Back on Track?

Date: 09/02/2016
Opponent: Tampa Bay
Location: Montreal
Win: 4-2

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

Habs goalscorers: Gallagher, Plekanec (2), Smith-Pelly
Opposition goalscorers: Filppula, Hedman

Tampa-Montreal Game #4: Pacioretty Sweeps Habs Into Round Two

Date: 22/04/2014
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Montreal

Win: 4-3

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Lindback, Gudlevskis (L)

Habs goalscorers: Briere, Eller, Gallagher, Pacioretty
Opposition goalscorers: Palat, Hedman, Johnson

Tampa-Montreal Game #3: Bell Centre Energy Propels Habs

Date: 20/04/2014
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Montreal

Win: 3-2

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

Habs goalscorers: Bourque, Gallagher, Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Palat, Carle

Tampa-Montreal Game #2: Singular Defending and Multifocal Attack Abet Habs Domination

Date: 18/04/2014
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Tampa Bay

Win: 4-1

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

Habs goalscorers: Desharnais, Bourque (2), Gallagher
Opposition goalscorers: Purcell

Tampa-Montreal Game #1: The Firewagon is Lit

Date: 16/04/2014
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Tampa Bay

OT Win: 5-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Plekanec, Gionta, Eller, Vanek, Weise
Opposition goalscorers: Kucherov, Stamkos (2), Killorn

Game #80Tampa's Lack Of D Make It Hard For Habs To Lose

Details

Date: 04/04/2012
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Montreal

Win: 5-2

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

Habs goalscorers: Emelin, Cole (2), Pacioretty (2)
Opposition goalscorers: Lecavalier, Gervais

Play of the game

If I have to look for the best play tonight, the best goal (despite being fairly upset with the win) it would have to be Pacioretty's second. All of the goals were good, actually, but I did like the 5th goal where Max blew past his coverage down the wing and unloaded a bullet of a wrist-shot up and over Garon's replacement (was the requirement to find someone with as close a name as possible?).

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Max Pacioretty - Game Puck
The numbers were good tonight - 2 goals, an assist and +4. Could it be that Max isn't that keen on a top-2 pick as he is fairly happy with his status as top-2 winger on the team? I am fine with that attitude, but hope that next year he contributes more to team success and isn't simply remembered, again, for having a good year on a bad team.

Tomas Plekanec
People remember stats and don't remember when points were gotten, how they were gotten or the context in which they were collected. Therefore, I can totally understand Tom's desire to put a few more points up this week so when we look back in a few weeks, months or years we think slightly better of him than had he mailed it in. Unfortunately for him, however, I would rather we be a Cup contender within 3 years than he get an extra 3 points, but would he?

Erik Cole
Cole just can't help himself, can he? Unfortunately for the top-2 pick drive Erik is healthy and is playing at his usual level. Tonight he inched closer to 35 with 2 more goals and has two games to net one. He is all business on the ice and for that I respect him and look forward to another season with him leading the offence.

Defencemen

Alexei Emelin
I was happy that Emelin scored a goal tonight as he desrved some reward for his season. Is it possible that he is the most underrated and under-appreciated Hab? He has been noticed all year, but when you think of what this guy has done, as a rookie, you can't help but be excited for next year. I say, give him 3-5 more years of being labeled as underrated and then the trophies will start flowing.

Andrei Markov
It was very good to see how well the PP was doing tonight and that was thanks in no small part to the work of Markov. Tonight was his 11th game and he keeps looking better in each. I still hope he plays some more hockey this spring and has a good summer of hard, off-season work as opposed to the rehabbing he has been doing for the past couple of summers.

Goaltender

Peter Budaj
That pass to Lecavalier was right up there with O'Byrne's own-goal in the department of hilariously brutal plays. Aside from that play he was good even though Tampa played horribly. I am not sure if Mayer will get the start tomorrow or Budaj. It doesn't really matter, but I would say there is a good chance we'll need Mayer at some point down the road, so why not give him a taste now.

Comments

Tampa looked like the team playing to lose and we seemed to be fueled by a Bell Centre crowd that was ill-advisedly cheering them on way too much. It seemed like we couldn't help ourselves and it meant a few great chances for our top line. It even meant that Rene Bourque almost got more than one shot or stood in front of the net once in 18+ minutes. If only our team followed the lead of the bottom 3 lines we'd be gold. Now, however, it looks as though Edmonton will bag the 2nd spot and we'll have some work to do to stay in 3rd.

Tonight was a big milestone for Cole as it was his 700th game and he celebrated with two more goals; bettering his best goal mark again and getting to 59 points, 2 shy of that record. It was another milestone round here. Tonight marked the 450th game report that we at LIW have written. We haven't missed one game since we started in the Fall of 2007 with a win in Carolina. That night, the first ever goal to be documented was scored by none other than Erik Cole, it was his 300th career game (playoffs included). The only other players to play tonight and then were Markov and Plekanec; all 3 of those players made the dome tonight.

I couldn't have kept that streak alive without the help of Topham, ian vitro, my Dad (uncredited, but he has written pieces) and a naturalized Habs fan for a wife. We started reporting on games to show a different, maybe more honest side of the game. In the beginning it was all about the thrill of the winning, but, just for a brief moment we have now started to hope for the opposite. There has been a conference win, a conference final, brutal trades, sad player moves a Centennial and so much more. So, thanks to all of you who read and keep this fun and entertaining after each and every win or loss.

Game #64 Geoffrion's Lineage No Magic Potion for Habs

Details

Date: 28/02/2012
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Tampa Bay

Loss 1-2

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

Habs goalscorers: Desharnais
Opposition goalscorers: Stamkos, Hall

Play of the game

Working alone, a canny Desharnais made a great steal to start a rush down-ice with Cole keeping pace. As a second defender hustled back to get a body on Cole, Desharnais used the struggling pair as a screen and snapped a beautiful shot past Garon.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Tomas Plekanec
Once again showed his desire to win, his impeccable penlty-killing skills, and some smart drives to the net. He actually beat Garon, but the Tampa goaltender got lucky as he managed to deflect the puck just wide.

Erik Cole
Carried a lot of offensive weight once again. Won battles that seemed already lost, and got stoned by an incredibly lucky Garon in the 2nd. Also sent a defender flying into the Tampa goalie for a comical finish to the 3rd period.

David Desharnais - Game Puck
Scored our only goal and did it by himself. Tied up a game that, despite the shots being pretty even, did not feel even at all. With Cole, again created most of the meager offensive threats we had.

Defencemen

PK Subban
Was hard filling out the defenders this evening, as no one really distinguished themselves too strongly. Subban is one of the few things that keeps our top power play unit looking even vaguely competent, and looked good enough in his own end.

