Taking out the trash

What day is pick-up?

Man, the Ottawa Senators suck.  

You know, it wasn't that long ago that Hab fans (especially this one) would dread games against the Senators. For a number of years, playing a game against Daniel Alfredsson and company would give the feeling that another loss was merely sixty minutes away... and that was often the case.

My, how times have changed. For the fourth time in five meetings this season, the Canadiens defeated the Senators. Actually, 'defeated' isn't the right word. Let's try "annihilated". Or "obliterated". Kicked the tar out of. A 'sand in the Vasoline' type of win. A 7-1 spanking, and it wasn't even that close. And there's always something quite satisfying about hearing Hab fans cheering, singing, and booing the opposing goaltender in their building.

Save for a post, two flubbed 2-on-1's and a broken stick with a wide-open net in the first period, this one could have just as easily ended up in double figures. Tomas Plekanec led the way with two goals, and Brian Gionta, Andrei Kostitsyn, Benoit Pouliot, Max Pacioretty and P.K. Subban had the others. Only a horrible defensive breakdown off of a faceoff kept them from getting Carey Price, who had another great game, his fifth shutout of the season. For Price, his 24th win ties a season high for him, in only game 48 of the Habs' season.

As for the Senators goaltending? It hasn't been their biggest problem, but get a load of these numbers: Pascal Leclaire has been their best guy between the pipes, and he leads the team with just a .908 save percentage. He's 4-7-1. Their other three goalies all have save percentages of under .900. That ain't good.

Tonight, the Habs chased starter Mike Brodeur after 4 goals on just 15 shots. Enter Brian Elliott, who fared a little better, but not much: another 3 goals on 20 shots.

The win sits the Habs second in the Northeast Division, one point behind Boston. The Canadiens are now 7-1-2 in their last ten games. Tomorrow, Saku Koivu returns to Montreal. If he scores the winner in overtime, I'd be happy with the Habs being 7-1-3.

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Price shines in 18-minute effort over Calgary

Teammates congratulate Price on his outstanding 18-minute win. Photo: Dario Ayala/The Gazette

Montreal's Carey Price once again showed why he's one of the great young goaltenders in the N.H.L. 

Coming into the game at the 3-minute mark of the third period after starter Alex Auld had surrendered his 4th goal--which allowed the Flames to complete their comeback in erasing a 4-goal deficit--Price was spectacular in his 18:08 of ice time, turning away all four shots he faced.  

Sitting in his dressing room stall after the Habs' 5-4 overtime victory over the Calgary Flames, Price reflected on the satisfaction that came with the win.

"A night like this is a goaltender's dream", said Price. "A light skate before the game, take a few practice shots, then relax for a couple of periods while checking out some of the fine product in the seats around me, or when they flash a pair up on the big screen to get some cheap cheers from the crowd. Then a quick skate out to the crease--I mean, I don't even have to bother with any of that warm up stuff--and bango, I've got my league-leading 23rd win. What's not to like?"

The Canadiens had jumped out to in impressive 4-0 lead before the Flames popped in a couple of goals in the second-half of the 2rd period, then tied the game with two quick goals in the first three minutes of the 3rd, signaling the beginning of Price's night.

"When I was called into action, I had just started listening to side one of 'Animals' on my iPod." recounted the All-Star goalie. "And when I got back to the bench, win in my back pocket, it had just started into the last minute of 'Dogs'. I'm kind of pissed that I missed almost the whole thing."

Music wasn't the only thing on his mind, however.

"To tell you the truth, I was kind of getting tired of having to bust my ass for a full 60 minutes, but then getting tagged with a loss because the guys in front of me were mailing it in with 8 or 10-minute nights. I mean, some of them didn't deserve the hot water in their showers," said Price, his voice starting to show emotion. "I could already have 28 or 30 wins if they pressed with the kind of 18-minute effort that I showed tonight."

The Canadiens are next off to Buffalo for a tilt at the HSBC Arena, but not before Price tends to an important matter: treating teammate and good friend P.K. Subban with a post-game meal for scoring the Habs 5th goal, in overtime, to seal the win. 

"I'll think I'll take him for wings at Cage Aux Sports."

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C'mon, vogue....

 

The way that some folks are talking, you'd think that he had given the finger to the Queen.  

When Carey Price struck his "Usain Bolt" pose a couple of seasons ago after turning away a Vincent Lecavalier shootout attempt and securing the Canadiens a win, some folks took it as a brash move by a young kid who had yet to win anything of significance in the NHL. While that may be, others saw it as the emerging personality of one of the league's promising young stars; the kind of thing to which the NHL likes to hitch its marketing machine.

Ask Price, and he was merely celebrating a big win.

The Montreal netminder is hardly the first goalie in NHL history to break the mold and strike a pose. He wasn't even the first with the Canadiens. The great Jacques Plante would raise the ire of the opposition when he's raise his arms over his head after a big win. Ken Dryden wouldn't use his pose to celebrate, but his restful leaning on his stick while the action swirled around him was sometimes seen as a slight towards the teams were nightly handled with ease by probably the greatest team ever assembled.

Fast-forward to January 6, 2011. The Habs are facing a team that they eliminated in last season's playoffs, the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the game goes into a shootout. Price stones six shooters to secure the victory, and busts out another pose:

Personally, I'd give more style points to his first one, but the sentiment behind both is the same: big save, big win, let's celebrate. But with last night's loss to those same Penguins, some Hab fans believe that the turning of the tables was brought on by The Pose. This feeling was heightened by Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury mocking Price's pose after the final siren had sounded.

Not that Fleury has much to "in your face" about when talking about the Habs; going into the game he was a very ordinary 9-7-1, with a lofty 3.45 GAA and a meager .886 SV%, while the Habs made him look like Swiss Cheese in handing him his golf bag last spring. And he had what could be described as a rather routine night in picking up the win. Not really anything out of the ordinary to get excited about.

There's the difference: Price celebrated. Fleury mocked.

