Game #16Habs Back To .500 With Another OT Win

Details

Date: 12/11/2011
Opponent: Predators
Location: Nashville

Win: 2-1 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Desharnais, Pacioretty
Opposition goalscorers: Weber

Play of the game

Our first goal was a beaut and was surely my pick for play-of-the-game, I swear. But, the Habs, once again, exceeded my expectations and pulled some magic off in OT. It was Subban, really, who made our goal possible with incredible poise, patience and control at the blue-line. With that came time and space for others as 3 defenders rushed to him. So, MaxPac was wide open when he took the pass and he even had about 2 seconds, while standing completely still mind you (Flyers trap-breaking still), to get off the perfect shot up and over the arm of one of the league's best.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

David Desharnais
David has been playing well, well enough to be on a top-2 line, but with the return of Gomez tonight it looked like he was out to prove that one more time. He scored our first on a very nice play and then was in on the winner too. He makes things happen in the offensive zone and with the solid D and goaltending we are getting lately that is really what this team needs.

Max Pacioretty
Max's best play was certainly his OT-winner (thanks PK), but he was pretty decent throughout. He hasn't been the red-hot player that he was in October of late, but has still been one of our best forwards on most nights. It would appear that he is settling into a partnership with Cole quite nicely which excites me as it is possible that we'll have 2 other equally good lines out there when we are healthy. Max took a lot of hits and contact tonight which is the thing that amazes me the most about his play this year. It would (somewhat remarkably) appear that he isn't afraid one bit to be out there and in a way is even playing faster, stronger and more courageous than he was before Chara assaulted him.

Erik Cole
I liked Cole again tonight and continue to like the new dimension that he is bringing to the Canadiens. He may not have scored or had many chances of his own, but one can never under-estimate the value that his fast, physical play has as it wears the opposition out and, more importantly, creates openings for his teammates.

Defencemen

PK Subban
We can't seem to go a game without an injury or a scare; tonight it was Subban's turn. When he wasn't out there to begin the third I was worried, not just worried for the next few games, but worried about how we would bag the win (or at least one point) tonight. Luckily his absence was short-lived and he was back taking regular shifts early in the third. He was a big reason that we held Nashville from going ahead and the biggest reason why we ended up winning.

Josh Gorges
Josh isn't the same player that he was a month a go; he is better. In fact, Josh isn't even the player he was a year ago; he is better. The biggest change for me is how he is getting involved offensively and how he is actually doing a good job of it. There was another assist tonight giving him 8 points, tops among our D-men. He has stepped up in Markov, Wisniewski and Hamrlik's absence which is good to see. I hope that it continues when Marky is back, however, as it doesn't seem to be affecting Josh's defensive play one bit.

Goaltender

Peter Budaj - Game Puck
He never had to be spectacular tonight, but made all but one of the stops that you would hope he would make. He has only played twice, but has delivered in both games (we lost the other one, but he did play well and only allowed 2 goals). I think that any person can see the value in Price getting 20 nights off this year rather than 10 and Budaj is telling his coach that that is quite alright. His rebounds at times were juicy tonight, and it may be lucky that they didn't cost us, but that also shows how well the D (and forwards coming back) have been playing. His numbers now speak for themselves, so let's hope we see more of him as the schedule ramps up.

Comments

Montreal played another good road game tonight by staying out of penalty trouble (have to do something about the SH goals though; how about D at the point?), for the most part, created chances in the offensive zone and imposed their game-plan on a pretty decent Nashville squad. The Preds certainly took over parts of the game with strong play, but with a combination of luck and hard work we weathered the storm. For our part we didn't generate too many chances (not enough really, considering the quality of their D and goaltending), but on the road if you can grab a point, I don't care how you do it. Winning in OT was a bonus that I wasn't expecting as I was already calling it a win with the 1 point. This team has talent, though, and surprising depth, so it wasn't too shocking, really.

Things seem to be settling back to normal around the East. We're back into that 6-12 range (2 points out of the playoffs) where I think we'll be all year, the Islanders are last and the Leafs only have 10 points in 10 games after 11 in 7 to start. The flip-side to that is that Boston is moving up and so are Tampa. It will be a battle, as it is every year, but that is good news. 3 weeks ago we wondered if it would be a battle at all. We have shown, however, that we are still an NHL-level team who can win on any given night. Our depth is showing and is paying off as is the play in our own end. Once the PP gets going (79 is surely the key) we'll hopefully be back to our old selves, back to that team that doesn't have to sweat until game #82.

Game #15Gorges' First Gives Habs First Extra-Time Win

Details

Date: 10/11/2011
Opponent: Coyotes
Location: Phoenix

Win: 3-2 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Gionta, Moen, Gorges
Opposition goalscorers: Boedker, Torres

Play of the game

After the first period it was looking like Pleks could be hurt, it was looking like Desharnais was now our top centre. Tom came back to start the second, however, and did very well on one of his first shifts that period. He fore-checked hard and created confusion behind Smith's net. Then came his linemate Gionta (noticeably fueled by the prospect of having Pleks healthy after that scare) who made a fantastic play to strip Gordon of the puck and stun a flat-footed goalie. That goal changed the Habs's gameplan; it gave us a serious chance to win from that point on.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Tomas Plekanec
Pleks played a great first period, but really seemed to step it up after that as to show us all that he was fine. He was in on our first two goals; something that we have now come to expect. Losing him would be as bad as losing Markov or Price so I do hope that he is OK. He seems to have good chemistry with Gionta which may work well for Gomez's return as I really think Scott needs a fresh start, with 2 new faces on his flanks.

Brian Gionta - Game Puck
The skipper was the biggest part of our two first goals, our two best plays of the game. This was one of those games where you really noticed Gionta, a game where he led his team as a captain should. The points give him 10 on the year which isn't horrible considering the slow start that we had. I hope that Martin keeps him with Plekanec for now as we really need 3 strong lines and I think that the G-G combo has become too predictable for our opponents.

Erik Cole
Cole impressed me with his speed and strength tonight. I normally hate seeing our players go to the outside of defenders as more often than not it ends in a turn-over. Tonight, however, in Erik's case he was beating his men, he was creating chances by going around the outside. He is still trying to find his true spot in our line-up, but the better he continues to play, the more options he gives his coach.

Defencemen

PK Subban
PK stayed out of trouble tonight in that he kept things clean in his own end and in that he didn't get sucked into any tussles or into taking any penalties. That meant that he could really focus on his game which is to win the puck back in our end and do something with it in the other two zones. He didn't factor too heavily on our goals, but he did end up +3 which is a number that I think speaks for itself.

Josh Gorges
Gorges has been better of late after a bit of a slow start. Tonight he played as a true #3 or even #2 and that is what we need, especially while Markov is out and 3 youngsters are in. He scored the OT winner which may go down as his only goal of the year, but wouldn't you rather that than the 5th in a 5-1 win or the lone goal in a 1-4 loss? I am not suggesting that he is clutch offensively, but it was nice to see him join in at exactly the right time, even if this is the only time we see it all year.

