Game Nineteen: Canucks vs. Habs

OVERTIME:

- Therrien puts out Plekanec and Fleischmann to start the OT.

- Therrien clearly has no idea who his best playing forwards have been tonight. Neither Eller or Galchenyuk have received an extra time shift.

- Desharnais!! Habs with a fantastic, well-earned two points. Subban with a fine play shuffling puck over to Subban off the usual OT odd-maned break.

Canucks had an excellent first period, but after that, it was all Habs. Montreal's possession-emphases style really demonstrated its superiority tonight, as Vancouver couldn't withstand the ongoing pressure that mounted from the five minute mark of the 2nd period forward. The victory tonight is the kind that can really propel a team towards a solid winning streak. We'll see what happens over the next week, hopefully with a date forthcoming of Carey Price's return to the lineup.


THIRD PERIOD:

- Habs and Canucks through 40 minutes. See where everything went full throttle the other direction? That was the Eller goal. Hockey is a funny game sometimes.

- Habs deployment this evening has been all over the map. Mitchell taken from the 4th to the 2nd line, at Semin's expense, even though as a unit, Galchenyuk/Eller/Semin have had excellent possession.

- Another Habs powerplay, looks pretty good, but can't score. Canucks have dodged some pretty big bullets tonight. This game really ought be at least tied.

- Subban, for whatever reason, has struggled this year taking shots off clean passes fed to the point. Another big whiff tonight.

- Semin with a pretty bad holding penalty away from the play. That might just seal his fate in another return to the press box.

- Saw the Semin penalty replay. It was bad. Really bad. He might not see another shift tonight.

- Canucks are playing a pretty good one goal lead 3rd period. Doing good job containing breakouts and centre ice, and hustling back to their zone to break up Habs possession. Things settling in a bit.

- Semin now benched. He may never play another shift in Montreal again. Given how he signed, he may never play another shift in the NHL again.

- Habs freewheeling more through centre, but so far, haven't been able to solve Markstrom. Time running down, Canadiens will eventually have to get its defence more involved if they hope to tie this up.

- 4 minutes left, Canucks in full puck dumping mode. It's insane, but it's paying off. They might just hang on to this.

- Fleischmann scores!! But will it be challenged??

- Nope. Weak goal surrendered by Markstrom. Canucks tried to Hab their way to a win (ca. 2014-15), but couldn't run the clock out.

- Well, giving up the tying goal at least has shaken the Canucks offence back to life. They realize they'll have to earn a win by having to, you know, try to score.

- And overtime we go, against a Canucks team that 0-5 in extra time this year. Well-earned comeback for the Habs tonight.


SECOND PERIOD:

- Habs and Canucks thorough 20 minutes of weird hockey:

- Just a weird period, hampered by the feeling that Mike Condon, whom just a few days ago seemed like no puck could get past, doesn't seem to be able to make those "big" saves any more. At least, that's my perception at the moment.

- Condon gives up a weak one off a 50 foot shot, puck going right under his pads. Another powerplay goal given up. This game is pretty much toast.

- Amazing how the season has just turned completely around for Condon, on a dime. He could do no wrong just three days ago. That's how quickly it can go wrong.

- Habs 4th line Mitchell/Flynn/Smith-Pelly are having a disastrous evening. You don't even want to know what their fancy stats look like, except they bear an uncanny resemblance to a black hole.

- Canucks make an atrocious line change during a powerplay, giving Eller free reign right through centre ice, a snapper beats Markstrom cleanly, and suddenly the Habs have some life? 3-1.

- Great snap shot by Eller, but Markstrom did look a little sluggish in reacting to the play. Habs would be wise to test his glove side a few more times.

- Well hey now, we have ourselves a game. Pacioretty with pressure behind the net generates deep zone turnover, Gallagher feeds the puck back to Patches, who scores his first non-empty net goal in 10 games. 3-2 knuckleheads.

- Now Vancouver is nailed for too many men - and the Canucks are reeling. Habs with big opportunity to, believe it or not, tie this game.