No, surely the loss couldn't have had anything to do with the Habs having given the Penguins eight powerplay attempts which led to four powerplay goals, could it? And of course it was a spur of the moment celebration almost a week previous that cost the team two points in the standings... wasn't it? 

Um, no.

Another problem that some people (fans AND players) have with Price's exuberance is that it goes against the grain of their idea of "proper" goalie celebration. A fist pump is seen to be ok. Price "low fiving" with teammate P.K. Subban after a win seems to be acceptable, too. Yet a pose is somehow taken to be over the line and showing off.

But what about the goalie's teammates? Should one of them score an exciting goal, or win a fight, wild celebration is not only accepted, it's often encouraged. The Alexander Ovechkin highlight-reel goal is always followed by a an innovative move or a jump into the glass. Should a goalie then, upon making the final save to seal a win not be afforded the same latitude in celebration without being branded a showoff and becoming "bulletin board material" for the opposing team?

Goalies, I say go for it. You're supposed to be oddballs, anyway. Don't let the extent of your personality be limited to what's painted on your mask. Work up your best celebratory move, and bust it out when the situation warrants. Heck, it could even become an event in the All-Star skills competition. 

Now Carey, get to work on rehearsing your next pose. May I suggest the "Hulk Hogan", or maybe a back flip?

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Auld fired up

Alex Auld defends his crease. Photo: Getty Images

They say that an army is as only as good as the guys behind the front line.  

That can so be said for a hockey team; the guys that have been charged with the support roles make it easier for the big guns to do their job. To that end, this year for the Canadiens backup goalie Alex Auld plays the role of reserve infantry to starter Carey Price's heavy tanks.

From the moment that it had been announced that Auld had signed on as the number two guy, there has been much second-guessing of the choice from many fans an media alike. Halfway through the season, though, Auld is doing everything that he can to prove that he is the right guy for the job. And it's not an easy one; being a backup goalie means working your butt of to be ready for playing time that could come today, tomorrow, next week, or even next month. You can be called on for spot duty, a scheduled start, to play in event of an injury, or even take the reigns of the starters' role should circumstances dictate.

With Carey Price so far having shouldered the bulk of the goaltending load, Auld is on pace to play in just 10 games this season. Expect that number to rise, though, as the Habs get deeper into the season and look to lighten Price's workload, especially on back-to-back game nights. 

Auld's performace to this point in the season should make it easier for Coach Martin to make that decision, too;  his 3-2-0 record, with a .941 save percentage and a 1.74 goals against average, though over a small sample size, exhibit that he is doing what he needs to be done outside of game action to be ready for when he does get the call.

If you were to ask him, Alex might say that the reason for his strong play would be his willing acceptance of his backup role. Last year, split between Dallas and the Rangers, he appeared in 24 games, with 20 starts; only three other times in his 10 seasons has he started more than 20 games, and in his only full-fledged season as a starter (2005-06) in 64 start he was 33-23-6, 2.94 GAA and a save percentage of just .902.

Hey, some guys just aren't built to shoulder the entire load, and that's cool. The best teams are populated by players that have defined roles that best make use of that player's abilities. It's called "playing withing yourself".

And for this year's edition of Alex Auld, it's a damn fine place to be.
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Time to stop the bleeding

Visual repesentation fo the Habs' recent road trip

Anybody got a tourniquet?

I don't remember much of what I had to learn to get my boy scout first aid badge, but I do remember that to stop the bleeding you've got to elevate the wound. Elevating their game would probably be the best thing that they could do to turn around their recent road trip. 

If the Habs can play the stingy kind of defense in front of Carey Price that gave them their early-season success, they could very well skate out of Tampa Bay with two points. On the season, the Canadiens are third overall in goals against (86), while the Lightning have had troubles keeping the puck out of their own net; they've allowed 120, good for 29th in the league.

The Habs will be down two defensemen for tonight's game with the usually-reliable Josh Gorges joining Andrei Markov on the sidelines as he gives some rest to a nagging injury. The Lighting have fared better in avoiding the injury bug, as 10 of their players have been able to suit up for every game this season; only five Habs (Gill, Spacek, Gionta, Halpern and Lapierre) have perfect attendance.

Oh, and the Canadiens have that pesky Steven Stamkos to worry about. He's already potted 29 goals. Brian Gionta and Mike Cammalleri lead the Habs with just 12 each.

Defenseman James Wisniewski, aquired a couple of days ago from the Islanders for a couple of contitional draft picks, makes his Hab debut tonight. Hopefully he brought his first-aid kit.

2010-2011 Regular Season, Game 38: Montreal at Tampa Bay

FIRST PERIOD:

• Lots of Hab fans in Tampa tonight, as usual. Ex-Hab goalie prospect Cedrick Desjardins gets his first NHL start tonight
• And lots for them to cheer about right off the bat. Pacioretty cuts in from the left side and centres a pass for Gionta that goes in off the defenseman's skate. Wisniewski, with the assist gets his first point with the team. 1-0 Habs!
• Wisniewski wearing #20
• On the powerplay, the new guy clangs one off the post from the point. Hopefully he'll give shooting lessons to Subban
• 10 minutes in, and the Habs have already taken two minor penalties. My dog has more discipline in front of the food dish
• Not a fan of watching games form this arena. The rink lighting sucks for TV
• Boo! They've taken the assist on the goal away from Wisniewski and have given it to Gomez

Well, whattaya know? A good first period from the Habs, which is great, considering that they've yet to win a game when trailing after either the first or second period. Aside from being up by 1 on the scoreboard, the Habs also lead in the faceoff circle 11-9 and on the shot clock 8-6. 