Goaltender

Carey Price
I thought that he made some poor choices handling the puck in the first period, but aside from that played a very solid game. Phoenix managed 34 shots, so to make 32 saves, on the road, is certainly a great performance. One thing that he did well tonight (and maybe this was purely in stark contrast to Smith) was that he found pucks well after they dropped below or near him. There weren't many second chances and that ends up really helping a fragile team like the Habs out and can very well make the difference between W and L.

Comments

It is always nice when a losing streak is stopped at 2. I have heard a lot about how we were all over Edmonton and could have or even should have won. Too many of those games in a row, however, is a Florida or Columbus type of thing. We have to win the majority of our games some how, some way. Tonight we found a way to walk out of their with the full two points all the while staying out of any real trouble penalty- or injury-wise. Phoenix aren't the most exciting team to watch, but I do respect the clean type of hockey that they play as it means (unlike games against Boston) you don't really have to worry about losing guys to dirty and unnecessary plays. In fact, this is a team that we match up well against and we proved that by matching them step for step throughout the whole game. It is hard to say that either we played better than them or they better than us, nope, it was just a good old (used to be called a draw) even game. It is good, however that we got the extra point as we need it badly.

We're entering an interesting stretch over the next little while. It is a stretch that has us playing more games than we have been doing and a period in which we may get as healthy as we'll be all year. Getting Markov back will be a huge boost. I am sure that a lot of people have forgotten just what Andrei can bring to this team, but I am sure that within mere days of his return they will be reminded. Until then we have to hold the fort and win games like we did tonight. Each loss makes it 2 more games back to where you want to be, so let's hope the Habs take the easy route and win each of their upcoming games.

Game #7More Breakdowns Than On The Side Of The 401

Details

Date: 22/10/2011
Opponent: Maple Leafs
Location: Montreal

Loss: 4-5 (OT)

Habs Goalie: Price (L)
Opposition Goalie: Reimer, Gustavsson (W)

Habs goalscorers: Moen (2), Kostitsyn, Cammalleri
Opposition goalscorers: Steckel, Kessel, Phaneuf, Grabovski (2)

Play of the game

I have to hand it to Travis Moen, because of all of the Habs he may be the one that is playing the most above his usual. He covered up another poor play by the team (an opening minutes penalty) with a spectacular effort to get open and score the first goal. On the PK, he an Eller were off. Lars was gone, but could Travis make it a 2-on-1? Yes, he did incredible work to get in front of his man and then did even better once he got the puck. He fought off the D very well and beat Reimer with a perfectly placed backhand shot.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Travis Moen - Game Puck
I didn't think that I would be saying this (and had actually hoped that I wouldn't have to), but Moen was our best player tonight. No offence to Travis, but there are a few players that should be ashamed of themselves because it isn't like Moen is playing like Crosby and that is why he is standing out, no, he is just playing good, solid hockey. Tonight it was 2 goals and a +3 - maybe not my first choice for top-6 winger minutes, but he is certainly earning that time now.

Lars Eller
He played a good game tonight and demonstrated that he is also capable of being a top-2 centre on this team. It may be unclear where he really stands when all are healthy, but if he keeps playing with the energy and passion that he did tonight then I think he'll keep getting his minutes. He had a 2-point night tonight, was very dangerous in the offensive zone and, like his linemate, was +3.

Andrei Kostitsyn
Kostitsyn should feel pretty good about the start that he has had. JM keeps moving people around to try and get others going (and appears to be demoting Kostitsyn each time he does that), but Andrei answers by continuing to be a main part of our best line, night in, night out. He picked up a very nice goal tonight and added an assist on Moen's second (the Gorges shot).

Defencemen

Yannick Weber
Yannick was on for no goals against, was +1 and played 22+ minutes. I didn't notice him much in our end which tonight, was a good thing. He is being used in all situations and is certainly making a case for himself to remain as a defenceman. He has probably been a top-3 D-man for us this year so it will be interesting to see what happens when Spacek, and later Markov, get back.

PK Subban
PK has to be better, he needs to. If he doesn't give us more than he has then this Habs team is a lot worse off than we all thought they would be. Right now he is playing one game as a top-2, one game as a solid depth player and another as a rookie. We, whether it was right to do so or not, have put a lot on this kid and I think our season will depend a lot on his progression. Tonight he was a top-2 for us, but that is mainly due to the mistakes of others and his decent puck control on the PP. There are still 75 games left, lets hope he gets it going, and I mean really going, before it is too late.

Goaltender

Peter Budaj
The one player that we need to be better than PK this year is Price. We were good last year, but it is no stretch to say that if we had this goaltending we would not have made the playoffs at all. He has to find ways to win despite the players in front of him because, for the most part it is the same group that he has won behind before. The team is certainly playing worse, no question, but we can't keep losing games in which we score 4+ goals. Expectations are high on this kid because at this point, he is really all we have going for us.

Comments

Just like the team I play on; too many penalties. It is an embarrassment that we got 2 too-many men on the ice penalties today...what is that? I can't stand that we continue to be one of the most penalized teams in the league despite the fact that we have no real dirty or rough players. I don't know how many times I have said this, but penalties must be JM's main concern. I reckon that if this keeps up he may be in his last 2 weeks in the NHL, so he had better find a way to win games and I strongly believe that taking less penalties is the best way to start. So, in my opinion, he must do whatever it takes to get his players to be scared, scared as hell of taking any sort of penalty. Perhaps always siding with your player and always disaggreeing with the ref after a call isn't the way to get your players to change their ways? Just a thought.

Now, penalties aside, we continue to play poorly in our own end and we play an awful lof of hockey in that 1/3 of the rink. We can't get it out with any sort of consistency and our inability to maintain prolonged attacks means that we simply get overwhelmed in our end. I hate this cliche, but I honestly think that we just have to keep things simple, we have to play the most basic and safest type of defensive hockey. It seems that we are able to score despite all of our problems throughout the line-up, so we must focus on defence, full team defence. That means a lot of work for Price and the D-men, but also a big focus on our defensive zone play from our forwards. Until we win I would actually exclusively work on this aspect of the game during practice.

We're probably a few losses away from major moves, so lets hope (unless we want major moves?), we turn it around fast. If we keep this play up for another month the season could be ruined, if we turn it around in the next few days it will simply look like a blip on our overall record.

