Game 73: Flames vs. Habs

FIRST PERIOD:

- Game day tickets could be had for $6. To see a game at the Bell Centre. How low can you go?

- As expected the horrible horrible Flames are taking it to the deplorable deplorable Habs right from the start. More or less defensive disorganization in Habs zone

- Pacioretty drives the net, so i guess that counts as an effort. Four goals for the captain in newly 1/3rd of a season just passed.

- Habs doubling their shot total - to two. 13 minutes into the 1st. Not sure what's worse. The lack of effort or total lack of creativity. You'd expect at least a little bit of the later at the end of a lost season, but nope. Not this Habs team.

- De La Rose. The quintessential regressed young NHL player. Looks like the acumen he demonstrated last year has been totally squeezed out of his frame this year in St. John's, which is another Habs organization with momentous development and coaching issues.

- One of the most unremarkable and forgettable period of hockey I've seen in awhile. Both teams totally inept offensively. It's a mediocre beer league game. You can see those for free at your local rink, by the way. 

- Yet another bad turnover at the defensive blue line by the Habs generates a good scoring chance for the Flames. We've seen that wayyyy to much this season. Calgary taking it to Montreal, more or less. Just can't finish any plays. 

- Another atrociously listless and sloppy period of hockey by the Habs. Pretty much unbearable hockey to watch - so poorly was the period played by both teams - Calgary only slightly less so. 

SECOND PERIOD:

- After one period, Habs CF (5v5) was a pathetic 40.7%. Calgary with 8 scoring chances, Montreal with just 1. 

- Dietz makes a bad play at the O line, can't recover because he's already kind of slow, forced to take a holding penalty. Continues to look "meh" since his call up.

- Flames power play is pretty bad. Just like this hockey game.

- There is almost literally nothing happening. Habs might not hit 15 today for shot totals. That might our rock bottom achievement today. 

- We have a goal! Colborne totally unmarked and allowed to skate straight to the net to deposit in an easy goal off an ordinary pass to the slot. About as easy a goal as he'll ever score, courtesy some incredibly awful Habs defence.

- Dietz' performance since his call up should cause pause for alarm on a couple of levels. First, how the Habs system is developing its youth (apparently not well), and how the Habs system is scouting and drafting (again apparently not well).

- 2-0. Habs defence an embarrassment of embarrassments. 

- Two periods in the books, I'm not a betting man but I'd consider putting down the ex wife and the one kid that the Habs aren't scoring tonight. Again.  

GAMEDAY NEWS 'N' NOTES. MORE INJURIES? SURE!! BRING 'EM ON!

Happy game day! Yes, there is an actual Habs game tonight. I'm sure you had it circled on your calander, like any good Habs fan would. So ... what's news today?

- Injuries? Hah. Oh, gawd. This time it's Victor Bartley, with a lower body injury. Sustained last night in Ottawa - who knows what happened, when. Anyway, with Vic on the sideline, Habs have called up Joel Hanley, for his first ever NHL game. Mr. Hanley, who was never drafted, is the 13th (my god, Jim) different blue liner used by the Canadiens this season.

- Hey, Habs are now up to 4th in the NHL in man games lost to injury. Soon (as in, probably tonight) they'll overtake the Sabres for 3rd place. Next up? The Edmonton Oilers. We're in pretty high company.

- Flames are (lol) starting Niklas Backstrom in goal tonight. Backstrom hasn't played an NHL game since 2014. Like I told you before, HABS ARE IN HIGH COMPANY.

- Mike Condon will start in goal for the Habs, where he will be hung completely out to dry as the Habs lose another game to a terrible team.