Josh Gorges
A bit of a no-brainer. Gorges knows where to be and when. St. Louis looked like he might be breaking free and turned hard to shake Gorges, who just put the body to his opponenet and neutralized the play completely. Made some smart plays at the other blue line and didn't make mistakes behind his own.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Let down once again by the skaters in front of him. The Stamkos goal was a beauty, and so was the the saucer pass to Hall and his top-shelf marker. Price made some good saves, including a pokecheck to strip Stamkos in a dangerous-looking play in the 3rd. Price kept the team in this one the whole way once again, but there simply wasn't enough offense to cash in on his good play.

Comments

Credit where credit is due: The Lightning did a lot of things right in this game. Garon made some really spectacular saves, and his team did a good job of getting bodies around him to control rebounds, and to limit the Habs' effectiveness in the offensive zone.

It was fun watching Emelin provoke Malone into a total frenzy and not throw a punch back, but less fun watching the Habs being unable to score over the 5-minute power play that ensued. Frankly, we probably had better chances on the PK. Almost every team we play against seems to work harder and have more discipline, and as a result we lose a lot of those games.

Liked what I saw from Geoffrion, he played about 13 minutes, mostly beside Plekanec. I think Price might have tripped 2 or 3 guys tonight, which I almost like to see as I think a lot of teams take liberties with him. All in all, another hard game to watch as it seems we're just limping through the rest of the season.

Game #41Payback; Canadiens Comeback To Beat Lightning

Details

Date: 07/01/2012
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Montreal

Win: 3-1

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

Habs goalscorers: Blunden, Pacioretty, Cole
Opposition goalscorers: Lecavalier

Play of the game

Getting back in the game once down was critical, but I did expect it would happen. What I didn't expect was that we would get contribution from our 4th line. It was Blunden, in fact, that scored the goal, his first as a Hab. I would have maybe kept Nokelainen in over Blunden, but Cunneyworth obviously knows better than me. The move paid off with a timely goal and it was a nice goal to boot. I don't expect too many more from Mike, but his goal is a reminder of just how skilled all NHLers are when they have space and time to do what they want.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Max Pacioretty - Game Puck
Max had a great goal and picked up an assist on Cole's goal at the end. Beyond that, however, there was so much offence; he led the team in shots (7), attampts (11) and take-aways (2). He also drew the penalty at the end of the game which meant the Habs avoided a potentially frantic final 30 seconds. We needed a better effort from him and we got it tonight. His line was one of the big reasons that Tampa got little going all night as they were, more often than not, in the Lightning's end. I like that lines have formed and that people know their roles, I think that that is helping us right now.

Erik Cole
It was between him and Desharnais. Both players played well, but I thought that Cole had the slight edge tonight. Stealing David's goal at the end of the game, of course, plays in his favour! Not his most dominant game, but he showed that good players can have quieter nights, yet still be better than most of their opposition.

Andrei Kostitsyn
Despite Cole's line being in the dome almost entirely I felt that Eller's line was the most dangerous all night. They didn't score, but came oh so close on so many different occasions. The best element on that line was Kostitsyn as he continued his very strong play. When your top line is your third best on most nights and they aren't playing that badly you know that things must be going well.

Defencemen

Josh Gorges
Gorges came back hard after Subban lost the puck in the offensive zone and took the puck away from Downie beautifully. That was his best play all game, a game in which he was solid throughout. As Gill fades away as a regular it is Gorges who is becoming the shot-blocking machine; tonight he added five to his tally.

Alexei Emelin
Three of our seven guys are being used sparingly and I think that it is brilliant. So, it is like we have four regular D and Emelin is now firmly in that group. It was more of the same tonight as there were more hits and more rushes. I believe that it is only a matter of time till his rushes and shots turn into assists and goals. The more I watch this player, the more I like what we have here. He could very well end up being a fixture on our back end for many years to come.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Price played a very good game and could have easily had a shutout. The goal was a bit unlucky (or very skilled from Lecavalier), but wouldn't go in 9 times out of 10. When the team plays well for a full 60 minutes it makes Carey's life a whole lot easier. Tonight they only allowed 24 shots and that makes it much more realistic to expect him to let in 2 or less than when we let up 35 or more.

Comments

The knock on the Habs earlier this season (like in December) was that if we went down we were out of it. Well, for a second straight game we showed that there is fight in us and that, given time, we can find a way back in. Tampa managed to get the lead, but weren't necessarily playing that much better than us. In fact here was a team just like us in their fragility. For some reason they are another team that lost to Boston in 7 and is having a hard time this year. So, the Habs did well to come back, but I can't say that it was too hard. We just kept plugging away and the chances came and within them a couple of goals. And, once we were back in it we kept playing that same way. It seemed that we had a plan and our goal was to execute that plan for a full 60 minutes. When that happens and the players are on we show our depth, speed and tenacity. This 'small' team is winning a lot of battles right now as players like Cole, Emelin and Kostitsyn are providing the muscle that most people don't think we even have.

I wanted to see us play seven defencemen for a long time. Not seven D like Carbo, Martin or Julien did, though, but to use them all as D. For the past two games we have done just that and it is working rather well. The cost to the forwards is that we have a player from a top-3 line play on the 4th rather than a D-man . That means we get a better player on the ice more and our 4th line is better than if we used a 4th-liner or a D in that spot. The benefit can also be seen at the back end. Gorges, Subban, Emelin and Diaz (and eventually Markov) are all-around guys, guys that can log 20+ minutes and play in all situations. But, I think that it is clear that, ideally, Gill, Kaberle and Campoli (and Weber) aren't. So, what we do is we take that 34-38 minutes of ice-time and divide it by three instead of two. It doesn't hurt the team as those guys are only still on for about 17-19 minutes as a pair (about 12 minutes on average each) and it also keeps them fresher. It also keeps each individual off the ice (which isn't a bad thing) more. You can then use those three when the timing suits them - Kaberle and Campoli when more offence is needed and Gill when we need a bit more of a stay-at-home presence. I really like the concept and hope that we keep it up, especially when Andrei gets back.

Game #71 Solid Team Effort Grounds Lightning

Details

Date: 17/3/2011
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Montreal

Win: 3-2 (SO)

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

Habs goalscorers: Kostitsyn, Gionta (Dawes, Cammalleri - SO)
Opposition goalscorers: Purcell, Gagne (Gagne - SO)

Play of the game

This was made easy for me. Tied at 1-1 with Tampa on the power play, Gionta was in just the right spot to grab a pass gone slightly awry and took off with the puck. He made St.-Louis look slow down the ice (no easy feat) before positively undressing Roloson to bring it to 2-1 and put the taste of victory on the team’s lips.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn
Put himself in good position and showed serious stick control in our first goal, and put in a solid offensive game with Eller and Cammalleri (even if that wasn’t the line he scored with).

