Showing posts with label New Jersey Devils. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Jersey Devils. Show all posts

Monday, 27 February 2017

Game 63: Habs vs. Devils

Montreal 4, New Jersey 3 (OT):

FIRST PERIOD:

- Al (Tony) Montoya gets the nod for the Habs in goal, saving Carey Price for tomorrow night's inevitable start against the Blue Jackets. It was Montoya who endured all 10 of Columbus's goals that infamous night last November.

- Gallagher with a fast and physical start to the game - another Habs player who like Galchenyuk, seems to be rounding back into form.

- Galchenyuk line also with gusto to start the period - good forecheck tilting the ice towards Jersey's direction when they hit the ice.

- Devils look so much like the Habs were during the worst dumb-and-chase days under Michel Therrien. Makes for some pretty unwatchable hockey, nevermind a rather meek attack.

- Mentioned this in passing in the pregame piece, but would really like to see Julien give Andrighetto a legitimate chance on the 3rd line, and demote Byron to the 4th. Andrighetto is playing a far more aggressive and creative game.

- Habs with far more speed entering the O-zone, Danault line giving the not-so-good Jersey defence all it can handle. Still, the Canadiens aren't converting on their opportunities, which for an inferior Devils team, is exactly what they'd be hoping for.

- While it takes Petry out of the picture, would really like to see Emelin sent out not during either a Galchenyuk or Danault line shift. Because he's such a terrible puck passer, Emelin really hampers what strengths those two lines bring to the table (skill and speed).

- There it is - opportunities missed and then given. Weber with a poor play, attempting to pass the puck up the boards from behind his net to Plekanec, but the pass is far too hard and high for Plekanec to handle, and the resulting turnover to Palmeri is buried past Montoya. 1-0 Devils.

- Frustrating end to a period that was definitely favouring the Habs - but again, it's the defence more than anything that tends to let this team down, and this time, it's Weber with an error that he ought never make. Montreal is still probably mentally fragile, so we'll soon find out whether they'll find a way of bouncing back from that play, or folding up their tents for another day.

SECOND PERIOD:

- Slight possession edge to Montreal, but the Weber mistake looms large - at least at the moment. Habs CF (5v5): 51.5%:


- Emelin is a wreck. Aimless in his own zone, unable to make even the most basic plays, and now a terrible trip to put New Jersey on the powerplay. Can't help but wonder how much longer Julien can tolerate the intolerable. 

- Fortunately, this Devils powerplay is mediocre at best. New Jersey on the whole has played unimpressively tonight, and somehow, the Habs are finding a way of letting their opponent and this game pass them by.

- Habs are trying to bump and grind their way to victory tonight - and it's failing. Miserably. 

- So, Desharnais promoted to 2nd line, and Galchenyuk is shifted over to the wing. Michel Therrien was fired, right? Asking for a friend.

- If Julien wants to shake things up, he could start with the so-called top line. After a decent 1st period, the Danault line has gone into total hiding. Would it kill this team to at least try Galchenyuk up the middle there for a few shifts?

- Nobody stepping up for the Habs. Nothing certainly from the deemed leadership - Pacioretty, Weber, Plekanec, Markov. Totally uninspired effort by a team that simple can't afford to keep losing.

- Plekanec and Gallagher with what one might call a very good shift for the Habs. That's the period highlight right there.

- Mortifyingly mediocre, borderline poor, imminently uninspired period by the Canadiens, who far more resemble a team playing out the string then their actual opponents, who at this point, are playing out the string. Inexcusable stuff.

THIRD PERIOD:

- Two uninspired periods down, one more to endure. Habs just not showing up. What else can you say?


- Is there a team more burned by losing D-Zone faceoffs this season than the Habs? Moore with a point shot that goes through about 14 legs and between Montoya's legs to make it 2-0. That might just be the killer blow.

- Hold that thought - at least for the next few minutes, as Radulov quickly replies with a snap shot that beats Schneider clean. It's 2-1.

- Schneider isn't elite - but the Habs approach to playing him is treating him as such. That Radulov goal is a good illustration that if you get shots on goal from decent scoring positions, good things can happen.

- Radulov certainly seems to be more inspired this period - one might think if anyone is likely to score a tying goal for the Habs, it'll be him.

- Markov with a poor play, trying to play the puck up the boards (a relic of the Therrien era), which generates a turnover breakaway, Danault forced to take a hooking penalty, and the Devils concert on the powerplay seconds later. That should do it. 

- Whelp, it ain't quite over yet, as again the Habs respond in a matter of seconds, Pacioretty with his 30th, Schneider again not looking very good. 

- Habs get their first powerplay of the night, 11 minutes left, an actual chance of tying this game. Hold on to your hats.

- Pretty good powerplay, the best chance being Pacioretty alone with the puck 20 feet in front of Schneider, but instead of shooting, he passes off (fruitlessly). Always the shots you don't take that kill you.

- Lehkonen, obviously trying hard to impress the new coach, rag-dolled most of the game. Tough night for him has resulted in limited minutes as the game has progressed.

- Habs pushing hard, really hard, knowing the desperation of the situation. As the clock winds down, sinking feeling it's all too little too late.

- PATCHES STEPS UP TO THE PLATE AND DELIVERS. With 52 seconds left, the Habs fight their way back to tie the score.

- Well, Habs needed a leader, someone to elevate, and the captain came through in spades, scoring two late goals to give his team at least one precious point in the standings. An overtime point will be critical towards getting this team back into a good position for making the playoffs, so buckle up.


OVERTIME:

- Radulov and Galchenyuk go out together, and look fantastic. Claude Julien, take hints when they're handed to you.

- Beaulieu dumped and the Habs get an OT powerplay. Hold on.

- Galchenyuk. One timer. The Habs, incredibly, win the game. What a gutsy comeback. A massive victory. Maybe even their biggest of the whole damn season. More importantly, this team's most important players delivered when it was needed - Pacioretty, Radulov and finally, Galchenyuk. 

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GAME PREVIEW: FORGET THE TRADE RUMOURS, HABS MIGHT BE ON A WINNING STREAK!

Woah, are the Habs on the cusp of winning TWO games in a row? Is this possibly possible? In this crazy ol' world where they can't give out the right envelope for Best Picture, maybe just maybe, the Montreal Canadiens are about to accomplish what once seemed improbable - nay, impossible - an actual "winning streak".

The chance of winning consecutive game won't come much better tonight, as the Canadiens take on the Devils in New Jersey (Donald Trump's secret favourite team, if you wanted to get a little hate going). In any case, the Habs will be seeking to sweep the season series against Jersey this evening - in their two previous meetings, Montreal handily beat the Devils 3-1 and 5-2.

Tonight's contest might be the last for the Habs, at least, as we know them - with the trade deadline coming up in just two days. Lots of speculation going around about the Habs looking to bolster their top 6 forwards, or bottom 3rd pairing (although what Montreal really needs to focus on is finding a way of not having Alexei Emelin play, full stop).