SECOND PERIOD:

• Is it wrong for me to hope that it rains in Pittsburgh on New Year's Day? It would serve the NHL right for shoving Crosby and the Penguins down our throats--again--in the Winter Classic game. The forecast? 11 Celsius with rain
• A too many men penalty isn't a great way to start the period
• And they take a SECOND too many men penalty to go down by 2 men. The Lightning don't take long to take advantage, Martin St. Louis sniping the goal from the right circle. Tied at 1
• After a decent first period, the Habs are playing some pretty jittery hockey
• Huh? A 4-on-1, and Lapierre decides to shoot from the goal line?
• Strange play... Spacek was going to be called for tripping, but the puck deflects off of the falling player to negate the delayed penalty. 2-1 Tampa.
• For my money, Pleks is the best player on the team not named Carey Price or Andrei Markov
• Looked to me like the Habs just got away with what could have been another too many men penalty

Some horrible indiscipline and a bit of bad luck conspired to take the Habs' one-goal lead into a one-goal deficit in the span of 20 minutes. They've yet to come back to win a game this season, so they'll have their hands full... but they've got no one but themselves to blame. Shots were 8-5 for Tampa that period; faceoffs are split down the middle at 15 apiece.

THIRD PERIOD:

• Hopefully they have their heads in the game for this period
• That was pretty weak to award a penalty shot. And Stamkos pulls a move that by the rulebook shouldn't be allowed, but it'll make it onto all of the highlight packages tonight anyway. 3-1 Lightning
• Spacek pins Price up against the post, allowing Stamkos to circle behind the net and dump it into the yawning cage. 4-1 Lightning. Ugly
• I've got to look up the penalty shot rules. I don't think that Stamkos' attempt should have been counted, and Price doesn't, either
• The poor little Hab fan behind the bench looks like he's had his Christmas stolen
• Price given the rest of the night off as Auld comes in
• That should do it. Hamrlik with another Hab penalty, their 7th, with under 2 minutes to play

Another horrible road game for the Habs, as Cedrick Desjardins earns his first victory in his first NHL start, though he didn't have to face many quality scoring chances. Final shots were 38-28 for the Habs. Hey, at least the Leafs lost, too.

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James Wisneiwski played 21:48 in his debut for the Habs

Where to start? The Canadiens' road trip from hell continues with another loss, this time by a 4-1 margin to the Lightning. Discipline--or rather, the lack of it--cost the Habs big time as the took another seven penalties, which Tampa Bay used to blow the game open.

A too many men penalty is the sign of a team whose heads aren't collectively into the game, and usually serves as a wakeup call to get their acts together. That wasn't the case tonight for the Habs, who while they were killing off that penalty apparently forgot that they were supposed to be playing shorthanded and got caught for ANOTHER too many men penalty. Down by two men, they gave up the first of four unanswered goals and after that point were never really in the game.

Florida tomorrow night. Will it be more of the same?
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An impossible task?

Do the Habs have what it takes to get the job done? 

The Philadelphia Flyers are looking like the beasts of the east.

Fresh of of their 3-2 victory last night over the Penguins, the Flyers have now gained top spot in the Eastern Conference; and in the process, they ended the Pens 12-game winning streak.

The Flyers are now off to their best start since 1986. The have a goal differential of +30, the best in the league. They've been exceptional on the road, posting a 9-2-3 record, and are riding a 3-game win streak. Their biggest asset is probably their team confidence, which has undoubtedly held over from last year's great playoff run. Being one goal away from elimination and turning it around to being one goal away from winning it all has to lead them to believe that they can beat any team on any night.

The Habs, on the other hand, have lost their last two. They've been off since Saturday, which doesn't bode well; they have yet to win a game after having 3+ days off between games (0-1-2). Their bright spots are their penalty killing, which is at 1st in the league at an 89.3 efficiency, home record (11-2-3, second in the league) and the ability to bounce back after a loss, going 7-2-0 after a defeat. 

Good news for the Habs: they'll have the experience of Scott Gomez and Jaro Spacek in the lineup, both of them returning from injuries. Max Pacioretty gets his first call this season for the Habs, having been called up from Hamilton after the Bulldogs' win on this past Sunday.

2010-2011 Regular Season, Game 31: Philadelphia at Montreal

FIRST PERIOD:

• Subban disrespects the Flyers on his first shift by throwing his weight around. Call the NHL!
• How does a puck cleared over the glass not be a Flyer penalty? Does that mean that the Habs get a gimme for their next puck over the glass?
• Hey! Subban didn't wind up for a point shot!
• Price has had to be sharp so far, coming up big on a couple of in-close attempts
• Damn! Cammy takes a feed from AK46 and comes REALLY close. They need to cash one of these early attempts before they get used to not scoring
• Ten days out form Christmas, and I'm already tired of the commercials
• I've liked what I've seen from Pacioretty so far. A line with Pouliot and Eller might be something to watch for
• That all started from a WEAK clearing attempt by Subban, and Jeff Carter is able to blow by Picard to go in alone in the last minute of the period against Price. 1-0 Flyers

It was a pretty evenly-matched period, with the Habs leading the shot clock by 12-10, and in the faceoff circle 13-11. But P.K. Subban is the goat of the first 20 minutes when he turned a simple zone-clearance into a primo scoring attempt for Jeff Carter, who was able to bury it for the 1-goal lead.

SECOND PERIOD:

• Subban on to start the period. A vote of confidence, perhaps?
• If it wasn't for bad luck... a harmless looking pass into the slot deflects off of Hal Gill and over Price. 2-0 Flyers
• To their credit, Habs are coming on strong after the Flyer goal. Gionta rings one off the post to come close
• Gionta gets another chance in close, and his stick breaks. Is anything going to go right for them today?
• Habs are 0-7-0 when giving up the first goal. Well, that doesn't bode well...
• Price has to stop a 3-on-1
• More push-back from the Habs, but nothing to show for it
• Philly assessed a penalty? Must be a mistake
• There you go, PK! A one-timer on a 5-on-3 powerplay brings the Habs within one. 2-1 Flyers

Just what the Habs ordered: aside from a fluke Flyer goal, the Habs played a great bounce-back period to pull within a goal, outshooting the Flyers 15-8 (27-18) in the process. And Subban learned that getting his shot past the first wave of defenders pays dividends. Habs are also leading the battle in the faceoff circle 22-19.

