Game Fifty-Three: Jets v Habs

It's a beautiful Sunday! Spring is nearly in the air, the birds are singing, life is good! So let's ruin it all with 150 minutes worth of dreadful hockey featuring two clubs going nowhere. Well, at least one team. The one that's more of an easterly direction. They wear red uniforms. From Montreal. They're called the Canadiens. Have u dropped enough hints yet?

- Diaz a (healthy?) scratch. Um, okay.

- Anthem *MUCH* better today. Very nice recovery. Let's hope that rubs off on a few of the Habs.

First Period:

- There are reportedly scouts representing 14 other NHL clubs at the game today. Can't say I'd blame a vulture for picking over a dead body.

- So who's being looked at? Kostitsyn? Gill? Campoli? Weber?

- 0/1 on the man advantage, but at least some shots were attempted. /graspingstraws

- Subban crashes the Jets net. That's something new.

- Subban/Gill pairing reunited. Both have barely played together this season.

- Habs caught a break with that offside. Otherwise it's 1-0 Jets.

- Gomez "cheers" today more boos than yays. The situation is becoming untenable.

- Habs a bit more jump today, although compared to their performance yesterday, the bar isn't high. Having trouble making clean/accurate passes.

- Pkekanec really motoring today. Created huge flurry, Bourque whiffing on backhander, Gill nearly scoring top shelf, Darche whiffing *twice* on a backhander. That's all about right.

- Darche is a line killer. Yeah, he scored couple nights ago (clean-up goal) but he wrecks the scoring chances generated by Plekanec's hard work.

- Plekanec line again generating great chances, but horrible follow-through by Bourque and Darche. Cunneyworth needs to stick Plekanec between two guys who can finish *now*.

- Hal Gill totally rockin the point today.

- Pacioretty finally puts one in. Finally.

- Or wait, did Desharnais kick it in??

- Naw. This should count. Desharnais' goal.

- Pretty one-sided period. If Habs can do that again for periods two and three, there's no way they can lose. There. I said it.

- Kostitsyn gets sent to the box for a second time today, both penalties a result of failing to keep pace with the play. I'm sure that'll impress the scores of scouts in the stands.

- Such an upside-down bizarre year. The Habs are actually a bigger threat to score shorthanded than they are on the man advantage. Emelin makes it 2-0 after Jets make string of sloppy errors.

- Scoring change for Habs first goal. Pacioretty credited with the goal.

- Did GOMEZ just score!?!!?

- No. Freakin'. Way. I think he might have deflected it in.

- Announcement of who scored taking crazy long time.

- After a five minute delay, goal is announced. It's Plekanec. /sadface

- Oh yeah. The Gomez-almost goal scored on the PP. The weirdness continues.

- Have to say I'm really bummed out. I feel terribly for Scott, who's enduring a pretty humiliating situation.

- Loved that Subban/Wheeler tilt. P.K. with the split decision.

- Gomez was all set to blast one into the net from the slot, but Bourque skating the other direction, intercepted the puck. Do'h.

- Game is all Habs. There is but one question to be answered today, and that's if a certain forward will finally score.

Third Period:

- Price really hasn't been tested today, until now. Two sensational saves separated by two seconds.

- League released a statement that they took very long time on the Plekanec goal out of concern that had they awarded to Gomez, it would have been a terrible moment to take it away.

- Turning point the Jets goal in the first that was blown dead? Might have been a very different result today if it hadn't been for that play.

- Habs really sitting on this, not doing Carey many favors protecting the you-know-what.

- What a beautiful pass by Pacioretty to Desharnais.

- Oh, Darche. Only you could miss a net that wide open.

- Is Leblanc the fastest guy on the team? He certainly zooms around unlike anyone else.

- Price absolutely determined to get the you-know-what.

- Emelin with another strong performance today. As a defenseman, he's arguably risen to number two on the depth chart behind Gorges.

- Sloppy puck handling nearly blows the you-know-what with the man advantage.

- The Molson Cup is (always has been) a bit of a joke masking a popularity contest, and you just know Price will be first star even though Plekanec was easily the best player today. We'll see.

- Jets to the PP with 2 minutes left. Can Price seal the deal on the you-know-what?

- While Jets had an empty net, Gomez sat on the bench. Ah well.

- It can now be said. Price gets the shutout.

- As predicted, Price gets first star. The wrong call of course, but it was chosen by the fans. So, it figures.