What Marc Bergevin does, be it trading away the able Greg Pateryn, or David Desharnais (please let that be so, PLEASE), or finding someone to take away Tomas Plekanec (very unlikely), or somehow making a meaningful addition without trading away a blue chip prospect (of which the Habs don't have many) or high round picks (of which the Habs need to get more blue chip prospects) remains to be seen. I believe, at the end of the day, Bergevin won't make any significant deals because the Habs don't really have anything to trade that other clubs are interested in (other than high level prospects and picks, which Bergevin has already categorically stated he's not willing to move).

Anyway, back to tonight's game. Here's the Habs' supposed lineup tonight:

Pacioretty/Danault/Radulov
Lehkonen/Galchenyuk/Gallagher
Byron/Plekanec/Shaw
Andrighetto/Desharnais/Mitchell

 Weber/Markov
Petry/Emelin
Nesterov/Beaulieu

Subtle adjustments by Claude Julien, both agreeable. First, putting the more capable Lehkonen next to Galchenyuk (who's rounding back into form), and moving the less capable Byron next to Plekanec. It helps move the Canadiens offence into more of a traditional approach - the first two lines more focused on scoring, the 3rd on checking. That 4th line though - who knows? It's been such a dog's breakfast this season, it almost seems on most night's it's a compilation of spare parts. David Desharnais gets favoured over Michael McCarron, Sven Andrighetto arguably could do better with a top 9 placement, moving Byron down to the 4th. Oh well. At the very least, we don't have Brian Flynn playing tonight.

Okay, let's check out the Devils. With Jersey essentially out of the playoff hunt this season, they're sellers for the trade deadline, and today announced that Kyle Quincey will be removed from the lineup, likely because by the end of the day, he'll be traded. So, with Quincey out, expect to see this formation:

Hall/Zajac/Palmeri
Bennett/Henrique/Blandisi
Cammalleri/Josefson/Noesen
Wood/Coleman/Smith-Pelly

 Greene/Lovejoy
Merrill/Santini
Moore/Severson

Starting goaltenders haven't been announced, but we're guessing it's Cory Schnedier vs. Carey Price.

Puck drops at 7:10 EST.


CNN BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: Habs have traded Greg Pateryn and a 4th to Dallas for defenseman Jordie Benn. I think this qualifies for a "hmmm".

UPDATE TO UPDATE: Benn's numbers (49.3% CF) this season stack up less than Pateryn's (52.7%) - so that Bergevin traded the better player away and added a pick, no question the deal was a win for the Stars. Not an overwhelming win, but still - they're a small step forward, Habs a small step back.

Another point of consideration - with today's trade, the Habs suddenly find themselves overloaded with left handed defencemen (Markov, Beaulieu, Nesterov, Emelin and Benn), with only Weber and Petry the righties. Someone on that left side hasn't got a future in Montreal. 






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Thursday, 19 January 2017

Game 47: Habs vs. Devils

Montreal 3, New Jersey 1:

FIRST PERIOD:

- Pretty fast start for the Habs, bolstered by an aggressive setup in centre ice - Canadiens aiming to generate some Jersey giveaways with a tight forecheck there, so far it's working.

- Yeah, gonna be one of those nights. Wrister from the point fired by Santini, defected just under the crossbar height by Zajac to give the Devils the first goal. Danault line wasn't doing a very good job coming back to defend their zone, so Jersey took advantage of the opportunity. 

- What a play by Radulov, carrying the puck and making an absolutely mind-bogglingly perfect pass behind and on Galchenyuk's tape who one-times it in off the post. Goal scoring at its purest and prettiest.

- Galchenyuk goal coming without Andrew Shaw on the first line man advantage - not because Therrien had wised up, but because he was finishing his shift when the penalty was drawn. The gods are practically screaming KEEP. HIM. OFF. THE. POWERPLAY.

- More hard work, Pacioretty draws a trip, Montreal right back on the powerplay. Betcha Shaw starts it.  I'll just bethca.

- HE DOES NOT. PROGRESS!

- No goals scored, but a great looking powerplay. Galchenyuk, Radulov, Pacioertty, Weber and Beaulieu had the Devils pinned hard for the first 90 seconds. Jersey lucky to escape.

- Beaulieu prefers the wrist shot, which is fine for a quick release, but it's simply not strong enough to reach the net with any potential. More often than not it's blocked, because NHL defensemen (these days) specialize in stopping shots before they reach the net.

- Strong period so far for De La Rose - his chances to establish a regular presence on this roster are fast running out, mainly because he's been improperly utilized mainly as a grinder - but that's another topic. 

- Don't see nearly the same chemistry this period with Danault up the middle with Radulov and Paciroetty that we saw with Galchenyuk centering them the Habs first two powerplays. I guess Michel Therrien hasn't realized the hints that the game is dropping him.

- That's a pretty good first period for the Habs, very reminiscent of their December 8th game which they largely dominated from the start basically right to the finish. Montreal with more speed and better forecheck in the frame, Devils had limited scoring opportunities - I counted 2, maybe 3 ... one of which found it's way in. Otherwise, a forgettable period for Jersey.


SECOND PERIOD:

- SOG were 10-3 Habs, and even more lopsided attempt-wise - Montreal's even strength CF, an eye-popping 81%:


- More good shifts by De La Rose - really doesn't fit the 4th line prototype that Therrien has been trying to push him into for years. His NHL career should have been made (or broken) as a top-9 winger. He'll likely not ever get that chance now.

- Canadiens not showing any let down - dominance continues, Jersey offence looks pretty downright disinterested. Not sure how much longer Kinkaid can hold on before the walls finally cave in.

- 11 minutes left, Habs lowest percentage CF player is Mark Barberio, at an astounding 57%. That's 20 out of 20 which gives you an idea how one-sided this game has been, except for goal scoring. That the Habs aren't already leading this game 3 or 4-1 is another indicator this team might demonstrate some solid possession stats, but they struggle generating shots from dangerous spots on the ice. It's been this way for a good month.

- Habs taking too many low percentage shots from the line - that's fine when you're playing a patient game, or protecting the lead - but not fine when your opponent is on the ropes, and the knockout punches are there for the taking.

- Habs are swarming, not unlike the Pens were doing to Montreal on Wednesday night. The difference? The Pens were finishing their plays. Canadiens just a little bit off tonight, even though they're completely overwhelming New Jersey with ferocious checking.

- Andrew Shaw continues to be a problem, killing the setups, frequently not looking for mates in good scoring positions, and feeding the puck back to the line. It's the "safe" play, utterly uncreative, and totally stifling the Canadiens scoring opportunities. 


THIRD PERIOD:

- More Habs dominance in the 2nd period, but it's amounting to nothing on the scoreboard because the Canadiens (again) are failing to generate dangerous scoring attempts. Too many pucks fed to the point, too many point shots that are either blocked, or easily turned aside. Anyway, Habs 5v5 CF two-period total is 70.5%:


- Stollery called for a 5 minute major as he blindside boards Beaulieu. Seems to me the NHL is finally taking these checks seriously lately. That's the 2nd 5 minute board I've seen this week.
- Whelp, it's yet another point shot, but this time it's Weber, it's unblocked, and it's unstoppable. Habs finally break through, lead 2-1, and will stay on the powerplay.