THIRD PERIOD:

• Habs start the period with the same kind of energy that they used to end the second period
• Well, they didn't need that. Zherdev walks through all defenders, cricles behind the net, and banks it in off of Price. 3-1 Flyers
• How about Pleks! A great rush by Pouliot never gets cleared from the zone, leading to an in-close goal for #14. 3-2 Flyers
• THERE'S the lucky break that they needed! Gomez passes to Gionta in the slot, which manages to find it's way through Bobrovsky's 5-hole. Tied at 3! The place is going nuts
• Wow... the Capitals have now lost seven in a row. Is this 1977? 
• Spacek pulls a Subban, and gets caught with a turnover at centre ice. Pleks with the penalty to foil the scoring chance
• Damn... van Reimsdyk with a powerplay goal, off a rebound, to retake the lead 4-3 Flyers
• Aaand Subban with another turnover to put the game out of reach. Another turnover sends Giroux in all alone against Price. 5-3 Flyers

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Sorry, Hal. No credit for goals scored on your own net. Photo: John Kenney/Gazette



'Tis The season, eh? The Habs led the way against the Flyers in most categories, including mental mistakes. Credit to the Flyers, who were able to cash in on three of their gift-wrapped chances, plus the Zherdev goal that Price would like back.

For the first time this season, the Habs have lost three in-a-row, and gave up more than three regulation goals in a game, minus empty-netters. They were the last team in the NHL to do so, taking until their 31st game for both of those to happen. That's a credit to a sound defensive style that's being preached by Coach Martin.

P.K. Subban. What else is there to say? Moments of brilliance, followed by plays that would be frowned on in a Saturday night beer league game. And too often, those turnovers are turning into the kind of prime scoring chances for the opposition that are ending up in the back of the net. Why is this kid not learning from his mistakes? Take the last Flyer goal: without a passing option, he turned the puck over with a bad pass to the blue line. It then comes back to him, and he makes the EXACT same mistake, 4 seconds later. That time the Flyers make no mistake with the possession, and are able to spring Claude Giroux in all alone for their 5th goal. Get the kid some Ritalin. Geez.

That said, there was plenty of brain-mush to go around this evening; P.K. was only one of the guys that needed their head screwed on a little tighter. It's games like this where they REALLY miss the calming effect of Andrei Markov.

The plus: they're mistakes which are completely fixable. Play smart defensive hockey, and the Habs can beat any team in the league. You couldn't say that about Hab teams from as little as three or for years ago.

Final shots: Montreal 41, Flyers 30. They also led the way in the faceoff circle, 33-28.

At least the Habs will get a chance to bounce back tomorrow night against a strong rival, the Bruins, who also lost tonight.

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Two months in; time to change the oil



Thanks goodness it's December

Tonight, questions will become answers. (tm)

And the biggest question of all: Was Carey Price's Mo-vember moustache the secret to his phenomenal goaltending performance for the month of November? 

Carey would be the first to tell you that he's not the least bit superstitious. Case in point: when the game puck is retrieved after a shut-out, Price promptly tosses it to an admiring fan instead of keeping it for his own pleasure. But when it comes to trimming hair when at the peak of your powers, well, you remember the story about Samson, right?

Coming into the season, Price's critics had him down as one big question mark. He answered with an excellent month of October, in which he won the Molson Cup. Then he started growing his Mo-vember 'stache.

In November, Price was otherworldly. In 12 starts, he was 8-4, with a minuscule 1.59 goals against average and a lofty .952 save percentage and three shut-outs. And when you take into consideration that in Price's four losses the Habs only scored a total of 4 goals... let's just hope that his mojo wasn't washed down the drain with the caterpillar.

The Oilers, meanwhile, are hoping to follow in the the footsteps of Pittsburgh, Washington, Los Angeles and Chicago as teams that have followed the formula of "sucking for success". Except that the Oilers haven't been quite as great those other teams have been at turning high draft picks into can't miss, franchise-level prospects. They've turned their picks into a decent crop of speedy forwards which works well on the fast ice of the Northlands Coliseum whatever their calling their arena nowadays. Next up: their defense and goaltending. Keep finishing low and bringing on those high draft picks!  

2010-2011 Regular Season, Game 25: Edmonton at Montreal

FIRST PERIOD:

• Geez... anyone else having problems with the RDS audio? Am I going to instead have to suffer through McGuire on TSN?
• Odd bounce off of the boards; were they watching the game last night in Toronto?
• Habs' game plan looks to be to get a lot of rubber on the Oiler net
• With the extra days off, they must think that their penalty kill is rusty. 8 minutes in, 2 penalties
• Bruins/Flyers. Is it possible for both teams to get 0 points tonight?
• On the powerplay, Gomez centres a pass for Darche, but it goes in off an Oiler standing in the slot. Hey, I'm sure that he'll take it. 1-0 Habs!
• Aaand the Oilers come right back on their third  powerplay of the period. Pouliot off for high sticking, Foster with a slap shot up under the crossbar from under the top of the left circle. Tied at 1. 

In the first period back after a long layoff, the Habs came out skating hard to a 15-9 shot advantage. They also led in the faceoff circle, 9-6. Unfortunately the also led in penalties taken, 3-1, and it caught up to them.

SECOND PERIOD:

• Good pace in the early going, with not a lot of whistles. Entertaining
• Yikes! Kostitsyn takes a slapshot from Subban off the inner thigh, ans Plekanec literally pushes him to the bench
• Another powerplay goal! Darche taps in a Cammalleri rebound from the lip of the crease. 2-1 Habs!
• How about Hamrlik! Pouliot with some incredible puck posession then a shot on net... and the Hammer is there to tap in an easy rebound. 3-1 Habs!
• I'll give this to the Oilers: they're fast!
• Phew! Kostitsyn's back, and doesn't look any worse for wear
• Does any team get more short-handed odd-man rushes than the Habs?