Game #1-7Great Season Comes To An End

Details

Date: 27/4/2011
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston

Loss: 3-4 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Weber, Plekanec, Subban
Opposition goalscorers: Boychuk, Recchi, Kelly, Horton

Play of the game

We got the ultimate excitement tonight by coming back twice. In the end it looked like scoring first was what did it (ha!), but despite that we sure gave it our best. After Bergeron took a dumb (typical Bruin) penalty we got going on the PP. Cammalleri started the play when he gained the line, but almost gave it away with a weak pass at the blue-line. Gionta, however, took that pass and got it over to Pleks on his right with the subtlest of touches. Tom took the puck into the corner and then fed Subban with an incredible cross-ice pass. PK capped off an incredible season with a rocket of a shot, his second of these playoffs.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Brian Gionta
I liked what Brian did in the offensive zone tonight. Defensively wasn't horrendous, but -3 is never a good stat to carry around. He led the team in shots and came oh so close to scoring one or two. With a linemate to compliment him and Gomez this would have been a different series - I guess Chara's hit really worked out for the B's in the end...

Tomas Plekanec - Game Puck
I am happy that Pleks played so well tonight as he should be our best forward in most games. His tying goal was crucial and then his pass on PK's goal was world-class. His face-offs will need work over the summer, though as 20% is just bad. I can live with 40%, but when you lose 4 of 5 things can start to get ugly.

Michael Cammalleri
Mike had better games in this series, but tonight wasn't bad by any stretch. He picked up an assist and was instrument on our third goal. Like Gionta, however, he was -3 and that is something that will sting over the summer I am sure. All in all, though, this was another fantastic playoffs for Camms and I look forward to more of that next April, May and June.

Defencemen

PK Subban
Subban wasn't at his best in the defensive zone tonight, but all in all he was still our best defender. He also scored the most important goal of his life late in the third. He will only get better (hopefully no Phaneuf or Schenn for him) and I look forward to having him line-up with Markov and Gorges next year. Who else will be around is yet to be seen, but PK seems like he'll be an asset for years to come. I also like how he played through the boos, because we all know that players with bad attitudes and who are dirty get booed, oh wait, that is why they boo him, right?

Jaroslav Spacek
Spacek got bounced around last night and, less that 20 hours on, came out and played a solid game for the Habs tonight. Only he and Sopel ended up with a positive rating and it was Jaro that led the team in blocked-shots. He didn't have the season nor the playoffs that he did last year, but with time left on his contract I am sure that he will be back. He proved that he can be a 5/6 type guy and can play on both the PP and PK. He should enjoy the summer as I feel that this was a rough year for him physically and he'll do well to get some real rest.

Goaltender

Carey Price
He didn't have his best game of the playoffs, but certainly gave his team a serious chance to win. All in all it was a fantastic season for Price who has shown that he can play a lot of games, win in the regular season and playoffs and shake off bad goals and bad starts. Goaltending like this is what quality teams are built around and I am already looking forward to a healthy, more experienced, more competitive Habs team in 2011/12.

Comments

We started the game poorly and that may have been the difference. It may have been the difference because we could never get a lead, get to our comfort spot. We did well to come back twice, but we are a far harder team to play against when we are leading by a goal or two. It was more of the same for Boston throughout (2 head-shots on Halpern, a spear on the 3rd goal) and I feel that their team is a disgrace to the sport of hockey. They'll move on to face Philly who is as dirty and perhaps dirtier, at least in these playoffs. It is a shame that those teams got through as it will give the media 12 months of saying how teams like Montreal and Buffalo are too small and not tough enough to compete against these forces. The bottom line is that we out-played Boston in this series, not at all times, but over 7 games I do believe we were better. We had better chances, played cleaner, but just didn't get the luck that is so obviously needed to go anywhere in these playoffs (refs are no help whatsoever).

It was a great season when you consider all that happened to this team. Losing Halak last summer, Markov for the whole year and Gorges and Pacioretty for a good chunk of the year all seemed like insurmountable obstacles. The Habs, however, played a fantastic regular season and then got to within a goal of the second round. This team is only getting better and I think that we are getting more and more of the right pieces into the right spots. It will be a long summer with a lot to thing about, but at the end of the day we should be happy with our team as they once again proved that they will always be force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.

Game #1-5Heartbreak In Boston

Details

Date: 23/4/2011
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston

Loss: 1-2 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Halpern
Opposition goalscorers: Marchand, Horton

Play of the game

Thomas' save on Gionta was probably the play of the game, the play of the series. The save was a good one, but I think the play I am really thinking about was Gionta's shot. A nice give-and-go with Moen meant that Brian ended up with a lot of the net to shoot at. He didn't get the best shot off, however, and gave Boston life when maybe they shouldn't have had any. That was our big chance and we made Thomas look great and then, a few minutes later, it came back to haunt us.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Brian Gionta
The captain gave it his all tonight and it showed on his face. He was exhausted at the end as I am sure most of the players were. He may not have scored, but did a great job to go to the net and test Thomas. In all he had 7 shots; that led the Habs.

Jeff Halpern
He scored our only goal on one of his 3 shots. Beyond that goal, which was obviously a huge moment for the Habs, he had a very strong, 2-way game. I liked what he was doing along the boards and at the top of our zone as his fight was really paying off. He also had a fantastic face-off night as his 73% was the highest in the game.

David Desharnais
I am thrilled for David that he got a shot on the second line as he once again deserved it. Although one of the smallest players on the Habs he certainly showed how big of a heart he has as he gave it his absolute all throughout the game. He kept fighting all along and almost played a hero's role on a few separate occasions.

Defencemen

PK Subban
40 minutes for PK tonight and the crazy thing is that he didn't look like he was tired. He played well throughout; smart and patient. He skated so well with the puck and each of his spins looked just too easy that you wonder why no one else can do them.

Hal Gill
Gill had some moments where he looked like his regular season self from 2 years ago, moments where I yelled at the TV. But, there were other moments, many more of them, where he made amazing plays and stopped Boston from getting anywhere near the net. He was unlucky to be there on Boston's first goal as it was the first of two bounces to go their way, a department that they beat us in by two tonight.

Goaltender

Carey Price - Game Puck
He was two very unlucky bounces away from a huge shutout win. They got the bounces and the calls tonight and we didn't. Carey was the best player on either team as he was thwarting Boston every couple of minutes. It was big save after big save. He looked so calm out there, could it be that my heart, in my living room, was pumping more than his tonight? Crazy.

Comments

You can't tell me that the Bruins didn't break a rule in the last 50 minutes of this game, well, you can if you are a ref. I can't blame Boston for breaking every rule in the book (apart from the shooting the puck over the glass rule - for some reason the only callable penalty in the playoffs as we all know it is the worst thing that one can do out there) because that is the type of hockey the fans (didn't ask too many people that I know) and the league wants. At the end of the day though we got unlucky (a Ryder glove save, a Chara leg save, two bounces right to them in our crease) and they didn't. It is a shame as I felt we played as well, if not better, for the majority of this game. We didn't dominate and we were certainly dominated at times, but we did have a lot of chances and played some good hockey at both ends, especially in nets. The Habs could probably be up in this series, they could probably already have won it, but at the end of the day we aren't getting the goals we need. Every game ends up being too tight and you can't go far if you always have to go to OT or win by 1 (let's forget 1993).