- Bit of a broken play springs Pacioretty all alone with the puck in the slot, he slips a wrister though Kinkaid's legs, and it's 3-1, the Canadiens finally breaking through on the scoreboard. Radolov, who did not have a good game Wednesday night, with 3 assists so far. Habs still on the powerplay.

- More lack of Devils discipline puts the Habs right back on the powerplay, which mostly sans Andrew Shaw tonight, has been pretty darned good.

- Habs swarm, come close, but don't extend their lead by 3. Nonetheless, the powerplay unit has looked superb much of the night, and while I'm not suggesting a coincidence, Andrew Shaw has received only 2 powerplay shifts tonight.

- Devante Smith-Pelly. His even strength CF tonight? 0%. How does he still keep a job in the NHL??

- Andrighetto has taken great strides in the right direction this season, especially since his latest callup. But he's still prone to young mistakes, a clear-cut 2-on-1 where the lone defender was basically surrendering a path to the goal to protect the pass, and of course, still learning, he passes, which is easily intercepted. Just little errors, but totally correctable ones. He'll be good, as long as Habs management continues to be patient and gives him a fair chance.

- Meek end to this game, the Devils look utterly defeated, just going through the motions, firing the occasional shot at Montoya, but nothing remotely challenging. Jersey has a bad hockey team. Very bad.

- I think we can file this as another dominating win for the Habs, second time they've done that this season. Powerplay was on fire, while the Devils were, for the most part, pathetic - especially with the puck. Nice "reset' win for the Habs, who now hope to convert the momentum of tonight's win and carry it into Buffalo to face another beatable opponent.
GAMEDAY PREVIEW: ALL HAIL OUR DEVIL SPAWNING MASTER LORD TRUMP. THE END IS NIGH

 UPDATE: Cory Schneider indeed will not play tonight, so that means Keith Kinkaid is in. Will Schneider be dressed as backup? If not, who? Stay tuned.

UPDATE OF UPDATE: Confirmed, Schneider will dress as backup. Dang. There go my hopes and dreams of a Chris Terreri career revival.


 Hey, having a great Friday? Sweet. I've been hiding under my blanket for most of the day, my television switch firmly set to the 'off' position, just hoping that everything that surrounds us is just a nightmare, and like all nightmares, we wake up and everything is good!!

Everything is a nightmare, right? Please tell me none of what is happening is actually happening. It's not happening. Right? RIGHT!?

Well like any bad dream, the Habs always seem to play some sort of a role, especially now with the Canadiens suddenly looking just as bad today as they did one year ago. Tonight, the Habs look to win again against the League's perennially most boring team, the New Jersey Devils.

The Devils, who like the Detroit Red Wings, whom the Habs couldn't score against on Monday afternoon, are also a team that's not going to be in this spring's Stanley Cup playoffs. We say that even though the Devils just came off a win over (arguably) the NHL's best team right now, the Minnesota Wild. So hey, great - the Habs are gonna play against world beaters tonight. Just wonderful.

Ah, but wait. The Devils might not have a goaltender! Cory Schneider, who basically is the only one wearing a horned jersey that's capable of stopping pucks with great consistency, has come down with the flu. Yes, but how sick is he? Well, he's sick enough that he couldn't participate in the Devil's practice this morning.

So if Schneider can't play, Keith Kinkaid will get a rare start tonight. Now, if Schneider can't even dress for tonight's game, then things get really interesting because the Devils will likely have to dress guys who normally stand around the beer stand during games, which means former NHL goaltender Chris Terreri, who hasn't played a game in 11 years and now serves as the Devils's goaltending coach, or Scott Clemmensen, who hasn't played a game in 2 years, might suit up. If for some crazy unforeseen reason neither Schneider and Kinkaid can play, then hey - the Habs have a decent chance!

Anyway, Devils are on a 3 game winning streak, which included that nifty win against the Wild, but also include wins over the so-so Calgary Flames and the awful Vancouver Canucks. So grain of salt this streak.

Anyway, if your memory reaches back far enough, the last time these two teams met, the Habs pretty much destroyed Jersey, coasting to a 5-2 at the Bell Centre. But that was December 8th, before the Habs were besieged with massive injuries from which they still haven't fully recovered from, before the Habs defence decided to take a Christmas break from which it still doesn't seem to have returned from, before when Carey Price's game suddenly went from stellar to ... 'meh'.

But Price won't be playing tonight, he'll be starting tomorrow night against Buffalo, which means it's Tony Montoya time. Mr. Montoya will be backstopping a slightly modified Habs lineup, as Alex Galchenyuk, for reasons that still mystify yours truly, will centre the Habs 3rd line, which means he'll have the wonderful task of trying to make Andrew Shaw not look completely useless. Have fun, Alex!!

Keys for the Habs tonight? Stop with the sloppy hockey, especially in the defensive zone. Far too many times this month the Canadiens defence has left their goaltenders twisting in the wind - especially when the Habs are killing penalties. The Canadiens PK has been, and still is, one of their main weak spots.

One other thing to keep in mind. While the Devils are still the most boring team in the NHL, they're not the same boring team that used to win regularly. This is a team far more apt to give up shots - they currently average 30 per 60 minutes, which puts Jersey in the bottom third of the League. Last year, they were in the top 5. That's a significant difference.

Puck drops tonight at 7:40 EST. By that time, it should be safe to turn on your TV again.



 HABS HEADLINES:

Hey, welcome to Thursday. The day before the American inauguration. The last sane, and for all we know, relatively safe day as a member of the human race. Good times. Good times.

So with out impending doom officially mentioned, let's talk hockey! Habs stuff today. Never a dull moment.

- Alex Galchenyuk played a bad game Wednesday night. We saw it, we mentioned it - heck, even some guy named Michel Therrien took notice. Action? TO THE DOGHOUSE YE GO!
Ouch. Andrighetto might actually be a pretty good fit, but Andrew Shaw? Talk about screwing around with your best resources. Therrien hockey, eh? That'll improve their "compete"!

- It appears the Barberio/Petry pairing experiment is off. Barberio was back on the Habs 3rd D line at practice this morning drilling with a couple of guys who really shouldn't be playing in the NHL - Zach Redmond and Ryan Johnston.

- Hey Carey Price. Gawd, what is going on there?? Anyway, he won't start Friday night against the Devils, but instead will play Saturday night against the hopelessly hopeless Sabres. More votes of confidence!

- Andrei Markov update! The Habs extra-sloppy defence sure misses this guy, so hey coach, got us a damn update when he's coming back?
Oh, well that seems reassuring.

More posted here if anything happens. In the meantime, enjoy your final day of happiness, freedom and security.


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Wednesday, 7 December 2016

Game 27: Devils vs. Habs

Montreal 5, New Jersey 2

 FIRST PERIOD:

 - Wow, Greg Pateryn sustained a broken ankle the *2nd* period of the Blues game, meaning he played the 3rd with a broken leg. Habs announce he's out for 8 weeks, and needless to say, out for tonight's game, which means for certain that Zach Redmond will make his debut.

- Danault is also in - so at least the Habs will be playing with something resembling a lineup.

