Game Eighty: Bolts v Habs

SUPER HAPPY MONDAY! GUESS WHO'S 29TH?!?

WE ARE!

Read it and weep DEADMONTON.

CAREY PRICE IS DONE UPDATE: Radio-Canada is reporting this afternoon that Price suffered a concussion last week, and as a result, may get parked for the rest of the season. Sooooo ... hopes for that 29th place finish just got a bit brighter!

The official line from the team, by the way, is that Price is being evaluated from day-to-day. In other words, nothing much has changed as far as this organization's approach to providing information about the health of its players - it pretty much doesn't.

First Period:

- By far the single most difficult part of blogging these games is mustering up the interest in watching them. But there is that "race" for 29th, so all is not lost.

- Would it be too much to ask Budaj to be especially terrible for the next 180 minutes?

- Emelin with a rare score but that goal was ALL Desharnais. Very pretty.

- I guess that's Budaj's answer to my previous question.

- Bourque with his usual "gaping net" missed shot of the night.

- Staubitz with a knucklehead penalty trying to pick a fight. Might be the only one going off.

- It's a 4-on-4.

- Campoli. About the last guy you'd want on a breakaway. Well, maybe after Staubitz.

- Ain't a whole lot of intensity out there tonight. Game resembles more of a scrimmage at practice.

Second Period:

- Cole pads the stats a bit with 33rd of the year, one-timing a picture-perfect pass from Desharnais, who is reminding Habs fans that in this lost season, there is still plenty to be optimistic about for 2013.

- Excellent puck control, this time Markov doing what he does best, setting the puck up on a tee with a perfect pass, this time Pkekanec driving it home. Habs more or less killing hopes of not finishing ahead of Edmonton.

- Since the first drop of the puck, Tampa looks like a pretty dispirited bunch. If it weren't for the Badaj gift, they'd still be sitting on zero.

- Stamkos hasn't lacked opportunity to score his 59th tonight. Just not going in for him.

- 20 minutes of Zzzzzzz left hockey to play.

Third Period:

- That's two for Budaj. Will he complete the goaltending giftwrapped hat trick?

- Scoring change. Take one away from Plekanec, give Cole his 34th. Deflected the shot in apparently.

- Pacioretty ends his 11 game scoring drought, courtesy some pretty shoddy coverage around the Bolts' crease. Two goal lead is restored.

- Pacioretty and Cole have combined to score 65 (and counting) this season. If you had told me that before this season started, I'd be overjoyed, and logically deducing the Habs would be pretty high up the playoff ladder. What a waste.

- One more goal will move Cole into a tie for 9th place in the League for goals scored. Nifty.

- Make it 66. Smokin' shot by Pacioretty. Icing on the cake.

- Oh well. The win is nearly a fatal blow to our tanking aspirations. No way I'm cheering for the Leafs in Saturday.