Brian Gionta - Game Puck
The captain did what was needed to make victory look like a possibility tonight, and created some quality chances as he always does. He also covered a defensive lapse late in the third to stop what would have been a breakaway for the Lightning.

Lars Eller
I almost wanted to put the Bulldogs as a collective unit here, but Eller convinced me otherwise by doing the simple things well. He has great puck control, keeps his head up, and is learning to use his body and strength to protect the puck so that that he can be patient and create solid chances like he did tonight.

Defencemen

James Wisniewski
Showing great skill and hockey sense in both ends from the first period, Wiz continues to impress me. A key acquisition that we’ll be heavily reliant on down the stretch, it’s a relief to see him deliver game after game.

Roman Hamrlik
Our Czech workhorse played his 1 300th NHL game tonight, and his experience showed through his superb positioning, 7(!) blocked shots, and almost 30 minutes of ice time without a goal against. He had some smart pinches in the dying minutes of the third and some great defensive play in the overtime period.

Goaltender

Carey Price
I almost put the game puck here, and you can accuse me of bias as I’m a huge fan of our captain. Certainly neither goal can be blamed on our netminder, who played a more-than-solid game, and did well to shut the door on some key rushes after Gionta’s goal. He stared down Stamkos and shrugged off charges at the net with equal
ease and kept us in this one as well as anyone could ask.

Comments

A really fun game to watch, with plenty of wide-open, end-to-end hockey. Both teams are fast and like to skate, and it made for a very entertaining game. Roloson was solid for Tampa and had his share of luck in the face of some solid chances, and we flubbed a few besides. With the injury to Plekanec, I was really hoping for Gomez to step up to the plate and deliver. Instead we got a boost from the Bulldogs, and I thought they did well to create some quality chances through simple hard work; Dawes added a welcome goal in the shootout. With our decimated roster and Gill out with a virus on top of it all, I would have been happy with one point against a team like Tampa Bay, let alone two. I’m going to focus on the positives and a big team effort
that brought home a very welcome win.

Game #66Habs Roll Out of FLA on a Roll

Details

Date: 5/3/2011
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Tampa Bay

Win: 4-2

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

Habs goalscorers: Gill, Desharnais, Pacioretty (2)
Opposition goalscorers: Moore, Lecavalier

Play of the game

Price made a poke-check on Stamkos in the third period that I thought was a very crucial and well-executed play. The NHL's most deadly scorer looked certain to put Tampa back in the game, but instead our keeper one-upped him with a very deft play. Tonight there were a lot of simple plays that led to our win, that was the best of them.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Max Pacioretty
The Montreal Americans had a great game tonight, our all American line was on fire. Max scored two goals and looked the most likely to score another as the game went on. He seemed to enjoy working with Gomez and I noticed that they had good body language between them. I wonder if the team and his linemates see Gomez the same way that most media and fans do?

Scott Gomez
The Eller and the Plekanec lines were a bit quieter so we needed Scott to step it up. This is what I want to see down the stretch and tonight he checked in with quite the game. He did very well in the offensive zone and also did well to bag 2/3 (4) of our take-aways on the night. The assist should quiet some people, but hopefully his play will quiet quite a few more.

Brian Gionta
Brian had a good game tonight too and seemed game to go along with his linemates advances. Getting an assist on a Gill goal seems a little lucky to me (since when can he score), but at this point Brian can't be complaining. It was only his twelfth assist on the year which I think is far too little for a player like him. Luckily he shoots (on pace to have the highest shot total ever of any Hab - move aside Zednik) a lot (6 tonight) and that has resulted in a fair amount of goals to date.

Defencemen

Hal Gill
He dropped the ball on the Lightning's second goal, but apart from that play he played a fantastic game. He scored his second of the year (2nd in a row) and was instrumental in our 3rd goal, the winner, as it was he who made the 2-on-1 a possibility. He and Hamrlik are doing a great job of guiding this defence right now and his play on this trip in particular has really instilled tons of confidence as we head into the last 16 games.

PK Subban
Tampa is a quick team so we needed to be quick at times to foil their attacks. That is why a player like Subban can be so valuable. I have found that he has been better defensively lately and tonight was a good example. I am not talking about better than he had been though, no, I am talking about better than he is offensively. It seems like he has been focusing more on the play in his own end and I for one love that team-first attitude.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
When you can play against players like Stamkos and St. Louis and make things look easy you know that something must be going right. In Price's case it isn't just something though, it is everything. He is there on every shot, knows when to cover it or let it go and seems to always anticipate correctly these days. He has been fantastic this trip and is the main reason that we are 1 point off of 80 and just 5 off of the division.

Comments

That was a nice way to end that trip. At the beginning of the week I thought that 6 points was within reach if we stayed focused and I am happy to say that the team didn't disappoint. It has actually been pretty good hockey since that game in Edmonton. The game in Calgary was bad, but since the ice was horrible and there was no speed nor hitting it is hard to judge a team as they are all of a sudden playing a different game than they do every night. Tonight we did it the way we have all season really. We had great goaltending, solid team defence and production from all over the place (players from each line got points). .500 from here on in would give us 95 points and that (99% of the time) should be good enough for the playoffs. It isn't mission-accomplished just yet, but I do think that we have to start thinking beyond April 9th. There are players that need to be rested and lines that must be set (am happy leaving the forwards as they are with White or Darche in for Pyatt), especially the issue of our third D pairing. We can't head into the playoffs riding 4 D (2 of which are old). Over the next few weeks we have to figure out who of Sopel, Mara, Spacek (when he is back), Weber and Picard we can trust. I am glad that we have time to figure that out, but do hope that when the time comes there is a solid plan in place.

Game #38 RDS Dream Team Downs Habs

Details

Date: 30/12/2010
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Tampa Bay
Loss: 1-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Pacioretty
Opposition goalscorers: St. Louis, Kubina, Stamkos (2)

Play of the game

Want to know how worthwhile this game was to watch? The play of the game was our goal. It happened in the first minute. It wasn't a shot on net. Pacioretty did make a nice play by putting in the effort to get a round a defenceman. We'll chalk that up to the element of surprise. Other good plays included the first line change after the two too many men penalties - they got right back on track with the one player on, one player off routine.

Dome hockey team

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

Tomas Plekanec
The one piece of good news is that Plekanec's slump may be nearing an end. he looked good at points even. Using speed is key to his success and he's remembered that after a month or so of searching. It was a game with few great chances, but Tomas had 6 shots and 10 attempts on net. He was the best of the forwards for me.

Mike Cammalleri
This may never happen again, but Cammalleri makes the dome over on the strength of his PK duty. Some of the Habs best chances came shorthanded (I guess they had ample time to play down a man) and Mike was at the heart of a few o them. Really, as the offensive leader of the team, he should be better, but I thought he looked like he was trying.