Game 6 will be intense and Boston will likely come out hungrier, so let's hope the ghosts can give us a few bounces so that we can go back to Boston and try, one more time, to beat them in a winner-take-all game.

Game #1-4When You Miss That Many Chances, What Do You Expect?

Details

Date: 21/4/2011
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Montreal

Loss: 4-5 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Sopel, Cammalleri, Kostitsyn, Subban
Opposition goalscorers: Ryder (2), Ference, Bergeron, Kelly

Play of the game

Price made an incredible save on Boychuk in the third. He was sprawled out, at at the Bruins' mercy, all they had to do was shelf the puck, but Carey out-waited him and snagged what could have been a very deflating goal. In turns out that they did tie it up and they, of course, did win it, but at the time this was crucial and, all in all, it was our nicest play on the night.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei was our second best forward all night long. He competed for the puck, took a lot of shots and had a lot of chances. I didn't see one bad play and saw a lot of good out there. I am, therefore, amazed that 5 other forwards played more than him, including Travis Moen who, I think, is lucky to even be playing at all right now. Kostitsyn needs to see more ice as he is becoming a key to this series. Oh ya, he scored a fantastic goal.

Michael Cammalleri - Game Puck
Mike had 3 points and scored a goal, but wasn't the main contributor on any of those goals. That shows how one can get points, but not necessarily be playing their best. In his case, however, he did have a decent game beyond the points and, quite frankly, no one else stepped it up any more; although the other forwards in the dome came very close.

David Desharnais
The rookie had a great game tonight, one of his best, and was the main reason that we scored our first goal. He played well enough tonight to warrant a little more than 11 minutes. In fact, if we aren't going to get off our high-horse (Martin) and give Pouliot a chance it may be time to put Desh on the wing beside Gomez and give him 5-8 more minutes per game. A re-think of how to group forwards #6-12 wouldn't go amiss as I think we are being beat in that regard. No problems with the top 5.

Defencemen

PK Subban
This is bittersweet as I didn't think that PK had one of his better games. The main reason that he is in here is that I didn't really like what I saw from Sopel, Spacek, Wiz or Hammer. At least PK scored the go-ahead goal and wasn't on the ice for any goals against. I didn't, however, like his poor line-change in OT (Moen is more to blame, however) and how he was trying way too hard to be the hero on the late PP rather than trying to distribute the puck.

Hal Gill
20 minutes, +1 and not on the ice for any Bruin goals are good stats to sport. I also felt that he played a strong game and didn't make too many mistakes. If I could change one thing, however, it would be that he would take low, hard shots on net instead of going for the weak-wristers every single time.

Goaltender

Alex Auld
Price wasn't the reason that we lost and is the main reason that we have 2 wins in this series, but after 5 goals on 35 shots I would have to try to shake things up. We blew 1-0, 3-1, 4-3 leads and the whole team must have a look at themselves. I am sure that he will rebound and I hope that it only gets better from here. My one other hope is that the Bruins don't start going glove-side all of the time because I think that may still be an area of relative weakness for him.

Comments

We started well, but you knew that Boston wouldn't just lie down. So, more of those early chances had to go in. That is where we miss a guy like Pacioretty as I am sure he would be able to score about half of Moen's great chances. Beyond the offence, though, how about our D? Our solid, shut-down style was not on display tonight, no, instead we looked confused and made too many mistakes. It wasn't just our defencemen either, it was our whole team defence. We did play a decent game, when you look at it on a whole, and it is nice to be tied at 2 after 4, but if you break it down little, by little one would expect more of a team that was up 2-0 in games and 3-1 in goals tonight. As upsetting and disappointing as it is, however, we must forget it and start anew in Boston. What has happened has happened and it is important to focus on winning the next game, the new all-important game. We can look at whys and hows and who to blames, heck, we can even ask why Chara is allowed to fully obstruct in OT (I guess the refs have no problem with cheating affecting the outcome, so long as it is not them), but at the end of the day that won't get us anywhere. It is a frustrating game, with frustrating opponents and officials, but we all love the Habs enough to look beyond that and do what it takes to take game #5. Good luck everyone.

Game #81Meaningless Game Has Exciting Finish

Details

Date: 7/4/2011
Opponent: Senators
Location: Ottawa

Loss:2-3 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Gionta, Cammalleri
Opposition goalscorers: Spezza, Butler, Kuba

Play of the game

Kostitsyn made a great play to keep the play alive towards the end of the game. Had he not raced over to support the puck the game would have been over. Instead it got to Pleks behind the net who went to Wiz at the point. Then, all of a sudden, it was back on Andrei's stick. He then made a brilliant pass to Cammalleri who tied the game up with a perfect shot.

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Mike Cammalleri
Mike is hot and he showed that with another great goal. It was a very typical game, however, for him as there were some bad passes and bad moments in there with all of the good stuff. This is what we need and expect though and I am happy with that.

Andrei Kostitsyn
Andrei was our best forward tonight and it was never more evident than on the tying goal. That play shows why he has gone from no PP time to a lock to be on the ice in tight situtations. His 6 shots led the team as he played the closest to the way I want our forwards to play next week.

Brian Gionta
I felt that a lot of the players didn't go too hard tonight. Gomez's line had their moments, but overall they can and must be better. Gionta was the best of the lot though and still had a stronger game than the rest of the forward group.

Defencemen

PK Subban
Boos for PK? I hate that good players get booed - it happens in Montreal and apparently happens elsewhere. But, at least we know that he gets them because he is good - it is a way for other fans to acknowledge good play. Tonight he played a good game and looks ready for the playoffs.

James Wisniewski - Game Puck
James carried the load tonight for his team. He played over 25 minutes of reliable hockey and finished at +1. His 2 points are good, but just made him that much more expensive as he now has over 50 (51) points. He has got the job done all year and I am excited to see him play in the playoffs; we'll worry about next season in the summer.

Goaltender

Alex Auld
3 goals on 32 shots isn't bad, more like average. This wasn't his best game, but he got a point and allowed Carey to rest, so it wasn't all that bad. Hopefully that will be the last time we see Auld for a long time, because if that is the case it will mean that Price is playing well and at this point that is what we'll need to go anywhere.

Comments

I made the trip down to Kanata tonight with a few friends and what we saw was what one may expect to see from 2 teams that are presently certain of where they will be next week. Montreal played a smart, conservative game in which they were more interested in staying out of trouble than winning. Ottawa had their moments, but you could tell that the players wouldn't have minded had they lost. The Canadiens, I thought, outplayed Ottawa early, but there were bad passes and sloppy plays over the place. What they got was what they wanted I think, though - 1 point and a chance to leave the arena as healthy as they came.