If there's one thing that Edmonton does worse than anything else, it's kill penalties. The Hab powerplay has struck twice on two powerplays to jump out to a 3-1 lead, thought the Oilers had the edge in shots, 13-11.

THIRD PERIOD:

• I'd be happy to not see the Habs in the penalty box this period
• Taylor Hall does everything that he can to sell phantom high stick, and Hamrlik sits for two... and teaches the kid some Czech swear words on his way off
• 9 minutes into the period, and shots are just 3-1 for Montreal
• Josh Gorges bowls over Price, taking him out of the play and leaving a wind open net for the Oilers. 3-2 Habs.
• No penalty call on a trip on Cammalleri, Subban pinches, gets caught and the Oilers score shorthaded on a 2-on-1. Tied at 3.

OVERTIME:

• Subban puts a pass into Cammalleri's skates, turning the puck over to Dustin Penner who breaks in alone to score the winner.

The Habs played sloppy in that period, with turnovers turning into the tying and winning goals for the Oilers. Final shots: 39 for Montreal, 32 for Edmonton.

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Dustin Penner scores on a breakaway in overtime to seal a 4-3 win over the Habs. Photo: Richard Wolowicz/Getty



Great. Now I'm too angry to sleep. It wasn't quite as bad as the Leafs' collapse against the Lightning the previous night, but it was close.

Was it the three days off that had them unfocused? Unlikely, since they played an excellent first 40 minutes. Unfortunately, they followed that up with mental mistakes and bad choices, which allowed the young but talented Oilers to take advantage and snatch victory form the jaws of defeat. 

More likely, it was a case of the old "we're up by 2 against a bottom-feeder" syndrome. In essence, the took the Oilers too lightly, and in the end it hurt them. Up by one on the powerplay late in the game? Why, you dive, making an ill-advised pinch while taking yourself out of the play, sending the Oilers away on a short-handed 2-on-1, of course. Yeah, I'm looking at you, Subban. Make a poor, hurried breakout pass up the middle into the skates of the intended recipient, causing a breakaway in overtime? Subban's got that one, too.

True, the kid's going to make mistakes; but if he's going to accept the responsibility of critical minutes, then he's got to be better. This isn't to hang this game on PK (there were quite a few Habs that had 'checked-out' after grabbing the two-goal lead), but at the same time it's not too hard to imagine Markov not making those kinds of mental errors. But what are you going to do? Keep this one on file, learn from the mistakes, and take it before every game to remind yourselves to play hard for the full 60(5) minutes. 

Hey, at least it's a point, right?

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A royal butt kicking

I didn't mind them in gold... just not that much gold

As a Hab fan, you've got to love having RDS.

Firstly, they show every Canadiens game live. Secondly, they repeat the game--in an hour-long condensed version--about an hour after the game ends. This means that on nights like tonight I get to see the game, even though I missed the game. And watching the replay has benefits over watching it live: in order to make the game fit an hour format, they cut out all of the boring parts.

Not that there were many boring parts in tonight's game; it featured two very evenly matched teams that are built on speed and great goaltending. But tonight, one team did most things better than the other.

After the Kings held the early edge in the game with tough, hard forechecking, the Habs got their skates under them and did pretty much everything that they didn't do over the last 40 minutes of their last game against Philadelphia: skate hard, go to the net, and make smart decisions both with and without the puck.

Price makes a spectacular lunging save to foil a Kings' 2-on-1. Photo:Allen McInnis/The Gazette

Halfway through the first period, Andrei Kostitsyn used his quick-release wrist shot, one of the best in the league, to beat Kings goalie Jonathan Bernier for the 1-0 lead. Scott Gomez went to the net with 2 1/2 minutes left in the period and was rewarded with his fourth goal to make it 2-0 after one period. ***Scoring Change: Mike Cammalleri was credited with the second goal, a one-timer from the deep slot.

In the second period, just under 2 minutes in, the Kings Alec Martinez scored his first of the season on the powerplay, though it wasn't without some controversy. After making the initial save, Carey Price was prevented from moving across the crease by a King to make the second save. The replay showed that there was a good case for a goaltender interference call, but instead it was a 2-1 game.

Showing their tenaciousness, the Habs answered right back with a Tomas Plekanec goal to make it 3-1, then with 2 minutes left in the period Lars Eller scored his first as a Hab when he picked up a rebound in the slot from a shot off the near post, then spun around to slide the puck in along the ice on the far side to beat Bernier and make it 4-1. Close checking and a willingness to take the puck to the King's zone prevented a third-period comeback to round out a very satisfying win.

Final shots were 33 for the Habs, and 25 for the Kings. Brian Gionta led the way with seven of them, while Roman Hamrlik played a very solid 23:31 to lead the way in ice time for the Canadiens.

Carey Price? Just another day at the office. 24 saves on 25 shots, and considering the play that led to the Kings only goal, it could have just as easily been his 5th shutout of the season and a GAA of under 2. As it is, after 21 games he's tied his win total from last year with 13, has 4 shutouts, a GAA of 2.00 and a SV% of .933. 

Their next game is in Atlanta on Friday night, in a week that sees them having to travel before each of their 4 games. Crazy schedule.

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Puttin' on the foil



The Hab's 3rd line call-ups for tonight's game

It's time to do some disrespectin'.

Tonight's game in Philadelphia against the Flyers promises to be an interesting one. Already there are a number of sub-plots and questions to keep an eye on:

1. Will the Flyers still be upset that in their last meeting the Habs broke their 10-game points streak?
2. Will Philly Captain Mike Richards feel as though Hab rookie P.K. Subban is still disrespecting the veterans on his team?
3. If the answer to number 2 is 'yes', will the Philly goons try to do something about it?
4. Will Darroll Powe continue to recklessly thow his weight around?
5. If the answer to number 4 is 'yes', who will be his victim?
6. If the answer to number 5 is 'a Montreal Canadien', how will the Habs respond?
7. Did a member of the Canadiens' training staff go to the hardware store this afternoon to stock up on metallic hand-wrap?
8. Will the Philly fans continue to be boorish douchebags? (actually, we already know the question for that one)

Answers to these questions, and more, to be answered shortly after the 7:05 puck drop. 