- Lehkonen's game continues to round into form as this season progresses. He got off to a sluggish start and then the injury which took him out of the lineup for 9 games. That time off might have been a blessing in disguise, in part because it's given him a reset, and given that the Swedish League's season schedule pales in comparison to the rigours of an NHL season, that time off could pay off down the road into next year.

- Halfway through the period, not a bad start for the Habs - Mitchell line and in particular, Gallagher, look pretty energized. Brendan well overdue for a scoring outbreak - it looks like he's getting close.

- Welcome back, Nathan Beaulieu, who scores a wrister with a lot of traffic in front of Schneider. Devils think there's interference, but it looks like Lehkonen and Danault did a nice job screening him.

- Silly challenge by the Devils here claiming goaltender interference, which was very marginal at best, and now the Devils lose their timeout, which could be important later.

- Danault gets credit, which ends another scoring drought of another Habs player. So Brendan, its your turn next.

- Jersey scores, but Price definitely pushed into the net by Henrique. I don't think this will count.

- Maybe it will count. Puck was unquestionably going in before Price was bumped off his feet. It may still count after all.

- Yup, there it is. Determined that puck was going in, and the bump on Price had no affect on whether the puck was kept out. So tie game.

- Habs catch a break with Mitchell taking a shot where the rebound hits Lappin, and goes in. Very quickly Habs retake lead. So far the Mitchell/Danault make-do situation is working out. Early days, though.

- Woah, Carey Price just goes ballistic on Palmeri, who crashes the net. Kind of stuck his left leg into Price while falling, and Carey just plows him with the blocker.

- Well, that was an interesting period, taking nearly an hour to play. Habs had slight edge in play, Devils more or less played a decent road period. Danault and Mitchell filled in nicely up the middle, while Plekanec looked a little lost. Price going nuts is the highlight, though. Good on him for standing up for himself and his physical well-being.


SECOND PERIOD:

- First period corsi, Habs a slight SA edge (5v5) of 52.8%:


- We have a feisty game going on, the turning point being the Price scrummage. Maybe even the goal that was scored on him, where Price was pushed into the net. Anyway, lots of post-whistle fisticuffs.

- Both officials trying to gain control of the game by bringing the hammer down on everything, including a phantom tripping call against Redmond.

- Here's something very interesting just tweeted during the 1st intermission:

Kind of paints a different picture about the captains lack of production during the month, doesn't it?

- This might be Torrey Mitchell's best game so far this season. He's definitely embracing the new responsibilities.

- Lehkonen, who we praised in the 1st period, and also noted the Devils were foolish to blow their challenge on a marginal call, scores, with Schneider getting bumped a little. We warned ya Jersey, but you didn't listen.

- Devils forwards seem to be keying in on Price's blocker side - they've beat him there twice this period, but not the goalposts.

- Devante Smith-Pelly looks his usual disinterested and uninvolved. Doing a pretty good impersonation of his stint as a Hab last season, it would appear.

- Habs powerplay has gone south the past 10 days or so, and with Galchenyuk gone, the situation is unlikely to change anytime soon, plus Andrew Shaw on the first unit is killing the advantage.

- Andy Greene is just so good. Always seems to be where the puck is, or is headed, while defending his zone.

- Very solid 2nd period for the Habs, who are in control of a game that's largely calmed down quite a bit, credit to the officials for sending the message out, and the players listened. The reconstructed lineup are holding their own, with Mitchell, Lehkonen and Danault having a strong outing. Even Zach Redmond looks pretty decent in his debut.


THIRD PERIOD:

- Habs kind of dominate tonight, 62.0% SA CF (5v5) through 40 minutes, scoring chances also favouring Montreal 15-5:


- Pretty awful night for the Devils, especially defender Kyle Quincey who makes a very bad turnover right in front of his own net, Pacioretty beats Schneider between the pads, and it's 4-1.

- So I guess there was something to the pregame analysis of the Devils defence being not very good? Apart from Greene, there's a pretty steep decline on their blue line. This team is most definitely not competing for a playoff spot.

- Devils powerplay, Price kicks out a big rebound off a point shot, Henrique with a nifty backhand pass off the rebound on the tape of Taylor Hall, who  has 24 square feet of empty hockey net to choose from. 4-2.

- Ain't no better combo for the Habs right now than Radulov and Pacioretty. I mean, it's not even close. These to have the potential of being a premier offensive duo in the Eastern Conference. That's how good they've been together.

- Not much happening - after then Devils powerplay goal, game flow seized up considerably, as the Canadiens appear set on trying to suffocate the game clock. Devils really haven't provided much of a response so far.

- Habs are going to set a season mark for shots tonight, 44 registered so far with 5 minutes left in the 3rd. Possession stats are also pretty lopsided. 63% game total right now.

- It wasn't Gallagher, but he did most of the hard work winning the puck and feeding Torrey Mitchell, who makes it 5-2. Both he and Gallagher have been excellent tonight, especially in the Devils zone.

- Pretty easy win tonight for the Habs - registering season high 49 shots, the Devils looked beaten from the 2nd period forward, at the very least, disinterested. Always nice to have one of those routine victories here and there - gives the team the closest thing to having a night off while playing - with very good support by players who've been called on to elevate their game - including Mitchell and Danault. Carr and Gallagher also were strong tonight, Pacioretty is still finding the back of the net - so for the moment, even with all the bad injury news, spirits are a bit higher in Habsland.

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GAMEDAY PREVIEW: WHERE HAVE ALL THE CENTERS GONE?

 - Hey, remember how yesterday we put up a tweet from 91.9 Sport in Montreal, and the stellar reporting of George Laraque? Let's put that baby up one more time:

Mmm yeah, that's the stuff: EXCLUSIF!!!!! Well, quite literally a couple of hours after George delivered his EXCLUSIF!!!!!, the Habs quietly tweeted this:


EXCLUSIF!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, that's midling bad news for the Habs. Not good, but not terrible. Given that we heard some EXCLUSIF!!!!! reports that Galchenyuk could be out 3-4 months, 1-2 months ain't great, but it's survivable.

Maybe a little more problematic is Desharnais' status, the same as Galchenyuk, because while losing AK27 into January hurts, the Habs probably could have made do with existing assets, which included Desharnais providing top 6 duties. Now down two centers, matters get a little trickier for the Habs. They'll be leaning hard on Tomas Plekanec and ... well ... who else? Torrey Mitchell? Phillip Danault?

Oh wait, about Danault ...

Hmm, another forward that can also play center? Great. Well, I guess we could still dress 7 defensemen ... sorry, what's that?
Ahhh, well ... I give up. Now what?

The suddenly sick and injured Habs hobble back to home base tonight to host the New Jersey Devils. The Canadiens might actually literally find themselves unable to put together a full lineup tonight because with Desharnais injured, and Danault possibly out from sickness, and with the Habs demoting both Mark Barberio and Charles Hudon yesterday, there aren't enough players to go around, with perhaps both Greg Pateryn and Danault unable to play tonight. At the very least Sven Andrighetto was called up, but even his addition might still not be enough to ice a full lineup.