Max Pacioretty
Ultimately, with his single act, Pacioretty did the one thing Canadiens forwards as a group seem to have been unable to do for a couple of weeks now - put a dangerous puck on net. I didn't notice how he played the rest of the game really, but that goal was enough to dome him.

Defencemen

PK Subban - Game Puck
I lied, there's more good news. PK is regaining his mojo. The play of the game apart from the goal was a hit he timed on Thompson. At other times, I noticed him edging in on strong skates to swipe pucks like he used to. He even got a PP shot on net without it being deflected. The pairings need work, and the team misses Gorges, but get PK into more important minutes - he's turned a corner.

James Wisniewski
Puck control on the PP - how refreshing. He's no Markov, but he can handle a hard pass and block a clearing attempt. We didn't really get chance to see much of his shooting (thanks, Weber), but that should come. I'd say this acquisition has pleasant surprise potential. Replacement for Markov right now, and auditioning for Hamrlik's replacement in the future?

Goaltender

Carey Price
Not player of the game material, but Carey did alright. A penalty shot allowed against the best scorer in the league on the best move in the league is no black mark. Nor, to be honest is letting in a goal on a 5-on-3 (2x too many men!). Carey made some big saves and kept his team alive for a long time while they decided whether they were going to try and put their embarrassing "when trailing" records behind them.

Comments

RDS must get pretty excited for these games. A smorgasbord of French Canadiana down there in Baie Tampa. The Habs less so, as they continue their suffereing at the hands of St. Louis and now add Desjardins to the list of goalies they make look NHL calibre (keeping in mind he's a 0.900 AHLer this season). Personally I find this all a bit embarrassing. The fawning over everyone and anyone by the team of "pros" we must watch, but more importantly the way the Canadiens can't anticipate or ever rise to occasion themselves.

I don't have the tally of scoring chances for the Habs yet, but I wasn't lying when I chose the play of the game. I thought there may have been one, and it went in. In the first minute.

The defence on the team is a problem, but there's a solid explanation. Gorges is missed, Weber is teething and Wisniewski is used to treating 4 goals against like a moral victory. The offense on the other hand is a great concern. We'll no doubt be regaled with tales of Kostitsyn's secheresse next game, but Darche, Pouliot, Lapierre, Eller, Halpern, Moen, Gomez, none look like they'll be scoring very soon - or that they're particularly concerned about that. I'd still be looking to find a player who can actually play top line wing minutes, because apart from the art of having bad passes be deflected in, Pacioretty hasn't exactly ignited the goals since his recall. Barring that, I suppose it's a reshuffle. If that must happen, I'd hope that Pouliot is involved in some upward minutes following a session to view video of his play from October to December 1.

Finally discipline. What a shambles. The reffing was atrocious, and maybe even biased. However, the Habs need to adjust. This must mark at least the tenth straight game where more penalties have been yielded than drawn. It's a simple equation for defeat that. Hamrlik in particular just has to be told to cut it out. He's a costly penalty a game now.

Habs can wait till the cold light of day. All the better if they ring in the year with a win. If not, I'm sure it'll pale against the hangovers we're fighting.

Happy New Year everyone. Go Habs Go.

Game #3Refs and Habs' Defence To Blame For The Collapse

Details

Date: 13/10/2010
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Montreal

Loss: 3-4

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

Habs goalscorers: Lapierre, Plekanec, Kostitsyn
Opposition goalscorers: Clark, St. Louis, Stamkos, Malone

Play of the game

Less than a minute after Tampa tied it up we went back on top with a very nice goal. The play started when Kostitsyn rubbed-out Lecavalier in our own end and stole the puck from him. He then got it to Gorges and started heading back up the ice. Josh moved it to Pleks and in he went with Andrei on a mini 2-on-1. Tom held on to it for a while before saucering it to his winger on the left. Kostitsyn was then in alone on Smith and made a great deke around him before lifting a backhand shot into the middle of the net.

Dome hockey team

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

Andrei Kostitsyn
Kostitsyn's shining moment was certainly his goal and the hit that led to it, but he also had other good moments throughout. He was one of our best forecheckers on the night as he seemed to be on the Lightning D more than any of our other forwards. It was nice to see him pot one as that should quiet some people out there. Next up is Pouliot; unfortunately, however, he still looks a few steps behind.

Tomas Plekanec - Game Puck
Pleks was our best player tonight as he chipped in with a goal and an assist. His goal wasn't anything special as it was a slapshot into an open net, but at least he didn't miss and at least he was there to take that pass. He played 21:53, but I still would have liked to see him out there more. He is killing penalties better than our 'specialists' and is more reliable with the puck than just about anyone on the team.

Michael Cammalleri
Two stupid penalties and Mike still makes the dome. That is because our bottom-6 were bad, Pouliot was non-December 2009 Pouliot and Gomez and Gionta didn't have much going in this one. Despite his penalties he did manage an assist on Pleks' goal and was a +2, which led the team.

Defencemen

Jaroslav Spacek
Jaro was good tonight, or at least better than most. He contributed up front by moving the puck very well in the offensive zone and by keeping plays alive at the blue-line. He assisted on Plekanec's goal as he turned a Hamrlik botch-up into a very good breakout pass to Camms. I am not sure if Subban is the right partner for him though. I seem to remember him and Markov doing very good things last year (in the pre-season) before Andrei went down, so it will be interesting to see if he'll be with Andrei, stay with P.K. or will be paired with the Hammer as he was for most of last year.

Josh Gorges
Josh chipped in with an assist and a team-high 5 blocked-shots. I didn't notice too many mistakes (or any) despite him being right there on both of Tampa's final two goals. To me, those goals had nothing really to do with him, but more to do with the players around him.

Goaltender

Carey Price
Price played well early on and made some very good saves to keep us in front for a very long time. New this year for him is the non-catching glove-save and I have to say 'what took you so long?'. He tried for a few seasons to catch it or simply let it his his glove, but there wasn't much success. This year, and tonight in particular, he is big on the glove-saves that simply hit his fast, upward-moving, glove. I think he was screened on the first goal, but the last three were all similar. The D played bad, there was a mad scramble and Price got caught way out of position. Most, if not all, goalies would be in the same boat so it will be interesting to see whether he'll consider this 4 gaol-against loss as a bad game or as a good one. I actually hope that he forgets about it and moves on as it really should be one to forget; I don't think he was a major factor one way or the other.

Comments

People will be complaining about the fact that Boyd was tripped right before Tampa tied it up. After watching the replay, however, it appears more that he fell and the non-call was probably the right call. What wasn't a good call, however, was the slashing call on Subban with 2 minutes to play. This is the typical NHL-style of 'give the trailing team a chance to tie it up'. It is a farce as nothing else was called in the third period or in OT. To say that a little slash (Subban did slash) was the worst thing that any player did during that time period is a joke. The refs and league will make arguments that Subban slashed him and that is against the rules; and, that it is. But, when is the league ever going to comment on the other 40 infractions that happen throughout a period and offer a rational, logical explanation as to why those aren't called. I am familiar with the rules and I can't seem to find anywhere in there that states a ref shall use judgement to not call most of the penalties (apart from puck-over-the glass - we all know how much time that wastes...). This league's officiating is a joke and tonight we paid the price. I do, however, know that we'll benefit from it too, so yipee.