2010-2011 Regular Season, Game 20: Montreal at Philadelphia

FIRST PERIOD:

• Well that didn't take long. Pronger off for a cross check in the first 30 seconds.
• Habs have started out looking as though they could use some passing lessons
• We need two guys to go in on the forecheck
• Ok, starting to get a little chippy now. Briere spears Eller before the faceoff, no call. Where's Knuckles Nilan when you need him?
• There's the Flyer goaltending that we know and love! Lapierre, a light low wrist shot as he comes across blue line fools Boucher. 1-0 Habs!
• First Philly sustained pressure (1+ minutes on Habs zone) happens because the Habs are light in their attempts on clearing the puck, looking for the prefect breakout instead of simply clearing the puck and releiving the pressure
• To this point, the Habs' speed has created 3 odd-man rushes against Philly
• How about Max! His second of the game; Pouliot digs the puck out of the corner, and a shot from the slot is deflected by a Flyer right between Boucher's pads. 2-0 Habs!

A well-played road period--with some suspect Philly goaltending--gives the Habs the 2-0 lead after the first period. The game was almost seven minutes old before the Flyers mustered their first shot on goal, and only controlled the play in the Canadien's zone for one stretch of about a minute. The Habs have the edge in faceoffs (12 to 7) and shots on goal (15-9)... Max Lapierre has 5 of them.

SECOND PERIOD:

• Flyer powerplay to start the period, and ouch... Price stops the puck just under his mask but has the presence to cover up the loose puck for the stoppage
• Flyers starting to assert themselves in the Habs' zone again. Smart, quick clears are what's needed.
• Lapierre almost had the hatty as he rings one off the post... and another Flyer powerplay
• Flyers are definitely carring the play to this point in the period, and have a 16-2 shot advantage to prove it
• How to make Brian Boucher a good goalie: 3 shot in 14 minutes, though he almost flubbed the third one
• Dang. Ville Leino converts a nice pass into the slot, going against the grain high in Price. 2-1 Habs.
• Hal Gill's Mo-vember 'stache looks like vintage Larry Robinson

The Habs may have played a great road period in the 1st, but the followed it up with a horrible one in the 2nd. Outplayed for long stretches, the can thank Price for the 2-1 lead going into the locker room. Shots that period: Montreal 5 (20) and Philly 21 (30). Part of the problem is that Montreal only won 4 faceoffs that period; the Flyers now lead in that department 25-16.

THIRD PERIOD:

• I expect the Flyers to come out charging this period. Maybe it'll cost them a penalty or two
• Habs start the period like they ended the 2nd: a lot of puck chasing, and it cost them. Gill misses his check, and Giroux pounces on a rebound to tie the game at 2.
• Every powerplay the Flyers immediately send two guys to the front of the net. Habs, take note
• 4-on-4, and the Habs again miss a check in the slot leaving a shooter alone in the slot. 3-2 Flyers
• Price spectacular on a 2-on-1. Good thing he decided to stick around after the 1st period
• Habs have a little over 4 minutes to find their first period form
• Lose another faceoff, and they can't get Price out for the extra attacker

The Habs need to play that period like they did the first... and they didn't. They managed to get 11 shots at the Philly goal, but few caused any trouble. Final shot totals: Philadelphia 45, Montreal 31. And after handily controlling the faceoff circle in the opening period, the game ends with Philly dominating 38-23.

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And this would have been one of his GOOD saves.  Photo courtesy Habs Inside/Out

A completely frustrating road game from the Habs: Lots of skating, and doing the little things right in the first period to give themselves a 2-0 lead, followed by two periods of "what the hell was that?" to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Apparently, not enough disrepctin' was done after the first intermission.

In the first period, the Habs won 12 faceoff while losing 7. The only won 11 over the final two periods. The net result? Spending long stretches of time chasing the puck while trying to regain possession. The Flyers turned their possession advantage into scoring chances, throwing 36 shots at Carey Price over the last 2 periods. And they make good on their opportunities: two glaring defensive breakdowns led to open Flyers and their final two goals.

Five Flyers ended the night with at least five shots: Carter (6), Hartnell (6), Pronger (6), and van Riemsdyk (5). Leading the way for the Habs: Lapeirre (6) and Plekanec (5). Good on Lapierre on having a great game, but when he's leading your offensive charge, chances are that you're not going to end the night with two points. Tonight marked the first game that the Habs didn't win this season when scoring the first goal or when leading after the second period.

Price was, again, fantastic. Through 20 starts, he's het to be scored on more than three times in regulation. He deserved the win tonight, even if most of the rest of the team didn't. And what needs to be done to get Scott Gomez out of his season-long funk? 

As for the Centre Hive Loss-Severity Indicator, it gets bumped all the way up to "Star Wars Kid" for mailing in the last two periods. The Mood Indicator after this loss? A definite "Facepalm". 

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How do I hate thee... let me count the ways

Who needs fists when you can punch with your face?

The Bruins may be bigger rivals, but there's no team that I hate more than the Maple Leafs.