The Devils, meanwhile, enter the game masters of extra time this season. Of the 8 games just played, 6 have either gone to overtime. Which I suppose is one way of saying the Devils like to play it close. But then it's always been that way for New Jersey. Paltry offence, grinding defence. It never changes.

Or is their defence good? Maybe not. If you look through this fine post on the Devils blog site All About the Jersey, the once always-reliable blue line has been rather inconsistent this season. Specifically, the performance decline by the Devils' top defensive pairing of Andy Greene and Damon Severson, whose offensive numbers, once deemed pretty reliable, have taken a hit this season, which has in turn, added pressure on a somewhat thin offence (as per the Devils' tradition) to produce more than they're capable of.

Meanwhile, New Jersey's top defensive defenseman pairing of Beau Bennett and Kyle Quincey haven't been particular defensive the past while, with their SA numbers markedly increasing.

Which is to say, the Devils' defensive challenges right now might be just enough to give the Habs injury riddled offence a fighting chance tonight.

The question is, are the Montreal Canadiens capable of actually scoring enough to win with the likes of Plekanec and Andrew Shaw being at the controls?

We'll find out in a few hours, with the puck dropping at 7:40 EST.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

WEDNESDAY NEWS 'N' NOTES:

Well, we've got ourselves quite a mixed bag of Habs news today.

This is totally unverified, but troubling just to even think about:
Again, the source, which would appear to be the utterly unreliable Georges Laraque, ought be considered. The 3-4 month timeline, however, would align with a suspected torn ACL injury.


- David Desharnais - also out indefinitely? Last night Desharnais appeared to awkwardly hit is knee while awkwardly attempting to deliver an awkward bodycheck to the Blues' Jay Bouwmeester:


I've been critical about Desharnais' uncanny ability to shoot when he should pass, while passing when he should should - but bodychecking? Just, no, no, no. Desharnais is 5'9", 160 pounds, Bouwmeester is 6'4, 220 pounds. Who's going to win that collision?

Quite a road trip, eh? Habs come out of it down their 1 and 3C. Now what? Com'on Michel, just try Radulov up the middle. Just try, at least.

- Demotion news! Mark Barberio has been sent back to the rock, likely making way for the return of Nathan Beaulieu Thursday night. I mused last night the Habs might consider using Zach Redmond against the Devils, sitting Pateryn. Boy, did I get that one wrong.

- Carey Price was named Molson Cup winner for the month of November. The award, which is nothing other than a popularity contest dressed up as an ugly trophy, ought to have gone to the Habs actual MVP, Alex Radulov, but I digress.

- Habs made another demotion this afternoon, and it's Charles Hudon:

Hmm, shame that. That's a pretty fast recovery from what seemed to have been a bad injury sustained in practice. Instead of giving him more opportunity to establish himself, management has opted to send him back.

More in a bit.

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Wednesday, 6 January 2016

Game 42: Devils vs. Habs

THIRD PERIOD:

- Not an ideal start for the Habs, as Devils outskate Montreal's defence to get puck possession - Henrique redeflecting a shot past Condon. 2-1. This is not the kind of goal winning teams surrender when holding 3rd period leads. 

- 4 minutes into the period, Habs offence finding a little mojo, Plekanec batting a puck past Schneider with a high stick, but following shifts, additional pressure being applied in the Jersey zone. Habs are going to need at least 1 more tonight to secure a victory.

- Desharnais sent flying into the boards with a hit from behind by Severson -  and nothing called. Yet again, another example of NHL officiating letting the players down by not refusing to call the most egregious, violent violations. 

- Pretty low intensity period, given the score margin is just one goal. Long 12 minutes ahead for the Habs, who need to find a way of putting an insurance goal behind Schneider. 

- Beyond shooting or shovelling pucks up the boards, Alexei Emelin might be one of the worst defensemen in the NHL for feeding pucks to the forwards. It's a glaring weak spot on this Habs team, which for whatever reason, is never addressed.

- Looking for New Jersey to open things up a bit, perhaps a few pinches. So far, they're only playing their usual grinding, defence-first game. There are only 7 minutes left in the 3rd.

- Alright, Jersey finally now pinching defence, which might give Habs some chances here. 

- Beaulieu/Subban reunited!! 

- Less than 5 minutes left, Devils generate very good scoring chance off a Condon rebound, but the Habs netminder makes a nice save to keep his team ahead. Quiet, but solid night for him.

- Habs 4th line gets time with 3 minutes left, which is just all kinds of poor deployment. Not surprisingly, the Devils pin the Canadiens in their zone for almost all the duration of the shift. 

- Well, less than 2 left. I guess the Habs are going to try to squeak this one out.

- 1 minute left. Okay Jersey. You're going to have to open up .. like .. now.

- Why is Desharnais on the ice with less than a minute left??!?

- Habs hang on for a less than inspiring win. Offence continues to look pretty meek, which does not bode well for this team as we head into January. Still think something meaningful, if not profound, will need to be done if this Habs team is going to turn their season around. That might mean a coaching change, or a significant player trade. We'll see what happens in the days ahead.


SECOND PERIOD:

- Okay, let's see how this clean, fast sheet of ice works for the Habs to start the 2nd on the powerplay.

- Lots of talk about P.K. Subban this week, and that he's got just one goal this season. P.K.'s shooting percentage this season is 0.9%, which is atrocious when you consider the average percentage is around 7-8%. I think much of Subban's problems has been often having to shoot from the off-wing (a Therrien decision), and just plain bad luck. Habs 2nd powerplay, as seemingly per usual, goes nowhere.

- Habs 4th line is generating almost no energy. That line needs some serious restructuring.

- This period. Zzzz ... Mike Condon barely tested with a shot first 6 minutes.

- Ruutu with a terrible tripping penalty (to take) in the Habs zone. Very bad decision making on his part, but it's tempered by the fact that it's the Habs on the powerplay.

- Oh, P.K. Flubs a pass to the point, and then gets nailed for a hook while - retreating. Thus endeth the powerplay.

- Therrien sends out Mitchell/Byron on the 4-on-4 because ... (?)

- Note to self: Do never use Jeff Petry in a shootout. 

- Jersey has been doing a decent enough job gaining the zone, but has struggled to set up high percentage shots on goal - they love to grind out scoring chances, it's definitely not pretty to watch.

- Oooh, did Mike Johnson just drop mention about Michel Therrien's future? I think he just did.

- Great rush by the Habs, with Subban joining the play, Beaulieu with a wrist shot that generates a huge rebound that Subban would have easily put in, if he had continued the rush. But he peeled back. That's part of the Subban issue - playing too conservative. But that's been specifically designed by Therrien in the 3 years he's been behind the bench. To squeeze any semblance of creativity out of the Habs best defenseman in 25 years.

- Galchenyuk line seemingly the only one able/capable/desiring to implement an aggressive forecheck. Not surprisingly, they're earning the lion's share of Habs scoring chances tonight. 

- Andrighetto's stick literally slashed into two pieces, and nothing called. NHL officiating drives me crazy - why nobody seems willing to crack down on violent stick work is dumbfounding. There should be zero tolerance for this kind of nonsense.

- Hah. Irony. Tootoo played that broken stick that was slashed out of Andrigehtto to break up a play, and Desharnais gets a penalty shot as a result. Big opportunity here.

