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 Seven: Wings vs. Habs

Overtime:

- Dry scrape picks - Datsyuk and Pacioretty.

- Well I was close. Pacioretty with the shot, Desharnais buries the rebound. This team just finds a way. Another night, another crazy win.

Third Period:

- Welp, just not happening. Habs have the kitchen sink but Howard won't let one past.

- #AlmostBourque again. Actually it's been #AlmostHabs all night.

- Wings now in grind mode. They're still functionally better than the Habs, so it's looking more and more the Habs will put up a goosegg tonight.

- Eller gets high sticked again, his cut from a high stick he took in the second period opens up. Both, shockingly, aren't called.

- Methinks Habs could have used Sekac tonight. Also Bournival. Moen and Prust have amounted to little.

- Galchenyuk. Brilliant. So fast that even horseshoe Howard can stop it from going in. Tie game with three minutes left.

- Habs are swarming here. They want to end this before regulation.

- Habs at least clinch a point - the better third period team again. But the Wings still play a far more structured attack, which gives them a pretty good edge in overtime. Also, Habs extra time luck has to come to an end eventually.

Second Period:

- Price repeatedly fails to cover a loose puck leading to a penalty. Eller and Pacioretty also go to he dressing room with injuries. On the same shift. Ouch.

- Calls by officials have been pretty questionable (including non-calls), and have almost all broken against the Habs.

- Fascinating to see how each team attacks so differently. Habs mainly dump, Wings mainly carry. Detroit has the best coach in the NHL. You do the math.

- Officials determined to call nothing, Wings saying thanks guys, we'll hook and hold everything in sight. 

- And there you go. Wings carry the zone and score the evening's first goal. Deserved I suppose - they've dominated this second period and to be honest, most of the game.

- Wings get nasty dirty after the whistle with Parenteau robbed by Howard. Butt ends, head punches and ... and go figure, Habs get a PP.

- One good reason why the Wings are perfect this year on the PK, always blocking the shooting lanes.

- Parenteau can't finish. No matter how glorious the chances. Still better than Briere.

- Well, Habs are great in the 3rd. Right? That's all I got.

First Period:

- Well, the start hasn't been great, but not as awful as any of the first six games. So I guess that's improvement?

- Desharnais with a lazy holding the stick call. The usual.

- Carey Price two excellent saves on the PK - the Wings powerplay looks a lot better than their current 9% rating.

- Yup. Price appears to be on "dialed" mode tonight.

- Tinordi, still raw with plenty to learn, inexplicably playing on the Habs 2nd D line. 

- Man, you can tell which of these two teams are better coached, and it ain't the guys wearing a C and an H. Detroit with a much more structured attack, while the Habs are continuously dependant on dump and hope.

- Kind of fascinating how similar these two teams are in roster, but how differently they play the game. The first was a washout, which given how poorly it's gone this young season, is a victory for Montreal. Still, Detroit was the better playing team in that period.

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Gameday Game Preview:

24 years. 23 consecutive times.

That figure is the number of times, over the number of years, the Detroit Red Wings have made the NHL playoffs. Think about that for a moment. That, for a good number of people, is nearly half a lifetime. A quarter of a century. It's testament to an brilliantly run organization that's managed to avoid the ebb and flow of contention to somehow generate a consistently competitive team year in, year out.

However, like all good things, even one as admirable as the Wings' streak, it must come to an end. That end may be this season, at least as far as Detroit making the post-season for a 24th straight time.

Actually, making the playoffs for a 23rd time was a bit of a task last year. The Wings had to deal with a slew of injuries to many important parts of its roster, while also dealing with players who weren't living up to expectation. Perhaps foremost in the Wings' problem areas was in goaltending, as long-time starter Jimmy Howard had one of his worst years ever as a full-time NHL netminder.

The Wings had a pretty quiet off-season, and had almost no action in the free agent market, signing only center Riley Sheahan, winger Kevin Porter, and ... that's pretty much it. The Wings are steadfast determined (or resigned) to work with the assets they already retain, focusing on the same program that's worked so well for them over the years - building within, drafting wisely, identifying key assets and retaining them for long terms, and hiring (and keeping) an excellent coaching staff.

This is a transition year for the Wings, and as such, it'll be full of ups and downs, probably more pain than gain, and an odd-on likelihood that they won't make the post season. But that's all part of the plan in Detroit - always keep your eyes focused on the long term.

So tonight, the Wings come to Montreal to take on their divisional rivals. Both the Wings and Habs are off to strong starts, the Wings with three wins in their first five games, the Habs with five W's in their first six. Detroit's Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen are, to no one's surprise, off to excellent season starts, while Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson constitute the backbone of the Detroit defense.

Even with the strong win starts, both clubs haven't posted sparking specialty team starts - the Habs powerplay ranked 17th in the League, is still better than the Wing's 24th ranked man advantage, scoring at a meager 9.5% efficiency. The penalty kill, however, tells a more significant story. The Habs PK of 80% efficiency is only good for 18th in the League. Detroit? Well, they haven't actually surrendered a shorthanded goal this year. So they're ... um ... pretty good there.

Lineup tonight. Dale Weise will get a start (finally) for the Habs, at the expense of Jiri Sekac. Carey Price will get the start in goal, Jimmy Howard for the Wings.

Puck drops at 5:40 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.