- Markstrom with a fantastic glove save off a Subban howitzer. What I said about Markstrom's glove hand? Forgetaboutit.

- Habs don't tie the game with the man advantage, but oh boy, does it look like one hummin' unit right now. Amazing they haven't scored tonight. They might still. Lots of hockey to be played.

- Galchenyuk continues to buzz around the ice, but he's having a very tough time getting recognition from his coach. Barely 7 minutes played as the 2nd period winds down.

- Lots of officiating inconsistency from Tim Peel tonight, which is pretty much the norm for him. It is, however, creating lots of frustration amongst the players on both benches. Nobody really seems to know what the penalty threshold is because it's been a moving target.

- Another weird period. After the Canucks took a 3-0 lead off a weak goal surrendered by Condon, the air totally end out of the Bell Centre. Habs looked like they'd given up. Then Eller scored a shorthanded goal off a bad Canucks line change, and everything changed 180. Montreal still with lots of momentum they've generated since the 5 minute mark of the period, and have firmly taken control over puck possession and game tempo. Makes for a very compelling 3rd period.


FIRST PERIOD:

- ANNNNNNNND we're off, anddddddd it's a terrible start, as Petry going back into his own corner, passes behind to Chris Higgins, who stopped playing for the Habs about 7 years ago. Condon basically left to his own. 1-0 Canucks!!

- Habs are very much puck handling team for zone entries, Canucks are very much dump and chase. That's worked once for Vancouver once, but only because of Petry's error.

- Habs look like a team riddled with rust - which is kind of perplexing. They're having regular practices, but like Saturday night, Habs guilty of making a variety of very avoidable mistakes. Very weird.

- Habs pretty awful handling the puck in their own zone, and the Canucks are dominating neutral zone play. It's combined to produce a very one-sided first 8 minutes of this period, in favour of Vancouver.

- Missed passes, fumbled pucks, players caught offside. This Canadiens' team looks punch drunk. It's all very odd.

- Habs first powerplay looked fantastic, Canucks very fortunate to still be leading 1-0. Hopefully that two minute advantage gets the Habs' gears turning again.

- Galchenyuk is moterin' tonight. He, like Pacioretty, is way overdue for a scoring eeksploshun.

- Brendon Gallagher with a not-very-smart high stick on Daniel Sedin, trying to bat a puck high in the air. Sedin on the ice, blood pouring off his face. 4 minutes for Gallagher, every second deservedly.

- McCann makes it 2-0. Habs PK not a very good job watching the passing lanes, McCann with one of the easiest goals he'll ever receive. Condon no chance.

- Half of McCann's goals this season have been against the Habs. Three of them. In less than four period of play. Habs killer.

- Habs 2nd powerplay also looks pretty decent, but it just feels like the puck luck gods have their scopes firmly planted on this Montreal team. Bounces seem to be all going the other direction. PDO numbers are nearly 100, but what do stats mean, anyway?

- Strange period. Canucks started strongly, benefiting off a mistake made by a Habs player who rarely makes any kind of egreious errors. Habs seemed to have trouble adjusting to Vancouver's neutral zone play, and looked like a team having trouble shifting out of second gear - at least until their first powerplay. Then Gallagher's high stick, and Montreal downshifted once more. This team is clearly in a bad funk, and only time and perseverance will get them out of it.

GAMEDAY GAME PREVIEW:

HAI!! (waves).

Hey, in case you follow this blog (and you probably don't), I haven't changed my position from two weeks ago when I wrote about how terrible the Vancouver Canucks are as horrible a hockey team as the jerseys they wore in the 1970s and 80s, and then watched as they soundly beat the Habs 5-1. NOTHING HAS CHANGED.

Since Vancouver's resounding victory over our hopeless Habs, the Canucks have gone on to lose to the Dallas Stars (okay, fine), the Pittsburgh Penguins (sure, that's possible), the Ottawa Senators (I just giggled), the New Jersey Devils (haha .. oh yeah?), the Buffalo Sabres (lolz), and the Toronto Maple Leafs (BIG LOLZ).