Our defensive play, for the most part, was bad tonight. We put ourselves in too many bad situations which is why we let up 48 shots. We have to keep in mind that Halak is no longer here, so letting up our usual 40+ shots per game is no longer a great strategy. If we keep playing like we did tonight it won't matter how many goals we score as I feel we won't win that many games at all. We'll see what happens this weekend, but play like that and/or less than 2 points may be a reason to question if this is the system for us this year or was it simply the system for the roster we had last year.

RDS's Team Comes Home Set To Play Habs In Montreal

Steve Yzerman is a man after Bertrand Raymond's heart. How else to describe a GM who retains a core of French Canadian superstars to build on with Simon Gagne and the biggest coaching star to come out of the province in a decade?

The Lightning play the Habs tonight in the arena RDS would be happy enough to hand over to them this very evening. I don't think I'll be among those fawning over the Yzermen, but we still need a preview, right?


Key match-ups

Boucher and Martin
It's possible that everybody has already forgotten that they wanted an experienced NHL coach. As Guy Boucher takes to the NHL bench for the second game of his career, it seems the fear that he might be the one who got away is now trumping all those years of growing coaches to no avail. Martin will be in tough tonight, though. Not only is Boucher riding in on a wave of good feeling, he is also a crafty coach, and one that can call Steven Stamkos' name.


St. Louis and Cammalleri
Two very good scorers, Two very effective offensive players. But Mike Cammalleri's deficiencies are known because he plays every other night on Quebec TV sets. The grass is greener with St. Louis, since he doesn't. Within the game, both players are now the ones who make their offenses tick. Cammalleri is the Canadiens most dangerous finisher and St. Louis the generator for the Stamkos powerhouse.


Hedman and Hamrlik
Two well known Lightning top 2 draft picks. Two touted big-framed juniors. Not that the Canadiens could have had Hedman. He remains an object of admiration. Hamrlik will also be in focus as he returns tonight. Both should be anchoring the defensive end for the respective teams. Hamrlik will look to find early 2009-10 form, but will be an improvement over Picard with a mediocre performance. Hedman will be battling age and experience to tie together a mostly offensive minded blueline.


Price and GF
Carey Price is in a delicate place. This season he has a win and a loss taken from games where his team scored timely goals and didn't. In order for his belief in winning to return, the conquer of the idea that the team must decide (i.e., score 3 times) must be banished. Last year against Tampa, Price played 3 times. Twice he played well, once pretty well and he came out with one win, the Lightning got points in every game. As demons go, the Lightning games represent them very well. performing well against another team with straight shooting stars and giving his team a chance to win will be s big step.


Momentum

Little at all. The Lightning have only played once. The Canadiens twice. Neither team has played since Saturday. I don't know how the NHL schedule is made, but this seems a strangely long layoff given both teams have to be somewhere else within a night or two. Maybe there were Icecapades to accommodate? The media momentum is also split. The Boucher phenomenon is fueling the Lightning, while a single win has been enough to light the Habs fire.


Lightning the Habs covet

Steven Stamkos
Big, fast, scorer. When Stu Cowan wrote on the draft, this is the kind of player he was no doubt lamenting. But players like this are hard to come by without losing for a season. He'll be as hard to pry from the Lightning as Lecavalier ever was.

Simon Gagne
A few years ago, I'd have written St. Louis. Gagne is 5 years his younger, though and is just as reliable as a scoring threat. One of the biggest Quebecois stars of the past decade really should have been on the Habs radar when they did their reshake.


Habs the Lightning covet

PK Subban
Guy Boucher owes a lot to PK Subban. An NHL job for a start. PK is the dynamic skating defenceman that every team wants. But teams dressing Randy Jones and Brett Clark just scream it a little louder.

Tomas Plekanec
Last season the Lightning dressed Lecavalier and 50-goal Steven Stamkos at centre. A pretty good one-two punch. Last year the Lightning missed the playoffs by a clear margin. Tomas Plekanec is that rare centre who can swing between offense and defence with ease and in the team-building blueprint, he's a valuable piece to teams who can't stop shedding goals.


Ready-made excuses

Neither team will want to lose, but both can afford to for the moment. i don't think that will have stopped them getting their excuses all lined up:

If Montreal lose:
- Markov is injured
- Guy Boucher is a genius
- The Lightning were better rested
- The Lightning channeled the energy of their home province

If Tampa lose:
- Not in the rhythm of the season
- Boucher is a rookie coach
- Players are still learning system
- It's all written in Yzerman's plan


Impact of this result

I say that both can afford to lose. Of course they can, it's game 2 and 3 for the respective teams. That doesn't mean there won't be an impact.

For Tampa, I think a loss will be quickly swept away. They play Philly tomorrow and only ten fans will have watched it happen anyway (if you don't count their support in our province).

Auld will start the next game and may start to put a credible challenge in on Price. Martin will carry the loss until he faces Boucher again. Hamrlik and Spacek will be panned. And all the good feeling will be turned to bad.

Adieu Guy Boucher

This past week, the Montreal Canadiens lost their young dauphin, the rising star that is Guy Boucher. A French Canadian student of the game who has succeeded at every level so far due to his diligence and the creative new development of tactics.

He’s the coach that any team would want. Eventually.

Habs fan reaction has been predictably sour on this departure. Boucher was seen as a star signing last season, even before he went to work for the organization. Following a season of success in the AHL and of player development the likes of which we have seldom seen in three decades in Montreal, his star only seemed brighter.

My personal take on this is that the Habs did the right thing here.

First, they did the right thing for the man. Boucher now leaves the Canadiens family with nothing but cherished memories. This will always be the team that gave him his break, and now too the team that didn’t begrudge him his next one.

Second, they honour their commitment to Jacques Martin, who like his calm demeanor or not, must be given loads of credit for his revamp of the team that can suddenly compete with the big boys.

Finally, they didn’t panic. Panic would have been hiring Boucher on as head coach for fear that he may be great. Such hirings are unwise, as they take us further from the well laid plan that was so painful to instigate one short year ago. A veteran coach was needed, and probably still is, while veterans are forged from the young generation of leaders coming through.


Still reasons to denounce this move do exist. In the vein of a Leclair trade that still haunts many a fan’s dreams, there’s the what if? What if Boucher wins the Cup elsewhere? What if he wins the Jack Adams?

It’s easy to get caught up in all these what ifs, but often forgot is the other side of the coin: What if Guy Boucher takes time to adjust to the league like the vast majority of coaches who come through?


