Game Fifty-Six: Habs vs. Wings

THIRD PERIOD:

- Looks like Price's margin for error tonight is exactly zero. Not being helped by the Wings continuing to dominate zone pressure.

- Malhotra continuing to get regular shifts, and with it, blowing any semblance of a good scoring chance. Really don't quite understand the point of utilizing him anymore, at least at this stage of the game.

- If there's one player tonight who's capable of giving the Habs an unlikely goal, it's Alex Galchenyuk.

- Habs have basically just given up wanting to control the puck. Let the icing festival begin.

- You know, you just KNOW, that Therrien is happy with what he's seeing. The rest of us gouge our eyeballs out.

- Five minutes left. Fans at Joe Lewis trying to get the home team motivated. At this point, it's as though both teams are resigned to a scoreless fate. 

- Malhotra in the circle tonight. 4 wins. 12 losses. We continue see his name penciled into the card, and we wonder ... why?

- After nattering about how useless Weise has been tonight, he makes a nifty pass to Plekanec who blasts a slapper past Howard from the high slot. Unbelievably, astonishingly, the Habs now stand to win this game.

- Pacioretty scores an empty net goal (yes, that happened). What an absolutely bat-insane win. How this team continues to pile on one totally unlikely win after another is something I've never seen, at least at this level, in my 38 years of watching this team religiously. 

SECOND PERIOD:

That seemed inevitable. Habs get nailed for a hook in their zone (Markov). Waiting for the other game shoe to drop. 

- Has anyone heard from Prust since, oh ... mid-December?

- Wings actually looked better 5v5 than during their first powerplay.

- Still blows my mind Jimmy Howard has a Stanely Cup ring. Tells you how deep that roster was.

- On any other top 4 Conference team, no way Manny Malhotra would be on an active roster.

- Habs doing an awful lot of running around in their zone. Really tough to see how the Wings stay off the board for much longer. 

- Normally you'd call this a "good road game", but to be perfectly honest, it isn't even that. The Habs are playing far too much of a passive game, with fits of incompetence with the puck. It's not only unwatchable hockey, it's incredibly frustrating unwatchable hockey.

- de la Rose is just so alert, so well attuned to the formation of the play, just loads of hockey smarts, this kid.

- Hard to believe there's been 39 registered shots on goal so far in this game. Just a whole lotta nothing going on. Habs waiting for Wings to muff it up (they haven't), Wings waiting for Price to muff it up (he hasn't). Should we just fast forward this thing to overtime, already?

FIRST PERIOD:

- So Weaver starts in place of Gonchar. Probably not a favourable lineup adjustment against a possession strong team like the Wings.

- It's been while since I've seen a game delayed that long over a pane of glass. 12 minutes.

- P.K. Subban coming straight at you full wind up has to be a frightening sight. I don't care who you are or how long you've been an NHL goaltender.

- Unsurprisingly, Habs having problems maintaining control of the puck. Seem to be doing "okay" advancing to the Detroit line, but not much more past that marker. Bodes poorly for Montreal tonight.

- These two teams have some incredibly contrasting styles, it really is remarkable. Babcock has so fewer tools at his disposal, at least in comparison to a rich roster like Montreal, but he maximizes his lineup to full affect. I've little doubt someone like Bacock behind the Habs bench would win a championship.

- Helm and the Wings giving a pretty good demonstration on how you leverage speed. It ain't dumping and chasing. It's carrying the zone.

- Shots 7-6 Montreal but don't let that fool you - the Wings owned most of the period, possession and scoring chances. They owned the puck, controlled the tempo, and shut down virtually every meager Habs attack. Gonna be one of those nights.

GAMEDAY NEWS 'N' NOTES:

- Jiri Sekac is a healthy scratch tonight, for no explainable reason other than Michel Therrien is just wanting to drive us totally and absolutely crazy.

- Nothing else matters, except that Sekac, in just his FIRST DAMN YEAR in the NHL, has been very, very good. Head, meet desk.

- Did you know people in Montreal actually think having Phil Kessel as a Hab would be a very bad idea, because they think Kessel can't score? Those people actually exist. With a drool cup in tow, perhaps. But they exist.

Game Seventy-Nine: Wings vs. Habs

Third Period:

- So yeah, hard to be critical of Bourque tonight. The effort, which has been so inconsistent most of the season, has been there tonight.

- Too many powerplay opportunities for the Wings, they finally hit the board. Really no good reason for Habs to be taking any kind of penalty at this point.