They walk away from Ottawa as a team that didn't give too much effort, but with a better hold on 6th place. In fact, a win on Saturday would clinch us 6th and would give us an impressive 96 points. I think, however, the main goal has to be to stay safe and to stay relatively rested. A win against Toronto, though, in Toronto would be a good way to end ours and especially their season. I can't believe that we have already played 81 games and that the playoffs are just around the corner. Our team has come together and seems ready, though. Markov, Gorges and Pacioretty are all dearly missed, but I think that the rest of the guys are good enough to do what last year's team did. That doesn't mean that I think they will go as far as they did and I would be surprised and very happy if they did, but I do think that we have enough of the right pieces to compete this spring. It all starts with Price and the D, as it does every year, and we have one game to get ready for the real deal and to iron out any kinks.

Game #42Boston Looking Like Canada in Saturday Night Thriller

Details

Date: 8/1/2011
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Montreal

Win: 3-2 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Gomez, Gionta, Pacioretty
Opposition goalscorers: Bergeron (2)

Play of the game

If this game had ended after 40 minutes then I would have been in trouble in this section. As it turns out, however, the Habs gave me plenty of options with their play in the last 23+ minutes. It just kept getting better and, so, the play of the game kept changing. In the end it has to be the the OT goal. A great pass by Subban, a little fly-by by Desharnais and a perfect shot from MaxPac sent the crowd, and the national TV audience, into a frenzy.

Dome hockey team

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

Benoit Pouliot
Pouliot was our best player throughout the first two periods. He was involved in a lot of our good scoring chances and looked like the same player that shone on Thursday night. His play didn't stand out as much in the third when the others got going, but I felt that he still needed some recognition.

Max Pacioretty - Game Puck
At the time I didn't think that Max was our best player, but after the OT goal I looked back at the rest of the game and decided that he had played pretty well. After all, he led the team in shots, was the fastest player on either team and picked up an assist on the tying goal. The winner, however, sealed it as it was our first legit goal of the game and our first game-winner when trailing after two periods this season.

Brian Gionta
There wasn't much going on for Brian in the first two periods, but he did turn it on in the third. He scored the tying goal by going hard to the net and disturbing a goalie that shouldn't even be letting in two goals a game. He led the forwards in ice-time and took 5 shots; tonight he was our leader.

Defencemen

PK Subban
I really liked PK's game tonight. It was all of the stuff we want and none of the stuff that we don't. He did very well on both the PP and PK (leading the team in special-teams ice-time) and led the team in overall ice-time. He was on the ice for all three of our goals and none of theirs, he rushed the puck well, passed well and was tough when he needed to be. It wasn't his best game for us, but was close for sure.

James Wisniewski
This wasn't a fantastic game for James in his own end, but I felt that since no one else stepped up the door was still open for him. And, thankfully, he walked on through. He was very good on the PP and his assist was the main reason that we tied the game. He made a great fake at the line before putting a great puck on the net. We got the bounce, that's for sure, but it was all thanks to his patience and creativity that the puck was there to be bounced in the first place.

Goaltender

Carey Price
We all want Carey to get some rest, but instead of a night off how does 20 minutes sound? Well, not ideal, but it is a step in the right direction. That rest, of course, came in the third period when his teammates took the puck to the other end for good. The Bruins had their moments, but even 8 shots seems high. Towards the end of the game I had a moment where I had to question in my head who was in goal as I couldn't recall the last time I had had a chance to see. At that point I knew that we were playing well. So, based on the first 40 minutes he played well. He kept the game close and made the saves that he had to make. Even though he didn't really factor into the comeback he was still a big reason why we won this game.

Comments

I was getting ready to right about a loss, I really was, and I was having trouble getting excited about it. Thankfully the Habs seemed as disinterested in that outcome as I did. What they did over those last 23 minutes was really amazing. The comeback, for the first time, was huge, but let's look at a little deeper. First off Boston is a good team and a team that wants us to lose as much as they want to win. They have the best goalie in the league and Pierre Houde's boyfriend had scored both goals - life couldn't be any better. They also have the comfort of knowing that we can't comeback. Well, it seems that they haven't watched our last 3 games (forced OT in all 3 after having conceded the first goal) or the Gold Medal game. So, this was improbable to say the least. But, we didn't just comeback, we dominated. We scored 3 goals (and a 4th that was very close to counting), drew penalties, with relative ease, and dominated play in a way that I haven't seen in two months. The goals to tie it up weren't pretty, but when you are that good don't you get the feeling that you deserve some bounces?

The downer has to be the potential loss of Cammalleri, though. Games like this, and other wins, will happen much less frequently if we take out one of our top forwards. Let's, however, enjoy this win and enjoying being back (in a tie) for the division. There are 40 games to go and I know we'll be in it right until the end. I would be as surprised if by the last 5 games we have been eliminated as I would if we have clinched. All I can say is: get ready for the ride.

Game #1-1Habs's Big-Guns Show Up When They Have To; Habs Win!

Details

Date: 15/04/10
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Washington

Win: 3-2 (OT)

Habs Goalie: Halak (W)
Opposition Goalie: Theodroe (L)

Habs goalscorers: Cammalleri, Gomez, Plekanec
Opposition goalscorers: Corvo, Backstrom

Play of the game

I would be foolish to neglect the importance of Plekanec's OT winner, but I think that we can all appreciate the value of that. For me, however, the play-of-the-game is Gomez's goal, the goal that gave us the chance to even go to OT. It all started with Gomez skating hard through the neutral zone, as he does, with good speed and control. After crossing the blue-line he left the puck for Pouliot who wasted no time in finding the open man, Gionta. In the meantime Scott had found his way into the slot and in no time his buddy found him the puck. If you haven't seen it, find it, but who am I am kidding, we were all glued to the TV no matter where we were, right?

Dome hockey team

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

Forwards

Tomas Plekanec
Great players sometimes have quiet games and then show up when it counts. I won't say too much, but 2 great players had quiet games tonight and it was Plekanec who was able to unload the perfect shot behind his old teammate. The overall word was that he had a bad game, but don't confuse quiet with bad as he was still worthy of his title of #1 centre.

Scott Gomez
Gomez also delivered a goal in this most important of games, but on top of that played a solid game. Don't let his 32% on face-offs take away from the fact that he and his linemates, especially in the second period, offered a very good threat for the Habs.

Mike Cammalleri
Is there any Hab fan out there that still cares Mike hadn't scored since January? Is there anyone out there still willing to admit that they were worried that he may not be as good as we had hoped. Topham summed it up on Monday night when he said that Mike was getting closer (hitting posts vs. TO) and that it was only a matter of time till he got his aim back. Thanks Topham for restoring my confidence, thanks Mike for getting the ball rolling in this series with an absolutely sick shot.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
One of the main reasons that Ovechkin hasn't been at his best vs. the Habs over the years has always been the outstanding play of Markov. Well it was Andrei, again, who foiled his countryman tonight with some superb defensive play- he was also able to outshoot the great #8 3-0. This will be a tough series, no doubt, but if Markov plays like the Norris hopeful that he is (as he did tonight) then more results like we saw tonight wouldn't be out of the question.