Among the reasons to take confident comfort in this move, the story of one William Scott Bowman is foremost.

Scotty Bowman entered the Canadiens organization as a star more than 50 years before Guy Boucher ever did. At his hiring in the early 1950s, Bowman was a former junior Canadien who had impressed his mentors. Early in his post-player days, Scotty was made assistant of the Junior Canadiens under the mercurial Sam Pollock. Memorial Cup finals and championships followed as he made his name within the Forum’s halls.

After stints coaching in Ottawa and Peterborough, Scotty was moved internally to the position of chief scout of amateur talent (a latter-day Trevor Timmins). In any case, the Canadiens weren’t going to let his feet get cold. When he was ready, he took full duties as coach of the Montreal Junior Canadiens ¬ the main feeder to the star-laden team in the NHL.

Then, in 1967-68, the NHL expanded its operations to include 6 more cities. Opportunities that had been sewn up by playing and coaching talent alike until then were suddenly doubled. For the Canadiens, this presented a choice. Would Scotty Bowman be shoehorned into the pro ranks alongside Toe Blake, would they put their organizational foot down and try to bar his way, or would they let the star they had nurtured fly the coop.

They chose the latter and Scotty was allowed to depart in order to become an assistant to Lynn Patrick in St. Louis. As Scotty recalls it, he decided to take a chance then too:

"Montreal was a very strong team at the time. Toe Blake was coaching. I got a chance to go to the NHL when they expanded. It's hard to turn down a chance to get into the NHL. I was coaching the Junior Canadiens who had moved back to Montreal. I got the opportunity to go to St. Louis from Lynn Patrick. He was going to be the general manager, and I coached his son Craig in junior hockey in Montreal. When he got the job with the Blues, he hired me as his assistant. I decided I really should take a chance. I was fortunate the league expanded and I got an opportunity to get to one of the expansion franchises."

His time in St. Louis was a success, after becoming head coach after mere weeks into the season, Scotty’s teams went on to reach the finals in each of his first three seasons in the NHL. No doubt Scotty learned much.

Apprenticeship completed, his old head coach and friend Sam Pollock convinced Scotty to rejoin his hometown club in 1971. The rest is history.


Guy Boucher may never match Scotty Bowman’s achievements, but his path to the NHL coaching ranks is at least somewhat similar. In both cases, the coaches had keen eyes for talent, a commitment to winning and the determination to outstretch their rival coaches. Both were also known stars of the Canadiens organizations they were part of.

In following Bowman’s path out of the Canadiens family to stretch his legs, we hope that the similarities continue ¬ there’s really nothing else to be done. In the new world of the NHL, where teams from one season rarely resemble the one three years down the line, there’s no real reason to fret over Boucher. We simply hope he can learn and thrive while keeping the candle he has for the Canadiens organization flickering until the opportunity for his return may come.


Suivant, next.

On a related note, one would think that the hiring of Guy Boucher last year will have taught the Canadiens management team a valuable lesson about installing quality personnel under the main team. I hope that in addition to holding early camps, firing scouts, signing Americans and negotiating with Plekanec that Gauthier is dedicating a substantial slab of time to scouting the next Bulldogs coach.

Game #68Montreal Keeps It Going With Strong Home Effort

Details

Date: 09/03/10
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Montreal

Win: 5-3

Habs Goalie: Halak (W)
Opposition Goalie: Niittymaki (L), Smith

Habs goalscorers: Metropolit, Gomez, Pouliot, Darche (2)
Opposition goalscorers: Stamkos, Walker, St. Louis

Play of the game

We were never in any real danger of going down in this game or losing our lead, so the clutch aspect is out for me tonight. Instead, for a change, I can just focus on the prettiest play of the night. It really comes down to two plays for me, both involving Metro, but I chose to go with the first, our PP marker. That play started with a rush out of his own end by Spacek. A drop-pass to Gomez at centre-ice, who was at full speed, allowed for an easy gain of Tampa's zone. Scott then, with a full head of speed, went around the net and exploited the man-advantage. He was given a lot of time to find a streaking Metropolit who took the pass well and one-timed it into the net.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Scott Gomez - Game Puck
Right now Scott is playing his best hockey as a Hab and likely his best of his contract (ie. since leaving the Devils). His passing is on, his defensive game is sound and he still puts tons of pucks on net which is always a good thing. Tonight he led the way with a goal and two assists and another four shots. His line was explosive and once again set the tone, early, for the whole game. Thankfully, too, his face-offs were good tonight.

Mathieu Darche
I think that the ex-Redman may just have had the game of his life tonight, right at home. He scored two goals and that marks the first time that the veteran has potted 2 in a game in his career. He is proving to be such a useful addition as he really can be used on any line. Along with Moore, they are breathing life into our 3rd and 4th lines - something that was desperately needed. Besides the goal Mat was also a very involved player in other aspects of his play. He isn't afraid to mix it up and seems to be able to play whatever role (scorer included) asked of him.

Glen Metropolit
Those legs have been given new life. I am not sure how Metro spent his break, but I am assuming he didn't play much hockey during those two weeks. Granted, he has been given more competent linemates, but a lot too can be said of his own play. He is once again involved offensively and seems to be able to handle a full 60 minutes without any real problems. He scored a goal and an assist tonight and now has a very impressive 28 points. If he can stay rested, as we go forward, then he will represent a very important piece to our bottom-6 puzzle.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Tonight represented yet another outstanding time-management game, concerning Andrei, by Martin. He knew that Marky wasn't needed to play 25+ minutes and, therefore, gave him a mere 20 minutes and spread around the rest. Don't, however, let this usage fool you into thinking that he didn't play that well, no, it was quite the contrary. He managed 2 assists and was, once again, far and away, our best defenceman. To put it into perspective he was on the ice for 3 of our goals and none of theirs as he yet again excelled in both ends.

Jaroslav Spacek
Jaro's strong play was on display again tonight and it all started with that drop-pass to Gomez on the PP. A simple play, yes, but it shows focus and confidence, two things that we expect from the high-paid veteran. That single assist, along with a +2 rating, are the only real stats to point to in what was a solid, mistake-free, effort. He is another player who we must not overplay, but I think the schedule and the fact that our blue-line is currently healthy will help keep that very manageable.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
Halak certainly didn't blow anyone away tonight with his play, but he didn't have to. All in all I would say it was an average game from the keeper who hasn't been allowed to be just that much this year. The first goal was possibly one of the worst defensive plays that I have ever seen (2 back-to-back, tape-to-tape passes from Gill to the opposition), but the other 2, especially the third, should have been stopped. That last goal was the first sign of 'lack-of-focus' that I have seen from Halak in a long time and am going to forget about it for now; let's hope it was a one-off.