- Ut oh. Here come the wings. Horrible pinch by Tinordi creates odd man break for the Wings. 3-2.

- Since the start of the second there have been 26 shots on goal. 21 have been by the Wings. 

- Detroit is skating the Habs into the ice. It's not even close out there. And they've drawn another powerplay.

- Kronwall. We saw that coming straight down St. Catherine's from two miles away. Tie game.

- Bourque. No more almost. Justly rewarded. Habs take the lead. 

- Galchenyuk. We think?? 

- Man, that's borderline. Think it should count ... but with officiating these days, who knows.

- Been a long time for Galley, and it's officially 5-3. Really just deserts for the Wings whose defense has been soft around their crease.

- Oh Max. So close. Game has totally opened up - it's a free for all now.

- Hate to endorse TherrienHockey, but Habs need to focus hard on chipping and dumping now. 

- Emelin has gone insane this shift. Taking numbers and now getting penalized. 

- Habs beat the curve tonight. Blowing a three goal lead, getting outplayed for most of the last two periods, but still finding a way of winning. Now four points ahead of Tampa, the Habs are a single victory away from claiming 2nd place. We'll take it.

Second Period:

- Habs have scored first in a game 42 of the 79 games they've played this season. They've won 35 of those 42 games.

- Markov with a bad giveaway on the powerplay. That's a benchin', right?

- Wings' rushes just haven't been clicking tonight - making the Habs defense look for better than they actually have been.

- Wings had delayed possession of the puck for more then a minute. And it's Bourque with the usual dumb and unecessary penalty. Sigh.

- Another weak tripping call by the officials against the Habs - Plekanec the latest victim.

- 8 minutes in, Habs have zero shots. There goes that possession positive game.

- One shot. Pacioretty. And he scores. Crazy. Number 39.

- Rene Bourque with some fine effort working the puck to Tinordi who banks the puck to Gionta for the easy goal. 3-0. Habs, who were awful the first half of the second, rolling the second half.

- That said, Habs may finish the period with 3 shots.

- Nyquist guys, Nyquist. Not a bright idea at the best of times to lose track of him.

First Period:

- Tinordi gets paired with Subban. Beaulieu again doesn't make the lineup, for some ridiculous reason. Weaver with Bouillon - the later who really ought not be starting, period.

- It's incredible. We're handed the marvellous gift of not having Doug Murray for three straight games and Therrien still can't get his defensive priorities in order.

- Briere called for a trip on Smith, although no contact was made with any part of Smith's legs. A blown call.

- Desharnais line picking up right where they left off last night. That line continues to hum along.

- So phantom trip on Smith as he tumbles into he boards = penalty. Gallagher being rammed head first into the boards = no penalty. Got it. Gallagher now in the dressing room.

- Tim Bozan is in the house. That's wonderful to see.

- Nice drive by White to carry the puck deep and make a perfect feed to he streaking Bournival for the easy tip in. Habs 4th line, as usual, so much better when White is playing and Parros is not.

- There is simply no way to contain Vanek and the Desharnais line. They cannot be stopped, just stunted by hooks and grabs. Habs overnight have one of the most potent lines in the League.

- Kudos to Bourque for the effort and drawing a powerplay. At least he's contributing something.

- Pretty efficient period of hockey by the Habs, did a decent job checking the Wings' most dangerous scoring threats. Net result, a possession positive period and an early lead. Satisfied so far.

===============================================================

So here's the deal. P.K. Subban isn't allowed to make any mistakes. EVER.

Miss a check?

That's a benchin'.

Fall down?

That's a benchin'

High fivin' your goaltender?

Ooooh you'd better believe that's a benchin'.

Michel Therrien, coach extraordinaire. How many times will he humiliate the best defenseman this organization has had in nearly 30 years, before his spirit is totally broken?

Tonight, Heir Therrien leads his troops back on home ice against the Wings. Both teams kinda need this game, although the Wings, almost-but-still-not-quite out of the playoff woods, probably need this game a little bit more.

The Habs, meanwhile, can take a pretty big step towards clinching home advantage with a win tonight. They hold the tie-breaking advantage over Tampa, so the current two point advantage they hold is, in reality, a 3 point lead.

Rene Bourque ... yeah ... you remember him ... sort of, gets a start tonight in place of the utterly useless George Parros. So I guess that's ... good?