Some of the reasons, in no particular order:

• Their fans still whine about 1993 like a blown high-stick call was the only thing standing between them and a Stanley Cup parade
• "Honouring" numbers instead of retiring them. Because there's no better way to celebrate the great Teeder Kennedy's distinguished career and number 9 than by issuing it to Colby Armstrong
• For misleading their fanbase into believing that the Maple Leafs have won 13 Stanley Cups. The franchise has won 13, but the first two were won by the Toronto Blueshirts and the Toronto St. Patricks. The Maple Leafs have only won 11
• Darcy Tucker
• 20-some-odd games as a rental player is apparently good enough to qualify you for the captaincy of the team
• For years of worrying more about condo sales and padding teacher's pockets instead of putting a better product on the ice
• "Leaf Nation", "The Passion that Unites Us All", and the "Centre of the Hockey Universe". Can't like a team that blatantly lies. Next thing you know, they'll be trumpeting about having won 13 Stanley Cups. Oh, wait...
• Insanely high prices for traditionally crap product... and I'm not just talking about the watered-down draught beer at the ACC
• Pick a uniform design, and stick with it! And by the way, leaves are green, not white or blue
• The Habs have paraded the Stanley Cup around Toronto ice more times than the Leafs have. Wait, I should save that one for "Why I love the Habs, let me count the ways"
• Harold Ballard, and every nefarious thing that went on in the back rooms on Carlton Street

I could go on, but my internet service provider has a strict limit on bandwidth and I don't feel like paying a penalty... though that would give me yet another reason to hate the Leafs.

Also, they won the first game of the season, though the Habs were without their best defenseman and their number one sniper from last season's playoffs. This time around we'll again be without Markov, but hopefully Cammalleri will be able to make up for missed time and pop a couple tonight. The Leafs come into tonight's game on a 2-game winning streak, whereas the Habs played their most lackluster game of the season Thursday night in getting shut out by the Nashville Predators.

2010-11 Regular Season, Game 20: Toronto at Montreal

FIRST PERIOD:

• CBC, RDS, or surf between the two?
• Nice.... the late Pat Burns remembered with a video montage set to the Beatles' "In My Life", followed by a moment of silence
• Both goalies have had to make good saves early
• Setting up with three guys behind the goal line is generally not the best way to generate scoring chances
• Leafs with some good pressure; Habs passed up a couple of opportunities to clear the puck while looking for the perfect pass
• Gomez misses in all alone. Martin crosses his name off of the potential shootout list
• Give the Habs credit: they're doing what they can to improve The Monster's SV%
• Hammer off for 'hooking', and the Habs get two 2-on-1's wile shorthanded. Gustavvson's been sharp in the Leaf net
• AARUGH! Kostitsyn beats Gustavvson cleanly, but rings it square off the post

Lost of jump in an entertaining first period, thought he game remains scoreless. Habs had the edge in goos scoring chances, though their lack of finish and ability to hit the goalie in the chest could come back to haunt them. Aside from the scoreboard, the Habs lead in shots (17 to 10) and faceoffs won (10 to 5).

SECOND PERIOD:

• Habs blow a 3-on-2, not getting a shot away. Where have I seen this before?
• Picking up where the 1st period left off: shots, but square into Gustavvson's chest
• Yikes! Price has to come up massive on a couple of chances from in close
• Lapierre off for goalie interference, and Price has to rob an open Kessel in the slot
• Shorthanded! Halpern, alone in the slot, deflects a Spacek shot from the point. 1-0 Habs!
• I don't mind the "Leafs Suck" chant, but "Sixty-seven" sounds better on TV
• Habs are dominating on faceoffs, 22-12
• Lost of passing and dipsy-doodling in the Leaf zone, but no one going to the front of the net

Another back and forth period, with a few good chances at both ends in a goaltending duel. Halpern with the only goal of the game so far... shorthanded, no less. Habs have yet to have a powerplay, Leafs have had two. Shots were 13 for Toronto (23) and 12 for the Habs (29). The Canadiens have also been great in the faceoff circle, winning 24 and losing only 13.

THIRD PERIOD:

• I'd suggest that going up 2-0 would be very beneficial for their chances of coming away with 2 points
• HOW did they miss an open net with the puck in the crease?!
• I've never seen the Habs turn so many pucks in the slot onto non-scoring chances
• Hey... the Habs get a power play!
• Someone needs to tell Komisarek that his team is wearing white tonight. He fires a "pass" from the half-boards into the slot to find a wide-open Cammalleri for the one-timer. Powerplay goal... 2-0 Habs!
• Canadiens are finally using their speed to proper advantage to give the Leaf defense fits
• Leafs are coming close with some late charges. Where's Komisarek when you need him?
• Gionta off the post with the Leaf net empty, but it turns into an icing call
• Aaaand Price with the shutout!!!!

The Canadiens played some pretty sound defensive hockey that period to preserve the win and the shutout for Carey Price, his 4th on the season, limiting the Leafs to 7 shots, and maybe only a couple of decent scoring chances. The final numbers: Habs with 38 shots to the Leafs' 30, and the Habs were 35-18 on faceoffs.

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Price makes one of his 30 saves against Nikolai Kulemin Photo: Richard Wolowicz



The Maple Leafs played a pretty good game tonight, but the Habs played that much better. Their domination of the faceoff circle coupled with Leaf turnovers allowed the Habs to use their speed advantage to slowly take over the game as time wore on. It prevented the Leafs from pulling their goalie as early as they would have liked, and prevented them from getting clear shots at Carey Price with the man advantage.

Speaking of Carey Price: 12-6-1, GAA 2.00, SV% .932, 4 shutouts, and leading the league in minutes played. Yeah, they should have traded him. The REALLY scary thing about Price is that in his six regulation losses, the Habs have scored a total of five goals. With some timely goal scoring, Price could have been 15-3-1... or better.

Price has been phenomenal, but the work of his defensive corps can't be ignored. They played another great game tonight, especially Hal Gill who used is exceptional reach to single-handely break-up a number of potentially threatening Leaf attacks.

Congrats to Tom Pyatt, who registered his first point of the season (an assist) and is now tied with Carey Price in the Canadiens' scoring race. 

And I can't believe that I'm going to say something nice about a Leaf, but goalie Jonas Gustavsson had an outstanding game; the Habs could have easily potted a couple more of not for his fine work. If the Leafs can keep from screwing him him, they're set in goal. Oh, and Mike Komisarek deserves props, too. His setup and pass to Cammalleri on the second goal was beyond reproach.

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Brotherly love(?)

A young Andrei (left) and Sergei Kostitsyn argue over who has to play goal

Brothers fight all the time, and I should know; I'm a twin.

