Game Number 1: Habs v Leafs

- The opening ceremony. What a drag. Can't the creative powers that be at Maple Leaf Inc. do better than this?

Period One:

- Very uptempo start for the Canadiens, very good puck control and forwards digging for the crease.

- Kostitsyn stoned on partial break. Looks vastly more engaged. But this is but game one ...

- Speed between both clubs are night and day. If the Habs maintain this pace it'll be very difficult for the Leafs to compete.

- AK43 again! robbed in the crease. Very impressive.

- And Kostitsyn robbed by the goal post on the PP. He'll have little trouble getting icetime if this pace is maintained. Just needs to finish.

- An excellent first period for the Habs. Dominated from virtually any angle, but failed to score. Will that come back to haunt?

Period Two:

- And there you have it. Habs fail to take advantage in the first and give up a maddening shorthanded goal to start the second.

- listless play by Gomez in his own zone, much like last season. This does not bode well for the Canadiens.

- Terrible late period phantom call on Kostitsyn. Centre ice ref was in no way in position to make that call.

- Really?? Very marginal too many men call ... now it's a 5 on 3.

- Great PK to end the 2nd. Surely that will give the boys some mo' going into the third.

Third Period:

- Oy. Gomez fails to move his feet in his own zone and draws a lazy penalty. I can hear the fan gnashing of teeth already.

- Another solid PK aided by excellent netminding by Price.

- Wow. Just wow. How was the push hard into the boards on Gomez not called? Consistency, please?

- Not sure if that was a pick on Plekanec at centre ice but sloppy turnover by Subban, 2-0 Leafs.

- Beautiful puck control and passing by Habs on PP, but still no finish.

- Gomez' shot is still as terrible as it was last year. I doubt the velocity is north of 70, which is baaaaad.

- I usually never watch CBC broadcasts. Is the colour commentary usually this one-sided?

- Diaz has been very solid deep in his zone. Winning puck battles and making smart clearances. He had to fight awfully hard to earn his spot on the roster, and he's following through on the hard work.

- Leafs have simply outworked the Habs tonight. I anticipate Martin will punish the crew next practice.

- Did Erik Cole forget that he was supposed to like ... play tonight?

- Leafs basically standing on the red line and suffocating the Habs to defeat.

- Oh well. Last year it was the same result opening night, we know how each team ended up in the playoff race.

Studs:

Price: bears no responsibility for this loss.
Diaz: Solid defensive defenseman coverage.
Kostytsin excellent first, but like much of the rest of the Habs, faded in the 2nd and 3rd.

Duds:

Cole: virtually invisible all night.
Gomez: looked like last year's Gomez.
Plecanec: poor positional play, largely ineffective most of his shifts.