Marc-Andre Bergeron
Martin made the right call when he put MAB in for O'B as I think we can all see that the upside is far better than the downside. Sure Bergeron is weak defensively, but so is Ryan who in turn offers nothing, whatsoever, ever, going forward. Tonight Marc-Andre was able to play a pretty clean game (with less mistakes than usual) and was able to contribute in a positive manner. Not only did his presence on D allow for us to have 4 lines, but it also proved that he can play the position that he has been playing for 20+ years. Crisp passes, limited mistakes and the occasional solid play in his own end meant that Markov didn't have to end the game as worried as he had started it.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak - Game Puck
I never was too worried that Jaro had all of a sudden lost his touch, but am sure glad that he found it tonight, when it really counted. In all he faced 47 shots (47!) and, somehow, made it look like we outplayed Washington. Despite a nervous first few minutes he was calm and seemed very much in control of his net. Performances like this are what we need to go anywhere this year and I am happy to say that he is one for one. Keep it up, it was fantastic.

Comments

The Caps came out all over us and dominated the first 20-30 minutes. Despite that, however, we were able to get the lead and eventually get out of that period of time all tied up. Montreal then, with about 5-10 to play in the 2nd, started taking over. For the rest of the game we were the better team and it was, thus, a shame when Backstrom scored a lucky one to start the third. The Habs, however, didn't let that get them down as they stuck to their gameplan. They kept working hard and that hard work would pay off with a goal. In OT the refs did their best to keep it fair (ie. give the advantage to the team tripping players on breakaways), but despite all of that Halak would resist. It seemed that each blown call resulted in a Caps chance that, thankfully, didn't end up in our net. Then, out of nothing, Spacek got the puck to his new favorite countryman (no offence Hammer) and a perfect shot against Theo (nice to see that Pleks can back up his 'not good goalie' talk with a goal) put the Habs in the driver's seat. This will be a tough series and it is far from over, but tonight, if anything, proved that the Caps are a beatable team, Ovechkin is a controllable force and that Theo is, indeed, not a Brodeur nor a Miller.

Game #61Habs Put An Unlikely End To Caps' Streak

Details

Date: 10/02/10
Opponent: Capitals
Location: Montreal

Win: 6-5 (OT)

Habs Goalie: Price (W)
Opposition Goalie: Neuvirth, Theodore (L)

Habs goalscorers: Gomez, Pyatt, Metropolit, Lapierre, Plekanec (2)
Opposition goalscorers: Laich (3), Backstrom, Green

Play of the game

I had a few choices for this play, but, I am happy to say, that I kept being surprised by each new goal. The play that takes the cake for me, though, has to be the OT goal. I bet everyone in the world (except Habs fans of course) thought that, once they went to OT, Washington would be a lock. Our winner, however, proved a lot of things and showed me that we can beat any team, on any night. The play itself started with more hard work up the boards by Sergei; as he had done most of the night. He then made a great move and an even better pass to Pleks in front of the net. Tom had no trouble tapping the perfect feed past a well out-of-positioned Theodore.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Sergei Kostitsyn - Game Puck
Cammalleri, Andrei and Pouliot gone, who will step up? How about Sergei, how about the boy who had so much promise 2 years ago? Well, if tonight was any indication, he is certainly up to the task. To play such an important role (3 great assists on goals 4, 5, 6) on 3 such big goals meant that we were able to knock off a team that no one thought would fall tonight.

Scott Gomez
I could have given this spot to Pyatt, Gomez's winger, but settled on Scott as I felt it was his goal, within the first minute of the game, that set the tone that we needed to overcome this team. He followed up on that goal with more hard work at the start of the next period by assisting on Pyatt's first career goal. Aside from the 2 points he led the team in face-offs at 59% and logged over 25 minutes of ice.

Tomas Plekanec
Wow! 8 shots and 2 goals from a player who is very interested in being considered elite in this league. There is, therefore, no better stage than against the league's best to show that you belong. Tonight he worked so well with Sergei which is very encouraging as both of those players, right now, are critical to our success. Scoring that goal in OT, his 17th, blew the roof off the building and has Habs fans everywhere thinking more than just playoffs.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
It was horrible to see Gorges go down with what looked like a potentially devastating shot to the head. He was having a good game till then and had even been working with Andrei in various situations (including when he got hit). It was, however, up to players like Markov to pick up the slack in Josh's absence and I felt that Marky, in particular, answered the call. He played over 30 minutes tonight (including almost 10 minutes of special teams) and ended at +2. Surprisingly he was held off the scoresheet, but I am happy that he focused more on his own end once Gorges went down.

Roman Hamrlik
Hammer, again, jumped up into the attack tonight with quite a bit of effectiveness. He managed a single assist, but I felt that it was his transition play that was key to the attack. Like Markov he played an obscene amount of minutes (28+); exactly what you need from your top 2 in a time of need. A special mention has to go to Hal Gill who, I thought, played a great game, especially on the PK. 11 blocked-shots and an assist meant that this was a very, very tough choice to make.

Goaltender

Carey Price
I can't ask for more than beating the best team in the league. I don't care how many goals he let in, how they went in (let's face it though, most were great as that team is ridiculously talented) or what he really looked like. What I am looking for in a game that should have been a loss is some fight. He showed all this by never putting us behind in the game and by giving us that chance to win. Sure it would have been nice to hold onto the 5-2 lead and see some dominance down the stretch, but, for once, dominance wasn't needed, and that is fine by me.

Comments

The Habs started well, but so did Washington. This game really could have gone either way in the end as both teams got very creative and exciting offence and non-dominant goaltending. The good news for the Habs has to be, though, that we even were in this game in the first place. After the game on Sunday most people thought that a loss tonight was a certainty. People, more interested in being right than supporting their team, were writing the Habs off and predicting 2 points, max, from this week. I can't, however, stress it enough how the Habs are the type of team that can do this. They can lose to the worst and can beat the best. I have preached this time and time again and this is one of the reasons I will always love this team - so I am not that surprised. 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. Kudos then to the Habs who went for it, right away. They opened this game up and showed how talented they can be. We have 2 more games before the break and 2 points would be great. I think that we have a large group of players that, despite the results, have worked hard and deserve a break. Let's have a great weekend and then we can all cheer for Halak, Pleks, Markov, Weber and the brothers.