Growing up, my brother and I would scrap over anything. Toys. Clothes. Who got to use the cool high chair for dinner. It was inevitable; put the two of us in a room where there was only one of something, and watch the fists fly.

There's only one of something up for grabs tonight at the Bell Centre, and that's a win. There'll also be a set of brothers on the ice tonight, as little brother Sergie Kostitsyn (B-cup) comes into town for the first time with the Nashville Predators to meet older brother Andrei (D-cup). Will it degenerate into name-calling, hair-pulling, and the odd low blow at centre ice? As a brother, I could only hope...

In case you forgot what Sergei Kostitsyn looks like, here's a helpful hint on spotting him: he'll be the one cherry picking next to the blue line.

Nashville is coming off of an epic collapse against the lowly Maple Leafs, having surrendered 5 goals, including 4 on the power play (3 of those of the 5-on-3 variety) after having surged out to a 3-0 first period lead. The the Leafs scored late in the first, and the Pred's house of cards fell in on them. One wouldn't expect that the same thing would happen to them two games in a row.

The Habs look to add to their 4-game win streak, all at the expense of difficult teams: Vancouver, Boston, Carolina and Philadelphia. The last time these two teams met, Nashville horribly outplayed the Canadiens, and Carey Price was forced to make 53 saves on the way to a 2-0 loss.

Also of note, ex-Hab The Cube returns to the Bell Centre (I always had a soft spot for Frankie Bouillion) and P.K. Subban promises to not keep his mouth shut, regardless of what Mike Richards thinks.

2010-2011 Regular Season, Game 19: Nashville at Montreal

FIRST PERIOD:

• Good news: both Gorges and Halpern are playing. After the latter cracked his head on the ice against Philly, I was sure that he'd miss at least a game.
• Man, I hope that Carey doesn't have to make 53 saves tonight
• Considering the game that Rinne had against Toronto, I'd fire lots of rubber at him
• Pucks bouncing in the crease make me nervous
• Partway through the period, and my wife figures that this is a good time to instruct me on how to wash the filter for the vacuum
• PK with an open-ice hip check. See? You don't have to headhunt to throw a solid, effective body check
• Time to get some shots on goal. Just two so far...
• The Predators are playing like the team with the 5th-most victories since the lockout
• Welcome back, SK74. He takes the first penalty of the game, a tripping call.

An entertaining period in which both goalies had to come up big to keep the game scoreless, though Price was the busier of the two, making 16 saves to Rinne's 9. At this rate, Price would have to face 48 shots. What is is about Nashville and high shot counts? Steve Sullivan has 5 already; last game against the Habs he had 11.

SECOND PERIOD:

• That's what happens when you leave a man all alone in front of the net. At least the Cube got an assist. 1-0 Nashville.
• I wonder how much Sergei put up on the board for a win over his brother. The Preds are playing like they need the money.
• A 3-on-1 shorthanded? Ugh...
• I'd be happy if they were to stop passing the puck into the slot to nobody. It's an automatic turnover
• We're getting killed 16-9 on faceoffs
• Ever get the feeling that NOTHING is going to go in for them?
• That's the kind of night that it's been... Spackek of all people finds himself alone in the slot with a tremendous scoring chance, which he of course flubbed
• I don't like that Bell graphic of Markov on the boards. It looks like he's getting injured all over again.
• They're getting a lot of pucks at Renne, but no traffic in front to make it difficult for him

The Habs had three opportunities on the powerplay to tie it, including a partial 5-on-3, but weren't able to create enough traffic in front of the Nashville goal to make a difference. Shots now all equal at 21. The difference has been one missed defensive assignment in the Montreal end.

THIRD PERIOD:

•  Stamkos with 19 goals already! Without him that team is nothing.
• 118 minutes since the Habs have scored on the Predators. Yikes! That doesn't bode well...
• Habs need to press hard here without giving up tough chances. Sound two-way hockey is the key
• Rinne's giving up some decent rebounds... just need to jump on one of them
• Nashville has blocked a lot of shot tonight. They've made life easy for Rinne, which is the key to any goalie's success
• They just haven't been able to get to loose pucks in the slot. Except for Spacek, of course
• Price with the first save, Spacek misses his check and the puck is in the back of the net. 2-0 Predators.
• A screen shot through Gorges' legs high blocker side catches Price off-guard. 3-0 Predators.
• Ouch! Spacek does a face plant onto the dasher boards, and gets a 2-minute penalty for his trouble

Well, they got pucks past Rinne, but couldn't get any of 'em into the net. Not a great way to send crowd home. Not even one goal to cheer for! Each team ended the night with 30 shots.

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Nashville doing what they did all night to the Habs: beat them to the puck. Photo: Phil Carpenter/The Gazette

A great road game by the Predators matched with a couple of defensive breakdowns and a lack of finish by the Habs was the story of this one. Missed checks in each of the last two periods directly in front of Price was the difference; the third goal, a screen shot through the legs of Gorges 11 minutes into the 3rd period had Price fooled; the puck was almost by him before he reacted.

The Predators did a great job of protecting Pikka Rinne; he had to make but a few difficult saves, and most of his work was from long range. When pucks did get by or through him, the Nashville defense did a great job of tying up sticks and bodies to deny secondary scoring chances.  

On the plus side, the Habs are still the only team to have yet given up more more than three goals in regulation time. Price continues to give the offence a chance to win every game, and responsible defense would have kept this to a one-goal game. But if you don't score, you can't win. Hopefully they got the lacklustre effort out of their system in advance of their rematch with the Leafs on Saturday night.

For the first time since their inception, Centre Hice has made adjustments to both the Mood Indicator and the Loss-Severity Indicator. Basically, the Habs got caught unawares tonight by a lower-ranked team that out-played them, so the Loss-Severity indicator gets bumped up to "Rick-Rolled"; being caught unawares by a lower-ranked team that out-played them means that the Mood Indicator drops to a solid "Facepalm". 

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