- Good lord. What a terrible attempt by Desharnais. Words escape me of how poor that was. And another opportunity lost.

- Desharnais laughing on the bench about that attempt. Not sure what's so funny. This team is starved for any kind of goal scoring, and is in danger of slipping out of a playoff spot. Har, har?

- Devils powerplay is indeed,-  a mess. Poor cross ice pass at the line gives Habs shorthanded two-on-one, Byron with a sweet toe drag and pass to Mitchell for the goal. 2-0 Montreal on a semi-gift goal.

- Habs enjoy a 2-0 lead at the break, in yet another period that they were arguably outplayed by their opponent. Still waiting for some signs of life from forwards who need to start making contributions to the scoresheet sooner rather than later. Desharnais and Eller at the forefront there.


FIRST PERIOD:

- I don't care what anyone says, Sara Diamond is one of the best.

- Smith-Pelly on the 4th line, it's becoming increasingly clear that the number of chances he's got left finding a way into the lineup, is getting pretty small.

- Pacioretty nearly sent in all alone, and almost benefits from an empty net, nearly identical to last night when he nearly tied the game with 10 seconds left. Patches continues to show all the signs of being on the cusp of breaking out big-time. He's always scored in bunches, and another bunch is overdue.

- I cannot imagine how anyone could be a rabid fan of the Devils. Their style and structure of hockey is as boring as ever. Has been for more than 20 years. This game, with checking very tight, is already shaping up to be a snoozer.

- Galchenyuk lines certainly looks like the most sprite for the Habs tonight, so far they've really been the only unit to give this structured defensive-first Devils team something to handle.

- Devils have a pretty good 4th line - something the Habs have been searching for since their excellent October. Torrey Mitchell's game has clearly fallen off since coming back from injury, while plugs like Smith-Pelly aren't really bringing much to the table.

- Devils doing a much better job in O zone, out checking the Habs by a considerable margin, and generating a significant possession edge. 

- There really should be no good reason for Jersey to be out-skating the Habs, but 15 minutes though the 1st, they're winning most of the races to the puck.

- Alexei Emelin, being stupid again, goes for the big hit instead of the smart play - the hit being too late, and it gives the Devils a powerplay. How Emelin continues to get starts over more capable bodies like Pateryn and Tinodri, I'll never understand.

- Pretty unimpressive powerplay for New Jersey - this unit has taken a dip of late, just seem to lack any kind of organization. Teams go through these funks, it looks like the Devils, who are actually pretty good with the man advantage, are stuck in one.

- Beaulieu/Petry unit doing the best job moving the puck out of Habs zone, also feeding forwards at centre. Still waiting for the Subban/Beaulieu reunion, whenever that happens.

- Habs powerplay - Markov and Subban working the point, which we haven't seen in a couple of weeks.

- Therrien sending Desharnais out on first unit, which is just an anchor on everyone else - still can't figure out what Therrien sees with DD on the PP unit. He's done nothing there for nearly two months.

- Pacioretty gets a little break redeflects a pass to the slot, with Gallagher right in Schneider's face. The Devils think it's interference. I don't see any. Devils are challenging the goal. I think this won't go anywhere.

- Man, if Gallagher is nailed again costing another goal ...

- I don't see it. What a pathetic challenge by Jersey. No way they're going to call this one off.

- Good goal. No surprise. 1-0 Habs. 

- Late interference goal on the Devils, which gives the Habs a clean sheet of ice to work with for nearly 2 minutes, to start the 2nd period (a significant advantage).

- Nice to see the Habs come out ahead after 20 minutes, although the Devils did have a defined edge in possession for most off the period. Montreal needs to do a better job on the forecheck, in order to generate a bit more pressure and game time in the New Jersey zone.





HEY GUYS ... WE'RE HOME.  BE HAPPY?

Last night was a pretty sad indictment of this team's fortunes, or lack thereof. Will tonight be any better? Will a return to home base make this lost Habs team suddenly found again? Will Devante Smith-Pelly make an actual valuable contribution? Many questions, few answers.

Also, live blog will be delayed a few hours. So don't come lookin' here for any live analysis.


GAMEDAY NEWS 'N' NOTES:

Oh man, is it nice to be home. Finally. Game tonight (early start!), so here are notes that we'll update as the day progresses:

- Devante Smith-Pelly had one heckova terrible game last night, coming off the healthy scratch list - which is quite amazing because you'd kind of expect somebody in his position to do everything to avoid stinking out the joint. So it came as no surprise this afternoon when Michel Therrien announced that Sven Andrighetto, who sat out last night to make way for Smith-Pelly, would be in the lineup tonight. What really came as a surprise is that Tomas Fleischmann will be in the pressbox, and Smith-Pelly is getting another start. Oookay then.

- Mike Condon will start in goal. Ben Scrivens, it should be noted, is 2-for-2 in giving the Habs solid starts.

- Apparently Vincent Lecavalier is on the trading block, and for the love of everything precious, let all all hope that he's not on Marc Bergevin's panic button radar.
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Saturday, 28 November 2015

Game 25: Devils vs. Habs

OVERTIME:

 - Well, this is stupid and completely unnecessary.

- I'm still fuming over Therrien calling that timeout. What a stupid, stupid decision.

- Oh, FWIW, both teams through 60 minutes:




- Markov pinches, loses, and everybody gets caught up ice. Condon with a great initial save on Moore, but he can't get up for the rebound. A terrible way to loose - totally unavailable, a huge mistake by Therrien calling a timeout late in the 3rd, and allowing the Devils the opportunity to put together a set play to tie the game. Argh.

 THIRD PERIOD:

 - Habs and Devils through 40 minutes:







- -- S- - Should come as little surprise the Henrique line is the best playing unit for the Devils tonight, but still, if they're contained from scoring, the Devils are in tough.

- Condon't been excellent this period - really solid through much of the game. Keeping things very simple, very compact tonight.

- Habs have been pretty disciplined this period, not taking any unnecessary chances, and doing a pretty decent job maintaining puck control in the Devil's zone. Also matching them well in the battle for centre ice. So far, Jersey's shots on Condon have mainly come from the point. They're looking for a lucky bounce.

- Weird, very marginal interference call on Elias, and the Habs quickly take advantage on the powerplay, a loose puck around Schneider that Galchenyuk eventually roofs to give Montreal a 2-0 lead. Galchenyuk is officially on fire.

- Jersey gets that lucky bounce off a point shot, through the legs of Condon. Larsson the goal with Henrique line on the ice.  2-1.

- Jeff Petry injured? Not on the Habs bench. That could be huge.

- 7 minutes left, Habs in hang-on mode.

- Petry has returned. We breath. And now hope the Habs don't continue to try to hold on to this one goal game.

- Devils taking chances now, and it's creating some odd-man rushes for the Habs. Just need to bury one more ...

- Beaulieu misses golden opportunity - he tries way too hard sometimes. A minute left, and Habs will just stack the line.

- With 24 seconds left, faceoff deep in their own zone, Therrien calls a timeout. Which is very strange strategy, as it gives the Devils best forwards time to rest and set their play. Okay, then.