I repeat, this Vancouver team is going nowhere, in a very very fast direction. Are we good now?

Tonight? They're really screwed. Not only will Vancouver be missing the services of one Brandon Prust, who haunted the Habs last game, but they're also missing Luca Sbisa and Brndon Sutter because of injury, AND Alexandre Burrows, whose wife is apparently in labour.

In other words, this terrible team is playing with nearly half of their terrible roster. Not good!


Meanwhile in Habsland, Mike Condon, whom apparently forgot to bring his eyes along to Saturday's game vs. the totally awful Colorado Avalanche, will get an opportunity to redeem himself. Condon, as well as Alex Galchenyuk (beside Alex Semin!), and Max Pacioretty, all of whom haven't scored in about 17 years, are just ready to burst out with a pile o' goals against a terrible team like the Vancouver Canucks.

Puck drops at 7:40 EST from the lovely warm confines of the Bell Centre. REVENGE IS OURS.

Game Eighteen: Flyers vs. Habs

THIRD PERIOD:

- He's had a fine game, Gonchar with a point wrister redeflected by Parenteau with his second of the night, and the ship is righted a bit with a two goal lead reestablished. In any case, Gonchar looks like an excellent pickup - at least tonight.

- Flyers defense looks really sluggish right now. Habs might score one or two more before this night is done.

- Incredible scrum around Price, the Flyers Reed somehow retrieves a puck that's never frozen and snaps it past Price. The puck luck has kept Philly in this game.

- Ofdicials with a quick whistle denying Gallagher a goal, only moments later. The irony and poor officiating is strong.

- Win or lose, Habs defense hasn't been assertive tonight protecting its goaltender. Hopefully the line gets a talking to after this one is done.

- Habs doing a lot of chasing in their zone. Tying goal might be moments away.

- Well that'll help. Emery lets a softie in off a Weise wrister, and surely ... surely that will wrap this one up.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Lecavalier in his younger years, would have buried one of his two PP scoring chances. He's just lost too much of a step.

- Strange penalty calls tonight. No rhyme or reason other than taking turns. One on Habs, one on Flyers.

- Parenteau and Desharnais getting cute again on the powerplay. Already they've forgotten the can't-miss lessen for success in the first period.

- Well nevermind. Plecks-Gally-Subban-bam-3-0. Third powerplay goal. And counting. When it rains it pours. Again the Flyers unit just too slow footed and physically soft to stop anything.

- If Habs continue to score by carrying the puck in, even Therrien will have relent on the dump-and-chase.

- For no real good reason Prust drops his gloves and proceeds to hurt his elbow. He won the fight, but up three goals, who cares? 

- Game slowing up as Habs start to sit. At the halfway mark of the second period. Wayyyy to early.

- Yup. Sitting on it, Schenn wrists one past Price and it's 3-1. Habs forwards just taking too much time to cover their zone. 

- Plekanac makes it 4-1, official signals goal, but then calls Gallagher for a hold, taking away a goal. I'm  fit to be tied to understand the calls tonight. 

- And .... another call. Oy. Flyers set to make it 3-2.

- Tentative, overly conservative play (tuttuling) has cost the Habs a comfortable lead through two periods. Yes, it should have been 4-1, but blown calls aside, this team started to sit far too early, wrongly thinking the Flyers had nothing in the tank. Well, now they'll have to battle to earn two points. Unnecessarily so.

FIRST PERIOD:

- Habs off to a good first period start?? My eyes must deceive me.

- DRINK. POWERPLAY.

- That's more like it. Quick shots on goal (Pacioretty), rebound prone Emery, Paranteau cashes in. POWERPLAY GOAL.

- POWERPLAY. DRINK AGAIN.

- Guess who gets the quick shot away? Paxioretty. Desharnais the easy deposit. 2-0. Flyers PK utterly incompetent (that helps a bit).