Comments

With the way that we have been playing since the Olympics the message was clear - play as you did out West and the points won't be an issue. Well, it was message received, I'd say. Tampa, even at their best, doesn't match up to us (especially after their first line) when we are at our best and tonight, I'm happy to say, that they weren't playing near their best anyway. Lecavalier may have had 8 shots on goal, but to me was a non-factor and doesn't seem like the player that we all fell in love with (right after we fell out of love with Briere). So, a strong start and some quick puck-movement was just too much for the Lightning to handle as we imposed our play on them. Their D and goaltending looks very sub-par which should only help us as we race with them towards the playoffs. It was good to see the Habs play in red (first time in 24 days) and I think they really fed off the energy of a fan-base that was happy to welcome them home. We now have 2 very winnable games coming up before heading into a 1-game in 7-night stretch. I would suggest that anything less than 2 points from our Thursday and Saturday match-ups (Oilers and Bruins) would be very disappointing after the way we have been playing in March.

Game #55Montreal Stumbles To A Second Straight Uninspired Loss

Details

Date: 27/01/10
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Tampa Bay

Loss: 0-3

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

Habs goalscorers: None
Opposition goalscorers: St. Louis, Lecavalier, Stamkos

Play of the game

It was hard to find a good play for the Habs, so I chose more of a turning point from the game. This play came right after the Lightning went up 2-0 and I felt we had to press hard then and there and get one back. Instead Tampa kept coming and the persistence of Steve Downie paid off. Downie hit Gionta with a questionable hit which I thought was clean (barely) and so did the refs. Gionta's reaction to this (he obviously didn't agree with me or the refs) was stupid and cost us 2 minutes, and a goal. He forgot why he was on the ice and just waited till Downie came by and almost knee-on-kneed him (he got called for the trip). Tampa scored on that PP and never once looked back.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Tomas Plekanec
Tomas was our best centre tonight as he tried his hardest to generate some chances. I thought that all in all his line did well, but expected a bit more from Cammalleri. Plek's team lead in shots (4) was good and so was the fact that he was our best face-off man; the bad news being that he was 40%.

Brian Gionta - Game Puck
I didn't like the retaliation penalty, but the team didn't have to let in a goal on the PP or go to sleep after (and before) that play. It was a bad play, but it wasn't the only reason we lost. Aside from that Brian played a very nice offensive game and came very close to putting us on the board. Gomez and Pouliot were off tonight, but Gionta kept plugging away nonetheless.

Sergei Kostitsyn
Sergei was probably our third best forward tonight, but, I'll tell you, that wasn't hard to do. Let's see, I didn't know that Lapierre was even playing till I saw him in the second period, Maxwell and Darche were hardly used and were pretty ineffective. That leaves 5 others (we only dressed 11 tonight) and three of those are Gomez, Pouliot and Cammalleri who I have already said I wasn't impressed with. Add to all of that the fact that Moen was nothing special and that Metropolit was way worse than he can be and I am even more confident with my pick.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
As far as our D go tonight Markov was the best, in both ends. He worked the puck around well on the PP (better than any other Hab) and was at the root of a few good chances. I didn't see any major mistakes in our own end and he even looked comfortable playing in front of his buddy Price. On top of all of this he carried O'Byrne for a good part of the last two periods and Ryan, not to my surprise, did not play well.

Roman Hamrlik
Hamrlik got put on the 4th line of D tonight when he was moved away from Spacek and put with Bergeron. That, of course, is the equivalent of playing with Lapierre after a season with Plekanec - I think we all know what generally happens in those cases. So, considering that (and watching MAB play defence) it was a nice surprise to see that Roman was only on the ice for one goal against. Not a great game tonight, but certainly a better one than our other 4 D-men.

Goaltender

Carey Price
When you don't score you don't score. You can add to that the fact that the 3 goals against were all pretty good goals. Having Carey in tonight was the right call as we certainly don't want to burn out Halak and he has played quite well vs. Tampa. His game was decent tonight and I think he gives our most competitive team a chance to win (had they shown up). I, however, didn't like his puck-handling tonight (as bad as ever) and didn't like his body language after the 3 goals. I know it must be hard to be called out as much as he has been lately, but he must keep a positive attitude now, more than ever, as that is what will help him as he goes forward.

Comments

For those of you who didn't watch, well done. For those of you that did, too bad. This was a pretty bad hockey game to watch as a Canadiens fan. It lacked pretty much any emotion whatsoever, lacked proper, good scoring chances (we may have had 2) and ended up being one of the least inspiring games of the season. The bad part is that Tampa didn't really have to play that well themselves to beat us by 3 and to shut us out. There is not much more to say about this game and I can only hope that the Habs will give a better effort on Saturday against Ottawa because if they play like this it will be a certain loss. I am, however, quite hopeful that a couple of days off will help them to forget these two games and I wouldn't be surprised if they amazed us all with their talent, speed, heart and effort yet again.

Game #42Habs Get Another 2 Road Points As Refs Let 'Em PLay

Details

Date: 30/12/09
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Tampa Bay


Win: 2-1 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Gionta, Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Foster

Play of the game

When the refs decided to put their whistles away (at the start of the third) the Habs were slow on the uptake. They did, however, by OT realize that cheating was not only allowed, but was quite advisable. It was Cammalleri who took the most advantage of this when he tripped Stamkos in our own end and stole the puck away. Doing this in OT meant that there was a lot of open ice and so off he went with Pleks on a 2-on-1. Tomas had the puck and waited and waited before he decided that shooting was the best option. He put the puck in the opposite (left) bottom corner and grabbed 2 points for the Habs.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Tomas Plekanec
Tomas played a much better game tonight than he did against Ottawa. The obvious thing to point to is the OT winner, but he was also much better at face-offs and at winning his 1-on-1 battles too. Today was a good day for our star as he was not only our OT hero, but he was also named to his country's Olympic squad.

Matt D'Agostini
Hamrlik's return meant something had to give. Taking Bergeron out seems silly as he is a true force on the PP. Likewise for Gill as he has been nothing but solid as of late, especially on the PK. So, it was really between 3 players - D'Ags, Pacioretty and O'Byrne. MaxPac was the one who ended up sitting and it was, therefore, Matt who moved up to the third line and I am happy to report that he did not waste his chance. This was probably his best game of the season as he took quite a few shots and had one thing on his mind: score.

Andrei Kostitsyn
Plekanec's line was our best and I thought all 3 players did quite well. I did, however, think that Andrei was a slightly bigger threat than Mike. He had 4 shots on net including a backhand in the third period that almost surprised Smith. He may have ended the game at -1 and with 0 points, but he is so far removed from the player who was posting identical stats in October and November.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
This was Markov's 6th game back and it also marked the 6th game in a row in which he posted a point - he now has 8. Believe it or not, if he keeps that up he would end up with a 60+ point season which, in 47 games, would have to be Norris worthy. He also was +1 tonight and, therefore, is now +4 on the year. Tonight he showed, again, that he is our best player as he got it done at both ends of the ice.