- And wouldn't you know it, the Devils score off a set play. What the heck was Therrien thinking?!?



 SECOND PERIOD:

 - Habs and Devils through 20 minutes. It was, for the most part, a stalemate period.




















- Scoring chances in the first were kind of sad, especially if you're a Canadien:



- Habs are having a "devil" (sorry) of a time setting up a shot anywhere near the slot. The Devils forwards do a great job collapsing to protect their goal whenever there's even a sniff of a threat.

- This game evolving (devolving) into a titanic struggle between checkers. Virtually no flow to the game, and almost no good scoring chances are being generated. Might take a lucky bounce to break the zeros on the scoreboard.

- Well, there you have it. Beaulieu with a point shot that hits Galchenyuk in the shoulder, and deflects top corner behind Schneider. As lucky a goal as you'll see. 1-0 Habs.

- Before the Galchenyuk goal, the Habs had only mustered three shot attempts (that's attempts) through the first 9 minutes of this period - so lethargic has this game been.

- Galchenyuk might have the only goal so far, but Plekanec line has by far been the Habs most consistent tonight. Desharnais line hasn't shown much, and the 4th line continues to look amiss without Mitchell in the lineup.

- Desharnais clearcut breakaway, but follows through with a pretty lame backhand deke.

- Pacioretty assessed a nonsense hooking penalty with 5 minutes left. Tells the official the call was bullshit. He's right about that. Professional referees should never be making calls like that.

- Credit to the Habs defence, they're largely doing their job guarding the rush, and covering passing lanes. Devils really haven't challenged Condon in the period.

- Apparently the Devils outshot the Habs 12-6 in that period, although I'd be dammed how that result was calculated. NHL stats, I guess. Anyways, another tight checking sleeper of a period, the Habs got their lucky bounce, and the Devils ... well, they're just not able to generate any sustained momentum. Yeah, they're getting a few pucks on Condon, but very few are coming from close distances. Basically a game of attrition. At times, unbearable to watch.



 FIRST PERIOD:

 - So Christian Thomas gets his first start of the season, with Holloway being the healthy scratch tonight. All for having the (younger) kids get a chance to demonstrate themselves. So far Andrighetto has produced an "A" performance, let's see what Thomas can do.

- Also interesting to note that Pateryn gets another start, Emelin is again a healthy scratch. Emelin isn't really a movable asset this year, but Gilbert certainly is.

- Early on, Habs defence really struggling to move the puck forward successfully, a lot of pucks being turned over in the neutral zone, producing odd man breaks for New Jersey. Sloppy start.

- Another poor puck turnover in the neutral zone, leading to odd man break for the Devils, Condon forced to make an excellent pad save off the pass to keep the game scoreless.

- With New Jersey really producing significant puck pressure, Galchenyuk line hits the ice with 9 minutes left, and promptly force the Devils into a couple of puck giveaways. That line be human'.

- Devils powerplay is a real hot mess. Puck movement is simply not fast or accurate enough.

- Habs first powerplay was "okay". Had decent zone control, but the Devils PK really collapsed nicely around their slot and blocked most shooting angles. Habs must adapt. If the Devils are intent on cramming their own slot, then the Canadiens could try working the puck deep. Perimeter passing simply won't amount to anything.

- 1st period looking much like it did last night - very tight checking, Devils really stacking up aggressively at centre ice. Habs simply couldn't get their speed into gear, which resulted in very few good scoring chances on Schneider. Meanwhile, apart from some sloppy transition passing, Habs were, for the most part, disciplined in their own zone, containing the slot and preventing the Devils from reaching any rebounds. Condon played pretty solid. Looks like this will be a low scoring game.


 GAMEDAY NOTES:

No real "preview" today. We saw the Devils last night, and we know the important stuff. They struggle with scoring, they play really good defence. Nothing has changed in 20 years there.

One thing to note about last night's comparables (see below) was how well the Plekanec and Galchenyuk lines (again) were with puck possession. The Devils' offence is pretty top heavy - it relies much on the Henrique/Cammalleri/Stempniak line. If they don't produce, the Devils' odds of winning any given night are pretty close to zero (that the Henrique line did produce last night gave New Jersey a fighting chance).

The Desharnais line, as per usual, struggled defensively, getting soundly outchanced by an inferior opponent. We put up with their shaky zone defence because, for the most part, they've been able to hold their own in producing the necessary goals. But if that line ever starts to faultier offensively, watch out.

The big Habs question heading into tonight will be their defensive pairings. Will Greg Pateryn, who had an up-and-down evening, get another start in place of Alexei Emelin? Or maybe Therrien might consider giving Tom Gilbert an evening off?

Cory Schneider had a very good outing last night - whether that means he'll get consecutive starts is yet to be seen. The Devils do have a more than capable backup in Keith Kinkaid. It's a near certainty that Mike Condon will get the nod tonight for the Habs.

A win tonight will get Montreal to the 40 point plateau, a point reached before December even begins will be an outstanding accomplishment. Puck drops at 7:10 EST.




THIS ALEX GALCHENYUK FELLOW CAN PLAY

That's a wowzers goal from last night - and set the Habs up for an eventual shootout victory.

We'll have more as the day progresses, including a little preview of tonight's game. In the meantime, here's a breakdown of last night's game, which was a very good one for both the Galchenyuk and Plekanec lines:

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Friday, 27 November 2015

Game Twenty-Four: Habs vs. Devils

OVERTIME:

 - Habs and Devils through 60 minutes:

- Schneider holding his team in this overtime. Where's Galchenyuk??

- Brad Watson with an awfully soft holding call on Andrighetto. In overtime. Hoo boy.

- Petry with brilliant work on the PK, Plekanec sprung loose and draws a hook. Habs back on even terms and might pull this one out yet.

- One OT shift for Galchenyuk. That's crazy.

- Galchenyuk on. Watch him.

- Schneider robs Pacioretty with only seconds left. Full credit. Fantastic save.

- Shootout. Habs need a miracle here. Can't see Condon beating Schneider at this.

- Condon just doesn't move enough on these. Gets fooled badly.

- Condon makes second save, and pumps his arm as though the game was won. Not yet, Condibear. Not yet.

- Andrighetto!!!! On his first ever NHL shootout attempt. Wowzers.

- CONDIBEAR!! Howz about that. Habs win.
THIRD PERIOD:

 - Habs and Devils 5v5 through 40 minutes:


- Canadiens 4th line really not doing much of a job creating energy during their shifts throughout the night. Torrey Mitchell probably didn't/doesn't get enough credit.

- Pretty flagrant high stick to Desharnais's face, somehow not called by the officials, one of whom is Brad Watson. So ... yeah.

- Habs struggling to find a spark as this 3rd period progresses, but for whatever reason, Therrien seems to be leaning on the Plekanec line instead of the line that's actually bringing energy tonight - the Galchenyuk line.

- Anyway, Habs powerplay here. Let's see if it can't be as terri-bad as it was during the first and second periods.

- Actually, that powerplay was pretty much excellent. Everything but a goal. Habs held the puck in the Devils zone for every second of the man advantage, but couldn't quite find a clear, clean scoring opportunity on Schneider. Still, good progress.

