas how we can get the rest of our crew to chill out down the stretch? We get it guys, you are good and this season isn't your fault, but please, take it easy!