- Wasn't exactly star-struck by what I saw from Gonchar on Thursday, but he's looking a heckova lot more involved and mobile tonight.

- Silly roughing call on Gallagher. Officials trying to "even" things up, I suspect.

- Subban letting forwards get past him undetected. Too many times this season.

- Habs totally outskating and outmuscling the Flyers in Philly's zone - reflective of a thin Flyers defense, and given they played last night, perhaps tired legs.

- The very first time this season the Habs clearly outplayed their opponent in the first period. It took 18 games to reach that milestone.

GAMEDAY GAME PREVIEW:

WHO'S NUMBER ONE IN THE LEAGUE? WE'RE NUMBER ONE IN THE LEAGUE.

Really, dammed if I know how we've arrived at the top of the heap nearly one quarter through the regular season schedule? Productive offense? Naw. Miserly defense? Uh, no. Powerplay production? Hah ... uh, yeah. Dumb luck? I'm starting to wonder. We all have since the team got off to a 7-1 start that maybe, just maybe, the hockey gods have been overly generous this year. Maybe it's a make-up for the 10 years we fans were subjected to the horrors of Rejan Houle and Mario Tremblay.

Oh, Mario. Did ya hear today? Apparently the genius never-to-coach-again ex-coach says the reason why P.K. Subban hasn't been producing this year is that he's out of shape. HAHA ... makes you wonder, does Tremblay even use his eyes. I mean, geez louise, have you seen P.K. Subban? In person? I have. The man is a rock of muscle and athleticism.

The reason why P.K. hasn't scored a ton this year is pretty simple. The team's powerplay unit is a complete disaster ... on pace to score 13 ... that's right, 13 extra man goals this season. Second big reason? P.K. has too much Therrien in his head. He's not carrying the puck through the neutral zone, he's rarely, if ever pinching from the line, he's doing everything you're not supposed to do if you're an offensive defenseman. The culprit here isn't Subban, its the guys telling Subban how he's to play.

Anyway, tonight. The Flyers. Up three goals late in the 3rd period back in mid November, Philadelphia somehow found a way to be on the losing end of a 4-3 score to the Habs. The Flyers, as many expected, have slowly but surely sunk their way down their division, and conference standings - the almost certainly won't be making a post-season appearance next spring, and might not be a playoff presence for some time to come, as they go through a rebuilding process.

So even with the iffy offense, the wobbly defense, and the god-awful powerplay, the Habs should be in pretty good shape to extend (this sounds crazy) their first play lead in the NHL standings.

But then, we thought the Oilers were going to be a piece of cake, and we all know how that turned out.

Puck drops at 7:10 EST. On local cable CITY TV (good grief), if you can stand it.

Game Seventy-Nine: Wings vs. Habs

Third Period:

- So yeah, hard to be critical of Bourque tonight. The effort, which has been so inconsistent most of the season, has been there tonight.

- Too many powerplay opportunities for the Wings, they finally hit the board. Really no good reason for Habs to be taking any kind of penalty at this point.

- Ut oh. Here come the wings. Horrible pinch by Tinordi creates odd man break for the Wings. 3-2.

- Since the start of the second there have been 26 shots on goal. 21 have been by the Wings. 

- Detroit is skating the Habs into the ice. It's not even close out there. And they've drawn another powerplay.

- Kronwall. We saw that coming straight down St. Catherine's from two miles away. Tie game.

- Bourque. No more almost. Justly rewarded. Habs take the lead. 

- Galchenyuk. We think?? 

- Man, that's borderline. Think it should count ... but with officiating these days, who knows.

- Been a long time for Galley, and it's officially 5-3. Really just deserts for the Wings whose defense has been soft around their crease.

- Oh Max. So close. Game has totally opened up - it's a free for all now.

- Hate to endorse TherrienHockey, but Habs need to focus hard on chipping and dumping now. 

- Emelin has gone insane this shift. Taking numbers and now getting penalized. 