Game #58Halak Hands Bruins Ninth Straight Loss

Details

Date: 04/02/10
Opponent: Bruins
Location: Boston


Win: 3-2 (SO)

Habs Goalie: Halak (W)
Opposition Goalie: Rask (L)

Habs goalscorers: Metropolit, Hamrlik, (Gionta-SO)
Opposition goalscorers: Recchi, Wheeler

Play of the game

This one was a no-brainer for me and, again, it was series of saves. These particular saves took place after the Habs went down 0-2 and looked lifeless at the beginning of the 2nd period. Halak, a bit despite himself, saved Ryder and then Wheeler pointblank on what were lucky, but well-positioned saves. Without those saves we lose the game, with them we got to see Boston crumble.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Brian Gionta
Brian really saved his best for last tonight when he went upstairs to become the unique goalscorer in the shootout. It was a nice goal and one that I felt the Habs needed. Throughout the game he was pretty decent and was definitely one of our top 3 forwards, but I was actually hoping for a bit more from him and his line.

Scott Gomez
Scott, like Gionta, was pretty decent tonight, but not at his best. He was, however, able to pick up a couple of assists and actually played over 21 minutes. I liked when Martin put Darche up with him and Gionta as I felt that made it a much more competitive line than when Maxwell was there. Scott's face-offs were bad tonight, but other than that his stats looked fine, especially the team-high 4 shots.

Glen Metropolit
Glen has certainly seen his ice-time and responsibility go down a lot over the past few weeks, but I still think he has an important role to play. With all the injuries we really need Metro to be able to find a way to score once in a while and to contribute on the PP. I don't need 15+ minutes, but a consistent contribution from him and his linemates will go a long way. His goal tonight was sweet to see as that is exactly the type of thing we needed to get us going. The fact that it was on the PP has, hopefully, secured his spot for games to come.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Markov could have won the game-puck tonight had it not been for Halak's play. He was solid enough in his own end, but it was his offensive play that really stood out to me. In fact, he came very close to winning the game for us in the third and in OT with some dazzling moves. He led the team tonight in a few categories including shots, ice-time and hits.

Roman Hamrlik
Like we need our 3rd and 4th line to produce for us we also now need our defencemen (mainly Hammer and Spacek) to get in on the act too. So, I was happy to not only see Hammer play solid in his own end, but was ecstatic to see him score the tying goal. Hopefully he'll have a good ten days and then he'll get a nice two weeks to rest after what has been a hard 60 games for the veteran.

Goaltender

Jarsolav Halak - Game Puck
Wow! Are you kidding me? Halak, again, was too good and is the reason we won this game. It was another 45 save performance and another 2 points courtesy of him. There were spectacular saves and crucial penalty-kills, there was solid play and superb rebound control. With Jaro playing this well you just never know what could happen this season. Would we be higher in the standings had he started 20 more games? Would we be lower? Can he win us a playoff series? Can he even get us there? Will he be given the chance to answer those questions? Or, will he be traded? All stuff that we can't answer, but as long as the Habs win I can't say it really bothers me anyway.

Comments

Montreal looked bad tonight and, again, it looked like we were waiting for the PP. Whatever defensive style that Martin has us playing doesn't seem to work and the fact that he was angry about our open style on Tuesday (which was enough to beat the Northwest Division leader) tells me that something is wrong. It seems that the Habs actually opened up towards the end of the second and into the third and it looked like that was when we got a handle on a game. Boston, luckily, is going through a rougher patch than us right now and their delicate confidence really showed when we did get that first PP. I honestly think that it is a joke that we hardly get PPs anymore as I see no real difference between our play and that of our opponents (if there is a difference it certainly isn't to the order of us being 3x as dirty each game). That said, however, we know we won't get PPs so we have to stop waiting for them and we have to learn to score another way. It would also help if we could learn how to not take so many penalties ourselves. I often feel that we deserve ours, but that the refs are simply not calling enough in our favour. This weekend, Super-Bowl weekend, promises to be a good weekend, as it always is, and nothing would be better than bagging 3 points. It may be a long shot, but if we can put 6 more points (5 games) in the bank before the Olympics then I think we'll all have an easier 2 week layoff than expected.

Game #56PP Wonders When It Will Get Some Help

Details

Date: 30/01/10
Opponent: Senators
Location: Ottawa

Loss: 2-3 (OT)

Habs Goalie: Halak (L)
Opposition Goalie: Elliott (W)

Habs goalscorers: Pouliot, Gionta
Opposition goalscorers: Kovalev, Spezza, Fisher

Play of the game

2 Power-Plays all game, 2 goals all game and almost 2 identical plays. For me, however, I was able to distinguish our second goal from our first as I felt the passing involved was more decisive and the timing was impeccable. This play was ended by Gionta, but I felt that all of the players on the ice played a role. Bergeron, in particular, didn't get a point on the play, but had just made a great play at the blue-line to keep the puck alive. The goal itself was the result of great passing which, to no one's surprise, involved Markov. He was the one who took a cross-ice feed from Pleks before sending a perfect pass of his own, through the crease, to Gionta. The goal made Scotiabank Place erupt and enabled the Habs to get a much needed point.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Tomas Plekanec
Pleks picked up 2 assists tonight as he, and the PP were very effective. It was a shame that he happened to be on the ice at 3-on-3 in OT when Fisher scored, though, as I felt it tarnished a pretty decent defensive game. I am hoping not, but this may be the last game Tom picks up 2 points in a game for a while. I'm not sure if Cammalleri is hurt bad, but if he is, the loss of #13 would affect Pleks as much, probably more, than when he lost his other winger.

Brian Gionta - Game Puck
I was waiting for a game-puck recipient for a long time to show up and finally, towards the end of the third I was sold on Brian. I was hoping that an OT hero would supplant him, but it wasn't to be. The funny thing was that until Gionta scored the pick for me was Halak, but because we scored, and then went to OT, he no longer looked so good - normally a goalie getting you to OT is better than not. Anyway, on top of the game-tying goal there were 5 shots and a strong desire to go to the net; it was duly noted.

Benoit Pouliot
Ben scored his 13th of the year to give the Habs life and, once again, it was scored in close, while he was standing right in front of the net. That type of play is key for the Habs and I can only hope he keeps it up on the PP and brings more of it to his even-strength play. One would have to think that 20 goals is very possible in Pouliot's case which, if I'm not mistaken, is a barrier we had all hoped Latendresse would hit, but didn't. Can't you all see it people? We now have the player we hoped and thought that Gui would be...and all it cost us was Gui. Aside from his goal he led the team with 4 hits which is a part of his game that I was glad to see.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Markov was fantastic for the most part tonight as he was, once again, very effective offensively. Defensively, however, it slipped towards the end of the game and it all culminated with him getting caught on the game-winning goal. Still, he was our best choice on the blue-line, and so it was no surprise to see him out there for 27+.

Josh Gorges
Josh was not only our best defenceman early on, but likely our best player in the first period. I counted no less than 3 great plays in that frame alone where he either made a great defensive play or laid a timely hit. He did play well after the first period as well, but didn't stand out as much because by then the rest of the team was waking up. I am assuming that his ice-time will skyrocket with Spacek out, so I wasn't surprised with his 24 minutes today.