Roman Hamrlik
It was great to see Hammer back, but somewhat of a surprise to see him playing almost 23 minutes, including a good amount of time on the second PP unit. Now, if that surprised me, what didn't was his play as he was the same, solid defender that we have come to depend upon. It was certainly nice to see him in at the same time as Markov as we now boast two very good pairings. A sour point on his day may be that he wasn't selected for the Czech team which I think is crazy. One can only think that if he can carry a team like the Habs' defensive corps for half of the year he could easily be a top-7 man for his country.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
5 games off didn't seem to have any negative effects on Carey as he put together a very solid game. He was especially good towards the end of regulation and in OT. I felt that he found pucks around him very well and that he was very much in control of his crease and the surrounding areas. I assume it will be Halak tomorrow, as there isn't much rest time to be had, but I wouldn't be shocked or upset if Price go the call.

Comments

The second half of the season started quite a bit better than the first half ended on Monday night as the Habs were ready for this game. Tampa, however, was also ready which meant we were in for a good game. If you wanted to see good passing, good goaltending and good scoring chances then this game was for you - a far cry from games against teams like Minny and NJ. I actually thought that it was quite entertaining and that 35 shots each was a good amount as neither team really dominated play. The Habs now have one game remaining in this busy month and this lengthy road-trip. We go into tomorrow's tilt with Florida with 17 points in 16 games in December and 10 in 6 games on this road-trip. Add to that the fact that we are now boasting a pretty complete line-up (only Mara is missing) and one has to not only like our chances of finishing the year strong tomorrow, but of also having a strong start to 2010. I am convinced that if we can stay healthy and can get good goaltending we will find a way to get into the playoffs come April time.

Game #17Chances Were There, But Habs Let Winnable One Slip Away

Details

Date: 7/11/09
Opponent: Lightning
Location: Montreal

Loss: 1-3

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

Habs goalscorers: Gionta
Opposition goalscorers: Malone, Tanguay, Wright

Play of the game

Our goal was OK, our chances on which we failed to convert were, at times, quite spectacular (Metropolit's spin-shot) and Price made a few big saves. The play of the game, however, is none of those tonight. In fact it is a very simple play that follows the theme of the last play of the game. Maybe I am just excited that Kostitsyn is showing life, but I think that I am most excited by the fact that it looks like we may now have 5 legitimate forwards. Like I said it was a simple play and one that didn't get us anything, but the heart shown was incredible. On what looked like a certain Habs icing the surprisingly fast Kostitsyn skated hard for the puck. He played the situation perfectly and got inside of not one, but two Lightning defenders. With a big shoulder on shoulder hit he knocked over both players (and he actually ended up in the heap too) and won the race to the puck. I say won the race, but the icing was called nonetheless. That is because the linesman, toeing the company line, gave the benefit of the doubt to the defenders. In fact, no one touched the puck, but had play continued one would have to think the player on the inside, right beside the puck (Andrei) would have done so first. That would have given us the puck in Tampa's end with two of their men in the corner on the ice...oh, what could have been.

Dome hockey team

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



Forwards

Tomas Plekanec - Game Puck
Tom left Laps and Lats behind in this one and got put back with Kostitsyn. I am not sure exactly what happened and why they only played 11 minutes between them, but I can only assume it is because of their poor overall defensive coverage and their lack of production as newly appointed top-6 forwards (the same reason Kostitsyn has received the same fate a few times this year). Anyway, Tom looked very good back with his old winger and I felt they were our best duo all night. No points for Tom, but 3 shots and, more importantly, 11-3 on face-offs was quite the performance.

Andrei Kostitsyn
I am very happy with what I saw from Andrei tonight. I even think that the get-Kostitsyn-out-of-Montreal crew (RDS) would agree with me there. He was aggressive, he played fast and he created chances; mostly through passing in this one. We need him to continue this play because if he keeps this effort up the points will come. I don't think anyone out there will argue that, when at his best, he can offer a lot more than anyone else vying for one of those last two top-6 spots.

Brian Gionta
His goal was certainly a highlight tonight, but he and his line were also pretty consistent. Believe it or not Niittymaki actually played quite well and, had he not, this could have been a much higher scoring game. Brian had 6 shots in all and his line had 17 (team had 37), so in theory they should have at least scored one or two more. Not scoring, however, is part of hockey (a bigger part than scoring), so I am just glad that Gionta, after a few games in which he was slightly less effective, is, once again, getting himself in the right spots to get some glorious chances. We all know that, in time, the goals will come.

Defencemen

Roman Hamrlik
Hammer was the leader on defence tonight. One of my favorite aspects from this game is that he didn't flip the puck over the glass for 2 minutes of box-time. Martin went with a more balanced approach in his distribution of defencemen ice-time, but Roman still came out on top with over 25 minutes. Only one giveaway and 4 blocked-shots are two other positive stats for the big Czech.

Jaroslav Spacek
Believe it or not, but neither Bergeron nor Carle were on the ice for any goals-against. Those two didn't play great, but I thought, at least, held their own in our end and added a bit offensively. Spacek, however, I think beat them both in both categories. His shot on our PP, which led to the goal, was what we expected all along as it was a hard, one-timer which was impossible to catch. Defensively he was there for Tanguay's goal and made a couple of other little mistakes, but was still a big reason why Carey only saw 21 shots.

Goaltender

Carey Price
3 goals on 21 shots isn't great and I can't say I am pleased with how the goals were scored, but he wasn't the reason we lost and he did give us a serious chance to win. He let in no third period goals and merely asked an offence, which shot 37 times, to score 3 at home - something that will, more often than not, happen. I felt that he made some good saves early on and he was strong with his lateral movements. He seemed a little lax at times handling the puck behind his net which almost led to turn-overs. Rebound-control was weak tonight as a goal and a few other chances were due to his inability to give out smaller (or no) rebounds.

Comments

These are the types of games that, come April, you wish you would have won. Tampa is a decent enough team, but when you double a team that isn't elite in shots, at home, you have to find a way to get points. Niittymaki played well, but let's face it he is an average (at best) goalie. The chances were there, but things like not getting in front of the net, not drawing penalties and not really having prolonged offensive-zone possession caught up with us. This week will, therefore, go down as a bad one as we only managed 2 of a possible 6 points (and surrendered 5). With 9 goals against in 3 games and only 1 win for Price I think it is time to give our 1b another shot in the net as he has been more consistent, but more importantly, has found ways to win. Calgary, Phoenix and Nashville presents another good chance at a four-point weak and I think that it is very doable. A good start, at home, on Tuesday against the Flames will hopefully make up for what was a sub-par week for the Habs.