- Habs beat the curve tonight. Blowing a three goal lead, getting outplayed for most of the last two periods, but still finding a way of winning. Now four points ahead of Tampa, the Habs are a single victory away from claiming 2nd place. We'll take it.

Second Period:

- Habs have scored first in a game 42 of the 79 games they've played this season. They've won 35 of those 42 games.

- Markov with a bad giveaway on the powerplay. That's a benchin', right?

- Wings' rushes just haven't been clicking tonight - making the Habs defense look for better than they actually have been.

- Wings had delayed possession of the puck for more then a minute. And it's Bourque with the usual dumb and unecessary penalty. Sigh.

- Another weak tripping call by the officials against the Habs - Plekanec the latest victim.

- 8 minutes in, Habs have zero shots. There goes that possession positive game.

- One shot. Pacioretty. And he scores. Crazy. Number 39.

- Rene Bourque with some fine effort working the puck to Tinordi who banks the puck to Gionta for the easy goal. 3-0. Habs, who were awful the first half of the second, rolling the second half.

- That said, Habs may finish the period with 3 shots.

- Nyquist guys, Nyquist. Not a bright idea at the best of times to lose track of him.

First Period:

- Tinordi gets paired with Subban. Beaulieu again doesn't make the lineup, for some ridiculous reason. Weaver with Bouillon - the later who really ought not be starting, period.

- It's incredible. We're handed the marvellous gift of not having Doug Murray for three straight games and Therrien still can't get his defensive priorities in order.

- Briere called for a trip on Smith, although no contact was made with any part of Smith's legs. A blown call.

- Desharnais line picking up right where they left off last night. That line continues to hum along.

- So phantom trip on Smith as he tumbles into he boards = penalty. Gallagher being rammed head first into the boards = no penalty. Got it. Gallagher now in the dressing room.

- Tim Bozan is in the house. That's wonderful to see.

- Nice drive by White to carry the puck deep and make a perfect feed to he streaking Bournival for the easy tip in. Habs 4th line, as usual, so much better when White is playing and Parros is not.

- There is simply no way to contain Vanek and the Desharnais line. They cannot be stopped, just stunted by hooks and grabs. Habs overnight have one of the most potent lines in the League.

- Kudos to Bourque for the effort and drawing a powerplay. At least he's contributing something.

- Pretty efficient period of hockey by the Habs, did a decent job checking the Wings' most dangerous scoring threats. Net result, a possession positive period and an early lead. Satisfied so far.

===============================================================

So here's the deal. P.K. Subban isn't allowed to make any mistakes. EVER.

Miss a check?

That's a benchin'.

Fall down?

That's a benchin'

High fivin' your goaltender?

Ooooh you'd better believe that's a benchin'.

Michel Therrien, coach extraordinaire. How many times will he humiliate the best defenseman this organization has had in nearly 30 years, before his spirit is totally broken?

Tonight, Heir Therrien leads his troops back on home ice against the Wings. Both teams kinda need this game, although the Wings, almost-but-still-not-quite out of the playoff woods, probably need this game a little bit more.

The Habs, meanwhile, can take a pretty big step towards clinching home advantage with a win tonight. They hold the tie-breaking advantage over Tampa, so the current two point advantage they hold is, in reality, a 3 point lead.

Rene Bourque ... yeah ... you remember him ... sort of, gets a start tonight in place of the utterly useless George Parros. So I guess that's ... good?

Max Pacioretty, coming off a hat trick night against the incredibly incompetent Ottawa Senators, needs just two more goals to reach the magic 40 goal mark for the Habs, which will be a milestone not seen in this city for exactly 20 years.

Habs defense best keep an eye on March phenom Gustav Nyquist, who's taken the League by storm in March, and has played a key role in the Wings late season surge which has, for all practical purposes, secured them a 23rd consecutive berth into the post-season. 23 times in a row. That's insane.

What else? Jimmy Howard will start in nets for the Wings, Carey Price, of course, will start for the Habs.

Puck drops at 7:15 EST.