Max Pacioretty, coming off a hat trick night against the incredibly incompetent Ottawa Senators, needs just two more goals to reach the magic 40 goal mark for the Habs, which will be a milestone not seen in this city for exactly 20 years.

Habs defense best keep an eye on March phenom Gustav Nyquist, who's taken the League by storm in March, and has played a key role in the Wings late season surge which has, for all practical purposes, secured them a 23rd consecutive berth into the post-season. 23 times in a row. That's insane.

What else? Jimmy Howard will start in nets for the Wings, Carey Price, of course, will start for the Habs.

Puck drops at 7:15 EST.

Game Seventy-Five: Habs vs. Wings

THIRD PERIOD:

- Wow. That's quite the stat. Detroit is -24 goal differential in the 3rd, worst in the league.

- Subban with a brain cramp clearance righty up the middle intercepted easily by Tatar. Beats Price from ideal position, and the Wings trim the lead to one. 

- Tatar again. Again a d zone turnover. Again Subban in the mix. Tie game, and Leafs fans have a meltdown.

- Pacioretty says chill out, Leafs Nation. 4-3.

- Lots of end to end here, not really the kind of game you want to play holding on to a one goal lead.

- Mike Weaver. Josh Gorges who?? If this is the real Weaver, it sets up an interesting summer as to determining whether there's a long-term place for Gorges on this team.

- Vanek, a beauty redeflect off sweet shot pass by Markov, and the Habs get their two goal lead back. Outstanding goal.

- Hold that phone. 21 seconds later, Franzen on blown coverage (Plekanec) makes it 5-4. Wild third period.

- Bouillon is a defensive disaster tonight. He needs to be pulled from this game NOW.

- Briere with a monster defensive shift. Who'd have thunkit?

- Bournival with his best shift of the night and he draws a Wings penalty. Massive given there's only 3 minutes left on the clock.

- Habs hang on for the W, and move pretty much past the clinching line. Leafs fans celebrate a Montreal victory for perhaps the first time ever. Florida Saturday to formally book a post-season ticket.

SECOND PERIOD:

- So, I'm joining in a little late tonight, I see a 2-0 score. Obviously a very impressive period for the visitors.

- Looking at first period stats and notes, looks like P.K. had as close to a monster period as is possible. Oh yeah, and Plekanec scored two. Ho hum. Seriously, nice to see Pleks hit the 20 goal mark - he's had a very underrated season. 

- Subban clearly held trying to carry the puck out of his zone creates a turnover, Shehan with a great seeing eye wrister to put the Wings on the board. Bad non-call.

- Pretty aggressive forecheck so far by Detroit in the second. They aren't messing around. Their season is on the line.

- Gallagher with transition pass to Galchenyuk. Misses by at least eight feet, results in an icing.

- Vanek had easy 4th as a Hab, except for somebody named Jimmy Howard. Vanek just needed to shoot higher. Gotta make sure about these things.

- If Bourque finished off even a fraction of the goals that were perfect setups, he'd have at least 25 this season.

- Great physical play by Vanek to take possession away deep in Wings zone, sweet feed to Desharnais who does have the ability to finish. 3-1.

- Holy cow. This Desharnais / Pacioretty / Vanek line is a well oiled machine. Brilliant zone passing, seamless and potent. Yeah. Vanek. Eight years. We need to make this happen.

GAMEDAY NOTES:

Okay, no messin' around today.

Defense practice lines this morning in Detroit:

1: Emelin/Markov
2. Bouillon/Subban
3. Tinordi/Weaver

NO MURRAY TONIGHT. Already a good start.

- ICYAWA, a Wings win tonight would be absolutely devastating to the Leafs' hopes of clawing back into the wild card race. Oh ... so torn ... so torn.

- Marc Bergevin is going on the radio in about 30 minutes (from the time of this posting). We'll be listening for anything said worthy of mentioning (likely not).

- Okay, the interview is about as lame as anticipated. So from what little Bergevin has disclosed: 1. He'd like to have Vanek back, but it's beyond his control. 2. He's concerned that somebody will offer Subban an outlandish offer sheet he can't match. 3. Therrien and his coaching staff on the job they've done - "their record speaks for itself" (UGH). 4. Subban and Therrien get along just fine. 5. Says Subban has improved this year with/because of Therrien (WTF?). 6. He wants Gionta back (good grief), and 7. Bouillon has been a "very useful" defenseman.

Well, that was discouraging.