Goaltender

Jarsolav Halak
This was a very solid game from Jaro and I can only really count one major mistake - the OT goal. Until that point, however, he had been outstanding and was particularly strong in the third and early in OT. He definitely gave our team a chance to win tonight as 2 goals, on the road, to the NHL's hottest team is respectable to say the least. One thing that I did notice was that his 37 shots against were much harder than most of Elliott's 29. This game was a good example of how a shot isn't always a shot.

Comments

I made the trip to Scotiabank today and, for the most, part, liked what I saw. Now, for the most part doesn't, obviously mean everything, so here are the negatives. First where on earth is our 5-on-5 play? Would it kill us to dominate a team at even-strength and perhaps, heaven forbid, score a goal once in a while? Second, how come we always skate to the outside of defenders and then hope to generate offence from behind the net or from the corners? Ottawa doesn't do this and, come to think of it, I don't think any other team really does it either. We have to get more creative and I know that we have the skill. Maybe it is time that the coaches think of a strategy other than 'wait for the PP'. That strategy seems to work to get us goals, but not, unfortunately, to win us games. There were also positives from this one and the main one has to be the spirit of the team to comeback and of the fans who never lost hope. The second and third periods were actually quite entertaining and coming back wasn't just a thing of luck. We played better today than we did in Florida this week, but we still have to be better than this to win more often. Losing Camms would hurt us badly, but if we can get the odd 5-on-5 goal and if we can continue to rely on the PP and Halak then maybe, just maybe we'll be able to survive till after the Olympics. That, in my mind, is when this 82-game round-robin really gets going and when the time for slipping by in games will be over.

Game #51Habs Mount Interesting Comeback; Secure A Single Point

Details

Date: 20/01/10
Opponent: Blues
Location: Montreal

Loss: 3-4 (OT)

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

Habs goalscorers: Pouliot (2), Cammalleri
Opposition goalscorers: Perron, Kariya, Steen, McDonald

Play of the game

The Habs needed a spark after a bad 1st and horrible 2nd. Luckily there was one group of players (our good ones) who were trying to make things happen. So, with 10 to play and down by a pair it didn't surprise me when Gomez forced a turn-over in the Blues' end. He then very casually tapped the puck against the grain and turned his defender right around. That simple, yet smart, play created a 2 (pretty much 3) on 1. He then quickly got the puck across to the hottest Hab of all, Pouliot, who fired a sweet one-timer past a stunned St. Louis goalie.

Dome hockey team

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


Forwards

Scott Gomez
Scott was integral in the comeback tonight as he not only created our 2nd goal, but was also very much in the mix on the tying one by creating traffic in front of Conklin. I am really happy that he seems to have as much chemistry with Pouliot as he does with Gomez. That type of chem. was unheard of for him in NY and is the very reason he has become one of more valuable players.

Benoit Pouliot - Game Puck
When we got rid of Latendresse I was happy to get something, anything in return. I was then happier that we would have an NHL-ready player to insert in the line-up thinking that it couldn't possibly be worse than what we had. Then, after seeing Gui explode, I was surprised to see us get an equal explosion (maybe not quite in quantity of points yet, but certainly as much in the unexpected department) and now can't imagine what we would do without that punch on the second line. He has come in and has become one of our best players and shooters and has given us a player that we were sorely missing earlier this year. His 2 goals tonight, +2 rating and 7 shots are all fine examples of what talent this young man possesses and is finally being able to show.

Tomas Plekanec
Pleks has a great assist early on in the game on Pouliot's first. That play, however, almost got wiped out as the Blues looked like certain winners for most of the game. It was, however, thanks to the play of Tom, amongst others, that allowed us to comeback. How about 17-7 on face-offs (many of them at key times and in key places) and 21 minutes of competent hockey.

Defencemen

Andrei Markov
Now, I can't hide the fact that our D wasn't great tonight, but one thing that was encouraging amongst all the confusion was the fact that Markov was the best of the bunch. He managed to get very involved offensively (he almost won it in OT) and played as well as anyone in his own end. It would have been nice if he would have been a bit stronger on McDonald in OT, but you can't blame a guy who just gave you your best chance at 2 points (he had just been robbed). His ice-time was back up tonight (27+) and that is a good sign as generally a good Markov means a good result.

Jaroslav Spacek
Hearing Brunet call Spacek our #4 tonight was almost as hard to take as when he called Hammer our #3. Gorges is good, folks, but the Czech brothers (tight slacks?) have been very, very good for us all year. In my mind they spent most of the year at #1, #2 and now are fitting in very nicely to the #2 and #3 spots. Tonight it was Jaro's one-timer that found the back of the net to tie it up and for that reason alone I think we need to see him on the PP more and we need to see him get off more shots. He has a great shot, but he also is becoming our best at blocking them - tonight he led the game with 3.

Goaltender

Jaroslav Halak
To me Jaro had to start this game as I am getting a bit tired of the lose, you're out plan of attack. Clearly it isn't working and I think the time for games like that must come to an end. Halak has proven, all year (and last) that he is our best chance at winning. Maybe that is because the team scores more for him, maybe because he faces easier shots or maybe because he is better, but at the end of the day he simply wins a higher percentage of games (12.5% higher winning % over the past 2 seasons - that is huge - 1 win/8 games). I just know that the time for trying to prove Price is the future is getting very tiring to sit through as the time for winning is certainly now. Now, for the game itself. Price let in a softy early and looked shaky most of the night, but what did it for me was the wrist-shot in OT. We need those shots to be stopped and the bottom line is I believe we have a goalie that can do that. Losing in OT, on a weak goal, may be an accomplishment against a Western team during the season, but when it matters most we'll need the win instead.

Comments

Let's get one thing straight, right off the bat - we played poorly tonight. Our forwards, for the most part were lazy, out of gas and simply bad, our D was its usual disastrous self and Price didn't really inspire back there. It wasn't, however, any one player's fault, it wasn't even the coaches' fault, no, it was everybody's fault. Would Halak have made a difference tonight? Probably not, but why not give it our best shot more than 1/3 of the time? I am not saying that Price is bad, not even saying that Halak is that good, just simply that Halak wins more games and that is what we need. The bottom line, however, is that neither goalie can score when we need a goal, play defence instead of joining in on the run-around or maintain pressure in the offensive zone. We need a full team effort here, we need Gainey to ice a team with more than 10 NHLers on it and less than 8 defenceman, we need Martin to use his legendary 'young-player' skills and get some guys going and most of all we need our players to play like regular, talented, rich, exciting hockey players. St. Louis is not the type of team that in January should be able to come into our arena and have us on our heels. We have one injury of any significance and I still hear that as an excuse. I need to see some forward thinking from all personnel instead of the usual band-aid fixes if we are ever going to do anything with this season. We have the talent, the brains and the passion to be better than this and that is why I'll never lose faith, it would just be nice to see a few of the players, maybe even all of them, share in this belief...maybe even for 60 minutes in a row.