- Seems like the Devils are just trying to hold on to this one goal lead, which is usually a bad strategy. Habs are really taking it to New Jersey, you have to wonder if, failing a bad bounce, a game-tying goal is inevitable.

- Alex Galchenyuk. Incredible speed. Just incredible. And then a beauty move on Schneider. Tie game. There ya go.

- Grats to old man Markov, who collected his 400th career assist off that wonderful Galchenyuk game tying goal.

- At this point, Therrien can no longer continue to give the Galchenyuk line, which has easily been this team's best forward line for more than two weeks, 3rd line ice time.

- Well, Therrien's answer to that - he's taken Galchenyuk off his line, and put him on the Plekanec line, demoting Smith-Pellly. Eller now on the 4th line. Juggling all over the place.

- Excellent period for the Habs, mustering up the needed goal to at least claim a point. Really dominated most aspects of the 3rd, with the Devils seemingly over focused on protecting their zone. The Habs have 5 minutes to pull out a win, because if this goes to shootout, the Devils will almost certainly win since Mike Condon has struggled badly with the shootout format.
SECOND PERIOD:

 - Turnover at centre ice gives Devils clear zone entry, give and go finished by Henrique. 1-0.

- Montreal's second period pretty much a disaster. No offence generated, unless you count the two 2-on-1 breaks the Devils had while shorthanded. Habs seem to be more or less in a daze tonight.

- If there's any clear indication that the Habs are missing the presence of Brendan Gallagher, tonight's game so far in New Jersey would be it.

- Habs defence is pretty disengaged tonight. When they aren't making poor pass attempts, they're pretty much stapling themselves deep in their zone. Which means the Devils are largely controlling centre ice.

- Lars Eller not having a good night. Fails to make a very straightforward zone clearance on the PK, which results in Condon being left completely out to dry with Stepniak allowed to jam the puck home. 2-0 New Jersey. Awful night so far for the visiting team.

- Habs getting called for penalties initiative of a team being skated into the ground. Pateryn, who's really struggled tonight, gets nailed for a hold.

- Habs offence just barely showing a sign of life, with 7 minutes left in the 2nd. Devils seem to be more than willing to allow clean zone entires, with Schneider playing very well.

- Andrighetto! Kid is making a statement, isn't he? That Devils passivity burns them, as Galchenyuk allowed a clean zone entry, and a nifty pass over to Andrighetto with a wrister that somehow eludes Schneider. Game isn't quite over yet.

- Seems to be a pretty good formula - team lacking spark? Send out the energy makers. Galchenyuk and Andrighetto more than happy to fill the void.

- Well, I suppose that period could have been a lot worse. Devils dominated first 13 minutes, and could have easily scored more than two, to put this game away. Habs seemed to find their legs as the period came to a close, but still, this isn't nearly the same team without Gallagher in the lineup. Nonetheless, the Habs at the very least retain a shot of getting a point (maybe even two) out of tonight's game. We'll see what they're made of in the 3rd.
FIRST PERIOD: 

-Interesting. Emelin is a gametime scratch for Pateryn. Don't think it's injury related.

- Pretty sloppy first powerplay for the Habs, with Markov saving Subban's bacon (and a Jersey goal) after a terrible turnover by P.K. deep in his own zone.

- Habs defense being very sloppy in their own zone, really struggling to feed the puck to the forwards. Devils with a fairly aggressive forecheck which is creating problems.

- Devils just don't allow anything. Habs having fits simply carrying the zone. New Jersey with a big focus on shot blocking, while forcing opponent forwards to the outside. Habs yet to generate a quality scoring chance on Schneider the first 12 minutes of this game.

- Pretty soft interference call on Smith-Pelly off the faceoff - officials very aggressive calling these interferences so far.

- Habs PK looks excellent again tonight, Devils could get nothing going, their offensive thinness really on display.

- Schneider's first big save of the night off Plekanec off a sweet pass from Pacioretty. Took nearly the entire first period to test the Devils.

- Habs offence finally locating 2nd gear, although they continue to struggle registering shots on net. Can't win if your opposing goaltender doesn't have to stop anything.

- Pretty meek first period of play - both teams playing classic trap game, offences really struggling to generate any kind of momentum through centre ice. Quite possibly the most boring period of hockey I've seen this year. In other words, classic New Jersey hockey. No wonder they can't sell out even half the building.



WELCOME TO NEW JERSEY, WHERE HOCKEY CAME TO NEARLY DIE















Hey, we're in the middle of a swamp tonight! Yeah, normally I'd use every opportunity whenever the Habs go to New Jersey to mock their frenetic Devils hockey fans (all approximately 400 of them!), or that the Devils franchise nearly single-handedly destroyed the game of hockey in the 1990s by playing a (winning!) game of boring their opponents to death. Or that New Jersey itself is pretty much humanity built on a toxic waste dump. NOPE. NOT GONNA DO THAT TODAY.

Instead, let's be nice, and just make fun of the New Jersey Devils. They're not very good! 23 points in 21 games, puts the Devils on a pace for about 87 points, which won't be nearly enough to make the playoffs.

The issue with the Devils? Pretty much goal scoring. Coming into tonight's game, New Jersey has just the 23rd rated League offence, with an average just over 2.3 GPG. This anemic production puts considerable pressure on Jersey's netminders, in particular Cory Schneider, who's very capable, but is by no means elite. In games this season where the Devils have scored 3 or fewer goals, their record isn't good - 3-5-1. Contrast that with the Habs, whose record is 5-2-2 when they score 3 or fewer goals, and you begin to get the picture.

The Devils are led by ... well ... how do we put this gently. Old guys. Yeah. Old guys. What do Mike Cammalleri, Ryane Clowe, Patrik Elias, Stephen Gionta, Tuomo Ruutu, Lee Stempniak, and Jordin Tootoo have in common? They're all on the Devils offence, and not a single one of those players are under age 32. Yeeks! Otherwise, New Jersey does feature a younger, shall we even go so far to say, good defence? Andy Greene, Adam Larsson, and the big-bodied Eric Gelinas are the Devils' blue line foundation. With younger bodies like Jon Merrill and John Moore up-and-coming, at least New Jersey can be a challenging team to score against. At least.

It's not all doom-and-gloom though. The Devils will be taking on the suddenly injury-ridden Habs team in back-to-back night-to-night games. The Habs are hobbling, now without the services of Carey Price for at least a week (ain't no way Carey is coming back in a week, for what it's worth), and the also irreplaceable Brendan Gallagher, who's out until January (at least). Toss in Torrey Mitchell, and now Alexander Semin, and the Canadiens are getting their first rigorous depth test of the season.

With all these bodies out, Bud Holloway (gawd, that name is fantastic) will get his first ever Habs uniform start tonight - he'll be placed on the 4th line in place of Semin. Otherwise, the Habs will be going status-quo with the lineup - Sven Andrighetto will play on the Galchenyuk line, while Devante Smith-Pelly will start again on the Plekanec line.

Game time tonight is 7:10 EST. It's Mike Condon against ... we're not sure. Either Schneider, or Keith Kinkaid.
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